Need a New Sci Fi Author

[Nabeel]

Try Chris Beckett's 'Eden Trilogy'. Very clever framework: to summarize - a spaceship and crew gets lost on a faraway planet. One couple survive. They produce a dynasty, and then three generations later, the children of the survivors try to understand what happened. The survivors have undergone severe de-industrialization and have lost most scientific knowledge: they're effectively back in the Stone Age, with some relics of future tech.

The clever bit here is that the story is therefore both set in the future (spaceships) and in the past (a pastoral society).

Knowledge is kept alive by story-telling, and the participants are highly sensitive to how their actions will appear in future stories: a type of heightened self-awareness.

Another additional feature: some brilliant descriptions of a very odd planet-scape. I found it really came alive in my mind.

Finally: Beckett is acutely aware of the political implications of story-telling and its near cousin, religion.

Beckett's written half a dozen novels, but this trilogy is clearly the best of the lot.

[David Munch]

Maybe Robert A. Heinleins "Heinlein Juvelines" series of books will be something for you. Quite "down to Earth" stories, set in scifi worlds. I quite enjoy them personally, and they are easy to read and not too long.

[Graham]

If you like the world-building of LeGuin and Card, maybe take a look at C.J. Cherryh's "Foreigner" series.

Graham

[WillAdams]

Agree w/ Graham (though I never managed to get into the Foreigner books) --- I'd recommend the Alliance-Union books --- _Downbelow Station_ is a challenge to get through but well worth it, esp. to get to _Rimrunner_ and _Finity's End_

Her Morgaine stories are good as well.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Mentat

Hello there, fellow bibliophiles

I'm looking for another science fiction author to fall in love with. My favorite is Ursula K Leguin, and I also love the Dune novels and many of Orson Scott Cards books. The thing is, I don't really like science fiction that focuses on the technology or spaceships. It's fine to have those elements, but not to center around them.

I'm going to guess that what you're looking for is books that centre on character and/or society and culture rather than on (or as well as) tech? And that you're not always averse to fantasy elements?

Have a look at Ted Chiang, Becky Chambers, Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy, Leckie's Radch books, Martha Wells' Murderbot novella series, Scalzi's Lock In and Head On, Lois McMaster Bujold, James Bradley's Clade, James SA Corey's The Expanse series, Octavia Butler, Madeline Ashby's Company Town, Lavie Tidhar's Central Station, Paolo Bacigalupi's Ship Breaker series.

[GeoffR]

Robert Silverberg, maybe? Not his early pulp but his good stuff starting from the late 1960s.

[Rbneader]

Seconding C J Cherryh, although I like her non-Foreigner work better.

Have you tried Andre Norton? Her Witch World and Web of the Witch World are a good place to start. Also perhaps Brother of Shadows and Catseye.

[bookmarked]

This thread is a little quiet, but I didn't see any mention of Julie E. Czerneda. She has some science in her SF books, but it's squishy biological stuff rather than the typical hard science (faster than light travel, etc.).

I started reading her books with "A Thousand Words for Stranger" and haven't stopped yet.