Timewaster's Guide Archive

My husband is gone for the next five days.  I'm too used to having a break in the evenings when he comes home and the children all mob him.  Oh well, I guess I'll appreciate it more when he is here next week, it's spring break for my kids. I hope the weather gets better or we may have fatalities by Easter

The Jeep Safari starts in Moab that week, but it is a bit of drive.

Asimov deserves the title great, if only for the sheer volume of work.  His short story Nightfall is brilliant.
Heinlein was an important part of my teenage years, arguing mentally with his works formed a lot of my opinions that have only been reinforced over the years.
I haven't read Clarke or Niven in a very long time, so I don't really remember.
That being said, a lot of Heinlein's stuff has not aged well.  Science fiction is always odd to read after whatever date it was set in.  Asimov's writing is very dry to me. The plot and the ideas always seem more important than the characters, so I have a hard time getting through some of his stuff.
I think anyone with an interest in the genre should read at least a sampling of these authors to see where so many ideas floating around came from, and to see how they have changed.

It's hard to pick a favorite book, but right now I'd have to say Hart's Hope by Orson Scott Card is one of my favorites. I found it to be unique, vivid, compelling, and memorable. I want to read it again, and I don't read very many books twice (there are too many that I've never read once!).

That's funny, I don't like Card's fantasy nearly as much as his sci-fi.  But my sister loves his fantasy much better.  We've already promised to not recommend books to each other.
I can never say what my favorite book is because I have recent ones that were incredible, then the old comfort books I return to repeatedly.  My current favorites include Night Watch by Terry Pratchett and The Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis.  And Three Men in a Boat, which I finally read after my brother-in-law loaned me his copy.

Finished Melanie Rawn's Mageborn Traitor, again

Did she ever finish that trilogy? She had several that weren't finished and I got tired of checking on them.  I understand she had a severe case of depression, which is a valid reason not to write, but I hadn't heard if she was back in the saddle, so to speak.

I've started the Death Gate cycle by Weis & Hickman.  I read the first 4 when they came out and never finished up the series.  It is funny the stuff you remember after 10 years. I can never remember the endings, but a few quirky scenes stick in my memory with nothing to connect them to.

I'm going to plant my garden today! well some of it at least.  And force my children to help me, HAHAHAHAhahaha.  The benefits of being an evil mother.

Duh, smacks forehead. I did read those, even laughed at them.  I'm on cold medicine, so I claim induced slowness of thought.  Thanks Ookla