classicLSFBC

pan

Apprentice gemmologist Murdoc Jern's master is killed as a sacrifice. Can Murdoc escape from Koonga and find out why?

A strange mixture of fantasy faux-mediaeval tropes (apprentices, arcane rituals, quests, rings of power) set in a science fiction world of spaceships, rockets, spacesuits, interstellar travel, and aliens. There were too many threads left hanging and unexplained. They may be explained later, but I'm not sure I will bother.

rwmg @Ramsfan1963
#classiclsfbc 3w

dabbe #fanofthepan! #betterbooksahead 🙌🏻 3w

30 likes2 comments

RamsFan1963

The Martian Chronicles | Ray Bradbury

pick

12/100 Its been a long time since I read this, back in high school, but I'd forgotten how sad this book is, how melancholy the whole world was, even in the lighter moments. Sometimes Bradbury leans too much into the poetic for my tastes, but his vision of a Mars that will never be, definitely stays with the reader when its finished. 3 ⭐⭐⭐💫 #ClassicLSFBC #Jumpstart2025 #Read2025

64 likes

rwmg

Last Night at the Telegraph Club | Malinda Lo

When one January choice nods to another

@PuddleJumper
@RamsFan1963

#classiclsfbc
#queerbc

Ruthiella I love it when that happens! 3w

20 likes1 comment

swynn

Martian Chronicles | Ray D Bradbury

pick

(1950) I read this repeatedly in Junior high and high school, but it's been maybe thirty years since my last visit. The stories have lost some charm: Bradbury's fondness for small-town life is a faith I no longer share. And the idea of colonists recreating mid-twentieth-century Midwestern life on Mars now feels more disturbing than nostalgic. But several stories still effectively evoke a mood for me, not bad for a book pushing 75. #classiclsfbc

RamsFan1963 I'm glad my copy contain Usher II, it was my favorite story. 3w

swynn @RamsFan1963 Yes, that's a good one. “The Fire Balloons“ struck a chord with me this time, and I don't remember reading it before. Wikipedia says that is not in all editions, and some that have it don't have “Usher II“, so that may explain why I didn't remember it. Anyway, the copy I read this time has both stories, which is best. 3w

26 likes2 comments

Larkken

The Martian Chronicles | Ray Bradbury

That moment when you realize you were not-so-patiently waiting for a hold on a book you already own🤪🤦‍♀️
At least this hold was only a couple weeks - last time, I had waited on hold for MONTHS. Lol anyway, am only now starting my reread for #classicLSFBC obviously...

Ruthiella Oopsie Whoopsie! 😂 4w

dabbe Guilty of this as well! 🤩😂🤩 4w

33 likes2 comments

Ruthiella

The Martian Chronicles | Ray Bradbury

Welcome to 2025 and our first book of the year.

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.

🚀In many of the stories, Bradbury addresses a real-world issue such as colonialism, racism, or censorship. How successful were these stories for you? Do you have any favorites?

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Bookwomble Given that he was writing these stories in the late 40s & early 50s, as a Midwestern white man, I think he was well within the current of the Civil Rights movement. Of course, reading his expression of those ideas from a modern perspective can be cringy at times, but his liberation message is nonetheless clear. And he was getting these ideas across to a broad readership in an accessible form. I depart from him in some of his later statements, ⬇️ 4w

Bookwomble ... but if we see further... shoulders of giants. 4w

Ruthiella @Bookwomble think the anti-colonial themes particularly hold up. My favorite was probably “And The Moon Be Still As Bright”. 4w

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The_Literary_Jedi “Usher 2” and censorship. Directly connected to Fahrenheit 451 and presently to social media addiction (the irony for some on that point! Students eat it up!) Bradbury clearly believes banning books leads to the downfall of lit & society which is appropriate for 2025; when we read it in class, we try to do it during Banned Books Week annually to broaden the discussion 4w

Ruthiella @The_Literary_Jedi That story is definitely connected to Fahrenheit 451! I appreciated that little Easter Egg. I can see how parallels to social media can be extrapolated. Your students are lucky to have you. 4w

AnishaInkspill for me all of them worked, just had something about them, and each one said something but did it with a light hand so you didn't even notice, or the way I read books I wouldn't have all I would have seen is the comedy. 4w

kwmg40 @Ruthiella I too liked “And The Moon Be Still As Bright“ best. While Spender's methods were questionable, the struggle against those who pollute, exploit and destroy territories they enter, whether unwittingly or not, seem to be very relevant today. What would humans do to Mars or another planet if they were to occupy it, given they we've not had a great track record on Earth itself? 4w

Ruthiella @AnishaInkspill That‘s great! You really mesh with Bradbury as a reader! 4w

Ruthiella @kwmg40 My favorite SciFi novels or stories are those that make me think about humanity‘s current condition, for sure. Those are the ones that tend to stick with me. 4w

swynn The messages mostly hold up well. “And the Moon Be Still As Bright“ seems to address our moment even more than it did the author's, and “There Will Come Soft Rains“ still packs a punch. One surprise for me was “The Fire Balloons,“ which I don't even remember from previous readings, but speaks to experiences I've had since my last reading. 3w

Ruthiella @swynn The themes addressed in this collection are still timely, for sure. I think one or two might stick with me. I read Bradbury‘s “All Summer in a Day” as a child and never forgot it. 3w

51 likes11 comments

Ruthiella

The Martian Chronicles | Ray Bradbury

Welcome to 2025 and our first book of the year.

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.

🚀It‘s an interesting discussion point to debate if Bradbury is even a “science fiction” writer. Certainly, his writing style is special - quite poetic at times. Would you classify him as SciFi or literary fiction or something else?

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Bookwomble Literary Sci-Fi? He deliberately transgressed genre boundaries, lifting science fiction, at least somewhat, out of the pulp gutter that "serious" critics had pushed it into. Most fiction, regardless of genre, is disposable, but they condemned all sci-fi as trash, which it wasn't, and isn't, and in doing so ghettoised a generation of writers. TMC is so clearly not about Martians, little green men and bug-eyed monsters ? 4w

Ruthiella @Bookwomble I‘m trying to think of other “SciFi” writers who also don‘t exactly fall under that umbrella…Vonnegut comes to mind. 4w

Bookwomble @Ruthiella Aldous Huxley and J. G. Ballard come to mind, too, as having used the SF form while not being totally identified with it. Philip K. Dick didn't fare as well: his non-genre fiction didn't find a publisher in his lifetime but they're some of his best work, imo. 4w

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RamsFan1963 Bradbury is not a writer who can be easily pidgeon holed into one genre. He's written sci-fi, fantasy, crime noir, mysteries and even horror (I'm thinking of Something Wicked This Way Comes which could be either dark fantasy or horror of a gentle variety). Its easier for publishers to label a writer, to sell their product to a particular market. 4w

Ruthiella @RamsFan1963 I think a few of the stories in The Martian Chronicles would fit well under the horror label, personally. The most powerful for me was maybe “There Will Come Soft Rains”. (edited) 4w

The_Literary_Jedi We teach “Soft Rains” often in our 9th grade lit course as literary horror & put it up next to Dagon, Frankenstein, & Dracula. I love “Usher 2” myself and it falls in that line of a horror but set in a sci-fi atmosphere. I generally say if it‘s an extraterrestrial setting or character, its main genre is Sci-Fi & then it can be sub-catted elsewhere 4w

Ruthiella @The_Literary_Jedi Absolutely. Categories are both useful and limiting. I agree that “Usher 2” could also fall under the horror category. 4w

AnishaInkspill He just fit anywhere, but I think that‘s why this is so easy to enjoy. 4w

kwmg40 I don't think books need to be put into one slot or the other. Bradbury's stories could be both sci-fi and literary. HIs work is definitely not hard science fiction, but hard sci-fi is, these days, a small category of everything that could go under the sci-fi umbrella. 4w

Ruthiella @AnishaInkspill I agree, that is why he appeals to so many readers. 👍 4w

Ruthiella @kwmg40 I think to market books, many feel they must be presented under some kind of label. And you are absolutely right in that even under SciFi there are many subgroups. 4w

swynn I'm a curmudgeon who thinks all literature is literary, and “literary fiction“ as a separate genre is a hoax. Interestingly, my copy of TMC has an introduction by Bradbury where he says only one story, “There Will Come Soft Rains,“ is actually science fiction. But genre boundaries are fuzzy, and depending on context I think of these stories as either SF, or fantasy, or both. 3w

Ruthiella @swynn I agree that lit fic is a mirage. But genre distinctions can be helpful for a reader. And I would argue that part of Bradbury‘s appeal is his writing style. He has a rhythm and cadence all his own. I personally find him difficult to read as a result, but for others, that‘s the draw. 3w

46 likes13 comments

CatLass007

The Martian Chronicles | Ray Bradbury

bailed

#ClassicLSFBC The Martian Chronicles is a classic of science fiction literature. But I fell asleep four times while listening to the audiobook and I decided that was enough. #HailTheBail!

RamsFan1963

dabbe YES! #betterbooksahead 🙌🏻 4w

CatLass007 @dabbe #BetterBooksAhead is the hashtag I was trying so hard to remember. I think I‘ll start tagging you whenever I bail on a book. You are always so encouraging about bailing! I didn‘t even know it was possible to bail on a book before I joined Litsy 7+ years ago. I love everyone I‘ve met on here!❤️❤️❤️📚 4w

dabbe @CatLass007 Right back atcha, m'dear! 🩵🩶🩵 4w

48 likes3 comments

AnishaInkspill

The Martian Chronicles | Ray Bradbury

pick

#2025reads #ClassicLSFBC @RamsFan1963 #sciencefiction

This has been in my Kindle library for a while, this did not disappoint and was an amazing read. This has everything I enjoy in a read, quirky, poignant and thought-provoking. I have so many favourite stories but all of them have moments that stand out. I thought some stories were brave, and its light-hearted style was an invitation to just sit back, absorb and enjoy. And enjoy I did.

14 likes

AnishaInkspill

The Lord of the Rings Illustrated | J. R. R. Tolkien

#kindledeals #FellowshipOfTolkien #JRRTolkien @Daisey #ClassicLSFBC @RamsFan1963

hi @RamsFan1963 and @Daisey, I saw this deal in Amazon US but being newish to the platform I'm letting you know. I'm not sure if your lists will be interested or if you already know about this and others who would be interested.

I have the physical version and love the illustrations incl, but only open on occasions and read the one I have on Kindle.

AnishaInkspill btw the ASIN number to this ed is B09JF7NBT4 1mo

Daisey Thanks for sharing! I may just need to add another edition to my Kindle library. I‘ll also tag the list! https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09JF7NBT4?storeType=ebooks 4w

Daisey @JazzFeathers @wordslinger42 @BookwormAHN @BethM @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @TheAromaOfBooks @Susanita @Chrys @Roary47 @TheBookDream @dabbe @Vansa @majkia @Fortifiedbybooks @Lizpixie @BarbaraJean @Born.A.Reader 4w

Daisey @Larkken @curiouserandcurioser @tdrosebud @Liatrek @Desha @slategreyskies @AmyK1 @wisherwishinguponastar @gossamerchild @CatLass007 @AllDebooks @Bigcountry15 4w

RamsFan1963 Thanks for letting me know. 4w

21 likes5 comments

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