All Things Sci-Fi and Fantasy

[Meryl]

For Larry Niven a good start is the "Man-Kzin Wars" series, there are in volume XI right now. Like much of what LeGuin writes it is future history, just not so far into the future as Leguin. Start with volume # 1, which will start you on the journey into Niven's "known universe" as mankind confronts the Kzinti. I'll give you a hint: the Kzinti are intelligent felinoids, if you are a cat lover like me....you will love this series. The conflict with the Kzinti is brutal, too put it mildly, so be prepared for a little sci-fi gore. If that isn't your style, go to the "Tales of Gil the Arm", set in the same future history as M-K wars, just a century earlier, before the Kzinti arrived and destroyed the long peace................. I hope I've got you interested.

This really does sound interesting.  I am indeed a cat lover, being a mother to two, and have had my own cat wars to sort out. 

I hope I like the first book!  I love having a nice long series to look forward to. 

[brokeplex]

Enjoy your exploration of Niven's "Known Space"!

For more info and a time line of Niven's alternate uiniverse go to larryniven.org in that site go to "Known Space: the future worlds of Larry Niven"

For a time line of the Man Kzin wars go to http://home.time.net/spiker/martinl.htm

Let humankind be very careful while it searches for ET's, we just may find them...........

[brokeplex]

Don't worry Injest.  An alien probe will find and link up with Voyager, change its name to V'ger, and later on Kirk and Spock will have a delightful old time saying hello. 

[brokeplex]

Injest, try to pick up a copy of the latest Star Trek Academy novel by Shatner...you will love it. Spock and Kirk as teenagers and how they were introduced to Star Fleet academy and most importantly the reasons behind Sarek's estrangement from Spock over his desire to be in Star Fleet. As I was reading the novel, I just couldn't help but think of Jack Twist and OMT.

[brokeplex]

I thought Spock and Kirk didn't meet til Kirk took over command of the Enterprise!!!

Garry suggested Q-in-law...LOL!...(Q is one of my favorite of all the ST characters..)

there we go...bravely we sci-fi fans charge into the confusion that results between films, television and books. Same as our earlier Star Wars discussion on another thread about the films or books being canon. In Star Trek the air has been even murkier than in Star Wars. There are films that violate canon from the oiginal TV series (TOS). Example: Star Trek VIII which features Zephraim Cochrain an Earthman living in Montana at the time of first contact. Well, in TOS Cochrain is a native of Alpha Centauri who invents warp drive there. Consensus has been much harder to reach in Star Trek than Star Wars or the Alien series. I am resigned to canonical heresy when it comes to Star Trek, and you are right according to TOS Spock and Kirk met when Kirk took over the Enterprise from Chris Pike ( wasn't Jeffrey Hunter a hunk!) But the book is great and you will love the story of the teenaged Kirk and his recalling his experiences as a child with the evil Governor Kodos..........shudder the thought of Kodos! 

[brokeplex]

Just finished a great new book by Ben Bova - "The Sam Gunn Omnibus"  It is a compilation of all of Bova's stories about Sam Gunn : the 22nd century spaceman turned venture capitalist and his romps thru the solar system. If you like hard sci-fi, you'll love Ben Bova and this new book.

[brokeplex]

go get the latest Ender book by Orson Scott Card " A War of Gifts: An Ender Story". Set in the Ender future, one of the central stories is a battle in the war college of the future about the right to celebrate religious holidays. seems kind of topical to todays discussions about Christmas.

[brokeplex]

note your calendars:

2008 World Con will be held in Denver Co, Aug 6-8 2008. It will be in conjunction with Denvention III. Any sci-fi fantasy fans will love attending a World Con. Many of the major published authors, and many actors who have played sci-fi roles are in attendance at World Cons. World Cons are the SF/Fantasy universe's annual get-together. I have attended a few and it is always a rewarding experience.

Any brokies who happen to be planning a trip up to Wyoming or Colorado in the first week / second of Aug, give me a holler, I would love to meet you in Denver.

for more info: www.denvention3.org

[brokeplex]

note your calendars:

ConDFW is scheduled this year for 02/22-24/08. ConDFW is one of the literary sci-fi cons here in DFW. It is a relatively small event which allows you to have quality time with some of the guests and featured speakers. I spoke with Harry Turtledove for over an hour one year.

www.condfw.org

[brokeplex]

speaking of Turtledove:

I just finished his last installment on the Alternate Universe series - "Settling Accounts: In at the Death" This is part 4 of his series set in the 1940's in a timeline where the Confederacy won in the War of Secession 1860's. The North American continent is vastly changed over what we see in our timeline.