Testing the Waters of Sci-Fi

Psychoshop is a romp. It's absolutely crazy, and yet so very interesting at the same time. With a set of such bizarre characters, it honestly just wants to make you beg for more. You not only get to enjoy the ride, but maybe even ponder on a few things you previously dismissed to be scientific gibberish.

Once I got hold of Psychoshop, I tried to find another book by any of the two authors. I found this compilation, and, wow. Seriously. If you want to really delve into sci-fi, you gotta prepare for scientific terminology —- while enjoying a couple of great stories, of course. Alfred Bester could certainly guide you there.

I believe that I couldn't have a sci-fi list without, at the very least, mentioning Asimov. He's an incredibly prolific writer, and he's well-known, precisely for his interesting stories. Nemesis, in itself, is a curious, curious tale. If you want to think about living in another planet, I think this book would be a pretty good introduction for you.

What I like about this collection is the fact that all the stories are somewhat interconnected. Also, you'd certainly be surprised on how Smith tackles the evolution/devolution/revolution of human culture. It's an eyeopener to a lot of things, just like how great stories may also happen to be science fiction ones.

The Compass Rose offers readers another angle on certain issues as they may have never thought of before. It offers a nice breather as well, since it helps you get curious about the world once more. It also proves that not all science fiction writers are, in actuality, male, as one might have supposed so.

Actually, the Chrysalis series already has around 10 books in its name. I picked the 3rd volume, as it's the only book I have in my person. Nevertheless, it's a compilation of great scifi stories, with authors you may or may not have heard of before. I've heard that all throughout the series, Torgeson has been choosing very good ones to place in these titles.