Friday Face Off : Spaceships and Explosions #VintageSciFi

FFO

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.  I’m currently linking up with Vintage Sci-Fi and if you also want to link up then please do so but this isn’t a requirement simply my way of highlighting events.  This week’s theme:

An Aerial encounter – spaceships and explosions

This week I’ve gone for another vintage sci-fi book and one that I read previously (I think for a previous Vintage sci fi event).  The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A Heinlein and here is a small selection of the covers:

My favourite.  I may have mentioned that I’m quite often a sucker for the SF Masterworks covers and this week is no exception.  I love the colours and this fits the bill so perfectly:

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Do you have a favourite?  And have you read this book?

I’ve updated the list now to include themes for next year.  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 – An Alien Encounter – ‘we come in peace’ or maybe not.

2021

January

Vintage Sci-Fi month – if you’re taking part you could try and find some vintage style covers

22nd – An Alien Encounter – ‘we come in peace’ or maybe not.

29th – A favourite classic or vintage sci-fi

February

5th – A Book with a romance that you enjoyed

12th – Furry – a beast, something cuddly, or a fur covering

19th – Serpentine – could be a snake, could be a snake-like font, could be a snakeskin style cover

26th – A book with ‘Magic’ in the Title

March

5th – March is named for the Roman God of War – a Roman style cover or a cover with a God or Gods or simply a book about war

12th – Middle Grade – choose whatever pleases you

19th – Ruin or derelict, old and worn, could be the book itself, a building, a place

26th – A picture within a picture

April

2nd – A train or tram – travelling down the track, could be old style, futuristic, overhead, down below.

9th – Cartoonish or graphic

16th – I have to have it – a cover that gave you ‘grabby hands’

23rd – Your current read (if it has covers to compare) or any recent read

30th– A series that you love – highlight all the books in the series

May

Month of Wyrd and Wonder

7th – A Series where the cover changed midway through – which style do you prefer most

14th – The earliest fantasy you recall reading – or the first fantasy book you really loved, maybe the book that kickstarted your love of fantasy

21st – The Top Hat

28th – The Hood

June

4th – The nose boop – any animal, or human, with a close up shot.

11th – A cover that annoyed you and why

18th – Out of Perspective, or make you feel a bit dizzy

25th – Upside down, back to front or topsy turvy

July

2nd – A book with a landscape you’d like to visit

9th – A Wicked Grin

16th – Books with ‘book’ in the title

23rd – A Black Hole – could be in the universe or going deep into the ground

30th – Chaos – maybe too much going on in this one

August

6th – “They cluck their thick tongues, and shake their heads and suggest, os so very delicately!” – The Motel

13th – A favourite holiday read

20th – Dressed to kill (could be literally someone dressed to kill, or someone dressed up for a big night out

27th – Sunbathing or on the beach

September (RIP event)

3rd – 1920s feel, noir detective

10th – I’m Henry the Eighth I am – let’s look at Kings or other Emperors/rulers

17th – Books with ‘Murder’ in the title

24th – A favourite thriller

October

1st – A Halloween read

8th – Chills – anything at all that almost makes you too scared to pick up the book (your own pet hate)

15th – Your favourite book of magic

22nd – Books with ‘Queen’ in the title

29th – Must be gothic

November – Sci Fi Month

5th – Your earliest sci-fi read or the first sci-fi you reviewed

12th – A book with ‘star’ in the title

19th – Futuristic vista

26th – A Black Hole – in the universe or going deep into the ground

December

3rd – Windswept, the classic figure, stood majestically, with wind blowing out in a fetching way

10th – A fairytale retold

17th – Winter Solstice approaching – anything cold and seasonal

24th – All things fire – red hair, red covers, fire breathing dragons, simply fire?

31st – What’s your catnip – if it’s on a cover you have to pick it up

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And in other news…

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Hope you’re all making a great start to 2018.  I thought I’d do a quick post rounding up a few interesting blogging items that you all might like to see.

Firstly a new blog that you should take a look at –  The Fantasy Hive – a great collaboration of people with lots of interesting ideas – plus lets face it you can’t have too many people to discuss SFF with.  They’ve got off to a great start already.  If you enjoy taking part in Tough Travelling then please note this monthly meme has moved to The Fantasy Hive.  This month’s topic is elves and if you want to hook up the link is here.  You have the whole month to come up with your favourite elves.

Also, the FH have set up a monthly book club – the details are here.  I love the idea of this and I’m definitely joining in with this month’s book (The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan) as I already own a copy.  I think this will give me the extra motivation to read some of the books I’ve already bought and are currently stacked up on Mount TBR.  Check out the above link for upcoming months  and their book titles.

Which cover do you like best??  I’m going for the dark, moody version although clearly both are very good – because DRAGONS:

The New Year brings with it Vintage Sci Fi.  Established by the Little Red Reviewer a few years ago this is a great event that encourages us all to read and discuss older science fiction.  More information can be found here if you want to hook up and also for Twitter followers check out this and this .  Plus, Red Star Reviews are hosting a Dune readalong – details here.   Coincidentally, and if you love Sci Fi,  Vintage Sci Fi also runs at the same time as Stainless Steel Droppings Sci Fi Experience – the link is here if you want to take a look.  Neither of these are challenges – they’re very easy going, stress free, events and they have a cross over appeal – if you read a sci fi book that is vintage you can also post it for the Sci Fi Experience – voila.

The Bibliosanctum have posted an excellent piece with some upcoming 2018 book releases for the first few months.  Here is the link.  I’m very lazy and love it when people put together nice convenient lists – but beware: this post should come with a TBR health warning.

A link here to a readalong that’s due to start – Persepolis Rising (The Expanse #7 by James S A Corey) – this is another sci fi book (so obvs if you join in you could post your review to the Sci Fi Experience!).  I wish I could take part in this because I love readalongs but I have yet to start this series and as this is no.7…….  If you’re uptodate then I would definitely encourage you to join in.  These are always great fun.

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The SPFBO (Self Published Fantasy Blog Off) is into the final stage and all 10 finalists are  now selected – the books are here.  I’ll be posting about my next books very shortly.

Finally, here’s my favourite books from 2017 – if you want to link up then drop me your url and I’ll make a list.

TTFN

‘Do not go gentle into that good night’

‘From that fateful day when stinking bits of slime first crawled from the sea and shouted to the cold stars, “I am man.”, our greatest dread has always been the knowledge of our mortality. But tonight, we shall hurl the gauntlet of science into the frightful face of death itself. Tonight, we shall ascend into the heavens. We shall mock the earthquake. We shall command the thunders, and penetrate into the very womb of impervious nature herself.’ 

ssd2017That’s right, we’re going to hurl and ascend, mock, command and .. okay, that all sounds utterly exhausting, maybe we’ll just stick to reading some sci fi eh!  The 2017 Sci-Fi Experience hosted by Stainless Steel Droppings has now taken off in search of wondrous reads.  So buckle up, jump aboard, beam up, crack the door of the Tardis, don your spacesuit and get searching your shelves for more sci fi reads.  (Well, not just reads to be honest, films, series, games – anything goes really – in fact if this event was any more laid back it would be horizontal!)

I loved taking part in Sci Fi 2016 during the month of November hosted by Rinn Reads and Over the Effing Rainbow but I didn’t manage to read everything I wanted.  Of course I can still pick up those books – but there’s nothing like a bit of incentive to push me on and what could be better than another event that celebrates everything sci fi and brings together lots of people all wanting to chat?  So, as the saying goes, as one door closes, another opens  – hopefully not unto a black hole.  And, in fact, two doors are opening right here because Vintage Sci Fi hosted by Little Red Reviewer also takes part and crosses over for the month of January with the 2017 Sci Fi Experience.  If you love classics then this is a great opportunity to read some from your list, a bit of Shelley or Wells, and not just classics from way back when.  Basically, if it was published 1979 or before then it counts.  Check out Stainless Steel Dropping and Little Red Reviewer‘s sites for details – they express all of this in a much more eloquent way than I ever could do so go take a look.lrrvsf

Rant, rave, shout scream, laugh, cry, be amazed be scared.  Be all of those things.  But remember that in space nobody can hear you scream so don’t sit in your own little vacuum thinking and pondering – be involved and be heard.  Simples. 😀

 

‘Beam me up Scotty’: Sci Fi Month 2016 #RRSciFiMonth

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That’s it folks.  Sci fi month 2016 ends today – and what a great month it’s been.  I’ve had a great time and I hope you all have too!  I was determined to write, post and watch lots of sci-fi (well, lots in terms of my own normal posting) and I managed to do so so I’m all coloured happy. I watched a few films, particularly enjoyed Jurassic Park.  Read and reviewed three books and managed to highlight 4 sci fi books that I’m looking forward to as part of my Waiting on Wednesday posts.

I have to give a great big hand of applause to Rinn Reads and Over The Effing Rainbow for doing such a stella job of hosting and I have to say that I hope they do so again next year as I’m actually going to formulate plans next time around!  That’s right – there are actually going to be PLANS (although in fairness, I probably said that same thing last year – however, this time there really are going to be plans)!!

So, as one door closes, another usually opens.  We currently have a readalong about to start for Becky Chambers A Closed and Common Orbit – starting literally in the next couple of days but if you’re interested in joining in you could easily catch up as it’s a nice gentle pace (and when I say catch up I mean jump on board because we’ve not started yet – details here).  Also, in the New Year, the Little Red Reviewer will be hosting her annual Vintage Sci Fi month – so dig out your old vintage sci fi books, films, covers, tv – whatever, and join in.  Lots to still look forward to people.

Finally, just in case you needed a little pick me up – here – just for you:

Live long and prosper 😀

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Vintage Sci Fi: A buffet of covers

The final day of Vintage Sci-fi over at Little Red Reviewer.  You may have noticed that I set myself a small challenge to post covers – for books I’ve read – that fall into the vintage category.  For the final day of the challenge I’m showcasing a smorgasbord of some of the book covers I’ve highlighted:

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