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dustydigger
Posted 2016-02-11 3:08 AM (#12648 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016		Quote Reply



Elite Veteran

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Location: UK		Hi there Doc B,and welcome to WWEnd. Yep,there is nothing more lowering than to look down a list and see how little you have read! lol.
A lot of purists were a bit derogatory about the NPR,that it omits too many classic books,and is a mix of SF and Fantasy,mixed singletons and series,and too populist. But it was a good snapshot of what people are actually reading.
I picked it out as a starting point for getting to know SF when I joined WWEnd back in 2012 for that reason. Also for practicality,as I found that of the books I wanted to tick off,all but 7 of them were available in my library.Compare that with what my library could provide from the Hugos - only 27 of the 63! And only 37/100 from David Pringle's list. Certainly more accessible by far.
Since then I have discovered the Open Library which has put a lot more free books within my grasp
I've read 73/100 of theNPR books but I am now left with the ones I dont fancy,mostly for two reasons - I am not a fantasy fan as a rule(over 20 of those 27 unreads are fantasy).And nearly all of them are huge wristbreaking tomes. What is it with fantasy that every book has to be a minimum of 800 pages? Oh dear.I am much happier with those fun old SF books of around 200 pages!. I suppose because most of those old authors cut their teeth on writing stories for magazines,they could produce complete succinct packing - a- punch SHORTt novels - yet were often jam packed with fantastic themes and ideas! Good stuff.
Well.I am having a year off the NPR list this year,I will only read 7 off the list. and the Perdido Street Stations,,Mists of Avalons,Doomsday Books,and those massive Neal Stephenson,.George R R Martins and Robert Jordans can stay on the shelf without breaking my wrists for another year.
Have a great time working your way through the list! Happy reading.

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