Light-Hearted Science Fiction

[Richards]

James Alan Gardner's novels of the League of Free Peoples: Expendable, Commitment Hour, Vigilant, Hunted, Ascending, Trapped, Radiant. Each is a pretty light-hearted romp through a science fiction universe that is very different from most others - for one thing, lethal weapons are practically unheard of, because if you purposely kill another sentient life form, the masters of the League of Free Peoples will simply shut your heart off the next time you leave your own solar system. Read Expendable first, and then from that point on you can pretty much read them in any prder you want.

I highly recommend them. It's just a shame that James seems to have moved on from that universe, as I've highly enjoyed each book set there.

Johnathan

 

[Rackhir]

Lois McMaster Bujold's <i>Miles Vorkosigan</i> books have a lot of humour in them. They are also really good.

Another second on this. I'm ashamed I didn't think of them. Though if you're looking for something light you might want to save for later the early books which deal with how his parents met. They're rather more serious and darker.

 

[Silver Moon]

Robert Asprin's Mythadventures/Another Fine Myth series. Several editions have covers and interior art by Phil Foglio.

 

[Dubya]

Santiago by Mike Resnick

Mike Resnick's books are an easy read.

Santiago is my favorite Resnick book. It is a mythic story of a legendary outlaw of the future, filled with memorable, larger-than-life frontier characters. It is one of those books that I can read over and over again. I have probably read it fifteen times.

Dubya

 

[Seonaid]

I can't believe no one's mentioned Spider Robinson! His Callahan books are ridiculous, punny, and easily read, and he tells a damn good story. The stuff he co-writes with his wife Jeanne is also good, but not nearly as light.

 

[drothgery]

Another second on this. I'm ashamed I didn't think of them. Though if you're looking for something light you might want to save for later the early books which deal with how his parents met. They're rather more serious and darker.

Though so are Memory and Komarr.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I remember one funny book, but I don't remember its name. It was in a Reader's Digest (German, though) compilation together with another story. Unfortunately, I don't have the book at my home here. It's probably somewhere in our family library at my parents.

The basic premise is that a group of Earth Soldiers/Captains are captured by a hostile aliens, or rather, let them self being captured by them, to get in contact with other alien prisoners (of other alien species than the captors). One of the alien species was called "Stames", IIRC...

The book is pretty funny. I fondly remember reading the combat scenes, where the author wrote out the sounds of the guns "Gamma Gamma Gamma" ... "Tuck Tuck Tuck".


I hope someone reading this description remembers this book and can tell the OP the title or author.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I've found many of Timothy Zahn's books are decent lighter sci-fi fare. Not humorous, but quick and easy to read even when tired.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

DEFINITELY Stainless Steel Rat and Bill the Galactic Hero, both by Harry Harrison (though later Bill's are shameless rehashes). The Deathworld books are also good even if the main character is nigh indistinguishable from Stainless Steel Rat.

I found a book a while ago by Eric Idle of Monty Python fame called The Road to Mars that I found amusing enough.

 

[Storm Raven]

Light, fun science fiction pretty much defines most of the works of Andre Norton.