Ocicat
Castle Watchcat
Moderator
Posts: 1727
Anything for a weird life.
|
 |
« on: January 13, 2010, 04:09:02 PM » |
|
This is it, the week that breaks my heart. Both these books are very near and dear to me, both have changed my life in different ways. Neither is very traditional SF. These are not books that are commonly spoken of among the greats of the genre - in fact both commonly get shelved in the Literature section despite obvious SF elements. Why? I kinda hate to say this, but it's because they're both just that good, and the English teachers of the world don't want them relegated to the SF ghetto that they don't understand or appreciate. They both have obvious literary merit and (as I can attest) the power to change someone's life. But they are both also SF. I think Flowers is actually an especially pure Science Fiction story - taking one new development in science and following the implications. Cat's Cradle uses it's SF idea as more of a backdrop rather than a centerpiece - but Ice-9 is a classic science fiction idea and results in one of the most unique end-of-the-world scenarios ever written. And did I mention the book is damn funny as well? Not many authors can pull off post-apocalypse with obvious literary merit and still manage to make you laugh. Vonnegut can.
Anyway, just the fact that both these books are in the final 16 here says we've got some folks with taste. Shame that only one of them can go on. And if you haven't read both of these, you really owe it to yourself!
Last week's Martian challenge saw Stranger in a Strange Land barely win out over The Martian Chronicles. So Valentine Michael Smith will go on to grok his place in the quarterfinals.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Bdoomed
Pseudopod Tiger
Autarch
Posts: 3690
Mmm. Tiger.
|
 |
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2010, 04:30:53 PM » |
|
Cats Cradle all the way
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
I'd like to hear my options, so I could weigh them, what do you say? Five pounds? Six pounds? Seven pounds? Musings and Ramblings |
|
|
|
Zorag
|
|
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2010, 04:34:50 PM » |
|
Doesn't matter, SiaSL will tromp the winner.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Ocicat
Castle Watchcat
Moderator
Posts: 1727
Anything for a weird life.
|
|
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2010, 04:48:29 PM » |
|
Doesn't matter, SiaSL will tromp the winner.
Perhaps... but Stranger only came in second in it's group. Somewhere... out there... Dune is lurking! |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
stePH
Actually has enough cowbell.
Hipparch
Posts: 3757
Cool story, bro!
|
|
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2010, 09:20:06 PM » |
|
I've read neither of these novels (I only read the short version of Flowers in high school). Pass.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
"Nerdcore is like playing Halo while getting a blow-job from Hello Kitty."
-- some guy interviewed in Nerdcore Rising
|
|
|
Ocicat
Castle Watchcat
Moderator
Posts: 1727
Anything for a weird life.
|
|
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2010, 08:55:01 PM » |
|
Voting seems a little low... looks like these are a bit under-read.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
stePH
Actually has enough cowbell.
Hipparch
Posts: 3757
Cool story, bro!
|
|
« Reply #6 on: January 15, 2010, 11:54:37 PM » |
|
Voting seems a little low... looks like these are a bit under-read.
I can't see the results without voting. How's the standing?? |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
"Nerdcore is like playing Halo while getting a blow-job from Hello Kitty."
-- some guy interviewed in Nerdcore Rising
|
|
|
Ocicat
Castle Watchcat
Moderator
Posts: 1727
Anything for a weird life.
|
|
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2010, 12:37:35 AM » |
|
I can't see the results without voting. How's the standing??
Well, my idea on not letting the results be seen is that it makes the contest more pure, rather than people trying to game it. Granted, that counts more for when there is a whole group, and not just two. That being said - it's close. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
stePH
Actually has enough cowbell.
Hipparch
Posts: 3757
Cool story, bro!
|
|
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2010, 10:48:18 AM » |
|
I can't see the results without voting. How's the standing??
Well, my idea on not letting the results be seen is that it makes the contest more pure, rather than people trying to game it. Granted, that counts more for when there is a whole group, and not just two. That being said - it's close. But how many total votes? You might even say "it's X to Y" without saying which book is getting X votes and which is getting Y. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
"Nerdcore is like playing Halo while getting a blow-job from Hello Kitty."
-- some guy interviewed in Nerdcore Rising
|
|
|
Bdoomed
Pseudopod Tiger
Autarch
Posts: 3690
Mmm. Tiger.
|
|
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2010, 01:18:08 PM » |
|
12 voters, very close.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
I'd like to hear my options, so I could weigh them, what do you say? Five pounds? Six pounds? Seven pounds? Musings and Ramblings |
|
|
|
Darwinist
|
|
« Reply #10 on: January 19, 2010, 03:30:45 PM » |
|
Cat's Cradle for me. Looks like quite a battle so far.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring. - Carl Sagan
|
|
|
|
Poll
