101 science fiction books to read? - Page 4

johnbartley · 01-31-2010, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Munch

{snip}I'm pretty new to the SF field when it comes to books, so if you guys could give me some totally basic must read recommendations, I would love it..

http://www.goldengryphon.com/Stross-Concrete.html
http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=...ew=story&id=61
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog...ndo-intro.html
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog...ast-intro.html
http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/colderwar.htm

Charlie Stross is reliable; you can rely on reading 'til dawn when you download a new title of his.

jennstall · 02-02-2010, 01:33 AM

My Best List for SF would be:

The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis -- really gripping, gut-wrenching, heart-tearing time travel novel set during the time of the Black Plague. Probably my favorite book ever. All of Connie Willis' books are great (except Passages, blah)

Memories by Mike McQuay - another time travel novel, but a bit different method to it -- the characters hop around through time. Lovely characterization for characters that I initially hated, then grew to love.

Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller -- post-apocalyptic SF

The Sparrow -- Jesuits in Space!!! Another gut-wrenching book.

Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt -- another post-apocalyptic novel, but set long after the events. My favorite McDevitt book.

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson -- sort of cyberpunkish, kinda. Love this book. My favorite by him.

Neuromancer - the only book by William Gibson I love without qualification

The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers -- another time traveling fantastical book. Amazing, amazing!

kennyc · 02-02-2010, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jennstall

..

Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller -- post-apocalyptic SF

....

I've got to re-read that one....

Thanks.

kennyc · 02-05-2010, 07:40 AM

Oops. Wrong thread...

rocketgranny · 02-11-2010, 10:29 PM

Hi,

When you're in a "think & learn" mood, do try out:

(1) Flatland - a Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott
- available as TXT ebook from Project Gutenberg or cheap at Amazon.
- this is the one that helped me get semi-comfortable with multiple dimensions (4th? 5th?).

(2) Dragon's Egg by Robert Forward.
- available as paperback from Amazon.
- the entertainment value is excellent AND it will help you see / ponder the practical implications of gravity on a neutron star, relativity and so on.

It's been a while since I read either, but both are keepers and will always live on my bookshelves.

For just plain, escapist FUN, try anything from Lois McMaster Bujold, especially her Miles Vorkosigan books. Start with Cordelia's Honor and work from there.
RocketGranny

Ben Thornton · 02-12-2010, 11:31 AM

Nobody's mentioned Robert Sheckley that I can see - very funny in a Douglas Adams style, but he pre-dates him.

Lessing's "Canopus in archives" series is a different kind of sci-fi - at the "literary" respectable end.

Also I'd second Ursula le Guin's appearance on various lists.

kennyc · 02-14-2010, 03:14 PM

Just got sucked into the Dune universe by an unwitting direction. The Litany against Fear

The litany against fear is an incantation used by the Bene Gesserit throughout the series to focus their minds and calm themselves in times of peril. The litany is as follows:

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

in reading about the Bene Gesserit - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bene_Gesserit

makes me think I need to read it again.

montsnmags · 02-15-2010, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben Thornton

...
Lessing's "Canopus in archives" series is a different kind of sci-fi - at the "literary" respectable end.
...

I read that when much younger and a bit out of my depth. I've kept it though, and fully intend to reread it, as it impressed me, even without full comprehension, at the time.

Cheers,
Marc

Daephex · 02-15-2010, 09:01 PM

I'd like to add James White's "Sector General" series on here. They're a great read-- in a nutshell, you've got a giant space hospital with a staff of 60+ different kinds of aliens, all representing the best their worlds have to offer medically... but instead of doing medicine on their own species, they're all learning to operate on alien life forms. To top it off, the head doctors are all schizos, literally possessing the personalities and memories of multiple aliens.

Also, "Valis" by Philip K. Dick. That book absolutely rocks, and should be on everyone's reading list.

kennyc · 02-15-2010, 09:07 PM

One of my best remembered (and re-read) novels is "The Watch Below" by James White. I have not read the Sector General books but I think I have to add them to my to-read list.

Daephex · 02-15-2010, 09:19 PM

I haven't read anything of White's besides the Sector General ones yet. I'm on the 11th book of 12 right now... but I'll probably miss his style, so I'll have to look for that one. The funny thing is, in some ways, the books aren't all THAT great-- he re-uses some descriptions across 5 or 6 books, and often introduces characters or information by literally copy-pasting a few paragraphs from one book into the next. It's hilarious. But on the other hand, his ability to really come up with believably odd aliens (and even their thought patterns) is pretty incredible. To top it off, this is a hugely pacifist storyline across all the books, which I appreciate.

guyanonymous · 02-15-2010, 11:52 PM

I just read Anne McCaffrey Planet Pirates series for the first time, and quite enjoyed it. Reading them all together, too, left me with a sense of how her writing style improved with time.

gwynevans · 02-16-2010, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Just got sucked into the Dune universe by an unwitting direction. The Litany against Fear

“It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.
It is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed,
the hands acquire shakes, the shakes become a warning.
It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.”

Source unknown, it’s just all over the web.

MartinParish · 04-24-2010, 08:41 PM

I know a lot of sci-fi fans will disagree with me on this one, but I'd skip Asimov if I were you. His novels are more like logic puzzles than novels and not especially intriguing as such - the ideas are often good, but since they've been reused so often over the years they no longer seem as unusual as when he first wrote them.

Probably my favorite sci-fi author of all time is H.G. Wells. The Time Machine and the Island of Dr. Moreau are classics and really fun - I recommend them if you haven't already.

Some more modern sci fi books you won't want to miss are Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, which is fantastic, The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson and also The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson(almost undoubtedly his best book, at least out of those he's written so far).

Solitaire1 · 04-24-2010, 09:17 PM

Some of my recommendations:

"Cyberbooks" by Ben Bova: It's a very funny book set in the near future, and it deals with electronic books.

"Welcome To Mars" by James Blish: I became aware of Blish's due his novelizations of "Star Trek - The Original Series" episodes (each book would feature several episodes) and came across this book. A very good read about a young inventor who develops a way to travel to Mars.

"Virtual Girl" by Amy Thompson: Excellent book about a man who builds a robot in female form. Told from two points of view, the inventor's and the robot's.

02-02-2010, 01:33 AM	#47
jennstall Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: iPod Touch	My Best List for SF would be: The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis -- really gripping, gut-wrenching, heart-tearing time travel novel set during the time of the Black Plague. Probably my favorite book ever. All of Connie Willis' books are great (except Passages, blah) Memories by Mike McQuay - another time travel novel, but a bit different method to it -- the characters hop around through time. Lovely characterization for characters that I initially hated, then grew to love. Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller -- post-apocalyptic SF The Sparrow -- Jesuits in Space!!! Another gut-wrenching book. Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt -- another post-apocalyptic novel, but set long after the events. My favorite McDevitt book. The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson -- sort of cyberpunkish, kinda. Love this book. My favorite by him. Neuromancer - the only book by William Gibson I love without qualification The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers -- another time traveling fantastical book. Amazing, amazing! Last edited by jennstall; 02-02-2010 at 01:35 AM. Reason: thought of more favorites!

02-11-2010, 10:29 PM	#50
rocketgranny Member Posts: 19 Karma: 54 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: San Francisco, CA Device: Nook	Hi, When you're in a "think & learn" mood, do try out: (1) Flatland - a Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott - available as TXT ebook from Project Gutenberg or cheap at Amazon. - this is the one that helped me get semi-comfortable with multiple dimensions (4th? 5th?). (2) Dragon's Egg by Robert Forward. - available as paperback from Amazon. - the entertainment value is excellent AND it will help you see / ponder the practical implications of gravity on a neutron star, relativity and so on. It's been a while since I read either, but both are keepers and will always live on my bookshelves. For just plain, escapist FUN, try anything from Lois McMaster Bujold, especially her Miles Vorkosigan books. Start with Cordelia's Honor and work from there. RocketGranny Last edited by rocketgranny; 02-11-2010 at 10:34 PM.

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02-05-2010, 07:40 AM	#49
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,891 Karma: 119230421 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Oops. Wrong thread...

02-12-2010, 11:31 AM	#51
Ben Thornton Guru Posts: 900 Karma: 779635 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: UK Device: Kindle 3, iPad 2 (but not for e-books)	Nobody's mentioned Robert Sheckley that I can see - very funny in a Douglas Adams style, but he pre-dates him. Lessing's "Canopus in archives" series is a different kind of sci-fi - at the "literary" respectable end. Also I'd second Ursula le Guin's appearance on various lists.

02-14-2010, 03:14 PM	#52
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,891 Karma: 119230421 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Just got sucked into the Dune universe by an unwitting direction. The Litany against Fear The litany against fear is an incantation used by the Bene Gesserit throughout the series to focus their minds and calm themselves in times of peril. The litany is as follows: I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. in reading about the Bene Gesserit - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bene_Gesserit makes me think I need to read it again.

02-15-2010, 09:01 PM	#54
Daephex Licensed Raconteur Posts: 53 Karma: 514 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: "Travelling" Device: Kindle 3, Sony PRS-600, iPod Touch	I'd like to add James White's "Sector General" series on here. They're a great read-- in a nutshell, you've got a giant space hospital with a staff of 60+ different kinds of aliens, all representing the best their worlds have to offer medically... but instead of doing medicine on their own species, they're all learning to operate on alien life forms. To top it off, the head doctors are all schizos, literally possessing the personalities and memories of multiple aliens. Also, "Valis" by Philip K. Dick. That book absolutely rocks, and should be on everyone's reading list.

02-15-2010, 09:07 PM	#55
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,891 Karma: 119230421 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	One of my best remembered (and re-read) novels is "The Watch Below" by James White. I have not read the Sector General books but I think I have to add them to my to-read list.

02-15-2010, 09:19 PM	#56
Daephex Licensed Raconteur Posts: 53 Karma: 514 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: "Travelling" Device: Kindle 3, Sony PRS-600, iPod Touch	I haven't read anything of White's besides the Sector General ones yet. I'm on the 11th book of 12 right now... but I'll probably miss his style, so I'll have to look for that one. The funny thing is, in some ways, the books aren't all THAT great-- he re-uses some descriptions across 5 or 6 books, and often introduces characters or information by literally copy-pasting a few paragraphs from one book into the next. It's hilarious. But on the other hand, his ability to really come up with believably odd aliens (and even their thought patterns) is pretty incredible. To top it off, this is a hugely pacifist storyline across all the books, which I appreciate.

02-15-2010, 11:52 PM	#57
guyanonymous Guru Posts: 692 Karma: 27532 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Ebookwise 1150 / 1200	I just read Anne McCaffrey Planet Pirates series for the first time, and quite enjoyed it. Reading them all together, too, left me with a sense of how her writing style improved with time.

04-24-2010, 08:41 PM	#59
MartinParish Author of 2184 Posts: 61 Karma: 810 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: Kindle	I know a lot of sci-fi fans will disagree with me on this one, but I'd skip Asimov if I were you. His novels are more like logic puzzles than novels and not especially intriguing as such - the ideas are often good, but since they've been reused so often over the years they no longer seem as unusual as when he first wrote them. Probably my favorite sci-fi author of all time is H.G. Wells. The Time Machine and the Island of Dr. Moreau are classics and really fun - I recommend them if you haven't already. Some more modern sci fi books you won't want to miss are Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, which is fantastic, The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson and also The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson(almost undoubtedly his best book, at least out of those he's written so far).

04-24-2010, 09:17 PM	#60
Solitaire1 Samurai Lizard Posts: 14,842 Karma: 69500000 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: NookColor, Nook Glowlight 4	Some of my recommendations: "Cyberbooks" by Ben Bova: It's a very funny book set in the near future, and it deals with electronic books. "Welcome To Mars" by James Blish: I became aware of Blish's due his novelizations of "Star Trek - The Original Series" episodes (each book would feature several episodes) and came across this book. A very good read about a young inventor who develops a way to travel to Mars. "Virtual Girl" by Amy Thompson: Excellent book about a man who builds a robot in female form. Told from two points of view, the inventor's and the robot's.

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