Stuff I'm into

When people ask me for recommendations about what I've been into lately in the world of Science Fiction and Fantasy, I usually flounder, struggling to remember even half of the things that I like.  Now, if anyone asks me such a thing in the future, I'll have a legitimate reason to refer them to my blog - like a big shot.  With a blog.

Classic favorite SFF movies and TV shows: 

Aliens, Dune (Lynch and Villeneuve), both Blade Runners, Buffy (but not Angel?), Firefly, Thundarr the Barbarian (as a kid, anyway), Cabin in the Woods. everything but the end of Neon Genesis Evangelion, everything but the end of the Battlestar Galactica reboot. Stardust movie.

Science Fiction books and/or audiobooks:  

Dune, Ender's Game, Slaughterhouse Five, Stranger in a Strange Land, Time Enough for Love, The Forever War, Old Man's War, Starship Troopers, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, The Passage series, A Wrinkle in Time, The Stand, The Road, The Three Body Problem, The Bobiverse series, The Interdependency Series by Scalzi, Vernor Vinge's Zones of Thought series and Rainbow's End in particular, Watchman graphic novel and movie, V for Vendetta, Citizen of the Galaxy, The Door into Summer, The Long Earth, The Anvil of Stars (the book before that one isn't as fun, but is relevant.)

Fantasy books and/or audiobooks:

Tolkien, the first Shannara series, The Name of the WInd, Harry Potter, The Stormlight Archive, The Wheel of Time series, The Game of Thrones series (and show), the Earthsea series, the Mistborn series, The Gentleman Bastard series, Magician: Apprentice and series (including the Daughter of the Empire series), the Warded Man series, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series, Discworld (especially audiobooks), Dragonlance, Furies of Calderon, Prince of Thorns series, the Riddle-Master series, The Last Herald-Mage series, the Vlad Taltos series, the Assassin's Apprentice series, anything by NK Jemisin, The Briar King series, Dresden Files, Dragonriders of Pern.

Lately:

I've gotten into listening to Nick Podehl performing audiobooks, particularly of the LitRPG genre.  He's amazing - able to clearly distinguish dozens of characters by their accents and mannerisms.  And LitRPG is fun to the point that it's irritating to me that I didn't invent it - it seems so obvious that it would be marketable and fun.  It's like the novelization of playing D&D or a video game.  It's ironic that Podehl's least impressive work that I've heard from him is on my very favorite book - The Name of the Wind.  Right now, I'm enjoying the Moontide Quartet audiobooks, and all the different accents in that world seem hand-created to showcase Podehl's ability.

Travis Baldree, an accomplished voice actor (his work on the Amaranthine series is truly terrific), writes that one shouldn't bother with an audiobook unless/until showing good sales.  But audiobooks are my primary method for enjoying books these days, so it won't feel like I've put it out there until I could buy it and listen to it myself. Travis is booked two years out, but he recommended another talented, award-winning performer by the name of John Pirhalla, who I think is amazing and perfect for my book.