80's MOVIES & book nominations

[colls]

So.... our 80's movies that we'll discuss sometime mid-month are:
The Princess Bride & Labyrinth



Just a reminder, we have a free chatroom here which is open to anyone who wants to use it to coordinate watching at the same time or just to randomly chat.
thecoffeehouse
pw: ilovecoffee

Oh, and the goal of having more than one is to give you OPTIONS. You can pick one or the other or watch both -- it's all good.



Next up... BOOKS!
List up to four science-fiction books and I'll do the same (pick out the 2 or 3 most popular choices).

I know there are a lot of series out there. Everything seems to be a series lately. I don't know if that's good or bad - but if you're choosing something in a series, I think it's best to start with the first of a series?? What do you think?
Also, if it's widely published and available in various formats, that'd be useful for those who might have a harder time getting their hands on something.

Comments

[colls]

Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon (#1 in a series, but looks interesting)
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein (would love to re-read this classic)
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (which is borderline scifi, I think?)

[skieswideopen]

Only 3 or 4. Oooh, hard. Okay, I'll try.

The Golden Globe by John Varley - It's been years since I read this, but as I recall, it has some really elaborate and interesting world building.
Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold. Which is technically and omnibus of two books, so I'm cheating a little. Although...has anyone NOT read any of the Vorkosigan books yet?
The Gate to Women's Country by Sheri S. Tepper - I'm going to say right up front that this is a problematic book, most notably in its complete and explicit erasure of gay people. But it's also an interesting and thought-provoking book about what a society run (almost) entirely by women might look like.
Isle of the Dead. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Babel-17 Dune by Frank Herbert for something more classic.

[midnightjuly]

On Basilisk Station by David Weber -- everyone I know has been trying to get me to read the Honor Harrington books for ages and I feel like it's about time I do!

To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer -- the first in the Riverworld series, which is something else I've been meaning to read for ages.

[twisted_times]

SF books - oh, choices, choices... here's three I love:
Triplanetary, (1934) first of the Lensman series of classic space opera books by E.E. "Doc" Smith.
Star Smashers of the Galaxy Rangers, (1973) a comic science fiction novel parodying the space opera genre by Harry Harrison.
The Dispossessed, (1974) a story set amongst two contrasting planetary societies by my favourite author Ursula K LeGuin.

[brisus]

I have both of those on DVD. <3 <3 <3

[spaceoperadiva]

Princess Bride and Labyrinth, squee, squee, squee!

I'm at a loss for book suggestions. We just started reading Madeline L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time" out loud at my house, and that's going to take up a fair amount of my reading time for the immediate future.