What initially inspired you to get into Fantasy or Science fiction??

[Memnoch]

I know of a similar thread floating about, asking what books got you into these genres . . . BUT . . .

. . .There I was having a little ponder and realised it wasn't the literary element that hooked me to start with as a youth. I loved the visual aspects, they really inspired me the art work on books and games. Also films such as Legend (can't sit through it now) and Krull etc. . . they really got me hooked and desperate for more.


So what initially drew you into these immense and ever varied genres?


My first memory of fantasy was a film I watched over and over as a kid called "Flight of Dragons."

[Aniri]

Piers Anthony. Having an older brother (6 years my senior), I emulated him as much as I could. When he was not around, I would sneak peeks at his book shelves, and then eventually started reading the books he had myself. I remember the cover of On A Pale Horse striking my fancy.
David Eddings as well, turned me onto fantasy. Sparkhawk is forever burned into my memory.

I exchanged letters with Piers Anthony a long, long, long time ago. Still have them some where in storage...as yellow as they are now

ETA: Anne Rice was another that I started sneaking from big bro's book shelf.

[Overread]

Well with me I think it started many years ago when my father would read to me and my siblings stories. Some he made up - when we were very young and then he moved on. I distinctly remember that he read us all of Narnia; the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. From there I spent several years not really reading much, but eventuall picked up a book which sparked my interest anew - Orcs omnibis by Stan Nicholls and from there I reread LOTR and then further on...

Anther factor was that I started univeristy and could then allocate several hours free to really read a book - my home it seems that every time I open a book something happens to take me away.

[Memnoch]

Originally Posted by Overread

Another factor was that I started univeristy and could then allocate several hours free to really read a book - my home it seems that every time I open a book something happens to take me away.

What like aliens? Those doctors from the asylum maybe?

I enjoyed the Orcs novels to . . . .

[Foxbat]

So what initially drew you into these immense and ever varied genres

As a child in 1969, me and my father sat and watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. That was it for me - all I wanted was more spaceships, more technology, more of anything that hinted of our future

[Overread]

Aliens - asyulme people I wish it was that interesting - could cope with that!

I think it is just that I can;t enjoy reading a book unless I can get fully into it - can't really read at airports or train staitions either -too many distractions

[Aniri]

Originally Posted by Overread

I think it is just that I can;t enjoy reading a book unless I can get fully into it - can't really read at airports or train staitions either -too many distractions

I seem to be the opposite. My commute to work is approximately an hour and 15 minutes by subway, so that is where I get most of my reading time in (excluding weekends). If I couldn't escape by way of reading, I don't know what I would do.

[Memnoch]

Ditto I can lose myself anywhere in a good book I just zone everything out!! Although I find I have several books on the go at once sometimes. Plus a dvd on in the backgorund lol.

[Connavar]

What made me start liking Fantasy was both literally and visual. It was a manga called Berserk by Kentaro Miura.

I have never been into fantasy movies or cartoon or whatever. Not even LOTR was that impressive to me except the huge awesome visual battles.

SF it was a a 80's tv show called V, you might remember it. I saw it 10-12 years ago as a kid and liked it alot despite the dated 80's look.

After that i have been into alot SF shows and movies.

I saw Star Wars earlier as even younger kid but it has never been a fav except i saw what made Harrison Ford the greatest movie hero and why his movies has made most money. His Han Solo was the only thing i really liked and the great music of course.

[HappyHippo]

I lived two doors down from a bibliophile of immense proportions. When I was fifteen and going through my first breakdown, she let me have free run of her bookshelves. I read The Belgariad, The Servants of Ark, a lot of Piers Anthony over the six week holiday and was hooked.

I had read the Hobbit and The Lion etc, but they didn't 'get' me until later.

[tangaloomababe]

You know I really don't know. I have always loved reading, I would pick up just about anything. But I enjoyed books about space and the future. Then I also discovered the talented John Wyndham and love the appocolyptic books like Day of the Triffids and The Kraken Wakes, The Chrysalids, moved onto Issac Asimov (true scie fi genius)

I didn't really get into fantasy until my early twenties when I read Lord of the Rings, started with a goodie.

Movie's I have always loved sci fi movies, Star Wars was one of the first but I also remember seeing Metropolis (B&W silent movie) at some little movie house and thinking how wild is this. Blake's 7 sealed it for me, I loved this show, still do even 25 years later.

[HardScienceFan]

a sense that everything was possible
that the universe was waiting for us
and a feeling of roaming space and time

used to read eg.in a crowded bus,often missed a stop or two

[Hilarious Joke]

Escapism, the freedom a fantasy genre offers, Narnia, Feist.

[Ragnar]

When I was a kid, growing up in the early 70s, there used to be a TV show on early Saturday evening about a guy who travelled in time in a telephone box... can't remember what it was called though

[Overread]

Ragnar - Doctor Who - great sci-fi legend of the BBC - they tried to do a remake recently which is still going in the UK - don't watch it - it lose all that the origianl had.



edit - - - wins prize for the fool - just noticed the blue balloon - - though my stance on the remake still stands