Author Topic: What are your Favorite Sci-Fi Books?? (Read 3343 times)

CrimsonSunrise · « **on:** June 06, 2011, 02:30:46 PM »

Thought this might be a good topic to steal some ideas from folks

Need some new reading material....LOL. I'm especially a fan of Space Operas. SO!! If you know of any good ones...throw them out here!

Some of my all time favs...

Older, for those who haven't read some of the classics...

Dune series , Herbert

Robot series, Asimov

Foundation series, Asimov

New stuff.... '90 to present

"Hyperion" series - Dan Simmons

Anything by Alistair Reynolds, especially loved "House of Suns" and

"Nights Dawn" trilogy - Peter F. Hamilton

"A Fire upon the Deep" and "A Deepness in the Sky" - Vernor Vinge

"Perdido Street Station " China Miéville

TheMadgician · « **Reply #1 on:** June 06, 2011, 02:35:44 PM »

I tend to like a nice hard military Sci-Fi.

The Halo novels are actually better than you might think. Except The Flood. That one sucked. They got a bad writer there. The Eric Nylund novels, however, are fantastic.

Also several of the Warhammer 40,000 novels are really good. Everything Gaunts Ghosts is fantastic. I'm a big fan of Dan Abnetts work. The Ciaphas Cain series is also really good, it's fun, not as serious. And of course, the Horus Heresy novels. I've read up to Flight of the Einstein and they're great.

LudwigVan · « **Reply #2 on:** June 06, 2011, 02:38:26 PM »

If you like space operas, check into the "Dread Empire's Fall" trilogy by Walter Jon Williams. I also enjoyed the "Gaea" trilogy by John Varley.

King Postwhore · « **Reply #3 on:** June 06, 2011, 02:40:19 PM »

In the early 90's I read so many of the STAR WARS books and loved them all. Kevin J. Anderson, Michael Stackpole, Timothy Zahn.

TheMadgician · « **Reply #4 on:** June 06, 2011, 02:41:00 PM »

OH, and the first two Area 51 novels. They were so great. By the third, they just stopped being interesting though.

Nighthawkwill7 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 06, 2011, 02:54:06 PM »

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

Dune - Frank Herbert

The novelization of the original Star Wars Trilogy is also worth reading, It's loads better than most expanded universe novels.

War of The Worlds, The Time Traveller and The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells are also top notch.

CrimsonSunrise · « **Reply #6 on:** June 06, 2011, 02:56:56 PM »

Quote from: TheMadgician on June 06, 2011, 02:35:44 PM

I tend to like a nice hard military Sci-Fi.

Yeah... I liked the Lost Fleet series by Jack Cambell.

One other I recently read and enjoyed (though probably not a military sci-fi stereotype) was the Seven Suns saga By Kevin J. Anderson

Quote from: LudwigVan on June 06, 2011, 02:38:26 PM

If you like space operas, check into the "Dread Empire's Fall" trilogy by Walter Jon Williams. I also enjoyed the "Gaea" trilogy by John Varley.

I have read the first 2 books, I need to re-visit it and read some more..

I'll look into the Gaea trilogy...thanks!

Quote from: kingshmegland on June 06, 2011, 02:40:19 PM

In the early 90's I read so many of the STAR WARS books and loved them all. Kevin J. Anderson, Michael Stackpole, Timothy Zahn.

Yeah.... I love the SW books, and have read most, at least 110 or so

CrimsonSunrise · « **Reply #7 on:** June 06, 2011, 02:59:00 PM »

Quote from: Nighthawkwill7 on June 06, 2011, 02:54:06 PM

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

Dune - Frank Herbert

The novelization of the original Star Wars Trilogy is also worth reading, It's loads better than most expanded universe novels.

War of The Worlds, The Time Traveller and The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells are also top notch.

I've read Enders Game, can't say it really grabbed hold of me

I should really read some H.G Wells though..

CrimsonSunrise · « **Reply #8 on:** June 06, 2011, 03:01:45 PM »

I take it back... I did read all 3 of the Dread Empire Falls series.

yorost · « **Reply #9 on:** June 06, 2011, 03:04:10 PM »

The Dune series has been my favourite for a long time, but I still haven't tried the extensions his son did. I keep almost buying the two books that finish the main series, but each time I start worrying it's going to be a huge letdown and fail to make the purchase.

The one series I keep meaning to try is Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space, anyone read these? I've owned the first book for years but keep not reading it.

Maybe I just got tired of Sci Fi, I used to read quite a bit of it. It's probably been seven years since I last read one, now.

PlaysLikeMyung · « **Reply #10 on:** June 06, 2011, 03:07:22 PM »

My favorite has been The Death Gate Cycle for a while now.

but Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series is pretty good too

yorost · « **Reply #11 on:** June 06, 2011, 03:10:11 PM »

Sword of Truth is fantasy, not sci fi. It is also a disaster after Faith of the Fallen.

CrimsonSunrise · « **Reply #12 on:** June 06, 2011, 03:16:38 PM »

Quote from: yorost on June 06, 2011, 03:04:10 PM

The Dune series has been my favourite for a long time, but I still haven't tried the extensions his son did. I keep almost buying the two books that finish the main series, but each time I start worrying it's going to be a huge letdown and fail to make the purchase.

The one series I keep meaning to try is Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space, anyone read these? I've owned the first book for years but keep not reading it.

Maybe I just got tired of Sci Fi, I used to read quite a bit of it. It's probably been seven years since I last read one, now.

I read one of his sons....just didn't do it for me. Frank was a BEAST! of a writer. I loved the Revelation Space books

But for a one off... read his "House of Suns" I thought that was his best to date.

TheMadgician · « **Reply #13 on:** June 06, 2011, 03:27:56 PM »

Quote from: yorost on June 06, 2011, 03:10:11 PM

Sword of Truth is fantasy, not sci fi. It is also a disaster after Faith of the Fallen.

Isn't that also the one that pretty much ripped of Robert Jordans The Wheel of Time? Or am I thinking of another author/series?

yorost · « **Reply #14 on:** June 06, 2011, 03:39:20 PM »

Probably a different author, although much modern fantasy is inspired by Jordan. It probably was the first big epic series to take off following Jordan, so you might be thinking of it in that way. Goodkind built everything around a protagonist that embodied moral goodness, though, whereas Jordan has a morally blind primary protagonist. Hard to say he ripped him off based on that.

TheMadgician · « **Reply #15 on:** June 06, 2011, 03:49:10 PM »

I don't know, I haven't read The Wheel of Time yet. All I know is one of my friends goes on regular rants whenever we pass some other authors series, saying it's a ripoff of The Wheel of Time. I thought it was Goodkind, but I can't remember.

faemir · « **Reply #16 on:** June 06, 2011, 04:27:39 PM »

Recently i've been having great fun with Altered Carbon (and the two sequels) by Richard Morgan, as well as the Gaunt's Ghosts and Horus Heresy Warhammer 40k books (despite not being into 40k otherwise bar the awesome rts)

TheMadgician · « **Reply #17 on:** June 06, 2011, 04:32:52 PM »

Shit yeah, Gaunts Ghosts. Which novel are you up to so far?

GuineaPig · « **Reply #18 on:** June 06, 2011, 04:37:53 PM »

Sword of Truth blows.

"Perdido Street Station" is the best sci-fi/fantasy I've read in a while. I must echo the OP's love for it.

lonestar · « **Reply #19 on:** June 06, 2011, 04:48:12 PM »

Quote from: faemir on June 06, 2011, 04:27:39 PM

Recently i've been having great fun with Altered Carbon (and the two sequels) by Richard Morgan, as well as the Gaunt's Ghosts and Horus Heresy Warhammer 40k books (despite not being into 40k otherwise bar the awesome rts)

Read the first "Kovaks" novel a month ago, great stuff. At some point, I will definatly get the other two books by Morgan.

Got to give props to my favorite author, Robert Silverberg. He ha been writing since the mid-60's, and has covered all astpects of the sci-fi genre, from space operas to intense, charecter driven novels. Two I would reccomend to anyone would be Dying Inside, the story of a middle aged man who can read everyones minds, and what happens when he slowly loses the power, and how and if he can transition to a new life without the ability.

The second is the Majipoor Trilogy(Lord Valentine's Castle, The Majipoor Chronicles, Valentine Pontifex), just awe inspiring scope, great reading.

Am currently working thour S.M. Stirling's ten book series of The Change, good post apopolyctic stuff. The core book, Dies the Fire, is incredible, and will entice any SF reader into the series.

TempusVox · « **Reply #20 on:** June 06, 2011, 05:20:46 PM »

Shelley...................Frankenstein
Bradbury..................F 451, Martian Chronicles
Asimov.........I, Robot; The End of Eternty
H.G. Wells...........War of the Worlds, Time Machine, Invisible Man
Doyle........Lost World
Crichton......Jurrasic Park, Andromeda Strain
Clarke.........2001: A Space Odyssey
Verne.......20,000 Leagues, Journey to the Center of the Earth
Orwell.........1984

PlaysLikeMyung · « **Reply #21 on:** June 06, 2011, 06:18:34 PM »

Quote from: yorost on June 06, 2011, 03:10:11 PM

Sword of Truth is fantasy, not sci fi. It is also a disaster after Faith of the Fallen.

i usually lump the genres together

wkiml · « **Reply #22 on:** June 07, 2011, 10:03:05 AM »

Not sure if you would call it Sci-Fi since he's better known as a horror author

But Clive Barker's Weaveworld, The Great and Secret Show and Imajica

CrimsonSunrise · « **Reply #23 on:** June 07, 2011, 02:25:10 PM »

Quote from: wkiml on June 07, 2011, 10:03:05 AM

Not sure if you would call it Sci-Fi since he's better known as a horror author

But Clive Barker's Weaveworld, The Great and Secret Show and Imajica

Didn't he do Hellraiser??? That movie scared the shit outta me when it came out...

faemir · « **Reply #24 on:** June 07, 2011, 02:29:13 PM »

Quote from: TheMadgician on June 06, 2011, 04:32:52 PM

Shit yeah, Gaunts Ghosts. Which novel are you up to so far?

I've only read the first omnibus so far, but it's so awesome.

wkiml · « **Reply #25 on:** June 07, 2011, 02:31:03 PM »

Quote from: CrimsonSunrise on June 07, 2011, 02:25:10 PM

Quote from: wkiml on June 07, 2011, 10:03:05 AM
Not sure if you would call it Sci-Fi since he's better known as a horror author

But Clive Barker's Weaveworld, The Great and Secret Show and Imajica

Didn't he do Hellraiser??? That movie scared the shit outta me when it came out...

the entire Hellraiser series is based of a short story/novella, but yes he wrote it

Ħ · « **Reply #26 on:** June 07, 2011, 02:57:58 PM »

gonna have to go with THE BIBLE

:tard

CrimsonSunrise · « **Reply #27 on:** June 07, 2011, 03:39:07 PM »

Quote from: Ħ on June 07, 2011, 02:57:58 PM

gonna have to go with THE BIBLE

:tard

ReaPsTA · « **Reply #28 on:** June 07, 2011, 03:41:59 PM »

World War Z by Max Brooks

And even though it's not a book so much as a short story, The Last Question by Issac Asimov.

TheMadgician · « **Reply #29 on:** June 07, 2011, 03:47:42 PM »

Quote from: faemir on June 07, 2011, 02:29:13 PM

Quote from: TheMadgician on June 06, 2011, 04:32:52 PM
Shit yeah, Gaunts Ghosts. Which novel are you up to so far?

I've only read the first omnibus so far, but it's so awesome.

Oh man. PM me when you're working through the second omnibus. You are going to rage/sad so hard. There is no plot armor anymore. Characters will die. I'm still sad about that.

CrimsonSunrise · « **Reply #30 on:** June 07, 2011, 04:21:20 PM »

Quote from: ReaPsTA on June 07, 2011, 03:41:59 PM

The Last Question by Issac Asimov.

Love his short stories. How many Books did he write?? Something like 400?? Some were Math texts from what I remember.... what a genious he was.

Nick · « **Reply #31 on:** June 07, 2011, 04:33:42 PM »

Well the Dune series is my favorite ever ever. The original novel is my absolute favorite alongside Orwell's 1984.

I've also recently read Ender's Game and look forward to exploring that series more.

Didn't enjoy Foundation, and I didn't really like Brave New World either.

In my younger days I really enjoyed Heinlein, and I still think The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Stranger in a Strange Land are two of the best stories ever written.

And finally, CrimsonSunrise, I've read the Void trilogy and loved it but haven't read the earlier trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton, I really hope to get to it soon.

GuineaPig · « **Reply #32 on:** June 07, 2011, 04:36:14 PM »

Reading Ender's Game is hilarious when you're older because Orson Scott Card's rampant homophobia clashes wonderfully with the homo-eroticism between pre-teen boys.

Xanthul · « **Reply #33 on:** June 08, 2011, 02:56:16 AM »

No Neuromancer? I loved that book, I need to get the rest of the Sprawl trilogy.

Kura · « **Reply #34 on:** June 08, 2011, 11:17:59 AM »

Pendragon series! The first few books are a little kiddy (Like Harry Potter) but then it gets really intense later on.

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Author Topic: What are your Favorite Sci-Fi Books?? (Read 3343 times)