> Recent Entries
> Archive
> Friends
> User Info
> my rpg writing site

February 5th, 2007

01:20 am - SF Quiz SF/F quiz Via bright_lilim Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror SF hands down, but good fantasy can come in a close second, I actively avoid horror (as opposed to monster-hunting actions novels, movies, and TV shows (like Buffy and early Anita Blake), which can be fluffy fun) Hardback or Trade Paperback or Mass Market Paperback? The cheaper the better. Heinlein or Asimov? I prefer Arthur Clarke over either of those two, but most definitely Asimov, Heinlein's juveniles are fun, but almost everything else he wrote is vile. Amazon or Brick and Mortar? Price is king and Amazon is cheap Barnes & Noble or Borders? Powells! Hitchhiker or Discworld? Neither, but Hitchhiker is merely not something I'm into, while I loathe Discworld Bookmark or Dogear? Dear gods, bookmark only. Magazine: Asimov's Science Fiction or Fantasy & Science Fiction? Either, but I read Asimov's more often. Alphabetize by author Alphabetize by title or random? By Author. Keep, Throw Away or Sell? Keep unless it sucked, then I sell it. Year's Best Science Fiction series (edited by Gardner Dozois) or Years Best SF series (edited by David G. Hartwell)? Both. Keep dustjacket or toss it? Keep, of course. Read with dustjacket or remove it? With, otherwise I might lose it. Short story or novel? Novels are always preferable. Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? HP, it isn't really my thing, but Lemony Snicket is vastly annoying. Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? Usually at chapter breaks. "It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time"? If I must, "Once upon a time" Buy or Borrow? I largely use the library as a way to test-drive unknown books or authors for free or to acquire new hardbacks before they come out cheaply. If I like it, I then buy it. Buying choice: Book Reviews, Recommendation or Browse? In-person and on-line recommendations and Amazon recommendations are how I find almost all books these days. Lewis or Tolkien? I'm not all that keen on either, but I prefer Tolkien. Hard SF or Space Opera? If it has actual characters and is not just a lesson in science or technology, then hard SF usually wins, but I enjoy both. Collection (short stories by the same author) or Anthology (short stories by different authors)? A collection by an author I like is always preferable to an anthology. Hugo or Nebula? I find Nebulas somewhat more reliable. Golden Age SF or New Wave SF? Golden age is generally more fun, but mostly I prefer things more recent than either. Tidy ending or Cliffhanger? Tidy ending everytime. Morning reading, Afternoon reading or Nighttime reading? Nighttime, or occasionally afternoon, I avoid mornings. Series, or a really wrapped-up standalone? I love a good standalone, but am not averse to series that make sense as series. Urban fantasy or high fantasy? Both as long as they avoid the pitfalls the bedevil so much fantasy. New or used? Usually used, price is king. Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? Everything by P.C. Hodgell or for even more obscurity, Timeshadow Rider by Ann Maxwell. Top X favorite genre books read last year? (Where X is 5 or less) (in no particular order) Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds The Machine's Child by Kage Baker To Ride a Rathorn by P.C. Hodgell Evolution's Shore by Ian MacDonald Downward to the Earth by Robert Silverberg (reread, but still brilliant) Top X favorite genre books of all time? (Where X is 10 or less) (again in no particular order) I'm cheating by including two combined editions Dark of the Gods (Godstalk, Dark of the Moon combined edition) by P.C. Hodgell Warlock by Andre Norton (includes Storm over Warlock, Ordeal in Otherwhere, and Forerunner Foray) Galactic Derelict by Andre Norton The Graveyard Game by Kage Baker Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds Darkchild by Sydney J. Van Scyoc The Alchemists by Geary Gravel Vast by Linda Nagata Dreamships by Melissa Scott X favorite genre series? (Where X is 5 or less) (and yet again in no particular order) The Center of the Galaxy series by Gregory Benford The Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust The Company series by Kage Baker The Jame/Rathillien series by P.C. Hodgell The Revelation Space Series by Alastair Reynolds Top X favorite genre short stories? (Where X is 5 or less) (Too many to list, here are two I've read recently that are particularly brilliant) Weather by Alastair Reynolds Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link Current Mood: busy

(Leave a comment)