Humorous Science Fiction

It’s time again for the AW blog chain, and this time, Sassee Bioche’s post before mine talks about humour. Go on, go read her post. You know you want to!

Naturally, that led me to think about the humorous science fiction I’ve read. Well, really, it leads me to think of humorous fiction authors in general. P G Wodehouse, Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Simon Haynes, Jasper Fforde… Well, that’s about all that I’m coming up with at the moment. You know, goldfish memory and all.

Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy trilogy of five, Salmon of Doubt, The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul, and Dirk Gently’s Private Detective Agency, is one of my all-time favourites. Bizarre at times, nonsensical at others, and definitely amusing. Improbability drives, a restaurant at the end of the universe (not the end of space, but rather, the end of time…), a robot that "lives" for millions of years in perpetual whine, an intergalactic freeway system causing Earth’s destruction… What’s not to love?

Better still, there’s the amusement value from having serious discussions of his works with others in the know, nodding all the while, while confusing the heck out of the unenlightened. Oh, yes.

He also provides one of my favourite quotes. "I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by."

Simon Haynes is a relative newcomer on the block with his Hal Spacejock novels. Hal, the underachiever, and his robot Clunk. Amusing, entertaining, and just a bunch of good yarns. But not that ugly puce green colour. Oh, no.

Definitely worth getting your hands on a copy and reading.

And Terry Pratchett, author of mostly fantasy books taking place on his DiscWorld, but he has others as well, including some science fiction. True, though, his DiscWorld books are my favourites. Social commentary, as my husband says. Me, I’m really in it for the story. He’s got good stories. Entertaining? Yes. Interesting characters with actual character development? Definitely. Worldbuilding? Excellent.

Terry Pratchett, in fact, has the whole package. Well-crafted stories that entertain. While also being humorous.

I’d love it if I could write as well as PTerry, but alas, my style is completely different. But that’s another post for another day…

Meanwhile, Razib Ahmend over at SouthAsiaFair follows me. I wonder how he’ll tie this in to the focus of his blog? Follow the link and find out…

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