09-19-2011, 12:33 PM | #1 |
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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, 12:47 PM | #2 |
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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, 12:59 PM | #3 |
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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. |
09-19-2011, 01:09 PM | #4 |
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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 |
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Timothy Zahn's _Ikarus Hunt_ is quite good.
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09-19-2011, 01:50 PM | #6 |
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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 |
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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, 03:33 PM | #8 | |
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Quote:
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). |
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09-19-2011, 04:00 PM | #9 |
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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.
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09-19-2011, 04:36 PM | #10 |
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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.
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09-19-2011, 04:48 PM | #11 |
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Is Ringworld by Larry Niven considered Military Sci-Fi?
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09-19-2011, 05:19 PM | #12 |
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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.
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09-19-2011, 06:46 PM | #13 |
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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 |
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Try the Sector General series by James White.
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09-19-2011, 08:10 PM | #15 |
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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). |
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