Author Topic: Another Newie (Read 5643 times)

MikeB · « **on:** August 19, 2005, 12:31:31 »

Hello All,

I don't actually have an allotment, I've got a 30' x 60' veg patch at the side of the house. Based in Harleston, Norfolk, but originally myself & OH from Camden Town in London. Interests are dog training, sailing reading S.F. and obviously gardening.

Regards

MikeB

redimp · « **Reply #1 on:** August 19, 2005, 12:52:54 »

Hello - not everyone on here has an allotment - quite a few have veggy patches of different sizes. I do have a large half plot in Lincoln. Welcome to A4A. Gardening and other interests welcome.

wardy · « **Reply #2 on:** August 19, 2005, 14:14:13 »

Hello and welcome :)

montanum · « **Reply #3 on:** August 19, 2005, 17:46:38 »

Welcome to the show.
Montanum

ellkebe · « **Reply #4 on:** August 19, 2005, 19:44:49 »

Welcome onboard Mike :)

BAGGY · « **Reply #5 on:** August 19, 2005, 19:47:40 »

Helooooooo

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #6 on:** August 19, 2005, 21:37:41 »

;D Your in goodhands here ;) ;D

rosebud · « **Reply #7 on:** August 19, 2005, 22:32:47 »

Welcome you will enjoy your stay, pull up a chair ;D ;D ;D

undercarriage plan · « **Reply #8 on:** August 19, 2005, 22:40:29 »

Welcome Mike, wear seat belt at all times, crash helmet advisable and keep your arms at your side...... ;) Lottie ;D

MikeB · « **Reply #9 on:** August 21, 2005, 10:56:35 »

Thanks to all for the welcome,

Regards

MikeB

Svea · « **Reply #10 on:** August 21, 2005, 12:45:29 »

SF, huh? what kinda authors are we talking here? (this could make an interesting off-topic topic)

you are lucky to have a garden attached to house that is big enough for veg growing. it is probably heresy to say this but i would swap a garden for my allotment any day :) alas, we live in a 1st floor flat so i am hanging onto my piece of (rented) soil for the time being ;D

redimp · « **Reply #11 on:** August 21, 2005, 16:54:53 »

I like a bit of Iain M Banks - as well as a bit of Iain Banks :)

Gadfium · « **Reply #12 on:** August 21, 2005, 17:28:00 »

Snap.

Took 'The Algebraist' away with me, for my holiday reading treat. Excellent tale... but still rate 'Consider Phlebas' and 'Use of Weapons', along with 'Player of Games' as my favourites. I think they were the first three SF books he wrote, too.

Peter F Hamilton spins a complex rolling yarn; Joe Haldeman's 'The Forever War' I've dipped into again and again, over the years; HG Wells; Leigh Brackett; Susan Matthews is brutal, uncompromising, uncomfortable, and powerful; and if you are at all interested in any of the following: Star Trek (Kirk & Co), Classic Cinema, Sci-Fi, comedy - and haven't read John M Ford's 'How Much For Just the Planet?'... then your sides have missed getting splitted - this was an unlikely gem recommended by the 'Good Book Guide', and, as usual, they were spot on.

Anyone else?

Svea · « **Reply #13 on:** August 21, 2005, 18:37:51 »

my absolute fav SF writer is polish author stanislav lem (solaris etc)

MikeB · « **Reply #14 on:** August 22, 2005, 09:42:23 »

Somehow you guys have made me feel like apologizing. I'm afraid I drifted away from hard core science fiction into science fantasy about 10 years ago, mainly due to lack of published books in that genre. My favorite authors at present are David Eddings, Raymond Feist, Anne McCaffray and Terry Brooks, and of course for a good laugh Terry Pratchett.
Gadfium, I'll try the books you mentioned if my local library carries them, I'm afraid with the price of books nowadays I'm unwilling to buy on spec'.
Svea, I assume Solaris is in English?
Banks, I have read, but not for sometime, I believe I have some of their books on my shelf( unable to check at the moment as I am at work).

All the best

Regards

MikeB

Svea · « **Reply #15 on:** August 22, 2005, 11:36:04 »

yes, lem's books have been translated into just about every language :)

Derek · « **Reply #16 on:** August 22, 2005, 18:12:48 »

Hi

My two pennies worth...

Try the Arthurian triology by Bernard Cornwell (He wrote the Sharpe series)..they are...

1. The winter King
2. Enemy of God
3. Excaliber

A completely different perspective on this famous legendary character.

Derek

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #17 on:** August 22, 2005, 22:50:28 »

I'll try some of those as well; I read 'Solaris' years ago and enjoyed it. My main gripe about a lot of SF and fantasy (I enjoy both) is lack of characterisation, which often leads to shallowness. It's a question of finding the honourable exceptions, but I admit I haven't read much of either for years.

Icyberjunkie · « **Reply #18 on:** August 22, 2005, 23:02:22 »

I have to agree with you MikeB. MY last serious bout of reading was the Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind - about 10 books and still going!

Gadfium · « **Reply #19 on:** August 22, 2005, 23:19:02 »

Svea - I'll have to get hold of a copy of Solaris, knew the recent film was a remake of a Russian original, but not that they were both book-based.

MikeB - I found the same thing, especially with my favourite genre of adventure/thriller books... and eventually I drifted away from the bookshops, since the page counts kept increasing but the content diminishing. And at £6+ a try, it's an expensive let-down.

It's only recently that I've started uncovering some new authors whose work I can immerse myself in. But, looking back, it was a long, dry spell, with only a few stalwarts to get me through... Dick Francis (thriller), Terry Pratchett (fantasy), Patrick O'Brien (historical adventure), Ian Rankin (crime), Faye Kellerman (crime), Janet Evanovich (comedy crime), Lindsey Davies (historical adventure), Nevada Barr (crime/natural history), Ian Stewart (mathematical intrigue) ...

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Author Topic: Another Newie (Read 5643 times)

undercarriage plan