Recommend Me Some Sci-Fi ...

..Brian..

Always preferred my fantasy on paper and my sci-fi on the big screen but I've just after finishing the book The Martian and it was frickin awesome! And after being an avid reader of fantasy for the last 20 odd years, I think it's time for a change!

Off the top of my head I've read The Martian, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Only Forward, 2001, Enders Game and loved them all. Haven't a clue about sci-fi authors though. Is there such thing as epic sci-fi? If so who does it and who does it best?

I really like the Star Wars and Mass Effect worlds so that maybe a starting point.

Nody

Dune and Foundation trilogy can both only be called epic; covering galaxy wide development of society

..Brian..

Yea Dune seems to be regularly coming in top spot on the few top 100 etc lists I've just been reading. That looks to be my next stop!

ixoy

'Dune' is superb and is the source for my username. It does tend to throw you in at the deep end.
If you want something that, while longer is a bit less heavy, then Peter F. Hamilton's Commonwealth Saga starting with "Pandora's Star" is a great way to go and is spread across multiple planets with large scale action.

The Sun King

Currently reading Dune myself. I'm 100 pages out from the end. It doesn't give you an inch when it comes to figuring out what's what but it's definitely worth it. I'm usually a fantasy guy but this sold me on Sci-Fi.

I tried Enders Game, but could never really pick it up and actually read it. Kept putting it down to read something else.

Definitely go with Dune.

Dune & Night's dawn trilogy

The Sun King

Are the rest of the Dune novels worth a read?

niallb

Dune Messiah, Children of Dune and even God Emperor are worth continuing on with.
They get a bit sloppy after that, but still interesting for developing the universe.

The Sun King

niallb wrote: »

Dune Messiah, Children of Dune and even God Emperor are worth continuing on with.
They get a bit sloppy after that, but still interesting for developing the universe.

Great, thanks. I'll check the library. If they don't have them then I'm happy enough to leave it be for a few months to get through some other stuff.

..Brian..

I'm half way through chapter two of dune at the mo, Paul has just left for Arrakis, at least I think that's what's going on! Not much of a sci-fi vibe off it yet tbh, I would have said it was a fantasy novel from what I've read apart from a few brief hints at high tech gadgetry! I'll stick with it though and see what all the fuss is about!

Peter F Hamilton sounds good, will give him a go next. Any other recommendations?

Nate--IRL--

Dune and Peter F Hamiltons Pandora Star are a very good start. For something different, try The Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy and the read Dwarf Books.

Nate

2016

Eon by Greg Bear

Wool by Hugh Howey

Hyperion by Dan Simmons

The Culture series by Iain M Banks

The Revelation Space series by Alastair Reynolds


Peter F Hamilton was recommended earlier as something "less heavy". There's a good review on Pandora's Start at Amazon, to wit:

Yes, these books are massive, and possibly hundreds of pages could've easily been trimmed. The author is a little too fond of turning a simple sentence such as "The road climbed to the top of the hill" into "The glittering ribbon of enzyme-bonded concrete, laid down 175 years ago by automated Tarmac Master 3170 roadbots imported from the Big15 world of Cyborgia, wound its way upward to the crest of the ancient hill, which was composed of an agglomerate of metamorphic gneiss and basalt and which had been puked up by a volcanic eruption geologic epochs ago in the planet's tormented evolutionary past.

If massive books filled with 'irrelevant' details and plot detours as long as mini-novels are your thing, then you'll love Pandora's star. Once (after several hundred pages) the aliens appear, then that section is so outstanding it makes the rest of the book worthwhile.

I'd start with Reality Dysfunction rather than pandora's star

Nody

..Brian.. wrote: »

I'm half way through chapter two of dune at the mo, Paul has just left for Arrakis, at least I think that's what's going on! Not much of a sci-fi vibe off it yet tbh, I would have said it was a fantasy novel from what I've read apart from a few brief hints at high tech gadgetry! I'll stick with it though and see what all the fuss is about!

There is actually a reason for that that you'll see hints and comments about as you go through the series. The only thing to look out for is when the books are written by his son; basically you go from deep characters with deep motivations to one sided characters without motivation or complexity... There are a few ok books (esp. the House of X series) that help flesh out the universe and the story before Dune starts.

wyrn

I'd recommend Rama, the Culture series and The Quantum Thief.

ixoy

bluewolf wrote: »

I'd start with Reality Dysfunction rather than pandora's star

It's a strong trilogy but I felt the ending was very weak. I thought the Commonwealth was more rounded plus you've the advantage of all the sequels.

[QUOTE=wyrn;98355884The Quantum Thief.[/QUOTE]
An excellent series but I'd see this as very heavy if you're just getting more into science fiction. Alastair Reynolds would be more accessible sci-fi on the heavier end than this I think - such as the Revelation Space universe (which I hope he returns to).

AlbionCat

Having a bit of a Stephen Baxter moment myself

Reid Malenfant series (Time, Space, Manifold)
Moonseed, Titan - all very good. Also the Xeelee series

Asimov - Foundation series - worth reading in book order (not publish order)
Arthur C Clarke - wrote lots but Rama series and the books that following the Sentinel /2001 are also a good read. (2010,2061,3001 )

If you like Mars, read the Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury. For that fact read Farenheit 451. Classic book should be read no matter what.

Starship Troopers - Robert Heinlein.

A Canticle for Lebeiwitz - Walter M.Miller


With regards to the Dune series, Frank's son (Brian) with Kevin J Anderson have written a series of prequels to Dune i.e. Butlerian Jihad, House Artriedes, House Harkonnen - they are quite good in the sense of setting out the background and story lines up to Dune. Bit too violent in places, but ties up alot of the story.


Definitely Hugh Howey and the WOOL series. Dan Simmons and Hyperion.

Home grown Anne McCaffrey. Dragons, Crystal Singers and Telepaths flinging ships about.

Other authors to keep an eye out for, but harder to find:-
Poul Anderson, Larry Niven with Jerry Pournelle.

Enjoy:)

RDM_83 again

If your looking for Epic in terms of scale I would say Olaf Stapledon, probably not what your looking for.
The Forever War series might fit the bill, your a fan of fantasy so it might be interesting to see someone approach the idea of how inter-stellar war with deep thought (the first book is amazing, the other ones are divisive).

Not so epic but some random favourites of mine.

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

William Gibson earlier books

The Dispossessed/The Left Hand of Darkness by Le Guinn

Life During Wartime by Lucius Shepard- this is a bit trippy but to me it shows up much sci-fi and fantasy as just badly written (even though they might have great compelling ideas and plot)

Blindsight by Peter Watts - Too often Sci-Fi has aliens that are just giant ants or "humans" that are a bit different, in this book the aliens are actually alien, grim in a way that grim-dark isn't this isn't the best written book but its well worth checking out if you want to see why sci-fi is a very different genre to Fantasy

niallb

RDM_83 again wrote: »

The Dispossessed/The Left Hand of Darkness by (Ursula) Le Guinn

+2 on those.

shrapnel222

Julian May's Galactic milieu series is brilliant as is the saga of the pliocene exile.

Read "Intervention", which is more or less an introduction to both. Such a fantastic book. (*sticking it on my rereading list*)

Jayd0g

shrapnel222 wrote: »

Julian May's Galactic milieu series is brilliant as is the saga of the pliocene exile.

Read "Intervention", which is more or less an introduction to both. Such a fantastic book. (*sticking it on my rereading list*)

After a quick read of the Wikipedia page, this series is now firmly on the must read list. Thanks!

fitz

The Gap Cycle by Stephen Donaldson is a fantastic read.

..Brian..

Ok so I'm almost finished Dune, will have it done tomorrow I reckon, and while it's great, it's not quite what I'm after. I'm looking for something more modern, more science and technology heavy, some contemporary sci-fi? Dune reads like a fantasy book for the vast majority of it!

Zaph

..Brian.. wrote: »

Ok so I'm almost finished Dune, will have it done tomorrow I reckon, and while it's great, it's not quite what I'm after. I'm looking for something more modern, more science and technology heavy, some contemporary sci-fi? Dune reads like a fantasy book for the vast majority of it!

Try Neuromancer by William Gibson, it might be more along the lines of what you're looking for.

Nody

..Brian.. wrote: »

Ok so I'm almost finished Dune, will have it done tomorrow I reckon, and while it's great, it's not quite what I'm after. I'm looking for something more modern, more science and technology heavy, some contemporary sci-fi? Dune reads like a fantasy book for the vast majority of it!

The lost fleet series? Not heavy or deep in story but spans a pretty decent size of space.

RDM_83 again

..Brian.. wrote: »

Ok so I'm almost finished Dune, will have it done tomorrow I reckon, and while it's great, it's not quite what I'm after. I'm looking for something more modern, more science and technology heavy, some contemporary sci-fi? Dune reads like a fantasy book for the vast majority of it!

Have you tried Robert Reed?
Others have suggested Alasteir Rynolds and I would 2nd that, the Revelation Space books don't throw science at the reader in a way that unless your actually pretty good at physics or maths you won't understand/will skim anyway (Greg Bears Eon is a off the top of the head example of this), but the universe he builds is believable there's no "hyper drive" space even with incredibly advanced technology is a big place thats slow to get around, gravity isn't cheated by "artificial gravity generators" (though I think there may be exceptions).
Personally I prefer the short stories based in that universe but the first number of books are great reads in my opinion.

Nody wrote: »

The lost fleet series? Not heavy or deep in story but spans a pretty decent size of space.

I really liked the way space combat was handled in this book but I gave up reading them because I thought Campbell failed with the characters and over all plot, also he badly needed an editor to cull the filler.

Mickeroo

Give Hyperion by Dan Simmons a go. Very tech heavy if that's what you're after, though not really comparable to The Martian as there are things like worm holes and time travel involved, oh and the Catholic church

I definitely agree with you that Dune is more a fantasy novel set in space than sci fi.

ixoy

..Brian.. wrote: »

Ok so I'm almost finished Dune, will have it done tomorrow I reckon, and while it's great, it's not quite what I'm after. I'm looking for something more modern, more science and technology heavy, some contemporary sci-fi? Dune reads like a fantasy book for the vast majority of it!

Depends on how contemporary you want to be. I mean are you talking Earth in the near future or so? The Greg Bear novels below certainly fit that bill or some of his other work.

keane2097

I enjoyed the first two Hyperion books a lot. I believe the next two change the story a good bit? Are they as good?

Mickeroo

keane2097 wrote: »

I enjoyed the first two Hyperion books a lot. I believe the next two change the story a good bit? Are they as good?

I read them recently and thought they were great, though didn't seem as heavy going as the first two. More straight up space opera.

shrapnel222

keane2097 wrote: »

I enjoyed the first two Hyperion books a lot. I believe the next two change the story a good bit? Are they as good?

they're brilliant, but a very different tack. Loved them personally, but i'm just a simmons fan boy :pac: