The ARRT Genre Study Group studied the Science Fiction genre from 2002-2003.
Compiled by Mary Cella, St. Charles Public Library
Science Fiction versus Adventure:
Is Cussler science fiction or adventure? Is 20K an adventure? What are the
differences between SF and adventure and do they overlap?
Pacing/Technology/Impact on social structure
We will try to observe differences between SF and Adventure as we read
through the other units.
20, 000 Leagues under the Sea
Strengths:
Great travelogue
A groundbreaker as some of its technology has come true
Nemo is a wonderful character with issues reader does not know
Challenges and expands the mind
Classified as SF because sailors encountered "aliens"
Nemo can be compared to Shakelton, as both men had to survive in alien worlds
Weaknesses:
No women
Like Tom Clancy…some readers wanted to skip to exciting parts
A Cussler read-alike?
How was Nemo able to catalogue everything, but could not recognize anything?
Ned Land (sailor) did not know what a pearl was
Translation problems
Episodic motif took away from smooth flow of storyline
Neither plot nor character driven but rather a vehicle for Verne’s ideas
An abrupt, unsatisfying ending…what was Nemo’s goal? Reader is not left with a
sense of "mission accomplished"
Time Travel
Everyone read The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis plus one other title. A question to
ponder in our reading…is this title a classic?
Discussion of Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Is this historical fiction? Is this a classic in its category of time travel?
Patrons who read historical fiction might not choose Doomsday Book because they do
not like moving back and forth in time but are more interested in resolving the issues of
a particular era. Historical fiction readers like to place themselves in another time and
wonder how they might deal with problems faced by the books’ characters. Readers can
certainly do this in Willis’ book. The science fiction label is often a turnoff, but
if a patron were offered this book, he/she might enjoy it. Someone observed that in a way,
all historical fiction is time travel fiction.
General comments:
Lots of good detail/a real sense of time and place/author did her research.
Great premise, but too many facts, details, scenes…could be shorter.
Plot driven.
Few notable characters/most are flat, weak and one-dimensional.
Children’s characters are well developed, as is the priest’s.
Few good comic scenes and characters.
Hooked by the story.
Readers put off by repetition of incidents and dialogue.
Audio version may have made book’s repetition more pronounced.
Like a soap or serial in that it keeps one hanging
In an epidemic people react in the same manner, that is, "The more things change, the
more they remain the same." The emotional impact of a tragedy is the same in all
times for all peoples.
Beautifully written/elements of the story are well integrated
Explores modern versus Middle Ages attitudes toward death.
The customs and idiom of the time are explained in the beginning of the
story and this feature made the time travel more believable.
Points to ponder with our individual titles:
What are the differences and similarities between your book and Doomsday Book?
What is the appeal of time travel? Most is earth-based and the starting point is humanity.
Often time travel is a plot technique and not something that can actually happen
Time travel leads to new realities, new systems. How do these make life work?
Can you take out all of the science technology and still have a good story?
Romantic time travel and science fiction time travel are not the same.
Is this book good science or speculation?
Does the science make good sense?
Are the details logical and the scientific technique explained in a convincing
manner?
Is there personal growth, that is, positive or negative among the characters?
Individual Titles:
Eon by Greg Bear
Can’t we all just get along? I think that is Bear’s point but he takes us far
afield to make it, and then he does not clearly convey his point of view. Bear is writing
in 1985. Think Cold War, nuclear disarmament, politics, military vs. scientific point of
view, and consumer crusader Ralph Nader. Too many issues to be tackled in any case, but in
Bear’s hands the issues are muddled and muddied.
In the Garden on Iden: A Novel of the Company by
Kage Baker
People from the future go back to the past and recruit orphans whose head sizes are
certain diameters. They are recreated into cyborgs (which renders them immortal) and
forced to work for the company. There is a young woman who needs to be rescued from the
Spanish Inquisition. This young woman falls in love and experiences feelings she has never
felt before. Her lover is burned at the stake so the ending is an unhappy one, but she is
forever changed by love.
Appeal: Funnier than Willis and not quite as grim/For those who like
experimental, literary fiction with clever humor/Characters are somewhat jaded.
Marooned in Real Time by Vernor Vinge
This story is more mystery than science fiction with some political overtones. It is a
travelogue set fifty million years in the future with some elements of high and low
technology. The characters are trapped indefinitely in "bobbles" or time traps.
Appeal: An easy read/no humor/adventure/more for mystery than science
fiction fans.
Pillars of the Sky by Will Henry
The time traveler is Joseph Schwartz who is struck on the head while walking in
Chicago. He is catapulted into the future, but we do not know how his mind is able to
experience different time periods. There is no movement between different time periods
though the main character never returns to his past. The world in which he finds himself
appears to have experienced a nuclear holocaust. Earthlings are the barbarians trying to
destroy the universe.
Appeal: Plot driven adventure/only science is constant expansion of time
within the traveler’s mind.
Timescape by Gregory Benford
The story takes place in the years 1963 and 1998. Instead of individuals moving back and
forward in time, messages are sent between the two years by tachyons.1990’s earth is
plagued with pollution problems so two Cambridge researchers send messages back to earth
(1963) to warn physicists to pay attention to earth’s environment. A 1960s’
Jewish researcher hears the sound frequencies, and though his co-workers think he is a bit
crazed, he is eventually able to protect his society. The message here is that we can
change the future by sending messages to the past.
Appeal: Interesting story and personalities/lots of science
and physics/political elements/money and funding for projects/apocalyptic.
The Boy Who Reversed Himself by William Sleator
Laura finds her homework’s handwriting reversed and discovers that her strange
"friend" Omar is responsible. When she learns that he is able to travel to the
fourth dimension, she persuades him to take her to this new world…The only problem is
that she does not know how to return to earth.
Appeal: Realistic writing/fast paced/likeable and
realistic characters/suitable for Young Adults. Intriguing story, great worldbuilding,
doesn’t seem dated.
An Alien Heat by Michael Moorcock
People are able to change themselves in an instant to be anything they wish. The theme
here is that if you want for nothing, what need is there for authority? In contrast to
this futurist world, the author introduces us to a woman of the Victorian Era. Moorcock
pits a restrained society against an immoral, decadent one.
Appeal: Romance and fantasy elements/not much science/ideological,
theoretical piece of fiction with intellectual humor/book could work without technology
but not time travel.
No Enemy But Time by Michael Bishop
The story’s time period is 1982-2002. Joshua Kampa experiences many changes
throughout the book. He is torn between the world of his dreams (Early Africa) and
twentieth century America. His worlds cross when the government sends him back in time to
Africa where as a protohuman he finds life is far more challenging than he is ever
imagined.
Appeal: Absorbing character development/adoption issues/different
cultures/touches on anthropology/speculative fiction/good writing.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark
Twain
This time travel books reveals how the eighteenth century viewed King Arthur’s court.
The Yankee feels that his society is far superior to the 1800s and fails in his attempts
to improve it. There is little science and the characters are wooden. This is a satire
with Twain criticizing the Church, the monarchy and the institution of slavery.
Appeal: Funny, clever political satire/some silly situations/unsatisfying
ending.
The Light of Other Days by Stephen Baxter and Arthur
In this thought-provoking tale, the invention of the WormCam enables people to see and
visualize across all times. With this new discovery our most fixed histories and
theologies need to redefined. The authors create a scary world in which private and public
lives are intertwined and nothing is really sacred.
Appeal: Interesting characters/ theological issues/science fiction with some
speculation/Human relationships somewhat predictable and contrived.
World Out of Time by Larry Niven
It is 1970, and a man with terminal cancer freezes his body and wakes up two centuries
later with another body in another world. He has little contact with anyone and is trained
to be a spaceship driver in a world where privacy is not allowed. Upon his return to earth
centuries later, the hero is again faced with an alien culture he does not understand.
Appeal: No high technology as in Star Wars/good story for Young
Adults/asexual beings/minimal science.
On Recommending Science Fiction to Patrons:
Determine the readers’ interests
Suggest the tape format to newcomers
Hard Science Fiction
Everyone read Ringworld by Larry Niven.
Structure is linear: a voyage, mission, adventure. A mystery, i.e., what happened to the Ringworld?A man’s fantasy. Debatable as to whether or not the dialogue moved the action along.
Individual Titles:
Starfarers by Poul Anderson
Could imagine the ship/Characters seemed human and strong, and I could relate
to them. Each had his/her story to tell. The time travel elements were too confusing to
track in a logical manner. The transitions were not smooth.
Caves of Steel by Isaac Asmiov
This is New York of the future and murder has been committed. Strange creatures
that eat weird materials (yeast) live in this space town. Scientists have created humanoid
robots that illustrate how computers operated in the fifties.
Appeal: Social commentary via science fiction genre/Deals with
prejudice/Mystery
The Light of Other Days by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen
Baxter
Winner of the 2000 Nebula. Three events move the story: the discovery of preserved
bodies in an Alpine cave from the Neanderthal Age, the discovery of a mysterious virus
affecting pregnant women (leads to miscarriage) and the cover-up of a mass grave in
Russia.
Appeal: Scientific aspects are interesting and at times
confusing/Plot does reveal impact of science on our personal lives/Authors play with truth
and this is theologically disturbing/Very dark outlook.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
It is 2021, and planet earth has been devastated by nuclear disaster. The effects
of acid rain are everywhere. Two groups of people remain on the earth. Those who remain on
earth desire real food, real sheep and anything natural. People who emigrate to Mars
receive androids, artificial humans, who have the potential to destroy earth. Rick Deckard
is a bounty hunter trying to kill them.
Appeal: Reveals the destructive side of science/What does it mean to
be human?/Bleak, despairing tale/Some philosophical elements.
Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
It is 3000 years into the future and a huge extra terrestrial object or cylinder
has appeared on earth. It is the Rama. Who has created this "creature" and why?
Appeal: Great action/For Crichton fans/Mystery and adventure/Lots of
gadgetry which would drawYAS/Fast, easy read/No sociological commentary/Little science and
minimal dialogue.
Heart of the Comet by Gregory Benford
After their society has been destroyed, a small group of men and women find
themselves on a ball of ice careening in space toward an unknown, hopefully, better world.
Appeal: This is military fiction with scientific details. Can be
compared to pioneer stories with characters discovering and conquering new worlds.
Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress
Each book has its own date and chapter heading. This is future science realized
where people are genetically modified for sleeplessness, even children. It is believed
that this alteration makes people perfect and able to accomplish much within a lifetime.
The sleepless are discriminated against and forced to create a utopian society for
protection. Each person’s individuality can thrive in this world.
Appeal: Characters seem believable and develop their own
ideas/Sociological impact of science on society revealed/ Speculative fiction/Examination
of society/For the older teen with its "coming of age" elements/No overwhelming
technology.
Infinity Beach by Jack McDevitt
When Kimberly Brandywine, a public relations manager for the Seabright Institute,
receives a phone call from an old school teacher concerning her sister’s death, her
life at the Institute suddenly takes on a new path. Until this news, Kimberly had been
involved in an attempt to make contact with aliens. Her sister Emily disappeared twenty
years ago on an exploratory voyage. Were aliens discovered on Emily’s journey? Could
someone on the ship have murdered her? With the help of friends, Kimberly decides to seek
the truth about her sister’s death.
Appeal: Mystery/Fascinating story/Lots of good
dialogue/Adventure/Science involves the movement of the alien spaceship/Similar to Clive
Cussler but not quite as "slap dash."
Gateway by Frederik Pohl
The gateway is an abandoned space station containing (faster than the speed of
light) starships built by alien Heechee thousands of years ago. No one knows how or why
the Heechee race vanished, but now their ships are employed by Gateway Prospectors to
explore space and return with riches for the benefit of the Corporation.
Appeal: Hard science trips are preprogrammed/What drives
humans/Social commentary on corporate abuse of employees/Well integrated plot and
entertaining story.
Holy Fire by Bruce Sterling
The future time is 2090, and people are not dying. If you live a "safe"
life, the government will reward you with medical insurance. A ninety-five year-old woman
is given the body of a twenty-five year-old woman, but she soon discovers that there is a
difference between "existing" and "living." Which is more
important...safety or creativity?
Appeal: Poor characterizations/Very thematic/Hard speculative
science/Contemporary.
Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
Vinge has created a galaxy in which the laws of physics play a role in the
intelligence of sentient species. The Blight has been accidentally released by a group of
scientists and this error triggers the annihilation of thousands of worlds. A ship
containing a family of scientists and their two teenage children manage to escape to the
Planet Slowness where the Tines kill the parents. Tines are four-legged creatures akin to
dogs or rats and they display amazing capabilities when functioning as a unit.
Appeal: Hard science/Good writing/Fast paced.
Procreation by Gene Wolfe
This is a short story written in 1983. Its format is that of a journal/diary.
Musings on Hard Science:
World Building
Everyone read Dune by Frank Herbert and another title from the list, keeping in mind the characteristics of the genre when reading. The A & E production of Dune is very good.
Study Group’s Reactions to Dune:
Pros:
Reading the background material first made the story seem plausible.
Helpful glossary.
Book’s appeal is its depiction of a world unlike Earth.
Chapter headings are good lead-ins to their content.
Wonderful to listen to on tape.
Comparable to Tolkien in its creation of another universe.
Dune is the standard length for today’s science fiction, i.e., Gabaldon,
Jordan, Rowling. Not so in sixties.
Creates a larger world to come.
Science fiction and fantasy elements.
Herbert gives detailed political background for characters’ motivations.
Everything depends on Spice and we are shown how and why it is important.
Lots of parallels to present world: East meets West/Different religions and
cultures/Islam, Christianity/Important ecological issues/Drug problems/OPEC and the oil
crisis/Desert war/Vision of haves and have nots/Similar human motivations though
this is an alien world.
Can picture Arrakis perfectly.
Herbert is prophetic in his belief that science and technology consider the whole
planet as each part affects and interacts with every other part.
Implication of "uncertainty principle" in real life is that free will
does exist and that determinism is scientifically impossible.
Quotes at each chapter’s beginning lend the book authority.
Elements of palace intrigue and primitive desert conditions appeal to readers of
historical fiction.
Cons:
Offensive depiction of gender/Women are fighters but subservient to men.
Wedding at end is silly.
Story hard to get into/Difficult to read/Too complex.
Too much left unexplained/Weak delineation between animal and human species.
General Asides:
It was generally agreed that Dune is not hard science but rather a
socio-political primer on Machiavellian ethics. Ecology issue may be Dune’s hard
science aspect.
Frank Magill’s Survey of Science Fiction Literature features a good essay on
Dune.
Points to Consider in World Building Science Fiction
Literature:
Story’s structure in contributing to world building theme.
Patricia Wrede believes science, technology, transportation and culture are vital
components.
Stephen Baxter includes environmental issues.
From the notes of Annie Frank:
Herbert wrote that charismatic super heroes are disasters for mankind, even
though their intentions are good. Power eventually corrupts and any mistakes the super
hero makes are magnified because of his/her super hero status. CHOAM is OPEC. Spice is an
allegory for oil.
Themes:
Gender/Concubine and wife/Strong females who use their sexual power.
Women are givers/Men are takers. (Author’s bias?)
Patriarchal, feudal society.
Imperialism.
Merchant class, but reader does not see this world.
Economy of water.
Similar to the ugly American.
Arts and entertainment, i.e., gladiators.
Architecture/Sense of buildings.
Several worlds, i.e., desert and water/What does each require from inhabitants for
survival.
Book alludes to future worlds that are amplified in subsequent titles.
Dune is a stand-alone.
Surprises:
Scope of Herbert’s creation is phenomenal/Epic in scale.
Appealing tone.
Excellent book/Well organized/Not necessarily science fiction.
Book’s length may be a drawback for discussion groups.
Too intimidating for non-science fiction fans.
Reader cares about characters and wants to learn more about Herbert’s
world/Tribute to his good writing.
Reader peels away layers to get to the core/Author does not reveal all at once/His
gift to his readers.
Individual Titles:
Harvest of Stars Pool Anderson
To rescue Earth from the nightmare of totalitarianism, pilot Kyra Davis journeys to
the moon and a new world threatened by a dying star. Her goal is to save Earth’s last
freedom leader.
Post United States/North American pseudo scientific cult takes over the world. Main
character is an immortal computer who has a monopoly on space travel.
No sense of wonder. Room for more to happen the story.
The Pride of Chanur C. J. Cherryh
This is a first contact novel. Pride of Chanur is "manned" by a felinoid
race that interacts with other alien races. When a human lost in space boards a Hani
merchant ship, his presence upsets the balance of power among the crew with disastrous
consequences.
Adventure. Species building, not necessarily world building. Latter is more
important. Predominant alien race. Feminist science fiction. Not an effective or
well-developed universe. Plot driven.
Ringworld Larry Niven
Engineers in a creative world. More to come in the next novel. Plausible. Good
character building. Scale of life is achieved. Ominous /Danger elements very appealing and
convincingly presented.
Ender’s Game Orson Scott Card
A world isolated on a ship. War games. Military action and adventure. Ender is thrust
into a situation as a Messiah. Male dominated society.
Rendevous with Rama Arthur C. Clarke
It is the year 2130, and a huge cylindrical space ship is headed straight toward the
sun. The book details this expedition and its outcome. Not a detailed world. Plot
driven adventure. Simple, not hard science.
A metallic world within a cylinder. Few characters control the ship. Little is
known about this world, yet the author appears to have his reasons.
Red Mars Kim Stanley Robinson
In 2026, 100 carefully screened scientists from Earth are selected to be the first
colonists on Mars. They have endured a year in Antarctica to test their capabilities at
forming a community. As the Group approaches its new home, old ideologies and passions
collide. Some want to make Mars another Earth while others want it to become a new,
independent planet. An arid environment that determines inhabitants’
lifestyles.
Philosphical issues that parallel today’s world includes Arabs,
multi-nationals, terrorism, cultural conflicts, religious strife. Good science but
stereotypical people and relationships. Spaceship mentality pervades the book. Speculative
fiction.
Primary Inversion Catherine Asaro
The Alliance of Earth shares power with two mortal enemy empires; the Skolians and the
Traders. Sauscony Valdoria of the Skolian world is a female warrior with powerful psychic
abilities. She falls in love with the evil Jabriol, heir to the Trader Empire. Sauscony
soon realizes that love between her and Jabriol has been foreordained to weaken her
nation’s power.
An inconsistent, simple world. More romance than science fiction. Not a separate
world. Main character is sophisticated female warrior who falls in love with the wrong
guy. Her brother rules the universe. Shallow read. Fast action. Romantic ending.
Speculative science.
Foundation Isaac Asmiov
Asimov’s galactic empire is a bureaucratic nightmare vulnerable to attack.
Historian, mathematician Hari Seldon is aware of this horror and predicts a new Dark Age.
His attempt to gather his world’s knowledge in an Encyclopedia Galactica is a noble
cause, but who will take up this task when he is gone?
No sense of wonder. Rather flat. Boring characters. A world affected by actions of
a few. Many planets with separate political agendas. Author manipulates time and history.
Book of ideas, not plot or story.
Dragonflight Anne McCaffrey
Benden Weyr’s nobles see Lessa as a mere kitchen maid that has managed to
stay alive by serving those who seized her father’s lands. Things suddenly change
when Lessa meets a dragon queen. Both vows to protect the planet and the Dragons from an
evil substance called Thread.
Feudal world with its own glossary, appendix and language. A dragon world. No
science. You accept what happens. Author attempts to offer rational explanations.
Telepathy between dragons and Lessa. Colonists are scientists. Book is an example of the
relationship between fantasy and science fiction...the dragon represents fantasy and
magic. World building in the science fiction aspect.
Helliconia Spring Brian Aldiss
The planet Helliconia takes about 2000 years to orbit its binary suns, and thus
its inhabitants live only one "season." Cultures are born in spring, flourish in
summer, and perish in winter. It is now summer and humans can tend to their own lives,
because their enemies the Phagors are docile this time of year.
World building story with centuries of winter and spring. Four species. No
glossary, obscure words. Very difficult to get into. Ecology is dominant theme. A virus
(Lyme disease) wipes out population. Four species, two are sentient, two can ancestor
talk. Earth observation station. Little character development. Master of the Guild
possesses all knowledge. Women not allowed to read, yet it is they who try to discover why
their world keeps ending.
TekWar William Shatner
A 22nd century detective attempts to clear his name after being
framed for the use of an illegal drug that can destroy the human brain.
A bad Blade Runner. Moviescript? A new reality. Too many plot holes. Predictable.
Would have been better as a TV mini-series.
To Your Scattered Bodies Go Philip Jose Farmer
The explorer Richard Burton is resurrected after death and finds himself alive
with billions of others on a foreign planet. Each person possesses his own container of
food, cigarettes, alcohol and lipstick. Burton and the survivors are determined to
discover the river’s source and who is providing them with their means of existence.
A pulp fiction adventure. Everyone who has ever lived and died comes alive here.
Character driven. Richard Burton is the leader trying to figure out who is in charge. No
sense of wonder. Primitive technology. History and culture are already in place.
Sundiver David Brin
Sundiver refers to a human project that uses a ship to explore the interior of
the Earth’s sun. Two diagrams at the beginning of the book illustrate the setup of
the Sunship. (Author does not offer an appendix). In this future world alien species
inhabit the planet. They learn about the Earth’s humans and their unusual political
systems and internal conflicts.
Not a difficult read, but a confusing story line. No complex inter-relationships
between human and alien species. Technology is not advanced.
The Many Coloured Land Julian May
It is the 22nd century and Earth’s humans have colonized other
planets and joined friendly alien races to create the Galactic Milieu. In Provence,
France, Theo Guiderian discovers a way to travel 6 million years back to the past...a one
way journey only! Eventually this time portal is used to exile misfits into the past.
These sterilized groups are forced into exile in the Pliocene Epoch where they discover
two warring races.
Berserker Fred Saberhagen
The "berserker" is a huge space battleship programmed to destroy all
life it encounters. Living beings are "badlife" and an obedient re-programmed
human being is "Goodlife." The novel is a set of inter-linked stories which
taken as a whole create a palpable sense of horror. Those few who resist the will of the
berserker do so with acts of self-sacrifice and love. Their battle against the "mind
controller" is frightening. Female characters are mere objects.
Author creates a frightening world, reminiscent of 1984.
Apocalyptic Fiction
Everyone read A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller and one other title.
General Comments/A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller
Setting in a medieval Catholic monastery was fascinating.
Lots of philosophical issues/Real insight into medieval Church’s treatment of its
members/Author forces reader to pay attention to issues of morality, belief and
experience.
Difficult to read, especially the tri-part structure/Study guide needed.
Everyone knew Latin in the fifties.
Subtle humor similar to Tolkien.
Complex time line.
Repeated readings uncover different ideas.
Lovers of historical and socio-political fiction would enjoy the book.
Could be read on several levels as it deals with the human condition.
How important are the scientific elements in the book? Are they or can they be ignored by
readers of literary fiction?
Great story without the science fiction.
Wonderful characters in books early chapters, especially, Brother Francis/People are
flawed.
Weak ending/Too preachy/Depicts the relentless cycle of life and man’s ultimate
stupidity.
An optimistic ending because the mutant has survived and will not repeat mistakes of the
past.
Subjugation of Francis would not exist today.|
Closed communities exist today.
How important is the theology? Allusions to theology deter smooth reading of the text.
Myths and symbolism abound.
Individual Titles:
The Drowned World by J. G. Ballard
Intensive solar activity has melted the earth’s ice cap. London is a swamp and
several humans have the courage to embark on a nocturnal journey.
Good world building novel/Dated/Human species dies out/Stereotypical characters/Little
techno-science fiction/Racist elements/High society Brits versus Blacks/No adventure/
The Postman by David Brin
Civilization has been destroyed and Gordon heads West hoping for a new life. He stumbles
upon an abandoned jeep containing the skeleton of a dead postman. Assuming the identity of
the postman, Gordon moves through the wilderness and delivers messages of hope among
isolated communities in a Restored United States.
Realistic apocalyptic fiction/A post-nuclear world with no infrastructure.
This Is the Way the World Ends by James Morrow
The world has been destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. Six surviving Americans are placed on
trial by those who have never been born because civilization has been annihilated.
The trial presents both sides of the deterrence theory.
Dated/Difficult to read/Absurd humor/Against the arms race/Heavy satire/Soft
science/Delves into issues of science, religion and morality/Prophecies of Nostradamus
coming true.
The Long Tomorrow by Leigh Brackett
A tale about the advent of a nuclear disaster/Adventure story/Economic theories of supply
and demand and specialization are discussed/Not morbid/For socio-political fiction
fans/Characters try to ward off a nuclear disaster/One needs to learn how to
survive a nuclear holocaust.
The Wild Shore by Kim Stanley Robinson
This is a coming-of-age story set in Southern California fifty years after a nuclear
disaster. Henry, the young protaganist and his friend Steve search for ways to survive
this new world. Orange County has become a community of farmers and fishermen ruled by
consensus. The United States is isolated from the rest of the world because of its greed,
and Henry and Steve must deal with the foreigners imposing this quarantine.
Well written/Character driven/First person narrator/Rudimentary life style/Beautiful
description of the deployment of neutron bombs.
Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt
Eternity Road is set in a world destroyed a plague 1000 years from the present. Artifacts
are discovered but the few remaining humans who live in city-states do not remember how to
use them. Roadmakers have stored all knowledge in a place called Haven.
No culture/Crumbling cities/Fires/Mystery, adventure story leading up to a very
suspenseful conclusion./Lots of travel/Some humor.
Alas Babylon by Pat Frank
The timeframe is World War III. A defective missile has destroyed all major American
cities. The residents of Fort Repose find themselves in a primitive environment where they
must fight starvation, disease, crime and fear.
Alas, Babylon is the code word for a nuclear holocaust. A scary, subtle, horror
novel/Russian media becomes silent, so then what happens? /Some humor/Each day is
progressively worse than the previous one/People cannot travel/No infrastructure within
cities/Library becomes savior of human race and helps rebuild lives.
The Turning Place by Jean Karl
Not morbid, grim or apocalyptic/ Juvenile concepts/Each story is separate/Survival
fiction/Each story moves toward a more progressive society through different
characters/Episodic.
The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
Mary Laurenson scatters Nepalese monkeys around the earth’s population centers in
order to bring peace to the world. A plague develops and kills most of the world’s
white people. Mary survives and eventually gives birth to a daughter. Mother and daughter
live in a San Francisco artists’ colony with other survivors. This haven soon becomes
unsafe because enemies invade the city.
Fairy tale/Magical realism/Too many characters.
Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
A demented scientist invents a substance which can kill life. It is called Ice-Nine and it
can freeze all of the earth’s water. This satire contains many colorful characters
and depicts the possible fate of the planet.
Good character portrayals/Humorous situations/Considered to be Vonnegut’s best/A
cautionary tale but not heavy-handed.
On the Beach by Nevil Shute
The entire Northern Hemisphere has been destroyed by a nuclear war. Australians face the
inevitable fact that radiation fallout from this horror is moving toward their country.
Timeless classic/Quiet suspense/Character driven/Readable and well written/Life is
meaningful/Dark story, but optimistic.
Drowning Towers by George Turner
The world’s population centers are destroyed because global warming
has elevated sea levels. Archaeological teams try to discover why civilization allowed the
world to drown. In this socio-political novel, there are three classes of people
(Australians) who inhabit the towers. Tobacco is used as an opiate to render the survivors
sterile and without hope.
No humor/Not true science fiction.
Cyberpunk
Is it Literature?
Emotional themes
Allusions/Are we more than we seem?
What makes something more than itself? (Symbolism)
Idea driven?
Individual Titles
City Come A Walkin’ John Shirley
Superhuman, futurist, elements/plot driven/allegorical
Stu Cole attempts to maintain a thriving nightclub in future San Francisco despite
attacks from the mob. He is visited by an incarnation of the city in the form of an
techno-amoral super-hero that hates the bad guys.
The Hacker and the Ants Rudy Rucker
Dated explanations/ quirky programming language/cutting-edge language/need a
glossary/too near future/not real cyberpunk/clichés/high definition TV becomes a reality.
Silicon Valley will never be the same after hacker Jerzy Rugby lets loose the ants
in virtual reality. The recently divorced Jerzy works at home, hacking for GoMotion and
trying to develop an artificial intelligence (Personal Robots). There are constant
interruptions, however, with real estate agents to show the house, amorous diversions, and
his children vying for his time along with an "Alice in Wonderland" type
adventure in cyberspace with ants that grow and bite.
The ants invade not only Jerzy’s computer but also his life and the shared
network. When GoMotion makes Jerzy out to be responsible for the resulting computer mess,
he decides he has had enough. Lots of humorous situations, funny characters and a lively
plot make this one fun to read. Appeal would be to readers who like humor, computers,
sarcasm, and Southern California’s kooky characters.
Noir by K. W. Jeter
Sexual experiences/clever "communion"/full "Prince Charles
Treatment"/urban darkness/characters see in black and white
Detective McNihil of Los Angeles has his eyes surgically altered so that everything
he sees looks like an old Humphrey Bogart film. A young executive has been murdered and
McNihil is coerced into tracking down the dead man’s prowler, a computer
simulation.
The detective’s accomplice is a woman named November whose fingernails are
implanted with lethal magnetic currents.
Holy Fire by Bruce Sterling
Futuristic/94 year-old woman is the protagonist/an experiment makes her 20 years
old/young are poor and the old are wealthy/story takes place in Stuttgart/fast pace
Gerontocrats dominate the world and disenfranchised youth are in a constant state
of rebellion. Mia Ziemann has lived a long, safe life but feels that she has missed the
" holy fire" of youth. A radical new procedure makes her young and free to
escape society’s clutches.
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Ultimate cyberpunk/set in a dystopia/not dark, but humorous/virtual reality
universe but one does not really die/Mafia, Feds, religious cults/mystery elements/CIA and
LC morphed into one thing/cult spreads like a virus/idea and character driven.
Snow Crash is a drug, a virus and even a religion to Reverend Wayne’s Pearly
Gates followers. It is able to crash computers and render hackers comatose. Hiro
Protagonist is the dominant hacker in this wild, cyber caper. According to Hiro, the U. S.
has the best music, movies, software and pizza in the entire universe.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Cliff’s Notes helped with this one/15 year-old boys create their own
language/sixties technology/more punk than cyber/What if there is no free will?
/violent/sexual/literary/hard edged characters/bleak/cult book.
This tales reveals a bleak future in which a classical music student creates his
own language to attack a political system he despises. His capture and treatment are
tragic.
Blood Music by Greg Bear
Reckless scientist/multiple narrators/biopunk/virus overcomes you/covers North
America/each cell is a living mind/horror elements/"Frankenstein-Like" control
systems
A dedicated nanotechnologist experiments with minute computers the size of human
cells. He injects himself with his virus (?), because he fearful of being banned from his
laboratory. These "intelligent cells" take over the host and spread a plague.
Mindkiller by Spider Robinson
Cyperpunk/cynical/confusing/suicides/ explicit sex/no contrived language/Those whom
you would suspect to be evil are not necessarily so
Scientists discover a method of mind control that can help a patient experience the
heights of ecstasy, but the technique can also kill the user.
Kamikaze L’Amour: A Novel of the Future by Richard Kadrey
Story set in San Francisco/technology, experimental music/Rain Forest/world of rock
musicians/
Rock star Ryder is fed up with the shallowness of fame and fakes his suicide. He
even enjoys the media creation of his death, which elevates him to the status of an icon.
A golden light occasionally appears in his head and he wants to discover its musical
source. He also possesses the gift of synesthesia or sensory crossover. Ryder flees to San
Franciso where a genetic experiment gone awry greets him as the Amazon rain forest is now
moving into Southern California. There he meets Frida who dabbles in musical novelty and a
drug lord that wants to rekindle his career. Lots of satire, surrealistic images and
commentary on decadent, contemporary, American culture.
Psion by Joan Vinge
A young boy with psychic potential infiltrates a terrorist, rogue band/elements,
chip-crystal enable people to run computers with great speed/Computers operate on
computations/telepathy/clichés/not edgy but cynical/dystopia
Part of a series. Cat is kidnapped by the government and forced to acquire powerful
psionic capabilities.
Military Adventure
General Comments on Military Fiction and Starship
Troopers
Literate fiction about survival
Militaristic utopia built on Darwinism and political
principles
Movie misses the point of the book/Too soft and dated
Story works without science
Were the book written merely as SF, Heinlein would not have
found himself in trouble
Study of military life, but not necessarily SF or adventure
No achievable goals
Heinlein’s philosophy of future war
Heinlein has an ax to grind with his controversial ideas
Benchmark book because of the action
Introduction is great!
Too simplistic/suitable for 12-14 year old boys
St. James lists it as a children’s book???
Coming of age fantasy for early Tom Clancy, Alistair MacLean or Patrick O’Brien
fans/I am scared but I want to join/Major life choices made through chance
Realistic depiction of boot camp
Johnnie Got His Gun read-alike
Pro or anti war treatise?
Defines the good citizen/Citizenship is something to be
earned/Military discipline creates the responsible adult, i.e., the good citizen, a
society’s elite class
Are Heinlein’s characters heroes? Depends on your point
of view
Deb read an essay on Heinlein’s beliefs and asked
the group to discuss evidence of them in Starship Troopers
Rico is Everyman simply doing his job/No heroes
Passages are chilling in comparison to today’s world situation
Skinnies versus the Bugs…Somalia
Is Heinlein prophetic/Are we always doomed to repeat past mistakes?
War does change everything
Great book for discussion/Philosophical ideas
Poor choice for discussion/Little character development/Flat characters/Did not feel
strongly about any character even the death of the beloved sergeant
Relationship with father is good
Bit of irony…father volunteers in old age to contribute to the "glorious
cause"
Juan has many substitute fathers yet is unprepared for war
Realistic Elements
Love- hate relationship between recruits and officers
Soldiers do not know what is going on
No gray in the military
Other Comments
Recruits are still idealistic and naïve, and suffer indignities of any young soldier
Traditional military discipline and regimentation same as in all wars
Bait and switch philosophy of battle
Well-written/Rapid pace
Believable, futuristic elements
Enjoyed author’s focus on role of the military in society rather than military
maneuvers
Better listened to than read
Empathetic protagonist
Women are peripheral but educated/Male dominated novel
On the Bounce=original euphemisms
Neat premise; jumping to tops of buildings, miles ahead, etc.….
References to military history, figures, battles makes tale credible
Enjoyed Heinlein’s comments on the army as an institution and the role the government
played
For action,adventure fans/Lots of personal close-up action
Man-Kzin Wars
by Larry NivenForever War by Joe Haldeman
[Engaged in a thousand-year interstellar war with the Taurans, young private William
Mandella learns that you can’t go home again. Because of space displacement, while
fighting in outer space, he ages mere months while those on Earth age decades. One of the
first recruits, he is also one of the first veterans of the war and finds upon his return
that things have changed immeasurably. Most everyone is now homosexual, and needs a
bodyguard because of widespread violence. While visiting his girlfriend, Marygay, and her
parents on a commune in South Dakota, William witnesses the murder of both her parents. He
soon discovers that in-order to have enough money to live on earth, he must re-enlist for
many years. He and Marygay decide Earth is no longer home and the Forever War is their
destiny. As years go by, younger recruits come from an alien world and William is almost
an anachromisn. Although Haldeman’s book was probably meant as a satire on the
Vietnam War, there were many parallels to the current Iraqi war, the status of the
recruit, the futility of war, the doubt about the intent of one’s
leaders...chilling.]
Berserker by Fred Saberhagen
Humans versus aliens/Soldiers are heroes/Short Stories with common elements/No political
intrigue/Soldiers make the ultimate sacrifice/Apocalyptic fiction
[Berserkers are killing machines designed to rebuild themselves. Their computer
capabilities challenge human colonies. Reminiscent of Moby Dick, Niles Domingo seeks the
immense berserker, Leviathan. He succeeds but his determination transforms him into the
monster he destroyed.]
Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
Great story of court politics and intrigue/Upper echelon/Series is part of a
multigenerational saga/Romantic elements that are not flowery/Character driven/Hero is
caught in a double-cross/Expensive political assassination/Reads like a family saga/Two
cultures in conflict/Not necessarily science fiction
On Basilisk Station by David Weber
Likable but under developed and vulnerable characters/Hard science fiction/Good
writing/Strong women/Lots of battle details/Political intrigue/Foot soldiers in the field
are important/Theme of leadership dominates/Good for old Clancy fans
[Honor Harrington is exiled to Basilisk Station in disgrace. To the dismay of her
detractors, she attempts to halt the foreign dominance of a major space station with her
woefully under-powered ship Fearless.]
Children of the Lens by E. E. (Doc) Smith
Protagonists are supermen/Unrealistic action and characters/An irritating read/Jack Ryan
in space/Last in the series /Superior scientific knowledge and intelligence of the Lensmen
children enable the latter to conquer evil
Once a Hero by Elizabeth Moon
Hero is a young girl who assumes leadership role on ship after a mutiny/Few battles/Fourth
in series
[Esmay Suiza is court marshaled for her emergency take-over from a traitor captain. Upon
her release she returns to her home planet and discovers a secret from her childhood. She
is later reassigned to another space mission and finally comes to terms with her past and
nightmares.]
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Reluctant hero/Main character is really an isolationist/Foot soldier (Reviewed previously)
A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo
Science fiction writers are brought in to plan war/Funny/Plot driven, action
packed/Describes boot camp/
Humans become fighting allies of the pacifist aliens/Lots of power armor, lasers, and
tanks/Earth is under siege/Small group politics and disciplinary problems among marines
and special operatives
Pride of Chanur by C. J. Cherryh
Heavy-handed/Contrived exclamations/First contact/Not militaristic/Feline race is the
crew of the spaceship Chanur/Different cultures and races interact/Little technology, more
"character driven"/First of a series
Dorsai by Gordon R. Dickson
Story centers around main character, Donal Graeme but this is not personal
recollection/Follows his early military training and fighting experiences/Part of a cycle
of stories following development of mankind from 14th through 22nd
centuries
[Humans settle in different planets and though there are no aliens, the Dorsai are the
Warriors. Donal’s involvement is that of an officer planning strategies. He is a
hands-on character not unlike Paul in Dune]. Donal possesses unusual talents that are the
result of the accidental mixing of genetic traits.
Similar Threads Among Military Science Fiction Group Read
Attempts at humor
Military framework is the environment for action
Heroes/adventure/political intrigue
Some books are more concerned with politics than war
Lives of foot soldiers and upper echelon are included
Not hard science fiction nor heavy descriptions of technology and weaponry
Things need repairing and these jobs do get done
Heroes are obedient for most part
Spaceships
Action varies among the titles
Humor
Everyone Read Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
General Comments on Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
by Douglas Adams
Funny satire on a world obliterated.
How is something so sad made to appear funny?
Humor is silly and cultish.
Satire is strictly entertaining.
Element of alternative history… What if mice did rule world?
Adams pokes fun at self-important people.
Basically a book for college people who see through the pomposity of an older
generation.
What is the question? Answer is 42. Funny???
Not challenging.
Appeal is to grade schoolers and teens.
Points out the absurdities of life ala Monty Python, Kurt Vonnegut, John Irving,
Terry Pratchett, Tom Robbins.
Not hard science fiction…just some spaceships. The science fiction cannot be
taken seriously.
Humor is what brings you to this book. Some sly, wry comments.
Not hard SF but rather a British comedy set in outerspace.
Plot flows well and characters are identifiable types.
Author has no agenda other than to give the reader a good time.
A good book to get a non-SF reader introduced to this genre.
Humor: General Comments
Humor is often an illusion to something else, but you need to identify the
something else and that is often dated.
Some books are very funny for their time only. Hitchhiker stands the test of
time with its answering machines, digital phones, etc.
A good story that lasts.
British and American humor are very different.
Humor is subjective.
The skill of British humor lies in its pacing…(Monty Python)
American humor is predictable.i.e., gallows humor, whistling through
graveyards, etc.
There is a difference between visual and print. (Humor)
Slapstick is silliness; satire is irony.
Humor is something one can identify with and a lot is going on in the background.
Individual Titles
Lord Kelvyn’s Machine by James P. Blaylock
A three- part "steampunk" fantasy finds amateur scientist Langdon St.
Ives avenging the death of his beloved wife Alice at the hands of the evil Dr. Narbondo.
Ives momentarily forgets his grief and attempts to thwart Narbondo’s goal of placing
earth on a collision course with a comet. Langdon uses Lord Kelvyn’s machine to
travel back in time to murder a younger Narbondo and bring his beloved to life.
Flying Dutch by Tom Holt
Tom Holt’s novel is a funny, British, fantasy take-off on the Flying Dutchman
legend. Julius Vanderdecker and his entire ship’s crew accidentally drink an
immortality elixir back in the sixteenth century. As a result a terrible odor surrounds
the whole crew and subsides only once a month every seven years.
Star Trek Q-In Law by Peter David
The U.S.S. Enterprise is the site for a wedding of two powerful merchant
families called the Tizarin. Captain Picard is ready and pleased by the event, but his
happiness is cut short by the arrival of Federation delegate Lwaxana Troi, who has
romantic designs on him. The situation is further complicated by the arrival of the evil Q
who has come to challenge the human concept of love. The Tizarin are plotting war and
Lwaxana plans to teach Q a lesson in love that he will not forget.
Dad’s Nuke by Mark Laidlaw
It is 1998, and suburban communities have become walled camps with no
communication among residents. People are jobless and spend their days plugged into
computer simulations. Doc Edison has the people’s apparent trust in this somewhat
heavy-handed satire on warped, ancient values. Some philosophical, moral implications to
the story.
Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon by Spider Robinson
Bartender Callahan provides a safe atmosphere for people who seek
absolution in his tavern. His guests include aliens, "regular folk," cyberspace
aliens, telepaths and time travelers. Each relates his experience to save the world. The
stories are filled with puns, especially those told on Tuesday. Tall Tales Night is just
what it claims to be and it is a sidelight to the main story.
The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison
Some humor, ala James Bond. YA. Part of a series. Jim diGriz is the stainless steel rat
and a criminal that cons humans, aliens, robots and even the police. He is a
"likeable con man" and revels in his own professional competence at breaking the
law. A thief, not a murderer, di Griz possesses personal charm and values human life.
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
This science fiction fantasy has all the components of an old-fashioned Victorian novel, a
time-travel tale, a comedy of errors, and a literary game. It is an examination of our
misconceptions about people of bygone days.
Lest Darkness Fall by Sprague L. DeCamp
This alternate history chronicles the political, scientific and cultural problems of
Western Civilization during the fifth and sixth centuries. In exchange for $5.00 worth of
modern coins, Ph.D. candidate Martin Padway uses 93 post-Imperial silver sesterces to live
in Old Rome and attempt to save the Roman Empire.
Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb
This mystery novel is a parody of the subculture that draws in science
fiction and fantasy fans. Famous Science Fiction author Appin Dungannon has been murdered
at a SF/Fantasy convention filled with Trekkies and Dungeon Masters. James Owen Omega and
his girlfriend Dr. Marion Farley are professors at a local university. It is through their
eyes that the reader observes the pageantry and peculiarities of the convention guests.
Omega is a sympathetic protagonist and the author’s satire is directed at those who
have no other life but their fantasies.
Tales from the White Hart by Arthur C. Clarke
Written in the fifties, this book is a series of short stories told at the White Hart Bar
by a group of scientists, writers and laymen. Obnoxious Henry Purvis is the primary
storyteller whose tales are not quite believable. The reader learns of carnivorous
orchids, special silencers, and ballistic computers.
Alternate History
Everyone read The Man in the High Castle by
Philip K. Dick.
Comments
Terrible time trying to read and finish the book.
Dialogue and discussions are tedious.
Least enjoyable of all titles read.
Mixed views on the audio version.
Likes the idea of an alternate history within an alternate history tale.
General comments on the sub-genre
The story should be based on real historic fact.
Some titles are more literate fiction rather than science fiction.
Good characterizations/better than some others we have read.
Time period of major events has a direct effect on the story.
Details are very important.
Most enjoyed reading this sub-genre/"What if" factor is intriguing and there is
not too much science fiction.
How different is this title from other science
fiction books we have read?
More social/political issues than scientific.
Enjoyable for readers of historical fiction, though they may not like science fiction.
Role of I Ching is a reflection of the sixties.
Readers feel this book one of the first to cross the line between science fiction and
literature.
Author/story is a "realist" rather than "gee whiz" /Would appeal to
science fiction readers who appreciate the "what if"/This feature is an asset
for non science fiction lovers.
Won a Hugo Award in 1963/well-deserved.
I Ching manipulates people.
Juliana is a favorite and one reviewer feels she is a pivotal character.
Individual Titles
The Gate of Worlds by Robert Silverberg
Story takes place in 1985 in an alternate world in which the Black Death has killed
three-quarters of the world’s population in 1348. Turks can conquer Europe and
non-Western civilizations are on the rise throughout the world. Dan Beauchamp is the hero
that migrates to the rich Aztec Empire from England.
West of Eden by Harry Harrison
It is the dinosaurs rather than mammals that have evolved into somewhat intelligent
species in Harrison’s story. Descendants of the former battle with the later for
survival and dominance. Kerrick is a hunter reared among the dinosaurs. His knowledge of
their ways makes him a natural leader of humans and eventually the reptiles’ enemy.
Finity by John Barnes
A universe of conflicting memories. It is the year 2063, Hitler has won the war and
intelligent cars and personal ballistic transports are part of everyday life. The United
States has vanished from everyone’s memory. Hence the mystery of "what if"
begins as the books’ characters try to deduce what has occurred.
Pavane by Keith Roberts
A novel comprised of six stand-alone short stories each narrated by six separate
characters. Tales are set in a primitive twentieth century that witnesses the
assassination of Queen Elizabeth I and the triumph of the Roman Catholic Church.
Lest Darkness Fall by Sprague L. De Camp
Action-packed, but reader must set aside beliefs to enjoy. More time travel than alternate
history. Set in ancient Roman times. (6th century) Comparable to A Connecticut
Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. History professor Radway is transported back to
Rome a few years before the Fall. He attempts to create a life for himself and halt
Rome’s decline.
Resurrection Day by Brendan DuBois
Story takes place in 1972, and its initial premise is that during the 1962 Cuban missile,
the Russians did not back down. The Soviet Union has been annihilated and Washington,
D.C.is a radioactive crater. Britain is a major world power. JFK is rumored to be alive
and unjustly despised for causing World War III. Lots of tension with harsh, plausible
answers.
SS-GB: Nazi Occupied Britain 1941 by Len Deighton
Murder mystery, political intrigue, an intellectual activity for the author. Story line
relates life within Nazi-occupied Britain one year after Germany has conquered the world.
Churchill has been killed by a firing squad and the King is imprisoned in the Tower of
London. But the intriguing premise of this book is that America believes the war has
ended. Thus begins the tale…
The Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove
The South is losing the war so an alien group appears and offers AK 47s to the
Confederates. The aliens are a racist South African group that enables the South to
triumph. One reviewer did not enjoy book. Too much detail/repetitive though a history
lover may cherish this aspect of the book. Another reviewer thought it did move quickly.
On the lighter side…Lee was able to receive nitroglycerin for his heart and coffee
was available just by boiling water.
The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce
Sterling
It is London, 1855, and the Industrial Revolution is operating in full force until one
Charles Barbage creates and perfects his Analytical Engine and thus ushers in the age of
computers. The only problem is there is no power source to run the new technology. Plus
London’s extreme summer heat has driven the wealthy from their homes leaving the
subversive, anti-intellectual Luddites to appear and confront the intellectuals for power
in the city.
Wild Shore by Kim Stanley Robinson
World-building book. A trilogy set in California that offers three futures: post nuclear
war environment, a pollution-free world, and a city of urban sprawl. A coming of age story
in which a young boy saves America.
Triumph by Ben Bova
A book that needs to be read carefully as one might miss its meaning. Depicts a radically
altered post World War II Europe in which Stalin dies and Roosevelt lives. At the Tehran
Peace Conference, Churchill hands Stalin a plutonium-laced sword that kills the later.
Eisenhower and Patton also play roles in this novel covering the thirty days of April,
1945.
The Last Starship from Earth by John Boyd
People need to marry within their own station. If a couple from another station fall in
love they are condemned to the Planet Hell.
Fire on the Mountain by Terry Bisson
A Civil War era book whose premise is that John Brown and his Raiders did succeed. Another
alternate history story in which Brown dies is also part of this book.
Television and Movie Tie-Ins/Series Books
Appeal:
For movie buffs who want to keep the story going, or learn more about the characters.
Enjoyed by archaeological mystery fans, plus horror, adventure and speculative fiction
fans.
Adventure, suspense, and tension are real and stories are easy to get into.
Characters are likable.
Not for hard case SF fans.
1014 year-old boys like the paperback adventures.
No sense of wonder or science/Dr.Who is the exception as this series is more
sophisticated, funny and could regarded as a bridge to science fiction books.
The following titles were read by the group:
The Courtship of Princess Leia Star Wars Dave Wolverton
Mutiny on the Enterprise Star Trek Robert E. Vardeman
The Morpheus Factor Stargate-SG-1 Ashley McConnell
Rogue Planet Star Wars Greg Bear
Vendetta Star Trek Peter David
Dr. Who Day and the Day of the Daleks Terrance Dicks
Contamination Star Trek John Vornholt
Tatooine Ghost Star Wars Troy Denning
The Arrival Earth Final Conflict Fred Saberhagen
Alien Nation The Day of Descent Star Trek Judith Reeves and Garfield Stevens
Imzadi Star Trek the Next Generation Peter David
Reunion X-Files Kevin J. Anderson
A Fury Scorned Star Trek the Next Generation Pamela Sargent
Heir to the Empire Star Wars Timothy Zahn
Rebel Dream Star Wars New Jedi Order Aaron Allston
Q Continuum Star Trek Greg Cox
Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines David Hagberg
Enterprise The First Adventure Vonda McIntyre
Star Trek James Blish
X-Wing Rogue Squadron Star Wars Michael A. Stackpole
House of Cards Farscape Keith R. A. De Candido
Q-in- Law Star Trek Peter David
Quantum Leap Ashley McConnell
Vulcan Star Trek Kathleen Shy
Splinter of the Mind’s Eye Star Wars Alan Dean Foster
Heritage Gene Roddenberry’s Earth Final Conflict Heritage Doranna Durgin
Some Individual Titles:
The Arrival by Fred Saberhagen
This is a prequel to Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict TV Series. The book is dull.
The Taelons (really alien Companions) make their grand arrival on present day Earth at the
San Simeon Hearst Estate, now the home of wealthy Jonathan Doors. His wife suffers from
cystic fibrosis and the Taelons claim they can cure her, so he is very optimistic about
their arrival. This optimism ends, however, when Jonathan’s father relates his own
sobering experience with the Taelons in 1936, at San Simeon. Jubal’s story takes up a
significant portion of the novel, sometimes reminding me of tales of alien abductions.
This premise of Jonathan meeting the Taelons at the same location his father had met them
is the one that I was not able to buy into. It occurred to me repeatedly that since I
thoroughly enjoyed the characters in Star Wars and Star Trek, I was more likely to allow
poetic license, but the arrival characters were not especially engaging and, in fact, just
stupid.
I did not see the TV series and really don’t want to.
Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn
Picks up where the movie Star Wars: Return of the Jedi leaves off. The first of a trilogy.
It is now five years later; Han and Leia are married. She is expecting twins and trying to
learn to be a Jedi knight while continuing with her New Republic duties. There is a
growing sense of division within the Republic as well as a bit of complacency in regards
to its own security. Han, Leia and Luke are in the midst of a diplomatic mission when they
are attacked. Leia goes with Chewy to his home planet (very interesting sequences
resulting), while Luke and Han attempt to discover what new threat the Empire is posing.
We see familiar characters and brand new ones. The most interesting and dangerous are
Grand Admiral Thrawn, leader of the Imperial Fleet, Mara Jade, a powerful woman with a
past, and an interesting newcomer/smuggler Talon Karde. Slow in the beginning, but
satisfying overall.
Enterprise: Surak’s Soul by J. M. Dillard
The story centers on T’Pol, the Vulcan science officer on the first Enterprise. Due
to an accident in which she is forced to kill in order to defend a fellow crew mate,
T’Pol has made an ethical decision regarding whether to use or carry a weapon and
whether or not she is willing to kill, even in self-defense. This puts her in conflict
with Captain Archer when she refuses his command to carry a weapon. This conflict carries
over into the rest of the plot as the Enterprise comes across a planet whose civilization
has been destroyed, because it would not kill ANY living entity. Archer suspects the real
murderer to be Wanderer, a being who boarded the ship under the pretense of attempting to
discover who killed the inhabitants of this planet. But T’Pol is the only person able
to speak with Wanderer and she is convinced that he is a peaceful, non-aggressive entity.
Appeal: For Young Adults/Few details as to character development, place,
equipment/Some references to televised episodes.
Force Heretic II: Refugee Star Wars Sean Williams and Shane Dix
Refugee has three story lines. One follows Luke and Mara with Jacen(son of Han and Leia)
as they try to find a lost sentient planet called Zenoma Sekot. The later is believed to
have the capability of defeating the Yuuzhan Vong. They are working with the Imperials to
find this planet. Zenoma Sekot was first mentioned in Rogue Planet, a novel set in the
time before Luke was born. This story involved the original Anakin’s training with
Obiwan Kenobe to become a Jedi.
The second story line follows Han and Leia along with Jania (their daughter and
Jacen’s twin). The trio is trying to recruit allies and have gone to the planet
Bakura. Again, events are from another novel titled Truce at Bakura published in 1994. The
latter was written prior to the New Jedi Order series. This series appear to follow a
united story line and combine elements created by other authors from previously written
novels and movie plots.
The third story line follows Nom Anor, a discredited member of the Yuuzhan Vong. It
seems that this character has been used in almost all of the New Jedi Order series of
novels and is one of the connecting strings in the series.
Seaquest DSV by Diane Duane and Peter Morwood
This book is the novelization of the first episode of the television series as it
introduces Captain Nathan Bridger and sets up events that result in his assuming command
of SeaQuest DSV. The political situation and technical advancements of the world in the
near future are described in interesting detail. People live and work under the
worlds’ oceans, and the political affairs of the world above have spilled over into
the depths. But as the book was published in 1993, and the near future described is
supposed to be around 2018, it seemed a bit off in comparison to the way things really are
when reading it in 2003.
Ruins by Kevin J. Anderson
Based on the X-Files series by Chris Carter. This novel finds the intrepid team of FBI
agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder investigating the disappearance of an American
archaeological team at the lost Mayan city of Xitaclan. Accustomed to solving mysteries
involving the paranormal and extraterrestrial, the two agents find themselves in the
middle of a war among Mexican drug lords, revolutionaries and a covert military operation
intent on destroying Xitaclan. Putrid stenches emanate from the cenato at the base of the
temple, volcanic activity erupts on the seemingly flat jungle area and feathered
serpent-like creatures slither in the dark. Reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark
and Indiana Jones, agent Mulder does indeed find evidence of extraterrestrial life within
the ruins, but will he be able to survive and possibly rescue other team members?
Science Fiction/Soap Opera
Common Elements of SF to other genres:
Great Story/action, adventure/romance/political thriller, horror, mystery. This genre has
all elements of other genres but often uses an alien universe as a time frame. Young Adult
and coming of age themes. Emphasis on the commander of the crew. Could be western novels.
The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
Hard science fiction/religion/episodic/cliffhanger/you follow plot through characters/plot
driven/
Liked the ice parts and sense of aloneness/
The negation of physical authority is a clever idea/
The model is Russian aristocracy/
Author plays with her readers/
Miles is ridiculous, laughable/coincidence and timing play important roles, but he is
somewhat intelligent / internal dialogs, dissembling and his height are clever touches/a
true adolescent full of surprises/an alter Woody Allen as we witness his thought
processes/
Miles has a wicked sense of humor and understands his own limitations/
His doubts make him endearing/
Bujold’s secondary characters are stronger than her primary ones/
Like Peter Wimsey, Scarlet Pimpernel/
Won a Hugo (Fan driven) 1991/Think about the competition for a given year/
Asides on Science Fiction:
Space Travel/heavy science fiction dulls drama of hard
SF/strategy takes the place of mechanics and pits one person against another/lots of
detail/ rivets /Do we learn something about science?
Why is Science Fiction such a hard sell?
SF is not all ray guns and bug-eyed monsters!! Wide variety of stories for almost any
reading interest and SF crosses into other genres with ease/mystery, humor, literate,
history, alternate history, romance. Some titles inform readers with scientific
information-principles Dune/One-shot novels, series, episodes…really something
for everyone.
Individual titles:
Sargasso of Space by Andre Norton
This, the first of a trilogy, stars Dane Thorsen, an apprentice cargo master, who signs on
with the Free Trader ship, Solar Queen. Shortly after its first trip, the crew has a
chance to bid on trading rights to the newly surveyed planet Limbo. Pooling all its money,
the crew wins the auction. Before taking off to see the prize, the crew takes on an
archaeological team as passengers. When Limbo turns out to be a brunt out plane with
seemingly no assets to trade, it seems strange that these passengers can hardly wait to
land. Things turn ugly when a suffocating fog descends, odd creatures appear and strange
humming force pulses from underground, that traps the Solar Queen. It seems that Limbo is
similar to the death ground for sailing ships on earth, the Sargasso Sea. Only this time
errant spaceships are lured to their demise on the Sargasso of Space.
Emphasis on camaraderie of crew once a member has proven his worth/
Detailed descriptions of new world/ aliens/
Seen through the eyes of a rookie
A Million Open Doors by John Barnes
Great world building novel/
Higher Education by Charles Sheffield
Adventure / misfits / extended family
Reality Dysfunction by Peter F. Hamilton
Disturbing
Primary Inversion by Catherine Asaro
Ruling families / hard science fiction / finely drawn characters /
Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
Disturbing / cultural wars / Weaponry / Body regrows before the head is completely
removed/ little character development /
Naked in Death by J. D. Robb
Detective suspense that takes place 55 years in the future/
Subtle SF Elements/ Eve Dallas is police detective with unknown past /
Coffee is a rare and expensive commodity and the multi-billionaire, Roarke, does business
in outer space but there is no mention of aliens. Also there is a well-established, very
legal anti-gun ban, which means the police are armed with lasers; guns are also considered
to be collector’s items. Even with these elements, if you ignore them, the reader
might think the story was taking place in the present.
This novel is a great example of a space opera. The characters are well developed and
there is action and adventure in Eve’s murder investigations of the three women.
There is a budding romance between Eve and Roarke that I presume will continue in the next
title of this series. But unlike, Miles in The Vor Game, who accepts his
limitations, Eve difficulty in dealing with her past cripples her emotionally and
psychologically Events are seen through the eyes of Miles and Eve.
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