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Now that RL has settled back into a livable routine, and I'm actually making progress on the novel (slow progress, but progress nonetheless), it seems as good a time as any to start musing about other things.
I think that I had a nice TV binge this season, and have taken a bit of a breather to remember why I enjoy blathering on about SG:A or VM for hours on end. The result being that I've started rewatching Atlantis and taking notes for my Weir essay. It's amazing the things you miss the first, second, or third time around.
I must have watched Rising at least half a dozen times, but it took my watching each and every Weir move to notice that Rodney's standing on the balcony with John when she looks up after they go through the Gate. Actually, that whole sequence is well-done, with John's presence turning the lights on as he moves forward. The later "I didn't touch anything" in the control room was rather amusing.
Going back a bit further, I think I might have spotted the scene where Weir clicked for me on Atlantis. The first few were full of exposition and the typical and necessary speeches, but there's this moment where she's standing next to Jack in the control center of the SGC, right as they're starting the dialing sequence, and Tori Higginson just nails the nervous and excited tension of that scene. It was so subtle, and so well done, that I didn't even notice the actual acting until I was looking for it.
Of course, there's still a good month before the next season of shows that I watch starts (I'll need to figure out access to my sister's TiVo as I don't get HBO, and thus might miss the Six Feet Under season otherwise), and it seems like the best time to catch up on some reading. What reading... well, here's where I ask you. :)
Given my absolute adoration of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and such "genre" writing, recommend five novels for me to read this summer. As previously mentioned, "classics" of the genres are preferred, but not required.
As far as fantasy goes, I've read Tolkien and C.S.Lewis, but not Ursula Le Guin or others. As far as Sci-Fi, I've read Adams, Card, and Bradbury, but nothing like Asimov or Heinlein (I know, I know, what was I thinking?)
Anyone who helps expand my horizons gets a cookie of yet-undetermined form.
I think that I had a nice TV binge this season, and have taken a bit of a breather to remember why I enjoy blathering on about SG:A or VM for hours on end. The result being that I've started rewatching Atlantis and taking notes for my Weir essay. It's amazing the things you miss the first, second, or third time around.
I must have watched Rising at least half a dozen times, but it took my watching each and every Weir move to notice that Rodney's standing on the balcony with John when she looks up after they go through the Gate. Actually, that whole sequence is well-done, with John's presence turning the lights on as he moves forward. The later "I didn't touch anything" in the control room was rather amusing.
Going back a bit further, I think I might have spotted the scene where Weir clicked for me on Atlantis. The first few were full of exposition and the typical and necessary speeches, but there's this moment where she's standing next to Jack in the control center of the SGC, right as they're starting the dialing sequence, and Tori Higginson just nails the nervous and excited tension of that scene. It was so subtle, and so well done, that I didn't even notice the actual acting until I was looking for it.
Of course, there's still a good month before the next season of shows that I watch starts (I'll need to figure out access to my sister's TiVo as I don't get HBO, and thus might miss the Six Feet Under season otherwise), and it seems like the best time to catch up on some reading. What reading... well, here's where I ask you. :)
Given my absolute adoration of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and such "genre" writing, recommend five novels for me to read this summer. As previously mentioned, "classics" of the genres are preferred, but not required.
As far as fantasy goes, I've read Tolkien and C.S.Lewis, but not Ursula Le Guin or others. As far as Sci-Fi, I've read Adams, Card, and Bradbury, but nothing like Asimov or Heinlein (I know, I know, what was I thinking?)
Anyone who helps expand my horizons gets a cookie of yet-undetermined form.
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From:
Part 3
Mercedes Lackey - If you haven't read them already, you might like her Last Herald-Mage trilogy (telepathic horses, with a gay magic-using hero and lots of tragedy), By the Sword (female mercenary heroine; and its prequels, the Vows and Honor duology, which features her grandmother and her blood sister, also mercenaries), her Diana Tregarde books (set on earth, female magic-using hero), Born to Run (racing cars, with elves), Summoned to Tourney and Knight of Ghosts and Shadows (music as magic, with elves). If you absolutely have to, the trilogy that starts with Arrows of the Queen (in the telepathic-horses universe) is what really launched her career. Read enough of her books, and they start to feel distinctly recycled after a while.
Anne McCaffrey. An SF writer who used to be an online debate buddy of mine remarked that Anne McCaffrey had mined out the Pern material (the series for which she is most famous) years ago. Many of her books end with the heroine getting the guy, and then, of course, everything is all fine, because then they can spawn, and everyone will be happy. Everything is always all fine. Gah. Anyway. (I spent a good chunk of time writing fanfiction for this series. I'm pretty familiar with it. :/) If you absolutely must, I'd recommend the trilogy that starts with Dragonflight, and Dragonsdawn. Those mostly manage to avoid horrible twee-ness. She's written other series, and I'm trying to think if any of her other books were particularly worthwhile. I'm blanking now, but if I come up with anything, I'll let you know.
Andre Norton: Probably the first really successful SF writer. Read Witch World just to say you have. Someone who remembers more of her early non-WW work than I might have something else to recommend.
Marion Zimmer Bradley: Read The Mists of Avalon if you haven't already. Morgan-is-not-totally-evil reworking of the Arthurian mythos. As for her other work ... of the Darkover books, I enjoy The Forbidden Tower. You might also like Thendara House, The Shattered Chain, and City of Sorcery. The Heritage of Hastur and Sharra's Exile are decent. She deals with homosexuality in those two rather a lot. The cool thing about the Darkover books is that recently they've started releasing the related novels in paperback omnibus editions, which should be easily available.
Robert Jordan: OMG AVOID AVOID AVOID. If it's not too late. The man goes on and on and on, in his series and within the novels. They're apparently tracing the lives of a group of souls who keep getting reincarnated. I couldn't finished the one I tried to read.
Laurell K. Hamilton: I'd say stay away. I haven't read the Anita Blake series, but from what I hear it's going down the tubes in terms of being non-ridiculous in its lack of obstacles for the heroine. And the Merry Gentry series starts out in an interesting way but the plot:sex (that doesn't advance the plot or provide much revealing characterization) ratio keeps getting lower.
If I think of anyone else, pro or con, I will post, though it would probably be redundant. (I'd consider reading The Once and Future King, a fantasy-ish take on King Arthur, just to say you had.)
Yes, I am embarrassed that this was more than twice as long as the max comment length. I'm such a dork.
Oh. One more. Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress. Story of what would happen if some of us were bioengineered to not need sleep. Two sequels, but they're merely okay. Same author, different setting: Maximum Light. Logical extrapolation of the fertility problems which are becoming more and more common.