Need More Sci Fi Book Suggestions

Everything cultural, pop or otherwise. Books, movies, music, comics, poetry, random cultural geekery.
The Quiet Man

Re: Need More Sci Fi Book Suggestions

Post by The Quiet Man »

Ones that I have enjoyed over the years that haven't already been mentioned...

L. Neil Smith - The Probability Broach and Forge of the Elders

George R. Stewart - Earth Abides (not strictly science fiction, but a fine read nonetheless)

Ken Grimwood - Replay

Robert A. Heinlein - The Door Into Summer, Friday, Farnham's Freehold
Actually, there isn't much of anything that Heinlein wrote that I didn't like...some I just liked more than others. Even his juvenile series of books were good.
User avatar
randy
Posts: 8354
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:33 pm
Location: EM79VQ

Re: Need More Sci Fi Book Suggestions

Post by randy »

Another vote for Jerry Pournelle. Especially his Codominum series (AKA John Christian Falkenberg series). And his War World series where he creates a world and brings in many of the best authors of the time to write stories. ("Suaron Fu**ing SUPER Soldier!")

He has lots of good non-fiction as well. Both science fact and political analysis.

And another vote for Pournelle and Niven together ("Think of it as evolution in action")

A great place to sample a wide variety of many the authors mentioned to see what you like is Baen Free Library. Fair warning. Bastards market on the crack "first taste is free" model. ("Hi, my name is Randy and I'm a Readaholic").

ETA: Oh, and just about everyone else mentioned on this thread. I grew up on Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, Dickson and Herbert. Niven, Pournelle, Drake, Haldeman, et al were the new kids on the block. I envy you for all of the great reading time you have in store for you, discovering these worlds and people for the first time.
...even before I read MHI, my response to seeing a poster for the stars of the latest Twilight movies was "I see 2 targets and a collaborator".
toad
Posts: 2645
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 5:00 pm

Re: Need More Sci Fi Book Suggestions

Post by toad »

A few specific books.

Path of the Fury for a specific David Weber Book.

A March Up Country, A March to the Sea, March to the Stars and We Few by David Weber and John Ringo. The Prince Roger series.
User avatar
Mike OTDP
Posts: 2418
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:42 pm

Re: Need More Sci Fi Book Suggestions

Post by Mike OTDP »

Most of what I would recommend has been mentioned, but I would put in a big plug for E. E. Smith's Lensman Series. Space opera at its finest.

Poun Anderson's Hoka stories are also good. Hysterically funny.

Oh, fie...I'd specifically recommend:

Galactic Patrol, Gray Lensman, Second Stage Lensmen, and Children of the Lens, by E. E. Smith

The Mote in God's Eye, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.

From the Earth to the Moon and Around the Moon, by Jules Verne. Also Twenty Thousand leagues Under the Sea, but only the U.S. Naval Institute's version...it's got 20% more material, stuff that British translators dumped on the cutting room floor.

Beyond This Horizon, Starship Troopers, Citizen of the Galaxy, and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein.

Hoka and Tau Zero, by Poul Anderson.

Dune and Under Pressure, by Frank Herbert.

Midshipman's Hope, Challenger's Hope, Prisoner's Hope, and Fishermans's Hope, by David Feintuch.
User avatar
Darrell
Posts: 6586
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:12 pm

Re: Need More Sci Fi Book Suggestions

Post by Darrell »

I have never read John Ringo. :oops: What's a good place to start?
Eppur si muove--Galileo
Greg
Posts: 8486
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:15 pm

Re: Need More Sci Fi Book Suggestions

Post by Greg »

Darrell wrote:I have never read John Ringo. :oops: What's a good place to start?
RIGHT HERE baby. The link is to the the first Posleen book, free online.

More generally, try the Free Library at Baen Books. If you like what you see, pick up some dead tree copies.
Maybe we're just jaded, but your villainy is not particularly impressive. -Ennesby

If you know what you're doing, you're not learning anything. -Unknown
Sanity is the process by which you continually adjust your beliefs so they are predictively sound. -esr
User avatar
skb12172
Posts: 7310
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 12:45 am

Re: Need More Sci Fi Book Suggestions

Post by skb12172 »

I've read some of these suggestions, like Starship Troopers and Replay. Also, The Stars Must Wait from the Bolo series. I didn't know there was a Bolo series, thinking all this time that TSMW was a stand alone book. Can't wait to read more about them Bolos. Also, Replay was an excellent book. If some of you haven't read it, give it a try. Ingenious concept.

Thanks for many of these other suggestions, as well. I guess, given the list I've already compiled from these suggestions, my reading list is set for the next ten years or so!
There must be an end to this intimidation by those who come to this great country, but reject its culture.
User avatar
mekender
Posts: 13189
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:31 pm

Re: Need More Sci Fi Book Suggestions

Post by mekender »

some of william johnstone's horror books would fall into the sci fi category...
“I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democrat Party has adopted our platform.” - Norman Thomas, a six time candidate for president for the Socialist Party, 1944
Greg
Posts: 8486
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:15 pm

Re: Need More Sci Fi Book Suggestions

Post by Greg »

skb12172 wrote:I've read some of these suggestions, like Starship Troopers and Replay. Also, The Stars Must Wait from the Bolo series. I didn't know there was a Bolo series, thinking all this time that TSMW was a stand alone book. Can't wait to read more about them Bolos. Also, Replay was an excellent book. If some of you haven't read it, give it a try. Ingenious concept.
You may need some background. In 1971 Keith Laumer suffered a stroke that pretty much disabled him, and certainly ruined his writing ability. His work before the stroke was always worth reading. His writing after the stroke was only published as an act of charity. (To complicate things, there were a number of things he had written pre-stroke that were only published after the stroke.) "The Stars Must Wait" would appear to be post-stroke, making its appearance in print an act of charity by Jim Baen. I haven't read it, and can't bear to (as a fan of Keith Laumer).

You can find my favorite Bolo story online here, part of the Baen free library- it's called 'The Last Command'. Another story, called 'Field Test' is a good one and shows what Bolo's are about.

Note that in the past few years Baen has published some reissues- collections of select Keith Laumer works, edited by Eric Flint. These are pre-stroke work, and worth looking up.
Maybe we're just jaded, but your villainy is not particularly impressive. -Ennesby

If you know what you're doing, you're not learning anything. -Unknown
Sanity is the process by which you continually adjust your beliefs so they are predictively sound. -esr
User avatar
Vonz90
Posts: 4731
Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:05 pm

Re: Need More Sci Fi Book Suggestions

Post by Vonz90 »

My tastes run different than some here (and I haven't read much SCIFI in years) but some of my favorites are:

Dan Simmons - Hyperion
Joe Halderman - The Forever War, The Other Log of Phileas Fogg
Jose Farmer - Riverworld series, World of Tiers series
The Red Dwarf books (better than the TV series if you enjoy that sort of thing)
Ursela K Le Guin - The Lathe of Heaven
All of the Douglas Adams stuff.
Post Reply