SCIENCE FICTION FOR THE SOMEWHAT (LESS) HESITANT... | My plan for Yr 2 of my SF reading project!

[@musicroom7185]

Oh my! When you do something, you REALLY do it!! I clicked on the spreadsheet and seeing it all laid out really gives a glimpse of the breadth of your project. I believe the only one I have read of these is Frankenstein, which I read for the first time this past February. I don't know which text I read (I didn't realize there were 2!). It brings me joy to see how happy/excited you are about these books. I will look forward to seeing your thoughts! Have a lovely holiday season.

[@alex_unabridged]

I am nothing if not (over)enthusiastic! 🤣I've got so much out of the past year of my SF project - not just the joy of discovering new worlds/stories/writers etc, but reading work that really challenges me to think differently/more deeply about the world. I can't not continue with another year of that! I didn't know there were two different texts of Frankenstein either, not until Troy specified the 1818 version. It's been a while since I read it, not sure if I'll be able to detect the differences, but I'm not going into it to compare the two versions, so it won't matter if I don't remember my original experience so well. I'm just looking forward to revisiting it after so long! Thanks for commenting, as always - lovely to hear from you ☺Have a wonderful holiday season too!

[@RaynorReadsStuff]

Brilliant Alex. I’ve really enjoyed following your progress this year. I read both the HG Wells this year and enjoyed them. Really looking forward to our buddy read in April 😊

[@alex_unabridged]

Thanks, Debs 😊 It's been a wonderful year of out-of-this-world reading adventures. Can't wait to get started on the next batch of books. Really excited to read Twenty Thousand Leagues with you! 👍

[@troytradup]

Wow, I feel I'll need to start grading you on my syllabus! Glad you're having so much fun with SF and you've got some great books waiting for you in 2025. I'd never heard of Native Tongue -- will definitely check that out. Cheers, Alex -- happy reading!

[@alex_unabridged]

Grade away, Sensei! 😉I don't think I can adequately express just how significant this year's reading of SF has been for me, and you've got a hell of lot to do with that, bud. I will be ever grateful for your help getting me into this genre in a big way. And I found an SF book you don't know - yay! Will look forward to seeing what you make of it. Cheers, man -- happy reading to you too 😊

[@troytradup]

@@alex_unabridged Did you mention in your video that Native Tongue is part one of a trilogy? Here in the US the trade paper has a bit of a cheeky cover. Although I believe I'll see if one of the SF places in town has the SF Masterworks edition.

[@alex_unabridged]

@@troytradup Yes, it is a little cheeky! I'll be grabbing the SF Masterworks version, or getting it on audio I reckon. I didn't mention it was the first in a trilogy, that was an oversight on my part - I am aware it's a trilogy though. Got a few on the project list that the first in a series - if I like them I'm going to have a lot more to add to my wish list!

[@tyghe_bright]

I really enjoyed A Canticle for Leibowitz, but I read it decades ago. It was one of my mom's favorite books. Also, the Tiptree book is an excellent choice. The Girl Who Was Plugged In is remarkably prescient and one of my favorite short stories.

[@alex_unabridged]

Oh excellent - great to know both of these got the thumbs up from you! The Tiptree book really caught my eye - I loved the sound of so many of the stories in it. Definitely looking forward to it later in the year, though almost wish I'd put it in the schedule earlier as I REALLY want to dive into it! But it'll be perfect for some Shorty September reading so I'll restrain myself... 👍

[@GenreBooks23]

This looks good! Those I’ve read are excellent.. I’ll join you for “Red Mars”!

[@alex_unabridged]

Excellent - that'd be great! I'll make a note and give you a shout when we're coming up on 'Red Mars', seeing as it's a way off yet! 👍

[@fiberartsyreads]

This is a fantastic list! I’ve read only a few of these and seriously want to read them all. I’d love to join in on Luminous Dead, Sea of Tranguility and Native Tongue (which I also haven’t heard of but sounds amazing! ) For Dune, I had put that off as well but once I finally read it I really enjoyed it and even read it again and loved even more on a reread. Ancillary Justice is great I think you’ll really like it. There’s more I’d love to read here but I’m doing read what you own I don’t own many of these. 😂 Have to see how the year plays out.

[@alex_unabridged]

Cheers, Crystal 😀Am really excited to dive into more SF! Would be really excellent to read any of these with you - I'll give you a shout when I'm coming up on those you've mentioned, and if you've got the time/inclination to join me then that'd be fab. Great to hear that about your experience with Dune - that gives me hope! 😂

[@fiberartsyreads]

@ sounds perfect.

[@arockinsamsara]

If these are for the somewhat hesitant, I can't imagine what SF for the mildly excited will look like! I have read only a handful of the books in your queue, but those I have read I think you'll enjoy. More importantly, I already have four of the books you mention on my "somewhat imminent" TBR, and you've inspired me to add the _Native Tongue_ trilogy, the Oxford Time Travel series (starting with _The Doomsday Book_ ) and _Her Smoke Rose Up Forever._ So we have a lot of overlap! I don't know that I can have anything close to a schedule as clear or organized as you, though, so I don't want to commit to any buddy reads now, but I am hoping we can make at least one of them work... I am glad you made the spreadsheet, I downloaded it and maybe that will help me coordinate... It looks like it's going to be a fun reading year!

[@alex_unabridged]

Lol, admittedly I'm rather less hesitant than I was when I started this project at the beginning of January this year! My hesitancy was largely because I worried I would get too discombobulated by hard science, or that the philosophy would be too difficult for me, which was a rather misplaced worry. I need to give myself more credit sometimes. Fantastic that you've dropped a few of these into your wish-list! If we can time in for a buddy read with any of them that would be great. I'll be reminding folks of what's coming up next as I make my way through the year, so if you end up with the time to join me on any of them just let me know! The one I did think might be good to buddy read with you is the Tiptree collection, _Her Smoke Rose Up Forever_ - knowing what a short story aficionado you are, that could be an interesting one! Just putting that out there... 😉 It's definitely gonna be a fun reading year! 😀

[@arockinsamsara]

@@alex_unabridged You're clearly reading my mind, because of course I was thinking that would be a great book for us to read together! I mean, I guess I can wait 'til September... I also think it is important to know that hard sci-fi isn't any more "real sci-fi" than anything you are reading. Just dressing something up with technical-sounding gobbledigook doesn't make it any better than anything else. Obviously work your way to trying some of it when and if you feel up for it, bur we all know you have blown far past the tongue-in-cheek "mildly hesitant" of your series! 🤣