Conference noted::sf

      Recent? Well I "recently" read "The Man in the Tree", by Damon
    Knight. An excellant story about a man, a very big man, who
    had the power to reach into other worlds. Actually sort of sad,
    but a very good tale. The only other Knight book I know of is
    "The World and Thorinn". Try it,...
                                        rick

    Re .0:
    
    I like solid physics, so I prefer things by Charles Sheffield and
    Robert Forward, especially "Dragon's Egg" by Forward.  They have put
    out several books in the last few years.
    
    
    				-- edp

    I'll second edp's mention of "Dragon's Egg", and its sequel
    ("Starquake"?) which is not quite as good.  I also really enjoyed
    Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" and its just-now-out-in-paperback
    sequel "Speaker for the Dead".  I should also mention Greg Bear's
    "Blood Music" and "Eon", both now available in paper.  Finally
    there's George Martin's "Tuf Voyaging", which collects all
    the Haviland Tuf stories that appeared in Analog over the past few
    years; it's only available hardbound as yet.  I just started
    Brin and Benford's "Heart of the Comet" which was heavily hyped
    when it first came out, but now it's out in paper, so I took a
    chance on it and it seems pretty good so far (about half way into
    it).  If you haven't tried William Gibson's "Neuromancer" yet I'd
    recommend that - it's been around for a while but has only really
    attracted attention in the past year or two.
                                  
    Happy reading,
    
    len.
    

    	Just finished Joe Haldeman's anthology- Dealing In Futures,
    and I HIGHLY recommend it.  BTW- I got it through the SFBC so
    I don't know if it's in the book stores.
    
    - Steve

    I recently read Paul Cook's "On the Rim of the Mandala", about to
    be published. He be a friend of mine so I got a reviewer's proof.
    Also a second on "Speaker for the Dead" by Orson Card.
    
karl moeller

    Gee. I  haven't read anything outstanding lately (like NEUROMANCER).
    I've been finishing/continuing series.  See, I read THE PRIDE OF
    CHANUR and got hooked on it.  So I picked up CHANUR'S REVENGE and
    THE KIF STRIKE BACK (catchy title).  So I had to finish up with
    CHANUR'S HOMECOMING.  While the 4 could have been a big 2, I'm glad
    I read it.  I was sorry it ended (if you're reading this, Ms Cherry,
    it is not a hint).
    
    Likewise with THE MAN WHO NEVER MISSED.  An expanded novella, it
    is the story about a one-man rebellion.  Since it was successful,
    MATADORA followed; the adventures of a follower of our hero.  To
    complete the "Matador Trilogy", Perry wrote THE MACHIAVELLI INTERFACE.
    TMWNM was a cute theme, the other 2 were not as clever, but did
    finish up with a psych job, like the first one.
    
    I also read & enjoyed Yermanov's JOURNEY FROM FLESH, but its not
    a new title.  It's about a nasty little symbiote from a quarantined
    planet which falls into the hands (or wherever it decides to bite
    into) of a human, then transfers to our hero.  The beastie gives
    its host powers of insight, like fortune-telling for real.  The
    plot thickens when the aliens come after it (they use it to enhance
    the powers of their warriors, which they obviously wish to keep
    secret) and the chase is on.  A bit more grisly than POLYWATER DOODLE.
    
    				Don ICEMAN::Rudman
    

    One excellent novel I recently picked up is "The Hercules Text"
    by Jack McDevitt.
    
    It deals with a popular subject these days, that of the reception
    of a message from "outer space". In contrast to CONTACT by Sagan,
    however, in this book the aliens are dead and long gone. (BTW, the
    introduction, by Terry Carr, points out that this book was written
    before CONTACT.)
    
    The book mainly gets into with how mankind deals with the content of
    the transmission. It has some interesting insights into human nature.
    
    David.

    Try _The_Handmaid's_Tale_ by Margaret Atwood.  I see (#455) it's
    up for a Hugo.  Much deserved.
    

    If you like fantasy, then try _The_Summer_Tree_ by Guy Gavriel Kay.
    It's the first book of a trilogy called _The_Fionavar_Tapestry_.
    The second book is _The_Wandering_Fire_ and I think the third book
    is out.  Strong characterizations and some interesting subplots.
    
    Also in the fantasy genre, _The_Belgariad_, a five-book series by
    David Eddings.
    
    Enjoy.
    
    Wook

    NON-fantasy/sf by David Eddings "The High Hunt".
    Good action,plot,charachters. Early 70's vintage.
    Worth a look. 

    re.10
    
    I just stayed up two nights in a row reading the first two of Kay's
    books - they are well worth reading!
    
    Bonnie

    If you don't mind ghastly titles, read Kathleen Sky's _Witchdame_.
     I found it lively, multi-dimensional, and with more religious and
    historical aspects than I can count.  (Better than Katherine Kurtz?
    I think so, but who cares?  More _real_ and almost-real history,
    less fictional setting, and the characters even have character _flaws_,
    unlike other much-beloved books like those my Ms. Kurtz or Ms. Bradley.)

    This is supposed to be short stories, right? :-)
    
    One of my all time favorites, is a 5 or 6 pager called "Nothing Ever
    Happens on the Moon"  Some of it's elements are dated (written back in
    the fifties)  but the suspense of the man being stalked by an invisible
    creature is incredible.  A must read!!
    
    Another oldie, that youll find in anthologies of SF but is more in the
    horror genre, is called "The Rag".  How an old dust-rag in a boarding
    house, covered in dust, spit, dirt, blood from meat drippings, grease
    comes to life when dropped behind an old radiator during the winter and
    what happens when the heat is turned off too soon...

    
    Ok, strictly short stories. How 'bout:
    
    		The Last Question		Asimov
    		Any Draco Tavern story		Niven
		(especially Limits)
    		Tales of Known Space
		Not Final			Asimov
    		Burning Chrome (all of it)	Gibson
    		Tangents			Bear
                
    Also just finished a book by Dan sumbuddyorother (wrote Hyperion,
    methinks) full of short stories. Kind of a cross between horror and SF.
    As soon as I remember the title (Across a Sea of Stones, maybe ?), 
    I'll post it.		
    

    Dan Simmons		Prayers to Broken Stones

Greg Bear - "Blood Music". 

    The Veldt--I forget the author, but it's a classic!  (The tale of a
    children's holographic nursery in the future.  Watch for the lions!)
    
    The Sandkings--Almost more horror than sci-fi or fantasy.  About a man
    with his new pets (which seem to be like intelligent ants) and what
    happens when you treat your pets badly.
    
    The Nine Billion Names of God--Isacc Asimov  another classic!  How many
    names does God have and what happens if you discover them all?
    
    There's no life on Mars--another oldie I think (sorry, can't recall the
    author)  it's only twoand a half pages long, and the last line is the
    best!!!!!!
    
    Tricia
    

    Re:-1
    
    The Veldt is by Bradbury.
    
    Sandkings is one of George R.R. Martin's.  You might also try The House
    of the Worm (title?).  If you want longer works try Fevre Dreams
    and/or Armageddon Rag (title?).     

    And "There's No Life on Mars" (I'm not sure that's the
    right title) is by that master of the short-short (I'm
    not certain the story is even more than a single page),
    Fred Brown.