Science Fiction

[Lacrimosa]

oldbanger said:

Heinlein - Friday; Starship Troopers; Stranger in a Strange Land

Iain M Banks - Culture novels

I'm currently reading The Culture series and enjoying it a lot. Very intelligent science fiction, some politics involved, though it's nothing typical.

I didn't know Starship Troopers is a book, saw only the first movie! Guess I'll be reading it next, the movie brings back childhood memories.

[Guvernator]

Lacrimosa said:

I'm currently reading The Culture series and enjoying it a lot. Very intelligent science fiction, some politics involved, though it's nothing typical.

I didn't know Starship Troopers is a book, saw only the first movie! Guess I'll be reading it next, the movie brings back childhood memories.

Be warned the ST book is VERY different to the movie.

[Lacrimosa]

Guvernator said:

Be warned the ST book is VERY different to the movie.

Duly noted. Is it good though?

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Lacrimosa said:

Guvernator said:

Be warned the ST book is VERY different to the movie.

Duly noted. Is it good though?

Yes, it is. Definitely worth reading.

[captain_cynic]

Guvernator said:

Lacrimosa said:

I'm currently reading The Culture series and enjoying it a lot. Very intelligent science fiction, some politics involved, though it's nothing typical.

I didn't know Starship Troopers is a book, saw only the first movie! Guess I'll be reading it next, the movie brings back childhood memories.

Be warned the ST book is VERY different to the movie.

Yep... at the risk of being flayed alive, I preferred the movie.

R.A. Heinlein is a good author with a terrible flaw. His writing, prose, characters and plot are nigh upon perfect but trying to shoehorn is political philosophy of extreme libertarianism just breaks the suspension of disbelief for me. I can't see liberatian economics or governments working in reality, it requires too many aspects of human nature to be ignored.

The movie was a decent action flick from a time where there weren't too many of those.

That being said, I think The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is a better Heinlein novel.

[Sway]

New Peter F Hamilton trilogy started, this time (as a first) I'm attempting the audiobook version via Audible on my commute.

New universe for PFH, and a promising start. Already wondering quite how pertinent the massive level of detail in what appear to be fairly mundane events will be to the wider story - but hey, it's enjoyable (even if the narrator is appalling, with far too frequent emphasis in an attempt to be engaging and dynamic).

[havoc]

Trying another Peter Watts novel (rather liked Blindsight) - The Freeze-Frame Revolution.

Only a couple of chapters in, but it's got a nice style to it (difficult to put down) and a very interesting core concept.

[Guvernator]

captain_cynic said:

Guvernator said:

Lacrimosa said:

I'm currently reading The Culture series and enjoying it a lot. Very intelligent science fiction, some politics involved, though it's nothing typical.

I didn't know Starship Troopers is a book, saw only the first movie! Guess I'll be reading it next, the movie brings back childhood memories.

Be warned the ST book is VERY different to the movie.

Yep... at the risk of being flayed alive, I preferred the movie.

You're not alone, I too preferred the movie to the book.

[Lacrimosa]

Guvernator said:

captain_cynic said:

Guvernator said:

Lacrimosa said:

I'm currently reading The Culture series and enjoying it a lot. Very intelligent science fiction, some politics involved, though it's nothing typical.

I didn't know Starship Troopers is a book, saw only the first movie! Guess I'll be reading it next, the movie brings back childhood memories.

Be warned the ST book is VERY different to the movie.

Yep... at the risk of being flayed alive, I preferred the movie.

You're not alone, I too preferred the movie to the book.

I've read two Culture books in a few weeks, so I think I'll try ST and then get back to Banks. Will see how the book-movie comparison will go, and thx for recommendations.

[Guvernator]

The Culture books are some of the best sci-fi I've read so they are a tough act to follow.

Also if you like the Culture novels, try some of the Neal Asher Polity series. They are like the Culture novels on acid. Very similar concept of an AI controlled future society but a bit less weighty and more action orientated.

[captain_cynic]

Guvernator said:

The Culture books are some of the best sci-fi I've read so they are a tough act to follow.

Also if you like the Culture novels, try some of the Neal Asher Polity series. They are like the Culture novels on acid. Very similar concept of an AI controlled future society but a bit less weighty and more action orientated.

+1, a very good description of the Polity books. Asher's Owner series is also very good with a more dystopian take on the future

I've still got to finish the 3rd novel (Jupiter War).

Speaking of series I've never finished, John C Wright's Count to a Trillion series, I've read books 1 and 2, brilliant reads where you can tell there is a sharp mind behind the books.

[DibblyDobbler]

Sway said:

I really like Against a Dark Background.

In fact, I'd say it's in my top 5 I(M)B.

I'm re-reading it now... loving it

[Lacrimosa]

Being hyped on Culture right now I forgot to mention one of my all-time favorite sci-fi book. Solaris by Stanislaw Lem, it's a classic psychological science fiction drama. There was a movie based on a book by Andrei Tarkovsky, a tough watch but I think it's worth it.

[cerbfan]

Has anybody started reading the new Peter Hamilton book Salvation yet? I've got it sat at home but trying to get the current Culture book out of the way first before I start it.

I've always loved Hamilton's books and he is by some way my favorite sci-fi author. I know loads of people rave about the Culture novels and whilst they are good I can't really rate any of them as exceptional so far.

[captain_cynic]

cerbfan said:

Has anybody started reading the new Peter Hamilton book Salvation yet? I've got it sat at home but trying to get the current Culture book out of the way first before I start it.

I've always loved Hamilton's books and he is by some way my favorite sci-fi author. I know loads of people rave about the Culture novels and whilst they are good I can't really rate any of them as exceptional so far.

Which ones have you read? Some are a bit mediocre and all of them are very drawn out (Iain M Banks always goes into excessive detail). I usually find his books hard to get into but by 100 or so pages have me hooked.

Compared to Hamilton, Banks spends a lot more time setting the scene where Hamilton would be progressing the story. Both have good styles IMHO.

Haven't picked up Hamilton's latest book yet but it's on my list.

[Sway]

I'm getting through it via audiobook (first time listening to something 'chunky' on the commute).

Really enjoying it so far, new universe, and difficult so far to see where the story is going - just like when the Reality Dysfunction was on the colony world with ivet Quinn Dexter...

[cerbfan]

captain_cynic said:

cerbfan said:

Has anybody started reading the new Peter Hamilton book Salvation yet? I've got it sat at home but trying to get the current Culture book out of the way first before I start it.

I've always loved Hamilton's books and he is by some way my favorite sci-fi author. I know loads of people rave about the Culture novels and whilst they are good I can't really rate any of them as exceptional so far.

Which ones have you read? Some are a bit mediocre and all of them are very drawn out (Iain M Banks always goes into excessive detail). I usually find his books hard to get into but by 100 or so pages have me hooked.

Compared to Hamilton, Banks spends a lot more time setting the scene where Hamilton would be progressing the story. Both have good styles IMHO.

Haven't picked up Hamilton's latest book yet but it's on my list.

I've been reading them in the order they were written in and currently about 40% the way through 'Look to Windward'. It's good but find I can't sit down and read it for a long time without getting a bit bored. With a Hamilton book I can usually sit and devour it in huge chunks and never want to put it down.

[cerbfan]

Sway said:

I'm getting through it via audiobook (first time listening to something 'chunky' on the commute).

Really enjoying it so far, new universe, and difficult so far to see where the story is going - just like when the Reality Dysfunction was on the colony world with ivet Quinn Dexter...

I'm liking the sound of that, the Reality Dysfunction was the first of his books I read and it was brilliant. Always disappointed that he has never re-visited that universe.

[captain_cynic]

cerbfan said:

I've been reading them in the order they were written in and currently about 40% the way through 'Look to Windward'. It's good but find I can't sit down and read it for a long time without getting a bit bored. With a Hamilton book I can usually sit and devour it in huge chunks and never want to put it down.

Look to Windward was one of the more boring ones IMHO.

[havoc]

captain_cynic said:

cerbfan said:

I've been reading them in the order they were written in and currently about 40% the way through 'Look to Windward'. It's good but find I can't sit down and read it for a long time without getting a bit bored. With a Hamilton book I can usually sit and devour it in huge chunks and never want to put it down.

Look to Windward was one of the more boring ones IMHO.

Interesting. I rather liked it. Yes it felt a little 'shaggy dog story' in the middle, but it came together rather nicely...