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Admin
Posts: 4005
Location: Dallas, Texas |  The 2014 Grand Master Reading Challenge (GMRC) is a reprise of our first challenge from 2012. It was a big hit then and we hope we'll have lots of folks come back for a second go at this one. This year we're also including the horror grand masters too so there are more authors to choose from. Check out the challenge page for more details and let us know if you have any questions. Happy reading!
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Uber User
Posts: 369
Location: Middle TN, USA | Ok Grand Masters Here I come!!! |
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Member
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Location: Seattle, WA | Administrator - 2014-01-07 11:24 AM
This year we're also including the horror grand masters too so there are more authors to choose from.
Good thing you did. The goal is to read authors we haven't, and I only counted 13 that qualify on the Science Fiction grand masters list. Coincidentally, I am reading my first for this challenge now - Bag of Bones by Stephen King. |
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Admin
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Location: Dallas, Texas | I'm doing the WoGF again this year as well, cause I stunk it up last year with only 6 reads, and found 2 Grand Master books that will apply to both challenges: Doomsday Book by Connie Willis and Night's Master by Tanith Lee. That's gonna help me along nicely!
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Admin
Posts: 4005
Location: Dallas, Texas | Thomcat - 2014-01-07 2:11 PM Administrator - 2014-01-07 11:24 AM This year we're also including the horror grand masters too so there are more authors to choose from. Good thing you did. The goal is to read authors we haven't, and I only counted 13 that qualify on the Science Fiction grand masters list. Coincidentally, I am reading my first for this challenge now - Bag of Bones by Stephen King. Yeah, they don't name Grand Masters fast enough for my tastes. They keep missing great authors who die before they get nominated.
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Member
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| I am happy that you are re-doing this challenge. I had already decided to try a personal Grand Master challenge (as well as another WOGF), so this will help keep me motivated. I have even already read one book this year for it. 
Also, Doomsday Book is excellent! |
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Admin
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Location: Dallas, Texas | Yeah, this one was a no-brainer! Lots of fans the first time around. I really enjoyed Camouflage and I've been meaning to read DB for ages so that's good to hear! What other challenge are you considering?
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Member
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| I was already going to keep on with Women of Genre Fiction, since I had 'leftovers' from last year. But now I'm looking at some of the other challenges (like Read the Sequel) and it's tempting to jump on others.
Edited by mjmahoney 2014-01-08 8:44 AM
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Uber User
Posts: 369
Location: Middle TN, USA | Is it just me, or is anyone else still experiencing difficulties adding books from the "World Horror Convention Grand Masters" I have added "Psycho" to my reading list, a book that I have been meaning to read anyway, and I have a GM tab, but it is not lit to be able to check it off. Just wondering. I plan to try and hit that one hard in this challenge because I have already read several of the authors off it. |
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Uber User
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| I'm passing on this challenge since I'm not that big a Horror buff and I've read something by all the SF Grand Masters so it's WOGF part 2 for me. |
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Regular
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| I'm going to have a crack at the Grandmasters this year. There's still many authors I haven't read on the list so I've plenty to have a go at. Starting off with Delany and noticed quite a few are going to be reading Babel-17. It's going to be interesting reading those reviews from our different perspectives.
As the most recent Grandmaster I suspect some of us have thought, 'how have we not read him yet' and he's a clear first pick for me. |
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Member
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Location: Washington, DC | I think I'm going to finish most of SF Grandmasters this year (that is, if I actually complete the challenge). |
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Veteran
Posts: 107
Location: scotland | Something I noticed. 4 people doing this challenge have selected - Babel 17.
I also recently purchased this and will be reading it in a few months. I will review it and look forward to readign others reviews. |
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Regular
Posts: 92
| So - here's an issue. I'm currently reading 'Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume II' (by the way it's great!). The book contains 15 short stories or novellas which predate the Nebulas and were voted as the best short stories by the SFWA before 1965. There are two Grand Masters in there - Damon Knight and Arthur C. Clarke. I wasn't thinking of this book for the challenge but do you think it is fair game to include the Damon Knight story as part of this challenge or would it be more in the spirit of the challenge to read one of his longer works?
EDIT - the book I have is not in the database anyway. I have Volume II (which is part two of Volume I which is in the database). Volume II in the database is an entirely different book.
Edited by bazhsw 2014-04-28 3:26 PM
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Uber User
Posts: 369
Location: Middle TN, USA | I have dedicated the little bit of time I have this month to the Grandmasters. I am 1/2 way through Silverberg's "Dying Inside" , which I am struggling with a bit. It just does not feel like sci-fi to me. Of course it was written before I was even a glimmer in my parents eye, so that may have something to do with it, but so far I just don't see what the big deal is. I know it was nominated for several awards in its day and is on no less than 5 lists, but I still don't get it. It is possible that it will get more sci-fiy towards the end but I have my doubts. If anyone out there has read it, maybe they could give a girl a hand on this one.
I have had to put Silverberg to the side for the moment because I just got Tannith Lee's Silver Metal Lover on interlibrary loan and that is a 2 week and done deal. I am enjoying this one even though it is really just a glorified romance at the time. It does bring up some interesting social commentaries about the late 70's early 80"s time period.
I also have Jack Ketchum's Ladies Night on my tablet, just waiting for me to crack it. I have seen a couple movies based on his novels and all I can say is that he must be a brutal writer and is a true master of splatterpunk because these movies were something else! I am really looking forward to his novel. I must admit horror is the genre I love, love, love the best. |
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Regular
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| Did you end up finishing 'Dying Inside' Badseedgirl? I'm about a quarter of the way through it. I think I'm enjoying it although I agree it doesn't feel very 'sci-fi'. I've recently read a Harlan Ellison so I'm into the 1970's New York vibe at the moment through Grandmasters.
As a 2/3 way through report I've had some great books and not many I haven't enjoyed.
Progress so far -
Babel-17 - Samuel Delany - pretty decent
Shadow of the Torturer - Gene Wolfe - Didn't think too much of the book but it's one of the most interesting books to discuss that I have read this year. A great 'book group' book I think more than a 'great book'.
The Listeners - James E. Gunn - really good and thought provoking
Deathbird Stories - Harlan Ellison - Loved this short story collection. Best book of the challenge so far
Dragonflight - Anne Macaffrey - Didn't like this much. The attitude to the central character throughout put me off.
Make Room! Make Room! - Harry Harrison - Really enjoyed this one.
The Forever War - Joe Haldeman - Really liked this one. A really interesting thought provoking book and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Gloriana - Michael Moorcock - Found this novel quite troubling and not a pleasant read at all. |
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2014 Grand Master Reading Challenge