Sci-Fi book recommendations

A good Comedy sci fi would be old mans wars
while the hunger games and lord of the light are less comedic and more action but still good

 

The Ware Tetralogy if you like cyberpunk

 

I like a lot of the works by David Brin and Jack McDevitt. Brin's Uplift series is excellent.

 

I agree with all of the above. To get a taste of current... and some former, try Baen Free Library online and nose around to see which type of sci-fi, fantasy, etc. you really favor. Don't leave out EE Doc Smith and the Lensmen series.

 

"Ready Player One" is a newer book that is going to come out in a movie. It's really nerdy with a lot of video game, sci-fi, and 80's pop culture references, but it's written so you don't need to get the reference to get how awesome it is. It takes place in a dystopian future where everybody hooks up to a virtual reality video game. I highly recommend it.

 

The Void Trilogy by Peter Hamilton I enjoyed in particular and Twisted Metal and its sequel whose name now fails me. Still an interesting read all round.

 

Sword of Truth was amazing, but I wouldn't class it as sci-fi

 

I was looking at that one on Amazon. Looks interesting, but at the same time looks like it's trying to be too hip.

 

How do you mean "hip?" Like it's trying too hard to be trendy, and is maybe a conceptual sell-out? I didn't really think that when reading it, in fact I felt the exact opposite. You can tell that the author was writing about what he loved.

 

Hey-lo Flanders,
I've just finished reading Ben Bova's, Leviathan's of Jupiter. I found the book to be totally absorbing in it's content, humor and escapism. The pace of the book suited me as I don't come from a background of Academia. I plan on reading a few more of his soon. good reading Neighbour.

 

That pretty much sums it up. What I mean by "too hip" is that it overuses pop culture, vintage, underground or cult-status references, ideas and symbols purely to gain popularity; basically using popular things to make it look underground. I guess the best example of this is Scott Pilgrim. While I did like the movie, it was overated; I felt it was trying to be too cool, like Pilgrim learning the bass part for the theme for Final Fantasy 2 or 4 or something like that. And the songs they were playing (although I only remember them playing one) were just the same garage-demo-160bpm rock, something all teenage garage sound like. And yes, I know it's done for a reason. It's little bits and pieces like that. (End semi-rant.)

I guess I'm just being over-critical and cynical about it. I shouldn't judge a book I have not read, and I am very willing to read Ready Player One as I would probably enjoy it as much as anyone else would, if not more.

Edit: I don't mean to sound harsh or angry or anything. I've just had to return a faulty phone that I waited seven weeks to receive from repairs. Kinda killed my mood a bit.

 

I've struggled with sci-fi throughout my life because oftentimes sci-fi fiction (and fantasy as well) tend to score high on plot and scenario, but low on writing skill and style (in my opinion). This, for me, is especially true of many contemporary writers.

However, I have delightfully discovered a number of stories/authors over the years who are happily exempt from this rule.

Both Ray Bradbury and Arthur C. Clarke are both inventive and eloquent storytellers, although I much prefer their short fiction to their novels.

That said, I personally couldn't finish Dune myself...

 

The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester is really good. It was the first ever winner of the Hugo Award.

VALIS by Philip K Dick is unreal. It's really philosophical and is actually kind of an autobiography of the later years of Dick's life. It has extracts from his 1million page journal in which he wrote about an encounter he thought he had with God.

 

I think I'll just toss this out there and veto hunger games and sword of truth. Only because, there are much better young adult fiction out there than hunger games, and much better fantasy series than sword of truth in my opinion. I'll take Ender or Sabriel over a beauty pageant deathmatch. And Robert Jordan is writing better from the grave than Goodkind. Sorry, that was a bit too far. Here's my recommendations though.

I can give Hyperion a hearty second and say its the best sci fi I've read published this side of 1990. The four book series tells an amazing story.
I actually just re-read the Foundation series by Asimov and its still one of my favorites. But then again, I liked (and reread) the Dune series too.

One recommendation I haven't seen yet is The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Its a good genre blender in my mind. While it takes almost a strictly fantasy setting and narration style, the characters treat magic in a very scientific method. It is a really good read. The kind of book that you go out and buy the first editions hardbacks for because they're going to be bank one day.

Honestly though, there hasn't been a book posted yet that isn't a good book.

 

Why does everyone have so much hate against Terry Goodkind ? I always liked his books!

 

As Dante said, the Culture novels are great. Iain M. Banks did another stand-alone sci-fi novel called The Algebraist recently- I thought it was excellent. The Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb is really good as a fantasy series (starts with Assassin's Apprentice)

 

I'd greatly recommend The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. (I've not read it but I'd stay away from 'And another thing' by Eoin Colfer)

I've just finished the Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson and I'd say that's worth a shot. (Another Hugo Award winner)

And I'll just comment on The Hunger Games. If you're looking for a light read, that's technically Dystopian Sci-Fi, go for it. I mean, it'll kill a few hours for you. I enjoyed it, but it's not something I'd recommend for someone looking for anything particularly deep or sciency.

 

I would recommend Stuff of Legends, if you can find it. It's sort of a comedy fantasy story. Imagine if heroes had talent agents to find them bards and turn their adventures into epics.

 

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is a great book, although the follow-ups weren't very good.

1984 by George Orwell is a classic, of course. I'm not sure if it counts as sci-fi, exactly, but it's a great book.

I've always enjoyed all of Frank Herbert's Dune books. It's kind of funny how Robert Jordan's Aes Sedai are partial Bene Gesserit ripoffs.

 

I thought Ender's Shadow was a great companion piece to Ender's Game. Card certainly matured as a writer between the two books, so not only do we see the same events through the eyes of a different character, bu through the eyes of an author who has grown.

 

It depends upon your taste. I find an author I like then read more of their work. Start with one book, then expand. Below are some of my favorites.

Snow Crash – Neal Stephenson
Neuromancer - William Gibson
Time Traders – Andre Norton
Tunnel in the Sky - Robert Heinlein
Farnham's Freehold - Robert Heinlein

 

Possibly my favorite science fiction book is Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Anything by Ray Bradbury is also worth reading.

 

Hyperion and Endymion books by Dan Simmons are truly amazing books. I have never read anything like them.
Consider Phlebas by Ian M Banks is one I dont think I have seen here yet tho.