Snowflake 0 #26 March 26, 2003 No one has mentioned William Gibson The father of cyberpunk. The Sprawl Trilogy Neuromancer, Count Zero, and Monalisa Overdrive are essential reading. The Matrix is just derivative of his stuff IMHO. Just read Kiln People by Brin good stuff as usual (All the killer B's rock) If you read the second uplift trilogy go here http://www.davidbrin.com/temptation1.html if you liked to be teased there might be a third trilogy coming. Theres also a short story about the beggining of uplift here http://www.davidbrin.com/aficionado1.html The Legacy of Herot and all known space stuff from Niven and not forgetting the 2 Smoke ring books either. Battlefield Earth The movie sucked L. Ron was a freak but it's one funny book and I mean really funny not haha funny. Thinking about Terl is cracking me up right now Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowflake 0 #27 March 26, 2003 I've always made the distinction of calling it Hard Science Fiction or Science Fantasy on is based on things that are possible or haven't been proven impossible. Science Fantasy is stuff you have to suspend belief in certain things to make the story work I would put Niven, Brin, Baxter, Foreward in the hard Science Fiction category I would put Hubbard and Bradbury in the science fantasy category I consider almost all movies and TV to be science fantasy My .02 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,426 #28 March 26, 2003 >Just read Kiln People by Brin good stuff as usual . . . I sorta liked it but I couldn't take his incessant punning; his constant variations on the word "ditto" got really old. >The Legacy of Herot and all known space stuff from Niven and not >forgetting the 2 Smoke ring books either. I generally like Niven but I think he's been going downhill since the Integral Trees. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dkpbxman 0 #29 March 26, 2003 Anything by Ray Bradbury-he's the best. Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, H.P. Lovecraft, Phillip K. Dick, Arthur Conan Doyle, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Alan Dean Foster, J.R.R. Tolkein, Jules Verne and H.G. Wells are also great authors. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos340 1 #30 March 26, 2003 #1. Enders Game by Orson Scott Card #2 Armor by John Steakley #3 Anything by Heinlein (especially any book with Lazarus Long in it) #4. Any of the Callahan Books by Spider Robinson #5 Dangerous Visions Edited by Harlan Ellison (Hard to find but worth looking for) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Push 0 #31 March 26, 2003 These fine folk have given you plenty of very excellent selections in English science fiction. I will present to you a duo of Russian authors that are legendary to 99% of everyone familiar with Russian literature. The translations on this page are decent. http://lib.ru/STRUGACKIE/ Here are a few of my favourites: This one in particular. If you read just one, make it this one: http://lib.ru/STRUGACKIE/engl_picnic.txt http://lib.ru/STRUGACKIE/engl_god.txt http://lib.ru/STRUGACKIE/engl_snail.txt http://lib.ru/STRUGACKIE/engl_volny.txt As with anything, "don't eat yellow snow" applies in science fiction. Stay away from the pulp novels in space. -- Toggle Whippin' Yahoo Skydiving is easy. All you have to do is relax while plummetting at 120 mph from 10,000' with nothing but some nylon and webbing to save you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #32 March 26, 2003 Quote #2 Armor by John Steakley GREAT book!!____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos340 1 #33 March 26, 2003 Did you ever read his Other Book "Vampire$", Not really Sci-Fi but he used the same characters (felix and Jack Crow) from Armor in a totally different setting. Sad that Steakly has only written 2 books. And if you happened to see the John Carpenter Movie by the same name, It bore absolutely no resemblance to the Book. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyinryan 0 #34 March 26, 2003 I second the vote for Ender's Game...amazing book. There is another one that I would recomend: "The Forever War" can't remember the author. Lazarus Long is a great charcter but the whole Edipus thing gets kinds weird.BASE 853 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowflake 0 #35 March 26, 2003 Quotegenerally like Niven but I think he's been going downhill since the Integral Trees. I gotta agree with you there I haven't even read his last couple of books, but the last one I did read didn't impress me, but I can still remeber how blown away I was by Ringworld when I first read it at 14 QuoteI sorta liked it but I couldn't take his incessant punning; his constant variations on the word "ditto" got really old. I kind of noticed that but was so into the story (I luv them hard boild detective stories) I didn't really pay to much attention to it. I can see how it could be annoying though Forever War by Joe Haldeman (sp)....Yes!!!!! More "Stranger in a Strange Land" my Fav by Heinlein The Plecione Trilogy by Julianne May Dying world stuff by Jack Vance (cant think of the names of the books) The Giants trilogy by James P Hogan Manifold Trilogy Stephen Baxter Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,426 #36 March 26, 2003 >Forever War by Joe Haldeman (sp) I took a few courses with him back in college. Very odd guy. We used to have class in a campus bar. His favorite beer was a pitcher of Miller Lite with a bottle of Guiness poured into it; it combined the worst of both beers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miked10270 0 #37 March 27, 2003 I'm frankly stagered that no-one has mentioned John Wyndham!!!OK, he's not your typical "Science Fiction" (a term he abhored - preferring the term "Science Romance) writer, and admittedly his novels are set in a rather strange & cosy post WWII world, BUT the issues he deals with are fundamental to humanity and the survival of the human race as the dominant species on the planet. For example, the "Day of The Triffids" encapsulated many of the genetic modification arguments of today despite being writen over 50 years ago! Before wishing for a very long life, read "Trouble with Lichen". His characters are believable, the scenarios possible, perhaps (disturbingly) probable, and he focusses on the human element with the technology incidental to the plot. Yes... I'm a fan! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trent 0 #38 March 27, 2003 I vote for the Dune series. A lot of reading to do, but it's really fantastic. Actually, it's quite a propos for the current times too. Check it out.Oh, hello again! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #39 March 27, 2003 "All the science fiction stuff by Iain M. Banks. Scottish guy like NacMac. You'll end up mispelling words like colour, and flavour and stuff, though." Corrupting your spelling is a small price to pay for access to such a far reaching imagination.Yes indeedy, Iain M banks stuff is pretty cool, the 'Culture' (Use of Weapons, The player of Games, etc etc) series of books are quite good. He also writes under the name of Iain Banks --imaginative huh?--- I can really only recommend Complicity from his non scifi persona, but others are worth exploring if you want to try out the dark side of things....eg The Wasp Factory. http://www.iainbanks.net/ I really like Terry Pratchett's stuff for light relief these days though, more comedy scifi fantasy than true Scifi IMHO, but they make me giggle from time to time. http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/ -------------------- He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marcandalysse 0 #40 March 27, 2003 Besides Gibson and Stephenson, I really like Bruce Sterling, another founder of the 'cyberpunk' style. Also good is Lewis Shiner, "Deserted Cities of the Heart", for one, not heavy-tech science fiction books, but great visionary stuff... "The reason angels can fly is that they take themselves so lightly." --GK Chesterton Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seedy 0 #41 March 27, 2003 QuoteAnything by Ray Bradbury-he's the best. I was beginning to think no one was going to mention him. He is my favorite. He has a way of putting in unforseen twists into his stories that surprise the reader. As you said, the best. I intend to live forever -- so far, so good. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 558 #42 March 27, 2003 #4. Any of the Callahan Books by Spider Robinson They made sense when I drank heavily, but now that I quit drinking they make less and less sense. Fortunately, most of Spider Robinson's other writing is excellent. "Mind Killer," "Telempath," "Elephant's Tears," "Free Lunch," etc. I never really got into the Star DAncer series the first time around, maybe I should try them again. If you are into military sci fi, try anything by William C. Dietz. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
