Science Fiction Then vs. Now

[@WordsinTime]

John from Talking Story convinced me to buy Service Model but everything I’ve heard since then has described it as just being fine.

[@bookjack]

Decidedly fine. A couple of really cool concepts though

[@DKBiedron]

4:30 there’s no beach in Illinois. What?! Only from Chicago all the way to Wisconsin.

[@bookjack]

Oh right there's one of those big lakes up there 😅

[@ArtBookshelfOdyssey]

I enjoyed your review of Dandelion Wine - I just did a buddy read of it, it was a reread for me but I hadn’t read it in 20 years maybe. One of the things we picked up on that I didn’t notice the first time I read it was the focus on death, things ending, etc. It was a really great read, and he’s one of my favorite authors.

[@bookjack]

I agree, you don't realize it at first but then the stories start to line up.

[@jbrichardson8891]

nice reviews ...I'm allergic to multi tome shelf benders ....there is no known cure.....i like it that way.

[@bookjack]

Same here. Most of them seem to be fantasy anyway 😅

[@space_patrolman]

Having read both Planet of Exile and A Game of Thrones, I definitely think Martin drew direct inspiration from Le Guin. Martin was a big fan of all the great SF writers back in the day, and it shows. I hope you'll read the next Hainish Cycle book, City of Illusions, where Le Guin finally shows us what Earth looks like in her sci-fi setting. Pairs well with Engine Summer by John Crowley-another future-earth novel with similar themes.

[@bookjack]

I actually did read City of Illusions not that long ago. Really liked it. Much more of a Sci-Fi story than Planet of Exile

[@AnonymousAnonposter]

I must admit that during this year I've been reading mostly classics and old sci-fi, the most disappointing book of this year so far was when I decided to read a modern sci-fi that is proclaimed as a perfect 5/5 and it's a 3/5 at best. And yes, it's a book written by Adrian Tchaikovsky. This only solidified my desire to read more 50s/60s/70s sci-fi. And I need to finally acquire and read more of Ray Bradbury's short story collections.

[@bookjack]

I've read The Illustrated Man and enjoyed it. Old sci-fi has a totally different feel. I hope to be able to communicate exactly what that means one day

[@northof-62]

Before we worried about winters here. Now we worry about summers.

[@bookjack]

😅

[@someothercharacter]

Great review of Dandelion Wine. I guess tempering one's expectations of enjoying a coming of age story with the book would be fair. There is a lot of dealing with age in the book, but more focused on growing older or being old. Sharing memories and being yourself. And somewhat, enjoy being around others who are different ages, too. Hope it hit that summer reading vibe you were looking for.

[@bookjack]

It definitely did. Lots of wholesome ideas in that book

[@keithdixon6595]

Ha, I got a copy of Planet of Exile today from my local English bookseller here in France, bought on your recommendation (though I too like Le Guin). It was the edition with the orange yeti-style monster on the cover. 2 Euros, about $1.80 I guess. Bargain!

[@bookjack]

Awesome! That was probably my favorite among the ones I showed. The Snow ghouls were a very minor and campy addition to the book. Hope you enjoy it :)

[@FrankOdonnell-ej3hd]

Where can I buy this grass that only grows to a certain height before stopping? Anyway yesterday saw another booktuber who reads more mainstream stuff give that le guin book a good review also so maybe I should read more of her. and it’s great to find someone else who’s never been interested in GOT!⚛️

[@bookjack]

We are a small group. One that takes pride in not getting the references 🤠

[@keithdixon6595]

Damn, I'm just writing an SF novel in which folks about 30 years from now have jack-in earplants driven by AI ... called valets. Oh well. I liked Children of Time but I don't feel any great desire to read more.

[@bookjack]

The sequels are more of the same. I would say that the name overlap isn't that big of a deal. Don't get discouraged :)

[@phaedrus2633]

Nice reviews. You really got me interested in more Ray Bradbury. I personally like the sci-fi of the 50's and 60's, particularly for their non-political correctness. For some reason, totally unsubstantiated, I've hesitated reading Ursala K. LeGuin, but, maybe I should give it a shot. Yeah, I just read the Wikipedia article on LeGuin.....not my cup of tea. I'm too conservative to enjoy her writings.

[@bookjack]

I would try Planet of Exile or City of Illusion. Both were apolitical as far as I could tell. Otherwise, you would enjoy Dandelion Wine I'm sure

[@RCSVirginia]

@@bookjack I quite liked "Rocannon's World." It reads almost like a prose poem.

[@VirideSoryuLangley]

I avoid female writers in general.

[@phaedrus2633]

@VirideSoryuLangley Well, me too. But I have a bunch of Reader's Digest Condensed novels, and some of the chick novels aren't all that bad. I don't like when they start describing what the characters wear though.

[@RCSVirginia]

@@VirideSoryuLangley Leigh Brackett and C. L. Moore are classic women-writers who are terrific storytellers. Many youngsters read Andre Norton's work as one of their first introductions to Science Fiction, and she doesn't indulge in man-bashing. "The Snow Queen" by Joan D. Vinge deserved its Hugo and should have won the Nebula, too, that year. Ursula K. LeGuin herself has written a series of good novels: "Rocannon's World," "Planet of Exile" and "City of Illusions," as well as the first three novels of Earthsea and the fifth one. She does come across as a bit of a man-hater in the fourth one, and I don't recommend it. Of course, her most famous works, "The Left Hand of Darkness" and "The Dispossessed," are brilliant and do make one think more than most books will.