Quantum Science Fiction and Fantasy

Quantum Science Fiction and Fantasy

With the passing of Ray Bradbury, and the timely recommendation of John Brunner's 'Stand on Zanzibar' by a friend, I thought I might finally do a Top Ten List of Science Fiction and Fantasy of my own.

First, it almost assuredly will be MORE than 10! Seriously, Top 10 lists are based only on Evolution - we have 10 fingers! And even then, thumbs aren't even really fingers! If Pluto can be kicked out of our 'planetary' Solar System for the unforgivable Celestial Criminal Act of .. NOT being a planet, then thumbs can become 'Fingerosa non grata'! Rant now complete.

So here goes, a mixture of both Science Fiction and Fantasy, all favourites and all are on my bookshelves... or close to them.

Little, Big by John Crowley. Actually this one is by my bedside, and always will be. It is a book that constantly amazes me. I can open it at any page, and something new is there, each and every time. It was impossible to read this book fast. I even had to write some of the words and phrases down they were so incredible. So very much inside this book, it has to be read slowly. If the Tardis were a book, then this would be it. Far bigger on the inside, than the outside. Find it. Buy it. Read it. But slowly.

The Warlock in Spite of Himself by Christopher Stasheff. I have lost track how many times I have read this on summer vacations. A mix of science and fantasy. And you gotta love a computer in the shape of a horse, that needs a reboot every so often! Be warned, if you like the first book, there are many, many sequels, including two 'King Kobold' versions. Just read them!

Ringworld by Larry Niven. The first expensive, limited edition hardcover I ever purchased. Hard science fiction with a great story, which is part of Niven's 'Known Space' series. Again, a few sequels, but none match the first, although 'Ringworld Engineers' is pretty darn good too.

Midnight at the Well of Souls by Jack Chalker. I keep picking books that have sequels! And this one has TONS of them! My favourite computer character of all time, people being transformed into every single possible known species throughout the universe, evil geniuses trying to become God, twists, turns and technology, gateways to the ultimate computer.... nah, not much in THIS book, or all the sequels. And not just sequels, whole SERIES by Chalker are there too.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman. "INCONCEIVABLE!" "I do not think that word means what you think it means." "Get use to disappointment." "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." If you have not heard these lines before, then you haven't even seen the movie. And everyone loves the movie! Then I ask them, "Have you read the book?" and their response is typically, 'There's a book?". This book is ... INCONCEIVABLY better than the movie! And the movie is great. Go read it. And there is a sequel. Kind of. Sort of. Just read the book. And follow the legal advice too. Oh yes, we are given very few perfect moments in life. I had a few of them, while reading the book to my daughter when she was younger. Read the book TO someone if you want to experience .... perfect moments in life.

The NeverEnding Story by Michael Ende. Following the advice above, but in reverse ... DO NOT SEE THE MOVIE! Just read the book. Even the typography, becomes part of the story. Amazing. And a beautiful looking book too.

The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison. Main character a criminal mastermind? Slippery Jim diGriz? Great name! Great story! And funny too! And sequels.....galore! (Yeah, a bit of Princess Bride carryover there!). And Harry Harrison wrote tons more too! Is there a pattern emerging here?

Artemis Fowl Series - and another criminal mastermind who uses .. MACS! Okay, ostensibly a kids series, but it has amazing characters, totally unpredictable storylines and events, and the meanest kick-ass fairy you will ever meet! And on second thought, it is NOT a kids series! Read 'em!

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. There have been SO many versions of this - radio show, paperbacks, TV shows, movies ..... but the books started it all. Picked up the first book (of an eventual 5!) in this 'trilogy' on vacation years ago, and read it twice on holidays, it was so funny! THEN, after you have read it at least twice, go  find the original BBC TV series and watch Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect. Then, watch the most recent movie, but .... get use to disappointment.

The Neanderthal Parallax by Robert J. Sawyer. CANADIAN AUTHOR! Anytime I say one of his books is the best he has ever written, he just writes another one! And then he comes full circle and.... EVERY book is the best book he has ever written! But start with this series. He always has Canadian characters, Canadian locations and Canadian connections, throughout! Riveting, unique, thought provoking and amazing stories, novels and series! Read anything and everything you can get your hands on! His books even taste great, as my daughter once ate one, while she was teething! And I just put his most recent book, Triggers, on hold at the library!

Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella. SOME may argue this does not belong on a list of Science Fiction and Fantasy. But come on .... ghosts, time travel, eery voices, crazy like a fox characters (including J. D. Salinger!) and .... BASEBALL!?! And the movie is good too. Better than good. As Ray Kinsella says ...'It's perfect." Read the book and find out why. And don't make me tell you the name of the movie!!!!! And imagine, saying outloud, "I'm pitching to Shoeless Joe Jackson... "

Tom Swift series by Victor Appleton II. EVERY kid wanted to be Tom Swift and build a Flying Lab, Race to the Moon, visit the Caves of Nuclear Fire ... and so on! My first SF that I ever read and I still have some of them! Think of it as Hardy Boys, but with science labs!
Tarzan, John Carter of Mars (Barsoom) by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Forget the movies, any of them. ALL of them. Except the most recent John Carter. I actually liked that one! Read the first Tarzan and the first John Carter - A Princess of Mars. You will be hooked. If you liked Avatar or Dances With Wolves ...... just think - A Princess of Mars was written almost ... 100 years ago. That is not a typo ... ALMOST ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO in 1917!!!!! Read it. Appreciate the past.

Dragon's Egg/Star Quake by Robert J. Forward. Only a scientist could write this book. Only a ROCKET SCIENTIST! And Dr. Forward was a rocket scientist at JPL. I was astonished to read a book that had a technical manual in the back, EXPLAINING THE SCIENCE behind the SCIENCE FICTION! I was fortunate enough to meet him once at a convention and he signed my book for me! And the sequel is awesome and all his books are ..... just go read them if you like hard, technical science fiction, that includes smart blobs of jello that solved Fermats Last Theorem a LOOONG time ago!

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress / Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein. One of the first books that had a computer as a character. And the other being WAY ahead of its time, that actually coined a catch phrase or two. I read everything Heinlein had to offer, almost all at once, years ago, he was so good! King of the One-Liners, as far as Science Fiction goes!

The Chronicles of Amber Series by Roger Zelazny. If you like 'Game of Thrones', then his Amber series is just that ... ON STEROIDS! Multiple books and you can't turn the pages fast enough! I even have a Commodore-64 game of this...THAT STILL WORKS!!!! But you must read them in order. No jumping ahead!

And that is enough....for this list. Suffice to say, I have not included any of the following authors, that are must-read too:

J.R.R. Tolkien - do I really need to say why? This is on EVERY list, so consider it on it, automatically.
Ray Bradbury, especially his short stories, but read his novels too.
Frank Herbert for Dune. Just get past the first 75 pages. The rest ...m'eh!
Piers Anthony but only if you like puns with your fantasy!
Isaac Asimov for the Robots!
and finally...
Philip K. Dick for a shock to your system, as he wrote about what is happening NOW, but even MORE pessimistic! Think Blade Runner and you are talking PKD.

BUT READ THEM TOO!!!!! Especially Philip K. Dick.

And just to end, my favourite short story of ALL TIME is by another recommended author:

Allamagoosa by Eric Frank Russell

Now go and get them.

Martha Jones: So, magic and stuff? It's a surprise, it's all a bit Harry Potter.
The Doctor : Wait till you read book 7. Oh, I cried.