Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Soulless by Gail Carringer

February's selection is the first in a new series, "Soulless" by Gail Carringer. Here's a short description from GoodReads.

Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate, #1)

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

The Obscure References SF/F Discussion Group will meet on Wednesday, Febuuary 24 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss this book. Meetings are held at the Linebuagh Public Library in Murfreesboro.

"Caves of Steel," "Naked Sun" Links

Here are some links for January's selections. (Warning! Some entries may contain SPOILERS for future installments in the series)

Wikipedia:
Issac Asimov
Asimov Bibliography
The Robot Series
Caves of Steel
The Naked Sun
Three Laws of Robotics

2004 Retro Hugo Nominations
2004 Retro Hugo Winners

Reviews:
SF Review: Caves of Steel
SF Site: Caves of Steel
Fantastic Reviews Blog: Caves of Steel
SF Review: Naked Sun

Goodreads: Caves of Steel
Goodreads: Naked Sun

Monday, December 14, 2009

2010 Selections

January 27: The Caves of Steel & The Naked Sun by Issac Asimov
February 24: Soulless by Gail Carringer
March 24: The Gunslinger by Stephen King
April 28: The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
May 26: The Time Machine by H.G. Wells & Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp
June 23: Acacia by David Anthony Durham
July 28: The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
Aug 25: Hyperion & Fall of Hyperion by Dam Simmons
September 22: The Traveler by John Twelve Hawkes
October 27: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
November 17: Archangel by Sharon Shinn
December 12: Holiday Party

Waiting for 2011:
The City & the City by China Mievelle
Steal Across the Sky by Nancy Kress
Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Nominations for 2010

It's that time of year again...time to begin thinking about the books we'd like to read and discuss next year.

Below is the list of this year's nominations.

Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks
Hyperion & Fall of Hyperion by Dam Simmons
The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffinengger
The Traveler by John Twelve Hawkes
The Gunslinger by Stephen King
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear
In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker
Acacia by David Anthony Durham
Steal Across the Sky by Nancy Kress
Archangel by Sharon Shinn
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
Soulless by Gail Carringer
Child of Fire by Harry Connolly
The City & the City by China Mievelle
Cities in Flight by James Blish
Bio of a Space Tyrant: Refugee by Piers Anthony

Classic SF/Fantasy:
The Caves of Steel & The Naked Sun by Issac Asimov
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott
The Dream Master by Roger Zelazny
Too Many Magicians by Randall Garrett
Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp

Updated: December 3, 2009

Nominations Guidelines

As we start to wind down the year, it's time to start thinking about the books we'd like to nominate for the group to read next year.

I've updated the list we had from last year, adding the books we read this year and pulling all of last year's nominated but unselected books into the list of previous nominations.

So, start thinking about the books we'd like to read for next year. Also, as we begin to nominate books, remember our "guidelines."

1. Each person can nominate up to four books--three non-Heinlein books and one classic sci-fi or fantasy novel (classic is defined as published before 1970).

2. Please help ensure that we can find the books by making sure they're easily available and at an affordable cost. (If it's out of print and goes for $50 on Amazon's market place, that may exclude some people or lead to mud wrestling for the book at the circulation desk.).

3. We can have nominations for a theme or a series that go together--provided we aren't required to read the entire Wheel of Time series in a month. For example, this year we did the entire C.S. Lewis Space Trilogy one month and we had nominations of 1984 and Brave New World last year because they're thematically similar.

For new members, each person can nominate up to four books as detailed above. For our December meeting, we get together and put together the list of books for next year. We also slot the books into the calendar for next year.

We've made one update to our nominations process. January was traditionally a month when we read a novel by Heinlein. However, we've opened it up to now be classic sf/fantasy month. Classic is being defined at a novel or work published before 1970. We've opened up the field a bit but if you love Heinlein you can still nominate him here or for one of our other monthly openings.

Books We've Read (Through 2009)

As we prepare to nominate books for next year, it might be useful to have a list of books we've read in the past. Here is the list of books we've read and discussed so far....

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe by Douglas Adams
Gateway by Frederick Pohl
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
The Gate to Women's Country by Sheri Tepper
A Canticle for Leibowitz by William Miller
Dragonflight by Ann McCafferty

The Mote in God's Eye by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Star Man's Son by Andre Norton
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

Wicked by Gregory Maguire
The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge
Orphanage by Robert Buettner
The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
Farnham’s Freehold by Robert Heinlein
Children of Men by P.D. James
Red Mars by Kim S. Robinson

His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik
Way Station by Clifford Simak
Dune by Frank Herbert
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clark
Foundation by Isaac Asimov

There will be Dragons by John Ringo
Lucifer’s Hammer by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

Time Slave by John Norman
Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle
Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois M. Bujold
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

On the Beach by Nevil Shute
The Truth by Terry Pratchett
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Dorsai by Gordon Dickson
Glory Road by Robert A. Heinlein

Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card
Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
Santiago by Mike Resnick

The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Someplace to be Flying by Charles De Lint
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber

Books Previously Nominated But Not Selected

Here are some of the books from last year's nominations that weren't selected. Books from the list can be nominated again.

The Child Garden by Geoff Ryman
1984 by George Owell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
The Scar by China Mieville
Neuromancer by William Gibson
The Postman by David Brin
Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was by Barry Hughart
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Protector's War by S.M. Stirling
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Dragon and Thief by Timothy Zahn
The Sword of Shanara by Terry Brooks
Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
Archangel by Sharon Shinn
Decision at Doona by Anne McCafferey
Armor by John Steakley
A Call to Arms by Alan Dean Foster
Way of the Pilgrim by Gordon R. Dickson
Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh
The Ecologic Envoy by L.E. Modesitt
The Alexandrian Ring by William R. Forstchen
  • Gridlinked by Neil Asher
  • In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker
  • Timescape by Greg Benford
  • Jupiter by Ben Bova
  • Privateer by Ben Bova
  • Heritage of Hastur by Marion Zimmer Bradley
  • Kiln People by David Brin
  • The Postman by David Brin
  • A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
  • Ill Win by Rachel Caine
  • Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carol
  • Time's Eye by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter
  • Babel 17 by Samuel Delany
  • The Dragon and the George by Gordon Dickson
  • Solider Ask Not by Gordon Dickson
  • Acacia by David Anthony Durham
  • To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer
  • Conrad Starguard by Leo Frankowski
  • Stardust by Neil Gaiman
  • Nueromancer by William Gibson
  • Flowers for Algernon by William Keyes
  • The Disposssed by Ursula LeGuin
  • The Left Hand of Darknes by Urusula LeGuin
  • The Crystal Singer by Anne Caffery
  • The Road by Cormac McCarthy
  • Seeker by Jack McDevitt
  • Nekropolis by Maureen McHugh
  • Dawn for Distant Earth by L.E. Modesitt
  • Ecolitian Operation by L.E. Modesitt
  • Legacies by L.E. Modesitt
  • Golden Compass series by Philip Pullman
  • March Upcountry by John Ringo
  • Berzerker series by Frederick Saberhagen
  • The Complete McAndrews by Charles Sheffield
  • A Brother's Price by Wes Spencer
  • Dog Warrior by Web Spencer
  • Conquistador by S.M. Stirling
  • The Domination by S.M. Stirling
  • Accelerando by Charles Stross
  • A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
  • Any Kurt Vonnegut novel
  • Mutineer's Moon by David Weber
  • The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
  • Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
  • Farday's Orphans by N. Lee Wood
  • Looking for Madhi by N. Lee Wood
  • Macrolife by George Zebrowski

Heinlein nominations
The Green Hills of Earth
The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein & Have Spacesuit, Will Travel
Have Spacesuit, Will Travel

Variable Star by Heinlein and Spider Robinson
JOB: A Comedy of Justice