Sci-Fi book recommendations please

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nickd

447 posts

Ultimate Geek

#44728 28-Oct-2009 22:14

Hi All,

I've read the following and am hoping you could suggest some other good ones, I have really only just got into the genre so I'm probably missing the classics anyway.

Ender series - Orson Scott Card
Nights Dawn Trilogy - Peter F. Hamilton
Pandora's Star - Peter F. Hamilton (but didn't like it)
The Algebraist - Ian M. Banks
Dune - Frank Herbert

Thanks,
Nick.

soleil24

124 posts

Master Geek

#267880 28-Oct-2009 22:55

Everything else by Iain M Banks (and ideally in publication order - standalone stories but with a theme) should keep you busy for a while. And his non-sci (published as Iain Banks - no "M" but Iain either way has the middle "i" !!) stuff is pretty good too.

For the "classics" you can't beat Asimov's "Foundation" series.

Of course for real space opera (or do I mean operetta maybe), Douglas Adams !!!!

*all opinions expressed are...opinions !!

IG

NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

Uber Geek

#267883 28-Oct-2009 23:01

You could try the other Dune novels too by Frank Herbert.

Depending on your taste, you might want to steer clear of the Dune novels that were not written by Frank Herbert. Personally I liked them (particularly the Butlerian Jihad trilogy), but they are a very different style to Frank's writing, and many fans of the original Dune hated them.

Jarno

270 posts

Ultimate Geek

#267891 28-Oct-2009 23:47

Anything by Vernor Vinge or Neal Stephenson. I greatly endorse Iain M. Banks as well.

There is a series of classic SF re-issues called SF Masterworks. They are numbered (in issue order), with black covers, so are fairly easily found and collected.

hellonearthisman

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#267901 29-Oct-2009 02:08

I recently enjoyed Brian D'Amato "In the Courts of the Sun".
Eric Flint's, 1632, Ring of Fire was also an interest story.

Mike Shepherd had an action type book set in future times and worlds,
"Mutineer", "Deserter", "Defiant", "Resolution", "Audacious" and "Intrepid".

scifi humor, all of Dougles Adams books.

William Gibson - Neuromancer

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

Tevis Walter - The Man who fell to Earth

Summertime on Icarus - by Arthur C Clark

Stanislaw Lem - Solaris

John Wyndham - The Day Of The Triffids
Simon Clark - The Night of the Triffids

Philip K Dick, Do Andriods Dream of Electric Sheep, The Man in the High Castle, We can remember it for you Wholesale.

Isaac Asimov - The Positronic Man, I Robot, Nemesis and Robots in Time.

Max Brooks, World War Z - An oral History of the Zombie War

Clone by Richard Cowper

vexxxboy

4244 posts

Uber Geek

#267921 29-Oct-2009 07:37

The Deathstalker series by Simon Green, very violent and funny series of books.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

Dinuir

41 posts

Geek

#267923 29-Oct-2009 07:49

Raymond E Fiest. While there are lots of books start with "Magician", "Silverthorn" and "A Darkness at Sethanon".

My wife hates Sci-Fi and even she thought it was brilliant.

wazzageek

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#267933 29-Oct-2009 08:32

Dinuir: Raymond E Fiest. While there are lots of books start with "Magician", "Silverthorn" and "A Darkness at Sethanon".

My wife hates Sci-Fi and even she thought it was brilliant.

If you read Magician et al, don't forget the books co-authored with Janny Wurts - The Empire series (Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire and Mistress of the Empire)

Works really well being "The other side" of the story to the Magician triology.

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davidcole

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#267935 29-Oct-2009 08:37

Read the 2nd lot of Ender books? dealing with Bean?

Also the Foundation series from Asimov, or it's you're really keen start with robot books, then Elijah Baily books then foundation as they all flow on from each other. There's a suggested reading order in Prelude to Foundation I think.

And finally the Rama series from Arthur C Clarke.

Previously known as psycik

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TinyTim

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#268002 29-Oct-2009 10:46

Robert A Heinlein

Kevin J Anderson - Saga of Seven Suns

soleil24:. And his non-sci (published as Iain Banks - no "M" but Iain either way has the middle "i" !!) stuff is pretty good too.

At least read The Wasp Factory. Whoa!

EDIT: removed the Wasp Factory link to Wikipedia as it gives away the plot twist. Instead: "Written from the first person perspective, it is a deeply unreliable narrative told by sixteen-year-old Frank Cauldhame, describing his childhood and all that remains of it. Frank observes many shamanistic rituals of his own invention. As the novel develops, his brother's escape from a mental hospital and impending return lead on to a violent ending and a twist that undermines all that Frank believed about himself."

BurningBeard

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#268013 29-Oct-2009 11:03

TinyTim: Robert A Heinlein

Good call. Just reading Time Enough for Love for the third time now.

My very metal Doctor Who theme

mdf

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#268022 29-Oct-2009 11:21

I would endorse a lot of the above (and have taken some notes for future reading).

I've just finished the Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson - was really really good, lots to think about, won the Hugo and Nebula a few years back (though it did end quite suddenly).

I've also read a lot of David Weber recently - great space opera with some cool tech ideas and not too much worrying about the deeper meaning of things to get in the way of the plot (great escapism). I've read most of the Honor Harringtons, and have just started the Prince Roger series.

But perhaps best of all, David Weber (along with Eric Flint and others) are really pioneers in electronic pubishing. You can get a lot of his stuff for free from the Baen Free library or the Fifth Imperium. He includes a CD in most of his books with previous works on them and encourages sharing to find new readers. Pretty enlightened really - I've certainly bought lots of his other stuff because I got into his stuff through the freebies. You can even put them on e-readers (Stanza for the iPhone is good).

See http://www.baen.com/ and (for e.g.) http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/09-AtAllCostsCD/AtAllCostsCD/March%20Upcountry/index.htm.

itey

476 posts

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#268038 29-Oct-2009 11:49

I really enjoyed Fallen Dragon by Peter F Hamilton

SepticSceptic

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#268040 29-Oct-2009 11:58

Philip Jose Farmer - the Riverworld series. Initially got me interested in the SF genre, many years ago. Starts off with "To Your Scattered Go" ( I think ), then The Fabulous Riverboat, etc. Gets a bit hard going 3rd book, but after that, not bad.
Other books by Farmer not too bad - Dayworld, Jesus on Mars.
Ringworld series - Larry Niven
Mote In God's Eye - Larry Niven & Jerry Purnelle. Written a few others - Footfall, etc

+1 Raymond Fiest's Magician series. His Faiere Tale novel was good too. One of my more read ones.

Dune series I found hard going ...

Good list above from other posters - to be added "to be read list"

nickd

447 posts

Ultimate Geek

#268366 29-Oct-2009 23:13

soleil24: (published as Iain Banks - no "M" but Iain either way has the middle "i" !!) stuff is pretty good too.

My bad, I wasn't wearing my contacts at the time and the I was just part of the N.

Thanks everyone. Looks like I have just a little bit of reading to do, I just have to find my library card...