Want some good SF&F book recommendations?

[Bystander]

...then come down to my
Online Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book Reading Group at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Beyond_Reality

Each month, this group elects TWO books (one from each genre); then we read the hell out of them; then we discuss the hell out of them! Why?! To discover some great new books, enhance our reading experience, AND have oodles of fun!

Some of our past BOTMs (Books of the Month):
A GAME OF THRONES, by George R. R. Martin
HYPERION, by Dan Simmons
DAUGHTER OF THE EMPIRE, by R. E. Feist & J. Wurts
SHIP OF MAGIC, by Robin Hobb
NEVERWHERE, by Neil Gaiman
NEUROMANCER, by William Gibson
TIGANA, by Guy Gavriel Kay
ANUBIS GATES, by Tim Powers
TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG, by Connie Willis
ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE, by Robin Hobb
GOOD OMENS, by N. Gaiman & T. Pratchett
SNOW CRASH, by Neal Stephenson
A FIRE UPON THE DEEP, by Vernor Vinge
PERDIDO STREET STATION, by China Miéville
CRYPTONOMICON, by Neal Stephenson

Coming up, we have:
A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA, by Ursula K. LeGuin (Fantasy)
ENDER'S GAME, by Orson Scott Card (Sci-Fi)

We also trade our old books by mail, and discuss all types of SF&F! Come check us out!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Beyond_Reality

Lysander
Beyond Reality Group Moderator

 

[Gizzard]

Thats a pretty solid list; a nice cross-section of the present and the (recent) past. I like it.

Has there been any discussion of voting for the Hugos on your e-group? The deadline is coming up at the end of March and I am still digging around for good stuff. From this years potential nominees I've read:

Passage - Connie Willis
Secret of Life - Paul McAuley
American Gods - Neil Gaiman
Cassandra Complex - Brian Stableford

None of them grabbed me and shouted "I am the best book of the year!" though. (Well, actually, the Redshift anthology tries to grab you and shout about in your ear how it is the "most important work in the field since 'Dangerous Visions'" but you may or may not buy into its spiel. Besides, its not a novel.)

 

[Bystander]

Yes- It really has been a great mix of the two genres. Everyone reads only the ones they are interested in, and occasionally some get convinced into trying something new! Great for discovering new authors and sub-genres!

Hugos... You know... I haven't really looked into any books from within the last year. You said how none of them grabbed you, well none made me want to grab THEM. Dull pickings I think. I check on Amazon, and wait for my members to give some of those books a little praise, but it doesn't seem like there is much to praise at the moment. Their opinions seem to reflect your own... if I recall. We'll see. I have too many classics to read right now to worry about new releases!

I don't think any of our members are really taking part in the Hugo voting this year. A few of them did in past years...

-Dan

 

[Bystander]

Is Perdido Street Station up for the Hugo this year?
Or was that last year?

I know that book is relatively new, and that my members seem to be blown away by it. A few are claiming that it was the best book in the last decade- That it was extremely original. On the other hand, a few more members have been bored to tears by it... :/

-dan