Archive for the 'Books' Category
SciFi Sunday: Books for Kids
June 22, 2008 | Books, Fantasy, Science Fiction
We didn’t watch Dr. Who this week. We were watching The Golden Compass on Comcast On Demand. The recording was screwing up the movie so we canceled it and I forgot to set it to record the later reshowing. It will probably be repeated before next week’s episode so we’ll catch it then. I hope David Tennant doesn’t irritate me too much.
Speaking of The Golden Compass. We enjoyed it, though if you’ve read the books, you know the ending of the film is a bit of a cop-out. Far more sunny than the book.
Summer vacation is beginning, so I thought I’d give a few sci fi reading recommendations for kids.
I just finished a new one, a gift to my son from his grandmother: Dragon Rider
Some favorites, for ages 8-12 :
A Wrinkle in Time
The Phantom Tollbooth
The Chronicles of Narnia Boxed Set
A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1)
Dragonsong (Harper Hall Trilogy), Dragonsinger (Harper Hall Trilogy, Volume 2), Dragondrums (Harper Hall Trilogy)
Douglas also recommends the Dragon Slayers Academy books very highly although I admit, I have NOT read them. Dragon Slayer’s Academy Boxed Set # 1- 5
Ages 12 and up
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien [J.R.R. Tolkien Boxed Set (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings)]
Dragonriders of Pern
Foundation et al, by Isaac Asimov [The Foundation Trilogy]
Kurt Vonnegut. Start with Cat’s Cradle
Harry Potter 1-7, JK Rowling [Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-6)]
The Belgariad and The Malloreon by David Eddings [The Belgariad, Vol. 1 (Books 1-3): Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit and The Malloreon, Vol. 1 (Books 1-3): Guardians of the West, King of the Murgos, Demon Lord of Karanda
Ages 14-16 and up
The Once & Future King
His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass)
American Gods: A Novel
Books, blogs and Burma
May 17, 2008 | Books, Charity, Parent bloggers
crossposted to Marketing Roadmaps
News from around the blogosphere from friends new and old.
First, from my good friend Yvonne DiVita. In addition to being one of the leading experts on marketing to women online, Yvonne runs Windsor Media Enterprises, a print-on-demand publishing company that guides authors through the self-publishing process. This fall, they are going to put on a conference called Books, Blogs and Beyond:Publishing 3.0, and they are asking for our input to create a program truly relevant to the attendees’ needs. If you are an aspiring author, or even just interested in the impact of social media like blogs on the publishing process, please take their survey. Let Yvonne and her team know what you’d like to know.
Speaking of authors, this week the momosphere was alive with buzz about Sleep Is for the Weak, the upcoming collection of essays by parent bloggers edited by Rita Arens. Read the story of how Rita shepherded this project from her dream to a reality on her blog Surrender, Dorothy, and then immediately add the blog to your feed reader. She is an excellent writer, as are the many moms, and one dad, included in the book. I can’t wait to get my copy, already pre-ordered on Amazon.
One reason I am so excited about her book, apart from the fact that Rita is an awesome woman who deserves the success and accolades that are and will be coming her way as the result of the book, is that it will expose an even larger audience to the amazing writing on parent blogs. Major media always seems to focus on mom blogs as a market, the privacy issue — that parents are writing about their kids, and dooce. What it misses is what a damn fine group of writers this is, and not just Heather Armstrong. I read many blogs. Some of the best writing BY FAR is on parenting blogs, and not just about their kids. Politics, culture, sex, travel, art, photography, philanthropy, the economy. Just some of the topics you’ll find on parenting blogs along with daycare, diapers and disasters.
Finally, here’s a simple way to donate to the relief effort in Burma that won’t cost you a cent, just a comment. Leave a comment on this post at digTrends by May 31st, and Digital Influence Group will add $10.00 to its donation check to the US Campaign for Burma. They’ve capped the donation at $5,000 — that’s 500 comments on their post, and I hope they get there. Hat tip, Mack Collier on Twitter.
Technorati Tags: Yvonne DiVita, Windsor Media Enterprises, Rita Arens, Sleep Is for the Weak, US Campaign for Burma
SciFi Sunday: Reading List
March 23, 2008 | Books, Fantasy, Science Fiction
My review of the Stargate SG1 movie Ark of Truth is deferred a week or two. Instead, I want to note the passing of one of the masters of the sci fi/fantasy genre, Arthur C. Clarke, and share with you some of my favorite science fiction and fantasy authors and their works.
Let’s start with Clarke, who passed away this past week. He was a prolific author, most well known in the general public for 2001: A Space Odyssey. A classic for sure, but his works that influenced me the most at an early age — junior high — were Childhood’s End and Rendezvous with Rama.
I also devoured the works of Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451 is one of the most eloquent anti-censorship novels of any genre, even if the author says that it was really more about the influence of TV on our culture:
“Do you ever read any of the books you burn?”
He laughed. “That’s against the law!”
“Oh. Of course.”
I also highly recommend The Martian Chronicles.
The science fiction authors that had the most influence on my literary taste, though, were Isaac Asimov and Kurt Vonnegut. My original, from childhood, copies of the Foundation series are so worn — literally falling apart — that a few years ago I had to buy a new set just to reread them. Among the other Asimov works that merit attention is the Robot series, which he eventually ties into the Foundation universe.
Asimov created the Three Laws of Robotics which continue to influence many other works of science fiction:
- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
A key underpinning to the whole Foundation ‘verse is the concept of psychohistory. In my early adult life, in my final year of university, I spent much of my course and research time studying the history of psychology and the junction between history and psychology. I’ve always wondered how the early influence of Asimov’s work impacted this educational choice. Who knows…
And, so it goes. Kurt Vonnegut is one of my favorite authors of all time, and probably contributed, in some small way, to my twisted view of the world. Books you must read: Slaughterhouse Five and Cat’s Cradle. And please, start but don’t stop there. He is one of the great American authors and the literary heir, in my book, to Mark Twain.
Moving from science fiction to fantasy, the two authors that got me started on the sci fi fantasy path were CS Lewis, and The Chronicles of Narnia, which my aunt gave me as a gift in 4th grade, and JRR Tolkien, and The Lord of the Rings, which I have read more times than I can count. Another set of books that needed to be replaced recently as the glue in the bindings gave way.
After you’ve read these classics, where should you go?
Start with Anne McCaffrey and the Dragonriders of Pern series, Neil Gaiman, particularly Neverwhere and American Gods, Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time, and Ursula LeGuin’s Earthsea stories.
What are your favorites? What should I read next?
Links to Books on Amazon
Technorati Tags: Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Kurt Vonnegut, CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey, Neil Gaiman, Robert Jordan, Ursula LeGuin, science fiction, fantasy, fiction
