About SciFi-Guy.com
Welcome to my science fiction blog! Here’s the short and sweet.
My name is Dave Cole (your, er, SciFi Guy), and I’ve been an avid science fiction fan for nearly as long as I can remember. Early in my life I was fortunate to have a family that encouraged reading and exploring alternative views of the universe and how we interact with it. That led me to discover a wide range of truly engaging stories and ideas that have captured and engaged my imagination.
Like many young kids, my first encounters with the genre of science fiction came from my parents’ interests. This covered a lot of things, such as the Star Wars trilogy (the original one), Star Trek, Dr. Who, and more. As I grew, I learned to discover many other realms of science fiction that kept me engaged. In school, I can recall reading such titles as George Orwell’s classic 1984, and Ray Bradbury’s Farenheit 451. Those books, while dramatically different in topic, uncovered a world of science fiction that I hadn’t experienced – the alternative worlds and apocalyptic futures genres. In addition, my big brother introduced me to such classic role-playing games as Battletech, Robotech, and Car Wars. I collected lead miniatures and spent hours customizing custom “Mech’s”. I didn’t even play that often with friends, but I was able to immerse myself in these realities.
Soon I was old enough to engage my mind in more mature science fiction, and fortunately I discovered several authors that have consistently captured my attention. Perhaps the most influential author I’ve had the priviledge to read is Orson Scott Card, and his Ender’s Game stories. Ender’s Game was a great book for me to enjoy, because it was simple in concept yet carried numerous layers of story. There was an engaging family relationship. There was the challenge of being small; being less-than-textbook-perfect. The characters were whole.
The second truly transformative author in my appreciation of science fiction was my accidental acceptance of reading Isaac Asimov. I was in New York City several years ago, and had a few hours to kill while waiting to meet a friend. I strode past a used book vendor with a table of titles on the street, and saw a copy of I, Robot available for less than a cup of coffee. I recognized the name, but I hadn’t actually read anything by Asimov, so I set down a couple bucks and took off to Central Park to give it a shot. Immediately I was hooked. Asimov did fifty years ago what today’s authors still struggle with – create stories that entertain and withstand the test of time. Sure, some of his technological extrapolations of the future were flat out wrong, but regardless, the stories themselves were riveting. As a collection of short stories, I can recall cherishing each tale leaning against a tree in the park on a beautiful New York summer afternoon. I, Robot was finished before I even had to meet my friend, and I knew I wanted more.
So, as it stands, my reading collection falls under essentially two categories: Pop Business and Science Fiction. I have tried other tangental authors of science fiction, including popular greats like Michael Chrichton, and can keep engaged with them. But my true passion lies in those authors that create truly alternative realities with which to explore, uninhibited. In fact, my favorite sub-genre of science fiction are the post-apocalypse stories. With luck, mankind will never experience one of these reality-shattering events, but the genre captivates me, nonetheless. The thought of re-exploring our history, from where it is today, is an exciting notion.
I hope you’ll enjoy reading through this blog and sharing your thoughts of the science fiction stories and worlds that I enjoy. Furthermore, I will always encourage you to share your suggestions for new books, television shows, and movies I should try out.
Cheers,
Dave Cole, SciFi-Guy.com
Contact me at dave at evokemg dot com.