Series recommendations

[Alpha o]

I posted this yesterday and doesn't look like anyone has seen it. I need something new to read.

How can you find out if the series has stories about what you don't like?

I am not a fan of some of the extreme descriptive violence and fighting that are in some of the new books. I don't like war, horror and most of dystopia.

I grew up with Asimov and his Robot series which contained nothing of that sort. Ben Bova isn't bad, either. I skipped over a lot in the Ringworld series.

Someone recommended Pandora's Star for my other half. He wasn't too thrilled with it, so I read it. Passable. Then I tried the other two books. The first was non-stop blood and gore, and the prequel sailing close to porn. Rather disappointed.

I did read Red, Blue, and Green Mars. Not bad.

I've been looking at Baen's site. They have plenty of series, and some are also sold by the book but do mention they are part of a series. Is there any way to tell which author is eventually going where with the book? Political OK, some magic and fantasy Ok. Some romance included, OK. Satire is fine. Just a plain good read like the older SF.

Randall Garrett's books with the FBI agent and QE1 are quite funny to read. Read most of Poul Anderson, too. His Hokas, Pokas is quite funny if you know the literature behind the stories.

Thanks

[ebusinesstutor]

This is why I still enjoy libraries. I can take out books and see if I like the series/author. If so, I buy the series. If not, I haven't wasted my money.

Here are a few Science Fiction series I like that don't have as much graphic violence.

1. Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
2. Seranno/Suiza series - Elizabeth Moon
3. Saturnalia/A Lion on Tharthee - Grant Callin (brilliant 2 book series almost no one knows about) non-war alien contact.
4. Pern - Anne McCaffrey

1 and 2 do have some conflicts, but the story is character driven, not "big battle" driven.

[Darqref]

Originally Posted by Alpha o

I posted this yesterday and doesn't look like anyone has seen it. I need something new to read.

I recommend the Liaden series by Lee and Miller (mostly available at Baen). Some romance, no graphic violence.

If you like older stuff, the Baen reprints of Andre Norton's works are fun, most stand alone but there are several series. The time travel ones are neat, and I remember the Witch World stuff from long years ago.

At Baen, I'd stay away from Ringo - I like some of his stuff but it gets graphic on both sex and violence.

Also, if you browse through the ebook store at Baen, they sell some stuff that doesn't originate with them - there are a couple of small publishers that have placed their ebooks with Baen. I've recently found a number of reprinted collections from the Jabberwocky agency, including anthologies by Tanya Huff and Jack Campbell.

David Drake wrote some pretty amazing stories, and also wrote some outlines that other authors were allowed to collaborate with. The ones with Steve Stirling get graphic, but the ones by Drake alone tend to be character stories based on historical situations. (he's a classicist and loves to read history.) I like the collaborations with Eric Flint - it's a pretty detailed military story, but the details don't really tend to be graphically violent.

Hope this helps.

darqref

[Alpha o]

Thanks, will look them up. It gives me a good starting place.

Did try one David Drake - Seas of Venus, and didn't care for it. Are all his books in the same vein?

I did get the Interstellar Patrol books from Baen.

Does anyone still write like Murray Leinster? "A Logic named Joe" is hysterical.