• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Sci-fi & Fantasy forums?

Gawdzilla said:
The first time I read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy nobody told me it was supposed to be funny.
Click to expand...


Did you find it funny without being told it was?

If so, you are a discerning, intelligent, and interesting person.

If not, :(.
 
If you want comedy sf start with Robert Sheckley. His short stories are funniest, with my fave being Cordle to Onion to Carrot.
eta which isn't actually an SF story, I just remembered. Sheesh, ok, the one with 3 wishes, or the martian holidaying on earth.
 
Last edited:
RobRoy said:
I wasn't lying. :D

I didn't think of them as an excessive waste of time, but I have never even remotely approached the kind of enjoyment that others have claimed from these series. Perhaps the axiom of any port in a storm, and as has been mentioned previously, there is very little good science fiction comedy (if any).
Click to expand...

I wasn't challenging your opinion:) I was just a little surprised to encounter someone who did not get any enjoyment from either series
 
Bram Kaandorp said:
You can say that again.

Speaking of, if anyone knows good hard science fiction comedy, please let me know. It doesn't seem to exist.

Thanks.
Click to expand...


I read several of Keith Laumer's Retief books when I was in my teens and early 20s. Not sure if they qualify as "hard" SF, but I found the satirical take on diplomacy amusing.
 
Okay, I just discovered www.goodreads.com and joined the Fantasy Book Club forum. Anybody else on goodreads? You can rate books in a Netflix-like interface and then get recommendations based on your ratings. Also groups, forums, and stuff like voting for your most-disappointing read. Not sure why I've never heard of this website before, but it looks promising. The forums seem pretty active.
 
Gawdzilla said:
You were never an enlisted man I take it.
Click to expand...

Meh, the humor in both is the same, which makes sense since they're written by the same author, and both are not funny. There are a few more grins in Stainless Steel but that was before I knew what decent writing looked like. No offense intended to those who enjoy Mr. Harrison's efforts, this is all pure opinion on my part.

Robert Asprin's Myth Inc. books fall into somewhat of the same category, for me.
 
I used to belong to a fantasy writing discussion group, but it died. The serious contributors got more serious about their work, so stopped talking about it (sssshhh secret) leaving only the not-serious contributors (near as I could tell, their average demographic was 14yr old home-schooled girls).

I find it difficult, in general, to find people to discuss fantasy world-building and writing with. Most writers are so precious about their work they don't actually want to share it with anyone. My most useful source of discussion has been with people who were interested in what I was doing, but not writers themselves, rather keen students of the "real-world" subjects I was using for inspiration.
 
gumboot said:
I used to belong to a fantasy writing discussion group, but it died. The serious contributors got more serious about their work, so stopped talking about it (sssshhh secret) leaving only the not-serious contributors (near as I could tell, their average demographic was 14yr old home-schooled girls).

I find it difficult, in general, to find people to discuss fantasy world-building and writing with. Most writers are so precious about their work they don't actually want to share it with anyone. My most useful source of discussion has been with people who were interested in what I was doing, but not writers themselves, rather keen students of the "real-world" subjects I was using for inspiration.
Click to expand...
I find the RPG fora are the best places to discuss worldbuilding.
 
RobRoy said:
Meh, the humor in both is the same, which makes sense since they're written by the same author, and both are not funny. There are a few more grins in Stainless Steel but that was before I knew what decent writing looked like. No offense intended to those who enjoy Mr. Harrison's efforts, this is all pure opinion on my part.
Click to expand...


I read the first few SSR books when I was a teenager, and I thought they were okay, but then got interested in other authors (notably Larry Niven). Then, much later, I read the first Stars and Stripes book, which was beyond awful, and I realized, "Hey, this guy isn't really that good." :(
 
SpitfireIX said:
I read the first few SSR books when I was a teenager, and I thought they were okay, but then got interested in other authors (notably Larry Niven). Then, much later, I read the first Stars and Stripes book, which was beyond awful, and I realized, "Hey, this guy isn't really that good." :(
Click to expand...

It's seeing those kind of books in print, and especially those series of books, that keeps me writing no matter how many rejection letters and emails I get. (Got one over the holidays.)
 
gumboot said:
I used to belong to a fantasy writing discussion group, but it died. The serious contributors got more serious about their work, so stopped talking about it (sssshhh secret) leaving only the not-serious contributors (near as I could tell, their average demographic was 14yr old home-schooled girls).

I find it difficult, in general, to find people to discuss fantasy world-building and writing with. Most writers are so precious about their work they don't actually want to share it with anyone. My most useful source of discussion has been with people who were interested in what I was doing, but not writers themselves, rather keen students of the "real-world" subjects I was using for inspiration.
Click to expand...

I found the thread in which you discussed your world building really fascinating. I learnt more about medieval warfare in that thread than a year of watching History Channel would have taught me.
 
I've read several amusing books by Gordon R Dickson (the Dragon series) and Alan Dean Foster (Spellsinger) in the fantasy genre, Piers Anthony can by funny if you likea da punny, but otherwise I've seen much in the way of funny sci-fi either.

I loved the Stainless Steel Rat books as a teen, as a 'dult, not so much, noo...
 
just began Arthur C Clarke's Prelude to Mars which I've had on the shelf since the sixties.

Clarke is the innovater of the concept of space elevators.

In his book Red Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson honors Clarke by giving the name "Clarke" to an asteroid placed in an orbit around Mars as a counter-weight to a Martian space elevator

ETA - I'm not a fan of "fantasy," leaning toward hard science fiction to the degree that is possible. Of course all of it is fantasy. The first SF I read was Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles and from there went to Asimov's Caves of Steel, The Stars Like Dust, and his Foundation Trilogy, (those in the 50's) and lots of ACE Doubles, of which I still have many copies (those from the 60's)
 
Last edited:
Many years ago I used to hang out at The Tolkien Forum, but I got a bit sick of all the Fundie Xtian nonsense that went on there.

As for funny SF I would reccommend the Red Dwarf novels by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor (with the possible exception of "Last Human" which is OK but not as good as the other ones). I think they are even funnier if you haven't seen the TV show. "Backwards" in particular is mind-bendingly funny, but you have to read them in order.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dwarf:_Infinity_Welcomes_Careful_Drivers

I was always a fan of HHGTG, but I think these books are funnier and also better SF.
 
KoihimeNakamura said:
I have to admit, been tempted to start one after Tapatalk's listing let me down..
Click to expand...

Go for it!
bender-dance.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom