Recently in Science fiction Category

By Peter Cook, The Digital Scene

Having just finished his book "Time Out of Joint," we'd like to call attention to one of our favorite authors: Philip K. Dick. Although he died almost 30 years ago, he remains one of our favorites for a few reasons.

First, he was able to turn the genre of science fiction into something more than mediocre-at-best genre fiction. He took science fiction ideas and turned them into studies of religion, philosophy and the human condition. He was not content to use science fiction to escape, but used it to explain.

Second, and we love him for this, there is no telling what will happen when you pick up his books. You can start off reading a book of his about a clear-cut situation and by the end you're traveling across planets in search of greater truth and religious insight. There are some authors that after the first chapter or two, you know exactly where the book is headed. That is not so with P.K.D.

For those two major reasons, his control over his subject matter and his ability to twist a premise into something you could never have imagined, he is one of our favorite authors of all time. So read up, because he was prolific, and enjoy.

The Paul Smith Library of Southern York County will collect new and used paperback books during November for shipment to American troops overseas.

The library is one of several collection points for the Sertoma Club's book drive for Operation Paperback, a Pennsylvania non-profit that has shipped nearly one million books to troops over the last decade. Other local drop-off sites include the YMCA Southern Branch and the Mason-Dixon Public Library.

Donations should be marked for Operation Paperback and dropped off during normal library hours.

The Paul Smith Library is at 80 Constitution Ave. in Shrewsbury.

Hanover YWCA is accepting used books for its annual used book sale Nov. 6, 7 and 8. Books can be brought to the YW at 23 W. Chestnut St. and placed in the "book box" located in front of the building. Please no encyclopedias, Readers Digest condensed books or magazines. Books should be in good condition and placed in bags or boxes.

and that definitely applies to book lovers.

The following Web sites offer used books for purchase or exchange, some for as little as the postage to ship them.

Check them out, and if you know of any others, please let us know.

www.bookmooch.com

www.bookins.com

www.swaptree.com

www.paperbackswap.com

that books make great gifts, but now we can listen to famous authors tell us why.

I am dead tired today (please don't tell my boss) because I stayed up past midnight reading "Breaking Dawn," the fourth book in the "Twilight" series.

I just don't get it. I don't understand why these books are so popular. There was a little bit of action in each book, but way too much conversation and way too little character development. By the fourth book, I really didn't care who lived and who died. I just wanted it to be over!

Here are some books in the science fiction/fantasy genre that I heartily recommend instead of "Twilight":

"The Giver" by Lois Lowry
"The Traveler" by John Twelve Hawks
"Interview With the Vampire" by Anne Rice
"The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger
"His Dark Materials" triology by Philip Pullman
"A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter M. Miller Jr.

I was the blogger who was going to read all the Harry Potter books this summer. Well, here it is Labor Day, the official end of summer, and I have a confession to make. I only re-read the first one! What a disappointment. I have no excuse except that other books got in my way-specifically books by Stephenie Meyers.