Recomend me some new books

[phoenixgod2000]

I would like to find some books that are similar to the Star Wars novels and the Deathstalker series by Simon Green. Good fun Space Opera or Space Fantasy.

In particular I am looking for books with some of the following qualities:

1. Advanced/Altered humans who have special powers/psyhic abilities or might be evolving past the limits of Traditional humanity

2. Mysterious or mystical groups/Organizations

3. A sense of broad history

4. Transhumanist leanings

I've been told that CS Friedman would has written a few books that I might enjoy.

The books can be either dense or light reading. The Deathstalker series isn't exactly complex and I love it.

any help that people can give would be much appreciated.

Jon

 

[The_Gut]

The defining book with those qualities.

Dune.

 

[Pozatronic]

The defining book with those qualities.

Dune.

For serious. I don't mean to be a book snob, but it's waaaaaaaay better than anything Simon Green can write. I don't know about the star wars novels, because I've only read one of them.

I hear Kevin J. Anderson has a series out that's very space opera, in a light sort of way. Track down some of his books....something about the Seventh Sun (I can't log onto Amazon right now to check, sorry)

 

[The_Gut]

Well..... it fits, but its a bit weird... okay, a lot weird.... but Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolf. Its part of a series. Its worth checking out.

Oh, and I like Simon Green too - though they are trashy summer time beach reading, mostly....

I was trying to find the names or author of this interesting series I started way back, but had no luck.

It involved multiple interstellar civilizations. It had tree's, and green priests who could communicate instantaneously, plus a gypsy like race who had their own hidden installations built. Humans accidently started a war with a race that lived in the depths of gas giants, who had far greater tech, by chunking some moons, or asteroids into them to trigger the birth of a star. It also had alien gates left behind by an older civilization. There were some seemingly benign alien robots left behind as well.

It wasn't a classic, but it wasn't bad.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Can't go wrong with 'In Conquest Born' or 'The Madness Season', or really any of C.S. Friedman's stuff.

Harking back, the Flinx and Pip novels hit every one of your criteria.

 

[phoenixgod2000]

Ironic that Dune was the very first recomendation because I forgot to mention in the OP that I hate, hate, hate Dune I never got past the first book in the series. OTOH, I was about 12 when I read the first book so I suppose my tastes could have evolved in the 17 years. Maybe I should give it another chance.

I have read Saga of the Seven Suns which was the other recomended series. Its alright, but it doesn't really fire up the imagination.

Any others?