Isaac fans?

[Artemis]

Well...ive just finished robots of Dawn...and its a real shame...so I was wondering we got any Isaac Asimov fans here? and if so? someone tell me a new book to read...I do have alot of his books....and was thinking of getting "The gods themselves"

Ill mrs R. Daneel the most

 

[Unimaxium]

Wow what a coincidence, last night at dinner my family was talking about Isaac Asimov. Unfortunately though, I've never read any of his stories.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

I read Asimov almost 40 years ago. in science fiction terms he is a Great but someone you grow out of. He never asked any really important questions.
I much prefer Brian Aldis - he is superior in every way. But my all time favourite must be John Sladek. He wrote a wonderful loving parody of Asimov - whom he called Iclick Asimove.

 

[Artemis]

LOL Hertz!..

What were your favoiret books?

ohh and Unim! Read some!

 

[mrsid99]

I guess Hertz and I must be around the same age because I too startedreading Asimov around 40 years ago (as well as just about every otherSF writer) and since then I've read all his SF writings and a bunch ofhis non-SF as well.
I've really enjoyed the "Foundation" series which, to me atleast, seems based on the "Rise and fall of the Roman empire" withappropriate SF touches.
Don't give a rats rear end about what questions he asks, he's just a darn good writer with a superb scientific background.
You may want to look into his "Black Widowers" series too.
Have fun and enjoy!

 

[terri]

I've never read any, either. It seems so strange, too, since I always have a great time when I dabble in SF. A little Arthur C Clarke here, little David Brin there, a smattering of Greg Bear....haven't read anything for a while, frankly, and I could use a new book, too!

 

[treehuggerhikerboy]

i read quite a bit of his stuff about 10 years ago? i remember liking his short stories better than his novels.

 

[airgunr]

It's been 30 or so years since I've read him as well so I don't remember the titles of his books. Another author you might like is Larry Niven (sp?). Very good stories.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

I actually have over 500 Science Fiction books on my bookcase. About 10 are by Asimov - Foundation Trilogy, I Robot, Fantastic Voyage and such. I find his style very dated now and the science gets in the way (in my opinion) rather like Heinlein and Arthur C.
Try:
Jack Vance
Roger Zelazny
Philip K Dick
Ray Bradbury
John Brunner
Robert Silverberg
Kurt Vonnegut
Brian Aldiss
Bob Sheckley
.....oh the list is endless.

 

[mrsid99]

I find his style very dated now and the science gets in the way

That darned science gets in the way of the fiction huh?

 

[Hertz van Rental]

That darned science gets in the way of the fiction huh?

In a way - they get so bogged down in explaining their theories and how things work that the story takes a back seat. Where would Agatha Christie be if she kept stoping to explain how cyanide was made? :mrgreen:

 

[mrsid99]

In a way - they get so bogged down in explaining their theories and how things work that the story takes a back seat. Where would Agatha Christie be if she kept stoping to explain how cyanide was made? :mrgreen:

Haven't seen that myself but then it normally takes a science background to appreciate the theories and extrapolations presented in the stories.
In regards to your Agatha Christie comparison, it would make sense to explain the production of cyanide if that was what the story concerned, remember it is Science fiction.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

Ahem! I started off as a microbiologist. ;-)
The term science fiction is a misnomer that came out of Hugo Gernsback and his pulp magazines (Astounding Science et al) in the 30's and 40's. It has been accepted for more than 25 years that the definition of Science Fiction is that the story merely has to propose 'what if...' to qualify.
Don't get me wrong. I cut my SF teeth on Heinlein, Clarke, Asimov and similar and I love them dearly. It is just that my tastes have changed and I now find their prose style 'clunky' (for the reasons outlined previously).
If you haven't read any Aldis then I would recomend him to you. Try his Helliconia trilogy. It easily equals the Foundation trilogy and deals with far more profound ideas.

 

[mrsid99]

Microbiology eh? Interesting stuff, so what was your field or did you change your career path at an early point to become a teacher?
I guess I appreciate SF for the stories and the technicalities woven together which is why I consider Adiss's work to be science fantasy similar to Heinlein's work and OK, I confess, I didn't like reading his work in school and the LOTR movies leave me cold, there, I've said it and I don't care!

 

[Hertz van Rental]

Horses for courses - that's the joy of Sci-Fi. There's such a range that there is room for us all. I consider Aldis mainstream - the fantasy stuff is Lord of the Rings and all it's horrid progeny.
See if you can find some Sladek. He started off writing technical manuals for fork lift trucks but wrote some of the funniest and wierdest sci-fi of all time. His parodies are true gems (I E Bonner Hitler anyone?) Dead now and his books tend to be very hard to find. He is my favourite writer of all time. Collaborated with Chipdip K Kill once or twice too...

Went from microbiology (Infections of the Gastro-Intestinal tract and parasitology)* to pro photographer via graphic design and one or two other things - equally at home in Art and Science so Photography was inevitable. Became a teacher later. One day I will work out what I want to be when I grow up ;-)


*The job was sh*t in every sense of the word :mrgreen: