Before meeting H I had probably read maybe two scifi books in my entire life. It wasn’t a genre I particularly disliked or anything, I just hadn’t been exposed to it in a way that made it sound like a good idea to go and read some of it on purpose. H, however, rarely steps outside the boundaries of scifi/fantasy, at least when it comes to fiction. This has rubbed off on me for sure. In fact, the last six books I’ve read have all been scifi. (The Golden Compass series by Phillip Pullman, and the environmental crisis Kim Stanley Robinson series.)

Prior to this I’ve read more Kim Stanley Robinson (the Red Mars series being my favorite), the Mammoth series by Stephen Baxter, Darwin’s Radio by Greg Bear, and a bunch more I can’t remember right now.

Actually I’ve read a ton and hadn’t realized it! When you go book shopping with someone and find yourself standing in the scifi aisle for an inordinately long period of time, it just makes sense that you start to look at what’s around you. I’m particularly drawn to historical fiction (I love Harry Turtledove too) and anything to do with genetics (a la Greg Bear up there). Oh and I’ve read the Douglas Adams stuff too. Oh and the Robot short stories that the movie I, Robot was based on. Incidently, the stories are, unsurprisingly, much better. I’m sure there’s still more as well.

Suffice to say, however, that I have not had an official introduction to scifi. I am familiar with some names by proximity and their being on our bookshelves, but I haven’t read what started it all or have any knowledge that some of what I’m reading (and enjoying) is based largely on previously written novels.

So, since I have so much time on my hands, we decided to put together a stack of books that would rectify this complete lack of education on my part. That stack is pictured above. It includes:

• Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein (which I’ve been told to read first — and apparently it’s being re-released. I’m trendy!)
• Evolution by Stephen Baxter
• Lion of Macedon by David Gemmell
• Neuromancer by William Gibson
• Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson (this one has been on my list for a long time actually, most of my computer-y type friends having talked about it incessantly through college)
• The Hammer and the Cross by Harry Harrison (I’ve read the rat stuff by Harry Harrison as well)
• Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
• The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
• Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein

Gosh there’s a lot of Heinlein in this list!

There’s supposed to be some rhyme and reason to this list but I can’t remember it now. I know I’m not supposed to read Snow Crash until I’ve read Neuromancer (or was it the other way around?). I’m supposed to read Stranger in a Strange Land last of the Heinleins. (That one has been on my list for a while too as it seems to be a part of our popular culture and I’ve never read it!) I’m sure there are others that people are going to say, Hey you should read this too! This list is certainly not exhaustive, it’s really only a starting point! The whole genre is actually quite expansive.

I’m pretty excited. Partly because now I have can a clue about what people are referencing, and partly because it would be nice to know that not all these ideas I’m reading are all that original. I like the idea of knowing where something comes from.

On the other hand… it may take a long time to get to all these. Ah well. I’m not in any hurry :)

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 13th, 2008 at 3:19 pm and is filed under Thoughts, Etc. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.