Science Fiction Novel Poll - Group F

[Ocicat]

The first ever Science Fiction novel won second place in last week's poll, so Frankenstein moves on to the playoffs, along with The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, which over 80% of voters gave a nod to.  Of course, it remains to be seen if it will do so well in one vs one competition against the SF classics. 

Speaking of classics, Fahrenheit 451 made a strong showing, but didn't quite make the cut.  Hyperion came in fourth, and Lord of Light made fifth place. 

This week?  Well, a bunch more books.  Some famous, some more obscure.  At least four with movies based on them.  Let's see how they do.

[Bdoomed]

havent read any of these, but A Scanner Darkly was a good movie, and my roommate is reading Speaker for the Dead, sooo yeah.

[Heradel]

havent read any of these, but A Scanner Darkly was a good movie, and my roommate is reading Speaker for the Dead, sooo yeah.

A Scanner Darkly was a better novel, but I've only ever loved one of the movies made from PKD's books (Blade Runner).

Speaker for the Dead was decent, but I've been having trouble reading Card after actually learning about Card. There's probably a term for this.

[DKT]

havent read any of these, but A Scanner Darkly was a good movie, and my roommate is reading Speaker for the Dead, sooo yeah.

A Scanner Darkly was a better novel, but I've only ever loved one of the movies made from PKD's books (Blade Runner).

I loved A Scanner Darkly (both the movie and the book). But yeah, aside from that and Blade Runner, everything else from Hollywood with PKD's name on it seems pretty stale. (We'll probably never get The Man in The High Castle film, will we?)

[Heradel]

havent read any of these, but A Scanner Darkly was a good movie, and my roommate is reading Speaker for the Dead, sooo yeah.

A Scanner Darkly was a better novel, but I've only ever loved one of the movies made from PKD's books (Blade Runner).

I loved A Scanner Darkly (both the movie and the book). But yeah, aside from that and Blade Runner, everything else from Hollywood with PKD's name on it seems pretty stale. (We'll probably never get The Man in The High Castle film, will we?)

I would be happy with Hollywood if we finally got the Death: The High Cost of Living adaptation. At least if I hated it I'd know it was the author's fault.

[DKT]

YES. What is going on with that project? I thought since Guillermo Del Toro was producing it (I think he is, at least) it would've happened by now. Or is it Gaiman's schedule that's holding things up?

Did you ever see A Short Film on John Bolton? That was kind of fun. Not great by any stretch of the imagination, but with the right crowd and a couple of drinks, fun 

[Heradel]

YES. What is going on with that project? I thought since Guillermo Del Toro was producing it (I think he is, at least) it would've happened by now. Or is it Gaiman's schedule that's holding things up?

Did you ever see A Short Film on John Bolton? That was kind of fun. Not great by any stretch of the imagination, but with the right crowd and a couple of drinks, fun 

I think it's still alive, but the timing got screwed by last year's writer's strike. I haven't seen him asked about it in ages.

Gaiman mentioned writing a script over the summer, I'd assume it was that but it was also said he would be directing it, so I would guess it being filmed would have to wait until he finishes the nonfiction unnamed chinese monkey thing. He did do a short film with his @girlfriend a month or two ago for Sky(god, the things one learns through twitter).

I'll have to look for the John Bolton thing soon.

[lowky]

I voted for the only one I have read, which is Speaker for the Dead, not even Card's best work.  I did see A Scanner Darkly and Starship Troopers.  They were okay, but neither really grabbed me.  More than anything these polls make me realize I am much more unread than I would have thought.  I didn't even realize LeGuin had so many books, because all you usually find are the Earthsea "trilogy" in the bookstores.

[wakela]

Gotta read more Dick. 
And I'm also a closet member of the Heinlein Wasn't All That club.

I read Speaker, and it was good, but kind of a let down after Ender's.  I read somewhere that originally Speaker was already a developed idea that he added Ender to after the fact.  Sorry I can't supply a source, but I think the book supports this. 

Fire has several really cool, original ideas in it, and it explores them well.  Big Like.

Childhood's End is all kinds of greatness. 

[DKT]

I read Speaker, and it was good, but kind of a let down after Ender's.  I read somewhere that originally Speaker was already a developed idea that he added Ender to after the fact.  Sorry I can't supply a source, but I think the book supports this. 

It's true, or at least I heard it, too. I think it's in the foreward/introduction to Speaker, but I'm not sure...(I think the Ender's Game short story had already been written, but he decided to expand it into a novel after writing a draft or so of Speaker).

[Talia]

havent read any of these, but A Scanner Darkly was a good movie, and my roommate is reading Speaker for the Dead, sooo yeah.

A Scanner Darkly was a better novel, but I've only ever loved one of the movies made from PKD's books (Blade Runner).

I loved A Scanner Darkly (both the movie and the book). But yeah, aside from that and Blade Runner, everything else from Hollywood with PKD's name on it seems pretty stale. (We'll probably never get The Man in The High Castle film, will we?)

I donno, I liked 'Minority Report,' despite loathing T. Cruise now.

[Bdoomed]

oooh yeah Minority Report was good.  Mostly because EVERYONE wants to be able to use a computer like that (and we aren't too far off either!)

[Heradel]

oooh yeah Minority Report was good.  Mostly because EVERYONE wants to be able to use a computer like that (and we aren't too far off either!)

The computers will be in our brains before they look like that.

Or they'll be our brains. 60/40.

[Bdoomed]

oooh yeah Minority Report was good.  Mostly because EVERYONE wants to be able to use a computer like that (and we aren't too far off either!)

The computers will be in our brains before they look like that.

Or they'll be our brains. 60/40.

http://www.ted.com/talks/pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense.html

[kibitzer]

Gotta read more Dick.

You won't regret it. But reality might shift.

And I'm also a closet member of the Heinlein Wasn't All That club.

You're not alone.

[kibitzer]

Mostly because EVERYONE wants to be able to use a computer like that (and we aren't too far off either!)

Cruise even over-acted that bit. His wild gesticulating was nothing like how a seasoned user would interact.

[wakela]

Mostly because EVERYONE wants to be able to use a computer like that (and we aren't too far off either!)

Cruise even over-acted that bit. His wild gesticulating was nothing like how a seasoned user would interact.

I hadn't noticed, but you're right.  I can move my mouse across the screen with barely a twitch.  No way a computer that advanced would require that much human energy to operate.  Of course a scene of Cruise standing in front of a giant monitor and twitching wouldn't exactly translate to the big screen for a variety of reasons.

I had a story idea of future computers that are entirely glove operated, and deaf people are in demand because they are faster with sign language.  Then I learned that typing is faster than sign language...But maybe a virtual keyboard would be quicker to operate than a physical one. 

Back to Minority Report: I also thought it took an awful long time for those wooden balls to work their way through the pachinko machine when the murder was seconds away from being committed. 

[kibitzer]

Back to Minority Report: I also thought it took an awful long time for those wooden balls to work their way through the pachinko machine when the murder was seconds away from being committed. 

Y'know I never thought of that but you're right!!

That one had me chuckling to myself for several minutes.

[stePH]

Gotta read more Dick.  

Back when I was in high school I was totally into Dick.  I couldn't get enough; I was practically obsessed.

I've settled down since then, but I still loves me some Dick now and again.

 

[Bdoomed]

Back when I was in high school I was totally into Dick.  I couldn't get enough; I was practically obsessed.

I've settled down since then, but I still loves me some Dick now and again.

 

experimenting? had to.

anyway wow 5 way tie for 1st!

[Fenrix]

I did see A Scanner Darkly and Starship Troopers.  They were okay, but neither really grabbed me.  More than anything these polls make me realize I am much more unread than I would have thought.

If you've only seen Starship Troopers, you're doing the novel a disservice. As far as I can tell, the movie was based on a screenwriter going to work from a secondhand account of the jacket summary while trying to make a cool role for Neal Patrick Harris. Full Metal Jacket is a more honest film adaptation of the plot of Starship Troopers. In addition, you get the commentary on citizenship. The book's a worthwhile purchase and a fast read.

[stePH]

If you've only seen Starship Troopers, you're doing the novel a disservice. As far as I can tell, the movie was based on a screenwriter going to work from a secondhand account of the jacket summary while trying to make a cool role for Neal Patrick Harris. Full Metal Jacket is a more honest film adaptation of the plot of Starship Troopers. In addition, you get the commentary on citizenship. The book's a worthwhile purchase and a fast read.

I always recommend one read Haldeman's The Forever War immediately following Starship Troopers.

No reason.

[Ocicat]

Seventeen voters, and currently a six way tie!

[Bdoomed]

Seventeen voters, and currently a six way tie!

craziness

[wakela]

I did see A Scanner Darkly and Starship Troopers.  They were okay, but neither really grabbed me.  More than anything these polls make me realize I am much more unread than I would have thought.

If you've only seen Starship Troopers, you're doing the novel a disservice. As far as I can tell, the movie was based on a screenwriter going to work from a secondhand account of the jacket summary while trying to make a cool role for Neal Patrick Harris. Full Metal Jacket is a more honest film adaptation of the plot of Starship Troopers. In addition, you get the commentary on citizenship. The book's a worthwhile purchase and a fast read.

This was my problem with the book.  I kept thinking, "This is Full Metal Jacket.  Why is this story set in space?" You do get the Society of the Future aspect, but A) Heinlein's alternative societies always seem like wishful thinking to me, and B) Why not have the story focus on that?

But it's been about 20 years since I read it, so I am most likely completely misplaced here.

I saw parts of the movie and it seemed like a silly, campy version of a serious book.  The book wasn't my cup of tea, but I have respect for it.  The movie did not.