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Tsietisin
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Posted - 2005.09.14 00:13:00 -
[1]
Just finished Hidden Empire the fist book of the saga of the seven suns series by Kevin J Anderson. Very good it was too. Space Opera at its best.
Anyone else got any recomedations?
Tsietisin.
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DeMundus
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Posted - 2005.09.14 00:30:00 -
[2]
I command you to go read Peter F. Hamilton, The Nights Dawn Trilogy. Alot of eve stuff in there - some of the devs have def. read it. Like the name of Tranquility, its a starbase in the books. What else? Jovian, Wasp, well alot of small thing and good imo.
Oh and the books a awsome.
Regards
DeM
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Sforza
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Posted - 2005.09.14 01:48:00 -
[3]
Edited by: Sforza on 14/09/2005 01:50:29
Richard Morgans books, namely 'Altered Carbon', 'Broken Angels' and 'Woken Furies'.
They're bloody marvelous.
I enjoyed the Seven Suns books as well, btw.
Sforza
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Omber Zombie
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Posted - 2005.09.14 01:54:00 -
[4]
Edited by: Omber Zombie on 14/09/2005 01:54:30
E.E. Doc Smith's Lensman series
read that. I command you 
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blog
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Rhaegar
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Posted - 2005.09.14 02:14:00 -
[5]
 Originally by: Sforza
Edited by: Sforza on 14/09/2005 01:50:29
Richard Morgans books, namely 'Altered Carbon', 'Broken Angels' and 'Woken Furies'.
They're bloody marvelous.
I enjoyed the Seven Suns books as well, btw.
Morgan's 'Market Forces' is worth a read too. And yes, Peter F Hamilton is a decent writer.
There are many great scifi books out there. I've been enjoying Alestair Reynolds recently. His books, I mean.
Rhaegar
Captain, ISD STAR
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Andicuri Vas
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Posted - 2005.09.14 03:48:00 -
[6]
Iain M. Banks:
"Feersum Endjinn", "Excession"
Just finished "Use of Weapons" and enjoyed it very much.
A
V
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Pwyle Kenobi
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Posted - 2005.09.14 04:11:00 -
[7]
Originally by: Omber Zombie
Edited by: Omber Zombie on 14/09/2005 01:54:30
E.E. Doc Smith's Lensman series
read that. I command you
Here! Here! I entirely agree! "Doc" Smith is still king!
I very much enjoyed the 3 Saga of the Seven Suns books published so far by Kevin J Anderson. I identified with the Roamers!
Robert A Heilein is also very good (but can be a little twisted in social values - eg Time Enough for Love).
Alastair Reynolds is awesome! Titles: Revelation Space; Chasm City; Redemption Ark; Absolution Gap; Diamond Dogs; Turquoise Days - all worth a read. The Conjoiners were a brilliant idea that was very well developed.
Stephen Baxter is very good too. He has written a few interesting books about time travel. Check out the books he co-authored with Arthur C. Clarke.
I couldn't get into the books written by Peter F. Hamilton.
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"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy." - Albert Einstein |
Lord Aradon
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Posted - 2005.09.14 08:00:00 -
[8]
The "time machine" by H.G Wells is an excellent read, and i have to recomend any book by Isaac Asimov, they are more short stories than anything but they are fantastic reads.
----
Join Us
Free Websites |
Sherkaner
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Posted - 2005.09.14 08:03:00 -
[9]
Alastair Reynolds
The Noir series:
Chasm City
Revelation Space
Redemption Ark
Absolution Gap
Best SF series I've ever read. If you like The Night's Dawn, you'll love this.
Stephen Baxter
The Manifold Triology:
Time
Space
Origin
British Hard SF at it's best - very imaginative, very visionary, and with a solid science background. In league with the best works of writers like Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke.
Tad Williams
Otherland:
City of Golden Shadow
River of Blue Fire
Mountain of Black Glass
Sea of Silver Light
Epic Fantasy with a Virtual Reality / Cyberpunk background. Lord of the Rings meets Neuromancer or Snow Crash. Very entertaining.
Now go read some 
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Persia
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Posted - 2005.09.14 08:44:00 -
[10]
I've read alot of Sci Fi and Fantasy, and the series that stands out in the Sci Fi field is Stephen Donaldson's "Gap" series. Five books, and an absolutely amazing story. Be very aware, however, that Donaldson is a big fan of complex anti-heroes; the main characters are not nice (in fact some of them are downright viscious and absolute scumbags), and do some very very nasty things to each other. However, it is one hell of a story. I was shaking when I finished the last book - the finale was that good.
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Dray
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Posted - 2005.09.14 11:09:00 -
[11]
After a bit of a break from sci-fi and reading in general ive recently read the hyperion omnibus and ilium and olympos by dan simmons and was very impressed by both, and to my shame as a confessed stephen donaldson fan and lover of the thomas covenant books i havent read the gap series. 
I picked up this ace book today everyone rates it as a must buy for the budding military genius, tho ive decided to rename it as "Sun Tzu's art of the bloody obvious" |
Hasan Rachid
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Posted - 2005.09.14 11:47:00 -
[12]
I would definitely second the recommendations fopr Peter F. Hamilton and Ianin M. Banks. Both outstanding writers who can offer a useful source of names for your ships ;). I'd also recommend some Kim Stanley Robinson if you don't want to go into the far future. The Mars Trilogy is an amazing series of books.
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Exaali Vendraxxil
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Posted - 2005.09.14 12:10:00 -
[13]
Edited by: Exaali Vendraxxil on 14/09/2005 12:12:55
Originally by: Sherkaner
Vernor Vinge
A Fire Upon the Deep
A Deepness in the Sky
/signed. I would also check out some of Vinge's earlier books:
The Peace War and
Marooned in Realtime
But Fire and Deepness are both magnificent.
--
time is the fire in which we burn. |
superscarface
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Posted - 2005.09.14 12:38:00 -
[14]
/me frowns at all the wasted water used while speaking in this thread
Dune 
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DeMundus
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Posted - 2005.09.14 13:40:00 -
[15]
Originally by: superscarface
/me frowns at all the wasted water used while speaking in this thread
Dune
Dune is really kool, but its not a "space"(in terms of spacecrafts, fighting in outer space etc.) scifi, but an outstanding saga.
Hail House Atrides!
May the spice flow.
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Trooper B99
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Posted - 2005.09.14 14:07:00 -
[16]
Afew ones i can remember from my bookshelf.
David Weber is one for some more space opera with his various series (Honour Harrington series, Mutineer's Moon series, Prince Roger Series (with John Ringo), Bolo! series etc) and stand alones (Path of the Fury etc) .
Allan Cole and Chris Bunch's Sten series is enjoyable and I ended up reading some other series by Bunch, the "Last Legion" and "Star Risk, Ltd." but I have to say I prefered the Sten series overall.
Steve White's Bug Series (The Shiva Option, Crusade etc) are a long and often confusing and technical read, but not too bad once you get your mind round the stellar geography.
L.E.Modesitt Jr's Ecolitan Matters books are also an intersting read, but rather more "thinking" books than space Opera.
Wirykomi Team Racer - COLOSSUS Championships Year 106
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Quanteeri
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Posted - 2005.09.14 15:30:00 -
[17]
Edited by: Quanteeri on 14/09/2005 15:33:28
I would say no Sci-fi collection would be complete, ney, started, without a nice selection of Robert A. Heinlein, the guy who wrote Starship Troopers, the book, not the screenplay. I would suggest actually reading Starship Troopers, though I really liked The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Stranger in a Strange Land.
And of course, anything by Issac Asimov (I, Robot) or Frank Herbert (Dune).
The Dune series still trips me out.
Go Fred! |
Dust Puppy
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Posted - 2005.09.14 15:43:00 -
[18]
I kind of like Alastair Reynolds. Probably best to read Revelation Space first although I started with Chasm City.
Original Mr Floppyknickers sig |
Dark Shikari
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Posted - 2005.09.14 16:12:00 -
[19]
There are five series that I would consider The Best Series Ever.
In no particular order:
Xeelee Sequence (Baxter)
Ringworld Series (Niven)
Galactic Center Series (Bear)
Uplift Trilogies (Brin)
Foundation (Asimov)
--
Proud member of the [23].
Selling Capital Cargo Bays and Kernite Mining Crystal IIs, cheaper than anyone else. |
Sherkaner
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Posted - 2005.09.14 16:26:00 -
[20]
Originally by: Dark Shikari
There are five series that I would consider The Best Series Ever.
In no particular order:
Xeelee Sequence (Baxter)
Ringworld Series (Niven)
Galactic Center Series (Bear)
Uplift Trilogies (Brin)
Foundation (Asimov)
The Galactic Center Series is by Gregory Benford, not Greg Bear 
And the Xeelee Sequence by Baxter is nice, but looking like childs play in comparison to his later Manifold Triology. In the Xeelee Sequence he was warming up, toying with different ideas and concepts. Manifold is his masterpiece.
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Demarcus
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Posted - 2005.09.14 16:30:00 -
[21]
Orsen Scott Card -
Ender's Game
Speaker of the Dead
Xenocide
Children of the Mind
Ender's Shadow
-------------------------------------
You are all worthless, and weak.
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Xelios
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Posted - 2005.09.14 17:06:00 -
[22]
"Calculating God" by Robert J. Sawyer.
The Manifold series by Stephen Baxter is one of my favorites, I liked his collection of works in "Vacuum Diagrams" too because that book got me reading his other stuff.
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Exaali Vendraxxil
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Posted - 2005.09.14 17:08:00 -
[23]
Originally by: Demarcus
Orsen Scott Card
Ender's Game
Speaking of Ender's Game 
--
time is the fire in which we burn. |
Nero Scuro
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Posted - 2005.09.14 17:08:00 -
[24]
Edited by: Nero Scuro on 14/09/2005 17:07:51
Ben Bova's (one letter away from being the greatest name EVER) planets series are excellent books. Especially the rock rats and precipe(sp?). They remind me of EVE. Sorta.
_________
In war there is only relentless and pointless quotes about war such as this one |
Basileus
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Posted - 2005.09.14 17:11:00 -
[25]
The best Scifi book ever: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Shortly followed by 1984 (George Orwell).
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jbob2000
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Posted - 2005.09.14 17:16:00 -
[26]
I quite liked the Halo Series.
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Imran
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Posted - 2005.09.14 17:28:00 -
[27]
Han Solo Trilogy ^^;;
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TI0 101
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Posted - 2005.09.14 17:55:00 -
[28]
Originally by: DeMundus
I command you to go read Peter F. Hamilton, The Nights Dawn Trilogy. Alot of eve stuff in there - some of the devs have def. read it. Like the name of Tranquility, its a starbase in the books. What else? Jovian, Wasp, well alot of small thing and good imo.
Oh and the books a awsome.
Regards
DeM
got and SECONDED!
Bringer of Justice....
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TauTut
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Posted - 2005.09.14 20:02:00 -
[29]
Arthur C Clarke?
I'm reading Rama atm ... thought provoking rather than cooking people with laser beams.
-TT
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Tyto
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Posted - 2005.09.14 20:18:00 -
[30]
Spares
or One of us
by Michael Marshall Smith
"Dulce Bellum Inexpertis"
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Rasitiln
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Posted - 2005.09.14 21:16:00 -
[31]
Enders Game
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mirel yirrin
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Posted - 2005.09.14 21:18:00 -
[32]
Try Halo: The Fall of Reach, Halo: The Flood, and Halo: First strike, It that order.
Great books.
Based on the game but you don't have to have played it to understand.
Fills in some very important Gaps inbetween the First and second Games.
---------------------------------
The Comments and/or Actions above in noway indicate the veiws or actions of my corporation.
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Herko Kerghans
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Posted - 2005.09.15 03:04:00 -
[33]
Originally by: Demarcus
Orsen Scott Card -
Ender's Game
Speaker of the Dead
Xenocide
Children of the Mind
Ender's Shadow
And Songmaster! Kicks ass to anything he wrote afterwards!
Another master (mistress), Ursula Le Guin. Anything from her, for example The Left Hand of Darkness. (Wizard or Earthsea is AWESOME, if you are into Fantasy)
William Gibson. Neuromancer is perhaps the best sci-fi novel ever written. Burning Chrome are the best sci-fi short stories, period.
-
The lines and the scar |
Belzeem
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Posted - 2005.09.15 04:21:00 -
[34]
If you like Anderson, maybe you'll like his works for the Star Wars line of books. I was skeptical at first to read "Star Wars" books , but i actually quite enjoyed them. Also if you like some very hard scientific writing try Robert L. Forward, he wrote books such as Dragon's Egg and Roche World- very good reads.
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Dark Shikari
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Posted - 2005.09.15 10:16:00 -
[35]
Originally by: Sherkaner
Originally by: Dark Shikari
There are five series that I would consider The Best Series Ever.
In no particular order:
Xeelee Sequence (Baxter)
Ringworld Series (Niven)
Galactic Center Series (Bear)
Uplift Trilogies (Brin)
Foundation (Asimov)
The Galactic Center Series is by Gregory Benford, not Greg Bear
And the Xeelee Sequence by Baxter is nice, but looking like childs play in comparison to his later Manifold Triology. In the Xeelee Sequence he was warming up, toying with different ideas and concepts. Manifold is his masterpiece.
Oh, lol, I confuse Bear and Benford all the time.
But are you serious about Manifold being better than Xeelee? I read the Xeelee sequence *after* and still enjoyed it far more. It seems to me entirely the other way around. The Manifold sequence, IMO, was a failure: it began with a great work (Time), but slowly went downhill into junk. His latest books have been miserable. His best books ever have been Timelike Infinity, Flux, Vacuum Diagrams, The Time Ships, etc.
--
Proud member of the [23].
Selling Capital Cargo Bays and Kernite Mining Crystal IIs, cheaper than anyone else. |
Jack Brimstone
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Posted - 2005.09.15 12:49:00 -
[36]
I would second Asimov: Foundation series (still good despite its age).
As for SciFi generally rather than space opera, try :
Lord of Light -- Roger Zelazny |
Sherkaner
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Posted - 2005.09.15 14:39:00 -
[37]
Originally by: Dark Shikari
But are you serious about Manifold being better than Xeelee? I read the Xeelee sequence *after* and still enjoyed it far more. It seems to me entirely the other way around. The Manifold sequence, IMO, was a failure: it began with a great work (Time), but slowly went downhill into junk. His latest books have been miserable. His best books ever have been Timelike Infinity, Flux, Vacuum Diagrams, The Time Ships, etc.
It's a matter of taste probably
I admit that the plot and storytelling in Manifold is sometimes weak, especially in the third book - the Xeelee books are certainly more exciting to read. But the ideas behind the Manifold triology, the scope of his vision, the scientific and philosophical problems and his answers for them are what makes that triology better in my eyes.
I did compare him to Asimov for a reason - Asimov certainly wasn't the best writer and storyteller of his time either, but his ideas - the three laws of robots, the timeline of the foundation triology - were revolutionary for the SF genre.
Reading the Manifold triology makes look at the stars and wonder what's out there, and that's what SF should be about.
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Yith Solarius
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Posted - 2005.09.15 17:38:00 -
[38]
I' surprised no ones mentioned any Dan Simmons stuff, i've read the Illium series (Illium and Olympos) and enjoyed both.
I've also just finished the Hyperion Omnibus and it was fantastic, can't wait for the Endymion Omnibus to be published as it looks great too
***
check out my ideas for Concord logic |
Unaha Closp
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Posted - 2005.09.15 18:55:00 -
[39]
Iain M. Banks - Feersum Endjinn, IMO one of his best. As a good intro to the Culture books (and more Opera than you can shake a stick at) try Consider Phlebas.
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fairimear
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Posted - 2005.09.21 21:37:00 -
[40]
Originally by: jbob2000
I quite liked the Halo Series.
indeed, i love many other's (Dune series are the best book's i ever read and re-read once a year) but for a general sci-fi read the novel's of halo are a nice read.
If you have never played halo read them all the first and last book don't take place in either game or the upcoming halo3, if you yhave played halo and hated it as a game try reading the book's.
If you did play both games don't bother with the second novel (the flood) as it only covers what happened in halo.
fall of reach cover's the backstory of the main characters and give's you a entire diffrent view on the universe halo is set in.
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liquidism
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Posted - 2005.09.21 23:42:00 -
[41]
 NEUROMANCER
HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
UNIVERSE IN A NUTSHELL
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Scots Crusader
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Posted - 2005.09.22 08:44:00 -
[42]
Anything by Asimov or Iain M. banks is good. An earlier poster mentioned the classic Lensman serious which is awesome to.
For a lighter side i recommend L Ron Hubbard's Mission Earth serious which is hilariously funny. From there you go of in a tangent to Pratchett etc. all excellent reads.
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Xandalex
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Posted - 2005.09.22 12:53:00 -
[43]
Iain M Banks is my fav. Consider Phleabas, Excission, Against a Dark background, er.....all of them. After you've read the culture novels you'll be renaming all your ships!
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Gunstar Zero
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Posted - 2005.09.22 13:26:00 -
[44]
CCP should set up as an amazon affiliate - I've ordered so many books based on recommendations here.
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Sherkaner
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Posted - 2005.09.22 13:49:00 -
[45]
Ah, this thread is still going ... nice
I bookmarked it, some good ideas in here for when I need more books
Some more recommendations from me:
If you want to read some really really weird science fiction, try "Rats and Gargoyles" by Mary Gentle. Most book publishers and librarians would classify it as Fantasy, but the author insists that it is SF, and I won't argue with her.
"Normal" SF extrapolates from current science and society, while this book is based on 16th century "Hermetic Science", it plays in a weird and surreal world, and makes for a very interesting read.
Other good works by Mary Gentle:
"Golden Witchbreed" / "Ancient Light" (First Contact SF)
"Grunts!" (hilarious Fantasy/SF parody)
"Ash" (Alternate History SF)
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Posmart
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Posted - 2005.09.22 16:34:00 -
[46]
Just buy any and everything in the "SF Masterworks" series.
...and everything by Philip K D!ck and Iain M Banks.
No. 1 in the SF Masterworks series is "The Forever War", by Joe Haldeman, and it is amazing in its scope. These enormous space opera trilogies can get a bit overwrought sometimes - this novel fits 10,000 years into 400 pages.
If you need an antidote (or complement) to space opera read some early Philip K novels, because he had to churn them out quick just to eat.
"Clans of the Alphane Moons" for example, is about a lunatic-asylum moon abandoned for a generation by Earth. When they reestablish contact, the society has divided itself into clans based on their psychoses, and it is very funny, especially the mind-reading jelly from Ganymede.
But it's not half as funny as "A Scanner Darkly", about an undercover narcotics agent investigating a drug that splits your brain in half. Pretty soon, he's investigating himself...It's hilarious and my favourite book ever, soon to be a film too I think.
Other classics by PKD are "The 3 Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich" (bored miners on Mars share hallucinations)and of course "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" (Bladerunner is loosely based on this). As with much "classic" SF from the so-called golden age, they're really about human nature and reality, not aliens.
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Mistress Margaret
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Posted - 2005.09.22 17:15:00 -
[47]
Every five years or so I fall in love with an author's body of work...the last two are:
John C Wright and Nancy Kress
Wright is future mythic, dense and wonderously expansive
Kress crafts tight clean prose, works through issues hovering at our horizon, and disappears into her work.
Each is incredibly original, and both have trilogies.
My all time favorite author will always remain Larry Niven
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Laocoon
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Posted - 2005.09.22 22:03:00 -
[48]
Really, like some other people have said, try the night's dawn trilogy. it's heavy going at first, but about 1/2way into the book (and its a biiiig book), is where it REALLY starts to heat up. though theyre all good so far (am about to start thr 3rd book)
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Sirial Soulfly
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Posted - 2005.09.22 23:14:00 -
[49]
If you like a lot of science fiction space based fleet battles with destroyers and cruisers and even dreadnoughts , please do read the Honor Harrington series by David Weber.
Maybe not as sophisticated as witers like Asimov, Simmons and or Hamilton but very readable and enjoyable.
If you like Iain M Banks, you might also like Ken Macleod
One of the classics I still hold close to my heart is the Null-A trilogy by AE van Voght, if you liked something like the foundation then have a look at that.
Another hard sf series I thoroughly enjoyed is the gap series from Stephen Donaldson.
Enjoy! :)
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Meneer Wolf
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Posted - 2005.09.22 23:28:00 -
[50]
Edited by: Meneer Wolf on 22/09/2005 23:29:46
Edited by: Meneer Wolf on 22/09/2005 23:29:17
to name a few...
William Gibson - all of 'm :)
Brian Herbert - Frank Herbert's son prequels of the Dune series
Peter F. Hamilton - Nights dawn trilogy
Larry Niven - Ringworld series
Greg Bear - Eon is still one of my favorites
Isaac Asimov - Foundation series
edit: how did i dare forget Asimov?
<dude, where's my sig?> |
Hoshi
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Posted - 2005.09.22 23:38:00 -
[51]
Was going to make some nice suggestions but it seems most of the good ones have already been mentioned.
But to add something to the thread.
The Dispossessed (Urusla K LeGuin) Not so much hard sci-fi as as social sci-fi, still very good.
Aliens - Earth Hive, Nightmare Asylum, Female Wars (Steve Perry)
Battle Tech - Twilight of the Clans (a series of books by different writers)
And a second (or third or something) for A Deepness in the Sky and A Fire Upon The Deep, best sci-fi I have ever read.
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Redwolf
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Posted - 2005.09.23 03:14:00 -
[52]
Banks Culture series (though I didn't enjoy The Algebraist much, it's not culture sooo), and PF Hamiltons Nights dawn Trilogy - both excellent and already mentioned.
Simmons too for the Hyperion omnibus.
No one for Neal Asher?
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nahtoh
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Posted - 2005.09.23 15:53:00 -
[53]
give the following site a try... free baen books.
Its a legit site and you can have a look at some of Daid webbers and John Ringos books along with quite a few others.
very usefull for bored at work issues 
"I am not saying there should be capital punishment for stupidity, but
why can`t we just take the safety labels off everything and let the
problem solve itself" (credits to mcallister TCS)
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Benilopax
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Posted - 2005.09.23 16:42:00 -
[54]
Edited by: Benilopax on 23/09/2005 16:42:33
Originally by: Nero Scuro
Edited by: Nero Scuro on 14/09/2005 17:07:51
Ben Bova's (one letter away from being the greatest name EVER) planets series are excellent books. Especially the rock rats and precipe(sp?). They remind me of EVE. Sorta.
Ben Bova's "Tour of the solar system" series is very good its a more realistic version of near future space travel!
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Spy4Hire
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Posted - 2005.09.23 17:07:00 -
[55]
The 'Exordium' series by Sherwood Smith & Jeff Trowbridge... a fantastic, deep space opera of epic proportions. Completely blows Star Wars away, Dune with less sand and more flesh.
Phoenix in Flight
Ruler of Naught
Prison Unsought
Rifters' Covenant
Thrones of Chronos
fanfic
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Ione Hunt
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Posted - 2005.09.23 17:39:00 -
[56]
Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn trilogy and Pandora's Star. Oh, and the sequel to Pandora's Star is out now, in case you were ****ed at the cliffhanger ending 
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Zac Paris
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Posted - 2005.09.23 17:54:00 -
[57]
Originally by: Yith Solarius
I' surprised no ones mentioned any Dan Simmons stuff, i've read the Illium series (Illium and Olympos) and enjoyed both.
I've also just finished the Hyperion Omnibus and it was fantastic, can't wait for the Endymion Omnibus to be published as it looks great too
The Hyperion Cantos (Hyperion, Fall of Hyperion, Endymion and Rise of Endymion) are fantastic stories. They're crammed full of good sci-fi concepts as well as some great action, both on personal and space fleet scales. I also can't wait for the Endymion Omnibus later this year!
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Deidranna
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Posted - 2005.09.23 18:17:00 -
[58]
Originally by: Zac Paris
Originally by: Yith Solarius
I' surprised no ones mentioned any Dan Simmons stuff, i've read the Illium series (Illium and Olympos) and enjoyed both.
I've also just finished the Hyperion Omnibus and it was fantastic, can't wait for the Endymion Omnibus to be published as it looks great too
The Hyperion Cantos (Hyperion, Fall of Hyperion, Endymion and Rise of Endymion) are fantastic stories. They're crammed full of good sci-fi concepts as well as some great action, both on personal and space fleet scales. I also can't wait for the Endymion Omnibus later this year!
brilliant stuff
deidranna
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Wanoah
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Posted - 2005.09.24 10:36:00 -
[59]
Originally by: Tyto
Spares
or One of us
by Michael Marshall Smith
The Daddy of MMS books is Only Forward though. I love his approachable writing style and extremely well-realised, sympathetic characters. He has a habit of luring you in with wit, then sucker punching you to the gut with emotion.
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at stars.
(Sig best viewed with Firefox)
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Pistonbroke
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Posted - 2005.09.24 19:35:00 -
[60]
Enders Game 4tw (Orson Scott Card)
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Galaxion
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Posted - 2005.09.24 20:12:00 -
[61]
Never mind Sci-fi, Pandora's Star by Peter Hamilton is the best book I have ever read. Ever.
-----------------------------------------
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Wanoah
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Posted - 2005.09.24 23:06:00 -
[62]
Originally by: Galaxion
Never mind Sci-fi, Pandora's Star by Peter Hamilton is the best book I have ever read. Ever.
Good! That very book arrived from Amazon this week, so I'm looking forward to a good read.
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at stars.
(Sig best viewed with Firefox)
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keepiru
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Posted - 2005.09.25 01:29:00 -
[63]
Originally by: Ione Hunt
Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn trilogy and Pandora's Star. Oh, and the sequel to Pandora's Star is out now, in case you were ****ed at the cliffhanger ending
Good to know.
Picks (many from SF masterworks series):
Stephen R. Donaldson - GAP series
Philip K. **** - The Man in the High Castle; Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said
John Brunner - Stand on Zanzibar
James Blish - Cities in Flight
Alfred Bester - The Stars My Destination
Theodore Sturgeon - More Than Human
Samuel R. Delany - Babel 17; Nova
Ursula K. LeGuin - The Lathe of Heaven
Iain M. Banks - Against a Dark Background
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Down for mainteinance while i look for a new pet peeve.
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Dr Happy
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Posted - 2005.09.25 02:14:00 -
[64]
any scifiction writen byu isaac Asimov
foundation series is really good
anything writen by Ben Bova
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Min Davoi
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Posted - 2005.09.25 20:17:00 -
[65]
Enders Game - The best Sci-Fi _Ever_
Tiger, Tiger
anything in the Instrumentality of Mankind Series
Time Enough For Love
Too many others to remember
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Myrrdin
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Posted - 2005.09.26 00:07:00 -
[66]
One author nobody here seems to have mentioned is the great Gene Wolfe. I would rate his Book of the New Sun series the top fantasy saga of the last 25 years or so.
The four books are set millions of years into the future, after a long decline of human civilisation. Technology and magic are indistinguishable. More 'literature' than most modern sci-fi/fantasy, they demand a lot of thought from the reader, but are well worth the effort.
Bah, I simply can't put into words how much I like these books. If you are getting bored with the throwaway nature of much recent stuff, check them out.
Also - Anything by China Mieville, especially Perdido Street Station or The Scar. Steampunk/Fantasy, with a bit of socialism and huge amounts of imagination.
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Madscotsman
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Posted - 2005.09.26 15:55:00 -
[67]
The Lensman series by Edward E. Smith.
Foundation series by Asimov.
Both these series are still very good, considering how long ago they were written.
Hitch Hikers by Douglas Adams, purely because it is so funny.
Haven't really had a chance to read much recently 
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Wanoah
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Posted - 2005.09.26 20:19:00 -
[68]
Quote:
More 'literature' than most modern sci-fi/fantasy, they demand a lot of thought from the reader, but are well worth the effort.
Hmm, you have my attention. Might check this out rather than having another ***** at Crime and Punishment (the book, not the forum ^^).
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at stars.
(Sig best viewed with Firefox)
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Eurydike
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Posted - 2005.09.27 01:55:00 -
[69]
Edited by: Eurydike on 27/09/2005 01:57:15
William Gibson's Neuromancer Trilogy
I just lub Cyberpunk.
And although I normally don't like books for games, Dan Abnett's Gaunt's Ghosts novels set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe are excellent.
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Sarela "Eurydike" Taris
There will be a real sig soonÖ. |
Wrayeth
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Posted - 2005.09.27 02:04:00 -
[70]
Gotta second whomever mentioned David Weber. His Honor Harrington series is some of the best work I've ever read. Another of my favorites is W. Michael Gear's Forbidden Borders trilogy. David Drake's Lt. Leary series is another good one (can you tell I like military sci-fi?).
Then there are the classics like Heinlein, Clark, and Asimov.
To the OP, Kevin J. Anderson's probably one of the best new authors to come along in quite some time - what I've read so far of the Saga of Seven Suns has been excellent. My only beef is that I have to wait a year after each new book comes out to be able to get it - can't afford hardcover these days.
-Wrayeth
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Lok Ta'car
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Posted - 2005.09.27 08:47:00 -
[71]
Any of the Hitch Hikers guide books, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and the Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul.
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Sirial Soulfly
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Posted - 2005.10.01 19:33:00 -
[72]
Originally by: Sherkaner
Edited by: Sherkaner on 14/09/2005 08:34:58
Edited by: Sherkaner on 14/09/2005 08:20:16
Alastair Reynolds
The Noir series:
Chasm City
Revelation Space
Redemption Ark
Absolution Gap
Best SF series I've ever read. If you like The Night's Dawn, you'll love this.
Are those to be read in any particular order ? :) I have them all now but dont know where to begin :p
Regards
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Zakalwe
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Posted - 2005.10.01 22:24:00 -
[73]
Bah, the man who invented my name . In RL, i've a twin so... (those who've read Use of Weapons will get that, hehe...) Consider Phlebas, A Look to Windward, etc.
Well Sci fi always, of course...
At 14 Dune ( which is a metaphore of islam) and the Pandora serie, then Clarke, Roberts (pavane), Priest, Heinlein (starship troopers, road of glory,) Sturgeon (all), Abraham Merrit (all), Robert E. Howard (all) Farmer (all), Coney (all), the man which i always come back : Jack Vance , the Kirth Gersen serie, the Suldrun serie (best Fantasy ever)the Tscha´ serie.
And the best of the best imho, the best who have made my tears flowed at 16 or 17, the magnificent, the inegalable Robert F. Young. Nobody knows him, only a few, who don't like to share the pearls they find...
Hmmm...
Dan Simmons Hyperion and Iain.M.Banks Culture Novels : for SF Connoisseurs only |
Digitalfox
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Posted - 2005.10.02 16:27:00 -
[74]
I would recomend
Robert A. Heinleins books:
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Starship Troopers and
Friday
Along the same lines as Starship Troopers but imo much better
John Steakleys book
Armor
If cyberpunk is your thing I would highly recomend
Neal Stephensons
Snow Crash
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Maranhao
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Posted - 2005.10.02 17:43:00 -
[75]
Timeline by Michael Crichton. Great book!!
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kessah
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Posted - 2005.10.02 23:40:00 -
[76]
Originally by: Tsietisin
Just finished Hidden Empire the fist book of the saga of the seven suns series by Kevin J Anderson. Very good it was too. Space Opera at its best.
Anyone else got any recomedations?
Tsietisin.
Godly Book seris, was the best book seris ive ever read and i just couldnt put it the seris down after the 1st book. i simply cannot wait for book 5 "Of fire and Night"
Read the next 3 books dude u will love them.
It just gets so good after book 1, I love what happens to Jess Tamblyn.
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kessah
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Posted - 2005.10.02 23:45:00 -
[77]
Originally by: TauTut
Arthur C Clarke?
I'm reading Rama atm ... thought provoking rather than cooking people with laser beams.
Cant seem to get into this book. ive read about half of it but hasnt really hit me yet.
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Juwi Kotch
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Posted - 2005.10.03 16:04:00 -
[78]
Edited by: Juwi Kotch on 03/10/2005 16:04:51
Originally by: keepiru
John Brunner - Stand on Zanzibar
John Brunner was a visionary. In Stand of Zanzibar he mentioned a car make called Rolls-Skoda. Actually, for some time, both Rolls Royce and Skoda belonged to one car maker - Volkswagen. How could anyone expect this in the high time of the cold war, that those two companies would actually part of one (Skoda is and was a Czech company)?
Besides that, I allready read most of the books in this thread already, but I got some new hints and tips and I thank you for them.
A fantastic series wasn't mentioned, however that is no direct space thing: Helliconia by Brian W. Aldiss. One other truly amazing book not mentioned yet is The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.
Lot's of my all time favorits are already mentioned: Ender's Game, the Hyperion/Endymion series (the first book Hyperion is outright genious), Snow Crash and Diamond Age as well as the Otherland series (both better cyberpunk then the original Neuromancer series) just to mention a few.
It was already mentioned: Try Bean Books. You can get Honor Harrington for free and lots of other space based fiction. You can download the books as eBooks and just pay half the normal price! I have downloaded at least 10 books there already, since it is by far the cheapest way to get english language SF novels in Germany :).
Juwi
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Tekran
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Posted - 2005.10.03 20:53:00 -
[79]
dig into just about anything you see with that little Baen seal on the spine. baen scifi=good scifi.
(^my sig got nerfed?^)
"I don't wear panties, for the record. Commando 4tw! ~ Abdalion" |
Wanoah
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Posted - 2005.10.03 21:41:00 -
[80]
Originally by: Zakalwe
Bah, the man who invented my name . In RL, i've a twin so... (those who've read Use of Weapons will get that, hehe...)
I'm so jealous that you managed to get that name! Actually, I always enjoy playing 'I Spy' and trying to spot my favourite fictional characters in Eve. Pretty sure I saw Livueta around somewhere...
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at stars.
(Sig best viewed with Firefox)
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Zakalwe
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Posted - 2005.10.04 23:43:00 -
[81]
Originally by: Wanoah
Originally by: Zakalwe
Bah, the man who invented my name . In RL, i've a twin so... (those who've read Use of Weapons will get that, hehe...)
I'm so jealous that you managed to get that name! Actually, I always enjoy playing 'I Spy' and trying to spot my favourite fictional characters in Eve. Pretty sure I saw Livueta around somewhere...
Well, it's very excited to see that so many people love Banks ; a great writer, sure.
Hmmm...
Dan Simmons Hyperion and Iain.M.Banks Culture Novels : for SF Connoisseurs only |
Kyguard
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Posted - 2005.10.04 23:54:00 -
[82]
I recommend you read Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, Woken furies by Richard Morgan. They are based in the future where mankind has branched to different worlds.
It combines a good basis of reality, badassness, and good ol' action, definitely worth the read.
--
God is on the side with the best artillery |
Posmart
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Posted - 2005.10.06 18:36:00 -
[83]
Revelation Space is first, then Chasm city, then Redemption Ark
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Orvas Dren
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Posted - 2005.10.07 02:39:00 -
[84]
Honor Harrington books.
Also beyond Ender's Game, there is also Xenocide, Shadow of the Hegemon, etc
Useless Trivia: Orsen Scott Card is LDS (Mormon) :)
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F'nog
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Posted - 2005.10.07 05:19:00 -
[85]
Originally by: DeMundus
I command you to go read Peter F. Hamilton, The Nights Dawn Trilogy. Alot of eve stuff in there - some of the devs have def. read it. Like the name of Tranquility, its a starbase in the books. What else? Jovian, Wasp, well alot of small thing and good imo.
Oh and the books a awsome.
Regards
DeM
TOTALLY one of the best series EVER!!!!!
I haven't read the who thread, but I'm surprised JC hasn't chimed in on the first page. His whoring skills are definitely not what they once were.
And you just can't beat Dune (the original 6). Nothing better.
Also, the Benford, Heinlein and Asimov novels are amazing.
**Warning** If you thought KJA was actually good, your brain may explode from reading these.
Sig modified due to xenophobic comments -Iacon
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Bad Harlequin
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Posted - 2005.10.07 08:32:00 -
[86]
Edited by: Bad Harlequin on 07/10/2005 08:35:31
/signed on damn near all the above, tho i'd like to reemphasize Banks. A lot.
Originally by: keepiru
Philip K. **** - The Man in the High Castle; Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said
good gawd, poor phil k. censored. will the man ever get a break 
Also Valis, if your mind can stand a good twisting. And find the 'original' works the movies were supposedly based on - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is what eventually became blade runner. Nothing like it really, but read it and you'll realize it's damn near un-movie-able and Blade Runner captured the overall feel of the book, a rare thing for Hollywood to do.
Quote:
Alfred Bester - The Stars My Destination
FINALLY, someone mentions Bester! Quite a variety of writing he did. Read The Demolished Man and you'll know why the head PsiCop in B5 was named Al Bester .
Al's books are unique in a few ways, not the least of which i must mention was his use of the type and text to convey images and experiences that a serial procession of words can't - without getting all gimmicky about it. The near-final sequence in Stars as well as the telepathic interaction in Demolished Man are astounding.
Also, Demolished Man has the best "telepathy test" you'll ever hear of .
Lastly, go looking for the Catspaw series by Joan D. Vinge. Rather different, and across the three books the writing gets ... sharper. Not like a suit, like a blade. It gets downright relentless (and kicks "telepathic super race pwnz0rs us all!" in the nuts along the way, but the real triumph is why, and how, and what next).
OH: Zak, and for that matter the rest of you,
this is for you.
It came from here, and one could easily spend quite a bit of time just browsing shipnames
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Clavain Gobuchul
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Posted - 2005.10.07 11:28:00 -
[87]
Alastair Reynolds
Richard Morgan
and the Master - Iain M Banks
Anyone read any Neal Asher? I keep getting Amazon recommendations for his stuff based on above purchases. Is it any good?
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Kheldar DoMarrUlTier
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Posted - 2005.10.07 12:40:00 -
[88]
I had the pleasure of seeing Mr Ian M Banks on the train a couple of weeks ago crossing the Forth.
Being aware that being pestered by random strangers isnt much fun, I simply enjoyed the fact I got to see someone who had written such brilliant works.
As to novelists:
A E Van Vogt
Ian M Banks
EE Doc Smith
Joe Haldeman
Joel Rosenberg
Isaac Asimov
al greats.
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My grandfather
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Posted - 2005.10.07 15:23:00 -
[89]
All the way on top of the list: R. Adams. Best books i've ever read, even though he was on LSD when he wrote them.
Like 1984 a lot too. Starship troopers and Star Wars too.
Oh! and Thunderbirds ofc.
It's nothing personal. It's just galactic domination.
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Burga Galti
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Posted - 2005.10.07 15:45:00 -
[90]
As was mentioned before, the Noir Series & The manifold Trilogy (Reynolds & Baxter respectively) are both worth a read. The other series that I have been unable to put dowm are the Academy novels by Jack McDevitt (Engines of God, Deepsix, Chindi & Omega). They're based in a world where people are just starting to explore space and the discoveries that area made. Inspired writing that will suck you in and not let you out till your done.
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Pain is a way of knowing yourself; Death is the ultimate in self-discovery.
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Brezz
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Posted - 2005.10.07 19:20:00 -
[91]
Originally by: Zac Paris
Originally by: Yith Solarius
I' surprised no ones mentioned any Dan Simmons stuff, i've read the Illium series (Illium and Olympos) and enjoyed both.
I've also just finished the Hyperion Omnibus and it was fantastic, can't wait for the Endymion Omnibus to be published as it looks great too
The Hyperion Cantos (Hyperion, Fall of Hyperion, Endymion and Rise of Endymion) are fantastic stories. They're crammed full of good sci-fi concepts as well as some great action, both on personal and space fleet scales. I also can't wait for the Endymion Omnibus later this year!
By far the Hyperion series are some of the best SciFi novels
I have ever read. I read the orginal 4 several years back. Do the new Omnibus versions of the books add anything new or are the just books with the orginal 4 novels crammed into 2?
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7rigg3r
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Posted - 2005.10.07 21:06:00 -
[92]
Ghosts Of Mars.
That Book is a master piece.
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