tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post793448923830199969..comments2023-12-12T16:30:15.159+00:00Comments on Floor to Ceiling Books: Spec Fic Reading Challenge: February Review Link Up!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-30594541049336307712011-02-27T14:17:06.258+00:002011-02-27T14:17:06.258+00:00Finally got the last of my three Jerry Oltion revi...Finally got the last of my three Jerry Oltion reviews up! Looking forward to what comes next.Ryan M. Williamshttp://www.ryanmwilliams.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-26035802383489895252011-02-25T20:00:15.192+00:002011-02-25T20:00:15.192+00:00My second specfic review of the month is up. Fabul...My second specfic review of the month is up. Fabulously funny YA title: Lex Trent Versus the Gods!Mieneke van der Salmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04782771945227479913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-66158274679185865202011-02-24T16:04:58.923+00:002011-02-24T16:04:58.923+00:00Reviewed Spook Country by William Gibson. A book I...Reviewed Spook Country by William Gibson. A book I wanted to like, but it turned into my first negative review.Steve Halterhttp://www.stevenhalter.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-32106759030804026002011-02-21T22:04:37.738+00:002011-02-21T22:04:37.738+00:00Just posted my Feb review for Cassandra Clare'...Just posted my Feb review for Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments seriesBluestockinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01225973854788421827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-15563181739967607802011-02-21T21:13:03.878+00:002011-02-21T21:13:03.878+00:00Reviewed Gene Wolfe's Peace. I didn't get ...Reviewed Gene Wolfe's <b>Peace</b>. I didn't get it, but it was still good.Salt-Man Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07042401821387954296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-82213085526806846302011-02-20T00:17:38.665+00:002011-02-20T00:17:38.665+00:00Done with Scalzi's series: review for Zoe'...Done with Scalzi's series: review for <b>Zoe's Tale</b> is up.Salt-Man Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07042401821387954296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-40050406936644739062011-02-18T19:52:23.010+00:002011-02-18T19:52:23.010+00:00Review for The Drawing of the Three, the second vo...Review for The Drawing of the Three, the second volume of King's Dark Tower series is now up. This was quite a lot better than the first.Steve Halterhttp://www.stevenhalter.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-63963601027208060982011-02-17T12:32:07.573+00:002011-02-17T12:32:07.573+00:00First SpecFic review up for the month: Hunger by J...First SpecFic review up for the month: Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler!Mieneke van der Salmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04782771945227479913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-2098230227620712622011-02-15T23:43:27.303+00:002011-02-15T23:43:27.303+00:00Aaaaaand, now for The Last Colony.Aaaaaand, now for <b>The Last Colony</b>.Salt-Man Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07042401821387954296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-1669961990031750122011-02-14T22:47:25.637+00:002011-02-14T22:47:25.637+00:00Review for Scalzi's The Ghost Brigades is now ...Review for Scalzi's <b>The Ghost Brigades</b> is now up.Salt-Man Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07042401821387954296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-20586427127878805692011-02-12T23:16:59.903+00:002011-02-12T23:16:59.903+00:00@weirdmage I posted because I wanted some input, j...@weirdmage I posted because I wanted some input, just to see if there was any argument that might persuade me that speculative title is anything other than marketing Bull***t and there wasn't one. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate the fact that you went to the bother of replying to me, because I do. I can see where your coming from but it isn't enough to persude me from my point of view.Ruacachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03167430564986540916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-12878163717537171112011-02-10T20:27:01.362+00:002011-02-10T20:27:01.362+00:00Another review up, this time of Oltion's "...Another review up, this time of Oltion's "The Getaway Special".Ryan M. Williamshttp://www.ryanmwilliams.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-58630114157086922592011-02-08T20:47:02.863+00:002011-02-08T20:47:02.863+00:00Just put up my review for John Scalzi's Old Ma...Just put up my review for John Scalzi's <b>Old Man's War</b>.Salt-Man Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07042401821387954296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-76474140257460468872011-02-08T17:59:06.370+00:002011-02-08T17:59:06.370+00:00Just posted my review of Jerry Oltion's Abando...Just posted my review of Jerry Oltion's Abandon in Place, I'll have some more to post soon!Ryan M. Williamshttp://www.ryanmwilliams.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-32948643257378024002011-02-08T10:15:19.649+00:002011-02-08T10:15:19.649+00:00Completely separately, I was just wondering whethe...Completely separately, I was just wondering whether reviewing comics (or graphic novels, whatever) was an OK alternative to reviewing novels, which is what I believe was originally put up, but I think I remember seeing someone review a Sandman book last month, and I'd like to join injamiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01671754452498055684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-75883997213599145852011-02-07T22:44:28.358+00:002011-02-07T22:44:28.358+00:00For me the term Speculative Fiction is used when a...For me the term Speculative Fiction is used when a book or film doesn't fit into one particular genre, Star Wars is a good example, it has many fantasy elements and yet is created in a "science fiction" setting.<br /><br />Regardless of the above it seems a little trivial to refuse to take part in a challenge due to the title, like saying you won't eat chocolate cause it's brown...Anthttp://sfbook.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-51135357288000827242011-02-07T22:33:42.439+00:002011-02-07T22:33:42.439+00:00@Ruacach
But you refusing to use the term Specula...@Ruacach<br /><br />But you refusing to use the term Speculative Fiction has nothing to do with what the term means.<br /><br />I don't understand why you can't accept what Speculative Fiction means. No matter what it started as, it is now interchangeable with SFF as an umbrella term for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror.<br /><br />And your argument that it has anything to do with why Hollywood, or mainstream publishers for that matter, won't use the term Science Fiction is flawed. They don't call it Speculative Fiction instead.<br /><br />I don't understand why you posted here in the first place, when it is obvious you didn't want any input from people who didn't agree with you.Weirdmagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10999326013335351617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-83016162301168477852011-02-07T21:40:45.794+00:002011-02-07T21:40:45.794+00:00I remember watching an interview Denzel Washington...I remember watching an interview Denzel Washington gave on the Jonathans Ross Show a few years ago when he was plugging his new movie called Déjà-vu, which was about a Detective who travels back in time to prevent a terrorist attack, and even though Denzel was pushed and pushed by Jonathan, he wouldn’t say the word's science fiction in any way shape or form in the context of his film. I’m guessing that it’s because someone from marketing had made damn sure that he was told to keep his month firmly shut about those two words, because science fiction doesn’t sell and that irritated me. That is why I don't like the term speculative fiction, I don't regard is an “Umbrella Term” I regard it as a “Call it anything but bloody Science fiction and Fantasy” term and it annoyed me enough I decided to leave a comment and see that other people thought. To everyone who gave me there views and argued there point, I thank you, but l still feel that I don't want to be involved with the Spec Fiction challenge because of my reasons outlined above.Ruacachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03167430564986540916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-73579602639726522282011-02-07T21:24:06.916+00:002011-02-07T21:24:06.916+00:00Just posted a review of Jo Walton's Among Othe...Just posted a review of Jo Walton's Among Others. I enjoyed it quite a lot.Steve Halterhttp://www.stevenhalter.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-85525657201263961762011-02-06T12:03:44.767+00:002011-02-06T12:03:44.767+00:00I wondered as I finished my review whether The Fal...I wondered as I finished my review whether The Fallen Blade *did* fit within Speculative Fiction, so I went back to Amanda's first post and reassured myself that, for the purposes of the challenge, it does. But I'd already classified it to myself as "alternative history" and if that's not speculative, I don't know what is. I have made a promise to myself, though, to try to read right across the genre for the challenge, with some real science fiction, and not just my usual diet of dark(ish) fantasy.Jodie Robsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02442935205880334932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-67816870786125880222011-02-04T22:06:47.817+00:002011-02-04T22:06:47.817+00:00Finished Esslemont's Stonewielder; now I can&#...Finished Esslemont's <b>Stonewielder</b>; now I can't wait to read Erikson's <b>The Crippled God</b>!Salt-Man Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07042401821387954296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-39165159578389676292011-02-02T04:41:54.793+00:002011-02-02T04:41:54.793+00:00My first review for February is Edge by Thomas Bla...My first review for February is Edge by Thomas Blackthorne.<br /><br />I actually found this novel difficult to get through, which surprised me. I found the review even harder to get through at times.... I feel like I've been writing it forever.<br /><br />The premise of the book is interesting, but it moves slowly. On top of that, I found an unusual number of typographical errors (which is something I didn't mention in the review). But like I say in the write-up, it would make a great mini-series.Noel R.http://www.thereadereclectic.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-67315094727403823242011-02-02T01:06:26.765+00:002011-02-02T01:06:26.765+00:00Wow, that is such a weird discussion to be having ...Wow, that is such a weird discussion to be having in the comments. I just thought like 12 people had managed to post reviews ALREADY or something, haha!<br /><br />So, my first review for this month is Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson. It was a total mind melt.<br /><br />That said, I like the title of speculative fiction! Regardless of why it was coined, it makes a great umbrella term for sci-fi, fantasy, horror, steampunk, etc.Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15462678695885166794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-55028870591965828082011-02-01T19:13:45.490+00:002011-02-01T19:13:45.490+00:00Muhahahahahaha, see this is why I like the term sp...Muhahahahahaha, see this is why I like the term speculative fiction; as Eric M. Edwards, mentions, The City & The City is pretty um, weird (I'm taking that from the Wikipedia page) and you know, not being entirely sure of whether it was sci-fi or fantasy was part of the charm for me, as I ended up reviewing it this month (and I also managed to attach the widget/image thing to the sidebar, yay for tardiness?) In any event I have reviewed something (probably horribly) and I enjoyed it and then posted about (in the first week of the month no less!), now I just need to find another book for next month.jamiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01671754452498055684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8463395374040679379.post-57895434381090410082011-02-01T12:04:59.204+00:002011-02-01T12:04:59.204+00:00I quite like the term for all of the reasons menti...I quite like the term for all of the reasons mentioned above.<br /><br />When you examine a book like China Miéville's recent The City & The City, it is hard to say exactly what category it would fit in - without a broad enough catchment area like Speculative Fiction. Is it a crime novel? Is it SF? Or neither really - straying into the nebulous borderlands of gasp, literary fiction? A lot of toes seemed to have been stepped on when it was called SF.<br /><br />Speculative Fiction sounds right to me, for it both encompasses the diversity of such a book's influences and gives a nod to an author's general oeuvre.<br /><br />Michael Cisco's The Narrator is another that comes to mind. An excellent book but hard to categorize. SF, yes, but it is of a highly different style than most - with much of Fantasy in it as well. So SFF? Why not simply Speculative? That shaves off one extraneous F and should keep purists from arguing that it's SF or F when it has elements of both.<br /><br />A rose is a rose and all that, I suppose.Eric M. Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11464329371478605627noreply@blogger.com