Classiclsfbc

Way Station | Clifford D. Simak

My #12Booksof2024 pick for April was also a #ClassicLSFBC pick. Like several other picks for that group, it's one I've been meaning to read for as long as I can remember but just never got around to -- then upon finally reading it I found out why it has been recommended so often. It's a deliberately paced and thoughtful story that still hangs around in my head.

Thanks for hosting @Andrew65 !

Andrew65 Excellent choice. 3d

28 likes1 comment

Ruthiella

Doomsday Book | Connie Willis

Happy Holidays to all who celebrate!

A couple of questions for any who have finished this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC pick. If anyone would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know.

2. Kivren comes from her experience in the 14th century very different from when she started. Do you think she will recover and risk time travel again?

#ClassicLSFBC

Leslie, BookmarkTavern, wanderinglynn, Johanna414, The_Literary_Jedi, KathyWheeler, Lizpixie, BookBelle84, Larkken, julesG, Deblovestoread, majkia, LeticiaToraci, sebrittainclark, kwmg40, rwmg, CatLass007, BookwormAHN, CSeydel, rretzler, RamsFan1963, TheSpineView, bnp, swynn, PaperbackPirate, Bookwomble, Klou, RaeLovesToRead, Roary47, MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm, AuthorCjwhitcomb , Lesliereadsalot, PageShifter, tokorowilliamwallace, MerlinTheSlightlyAwkward, Books_et_al, bookwyrm7, AnishaInkspill

KathyWheeler People are very resilient, but I think Kivrin must have PTSD after that experience. If I were her, I‘d never risk time travel again. 4d

Ruthiella @KathyWheeler I think Wiilis excels at writing characters. I really cared for them all and was quite worried about Kivrin‘s state of mind at the end. 4d

rwmg I think she might, but from a position of confidence through awareness of her own limitations and abilities rather than naive optimism. After all people do put themselves in danger again and again for what they see as a good cause.

And hopefully, the researchers will have better protocols in operation - at the very least Kivrin can help train the field operatives on what to do if things go wrong. 4d

See All 12 Comments

Ruthiella @rwmg I like your take on this! I‘ve only read from Willis “Blackout “ and a long time ago. I don‘t know if she has recurring characters outside of Dunsworth. The fact that there‘s no backup plan for a drop gone sideways was a frustratingly unbelievable aspect of the book, IMO. 4d

The_Literary_Jedi Nope, I don‘t think she‘ll go again. Too much to deal with & hopefully the team learned a thing or two from her experience as both @rwmg and @ruthiella stated 4d

Larkken @rwmg there was so much ego and infighting among and between departments! Whew. And do we ever find out what happens to Basingame? 🤪 4d

Larkken @KathyWheeler @The_Literary_Jedi I'm with you, I think it will take Kivrin more than a little while to trust people in her own timeline to not die in front of her, let alone people in the past. 4d

Ruthiella @Larkken I don‘t know from personal experience, but I believe from others that the departmental infighting might also be accurate! 4d

Ruthiella @The_Literary_Jedi I do think she will suffer from serious PTSD. The end chapters were brutal! 4d

Larkken @Ruthiella I'm more familiar with fighting within rather than between! But yea fair enough 😅 4d

swynn Agreed that Kivrin has a future of dealing with PTSD. Hard to tell whether she would go again, but if she does I'd believe her as the hard-nosed sort who wants every test run twice and triple checked. 4d

Ruthiella @swynn For sure if she were to go back, she would arrange for a few alternative drop times! 4d

36 likes12 comments

Ruthiella

Doomsday Book | Connie Willis

Happy Holidays to all who celebrate!

A couple of questions for any who have finished this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC pick. If anyone would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know.

1. In writing about the Black Death, Willis had the advantage of hindsight, but much of the 2056 attitudes towards the present day epidemic was recognizable. Did present day Oxford in the novel seem realistic to you?

#ClassicLSFBC

BookmarkTavern, wanderinglynn, Readergrrl, Johanna414, The_Literary_Jedi, KathyWheeler, Lizpixie, BookBelle84, Larkken, julesG, Deblovestoread, majkia, LeticiaToraci, sebrittainclark, kwmg40, rwmg, CatLass007, BookwormAHN, CSeydel, rretzler, RamsFan1963, TheSpineView, bnp, swynn, PaperbackPirate, Bookwomble, Klou, RaeLovesToRead, Roary47, MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm, AuthorCjwhitcomb , Lesliereadsalot, PageShifter, tokorowilliamwallace, MerlinTheSlightlyAwkward, Books_et_al, bookwyrm7, AnishaInkspill

KathyWheeler It did seem realistic. If I‘d read this book before 2020 though, I would have it wasn‘t because people would not act like that if faced with an epidemic or pandemic. (edited) 4d

Ruthiella @KathyWheeler While she obviously didn‘t predict cell phones or the internet, I agree that the behavior of people facing a quarantine and a pandemic was all too familiar. 4d

rwmg And this was the present day's 2nd epidemic/pandemic, which does not bode well for our future. 4d

See All 11 Comments

The_Literary_Jedi I was annoyed with the general incompetence of the people involved with the project itself once Badri got sick; not one knew how to operate the machine? I first read this back in the 90‘s in HS & I remember thinking there was no way authorities would be so stupid or people be so panicky…lol. 4d

Ruthiella @rwmg I suspect our experience with the next pandemic (not a question of if but when) will be equally divisive and difficult, unfortunately. 4d

Ruthiella @The_Literary_Jedi While overall I enjoyed it because I was particularly invested in the Middle Ages story line, the ridiculousness of the missed calls, etc. drove me crazy. It was just to extend the plot tension, but it only annoyed me. (edited) 4d

Larkken The picketing for useless reasons, general confusion/breakdown of services, and blaming of minorities was painfully familiar. @Ruthiella I did a lot of skimming during the missed connections parts, for sure not my favorite parts either. (edited) 4d

Ruthiella @Larkken I remember similar issues in “Blackout”, with break downs in the technology and endless (ENDLESS) dialogue about how to get back. 4d

Larkken @Ruthiella ew... Even though I really liked it, I have to admit that my tear-to-page quota was exceeded in this book so I already wasn't rushing to read the sequel, and that info pushes it still further down the list! 4d

swynn In terms of the resistance to public health measures and conspiracy-suspicious responses to quarantine, she was spot-on in ways I probably would not have appreciated before 2020. I do think, though, that she also used some comic exaggeration, that for me didn't fit well with the desperate and tragic scenes in the past, and also the future's final act 4d

Ruthiella @swynn I‘m glad you brought that up. I also found it a bit disconcerting the switch from the light comedy in the present day compared to the drama and trauma of the past. Agnes, in particular, gutted me. 4d

34 likes11 comments

TheSpineView

Readathon: Occasional List : Geleentheidslys | Gauteng (South Africa). Education Media Service

I can't believe I am saying this, but here is my 2025 (yikes) #BookSpinBingo list. Mostly challenges and book club selections. Now I need to finish the books I have started before the end of the year. @TheAromaofBooks

#ReadYourKindle @CBee #ClassicLSFBC @RamsFan1963 #OokBookClub @julesG
#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville #TwinPeaksReadingChallenge @Yuki_Onna #Littensloveromance @StayCurious

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4d

66 likes1 comment

RamsFan1963

Classic Science Fiction Stories | Adam Roberts

So we have our five nominated books for January, and February, #ClassicLSFBC selection.
The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Freedom's Landing by Anne McCaffrey
The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
The Zero Stone by Andre Norton
All good choices for sure. Voting starts now until 12/30, with the winner announced New Years Eve. The runner up will be our selection for February.

RamsFan1963 @Bookwomble @Ruthiella @TheSpineView @BookmarkTavern @wanderinglynn @Readergrrl @Johanna414 @Lizpixie @BookBelle84 @Larkken @julesG @Deblovestoread @majkia @LeticiaToraci @sebrittainclark @kwmg40 @CatLass007 @BookwormAHN @CSeydel 1w

RamsFan1963 @bnp @PaperbackPirate @Klou @Roary47 @AuthorCjwhitcomb @PageShifter @MerlinTheSlightlyAwkward @Books_et_al @rwmg @tokorowilliamwallace @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @rretzler @RaeLovesToRead @The_Literary_Jedi @KathyWheeler @Lesliereadsalot @AnishaInkspill @bookwyrm7 1w

TheSpineView All excellent choices. My pick is

The Zero Stone

See All 11 Comments

CatLass007

Freedom's Landing

Ruthiella I‘ll vote for

The Martian Chronicles

rwmg I loved the Witch World series as a teen but I don't think I've read any other Andre Norton, so my vote also goes to

The Zero Stone

(edited) 1w

swynn

The Demolished Man

AnishaInkspill I have MC and voting for the MChronicles

The Martian Chronicles

The_Literary_Jedi The Martian Chronicles!!! 7d

Lizpixie I‘m voting for McCaffrey of course!

The Ship Who Sang: Fantasy

kwmg40 I'll vote for

The Ship Who Sang: Fantasy

43 likes11 comments

Larkken

Doomsday Book | Connie Willis

This post contains spoilers

show me

Omg I‘m so annoyed. Is this the origin of this trope?!? #classiclsfbc

PuddleJumper 🤣🤣 1w

9 likes1 comment

KathyWheeler

The Doomsday Book | Connie Willis

pick

Well, that was one depressing and thought-provoking Christmas-adjacent book! I did like it though. It got a little repetitive and long-winded in some places; at a couple of places, I actually said out loud, “Will you just get to the point?!” Willis‘ take on pandemic behavior is absolutely right. #ClassicLSFBC #audiowalk

kspenmoll Lovely walk! 2w

KathyWheeler @kspenmoll It‘s one of my favorite places. Five rivers converge here, so it‘s called Five Rivers Delta Center. 2w

23 likes2 comments

KathyWheeler

The Doomsday Book | Connie Willis

I‘ve got about 3 hours left in this book, and I‘m holding out for a happyish ending. Probably not realistic, but I sure wouldn‘t mind one. It got up to 79° here today, so I was walking in shorts again. #ClassicLSFBC #audiowalk

16 likes

RamsFan1963

Classic Science Fiction Stories | Adam Roberts

Hi Everyone!! I'm trying to be better with my mid-month check-in for #ClassicLSFBC. I hope everyone was able to find a copy of Doomsday Book by Connie Willis, either in print, ebook or audiobook. Now is the time to make nominations for January's #ClassicLSFBC selection. As usually, the book with the most votes will be January pick and the runner up will be for February. With it being a new year, with a new presidential administration, ⬇️

RamsFan1963 I was sorely tempted to pick something dystopian, but I'll try to keep it positive. My nomination is The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey. @Bookwomble @Ruthiella @TheSpineView @BookmarkTavern @wanderinglynn @Readergrrl @Johanna414 @Lizpixie @BookBelle84 @Larkken @julesG @Deblovestoread @majkia @LeticiaToraci @sebrittainclark @kwmg40 2w

RamsFan1963 @CatLass007 @BookwormAHN @CSeydel @bnp @PaperbackPirate @Klou @Roary47 @AuthorCjwhitcomb @PageShifter @MerlinTheSlightlyAwkward @Books_et_al @rwmg @tokorowilliamwallace @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @rretzler @RaeLovesToRead @The_Literary_Jedi @KathyWheeler @Lesliereadsalot @AnishaInkspill @bookwyrm7 2w

Ruthiella Looking forward to another year of classic sci-fi! 👍I don‘t have any nominations, however. I‘ll vote from everyone else‘s picks. 2w

See All 9 Comments

TheSpineView Would love to reread

The Martian Chronicles

CatLass007 I loved The Ship Who Sang. I‘m almost certain that I still have my copy. But it‘s packed away in a box in my storage building behind my house. But I‘d love to read something else by Anne McCaffrey. The Pern series is fabulous but she wrote other series I‘ve never read, so I‘ll nominate Freedom‘s Landing. Whatever the group chooses, I‘m inspired to read a lot more of her work in 2025 than I had thought of.

Freedom's Landing

swynn Yay for more classic SF! I hope to participate more regularly in 2025. I've been thinking about a reread of Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man, so I'll nominate that.

Demolished Man

Larkken Yay! I‘m enjoying Connie Willis more than I thought I would! What is our cutoff for classic, again? 1w

RamsFan1963 @Larkken We never really established a cutoff date, but I've always thought we shouldn't be using anything after 1990. Snow Crash was published in 1992, that has been our most recent selection so far. 1w

Larkken Excellent! I like it. I loved Mccaffrey when little, which reminds me I also loved Andre Norton. I'd be curious how this holds up too

The Zero Stone

42 likes9 comments

Welcome to Litsy!

Trending Hashtags

Trending Books