Something Creative

Just over a week ago I was on Twitter (I know you’re shocked) when I saw a conversation among some friends about books that should be read.  Now being the naturally curious person I am (okay when it comes to books I’ll jump in w/both feet) I asked the guys (the 3 talking were? are all male) to make some recommendations as I was looking for something new to read.

To say that I got bombarded is an understatement.  I got books, authors, genres thrown at my head so fast I could barely keep up.  In true bookdork fashion I scribbled it on paper (then promptly added it to my Evernote account so I can access it anywhere) and proceeded to ask questions about why these were recommended. I got the standard answers people give when they are passionate about their reading material: the best books I ever read, true classics, I can’t believe you’ve never read those, etc.  Seeing those responses only fueled my desire for new books.

When I finally took a break from the interweb I ransacked my collection of paperbacks (if a book has an interesting cover chances are I’ll buy it so I have a lot of books….most I only read once) and stacked up many that I no longer had a desire to keep.  Off I went to the local used bookstore to trade (turn in all the books you don’t want, the lady tallies up what she’ll give for them & gives store credit.) for new packets of magic & wonder.

Of course I was going WAY off my normal path of reading material.  Although I have a pretty wide path of material from memoirs to mysteries to classic myth to poetry & everything in between.  One of the few genres I don’t really read or know anything about is scifi/fantasy….(also horror & bodice rippers…) not from dislike mind you but because I know so little about the genre.

Thus my education began.  I was told to check out Anne McCaffrey for what was described by more than one person as truly excellent in scifi/fantasy.  This lady wrote A LOT of books.  I’m going to be busy reading through them for a while.  I was also turned on to (but have yet to read the following: David Drake, Andrea Norton, Robert A Heinlein, Storm Constantine & Terry Goodkind).

While my search at the local used bookshop began I also ran across two names I am familiar with in theory but have not read much of their work–Ray Bradbury& Issac Asimov.  I had seen/been involved in a discussion of literature a few days previously regarding Asimov’s legendary “Foundation” series.  When I saw all but one of the series (missing the last one) I grabbed them up along with a nice copy of “Fahrenheit 451″ by Bradbury.  Even to a virtual scifi ingenue’ such as myself I knew these to be “serious” science fiction works.  As a student of literature I’ve read my fair share of excerpts from the writings of Asimov.  I believe it was in high school that I first read Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

For some reason (okay so I’m a dork) I can remember these three rules (and yet I flunked algebra repeatedly in high school & college)….

I’m well into the 1st Foundation book “Prelude to Foundation” & I absolutely love it.  The elegance & spareness of Asimov’s writing is moving.  It takes me out of this world and into the Galaxy.  Not since the first time I read “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” have I enjoyed a science fiction book.  (“Hitchhiker’s” is a totally different blog post…I was also told to read that book by someone (a Marine friend of mine….he was right I love it) and listened).

Basically all of this to say that I am embracing the dork force & plan to wield it with all my might…I am now a true convert to the scifi/fantasy genre.  I can’t believe it took me so long!