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Thanks, Debs 😊 It's been a wonderful year of out-of-this-world reading adventures. Can't wait to get started on the next batch of books. Really excited to read Twenty Thousand Leagues with you! 👍

Lol, admittedly I'm rather less hesitant than I was when I started this project at the beginning of January this year! My hesitancy was largely because I worried I would get too discombobulated by hard science, or that the philosophy would be too difficult for me, which was a rather misplaced worry. I need to give myself more credit sometimes. Fantastic that you've dropped a few of these into your wish-list! If we can time in for a buddy read with any of them that would be great. I'll be reminding folks of what's coming up next as I make my way through the year, so if you end up with the time to join me on any of them just let me know! The one I did think might be good to buddy read with you is the Tiptree collection, _Her Smoke Rose Up Forever_ - knowing what a short story aficionado you are, that could be an interesting one! Just putting that out there... 😉 It's definitely gonna be a fun reading year! 😀

@@alex_unabridged You're clearly reading my mind, because of course I was thinking that would be a great book for us to read together! I mean, I guess I can wait 'til September... I also think it is important to know that hard sci-fi isn't any more "real sci-fi" than anything you are reading. Just dressing something up with technical-sounding gobbledigook doesn't make it any better than anything else. Obviously work your way to trying some of it when and if you feel up for it, bur we all know you have blown far past the tongue-in-cheek "mildly hesitant" of your series! 🤣

Excellent - that'd be great! I'll make a note and give you a shout when we're coming up on 'Red Mars', seeing as it's a way off yet! 👍

I am nothing if not (over)enthusiastic! 🤣I've got so much out of the past year of my SF project - not just the joy of discovering new worlds/stories/writers etc, but reading work that really challenges me to think differently/more deeply about the world. I can't not continue with another year of that! I didn't know there were two different texts of Frankenstein either, not until Troy specified the 1818 version. It's been a while since I read it, not sure if I'll be able to detect the differences, but I'm not going into it to compare the two versions, so it won't matter if I don't remember my original experience so well. I'm just looking forward to revisiting it after so long! Thanks for commenting, as always - lovely to hear from you ☺Have a wonderful holiday season too!

Grade away, Sensei! 😉I don't think I can adequately express just how significant this year's reading of SF has been for me, and you've got a hell of lot to do with that, bud. I will be ever grateful for your help getting me into this genre in a big way. And I found an SF book you don't know - yay! Will look forward to seeing what you make of it. Cheers, man -- happy reading to you too 😊

@@alex_unabridged Did you mention in your video that Native Tongue is part one of a trilogy? Here in the US the trade paper has a bit of a cheeky cover. Although I believe I'll see if one of the SF places in town has the SF Masterworks edition.

@@troytradup Yes, it is a little cheeky! I'll be grabbing the SF Masterworks version, or getting it on audio I reckon. I didn't mention it was the first in a trilogy, that was an oversight on my part - I am aware it's a trilogy though. Got a few on the project list that the first in a series - if I like them I'm going to have a lot more to add to my wish list!

Cheers, Crystal 😀Am really excited to dive into more SF! Would be really excellent to read any of these with you - I'll give you a shout when I'm coming up on those you've mentioned, and if you've got the time/inclination to join me then that'd be fab. Great to hear that about your experience with Dune - that gives me hope! 😂

Cheers, mate 😀The first half didn't feel too irritating, at least no more so than I suspect it was meant to. I liked the dry, snarky commentary and the somewhat combative conversation from the protagonist. It fit the environment/situation well. But the second half... 🙄 'Irritating and pretentious' sums it up pretty well! I'll give The Female Man a go at some point, but won't be wholly surprised if I don't make it all the way through!

@@troytradup lol, I had a sneaking suspicion you might say that. We can discuss more when you’ve re-read it next year! 😉

Cheers, Jen! I need to get through more Poe - I only started reading his work last year really! I also love The Masque of the Red Death (that was in contention for this list!). Someone else recommended The Black Cat in a comment the other day too, so I'm gonna have to jump on to reading that soon 👍Really looking forward to diving into some more Shirley Jackson next year. Angela Carter is phenomenal - The Bloody Chamber was what started me off with her work, but I've read three of her novels in the last 18 months and have been consistently astounded by her skill with words! Masterful. Hope you enjoy any of the other stories you read from my list. Happy reading! 😀

Cheers, Debs 😊Will look forward to your responses! I've read _The Name of the Rose_ a couple of times over the years, and watched the film a few times too. I always feel like I'd get a hell of a lot from re-reading any of Eco's books, but they're quite time-consuming for me as they're so densely packed with fascinating information, and they send me down too many rabbit holes! Happy reading of the M. R. James stories - I'll be diving into a couple on Christmas Eve, as is my tradition 😉

Aw, I wish there wasn't an ocean separating us - costumed visits would be hilarious! I can imagine you'd make a great Ghost of Christmas Present 😂 However you don't need to do any work in making me choose between those two options. You'd think I might feel like I'm stuck between the devil and deep blue sea -- a most accurate idiom if ever there was one 😉 -- but it's actually a very simple choice. Chuck wins easily!

@@alex_unabridged I knew he would.

Great tag, Nigel! BookTube is a wonderful little community indeed. All the best and happy reading to you too, from the edge of the Peak District (just 'down the road' from you really, in the grand scheme of things!) 😀

The Name of the Rose is absolutely amazing. I read it a few times in the 90s. (I've watched the movie with Sean Connery a few times, too. It's also good, but weird casting.) I also like many of Eco's essays, such as his writings on semiotics... and of course, How to Spot a Fascist is essential reading.

Oh yeah, I think you might really enjoy _The Name of the Rose_ -- Eco's work is fantastic in general. You'd might on with a lot of his stuff, both fiction and non-fiction. _Foucault's Pendulum_ is my favourite of his, but _The Name of the Rose_ is a close second. The Kim Newman novella sounds fun, I'll have to check that out! And yes, a collection of M. R. James stories is a must! _Ghost Stories of an Antiquary_ is available free on Project Gutenberg seeing as his stuff is out of copyright now. _The Mezzotint_ is in there. There are a couple of other collections on PG too if you get a taste for his stories 😉

@@tyghe_bright I've seen the movie a few times too - I really like it, but I agree it's strange casting! Love Eco's essays too 👍

@@Already-Overbooked Cheers, man! 😀 And yeah, you do need to give this one a go! 😉 Based on other stuff I know you’ve enjoyed, I reckon you might get on well with this 👍

@alex_unabridged Based on your thoughts I really think I will enjoy it

Lol, glad it was useful! Just seen your submission drop into our inbox - fab! 😀👍

Gotta share the joy, haven't we! Glad you enjoy seeing what bookish treats I got 😀

Cheers, buddy. If you see this one floating around on your travels, you might want to give it a go. There are definitely elements I think you'd appreciate. It's on the Audible Plus catalogue over here - don't know if it's included in the US, but if you're inclined to have a bash at it, might be worth seeing if you can get it there 😉

@@alex_unabridged I added it to my Audible wish list so I should see any sales where it pops up. Didn't listen to the sample yet but I will next time I'm out there. Thanks for the rec!

Cheers! 😀Oh, those are two Poe stories I've yet to get to! Will make them a priority when I next grab my collection from the shelf, looking for a nice bit of darkness 😉Although _The Pit and the Pendulum_ is my favourite, I also like _The Masque of the Red Death_ and _The Tell-Tale Heart_ a lot too. Really need to expand my Poe reading - I only came to his work for the first time last year, so have still got plenty to catch up with!

@ I adore his work. The Black Cat is a retelling of The Tell Tale Heart - personally, I prefer it - and The Oval Portrait is a masterpiece. It’s only 1500 words, but it packs so much into its length. There’s a channel on here by Carrie Hoover who does in-depth analysis of the Poe stories. Highly recommended!

@@evansclan4eva49 Oh, cool - I'll check Carrie's channel out, thanks for the recc! And will get to The Oval Portrait soon - I love a really short short story that packs a punch! 😀

Cheers! Lol, point away! Would still love to see your review though, if you get time to get one out 😊Fantastic buddy read, my friend. Not to wish the next few weeks away, but roll on January and book two! Am feeding my Tchaikovsky habit with _The Doors of Eden_ for December - a bit more of his SF, and one that'll count toward my Read What You Own challenge.👍

@@alex_unabridged I did manage to film one, it will come out next week... I literally had to edit the running time in half, because I had so many thoughts and rambles about it! I am looking forward to Book 2 too, especially after just reading two ARCs that were kinda duds. But the plate is full, so I need to work with what I've got. Absense makes the heart grow fonder, and all that!

Lol, yep, they're pretty specific to my go-to genres for sure! 😂I'm always up for a laugh, Debs! I have downloaded a Saki collection from Project Gutenberg that contains The Unrest Cure, as well as a slew of other stories! - thanks for the recommendation! 😊

Glad you enjoyed the list, buddy! Hope you like any of these that you dive into. The Bradbury and perhaps the Ellison might be up your street, the King too. 😉

Cheers, Michelle 😀 Ooo, will look forward to your top 5 for 2024! Excellent 👍

Cheers, Mike! 😀I've got some Fritz Leiber on the cards for 2025! Looking forward to it. I've tried some HPL in the past, and struggled with it a bit, but I do need to give his stuff another try. Have got Necronomicon staring at me from the bookshelf, so I've got excuses really 😉 Thanks for watching and commenting, and for the suggestions! 👍

Thanks, Cliff! I love Skeleton Crew - so many great stories in that collection. I had a couple of others from it on my shortlist! I really need to get through some more Bradbury shorts, I love his writing, what I've read of it so far at least. Completely agree on I Have No Mouth - seriously messed up! Great writing from Ellison though - another writer I need to read more of. Did you read I Have No Mouth in the new(ish) collection of his stories? I have that on my Christmas list 😀

@@alex_unabridged Hi Alex. Yes, I purchased the Greatest hits collection on my kindle. This is the only one I have read so far.

No worries, bud -- I flippin' love that story of yours. Very glad to see it included in This Unexpected Time's bonus materials too 😉 And yes, I know you don't appreciate Puss In Boots so much. I'll admit, it feels a little out of place in that collection, what with most of the other stories leaning darker, but it's absolutely my kind of thing!

'The Martian Chronicles' was a bit of a mixed bag for me, but there are a few absolutely knockout stories in there! And even for those I didn't like quite so much I could still get on board with Bradbury's brilliant writing style - I love his voice. Absolutely give 'I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream' a go! Yeah, it's dark - really dark - but it's brilliant. Just have something nice and happy on hand to read afterwards as an antidote... 😂 Many thanks for watching and commenting! 👍

Cheers, Gareth! I think I remember you mentioning that you were planning on doing a top ten short story video a while back - might even have been what initially inspired me to start thinking about doing my own. I've been mulling on it for quite some time - it's a difficult list to do, isn't it! I figured there might be some author cross-over - I'd expect some Bradbury and Ellison on your list for sure 😉 Will look forward to seeing what your list looks like if you end up doing your own video! 👍

@ yeah I’m going to film it this weekend! - and yeah Ellison and Bradbury are in there, but different stories

@@bookssongsandothermagic Excellent! Looking forward to it, buddy! 😀

"Mrs. Todd's Shortcut"

_Crouch End_ - it's been many, many years since I read _Nightmares & Dreamscapes_ but I do remember enjoying the collection as a whole. _Crouch End_ is the Lovecraftian story, right? If it's the one I'm thinking of then I do remember really liking it! I can, at present, select ten stories as my favourites because I've not read nearly as many as you have! It's not until reasonably recently that I've got far more into short form fiction - just the last couple of years really. It was quite a difficult list to come up with tho - I had 30 or so on my shortlist. These are just the stories I've found most memorable so far, and it'll no doubt be a list I revisit each year or so as I increase my consumption of more! Will pop _When Things Get Dark_ on my wish list. Am reading some Jackson in May (part of a big horror project I've got planned for next year), so might try and time it in with that, seeing as it might also be Horror MAYhem month - will be on the scout for some short horror stories for the event!

@@troytradup YES! This was on my shortlist, but didn't make it into the top ten. Same goes for The Raft!

It's fabulous isn't it! The whole Bloody Chamber collection is wonderful, but that one really captured me. I have Blood Child on my list of must-reads, which is your doing - I really liked the sound of it when you talked about it on your channel a while ago now! 😀

Aye, he's a good lad is Troy! It's a fab little book, it's a lovely to have on my shelf to dip into whenever I like! 😊And I know I'll have a lot of fun with the spider books too 👍

Cheers, Jen! 😀

You're most welcome! Very happy to have found your channel, I love listening to you chat about your reading 😊

@ same! ☺️

Ah, the joys of childhood. A cousin of mine used to chase me round the house with a picture of a shark in a book he had. I'm terrified of sharks (visually speaking - I don't like the teeth), mainly because I watched Jaws waaay too young. Was the same cousin who made me watch it if I remember correctly... 🙄So I sympathise with your experience! The spider book looks fab - there are only two pictures in it I think, the one on the dust jacket and a little image inside. So it shouldn't get me into too much trouble reading it in front of my wife! Fingers crossed...

@ 🤞🕷️🕸️

Thanks man - always easier to do a good job when the client knows what they’re doing in the first place 😉 I noticed that the spider book doesn’t have many pics - if I take the dust jacket off and cover the one inside image with a post-it note I perhaps have the slimmest of chances that I can get S to read it! If not I’ll just feed her factoids from it relentlessly as I read it. I’m sure she’ll really appreciate that…

@@alex_unabridged Also, periodically, you should pause in your reading, look startled, and then pull a giant rubber spider out of the pages. 🕸

@ as much as I would personally find that hilarious (I’m as evil as you, clearly 👿), I think S would class that as grounds for divorce… 😂

Thanks, Debs 😀

Lol, I’m sure I’ll find out the dialogue difficulties the hard way. Oh well, it’s all a learning experience! Thanks, buddy - glad the tutorial passed muster! 😉

@@ReadBecca oh that is interesting, I didn’t know whether the characters were split between the authors or whether the split came in the prose vs letters. Ooo, thanks for the recommendations! I’ll check them out. I’d be up for trying more from both authors to be fair - the imagination and creativity evident in the book is really excellent so I’d certainly be interested to see what else has emerged from both of their minds! Many thanks for watching and commenting 😊

Thanks, Debs 😊 Same goes for you, my friend!

Absolutely! Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed the video 👍

Thanks, Fred! 😀BookTube (and other BookTubers) has given me so much confidence just to be myself, is one of the things I'm most grateful for with this fabulous community! Many thanks for watching, and happy reading! 👍

Cheers, buddy! 😀

Thanks, Cliff! 😀Have an excellent December yourself, my friend!

Cheers, Debs 😊Definitely worth a look if you come across it in the wild 😉More 'literary fiction' than a lot of the SF I've been reading, and was an interesting change of pace in my big old SF reading project! 👍

Yep, same for me! Not my usual thing at all, though I do enjoy a bit of a bonkers concept! But the style is definitely outside my comfort zone. Very glad I've read it though, definitely enjoyed reading something completely different, and something that really made me consider the creativity and craft of the authors. I imagine they had a blast writing it together!👍

Thanks Gareth 😊I'm with you on the treacle-trudging quality of the prose, at least for the first 50 pages or so. Then I managed to click into it a bit more. Took me a while to get past it enough to enjoy the book, but the concept captured me so much that I was compelled to keep going. Definitely an interesting read, not like anything I've read before!

Oh, interesting -- not come across it myself before, but then you are far more well-read (well-watched?) in terms of movies than I am! When you say 'I'm not sure in what', do you mean that you're not sure in what sort of story you could use the concept, or in what sort of weird places the messages would be found? Or both?! One immediately sprang to mind when I thought of you - messages spelled out on the teeth of living sharks. One letter indented on each tooth. Kind of like words spelled out in tattoos across individual knuckles, but you'd have a lot more letters to work with. You'd have to get pretty close to read it... Could pose a challenge - can you decipher the message before getting eaten?! 😂

Oh yeah, I definitely reckon it's worth your time! It's a quick read, and it's got a fantastic concept and some great humour too. Will be interested to hear what you make of it! 😀

Thanks a lot, buddy - really glad my review helped! Hope you enjoy reading it - will be really interested to hear what you make of it 😀

It was a super fun month of reading! And the Alien book really shocked me at just how excellent it was - one of my favourite reads of the year 😀