Science Fiction

[JonRB]

It's kind of like saying "I'm not really into cars. What car should I buy?"

Ok, so what kind of driving do you do? What's important to you - economy or speed? Are you in any way interested in handling? Is it just you or do you have a large family? What's your budget? How long is the piece of string that you want to carry in the car? etc.

I mean, come on. Give us a bit of a clue here.

[tomash]

I have to agree with a lot of what has been said before I'm currently re-reading The Algebraist by IMB and its brilliant as are Use of Weapons; The Player of Games and Excession (I mean who doesnt love the idea of an "Outside Context Problem").

However there does seem to be a Glaring Omission in this Thread.

Kurt Vonnegut

If you havent read Slaughterhouse Five then you have missed out on one of the greatest Sci Fi books of all time! The Sirens of Titan; Breakfast of Champions and Cats Cradle are good too in fact pretty much all of his stuff is good.

Also some other things worth reading IMHO:-

The Schrodingers Cat Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson
The Riverworld Books By PJF
Macroscope and Mute By Piers Anthony
Robopocalypse by Daniel H Wilson.
A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson

[JonRB]

tomash said:

I have to agree with a lot of what has been said before I'm currently re-reading The Algebraist by IMB and its brilliant as are Use of Weapons; The Player of Games and Excession (I mean who doesnt love the idea of an "Outside Context Problem").

Yes, I absolutely love Iain M Banks. Such a tragedy that he and pTerry Pratchett were both taken from us so young.

tomash said:

A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson

Neal Stephenson's stuff is definitely worth a read. Snow Crash blew me away when I first read it, and is still a good read even now although does rather rush into a Deus Ex Machina ending at the end. In fact, if I had to level a criticism of Neal Stephenson it is that he doesn't know how to end a novel. Look at Cryptomnicon - thick enough to club baby seals with and as you are getting nearer and nearer to the end with literally only a few pages to go you are thinking "how the fk is he going to tie this up?" and then he kind of goes "and, errr, then 'The End'".

'A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer' (aka "The Diamond Age", btw) is very much of a similar nature to William Gibson's "The Difference Engine" inasmuch as it's pretty Steampunk. I liked it.

[grumbledoak]

LandR said:

What's a good sci-fi book for someone who has never read sci-fi.

I wouldn't want something massive or what I see being called "hard" sci-fi.

Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Six linked short stories a-la Canterbury Tales by a (previously) horror writer.

[havoc]

grumbledoak said:

LandR said:

What's a good sci-fi book for someone who has never read sci-fi.

I wouldn't want something massive or what I see being called "hard" sci-fi.

Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Six linked short stories a-la Canterbury Tales by a (previously) horror writer.

That's still pretty hard-going in parts, to be fair. One of my favourite SF novels, but perhaps not an introductory one.


A few near-future / alternative history suggestions:-

Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson - epic in scope (and words), but a very rounded series that just happens to be set on Mars not on Earth...the sci-fi bit is in the near-future tech and specifically the colonisation of Mars - the actual storyline is all about politics and people (the characterisation is very good). Also amongst my favourites - books you can read again and again, and completely immerse yourself in.

The Wind-Up Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi (sp?) - set in a post-diluvian Bangkok, the title-character is a
genetically engineered girl. Another novel where characterisation takes the fore, not the science.

Pashazade and sequels, Jon Courtenay Grimwood - set in an alternate* current-day Arabic/North African environment, faster-paced, more thriller-esque but with a whodunnit element and just an edge of technology/sci-fi. Central character very cool also...



...and three space-based but easy-reading suggestions:-

Altered Carbon, Richard Morgan - mercenary-returned-from-war style story, which happens to be set in a sci-fi environment. Pulp fiction, but fast paced, well-written, engaging. Not quite cyberpunk but close-enough that if you like this you'll like cyberpunk.

Forge of God, Greg Bear - one of his more approachable (he is one of the best at techy / 'hard' sci-fi), but also one of his darker novels - hard to explain without spoilers, have a look on Amazon. Sequel is more hard sci-fi...

Old Man's War, Joe Scalzi - first of a small series, easy reading, engaging, but a very people-oriented novel.



* i.e. stable, peaceful

[Tonsko]

Windup Girl. Good shout.

[JonRB]

havoc said:

Forge of God, Greg Bear - one of his more approachable (he is one of the best at techy / 'hard' sci-fi), but also one of his darker novels - hard to explain without spoilers, have a look on Amazon. Sequel is more hard sci-fi...

I've read several Greg Bear novels and I have found them very hard going. And I say this as a fan of Asimov, Brin, Niven, Banks, Herbert, et al.

[LandR]

tomash said:

If you havent read Slaughterhouse Five then you have missed out on one of the greatest Sci Fi books of all time! The Sirens of Titan; Breakfast of Champions and Cats Cradle are good too in fact pretty much all of his stuff is good.

Slaughterhouse Five was brilliant, so is Cats Cradle.

Don't think I would class either as sci-fi though.

[hairykrishna]

JonRB said:

Neal Stephenson's stuff is definitely worth a read. Snow Crash blew me away when I first read it, and is still a good read even now although does rather rush into a Deus Ex Machina ending at the end. In fact, if I had to level a criticism of Neal Stephenson it is that he doesn't know how to end a novel. Look at Cryptomnicon - thick enough to club baby seals with and as you are getting nearer and nearer to the end with literally only a few pages to go you are thinking "how the fk is he going to tie this up?" and then he kind of goes "and, errr, then 'The End'".

'A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer' (aka "The Diamond Age", btw) is very much of a similar nature to William Gibson's "The Difference Engine" inasmuch as it's pretty Steampunk. I liked it.

Anathem is probably my favourite Neil Stevenson but, again, the ending's a bit rubbish after such a massive novel. Everything he's written is well worth a read though.

[Zigster]

LandR said:

What's a good sci-fi book for someone who has never read sci-fi.

I wouldn't want something massive or what I see being called "hard" sci-fi.

What sort of books do you normally read? Something like Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Huxley's Brave New World, maybe Day of the Triffids by Wyndham? They are pretty good - not space opera so probably more accessible to those who aren't normally in to Sci Fi.

[TbirdX]

Just in case no ones mentioned it yet...

The Hitchikers Series - Douglas Adams (god rest his soul)

Millenium - John Varley (ignore the poor film and read the book)

Day Of the Cheetah - Dale Brown (probably more of a techno thriller but has a sci fi base - think Firefox in reverse)

[jbudgie]

JonRB said:

havoc said:

Forge of God, Greg Bear - one of his more approachable (he is one of the best at techy / 'hard' sci-fi), but also one of his darker novels - hard to explain without spoilers, have a look on Amazon. Sequel is more hard sci-fi...

I've read several Greg Bear novels and I have found them very hard going. And I say this as a fan of Asimov, Brin, Niven, Banks, Herbert, et al.

Thought 'Forge of God' was very good, still haven't got around to reading the sequel yet.

[Halmyre]

jbudgie said:

JonRB said:

havoc said:

Forge of God, Greg Bear - one of his more approachable (he is one of the best at techy / 'hard' sci-fi), but also one of his darker novels - hard to explain without spoilers, have a look on Amazon. Sequel is more hard sci-fi...

I've read several Greg Bear novels and I have found them very hard going. And I say this as a fan of Asimov, Brin, Niven, Banks, Herbert, et al.

Thought 'Forge of God' was very good, still haven't got around to reading the sequel yet.

I really liked it too but gave up on the sequel - too draggy (piss-poor review I know but it was yonks ago, can't remember much about it!).

[havoc]

Halmyre said:

I really liked it too but gave up on the sequel - too draggy (piss-poor review I know but it was yonks ago, can't remember much about it!).

Anvil of Stars - not as coherent as most of his other work, and required a LOT of imagination to understand what he was trying to describe...which isn't a criticism of his creativity, more a mismatch between his descriptive skills and the average reader's level of imagination - GB was really channelling some VERY high-tech concepts in that one...

[jbudgie]

Have downloaded Anvil of Stars, will give it a go.

[judas]

Halmyre said:

jbudgie said:

JonRB said:

havoc said:

Forge of God, Greg Bear - one of his more approachable (he is one of the best at techy / 'hard' sci-fi), but also one of his darker novels - hard to explain without spoilers, have a look on Amazon. Sequel is more hard sci-fi...

I've read several Greg Bear novels and I have found them very hard going. And I say this as a fan of Asimov, Brin, Niven, Banks, Herbert, et al.

Thought 'Forge of God' was very good, still haven't got around to reading the sequel yet.

I really liked it too but gave up on the sequel - too draggy (piss-poor review I know but it was yonks ago, can't remember much about it!).

I loved Forge of God but didn't get on with the sequel. My favourite Greg Bear books are Blood Music along with Eon and its sequel Eternity. All brilliant high concept sci-fi and well worth a read.

[Salgar]

Pandora's Star is 99p on Kindle at the moment, probably one of my favourite PF Hamilton books for anyone that hasn't read it

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pandoras-Star-Commonwealth...

[Leithen]

Salgar said:

Pandora's Star is 99p on Kindle at the moment, probably one of my favourite PF Hamilton books for anyone that hasn't read it

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pandoras-Star-Commonwealth...

Oooh - bargain. Bought and downloaded, many thanks....

[havoc]

judas said:

I loved Forge of God but didn't get on with the sequel. My favourite Greg Bear books are Blood Music along with Eon and its sequel Eternity. All brilliant high concept sci-fi and well worth a read.

Eon / Eternity for sure...read when a student, one of those books that sticks with you for a long long time - again, GB's sheer imagination dwarfs most sci-fi writers. Have you read the loose prequel, Legacy?

Blood Music - lovely story - read the short story/novella first, and think I preferred that.

I'd put Darwin's Radio up there as well...hit a little too close to home, given the way society is going...

[SWAT78]

Leithen said:

Salgar said:

Pandora's Star is 99p on Kindle at the moment, probably one of my favourite PF Hamilton books for anyone that hasn't read it

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pandoras-Star-Commonwealth...

Oooh - bargain. Bought and downloaded, many thanks....

Me too - cheers!