Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Veers on September 01, 2015, 04:06:36 am
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I am looking at adding more books to my collection (which by doing so is irresponsible of me, based on finances and space.). Specifically these, and they make a great change and addition as my last science-fiction books were Star Wars years ago, and I've had nothing recently but history and political/history with a Chinese flavour. (and Aviation more recently)
Isaac Asmiov - Foundation Trilogy (http://www.amazon.com/The-Foundation-Trilogy-Isaac-Asimov/dp/0307292061/ref=pd_sim_14_19?ie=UTF8&refRID=0DQ997367FR0V5PBR6HW&dpSrc=sims&dpST=_AC_UL160_SR113%2C160_)
PKD - Four Novels of the 1960s (http://www.amazon.com/Philip-K-Dick-Novels-1960s/dp/1598530097/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1441096882&sr=8-2&keywords=the+man+in+the+high+castle+book) - Specifically for The Man in the High Castle (PKD - Valis & later Novels (http://www.amazon.com/Valis-Later-Novels-Invasion-Transmigration/dp/1598530445/ref=pd_sim_14_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1KQ8ZAX1KKQ21XXBS0S3&dpSrc=sims&dpST=_AC_UL320_SR198%2C320_) to make a set?)
Complete Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft (http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Fiction-Lovecraft-Knickerbocker-Classics/dp/1631060015/ref=pd_sim_14_78?ie=UTF8&refRID=0MD8MW930PY08XCE1HTD)
H.G Wells - Five Great Science Fiction Novels (Dover Thrift Ed.) (http://www.amazon.com/Science-Fiction-Novels-Thrift-Editions/dp/048643978X/ref=pd_sim_14_40?ie=UTF8&refRID=0RP86FEJTY52HJYC0AS0)
Are those ok in particular?, I would prefer to buy collections/sets where possible but these are the best I've turned up at this stage. Please and Thank you :). I didn't know if I should clutter up the book thread with this.
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What do you mean by ok?
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Sorry, by ok I mean are they fine on their own or a part of sets, volumes etc. I prefer collections, but always end up missing bits.
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Sorry, can't really help you there. I generally do not pay attention to collections, so I can't comment on their completeness.
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I can only comment on the Foundation trilogy: They're an amazing piece of literary and SF work. Each book (Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation) is self-sufficient, to a degree (i.e. you get sufficient 'recap exposition' to follow the story). A complete collection, though, is a better investment - you will get MUCH more enjoyment out of it.
Note that Asimov also wrote other novels / books / short stories in the same continuity, which are NOT included in the collection you referenced:
Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth are sequels and true fans of the original series agree that they do not exist. They are completely different from the political thriller / cog in the machine / unstoppable glacier of history books of the original series.
Prelude to Foundation and Forward the Foundation are prequels and they are...meh - at least they do reference some of the political / historical science you find in the original series. I suggest you get them AFTER you read the series, if you like it, just to see how some of the characters came to be. Note that they link the 'Foundation' universe to the 'Robots' universe.
And, finally, there's the 'Empire' trilogy ("Pebble in the Sky", "The Stars, Like Dust" and "The Currents of Space"), which discuss the rise of the Galactic Empire - the collapse of which triggers the 'Foundation' trilogy. Essentially, a prequel series, long in the past of the Foundation - timeframes are comparable to SW:KOTOR and SW:OT.
Also, this audio adaptation (http://archive.org/details/IsaacAsimov-TheFoundationTrilogy) is GOOD, if quite old-fashined and a bit campy.
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I'm not really familiar with this particular Lovecraft anthology, but from the description I see it features stories from his Dreamland cycle, which is a very good thing. Lovecraft is mostly remembered as a horror/SF writer, which is, ironically, not what he did best. His best stories are actually fantasy. :) Especially Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath, which can be thought of as his magnum opus. By no means easy to read, though, being full of bizarre, wonderful imagery, references to his previous works and flowery, Homeric language.
Generally, finding a truly complete collection of Lovecraft's works might be though, because he wrote tons of short stories, a lot of them in collaboration with other authors. This collection you've linked seems like it contains a lot of them, but you might still need to look for some more obscure writings (like poetry, of which "Nyarlathotep" is perhaps the only more widely known example, and even that's pretty unknown).
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I like Lovecraft's novellas best; his style doesn't work as well for short stories. My favorites are "The Shadow Out of Time" (closer to scifi than horror), "At the Mountains of Madness" (includes the description of Shoggoths), and "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" (gave me nightmares). I haven't read "The Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath". :o
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Do you have The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy/dp/0345453743/ref=pd_sim_14_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0TJ74JZW2SYQXCGW0FH6&dpSrc=sims&dpST=_AC_UL320_SR212%2C320_) yet?
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Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey is great by itself, the sequels very in terms of goodness. His Rendezvous with Rama is another good one by itself, but its sequels are ghostwritten and again, vary in quality.
Peter Hamilton's Night's Dawn trilogy is a great read if you can get into it (and get past the adult content). It's a trilogy of doorstoppers.
Jack Vance's Tales of the Dying Earth collection is fun, too.
And of course, Ender's Game (and its various sequels.)
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Jack Vance's Tales of the Dying Earth collection is fun, too.
Yes! Long live Cugel!
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I can only comment on the Foundation trilogy: They're an amazing piece of literary and SF work. Each book (Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation) is self-sufficient, to a degree (i.e. you get sufficient 'recap exposition' to follow the story). A complete collection, though, is a better investment - you will get MUCH more enjoyment out of it.
Note that Asimov also wrote other novels / books / short stories in the same continuity, which are NOT included in the collection you referenced:
Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth are sequels and true fans of the original series agree that they do not exist. They are completely different from the political thriller / cog in the machine / unstoppable glacier of history books of the original series.
Prelude to Foundation and Forward the Foundation are prequels and they are...meh - at least they do reference some of the political / historical science you find in the original series. I suggest you get them AFTER you read the series, if you like it, just to see how some of the characters came to be. Note that they link the 'Foundation' universe to the 'Robots' universe.
And, finally, there's the 'Empire' trilogy ("Pebble in the Sky", "The Stars, Like Dust" and "The Currents of Space"), which discuss the rise of the Galactic Empire - the collapse of which triggers the 'Foundation' trilogy. Essentially, a prequel series, long in the past of the Foundation - timeframes are comparable to SW:KOTOR and SW:OT.
Also, this audio adaptation (http://archive.org/details/IsaacAsimov-TheFoundationTrilogy) is GOOD, if quite old-fashined and a bit campy.
Another thing to note about the foundation books outside of the main trilogy is that some were written by other authors authorized by the Asimov "ESTATE" i.e. after his death and approved by the rights holders.
Also where is Dune, It a fantastic series, all though it can be heavy going to some is is a classic for a reason. Also while some complain about the books written Frank Herbert's son Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson collaborated on to expand the series is not to Frank's standard I still found them to be enjoyable reads.
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Rendezvous with Rama is another good one by itself, but its sequels are ghostwritten and again, vary in quality
The fourth book's ending is so bad I wish I could retroactively erase the two proceeding books from memory and only have read the first one.
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How did I forget Dune!?
Here's a question, do they still publish those Years' Best Science Fiction anthologies? There's usually a few very memorable stories in each of those, and the rest of them are good in their own right.
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Much appreciated!, I've put the books on hold as I've just spent $2k on repairing my car. Always a joy.
No, I don't have Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
I've always been a fan of buying collections, boxsets etc over the individual books, but in some cases I am probably missing out if I don't buy individual it seems. So I'll have a closer look when i am free to buy and make small selections rather than buying a lot at once. :)