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DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> Sci Fi / Fantasy Readers--I need my next book!
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05/13/2009 12:58:46 PM · #1
About three years ago I delved into fantasy by reading George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire. While waiting four years for the next one to come out I've read:
Books 1-4 Malazan Book of the Fallen by Erikson
Farseer and Tawney Man trilogies by Robin Hobb (but not liveship traders or the other one she wrote)
First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie
Elantris and Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss-would recommend this to ANYONE whether you like fantasy or not. Phenomenal!
The Prince of Nothing Trilogy and currently on Book one of Aspect Emperor Trilogy by R Scott Bakker.

So I've got a few ideas of where to go next. If I get some good fantasy advice, I'd go there, but I'm interested in maybe exploring Sci-Fi/Space style books. Perhaps Kevin Anderson's Seven Suns series, or something of that sort.

Recommendations?
05/13/2009 01:01:05 PM · #2
You must, must, must read the Otherland series by Tad Williams.

ETA: I recommend it because it's a brilliant blend of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, and held me captive the entire time.

Message edited by author 2009-05-13 13:09:19.
05/13/2009 01:03:12 PM · #3
Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy: Foundation, Second Foundation, Foundatuion and Empire. Arguably the greatest of all SF sagas, even more arguably the most influential, and incredibly thought-provoking. Arthur C. Clarke's Rama books, Larry Niven's Ringworld books; these also are great. The Foundation books are more social-sciences than technology, the other two are really rich in the techie aspect.

R.

ETA: this is by way of steering you into science fiction from your current stance square in the science fantasy camp; no dragons and demons and warlocks in these books :-)

Message edited by author 2009-05-13 13:04:37.
05/13/2009 01:03:49 PM · #4
Jack McDevitt's stuff is good. I also like Simon R. Green's Nightside series a lot. And I am currently into book 6 of the Dresden Files series and really enjoying it.
05/13/2009 01:04:37 PM · #5
Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy: Foundation, Second Foundation, Foundatuion and Empire. Arguably the greatest of all SF sagas, even more arguably the most influential, and incredibly thought-provoking. Arthur C. Clarke's Rama books, Larry Niven's Ringworld books; these also are great. The Foundation books are more social-sciences than technology, the other two are really rich in the techie aspect.

R.


completely agree!
05/13/2009 01:12:58 PM · #6
Ilium and its sequel, Olympos by Dan Simmons.

The are futuristic and definitely sci-fi but there is a ton greek mythology and references to other literature. The two book tell an epic story.
05/13/2009 01:13:54 PM · #7
They are lighter reading, but the Ender's Game books by Orson Scott Card are a fun read.
05/13/2009 01:16:36 PM · #8
Originally posted by tryals15:

They are lighter reading, but the Ender's Game books by Orson Scott Card are a fun read.


Great series though I'm stuck on the fourth book :(
05/13/2009 01:19:00 PM · #9
Originally posted by Ecce Signum:

Originally posted by tryals15:

They are lighter reading, but the Ender's Game books by Orson Scott Card are a fun read.


Great series though I'm stuck on the fourth book :(


Yeah the fourth one bogs down quite a bit. If you gets too stuck, you can always go back and read the parallel series as well about Bean.
05/13/2009 01:22:27 PM · #10
The first trilogy of The Uplift War series by David Brin is really good, too.
05/13/2009 01:23:17 PM · #11
I vote for both the Otherland series and the Ender books as well. Some great stuff there.
And for you Ender fans:

05/13/2009 01:35:24 PM · #12
Yepp, got them all :)
A must read if you're into SciFi

Originally posted by chromeydome:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy: Foundation, Second Foundation, Foundatuion and Empire. Arguably the greatest of all SF sagas, even more arguably the most influential, and incredibly thought-provoking. Arthur C. Clarke's Rama books, Larry Niven's Ringworld books; these also are great. The Foundation books are more social-sciences than technology, the other two are really rich in the techie aspect.

R.


completely agree!
05/13/2009 01:35:34 PM · #13
I really like Alistair Reynolds space books -
amazon link There are 3 that are in a loose series and the rest arent.

If you want something more fantasy based then The Black Company books by Glen Cook are great.
05/13/2009 01:45:27 PM · #14
Lots of quick replies!
Good to know I can always show up here for good recommendations! It'll be August before I can get through these!
05/13/2009 01:53:36 PM · #15
Oh, and how can I forget Robert A. Heinlein??????
05/13/2009 02:05:52 PM · #16
Here's keeping you reading through September,

Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emporer of Dune, Hertics of Dune, Chapterhouse Dune.

And of course once you're done with the original Dune series you can start on his sons novels.

Also.....

The White Plauge (the molec. biologist in me has issues with the science in the book, but its a good read)

The Saratoga Barrier, The Dosadi Experiment and Hellstroms Hive.

I am a huge Frank Herbert fan. I've read the dune series five times.

While we're on the subject of sci-fi books.

About three weeks ago a read a blurb for a book that I wanted to get- since then have forgotten the title and author...

The blurb went...An old man joins the space defense force (or something like that) and is given a new body...... Hoping thats enough for someone to give me a title.

05/13/2009 02:06:40 PM · #17
Anything by R.A. Salvatore
05/13/2009 02:07:54 PM · #18
Originally posted by monster-zero:

Anything by R.A. Salvatore


Except Vector Prime. Well, actually, Vector Prime was probably the best of all the New Jedi Order novels, but it lead me into needing to read the rest, and I was horribly disappointed.
05/13/2009 02:20:33 PM · #19
Faded Sun Trilogy by C.J. Cherryh, each book can stand alone, but reading all 3 is worth it.
05/13/2009 02:24:07 PM · #20
Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy: Foundation, Second Foundation, Foundatuion and Empire. Arguably the greatest of all SF sagas, even more arguably the most influential, and incredibly thought-provoking. Arthur C. Clarke's Rama books, Larry Niven's Ringworld books; these also are great. The Foundation books are more social-sciences than technology, the other two are really rich in the techie aspect.

R.

ETA: this is by way of steering you into science fiction from your current stance square in the science fantasy camp; no dragons and demons and warlocks in these books :-)

I'm on board with these suggestions, and a few other quality authors from that "classic" era ... I really like the short-story format as a way to "check out" new authors; all of the following have written in both short and long formats.

-Robert A. Heinlein (previously mentioned) -- his forecasts of "future history" (in a long series of short stories) are remarkably accurate.
-Theodore Sturgeon
-Cyril Kornbluth
-Harry Harrison (action/adventure with a strong humor component)
-Almost any anthology edited by Groff Conklin or Judith Merril.
05/13/2009 02:25:16 PM · #21
Originally posted by vxpra:



About three weeks ago a read a blurb for a book that I wanted to get- since then have forgotten the title and author...

The blurb went...An old man joins the space defense force (or something like that) and is given a new body...... Hoping thats enough for someone to give me a title.


The book you are looking for is "Software" by Rudy Rucker, published in 1982 the first of a trilogy. Rucker is a contender with William Gibson as the father of Cyberpunk, the distopian branch of current Sci-Fi, breaking away from the happy world of rockets launching out into bright tomorrows favored by Sci-Fi since it's early days.

My personal pantheon of currently working Sci-Fi authors are

W.Gibson- especially the early stuff

O.S.Card- the Ender series, but he can spin a tale like few others

Bruce Sterling- especially his short stories

Neal Stevenson- though currently working in Tolstoian length ( near a thousand pages as the first book in the Baroque trilogy) Diamond Age and Cryptonomicon are unforgettable works of a master at full stride.

Message edited by author 2009-05-13 15:07:22.
05/13/2009 02:32:07 PM · #22
Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy: Foundation, Second Foundation, Foundatuion and Empire. Arguably the greatest of all SF sagas, even more arguably the most influential, and incredibly thought-provoking. Arthur C. Clarke's Rama books, Larry Niven's Ringworld books; these also are great. The Foundation books are more social-sciences than technology, the other two are really rich in the techie aspect.

R.

ETA: this is by way of steering you into science fiction from your current stance square in the science fantasy camp; no dragons and demons and warlocks in these books :-)


Absolutely agree.
Rama is good, but the series sorta degrades in the later books, IMO (just like 2001 and, again IMO, the Dune series....)
Foundation should be required reading though.
Heinlein is good but be prepared for some pretty out there ideas.
I'll go ahead and plug a local author... The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis is decent. Ursula K. Leguin has some decent works too, although, maybe it's just me, but her different stories seem to follow very similar veins conceptually, especially in regard to sexual identity and gender. The Scar and Perdido Street Station by China Mieville are more down the fantasy branch and worth a look, but are more...odd fantasy. No dragons and whatnot, and almost sci-fi like but not quite.
Lastly, can't believe nobody has mentioned Philip K. Dick or Kurt Vonnegut or HG Wells yet (though Wells gets rather dry at times). That was entirely too long, so sorry for that.
05/13/2009 02:43:48 PM · #23
You cannot be a serious Fantasy reader until you have read:

The Discworld Novels by Terry Pratchett!!

Very funny and original, but start from the early ones:)
05/13/2009 02:45:13 PM · #24
Originally posted by spiritualspatula:

Heinlein is good but be prepared for some pretty out there ideas.

Just remember that he's a committed Libertarian and it all makes sense. If you want a novel which summarizes his views pretty well, I suggest The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress.
05/13/2009 03:05:33 PM · #25
Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by spiritualspatula:

Heinlein is good but be prepared for some pretty out there ideas.

Just remember that he's a committed Libertarian and it all makes sense. If you want a novel which summarizes his views pretty well, I suggest The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress.


I see where you're coming from for a lot of his work, but you can't just sum him by saying he's a libertarian. There are obvious totalitarian influences in Starship Troopers (written during a break in writing Stranger in a Strange Land), and the work is largely criticized for simply being an embodiment of his views. I'm not saying he isn't libertarian, but that's a gross oversimplification of an author who often had ideology that was contrary to other expressed views. Perhaps his views just changed over time, but it isn't as though every work is lockstep single political stance. Book topics and ideas evolved, as you see with all (all but the hacks)authors.

Message edited by author 2009-05-13 15:06:18.
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