The Evolution of Science Fiction discussion

This month we are nominating from the 1990's. You can make 2 nominations one from the author chosen by the group Lois McMaster Bujold and the second for any book from the 1990's except Kim Stanley Robinson who we will be reading in January 2015. Nominations will close on 31st October then polls will open on 1st November.

Current nominations:

Lois McMaster Bujold
Women at War
Barrayar
The Warrior's Apprentice

1990's
Amnesia Moon by Jonathan Lethem
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
On Basilisk Station by David Weber
The Iron Dragon's Daughter by Michael Swanswick

I'm going to nominate Women at War by Lois McMaster Bujold. A bit of military Sci-fi can only be good I hope.

The second nomination is going to be by Jonathan Lethem. David has recommended either Amnesia Moon or Gun, With Occasional Music. I like the sound of Amnesia Moon so will nominate this.

I haven't read anything by Bujold and I know absolutely nothing about her. She writes series and I'm not big into series, so I nominate what seems to be her most highly rated book even though it's the second in the series: Barrayar

I've read some of Connie Willis's books. They're good stories but I'm not in love with her style. There is one that has garnered a certain amount of acclaim, from 1992 Doomsday Book.

I'm going to nominate The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold. I believe it is the first published & is definitely the first featuring Miles Vorkosigan, the original namesake of the series.

Here is the series in chronological order on Fantastic Fiction:
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/l...

The only other book I can think of is On Basilisk Station by David Weber, the first of the Honor Harrington novels. They're space war (much like Bujold's Vorkosigan series) but features a heroine, a female Horatio Hornblower in a space navy.

I have to admit, I don't know Bujold's work at all, so I'll let others nominate books by her.

Will we be nominating for the 90's next month too? I don't want to put up another Lethem book, if we are until then.

I'm debating whether to try putting Stations Of The Tide up again. And then I looked at a 90's SF book list and found Kirinyaga: A Fable of Utopia. Most of the stories in it are multi-award winners. It's a pretty amazing linked collection. And there's Sharon Shinn's Archangel, which I forgot was from the 90's too, but you really need to read the whole trilogy to get the full affect of that book. I had no idea where that trilogy was going until I got there. Great stuff. Arrggh!

If I'll have another opportunity to nominate a 90's Lethem book next month, I'll nominate Michael Swanwick's The Iron Dragon's Daughter this month so as not to have Lethem competing with himself.

David wrote: "I have to admit, I don't know Bujold's work at all, so I'll let others nominate books by her.

Will we be nominating for the 90's next month too? I don't want to put up another Lethem book, if we a..."

Yes we will read the 90s again next month. I'm planning to read Amnesia Moon anyway regardless of it winning or not so if you prefer to nominate something else by Lethem let me know and I will withdraw my nomination.

Jo wrote: "David wrote: "I have to admit, I don't know Bujold's work at all, so I'll let others nominate books by her.

Will we be nominating for the 90's next month too? I don't want to put up another Lethem..."

Amnesia Moon is fine. It's not what people generally pick from him, but it's one of my favorites of his books. I suspect Doomsday Book will be the likely winner here, but we'll see. It seems like Willis has almost as many detractors as fans these days. I used to be a huge fan of hers and now I fall in the other camp.

I'll nominate Gun, with Occasional Music next month, if Amnesia Moon doesn't win.

I mentioned previously we would read the 90's again in January. Seeing as there were not many nominations for the 1990's and there have been very few votes in the polls i'm wondering if it would be better to move straight to the year 2000. Is there anybody who wants to nominate for the 1990's again? If so let me know and I will tomorrow ask for one 90's nomination and the other for 2000-2009 otherwise we will move on. Thanks.

Hmm. No responses.

Most of the SF I've read is from before 1990. I'm sure there are books from the 1990s that I haven't read yet but would like to. As I peruse lists, I can find a few but not a lot other than the ones that have been nominated.

If there is a group consensus, or whatever you decide is fine by me. We had a discussion before about what to do when we get to the present. Was anything decided? There are still plenty of older good science fiction books I haven't read yet, but the list is getting shorter.

Buck wrote: "Hmm. No responses.

Most of the SF I've read is from before 1990. I'm sure there are books from the 1990s that I haven't read yet but would like to. As I peruse lists, I can find a few but not a ..."

Thanks Buck I think I will do one book 90's and one book from the 2000's. I'm sure if I look I can find a book from the 90's!

There's no conclusion about what to do going forward but i'm going to comment on the thread in a bit once i've opened the nomination thread.

My TBR pile is just too big to add to it with any sort of group read now. Sorry. I'm not reading any SF at all. I did finally listen to the first 3 Hitchhiker books. I've been trying to get through them since they came out. The audio versions read by Adams actually allowed me to get through them, but I kind of felt like Marvin most of the time.
;)

Clare wrote: "Didn't someone suggest eithr starting over or working backwards and keeping it going?"

Yes in fact now there are more than just those two possibilities the discussion is here

Basically in January I will put the options to a poll and then we will begin something new in April as Jan is 90's/00's Feb is 00's and March will be the 10's.