[reading] Fantasy/SF Masterworks

[wispfox]

Not that I don't already have bunches of books to read... but!

I'm curious as to how many of y'all have read and suggest reading the books from the Fantasy and Science Fiction Masterworks series, which ones, and why.


I've already read:

Fantasy Masterworks #6 and 19 (which is the reason I even know about these - it consumed my brain until I finished it)

SF Masterworks HCs #1, 2, 6, 7, 8. SCs #7, 24, 25 (the short story, not the book), and 44.


I strongly recommend both of the Fantasy ones I've read (Riddle Master & Amber series - although the first bunch of Amber books was better than the second bunch) - they were both fascinating.

SF HC #6 (Childhood's End) tends to haunt my brain, and I still haven't decided if it's in a good way (which probably means it is).
SF HC #7 (Moon is a Harsh Mistress), I liked.
SF PB #25 (Flowers for Algernon)'s short story, at least, haunts me just as much as Childhood's End. (Huh. I apparently only like SF an amazing amount if it haunts my brain)
SF PB #44 (The Lathe of Heaven) is something I've seen the movie for, and read - fascinating story.

(Huh. Why don't I have a reading icon?!)

Comments

[rednikki.livejournal.com]

I'll skip the ones we both have read.

For the Fantasy list:
14 - Beauty: *hated* it, because it's very anti-male and I repeatedly wanted to pummel the main character. I think Tepper is very overrated.

6 - Amber's OK. The first series is pretty good - avoid the Merlin books like the plague. Fun gaming system attached to it.

For the SF list:

14 - The Demolished Man - Bester kicks much ass, in a sort of hard-boiled way. I haven't read anything by him I didn't like.

5- The Stars my Destination - see above.

HC #5 - A Canticle for Leibowitz - I found this to be at times incoherent, and very overrated.

HC #3 - The Man in the High Castle - by today's standards, I found this a bit slim and underdeveloped; it's more of a novella than a novel. It's got great ideas, though, and it's very well-written.

I notice the SF list is dominated by just a few authors.

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

I thought _Beauty_ was pretty much anti-everyone. (And yes, I wanted to pummel the main character, too.) It is, though, a good read.

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

Agreed on "A Canticle for Liebowitz". It brought up some interesting ideas, but didn't execute them very well. Blah.