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05/13/2009 08:38:14 PM · #76 |
Originally posted by chromeydome:
I will add my YES! to the previously noted Discworld series--fantastic stuff. Would add the Terry Pratchett/Neil Gaiman collaboration "Good Omens".
And Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere is one of my favorites, too. |
Another vote for Terry Pratchett. Fantasy and parody and lots of laugh out loud moments. I think I've read all of the Discworld books at least four times, and Good Omens, too. I enjoy every time. And you can't skip his footnotes! Very bummed that he has early Alzheimer's and may not be able to write too many more books :-( |
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05/13/2009 10:21:16 PM · #77 |
Do post-apocalyptic literary works count? Try Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban. It's lots of fun. I probably shouldn't mention this is the same breath, but I'll put in a plug also for Cormac McCarthy's The Road, which won a Pulitzer.
As for purer sci-fi, I remember liking Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand by Samuel R. Delany.
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05/13/2009 10:44:43 PM · #78 |
Originally posted by vxpra:
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. |
John Scalzi - "Old Man's War" and there are seguals - very good, highly recommended.
Later,
Tom |
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05/13/2009 10:57:01 PM · #79 |
Originally posted by tpbremer:
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? |
Jim Butcher - Dresden Files series - great stuff.
Simon R. Green - Nightside series - quick, easy, fun reads.
Ilona Andrews - Magic series - excellant stuff - post technology magic set in Atlanta.
Rachel Caine - The Weather Warden series, The Red Letter Days series, The Morganville Vampires series (Young Adult), The Athena Force series, The Outcast Season series (new)
Laurell K. Hamilton - Anita Blake series - most excellant - even guys will like these.
Kim Harrison - Rachel Morgan series - very good and clever concept.
You want any more, just give me a shout. :>)
Later,
Tom |
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05/13/2009 10:58:03 PM · #80 |
| Another sociological superstar, Mary Doria Russell. "The Sparrow" and "Children of God". Simply amazing. |
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05/13/2009 11:06:46 PM · #81 |
Originally posted by Teafran:
Originally posted by vxpra:
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. |
John Scalzi - "Old Man's War" and there are seguals - very good, highly recommended.
Later,
Tom |
Oh, forgot to mention - The three Heritage trilogies by Ian Douglas.
Semper Fi! :>) |
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05/13/2009 11:48:09 PM · #82 |
Here's a few of extraordinary books that are a bit off the beaten track. Great stories, highly approachable, painting realisticly rendered scenarios, putting good science back into great fiction:
A Fire Upon the Deep - Vernor Vinge
Beggars in Spain - Nancy Kress
Mother of Storms - John Barnes
Snow Crash - Neil Stephenson
Anvil of Stars - Greg Bear
ETA: I've read all these at least twice ... some more than that.
ETA ETA: How could I have forgotten Einstein's Dreams - Alan Lightman
Message edited by author 2009-05-14 02:35:58. |
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05/14/2009 01:02:54 AM · #83 |
Originally posted by citymars:
Do post-apocalyptic literary works count? Try Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban. It's lots of fun. I probably shouldn't mention this is the same breath, but I'll put in a plug also for Cormac McCarthy's The Road, which won a Pulitzer.
As for purer sci-fi, I remember liking Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand by Samuel R. Delany. |
Hmmm, post-apocalyptic books? How about Final Blackout by L. Ron Hubbard. I knew right where to find my copy of this book. The frontispiece tells me it was copyright 1940 & 1948. It's always been on "that" spot in the bookshelves and after I read it a very, very long time ago, that's where it stayed. Scared the livin' daylights out of me at the time and I never picked it up again.
You know what? I'm not sure I'll crack that cover now, either.
Edited to add: This thread is so very much fun. You never know who will come out of the woodwork and declare for SciFi and stuff. Some interesting people have.
:-))
Message edited by author 2009-05-14 01:05:51.
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05/14/2009 01:11:16 AM · #84 |
Originally posted by citymars:
Do post-apocalyptic literary works count? Try Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban. It's lots of fun. I probably shouldn't mention this is the same breath, but I'll put in a plug also for Cormac McCarthy's The Road, which won a Pulitzer.
As for purer sci-fi, I remember liking Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand by Samuel R. Delany. |
The Road is a good read. If you decide to read it, be prepared for a bleak setting. I mean really bleak. Most post-apocalyptic books are happy go lucky by comparison. Blood Meridian isn't sci-fi but is also pretty powerful in its brutality. |
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05/14/2009 03:31:50 AM · #85 |
sfalice
>>Still have some of their paperbacks from way back when, but probably don't have any of the doubles around. The paperbacks I do have may be good for one or two more reads before they fall apart. those were the fun years, for sure.<<
My Ace Doubles are in the same state. Some other pre-millenium authors I've enjoyed included John Varley, Julian May, Jack Chalker, Gordon Dickson, Fritz Leiber, Spider Robinson, Jack Vance.
If you like Neal Stephenson, Richard K. Morgan's Altered Carbon is a great read, along with the others featuring that character.
Message edited by author 2009-05-14 03:56:56. |
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05/14/2009 04:05:13 AM · #86 |
Originally posted by lynnesite:
Another sociological superstar, Mary Doria Russell. "The Sparrow" and "Children of God". Simply amazing. |
Her second book seems Interesting, I read the synopsis. Perhaps a bit depressing? But i was very interested how they depict the autistic character in the story. Theories really come to fruition when other authors convey similar theosophy. I might have to order this.
I have to mention Theodore Sturgeon, a very great writer of Sci-fi/fantasy who isn't too well known, but had written some shorts that I read that absolutely mesmerized me when I was in my teens. They really stood with me over the years, and its rare that I read stories more than once, his were a real trip. He wrote a couple of Twilight Zone episodes and some StarTrek episodes back in 60s, a phenomenal short story writer more than novelist. I recommend "Microcosmic God", about the dangers of the rapid progression of science.
Message edited by author 2009-05-14 04:25:38. |
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05/14/2009 04:30:38 AM · #87 |
Originally posted by lynnesite:
sfalice
>>Still have some of their paperbacks from way back when, but probably don't have any of the doubles around. The paperbacks I do have may be good for one or two more reads before they fall apart. those were the fun years, for sure.<<
My Ace Doubles are in the same state. Some other pre-millenium authors I've enjoyed included John Varley, Julian May, Jack Chalker, Gordon Dickson, Fritz Leiber, Spider Robinson, Jack Vance.
If you like Neal Stephenson, Richard K. Morgan's Altered Carbon is a great read, along with the others featuring that character. |
Jack Vance. He wrote Araminta Station if I'm not mistaken? |
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05/14/2009 04:32:57 AM · #88 |
IMO maybe the best trilogy ever written if you want to go places you have NEVER gone before. Titan, Wizard, and Demon by John Varley. Absolutely breathtakingly astounding!
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05/14/2009 06:36:19 AM · #89 |
Anything by Robert J. Sawyer.
He's a sci-fi author who does a wonderful job of combining realistic people and settings with amazingly unique ideas. |
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05/14/2009 09:01:12 AM · #90 |
Originally posted by tpbremer:
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? |
Iain (M) Banks (Try Against A Dark Background)
Neil Asher (The Cormac series)
Arthur C Clarke's Time's Eye: A Time Odyssey
Are all good spacey stuff. I also second the recommendation of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, though they are not space-related. |
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05/14/2009 10:28:08 AM · #91 |
Well, I went through the stacks again, and found two Ace doubles, one by John Brunner and the other by Robert Silverberg (who still writes a column for Azimov's).
The book (An Ace book, but not a double) I found and especially enjoyed remembering was by Jack Williamson who lost his personal battle with immortality 2 years short of his 100th birthday not long ago.
Fritz Leiber also brought back memories. Didn't he write a book or two about the far distant future when a whole religion was based around the contents of a construction worker's lunchbox, and maybe some architect's plans? I could not easily find a reference to this vague memory of mine but toss it out there anyhow.
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05/14/2009 10:30:56 AM · #92 |
Originally posted by spiritualspatula:
Originally posted by citymars:
Do post-apocalyptic literary works count? Try Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban. It's lots of fun. I probably shouldn't mention this is the same breath, but I'll put in a plug also for Cormac McCarthy's The Road, which won a Pulitzer. ... |
The Road is a good read. If you decide to read it, be prepared for a bleak setting. I mean really bleak. Most post-apocalyptic books are happy go lucky by comparison. ... |
That's why I was hesitant to include it. It's a great book (I've read it twice), but devastating. |
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05/14/2009 02:41:52 PM · #93 |
I have to admit I'm not too up to speed on more contemporary authors, but I do love the classics:
Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Also, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip Dick, it was the basis for the film Blade Runner. |
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05/14/2009 02:50:57 PM · #94 |
So good stuff here. Got back to this and couldn't believe it was four pages of thread!
Thanks for the input. Sheesh, we practically have a book club here.
I noticed somebody saying they'd put this thread on "watch"--is there a way to actually do that?
Somebody mentioned Stolen Child by Keith Donahue--excellent read. Adult fairy tale, and good prose.
If anybody is looking for good fantasy check the first law trilogy, and the mistborn trilogy that I mentioned in the beginning. The final books of both series are phenomenal, and have both been up for awards. Abercrombie and Sanderson are ones to watch--relative newcomers to the genre. Sanderson was picked to finish the Wheel of Time series. I may actually get to that someday, but I'm going to wait till its finished! |
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05/14/2009 02:51:55 PM · #95 |
| Enders Game. Bar none. Great series. |
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05/14/2009 02:54:07 PM · #96 |
Originally posted by antares1966:
I have to admit I'm not too up to speed on more contemporary authors, but I do love the classics: |
For some real classics you can go all the way back to Cyrano de Bergerac (the first to write of rocket flight to the Moon) and Jules Verne ...
Message edited by author 2009-05-14 15:00:52. |
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05/14/2009 02:58:19 PM · #97 |
Originally posted by tpbremer:
I noticed somebody saying they'd put this thread on "watch"--is there a way to actually do that? |
Right up there ^^^^ is a drop-down list for thread options that lets you watch, or ignore, a thread...
R.
Message edited by author 2009-05-14 14:58:45. |
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05/14/2009 03:00:51 PM · #98 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by antares1966:
I have to admit I'm not too up to speed on more contemporary authors, but I do love the classics: |
For some real claasics you can go all the way back to Cyrano de Bergerac (the first to write of rocket flight to the Moon) and Jules Verne ... |
I'm not sure who you mean, but Cyrano was a fictional character. |
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05/14/2009 03:03:55 PM · #99 |
Originally posted by citymars:
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by antares1966:
I have to admit I'm not too up to speed on more contemporary authors, but I do love the classics: |
For some real claasics you can go all the way back to Cyrano de Bergerac (the first to write of rocket flight to the Moon) and Jules Verne ... |
I'm not sure who you mean, but Cyrano was a fictional character. |
No he was a real person, whose life formed the basis for Rostand's (substantially) dramatized biographical work. |
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05/14/2009 03:18:21 PM · #100 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by citymars:
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by antares1966:
I have to admit I'm not too up to speed on more contemporary authors, but I do love the classics: |
For some real claasics you can go all the way back to Cyrano de Bergerac (the first to write of rocket flight to the Moon) and Jules Verne ... |
I'm not sure who you mean, but Cyrano was a fictional character. |
No he was a real person, whose life formed the basis for Rostand's (substantially) dramatized biographical work. |
Huh. You can learn something new every day, I guess. ;-) |
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