Decent Book Clubs for Sci-Fi Fans?

willyhill writes "I'm a Sci-Fi and Fantasy book nut, but in the last few years I've found it more and more difficult to find the time to read. Contrary to what most people would think, I actually have a hard time finding books, rather than cuddling up with them. In reality, I don't have time to mess around at my local Barnes & Noble and browse books, and I find it dicey and expensive to do the same at Amazon or other online retailers. I was looking at a magazine the other day and I found an advert for the Science Fiction Book Club. While my experience with CD clubs and the like in the past has not been entirely positive, I was prepared to give it a shot given the fact that it would be less expensive than Amazon in the long run. The problem was that their selection is not exactly grand. Having read the Simmons Hyperion Cantos, for example, I was ready to give Ilium a go, but I could only find its sequel. How do other readers get their hands on Sci-Fi books? I tried Googling for book clubs and the like, but there's too much static out there, mostly caused by Oprah. Any suggestions would be appreciated!"

Library

[SomethingOrOther]

Join a bloody library!
Most (free!) librarys have a decent SF section and will cary SF periodicals if you ask nicely.
Lots of fellow geeks will be hovering around the Fantesy/SF section also, so you can meet a few people.

It isn't rocket science dude.

Hugo Awards

[Misanthrope]

This might seem obvious, but the yearly Hugo awards usually give a good selection of new books. Even the runners up are usually worthwhile.

Quality on the decline

[jimmyhat3939]

Personally, i think the quality of sci fi works has declined rather steeply in the past 20 years. My guess is this has a lot to do with the rise of multiplayer video games and the like. Alternately, it could just be me getting old.

I'd recommend going to a good used book store and looking for some older titles. Should be cheaper, and you'll probably find better quality too.

No Time?

[Vectronic]

"I don't have time to mess around at my local Barnes & Noble and browse books..."

I suggest you re-prioritize your life if your life doesnt allow an hour or so spent in a bookstore, then worry about finding books.

Trade em' or visit a used book store

[stupidflanders]

I have seen some forums where fantasy readers will trade/share their used copies of books (eg, The Dragonlance [dragonlanceforums.com] forums, among others). This could help you track down copies, plus would be another good resource for asking that specific group of fans where to find more of them.

I have had some luck increasing my fantasy library through used bookstores such as Half Price Books [halfpricebooks.com].

When will it stop ?

[dbcad7]

I absolutely hate it that Science Fiction and Fantasy are lumped together.. now although a reader of one or the other may have the imagination to appreciate the other genera why are they so intertwined ?.. You don't find Mysteries and Westerns mixed in the bookstore like Sci-Fi and Fantasy are... They are different things !!!

Ask Shashdot!

[zwei2stein]

I think it is obvious. Just make bi-monthly "What new SF/F book do you recommend"

I am sure a LOT of people would find that useful. (hint: not a sarcasm)

Tapping large geek pool of shashdot should be enough to get good recommendations.

Other than that, geeky literature majoring friends are great source of recommendations, i suggest making one!

Its because you exhausted the pool of good books

[mcdg]

Imagine a pile of 100 best sci-fi books ever, and a new one is out once every 3 years or so. When you are just getting into sci-fi as a teenager, you can be assured to have a big pile of great sci-fi to read ahead of you.

As you finish it all, it becomes harder and harder to find new good ones, which gives the impression that "today sci-fi is not as good as the years past". Its only the impression, because you wen't thru 50 years best sci-fi in maybe 5-6 years.

Now you have to wait 2-3 years to discover another gem, while before you could have just went to any "best 100 list" and picked any one up.

My recent great finds: The bright of the sky: Entire and the Rose (can't even begin to describe it), Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space universe, Commonwealth Saga + Dreaming Void by Peter Hamilton.

My recent disappointments: Neal Asher. Tried to read Gridlinked, could not even finish.

Re:When will it stop ?

[zoney_ie]

Perhaps, although there is plenty of "sci-fi" that in reality is just fantasy in a futuristic setting (or galaxy far far away etc.). Probably hard-core sci-fi fans have the most to grumble about. Apart from finding some pure sci-fi tough going, I think the mixed shelving arrangement probably suits fantasy fans.

Re:No Time?

[jdawgnoonan]

I was going to comment about that same line: "I don't have time to mess around at my local Barnes & Noble and browse books..." It sounds like you need to fix your life first if you can't make an hour sometime during the course of your week to go to the bookstore. It doesn't take any more time than does Amazon. You have time to read magazines, make time for the bookstore. I also do not understand: "Less expensive than Amazon in the long run." The clubs are only less expensive for a short while. They give you free books and then require that you buy their more expensive and generally cut-rate, cheaply bound editions. Book club books are not built of the same quality as what are at the store and they charge you the same or more. Also, last time that I checked Amazon is pretty cheap. You are a whiner.

Use your library !

[soundman32]

Here in the UK at least, the local library is free, and you can get (almost) any book delivered there for free (used to be 30p I think!).
Although my library is very small (probably 1000 books), the staff are more than helpful and will be able to get the book you want from some other library.
I haven't bought a book for years. What's the point when a good quality, hardbacked version can be borrowed for free.

Have I said free enough :-)

Re:The library.

[JasterBobaMereel]

The problem with your answer is that the bookstore only has "popular" titles ... ...Amazon had many more, but so many you are swamped ...at a book club he would get lots of "if you liked that then try this ..." recommendations from people who actually read the books ...

Re:The library.

[Anonymous Coward]

The "real" problem is that people like you are so quick to condemn other people or put labels on them like 'lazy'. Whether or not you can believe it, there are people in this world who are too busy to kill an hour wasting time in a book store. That person would rather spend the free hour actually reading a good book. Just answer the question or ignore it. I'm sick of little twirps like you insulting the premise of the questioner because his question is about a problem that you personally don't have.

Your comment shouldn't be marked insightful, it should be marked ignorant.

Laziness is an inherent human attribute that has caused all kinds of great innovation. Have you ever used a microwave? Well gawlly! You're lazy! Everyone knows that anything worth eating is worth spending at least an hour to cook!

Real SF Problem

[WED Fan]

The problem with your answer is that the bookstore only has "popular" titles ... ...Amazon had many more, but so many you are swamped ...at a book club he would get lots of "if you liked that then try this ..." recommendations from people who actually read the books ...

The real problem is finding quality authors and stories. Back in the early 70's, I was growing tired of cookie cutter Edgar Rice Burroughs stories; "modern man put in a savage environment, finds pretty girl, and becomes king of all he surveys" was just too templated for me whether it was Tarzan or John Carter. I was introduced to Heinlein through "Door into Summer" and followed that with "Stranger in a Strange Land", heavy reading for a 12 year old but Heinlein forever changed my political, social, and religious views. (No, I was more into the "Jubal Harshaw" school of thought.) That was followed by discovering Tolkien in 1974 through a friend, and then joining the SF book club (back then we consided the term "Sci Fi" to be a perjorative) and quickly found Stephen Donaldson. From there, I found and fell in love with Zelazny. In between was a host of others, Asimov and Clark. By the time "Blade Runner" came out, I was ready to try PKD. Moving onto Niven I discovered more.

I took a break from SF and tried Higgens, Clancy, Griffen, Pope, and others. Lately, I've tried to pick up more recent SF only to be sadly disappointed in the quality. None of the current authors seem to rise to even half the level of authors I've mentioned.

When you go to BN or Borders, the SF aisle seems to be burdened with Star Trek, Star Wars, and other TV series related books. The shelves are stocked with Tolkien knock offs, and I was never able to get past Bowser not being in the Sword of Shanana series. Some of the "what if" titles sound good but after awhile, even that gets tiring when they really stretch to provide alternate pasts and futures.

Where are and who are the great visionaries?

Bookmooch!

[Bhrian]

At Bookmooch [bookmooch.com], you can trade books with many, many others. The only cost is postage for mailing out books. With Media Mail, that's under $3 for several books.

Re:The library.

[kalirion]

Unless you do what I do and buy books at library sales. At $0.50 a title, you can afford to take a risk on an unfamiliar author/novel and don't feel bad if you don't like it and stop reading after a chapter or two.

Re:The library.

[chaim79]

Go to a book store and count the number of SF/FF books they carry, now figure myself, I go through 60 to 80 books a year right now, and the bookstore has what, 500? 1000? 5000 SF/FF books? I don't have the time to read through all of them, the descriptions on the back aren't very good at telling you how good the book is or if it matches with what you are interested in... This is a problem even for serious readers, not for the lazy.

Re:Library

[fuzzlost]

The other great thing about used book stores, and especially local, non-chain, mom 'n pop book stores are that the people who run them generally love books (and read them often). There is a local bookstore by my house, and when I am in a hurry for a book, or don't know what to get, I ask the owner there what she recommends. It works pretty well, and happens to be that she really likes sci-fi/fantasy. Might be worth a shot.

Seconded!

[Tmack]

I have used it to get several books Ive had a hard time finding anywhere else. Its a great way to get rid of the ones you have already read and are just taking up shelf space, and for exploring new authors. The only down sides are you have to wait for the other user to mail it, which can take a few days, and some high demand books can be hard to come by (ie: Ender's Game might take a while to catch a copy not already mooched).

tm

Re:Library

[DThorne]

Exactly. I'm not even really clear on what the original question is. Do you want books cheap? Do you want people's opinions on what is good and what isn't? What's so terrible about 'messing around' B&N? Forget SF, the way I buy *books* is to 'mess around' a good bookstore, sometimes one simply jumps out at me based on my taste, more often there are ones that *might* be good. Note them, go home and research it on the net - the largest book club in the world. Arguing there's too many opinions isn't worthwhile - would you rather trust 5 people that hang out in a coffee shop?

Best of all, take a chance. If spending money worries you, then take a chance at the library.

Book/movie/CD clubs are just ways of separating you from your money while trying to appear cheap. Avoid.

You're living in an age of endless power when it comes to getting people's thoughts on what's good and what isn't. This question would have seemed more practical back when I was a kid and there almost wasn't a science fiction section at the bookstore.

DT