Science Fiction 21 – C L Moore, James Morrow, Linda Nagata, Larry Niven

C L Moore according to her entry on Wikipedia was one of the first women to write science fiction. Her Jirel of Joiry was also one of the first novels in the swords and sorcery genre and the first to feature a female protagonist. I have two books by C L Moore, Jirel of Joiry and The Best of C L Moore.

James Morrow is well known as a writer of satirical and apocryphal novels, the most famous being Towing Jehova and Only Begotten Daughter. I did have copies of these novels but they have gone astray – loaned to someone who never got around to returning them. So I’m left with the two sequels to Towing Jehova – Blameless in Abaddon and The Eternal Footman.

I also have two other of his novels, The Continent of Lies and The Last Witchfinder.

Another science fiction writer who deals with nanotechnology is Linda Nagata. I remember quite enjoying The Bohr Maker when I first read it, which obviously encouraged me to acquire Vast, about which I remember little.

Finally, the sole hard science SF book in my collection is Protector by Larry Niven.

Next – Pangborn, Pohl and Priest

Science Fiction 20 – Walter M Miller Jr, Naomi Mitchison & Michael Moorcock

Moving right along – another entry in the continuing unveiling of my book collection.

First up, the classic Science Fiction novel, A Canticle for Leibowitz, a great post apocalypse novel by Walter M Miller Jr. There was sequel, Saint Leibowitz and the Wild Horse Woman, which I didn’t like at all and conveniently lost when I loaned it to a friend. I can’t remember if I’ve ever read the stories in The Best of Walter M Miller Jr, but there it is in my library.

Likewise with Naomi Mitchison’s Memoirs of a Spacewoman – something of a rarity I imagine these days.

And on to Michael Moorcock…

I have a small collection of some of his books, never really getting into to his Elric and Jerry Cornelius series. I do however have a complete collection of the Dancers At The End of Time trilogy...

…and spin off novels.

A few Michael Moorcock oddments…

And a rather beautiful Savoy paperback edition of The Golden Barge.

Front Cover	Back Cover

Next – Moore, Morrow, Nagata & Niven

Science Fiction 19 – Ian McDonald, Maureen F McHugh & Vonda McIntyre

I remember loving British Science Fiction author Ian McDonald’s Desolation Road when I first read it. Unfortunately I loaned it to a friend on his deathbed and never saw it again. Anyway it confirmed for me that Ian McDonald was an author to look out for, so despite the fact, as usual, that I haven’t read these books for decades, here is my modest collection. These paperbacks at least have pretty covers….

Maureen F McHugh is a fantastic writer. I reread China Mountain Zhang quite often and always enjoy it. So too Mission Child.

Nekropolis is an interesting rather melancholic story of a young bonded servant who develops a friendship with an intelligent machine who looks like a beautiful young man.

A beautiful writer, Vonda McIntyre has produced some highly original works. Her unusual post apocalypse novel Dreamsnake won both the Nebula and Hugo Awards in 1978/79. The Moon And The Sun, a wonderful alternate history novel set in 17th Century France during the reign of Louis XIV, deservedly won the Nebula Award in1997. I was immensely impressed with this book, and it rewards with repeated readings.

Next – Miller, Mitchison and Moorcock

Science Fiction 18 – George R R Martin, Julian May & Paul McAuley

I’ll slip this entry in before the end of June.

George R R Martin is a prolific writer, but I must admit I have read few of his books. I have enjoyed his dark fantasy series in the A Song of Ice and Fire, but the only other book of his I have read is the vampire story Fevre Dream, admittedly a long time ago.

The Julian May Saga of the Exiles series was all the rage back in the early 1980s which was when I first read them. Can’t say I remember much about them these days, but I did read the whole series at the time in Pan editions.

And last, but not least the wonderful Fairyland by Paul J McAuley. I recently reread this book and enjoyed it very much.

Next – McDonald, McHugh and McIntyre

Science Fiction 17 – Fritz Leiber, Jonathan Lethem, C S Lewis

Besides having the complete collection of the Fafhrd & Gray Mouser stories by Fritz Leiber, I have several other of his novels, plus the collection The Best of Fritz Leiber which contains one of the best cat stories ever, that being “Space Time For Springers” the first Gummitch story.

Jonathan Lethem is one of my favorite writers. His work is highly original and entertaining to read. Below are his first two novels, Gun With Occasional Music - a sort of bizarre noir futuristic detective story, and Amnesia Moon, an even more bizarre road trip type of fiction.

I remember quite enjoying the C S Lewis Space trilogy – Out of the Silent Planet, Voyage to Venus (or Perelandra) & That Hideous Strength. More than that I cannot remember.

Another Lewis, Roy Lewis wrote the amusing novel The Evolution Man about the ascent of man from ape to sentient being.

”This comic novel purports to be a first-hand account by the son of the first man to discover fire. Instead of celebrating such a pivotal event in the progress of man, Lewis' narrator comes to see the development as a very destructive and disruptive force. To prevent further "advances", the family takes matters in hand, leading to a conclusion telegraphed by the French title of the book, Pourquoi j'ai mangé mon père (translation: Why I Ate My Father).” ~ from Wikipedia

Next: Books by Martin, May & McAuley

Science Fiction 16 – Ursula K Le Guin

Ok, I’ve been awfully slack at adding new posts to Eye Candy for Bibliophiles, so to make for that I’ll try and put up a few new posts today.

For a start, books by Ursula Le Guin…

1973 appears to be the year that I discovered her books, when I first started work at Space Age Books. Though I have not read any of the below books for many years, they have been sitting on my bookshelves for all that time.

First Rocannon’s World and Planet of Exile both published 1966. My copy of Rocannon’s World appears to have been chewed by a puppy. I did have a dog at that time and probably read these books during her puppyhood.

Next City Of Illusions (1967) and The Lathe of Heaven (1971)

The Hugo & Nebula winning Left Hand of Darkness (1969) – hideous cover!

Two more from the 1970s – Orsinian Tales and The Wind’s Twelve Quarters with prettier covers than the earlier novels.

Next: Lieber, Letham & Lewis