The time I read every book in the recommendation list and hate you all

[Eponine]

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/88754-westeros-fantasy-and-science-fiction-book-list-first-50-books-discussion/

The first thread, a year and a half ago.

[RedEyedGhost]

You don't know much about Jesuits then.

Please enlighten me on their space program.

[DanteGabriel]

Please enlighten me on their space program.

"A diverse group of highly-qualified, well-motivated external contractors under Jesuit project management, leveraging available commercial technology, aided by a decisive command structure, backed by a great deal of institutional wealth." The plot in a lot of ways echoes the Jesuit heyday of the colonial age, when they were absolutely at the forefront of the wilderness, daring to go places that governmental organizations wouldn't. Jesuits as hardy and daring explorers is a trope that is found in Neal Stephenson books as well.

But this isn't the place to have a debate about the plausibility of a science fiction book. Dismiss the book without reading it, or don't. Quit being an ignorant prat.

[Eponine]

For the book from every country thing, on one hand, I think it would be better to mostly read books that don't necessarily have a Western audience in mind from a writer with a Western education. For example, Khalid Hosseini is more of what I'd consider an American-Afghan writer writing *about* Afghanistan. OTOH, I think it'll be extremely hard to find books in English if one gets too picky. And I would prefer to read decently well-known books that have informed other readers instead of becoming a scholar of 14th century poetry of obscure ethnic groups or something I'm probably not actually going to appreciate. ETA: That came out a little wrong - I mean, I'd like to share a basic starting point with other English language readers, and while I recognize that in many countries, poetry is the representational national literature, I don't enjoy reading too much of it, and as compulsive as I am about lists, I don't pick these out so I can read things I don't want to. Reading 60,000 couplets of poetry is something I don't want to.

I don't read a list exclusively - of the books I've read this year, about a third of them came from the SFF list. So I'll have plenty of time to pick up some of the other recommendations here. I'm a little more excited about the country thing though since I'll have the opportunity to pick and choose more of what looks good to me.

[RedEyedGhost]

"A diverse group of highly-qualified, well-motivated external contractors under Jesuit project management, leveraging available commercial technology, aided by a decisive command structure, backed by a great deal of institutional wealth." The plot in a lot of ways echoes the Jesuit heyday of the colonial age, when they were absolutely at the forefront of the wilderness, daring to go places that governmental organizations wouldn't. Jesuits as hardy and daring explorers is a trope that is found in Neal Stephenson books as well.

But this isn't the place to have a debate about the plausibility of a science fiction book. Dismiss the book without reading it, or don't. Quit being an ignorant prat.

Wow, simmer down. This isn't the 16th century any more, and the Church doesn't have nearly the wealth or influence that it used to, nor do they have a jump on everybody in space technologies. If anybody is going to be "first" in that situation it's likely it's going to be a private corporation, and that's only if the UN allows them to be - and they wouldn't.

[Darth Richard II]

Oh cmon, its set in the fucking future. This isn't some modern day spec fic crap we're talking about. Plus its really good.

[maarsen]

I concur on The Sparrow. I read it a year ago and I still think about it.

For your Canada pick I suggest brushime aside the usual suspects and reading some Timothy Findley if you can find him. I could send you my copy of Famous Last Words or Headhunter. Both so clever and entertaining but he has so much more in his portfolio.

I would have suggested Mordecai Richler myself.