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tmclough · 08-11-2010, 09:19 PM

So far, since getting into reading fiction, and not just how-to/reference-type books, I've mostly been reading Star Trek. I'm also about to finish the Oort Perimeter by MR's own Steven Lake. Although Oort has some aspects I like, I've decided, in short, it's just not for me. Oh, I'll still finish the last two chapters and the epilogue, but I won't be reading the sequels. Nothing personal, Steve; again, it's just not for me.

That said, I would like to broaden my science fiction horizons into more hard science fiction. I understand that the degree of hardness of hard vs soft science fiction varies along a scale (a scale that can differ in ways from individual to individual); however, I don't care where on that scale it falls, just as long as it's more on the "hard" side and less on the "soft" side.

I mostly would like exploration and scientific discovery, with an air of mystery--not a whodunit, but more like "What is it?", "Where are we?", "What's going on?". Also, this mystery should be a mystery to both the characters and the reader. It could also be a series of mysteries, where, as in real science, one answer leads to a whole lot more questions.

Although I don't care for Star Wars-like, grand conflicts, or anything close to it, I wouldn't mind at least some conflict--just not on a grand scale that takes up half the book. I especially don't care for the old meme of "Humans meet aliens; 'It's either we annihilate them, or they annihilate us!' ". All that said, however, I wouldn't mind at all if internal conflict played a major role, whether internal to one individual, or the whole human race, etc. Just as long as it's more of a discussion or argument, as opposed to civil war.

I'm pretty much divided on whether I want a standalone novel, or a series, so either would be acceptable. Also, especially if it's a series, character development would be a great plus.

As I'm not familiar with very many authors, titles, or series, a brief synopsis of your suggestions would be deeply appreciated.

If I think of any other preferences, I'll tell you about them as I think of them.

So, any ideas?

08-11-2010, 09:19 PM	#1
tmclough Connoisseur Posts: 66 Karma: 500010 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Greenfield, MA Device: Astak EZ Reader Pocket PRO	Hard Science Fiction Recommendations So far, since getting into reading fiction, and not just how-to/reference-type books, I've mostly been reading Star Trek. I'm also about to finish the Oort Perimeter by MR's own Steven Lake. Although Oort has some aspects I like, I've decided, in short, it's just not for me. Oh, I'll still finish the last two chapters and the epilogue, but I won't be reading the sequels. Nothing personal, Steve; again, it's just not for me. That said, I would like to broaden my science fiction horizons into more hard science fiction. I understand that the degree of hardness of hard vs soft science fiction varies along a scale (a scale that can differ in ways from individual to individual); however, I don't care where on that scale it falls, just as long as it's more on the "hard" side and less on the "soft" side. I mostly would like exploration and scientific discovery, with an air of mystery--not a whodunit, but more like "What is it?", "Where are we?", "What's going on?". Also, this mystery should be a mystery to both the characters and the reader. It could also be a series of mysteries, where, as in real science, one answer leads to a whole lot more questions. Although I don't care for Star Wars-like, grand conflicts, or anything close to it, I wouldn't mind at least some conflict--just not on a grand scale that takes up half the book. I especially don't care for the old meme of "Humans meet aliens; 'It's either we annihilate them, or they annihilate us!' ". All that said, however, I wouldn't mind at all if internal conflict played a major role, whether internal to one individual, or the whole human race, etc. Just as long as it's more of a discussion or argument, as opposed to civil war. I'm pretty much divided on whether I want a standalone novel, or a series, so either would be acceptable. Also, especially if it's a series, character development would be a great plus. As I'm not familiar with very many authors, titles, or series, a brief synopsis of your suggestions would be deeply appreciated. If I think of any other preferences, I'll tell you about them as I think of them. So, any ideas? Last edited by tmclough; 08-12-2010 at 12:03 AM.