originally posted by nate
ah… well, i might look into those when i've finished the lymond ones… do you think that the niccolo ones aren't as good because they're not set mostly around those colourful scottish characters?
nate.
originally posted by Artemis
Hi Nate,
No, I think they are just as good, but I don't like Nicholo as much as I like Francis. How shallow am I?
Artie.
originally posted by nate
lol… well, francis has so many endearing qualities: drunkenness, violence, murder, and poetic tendancies of course… how could you not like such a character…
nate.
originally posted by Auna
This one is for Frank who asked about Asimov in the I Robot thread. 
Isaac Asimov is my favorite SciFi author of all time. He was a very prolific writer in multiple areas ranging from religion, science fiction, philosophy, biology, and chemistry, among other disciplines. He wrote a lot of short stories and several novels dealing with the idea of robots and the Three Laws of Robotics:
1. A robot must never harm a human or through inaction let a human come to harm
2. A robot must obey all humans except where it might lead to a violation of the first law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence except where it would violate the first or second law.
Many robot stories are about crimes that require analysis of the three laws to solve. They are very good mysteries. Some, like Bicentennial Man, question what it means to be human. All of his stories are enjoyable and offer something for the mind.
Perhaps without meaning to early on, Asimov wrote all his stories in a single complex universe that spans over a hundred thousand years starting in 1995. Robot stories tend to come earlier in the history. Empire novels are in the middle. Foundation stories are at the latter end of the history.
I found a wonderful web site that lists all the stories in chronological order instead of published order. I recommend reading them in this order, especially the Foundation books, to preserve the surprising twists that develop.
http://www.asimovonline.com/oldsite/insane_list.html
Even if you are not into science fiction, Asimov is a worthy read.
originally posted by Trys
To elaborate on Auna's comment, Asimov was the only author to have a book in every category of the old Dewey Decimal system of cataloging in my high school library… including his two volume book on the Bible which was in the Reference section.
I read a lot of Asimov when I was younger, his Foundation novels are probably my favorite. Among his short stories, "Nightfall" about life on a planet located in a globular star cluster where night only occurred very intermittantly and the madness that overtook the people as night fell. (Oddly enough this was made into a movie a few years ago, guess it didn't do well at the theaters.)
Trys
originally posted by Frank T Davis
Thank you very much Auna and Trys for the info about Asimov and his (assumption) writings. I have read some SF and will definitely look into his. Thanks Auna for the heads up re the web site. I have read a few series out of order and you constantly get those "ah ha's" followed by the "sure would have been nice to have known this earlier" reactions.
Frank
originally posted by Kathie La Rocque
Haven't seen anyone mention Alan Dean Foster in the two years' worth of messages I've read. He's a pretty prolific author too and has some very good books. Some are more thought provoking than others.
1 Like
originally posted by Cheryl
I loved his Spellsinger Series I get to meet him at Tempe in Oct. I'm honored to meet him and Janny at the same convention. I think highly of Alan Dean Foster I haven't read his latest books but I've read all his earlier ones he is very good. I have some of his Star Trek books from the 70's lol
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originally posted by Kathie La Rocque
My brother is trying to get all of his books. I think he's missing only 1 or 2. I'm not quite that big a fan but I do like his writing.
I've also recently discovered books by an English/Welsh gentleman by the name of Jasper Fforde. They're … interesting to say the least. lol I love the idea of live dodos!
originally posted by Cheryl
Sandtiger or anyone when is Julie Czerneda's short story book coming out? I know sometime in august I will be their to get it and I might get Species then too since I don't have it yet.
originally posted by Frank T Davis
Cheryl,
I've not read anything by Czerneda. Does she write F, SF or both? What do you recommend?
Thanks, Frank
originally posted by Cheryl
Sandtiger's the one to answer that question but I'll help some. I think In The Company of Others would be the first one to read by Julie then her newest book looks really good Species. And then go back to her earlier trilogies. She's science fiction but she has that quality I like with her characters the way Janny has. Have you tried CJ Cherryh Frank? She's really good sci fi writer and fantasy on some of her books. Everyone here seems to love her books including me.
originally posted by Trys
I'm going to recommend Sarah Zettel again. I just finished Fool's War… it absolutely blew my socks off. Not just for the quality of the story telling (top-notch) and the characterizations (you care… too much perhaps) but also for the subject matter. She deals with the idea of sapient artificial intelligences and handles it exquisitely!
Trys
I have recently finished Species by Julie Czerneda, and found it delightfully fun - the heroine's temper will utterly win your heart, if not, make you collapse with laughter. I liked her In the Company of Others a lot too - if you are a fan of Cherry's Downbelow Station, it was as superbly well framed as that.
originally posted by Sandtiger
Frank,
Hmm, My personal favourite so far is Species Imperative: Survival (The ones Janny and Cheryl are calling "Species"…It's the first of a trilogy, but it can be read on it's own. It will be followed by Species Imperative: Migration next May.
But to be honest, I've enjoyed all her books. Each set of books has their own strengths…if you want something really entertaining, go for the Web Shifter's books, (Beholder's Eye, Changing Vision, Hidden in Sight) if you want something more Science Fantasy, go with the Trade Pact (A Thousand Words for a Stranger, Ties of Power, To Trade the Stars), if you want hard SF, go with In the Company of Others.
Survival is my favourite because it takes the best of all the other books and brings them together.
Cheryl,
Julie's DAW anthology ReVisions (Edited with Isaac Spindel) just came out about a week ago…it's good so far. Lovely cover too!
Sandtiger
originally posted by Cheryl
Thanks I haven't been to the stores yet with dr. appointments but I'll get their and I like Hidden In Sight that trilogy is good. Ok Trys I'll try and get Sarah soon I just am so behind in my reading now and they don't slow down with the books coming out for my slow reading. I'll look at that one too. Thanks if it knocked your socks off I want to read that one.
originally posted by Trys
Sandtiger,
It that the anthology that has your story in it?
Trys
originally posted by Cheryl
Thanks for asking that Trys I was wondering the same thing. I think it is I hope so. I'm only buying it for Sandtiger's story and maybe some of Julie's.
originally posted by Sandtiger
Nope, the one with my story will be out in the fall - probably late September, early October. (Though it IS at the printers…how cool is that? The book with my story in it probably exists…somewhere!!!
BUT, ReVisions does have a great story by Julie, and by a person I know name Jihane Noskateb.
It's about What if Scientific discoveries happened at a different point in history…a neat sort of premise.
I've only read a few of the stories so far - but they are each very good.
Sandtiger
originally posted by Cheryl
let us know when your story is out I'm very anxious to read it. I might email you sometime. I need to know the title of the book it will be in I thought it was Julie's short story one. Thanks