Science Fiction

[oldbanger]

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

Iain M Banks - Culture novels

Peter F Hamilton - Nights Dawn triology

Harry Harrison - anything, but especially the Stainless Steel Rat

Feintuch - Seafort Saga -- (Hornblower in space)

Patrick Tilley - Amtrak Wars

Kim Stanley Robinson - Mars triology

Larry Niven - Ringword series, Protector, and quite a few others

[Brigand]

I'll give a +1 for the Nights Dawn Trilogy, I loved those books when I read them many years ago. I'm tempted to buy them again to re-read as I seem to have given them away some time ago. Either that or they're in a box in my mums loft that I haven't discovered yet.

[Liokault]

Leithen said:

Mannginger said:

If you've not read The Culture series by Iain M Banks then stop what you're doing now, order them online and enjoy a simply superb Sci-fi series by an incredible author

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Culture#Novels

+1

I just finished The Hydrogen Sonata. It was well below par frankly. It’s like it’s not in fact a culture novel and the minds involved are lesser than in previous efforts,

Saying that Excision is one of my top 5 books.

[Mannginger]

It's certainly the "dumbest" of the series but was a lot more action orientated. I hope that doesn't become a trend for him as I like the slightly more cerebral approach of earlier books but that certainly doesn't mean I didn't enjoy Sonata because, you know... :spacebattles: :combatandroids: :mechsuits:

[otolith]

I read The Hydrogen Sonata on holiday last month. I enjoyed it. Maybe I will re-read some of the earlier books, but it seemed much the same sort of thing.

[hairykrishna]

I liked Hydrogen Sonata. On a par with a lot of the other culture novels I thought. They'd all make my recommended sci fi list.

Anyone who hasn't should read the Forever War, Enders Game, Gateway, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and basically everything else on the 'sci-fi masterworks' list; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SF_Masterworks

Neuromancer from Gibson. Snowcrash and basically all of the other later Neil Stevenson books.

Edited by hairykrishna on Monday 19th November 19:08

[Mr E]

tertius said:

They are a decent read but every last one has a deus ex machina style conclusion which I find rather tiresome.

In the authors defence; he does make it abundantly clear that in the cultures case, god really is the machine.


Currently reading Davin Brin's "existence". It's not what I was expecting, but it is full of ideas.

[mat777]

"An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore


No but seriously, Try "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card

[otolith]

mat777 said:

"An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore

I think that's horror. Or possibly fantasy.

[Liokault]

hairykrishna said:

I liked Hydrogen Sonata. On a par with a lot of the other culture novels I thought. They'd all make my recommended sci fi list.

Anyone who hasn't should read the Forever War, Enders Game, Gateway, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and basically everything else on the 'sci-fi masterworks' list; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SF_Masterworks

Neuromancer from Gibson. Snowcrash and basically all of the other later Neil Stevenson books.

Edited by hairykrishna on Monday 19th November 19:08

Enders game is a truly fantastic classic.

Neuromancer is also fantastic, if slightly dated. If we are going to recomend cyber punk, I will have to point the OP towards Burning Chrome. Ok, its short stories but its great!

[Oystercatcher]

How about:
The Mote in God's Eye - Larry Niven/Jerry Pournelle
Dragon's Egg - Robert L Forward

[Lurking Lawyer]

Oystercatcher said:

How about:
The Mote in God's Eye - Larry Niven/Jerry Pournelle

Yes, yes and a million times yes!

The sequel to it, not so much.

[StuH]

Another +1 for any of Iain M Banks - particularly Use of Weapons and Feersum Endjinn. I liked Hydrogen Sonata but not one of his best, nowhere near as twisted as Surface Detail.

Also loved The Void Trilogy, and then went on to read Hamilton's older stuff, Commonwealth Saga and Nights Dawn. He's not a great writer, but he is a great storyteller, and reminds me of the grand Space opera of the Asimov Foundation era. Also Morning Light Mountain has to be one of the all time best aliens!

Other great sic-fi, Greg Egan, particularly Permutation City, Stephen Baxter - The Xeelee books and Destiny Children series. Pretty much all Arthur C Clarke, Rama books, 2001-61, Childhoods end etc..., Neuromancer as mentioned earlier.

I'm currently working my way through Philip K Dick's books - a mixed back but really enjoyed Valis.

However, my all-time favourite sic-fi novel(s) is Hyperion/Endymion by Dan Simmons - simply mind-blowing. Tough at the start but well worth sticking with - http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Hyperion-Omnibus-Fall-...

[otolith]

I found Feersum Endjinn virtually unreadable. Nice idea, just doesn't work for me.

[StuH]

otolith said:

I found Feersum Endjinn virtually unreadable. Nice idea, just doesn't work for me.

Bascule's phonetic sections are a bit odd to start but I didn't even notice once I got into the story. Certainly a bit of a marmite book

[StuH]

otolith said:

I found Feersum Endjinn virtually unreadable. Nice idea, just doesn't work for me.

Bascule's phonetic sections are a bit odd to start but I didn't even notice once I got into the story. Certainly a bit of a marmite book

[StuH]

otolith said:

I found Feersum Endjinn virtually unreadable. Nice idea, just doesn't work for me.

Bascule's phonetic sections are a bit odd to start but I didn't even notice once I got into the story. Certainly a bit of a marmite book

[pteron]

Agree on Fearsum Endjinn being unreadable. Generally enjoyed the other Culture novels though.

The Mote in God's eye is one of the best SF books ever. The Ringworld series is worth a read too as is the non SF Lucifer's Hammer.

I used to enjoy James P Hogan's books - The Two Faces of Tomorrow, The Genesis Machine, Thrice upon a time and the Inherit the stars series. His modern stuff is a bit too Ayn Rand for me.

I'm looking forward to reading some of the recommendations on this thread - I particularly like hard SF, gimme science rather than magic.

[DocJock]

Niven fan here. Most of his best stuff is collaborations with Jerry Pournelle imo.

As well as the previously mentioned, I'd recommend,

The 'Fleet of worlds' series (prequels to Ringworld)
Legacy of Heorot, Dragons of Heorot (aka Beowulfs children)
Inferno, Escape from Hell - novel take on a rewrite of Dante's Inferno plus a sequel
Footfall - as original in it's own way as 'Mote in God's eye'

I'd avoid the 'Road' series, unless you like magic/fantasy mixed with your SF

[peterperkins]

John Wyndham

The Day of the Triffids (1951)
The Kraken Wakes (1953)
The Midwich Cuckoos (1957)

Great Books

I concur with the Arthur C Clarke 'Rendezvous with Rama' first book which is excellent.