Reading Room - the Science Fiction Four

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Yeay to everyone who voted yesterday about reviving The Reading Room via themed months - so far 26/26 respondents have said yes please, let's have some more Reading Rooms, which seems to me like enough of a quorum to be going on with - so let's! *g*

22/26 are happy to start with a month of Pros science-fiction-themed AUs, so I think we can fairly safely go with that - and for everyone else, hang in there and we'll have a new theme in a month's time! There's only been one alternative suggested so far, and that's Gay Undercover, so that may well be the next one if you want to put your thinking cap (or reading glasses... *g*) on in advance!

I thought perhaps we could take suggestions today for science fiction themed AUs to discuss, and then sometime tomorrow (when all the timezones have had a chance to see the post, have a wee think, and respond) I'll either post the four suggestions, or else a poll asking people to vote for their four choices - one a week, for a month. Then we'll post the schedule and announce the first one, ask for volunteers to make the Thursday Posts, and we'll be off!

How does that sound?

And... would anyone like to suggest a science-fiction-themed Pros story they'd like to see discussed? *g*

Comments

Maybe?

[scherwood]

Free Trader, by Debra Hicks.

Suitable Gravity, by DVS.

Re: Maybe?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Yeay we've got a start - thank you!

[probodie.livejournal.com]

I was going to suggest Suitable Gravity too :-))

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Hee - you just did! *g* Cheers!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

And because I've just printed it out for a re-read, and have already been chatting with someone about it, I'll suggest The Same River (http://www.kelper.co.uk/helenraven/sameriver.htm) by Helen Raven.

[potztausend.livejournal.com]

A woman of taste ;-)

[cornishcat.livejournal.com]

I don't know where to search for sci-fi fic, apart from in paleyloitering, so I've had a look there.

I cannot recall Echo or its sequel Broadcast Difficulties but it will be fun re-reading them ... so they are my possible recommendations.

http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/3/echo.html

How do you a link showing just the underlined title?

[genagirl.livejournal.com]

LOVE THESE!!!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Excellent - shall add them to the to-vote-for list! *g*

To make a link showing just the underlined title, you use this code but leave out the asterisks!

<*a href="URL"><*u>Title or words<*/a>

You cut and paste whatever url you like between the speech marks,and between the <*u> and <*/u> you write whatever text you want to be visible. So the code for your link up above might look like this:
<*a href="*http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/3/echo.html"><*u>Echo by Ellis Ward<*/u>

And actually you don't even need to use the <*u> and <*/u>, that just puts an underline on the words, which I always do so that people can easily see it's a link.

See if that works! *g*

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

Have I got out of this by standing at the back? *vbg*

I would still like to do Sarah K, 'Of Angels and Angles' if you have space.
(hee! no pun intended) or I'll wait and see what next month's theme is...

Themed months are good!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Excellent, shall add that to the list, you stander-at-the-back, you... *g*

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

Of Angels and Angles by SarahK. http://tears-of-nienna.livejournal.com/369101.html?format=light

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Added to the list!

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

I'll suggest Jane & M. Ingrm's "Nothing Left to Lose". I also like some of the other suggestions "Of Angels and Angles", "Echo", and "Free Trader". I'd be happy to lead one of the weeks discussions - doesn't matter which story!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Ooh yes, that's another good one! I shall add it to the list - and shall ask for volunteers when we've had the poll results in! *g*

[genagirl.livejournal.com]

I can't remember the name of this one - Doyle is a prince or leader of this planet and Bodie is sent as tribute. It seems like they wear masks or something in public....I know, I'm being so vague but it was a great sci-fi AU. Maybe some one recognizes it from my horrible description?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's the one I've just been re-reading, and is one of my favourite Pros fics ever - The Cook and the Warehouseman (http://www.kelper.co.uk/cook/chap01.htm) by Helen Raven! Hmmn - except that Bodie's sent to be Doyle's husband rather than tribute, so you might be talking about Wally's Hostage to Peace (http://www.palelyloitering.com/zines/hostage%20to%20peace.html), which is what Raven based her story on - I've never been able to get through that one, so the tribute thing might be different...

I was thinking this one might be a bit long to include (it's gorgeously long) but maybe if we did it as the final one of the month it'd work...

[genagirl.livejournal.com]

I think it's Hostage to Peace. I love Wally's stuff but it's been ages since I read it. Still, some of it sticks in the old Swiss cheese mind!

Science Fiction Pros

[beauregard.livejournal.com]

My favourites are: Hostage to Peace, In the Future Tense by Wally
and the stories Broadcast and Echo and I am ashamed to say I can't pick the title of the last one off the top of my head....take off on Downbelow Station.
Karen-Leigh

Re: Science Fiction Pros

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Ah, all of those except the last one were suggested, and Echo/Broadcast Difficulties is one of the ones we'll be discussing - they're here, and the first story has been recced just today (http://community.livejournal.com/ci5hq/159446.html) if you want to catch up/join in! *g*

I'm intrigued by the story you can't remember though - I don't know Downbelow Station, so I googled and found the plot (without reading to the end, so I'm unspoiled!). I don't recognise it as a Prosfic that I've read - or remembered! If you do think of it, do let me know!