Beginner's Sci Fi recommendations please.

[Greg Anos]

Check out the SF bookshelf at Project Gutenberg.

Science Fiction is such a broad field. Do you like adventures, philosophical musing, extrapolations of tomorrow, alternate history possibilities, even comedy. It's all there.

Some particular free gems.

Baen Free Books

Old Nathan - David Drake - about a "Hex Wizard" in Tennessee in the 1830's.

Retief! - Keith Laumer - Comedy and hi-jinks in the future diplomatic circles.

Tezly Amberdom - James Schimdt - stories about a budding young telepath.

Inherit the Stars - James P Hogan - Where did the human race really start...


Gutenberg US

Authur Conan Doyle - The Lost World - Jungle exploration and Dinosaurs...

Randall Garrett - The Queens Own FBI trilogy. Telepathy and insanity and a mystery...

Harry Harrison - The Planet of the Damned - You've just proven you're the best man on a planet. Now it time to use your abilities to save a world...

Star Surgeon - Alan E. Nourse - A juvenile about a young alien studying to become a human surgeon...

Skylark Three - E. E. Smith PHD. The second novel of the original SF pulp writer. The first (Skylark of Space) is also available, but the original version is not the best. The 1958 rewrite of it was the author's (and mine!) preferred text. This is what is meant when you hear the term "Space Opera".

The Game of Rat and Dragon - Cordwainer Smith - Science Fiction from a chinese viewpoint by one of the greatest expert in Psych Warfare in the 20 th century.


All are great reads.

All these are good reads, and give you a broad perspective of many of the different "flavors" of SF...

[wayspooled]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Some particular free gems.

Baen Free Books

Old Nathan - David Drake - about a "Hex Wizard" in Tennessee in the 1830's.

Retief! - Keith Laumer - Comedy and hi-jinks in the future diplomatic circles.

Tezly Amberdom - James Schimdt - stories about a budding young telepath.

Inherit the Stars - James P Hogan - Where did the human race really start...


Gutenberg US

Authur Conan Doyle - The Lost World - Jungle exploration and Dinosaurs...

Randall Garrett - The Queens Own FBI trilogy. Telepathy and insanity and a mystery...

Harry Harrison - The Planet of the Damned - You've just proven you're the best man on a planet. Now it time to use your abilities to save a world...

Star Surgeon - Alan E. Nourse - A juvenile about a young alien studying to become a human surgeon...

Skylark Three - E. E. Smith PHD. The second novel of the original SF pulp writer. The first (Skylark of Space) is also available, but the original version is not the best. The 1958 rewrite of it was the author's (and mine!) preferred text. This is what is meant when you hear the term "Space Opera".

The Game of Rat and Dragon - Cordwainer Smith - Science Fiction from a chinese viewpoint by one of the greatest expert in Psych Warfare in the 20 th century.

All those are good recommendations!

Little trivia about the Barsoom novels/John Carter of Mars. There's a movie adaptation coming in 2012 of this starring the guy that played Gambit in Wolverine.

[weateallthepies]

One of the problems I've found when recommending science fiction and specifically new science fiction is the expected knowledge of the genre and tropes that can often come with it. This leads you back to the classics which whist they often contain great ideas, can have too much exposition and many of them contain awful writing which is enough to put new readers off.

It would be an interesting project to create a core collection of science fiction books which introduce new readers to many of the basic ideas of the genre whilst also introducing them to modern works. Probably couldn't do it all with free books though.

Some great recommendations in this thread though.

[Moejoe]

These are my favourites:

Pierre Boulle - Planet of the Apes
Harry Harrison - Make Room, Make Room
Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451 / The Martian Chronicles
Robert Heinlein - The Puppet Masters
Anthony Burgess - A Clockwork Orange
Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse Five / Galapagos
John Wyndham - The Day of the Trifids / The Midwich Cuckoos

[tompe]

Originally Posted by weateallthepies

One of the problems I've found when recommending science fiction and specifically new science fiction is the expected knowledge of the genre and tropes that can often come with it.

Newer books which do not require genre knowledge is Doomsday Book by Conny Willis and Hyperion by Dan Simmons.

[Dr. Drib]

Here's a start. These include my favorites. They're older classics. I haven't checked to see what is/isn't available as an ebook.

Fantasy:
Dandelion Wine - Ray Bradbury
The Dying Earth - Jack Vance
The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien


Science Fiction
City - Clifford D. Simak
Men, Martians, and Machines - Eric Frank Russell
A Canticle For Leibowitz - Walter M. Miller, Jr.
The Martian Chronicles
The War of the Worlds - H.G. Wells
The Demolished Man - Alfred Bester
Childhood's End - Arthur C. Clarke
The Foundation Trilogy - Isaac Asimov
More Than Human - Theodore Sturgeon


Although not necessarily seen as science fiction, I include almost all the works of Haruki Murakami.

Don

[Idoine]

You could try Anne McCaffrey Pegasus' Trilogy too (also known as "Saga of the Talents"), and "Slan" by A.E. Van Vogt...

[Jack Tingle]

Originally Posted by weateallthepies

It would be an interesting project to create a core collection of science fiction books which introduce new readers to many of the basic ideas of the genre whilst also introducing them to modern works. Probably couldn't do it all with free books though.

http://www.nesfa.org/recommends/

Helpfully,
Jack Tingle

[Stormchild]

A couple of very useful links to free SF/Fantasy (and other genres)

http://finding-free-ebooks.blogspot.com/

http://online-novels.blogspot.com/20...e-fiction.html

Cory Doctorow is also well worth a look as are some of the very talented guys and gals that reside here on MR.

Simon Hayes is very funny. His first in the Hal Spacejock series is here (free) http://www.spacejock.com.au/Hal1Download.html and the rest are very reasonably priced.

The best though is Philip K Dick. Unfortunately his works are not available free (legally). I would recommend "Flow My Tears The Policeman Said" as a starting point.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by Stormchild

A couple of very useful links to free SF/Fantasy (and other genres)

http://finding-free-ebooks.blogspot.com/

http://online-novels.blogspot.com/20...e-fiction.html

Cory Doctorow is also well worth a look as are some of the very talented guys and gals that reside here on MR.

Simon Hayes is very funny. His first in the Hal Spacejock series is here (free) http://www.spacejock.com.au/Hal1Download.html and the rest are very reasonably priced.

The best though is Philip K Dick. Unfortunately his works are not available free (legally). I would recommend "Flow My Tears The Policeman Said" as a starting point.

You're right, unfortunately: They're not free.

However, there are quite a number of Philip K. Dick novels and short stories available from Sony (and some from Fictionwise, as well).

See this link:

http://ebookstore.sony.com/search?ke...k+dick&x=0&y=0



Don

[JonB]

Try

Peter F Hamilton - Night's Dawn Trilogy (The Reality Dysfunction / The Neutronium Alchemist / The Naked God); this is a sort of Sci-Fi / Horror cross over
Vernor Vinge - A Fire Upon the Deep / A Deepness in the Sky

[JSWolf]

Again I am shocked and amazed. A thread on science fiction and fantasy and in 25 replys not a single mention of Discworld.

Discworld is one of the best fantasy series out there if not the best.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/terry-pratchett/

Have a look at that link and then read the series in published order.

[Slite]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Again I am shocked and amazed. A thread on science fiction and fantasy and in 25 replys not a single mention of Discworld.

Discworld is one of the best fantasy series out there if not the best.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/terry-pratchett/

Have a look at that link and then read the series in published order.

Actually, the topic states Beginner's Sci Fi recommendations... And discworld doesn't really qualify.

I would however recommend Orson Scott Card - Enders Game which I think is one of the best Sci Fi books ever written, not so terribly happy with the sequels tho.

[BookCat]

Thanks so much for all the helpful replies. I've copied the thread into Word and will start reading the freebies ASAP, getting on to the ones I have to pay for later. Some, such as Wyndam, I have in unread pbooks bought from jumble sales in moments of, "I must read 'The day of the triffids' sometime,". Loved the films, but the novels are overlooked in favour of "the usual stuff".
I'll be for weeks; hope I remember to feed the cats!

[tompe]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Discworld is one of the best fantasy series out there if not the best.

It is not really primarily a fantasy series. It is a humorous series first.