The Apolyton Science Fiction Discussion Group: June Nominations

[Static Universe]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
I was thinking about nominating Cryptonomicon, which is arguably Neal Stephenson's best work to date (he's one of my favorite authors), however, I had my memory jogged about my favorite cyberpunk book, Stephenson's Snow Crash.

Snow Crash is so good and worthy of discussion that I won't even nominate another book myself. I second this nomination, if you chose to go this route, Che.

I think Cryptonomicon is excellent as well, but is part of a unfinished series, and personally I would life to avoid another series book as the winner, as there have been three out of four so far.

Edit: 3 out of 4, not 3 out of 5

[JohnT]

The Handmaid's Tale
Foundation
Ender's Game (current)
Red Mars (in May)

Note the convenient link that I supplied to help people locate the Ender's Game "discussion."

[JohnT]

X-post with Statics edit made this post irrelevant.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yes, but Red Mars is so long, and I just started reading it (totally indepedant to the pick). I just finished Dune, have moved onto Red Mars... so I'll get to Ender's Game.... um... *runs*

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

Dune by Frank Herbert.

I was going to nominate Dune as well, until I saw the stupid "cyberpunk" theme. Best sci-fi novel ever, but not cyberpunk in the least...

When I win this month's nomination I'll make the next theme, Science Fantasy, so you can have your Dune.

[Drake Tungsten]

When I win this month's nomination I'll make the next theme, Science Fantasy, so you can have your Dune.

Make the theme "books involving giant desert planets, sandworms, and prescient, god-like characters." I don't want to take any chances.

[Static Universe]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

When I win this month's nomination I'll make the next theme, Science Fantasy, so you can have your Dune.

Make the theme "books involving giant desert planets, sandworms, and prescient, god-like characters." I don't want to take any chances.

Maybe you should just go with "Books with 'Dune' in the Title".

[Imran Siddiqui]

Watch, 'Dune Messiah' will win out then or something .

[Drake Tungsten]

Watch, 'Dune Messiah' will win out then or something .

Or "Heretics of Dune"...

*shudders*

[Wraith]

--" Most of the action in Diaspora happens inside computers, so I think that it qualifies as cyberpunk."

Not really. I did post a pretty standard definition of it above. There's an important element of attitude that's entirely seperate from computers being there or not.
Haven't read the book, but I wouldn't expect it to be cyberpunk from the description.

--"I'll nominate A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge (does that qualify as cyberpunk?)."

I've read it, and I wouldn't call it cyberpunk, but I guess this is going to be Chegitz's call.

Wraith
"A truly great library contains something in it to offend everyone."
- Jo Godwin

[JohnT]

I'm going to withdraw the Hyperion nomination. Most of the "cyber" stuff was actually in the sequel, Fall of Hyperion.

I would've nominated Vinge's True Names: And the Opening of the Cyberspace Frontier, but that would've violated the "you must have read it" rule, and would've stolen votes from the earlier Vinge nomination.

So, unless I can think of something, I'll likely go without a nominee this time.

[St Leo]

Make the theme "books involving giant desert planets, sandworms, and prescient, god-like characters." I don't want to take any chances.

Will I be able to nominate The Dark Side of the Sun?

Watch, 'Dune Messiah' will win out then or something .

I like Dune Messiah.

Not really. I did post a pretty standard definition of it above. There's an important element of attitude that's entirely seperate from computers being there or not.
Haven't read the book, but I wouldn't expect it to be cyberpunk from the description.

Fine. I nominate 1984 then.

[mactbone]

I'm all for Che's nomination.

We're going to start discussing Diamond Age by Stephenson in my Sci-Fi Lit. class. It doesn't fit cyberpunk otherwise I'd nominate it. This'll also give me an excuse to read Cryptonomicon.

[Static Universe]

Originally posted by MacTBone
This'll also give me an excuse to read Cryptonomicon.

Excellent book. My only problem with it is the hard cover edition I have has so many typos that after a while I began to think they weren't typos but rather some kind of hidden message written into the book.

I mean every three or four pages there was a glaring mispelling or something. Methinks this book wasn't edited properly.

Edit: What word above is not spelled properly?

[Wraith]

--"Fine. I nominate 1984 then."

Who does have final call on the genre-suitability, anyway? Seems like that's a little bit important with the new nomination scheme.

Wraith
Don't try to engage my enthusiasm -- I haven't got one