Sci-Fi, new poll.

[Sean Smith]

Used to read alot of it. Not so much lately, but that's just because I'm not reading that much fiction lately, period.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

Big time.

Asimov, McCaffrey, Heinlein.

 

[Justin]

What Jim March said. Stephenson is a genius, Cryptonomicon is not to be missed.

Also, Atlas Shrugged had a touch of sci-fi, though one would hardly characterize it as 'hard' SF.

 

[Black Majik]

I'm a sci-fi MOVIE fan... but I'm not much of a reader.

I always loved action, sci-fi, horror movies as a kid... those were the days.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Grew up on Arthur C. Clarke. Read 2001: A Space Odyssey way back in '68 the first time. Read it twice more. Also read 2010, 2063, and 3001, and also Childhood's End and Rendezvous With Rama. Isaac Asimov fan also. Read several of the Star Trek novels that had nothing to do with the series, written by the likes of Vonda McIntyre, Sonni Cooper, David Gerrold and others. Some were pretty good. Now I mostly watch my Sci-fi, and read my military techno-thrillers.

 

[DMK]

"Diamond Age" by Stephenson almost makes that level.

Any book where one of the main characters totes a .45 Colt Lever Action and an SA revolver to foreign lands can't be all bad.

I agree though Jim, Snowcrash was awesome! With a computer geek packing Katanas(and knowing how to use them) and a high tech Gatling gun named "Reason", what's not to like?

 

[yy]

love it.

I credit Robert A. Heinlein novels for my profreedom stance.

 

[Jim March]

Black Majik: movie/TV Science Fiction is approximately where written SF was circa 1950 to about 1965. If that. There are RARE exceptions but mostly expanded short stories by Phillip K. Dick or similar.

Go back and check out anything on that list I posted. Snow Crash is a damned good start as to where REAL Science Fiction is today. If you aren't grabbed HARD in the first 10 pages, you have no detectable pulse...the first few pages, you won't know what the hell is up...and then there's a MAJOR "Oh WOW!" moment. And it gets wilder from there.

Probably THE best excercise in "world building" ever, period, end of discussion.

Ender's Game will put you deeper inside the mindset of a general/admiral than anything ever written. Disturbingly so.

"Mote" features THE most alien aliens ever created. In Star Trek or similar primitive stuff, the "aliens" are anything but, with very rare exceptions. Mote is...oh...my...GOD.

Startide Rising...you like rooting for the underdogs? Whoa!

Etcetera.

 

[SMLE]

Heinlein of course, thought not as much as I'd like. Spider Robinson's "Callahan" books. Tolkien, although he's more fantasy than Sci-Fi. H. Beam Piper is a major favorite. One thing I love about his books is that the charcters use real guns, not whizz-bang rayguns and stuff. Good old 500 Nitro Expresses and such. He also had a strong philosophical bent toward self reliance and self defense. As well as defense of others from harm. Eric Flint is a recent addition to my library. "1632" and "1633" are quite good. Also Edgar Rice Burrows and Jules Verne.

 

[Dorian]

sci-fi and mideval fantasy(ala D&D)

 

[earthworm]

You mean there are people who DON'T read sci-fi?!?
Heinlein-The King.Ing-'Pulling Thru'.Robinson-funny how most of the patrons
at Callahan's & Lady Sally's are anti-gun liberals but there's always a shotgun under the bar.Piper- 'Way to go SMLE!.Stasheff-OK;fantasy but a good read.
Other-history of course.Louis L'Amour,Ayn Rand,Wm.W.Johnstone.

 

[RON in PA]

Don't read novels much anymore, but when I did sci-fi was what I primarily read. All gun nuts should read H. Beam Piper. Also Weapons Shops of Isher. Big Jack Vance fan.

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

Thanks for the tip on Snowcrash, it's on my 'gonna do that real soon now' list.

Here's a suggestion for an author I haven't seen mentioned: L.E. Modesitt Jr. Primarily a fantasy writer. However, his 'Gravity Dreams' is sci-fi & WILL make you think. A very good book.

900F

 

[Snowdog]

Yep, I belong to that clique as well when it comes to the tube, but less so with books.


I am just as much inclined to watch reruns of Farscape or Voyager as I am to watch CSI or Forensics. If it involves space and a ship, I'll watch it.

However, I tend to stick with fiction when reading... an occasional Sci-fi might pass through my hands now and again.

 

[Tamara]

I went to the bookstore the other day and asked the young gentleman behind the counter if they had any copies of the new Heinlein book. "Let me check," he responded "Robert Highland, you said?"
Figuring that my raspy, flu-ravaged throat was betraying me, I tried to enunciate more clearly: "No, the new book from Bob Heinlein that they just released posthumously; For Us, The Living, or something like that..."
"Can you spell that last name for me?"

I was appalled.

I just finished Freehold by our own madmike, and was pleasantly surprised by an outstanding freshman effort. Enjoyable characters, gun stuff, and the requisite girl-on-girl action that is apparently de rigeur for pro-freedom and/or gun culture books.

 

[Cliff]

Yeah, big sci-fi reader also. I remember reading the Lensman series by E.E."Doc" Smith when I was a kid. Also "Footfall" by Niven & Pournelle is a all time favorite. Military sci-fi is always a favorite of mine. The "Dorsai books by Gordon Dickson, Then there's the "Sten" series by Bunch & Cole.And the Legion of the Damned series by William C. Dietz . Just to name a few. I could go on,but thats what comes to mind right off.

 

[hksw]

Regular and Hard genre.

Generally don't like Fantasy but some of my favorite authors write those kinds so read only those. Didn't even read Tolkien but did enjoy the movies.

 

[Billll]

I think I've read everything everybody has posted here, plus built my own desktop plasma gun, mini railgun, and a demo electrical propulsion system.



Unemployed engineer: Will help conquer world for food.

 

[Prodigalshooter]

Been reading sci-fi since the early '60s, don't take in the volume I used to, but still like a well written mind-bender.

 

[hansolo]

SciFi/Fantasy

"The Martian Chronicles"
"Farenheit 451" -- Ray Bradbury

60's TV: "One Step Beyond," "The Twilight Zone," "Star Trek."

Film: "Invasion of the Body Snatchers,"(the original, by Don Seigel)
"Angry Red Planet," "Alien," "Star Wars (The first three)." Who could see any of these and be an Anti?!

 

[Brian Williams]

Yep

robotS watch out

 

[thumbtack]

I enjoy SCI/FI but not as much as I did when I was younger.

 

[fastbolt]

I've been reading Sci-fi since the books cost $0.25-0.35 apiece ... and I still have a few of those.

 

[lycanthrope]

Yep. I read it with a mix of horror thrown in.

 

[cratz2]

I don't really get into much fiction in general, let along science fiction... There's so much 'real stuff' to learn about... Once I've learned everything, then maybe I'll move on to fiction.