Sci-fi book recommendations.

[TPRJones]

Mote in God's Eye - Niven/Pournelle

Ah, another good one. If you like it there's a couple of sequals to this one, too.

Fallen Angels - Niven

I'll be very interested to hear your opinion on this one when you read it. It's starting to look almost prophetic, if you ask me.

Lots of inside jokes, though. It was definately written for the sci-fi convention in-crowd of the time.



Edited By TPRJones on 1184284228

[TPRJones]

Once while on deployment I read a borrowed book... sci-fi... military themed... they were fighting aboard a space ship called "The Truculent."

Does that ring a bell for anybody?

Never heard of it, but I found this:

About 'The Helmsman' - One of the few survivors of a League sneak attack on his poor and miserable home world of Carescria, Wilf Brim sets out to settle the score. Were it not for the attrition from the war that followed, Wilf would never have escaped his lower-class status and been accepted into the Academy. Now, freshly graduated, young Sublieutenant Wilf Ansor Brim, Imperial Fleet, begins his first assignment, Helmsman of the I.F.S. Truculent.

[TPRJones]

Oh! I almost forgot two of my favorite "sci-fi" books that I love that most other people don't! I have no idea if you'll like them or not (I haven't been able to figure out why no one else does), but they are:

Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grill by Steven Brust - One of my favorite time travel stories. Sure, it's filled with hippies, but it's so very well written. Also one of the very few books that ever suprised me in the end, although reading it again there were more than enough hints so it may not surprise anyone else. If you like it, this author also writes the absolute best fantasy series I've ever read (Jhereg) that's about a wise-ass assassin - a character you can't help but love - in a very interesting fantasy world (definately not your typical unicorns and dragons shit).

Avenging Angel (Jake Strait Bogeyman, No 1) by Frank Rich - I think this author only wrote this one series of books, and I've ever only seen them sold in a gas station once long ago, but I think this series is absolutely awesome. It's a very grim near-future, where the world is turning to shit and Jake Strait (very much an anti-hero) is a wise-ass ex-military bounty hunter who steps on some powerful toes. Heavy shit ensues.

Hell, I like these two so much that I tend to give away copies to try to get people hooked on these authors. I'd be happy to gift them from Amazon for ya if you'll make a wishlist for me to buy them from.

EDIT: If you read the reviews on Amazon, the big one attached to Avenging Angel is about the wrong book. It's definately NOT a western romance. Ignore that review.



Edited By TPRJones on 1184286723

[GORDON]

Once while on deployment I read a borrowed book... sci-fi... military themed... they were fighting aboard a space ship called "The Truculent."

Does that ring a bell for anybody?

Never heard of it, but I found this:

About 'The Helmsman' - One of the few survivors of a League sneak attack on his poor and miserable home world of Carescria, Wilf Brim sets out to settle the score. Were it not for the attrition from the war that followed, Wilf would never have escaped his lower-class status and been accepted into the Academy. Now, freshly graduated, young Sublieutenant Wilf Ansor Brim, Imperial Fleet, begins his first assignment, Helmsman of the I.F.S. Truculent.

I bet that's it. I put it in The List... next go-round I'll pick it up, and let you know.

[GORDON]

Also... over a decade ago I read a short story anthology... one of the stories was called "Press Enter."

How do I find an anthology based on the name of a story it contained?



Edited By GORDON on 1184287402

[GORDON]

Hell, I like these two so much that I tend to give away copies to try to get people hooked on these authors. I'd be happy to gift them from Amazon for ya if you'll make a wishlist for me to buy them from.

I would NEVER publish an amazon wish list hoping peeps buy me stuff.

That being said, here's a random list I found. And hey, my birthday is in 11 days...

My amazon wish list...

For books, I use it as a place holder. I put stuff in that list that might even be unbuyable on amazon, but I can look elsewhere when the time comes. I am only buying hard cover books these days (I notice the 2 you linked dont even list hard covers as being available...), because they look better in the library and they should last long enough for the kid to inherit them some day. So, I'd buy a used hard cover of a book before I'd buy a new paperback. Just FYI.

I know that makes me sound like a bastard... I don't mean to sound ungracious....but if I liked the paperback, I'd ultimately get the hard covers anyway. I've already done that for a chunk of my paperback library. You should see the leatherbound Lord of the Rings I just got.... mmmmmm........

Me saying I prefer hard cover books really has no more importance than saying "I prefer wide screen DVD's." Which my mother in law still gets wrong, btw.

But again,
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2WP1U8A1VIJSM

:p



Edited By GORDON on 1184288625

[TPRJones]

*** We're sorry. This item can't be shipped to a Wish List or gift registry address. ***

Bummer, I can't give you those two books. Well, I tried. Tell you what, if you pick 'em up and don't like 'em, I will Paypal you your money back (including shipping). Sound fair?

As to hardback versions, they never made hardback on those as far as I know.

Also... over a decade ago I read a short story anthology... one of the stories was called "Press Enter."

That's an easy one! That's probably "PRESS ENTER [] " by John Varley (1985 Hugo Novella Award, 1984 Nebula Novella Award). It looks like it was either made into a full novel or published alone even though it's short. The book you read it in is likely one of the ones listed under "Anthologies" on this page.



Edited By TPRJones on 1184289346

[GORDON]

*** We're sorry. This item can't be shipped to a Wish List or gift registry address. ***

Bummer, I can't give you those two books. Well, I tried. Tell you what, if you pick 'em up and don't like 'em, I will Paypal you your money back (including shipping). Sound fair?

Well that's dumb. But thanks for the effort. As to your offer, the only books I ever wished I could get a refund for were L. Ron Hubbard's 10 "Mision: Earth" books, and Kim Stanley Robinson's "Red/Green Mars" books. I never even bought Blue Mars because I hated the stories so much.

SO chances are, I'll like your recommendations well enough.

[GORDON]

Also... over a decade ago I read a short story anthology... one of the stories was called "Press Enter."

That's an easy one! That's probably "PRESS ENTER [] " by John Varley (1985 Hugo Novella Award, 1984 Nebula Novella Award). It looks like it was either made into a full novel or published alone even though it's short. The book you read it in is likely one of the ones listed under "Anthologies" on this page.

That's a great website... I like the direct link to amazon...

But I'm having a hard tirme finding the list of stories in those anthologies.

I THINK "PRESS ENTER []" was the first story in the book.......

It also had a story about a dude that made nanotech machines that upgraded his body, and a story about a returning veteran from the great war that rages at the end of the universe...

[TPRJones]

Now you're making it difficult. I don't know those other stories you describe. Fortunately PRESS ENTER seems to be the least reprinted of Varley's short stories, because it's only in a handful of the books listed on that site. I was able to rule out most of the list. Here's the remaining contenders (this is going to be a bit long):

Nebula Awards, No 20 by George Zebrowski

Nebula Awards 20: SFWA’s Choices for the Best in Science Fiction 1984 ed. George Zebrowski (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 0-15-164927-8, Nov ’85 [Dec ’85], $17.95, 372pp, hc); Anthology featuring winners and runners-up for the 1984 Nebula Awards.
ix • Introduction • George Zebrowski • in
1 • 1984 or Against • Algis Budrys • ar *
16 • Bloodchild • Octavia E. Butler • nv IASFM Jun ’84
38 • The Man Who Painted the Dragon Griaule [Griaule] • Lucius Shepard • nv F&SF Dec ’84
69 • PRESS ENTER [] • John Varley • na IASFM May ’84
136 • New Rose Hotel • William Gibson • ss Omni Jul ’84
149 • The Greening of Bed-Stuy • Frederik Pohl • na F&SF Jul ’84
213 • The Lucky Strike • Kim Stanley Robinson • nv Universe 14, ed. Terry Carr, Doubleday, 1984
252 • Morning Child • Gardner R. Dozois • ss Omni Jan ’84
260 • The Aliens Who Knew, I Mean, Everything • George Alec Effinger • ss F&SF Oct ’84
278 • A Cabin on the Coast • Gene Wolfe • ss F&SF Feb ’84
292 • Dogs’ Lives • Michael Bishop • nv The Missouri Review v7 #2 ’84
313 • The Eichmann Variations • George Zebrowski • ss Light Years and Dark, ed. Michael Bishop, Berkley, 1984
323 • Love Song to Lucy • Herman Herlich • pm Science 83, 1983
324 • Lucy Answers • Herman Herlich • pm Science 83, 1983
325 • Saul’s Death: Two Sestinas • Joe W. Haldeman • pm There Will Be War v1, ed. Jerry E. Pournelle, Tor, 1983; Omni Feb ’83
328 • Science Fiction Films of 1984 • Bill Warren • ar *
355 • SFWA, the Guild • Norman Spinrad • ar *
361 • About the Nebula Award • Misc. Material • ms
363 • The 1984 Nebula Awards Ballot • Misc. Material • bi
366 • Past Nebula Award Winners • Misc. Material • bi

Terry Carr's Best Science Fiction of the Year, No 14, 1984 by Terry Carr

Terry Carr’s Best Science Fiction of the Year #14 ed. Terry Carr (Tor 0-812-53273-2, Jul ’85 [Jun ’85], $3.50, 384pp, pb); Anthology, one of the four year’s bests. Recommended. (CNB)
9 • Introduction • Terry Carr • in
11 • PRESS ENTER [] • John Varley • na IASFM May ’84
73 • Blued Moon • Connie Willis • nv IASFM Jan ’84
108 • Summer Solstice • Charles L. Harness • nv Analog Jun ’84
153 • Morning Child • Gardner R. Dozois • ss Omni Jan ’84
160 • The Aliens Who Knew, I Mean, Everything • George Alec Effinger • ss F&SF Oct ’84
176 • A Day in the Skin (or, The Century We Were Out of Them) • Tanith Lee • ss Habitats, ed. Susan Shwartz, DAW, 1984
194 • Instructions • Bob Leman • ss F&SF Sep ’84
203 • The Lucky Strike • Kim Stanley Robinson • nv Universe 14, ed. Terry Carr, Doubleday, 1984
240 • Green Hearts • Lee Montgomerie • ss Interzone #10 ’84
258 • Bloodchild • Octavia E. Butler • nv IASFM Jun ’84
278 • Trojan Horse • Michael Swanwick • nv Omni Dec ’84
312 • Fears • Pamela Sargent • ss Light Years and Dark, ed. Michael Bishop, Berkley, 1984
325 • Trinity • Nancy Kress • na IASFM Oct ’84
375 • 1984, the SF Year in Review • Charles N. Brown • ar, 1985
383 • Recommended Reading • Terry Carr • bi

Future on Ice by Orson Scott Card (Editor)
Probably not it, since it's from 1998, but PRESS ENTER is in there so just in case:

Future on Ice ed. Orson Scott Card (Tor 0-312-86694-1, Oct ’98 [Sep ’98], $24.95, 432pp, hc); SF anthology of 18 stories, a companion to Future on Fire, with preface and introduction “Science Fiction and ’The Force’” by Card. Authors include Isaac Asimov, Lisa Goldstein, Octavia E. Butler, and John Varley.
9 • Preface • Orson Scott Card • pr
11 • Science Fiction and “The Force” • Orson Scott Card • in
27 • Robot Dreams [Susan Calvin (Robot)] • Isaac Asimov • ss Robot Dreams, Berkley, 1986
35 • Portraits of His Children • George R. R. Martin • nv IASFM Nov ’85
73 • Tourists • Lisa Goldstein • ss IASFM Feb ’85
87 • Blood Music • Greg Bear • nv Analog Jun ’83
113 • Time’s Rub • Gregory Benford • ss Cheap Street: New Castle, VA, 1984
129 • Shanidar • David Zindell • nv L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future v1, ed. Algis Budrys, Bridge, 1985
151 • Speech Sounds • Octavia E. Butler • ss IASFM mid-Dec ’83
167 • Snow • John Crowley • nv Omni Nov ’85
183 • Klein’s Machine • Andrew Weiner • ss IASFM Apr ’85
199 • Pots • C. J. Cherryh • nv Afterwar, ed. Janet Morris, Baen, 1985
229 • PRESS ENTER [] • John Varley • na IASFM May ’84
289 • Dinosaurs • Walter Jon Williams • nv IASFM Jun ’87
315 • Face Value • Karen Joy Fowler • ss F&SF Nov ’86
329 • Cabracan [Eddie] • Lewis Shiner • ss IASFM Oct ’86
347 • Rockabye Baby • S. C. Sykes • nv Analog mid-Dec ’85
375 • The Pure Product • John Kessel • nv IASFM Mar ’86
397 • Out of All Them Bright Stars • Nancy Kress • ss F&SF Mar ’85
409 • The Fringe [Carpenter] • Orson Scott Card • nv F&SF Oct ’85

Looks like the second one is the best bet, it's got PRESS ENTER first!

Unrelatedly (it's got a different Varley story), I think this is one of the priciest books I've seen on Amazon, especially since it's less than a decade old. Check out those prices!



Edited By TPRJones on 1184293593

[GORDON]

I saw one of Hamilton's "Night's Dawn" books going for $300, or so, once.

[TPRJones]

Fallen Angels - Niven

I'll be very interested to hear your opinion on this one when you read it. It's starting to look almost prophetic, if you ask me.

And here's another step closer:

If people accept it, the potential is unlimited. He says down the road, hundreds of vortex engines could be located in the ocean along the equator, where the warm tropical water would provide an endless source of energy.

Why would anyone do such a thing?

To cool the planet, Michaud says. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are what prevent the sun's heat from radiating back into space, he explains. A series of controlled tornados along the equator would carry that heat to the outer edges of the atmosphere, where it could more easily escape.

So now we've got a way to cool the planet down by spilling waste heat into space. Still absolutely no scientific evidence of Antrhopogenic Global Warming, yet how many people would say we should absolutely start doing this today? In their rush to prejudge without evidence that we're mucking up the planet they'll do anything even if it purposefully mucks up the planet. *sigh*