Escape Artists

PodCastle => Fantasy Discussion => Topic started by: Hilary Moon Murphy on September 23, 2008, 02:01:14 PM

Title: Really Weird Sports Fiction -- Share your favorite titles here
Post by: Hilary Moon Murphy on September 23, 2008, 02:01:14 PM

So I finished "Anywhere There's Game" and it struck me that while I hate watching sports, I really love reading weird stories that have sports featured prominently in them.  I haven't read a huge amount of these, but I'm a children's librarian and have read several outstanding novels that were ostensibly about sports and really about relationships and human struggle.   I'd love to hear your recommendations for Really Weird Sports Fiction, whatever the genre or format.

BASEBALL

Field of Dreams (film)
Baseball, ghosts and second chances.  Worth seeing for James Earl Jones alone. 
Query: has anyone here read the book it was based on?  I realize that I have not, and probably should.

The Natural (film)
A film with magic, Baseball and Robert Redford.  How can you go wrong?

BASKETBALL

On the Devil's Court by Carl Deuker (YA)
Premise: The main character states that he would sell his soul for a perfect basketball season, and then fears that he has done just that when his game suddenly improves.

The Moves Make the Man by Bruce Brooks (YA)
No SF element here but the story does deal with mental illness and a wonderful, highly improbable friendship.


FOOTBALL

Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock (YA)
Contains a family that cannot talk to one another, cows, football and the most determined fifteen year old girl you'll ever meet.


SOCCER

Tangerine by Edward Bloor
Soccer, blindness and an ominous secret that threatens to tear a family apart.


SWIMMING

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher (YA)
A rather bizarre story about love, loyalty and the sacrifices that one makes for friendship.  One of the most awesome books on this list.


Anyway these are some of mine.  What are yours?  Please share them, whether short stories, audio, movies, or whatever.

Hmm

Title: Re: Really Weird Sports Fiction -- Share your favorite titles here
Post by: stePH on September 23, 2008, 06:38:47 PM

Haven't read/listened, but doesn't Scott Sigler have a "sports" novel?

Title: Re: Really Weird Sports Fiction -- Share your favorite titles here
Post by: DKT on September 23, 2008, 06:40:30 PM

Quote from: stePH on September 23, 2008, 06:38:47 PM

Haven't read/listened, but doesn't Scott Sigler have a "sports" novel?

Oh, yeah. The Rookie.  That was pretty amusing.  Space opera maffia orchestrated intergalactic football.  Not the best Sigler, IMO, but certainly amusing, and I give him credit for doing something different.

Title: Re: Really Weird Sports Fiction -- Share your favorite titles here
Post by: Zathras on September 24, 2008, 02:40:48 AM

Death Race 2000 

Title: Re: Really Weird Sports Fiction -- Share your favorite titles here
Post by: stePH on September 24, 2008, 04:11:03 AM

Quote from: Zathras on September 24, 2008, 02:40:48 AM

Death Race 2000 

... which is also obviously a major inspiration for the Carmageddon video game series.

Title: Re: Really Weird Sports Fiction -- Share your favorite titles here
Post by: Darwinist on September 24, 2008, 05:30:39 PM

Rollerball. 

Didn't like either incarnation on the big screen, though.

Title: Re: Really Weird Sports Fiction -- Share your favorite titles here
Post by: wintermute on September 24, 2008, 07:27:43 PM

Salute of the Jugger, aka Blood of Heroes. Rutger Hauer in a post-apocalyptic football movie.

Title: Re: Really Weird Sports Fiction -- Share your favorite titles here
Post by: deflective on September 24, 2008, 08:55:39 PM

shaolin soccer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUvK5XHlHuM)

a work of beauty, it changed my life. i liked it better without subtitles so you could make up your own story.