Sci-Fi Experience Wrap-Up
Carl's enthusiasm is contagious. This year, he invited us for the second time to join him in a sci-fi lovefest for the months of January and February. I hate to say this, but I'm not a very big science fiction reader. And I hate it to say it because I worry it'll sound like "Eww, I don't read sci-fi", and that's so not how I mean it. I'm not doubting sci-fi's potential for brilliance - that potential is equal for any genre, I think. It's just that I'm naturally much more drawn to fantasy.
Anyway, all this to say that I joined the Experience again this year in the hopes of beginning to understand sci-fi better, and thus to appreciate it more. And you know what? I think it worked. Here's what I read:
Memory was saying recently that the reason why she's not big on sci-fi is because it tends to be ideas-oriented, and she's more of a character-oriented reader. I haven't really read enough sci-fi to be able to say if I agree that this is a trend, but I'm also very much a character-oriented reader myself. A lot of these novels had great characters, and that's part of why I loved them. And my favourite sci-fi TV shows, Stargate and Babylon 5, do as well. But for example, Galápagos is very much an ideas sort of novel, and I could hardly have loved it more. It works - the ideas make it work, and Vonnegut's writing makes it work.
If you're wondering where this is going, you're not alone. So am I. Nowhere much, really. I think I'll always prefer fantasy, but I'm glad I pushed myself to go further with sci-fi, and I plan to continue to do so.
Thanks you, Carl. Now bring on the 3 months fantasy lovefest.
Anyway, all this to say that I joined the Experience again this year in the hopes of beginning to understand sci-fi better, and thus to appreciate it more. And you know what? I think it worked. Here's what I read:
- The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
- Stories from The Norton Anthology of Science Fiction, edited by Ursula K. Le Guin and Brian Atterbery
- Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
- Messenger by Lois Lowry
- Hard-boiled Wonderland and The End of the World by Haruki Murakami
- The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
- Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
- Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
- Galápagos by Kurt Vonnegut
- Parasite Positive by Scott Westerfeld
- Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Memory was saying recently that the reason why she's not big on sci-fi is because it tends to be ideas-oriented, and she's more of a character-oriented reader. I haven't really read enough sci-fi to be able to say if I agree that this is a trend, but I'm also very much a character-oriented reader myself. A lot of these novels had great characters, and that's part of why I loved them. And my favourite sci-fi TV shows, Stargate and Babylon 5, do as well. But for example, Galápagos is very much an ideas sort of novel, and I could hardly have loved it more. It works - the ideas make it work, and Vonnegut's writing makes it work.
If you're wondering where this is going, you're not alone. So am I. Nowhere much, really. I think I'll always prefer fantasy, but I'm glad I pushed myself to go further with sci-fi, and I plan to continue to do so.
Thanks you, Carl. Now bring on the 3 months fantasy lovefest.
Congratulations on finishing this challenge!
ReplyDeleteWell done on finishing the challenge. I loved The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.
ReplyDeleteI'm character-oriented as well. I think you can find that in science fiction--cough, cough Orson Scott Card--but not always. And sometimes those idea-plot-driven books surprise you :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on finishing the challenge.
that's a lot of sci-fi books! I only read two, but I loved them both and looking forward to reading more.
ReplyDeleteA Fantasy experience would be awesome!
WOW!!! Despite the fact that I've read all your reviews, I hadn't really been noticing just how many sci-fi books you were piling up! Great job!!!
ReplyDelete(Makes me feel even worse though...all I got read for Carl's challenge was a pile of short stories. Still hoping against hope that I can get in The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge...but with just a day to go, it's not looking good.)
Horray for wrap-up posts! You got through a lot of sci fi.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I'm not sure if the whole idea-oriented thing is actually a trend or if I just read all the wrong books in my younger years. :)
Congrats on finishing the challenge, Nymeth!
ReplyDeleteI read a few sci-fi, but just not much into them as compared to fantasy. And funnily I don't even understand why...
congrats nymeth, you got some great reads in!
ReplyDeletehttp://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/
I loved The Time Traveler's Wife and Speaker for the Dead. And I had never heard of Lois Lowry's books classified as sci-fi. I've wanted to read them for quite some time. Maybe I need to check into sci-fi more.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the completion of the challenge! Love the titles you've picked out. Some of them are in my TBR pile. :)
ReplyDeleteI read Galapagos after I went to the Galapagos and I remeber thinking it was so out there. I've never read any other Kurt Vonnegut but I should probably give him another chance.
ReplyDeleteGood for you for finishing the challenge. I never have the self-discipline for book challenges! :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's quite a few you got through! :-) I like the fact that sci-fi is ideas-oriented, although I don't think that rules out great characters. All the future realities these authors imagine are so interesting - and judging by sci-fi writers of the past, you never know what just might come true. :-)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a sci-fi reader myself, I also lean towards fantasy. However, I never thought to categorize Time Traveler's Wife as sci-fi, good call! If there were more like that, as you said, character-oriented, I'd probably be reading more sci-fi. The only ones I remember reading were CS Lewis's Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength.
I've always avoided sci-fi myself, apart from a very few authors. I never really thought of it as being an issue of character vs. idea oriented, though that's an excellent point. I think the thing I enjoy about science fiction - and fiction generally, I guess - is that at its best it can be a really lovely and interesting exploration of the parameters of being human. (she said, and returned to compulsively watching the second series of Battlestar Galactica)
ReplyDeletelol... I used to be one of those "eww, I don't read sci-fi" kind of people, even though I did read sci-fi occasionally. I just didn't love it as a genre. But now (especially because of the books I read for the Sci-Fi Experience) I am quickly changing my mind!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on completing the challenge!
Bermudaonion and Scrap Girl, thanks!
ReplyDeleteBecky: lol, I agree with you on both accounts. OSC does write some great characters, and some of those idea books really do surprise you.
Valentina: I'm pretty sure Carl will be doing the Once Upon a Time Challenge again, so I meant that :D
Debi: you know, I actually hadn't quite noticed myself :P No reason to feel bad, though! The stories you read sound like excellent ones, and that's what counts.
Memory: You're not the first to mention it, though, so a lot more people have that impression. But it's good to find exceptions!
Melody: I actually can't pinpoint why either. It's definitely not about them not being "real", as that's never been a problem for me.
Naida, thanks!
Framed: I think The Giver trilogy can be classified as dystopias, which is a branch of sci-fi.
Alice: Thanks! I hope you enjoy them when you get to them.
Lenore: He is out there, but in a way that I like. If you want to give him another chance. I recommend Slaughterhouse-Five.
Marie: I tend to be a bit obsessive about them. Not sure if that's always a good thing :P
Joanna: That's an excellent point - the two don't have to be mutually exclusive.
Claire: Well, it has time-travel :P I guess it's one of those books that are not marked as sci-fi to make them more appealing to a mainstream audience, but I really don't think there's much of a difference beyond that. I haven't read those Lewis books...all I've read by him was Narnia.
Jenny: lol! I agree.
Marineko: But as a fantasy fan, I doubt you did it because it wasn't "highbrow" enough :P Nothing wrong with finding the genre less appealing. But yes, I'm changing my mind too. I guess that any genre will have books we'll enjoy if we look hard enough! Well, maybe except westerns :P (lol, and even there I know I'm wrong.)
I'm so glad you participated. Wow, you read some great books during this experience! I've got to get back and read some of your reviews that I missed out on. You are a dear friend and I so enjoy your support and participation. Thank you so very much!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I'm excited about Once Upon a Time III!!!
Carl: aww, thank you and likewise! You know, I've missed you these past few weeks. I seriously can't wait for Once Upon a Time III :D
ReplyDelete