Vintage SciFi Strikes back, Intend-to-read list!
Posted on: December 7, 2012
Well, January is nearly here (scary isn’t it?) and I’ve started going through my crumbly moldy old paperbacks, trying to narrow down my list of what to read for the upcoming Vintage Scifi Month.
So far, I’ve got:
The Lost Continent by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1916)
Conan the Warrior , by Robert E Howard, (1935)
The Man Who Sold the Moon by Robert Heinlein (1950)
The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov (1954)
The Planet Buyer by Cordwainer Smith (1964)
The Goblin Reservation by Clifford Simak (1968)
The Zero Stone by Andre Norton (1968)
That’s a good start, don’t you think? I’ll have one more opportunity to visit John King Books in Detroit before New Years, and my John King Wish list includes Wyndham’s Day of the Triffids, Brunner’s Stand on Zanzibar, Bester’s The Stars My Destination, and as always more Heinlein, Norton, Smith and other random goodies which I’m sure will change up the list above. Realistically, I’ll only be able to get through eight to ten books in January.
My tastes tend to run Golden Age and New Wave, but that doesn’t mean you’re locked into that time frame or those kinds of speculative fiction books. The original pseudo-rules hold true, and you can find excellent recommendations here, and a new growing list, here. Feel free to post more recommendations or what you’re planning to read in the comments.
on twitter? use hashtag #VintageSciFi
are you excited? cuz I am!!
22 Responses to "Vintage SciFi Strikes back, Intend-to-read list!"
December 7, 2012 at 12:10 pm
Very excellent list. I would suggest that you have The Underpeople by Smith ready to go too, as The Planet Buyer essentially just stops and the story is continued in The Underpeople (alternatively they are published as one novel, Norstilia). I read both in January this year (and stupidly didn’t review them) and LOVED them. I’ve been contemplating re-reading them both in January…I’ve actually been thinking about this for several months which means it is probably a sign that I should go ahead and do it.
I snagged a handful of Norton novels and Poul Anderson novels at a used bookstore this past Tuesday, so some of those may be on my vintage list for the event in January. Looking forward to it. As soon as my artist request comes back (for banner image use), I’ll be getting my Sci Fi Experience post up and be advertising yours in conjunction with it. Its gonna be a high time!
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December 13, 2012 at 10:27 am
if your mind is pushing you to reread something then YES, go back and reread and enjoy again! 🙂
is it January yet? 😉
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December 8, 2012 at 5:31 am
I could re-read The caves of steel and Zanzibar : after so long, they would probably feel new! The goblin reservation and The stars my destination are on my TBR pile, along with some C.L. Moore and Poul Anderson’s novels. Vintage January is waiting for me 😉
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December 13, 2012 at 10:26 am
and you’ve got an excellent plan of books to read!
so much vintage wonderfulness going on already, i’m on cloud nine!
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December 9, 2012 at 10:33 pm
Count me in.
I have Michael Moorcock’s Elric saga (recently acquired the last missing volumes in my collection), the last half of E. E. “Doc” Smith’s Lensman series (Second Stage Lensmen, Children of the Lens, and Masters of the Vortex), Clifford D. Simak’s Destiny Doll, and A.E. Van Vogt’s Renaissance (which was published in 1979 but I’m going to include anyways) to read. I’ll simply postpone them until January.
I suggest you read The Man Who Sold the Moon and The Planet Buyer back to back. Supposedly, Cordwainer Smith wrote his book in response/homage to Heinlein’s.
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December 13, 2012 at 10:22 am
I will absolutely try that with Man Who Sold the Moon / Planet Buyer!
I’m a huge Elric fan (also missing books in my collection), so looking forward to discussing Moorcock with you, and looking forward to learning more about Doc Smith too.
Renaissance from 1979? totally cool. anything done in ’79 counts. 😀
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December 9, 2012 at 10:47 pm
Count me in. I have more books on my stack than I can read/review for January. The ones I am sure about are:
Perry Rhodan #2: The Third Power by Walter Ernsting
The Door Into Space by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Cap Kennedy #2: Slave Ship from Sergan by Gregory Kern
I’m still thinking about what else I will be reading.
Looking forward to another great month of vintage sf.
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December 13, 2012 at 10:20 am
i have more on my stack than I can read too. I keep finding more of my Vintage stash that I didn’t get through last year, and I’ve been buying during the year. I’m looking forward to your Marion Zimmer bradley review, everyone talks about her all the time but I’ve never read her.
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December 11, 2012 at 2:15 pm
Suggest if you have not read Charles Sheffield yet, try his COLD AS ICE.
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December 13, 2012 at 10:10 am
I’ve read one or two Charles Sheffield’s over the years, but that title doesn’t sound familiar. I will keep my eye out for it!
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7 | Geeky Daddy (@g33ky_daddy)
December 11, 2012 at 10:18 pm
I cannot wait for the Vintage Sci-Fi reading to begin. i cannot believe that it has been a year since the last one:) I have decided to read more vintage/classic sci-fi than contemporary title this next reading year.
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December 13, 2012 at 10:10 am
hey Geeky daddy, how have you been? looking forward to your reviews in January, and of course after that as well! 😀
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Geeky Daddy (@g33ky_daddy)
December 15, 2012 at 10:42 pm
I have been good. I have been reading The Mote in God’s Eye. You are right about the pace of the book in the beginning. It is slow going.
Is it January yet..:)
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December 13, 2012 at 8:03 pm
I haven’t been reading as much vintage scifi as usual, so I’m eagerly waiting for January to participate. Up on the block I have Wilson Tucker’s The Long Loud Silence (1952), Ward Moore’s Greener Than You Think (1947), and Lee Sheldon’s Doomed Planet (1967). Probably others, as well.
From your list, the only one I’ve read is Conan the Warrior which I liked, and The Planet Buyer, which became part of Cordwainer Smith’s even trippier novel Norstrilia. Seriously, novel be trippin’.
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December 14, 2012 at 10:34 pm
LOL, novel be trippin! Smith is pretty um, surreal.
I’m terrible, I’ve even heard of the books and authors you mentioned. You better school me on ’em! 😉
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December 15, 2012 at 5:39 pm
The Tucker and Moore are intentional deep cuts, I’ve seen them on some best-of lists from the ’50s but they’re pretty unknown today. Doomed Planet has such an awesomely trashy title that I put it on my list, it’s the latest release from Singularity&Co.
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December 15, 2012 at 9:51 pm
I love Singularity&Co. I supported their Save the Scifi Kickstarter. . . although i never went back and actually got the e-books. i suck! I’d love to visit their store in NY sometime.
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December 20, 2012 at 3:30 pm
I think I’ve finally come up with my books for this so here goes:
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Starship Troopers
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
20,000 Leagues
Mysterious Island
Dr Jekyll – not sure if that one is really sci fi – but I sort of fancy reading it!
But, okay, not being an expert over here – if you look at this list and the blood all rushes out of your face and you clean swoon away in horror then please feel free to set me straight!!
Whether I’ll manage all this remains to be seen but I’ve made it my challenge!!!
Lynn 😀
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December 20, 2012 at 8:36 pm
Those sound brilliant! The Moon is A Harsh Mistress is my favorite Heinlein, so I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it. I’ve been meaning to read Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, I’ll bet your review inspires me to go find a copy!
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the Little Red Reviewer 
December 7, 2012 at 11:07 am
Excellent list. I read A LOT of Andre Norton growing up. I really should revisit her work. I look forward to hearing what you think of The Lost Continent. I was thinking it would be fun to read that back to back with Doyle’s similar book (Lost World?) and then Alan Dean Foster wrote one along the same lines, similar title. Maybe I will get around to that little side project some day.
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