Where are the good gamer sci-fi novels?

[Mark]

One of the classics that some few miss is [ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0060892994/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books]Canticle for Leibowitz[/ame] by Walter M. Miller Jr.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

David Drake's Northworld trilogy is another good one for gamers- the books give a nice, up-close-and-personal view of combat inside power armor mixed liberally with Norse/Icelandic mythology.

 

[Andre]

Oh yeah, David Weber and Steve White's Starfire series. They are novalizations from the Starfire computer game, which they both wrote for.

Very good space opera, especially for those of us who still remember Starfire fondly.

An outstanding sci-fi writer is Timothy Zahn. He's written hard sci-fi, sci-fantasy (aka Star Wars), and his Blackcollar books inspired an entire roleplaying campaign for my group.

 

[Steel_Wind]

Gamer SciFi?

Jack Chalker's Well of Soulsseries has instant gaming application. So does virtually any other series he has written. Problem with Chalker is, his series do tend to blur into the other and the themes get very repititious.

I think there was a Wellworld RPG at one point. Might have been GURPS? Not sure.

I would also suggest Brian Daley's Adventures of Alacrity FitzHugh and Hobart Floyt (Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds is the first in the series) would also serve as a setting rather well.

Timothy Zahn's Cobra novels also work well for good pulpish SF fun.

 

[Thanael]

Leigh Brackett's stuff is much harder to find. Her career, though illustrious, was cut tragically short. As a result, not many people know her as a writer (though they've probably seen a movie she worked on). I know the Skaith books were published both individually and as an omnibus edition.

I think Paizo's Planet Stories is publishing some of Brackett's.

 

[pathfinderq1]

In the same vein as the better William Gibson works, Neal Stephenson's _Snow Crash_ is pretty good gamer Sci-fi. I don't read much science fiction (and I like less), but this was quite good. Most importantly, like any good gamer fiction, it is full of good game-table quotes.

"I'm sure they'll listen to Reason."

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

What are the quailties of a sci-fi novel that makes it a good gamer sci-fi novel?

I'm seriously interested in folks opinions. I've read many of the recommended books above, and for the life of me I can't see what makes them good "gamer" sci-fi novels . . .

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

What are the quailties of a sci-fi novel that makes it a good gamer sci-fi novel?

I'm seriously interested in folks opinions. I've read many of the recommended books above, and for the life of me I can't see what makes them good "gamer" sci-fi novels . . .

Good question!

IMHO, the Dream Park ones are obvious- they take place in a LARP environment, 3 genres good for gaming (fantasy, sci-fi, mystery) get mixed together fairly seamlessly, and the pacing is good.

Burroughs' and Brackett's books are classic fast-paced pulp sci-fantasy swashbuckling adventure with easily defined heroic tropes. What gamer wouldn't find that enjoyable and an inspiration?

For the others, its more difficult.

In some cases, its the tone and pacing of the stories told- good rollicking adventures provide fertile ground from which the DM or Player can harvest ideas.

In others, its the characters- Miles Flint, the main character in the Retrieval Artist books would make a fine PC, as would Gil "the Arm".

In others, its the setting- I personally would love to experience adventuring or DMing Bova's version of the exploration of the solar system. In a sense, its like some of the stuff from fiction about pirates on the high seas.

 

[Dioltach]

Try Harry Harrison's Death World trilogy, and to a lesser extent the Stainless Steel Rat novels. I also like some of Jack Vance's sci-fi, like the Planet of Adventure books and the Demon Princes series.