The Best Science Fiction Book (series) you've read

The John Carter books (11) were some of the earliest books I ever bought back when I was still in Primary school. I loved them and still have them!!
 
Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Messages
12,806
Location
Australia
As for stand-alone books: I happen to love Emphyrio by Vance, Mindgames by Cadigan (eventh tough it's Cyberpunk), Heinlein's Starship Troopers and Number of the Beast, and 'The Mote in God's Eye' by Niven & Pournelle (though I can't stand the books each wrote by himself, if for different reasons).
.

The Mote in God's Eye is fantastic, as was the Gripping Hand. I also strongly recommend anything by Heinlein. The only thing recent I've read that I feel safe strongly recommending is a short story called "Algorithm of Love," by I forget, I believe it was an Asian name. I often think about the content and just one read through had a lasting impact.

That’s not completely true. I feel safe recommending Kren of the Mitchegai by Leo Frankowski. There was another book I read about a post alien invaded Earth where the invaders are insectiods with a color-based cast system and a walrus-samurai-ish type race as well. I loaned it out and forgot the name and author.

There was another book I wanted to read part two of, but I cannot remember if I thought it was good or just good enough to warrant reading part 2. It was about an alien race taking over earth space, the remaining humans having to hide and start a new low-tech society so they wouldn’t be found by the alien’s sensors or whatever. Fast forward centuries later and you have a brutal theocracy based upon stopping technology, and the protagonist is a robot. I also cannot remember the either the name or the author if this one.

If anyone knows either book series and author I would be grateful.
 
Joined
Jul 20, 2012
Messages
41
Some of my all time favorites would have to be the Hyperion Cantos (Hyperion, Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, Rise of Endymion) by Dan Simmons.

Then there's also the Old Man's War novels by John Scalzi (Old Man's War, The Ghost Brigades, The Last Colony, and Zoe's Tale) - which are some of the most enjoyable scifi books I can remember reading in a long time.

As far as modern-ish (compared to the John Carter novels) classics go I'll echo the suggestions of the Foundation books by Asimov. They last one or two novels do get a bit goofy at times though.
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2006
Messages
1,710
Yeah, Foundation got a bit predictable by the end but it was still very good. The thing I liked about it wasn't the lack of aliens, though, it was the "brains over brawn" theme.

I'm not sure of you could call the Amber series SF or not but they certainly were good. The endings for the two series were both a bit weak but, now that you're expecting that, you should enjoy the books quite a bit. My favorite aspect of those books was finding out how that universe actually worked.

My favorite of all time (so far) is still Roger MacBride Allen's 'Hunted Earth' series. The Ring of Charon has the best aliens I've ever seen plus I love how the solar system actually seems BIG. The "Naked Purples" political faction is fun, too. The Shattered Sphere continues the series and also does a very good job. Unfortunately, the slacker still hasn't done the third book in the series!

He's also got a continuation of Asimov's robot novels where a robot is created that does not actually have the 3 (or so ;)) laws of robotics ingrained. I remember the series as being good but not anything particularly awesome. Still might be a good jumping-on point for the author, though, if you're familiar with Asimov's books.

Nancy Kress' Beggars series has to be the highest on the "sticky" scale. I swear I don't go a month without being reminded of something in that series of books.
 
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
Messages
8,238
Location
Kansas City
The last Foundation novel was written before the phrase New Age came about; the popular name to call it at the time was Metaphysics and it was all the rage at the colleges at the time. Asimov was pretty heavily influenced by Ursula K le Guin with this book I understand. It seems pretty simple minded looking back on it. They don't have the charm of those silly short stories of the first three books or the Galactic Empire novels.

The "Killer B's" were hired by the Asimov family to continue the Foundation series : David Brin; Gregory Benford; and Greg Bear. Benford's is by far the best with some amazing and sometimes shocking ideas but not having much of a story which is typical of him. Hari Seldon's solution to the Emperor (and it results) to stop suicidal terrorists was quite clever and topical.

--

Speaking of the Killer B's, anyone ever read Blood Music?

It was on a popular list of top 100 Sci Fi novels which is why I checked it out and found out about these authors.

David Brin wrote The Postman, which is the popular book set in a post-apocalyptic world. Most people on these forums are aware of thanks to the movie.
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2006
Messages
5,212
Location
The Uncanny Valley
Just started listening to Ender's Game, really good. Nothing better than taking a 1-2h walk listening to a good audio book :)

Best sci-fi i've read (or listened to rather) must have been the RAMA series (not sure i ever read the last one though), the first two were great i remember. Is there something similar to this series? I like the mixture of realism and mysticism / sci-fi..
 
Joined
Apr 18, 2011
Messages
3,263
Location
The land of rape and honey
Gateway (the first book, couldn't really get into the rest, the first is awesome though, Pohl)

Since I love stories that are mostly about one single person and abandoned places this is a no brainer.


Rendezvous with Rama (again, the first one, Clarke)

Again, stepping into the unknown and discovering an alien place is interesting.


Lucky Starr series (all books, Asimov)

Asimov's style works very well in these stories: terse and to the point. He tells a story and lets you enjoy it (as opposed to Stephen King who has great stories but it takes forever for a character to get from the kitchen to the front door) a lot of travel and constant adventure.


Ender's Game (only the first book, Scott Card)

This one is simply very unique. I loved the descriptions of the battles very much. Especially good in audio book format (full cast version).


Deathlands and Outcast series: prolly the best survivor/sci-fi/action/adventure series out there. Good characters, they both cover the whole planet basically and there are so many of them that it truly takes some time to chew through them.

These are also available in Graphic Audio format with full cast and they blow.
 
Joined
Dec 15, 2012
Messages
1
There is one small book that I put above everything I've read in the genre. It's Asimov's:
I, Robot

I can number many titles that I've enjoyed, seen some already mentioned in the thread (Simmons' Hyperion in a post above for example), but it was I, Robot that took me by surprise, messed with my wits and opened a completely new world of logic and imagination (I was a teenager when I've read it). Decades passed and I still haven't found a sci fi book that can impress me so drastically like that one did.

One however came close. It was Orwell's 1984. Years after Asimov's masterpiece, when I just started to experiment with pot and getting along with ppl who're doing that too means also adapting to books they read. Most of stuff that comes into your hands is (was) cheap delusional crap not really worth your time (Castaneda, Bach, etc) but then there is some quality literature in that circle like Huxley and Orwell. And then I've read 1984. Literally in one breath. And was unsure if I got that dizzy because of pot or because the sci fi book managed to strip the society in a way I didn't expect it's even possible. Later I knew it was the book that made me "halucinating" as I've reread it more than once and every time I get the same old "feeling sick".
I'm not into pot any more, hopefully I'll get lucky one day and move to some serious stuff like McAfee. :D
 
Joined
Apr 12, 2009
Messages
23,459
Gateway (the first book, couldn't really get into the rest, the first is awesome though, Pohl)
..
Rendezvous with Rama (again, the first one, Clarke)
..

imo the second book in the gateway series is even better than the first. havent read the rest.
the rama books are really great.


i have some reservations about alistair reynolds discussed previously in the thread.
read the revelation space series. while his story, characters are well written, imo the books are just too drawn out. what could have happened in 10 pages takes 50 pages in his book. just too epic (not in a good sense) for me..
having the same problem with peter hamilton.

i find myself more and more avoiding newer sci fi all together, it feels like stuff written in the 60-70-80s have a much higher chance of being good.

as mentioned, the foundation series is definitely some of the best sci fi ever. recently re read the robot series but i also felt they hadnt aged that well.
'the gods themselves' is another great one by asimov.

if you like cyberpunk stuff like gibsons early books, check out jeff noon.
'vurt' is classic.

i like post apocalyptic books also, recently read 'metro 2033' but was a bit disappointed. characters are very crude, and to some point also writing in general. some might have been lost in translation tho.
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2007
Messages
142
Currently listening lost fleet military scifi series . I got 30 days free pass for audible so I d/l lost fleet beyond the frontier invincible yesterday. Decisions in the plot are reasoned and well thought out so its exciting to read it since you dont know whats going to happen next and how they are going to solve it.

The Lost Fleet is a military science fiction series written by John G. Hemry under the pen name Jack Campbell. The series is set one-hundred-plus years into an interstellar war between two different human cultures, the Alliance and the Syndics. The protagonist of the story is discovered floating in a suspended animation escape pod one hundred years after he made a "heroic last stand" against an enemy fleet. In his absence, he has been made into a renowned hero in the Alliance, but his legend and actions are used to justify poor tactics and decisions. Awakened after being discovered during a secret mission that turns out to be an enemy trap, he is suddenly dropped into the role of fleet commander and expected to live up to the legend that has grown around him.
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Messages
3,160
Location
Europa Universalis
recentely finished "Leviathan Wakes" by James S.A Corey, number one in a series. first third was quite promising, but stunted character development, stereotype dialogue right out of a hollywood movie and zombies in space (really!) made this one a drag to finish.

just started "The Stars My Destination" by Alfred Bester, really hoping this one is better. finding myself sticking more and more to older, classic sf writers. many disappointments among the newer sf books ive read lately.

could use some tips for good newer sf, something close to asimov style perhaps, or the rama books. really tired of sf involving epic wars/loads of violence, or main characters that are "ex-marine-whatever".
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2007
Messages
142
could use some tips for good newer sf, something close to asimov style perhaps, or the rama books. really tired of sf involving epic wars/loads of violence, or main characters that are "ex-marine-whatever".
Might help if you could list those you have read already. My recommendations from newer ones are Consider Phlebas et al. (Culture Series) and Red Mars, but I haven't read too much sci-fi yet, so my experience is limited.

There's always the Top 100 sci-fi list for some inspiration -- on the left you can browse different themes you like.
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
3,486
Might help if you could list those you have read already. My recommendations from newer ones are Consider Phlebas et al. (Culture Series) and Red Mars, but I haven't read too much sci-fi yet, so my experience is limited.

There's always the Top 100 sci-fi list for some inspiration — on the left you can browse different themes you like.

yeah, thats a good list, use it sometimes, mostly older books tho.
newer authors that i've read isnt that many actually, peter f hamilton, alistair reynolds, neal stephenson, jeff noon, orson scott card.
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2007
Messages
142
Back
Top Bottom