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Thread Statistics | Show CCP posts - 2 post(s) |
Steven Gerrard
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Posted - 2006.08.16 12:40:00 -
[1]
Hi,
I was wondering if you can recommend any classics and short stories I donĘt want to get into reading one that spans many books and is a epic saga unless it is really, really good.
At the moment I am reading HG Wells War of the Worlds. I read this in school many moons ago but re-reading it now. I also want to read Ubik by Philip K **** and A Scanner Darkly before a see the film. These will be the first books I have read by PKD I have only seen the Hollywood films that usually aren't as good as the books.
But if anyone recommends some classics/short stories that I should read I will check them out.
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Steven Gerrard
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Posted - 2006.08.16 12:41:00 -
[2]
Sorry this was meant to go in out of pod.
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Splagada
Minmatar
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Posted - 2006.08.16 12:42:00 -
[3]
Edited by: Splagada on 16/08/2006 12:42:51
rofl at philip k ****, censor filter gives odd results sometimes
I recommend Hyperion series of book from Dan Simmons, and the of course immense Dune from Frank Herbert
also, Asimov series are always good, especially Nightfall, written with Silverberg (one of the best i have ever read)
John Varley did some really good ones too, the trilogy Titan/Demon/Witch is great (Gaia trilogy) and very original
Rama from Arthur C.Clarke is a very nice hardcore sci fi book too :) -
Looking for technetium delivery contracts
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Rodj Blake
Amarr PIE Inc.
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Posted - 2006.08.16 12:44:00 -
[4]
Edited by: Rodj Blake on 16/08/2006 12:44:49
State of the Art is a collection of Iain M Banks' short stories.
The title story itself is very good, and involves a Culture team landing on Earth in 1977 during the height of Star Wars fever.
Regarding old classics, Brave New World and 1984 are both good reads.
Dulce et decorum est, pro imperator mori |
cold lazarus
Amarr Reikoku Band of Brothers
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Posted - 2006.08.16 12:47:00 -
[5]
Peter Hamiltons nights dawn trilogy
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Rovol
Black Nova Corp Band of Brothers
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Posted - 2006.08.16 12:53:00 -
[6]
Asimov's Nightfall is quite possibly one of the best sci-fi short stories of all time. His robot short stories (I Robot etc) are pretty good too.
Also a lot of good short stories by A C Clarke and R A Heinlein - usually see some collections from these guys in second hand shops (ebay is good place too).
Rama is good aye, but just the first 'Rendezvous with Rama' - the sequels are actually written by someone else and are frankly rubbish.
A lot of good full length novels written by the above 3 authors well worth a look.
Also I'd say Eve reminds me most of the 'E E 'Doc' Smith' books written mainly in the 1940's - the whole 'fleets of big ships beating the **** out of each other is very him. I'd hardly say they were 'quality' but certainly good fun.
More recent good reads come from Ian M Banks (I want to live in the Culture) and Peter F Hamilton has written some good stuff too.
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Splagada
Minmatar
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Posted - 2006.08.16 12:55:00 -
[7]
Rovol, you know he rewrote it(nightfall) in a book? with silverberg. the book is pretty good too :D -
Looking for technetium delivery contracts
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Avon
Caldari Black Nova Corp Band of Brothers
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Posted - 2006.08.16 12:57:00 -
[8]
H.G. Well's stories are actually some of the greatest 'short' sci-fi works you can read.
Otherwise, if you haven't read it already, "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson is a modern classic. Not too lengthy, and a good story.
Also, if you want something quick and fun, try anything by Harry Harrison. (I know that is going to get knocked by some Sci-Fi purists, but his books great light entertainment.)
The Battleships is not and should not be a solo pwnmobile - Oveur
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cold lazarus
Amarr Reikoku Band of Brothers
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Posted - 2006.08.16 12:59:00 -
[9]
got to admit it, Rendezvous with Rama was the best out of that series.
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Gadfium Horza
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:02:00 -
[10]
ender's game by Orson Scott Card
anything by Iain M Banks or Peter Hamilton
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Hans Roaming
Body Count Inc. Mercenary Coalition
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:02:00 -
[11]
Try The Forever War by Joe Haldeman and yes the Stainless Steel Rat series by Harry Harrison is very good fun.
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Jobie Thickburger
Gallente Miner Guide to the Galaxy
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:03:00 -
[12]
Hmmmmm Heinlein is my Favorite Arthor, He has a lot of Good books out there...
For Shorts, Look for a copy of his "Future History" stories, I think BAEN has em printed in 3 different paperbacks
For novels, Consider "Friday" if you like Spy Novels, "The Number of the Beast" if you like Fantasy, and "Job: A comedy of Errors" if your Amarr
Also books by his that are a little more popular...
"Starship Troopres", one of my favorites, but you have to completly forget the Movie to get the book
"Stranger in a Strange Land" is one of his most famous as well. Very good Book... Need to re-read it in fact.
Also, "Metheula's children" (can you say spelling error?) and "Time Enough for Love" are a Series set he wrote about "Lazarous Long". Haven't read them, so can't say much about them.
CEO - MGTTG
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Avon
Caldari Black Nova Corp Band of Brothers
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:03:00 -
[13]
Oh, forgot to mention, there are some good anthologies of Hugo/Nebula nominated/winning stories. Definately worth a look if you want to get an idea of what is out there, and which author's style may appeal to you.
The Battleships is not and should not be a solo pwnmobile - Oveur
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Redundancy
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:03:00 -
[14]
Edited by: Redundancy on 16/08/2006 13:05:49 If you wanted really classic, you could go all the way back to E.E. "Doc" Smith and Robert A. Heinlein. I also recommend Carl Sagan (I still count the book "Contact" as one of my all time favourites).
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Sevarus James
Minmatar Meridian Dynamics
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:05:00 -
[15]
Night's Dawn Trilogy -P.F. Hamilton Otherland- Tad Williams ---and yep, they're long multipart....but "done" so you don't have to wait and wait and wait for the next ones....are you listening GRR Martin??? ;)
The Moon is Harsh Mistress - Robert H. Heinlein will ALWAYS be near the top of my recommendations.
For classic, short, fast, but stick in your head forever: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
Lucifer's Hammer, or the Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
Anything by David Brin, Asimov, Pohl, Zelazney, Herbert
The list goes on and on. ----- ------------
Updated Linux Desktop+EVE+EVE-TV |
Avon
Caldari Black Nova Corp Band of Brothers
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:07:00 -
[16]
Originally by: Redundancy If you wanted really classic, you could go all the way back to E.E. "Doc" Smith and Robert A. Heinlein.
Doc Smith stuff are crazy mad superfast, and often silly, stories .. fantastic stuff. Not really books you think your way through, more the type you get dragged through by the author, with smoke and flames exploding from your eyeballs.
I have all of them, including the Skylark series in first editions. And no, you can't have my books.
The Battleships is not and should not be a solo pwnmobile - Oveur
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Splagada
Minmatar
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:09:00 -
[17]
Originally by: Redundancy Edited by: Redundancy on 16/08/2006 13:05:49 I still count the book "Contact" as one of my all time favourites).
this has to be my personal best sci fi movie
not really sci fi but incredibly nice from the same guy, is "Cosmos"
he was the father of the Voyager missions (the space probes, first human made objects to leave solar system, in addition to probing jupiter etc) and has damn nice things to say about "how life would be if it existed" based on actual science etc
and answers to a fun question :"is there life on earth" :D -
Looking for technetium delivery contracts
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Sevarus James
Minmatar Meridian Dynamics
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:09:00 -
[18]
Originally by: Avon
Originally by: Redundancy If you wanted really classic, you could go all the way back to E.E. "Doc" Smith and Robert A. Heinlein.
Doc Smith stuff are crazy mad superfast, and often silly, stories .. fantastic stuff. Not really books you think your way through, more the type you get dragged through by the author, with smoke and flames exploding from your eyeballs.
I have all of them, including the Skylark series in first editions. And no, you can't have my books.
I have ALWAYS been afraid to re-read the Lensman series, as I fear that it would ruin childhood memories....even thinking back on some of it I get the idea that it would be horribly 'dated' now...sorta' like watching 1930's buck rogers after being exposed to The Empire Strikes Back.
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Updated Linux Desktop+EVE+EVE-TV |
Mongrove
Caldari
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:12:00 -
[19]
Space Op' novelas - my favorites
Alastair Reynolds, Revelation Space, IMO best current space opera: # Revelation Space (2000) # Chasm City (2001) # Redemption Ark (2002) # Absolution Gap (2003)
Vernor Vinge : # A Fire Upon the Deep (1992) - Hugo 1993 # A Deepness in the Sky (2000) - it's "A Fire Upon the Deep" prequel and the most honored science fiction novels
See wikipedia.org
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Smagd
Encina Technologies Namtz'aar k'in
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:13:00 -
[20]
For a breath of EVE, try C. J. Cherryh and any of her Alliance-Union universe. For a start, try Hugo winner
Downbelow Station
If that gets you hooked, there's loads more from this universe and all are meant to be read separately.
Special mention should probably also go to "Finity's End" and "Mechanter's Luck".
The pirates amongst you would probably like something like "Rimrunners" or "Hellburner". --
When I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally. |
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Justin Thyme
Gallente The Scope
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:13:00 -
[21]
Edited by: Justin Thyme on 16/08/2006 13:13:43 Edited by: Justin Thyme on 16/08/2006 13:13:23 Don't for get good old Gordy ****son. Stupid filter. I think you know who I mean.
"Hunting rats is like minning for scrap metal... and occationaly striking gold" -- Justin Thyme
I don't shoot people. That would be wrong. I do however shoot Ore Thieves. -- Justin Thyme |
Sevarus James
Minmatar Meridian Dynamics
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:14:00 -
[22]
Originally by: Mongrove Space Op' novelas - my favorites
Alastair Reynolds, Revelation Space, IMO best current space opera: # Revelation Space (2000) # Chasm City (2001) # Redemption Ark (2002) # Absolution Gap (2003)
Vernor Vinge : # A Fire Upon the Deep (1992) - Hugo 1993 # A Deepness in the Sky (2000) - it's "A Fire Upon the Deep" prequel and the most honored science fiction novels
See wikipedia.org
Oh gods I'll second the Vernor Vinge section.......just literally with in a couple of weeks finished those. What an amazing story. (both of em'.) ----- ------------
Updated Linux Desktop+EVE+EVE-TV |
Rovol
Black Nova Corp Band of Brothers
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:16:00 -
[23]
I didn't know Nightfall had been expanded into a novel - might have to check it out.
As far as good old Doc Smith is concerned - great fun (Skylark and Lensmen are best). Plot synopsis follows:
1. Build ships - have battle 2. Heroes build bigger ships 3. Villans build bigger ships slightly smaller than those built at step 2 4. Repeat 1-3 until they're throwing planets at each other and flying around in deathstars
great stuff
P F Hamiltons Nights Dawn is great - also the newer (2 book) Commonwealth Saga is good too.
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Gunstar Zero
Caldari Reikoku Band of Brothers
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:45:00 -
[24]
Edited by: Gunstar Zero on 16/08/2006 13:45:49
Originally by: Redundancy Edited by: Redundancy on 16/08/2006 13:09:38 If you wanted really classic, you could go all the way back to E.E. "Doc" Smith and Robert A. Heinlein. I also recommend Carl Sagan (I still count the book "Contact" as one of my all time favourites).
PPS. A Scanner Darkly messed with my head... I had a headache for a day after reading it.
I really enjoyed the Skylark series - an excellent read.
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Dejah Carter
Carter Enterprises
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:52:00 -
[25]
Obviously Robert A. Heinlein, that man is my personal sci-fi god. "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" is a great example of his work. One that has been mentioned before tho, "The Number of the Beast", is my all time favourite actually. (Guess where my name came from )
Lately started readin Peter F. Hamilton, another very good writer. He typically writes pretty big books, and then those are part of a series again, but they're very graphically written (if you get my drift).
Isaac Asimov of course also deserves respect here. Find a smallish book called "The Bicentennial Man", which is a collection of short stories, all having to do with robotics, and also the base of the recent movie "I, Robot".
Last but not least, if you want to read real classics, here's a suggestion I haven't seen anyone make yet: A.E. van Vogt. Old school sci-fi, but very very good as well.
Lastly, Sevarus James, you must also be a very enlightened person. My reading tastes are almost identical based on what you put forth |
Sevarus James
Minmatar Meridian Dynamics
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Posted - 2006.08.16 13:57:00 -
[26]
Originally by: Dejah Carter
Lastly, Sevarus James, you must also be a very enlightened person. My reading tastes are almost identical based on what you put forth
Why thank you. Good stuff is.........good stuff.
I've got one more book (yeah, right, one more. lol.) that belongs in the 'classical' category. Considered one of the best books written in the 20th Century in ANY genre:
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
This won the 1961 Hugo, and is a book that will be hard to forget. Powerful stuff. ----- ------------
Updated Linux Desktop+EVE+EVE-TV |
Yual
Minmatar Black Avatar Firmus Ixion
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Posted - 2006.08.16 14:01:00 -
[27]
The Barsoom Series by Edgar Rice Burroughs
They are fairly short each one and each one is its own complete story, although reading them in order is suggested.
Robert A Heinlein also has some GREAT Sci-Fi and a few fantasy works. Again each book can be read alone, but many are in the same "world."
http://www.voyageronline.com.au/authors/profile.cfm?Author=131Anne Bishop's/url] Black Jewels Trilogy is definately a longer read, and I must warn you now, DO NOT START the first book until you own the other two (I suggest buying the version where they all come in 1 book). Her other works include the Tir Alainn Trilogy and Sebastian as well as a prequel and follow up to the Black Jewels series.
And here is where the longer series start.
David Eddings - EXCELLENT reading L. E. Modesitt, Jr. - good stand alone book Gravity Dreams plus the Recluse Series(not superb but good), I havent read his other books yet but I will eventually. Piers Anthony Xanth(same world standalones, incarnations of immortality, Bio of a Space Tyrant, Kilobyte Larry Niven - Known Space, Kilobyte, Lucifers Hammer, Macroscope, etc. Robert Asprin - for Lighter reading the Myth and the Phule series. Also the Bug Wars is a good short read.
More here mabey when I get home
Originally by: W.W. Smith
"Consistancy is a hallmark of a small mind."
What ever doesn't Kali me, makes stronger... |
Turiya Flesharrower
Beagle Corp
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Posted - 2006.08.16 14:03:00 -
[28]
Can't go wrong with Stephen Dondalson's GAP series; very dark, intelligent and gritty. Other than that I'll have to second recommendations for Asimov and Iain M. Banks. If you're looking for a genuinely different kind of story, try one of these:
'The Stone' - George Bear 'The Gensis Quest' - Donal Muffit -----
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Yual
Minmatar Black Avatar Firmus Ixion
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Posted - 2006.08.16 14:23:00 -
[29]
Edited by: Yual on 16/08/2006 14:37:25
Originally by: Dejah Carter Edited by: Dejah Carter on 16/08/2006 13:58:00 Obviously Robert A. Heinlein, that man is my personal sci-fi god. "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" is a great example of his work. One that has been mentioned before tho, "The Number of the Beast", is my all time favourite actually. (Guess where my name came from )
Tho I think I like The Cat Who Walks Through Walls better than Number, both Time Enoughs(Love and Stars) also rank there at the top of the list.
Originally by: W.W. Smith
"Consistancy is a hallmark of a small mind."
What ever doesn't Kali me, makes stronger... |
dagdda
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Posted - 2006.08.16 14:32:00 -
[30]
A must read is the Gate Way series.
And Dahl Green is a good one also.
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