Arthur C Clarke

 For the reading list, I have in mind doing a quick hit on each author as they come up. To help in understanding who they are. I'm going to try and do a Q&A approach and see if I like the way that works.

What is the first book on the list and who wrote it?

It's 'Childhood's End' by Arthur C Clarke.

Does he have anything else on the list?

Yes. This is one of three that made the list. 'Childhood's End' is at #49. He also has '2001: A Space Odyssey' at #24 and 'Rendezvous with Rama' at #76. 

Have you read his work before?

Yes. We did 'Childhood's End' in a science fiction class in high school. I read it then and I've read it on my own at least one other time before this list. I've also read 'Rama' before. 

But not 2001?

No. I have the short story that inspired the movie, but I haven't read it before. My understanding is that he expanded that short story into a full length book. I *think* that's what we'll read for the list.

What do you know about him?

He was one of the Big Three of sci-fi authors, along with Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein. The three of them dominated the genre for a while, at least by reputation. Of those three, I've read the least of Clarke. The history of science fiction in the 20th century can't be told with him.

Have you read any of his other books?

Yes. At least two others. 'Fountains of Paradise' is an excellent book that popularized the idea of a space elevator to the broad public. 'Songs of Distant Earth' is a very good work about a colony world that is visited by a generation ship. I'd recommend either of them to others. I would describe his writing as 'gentle'. 

Is he known for anything else?

He is. Like lots of science fiction authors, he has actually done some important science. The story is a bit unclear, but he appears to have come up with the idea of the geosynchronous orbit. Satellites are boosted to this altitude and speed because it allows them to orbit above a fixed point on the Earth. This means that a signal from that "bird" stays steady as it broadcasts down below.

Anything else interesting about him?

Clarke was English. In 1956, he moved to Sri Lanka where he lived for the rest of his life. He was an avid scuba diver and helped find several ancient shipwrecks. He was also gay, though this was kept quiet for most of his life. In 2000, he was knighted. He died in 2008. 

A New Reading List

 Back from the dead! (Kind of.)

I'm reviving this blog to keep track of my thoughts on a new reading list. This is not based on the Great Books of the Western World. Having spent years among the great thinkers of the past, I'm going to read about the future. (Again, kind of.)

I'm going to work my way through this list, based on an NPR poll of it's listeners and readers. They asked for recommendations of the best Science Fiction and Fantasy books and tabulated the top 100. It's a strong list and I'm excited to work through it. 

Stats! (Which will almost certainly only interest me!) As of today, September 13, 2021, I have read 49 of the 100 books selected. I own 63 of them, so I'll have to find the other 37 while I'm reading. In most cases, I think this will be easy enough to do. The list was published in 2011 and the most recent book is from 2010. Used bookstores will be very helpful. 

So what's the plan?

• Ten books per year. Each one will be given a month to do. The two months off are yet to be determined. The first one will start in October of this year.
• The ten books will be selected at random each year. In theory, this will give a good mix to the reading, instead of all one genre or classic status.  
• No more than one book per author per year. There are a few authors with three or four books on the list. When I'm making random selections, if one of their books comes up, I'll declare the others off limits. If they are left towards the end, I'll make sure that at least is one is chosen in each of the remaining years to make it all work out. 
• Several series are on the list. In those cases, I'll tackle the first book of the series and see what I think. The mere thought of a ten book story makes me shudder, but maybe I'll get over that and plunge through. It's certainly possible that I'll become interested enough in the royal family of Book One and the rebel quest for the Coveted Item. 

• I'm reading this in conjunction with a Facebook group, which is located here. If you've stumbled across this and are interested in joining in, please do.
• I'll seek out "guides" for books and series that I'm not familiar with. This will be helpful in order to let people know what to expect from a book/series and how much they should invest in it. For instance, I know that Neal Stephenson's 'Anathem' is a great book, but I can confidently say that if you're not interested after 200 pages, don't bother with the other 800. 

So what's on the list for the first year? Some pretty good stuff:

Childhood's End by Arthur C Clarke

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

Watership Down by Richard Adams

The Time Machine by H G Wells

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson

Dune by Frank Herbert

I'll post some thing about the author and whatnot that are, again, almost certainly only interesting to me. But there you have it. If you are reading this and feel at all interested, please do join in. The more the merrier!