Recommendation for a great Sci Fi - Page 2

samhy · 08-02-2013, 03:04 PM

At the risk of sounding like an old record which doesn't know how to move on, I would strongly recommend the Wool series by Hugh Howey. There is a thread about this book here on MR (don't read too far if you want to keep surprises).

Indie author, DRM free ebooks, loads of praise. Enough said

ucfgrad93 · 08-03-2013, 02:41 PM

I'd recommend the Honor Harrington series by David Weber. You can get the first 2 books in the series free for your Kindle.

On Basilisk Station

The Honor of the Queen

dworth · 08-09-2013, 06:07 AM

Another vote for Iain M Banks - other sci-fi seems tawdry by comparison once you've read his stuff. I was very sad when he passed away earlier this year.

I'm a big fan of Dan Abnett's sci-fi output, specifically the stuff he's written for the Black Library set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, much of which is military sf. He does great action, memorable characters and epic scale battles.

cromag · 08-10-2013, 01:53 AM

Classics -- anything by Keith Laumer (for Space opera try Earthblood; for humor try The Great Time Machine Hoax, included in the Baen anthology Keith Laumer: The Lighter Side -- also his Bolo books, his Retief books, etc.)

For something new, you might be interested in Resonance, by Chris Dolley. Pay no attention to the Baen cover.

Apache · 08-10-2013, 06:47 AM

Roger Zelazny's Lord of Light. Although it is still not available as an eBook.
Apache

kennyc · 08-10-2013, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

Roger Zelazny's Lord of Light. Although it is still not available as an eBook.
Apache

I keep hoping....damn family squabbles anyway!

Apache · 08-10-2013, 12:44 PM

Me too. My paper copy is showing it's age.
Apache

Adoby · 08-10-2013, 04:42 PM

Many very good suggestions already.

Try Michael Z. Williamson, Freehold. Part of the Freehold Grainne War series. Great space opera and a desperate fight for independence against earth.

Charles Stross, Accelerando is a book I liked a lot. Makes the also great cyberpunk books by William Gibson seem pedestrian and without scope. :X

S. M. Stirling, Island in the Sea of Time is a great start of The Change series. The start is better than the finish though. Accidental time travel/apocalypse well done.

L. E. Modesitt Jr. Of Tangible Ghosts is a great alternative history book, with a nice steam punk feel, as well as some ghosts, spying and a little romance. Follow up with The Ghost of the Revelator and Ghost of the White Nights.

I can also highly recommend the Ecolitan books by Modesitt.

Difflugia · 08-10-2013, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

Another great Sci Fi book is Armor by John Steakley.
http://www.amazon.com/Armor-John-Ste...Steakley+Armor
Apache

Seconded. Unfortunately, not available as an ebook as far as I know.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rbneader

Timothy Zahn writes excellent sci-fi adventure. The Icarus Hunt is a great place to start, but I like almost all of his books. So far the only ones that were kind of disappointing were his Cobra series.

I just today finished his Quadrail series and it's now one of my favorites.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cromag

For something new, you might be interested in Resonance, by Chris Dolley. Pay no attention to the Baen cover.

Again, seconded. There's a Smashwords edition for $2.99, and it's coupon-able at Kobo.

A few more suggestions:

Mother of Demons by Eric Flint, available for free at The Fifth Imperium. The Baen CDs are in really worth looking through. Though the bulk are military SF (not really my thing), there is still a smattering of really worthwhile SF and fantasy. If you end up liking mil-SF, though, the CDs are the jackpot (several hundred books, I think).

Jack Chalker's Four Lords of the Diamond series (1, 2, 3, 4) is one that I have in paper and ebook and re-read often.

My favorite SF author is probably Alan Dean Foster. The Flinx and Pip series is excellent and I've enjoyed everything else of his that I've read. Unfortunately, many of his standalone novels are out-of-print and not available in ebook.

Geralt · 08-11-2013, 12:59 AM

If you liked Blade Runner movie, since you say you like sci-fi movies, I recommend you read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, which is a book movie is loosely based upon.
Also I can recommend Starship Troopers and Time Machine. (books not movies

)

mbovenka · 08-11-2013, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adoby

Charles Stross, Accelerando is a book I liked a lot. Makes the also great cyberpunk books by William Gibson seem pedestrian and without scope. :X

+1 for Accelerando (also because my favourite watering hole, 'In de Wildeman' in Amsterdam, is in it

)

gutlessmerc · 08-16-2013, 12:51 AM

Thank you so much for all the responses. I promise to read all the books recommended eventually.

CRussel · 08-16-2013, 01:15 PM

Of all the recommendations, the one I don't see is for the Liaden Universe series by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. Not "hard sf", but certainly space opera, and the one series I keep going back to time and again, and that never disappoints. Start with Agent of Change (free) or Balance of Trade.

GlenBarrington · 08-17-2013, 04:14 PM

No rocket ships, no laser guns, or hot babes in armored corsets and shaved heads. In spite of all that, I'm comfortable in predicting that you will be surprised.

fantasyISbetter · 08-30-2013, 09:55 PM

These are not classics, they are more modern - great reads all.

Sean McMullen- Souls in the Great Machine (greatwinter kills all technology, and a great idea about "the call" that compels people to blindly walk west if not tethered.

William C. Dietz- Legion of the Damned- like the French foreign legion in outer space, with cyborgs and aliens all in the same fighting force- great series

Kage Baker- starting with In the Garden of Iden- The Company can time travel and finds children to turn into cyborgs to go back in time to save endangered plants, art, etc. We meet a child (Mendoza) saved from the inquisition, turned into a botanist, who has a little glitch that keeps her from toeing the Company line. Fantastic series (about 12 books in all, better and better as they go).

Richard K. Morgan- Thirteen

Hope you find something you like.

08-17-2013, 04:14 PM	#29
GlenBarrington Cheese Whiz Posts: 1,986 Karma: 11677147 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Springfield, Illinois Device: Kindle PW, Samsung Tab A 10.1(2019), Pixel 6a.	The Wind Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi No rocket ships, no laser guns, or hot babes in armored corsets and shaved heads. In spite of all that, I'm comfortable in predicting that you will be surprised.

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08-02-2013, 03:04 PM	#16
samhy Wizard Posts: 1,821 Karma: 9503859 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: France Device: (Sony (J) PRS 650), Kobo Mini, Kobo Glo HD (broken), Kobo Clara BW	At the risk of sounding like an old record which doesn't know how to move on, I would strongly recommend the Wool series by Hugh Howey. There is a thread about this book here on MR (don't read too far if you want to keep surprises). Indie author, DRM free ebooks, loads of praise. Enough said

08-03-2013, 02:41 PM	#17
ucfgrad93 Wizard Posts: 2,370 Karma: 9026681 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Colorado Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2nd Gen	I'd recommend the Honor Harrington series by David Weber. You can get the first 2 books in the series free for your Kindle. On Basilisk Station The Honor of the Queen

08-09-2013, 06:07 AM	#18
dworth Zealot Posts: 140 Karma: 2094632 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Bradford, UK Device: kindle pc	Another vote for Iain M Banks - other sci-fi seems tawdry by comparison once you've read his stuff. I was very sad when he passed away earlier this year. I'm a big fan of Dan Abnett's sci-fi output, specifically the stuff he's written for the Black Library set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, much of which is military sf. He does great action, memorable characters and epic scale battles.

08-10-2013, 01:53 AM	#19
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 26,154 Karma: 459735575 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	Classics -- anything by Keith Laumer (for Space opera try Earthblood; for humor try The Great Time Machine Hoax, included in the Baen anthology Keith Laumer: The Lighter Side -- also his Bolo books, his Retief books, etc.) For something new, you might be interested in Resonance, by Chris Dolley. Pay no attention to the Baen cover.

08-10-2013, 06:47 AM	#20
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,272 Karma: 90000484 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	Roger Zelazny's Lord of Light. Although it is still not available as an eBook. Apache

08-10-2013, 12:44 PM	#22
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,272 Karma: 90000484 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	Me too. My paper copy is showing it's age. Apache

08-10-2013, 04:42 PM	#23
Adoby Handy Elephant Posts: 1,737 Karma: 26785684 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Southern Sweden, far out in the quiet woods Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra	Many very good suggestions already. Try Michael Z. Williamson, Freehold. Part of the Freehold Grainne War series. Great space opera and a desperate fight for independence against earth. Charles Stross, Accelerando is a book I liked a lot. Makes the also great cyberpunk books by William Gibson seem pedestrian and without scope. :X S. M. Stirling, Island in the Sea of Time is a great start of The Change series. The start is better than the finish though. Accidental time travel/apocalypse well done. L. E. Modesitt Jr. Of Tangible Ghosts is a great alternative history book, with a nice steam punk feel, as well as some ghosts, spying and a little romance. Follow up with The Ghost of the Revelator and Ghost of the White Nights. I can also highly recommend the Ecolitan books by Modesitt.

08-11-2013, 12:59 AM	#25
Geralt Witcher Posts: 933 Karma: 7321117 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Swamp. Slaying Drowners. Device: Kindle PW2	If you liked Blade Runner movie, since you say you like sci-fi movies, I recommend you read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, which is a book movie is loosely based upon. Also I can recommend Starship Troopers and Time Machine. (books not movies )

08-16-2013, 12:51 AM	#27
gutlessmerc Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 450010 Join Date: Aug 2013 Device: android	Thank you so much for all the responses. I promise to read all the books recommended eventually.

08-16-2013, 01:15 PM	#28
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,288 Karma: 80074820 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), iPad Air M3	Of all the recommendations, the one I don't see is for the Liaden Universe series by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. Not "hard sf", but certainly space opera, and the one series I keep going back to time and again, and that never disappoints. Start with Agent of Change (free) or Balance of Trade.

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08-30-2013, 09:55 PM	#30
fantasyISbetter FantasyisBetter Posts: 66 Karma: 1221124 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: none	These are not classics, they are more modern - great reads all. Sean McMullen- Souls in the Great Machine (greatwinter kills all technology, and a great idea about "the call" that compels people to blindly walk west if not tethered. William C. Dietz- Legion of the Damned- like the French foreign legion in outer space, with cyborgs and aliens all in the same fighting force- great series Kage Baker- starting with In the Garden of Iden- The Company can time travel and finds children to turn into cyborgs to go back in time to save endangered plants, art, etc. We meet a child (Mendoza) saved from the inquisition, turned into a botanist, who has a little glitch that keeps her from toeing the Company line. Fantastic series (about 12 books in all, better and better as they go). Richard K. Morgan- Thirteen Hope you find something you like.