Good SF Books by ecgordon

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Good SF Books

POSTED BY: ECGORDON
UPDATED: Saturday, May 1, 2004 16:10
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Friday, April 30, 2004 1:00 PM

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

Quote:
Originally posted by MistressOfUselessKnowledge, in another thread:
Anyone think we should start a thread for great sci-fi books? My reading pile is getting a little low, which sucks since there is such a dearth of good sci-fi on tv right now.

I read almost nothing but SF, and a smattering of Fantasy, and have for almost 40 years. This list might seem definitive, but believe me it is not by a long shot, and I'm sure I'll think of more later, but this is what sprang to mind first. The first five titles are from my favorite author, Robert A. Heinlein...

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (which Tim Minear is currently adapting for film, woohoo!)
Starship Troopers
Friday
Citizen of the Galaxy
Tunnel in the Sky

I could go on and on with Heinlein alone, but I won't for now, so here's stuff from other authors (most of which are classic rather than contemporary)...

Brian W. Aldiss - Earthworks, Greybeard, The Helliconia Trilogy
Roger MacBride Allen - Allies and Aliens, Orphan of Creation
Poul Anderson - Tau Zero, The Day of Their Return
Isaac Asimov - The Foundation Trilogy, I Robot, The Naked Sun, The End of Eternity
Alfred Bester - The Demolished Man, The Stars My Destination
Michael Bishop - Ancient of Days, No Enemy But Time
James Blish - A Case of Conscience, Cities in Flight
Ray Bradbury - The Martian Chronicles, Fahrenheit 451
David Brin - the first Uplift trilogy, Kiln People
Algis Budrys - Rogue Moon, Michaelmas
Orson Scott Card - Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead
Arthur C. Clarke - Childhood's End, Rendezvous With Rama, The Fountains of Paradise
Hal Clement - Mission of Gravity, Star Light, Needle
Samuel R. Delany - The Einstein Intersection, Nova, Triton
Lester Del Rey - Nerves, Police Your Planet
Philip K. Dick - The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, Ubik, The Man in the High Castle
Philip Jose Farmer - The Riverworld series
David Gerrold - When Harlie Was One, The Dingilliad Trilogy (Jumping Off the Planet, Bouncing Off the Moon, Leaping to the Stars), The War Against the Chtorr (A Matter for Men, A Day for Damnation, A Rage for Revenge, A Season for Slaughter)
Joe Haldeman - The Forever War, Mindbridge
Harry Harrison - The Deathworld Trilogy, Make Room! Make Room! (Soylent Green was based on it)
Frank Herbert - Dune, Hellstrom's Hive, Under Pressure
Ursula K. LeGuin - The Lathe of Heaven, The Left Hand of Darkness, The Dispossessed
Stanislaw Lem - Solaris, The Cyberiad
Michael P. Kube-McDowell - Exile, The Quiet Pools
Walter M. Miller Jr. - A Canticle for Leibowitz
Ward Moore - Bring the Jubilee (the grandaddy of alternate history novels)
Larry Niven - Ringworld, Neutron Star, Tales of Known Space
Niven and Jerry Pournelle - The Mote in God's Eye, The Gripping Hand
Frederik Pohl - Gateway, Man Plus, Jem
Kim Stanley Robinson - The Mars Trilogy
Robert Silverberg - Dying Inside, The Man in the Maze, The World Inside
Clifford D. Simak - Way Station, Time is the Simplest Thing, A Choice of Gods
Cordwainer Smith - Norstrilia, The Rediscovery of Man
Norman Spinrad - Little Heroes, The Iron Dream, The Men in the Jungle
Olaf Stapledon - Star Maker, Last and First Men
John Varley - Steel Beach, The Golden Globe, The Ophiuchi Hotline
A. E. van Vogt - Slan, The Weapon Shops of Isher, Rogue Ship
Gene Wolfe - The Book of the New Sun, The Fifth Head of Cerberus

Sorry to go on so long, but I love books!

Now somebody else list some newer stuff that I haven't read yet.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

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Friday, April 30, 2004 1:21 PM

JADEHAND

Very few books that I've read stand out and make my Favourites, which typically means that I have or would happily read them again. The winners are:

The More Than Complete Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy
Good Omens: The Nice And Accurate Prophecies Of Agnus Nutter, Witch
Mission Earth (series of 10 by L. Ron Hubbard, not related in any way to Battlefield Earth and that complete waste of film)

The truest test of courage is the last one.

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Friday, April 30, 2004 1:37 PM

DAVCO92

Here are some of my favorite science fiction and fantasy authors:

Sci-Fi
David Gerrold (Chtorr!!! Chtorr!!! Chtorr!!!)
Julian May (Pliocene Exile)
Simon R. Green (Deathstalker, Nightside)
James P. Hogan (Giants trilogy)
Dan Simmons (Hyperion)
Peter F. Hamilton (Reality Dysfunction)
Timothy Zahn (Black Collar)
Michael A. Stackpole (Where to start...)
W. Michael Gear (Spider)
Patricia Kennealy (Keltiad)
Peter David (B5 Centauri trilogy)
Jeanne Cavelos (B5 Technomage trilogy)
Robert Doherty (Area 51)
Greg Donegan (Atlantis)

Fantasy/Dark
Glen Cook (The Black Company)
Steven Brust (Vlad Taltos)
Mercedes Lackey (Hmm..where to start?)
Laurel K. Hamilton (Anita Blake)
Jim Butcher (Dresden Files - TV miniseries is in the works!)
Harry Turtledove (Darkness...)
P.N. Elrod (The Vampire Files)
Brian Lumley (Necroscope)

Just let me know if any of you would like specific suggestions or have questions, such as the names of certain novels.

Burn the land, boil the sea...

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Friday, April 30, 2004 1:48 PM

ECGORDON

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

Quote:
Originally posted by Jadehand:
Very few books that I've read stand out and make my Favourites, which typically means that I have or would happily read them again.

Every book on my list I have read more than once, and in the case of Heinlein, I doubt there is any of his books I haven't read at least 10 times.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

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Friday, April 30, 2004 1:58 PM

LINDLEY

I highly recomment John Ringo's Posleen series, which begins with A Hymn Before Battle, to anyone who like military SF.

Also, anything by Timothy Zhan. Aside from his great Star Wars books, I very much enjoyed The Conquerer's Trilogy and The Icarus Hunt.

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Friday, April 30, 2004 2:41 PM

HARDWARE

Heinlein! Heinlein! Heinlein! I've been enjoying his books for 30 years.

For military sci fi also David Drake, almost anything, Redliners gets a big thumbs up from me. Hammers Slammers is a popcorn read most of the time, until it drops in the pot.

Keith Laumer's Bolo books are excellent as well.

The more I get to know people the more I like my dogs.

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Friday, April 30, 2004 3:21 PM

SOUTHERNMERC

Though they are mostly horror, H.P. Lovecraft's stories have many SF themes running through them. Very interesting stories.

Also, there is one novel by Lawrence Watt-Evans that, while not great SF and is mostly a detective story, is none-the-less quite enjoyable. The protagonist takes a direction not expected at the end of the story, which some may call a cop out in some way, but is different from the many cliched endings in other mystery novels. The book is "Nightside City". Fun read.

Jayne: "See, Vera? You get dressed up, you get taken someplace fun!"

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Friday, April 30, 2004 3:30 PM

EMBERS

I've been reading some interesting cross genre books lately, and in Sci-fi they have been Mystery/Sci-fi:

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Kiln People by David Brin

in fact your thread reminded me that I needed to order some more books by David Brin, because that was an interesting, challenging, and funny book with some very compelling characters...

I have to admit that I don't read much Sci-fi, but I do love a good mystery

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Friday, April 30, 2004 4:42 PM

MISTRESSOFUSELESSKNOWLEDGE

Wow! What an awesome response to my little query! It is great to see some hardcore readers out there! Now, I will just have to pull out some particularly sci-fi and fantasy (just can't leave out fantasy!) good stories to add to the mix.

My most recent favorite author is Lois McMaster Bujold. This multiple Nebula award winner is the author of the Miles Vorkosigan series, which is an interesting mix of James Bond, Ender's Game and Indiana Jones-type action. This series, which is best initiated by reading the omnibus edition "Cordelia's Honor," is hard to put down, except when you fall over laughing, or cringe in sympathy pain with the main character of Miles.

Other recent favorites include Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series, and the well-written (IMHO)Harry Potter series.

Older favorites of mine include:
Anne McCaffrey's Pern books
C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia"
Lloyd Alexander's "The Prydain Chronicles"
Ray Bradbury's "The Martian Chronicles"
Edgar Rice Burroughs' "John Carter of Mars" series
Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea books
Isaac Asimov's Foundation books
And most books by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

And, saving the best for last, of course, Tolkien's LOTR books

I also like mystery, and conspiracy novels as well, especially cross genre books.

Mistress of Useless Knowledge

"If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college"

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Friday, April 30, 2004 4:46 PM

ANNIK

Quote:
Originally posted by ecgordon:
Quote:
Originally posted by MistressOfUselessKnowledge, in another thread:
Anyone think we should start a thread for great sci-fi books? My reading pile is getting a little low, which sucks since there is such a dearth of good sci-fi on tv right now.

I read almost nothing but SF, and a smattering of Fantasy, and have for almost 40 years.

Sorry to go on so long, but I love books!

Now somebody else list some newer stuff that I haven't read yet.

An excellent list. I read extensively from all over the place, but in fiction my favourite home is *always* SF. I think you've covered all my favourite books, although if I had to narrow the list I'd say the first four Dune books and the entire Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy have to be the two series I'd try to save from the total annihilation of the planet.

My biggest addiction, though, are the short stories. Every author mentioned on your extensive list has written some fabulous gems over the years ... stories that still shape my imagination.

My husband jokes that I should be an SF short-story expert right now, and I expect that if there's anywhere out there that can confer a PhD on SF stories and literature history (short-story), then I would be a decent candidate. (grin) But I digress ...

Some *recent* authors I came across in one of David G. Hartwell's "Year's Best SF" series include:
- M. Shayne Bell, "The Thing About Benny" (I dare you not to hum 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA throughout, LOL!)
- Joan Slonczewski, "Tuberculosis Bacteria Join UN" (written like a lengthy news release and terribly funny, especially the part about the e.coli getting miffed)
- David Langford, "Different Kinds of Darkness"
- Stephen Baxter, "Sheena 5" (I'm struck by the occasional highly-scientific sounding stories involving SF and squid over the years ... this one seems the best of the lot and is very compelling).

This seems to be an excellent series for those of you who enjoy short SF.

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Friday, April 30, 2004 5:11 PM

ECGORDON

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

I haven't read much short SF in quite a while, but for a time I did read a lot, many anthologies over the years and also subscribed to many of the magazines, even some that are not published anymore like Galaxy and Galileo. Also used to read all of Wollheim's and Carr's "Best of" collections and a few of Dozois and Hartwell's too, but lately I prefer novels.

I do think short stories are a good way for readers new to the genre though, gives them access to a lot of different writers and styles, and then they can make a list of those that interest them the most and can search out other stuff by those writers.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

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Friday, April 30, 2004 5:16 PM

DBELL46

Quote:
Originally posted by MistressofUselessKnowledge:

My most recent favorite author is Lois McMaster Bujold. This multiple Nebula award winner is the author of the Miles Vorkosigan series, which is an interesting mix of James Bond, Ender's Game and Indiana Jones-type action. This series, which is best initiated by reading the omnibus edition "Cordelia's Honor," is hard to put down, except when you fall over laughing, or cringe in sympathy pain with the main character of Miles.

I was hoping that someone would mention Bujold. Have you read the three fantasy novels she's
written?
The Spirit Ring
The Curse of Chalion and
Paladin of Souls

In addition to Bujold's works, my desert island collection would include:

Poul Anderson (Winter of the World and Boat of a Million Years)
Vernor Vinge (A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky)

****************************************************
If history is remarkably clear on one point,
it's that people don't learn from history.
****************************************************

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Friday, April 30, 2004 5:36 PM

MISTRESSOFUSELESSKNOWLEDGE

Quote:
Originally posted by dbell46:

I was hoping that someone would mention Bujold. Have you read the three fantasy novels she's
written?
The Spirit Ring
The Curse of Chalion and
Paladin of Souls

I have read the first two (which are awesome, especially Chalion), but am waiting for Paladin of Souls in paperback. Hehe, Barnes & Noble gets enough of my money, as it is.

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Friday, April 30, 2004 5:57 PM

DARKJESTER

Wow! What a great group of lists! May I add one or two more?

First, Heinlein, Heinlein and more Heinlein. Yes, his older works and ideas may seem a bit dated now (The Roads Must Roll, for example) but the man was without a doubt a genius IMO.

I'd recommend Gene Wolfe's Shadow of the Torturer series, a little earlier in his career.

For those with a taste for true pun-ishment, you'd be hard pressed to do better than Spider Robinson's "Callahan's Crosstime Saloon" and sequels. Yes, they're a bit light on the science side, but they are VERY funny. Time-travelling irishmen, talking German shepherds, a were-beagle...... and more puns than you can shake a schtick at!

For fantasy buffs, Steven R Donaldson's "Thomas Covenant" series is still one of my absolute favorites.

And for someone who crosses a lot of genres, Orson Scott Card reads very well. Sci-fi with Ender's Game and sequels and Memory of Earth series, alternative-history with the Tales of Alvin Maker series and Pastwatch, fantasy with Enchantment and Hart's Hope, horror/suspense with Lost Boys (not the movie!) and Homebody, and even several books of short fiction.

OK, my picks show that except for Card, I haven't much kept up with my reading the past few years. But I can recommend all of these.

MAL "You only gotta scare him."
JAYNE "Pain is scary..."

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Friday, April 30, 2004 6:10 PM

FIREFLYWILDCARD1

I don't read much scifi but for military scifi:

David Sherman and Dan Cragg: Starfist series (9 books out so far)

I wouldn't call it great writing but it's entertaining and the character development is good.

Fantasy:

J.V. Jones: The Book of Words trilogy (Baker's Boy, A Man Betrayed, and Master and Fool). The Sword of Shadows trilogy (Cavern of Black Ice, Fortress of Grey Ice, and Sword from Red Ice).

Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Riders of Pern series.

I like Bujold as well.

Magic's Pawn and it's 2 sequels are also pretty good (by Mercedes Lackey).

I mainly read military history though or historical fiction.

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Friday, April 30, 2004 6:35 PM

GUNHAND

Ohhh, glad someone mentioned Starfist. I really like those books, a lot.

A similiar trilogy is "The Heritage Trilogy", with the books "Semper Mars", "Luna Marine" and "Europa Strike". Unfortunately my books are packed away and I can't remember the author's name. Not as far in the future as Starfist but definately nifty. And as the titles may give away it isn't the "Federation Marines" it's involving the honest-to-Chesty USMC. There's just something deep down inside me gets a large dose of glee to the idea of someday adding a line starting,"Through the red sands of Mars..." to the Hymn.

Now this one may get me some odd looks, I do not like comic books. Haven't bought a comic book for lo' on 20 years...until I bought a trade paperback edition of one for Christmas. It's called "The Red Star: Collected Edition" and is an alternate history-future book about the Soviet Union (sorta) which is very well done. It has flying battleships, hammer and sickle melee fighting in power armor (yeah actual hammers and sickles as weapons, you read that right) and sorcery that allows talents to turn themselves into plasma used as broadsides. Oh and magical spells that appear as HUDs. Very odd, but very very good.

I'll have to second the "Deathstalker" series, something about spaceships and swordfights always appealed to me. Then again I always wanted to be a pirate when I grew up, and being a pirate in Spaaaaaaaaaace is even cooler.

Time for more odd looks, I loved both "Battlefield Earth" (the movie though sucked, sucked, sucked) and the "Mission Earth" Decology. Yeah there are 10 books in this lesser known, yet to my mind better, L. Ron Hubbard series. Funny, funny stuff. I got the whole set in hardback when I was in High School and read them once a year at least just to chuckle a lot. Although the cheesegrater and tabasco scene never fails to make me wince. A lot.

I like alternate histories and there are a lot of them I could list but won't because they aren't precisely Sci-Fi, but one definately is. "Guns of the South" by Harry Turtledove. His books tend to have a rapidly swinging quality level, even in the same series, hell even in the same book; but this one is definately a good one.

Harry Harrison's "Bill The Galactic Hero" is also a great read, very funny stuff. In the same vein so are the "Stainless Steel Rat" books. The first one is only one of two books I can re-read to this day and still laugh out loud while I'm reading it. Which is a rare trick because I'm so reserved and whatnot.

I'd second a lot on this list, see lots of books I really liked but the one that I need to say again by name is "Starship Troopers", if you only ever saw the movie, no matter what you thought of the movie, you really should read this book. I used to say it should be manditory reading before anyone even thought of seeing a military recruiter, and actually I still do. The movie is Hollywood fluff, the book will make you think and that's one of the best things any book can do.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
"Oh hey, I got an idea. Instead of us hanging
around playing art critic till I get pinched by
the Man, how's about we move away from this
eerie-ass piece of work and get on with our
increasingly eerie-ass day, how's that?"

My eerie-ass website:
http://gunhandsfirefly.homestead.com/Index.html

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Friday, April 30, 2004 6:57 PM

INSIGHT SPINNER

Quote:
Originally posted by ecgordon:
Quote:
Originally posted by MistressOfUselessKnowledge, in another thread:
Anyone think we should start a thread for great sci-fi books? My reading pile is getting a little low, which sucks since there is such a dearth of good sci-fi on tv right now.

I read almost nothing but SF, and a smattering of Fantasy, and have for almost 40 years.

Sorry to go on so long, but I love books!

Now somebody else list some newer stuff that I haven't read yet.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

Okay...you've got some great ones here. I can only claim the last ~ 35 years, since I really started reading F&SF around age 10. In my late 20's, I used to shop at A Change of Hobit in LA. I focused a lot on women's authors, but not totally. Here are some of my favorite authors that are not on your list. Many are blended F&SF or total fantasy authors, but they are good. Not a one is Robert Jordan-ish. I can recommend titles if any strike your fancy.

Sherry S. Tepper -- SF and so incredibly talented
Charles de Lint -- who writes incredible urban
fantasy
Octavia Butler -- If Samuel R. Delany is the king, she is the Queen of black SF writers
Nalo Hopkinson (Awesome afro-carribean inspired SF) http://www.sff.net/people/nalo/
Sean Russell
Guy Gavrial Kaye (fantasy)
Joan Slonczewski (I still argue her book "A Door into Ocean" is the inspiration for that blue farscape woman)

some quirky favorite books:
Vonda McIntyre's Nebula and Hugo winner Dreamsnake
Amy Thompson's "The Color of Distance" is just poetry -- the sequel is good, but not magic.
Spider and Jean Robinsons' Stardance (or stardancer) is very close to my heart.

My hubby really liked Steve Barnes' alternate history books (and I hear his wife, Tananarive Due is also great, but haven't read her yet).

A friend of mine swears by Marge Piercy, but I haven't read her yet.

You have probably read Theodore Sturgeon's "Godbody" -- which is his excellent posthumous book.

If you are looking for SF writers of color, check out Limited Color Palette at http://mechnoir.com/limited/LCP.html

insight spinner
__________

Just an object. It doesn't mean what you think....

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Friday, April 30, 2004 8:25 PM

CALHOUN

I see lots of great books and authors listed in this thread.

One series of books that has not been mentioned is "The Honor Harrington series" by David Weber. The first book in the series is called "On Basilisk Station".

I cannot say enough about this series of books! Absolutely superb reading! Anyone interested in Military Sci-Fi should do themselves a favour and read this series.

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Friday, April 30, 2004 8:28 PM

GUNHAND

Quote:
Originally posted by Calhoun:
I see lots of great books and authors listed in this thread.

One series of books that has not been mentioned is "The Honor Harrington series" by David Weber. The first book in the series is called "On Basilisk Station".

I cannot say enough about this series of books! Absolutely superb reading! Anyone interested in Military Sci-Fi should do themselves a favour and read this series.

I've heard really good things about that series as well but never managed to find it in a bookstore. And everytime I go on Amazon or B&N sites I get brainlockup. Sorta like River but instead of "too much hair" it's always,"too many books" and I forget what I was looking for, surf for a few hours and wind up with a shopping cart of stuff I just stumbled upon.

No discipline in my online buying. *looks over at his lava lamp with a hula dancer doll in it* I mean NONE.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
"Oh hey, I got an idea. Instead of us hanging
around playing art critic till I get pinched by
the Man, how's about we move away from this
eerie-ass piece of work and get on with our
increasingly eerie-ass day, how's that?"

My eerie-ass website:
http://gunhandsfirefly.homestead.com/Index.html

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Friday, April 30, 2004 9:40 PM

JOHNCLARK

Quote:
Originally posted by Calhoun:
I see lots of great books and authors listed in this thread.

One series of books that has not been mentioned is "The Honor Harrington series" by David Weber. The first book in the series is called "On Basilisk Station".

I cannot say enough about this series of books! Absolutely superb reading! Anyone interested in Military Sci-Fi should do themselves a favour and read this series.

Concur. I got one of the Harrington series to read - and by the time I'd got halfway through, I'd ordered the rest (Except one which is taking it's time)

If you want a preview,the publishers have On Basilisk up at their website here
http://www.baen.com/library/

---------------------------------------------
Experience has taught me that interest begets expectation, and expectation begets disappointment, so the key to avoiding disappointment is to avoid interest. A=B=C=A, or whatever

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Friday, April 30, 2004 9:49 PM

JAKE

Hey Lindley, I'm currently reading the Posleen series by Ringo now. I really enjoy reading military scifi books (though it isn't the only scifi I read) with power armor in it. I really liked A Hymn Before Battle, but right now Gust Front is dragging along a bit, though it does look to be picking up steam.

If anyone is interested in this particular type of military scifi, I recommend reading Starship Troopers by Heinlein and Armor by John Steakley. And even if you don't like this type of book, I *highly* recommend Forever War by Joe Haldeman (as previously mentioned). That is one of my favorite books and I reread it about once a year.

As far as my favorite scifi books go though, I can't even begin to recall what all I've read. However, looking at other people's lists (and ransacking my brain as much as I can this late at night ;)...The Stars are My Destination (excellent book), Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Rendezvous with Rama, Eon, The Mote in God's Eye, Starhammer (out of print book by Christopher Rowley, but really good if you can find it), Lucifer's Hammer (not really scifi), Meg, Area 51 (the first was good but my interest fell off after the second), and Hyperion. There are countless others I enjoyed but like I said, I'm drawing blanks on the rest for the time being. (=

Reading some of the replies so far makes me want to compile a list of all the books I've read. I may do just that now that I think about it. (=

As far as books I'm interested in reading in the future (aside from some of the suggestions so far), I've recently added the following to my Amazon wishlist:
Caves of Steel (Asimov)
The Book of the New Sun (Wolfe)
A Wizard of Earthsea (Le Guin)
Children of the Atom (Shiras)
Cities in Flight (Blish)
Dangerous Visions (Ellison)
Deathbird Stories (Ellison)
The Demolished Man (Bester)
Dhalgren (Delany)
Getaway (Pohl)
I Am Legend (Matheson)
Mission of Gravity (Clement)
The Rediscovery of Man (Smith)
A for Andromeda (Hoyle)
The Black Cloud (Hoyle)
Alas, Babylon (Frank)
A Canticle for Leibowitz (Miller)
Earth Abides (Steward)
On the Beach (Shute)
Breakfast of Champions (Vonnegut)
Timescape (Benford)
Slaughterhouse 5 (Vonnegut)
Stormbringer (Moorcock)
Rogue Moon (Budrys)
Mercenary (Anthony)
Politician (Anthony) (Mercenary and Politician are part of Anthony's Bio of a Space Tyrant series. I've read the first in the series, Refugee, and I really enjoyed it. However, I didn't mention it above b/c of its graphic nature. Some people may find some of the material in the book pretty objectionable.)
Lord of Light (Zelazny)
More Than Human (Sturgeon)
To Your Scattered Bodies Go (Farmer)
Lord Foul's Bane (Donaldson)
Childhood's End (Clarke)

I probably won't get through even a 1/8 of the books listed above in the near future (since I'm starting grad school in the fall), but hopefully I'll have many years ahead to pick them off. (=

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Friday, April 30, 2004 10:29 PM

WEERWOLF

David Weber tops my list. Not only because of the excellent military sf Honor Harrington 'verse, but also because of his shorter series and stand-alone books. One of 'em has a spaceship disguising as our moon...

Lois McMaster Bujold was advertised in the Weber books, and her characterisation and dialogue is downright witty with sympathy cringes underneath.

Also the X-wing series by both Micheal Stackpole and Aaron Allston were great.

I'm halfway through the Deathstalker series bij Simon R. Green, but I really love his fantasy characters, Hawk and Fisher and Rupert and Julia.

I read more fantasy than sci-fi, including but not limited to Robin Hobb, Weiss and Hickman, Robert Jordan, Brian Lumley, Terry Pratchett, the Eddingses, and G.R.R. Martins. The last of which appears to have trouble finishing books four and five in the current series. Publication dates are being pushed back by years instead of months. Argh argh...

And on the topic of fantasy, how could I forget J.K. Rowling? Love the Harry Potter series!

As for historical military, I read Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series. It's also a series of tv movies starring Sean Bean, there's something very Sharpe about Shindig, esp. when compared to the episode Sharpe's Honour... Sharpe is forced to accept a duel over a woman, and his opponent is an excellent swordsman. Sharpe's on the losing side of the duel until he manages to turn it into a brawl... And then Mal's line: "Watch it Ath, these things are Sharpe."

After watching the movie Master and Commander I converted to Patrick O'Brien as well.

And I got action-adventure and suspense and horror and detectives on my shelves as well.

Not to mention a shitload of comic books. Someone mentioned Red Star, it's excellent. It has an ongoing series now as well as a terrific tpb out on the first series. It's published quite irregularly but every issue is worth the wait. During the tpb, I cried at least three times. If not more. I had never cried over a comic book before.

I quit the spandex superhero comics several months back and now try to find interesting sci/fi, horror and fantasy stories. One of my favourite comic authors is Warren Ellis.

"The beard! Oh, you shaved off your soupcatcher!"

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Saturday, May 1, 2004 4:56 AM

NICOLACLARKE

Off the top of my head, here's my (probably incomplete) recommendations list.

NB: I've read much more fantasy than SF, but thanks mainly to the Gollancz masterworks series, which is re-releasing loads of classic SF & fantasy here in the UK, I'm slowly becoming more well-rounded.

Fantasy
Guy Gavriel Kay - especially The Lions of Al-Rassan (lyrical, intelligent, poignant)
Melanie Rawn
Jacqueline Carey - Kushiel's Dart
George RR Martin (leaves Jordan standing, frankly)
Robin Hobb
Mary Gentle - Ash (also really enjoyed her Ursula Le Guin-esque SF Golden Witchbreed I think is the title)
Virginia Woolf - Orlando
Orson Scott Card - Alvin Maker series
Sarah Zettel - A Sorceror's Treason
Terry Pratchett
Stephen Donaldson (for SF & F)
Gabriel Garcia Marquez - One Hundred Years of Solitude
Italo Calvino - The Castle of Crossed Destinies (genius: a bunch of travellers meet, lose their voices and have to tell their stories through tarot cards)

SF
Mary Doria Russell - The Sparrow (incredible book)
Iain M Banks - especially The Use of Weapons
Sheri S Tepper - especially Grass (classic) and The Fresco (hilarious)
Ursula Le Guin - The Left Hand of Darkness et al
Keith Roberts - Pavane
Roger Zelazny - Lord of Light
JG Ballard - The Drowned World
Philip K Dick - The Man in the High Castle
John Wyndham - Day of the Triffids
Walter M Miller - A Canticle for Leibowitz
George Orwell - 1984 (one of my all-time faves, I've read it numerous times)

...there are probably many more...

/ pure intentions, juxtaposed /

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Saturday, May 1, 2004 5:49 AM

KNIBBLET

A 'bus buddy' clued me into David Webber's, "Honor Harrington" series.

Honor kicks too much ass. I adore her and if I ever leave my husband for a fictional woman, it will be Honor.

"Just keep walkin, preacher man."

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Saturday, May 1, 2004 6:25 AM

DAVEY

I tried to come up with some books that havent already been mentioned and couldnt think of many so heres a few of my favorites instead:

Peter F Hamiltons' Reality Dysfunction,Neutroniom Alchemist,The Naked God
Orson Scott Card, Enders Game and Enders Shadow
Niven and Pournelle, Footfall, The mote in Gods Eye,The mote around Gods eye
Starship Troopers
Any Honor Harrington book by David Weber, gotta love those treecats! Mutineers moon and Armageddon Inheritance by the same author
David Drakes Hammers Slammers novels are a fun read
Lois Mcmasters Bujold Vorkosigan saga

For fantasy have you tried The Sword of truth series by Terry Goodkind?

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Saturday, May 1, 2004 8:13 AM

MAUGWAI

Although I love scifi movies and TV, I don't read much Sci-fi, so those I do read I stand by completely.

Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester is amazing.

Dune Messiah, although you have to read the first book to get it, which is also good.

She by H. Ryder Haggard is colonial literature and considered a classic, but managed to slip its sci-finess in under the radar. They made a movie starring Ursula Andress. It's where the phrase "She who must be obeyed" comes from.

"Dear diary, today I was pompous and my sister was crazy."

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Saturday, May 1, 2004 8:19 AM

JOHNCLARK

I quite enjoyed the first couple of Phule Books by Robert Asprin too. (They're SF comedy)

---------------------------------------------
Experience has taught me that interest begets expectation, and expectation begets disappointment, so the key to avoiding disappointment is to avoid interest. A=B=C=A, or whatever

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Saturday, May 1, 2004 10:58 AM

ZEPRAN

I've seen many good suggestions, but unless I missed it,

The Coldfire Trilogy by C. S. Friedman

needs to get a vote. Most of the others that top my favorites list have already been mentioned...

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Saturday, May 1, 2004 11:56 AM

JAKE

Yeah, I've read the first two Phule books and they were pretty alright. (=

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Saturday, May 1, 2004 3:36 PM

DBELL46

Another series that noone has mentioned is the Matador series by Steve Perry.

The first in the series is either The Man Who Never Missed or The 97th Step depending
on whether you go by publishing date or story arc respectivly.

I'm also going to mention the Dark Tower series by Steven King. Some people love him, some people
consider him a hack (I like him alot), but you'll be cheating yourself if you don't give these books a
try.

****************************************************
If history is remarkably clear on one point,
it's that people don't learn from history.
****************************************************

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Saturday, May 1, 2004 4:10 PM

CHRONICTHEHEDGEHOG

An obvious choice, but it's my favourite book ever:
Lord of the Rings

Also:
I am Legend - The greatest vampire story ever told. I've lent it to pretty much every one of my friends and they've all finished it in one sitting, then re-read it shortly afterward.

The Green Mile - After a couple of bad books, this restored my faith in Stephen King no end and remains one of my top King novels.

Bag of Bones - Another King novel, first I ever read and still one of my favourites.

The Gunslinger - Weird mix of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, very good. King again.

Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman - There are two worlds, the above world in which we live, and the below world which still consists of courts, baronies and fiefdoms. Minding the gap at the tube station never seemed so important...

The Forever War - Can't remember the author. Wheen war takes place hundreds of light years away, returning soldiers find their loved ones long dead and a seemingly endless war still raging on.

check out my WIP firefly roleplay system at www.estador.co.uk/firefly

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