While
contemplating what to write about today, I kept coming back to the same topic.
I love to read. My favorite stories/books are a whole series of books so I can immerse
myself in a new world for longer.
The
“All of a Kind Family” series is the first series I can remember enthralling
me. “The Boxcar Children” is a close second. I’ve adored fantasy since someone
gave Bonnie and me a set of “The Chronicles of Narnia” when we were thirteen. Soon
after, I found “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”.
In
high school, I discovered Terry Brooks, his “Shannara” series. I’ve also
enjoyed Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books.
I
think my fascination with series stories is why I have enjoyed both Star Trek
and Star Wars. Their stories continue. Star Trek particularly continues over
multiple storylines. Each series is their own storyline while continuing the
saga. This is partly why I so enjoy reading Tamora Peirce’s books, multiple
series, set in the fantasy world of Tortall. Each series has a different
leading character but they are all in the same world and you get to see how
they all connect to one another. Her “Hunt Record” series is actually set a few
hundred years before the other stories, but the characters are mentioned in her
other Tortall books.
I’ve
found it easy to find fantasy books written in a series but I’ve rarely found
science fiction books written that way. Yes, I’m aware of Orson Scott Card’s “Ender”
books. I’ve even read C.S. Lewis’ “Perelandra” series. Most recently, I’ve
encountered Richard Paul Evan’s “Michael Vey” series. I’ve heard of the “Dune”
books, but when I first encountered them in middle school, they were too much
for me to consume. (I believe the long, wordy descriptive passages turned me
off.) The closest I’ve come to any other sci-fi series is all the different
books set in the Star Trek world.
I
have asked for recommendations for sci-fi reading material but I’ve yet to receive
suggestions covering everything I love to read. Though friends have suggested I
investigate some of Isaac Asimov’s books, I’ve been reluctant to do so because
I am not interested in reading about some imaginary futuristic planet or our
own world set somewhere in the future. (Remember, I love Star Trek.) I want a
world where the action takes place in space. Where there is space travel and
aliens. Where the main characters interact with each other and learn, grow and change,
over time. All of which explains why I love Star Trek. I’ve yet to find a
sci-fi series that truly meets all these requirements.
Of
course, that explains why I’m writing my sci-fi, a series of stories that fit
everything I look for in the genre. I also wrote my fantasy because of my love
of books like Narnia and Hobbit.
In
contemplating all I do love to read and write I wonder what other readers/writers
most enjoy and how they match up. Do writers read and write in the same genres or
do they enjoy reading genres they’d never write? (I find it incomprehensible
that any writer would write a genre they’d never read.)
So
I’m asking. What do you enjoy reading and what do you write? Are they the same?
Different? Why?
What
series of books do you enjoy the most? Why?
When
you find a book you enjoy, do you re-read it multiple times over the years, or
is once enough?
I’m
also curious to see if non-writing readers have different answers than writers do.
This
is what I’ve been contemplating this past week as I immerse myself into the
world of Tortall yet again for the sheer enjoyment of it.
I’d
love to hear what others think on this subject.
Smile.
Make the day a brighter day.
No comments:
Post a Comment