My Favourite Fantasy & SciFi.

[Spedius]

Ave,

This new thread is for those members who enjoy reading, viewing or playing the numerous Fantasy & SciFi books, comics and magazines, movies and TV, computer and board games, and all things connected to this genre that either you or I can think of or find.

Yesterday, I took delivery of Peter Jackson's 2005 re-make of "King Kong", it was truly awesome. My socks were totally knocked off.

I've seen both of the previous versions, the 1933 original and the 1976 re-make, IMHO this latest offering is by far the finest.

If ever the New Zealand film industry needed another "shot in the arm", it has it with Peter Jackson and his friends, he and they are inspirational.

A review of the 1976 version is here http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/k/kong_76.html

A review and comments of the 2005 version are here http://www.kottke.org/05/12/king-kong

Another set of reviews from the New York Times are here http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/m ... _id=289249

A "King Kong" links site is here http://www.sirlinksalot.net/kingkong.html

If you only buy one DVD this month, make it Peter Jackson's "King Kong".

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo

[Jeroen Pelgrom]

I thought that the first part of King Kong (in NY) was a bit slow but when they reached the island it was fantastic (i loved the T-rex vs king kong scene!)

Regarding fantasy - i recommend the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett
a Friend of mine is a great fan of the SF-books of Greg Bear

[Albert G Lopez]

My Favourite Fantasy&SciFi: George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" Frank Herbert's Dune series.

[Ramesses II]

My favourite fantasy ... Lord of the Rings.

[Chuck Russell]

but LOTR wasnt written as a fantasy. it was writeen as a narritive british history but i'll agree LOTR was my fav fantasy book growing up and prob now too.

always like the joel rosenberg Guardians of the Flame series

[Salvianus]

Top tip: 'Soldier of the Mist', by Gene Wolfe - a foreign warrior injured fighting the Persians in 479 BC develops the condition which means he loses his memory every day - but can see the gods. Great history-spotting as he journies through ancient Greek states in search of his identity, imaginative use of partial translations of otherwise familiar names.

I grew up reading Asimov & for Sci-Fi I'd particularly recommend the collections 'I, Robot' & 'The Rest of the Robots'.

I think 'The Mote in God's Eye' by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle is particularly intelligent hard sci-fi, although I didn't like the sequel.

I found Le Guin's political 'The Dispossed' particularly moving & Sherri S. Tepper's feminist 'The Gate to Women's Country' might appeal to those with an interest in Greek myth & is more readable & less gloomy, I think, than her other work I've read.

If you like modern, knowing humour I can recommend 'The Warlock in Spite of Himself' by Christopher Stasheff & 'Strata' by Terry Pratchett.

[mcbishop]

I like anything by Neal Stephenson and most of Cory Doctorow's output (a lot of his short stories are available as podcasts of him reading them) but my appreciation of scifi has forever been tainted by the much esteemed and highly lamented Douglas Adams, a man so close to my own sense of humour that it is sometimes spooky (I still remember listening to the first broadcast series of Hitchhikers when I was an undergrad at Sheffield and thinking that here was a man who shared my bafflement at the absurdities of life). I read the Lensman series when I was a teenager (turgid) and found the Dune stuff unpickupable. Liked all of Philip K Dick's films (paradoxically ;-) and may one day find the time to read him and Asimov. In the main, though, I watch scifi rather than read it.

As for fantasy, I rated Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant much higher than LOTR (a better writer and far less twee than Tolkien, although I thought the Silmarilion a fair effort) but particularly enjoyed (and often re-read) Richard Adams' Shardik and its companion volume Maia, a truly gifted writer who showed he could do much more than just bunny rabbits.

By the by, those with an interest in scifi who have yet to discover it may be interested in Escape Pod, a regular scifi podcast.

Mike Bishop

[Arthes]

Greetings,
I particularly like Barbara Erskine...her stories are a blending of history, ghosts, the mystical, timetravel (for want of a better word) reincarnation and psychological horror..... :twisted:
[url:2anqmcdx]http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/e/barbara-erskine/[/url]
On The Edge Of Darkness....is both frightening and sad....a women from the past who follows the man she loves to his world

When younger I used to love HP Lovecraft, Algernon Blackwood and Robert Heinlein, along with Robert E. Howard, Lin Carter, Paol Anderson....etc
Still ocasionally enjoy re-reading especially HPL and Algernon.....!!!

Fantasy films....LOTR Trilogy tops the list....Willow, Narnia, Never Ending Story, The Last Unicorn, Ladyhawke.......historical fantasy I think it is called....lol
regards
Arthes

[Tarbicus]

Fantasy books would probably have to be by Tim Powers. The Anubis Gates ranks as one of his best (time travel involving 17th C Roundhead werewolf hunters who ice skate), and On Stranger Tides, clearly a major influence for Pirates of the Carribean. Highly recommended rollercoaster rides.

[Marcus Mummius]

I like the LOTR very much. I've read the books trice now (first time when I was about 12 Years old. I read it in Dutch the first time but it's much better in English..).

Terry Pratchet is magnificent. I never get tired of his books even if I read several after each other without a pause. I'm reading my 21st book now and he's still great

[Dan Diffendale]

I'll second The Mote in God's Eye, Douglas Adams, and Neal Stephenson...