MEME: 100 SF books according to a teacher!
There’s been a list going around as of late of the top 100 SF books chosen by a teacher. Seeing how I plan to be a teacher one day and also have hopes to see SF become more common in public schools, I’m going to turn this one into a meme. Here are the rules: Bold the titles you’ve read. Italicize the titles you want to read (and I mean REALLY want to read). Mark titles you’ve never heard of with strikeouts, underlines, or (NH) for “never heard”. Tag people. I’m tagging SQT, John of Grasping For the Wind, Tia Nevitt of Fantasy Debut, and Carraka. Here goes: # George R. Stewart – Earth Abides# Ray Bradbury – The Martian Chronicles# Robert A. Heinlein – The Puppet Masters# John Wyndham – The Day of the Triffids# Bernard Wolfe – Limbo (NH)# Alfred Bester – The Demolished Man# Ray Bradbury – Fahrenheit 451# Arthur C. Clarke – Childhood’s End# Charles L. Harness – The Paradox men (NH)# Ward Moore – Bring the Jubilee (NH)# Frederik Pohl & C.M. Kornbluth – The Space Merchants# Clifford D. Simak – Ring Around the Sun# Theodore Sturgeon – More than Human# Hal Clement – Mission of Gravity# Edgar Pangborn – A Mirror for Observers (NH)# Isaac Asimov – The End of Eternity# Leigh Brackett – The Long Tomorrow (NH)# William Golding – The Inheritors (NH)# Alfred Bester – The Stars My Destination# John Christopher – The Death of Grass (NH)# Arthur C. Clarke – The City and the Stars# Robert A. Heinlein – The Door Into Summer# John Wyndham – The Midwich cuckoos# Brian W. Aldiss – Non-Stop# James Blish – A Case of Conscience# Robert A. Heinlein – Have Space-Suit — Will Travel# Philip K. Dick – Time Out of Joint# Pat Frank – Alas, Babylon# Walter M. Miller – A Canticle for Leibowitz# Kurt Vonnegut – The Sirens of Titan# Algis Budrys – Rogue Moon# Theodore Sturgeon – Venus Plus X# Brian W. Aldiss – Hothouse (NH)# J.G. Ballard – The Drowned World# Anthony Burgess – A Clockwork Orange# Philip K. Dick – The Man in the High Castle# Robert Sheckley – Journey Beyond Tomorrow (NH)# Clifford D. Simak – Way Station (NH)# Kurt Vonnegut – Cat’s Cradle# Brian W. Aldiss – Greybeard (NH)# William S. Burroughs – Nova Express# Philip K. Dick – Martian Time-Slip# Philip K. Dick – The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch# Fritz Leiber – The Wanderer# Cordwainer Smith – Nostrilia (NH)# Philip K. Dick – Dr Bloodmoney# Frank Herbert – Dune# J.G. Ballard – The Crystal World# Harry Harrison – Make Room! Make Room!# Daniel Keyes – Flowers for Algernon# Roger Zelazny – The Dream Master# John Brunner – Stand on Zanzibar# Samuel R. Delany – Nova# Philip K. Dick – Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?# Thomas M. Disch – Camp Concentration# Michael Moorcock – The Final Programme (NH)# Keith Roberts – Pavane (NH)# Angela Carter – Heroes and Villains# Ursula K. Le Guin – The Left Hand of Darkness# Bob Shaw – The Palace of Eternity (NH)# Norman Spinrad – Bug Jack Barron (NH)# Poul Anderson – Tau Zero# Robert Silverberg – Downward to the Earth# Wilson Tucker – The Year of the Quiet Sun (NH)# Thomas M. Disch – 334# Gene Wolfe – The Fifth Head of Cerberus# Michael Moorcock – The Dancers at the End of Time (NH)# J.G. Ballard – Crash# Mack Reynolds – Looking Backward from the Year 2000 (NH)# Ian Watson – The Embedding (NH)# Suzy McKee Charnas – Walk to the End of the World (NH)# M. John Harrison – The Centauri Device# Ursula K. Le Guin – The Dispossessed# Christopher Priest – Inverted World (NH)# J.G. Ballard – High-Rise# Barry N. Malzberg – Galaxies (NH)# Joanna Russ – The Female Man# Bob Shaw – Orbitsville (NH)# Kingsley Amis – The Alteration (NH)# Marge Piercy – Woman on the Edge of Time (NH)# Frederik Pohl – Man Plus# Algis Budrys – Michaelmas (NH)# John Varley – The Ophiuchi Hotline# Ian Watson – Miracle Visitors (NH)# John Crowley – Engine Summer# Thomas M. Disch – On Wings of Song# Brian Stableford – The Walking Shadow (NH)# Kate Wilhelm – Juniper Time (NH)# Gregory Benford – Timescape# Damien Broderick – The Dreaming Dragons# Octavia Butler – Wild Seed# Russell Hoban – Riddley Walker (NH)# John Sladek – Roderick and Roderick at Random (NH)# Gene Wolfe – The Book of the New Sun# Philip Jose Farmer – The Unreasoning Mask# Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle – Oath of Fealty# Michael Bishop – No Enemy but Time (NH)# John Calvin Batchelor – The Birth of the People’s Republic of Antarctica# William Gibson – Neuromancer Well, I have read a total of seven books on this list, which further proves that I am not as well read as I think I am. And that makes me sad… How well did you do?
The Writing Meme Thing
I’m in a bit of a “meme” mood lately. I got this one from Yoga Gumbo. I am officially tagging SQT, Carraka, and Imelda. Anyone else who wants to do this is welcome to. The Writing Meme: What’s the last thing you wrote? A blog post that will go up before this post regarding my worldbuilding endeavor for WB Month. It’s a fun post, I think. Was it any good? Umm, I think so. I enjoyed it. It’s about worldbuilding. Isn’t that good in its own right? What’s the first thing you wrote that you still have? A book about a hedgehog who goes on a pointless adventure to nowhere. It was actually bound and published through the school I was at, which was cool. It’s a kid’s book with illustrations. I also still have a little illustrated book about a strange creatures called Eggbert, which was slightly Dr. Seuss in style (also bound and published through a school). Cool, eh? Oh, and I was fortunate at that time. I doubt there are any middle schools or any schools whatsoever pushing for such things. It’s sad really. Shouldn’t we be pushing the arts and creativity? Yeah, I think so too! Write poetry? I do on occasion. I don’t do it often. I have a couple epics in the works, but mostly I don’t write poetry unless I’m in the mood, which is rare. Poetry is hard. Angsty poetry? Not so much anymore. It’s sort of annoying. It’s good to write it to get something off your chest, but it’s not something to share with others. Maybe when I’m dead someone will find several books of crappy poetry and publish it thinking it is the greatest thing ever. But I’ll be dead, so that doesn’t matter much. Favourite genre of writing? Science fiction with fantasy at a close second. However, right now I’m liking fantasy a lot more because it’s coming easier for me than SF. I don’t write anything else because I get bored way too easily with other genres. It needs something fantastic about it to keep my attentions. Most fun character you’ve ever created? Fun? Define fun. Probably Pea (which stands for Pantifilus the Extraordinarily Abnormal), although if we want to define fun as exciting, then Marx Ignatia fits that bill. She’s badass. Pea is just quirky, small, and silly. Most annoying character you’ve ever created? Possibly Asher…but I don’t really know. Best plot you’ve ever created? Hmm, I’m particularly fond of the plot for “Artemis”, to be honest. It’s dark, involves children, and there are mean controlling types in the background doing evil things with children. Anything involving screwing up children is pretty much fascinating to me, cause…yeah…and I don’t mean that in a perverted way, I just mean that the best way to screw up someone in the head is to do horrible things to them when they’re children (and again, not being perverted…psychological damage from exposing them to near-death experiences or crazy people…that works wonders for character development). Coolest plot twist you’ve ever created? Hrmm…I like the twist in “Death By Poking” where the wife of the semi-Mafia-like corporation in space is actually responsible for the death of the main character’s sister and for attempting to murder another character. Tis cool. How often do you get writer’s block? All the time, cause it doesn’t exist. Write fan fiction? Did when I was fifteen, then started writing my own stuff and will never go back to fan fiction again. I like my own work better. Do you type or write by hand? A little of both, but mostly typing because it’s faster. Do you save everything you write? Yup, even the garbage…sometimes that garbage turns out to be good, just not right for whatever I was working on at the time. Do you ever go back to an idea after you’ve abandoned it? Yes. I do it rarely, but that’s where the idea for one of my novels came from. What’s your favourite thing you’ve written? “Artemis”. One of my favorite shorts and the one that a lot of folks seem to like a lot. What’s everyone else’s favourite story that you’ve written? “Artemis” or “Irlgem”, with honorable mentions to “Interstellar Realty” and “King of the Holo”. Do you ever show people your work? Yup. My girlfriend sees it, rips it to pieces, and gives it back. Then I fix it and give it to editors for them to scoff at and send me rejections, which results in my being mostly numb and generally unenthusiastic about the mail for a few days. Did you ever write a novel? Yup, it’s on this blog actually: The World in the Satin Bag. Ever written romance or angsty teen drama? No…never…ugh. What’s your favourite setting for your characters? Something in space or on a war torn or destroyed Earth. A semi-regular occurrence is some sort of space station. How many writing projects are you working on right now? About twenty… Do you want to write for a living? Don’t I wish…I write because I like it. If I can make a living at it, then I’ll be most fortunate to have a job doing what I love. Otherwise I’m just writing cause I love it. Have you ever won an award for your writing? Honorable Mention for a short story from the Writers of the Future Contest. That’s the only legit recognition (i.e. something I can put on my resume) that I have received. Ever written anything in script or play format? Once…hated it. What are your five favourite words? Jackassification (just learned it’s a real word), wonderrifical (not a real word, but good), acquiesce (thanks to Pirates of the Caribbean!), fiddlesticks (cause it’s fun), and snuggle (cause that’s what my girlfriend and I do and it makes me happy). Do you ever write based on yourself? Not intentionally…I tried once and it was horrible and boring and lame. I don’t like writing about real life. What character
Becoming Used To Things
Ain’t that the truth? What a quote, don’t you think? Anywho! (Don’t click the read more, there isn’t any more after this!)
MEME: Top 48 Sci-Fi Film Adaptations
Stolen from Rob’s Blog o’ Stuff (who stole it from SF Signal). The list is based on the top grossing movie titles that are based on a book or story, which can be found here. Here are the rules. * Copy the list below. * Mark in bold the movie titles for which you read the book. * Italicize the movie titles for which you started the book but didn’t finish it. * Tag 5 people to perpetuate the meme. (You may of course play along anyway.) And now, the list:1. Jurassic Park2. War of the Worlds3. The Lost World: Jurassic Park4. I, Robot5. Contact6. Congo7. Cocoon8. The Stepford Wives9. The Time Machine10. Starship Troopers11. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy12. K-PAX13. 201014. The Running Man15. Sphere16. The Mothman Prophecies17. Dreamcatcher18. Blade Runner(Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?)19. Dune20. The Island of Dr. Moreau21. Invasion of the Body Snatchers22. The Iron Giant(The Iron Man)23. Battlefield Earth24. The Incredible Shrinking Woman25. Fire in the Sky26. Altered States27. Timeline28. The Postman29. Freejack(Immortality, Inc.)30. Solaris31. Memoirs of an Invisible Man32. The Thing(Who Goes There?)33. The Thirteenth Floor34. Lifeforce(Space Vampires)35. Deadly Friend36. The Puppet Masters37. 198438. A Scanner Darkly39. Creator40. Monkey Shines41. Solo(Weapon)42. The Handmaid’s Tale43. Communion44. Carnosaur45. From Beyond46. Nightflyers47. Watchers48. Body Snatchers I’m fairly certain that only having read five books on this list is pretty bad, but so be it. So, folks who are tagged: Carraka, SQT, Loopdilou, Imelda, and Aidan Moher!
Top Jokes: According to CNN and by country?
I stumbled upon this article over at CNN about the top jokes of the U.S., U.K., Canada, Belgium, Germany, and Australia. I don’t know if I would call them the “top” jokes, but most of them are pretty humorous. I’m quite fond of the U.K. one myself: A woman gets onto a bus with her baby.The bus driver says, “That’s the ugliest baby that I’ve ever seen. Ugh!”The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her, “The driver just insulted me!”The man says, “You go right up there and tell him off. Go ahead, I’ll hold your monkey for you.” Ha! What do you guys think are some of the funniest jokes you’ve ever heard? (Don’t click the read more, there isn’t any more after this!)
A Reading Meme
Found this over at Larry’s blog, so, I’m doing it. Nightstand/Table: Currently Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale and Honeycomb by Israel Del Rio. That’s because I didn’t put the books that are usually there back, which include: Evermore edited by James Robert Smith and Stephen Mark Rainey from Arkham House and Napoleon’s Gambit by Eric Goldman. Reading at the Moment: Napoleon’s Gambit by Eric Goldman, Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale, and Evermore. Can’t Put Down: Nothing that is so good I can’t stop reading it, but that also doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy these books. I just have to be obsessed with a book to not be able to put it down. Gathering Dust: Quite a few books, actually. Some that I’ve bought, some that I haven’t. I have a whole wall of my room dedicated to books… Secret Indulgence: What exactly does this mean? I don’t really have a secret indulgence for reading. Looking Forward To: Hmm. I’m looking forward to a couple short story collections I’ve received, but they are way down on the list, so it might be a while. I’m also looking forward to some more Elizabeth Bear, since I’ll be reading her work for the Spectrum Awards. As for tagging, I tag SQT, Loopdilou, and anyone else wanting to do this!