Not to put too fine a point on it, but what folks are complaining about in Stranger's latter parts is not Heinlein pandering to the times. That novel was written by him much earlier than its year of publication. Correspondence published in Grumbles From The Grave shows that both he and his editors/publishers knew that the novel could not be released at the time. The pendulum of the times swung his way about 45 years ago, the novel finally saw daylight, and (as we all know) prevailing views have subsequently shifted again.
I am not familiar enough with Le Guin to know what bounds she stretched or when...but I know that there are Watchers who can step in and clarify that if need be.
Returning to RAH, yes, most of the output of his latter years shows a tendency to trod the same soft core themes and the same cast of characters into the ground. There are flashes of brilliance in most of these books, but there is a lot of mining to be done to find them. For those of us who cut our teeth on his stellar earlier output, reading the products of his declining years was a bittersweet experience.
NPR's Top 100 SF/Fantasy Books - vote for SRD!
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aliantha
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The ex-husband was a big Piers Anthony fan. I read a bunch of them, plus some of his other works. The first few Xanth books were clever, but after that I got tired of them. I thought his "Incarnations of Immortality" series was okay, but I wouldn't go out of my way to read it again.race2three wrote:Aliantha, I noticed you said that piers anthony "squeaked in" does that mean you do or don't like the xanth books?
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race2three
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I liked the first couple of Xanth books as well...and the Incarnations of Immortality...but I liked the Adept books the best....I know what you mean about piers anthony though...after awhile the puns get old...and even though he creates worlds with so many different beings and things to see...it seems like he kinda ran out of things to do there....
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Once he started relying heavily on his fans to supply him with puns, I kind of lost interest....
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I think Stranger is great, just not top 100 ever. The Incarnations I enjoyed immensely, too.
His best book in many ways is one that AFAIR the only person I know of who's read it besides me is Worm of the World's End. "Macroscope."
But here's something I wondered:
How many have you [all of you] read?
I've read 88 of the 100 on the list. [counting series as a single entry, just as they did].
His best book in many ways is one that AFAIR the only person I know of who's read it besides me is Worm of the World's End. "Macroscope."
But here's something I wondered:
How many have you [all of you] read?
I've read 88 of the 100 on the list. [counting series as a single entry, just as they did].
[spoiler]Sig-man, Libtard, Stupid piece of shit. change your text color to brown. Mr. Reliable, bullshit-slinging liarFucker-user.[/spoiler]
the difference between evidence and sources: whether they come from the horse's mouth or a horse's ass.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
the hyperbole is a beauty...for we are then allowed to say a little more than the truth...and language is more efficient when it goes beyond reality than when it stops short of it.
the difference between evidence and sources: whether they come from the horse's mouth or a horse's ass.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
the hyperbole is a beauty...for we are then allowed to say a little more than the truth...and language is more efficient when it goes beyond reality than when it stops short of it.
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33.
I also enjoyed the Incarnations series (except the last one). And the Blue Adept ones. The Space Tyrant books weren't too bad, either, and Xanth was decent before he turned it into a cash cow. Stand alone, I'd go with Shade of the Tree. (growing up, my local library had a lot of Piers Anthony)
I also enjoyed the Incarnations series (except the last one). And the Blue Adept ones. The Space Tyrant books weren't too bad, either, and Xanth was decent before he turned it into a cash cow. Stand alone, I'd go with Shade of the Tree. (growing up, my local library had a lot of Piers Anthony)
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Vraith
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Heh...mine had lots of Anthony, lots of Clarke, the first Dune book, Asimov's robots and Foundation [what existed to that point]...and that's all...no other sf/fantasy at all.[Syl] wrote: (growing up, my local library had a lot of Piers Anthony)
[spoiler]Sig-man, Libtard, Stupid piece of shit. change your text color to brown. Mr. Reliable, bullshit-slinging liarFucker-user.[/spoiler]
the difference between evidence and sources: whether they come from the horse's mouth or a horse's ass.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
the hyperbole is a beauty...for we are then allowed to say a little more than the truth...and language is more efficient when it goes beyond reality than when it stops short of it.
the difference between evidence and sources: whether they come from the horse's mouth or a horse's ass.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
the hyperbole is a beauty...for we are then allowed to say a little more than the truth...and language is more efficient when it goes beyond reality than when it stops short of it.
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aliantha
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I've read 45, counting the same way Murrin did.
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Orlion
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32... 31 if you won't count SoIaF since I've only read A Game of Thrones 
Own a bunch of the others (none of them Gaimen...) and I finally noticed World War Z made the list. The hell? I mean, I did enjoy it, but within the top 100?
Own a bunch of the others (none of them Gaimen...) and I finally noticed World War Z made the list. The hell? I mean, I did enjoy it, but within the top 100?'Tis dream to think that Reason can
Govern the reasoning creature, man.
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Govern the reasoning creature, man.
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Orlion
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Have you read 'The Mists of Avalon'? I'd like to get a guy's perspective, if I couldSerScot wrote:I've read 39 of the top picks.
I will read it, I just want to figure out when.
'Tis dream to think that Reason can
Govern the reasoning creature, man.
- Herman Melville
I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all!
"All creation is a huge, ornate, imaginary, and unintended fiction; if it could be deciphered it would yield a single shocking word."
-John Crowley
Govern the reasoning creature, man.
- Herman Melville
I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all!
"All creation is a huge, ornate, imaginary, and unintended fiction; if it could be deciphered it would yield a single shocking word."
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Vraith
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I quite liked Mists of Avalon...but the related other books were pretty weak.Orlion wrote:Have you read 'The Mists of Avalon'? I'd like to get a guy's perspective, if I couldSerScot wrote:I've read 39 of the top picks.
I will read it, I just want to figure out when.
In a lot of ways it's known as a "feminist take" on the tale...and there is some of that in there...but there are more important "issues" in it.
On top of that, the most important thing IMHO, the depth/motivations of the characters, male and female, exceed the originals and any "retelling" that maintained the period/setting. [Things like that silly series by the woman who claimed to be Jim Morrison's lady, basically "Arthur In SPACE!" with starships shaped like dragons...what a load of crap].
[spoiler]Sig-man, Libtard, Stupid piece of shit. change your text color to brown. Mr. Reliable, bullshit-slinging liarFucker-user.[/spoiler]
the difference between evidence and sources: whether they come from the horse's mouth or a horse's ass.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
the hyperbole is a beauty...for we are then allowed to say a little more than the truth...and language is more efficient when it goes beyond reality than when it stops short of it.
the difference between evidence and sources: whether they come from the horse's mouth or a horse's ass.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
the hyperbole is a beauty...for we are then allowed to say a little more than the truth...and language is more efficient when it goes beyond reality than when it stops short of it.
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Orlion
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Thanks, Vraith! By my research, it seems like the rest of the books are 'prequels' anyway (aka, not necessary).Vraith wrote:I quite liked Mists of Avalon...but the related other books were pretty weak.Orlion wrote:Have you read 'The Mists of Avalon'? I'd like to get a guy's perspective, if I couldSerScot wrote:I've read 39 of the top picks.
I will read it, I just want to figure out when.
In a lot of ways it's known as a "feminist take" on the tale...and there is some of that in there...but there are more important "issues" in it.
On top of that, the most important thing IMHO, the depth/motivations of the characters, male and female, exceed the originals and any "retelling" that maintained the period/setting. [Things like that silly series by the woman who claimed to be Jim Morrison's lady, basically "Arthur In SPACE!" with starships shaped like dragons...what a load of crap].
'Tis dream to think that Reason can
Govern the reasoning creature, man.
- Herman Melville
I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all!
"All creation is a huge, ornate, imaginary, and unintended fiction; if it could be deciphered it would yield a single shocking word."
-John Crowley
Govern the reasoning creature, man.
- Herman Melville
I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all!
"All creation is a huge, ornate, imaginary, and unintended fiction; if it could be deciphered it would yield a single shocking word."
-John Crowley
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I have read 22...Orlion wrote: and I finally noticed World War Z made the list. The hell? I mean, I did enjoy it, but within the top 100?
orlion - World War Z is the best zombie book ever. one of the best 'end of the world' books I have ever read. i wish they would make a series out o fit on hbo. it is well thought out novel, going through the real world hows and ways that would be associated with zombies.
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Brad Pitt is shooting the movie right now in Edinburgh.sgt.null wrote:orlion - World War Z is the best zombie book ever. one of the best 'end of the world' books I have ever read. i wish they would make a series out o fit on hbo. it is well thought out novel, going through the real world hows and ways that would be associated with zombies.