Sci-fi authors you (and I) should read - Page 2

BlackVoid · 10-28-2009, 11:09 AM

Linda Nagata (series starting with The Bohr Maker)
Alastair Reynolds (Revelation Space series, avoid The Prefect)
Robert Reed (Marrow and sequel)
Mike Brotherton (Stardragon)
Frederick Pohl (Gateway series)
Peter Watts (Blindsight)

Overrated:
Iain M. Banks
C. J. Cherryh

dougbiss · 10-28-2009, 01:50 PM

Looks like I'm going to have to start researching who is easily available and reasonably priced off of these lists to see who will make to next on the list. I'm very obsessive about reading all of someone's work once I start... it would annoy me to no end to start reading an author and then finding out some stuff was unavailable in eBook format!

I also tend to stick to series that have already finished, or at least reached a point where they have transitioned to a new segment that leaves the previous stories completed. I have no patience.

Greg Anos · 10-28-2009, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougbiss

Looks like I'm going to have to start researching who is easily available and reasonably priced off of these lists to see who will make to next on the list. I'm very obsessive about reading all of someone's work once I start... it would annoy me to no end to start reading an author and then finding out some stuff was unavailable in eBook format!

I also tend to stick to series that have already finished, or at least reached a point where they have transitioned to a new segment that leaves the previous stories completed. I have no patience.

All of Cordwainer Smith's works are available in two omnibus volumes at Baen Books, for a total of 12 dollars, in your choice of formats (no DRM!) ....

ErwinOtten · 10-28-2009, 03:51 PM

John Scalzi (Old Man's War)

fiver · 10-28-2009, 07:58 PM

Here are a bunch I've enjoyed over the years.

David Zindell: Neverness, The Broken God
Harlan Ellison: "I have no mouth and i must scream", "whimper of whipped dogs", "Palladin of the lost hour", "When Jefty was five"
Connie Willis: Doomsday Book
Philip K Dick: Ubik,Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said,A Scanner Darkly,Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
Dan Simmons: Hyperion,Fall of Hyperion
Neal Stephenson: Snow Crash,The Diamond Age
Orson Scott Card: Ender's Game,Speaker for the Dead,Xenocide,Children of the Mind
John Varley: Demon,Wizard,Titan
Arthur C Clarke: Against the Fall of Night/The City and the Stars,Childhood's End,2001,2010,Rendevouz wtith Rama
Robert Heinlein: Stranger in a Strange Land,Farnham's Freehold
Robert Silverberg: Downward to the earth, Dying Inside,The World Inside,"Flies"
Iain M Banks: State of the Art
David Gerrold: When Harlie Was One, The Man Who Folded Himself, A Matter for Men, A Day for Damnation,A Rage for revenge,A Season for Slaughter
Roger Zelazny: The Chronicles of Amber (10 volumes)
Isaac Asimov: I, Robot
Frank Herbert: Dune
Stephen R Donaldson: The Gap Series (5 volumes)
A.E. Van Vogt: Slan,Voyage of the Space Beagle
Octavia Butler: Kindred

Michael

Jack Tingle · 10-28-2009, 08:54 PM

By coincidence, I usually post these midmonth on rec.art.sf.written, but these two were worth noting here.

Recently Read - Nov. 2009

Baker, Kage, "The Hotel Under the Sand" p *****
This is the delightful story of Emma Rose, who survives a storm (of some kind), and winds up alone on a beach, near the Dunes. She discovers a ghost, named Winston, who's a Bell Captain for the Grand Wenlocke Hotel, lost many years ago nearby in a Storm of the Equinox. Another, more common sort of storm, uncovers the Grand Wenlocke. With Winston, Mrs. Beet, the Cook who was held frozen in time in the buried hotel, and a growing list of guests and interlopers, Emma Rose makes a place for herself, to take the place of what she lost in the storm.

Henderson, Zenna, "Ingathering" p ****
This is NESFA's collection of all of Henderson's "The People" stories. I loved these stories when I was a teenager. I still like them a lot. I also recommend NESFA's excellent series of collections and volumes of significant sf works.
_______________

My stars:
***** A classic, read it immediately.
**** Very good, you might even buy it in hardback.
*** Good, well worth your time.
** Readable, but I'd wait for a cheap copy.
* A book with at least one redeeming value, even if it's nice cover art.
Not rated - noted, but not rated because it's an anthology, or I couldn't finish it, or it's obviously good but not to my taste.
No stars (zero, zip, zilch, nada, none, goose-egg) - don't read this book.

e: electronic book; p: paper book

YMMV - seek other opinions, and don't blame me.

Happy Reading,
Jack Tingle

kennyc · 10-28-2009, 09:08 PM

Margaret Atwood

SarahRae · 10-29-2009, 09:57 PM

Definitely read The Amadeus Net by Mark Rayner for a great sci-fi book. It's a great post-apocalyptic novel. Not only has most of the world collapsed from the cataclysmic "Shudder," but there is further impending doom of a nuclear catastrophe that could bring an end to all Shudder survivors.

Athryn · 10-29-2009, 11:26 PM

If you like your science fiction hard and science-y, I highly recommend Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy.

sasilk · 10-30-2009, 01:27 AM

In no particular order...

Cory Doctorow (Little Brother should be required reading for everyone, particularly in schools.)

Henry Kuttner

Aldous Huxley

Bruce Sterling

William Gibson

Stephen Bury (Neal Stephenson's pen name)

Norman Spinrad

H Beam Piper

Jack L Chalker

Jeff Noon

Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle (seperately & together)

John Christopher

Julian May

Kate Wilhelm (particularly Where late the Sweet Birds Sang)

Spider Robinson

Michael Marshall Smith (Sometimes listed as just Michael Smith now. He also write thrillers - equally as good but not SF obviously.)

Rudy Rucker

Robert Sheckley

Robert L Forward

Walter Jon Williams

Ward Moore

PhishStyx · 10-30-2009, 03:00 AM

I hate to say, but Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber don't belong here. They're more of an early urban fantasy series.

Now his This Immortal, Eye of Cat, and Doorways in the Sand, those novels definitely belong here.

PhishStyx · 10-30-2009, 03:02 AM

. . .in the science fiction category anyway:

Aristoi,
Knight Moves,
Conventions of War series,
Hard Wired

I didn't like Angel Station quite as much, but I may need to read it again.

raphaelnonsenso · 10-30-2009, 07:33 AM

One of my favourite modern Sci Fi authors is Iain.M.Banks. Try reading The Player of Games or Consider Phlebas

Crusader · 10-30-2009, 03:29 PM

I also really like Iain M Banks. Haven't read too much of his work yet, but the 2 I did was very good.

Another favorite of mine is Peter F Hamilton. Fallen Dragon got me hooked on him although I'm struggling to find his books in treebook format over here.

Stephen Baxter is also good. I like the collab he did with Arthur C Clarke in 'The light of other days'

nikkie · 10-31-2009, 09:46 PM

I support the recommendation of Neal Stephenson for high technology sci-fi:
Snow Crash,The Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon

I often find myself thinking about these books throughout my day because of where we're going with technology.

I'm sure someone put William Gibson, but if not I adored Neuromancer. It's what I call passionate sci-fi - not exactly romance sci-fi, but there's something of that in it.

I also enjoyed Richard K. Morgan's series, starting with Altered Carbon. Very quick reads, with engrossing stories.

10-29-2009, 09:57 PM	#23
SarahRae Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 70 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	The Amadeus Net Definitely read The Amadeus Net by Mark Rayner for a great sci-fi book. It's a great post-apocalyptic novel. Not only has most of the world collapsed from the cataclysmic "Shudder," but there is further impending doom of a nuclear catastrophe that could bring an end to all Shudder survivors.

10-30-2009, 03:02 AM	#27
PhishStyx The me that I am Posts: 413 Karma: 1078 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: In my house! Duh! Device: Kindle 1 & DR 1000s	My favorite Walter Jon Williams novels. . . . . .in the science fiction category anyway: Aristoi, Knight Moves, Conventions of War series, Hard Wired I didn't like Angel Station quite as much, but I may need to read it again.

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10-28-2009, 11:09 AM	#16
BlackVoid Evangelist Posts: 415 Karma: 510423 Join Date: Nov 2006 Device: Sony PRS-505	Linda Nagata (series starting with The Bohr Maker) Alastair Reynolds (Revelation Space series, avoid The Prefect) Robert Reed (Marrow and sequel) Mike Brotherton (Stardragon) Frederick Pohl (Gateway series) Peter Watts (Blindsight) Overrated: Iain M. Banks C. J. Cherryh

10-28-2009, 01:50 PM	#17
dougbiss Enthusiast Posts: 43 Karma: 108 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Device: Kindle	Looks like I'm going to have to start researching who is easily available and reasonably priced off of these lists to see who will make to next on the list. I'm very obsessive about reading all of someone's work once I start... it would annoy me to no end to start reading an author and then finding out some stuff was unavailable in eBook format! I also tend to stick to series that have already finished, or at least reached a point where they have transitioned to a new segment that leaves the previous stories completed. I have no patience.

10-28-2009, 03:51 PM	#19
ErwinOtten Addict Posts: 338 Karma: 444 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: The Netherlands Device: Cybook G3	John Scalzi (Old Man's War)

10-28-2009, 07:58 PM	#20
fiver Enthusiast Posts: 31 Karma: 100 Join Date: May 2009 Device: Kindle	Here are a bunch I've enjoyed over the years. David Zindell: Neverness, The Broken God Harlan Ellison: "I have no mouth and i must scream", "whimper of whipped dogs", "Palladin of the lost hour", "When Jefty was five" Connie Willis: Doomsday Book Philip K Dick: Ubik,Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said,A Scanner Darkly,Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Dan Simmons: Hyperion,Fall of Hyperion Neal Stephenson: Snow Crash,The Diamond Age Orson Scott Card: Ender's Game,Speaker for the Dead,Xenocide,Children of the Mind John Varley: Demon,Wizard,Titan Arthur C Clarke: Against the Fall of Night/The City and the Stars,Childhood's End,2001,2010,Rendevouz wtith Rama Robert Heinlein: Stranger in a Strange Land,Farnham's Freehold Robert Silverberg: Downward to the earth, Dying Inside,The World Inside,"Flies" Iain M Banks: State of the Art David Gerrold: When Harlie Was One, The Man Who Folded Himself, A Matter for Men, A Day for Damnation,A Rage for revenge,A Season for Slaughter Roger Zelazny: The Chronicles of Amber (10 volumes) Isaac Asimov: I, Robot Frank Herbert: Dune Stephen R Donaldson: The Gap Series (5 volumes) A.E. Van Vogt: Slan,Voyage of the Space Beagle Octavia Butler: Kindred Michael

10-28-2009, 08:54 PM	#21
Jack Tingle Punctuation Fetishist Posts: 557 Karma: 1070000 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: The Bluest Commonwealth In East America Device: Kindle PW, Nexus 7 (2013), Galaxy S5 phone, Galaxy Tab 4 8.0	By coincidence, I usually post these midmonth on rec.art.sf.written, but these two were worth noting here. Recently Read - Nov. 2009 Baker, Kage, "The Hotel Under the Sand" p *** This is the delightful story of Emma Rose, who survives a storm (of some kind), and winds up alone on a beach, near the Dunes. She discovers a ghost, named Winston, who's a Bell Captain for the Grand Wenlocke Hotel, lost many years ago nearby in a Storm of the Equinox. Another, more common sort of storm, uncovers the Grand Wenlocke. With Winston, Mrs. Beet, the Cook who was held frozen in time in the buried hotel, and a growing list of guests and interlopers, Emma Rose makes a place for herself, to take the place of what she lost in the storm. Henderson, Zenna, "Ingathering" p This is NESFA's collection of all of Henderson's "The People" stories. I loved these stories when I was a teenager. I still like them a lot. I also recommend NESFA's excellent series of collections and volumes of significant sf works. _______________ My stars: * A classic, read it immediately. Very good, you might even buy it in hardback. * Good, well worth your time. ** Readable, but I'd wait for a cheap copy. * A book with at least one redeeming value, even if it's nice cover art. Not rated - noted, but not rated because it's an anthology, or I couldn't finish it, or it's obviously good but not to my taste. No stars (zero, zip, zilch, nada, none, goose-egg) - don't read this book. e: electronic book; p: paper book YMMV - seek other opinions, and don't blame me. Happy Reading, Jack Tingle

10-28-2009, 09:08 PM	#22
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,901 Karma: 119230421 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Margaret Atwood

10-29-2009, 11:26 PM	#24
Athryn Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Gainesville, VA Device: Kindle DX	If you like your science fiction hard and science-y, I highly recommend Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy.

10-30-2009, 01:27 AM	#25
sasilk Connoisseur Posts: 75 Karma: 14 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Australia Device: iPad Pro 12"; Kindle Paperwhite	In no particular order... Cory Doctorow (Little Brother should be required reading for everyone, particularly in schools.) Henry Kuttner Aldous Huxley Bruce Sterling William Gibson Stephen Bury (Neal Stephenson's pen name) Norman Spinrad H Beam Piper Jack L Chalker Jeff Noon Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle (seperately & together) John Christopher Julian May Kate Wilhelm (particularly Where late the Sweet Birds Sang) Spider Robinson Michael Marshall Smith (Sometimes listed as just Michael Smith now. He also write thrillers - equally as good but not SF obviously.) Rudy Rucker Robert Sheckley Robert L Forward Walter Jon Williams Ward Moore

10-30-2009, 03:00 AM	#26
PhishStyx The me that I am Posts: 413 Karma: 1078 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: In my house! Duh! Device: Kindle 1 & DR 1000s	I hate to say, but Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber don't belong here. They're more of an early urban fantasy series. Now his This Immortal, Eye of Cat, and Doorways in the Sand, those novels definitely belong here.

10-30-2009, 07:33 AM	#28
raphaelnonsenso Enthusiast Posts: 27 Karma: 104 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Berkshire,UK Device: Sony Touch, K3	One of my favourite modern Sci Fi authors is Iain.M.Banks. Try reading The Player of Games or Consider Phlebas

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10-30-2009, 03:29 PM	#29
Crusader Space Cadet Posts: 1,180 Karma: 4030536 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: South Africa Device: Sony PRS-T1, Cybook Opus, Kobo Glo	I also really like Iain M Banks. Haven't read too much of his work yet, but the 2 I did was very good. Another favorite of mine is Peter F Hamilton. Fallen Dragon got me hooked on him although I'm struggling to find his books in treebook format over here. Stephen Baxter is also good. I like the collab he did with Arthur C Clarke in 'The light of other days'

10-31-2009, 09:46 PM	#30
nikkie Guru Posts: 614 Karma: 73700 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: WA, USA Device: Android, Kindle Paperwhite, lots of ancient readers	I support the recommendation of Neal Stephenson for high technology sci-fi: Snow Crash,The Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon I often find myself thinking about these books throughout my day because of where we're going with technology. I'm sure someone put William Gibson, but if not I adored Neuromancer. It's what I call passionate sci-fi - not exactly romance sci-fi, but there's something of that in it. I also enjoyed Richard K. Morgan's series, starting with Altered Carbon. Very quick reads, with engrossing stories.