It was fantastic. Very interesting to see the really early sci fi stuff, even pre Victorian.
I bought The City and the City by China Meilville (sp) and another by a female writer who's name escapes me for the moment. She wrote the Handmaidens tale.

Edit - Margeret Atwood.
( girlinthehole, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 12:49, 1 reply, 14 years ago)

oh! city and the city is cool
in a unexpected way (for sci fi).

Margaret Atwood- which one? I've only read two of hers
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 12:51, Reply)

Oryx and Crake.
I've only read the Handmaidens tale too so looking forward the others.
( girlinthehole, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 12:53, Reply)

the other one I read was more
a historical thing. It was OK, bit slow and nothing like HT which is one of my favourite books.
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 12:55, Reply)

Oryx and Crake
is pretty good. Has an interesting take on what things might be acceptable in the future
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 12:56, Reply)

but apparently she 'doesn't write sci fi'
stupid bint. I like her writing, but just deal with it YOU WRITE SCI FI. I'm looking at you, too, Niffenger
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 12:59, Reply)

To be fair she doesn't want to get locked into that

( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:01, Reply)

she may not
but people write inside and outside of the genre (which has far more fuzzy borders than people realise. Denying it's sci fi is snobbish about a very interesting and varied genre.
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:03, Reply)

This^
but she's one of those feminist types and they are a bit odd.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:04, Reply)

I can spot you're winding me up now

( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:05, Reply)

Box his ears Cavey.

( girlinthehole, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:07, Reply)

that's your job
plus, you probably hit harder :)
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:10, Reply)

you didn't about firefly
Also I kind of mean this. I mean I'm all in favour of letting you guys out of the kitchen occasionally, but some people take it too far, y'know?
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:11, Reply)

Says the guy who bakes biscuits.

( girlinthehole, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:12, Reply)

Says the person who likes boobies and minges

(Bazongaloid, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:14, Reply)

Hahaha!
Boobies yes, minges not so much anymore.
( girlinthehole, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:17, Reply)

and cakes. :)
I like cakes and biscuits.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:15, Reply)

the firefly comment was the warning sign

( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:14, Reply)

I think it's an attempt to avoid the snobbery of others
people are snobbish about it, and she does want to sell books after all
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:09, Reply)

perhaps
but her explanation for why it's not show a misunderstanding (or ignorance) for what the genre is about.
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:12, Reply)

I'm not that bothered
I don't really feel the need for people to defend sci-fi especially if they don't want to.
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:15, Reply)

wimmins is stoopid hur hur

( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:15, Reply)

*deliberately ignores*

( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:16, Reply)

*pats condescendingly on the head*

( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:18, Reply)

*punches condescendingly in the nuts"

( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:19, Reply)

*laughs as your fist glances off my steel codpiece*

( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:22, Reply)

Heats up codpiece with blowtorch.

( girlinthehole, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:26, Reply)

until the withered scallop within falls off

( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:27, Reply)

Hahaha!
How poetic.
( girlinthehole, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:28, Reply)

I'm being repressed!
bloody wimmin, always gangin up on a chap and never in a good way.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:29, Reply)

Perhaps you mean oppressed?

( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:34, Reply)

It was an oh-so-witty (and possibly wrong) Python quote.
sorry, not on form today.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:39, Reply)

( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:35, Reply)

you need to take less drugs
or more, or different ones.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:40, Reply)

actually this has reminded me to take drugs
RIGHT NOW

*takes MASSIVE drugs*
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:41, Reply)

Paracetamol don't count.

( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:42, Reply)

it was thyroxine, they are pretty tiny actually :(
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:44, Reply)

ahh, yes of course.
glad you remembered.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:50, Reply)

sometimes I think I should have had
'remember to take drugs' tattooed on me. That might have got me in trouble at work, though
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:53, Reply)

I think I want some of that stuff today.

( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:59, Reply)

Not a tattoo I have any use for.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 14:00, Reply)

I wonder how much she's gain, saleswise from the Sci Fi market
by pandering to it. Probably less than she's loose from the 'respectable market'. it's not fair, scifi is totally the best ever genre in terms of breadth and intelligence and stuff, why do people look down on it so?
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:13, Reply)

because the bits people see
are all ray guns and rockets.

She doesn't need to pander, jut not protest so much
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:15, Reply)

I love sci-fi
I think some of the most intelligent, innotative fiction ever has been written by sci-fi writers. It'd be nice if the mainstream saw this, but I'm not bothered if they don't. Their loss.
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:15, Reply)

I guess.
I just have a bee in my bonnet bout people hating things for the wrong reasons. if that understood it and didn't like it, fine.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:17, Reply)

yeah, this should probably be my approach
but this is my high horse and I like it :)
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:17, Reply)

I'm allergic to horses.
so I'll have to have a different high animal.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:19, Reply)

a hippo on drugs
he takes them intravenously using a hippodermic needle.
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:20, Reply)

my hippo totally eats your horse.

( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:23, Reply)

only if you roll 11 or above

( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:31, Reply)

"Rolls D-100"

( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:38, Reply)

only a 10? that's some bad luck

( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:39, Reply)

I'm not playing!
*sulks*
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:40, Reply)

fine!
*flips table*
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:43, Reply)

*flips bird*

( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:49, Reply)

*flips pancakes*
tosser!
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:50, Reply)

Do people really not read stuff because of snobbery?
Surely you just read what interests you. I don't read chick lit as a whole but not for snobbery. It just doesn't engage me. The same genre of films also, leaves me cold.
( girlinthehole, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:16, Reply)

Strangely I hate chick lit
and yet I've read a huge amount of it. For some reason I can't put it down once I start.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:17, Reply)

Then don't pick it up in the first place.
I often wonder why I don't like it. I'm supposed to be interested in all that angsty relationship shit.
( girlinthehole, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:22, Reply)

this

( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 23 Aug 2011, 13:32, Reply)