Best All-Time Sci-fi Novel? - Page 9

Drake · 12-29-2011, 04:22 PM

Since my youth I adore the stories written by Lem, Heinlein and Philipp K Dick,
but when you force me to choose the best one I have read (until now)
I'd say The Dispossessed by Ursula K LeGuin.

Why? Because the book made me think. Think about concepts of life, sense of our living like we do and I read this battered old volume nearly every year again.

Ninjalawyer · 12-29-2011, 06:06 PM

A Canticle for Leibowitz or 1984 would be my top choices. Those books stuck with me long after I put them down.

wdi · 12-29-2011, 07:44 PM

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

taosaur · 12-29-2011, 11:01 PM

I just finished the Ringworld audiobook (great stuff, maybe not 'best,' but I'll pick up the sequels) and started in on Altered Carbon, but I'm not sure if I'll stick with it. Opening with a munitions catalog and a generically described gun-totin' mama putting on black stockings is not the best way to convince me to keep reading, insofar as it comes across as a ham-handed ploy to convince me to keep reading.

Phogg · 12-30-2011, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taosaur

I think that's the second or third nomination, and I actually read the book on the basis of the earlier one(s), and I just don't get it. It was good pulp: enjoyable, action-packed, and wearing its themes on its sleeve. It was a fun read and I appreciate the recommendation, but how is above-average Starship Troopers fanfic anyone's "best of" anything?

As discussed above, we'd appreciate some exploration of why you consider it the best.

Because if you strip off the futuristic trappings, it explores the dynamic which often grows between high command and troops in the field pretty well. Also, the whole "engine" thing gives an experiential description of operating in a dissociated state with PTSD.

taosaur · 12-30-2011, 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phogg

Because if you strip off the futuristic trappings, it explores the dynamic which often grows between high command and troops in the field pretty well. Also, the whole "engine" thing gives an experiential description of operating in a dissociated state with PTSD.

Fair enough. I can see how if either your interests or experiences skew toward the military, the book would make a bigger impression. It did have decent human realism, but it still didn't add up to much more than well-executed Starship Troopers fanfic.

Dimwit · 12-30-2011, 09:06 PM

For those of you just getting into SF, go to The Fifth Imperium. Joe has kindly put up all the Baen cd's for anyone to download.

Don't go wild and try to dl them all, a) there's no need to try and blow up his server and b) the cd's supersede. Just go to the latest Weber, #19 I believe, and dl that. Cruise the site and you'll get the hang of it. On there are quite a few really good authors like Lackey, Bradley, Ringo, Weber... It's worth your time.

darryl · 12-31-2011, 12:31 AM

An almost impossible choice, and so subjective in any event. I won't give reasons for my choices here as they would require a lengthy essay in themselves. There is so much that is good. I too read Orson Scott Card's "Speaker for the Dead" many years ago, and would put it right up there with the best. Ender's Game was a good read, but I don't think in the same class as Speaker. The other books in the series were basically unmemorable.

The Legacy of Heorot (Niven, Barnes and Pournelle) is also up there with the best, as is Footfall (Niven and Pournelle) and the previously mentioned "Mote in God's Eye" (Niven and Pournelle).

Finally, who can forget Orwell's "1984".

I also can't escape that nagging feeling that I have overlooked something for this top category.

There are many many novels which are very close, including many of those mentioned here. I searched out Alfred Bester's "The Stars My Destination" as a young teen after coming across a reference to it in, of all things, a Stephen King short story. An excellent read. I read "The Sparrow" only recently and found the storyline intriguing, though it falls just short of greatness. "Armour" and "Starship Troopers" are both also very good. "2001" is a classic. I loved "Childhood's End" as a Teen, but it is not as good on re-reading it now. Clarke felt compelled to later add a note that he no longer gave any credence to some of the "paranormal" type aspects of the Book.

I plan to start another thread for short stories as so many wonderful authors and ideas have no place here.

HappyMartin · 12-31-2011, 08:45 AM

Dune
Old Mans War
War of the worlds
A fire upon the deep
The forever war

GlenBarrington · 01-01-2012, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kasch18

Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein

OK, but not that film version,

GlenBarrington · 01-01-2012, 11:09 AM

Long out of print, but special, very special.
"A Canticle for Liebowitz", probably ranks right up there too.
Heinlien's "Farnhams Freehold"

And a prediction for this same thread 20 years from now:
"The Windup Girl" by Paolo Bacigalupi

RareBird · 01-01-2012, 01:16 PM

My top picks in no particular order would be:

Dune - Frank Herbert
Starship Troopers - Robert Heinlein
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
A Princess of Mars - Edgar Rice Burroughs
1984 - George Orwell

ballfresno · 01-01-2012, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timoleon

A few more:

Kim Stanley Robinson's Red/Green/Blue Mars Series --- truly epic, and very well written.

I'm glad somebody beat me to it: this is one of the best trilogies of the past decade. It's definitely on my best list, along with (in random order)

Time enough for love, The moon is a harsh mistress, and others (almost all) by Robert Heinlein
The peace war, Joe Haldeman
The Pern series by Anne McCaffrey
Singularity Sky by Charles Stross
Enders Game by Orson Scott Card
Earth by David Brin

My first post to this forum but I have been reading for a while since I got my Kobo. Brilliant place! Thanks to all.

kennyc · 01-01-2012, 06:18 PM

Welcome ballfresno!
Time Enough for Love is one of my all time favorites!

stevesr0 · 01-01-2012, 06:55 PM

My Personal Favorite: Theodore Sturgeon's "More Than Human"

Interesting thread.

Many of my favorites mentioned, others not.

Parenthetically, I wonder if anyone heard of either of the following: a sci-fi novel with a female character named Superba, and a novel with a plot based on time travel, where the murderer/protagonist travels to the end of time and back to the site of the murder. I read both as a pre to early teenager in the early fifties and haven't been able to recall or retrieve the titles.

Steve

01-01-2012, 11:09 AM	#131
GlenBarrington Cheese Whiz Posts: 1,986 Karma: 11677147 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Springfield, Illinois Device: Kindle PW, Samsung Tab A 10.1(2019), Pixel 6a.	Davy - for sure Long out of print, but special, very special. "A Canticle for Liebowitz", probably ranks right up there too. Heinlien's "Farnhams Freehold" And a prediction for this same thread 20 years from now: "The Windup Girl" by Paolo Bacigalupi

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Time Hack is not your father's time-travel book	carelmackenbach	Self-Promotions by Authors and Publishers	5	03-19-2012 11:48 AM
freebies at National Academies Press - from time to time	sufue	Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links)	0	04-12-2011 02:45 PM
"Unnatural Time" - Free eBook short story (Sci-Fi / Adventure)	ChupaLibro	Self-Promotions by Authors and Publishers	8	01-02-2011 06:29 PM
iLiad An idea to mitigate boot time (and app launch time) -- For future use	Antartica	iRex Developer's Corner	14	11-05-2006 02:16 AM

12-29-2011, 04:22 PM	#121
Drake reading everywhere Posts: 152 Karma: 2113314 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Germany, Karlsruhe Device: CyBook Gen3, PocketBook Touch Lux	Since my youth I adore the stories written by Lem, Heinlein and Philipp K Dick, but when you force me to choose the best one I have read (until now) I'd say The Dispossessed by Ursula K LeGuin. Why? Because the book made me think. Think about concepts of life, sense of our living like we do and I read this battered old volume nearly every year again.

12-29-2011, 06:06 PM	#122
Ninjalawyer Guru Posts: 826 Karma: 18573626 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Touch, Nexus 7 (2013)	A Canticle for Leibowitz or 1984 would be my top choices. Those books stuck with me long after I put them down.

12-29-2011, 07:44 PM	#123
wdi Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: NJ, USA Device: asus transformer; kindle touch	20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

12-29-2011, 11:01 PM	#124
taosaur intelligent posterior Posts: 1,562 Karma: 21295618 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ohiopolis Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Samsung S8, Lenovo Tab 3 Pro	I just finished the Ringworld audiobook (great stuff, maybe not 'best,' but I'll pick up the sequels) and started in on Altered Carbon, but I'm not sure if I'll stick with it. Opening with a munitions catalog and a generically described gun-totin' mama putting on black stockings is not the best way to convince me to keep reading, insofar as it comes across as a ham-handed ploy to convince me to keep reading.

12-30-2011, 09:06 PM	#127
Dimwit Connoisseur Posts: 60 Karma: 12652 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: Kobo	For those of you just getting into SF, go to The Fifth Imperium. Joe has kindly put up all the Baen cd's for anyone to download. Don't go wild and try to dl them all, a) there's no need to try and blow up his server and b) the cd's supersede. Just go to the latest Weber, #19 I believe, and dl that. Cruise the site and you'll get the hang of it. On there are quite a few really good authors like Lackey, Bradley, Ringo, Weber... It's worth your time.

12-31-2011, 12:31 AM	#128
darryl Wizard Posts: 3,108 Karma: 60231510 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura H2O, Kindle Oasis, Huwei Ascend Mate 7	An almost impossible choice, and so subjective in any event. I won't give reasons for my choices here as they would require a lengthy essay in themselves. There is so much that is good. I too read Orson Scott Card's "Speaker for the Dead" many years ago, and would put it right up there with the best. Ender's Game was a good read, but I don't think in the same class as Speaker. The other books in the series were basically unmemorable. The Legacy of Heorot (Niven, Barnes and Pournelle) is also up there with the best, as is Footfall (Niven and Pournelle) and the previously mentioned "Mote in God's Eye" (Niven and Pournelle). Finally, who can forget Orwell's "1984". I also can't escape that nagging feeling that I have overlooked something for this top category. There are many many novels which are very close, including many of those mentioned here. I searched out Alfred Bester's "The Stars My Destination" as a young teen after coming across a reference to it in, of all things, a Stephen King short story. An excellent read. I read "The Sparrow" only recently and found the storyline intriguing, though it falls just short of greatness. "Armour" and "Starship Troopers" are both also very good. "2001" is a classic. I loved "Childhood's End" as a Teen, but it is not as good on re-reading it now. Clarke felt compelled to later add a note that he no longer gave any credence to some of the "paranormal" type aspects of the Book. I plan to start another thread for short stories as so many wonderful authors and ideas have no place here.

12-31-2011, 08:45 AM	#129
HappyMartin Martin Kristiansen Posts: 1,546 Karma: 8480958 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Johannesburg Device: Kindle International Ipad 2	Dune Old Mans War War of the worlds A fire upon the deep The forever war

01-01-2012, 01:16 PM	#132
RareBird Addict Posts: 377 Karma: 770002 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Windsor, Nova Scotia Device: Kobo Aura	My top picks in no particular order would be: Dune - Frank Herbert Starship Troopers - Robert Heinlein Brave New World - Aldous Huxley A Princess of Mars - Edgar Rice Burroughs 1984 - George Orwell

01-01-2012, 06:18 PM	#134
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Welcome ballfresno! Time Enough for Love is one of my all time favorites!

01-01-2012, 06:55 PM	#135
stevesr0 Connoisseur Posts: 71 Karma: 1050 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: Entourage Pocket Edge	My Personal Favorite: Theodore Sturgeon's "More Than Human" Interesting thread. Many of my favorites mentioned, others not. Parenthetically, I wonder if anyone heard of either of the following: a sci-fi novel with a female character named Superba, and a novel with a plot based on time travel, where the murderer/protagonist travels to the end of time and back to the site of the murder. I read both as a pre to early teenager in the early fifties and haven't been able to recall or retrieve the titles. Steve

Advert

Advert