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Sci Fi books

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wholelottarosa
wholelottarosa Posts: 74
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Hi all,

does anyone here read sci fi? I've noticed I just keep buying whatever's new from my favourite author and don't experiment so much anymore. Or if I do, I usually wind up with entertaining yet fluffy pulp.

Authors I like are:
Iain M. Banks
Charles Stross
Peter F. Hamilton
Octavia Butler
Alistair Reynolds
Cory Doctorow
Greg Egan
Neal Asher

Does anyone have recommendations for what else to try?
Oh, and of course if anyone wants recommendations, I'd be happy to rant about the merits of some of the stuff I've read. :)
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  • edge_dragoncaller
    edge_dragoncaller Posts: 826 Member
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    I've read some, but I think the only one on my bookshelf is by Elizabeth Moon : Rules of Engagement. It was a pretty good one:)
  • wholelottarosa
    wholelottarosa Posts: 74
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    Thanks, I've never read that one. :)
  • ScottyNoHotty
    ScottyNoHotty Posts: 1,954 Member
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    Go back to the classics

    Asimov
    Clarke
    Heinlein
    Vance
    DeCamp
    Pratchett
  • lachesissss
    lachesissss Posts: 1,298 Member
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    Unwind by Neal Shusterman is what I consider Sci Fi. It's YA but the premise of the novel reminds me of Margaret Atwood. The Joe Ledger series is not quite Sci Fi, but I think it's very entertaning and Jonathan Maberry writes from a comic book background, but there is quite a lot of science and urban fantasy/ myth themes.
  • HowieTwoPointZero
    HowieTwoPointZero Posts: 494 Member
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    The War against the Chtorr series by David Gerrold is one of my favorites.
  • ScatteredThoughts
    ScatteredThoughts Posts: 3,562 Member
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    Go back to the classics

    Asimov
    Clarke
    Heinlein
    Vance
    DeCamp
    Pratchett

    Agree. There is a lot of great older stuff out there.

    I would also add names like:

    Theodore Sturgeon
    Harlan Ellison
    Greg Bear
    Joe Haldeman
    Orson Scott Card
    William Gibson
  • rmkramer003
    rmkramer003 Posts: 115 Member
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    Best short story book I ever read was Star Shine by Frederic Brown (1954)

    Also good,
    Harry Harrison
    Clifford Simak
    Philip Jose Farmer
    Douglas Adams
    Gordon R. D1ckson

    (Apparently no is called the nickname for Richard on here)
  • wholelottarosa
    wholelottarosa Posts: 74
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    Oooh, Frederic Brown, I love his work.
    I've read most of the classics, I was just wondering if there were any new hot authors on the rise.
    I've never tried Joseph Haldeman or DeCamp though, I'll definitely check it out.

    Thanks for all the suggestions!
  • Joreanasaurous
    Joreanasaurous Posts: 1,384 Member
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    I've read some, but I think the only one on my bookshelf is by Elizabeth Moon : Rules of Engagement. It was a pretty good one:)

    I loved that book!

    First book that come to my mind is Dune. I freaking loved those books. I still do. They do get a bit too weird even for me towards the end, but still a great series.
    I'm also a big Philip K **** fan.
    Douglas Adams <3
    Robert A Heinlein did Starship Troopers. I enjoyed that read, but honestly liked the movie more.
  • Ro0kin
    Ro0kin Posts: 34 Member
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    I liked 'The Snow' by Adam Roberts.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Snow_(novel)


    I also want to read most of these....

    http://io9.com/5911265/most-mind+blowing-surprise-endings-from-science-fiction-and-fantasy-books

    I like twists
  • HowieTwoPointZero
    HowieTwoPointZero Posts: 494 Member
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    Also I can't recommend Ready Player One enough.
  • d0gma
    d0gma Posts: 3,966 Member
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    Also I can't recommend Ready Player One enough.

    LOOOOOOOOVED that book.
  • wholelottarosa
    wholelottarosa Posts: 74
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    Also I can't recommend Ready Player One enough.

    LOOOOOOOOVED that book.

    I just googled for it.

    "Ready Player One is Ernie Cline’s genre-busting debut—part quest novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese robots, entire planets are inspired by Blade Runner, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed. "

    Alright, I'm sold. Giant robots. :heart:
  • Spatialized
    Spatialized Posts: 623 Member
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    I read a ton of sci-fi growing up, Heinleien (The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is GREAT!), Herbert, Gibson, Sterling, Bear, Clarke but drifted away due to having to read literally millions of words for the degrees I earned, but now I'm back at it. I'll second the Joe Ledger stuff (Patient Zero is the best of the bunch), like Tom Clancy meets George Romero, Richard Morgan (Altered Carbon here) has some fun stuff in a similar vein.

    Lately though I've been burning through some older "pulpy" style stuff that I've found for free or cheap on Kindle for fun, but the one I'm inthe middle of is A Mote in God's Eye and it's very good so far. But if you want a couple of classics to read, try Neuromancer or Snow Crash, I would label both seminal works of cyberpunk by far 2 of my favorite books ever (and favorite authors too!)

    And as for the Starship Troopers movie being better than the book...the movie glosses over all the stuff that Heinlein was trying to say about the "current" conflict and the social/political commentary therein. At least they kept the best line, "C'mon you apes, do you want to live forever!"
  • edge_dragoncaller
    edge_dragoncaller Posts: 826 Member
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    I've read some, but I think the only one on my bookshelf is by Elizabeth Moon : Rules of Engagement. It was a pretty good one:)

    Forgot to mention one because the series kind of loses the Sci Fi for a while...but the Dragon Riders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey. Really enjoyed those.
  • garlic7girl
    garlic7girl Posts: 2,234 Member
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    I am so HAPPY! I have been wondering what to read but can't find any good recommendations...you guys rock! I loved DUNE and read 4 othe books. So many recommendations I don't know where to start!
  • kelp99
    kelp99 Posts: 101 Member
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    I usually read more fantasy than sci-fi, but thanks to a science fiction focused English class I took in college I discovered most of the classic authors already listed. But here are some others;

    Philip K. **** is one of my faves. Hollywood likes him as well but his books are def. better than the movies. [Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep ((Blade runner)) , A Scanner Darkly, We can remember it for you wholesale ((Total Recall)), etc.]

    Douglas Adams [ HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency,]

    Piers Anthony, [Chthon, Bio of a Space Tyrant].

    Philip Jose Farmer [Riverworld Series]
  • Klopford
    Klopford Posts: 129
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    I liked Ender's Game and The Giver (not sure if that counts). I've also read a few Star Trek books (Immortal Coil and I, Q) as well as some of the young adult Starfleet Academy novels (I've got the three stories that have Data as the main character but can't remember their titles.) And of course Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!

    Someone told me that the Hunger Games trilogy counts as sci-fi? LOVED those.
  • twinkychops
    twinkychops Posts: 228 Member
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    I could go on for years about authors! I have all of those you mentioned and then about a 1000 others! Haha my poor husband has to keep boxing them up and putting them in the loft as we have no space!
  • twinkychops
    twinkychops Posts: 228 Member
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    I've read some, but I think the only one on my bookshelf is by Elizabeth Moon : Rules of Engagement. It was a pretty good one:)

    Forgot to mention one because the series kind of loses the Sci Fi for a while...but the Dragon Riders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey. Really enjoyed those.

    I've never read her dragon books but read absolutely everything else she's done ( not into dragons see ) Fab author!

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