November GenreCAT: SFF

This month we are exploring SFF.

One of the first questions that arise is: what is Science / Speculative Fiction and Fantasy, and what’s the difference? The usual understanding is that both take place in invented worlds, and the first has spaceships, the other unicorns and dragons. Of course, it’s not as simple as that, but it is true that SF is mainly about the use, abuse and adaption to technology, whereas fantasy draws on myths and fairy-tales and usually is set in pre-industrial or non-industrial worlds. What they have in common is that they address universal human problems in non-contemporary (or alternative) settings to explore how they relate to us and our own time.

You can spend hours discussing possible definitions. One that I came across and rather like is that the book, story, or novella tells of an experience that the reader could not have in the real world. This is a moving wall, since technologies unthought-of in the books of Jules Verne are commonplace today. Bearing in mind the march of time, the principle holds.

In German literature studies we also have the term “phantastische Literatur” which precedes SFF (and has some overlap with Gothic). It lists authors such as Mary Shelley, ETA Hoffmann, Jacques Cazotte, Bram Stoker, H. P. Lovecraft, Leo Perutz, or Jorge Luis Borges.

Here’s an article on the history of SF in the Guardian that sums up very nicely what I would say: https://www.theguardian.com/books/1999/oct/29/sciencefictionfantasyandhorror

Since the article was first published, the genre has divided into even more subgenres and the field has grown far too wide for anyone to read them all. For those who would like to start with the classical authors of the genre, the obvious names are (in no particular order):
In SF: Jules Verne, H.G.Wells, Kurd Laßwitz (for whom a German award is named), Hugo Gernsback, Hans Dominik, Alexei Tolstoi, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, George Orwell, Philip K. Dick, John Wyndham, John Brunner, Olaf Stapledon, Arthur C. Clarke, Theodore Sturgeon, Stanislaw Lem, Ursula K. LeGuin, André Norton, Boris and Arkadi Strugatsky, J. G. Ballard, Ray Bradbury …
In fantasy: George MacDonald, Arthur Conan Doyle, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Madeleine L’Engle, Marion Zimmer Bradley

And here are a few of the more obscure titles from the childhood days of SFF that I have come across whenever I fell into a rabbithole on the internet:

Ludvig Holberg: The Journey of Niels Klim to the World Underground
Cyrano de Bergerac: Les États et Empires de la Lune
Enrique Gaspar: The Time Ship (El Anacronópete), describes time travel before HG Wells and also discusses the question if we change the future if time travellers act in the past, before René Barjavel’s Le voyageur imprudent.
Jerzy Zulawski: the Lunar trilogy https://www.librarything.com/nseries/106192/Lunar-Trilogy

And for good measure here is also a list of Favourite SF Women Authors:
https://www.librarything.com/list/42911/all/Favorite-Science-Fiction-by-Women-Au...

Have fun choosing your book(s) and please remember the wiki:
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/GenreCAT_2021#November:_-_Theme:_SFF

Oops, no picture. Will rectify later.
Done. I hope you like it.

I think my choice for this one will be either To Be Taught If Fortunate by Becky Chambers or The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

This is one of those categories I struggle with. But I'm thinking that time travel falls in there somewhere, in which case I have Connie Willis' Blackout out of the library.

I read very little in this category, but this challenge gives me the ideal opportunity to read a book I received as a gift last year - Frontiers of the Imperium by Jan Kotouc. Czech sci-fi, translated by my very good friend Isabel Stainsby (who gave me the book). I know she had a lot of fun translating it (and its sequels).

Alas, Birgit, this is my least favorite and least read category! However, I will give it my best attempt! I am going to read Howl's Moving Castle, which I'm also going to read for another challenge.

>2 MissWatson: - Still no picture.

I just recently got The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler and if Robert thinks it fits here, that's good enough for me since I don't usually read these type of books.

>6 Tess_W: I love Howl's Moving Castle so much! I hope you enjoy it, despite not being a fan of the genre.

Right now I'm planning on Unquiet Earth, the final book in Sharon Shinn's Elemental Blessings fantasy series...and whatever else I happen to pick up!

I love both science fiction and fantasy fiction! My plans for next month include Taste of Marrow by Sarah Gailey and Autumn: Aftermath by David Moody. I also have a book entitled My Life As a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland set aside for another challenge that will also fit here.

I'd set aside This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, for this challenge. It's on the read-soon pile!

>10 rabbitprincess: This is How You Lose The Time War starts slow but it's sooo good. You're going to love how they time travel.

I'm planning to read A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik and Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor.

>7 dudes22: That is strange. Anyone else who can't see it?

I am planning to read some Stanislaw Lem, whose 100th birthday was on 12 September. Unless something else catches my eye...

>6 Tess_W: I'll be interested in your review of Howl's Moving Castle. My husband loves the film, and I have the book on my kobo, but I'm not familiar with it at all.

>12 MissWatson: - Ooops - I was thinking the picture was supposed to be in post 2 -duh. I can see it. Probably hadn't had my coffee.

This is not a genre I read so I went hunting at the library and found The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells.

>10 rabbitprincess: "Burn before reading" ?? (From the description.) This is probably why I don't read SF - it goes right over my head.

I do not usually read in this genre, but will try to find something to fit.

I have quite a few options here...

Pandemonium / Lauren Oliver
Ruby Red / Kerstin Gier
Bone Crossed / Patricia Briggs
Squire / Tamora Pierce
Iced / Karen Marie Moning
The Forgotten Sisters / Shannon Hale
Paper and Fire / Rachel Caine

>6 Tess_W: I loved Howl's Moving Castle, hope you enjoy it.

SSF is a genre that I enjoy, though I am picky. I don't care for endless explanations of how everything works, just get on with the story. And I like character development, enjoy getting to know what motivates the "people" in the stories.

If you want something short and not too heavy try All Systems Red by Martha Wells or Merchanter's Luck by CJ Cherryh, or perhaps Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey. If you want to be bold and attempt something deeper, I suggest The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams, Wave Without a Shore (also by CJ Cherryh!), or even Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey.

I requested and received Howl's Moving Castle the same day from the library, so started it and finished it early! I read this to cover 2 group challenges. I'm not a fantasy or sci-fi fan at all and this book just confirms it again! To me, this was an inane story about a floating castle, inept spell casters, and a very predictable ending. Thanks, but no thanks! 205 pages 2.5 stars

Yeeeesssss I've been waiting for this month (glances at the veritable mountain of SFF on my bedstand). I'm thinking that the copy of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep that's been moldering in my suitcase is gonna be my read for November.
If anyone wants some quickish sci-fi, I'd recommend Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee, The Long Way to A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers or Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
If you prefer something more fantasy-oriented but don't want to have anything super-heavy or dark, a great starting point would be Terry Pratchett's Discworld, which is funny, sharp and most of the books are quick reads. I will caveat that there are 41 books in this series so I would strongly suggest that you should take a look at any of the guides here on Discworld Emporium or here on Book Riot before deciding which to read. My favorites so far are Hogfather and Guards! Guards!. Don't want to invest time/money/spoons in 32 years of collected work? Neil Gaiman's American Gods is a classic, ditto Anansi Boys, which is a loosely-connected sequel that can be read on its own.

I read Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi which is a novella that explores racism with a bit of magical realism added. Brother and sister are gifted with special powers.

I read two Magic Schoolbus books. Maybe this is not what most of our group had in mind, but they fit the idea of science fiction, magical realism, fantasy.
The Magic School Bus Gets Baked in a Cake
The Magic School Bus in the Haunted Museum

COMPLETED To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

Currently reading:

The Seep by Chana Porter
Tales From the Folly by Ben Aaronovitch

Gothic is sometimes considered a forerunner of fantasy, so I'm counting Isak Dinesen's Seven Gothic tales for this. Not very Gothic, alas.

Can anyone tell me if The Bees by Laline Paul will fit?

>25 clue: No, I don't think The Bees will fit... Laline Paul's novel is so unique that it might be a category in and of itself!

ETA: Hmmm, maybe Watership Down (by Richard Adams) comes close, but I wouldn't categorize either as SFF.

COMPLETED The Seep by Chana Porter

>26 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Thanks, I have it on the TBR and was doubtful but the description I read wasn't very clear. Your comments explain that.

I’ve started Longshadow, the third and most recent novel in the charming Regency Faerie Tale series by Olivia Atwater. This falls into more of the fantasy side of SFF as it features faeries and magic. ✨

Not a sci-fi fan, but this one sounds good. I am reading Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg. It is tagged science fiction and fantasy.

I have finished Voyage au centre de la terre by Jules Verne. Far too much geology, in my opinion.

I completed The Mark of the Raven, the first book in The Ravenwood Saga by Morgan L. Busse. YA book from Audio File Sync summer program 2020. It was entertaining. I will consider reading the second book.

COMPLETED Tales from the Folly by Ben Aaronovitch

Starting A Blink of the Screen by Terry Pratchett

It took me a lot longer to read The Kingdoms than I thought. It contains time travel and an alternate history. And it really didn't float my boat.

BUT: because it fits here it finished my Bingo card, I always leave "Read a CAT" until last.

2022 SFFKIT is up and looking for volunteers for months.
https://www.librarything.com/topic/336663

Locke & Key: Heaven and Earth / Joe Hill
3 stars

This graphic novel has a few short stories, mostly surrounding the house that was the centre of the Locke & Key books. Only one of the stories features the children in the main series. The last third of the book is mostly photos of the authors in places that inspired the fictional setting of the series.

I liked the short stories – the first one was the best one, in my opinion. The photos weren’t as interesting, but were ok and the book finished off with full page illustrations of the children in the series with other things in the background (the back of the book tells me these are additional covers). Overall, I’m rating it ok.

I have completed my read of The Second Golden Age of Science Fiction which is a collection of short stories and a novella by Mark Clifton, an author of science fiction who was published in the 1950s and 60s. As with all collections, I enjoyed some stories more than others, but overall, this was an enjoyable collection of science fiction stories with a fun 1950s twist.

>35 majkia: thank you!

I've finished Jan Kotouc's Frontiers of the Imperium translated by Isabel Stainsby, which is the very first military sci-fi book I've ever read. I'm not sure I'd rush to read more of the genre, but I'd happily read more in this series to see where the story goes after the end of this book (which is the first in the Central Imperium series).

For those looking to explore mysteries in December, the December GenreCAT thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/336735

So far, I've read Ghost Story by Jim Butcher which is urban fantasy.

The Fallout / S. A. Bodeen
3.5 stars

Potential spoilers for book 1: Eli and his family have made it out of the underground compound without his father. They are reunited with Gram and Eli’s twin, Eddy. But it’s not easy fitting back in to a “normal” life after six years underground, especially as the well-known rich family they are as they try to hide from prying eyes. They don’t even know who they can trust.

I liked this. It did show how hard it would be to fit back in to a regular life, for Eli and the family, in addition to Eddy having to get used to this new world, as well. As I noticed at least one other review mention, the science fiction aspect of the book didn’t come into play until near the end, but that didn’t bother me, as I still thought the rest of the book was good, too. There were a couple of surprises near the end – one I’d guessed (just shortly before it was revealed), but I didn’t guess the other at all.

I have completed My Life As A White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland. This was a fun urban fantasy that is the first in a series.

I completed The Infinity Cage by Alex Scarrow for this. Think I might have enjoyed it more if I had read the preceding books in the series, but it was still a nice read.

I read Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold, a space adventure.

I just finished the fantasy novel Unquiet Land, which is the fourth (and, for now, final) book in Sharon Shinn's Elemental Blessings series. I liked both the book and the series overall.

The Last Star / Rick Yancey
2 stars

This is the last book in a YA sci-fi trilogy where aliens have arrived to take over the planet and to destroy the majority of the humans (on a very broad level).

I should have reread my review for the 2nd book before grabbing the audio from the library. My review for the 2nd one specifically stated that I should NOT do the audio for the last book. Oops! Once again, there was very little to no recap for the previous books (or if there was, I missed it). Most of the characters have two names – their real name and their nickname, so it’s hard to remember who is who sometimes, especially when not fully engaged/interested in what I’m listening to. There were two different narrators, one male and one female, but more than two different viewpoints. Each chapter did say whose viewpoint it was, but because I missed things, I still had trouble knowing between the male or female characters whose POV I was hearing (combined with the multiple names and not really remembering their background because I couldn’t recall who was who…).

Sargasso of Space by Andre Norton

Although written in the 1950s, Sargasso of Space did not read like a stereotypical early SciFi. The plot flowed along nicely with the technical aspects only vaguely described, which not only made the book more timely but more believable. I enjoyed reading this, and will look for other books in the Solar Queen series.

Starting The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson, an alternative history set in a world where the Black Death wiped out 99% of the population of Europe rather than a third.

>49 Robertgreaves: It’s been a few years since I last read this, but it’s an amazing novel. I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of it.

Finished Kindred by Octavia Butler. So good. It is labeled science fiction but it is so much more.

I have finished Sin noticias de Gurb where two aliens land in Barcelona. One goes on reconaissance and promptly missing, his teammate observes the natives in his log. Quite funny.

I've finished The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler which I enjoyed quite a bit.

>53 dudes22: I love Octavia Butler. After reading this book I looked up how to make acorn bread. In case my future survival depends on it.

I read A Deadly Education. I loved it, but it was not at all what I expected. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel early next year. I tried to read Akata Witch - actually I've been trying to read it since March. I DNF'd it. Which makes me sad because I loved Okorafor's Binti series and really wanted to like this series as well.

I re-started and read Longshadow (Regency Faerie Tales #3; by Olivia Atwater) over this past weekend.
- Absolutely charming story about humans and the Fae working things out as they solve the mystery as to why three girls from the ton have unexpectedly passed away. There is a romance between two girls; but this is not a bodice-ripper— more of a true love story. With Magic.

>54 VioletBramble: - I have to sequel to Parable on my ereader and i'm planning to gt to it next year. And there are a couple of others I might read although SFF is not one of my favorite genres.

>54 VioletBramble: I'm glad you liked A Deadly Education! I really enjoyed that one too, as well as the sequel. Can't wait for book #3!

I recently finished Terra Incognita: Three Novellas by Connie Willis, all of which are science fiction. I really enjoyed all three, but Remake is the standout -- a must-read if you love old movies!