Looking for some NON-military sci-fi

jabberwock_11 · 09-19-2011, 12:33 PM

I enjoy the occasional military sci-fi novel or series, some of them are even pretty great (Old Man's War and Forever War are two good examples), but lately I have become totally burnt out by all of the military sci-fi that's out there. It seems as if three out of every four new sci-fi books are military sci-fi.

I would really like it if I could get some good recommendations for non-military sci-fi novels, especially books in a series. There are a lot of good individual non-military sci-fi novels, but I haven't really come across too many that are a part of a series. (The Hitchhiker's Guide is one exception.)

I really enjoyed The Repossession Mambo, Regarding Ducks and Universes, Agent to the Stars, and Ready Player One if that gives you fine folks any kind of guide to the sort of tastes that I have.

Hopefully some other people out there will be in the same boat that I am and this post will be able to point out some options to others who like their futures free of armored battalions, tactics, and alien armies.

OneandonlyDoc · 09-19-2011, 12:47 PM

If you haven't checked out McDevitt's Alex Benedict books, I'd recommend those. They're science fiction mysteries and I've found them to be quite good. Alex is an antiquities collector, and his work has a tendency to get him into some interesting situations.

The first book in that set is A Talent for War, but don't let the title mislead you. Benedict and his partner Chase are just hunting down traces of a long-lost hero.

Graham · 09-19-2011, 12:59 PM

C. J. Cherryh's Foreigner series is impressive.

Alistair Reynolds is building a detailed future with his Revelation Space books. Try "Chasm City" unless you're a stickler for chronological order (he's filling in the gaps with short stories and other novels anyway).

Closer to home and similar to the blurbs I'm reading for the titles you posted, you could take a look at Charles Stross's "The Atrocity Archives" and its sequels (though for me it's one of his weaker books). His Family Trade series is good and has the world jumping angle.

Graham

mikaelalind · 09-19-2011, 01:09 PM

If you want a good Science Fiction I recommend Endless Blue by Wen Spencer. If you want Science Fiction with a large dose of Fantasy I recommend Tinker and Wolf Who Rules, also by Wen Spencer.
Oh. Jeffery A Carver. You will never look at the stars in the same way once you have read the Chaos Chronicles

.
Also, it might be worth using the Fictionwise coupon to snag Science Fiction books from E-reads that might interest you.

WillAdams · 09-19-2011, 01:11 PM

Timothy Zahn's _Ikarus Hunt_ is quite good.

jabberwock_11 · 09-19-2011, 01:50 PM

Huh, some how I posted this in the Deals/Freebies section instead of the reading recommendations area...didn't mean to do that.

Thanks to every one who has given me ideas so far, it's nice to know that there are some good options out there.

elemenoP · 09-19-2011, 02:41 PM

Spin by Robert Charles Wilson, The Sparrow by Maria Doria Russell. The latter has a Jesuit priest making first contact with another civilization, and it goes terribly wrong.

eP

OneandonlyDoc · 09-19-2011, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elemenoP

Spin by Robert Charles Wilson, The Sparrow by Maria Doria Russell. The latter has a Jesuit priest making first contact with another civilization, and it goes terribly wrong.

eP

The Sparrow was pretty amazing...but it's not for the faint of heart. She did publish a follow-up to it, though I don't recall the title. We actually read that in an Anthropology in Fiction class I took (it was the book representing linguistics).

toddos · 09-19-2011, 04:00 PM

I really enjoyed Julian May's Intervention, Galactic Milieu, and Pliocene Exile series. Unfortunately I can only find the Galactic Milieu series in ebook format, at least legally (the ... less than legal stuff is also poorly formatted and has a ton of typos and other issues). The rest haven't made the transition yet it seems.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 09-19-2011, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneandonlyDoc

If you haven't checked out McDevitt's Alex Benedict books, I'd recommend those.

I'd go so far as to recommend all of McDevitt's books, and if you like series, his Priscilla "Hutch" Hutchins novels are as good as his Benedict novels. I love McDevitt's approach to space travel and exploration, taking into account the vast distances involved, and seeing every encounter almost as an archeological expedition-slash-history lesson.

jhempel24 · 09-19-2011, 04:48 PM

Is Ringworld by Larry Niven considered Military Sci-Fi?

Penforhire · 09-19-2011, 05:19 PM

Maybe Phillip Jose Farmer's Riverworld series? I haven't read them all yet but I'd class what I've read as 'wild adventure' SF.

bfisher · 09-19-2011, 06:46 PM

Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward

It is about the rise of civilization on a neutron star.

sabredog · 09-19-2011, 08:06 PM

Try the Sector General series by James White.

A4- · 09-19-2011, 08:10 PM

Niven's Ringworld series isn't military it's sci-fi-adventure imo.

You might like John Ringo's "Troy rising" series. It's recent, action packed and not military (but does have a few military-ish moments).

09-19-2011, 12:33 PM	#1
jabberwock_11 Addict Posts: 231 Karma: 1591305 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Savannah, GA USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Aluratek Libre Pro	Looking for some NON-military sci-fi I enjoy the occasional military sci-fi novel or series, some of them are even pretty great (Old Man's War and Forever War are two good examples), but lately I have become totally burnt out by all of the military sci-fi that's out there. It seems as if three out of every four new sci-fi books are military sci-fi. I would really like it if I could get some good recommendations for non-military sci-fi novels, especially books in a series. There are a lot of good individual non-military sci-fi novels, but I haven't really come across too many that are a part of a series. (The Hitchhiker's Guide is one exception.) I really enjoyed The Repossession Mambo, Regarding Ducks and Universes, Agent to the Stars, and Ready Player One if that gives you fine folks any kind of guide to the sort of tastes that I have. Hopefully some other people out there will be in the same boat that I am and this post will be able to point out some options to others who like their futures free of armored battalions, tactics, and alien armies.

09-19-2011, 12:59 PM	#3
Graham Wizard Posts: 2,743 Karma: 32912427 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: North Yorkshire, UK Device: Kobo H20, Pixel 2, Samsung Chromebook Plus	C. J. Cherryh's Foreigner series is impressive. Alistair Reynolds is building a detailed future with his Revelation Space books. Try "Chasm City" unless you're a stickler for chronological order (he's filling in the gaps with short stories and other novels anyway). Closer to home and similar to the blurbs I'm reading for the titles you posted, you could take a look at Charles Stross's "The Atrocity Archives" and its sequels (though for me it's one of his weaker books). His Family Trade series is good and has the world jumping angle. Graham Last edited by Graham; 09-19-2011 at 01:09 PM. Reason: added the Family Trade series.

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09-19-2011, 12:47 PM	#2
OneandonlyDoc Fearless Writer Posts: 210 Karma: 375317 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: In a mitten! Device: Kobo Wifi	If you haven't checked out McDevitt's Alex Benedict books, I'd recommend those. They're science fiction mysteries and I've found them to be quite good. Alex is an antiquities collector, and his work has a tendency to get him into some interesting situations. The first book in that set is A Talent for War, but don't let the title mislead you. Benedict and his partner Chase are just hunting down traces of a long-lost hero.

09-19-2011, 01:09 PM	#4
mikaelalind Fanatic Posts: 590 Karma: 788068 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Sweden Device: Sony PRS 505, Cybook Odessey	If you want a good Science Fiction I recommend Endless Blue by Wen Spencer. If you want Science Fiction with a large dose of Fantasy I recommend Tinker and Wolf Who Rules, also by Wen Spencer. Oh. Jeffery A Carver. You will never look at the stars in the same way once you have read the Chaos Chronicles . Also, it might be worth using the Fictionwise coupon to snag Science Fiction books from E-reads that might interest you.

09-19-2011, 01:11 PM	#5
WillAdams Wizard Posts: 1,234 Karma: 3350652 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (300ppi), Samsung Galaxy Book 12	Timothy Zahn's _Ikarus Hunt_ is quite good.

09-19-2011, 01:50 PM	#6
jabberwock_11 Addict Posts: 231 Karma: 1591305 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Savannah, GA USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Aluratek Libre Pro	Huh, some how I posted this in the Deals/Freebies section instead of the reading recommendations area...didn't mean to do that. Thanks to every one who has given me ideas so far, it's nice to know that there are some good options out there.

09-19-2011, 02:41 PM	#7
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	Spin by Robert Charles Wilson, The Sparrow by Maria Doria Russell. The latter has a Jesuit priest making first contact with another civilization, and it goes terribly wrong. eP

09-19-2011, 04:00 PM	#9
toddos Guru Posts: 695 Karma: 822675 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Kobo Aura, Nokia Lumia 920 (Freda)	I really enjoyed Julian May's Intervention, Galactic Milieu, and Pliocene Exile series. Unfortunately I can only find the Galactic Milieu series in ebook format, at least legally (the ... less than legal stuff is also poorly formatted and has a ton of typos and other issues). The rest haven't made the transition yet it seems.

09-19-2011, 04:48 PM	#11
jhempel24 Wizard Posts: 2,157 Karma: 7068605 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, B&N Nook Colro	Is Ringworld by Larry Niven considered Military Sci-Fi?

09-19-2011, 05:19 PM	#12
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	Maybe Phillip Jose Farmer's Riverworld series? I haven't read them all yet but I'd class what I've read as 'wild adventure' SF.

09-19-2011, 06:46 PM	#13
bfisher Wizard Posts: 1,638 Karma: 28483498 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ottawa Canada Device: Sony PRS-T3, Galaxy (Aldiko, Kobo app)	Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward It is about the rise of civilization on a neutron star.

09-19-2011, 08:06 PM	#14
sabredog Geographically Restricted Posts: 2,629 Karma: 14933353 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Device: Sony PRS-T3, Kindle Voyage, iPad Air2, Nexus7v2	Try the Sector General series by James White.

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09-19-2011, 08:10 PM	#15
A4- Connoisseur Posts: 84 Karma: 1110 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Netherlands Device: iRex iLiad v2	Niven's Ringworld series isn't military it's sci-fi-adventure imo. You might like John Ringo's "Troy rising" series. It's recent, action packed and not military (but does have a few military-ish moments).