Reading Material

I've been reading a bit more science fiction recently, partially in an effort to learn more about the genre while I rework a couple of my short stories into a longer work of science fiction. More on that later.

I started with Caviar by Theodore Sturgeon. Believe it or not, it took me a while to get the pun in the title. I was somewhat familiar with Sturgeon's work, having read his short story Killdozer! as well as seeing the episode of Star Trek he wrote. Good stuff there.

I then read Soldier, Ask Not by Gordon R. Dickson, not knowing at the time it's technically book two in the Dorsai cycle. I'm familiar with Dickson's Dragon series (e.g., The Dragon and the George), but found his science fiction quite a bit different, but interesting nonetheless.

Next was another anthology, Pendulum by A. E. Van Vogt. I didn't realize it was an anthology until several pages into the second short story. I was new to his writing; the first couple of stories were not very impressive, but then things picked up.

I'm currently working on Against the Fall of Night by Arthur C. Clarke. It's very good so far. Now some might wonder why I'm reading this and not 2001. One reason is because it was in a tub of sci-fi and fantasy paperbacks I borrowed from my mother; I want to work my way through that before I turn to any of the books I've bought recently. I'm hoping by doing that I can stave off the desire to buy any more books soon, because I managed to fill up our bookshelves again.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Emerson, Lake & Palmer: "Karn Evil 9, 1st Impression, Part 2"