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Journey through the Masterworks (SF)
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thereddeath
Posted 2015-02-03 3:01 PM (#9504)
Subject: Journey through the Masterworks (SF)



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Well, I hope I put this in the right section. Anyway.

I've never been much of an SF reader, preferring other kinds of fiction. But I became interested in it in my late 20s. (I'm still in my late 20s. It happened last summer, after I read Jo Walton's "What Makes This Book So Great"). Before that, if I read an SF book it was by accident, sort of, in the sense that I thought the plot sounded interesting and decided to read it, not because I was interested in the genre per se.

I recently noticed that I've only read 2 books on the SF Masterworks list, so I decided to fix that. I'll use this thread to write my thoughts on what I read as I go through the list. No idea how long it will take me to finish it.
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Administrator
Posted 2015-02-03 4:05 PM (#9506 - in reply to #9504)
Subject: RE: Journey through the Masterworks (SF)



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thereddeath - 2015-02-03 3:01 PM Well, I hope I put this in the right section. Anyway. I've never been much of an SF reader, preferring other kinds of fiction. But I became interested in it in my late 20s. (I'm still in my late 20s. It happened last summer, after I read Jo Walton's "What Makes This Book So Great". Before that, if I read an SF book it was by accident, sort of, in the sense that I thought the plot sounded interesting and decided to read it, not because I was interested in the genre per se. I recently noticed that I've only read 2 books on the SF Masterworks list, so I decided to fix that. I'll use this thread to write my thoughts on what I read as I go through the list. No idea how long it will take me to finish it.

I look forward to your posts.  What does you lineup look like?

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thereddeath
Posted 2015-02-04 6:34 AM (#9509 - in reply to #9506)
Subject: RE: Journey through the Masterworks (SF)



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I look forward to your posts. What does you lineup look like?


Thanks. The first few will probably be these books, because they seem the most interesting based on their synopses:

The Left Hand of Darkness
Monday Begins on Saturday
Random Acts of Senseless Violence
A Canticle for Leibowitz
Riddley Walker
Frankenstein
Dangerous Visions
Hyperion
Helliconia
Dhalgren
Cat's Cradle
Dying Inside
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
Blood Music
The Lathe of Heaven
More Than Human
Flowers for Algernon
Behold the Man
The Book of Skulls
The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds
A Scanner Darkly
The Drowned World
The Sirens of Titan
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
The Stars My Destination
Babel-17
Lord of Light
The Fifth Head of Cerberus
Gateway
Last and First Men

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pizzakarin
Posted 2015-02-04 9:09 AM (#9511 - in reply to #9504)
Subject: Re: Journey through the Masterworks (SF)



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Location: Austin, Tx		I'm eager to hear what you think of each entry. Some things I'd be interested in knowing from your reviews/analysis since you're coming to the genre fairly fresh: Did the book get you excited to read more scifi? Do you think that the book holds up to modern standards or is it interesting more as a foundational work of the genre?
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Bormgans
Posted 2015-02-08 1:09 AM (#9555 - in reply to #9504)
Subject: Re: Journey through the Masterworks (SF)



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Location: Belgium		Just don't forget to read newer stuff too. I myself am alternating between newer books and classics I haven't read. Often I find the newer books more rewarding.
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thereddeath
Posted 2015-02-08 2:10 AM (#9556 - in reply to #9555)
Subject: Re: Journey through the Masterworks (SF)



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I do read recent stuff. I'm currently in love with Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch series.
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Bormgans
Posted 2015-02-08 3:37 AM (#9557 - in reply to #9556)
Subject: Re: Journey through the Masterworks (SF)



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Location: Belgium		Yeah I just finished the first book last week. Good stuff indeed. For me Alastair Reynolds is my latest big, big discovery.
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pauljames
Posted 2015-02-08 10:23 AM (#9561 - in reply to #9557)
Subject: Re: Journey through the Masterworks (SF)



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Location: scotland		I have read five of these books with varying impressions left on me although I definetely would read them all again. Hyperion and Stars are My Destination are both amazing and truly two of the best I have read. The Left Hand of Darkness is very challenging. Babel-17 enjoyabel but hard to figure out. Scanner Darkly is very very dark.
Others you might consider The Forever War, Rendevouz with Rama, Ringworld, The Dispossessed these are all brilliant in there own way and worthy of reading multiple times. Another to think about is Book of the New Sun listed as Fantasy Masterwork but more like a science fantasy novel(s).
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Bormgans
Posted 2015-02-08 12:18 PM (#9564 - in reply to #9561)
Subject: Re: Journey through the Masterworks (SF)



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Location: Belgium		Ringworld was awful imo. I posted a review here yesterday.

I agree on Gene Wolfe's masterwork, pretty sure the best of all books listed in this thread.
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thereddeath
Posted 2015-03-01 12:16 PM (#9778 - in reply to #9504)
Subject: Re: Journey through the Masterworks (SF)



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Of the stuff on this list, I've only read 30% of "Dangerous Visions" so far because I recently started a new job and moved to another city, which didn't leave me much time to read.

Most of these stories are awesome.

I hated the two Jack the Ripper ones because they were misogynistic nonsense and abandoned Riders of the Purple Wage by Philip Jose Farmer because it was threatening to give me a headache. I just couldn't get into his style at all.

My favorite story so far has probably been The Day After the Day the Martians Came by Frederik Pohl. I loved the ending.

Edited by thereddeath 2015-03-01 12:18 PM
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