Sci-Fi Book recomendation

verbosity · Post by **verbosity** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 12:31 am

My first has to be:

"The player of Games"
by Ian M Banks

for three reasons
1. The central character Gurgeh, is a master of all games, something I suspect anyone on this forum may consider themselves to be (I know I do at times).

2. Mr Banks' stlye of writing is that on a par with Tolkein, Asimov or Herbert, managing that rare feat, of emersing you within another world with the deftest of touches.

3. The setting of the book, the culture, a man/machine utopian society to match that of Gibsons cyber-punk San Fransisco (For example). Combined with a level of tension that I doubt even Stephen King could match.

If you ever read 7 books this should be number 4.

[Edited on 12-30-2006 by verbosity]

MasterMindLess · Post by **MasterMindLess** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 1:32 am

Hmm... Looks interesting... Maybe I should check it out sometime...

Since we're on this subject, I've recently read (and still reading) a couple of scifi series that, in my opinion, are excellent.

First, the one I've already finished (at least, finished the books that the author's had published so far). It's called the Uplift Saga (Sundiver, Startide Rising, The Uplift War, Brightness Reef, Infinity's Shore, Heaven's Shore), by David Brin.

I'm not very good at describing what books are about, but I'll give it a try...
Species do not reach sapience through evolution. Rather, they are "uplifted" by races that have come before them, in a chain reaching back to the Progenitors. So, when humans made contact with galactic society, they presented a puzzle, for they had no patrons.

This gives a very rough overview of the Uplift universe...

Go to this website for excerpts: http://www.davidbrin.com/upliftbooks.html

I'm not sure how many books are in the other series (currently on book #3)...
Here's the official site about this series (pretty sure it's out of date, though...)
http://www.cherryh.com/www/univer.htm#Foreigner
Doesn't have that much info, but it helps...

These books take a lot longer for me to read than Brin's. They're just as good, but the style is very different...

I would recommend checking out both series, if you have the time to devote to them...

verbosity · Post by **verbosity** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 2:29 am

I'm not very good at describing what books are about, but I'll give it a try...
Species do not reach sapience through evolution. Rather, they are "uplifted" by races that have come before them, in a chain reaching back to the Progenitors. So, when humans made contact with galactic society, they presented a puzzle, for they had no patrons.

sounds very like Clarkes 200x series

though I am not a fan of his, though not for literary reasons

MasterMindLess · Post by **MasterMindLess** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 9:16 pm

"sounds very like Clarkes 200x series"

I'll take your word on it, 'cause I've never heard of it...

verbosity · Post by **verbosity** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 12:01 am

sorry,(again)

Book-geek Jargon,
I meant Arthur C. Clarks famous series starting with 2001.

also I'd consider the orignal Dune booksby Frank Herbert: Dune,Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God emperor of dune, Heretics of Dune And Chapter House Dune.

To be some of the best books ever written

MasterMindLess · Post by **MasterMindLess** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:50 am

Oh... yeah, I have heard of it (never read it, though)...

Dune looks good, but I've never gotten around to reading them... *sigh*...

haloterm · Post by **haloterm** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:06 pm

On my search for a "sci fi books" thread I stumbled upon this one and decided to re-animate it from death

What are the current favorite sci fi books among pilots? I, currently, listen to Frank Herbert's Dune (the first book), in German translation, as 27 hours audio book, read by JÃ¼rgen Prochnow who also played Leto Atreides in the 1980s movie. It's really nice. The last time I read the book was 1997 ...

Some of my alltime favorites are Asimov's 1st Foundation series, Joe Haldeman's The Forever War and William Gibson's Cyberspace stories. I also love Scisscor cuts Paper wraps Stone by Ian McDonald. Rather "cyberpunkesque", too.

Among non-classics, I currently read the Star Trek Vanguard series (refreshingly dark), and I also like the novels based on the X games.

49rTbird · Post by **49rTbird** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:12 pm

Foundation series. Number one for me. Battlefield Earth also. I never cared for the Dune series but each of us has their likes and dislikes.

BraveHart · Post by **BraveHart** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 4:26 am

"Battlefield Earth" was one of my favorite Scifi books...I have read tons of Scifi/fantasy Books. I really miss reading them...that was a favorite pass time of mine. Now I have Legends to fly in and have my own "as real as it gets" SciFi Adventure

verbosity · Post by **verbosity** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 6:47 am

While not strictly Sci-fi ( some of his works could be considered as such though ), I'd always recommend anything by Micheal Moorcock ( Elric of Melnibone or the books of Corum, or the Hawkstaff trilogy are my top choices ). Best read listening to Hawkwind ( named as a hybrid of a couple of Moorcocks characters, and a LOT of the songs are based on events in his books).

/me goes off humming " I've got a silver machine"..............

[Edited on 9-18-2009 by verbosity]

haloterm · Post by **haloterm** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 8:47 am

Elric, ah. Read that too years ago. When leaving the sci fi genre, I also like Imagica by Clive Barker, and The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Heartlight by M. Z. Bradley is nice too, but mainly because it describes American life from the 1950s up to the 1990s, and because its all in an academic setting at Berkley -- very interesting.

Post by **Marvin** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 5:52 pm

Anything by Terry Pratchett.

... Yeah, not exactly science fiction. If you want to get nit-picky: Dr. Asimov ... especially his robot stories.

49rTbird · Post by **49rTbird** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 6:02 pm

I think I have more "Asimov" books than by any other author. I have SiFi books from way back when to present day and the transition in writing styles is something else. Some writers go beyond my feeble abilities to comprehend (lol).

;):P

800+Hard back book library and growing.

[Edited on 9-28-2009 by thetiebers]

OLDS442 · Post by **OLDS442** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 12:06 am

Rama series by Arthur C. Clarke is must reading for space junkies. Clark does "real, science-based" SciFi.
Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun series about a torturer with amnesia. Amazing.

Wasp89 · Post by **Wasp89** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:42 am

C.S. Lewis' Space trilogy:

Out of the Silent Planet
Perelandra
That Hideous Strength

Edit:

Yeah, and Terry Pratchett is good too.

[Edited on 9-28-2009 by Wasp89]

verbosity · Post by **verbosity** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:20 am

Originally posted by Wasp89
C.S. Lewis' Space trilogy:

Out of the Silent Planet
Perelandra
That Hideous Strength

Some of my favourite stories ever, though I prefer his Screwtape letters ( but they are not scifi ), I just got the narnia books as recommended reading for little nounsense from his teacher.

Has anyone read Neuromancer by William Gibson ( or any other of his cyber-punk books)? highly recommended reading imho

cheops · Post by **cheops** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 10:10 pm

Clarke's 200x series actually started with a short story, the Sentienel and then progressed to the Lost Worlds of 2001. The last one in the series in the weakest.

Dune series I have as well along with the collective works of H.G Wells and sundry others.

haloterm · Post by **haloterm** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 1:23 pm

Ah, it's actually Clarke who wrote my all-time favorite, although it's not very "scientific": Against the Fall of Light. The original version written in the 1930's, not the updated 1950's one.

Tiger · Post by **Tiger** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 10:53 am

Asimov's Foundation series
Asimovs robot novels .
EE Doc Smith's Lensman series (superb)
The Exiles Trilogy - Ben Bova
Orion Trilogy - Ben Bova

Fantasy
Sword of truth series
LOTR (the books)
David Eddings the Belgariod and the Mallorian
Terry Brooks Shannara series

These are just some of my favourite ones

cheops · Post by **cheops** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 11:04 am

I actually liked A childhood's end the best.

Post by **Marvin** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 3:32 pm

Nice to see so many of the classic SF writers on the list. If some of you have kids, you might want to start them out on Ray Bradbury ... Martian Chronicles, Illustrated Man, or Something Wicked This Way Comes. Or Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man.

haloterm · Post by **haloterm** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 7:32 am

Childhood's End was a great read, too, some years ago.

Bossk · Post by **Bossk** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 9:24 am

I read a lot of "Aliens" novels by various authors. Also Clarke is a fave of mine, but I never got on with his Rama stories. I have most of the Foundation books by Asimov as well.

I have also got the Pegasus series by Anne McCaffrey: To Ride Pegasus, Pegasus in Flight, Pegasus in Space. All are good books, but her writing style can be a bit heavy at times. Too many charators to try and keep up with and the names of her charators are also strange.

And, sorry to say, but I also have Star Trek books by William Shatner. Easy going good read to be able to pick up after a while away from it.