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dustydigger
Posted 2015-01-30 4:04 AM (#9399 - in reply to #9162)
Subject: Re: The Definitive 1950s Reading Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: UK		Looking at the 1951 list,I have previously read 5 of them. Sorry but I could never take to the Foundation series,which I have been rereading this last year or two. Since I never found the whole psychohistory premise that Seldon could predict the future credible in the least, I was unenthusiastic from the start. Then it is very ''bitty,natural enough in a fix-up novel I suppose. No characterization at all,at least I want a little bit! So not my thing.
Heinlein's Puppet Masters was one of his ''cheesy'' ones I felt,but at least it was a fast moving fun read.
Bradbury's Illustrated Man was a great favourite of mine back in the 60s. I remember our very small SF corner,probably never more than 150 books on the shelves,but all the Bradbury anthologies were there - Illustrated Man,Golden Apples of the Sun,Machineries of Joy,October Country and of course Martian Chronicles/Silver Locusts. I imagine most of the books were older SF ,from the 40s and 50s though of course all new to me,so short stories were the order of the day. Theodore Sturgeon was King of the Castle then,along with Clarke,Asimov,Damon Knight. Oddly,I dont remember any Heinlein at all,I got into him much later,the 1980s.
The Stars Like Dust was just a run of the mill books,aimiable but nothing special. Apparently it was Asimov's least fave book.
Day of the Triffids was an excellent read.and still is.It never won awards,but it outstrips all the other books in its year by appearing in no less than 10 WWEnd lists.,equalling Martian Chronicles. I think I have read it at least three times,plus all the TV adaptations. It seems to be a national imperative to bring out a new version every 10 or 15 years or so here in the UK! lol.
I am now half way through Between Planets by Heinlein for my 1951 book,and its quite enjoyable,though not first rank. More about it when I finish.I also just received Hal Clement's Iceworld,also 1951,which I will read next. It was a nice surprise,I ordered just Iceworld,but the library sent me the brand new Gateway SF series omnibus containing Iceworld,Close to Critical and Cycle of Fire,none of which I have read before,so yippee! Pity Needle wasnt among them,I would have read it for 1950!

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