Science Fiction

[funkyrobot]

Cotty said:

etchacan said:

Just finished Kim Stanley Robinsons Mars trilogy (Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars) - was really impressed and hooked the whole way through.

I have only read the first book. Didn't like it enough to read the trilogy.

I finished the trilogy a few months ago. I didn't really take to it.

Initially, I didn't realise that it was more about the people on the planet than action and adventure.

Finished it though.

[NickyTwoHats]

I loved Kim S R's "2312" - the Mars Trilogy was good but 2312 takes it another step.

[havoc]

funkyrobot said:

Cotty said:

etchacan said:

Just finished Kim Stanley Robinsons Mars trilogy (Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars) - was really impressed and hooked the whole way through.

I have only read the first book. Didn't like it enough to read the trilogy.

I finished the trilogy a few months ago. I didn't really take to it.

Initially, I didn't realise that it was more about the people on the planet than action and adventure.

Finished it though.

That was what appealed to me, and what IMHO makes them better novels - the characterisation, the detail on the social and political aspects, the whole picture he paints...

One of the few series I keep re-reading...

[ChemicalChaos]

After debunking at least 2 of its chapters (and no doubt more will follow), I'm going to nominate "Hitlers Suppressed and Still-Secret Weapons, Science and Technology" by Henry Stevens

[tertius]

RealSquirrels said:

Cotty said:

Anyone read anything by Alastair Reynolds. looks like an decent collection of books to jump into once I finish the Culture series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alastair_Reynolds#Nov...

yep, the revelation space series of books is ace...

Agreed, far superior to Banks in my view. Chasm City is especially good.

[strudel]

What I've found interesting is the way sci-fi changes over time. I've slowly worked my way through The Collected Stories Of Arthur C. Clarke and there are some subtle changes over time - but it's interesting how some of the ideas were dreamt up a long time ago! On the other hand I read Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon and some of the facts are way out - but for 150 years old it's pretty good. I love the idea in a few novels of FTL travel working alongside punch cards and tape.

So if you're looking for short stories to read between books when you've only got a moment - try Clarke's collection. It's very good Or try H. Beam Piper's works, solid stuff.

[rxtx]

I can also recommend Clarke's short story collection, I keep a hard copy next to my side of the bed (it's big) and one on a Kindle. There are some absolutely fantastic stories in there, the sort where you finish a few-page story and can't help but think about it afterwards for at least as long as it took you to read it.

[irocfan]

I've just bought 33 books & short stories on the Kindle by H Beam Piper thanks to references in Fallen Angels (Niven, Pournelle & Flynn) http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BPZF234/ref=...o02_details_o02i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and then just seen mega-packs for Harry Harrison among others

[deanobeano]

I can recommend this series of books

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Empire-Redemption-Trilogy-...

The first book in the trilogy is free.

[Baron Greenback]

deanobeano said:

I can recommend this series of books

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Empire-Redemption-Trilogy-...

The first book in the trilogy is free.

Enjoyed that one on my kindle! I go through reading any scifi top 100 free book! Found a few good authors this way! Reading just finished Banks last book! I didnt want to start reading knowing it was his last book! Going to start reading his old books again i think!

[irocfan]

I'd give this one a good shout - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beyond-Uranus-Trilogy-Stew... silly, childish and right up my street

[The Beaver King]

Well, I'm just about to start on book number 18 of The Horus Heresy.

By Christ, are these books taking some getting through. I'm absolutely loving them though; the story arc is huge and very convoluted, with each book jumping to different locations/characters/timelines all along the same story.

What makes it so fascinating is that I could read about part of the plot in one book (say book 3) and then read about the same plot, but from an entirely different angle and characters POV in book 7. It constantly forces you to change your personal allegiances to the characters, as you begin to understand the motivation behind the 'good' and 'bad' guys.

It's also interesting reading a series of books that are written by numerous different authors, yet adhere to the same general plot and 'universe'. It's great as you pick up on each authors style of writing and the focus of their story.

According to the latest count, I currently have 12 books left to go, with 3-4 being released each year. When I started there were 12 books!

I would highly recommend these to anyone looking for a dark, gritty, politcal, sometimes quite gruesome, set of books that contain some excellent sci-fi material set in a massive universe.

Wiki said:

Early in the 31st millennium, the Milky Way is in the throes of the Great Crusade. Originating from Terra (Earth), it is an interstellar crusade that claims the galaxy as the rightful domain of Humankind, and aims to reunite the multitude of scattered human space colonies under an "Imperium of Man". Organised in numerous Expeditions, the Crusade fields huge fleets and vast armies; at its forefront, led by the Primarchs, are Legions of Space Marines – transhuman super-warriors numbering in the millions. Over the course of two Terran centuries, the Crusade has reached star systems more than 50,000 light years away from its original staging point in the Sol (Solar) System, has assimilated millions of worlds into the Imperium, and has given Humankind a dominant position among the galaxy's species. Its grand mastermind is the "Emperor of Mankind", a mysterious superhuman of unknown origin who is said to be almost 40,000 years old when the Crusade starts.

The Emperor, Founder and Head of the Imperium, is a being of literally towering charisma, prowess, conviction, and ability. He has declared an atheistic worldview – the Imperial Truth – based on science, reason, and human primacy. However, he is also the most powerful human (or humanlike) psyker, and overall, one of the most formidable psychics in the galaxy; the Imperial Truth is at best a misrepresentation. The Emperor knows that in the Warp, the dark matter/dark energy-like parallel dimension that is the domain of thought, emotion, and consciousness, exist sentient vortices of concentrated, harmful energy. These malign immaterial entities forever seek to breach the material universe and subjugate or consume all life within it. They are the basis of many human and alien religions, and are known (by the few humans aware of their existence) collectively as Chaos, the Primordial Truth, or the Primordial Annihilator.

Humankind's continuing biological and psycho-spiritual evolution includes the gradual development of widespread Warp-related psychic abilities that will make the species far more susceptible to Chaotic influence; united under the Imperium of Man, shielded in the belief of Imperial Truth, and judiciously steered by the Emperor and his inner circle, the human race may yet avoid the Chaos-induced psychic corrosion and social entropy that would lead to its eventual annihilation. The transition of Humankind to a spiritually conscious species that is self-determining, and free of taint, may thus be accomplished. Chaos is aware of the Emperor's objectives; it has plans of its own to thwart them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Horus_Heresy_(novels)

[Baron Greenback]

Ordered Peter Hamilton new book The Abyss Beyond Dreams (Chronicle of the Fallers 1) come on October and 750 pages of fun!

[JonRB]

Having just read the following review on The Register, I think that any book that mentions the Coriolis effect, without feeling the need to explain it, is right up my street.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/22/echopraxia...

[JonRB]

Some of the commentards are mentioning 'Ancillary Justice' too. I may have to look into that also. And 'Blindsight'.

It's about time I got back into reading - I used to read an awful lot but not so much these days.

Edited by JonRB on Friday 22 August 18:09

[Sway]

Thebeaverking - Cheers, read the first Horus Heresy book, wasn't sure if I wanted to carry on with the whole series (like Dan Abnett's stuff but not sure on some of the other Black Library authors).

Think I'll give it another go (which will undoubtedly mean I get the full set even if I think they're pants just because I should)...

Oh, and a new Peter F Hamilton?

[The Beaver King]

Sway said:

Thebeaverking - Cheers, read the first Horus Heresy book, wasn't sure if I wanted to carry on with the whole series (like Dan Abnett's stuff but not sure on some of the other Black Library authors).

Think I'll give it another go (which will undoubtedly mean I get the full set even if I think they're pants just because I should)...

Sway; Dan Abnett is probably the strongest author out of the Black Library line up, but there are a few who are very close behind (Graham McNeil and Ben Counter to name two). Thankfully BL seem to treat the Horus Heresy series with a lot of respect, so they tend to only let proven authors produce material.

As you progress through the series, some of the books are a bit more difficult to get into. I think this is because you start to build up a list of favourite storyline material (different factions, characters, locations) which can make some of the books less interesting as they deal with stuff that doesn't quite pull you in.

For instance, anything to deal with The Emperor, The Dark Angels or Terra gets me hooked straight away.


A great book, outside of the Horus Heresy stuff is Eisnehorn by Dan Abnett. Easily my favourite Sci-Fi book by far. I think it's out of print at the minute, as Amazon are selling new copies for £80!

[Sway]

Sounds good. Can definitely understand the draw of certain factions, found that with Game of Thrones and The Night's Dawn trilogy.

Have both Eisenhorn and Ravenor, along with the Gaunt's Ghosts omnibus. Really do rate Abnett as a writer.

Think I've read Graham McNeil - did he do the Ultramarine stuff?

[The Beaver King]

Sway said:

Sounds good. Can definitely understand the draw of certain factions, found that with Game of Thrones and The Night's Dawn trilogy.

Have both Eisenhorn and Ravenor, along with the Gaunt's Ghosts omnibus. Really do rate Abnett as a writer.

Think I've read Graham McNeil - did he do the Ultramarine stuff?

Yeah, it's very much along the GoT lines. There are factions/characters that I disliked when I started readind the series, but suddenly found I really enjoyed them once I understood their motivations.

Ahhhh, snap. Didn't like Ravenor as much as Eisenhorn, but still a good series. Gaunt's Ghosts was very good, Abnett isn't afraid to kill off the odd favoruite.

If you haven't already, I suggest reading Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium. It's based around a commissar, like Gaunt, but is a more humourous style.

Indeed, he's done about 5/6 books for Heresy as well. I've recently finished The Outcast Dead and he did a brilliant job with that and A Thousand Sons.

[LordGrover]

How/why does fantasy (elves, dragons, knights, stuff) get lumped in with science fiction?