SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Good evening all. As you can see on the main page, our October books are set and ready to go. That is because October is our goodreads Author month. And this October we have participation from both Max Barry, author of the net sensation Machine Man, and Jon Sprunk who will be around to talk about his book, Shadow's Son.

For your voting pleasure, we will be have a third book up for discussion, which will be decided by a random poll. The October poll will be special, though. It will be a head to head battle between 5 Sci-Fi books and 5 Fantasy books. I'll let you all know when the poll is open.

And today, I say to you all, that a vote for Fantasy is a vote for terrorism.

Vote SciFi... it's the right way. It's the smart way. It's the only way.

You are either with Ala or you are against Ala.

Trying to decide which of those options is safest...

Together, we shall bring about a brighter tomorrow.

Thank you, and good night.

Whichever way it goes I hope it's a lighter book as both this months are fairly hefty.

Fantasy all the way, baby! ;)

Snap!

it looks like the gloves are off...

I'm an avowed moderate independent, so I will wait to see what Science Fiction and Fantasy bring to the table. They will have to impress me with their candidates to get my vote, and no amount of promises or posturing will convince me to choose along party lines before those candidates are available for thorough scrutiny.

;)

I notice you said nothing about the influential possibilities of baked goods or cute baby animal pictures

My loyalty is divided and therefore for sale!

:D

...that is, as long as you dont nominate junk!

Denae wrote: "I notice you said nothing about the influential possibilities of baked goods or cute baby animal pictures"

Well, now you see...that's another basket of buns (and/or bunnies) altogether. But while the idea is tempting, down with corruption and bribery, etc., etc. We shall be swayed by neither yeasty goodness nor photographic squee!

Were the October books voted on and I missed it, or were they just chosen? I didn't see anything in the polls section.

No voting for the October books this time around. It's awfully hard to chase down authors and beg them to come and discuss their books after we vote them in, and the one time we tried to ask authors in advance if they would be willing to talk if they won, both CJ Cherryh and Elizabeth Bear agreed to do it and then lost out to someone else. This makes things much easier and more diplomatic all around.

But we'll still get our polling fun with our 5 on 5 poll.

I see...

Well, The Sprunk book looks like it could be interesting, so I'll see if I can fit it into my already overloaded October schedule.

I'm trying to find a way to wedge in the Max Barry title, as I realized I'd read other works by him and enjoyed them. (The book trailer on the book's Amazon page would have won me over anyhow. It's quite amusing.)

Edit: fixed spelling of author's surname

Colleen of the Crawling Chaos wrote: "I see..."

Embrace the new totalitarian regime.

Ala wrote: "Colleen of the Crawling Chaos wrote: "I see..."

Embrace the new totalitarian regime."

How about I just glare from my corner?

Glaring is against the laws of the New Order. Unless done off into the distance and for propaganda purposes.

*glares*

:P

*uses Colleen for propaganda purposes*

That seems like the sort of plan that will backfire, Ala.

I never said whose propaganda :P

*raises an eyebrow*

I'm not sure I like anything that starts with the idea of being used...

I can think of a few circumstances where I do.

Denae wrote: "I can think of a few circumstances where I do."

Kinky.

Ummm, Denae, my phone number is ...

Better to be propositioned by the Lenin than the Stalin, I suppose ;)

Candiss wrote: "I'm trying to find a way to wedge in the Max Barry title, as I realized I'd read other works by him and enjoyed them. (The book trailer on the book's Amazon page would have won me over anyhow. It..."

Just saw the Amazon video... your right.

Denae wrote: "Better to be propositioned by the Lenin than the Stalin, I suppose ;)"

Hahaha. My goatee and moustache is much more ticklish than Uncle Joe's prickly stache.

I'm sadly lacking a revolutionary name

I know, I was just thinking 'Should we all get a name!'

I will have to bagsy 'the Yeltsin'.

Dibs on Rasputin ... assuming that counts, and I'm not at all sure it does ... :)

I wouldn't consider him a revolutionary, exactly...

Bizarre ... I had that very discussion about Rasputin earlier today.

Sprunk's book is great, and at 250ish pages it's not a doorstop material book that requires a lot of time to read :)

Denae wrote: "I wouldn't consider him a revolutionary, exactly..."

hmmm, maybe we need to scuttle the plan for revolutionary names, and just go with kookoo russian ones? i call dibs on "the chekov"

Pavel?

Only vaguely topically ... my SO has some Russian co-workers, and recently brought home some Red October chocolates. (Link is in Russian, but you can see the logo. There's an old English article here.)

Here you go, Comrades. It is time for Sci-Fi vs. Fantasy. Do your worst.

Remember, my friends.

SciFi is the truth. The one and only hope for eternal happiness.

Fantasy will lead you astray, down a road to unimaginable torment.

Be a good citizen, and a good person and vote SciFi.

That sucks. Not a single book on there I want to read. And here I was all ready to go head to head with the green alien man.

What?! There's nothing there you want to read? I was proud of that list. A mix of new and old, some second placers from past votes. Five boys and five girls. For the love of pajama jeans!

Loved the list Brad. Only criticism too much blasted Fantasy on it, could have at least four more SciFi. Didn't you used to be SciFi Czar, come on Brad sort those priorities out, show where your true allegiance lies.

Remember "Always follow the Green Cross Man's Code"

(reference to 1970's British road safety campaign, just incase you're thinking what is he wittering on about)

But Colleen, you should want to read The Curse of Chalion! >.>

Brad wrote: "What?! There's nothing there you want to read? I was proud of that list. A mix of new and old, some second placers from past votes. Five boys and five girls. For the love of pajama jeans!"

It's not you, it's me...

Just ask Ala... I'm a blaspheming heathen when it comes to these things. (And many other things... )

I suppose if I absolutely had to pick one that I haven't read before it would be Firebird by Lackey.


Snail in Danger (Sid) wrote: "But Colleen, you should want to read The Curse of Chalion! >.>"

*reads the blurb*

Um, I'll pass, thanks.

(I am unfamiliar with that emote. 'Splain?)

It's a shifty look

>.> denotes shiftiness or sneakiness. In this case, I used it because I was lobbying. (And not entirely serious when I said that you should want to read it.)

IMO that's a terrible blurb - the book is less formulaic and more thoughtful than it sounds based on that.