Book recommendations by asortafairytale

OTHER SCIENCE FICTION SERIES

Book recommendations

POSTED BY: ASORTAFAIRYTALE
UPDATED: Thursday, June 10, 2010 20:33
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Monday, June 7, 2010 7:03 AM

Hey guys, I'm looking for some more science fiction stuff to read over the summer. Does anyone have any suggestions for authors, series, etc? I'd really appreciate it.

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Monday, June 7, 2010 7:43 AM

MALSNARA

China Mieville - The Scar
- Perdido Street Station
He is a brilliant, brilliant writer who has written more than these two books but they are the only ones I can recommend, purely because they are the only two I have read so far

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Monday, June 7, 2010 7:54 AM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

I always enjoyed Niven's "Known Space" stories. These include the Ringworld novels, as well as a slew of short story collections and other novels, all of which give a "complete" feel to his universe. But I enjoyed "The Mote In God's Eye" more. In fact, I tend to enjoy lots of the stuff he wrote with Jerry Pournelle as co-author (Footfall, Inferno, Lucifer's Hammer, The Gripping Hand (a sequel to "Mote")...)

William Gibson's "Neuromancer" still reads well - it actually sparkles and pops, and is a VERY "visual" reading experience. No movie has come anywhere near doing justice to his work. There are some short story collections of his that I liked as well, set in the same 'verse ("Burning Chrome" comes to mind).

Frederik Pohl's Heechee Chronicles had some amazing stuff...

Heechee

1. Gateway (1977) -- Nebula winner, 1977;[6] Hugo, Campbell and Locus SF winner, 1978 [7]
2. Beyond the Blue Event Horizon (1980) - Nebula and British SF Awards nominee, 1980; Hugo and Locus Awards nominee, 1981
3. Heechee Rendezvous (1984) -- Locus SF Award nominee, 1985 [8]
4. Annals of the Heechee (1987)
5. The Gateway Trip (1990)
6. The Boy Who Would Live Forever: A Novel of Gateway (2004) -- Campbell Award nominee, 2005 [9]

I really enjoyed Gateway, Beyond the Blue Event Horizon, and The Gateway Trip, as I recall.

Just a few of the favorites of my youth. And my not-so-youth... ;)

Mike

On this matter, make no mistake. I want you to go fuck yourself long and hard, as well as anyone who agrees with you. I got no use for you. --Auraptor

This vile and revolting malice - this is their true colors, always has been, you're just seeing it without the mask of justifications and excuses they hide it behind, is all. Make sure to remember it once they put the mask back on. --Fremdfirma

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Monday, June 7, 2010 8:03 AM

DMI

Expired, forgotten, spoiled rotten.

Quote:
Originally posted by asortafairytale:
Hey guys, I'm looking for some more science fiction stuff to read over the summer. Does anyone have any suggestions for authors, series, etc? I'd really appreciate it.

What do you like?

------------------------
I pray for one last landing,
on the globe that gave me birth.
Let me rest my eyes on the fleecy skies
and the cool, green hills of Earth.

http://www.blogiversity.org/blogs/dmi/default.aspx

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Monday, June 7, 2010 9:29 AM

LITTLEBIRD

I'm assuming you sorta like Fairy Tales. :) In that world I would recommend "The Dreamstone" and "The Tree of Swords and Jewels", by C.J. Cherryh.

If you are looking for straight Sci-Fi I would recommend anything in the Alliance-Union universe by the same author. I would start with "Downbelow Station" and go from there.

My favorite series of hers is the "The Faded Sun" trilogy.

I also love the Dune series by Frank Herbert, but I imagine you have already read those.

And the Ender series by Orson Scott Card is fun. I think we have some Enders on this board. :)

Ok, I better stop now. I could go on and on.

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Monday, June 7, 2010 9:46 AM

DMI

Expired, forgotten, spoiled rotten.

Quote:
Originally posted by Littlebird:

And the Ender series by Orson Scott Card is fun. I think we have some Enders on this board. :)

And the shadow series. Shadow Puppets is the only one I didn't like and personally I thought Ender's Shadow was better than Ender's Game.

------------------------
I pray for one last landing,
on the globe that gave me birth.
Let me rest my eyes on the fleecy skies
and the cool, green hills of Earth.

http://www.blogiversity.org/blogs/dmi/default.aspx

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Monday, June 7, 2010 9:54 AM

CHRISISALL

Joe Haldeman-
The Forever War

Edgar Rice Burroughs-
A Princess Of Mars

The laughing Chrisisall

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Monday, June 7, 2010 11:50 AM

ASORTAFAIRYTALE

Quote:
Originally posted by DMI:
Quote:
Originally posted by Littlebird:

And the Ender series by Orson Scott Card is fun. I think we have some Enders on this board. :)

And the shadow series. Shadow Puppets is the only one I didn't like and personally I thought Ender's Shadow was better than Ender's Game.

I've read most of the Ender's Game series; towards the end it got kinda boring. The book store near me never has the second shadow book so I've only read the first one. :(

Thanks for all the suggestions you guys!

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Monday, June 7, 2010 12:35 PM

TRAVELER

I enjoy reading Melissa Scott. Her book, "Burning Bright", is a favorite of mine. She likes to delve in politics and computers.

Felicity Savage has a two volume fantasy story, "Humility Garden" and "Delta City". Two distinct races. One considered gods and the other race divided in their beliefs in these gods. Politics and rebellion.

I will also second on "The Forever War".

http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=28764731
Traveler

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Monday, June 7, 2010 2:56 PM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.

I can recommend almost anything by Philip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, Philip José Farmer, J. G. Ballard, Harlan Ellison, Kurt Vonnegut, Robert Silverberg, James Tiptree Jr. (pseudonym of Alice Sheldon, who also wrote a few stories as Raccoona Sheldon).

Otherwise, my favorite novels (in no particular order) are:
Hard Science Fiction:
The Stars My Destination - Alfred Bester
The Forever War - Joe Haldeman
Ringworld - Larry Niven
The Mote in God's Eye - Niven and Pournelle
Gateway - Frederik Pohl
Tau Zero - Poul Anderson
Timescape - Gregory Benford
The Caves of Steel & The Naked Sun - Isaac Asimov
Downbelow Station & Cyteen - C. J. Cherryh
Rendezvous With Rama & Childhood's End - Arthur C. Clarke
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress & Starship Troopers - Robert A. Heinlein
The War Against the Chtorr series - David Gerrold
The Mars Trilogy - Kim Stanley Robinson
The Hyperion series - Dan Simmons
Allies and Aliens - Roger MacBride Allen
Eon & Eternity - Greg Bear
A Fire Upon the Deep & A Deepness In The Sky - Vernor Vinge
Slan & The World of Null-A - A. E. van Vogt

Soft Science Fiction (more about character and/or ideas rather than plot):
Barefoot in the Head - Brian W. Aldiss
The High Crusade - Poul Anderson
Transfigurations - Michael Bishop
A Case of Conscience - James Blish
Michaelmas - Algis Budrys
Solaris - Stanislaw Lem
A Canticle for Leibowitz - Walter M. Miller Jr.
A Mirror For Observers - Edgar Pangborn
The Wanderer - Fritz Leiber
Not This August - C. M. Kornbluth
The Free Lunch - Spider Robinson
Child of Fortune - Norman Spinrad
Steel Beach - John Varley

Fantasy:
Lord of the Rings of course
The Martian Chronicles & Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury
Come, Lady Death & The Folk of the Air - Peter S. Beagle
Arthur Rex - Thomas Berger
The Unlimited Dream Company - J. G. Ballard
The Harry Dresden series - Jim Butcher
American Gods - Neil Gaiman
Earthsea Trilogy - Ursula LeGuin
Our Lady of Darkness - Fritz Leiber
Fevre Dream - George R. R. Martin
On Stranger Tides - Tim Powers
His Dark Materials Trilogy - Philip Pullman

In a category all their own, meaning they fall between the cracks of the other genres:
Starmaker - Olaf Stapledon
Dhalgren - Samuel R. Delany
334, Camp Concentration & On Wings of Song - Thomas M. Disch
Arslan - M. J. Engh
China Mountain Zhang - Maureen F. McHugh
The Parable of the Sower & The Parable of the Talents - Octavia Butler
A Scanner Darkly - Philip K. Dick

And last, but certainly not least, my favorite author - Gene Wolfe.
The Book of the New Sun (five novels):
The Shadow of the Torturer
The Claw of the Conciliator
The Sword of the Lictor
The Citadel of the Autarch
The Urth of the New Sun

The Book of the Long Sun:
Nightside the Long Sun
Lake of the Long Sun
Caldé of the Long Sun
Exodus from the Long Sun

The Book of the Short Sun:
On Blue's Waters
In Green's Jungles
Return to the Whorl

Plus:
The Fifth Head of Cerberus
Peace
Castleview
The Knight & The Wizard
Soldier in the Mist, Soldier of Arete & Soldier of Sidon
The Devil in a Forest
Free Live Free

I know that's a long list, but I reserve the right to add to it at a later time.

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Monday, June 7, 2010 3:58 PM

CYBERSNARK

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede:
Dealing with Dragons
Searching for Dragons
Calling on Dragons
Talking to Dragons

The King's Trilogy by Jo Walton
The King's Peace
The King's Name
The Prize in the Game

The Apropos series by Peter David
Sir Apropos of Nothing
The Woad to Wuin
Tong Lashing
Gypsies, Vamps, and Thieves

Lucasfilm's Alien Chronicles by Deborah Chester
The Golden One
Crimson Claw
The Crystal Eye
(Despite the name, these are not tied to any existing LucasFilm property; they're a self-contained universe)

There's also a whole list of Star Wars and Star Trek books I can recommend, but those may take more time investment than you have.

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Tuesday, June 8, 2010 3:42 AM

CALHOUN

The Honor Harrington series by David Weber. The Best series i've read in a long time.

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Tuesday, June 8, 2010 4:29 AM

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT

by David Drake: any of the Hammer's Slammers books.

I'm partial to most anything by Spider Robinson.

if you like humor, Kieth Laumer's Retief short stories.

If you like Heinlein and haven't read it, The Past Thru Tomorrow, the collection of the Future History stories. Some of it is dated, but it's the basis for most modern hard sci-fi.

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Tuesday, June 8, 2010 6:32 AM

PEACEKEEPER

Keeping order in every verse

Quote:
Originally posted by Littlebird:
I'm assuming you sorta like Fairy Tales. :) In that world I would recommend "The Dreamstone" and "The Tree of Swords and Jewels", by C.J. Cherryh.

If you are looking for straight Sci-Fi I would recommend anything in the Alliance-Union universe by the same author. I would start with "Downbelow Station" and go from there.

My favorite series of hers is the "The Faded Sun" trilogy.

I also love the Dune series by Frank Herbert, but I imagine you have already read those.

And the Ender series by Orson Scott Card is fun. I think we have some Enders on this board. :)

Ok, I better stop now. I could go on and on.[/QUOTE I absolutely concur with your choice of Downbelow Station. my favourite sci fi book. Follow that up with Merchanters Luck. The Foreigner series is a damn good read aswell. But as for Dreamstone, that will put you to sleep in seconds.

Peacekeeper---keeping order in every verse!!!

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Tuesday, June 8, 2010 7:49 AM

WHODIED

David Brin. The Uplift novels or the stand alone, "Earth".

--WhoDied

_______________________

Yeah, we're mostly just giving each other significant glances and laughing incessantly.

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Tuesday, June 8, 2010 10:52 AM

IMNOTHERE

Seems like you've got enough recommendations there for a lifetime. However, taking the safe assumption that you like firefly Firefly and making the less-safe deduction that you like stories with morally ambiguous disillusioned soldiers-turned-mercenary/criminal stubbornly tilting at windmills:

Consider Phlebas (the book that made Space Opera respectable again) or maybe Against a Dark Background by Iain M Banks.

Stealing Light and Nova War by Gary Gibson.

Richard Morgan: Altered Carbon, Broken Angels and Woken Furies. Not for the faint hearted or easily offended. The first is very film noir - the later ones amp up the SF and military angles.

For black humour (and general weirdness) try "Only Forward" by Michael Marshall Smith. If you liked the Hitchhiker's Guide books (especially the later ones) this might appeal.

My personal favorite (but no Firefly-ness here) is Greg Egan (particularly Diaspora and Permutation City) but they're really hard SF with lots of Fictional Science and minimal characterization (but then, how much fun can you have when your protagonist is an androgynous posthuman computer program?) - you'll either love them or hate them.

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Thursday, June 10, 2010 8:33 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN

If you enjoy Lord of the Rings type, try Elizabeth Moon's Deed of Paksennarion.

Otherwise, her Serrano series has horses, space, military. Compilations bring the book total from 7 down to 3 I think.

I have reread both series numerous times, and all who have borrowed them have greatly enjoyed them. I can only read women-written books by her and 2 others, so don't be turned off by that.

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