Hard science fiction

xg4bx · 10-05-2011, 03:56 AM

i've been getting my feet wet with space opera lately and would like to get back into the harder stuff. who are the heavy hitters out there right now? the last hard sf i read was probably the first couple of McDevitts Engines of God Series and Bova's "Grand Tour" series i.e. Mercury, Venus, Titan, etc so its been a few years and was wondering if anybody still writes in the genre.

I'd prefer to keep it light on military action and heavy on the space travel/planet exploration. Thanks.

jhempel24 · 10-05-2011, 06:36 AM

What about David Brin?

kacir · 10-05-2011, 07:10 AM

Rendezvous With Rama and Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke

montsnmags · 10-05-2011, 07:13 AM

Would Alastair Reynolds Revelation Universe series interest you? I think they qualify.

crich70 · 10-05-2011, 07:20 AM

Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward and its sequel Star Quake are good reads in the hard sci fi genre.

Apache · 10-05-2011, 08:28 AM

Larry Niven's Ringworld, Mote in God's Eye and Lucifer's Hammer
Gregory Benford's Heart of the Comet.
Apache

WillAdams · 10-05-2011, 09:20 AM

Mike Brotherton's _Star Dragon_ (gee, that's been my answer for everything lately...)

mewmartigan · 10-05-2011, 09:25 AM

I would strongly recommend Kim Stanley Robinoson's Red Mars/Green Mars/Blue Mars trilogy.

I think its my favorite "hard sci fi" series. love it!

mewmartigan · 10-05-2011, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhempel24

What about David Brin?

I thought "Earth" was great.

Premise: What if we discovered/caused a miniscule black hole at the center of the Earth?

5thWiggle · 10-05-2011, 09:42 AM

This Alien Shore by C.S. Friedman (though might be drifting toward space opera). Humans mutated by space drives, brain implants, hackers -

Also by David Brin, but not hard SF, I really enjoyed Kiln People and Glory Season.

Spacejock · 10-05-2011, 09:52 AM

I second Dragon's Egg, but it sounds like the OP is looking for recent publications?

What about Iain Banks?

montsnmags · 10-05-2011, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spacejock

I second Dragon's Egg, but it sounds like the OP is looking for recent publications?

What about Iain Banks?

Yes, Iain Banks. I definitely should have recalled Iain Banks and his Culture books. Good suggestion.

Bilbo1967 · 10-05-2011, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Yes, Iain Banks. I definitely should have recalled Iain Banks and his Culture books. Good suggestion.

Iain M. Banks to be pedantic if we're talking the Culture books. As Iain Banks he writes non science fiction novels.

montsnmags · 10-05-2011, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

Iain M. Banks to be pedantic if we're talking the Culture books. As Iain Banks he writes non science fiction novels.

Good point. I can never remember which is which. I'll have to come up with something to remind me. "M"...mmm..."M" is for...?

Bilbo1967 · 10-05-2011, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Good point. I can never remember which is which. I'll have to come up with something to remind me. "M"...mmm..."M" is for...?

According to Wikipedia, it stands for Menzies.

But I don't suppose that helps

10-05-2011, 03:56 AM	#1
xg4bx Are you gonna eat that? Posts: 1,633 Karma: 23215128 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG	Hard science fiction i've been getting my feet wet with space opera lately and would like to get back into the harder stuff. who are the heavy hitters out there right now? the last hard sf i read was probably the first couple of McDevitts Engines of God Series and Bova's "Grand Tour" series i.e. Mercury, Venus, Titan, etc so its been a few years and was wondering if anybody still writes in the genre. I'd prefer to keep it light on military action and heavy on the space travel/planet exploration. Thanks.

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10-05-2011, 06:36 AM	#2
jhempel24 Wizard Posts: 2,157 Karma: 7068605 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, B&N Nook Colro	What about David Brin?

10-05-2011, 07:10 AM	#3
kacir Wizard Posts: 3,466 Karma: 10684861 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PocketBook 360, before it was Sony Reader, cassiopeia A-20	Rendezvous With Rama and Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke

10-05-2011, 07:13 AM	#4
montsnmags Grand Sorcerer Posts: 10,155 Karma: 4632658 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: none	Would Alastair Reynolds Revelation Universe series interest you? I think they qualify.

10-05-2011, 07:20 AM	#5
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,310 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward and its sequel Star Quake are good reads in the hard sci fi genre.

10-05-2011, 08:28 AM	#6
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,306 Karma: 90981752 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	Larry Niven's Ringworld, Mote in God's Eye and Lucifer's Hammer Gregory Benford's Heart of the Comet. Apache

10-05-2011, 09:20 AM	#7
WillAdams Wizard Posts: 1,260 Karma: 3439432 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (300ppi), Samsung Galaxy Book 12	Mike Brotherton's _Star Dragon_ (gee, that's been my answer for everything lately...)

10-05-2011, 09:25 AM	#8
mewmartigan Guru Posts: 852 Karma: 8242060 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Kindle Oasis (2019)	I would strongly recommend Kim Stanley Robinoson's Red Mars/Green Mars/Blue Mars trilogy. I think its my favorite "hard sci fi" series. love it!

10-05-2011, 09:42 AM	#10
5thWiggle Benevolent Evil Lord Posts: 1,704 Karma: 48339466 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Evil Canada (We all have goatees!) Device: Galaxy Note 8.0, Galaxy Note, iPad Mini, PocketEdge(retired)	This Alien Shore by C.S. Friedman (though might be drifting toward space opera). Humans mutated by space drives, brain implants, hackers - Also by David Brin, but not hard SF, I really enjoyed Kiln People and Glory Season.

10-05-2011, 09:52 AM	#11
Spacejock Hal Spacejock & yWriter Posts: 125 Karma: 1100412 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Perth, Western Australia Device: Kindle	I second Dragon's Egg, but it sounds like the OP is looking for recent publications? What about Iain Banks?