Beginner's Sci Fi recommendations please. - Page 4

Scarpad · 09-04-2009, 08:38 AM

It's given me some good choices for my new reader, beside the usual Trek Fiction I read.

Kevin Gerard · 09-05-2009, 10:53 AM

I love Dune, Eddings, and Ender's Game.

I re-read The Martian Chronicles by Bradbury constantly. How anyone could think of that chronology is beyond me. An excellent read.

The Star of the Guardians by Weis is also an enjoyable series.

Strength and Honor!

dreams · 09-05-2009, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by igorsk

Dinosaur Beach by Keith Laumer.

Thank you for this link. I also checked out his page on Baen...http://www.webscription.net/s-70-kei...aspx?pagenum=1

ChopperHarris · 09-05-2009, 02:16 PM

Sorry I'm so late to the party on this, but I would always recommend William Gibson's Neuromancer as a great introduction to cyberpunk. Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars series is a good, but lengthy, look at the colonisation of Mars and has some very well developed characters. Overall, though, I think my favourite SciFi book is Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner which is a fantastic dystopian look at the problems of overpopulation and its implications for the planet. I'm not sure if this is legally available as an ebook though, so good luck finding it.

bookfiend · 09-11-2009, 04:34 PM

As someone said earlier, Hyperion (by Dan Simmons) is an excellent book; it was one of my first sci-fi reads.

I also second Connie Willis as a great author. If you want some comic sci-fi, To Say Nothing of the Dog is a very funny time travel book.

BookCat · 09-20-2009, 12:45 AM

Bookfiend, I'm reading Connie Willis' "Doomsday" at the mo. It's rivetting and has stimulated great conversation regarding the problems of time travel, such as: if someone travelled back in time and killed their grandfather, they could never have been born, which means they could never travel back in time to kill their grandfather!

Loose_Appeal · 09-21-2009, 07:34 AM

What about the Berserker by Fred Saberhagen?

I've read the short stories starting from 'Without a Thought' to 'The Face of the Deep' and albeit it was just short stories (some are connected with characters/plots), I found it pretty impressive for such short readings.

Slite · 09-21-2009, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loose_Appeal

What about the Berserker by Fred Saberhagen?

I've read the short stories starting from 'Without a Thought' to 'The Face of the Deep' and albeit it was just short stories (some are connected with characters/plots), I found it pretty impressive for such short readings.

I hate you! Seriously! As if I didn't have enough on my to-read list? I had so forgotten about the Berserker series.... but then you have to come along and remind me... I hate you!

Thanks for reminding me though, I definitly have to re-read those

bookfiend · 09-21-2009, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BookCat

Bookfiend, I'm reading Connie Willis' "Doomsday" at the mo. It's rivetting and has stimulated great conversation regarding the problems of time travel, such as: if someone travelled back in time and killed their grandfather, they could never have been born, which means they could never travel back in time to kill their grandfather!

Doomsday is a great read! To Say Nothing of the Dog uses the same scenario, but really turns it upside down! You really can't go wrong with a Willis book.

Loose_Appeal · 09-21-2009, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ea

Two shorts by Asimov:
The Last Question
The Feeling of Power

The Last Question. That made my head explode. Thank you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slite

I hate you! Seriously! As if I didn't have enough on my to-read list? I had so forgotten about the Berserker series.... but then you have to come along and remind me... I hate you!

Thanks for reminding me though, I definitely have to re-read those

I didn't bother trying to read his other books. I tried reading Berserker Planet but the way he was describing the women in the ship at the start was getting kind of.... perverse? And I heard Brother's Assassin had some very chauvinistic comment at the end.

Slite · 09-22-2009, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loose_Appeal

The Last Question. That made my head explode. Thank you.

I didn't bother trying to read his other books. I tried reading Berserker Planet but the way he was describing the women in the ship at the start was getting kind of.... perverse? And I heard Brother's Assassin had some very chauvinistic comment at the end.

Well, those two are written in the late sixties and early seventies. One have to keep in mind that 40 years have passed

Xenophon · 09-22-2009, 03:56 PM

One fine recommendation for SF beginners is in this thread. Great stuff by Poul Anderson, now in DRM-free multi-format reasonably-priced eBooks. With no geographic restrictions.

Xenophon

bobnelsonfr · 09-26-2009, 01:54 PM

Isaac Asimov, Arthur C Clarke and Robert Heinlein were the patron saints of SF. I'd put Connie Willis at the same level.

For freebies, check out the Baen Free library:
http://www.baen.com/library/

bobnelsonfr · 09-26-2009, 02:00 PM

Both are very good. So is Passage. Actually... all of her stuff!

BenG · 09-27-2009, 11:17 PM

Dangerous Visions, the influential anthology edited by Harlan Ellison, is available at Fictionwise in MultiFormat.
http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b8...rlan-Ellison/?

Quote:

Included in this memorable collection of 33 original stories are 7 winners and 13 nominees for the prestigious Hugo and Nebula Awards. Lester Del Rey / Robert Silverberg / Frederik Pohl / Philip Jose Farmer / Miriam Allen deFord / Robert Bloch / Harlan Ellison / Brian W. Aldiss / Howard Rodman / Philip K. Dick / Larry Niven / Fritz Leiber / Joe L. Hensley / Poul Anderson / David R. Bunch / James Cross m/ Carol Emshwiller / Damon Knight / Theodore Sturgeon / Larry Eisenberg / Henry Slesar / Sonya Dorman / John T. Sladek / Jonathan Brand / Kris Neville / R. A. Lafferty / J. G. Ballard / John Brunner / Keith Laumer / Norman Spinrad / Roger Zelazny / Samuel R. Delany

The sequel, Again, Dangerous Visions is available too

09-05-2009, 10:53 AM	#47
Kevin Gerard Kevin Gerard Posts: 30 Karma: 499848 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: San Diego Device: none	Excellent recommendations so far... I love Dune, Eddings, and Ender's Game. I re-read The Martian Chronicles by Bradbury constantly. How anyone could think of that chronology is beyond me. An excellent read. The Star of the Guardians by Weis is also an enjoyable series. Strength and Honor!

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09-04-2009, 08:38 AM	#46
Scarpad Addict Posts: 310 Karma: 1013114 Join Date: Sep 2006	It's given me some good choices for my new reader, beside the usual Trek Fiction I read.

09-05-2009, 02:16 PM	#49
ChopperHarris Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: none yet	Sorry I'm so late to the party on this, but I would always recommend William Gibson's Neuromancer as a great introduction to cyberpunk. Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars series is a good, but lengthy, look at the colonisation of Mars and has some very well developed characters. Overall, though, I think my favourite SciFi book is Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner which is a fantastic dystopian look at the problems of overpopulation and its implications for the planet. I'm not sure if this is legally available as an ebook though, so good luck finding it.

09-11-2009, 04:34 PM	#50
bookfiend Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 2075332 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Clara HD, Kobo Forma	As someone said earlier, Hyperion (by Dan Simmons) is an excellent book; it was one of my first sci-fi reads. I also second Connie Willis as a great author. If you want some comic sci-fi, To Say Nothing of the Dog is a very funny time travel book.

09-20-2009, 12:45 AM	#51
BookCat C L J Posts: 2,912 Karma: 21115458 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Birmingham UK Device: Sony e-reader 505, Kindle PW2, Kindle PW3, Kobo Libra2	Bookfiend, I'm reading Connie Willis' "Doomsday" at the mo. It's rivetting and has stimulated great conversation regarding the problems of time travel, such as: if someone travelled back in time and killed their grandfather, they could never have been born, which means they could never travel back in time to kill their grandfather!

09-21-2009, 07:34 AM	#52
Loose_Appeal Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiish? Posts: 85 Karma: 162 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: Current: PRS-650, Previous: Books	What about the Berserker by Fred Saberhagen? I've read the short stories starting from 'Without a Thought' to 'The Face of the Deep' and albeit it was just short stories (some are connected with characters/plots), I found it pretty impressive for such short readings.

09-22-2009, 03:56 PM	#57
Xenophon curmudgeon Posts: 1,481 Karma: 5748190 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Redwood City, CA USA Device: Kobo Aura HD, (ex)nook, (ex)PRS-700, (ex)PRS-500	One fine recommendation for SF beginners is in this thread. Great stuff by Poul Anderson, now in DRM-free multi-format reasonably-priced eBooks. With no geographic restrictions. Xenophon

09-26-2009, 01:54 PM	#58
bobnelsonfr Newbie Posts: 33 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Calais, France & Yuma, AZ Device: Samsung Galaxy S8+ with several apps	Isaac Asimov, Arthur C Clarke and Robert Heinlein were the patron saints of SF. I'd put Connie Willis at the same level. For freebies, check out the Baen Free library: http://www.baen.com/library/

09-26-2009, 02:00 PM	#59
bobnelsonfr Newbie Posts: 33 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Calais, France & Yuma, AZ Device: Samsung Galaxy S8+ with several apps	Both are very good. So is Passage. Actually... *all* of her stuff!

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