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The Definitive 1990s SF Reading Challenge
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DrNefario
Posted 2016-09-01 5:42 AM (#14249)
Subject: The Definitive 1990s SF Reading Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: UK		The 90s are here. We're practically up-to-date now. I mean, the 90s only ended the other week, right?

What's that?

Really?

This is the last of the five decades covered by the Definitive lists, and therefore the last challenge, although I find myself quite tempted to continue to the present day, even though I'm actually only up to 1981 as I type.

The 90s is a tricky decade for me, personally. It seems to be the one I have read most heavily from, and some years I don't have any really appealing books to choose from unless I dip into rereads, but there are also some books I'm really looking forward to.
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Weesam
Posted 2016-09-01 2:08 PM (#14252 - in reply to #14249)
Subject: Re: The Definitive 1990s SF Reading Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: New Zealand		Yah, 90's are here. You know I had my books picked out for this one long ago.
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DrNefario
Posted 2016-09-01 2:53 PM (#14254 - in reply to #14249)
Subject: Re: The Definitive 1990s SF Reading Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: UK		I saw you had all 20 books filled in already as I was creating this thread.

I'm still missing a few years, myself, but I've only just started reading the 80s, so there's no great rush.

Edited by DrNefario 2016-09-01 2:54 PM
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daxxh
Posted 2016-09-01 3:29 PM (#14255 - in reply to #14249)
Subject: Re: The Definitive 1990s SF Reading Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: Great Lakes, USA		The 90's were when I was finally out of school and had a real job that made money so I could buy books. So, like Dr. Nefario, I have read a lot of the 90s books on the list. But, there are enough that I haven't read that I think I can find 10 to read for this challenge. I am still working on the 50s (only one book left though), so I have a lot of reading to do to get to the 90s.

We need some lists for the 2000s. I have tons of books that I bought and haven't read. If I put them on a challenge list, I may get to them.
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dustydigger
Posted 2016-10-26 11:26 PM (#14502 - in reply to #14249)
Subject: Re: The Definitive 1990s SF Reading Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: UK		Aha! No wonder I hadnt seen this challenge,it started in September when my real life was particularly hectic and I wasnt on WWEnd often. This thread was over the page out of sight.
For me the 90s were a time when I focused my attention on urban fantasy and crime fiction. After being away in Africa all through the 70s I came back disconnected from the huge proliferation of fantasy,and the cyberpunk genre,and so never read any of the modern stuff.(apart from Bujold and Cherryh). Even with reading a few since joining WWEnd in 2012,I have only read 5 of the books Jim thinks will survive to the 22nd century,and a pathetic 23/132 in tota from the yearly lists! Only 17%.Tut tut. I def need this challenge to try to fill up some of the gaps in my shameful ignorance
So,I have completed my first read for the challenge,Iain M Banks Use of Weapons,which was very enjoyable,being by turns blackly humorous and grim and brutal,with its shocking denouement,and a final pulling of the rug from beneath our feet by Banks!
I am just going to start with 10 books officially,because I have lots of other challenges in 2017,and some of the books are monster tomes.However I expect to read maybe 15 in all
Hmm,I see I can count C J Cherryh's Heavy Time for 1991 since I read it in September,after the challenge started!Then I read Connie Willis's Domomsday Book last month too and I have only 100 pages left of Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep for 1992 so I am flying. OK,I will post 15 books after all
I will read Michael Swanick's Stations of the Tide next,probably in December after recovery from .my knee op on Nov 21st.
For now I am having a great time reading Vinge. Fun space opera,great aliens,interesting Zones of Thought galaxy,and likable characters. Good stuff.
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dustydigger
Posted 2017-01-13 8:18 AM (#15069 - in reply to #14249)
Subject: Re: The Definitive 1990s SF Reading Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: UK		Have had to neglect this challenge for a while due to real life problems and the need to finish other 2016 challenges,but now I hope to get stuck in!
I have gone back to 1991 to read terry Bisson's Voyage to the Red Planet as a bonus book,and have finished Michael Swannick's rather bizarre Stations of the Tides for 1992. I liked Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep,superior space opera,great original aliens,all good fun.
For 1993 I read Greg Bear's Moving Mars,so-so IMO an odd amalgam of a YA romance,politics and then a fast paced thriller at the end. I am sporadically attempting to read KSRs Green Mars,and as with Red Mars I just dont like it,its taken two weeks to drag myself through 175/580 pages! I'll persevere, but its a duty read,because I am working through the Hugos list And then Blue Mars still to read!.....sigh.....
When I finish with Terry Bisson I will go on to my 1994 read Bruce Sterling's Heavy Weather,while continuing the slog through Green Mars!
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dustydigger
Posted 2017-02-08 6:51 AM (#15249 - in reply to #14249)
Subject: Re: The Definitive 1990s SF Reading Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: UK		Finished my 1994 book,Heavy Weather by Bruce Sterling.I have extended my challenge to the full 20 books,so I have to go back and read Snow Crash for 1991.while continuing Green Mars and Parable of the Sower as bonus books for 1993. I am about 150 pages into David Brin's Brightness Reef for my 1995 book,but its going to take a while fo get through the earlier books!
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dustydigger
Posted 2017-03-08 3:34 AM (#15430 - in reply to #14249)
Subject: Re: The Definitive 1990s SF Reading Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: UK		I have completed all the books I had in progress above. Snow Crash with its virtual reality was one for the boys I think! lol. Parable of the Sower was extremely dark,brutal and disturbing. A bit over the top with the violence maybe.Unrelenting catastrophes with little respite was hard to read.Much happier with my main 1995 book,David Brin's fun Brightness Reef. Lots more detail about some of the Uplift races who have had to live together on a remote planet.. Not as good as Startide Rising,but very enjoyable.
Now for my second 1994 book I will read Stephenson's Diamond Age,and then its on to Dan Simmons Endymion and KSRs Blue Mars........groan....I am so not a KSR fan,and Blue Mars is even more massive than Green Mars. Going to be a long job,it took two months for me to drag myself through Green Mars.so its likely to be a while before I revisit this thread

Edited by dustydigger 2017-03-08 3:39 AM
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devilinlaw
Posted 2017-04-03 1:25 PM (#15541 - in reply to #14249)
Subject: Re: The Definitive 1990s SF Reading Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: Las Vegas, NV		ah, the 1990s. books i've read so far for this challenge:

A Game of Thrones & A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin, books one & two of A Song of Ice & Fire & Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold, the second Cordelia Vorkosigan novel. i've never read either series and will be plowing through both in their entirety this year as i'm greatly enjoying both of them. i should be finishing The Vor Game (another Vorkosigan entry) later today.
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dustydigger
Posted 2017-04-12 4:07 PM (#15578 - in reply to #14249)
Subject: Re: The Definitive 1990s SF Reading Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: UK		I put aside KSRs Blue Mars,chose Robert J Sawyers Terminal Experiment instead. Fast paced and exciting. Wish I could say the same for Neal Stephenson's Diamond Age. Sorry,I just dont like his books,no matter how many awards they won. Not my cup of tea at all.
For 1996 my book was Dan Simmon's Endymion.
For 1997 I will be reading Simmons' Rise of Endymion,and bonus book Joe Haldemane's Forever peace,but they could take a while,as I have many other challenge reads to read too.All in all,five more books will complete this challenge which has been absorbing and interesting and great fun
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DrNefario
Posted 2017-04-14 8:28 AM (#15580 - in reply to #14249)
Subject: Re: The Definitive 1990s SF Reading Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: UK		I still haven't cleared the 80s, but I'm glad you're enjoying the challenge. I hope to reach this final decade in a few months.
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dustydigger
Posted 2017-06-24 4:34 PM (#15937 - in reply to #14249)
Subject: Re: The Definitive 1990s SF Reading Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: UK		I started Dan Simmons's Rise of Endymion,but found it very heavy going,a bit bleak and depressing for my tastes,so I have put it aside for a while and chose James P Kelly's short story collection,Think Like a Dinosaur.Very interesting,well written,nice characterisation and made up of stories from a variety of genres.
I tried Joe Haldeman's Forever Peace last year,and as the early part seemed to a war book,dark and downbeat,and I had been very lukewarm about the other Forever War books,I abandoned it. Reading it now for the challenge I persevered and was a bit surprised and relieved when after about 100 pages it veered off into a tale abouta group trying to to prevent a Doomsday weapon getting into the hands of a religious fanatic,and a method of turning humankind into pacifists! Fast paced action,but as ever with Haldeman I dont find his plot scenarios very credible. But at least it was a fast moving adventure,and a mere 350 pages. That is very small among most 90s books!
Now for 1998 I intend to read Ken McLeod's Cassini Division,and Butler's Parable of the Talents,possibly in August.Then I will have to locate Vernor Vinge's A Deepness in the Sky as my final book for this challenge!
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dustydigger
Posted 2017-11-10 10:29 AM (#16445 - in reply to #14249)
Subject: Re: The Definitive 1990s SF Reading Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: UK		YAY! Finally finished the challenge Its been quite a marathon,this reading books from 1950-1999 in order,but very enjoyable and interesting.
For the 90s my favourites were Lois McMaster Bujold's A Civil Campaign,and Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep. Once again I had to struggle to get through KSRs Green Mars and Neal Stephenson' Snow Crash and Diamond Age.I just feel no affinity for either author,no matter how popular and feted they are.! lol.And I have put off Blue Mars yet again. Sorry,but I find KSR boring,though I do commend him for the remarkably detailed and realistic background of the martian landscape. Pity I hate political tales,and dislike almost all the characters.Plus the style,and the inordinately detailed telling of some characters inner thoughts while whole exciting swathes of the story are tossed off in a few sentences. Too much stuff happens off stage for my liking.
Oops,sorry there I go on my KSR hobby horse,
Many thanks Doc Nefario for setting up this challenge,I really enjoyed it. I intend to spend a lot more time reading more stories from the 50s and 60s lists,though few from later decades. Just a matter of taste really.
Good luck to all the other readers doing the challenge. Have fun

Edited by dustydigger 2017-11-10 10:32 AM
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Weesam
Posted 2017-11-14 12:40 AM (#16460 - in reply to #16445)
Subject: Re: The Definitive 1990s SF Reading Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: New Zealand		Way to go Dusty. That was a long but interesting journey. Glad you made it to the end.
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DrNefario
Posted 2017-11-14 7:49 AM (#16461 - in reply to #14249)
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Location: UK		I've still got the whole decade to do. I'm hoping to read at least one before the end of this year, and then wrap it all up next year.
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DrNefario
Posted 2018-10-05 8:54 AM (#18359 - in reply to #14249)
Subject: Re: The Definitive 1990s SF Reading Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: UK		Last night, I finished Teranesia by Greg Egan, and finally completed my run through all 50 years of the Defining Works, started in 2015.

It's been interesting. Some great books, some so-so books.

I also finished another long-term challenge, to read all of the BSFA winners, a month or two ago, which means I no longer have any SF demands, for the first time in ages. (Yes, I still have the Military Spec-Fic challenged open, but I could finish that without SF.) I've still got some fantasy targets to work on.
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