Sci Fi containing genius

[Artisan]

So I just got done with Ender's Game, and really loved it. I jumped right into the next in the series.

Since I enjoy reading about characters with specific genius abilities (such as photographic memory, etc.), I'd like to explore this a bit more.

Does anyone know of any good books (preferably futuristic, hopefully with some additional elements such as aliens or zombies) that contain a character or characters like this?

I'm not looking for it to be the focus of the book, mind you. But for me it seems to make the story more interesting.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Artisan

So I just got done with Ender's Game, and really loved it. I jumped right into the next in the series.

Since I enjoy reading about characters with specific genius abilities (such as photographic memory, etc.), I'd like to explore this a bit more.

Miles Vorkosigan in the series by Lois McMaster Bujold. The first one's free.

Arthur Morton McAndrew in the stories by Charles Sheffield.

Artemis Fowl in the series by Eoin Colfer.

Adele Mundy in the Lt. Leary series by David Drake. (First three are free.)

Many of the Heinlein Juveniles, e.g. Podkayne of Mars or The Rolling Stones, or Have Spacesuit, Will Travel.

Lisbeth Salander of The Girl ... trilogy by Steig Larsson

[kennyc]

and the most amazing and tragic - Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

[Apache]

Not Sci Fi but, my favorite Genius is Nero Wolfe.
Apache

[rhadin]

I agree with Paul regarding the Miles Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold. However, most of the series is available free from the 5th Imperium on the Cryoburn CD. Cryoburn is the newest book in the series. It wasn't as good as the earlier books.

Although Lisbeth Salander is a genius, I thought the Steig Larsson series featuring her (beginning with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) was very badly written. I know that it is an international bestseller, but bestseller, well-written, and worth reading are not equivalents.

Kenny's suggestion of Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes is an excellent choice.

[WillAdams]

Well, there's the pre-cursor character Doc Savage, The Man of Bronze...

While it doesn't have the same feel, there are many brilliant characters in Herbert's Dune novels (only read the first 1, 3 or 6 which Frank Herbert himself wrote, depending on your tolerance and enjoyment)

Lex Luthor in Elliot S. Maggins' _Superman: The Last Son of Krypton_ is of course brilliant, as is the novel.

Isaac Asimov's Dr. Susan Calvin of his robot stories

E. E. Doc Smith's Richard Seaton

[ekster]

I would say Blindsight by Peter Watts. His characters are some very deranged geniuses.

There's also his Rifters trilogy that's similar if you enjoy Blindsight.

[CRussel]

Even though it starts with his death, Hari Seldon in the Foundation series.

[bill_mchale]

Lets see what I can add:

Thomas Orley from David Brin's Startide rising.

Honor Harrington

Susan Calvin from I Robot (The short story collection, not the movie!).

--
Bill

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by Artisan

So I just got done with Ender's Game, and really loved it. I jumped right into the next in the series.

Since I enjoy reading about characters with specific genius abilities (such as photographic memory, etc.), I'd like to explore this a bit more.

Does anyone know of any good books (preferably futuristic, hopefully with some additional elements such as aliens or zombies) that contain a character or characters like this?

I'm not looking for it to be the focus of the book, mind you. But for me it seems to make the story more interesting.

any of the heinlein future history stories and novels with a character named "Andrew Jackson 'slip-stick' Libby.

Future History
1. Life-Line (1939 in the original published version, 1951 in book collections)
2. "Let There Be Light" (soon after Life-Line)
Word Edgewise (Never written)
3. The Roads Must Roll
4. Blowups Happen
5. The Man Who Sold the Moon
6. Delilah and the Space Rigger
7. Space Jockey
8. Requiem
9. The Long Watch (1999)
10. Gentlemen, Be Seated!
11. The Black Pits of Luna
12. "It's Great to Be Back!"
13. "--We Also Walk Dogs"
14. Searchlight
15. Ordeal in Space
16. The Green Hills of Earth
Fire Down Below (Never written)
17. Logic of Empire
18. The Menace from Earth
The Sound of His Wings (Never written)
Eclipse(Never written)
The Stone Pillow (Never written)
19. "If This Goes On--"
20. Coventry
21. Misfit
Universe (prologue only) (2119)
22. Methuselah's Children (2136-2210)
23. Universe (~3500)
24. Common Sense (~3500)
25. Time Enough for Love (4272- and earlier time periods)
26. To Sail Beyond the Sunset

probably most of the ones after (and including) misfit

[seajewel]

Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.. Mike is a great, great character.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by rhadin

Although Lisbeth Salander is a genius, I thought the Steig Larsson series featuring her (beginning with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) was very badly written. I know that it is an international bestseller, but bestseller, well-written, and worth reading are not equivalents.

I thought they were very well written. Did you read it in Swedish or translated?

Growing up in Sweden, I discarded several authors as mediocre or worse, only to discover when I grew up and was able to read them in English, that they had merely been unfortunate victims of a barely competent translator.

And the Salander books are not sci-fi

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

And the Salander books are not sci-fi

Whoops. Good point.

[anjirlly]

Originally Posted by Artisan

I enjoy reading about characters with specific genius abilities (such as photographic memory, etc.)

C.J. Cherryh's Cyteen has a murdered genius whose clone has to figure out what happened.

Nancy Kress's Sleepless series, starting with Beggars in Spain, features kids who have extra hours available to develop their talents since their genes have been tweaked to do away with the need for sleep.

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by WillAdams

Well, there's the pre-cursor character Doc Savage, The Man of Bronze...

While it doesn't have the same feel, there are many brilliant characters in Herbert's Dune novels (only read the first 1, 3 or 6 which Frank Herbert himself wrote, depending on your tolerance and enjoyment)

Lex Luthor in Elliot S. Maggins' _Superman: The Last Son of Krypton_ is of course brilliant, as is the novel.

Isaac Asimov's Dr. Susan Calvin of his robot stories

E. E. Doc Smith's Richard Seaton

Some other comic book characters to mention:

Brainiac 5: A member of the Legion Of Super-Heroes who is from the planet Colu. He has a 12th level intelligence (normal humans have a 6th level intelligence) and he has been described as having a computer brain. Despite his name, he is not an android although he is related to the original Brainiac (Superman's enemy).

Vril Dox: The founder of L.E.G.I.O.N. (a space based security force) who is both highly intelligent and utterly ruthless.

Mister Terrific (Michael Holt): Considered the third most intelligent man in the world.