Recommend A Good Sci-Fi novel to me.

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Pozatronic

First Post

• Jan 31, 2007

• #1

My reading habits usually go from contemporary literature to sci-fi/fantasy. However, the last few novels I've read have been all contemporary lit. I'm actually in the middle of the new Dave Eggers novel "What is the What". While it's very good, it is getting a bit tedious. I need something to jolt me out it for a little while. I need some Sci-Fi brain candy. Can anybody help me with the suggestion of a few titles?

I'm not big on military/hard SF but I do like the space-opera. The novel doesn't have to take place in space or the future . Also, I'd prefer stand alone novels, or maybe a duology at the most. No seven part epics, please. I haven't really read THAT much sci-fi, so here's some of what I've read. the original "Dune"; "Nova" by Delany, "The Algebraist" by Banks, "The Carpet Makers" by Eschbach; "The Stars My Destination" by Bester; the "Hyperion" and "Endymion" duologys by Simmons. "Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town" by Doctorow; "Veniss Underground" by Vandermeer; and "Girl, In Landscape" by Lethem.

 

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Storm Raven

First Post

• Jan 31, 2007

• #2

Pozatronic said:

My reading habits usually go from contemporary literature to sci-fi/fantasy. However, the last few novels I've read have been all contemporary lit. I'm actually in the middle of the new Dave Eggers novel "What is the What". While it's very good, it is getting a bit tedious. I need something to jolt me out it for a little while. I need some Sci-Fi brain candy. Can anybody help me with the suggestion of a few titles?

I'm not big on military/hard SF but I do like the space-opera. The novel doesn't have to take place in space or the future . Also, I'd prefer stand alone novels, or maybe a duology at the most. No seven part epics, please. I haven't really read THAT much sci-fi, so here's some of what I've read. the original "Dune"; "Nova" by Delany, "The Algebraist" by Banks, "The Carpet Makers" by Eschbach; "The Stars My Destination" by Bester; the "Hyperion" and "Endymion" duologys by Simmons. "Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town" by Doctorow; "Veniss Underground" by Vandermeer; and "Girl, In Landscape" by Lethem.

Click to expand...

Here are some recommendations:

Asimov: Caves of Steel, and The Naked Sun or Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation (I know you said no trilogies, but these books are individually quite short by current standards, they would be one novel).

Niven: Ringworld, Protector et al.

Niven and Pournelle: The Mote in God's Eye, Oath of Fealty, Footfall.

Brin: Sundiver, Startide Rising or The Uplift War (they form a trilogy, but you don't have to read them all, and can read them in any order).

Bradbury: Farenheit 451.

Card: Enders Game, Speaker for the Dead.

Bester: The Demolished Man.

Brunner: Stand on Zanzibar.

Heinlein: Starship Troopers, Time Enough for Love, Stranger in a Strange Land, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress.

Clarke: Rendezvous with Rama, Fountains of Paradise, Childhood's End.

Forward: Dragon's Egg, Starquake.

That should keep you busy for a while.

 

Last edited: Feb 1, 2007

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Pyrex

First Post

• Jan 31, 2007

• #3

I second the nominations for Brin & Forward.

Also L.E. Modessit Jr writes good SciFi (in addition to excellent fantasy)

Neal Stephenson: Snowcrash (and others)

William Gibson: All of it.

 

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drothgery

First Post

• Jan 31, 2007

• #4

Lois Bujold's Vorkosigan stories (start with the Cordellia's Honor omnibus of Shards of Honor and Barryar, and just keep going) kind of skirt around the edges of military sci-fi (some stories more than others), but big set-piece space battles aren't prominent features, and she's on my very short 'buy anything they write immediately in hardcover' list.

 

R

Richards

Legend

• Jan 31, 2007

• #5

I'd add James Alan Gardner's Expendable.

Johnathan

 

S

Simplicity

Explorer

• Jan 31, 2007

• #6

I personally liked Brin's "The Kiln People" better than the Uplift series.

Some good sci-fi books that stick in my head:

"The Forever War", Joe Haldeman
"The Gods Themselves", Isaac Asimov
"The Door to Summer", Robert A. Heinlein

 

Umbran

Mod Squad

Staff member

Supporter

• Feb 1, 2007

• #7

Storm Raven said:

Here are some recommendations:

Click to expand...

Hm. Storm Raven and I seem to have extremely similar tastes in our sci-fi. Now I have to look for books that sit between the cracks...

Footfall, by Larry Niven - a well-considered version of aliens trying to take over the Earth.

Way of the Pilgrim, by Gordon R Dickson - what happens after alien oppressors win...

Slant, by Greg Bear - a nice sci-fi mystery.

Lightning, by Dean Koontz - who doesn't love time-travelling Nazis?

The Postman by David Brin - don't let the movie color your ideas.

Dream Park, by Larry Niven - a book for any gamer to read. Has two sequels, but the first stands alone.

The Illuminatus Trilogy, by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson - these days, sold as one big book. This is the iconic psychadelic conspiracy theory mindbender. Accept no substitutes.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams - a classic of sci-fi comedy.

Burning Chrome or Neuromancer by William Gibson - This is basically what defines the "cyberpunk" sub-genre.

 

HeavenShallBurn

First Post

• Feb 1, 2007

• #8

Two words for you: Charles Stross

He does good sci-fi
Singularity Sky- great book, sort of wierd at times but cool
Iron Sunrise- also a good book, some people don't like it as much, but it may be because of the antagonists. He does a really good job of showing what borderline Clarketech might be like when applied by the truly ruthless and conscienceless.

Also does fantasy well
the Family Trade
The Hidden Family
The Clan Corporate- genre bending, blurs the lines between sci-fi, fantasy, and alternate history, but well written and generally interesting reads.

 

Fast Learner

First Post

• Feb 1, 2007

• #9

Completely awesome sci-fi: A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. Hugo award winner for Best Novel in 1993, totally standalone, very cool.

If you dig it, you'd probably like the follow-up (but not a sequel, sort-of a prequel but mostly just the same universe), A Deepness in the Sky, which also won the Hugo for best novel, this time in 2000.

I very much liked the latter, but cannot stress enough how truly great the former is.

 

Last edited: Feb 1, 2007

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trancejeremy

Adventurer

• Feb 1, 2007

• #10

If you like space opera, try Mike Resnick. Most of his sci-fi books are basically space opera. And while many of them are sort of grouped into series, they are also pretty much stand alone in terms of characters and plot. (Exception being his "Starship" series)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Resnick

 

Last edited: Feb 1, 2007