Science Fiction

[irocfan]

captain_cynic said:

egor110 said:

Thanks I'll have a read thru that thread later.

Any mil-fi you'd recommend?

The Expeditionary Force series by Craig Alanson (you'll just have to excuse a few typos).

Chain of Command by Markos Kloos.

The Lazarus War series by Jamie Sawyer.

And of course the classic Old Man's War series by John Scalzi.

defo the first 2. All the John Scalzi I've read has been good, I'll have to try the Lazarus war.

I enjoyed these too:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AP91Y6A/ref=dp-kind... (part of a series, but works as a standalone)
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/395738.Orph... (series)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00APAH7T2/ref=dp-kind... (Troy Rising series)
https://www.amazon.com/Mission-Zero-Fourth-Fleet-I... (not strictly speaking Mil-fi but elements of - series)
Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series is a realistic (?) view of space combat and also worth a try.

I have to be honest I do like a lot of the kindle unlimited pulp stuff too but there is a plethora of choice

[Dr Jekyll]

Reading Gregory Benford's Timescape again for the first time in decades.

Not just good SF but a good story. Very readable hard SF, like Stephen Baxter though the alternative realities element is relatively minor compared with the way Baxter would handle it. First time through I didn't pick up on just how many references there are to situations having different perspectives according to the observer.

[FunkyNige]

irocfan said:

Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series is a realistic (?) view of space combat and also worth a try.

That’s my go to series of books when I want to read something familiar for a week or two, really enjoyable sci-fi even if the books do get a bit samey.

Edited by FunkyNige on Wednesday 28th October 16:11

[MikeT66]

blueST said:

I might be a bit like you, I like the idea of sci-fi, but much of it doesn’t work for me. A lot of it is just a bit too challenging for a casual read before sleep for me. Stuff I have enjoyed recently: The Expanse series by James S A Corey is good, but I’m only on book 4. I enjoyed The Great North Road and Mindstar Rising by Peter F Hamilton.

Very similar to my thinking. I've never really 'got' sci-fi (sorry ) and find some of it really hard going. Having a third stab at Saturn's Children by Charles Stross... but I keep putting it back to one side about halfway through and looking for something else to read. Love the Greg Mandel series by Peter Hamilton, though - the near-future world is perfectly believable, I think.

[Newc]

JonChalk said:

However, not in that category, I would definitely recommend the following;

Megan O'Keefe's Velocity Weapon & Chaos Vector

Just wanted to give a tip of the hat for this. I hadn't heard of this series before, and fully agree with the recommendation. Interestingly, I think she mostly fails to make the 'sufficiently advanced tech is indistinguishable from magic' shift for something which is set in 52nd century, but it doesn't really matter because the books are primarily an exercise in the art of the unreliable narrator. She pulls that off superbly and the SF part is done well enough to support the plot.

If you like multiple protagonists, interwoven plots, and unclear structures, you should give these a try. If you're looking to find the bugs' home world and nuke it from orbit, you probably won't get on with them.

[JonChalk]

Newc said:

JonChalk said:

However, not in that category, I would definitely recommend the following;

Megan O'Keefe's Velocity Weapon & Chaos Vector

Just wanted to give a tip of the hat for this. I hadn't heard of this series before, and fully agree with the recommendation. Interestingly, I think she mostly fails to make the 'sufficiently advanced tech is indistinguishable from magic' shift for something which is set in 52nd century, but it doesn't really matter because the books are primarily an exercise in the art of the unreliable narrator. She pulls that off superbly and the SF part is done well enough to support the plot.

If you like multiple protagonists, interwoven plots, and unclear structures, you should give these a try. If you're looking to find the bugs' home world and nuke it from orbit, you probably won't get on with them.

I always struggle to explain why I like a book, and you've done a better job than I, but yes, I agree, the tech is interesting backdrop for challenging multiple storylines and how they intersect.

[grumbledoak]

grumbledoak said:

xeny said:

You prefer those to A Deepness in the Sky and A Fire Upon the Deep ?

The opening of Deepness in particular I enjoy for its ability to make you interested in a character.

I certainly remember them more clearly. I might not even have read A Fire Upon the Deep.

And now I have read A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. He really does have a fantastic imagination: the universe is unique in it's physics, the aliens really do range widely in their physiology, into novel configurations complete with their own unique limitations. The main plot centres on a human-caused calamity, a great Evil, and a rescue of lost children. It's a decent size book but it flies by. Definitely recommended. You should probably read both in order but the plots are distinct, separated by eons.

[Newc]

Three Body Problem fans, your wait is over. The master returns with a set of short stories



Just as good as all his other stuff, and every idea is an absolute winner. I think it's the scale of his imagination that makes it. Playing a concert using a star's energy ? Check. Planet nearly gets crushed for an interstellar neutral zone ? Check. How to make ice sculptures in absolute zero ? Check. It's never repetitive; while you can tell each piece is in a certain style, it's always a novel concept and a novel setting.

[The_Doc]

Newc said:

Three Body Problem fans, your wait is over. The master returns with a set of short stories



Just as good as all his other stuff, and every idea is an absolute winner. I think it's the scale of his imagination that makes it. Playing a concert using a star's energy ? Check. Planet nearly gets crushed for an interstellar neutral zone ? Check. How to make ice sculptures in absolute zero ? Check. It's never repetitive; while you can tell each piece is in a certain style, it's always a novel concept and a novel setting.

Amazing coincidence, I've just finished reading the Three Body Problem.
Thanks!
Although now busy in China Mountain Zhang

[LordGrover]

Also, coincidentally (), I'm really struggling with Three Body. I want to like it, but it's really hard going, yet going nowhere.
Please tell me it's worth persevering with; I'm about two-thirds through but taking a 'rest' at the moment.

[Matt_N]

MikeT66 said:

Very similar to my thinking. I've never really 'got' sci-fi (sorry ) and find some of it really hard going. Having a third stab at Saturn's Children by Charles Stross... but I keep putting it back to one side about halfway through and looking for something else to read. Love the Greg Mandel series by Peter Hamilton, though - the near-future world is perfectly believable, I think.

Picked up Mindstar Rising, enjoying it so far.

[techguyone]

LordGrover said:

Also, coincidentally (), I'm really struggling with Three Body. I want to like it, but it's really hard going, yet going nowhere.
Please tell me it's worth persevering with; I'm about two-thirds through but taking a 'rest' at the moment.

Good luck I couldn't proceed past half, slow, plodding, dubious translation, it just wasn't for me.

[grumbledoak]

LordGrover said:

Also, coincidentally (), I'm really struggling with Three Body. I want to like it, but it's really hard going, yet going nowhere.
Please tell me it's worth persevering with; I'm about two-thirds through but taking a 'rest' at the moment.

I persevered with the first but didn't bother with the next two, if that helps!

[Clockwork Cupcake]

grumbledoak said:

I persevered with the first but didn't bother with the next two, if that helps!

Same here.

[havoc]

Matt_N said:

MikeT66 said:

Very similar to my thinking. I've never really 'got' sci-fi (sorry ) and find some of it really hard going. Having a third stab at Saturn's Children by Charles Stross... but I keep putting it back to one side about halfway through and looking for something else to read. Love the Greg Mandel series by Peter Hamilton, though - the near-future world is perfectly believable, I think.

Picked up Mindstar Rising, enjoying it so far.

Quite clever short novels (much more accessible than his later bricks). Worth reading the whole series.

[i4got]

techguyone said:

LordGrover said:

Also, coincidentally (), I'm really struggling with Three Body. I want to like it, but it's really hard going, yet going nowhere.
Please tell me it's worth persevering with; I'm about two-thirds through but taking a 'rest' at the moment.

Good luck I couldn't proceed past half, slow, plodding, dubious translation, it just wasn't for me.

I wanted to like too it but just couldn't get past the first chapter.

[JonChalk]

i4got said:

techguyone said:

LordGrover said:

Also, coincidentally (), I'm really struggling with Three Body. I want to like it, but it's really hard going, yet going nowhere.
Please tell me it's worth persevering with; I'm about two-thirds through but taking a 'rest' at the moment.

Good luck I couldn't proceed past half, slow, plodding, dubious translation, it just wasn't for me.

I wanted to like too it but just couldn't get past the first chapter.

I read all three, waiting in expectation for something to happen.

It never did.

This from someone who will happily slog through whatever Alastair Reynolds writes.

edit: that's a bit harsh in hindsight, but the whole series did leave me feeling a bit empty.

[havoc]

JonChalk said:

This from someone who will happily slog through whatever Alastair Reynolds writes.

You're a better man than me!

AR is one of the few (proper) sci-fi authors that I've abandoned...to coin a phrase, life is too short...

[techguyone]

Strangely enough I've read lots of Reymolds and had no issues

[DibblyDobbler]

havoc said:

Matt_N said:

MikeT66 said:

Very similar to my thinking. I've never really 'got' sci-fi (sorry ) and find some of it really hard going. Having a third stab at Saturn's Children by Charles Stross... but I keep putting it back to one side about halfway through and looking for something else to read. Love the Greg Mandel series by Peter Hamilton, though - the near-future world is perfectly believable, I think.

Picked up Mindstar Rising, enjoying it so far.

Quite clever short novels (much more accessible than his later bricks). Worth reading the whole series.

+1 Just finished the trilogy - good fun and relatively straightforward stories.

I’m onto a second reading of the Void books now - nearly went for the newer Salvation books but was put off by a few negative reviews and the plot just didn’t appeal somehow.