Science Fiction Aficionados discussion

For our October read, our theme will be Horror!
Please nominate here....

I am going to nominate Blood Music...I have been meaning to read this for like, well forever!

I will nominate a timeless classic, Richard Matheson's I Am Legend. It is a Sci Fi horror novel that is also a thoughtful meditation on the nature of morality.

Sorry Paul, but we read that a few years ago.....Great book though!

Whoops sorry, forgot it has to be SF.

Okay, how bout Blindsight by Peter Watts?

How about The Puppet Masters

At the Mountains of Madness, Lovecraft

I've read most of those already, not that it matters. I didn't find Blood Music to be horror at all though. How about:
The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner
The Crystal World by JG Ballard
Imajica by Clive Barker
The first two are listed on WWE's 100 Best Horror Books. Imajica is more fantasy/horror, but it is one of my all-time favorites, and that is saying a lot!

I will second Imajica but that might not be science fiction. It’s on my shelves. It’s saying Read Me! Read Me!

I was looking at Goodreads list of "space horror" and saw books there I didn't associate with horror. Like Greg Bear's Hull Zero Three. (Though, really, any book by Greg Bear is a HORROR for me to make it through.)

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler!

If The Puppet Masters is classed as horror, and I’m thinking it could well be, then I will certainly SECOND.

Will wrote: "At the Mountains of Madness, Lovecraft"

I will gladly second this one.

I like the classics so I would have to go with "Body Snatchers" by Jack Finney or "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson.

Adrian wrote: "If The Puppet Masters is classed as horror, and I’m thinking it could well be, then I will certainly SECOND."

I think that may qualify. Great classic novel.

Loups-Garous by Natsuhiko Kyogoku

Paul wrote: "I will nominate a timeless classic, Richard Matheson's I Am Legend. It is a Sci Fi horror novel that is also a thoughtful meditation on the nature of morality."

I agree.

"Who Goes there" by John Campbell would be my favorite SF horror story but I assume it doesn't qualify since it is only a novella.

I surprised that it is just a novella since it is listed on Goodreads as being 161 pages. Readinglength.com has a page count of 168 and 51,240 words. It was my understanding that 40,000 words was the dividing line between a novel and a novella.

I go to Wikipedia a lot to look things up. But when i looked up the definition of the SF horror genre I got this !?!?

Science fiction horror novels are a subgenre of science fiction and horror novels, often revolving around subjects that include but are not limited to alien invasions, mad scientists, and/or experiments gone wrong.

Gee, I haven't read a good "mad scientist" novel in awhile.

Jim wrote: ""Who Goes there" by John Campbell would be my favorite SF horror story but I assume it doesn't qualify since it is only a novella.

I surprised that it is just a novella since it is listed on Goo..."

Interesting. The Day Index lists it as a novelette. Pretty sure that listing is based on how it was billed in it's first magazine appearance.

Jim brings up a good point.
The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination: Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius

Lena wrote: "Jim brings up a good point.
[book:The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination:..."

You got me, Lena. Guess I need to put this on my "to do" list. I'll have to see how they stack up with the original mad scientists like: Dr. Victor Frankenstein, Dr. Henry Jekyll and Dr. Moreau.

I was looking for something I hadn't read in this genre and came across "Ship of Fools" by Richard Paul Russo. From the description it looks like might be a good choice.

C. John wrote: "Jim wrote: ""Who Goes there" by John Campbell would be my favorite SF horror story but I assume it doesn't qualify since it is only a novella.

I surprised that it is just a novella since it is l..."

I'm not familiar with The Day Index. Is it online?

Sorry. The actual name is "Index To The Science Fiction Magazines 1926-1950". I have never heard it referred as anything but the Day Index after it's compiler, Donald B. Day.

It may be available other ways but here is one link
https://archive.org/details/Day_Donal...

C. John wrote: "Sorry. The actual name is "Index To The Science Fiction Magazines 1926-1950". I have never heard it referred as anything but the Day Index after it's compiler, Donald B. Day.

It may be available o..."

Thanks.

Keep in mind that if you pick a short 160-190 pager like The Puppet Masters, Body Snatchers, or I Am Legend, you probably want two or all three as reads to get to the page count you want.

I'd classify Imajica as fantasy, more so than sci-fi, but I'd highly recommend it, monthly read or not. Made a lasting impression on me.

Imajica is excellent. And though closer to fantasy I’d reread it.

Will wrote: "At the Mountains of Madness, Lovecraft"

Sorry Will, the group has already read this one.

I would like to try Blood Music, I've never read it. And yes, I know Who Goes There is a short one but I would like that one to be considered anyway.

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "How about The Puppet Masters"

So, FUNNY STORY...we read this in 2016, for our Membership Picks-Mike the Paladin's picks read! rofl

Silvana wrote: "Whoops sorry, forgot it has to be SF.

Okay, how bout Blindsight by Peter Watts?"

We have also read this one!

Oh well. Have we read Invasion of the Body Snatchers? I'll nominate that one if not.

Frankenstein counts? Every book by H.G. Wells fits in this theme.

Rafael wrote: "Frankenstein counts? Every book by H.G. Wells fits in this theme."

Frankenstein definitely counts, but we've actually already read that one. do you have a specific H.G. Wells in mind?

Maggie wrote: "Silvana wrote: "

Okay, how bout Blindsight by Peter Watts?"

We have also read this one!"

Noted. My apology, I should have read the group shelf first :)

How about The Feed? The neural enhanced WWW is over, chaos reigns, and people are living in an unusual post-apocalyptic nightmare. Or is the feed really gone? There are backups. With a reload you might become someone or something else if Taken.

mark wrote: "Rafael wrote: "Frankenstein counts? Every book by H.G. Wells fits in this theme."

Frankenstein definitely counts, but we've actually already read that one. do you have a specific H..."

The Invisible Man

ok, I will make the poll NOW!