tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6068875751220856362.post3113693607424779889..comments2023-06-18T09:49:17.343-05:00Comments on Up With Which I Shall Not Put: The House of Grammar Part 9: I, The House of GrammarJeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04636870676308444576noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6068875751220856362.post-18571798227418613282012-04-05T19:14:05.608-05:002012-04-05T19:14:05.608-05:00Interestingly enough if someone asks me for a reco...Interestingly enough if someone asks me for a recommendation when it comes to science fiction I will typically ask how much of it they've read. If relatively little, I'll always throw out Heinlein as my first suggestion. Starship Troopers, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, even Stranger in a Strange Land are all good starting points.<br />Then I'll usually suggest John Ringo. My primary reason for doing so is that Ringo is without a doubt a consummate writer, but he is very much at heart a military man and his writing reflects this. Which does not mean it lacks intelligence. Far from it. There's a degree of subtlety in his work that is difficult to find elsewhere. However, what he does VERY well is speak plainly, and when he comes to a point of technical gobbledegook, he quite dynamically breaks down what he is trying to explain into first its technicalities, then what those technicalities actually mean to a layman. Very good introductory science fiction, and when you've then read enough, great to go back to and read over for some of the things you may have missed or perhaps just not appreciated.Jeremyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04636870676308444576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6068875751220856362.post-4740914855890185772012-04-04T09:51:22.756-05:002012-04-04T09:51:22.756-05:00Just catching up on blogs, sorry for the late resp...Just catching up on blogs, sorry for the late response! I think the question you pose regarding readership is an important one, and it's one of the things that keeps me away from science fiction. Many a time I am told by friends and siblings that I should read a certain book (sci-fi), but this is always immediately followed by "But you should read this or that book first. Actually wait, have you read book X? You won't get it unless you start there." I usually just give up at that point because I have so little free time for 'fun reading'. Maybe that will be changing soon, though. One can hope.cdnkarohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12300104667616840616noreply@blogger.com