Last spring I compiled a list of genre works I haven't yet read or seen. I thought I'd revisit the list and see if I've made any progress. The verdict: not a lot. Completed works or new notes are indicated in bold.
Television
Farscape (I now have the series and followup Peacekeeper Wars on DVD, so I'll get to it)
Stargate (and spinoffs)
Alias
21st century Dr. Who
Torchwood
The Tripods
Quatermass (original television series; I've seen most of the movies)
Supernatural
Dark Shadows
Jeremiah
The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne
Dead Like Me
Pushing Daisies
Desperate Housewives (Probably won't pursue)
Six Feet Under
Medium (I'll probably never get to this; doesn't seem like my cup of tea)
Film
Quatermass IV
Day of the Triffidds
Deluge
Aelita
Mighty Joe Young
Donovan's Brain
On the Beach (I've read the book, though)
Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine
Astro-Zombies
Beware! The Blob (I have seen the first Blob movie)
Who? - Saw it! The book, as is so often the case, is far better. Creepy prostetic effects, though.
Phase IV - Saw it! And I thought it was pretty good.
The Brood
Altered States
Heartbeeps (Probably won't bother)
Looker - Saw it! Interesting idea, but has a major plot hole.
Outland
Inseminoid
Zapped! (Probably won't bother)
Brainstorm - Saw it! Very cool, proper SF; that is, it explores the effects of new technologies on individuals and societies.
The Brother from Another Planet
Star Crystal
*batteries not included
Short Circuit 2
Ghostbusters 2
My Stepmother is an Alien
Deepstar Six (I did see the similarly-themed Leviathan that year, though) (Probably won't bother)
Robocop 3 (I have this on Blu-Ray now, part of a box set)
Mom and Dad Save the World (Probably won't bother)
Freejack
Waterworld
The Arrival and The Arrival 2
Jurassic Park 3
The Faculty
Six-String Samurai
eXistenZ
Literature
The Hobbit
The Lord of the Rings
Gravity's Rainbow
A Case of Conscience
Starship Troopers
Most of the works of C.J. Cherryh
Most of the works of Philip K. Dick
Most of the works of William Gibson
Most of the works of H. Beam Piper
Most of the works of Connie Willis
Most of the works of Lois McMaster Bujold - I can cross this off the list, having read all but one of the Vorkosigan books; I'm reading her fantasy works next.
Most of the works of Ursula K. LeGuin
Most of the works of Octavia Butler
Anything by China Mieville (I have his first couple of books now)
Overall, I've done a pretty poor job of filling in my genre blind spots, though I think I do a reasonable job of keeping current. It's just hard to catch up when there's so much new stuff coming out - much of it excellent. And never mind genre material; I'm trying to read more mainstream literature as well. I suppose I should be using this list to help complete my goal of reading 100 books this year...killing two birds with one stone.
5 comments:
China Mieville is awesome! Perdido Street Station is creepy and awesome, and The Scar is sinister and awesome with bits of creepy thrown in for good measure.
That's all I've read of his for now, but they're all on the pile of books to be read, for sure.
Also, I didn't notice Cormac McCarthy on your list. Is that because you've read his books?
Well, this is primarily a list of genre stuff, and the only genre work of McCarthy's that I know of is The Road - which should be on my list, since I haven't read it! (But it is in my library, and I'll probably read it this year.)
Earl, I have a bunch of Cormac McCarthy books. Blood Meridian is chilling.
As well, I recently picked up Mieville's "The City and the City." Looking forward to reading it.
I've read lots of commentary about Blood Meridian. Apparently, there's even a companion piece to it. That one's on my list before The Road, which I started but abandoned in favour of something else that was shiny.
I seem to remember that The City and The City is not one of his Bas Lag books, but based in London. I've heard good things about it, and the guy is an exceptional writer, no doubt. I want to finish the books set in Bas Lag before I tackle the rest of them, though.
Post a Comment