Friday Face Off : Like a fine wine
21 January 2022
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books by Proxy, Friday Face off, Harry Harrison, The Stainless Steel Rat
Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme created by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite book covers. The rules are fairly simple each week, following a predetermined theme (list below) choose a book (this doesn’t have to be a book that you’ve read), compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Future’s themes are listed below – if you have a cover in mind that you’re really wanting to share then feel free to leave a comment about a future suggested theme. I’ve also listed events that take place during the year, that I’m aware of, so you can link up your covers – if you’re aware of any events that you think I should include then give me a shout.
I’ve added themes in below. For information, I’m trying out some new ideas so along with coming up with particular items for book covers I thought we could also look for certain elements contained within the book or that play a large part in the story – this really broadens things out because I have plenty of more ideas with this – I’ve gone for a few of the Tough Travel Themes (so a book with that theme – just choose any book – the theme isn’t necessarily on the cover, then compare covers), also, I’ve thrown in some genres and some colours. Hopefully this will open things out a little and give us some more freedom to come up with new books.
This week’s theme:
Like a fine wine – a sci fi book written on or before 1975
Well, there are plenty of sci-fi books published before 1975 so I look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with. I can’t remember whether I’ve used this book before but it’s a book that I read as part of an early Vintage Sci-fi event. The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison. Here are a small selection of the covers:
I cannot deny that the cocktail glass appeals to me (ahem) and is that a tiny little space ship stirrer – I want one! I also like the cover with the chaotic background and bodies flying to and fro. But, I’m going with the red cover with the stainless steel rat because it feels appropriate:
Do you have a favourite?
If you know of an event that’s coming up let me know and I’ll try and include covers that work for the event itself so that you can link up to the Friday Face Off and, as always, if you wish to submit an idea then leave me a comment – or if you’d like to host a week then simply let me know. Also, I would just mention that it’s very possible that some of these might be repeats from previous FFOs although I have tried to invent more ‘open ended’ prompt that can be interpreted differently and also prompts that relate to emotions. Finally, don’t struggle with any of these, this is meant to be a fun way of highlighting books. If you can’t come up with a book you think fits for a particular week use a freebie – perhaps a recent read for example:
Next Week – In space nobody can hear you scream – murder mystery in space
2022
Friday Face Off : Year of the Rat
24 January 2020
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Friday Face off, Harry Harrison, The Stainless Steel Rat
Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme created by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite book covers. The rules are fairly simple each week, following a predetermined theme (list below) choose a book (this doesn’t have to be a book that you’ve read), compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Future week’s themes are listed below – if you have a cover in mind that you’re really wanting to share then feel free to leave a comment about a future suggested theme. I’ve also listed events that take place during the year, that I’m aware of, so you can link up your covers – if you’re aware of any events that you think I should include then give me a shout. This week’s theme:
Chinese New Year – Year of the Rat – this could be a chinese style cover, something with a rat or rats, or any interpretation that comes to mind.
A lot of the new themes are open to interpretation which might make choosing the covers and seeing other’s choices very interesting. I can’t stress enough that this is all about your own interpretation and hopefully this new open feel to the meme will bring a larger selection of books and covers. It’s not supposed to be hard work, there are no rules, just enjoy yourself.
I thought of lots of books for this week’s theme but being Vintage sci fi month I’ve gone for a slightly different take on the theme and a book I read as part of the event a few years ago. The Stainless Steel Rat (Stainless Steel Rat (Publication Order) #1) by Harry Harrison. I chose this for the name but as it happens one of the covers has a rat. Here are this week’s covers:
My three favourites:
and I think my favourite has to be:
Which is your favourite?
I’ll be updating the list in order to include forthcoming events that I’m aware of so that you can perhaps link your themes up where possible (if you know of an event you’d like to share then let me know in the comments). As always, if you wish to submit an idea then leave me a comment – or if you’d like to host a week then simply let me know 😀
Next week – First Contact – “Ack, Ack, Ack, we come in peace”
Future themes: (if you’re struggling with any of these themes then use a ‘freebie’ or one of your favourite covers) (I’ve added some new themes – some of these are slightly different, in order to avoid too much repetition I’m trying to make the themes more of a suggestion that everyone can interpret how they like.
2019
(2020 – January is Vintage SciFi month so I’ll be including possible themes to take that on board.
31st January – First Contact – “Ack, Ack, Ack, we come in peace”
7th February – Lion- “Is that a lion with horns and a pitchfork?”
14th February – romantic – “thus with a kiss I die”
21st February – meringue – the puffy dress? – Lots of covers with ‘big’ dresses
28th February – Leap Year – One Ring to rule them all – A cover with a ring
6th March – Skeleton – them bones, them bones, them dry bones…
13th March – Exotic – ‘That which yields, is not always weak”, a place, a person, a flower – anything that represents something from distant lands.
20th March – Brown – a cover or covers that are brown
27th March – Freebie – choose one of your favourite covers
3rd April Fools – a trick of the eye – a cover that is more than meets the eye.
10th April – Moody – a cover that is atmospheric,
17th April – out of focus – double vision or all a blur
24th April – Armour – ‘“Pretty armour doesn’t make a warrior.”
1st May – Canine – “And then there were cats, thought Dog.:
8th May – graphic novel cover – “Love belongs to Desire, and Desire is always cruel”
15th May – pink – as pink as cotton candy – any cover that is pink
22nd May – Sorrow – a cover that makes you feel sad
29th May – Silhouette – an island, a person, anything you like
5th June – Flight – any type of flight – to flee, to fly
12th June – The bodice ripper – exactly as it seems
19th June – Time – time waits for no one
26th June – Windows – windows to the soul?
Playing away from home….
21 January 2014
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Harry Harrison, Little Red Reviewer, The Stainless Steel Rat, Vintage Sci Fi
Yep, today, I’m guest posting over at the wonderful Little Red Reviewer‘s blog. This is all part of the Vintage Sci Fi event that Andrea is hosting for the month and in this post I get to review The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison – I really liked it! I hope you’ll stop on by LRR to find out why…
TTFN 😀