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Thread Statistics | Show CCP posts - 6 post(s) |
Blacksilk
Deep Core Mining Inc. Caldari State
0
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Posted - 2011.10.18 18:07:00 -
[1] - Quote
I know there have been threads like this in the past,(very good ones too) but right now I am at a loss as to what to read next.
Please recommend your favorite Science Fiction reads. I'll start the ball rolling.
The Gap into conflict: The Real Story , by Stephen Donaldson. This is book 1 of 5. The first book is the shortest of them all, but it really is the start of a roller coaster ride through space, alien hostiles and hard nasty psychological warfare. It's brilliant!
Pandora's Star by Peter F Hamilton. Another space opera massive in it's scope and written in a very believable style. This book and it's sequel, Judas Unchained, are again very hard to put down.
Perdido Street Station by China Meiville. This tale blurs the line between Sci-Fi and Fantasy, but is nevertheless a brilliant read and well worth the time.
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Jack Carrigan
Order of the Shadow The Revenant Order
55
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Posted - 2011.10.18 18:15:00 -
[2] - Quote
Well, seeing as how I haven't read any sci-fi novels in a bit, I don't know what I should recommend.
But I would like to recommend my blog (pardon the shameless plug)
http://jackcarrigan.wordpress.com "War is not measured in terms of who wins or loses, who is right or wrong.-á It is measured in terms of who survives." |
jake handerson
New Ceres Economics and Logsitcs
0
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Posted - 2011.10.18 18:33:00 -
[3] - Quote
The whole culture series by Iain M.Banks. Excession was probably my favorite. |
SabotNoob
Sabot Industries
9
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Posted - 2011.10.18 19:22:00 -
[4] - Quote
Books by Alastair Reynolds. I started reading his books last year. I've read about 7 or 8 by now. He's pretty good.
AR on Wiki <--- has a list of all of his books.
He was an astronomer with the European Space Agency, so he tries to keep his novels as realistic as possible, writing about what he thinks may be achievable in terms of technology in the future.
I've got to go back and read them all again. He's coming out with some more in the near future as well.
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Alain Kinsella
3
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Posted - 2011.10.18 20:08:00 -
[5] - Quote
If you don't mind searching around for them (various authors over the years), try the Bolo stories/novels (original author - Keith Laumer).
"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by Heinlein (pardon the spelling).
The Foundation novels of course (Asimov for most of them).
The recent 'Worlds' novels (regarding the Puppeteer Fleet of Worlds) by Niven and Lerner have been pretty interesting.
Short Stories? 'The Draco Tavern' by Niven, and just about anything from Clarke and Asimov.
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Alara IonStorm
Caldari State
61
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Posted - 2011.10.18 20:37:00 -
[6] - Quote
The Forever War by: Joe Haldeman
It deals with the psychological effects of Interstellar War and returning home to a different world. In this case each tour the character goes out tens-hundreds of years pass do to Time Dilation.
The cool thing is they do not dumb down the Tech to 15min in the future and Space is like real Space and not a Black Ocean full of Space Ship Subs.
I loved it. |
Vicker Lahn'se
STRAG3S THE UNTHINKABLES
7
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Posted - 2011.10.18 21:48:00 -
[7] - Quote
Alain Kinsella wrote:If you don't mind searching around for them (various authors over the years), try the Bolo stories/novels (original author - Keith Laumer).
"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by Heinlein (pardon the spelling).
The Foundation novels of course (Asimov for most of them).
The recent 'Worlds' novels (regarding the Puppeteer Fleet of Worlds) by Niven and Lerner have been pretty interesting.
Short Stories? 'The Draco Tavern' by Niven, and just about anything from Clarke and Asimov.
Asimov: I would also like to recommend the Foundation novels by Asimov. That would be my top recommendation. Asimov comes up with clever science fiction ideas interesting character interactions. I also really liked The End of Eternity.
Niven: I've read several of Niven's Ringworld series. Niven's not my favorite, but his books are worth reading. He has really cool science fiction ideas, but his characters are all two dimensional and boring. If you're in it for the science fiction and don't care about the characters, he's the guy for you.
Bradbury: Ray Bradbury has awesome character plots. His grasp of science as a whole is a bit lacking. He's your man if you want well developed characters but don't care about bad science. Any of his short story collections are a good read.
I have not yet read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. It's at the top of my to-read list, along with Stranger in a Strange Land. |
Headerman
Quovis Shadow of xXDEATHXx
239
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Posted - 2011.10.19 00:18:00 -
[8] - Quote
Old Mans War. Fairly new, and simple... But every part in the book is really solid. Was such a good read.
Another vote for Pandora's Star and Judas unchained. Both books are at least 1100 pages with a text size that makes EVE text look big! Very large space opera, many main characters and one top story.
The Greg Mandel series by the same author (Peter F. Hammilton). Focusing on about 50 years into the future, global warming, different governments and fast changes in the field of bio sciences. Really good reading too. [img]http://i53.tinypic.com/bebnf8.jpg[/img] |
Nak hak
21
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Posted - 2011.10.19 03:08:00 -
[9] - Quote
Here we go:
Replay, by Ken Grimwood. "The novel tells of a 43-year-old man who dies and awakens back in 1963 in his 18-year-old body. He then begins to relive his life with intact memories of the previous 25 years. This happens repeatedly with different events in each cycle."
Hellstrom's Hive, by Frank Herbert. "It is about a secret group of humans who model their lives upon social insects, and the unsettling events that unfold after they are discovered by a deeply undercover agency of the US government."
Steel Beach, and Titan, by John Varley. Titan, "A scientific expedition to the planet Saturn in 2025, aboard the ship Ringmaster, discovers a strange satellite in orbit around the planet."
Neuromancer, by William Gibson. Cyberpunk.
The Lathe of Heaven, and The Dispossessed. by Ursula K. Le Guin.
Fire Upon the Deep, and A Deepness in the Sky, by Vernor Vinge.
"Wow... subscription based + micro transactions.. talk about greed."-á LOL!
Best Regards, Nak hak |
Gavin DeVries
JDI Industries
9
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Posted - 2011.10.19 03:31:00 -
[10] - Quote
Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson.
Dune, by Frank Herbert.
Gateway, by Frederik Pohl.
Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card.
The Man in the High Castle, by Philip K D i c k (stupid forum filter).
Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut. |
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Slade Trillgon
Endless Possibilities Inc.
33
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Posted - 2011.10.19 04:24:00 -
[11] - Quote
Dune.
Also in before the move to OOPE.
Slade |
Lutz Major
Austriae Est Imperare Orbi Universo
20
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Posted - 2011.10.19 04:40:00 -
[12] - Quote
Apart from what was already mentioned, I liked
Clone Series by Steven L. Kent The Lost fleet - also sometimes very hard to read And the Sten books by Chris Bunch and Allan Cole |
Louis deGuerre
Malevolence. Void Alliance
40
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Posted - 2011.10.19 08:18:00 -
[13] - Quote
Ian M. Banks is my favourite, but two books sets come to mind that have not been mentioned
Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons (don't read the books after that). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperion_(Simmons_novel) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fall_of_Hyperion
The Mote in God's Eye and The Moat around Murcheson's Eye (also known as The Gripping Hand) by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mote_in_God%27s_Eye http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gripping_Hand
God, these books are magnificent. FIRE FRIENDSHIP TORPEDOES ! |
Horatius Caul
Kitzless
4
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Posted - 2011.10.19 12:02:00 -
[14] - Quote
Gibson and Reynolds are probably my two favourite sci-fi authors, though their works are so far separated it's almost weird mentioning them together.
My current favourite Reynolds book is House of Suns, despite what some people think of it.
William Gibson, on the other hand, has the very strange quality that even his books set in the ultra-present feel like science fiction, because he is such an expert at highlighting everything that's weird with technology. Amarrad - Amarr language project |
Aston Bradley
Through the Looking Glass
5
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Posted - 2011.10.19 12:21:00 -
[15] - Quote
It's not a book but a comic book, but i can't stress enough on how good it is. It called Universal war I or UWI.
In short, you have a giant black sphere that appears in our solar system, and it is millions of kilometers wide. No one know why it appeared, or what's inside. Is it a natural phenomenon? Aliens? A secret weapon from the Marsian colony?
A group of renegade fghter pilots are sent to a suicide mission to get inside that sphere and find out what's going on. From there, it's soy sauce and banana's.
I am not going to tell anything else.
here are two panels from the comic :
http://www.fond-ecran.com/ORIGINAUX/bd/bd_universal_war_one/bd_universal_war_one_001.jpg
http://www.fond-ecran.com/ORIGINAUX/bd/bd_universal_war_one/bd_universal_war_one_002.jpg
This is a very smart Sci-fi comic novel. It's not just lasers and ships blowing up (although there is a lot of that), it tries to explain everything with physics and space theories.
The only trouble being that it's a belgium comic (Meaning that it is in french). But i am sure you can find a translated version on the net.
It's just my own opinion, but if you want the smartest and yet most epic sci-fi tale in a comic, Universal war I is a master piece. Hands down. |
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CCP Spitfire
C C P C C P Alliance
259
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Posted - 2011.10.19 12:53:00 -
[16] - Quote
So many wonderful books in this thread.
it's really hard for me to pick one piece of science fiction that I love the most (although if I absolutely had to, it would have probably been something by Robert Sheckley, Ray Bradbury or Philip K. Di-ük). The last novel I read -- and enjoyed immensely -- was Anathem by Neal Stephenson.
CCP Spitfire | Russian Community Coordinator @ccp_spitfire |
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Aston Bradley
Through the Looking Glass
5
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Posted - 2011.10.19 13:00:00 -
[17] - Quote
Well good news for english speakers, universal war one is being a best seller in europe was actually translated in english : http://occult-books.info/comic-book-universal-war-one-1-of-6-us-variant-cover-edition.html
Do grab it if you heppen to find it
You'll love it i swear. |
pussnheels
Vintage heavy industries
118
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Posted - 2011.10.19 13:18:00 -
[18] - Quote
3 titles that always stayed in my mind
Foundation series by asimov
The foreverwar by haldeman
inferno i think it was by l. Niven and jerry pournelle
a series that was just pure entertainment and fun to read ' horus heresy series ' I do not agree with what you are saying , but i will defend to the death your right to say it...... Voltaire |
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CCP Spitfire
C C P C C P Alliance
259
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Posted - 2011.10.19 14:28:00 -
[19] - Quote
pussnheels wrote:
a series that was just pure entertainment and fun to read ' horus heresy series '
I have to agree. WH40k novels in general are probably not the most acclaimed science fiction books out there, but I got a kick out of those (and the Ciaphas Cain series too).
CCP Spitfire | Russian Community Coordinator @ccp_spitfire |
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Rodj Blake
PIE Inc.
321
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Posted - 2011.10.19 14:39:00 -
[20] - Quote
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
1984 by George Orwell
Use of Weapons by Iain M Banks
Dulce et decorum est pro imperium mori. |
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Myfanwy Heimdal
Heimdal Freight and Manufacture Inc
7
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Posted - 2011.10.19 15:07:00 -
[21] - Quote
Blacksilk wrote:I The Gap into conflict: The Real Story , by Stephen Donaldson. This is book 1 of 5. The first book is the shortest of them all, but it really is the start of a roller coaster ride through space, alien hostiles and hard nasty psychological warfare. It's brilliant!
My Top SF reading starts and stops with that series.
I can imagine, one day, running into Angus in a run down bar somewhere in Lo Sec.
I've been reading SF for decades and nothing comes close. But some also-rans:
The Founation Trilogy - Asimov. Just read the three books and none of the later works. A classic. Rendezvous With Rama - Clake Just read the orginal.
Most of middle Heinlein stuff - not the kiddie fiction and not the later works when he seems to write soft porm for the hell of it.
The Flight of the Dragonfly. Forgotten who wrote it but's it's great hard SF. |
VaMei
Meafi Corp
46
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Posted - 2011.10.19 15:26:00 -
[22] - Quote
Although it gets mixed reviews, one of my personal favorites is In Conquest Born by C.S. Friedman. Another that many may not have heard of, but I enjoyed, is The Nimrod Hunt by Charles Sheffield. |
Sarmatiko
113
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Posted - 2011.10.19 16:22:00 -
[23] - Quote
Here you go: http://www.box.net/shared/static/a6omcl2la0ivlxsn3o8m.jpg
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Temujin Sarum
Hedion University Amarr Empire
0
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Posted - 2011.10.19 16:52:00 -
[24] - Quote
"Svaha" by Charles DeLint. Absolutely changed my view of sci-fi for the first time since Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land". |
Captain Sucky
Who cares about name
1
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Posted - 2011.10.19 17:14:00 -
[25] - Quote
My #1 sci-fi series must be: The Golden Age trilogy by John C. Wright
Another good trilogy (I love trilogies!) is: Rifters trilogy by Peter Watts Author's blog is worth checking out. You can stumble upon such treasures such as The Coming of the Lord.
Somebody mentioned Hyperion. This is by the same author and quite enjoyable read: Ilium/Olympos by Dan Simmons |
Greygal
Sephray Industries Serenitas Solutus
47
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Posted - 2011.10.19 17:33:00 -
[26] - Quote
+1 for every book already listed. Other than one (Svaha by Charles DeLint) I've read them all. I read too much!
More years ago than I care to admit, I was a silly teenage girl who had her nose stuck in *gasp* cheap historical romance novels. That all changed when one of my high-school English teachers assigned Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank to our class. A classic novel that forever changed my reading habits.
Much more recently, I just finished reading the Saga of the Seven Suns series by Kevin Anderson, and found myself surprised by just how much I enjoyed it.
Somewhat um... romantic ... at times... I've thoroughly enjoyed all of the Skolian Saga books by Catherine Asaro (hey, space is romantic, after all!) and it's hard to beat the Miles Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold for most unusual "hero"
The HAB Theory by Allan W. Eckert is difficult to find, built around some questionable climatology theories and has, in my opinion, a somewhat dated approach to character development (female in particular) but is a great read and has a truly wtf ending.
The entire Xeelee Sequence by Stephen Baxter. I can't count how many nights of sleep I lost to "just one more chapter and I'll go to bed" while reading those books.
Heart of the Comet by David Brin and Gregory Benford blew me away many years ago...
E.E. 'Doc' Smith's Lensman series. Classic.
Anything and everything related to Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, and then just about every other book he ever wrote.
Not widely known, but I very much enjoyed The Amtrak Wars by Patrick Tilley I originally came across the series in a thrift store while traveling in Australia in 1989... paid $55 to get the last book in the series mailed to me some six or seven years later cause I couldn't find it anywhere in the US at the time.
Can't forget to mention the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams ... a series I read, ironically, while hitch-hiking through Europe in 1990... What you do for yourself dies with you, what you do for others is immortal. |
Blacksilk
Deep Core Mining Inc. Caldari State
1
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Posted - 2011.10.19 18:14:00 -
[27] - Quote
Great stuff - Thanks everyone. Please keep the recommendations coming as I find these threads an invaluable resource.
Two more suggestions from me:
Altered Carbon, and, Broken Angels both by Richard Morgan.
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Marsha Mallow
Caldari Provisions Caldari State
0
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Posted - 2011.10.19 19:01:00 -
[28] - Quote
Forums just ate my post so I wont link everything
Red Mars Trilogy - Kim Stanley Robinson Neverness - David Zindell Stone - Adam Roberts Grass - Sheri S Tepper Chasm City - Alastair Reynolds Bladerunner sequels - K W Jeter The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell
The listing of previous Locus, Nebula and Hugo award winners is useful when you run out of stuff to read
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Vicker Lahn'se
STRAG3S THE UNTHINKABLES
7
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Posted - 2011.10.19 19:17:00 -
[29] - Quote
Hopefully this question doesn't get me stoned, but I have to ask:
Why on Earth do so many people like Orson Scott Card?
I read half of the books in the Ender's Game series, including ones involving Bean. I read the entire Homecoming Saga. You can't say I didn't give him a chance.
From a geeky-sciencey perspective, the general premise of the Homecoming saga was interesting to me, and he does have some interesting ideas here and there in his books, but Card doesn't flesh out any of these ideas. He lays down a brief snippet of how his hive mind bugs or his world controlling computers work, and then spends 95% of his time describing his character interactions.
Which brings me to his characters. They're appallingly two-dimensional. They're bland. Each character fits into a stereotype and doesn't ever stray from that stereotype. The main characters are the worst of all. When you read a person's book, you can get a fairly good idea of what kind of a person the author is based on the behavior of his main characters. Judging by his books, I'm lead to believe that Card is a social outcast, and suffers from a deep longing for an opportunity to rise above his peers and show them how amazing he thinks he is. His main characters are moral superheroes, and every interaction involves the main character showing other people how they should behave.
I wouldn't mind Card spending 95% of his time with character interactions if his characters were actually interesting, but they just aren't. His books hardly develop his science-fiction ideas and they don't contain interesting characters, so what exactly is the appeal of this author?
This all makes me sound terribly negative, so I just want to mention that there are lots of science fiction authors that I thoroughly enjoy and would readily recommend to anybody. Asimov, Vonnegut, Bradbury, and Niven are all amazing. It's just Card's popularity that perplexes me. |
Thaylon Sen
The Istari Syndicate
0
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Posted - 2011.10.19 20:38:00 -
[30] - Quote
The Gap Series!!!!!! |
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