The Happy Birthday Ray Bradbury book tag was created by Athena over at One Reading Nurse. You can find her original post HERE. This being a book tag, I am a day late to the celebrations, but hopefully a not a dollar short. If you’re reading tis, consider yourself tagged.

The Illustrated Man – A Sci-fi character you would love to cosplay ?

My cosplays tend to be recycled bits of LARP kit, but if money and time were no issue, I would love to do a full Neelix (Star Trek: Voyager) cosplay, latex mask, mohawk, muttonchops and all.

Fahrenheit 451 – A sci-fi book that you think everyone should read?

Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio. It is everything I love about space opera and science fiction in general, all within a single book. The rest of the series is great too.

A Medicine for Melancholy – your comfort read or a Sci-Fi book that made you happy?

I don’t have a single book that I consider a comfort read, but there is something incredibly soothing about Ben Bova’s Grand Tour series.

The Martian Chronicles – Your favourite sci-fi involving first contact or aliens in general

First contact? It’s hard to do better than H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds. It’s a classic for a reason, and still the best alien invasion story I’ve come across.

Death Has Lost It’s Charm For Me – A Sci-fi book that makes you nostalgic

Scott G. Gier’s Genellan novels. They were among the first adult science fiction I ever read, and even though the series was never completed, it’s one I keep wanting to revisit.

Dandelion Wine – a food or drink you were inspired to try because a character loved it

I don’t think I’ve ever done this, but, if I may circle back to Voyager, I do wonder what leola root stew tastes like.

There Will Come Soft Rains – A Sci-fi that made either helped you through or made you hopeful in a rough time

When I was first diagnosed with collitis, I had to spend two days in hospital. Luckily I had a stack of Isaac Asimov’s Space Ranger books to keep me entertained.

One Timeless Spring – A Sci-fi you wish you could read again for the first time?

Again, not a single book. But if I could read the Star Trek Litverse again (in order this time), I think it would really reframe the stories.

Something Wicked This Way Comes – your best-loved sci-fi villain?

Probably Marco Inaros, from The Expanse by James S. A. Corey. In the books, I loved him as the warlord who took on Earth and Mars. In the show, Keon Alexander imbued him with such charisma I was almost on his side.

Bradbury Speaks – A Sci-fi Author that you would like to sit down and talk to?

If I can bring back the dead, I’d love to hear one of Asimov’s after-dinner speeches. If not, then Christopher Ruocchio would definitely be an interesting conversational partner about the canon of science fiction.

Where Robot Mice & Robot Men Run Round In Robot Town – with nothing else considered, your favourite title of a sci-fi book?

Adrian Tchaikovsky’s One Day All This Will Be Yours is a wonderfully evocative title, so I’ll pick that one.

From the Dust Returned – A sci-fi character you would bring back from the afterlife?

Generally, I think the dead should stay dead. But I will make an exception for Charles ‘Trip’ Tucker III from Star Trek: Enterprise. (And yes, this does count as a book, because the Enterprise relaunch does just this.)

Kaleidoscope – your favourite sci-fi book that has been adapted into something else?

I’m going to have to pick The War of the Worlds again. Both films are great in their own way, but Jeff Wayne’s musical version might just be the best adaptation ever made.

The Love Affair – your absolute favourite sci-fi book of all time 

Even after all these years, and some strong competition from the likes of Christopher Ruocchio and Cixin Liu, it has to be Isaac Asimov’s Foundation. An oldie, but a goodie.

Yes, some names crop up more than I expected, but that’s because they’re good. Trust me, I have excellent taste. Now if you’ll excuse me, it seems I have some Ray Bradbury to catch up on.