Newer Sci-fi

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

Broadly speaking the genre is Hard SF. But as usual, while it is easy to give examples of books that belong to the genre, is can be a hard to pin down an exact definition. Roughly: stories based on plausible speculation from known facts, high degree of scientific accuracy, often with an emphasis on ideas from the the physical (hard) sciences, engineering and mathematics.

Originally Posted by meeera

A very different definition of Hard SF is an SF story in which, if you took away the science part, the story would be compromised. The science part doesn't have to be physical science - see the linguistics in China Mieville's Embassytown, or the anthropology (for want of a better word) in Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow. Soft SF is then a different type of story - mystery/detective, romance, family saga, etc - that happens to be told in a SFnal setting (in space, another planet, postapocalyptic earth, etc).

Yep. The definition can get very fuzzy....just as physics does at the limits.
Just had an 'involved' discussion among writers on another forum about the 'blurring' of boundaries, initially between Fantasy and Science Fiction, but really between all genres which I'm seeing more and more of in the mainstream these days. Marketers love to categorize things, but I don't think that's necessarily a good thing for some writers.

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

Broadly speaking the genre is Hard SF. But as usual, while it is easy to give examples of books that belong to the genre, is can be a hard to pin down an exact definition. Roughly: stories based on plausible speculation from known facts, high degree of scientific accuracy, often with an emphasis on ideas from the the physical (hard) sciences, engineering and mathematics.

I think assuming the reader likes Hard SF is jumping to conclusions. One might equally assume based on his known tastes that he simply likes a good SF yarn.

[HarryT]

If he enjoyed Ben Bova's "Mars" books I'm sure he'd enjoy the other books in Bova's "Grand Tour of the Solar System" series. They're loosely connected (characters from one book turn up in others) but can all be read independently.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by Rizla

I think assuming the reader likes Hard SF is jumping to conclusions. One might equally assume based on his known tastes that he simply likes a good SF yarn.

Take a look at the authors mentioned in the OP: Andy Weir, Charles Sheffield, Larry Niven, Kim Stanley Robinson, Ben Bova. All of them are included in the list of representative works on the Wikipedia Hard Science Fiction page.

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

Take a look at the authors mentioned in the OP: Andy Weir, Charles Sheffield, Larry Niven, Kim Stanley Robinson, Ben Bova. All of them are included in the list of representative works on the Wikipedia Hard Science Fiction page.

Fair enough. He should read Dune if he hasn't already. Serious planetary surveying.

[Alpha o]

We have the Ben Bova Tour books. Some he liked, some he didn't. The Bova books he didn't like dealt with that religious cult.

He didn't like Ringworld, the Puppeteer and Kzin were too weird to suit him, so I didn't bother with any more Niven.

Red Mars, Blue Mars, Green Mars were too political.

He's reading some Sheffield now, but says the books are "unfinished" and need another chapter.

I've got most of these except Dune. That wasn't to my taste.

I've tried Poul Anderson, Murray Leinster, and Asimov on him - he's not impressed.

I don't have any Soldier of Fortune or glorified war books. - not my taste.

He has read most of my geology books on the Colorado Plateau. Maybe that's what he's expecting in a story about Mars. We do watch most of the documentaries on space exploration and he might be looking for those real descriptions from Cassini and Huygens in a book. I've been trying to get him to read "Sojourner" and "Roving Mars" - real non-fiction histories of Mars Rovers. He'd understand all the engineering discussions. It's a no-go.

No-go for him -
any novel that has mostly politics with a space exploration background. The same for religious. War for war's sake is also out. Incidental attractions between protagonists OK, just not as the main theme of the book. I'm not sure how he feels about bug-eyed monsters. Dystopia is also out.

He really liked the Martian - I haven't read it yet, but from what I gather it was man against terrain, and that might be the conflict he likes.

The other books he liked were by Tony Hillerman. We've prowled around that territory for years so he has no trouble imagining it.

[Greg Anos]

This may or may not fit your tight limits, But you might suggest Man Plus by Fred Pohl.

[gmw]

I just finished The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. This fits in the OP in that it is newer Sci-Fi AND it is bursting with planet surveys - millions of them! - albeit that all the planets are Earth, and there are no spaceships involved. (I found the book a bit disappointing, but then I came to with very high expectations.)

[wayspooled]

Originally Posted by Alpha o

between protagonists OK, just not as the main theme of the book. I'm not sure how he feels about bug-eyed monsters. Dystopia is also out.

He really liked the Martian - I haven't read it yet, but from what I gather it was man against terrain, and that might be the conflict he likes.

The other books he liked were by Tony Hillerman. We've prowled around that territory for years so he has no trouble imagining it.

Does your friend happen to like MMO or FPS video gaming? If so, you might try "Reamde" by Neal Stephenson, "For The Win" by Cory Doctorow or "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline.

"Twelve Tomorrows" edited by Bruce Sterling, MIT Technology Review's third science fiction anthology

"Titan" by John Varley, of the Gaea trilogy is about exploration.

Perhaps "General Practice: A Sector General Omnibus" by James White

"Future on Ice" SF anthology edited by Orson Scott Card

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Alpha o

We have the Ben Bova Tour books. Some he liked, some he didn't. The Bova books he didn't like dealt with that religious cult.

He didn't like Ringworld, the Puppeteer and Kzin were too weird to suit him, so I didn't bother with any more Niven.

Red Mars, Blue Mars, Green Mars were too political.

He's reading some Sheffield now, but says the books are "unfinished" and need another chapter.

I've got most of these except Dune. That wasn't to my taste.

I've tried Poul Anderson, Murray Leinster, and Asimov on him - he's not impressed.

I don't have any Soldier of Fortune or glorified war books. - not my taste.

He has read most of my geology books on the Colorado Plateau. Maybe that's what he's expecting in a story about Mars. We do watch most of the documentaries on space exploration and he might be looking for those real descriptions from Cassini and Huygens in a book. I've been trying to get him to read "Sojourner" and "Roving Mars" - real non-fiction histories of Mars Rovers. He'd understand all the engineering discussions. It's a no-go.

No-go for him -
any novel that has mostly politics with a space exploration background. The same for religious. War for war's sake is also out. Incidental attractions between protagonists OK, just not as the main theme of the book. I'm not sure how he feels about bug-eyed monsters. Dystopia is also out.

He really liked the Martian - I haven't read it yet, but from what I gather it was man against terrain, and that might be the conflict he likes.

The other books he liked were by Tony Hillerman. We've prowled around that territory for years so he has no trouble imagining it.

and you guys are still married?

[Angst]

A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Yep Amy Poehler and Andy Warhol sound just about right.

I also noticed Charles Darwin in the list.

[John K]

Anasazi Exile

Archeology wasn't supposed to get him killed. For two decades, Harry Deacon had served as a skilled and loyal soldier, and it'd cost him his marriage and many dead friends. His new career of digging for artifacts and esoteric knowledge seems safe enough—until he finds an Anasazi tomb in Chaco Canyon that shouldn't be there. Only hours after Harry emails news of his discovery to a fellow archeologist at a conference in Scotland, she and her students are murdered—and Harry and his assistant are attacked by two hired killers. Harry must turn to his old skills as his life becomes a frenzied struggle for survival when more assassins close in. Who was buried in the tomb and where did he come from? What was in the strange container housed in the coffin? As Harry begins to solve the mystery of Chaco Canyon, he learns an astonishing secret: the history of our planet is NOT what we've been taught! A grand science fiction suspense novel.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by John K

Anasazi Exile

Dang aliens!

[Alpha o]

Originally Posted by wayspooled

Does your friend happen to like MMO or FPS video gaming? If so, you might try "Reamde" by Neal Stephenson, "For The Win" by Cory Doctorow or "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline.

"Twelve Tomorrows" edited by Bruce Sterling, MIT Technology Review's third science fiction anthology

"Titan" by John Varley, of the Gaea trilogy is about exploration.

Perhaps "General Practice: A Sector General Omnibus" by James White

"Future on Ice" SF anthology edited by Orson Scott Card

I'll list those for him. I might actually get some of them. They look interesting.
Are most ebooks?

Anasazi Exile seems interesting. We've been to Chaco. I got interested in ancient NORTH AMERICAN astronomers so we started tracking the astronomical sites of the Ancient Ones in the Four Corners area.

No, he doesn't video game. We don't own any. The kids did - he looked at Guitar Hero and lost interest (He plays bass) He'd rather put on music videos and play along.