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Best scifi books

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  • #32
    vasch_ro
    Registered Users Posts: 1,432 ✭✭✭vasch_ro


    smacl wrote: »
    Enjoyed a lot of the stuff already listed, notably Haldeman's Forever War, and Cards Speaker for the dead. Other favourites from my younger days include Cliff Simaks, The Way Station, Harrison's Deathworld trilogy, and Heinleins Have Spacesuit, Will Travel. I also love sci-fi short stories as much as the drawn out epics, including the likes of Flight of the horse, Larry Niven, Days of Perky Pat, PK Dick, and Nightmares and Geezenstacks, Fred Brown. Not to everybody's taste, but also a big William Burroughs fan, and would include The soft machine high in my list of sci-fi faves.

    Only started reading sci-fi again recently, with the Enders Shadow series, which I'm finding very hit & miss, and no where near the quality of the first series. Any recommendations for decent reads from the more modern authors?

    The new one FROM Brandon Sanderson "STEELHEART" is really really good, thoroughly enjoyed it, his Fantasy stuff is great, but now has moved to the sci fi genre


  • #33
    keane2097
    Registered Users Posts: 17,768 ✭✭✭✭keane2097


    I've gone through Prelude to Foundation, Forward the Foundation and Foundation in that series so far and thought they were great. Must jump into the next one at some stage.


  • #34
    returnNull
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,235 ✭✭✭returnNull


    Im surprised alasitair reynolds hasnt been mentioned.One of my favourite authors.


  • #35
    giftgrub
    Registered Users Posts: 1,309 ✭✭✭giftgrub


    My few...

    Iain M Banks - "Use of Weapons"
    SM Stirling - Island in the Sea of Time
    Max Brooks - World War Z (I count it as sci-fi)
    Neal Asher - Agent Cormac Series
    Stephen Donaldson -The Gap series
    Robert Heinlan - Starship Troopers
    China Mielville - Perdido Street Station
    and I'll +1 Michael Marshall Smith


  • #36
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,651 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    Long time since I read the foundation series I though it was little predictable at the end. Long time ago though. Dune was good but looong. Started back into ScFi/Fantasy recently. I read the halo books. Lightweight but I enjoyed it. I was thinking I'd like to re-read the Amtrak wars again.


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  • #37
    shazzerman
    Registered Users Posts: 637 ✭✭✭shazzerman


    No mention of Walter M. Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz? Criminal. Also think Asimov's The Gods Themselves and Pohl and Kornbluth's The Space Merchants are worthy of inclusion in a Best of Sf list. I recently read Cecilia Holland's Floating Worlds, and that was a stunner.


  • #38
    Trojan
    Registered Users Posts: 16,402 ✭✭✭✭Trojan


    Another list of top 50 sf!

    https://forbiddenplanet.com/picks/50-sf-books-you-must-read/

    🎙️ The Recognized Authority Podcast



  • #39
    Manach
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,659 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manach


    Trojan wrote: »
    Another list of top 50 sf!

    https://forbiddenplanet.com/picks/50-sf-books-you-must-read/
    14/50 - I'd think most posters would have some variations on that list.


  • #40
    Trojan
    Registered Users Posts: 16,402 ✭✭✭✭Trojan


    There's quite a few older sf that I'd view as "ground-breaking", but aren't actually great reads - just that they were so imaginative for their era.

    🎙️ The Recognized Authority Podcast



  • #41
    Dan_Solo
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭✭Dan_Solo


    Trojan wrote: »
    Another list of top 50 sf!

    https://forbiddenplanet.com/picks/50-sf-books-you-must-read/
    How in the pray tell does Ender's Game make these best of lists? It's a terrible novel on just about every level.


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  • #42
    daUbiq
    Registered Users Posts: 420 ✭✭daUbiq


    Manach wrote: »
    14/50 - I'd think most posters would have some variations on that list.

    33/50 - favourite is probably The Reality Dysfunction by Peter Hamilton which is the first book in a lengthy and compelling space opera series or The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin; fantastic atmosphere in her books and very well written.


  • #43
    Zapp Brannigan
    Registered Users Posts: 8,326 ✭✭✭Zapp Brannigan


    After watching the Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay I kind of want to get in to cyberpunk as a genre. What are some must reads?


  • #44
    Nody
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,255 CMod ✭✭✭✭Nody


    Zapp Brannigan wrote: »
    After watching the Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay I kind of want to get in to cyberpunk as a genre. What are some must reads?
    Neuromancer is the obvious one of course; beyond that you got Altered Carbon series and Snow Crash (not for everyone) on the top of my head.


  • #45
    smacl
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 15,704 Mod ✭✭✭✭smacl


    Nody wrote: »
    Neuromancer is the obvious one of course; beyond that you got Altered Carbon series and Snow Crash (not for everyone) on the top of my head.

    Daemon and Freedom are also worth a punt. I found them highly entertaining without being earth shatteringly brilliant. Neuromancer is excellent and has a few other related books in the series (Mona lisa overdrive, Count Zero). Haven't read it in years so no idea how well it stands up today. Ready player one is also worth a read and IMHO far better than the film.


  • #46
    DeborahLQ
    Registered Users Posts: 21 ✭DeborahLQ


    My top list:

    Iain M. Banks - The Culture Series
    Alastair Reynolds - Revelation Space series
    Isaac Asimov - Foundation series
    Dan Simmons - Hyperion trilogy
    Peter F. Hamilton - The Void series
    Vernor Vinge - A Fire Upon the Deep, A Deepness in the Sky
    N.K. Jemisin - The Fifth Season trilogy (more fantasy, but awesome nonetheless)
    Charles Stross - Glass Houses
    Ursula LeGuin - The Lathe of Heaven
    Cixin Liu - The Three-Body Problem trilogy
    Jay Allen - Crimson Worlds series
    Neal Asher - Polity series

    If you're new to sc-fi, or looking for new books that are really, really fantastic, those would be a good place to start.


  • #47
    mcgovern
    Registered Users Posts: 4,267 ✭✭✭mcgovern


    DeborahLQ wrote: »
    My top list:

    Iain M. Banks - The Culture Series
    Alastair Reynolds - Revelation Space series
    Isaac Asimov - Foundation series
    Dan Simmons - Hyperion trilogy
    Peter F. Hamilton - The Void series
    Vernor Vinge - A Fire Upon the Deep, A Deepness in the Sky
    N.K. Jemisin - The Fifth Season trilogy (more fantasy, but awesome nonetheless)
    Charles Stross - Glass Houses
    Ursula LeGuin - The Lathe of Heaven
    Cixin Liu - The Three-Body Problem trilogy
    Jay Allen - Crimson Worlds series
    Neal Asher - Polity series

    If you're new to sc-fi, or looking for new books that are really, really fantastic, those would be a good place to start.

    I've read almost everything on your list and really enjoyed most of them. Based on this I just bought the first book in the Crimson Worlds series.


  • #48
    cdgalwegian
    Registered Users Posts: 1,906 ✭✭✭cdgalwegian


    DeborahLQ wrote: »
    My top list:

    Iain M. Banks - The Culture Series
    Alastair Reynolds - Revelation Space series
    Isaac Asimov - Foundation series
    Dan Simmons - Hyperion trilogy
    Peter F. Hamilton - The Void series
    Vernor Vinge - A Fire Upon the Deep, A Deepness in the Sky
    N.K. Jemisin - The Fifth Season trilogy (more fantasy, but awesome nonetheless)
    Charles Stross - Glass Houses
    Ursula LeGuin - The Lathe of Heaven
    Cixin Liu - The Three-Body Problem trilogy
    Jay Allen - Crimson Worlds series
    Neal Asher - Polity series

    If you're new to sc-fi, or looking for new books that are really, really fantastic, those would be a good place to start.


    Some of these are fantasy novels, and need to be distinguished from science fiction proper.

    Not a big fan of fantasy novels, through read 'Peter F. Hamilton - The Void series'; I'd started it, found they were ok/good, so finished them.

    Someone else said that Iain M. Banks - The Culture Series is hit and miss, and I'd have to agree; these books are massive!, so it's a big time investment, and hence annoying when they fall short of the mark.

    Not on this list, but mentioned in a previous post is Neal Stephenson- Snow Crash- my favourite hard sci-fi novel (usually referred to as being in the steampunk style). They've been trying to get that made into a film for years:


    "Snow Crash is a science fiction novel by American writer Neal Stephenson, published in 1992. Like many of Stephenson's other novels it covers history, linguistics, anthropology, archaeology, religion, computer science, politics, cryptography, memetics and philosophy."Wikipedia

    All of this in a hard sci-fi thriller!












  • #49
    aismac
    Registered Users Posts: 43 ✭aismac


    giftgrub wrote: »
    My few...

    Iain M Banks - "Use of Weapons"
    SM Stirling - Island in the Sea of Time
    Max Brooks - World War Z (I count it as sci-fi)
    Neal Asher - Agent Cormac Series
    Stephen Donaldson -The Gap series
    Robert Heinlan - Starship Troopers
    China Mielville - Perdido Street Station
    and I'll +1 Michael Marshall Smith

    Only took six years for me to see this post and find the first person I’ve ever come across MMS. I’ve been hanging in the wrong places.

    I really enjoyed the Rama series back in the day (A C Clarke) and Eon by Greg Bear. These days it feels like everything I read is kind of sounding the same, and books of old - their predictions are all coming true. Anyone come across any really different/imaginative sci fi lately? Aisling


  • #50
    ferrigan101
    Registered Users Posts: 1,232 ✭✭✭ferrigan101


    aismac wrote: »
    Only took six years for me to see this post and find the first person I’ve ever come across MMS. I’ve been hanging in the wrong places.

    I really enjoyed the Rama series back in the day (A C Clarke) and Eon by Greg Bear. These days it feels like everything I read is kind of sounding the same, and books of old - their predictions are all coming true. Anyone come across any really different/imaginative sci fi lately? Aisling

    I read Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky after seeing it recommended on here somewhere recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. Was a nice change from the space opera and hard sci-fi I've been reading of late. You could have a look at Children of Time by him too if you haven't already.


  • #51
    Mickeroo
    Administrators, Computer Games Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,117 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Mickeroo


    ferrigan101 wrote: »
    I read Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky after seeing it recommended on here somewhere recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. Was a nice change from the space opera and hard sci-fi I've been reading of late. You could have a look at Children of Time by him too if you haven't already.

    Dogs of War is very enjoyable too.


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  • #52
    ferrigan101
    Registered Users Posts: 1,232 ✭✭✭ferrigan101


    Mickeroo wrote: »
    Dogs of War is very enjoyable too.

    I am a good dog..... :pac:

    Read it a while back, really enjoyed it too.


  • #53
    aismac
    Registered Users Posts: 43 ✭aismac


    ferrigan101 wrote: »
    I read Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky after seeing it recommended on here somewhere recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. Was a nice change from the space opera and hard sci-fi I've been reading of late. You could have a look at Children of Time by him too if you haven't already.

    Thank you! I listened to Children of Time a few months back on Audible - it was excellent. That's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for.

    Other recent reads worth a look ....
    - We are legion (we are Bob)
    - The Wall - hard not to align it with GoT but an ok read
    - Sleeping Giants by Sylvian Newel...meh....
    - Flowers for Algernon - not new but definitely worth a read. Brought to mind a similar book Speed of Dark.
    - Currently listening to Metro 2033.
    - Half way through Recursion by Black Crouch - it's surprisingly good.

    I've heard of Dogs of War, but the older sci fi I've read recently has started to wear a little thin.... Anyone read any speculative type fiction or just more hard core Sci fi?

    Aisling.


  • #54
    Trojan
    Registered Users Posts: 16,402 ✭✭✭✭Trojan


    aismac wrote: »
    - Currently listening to Metro 2033

    Curious, is this read with a Russian accent?

    (There is a related computer game which is pretty good. )

    🎙️ The Recognized Authority Podcast



  • #55
    aismac
    Registered Users Posts: 43 ✭aismac


    Trojan wrote: »
    Curious, is this read with a Russian accent?

    (There is a related computer game which is pretty good. )

    The narrative isn’t but the dialogue is?? It’s done well too.


  • #56
    aismac
    Registered Users Posts: 43 ✭aismac


    aismac wrote: »
    The narrative isn’t but the dialogue is?? It’s done well too.

    The narrator makes a huge difference - I abandoned the World Walker halfway through because I really didn’t like his voice...


  • #57
    smacl
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 15,704 Mod ✭✭✭✭smacl


    aismac wrote: »
    Anyone read any speculative type fiction or just more hard core Sci fi?

    How long 'til black future month is a great collection of short stories if you're after something a bit different with lots of variety. Think of going to a restaurant and getting a bunch of starters rather than starter, main, desert. For short reads, I also really enjoyed To Be Taught, If Fortunate which I'd class as hard core sci-fi.


  • #58
    seagull
    Registered Users Posts: 2,340 ✭✭✭seagull


    I just thought I'd throw CJ Cherryh out into the mix of author recommendations. I've just dug some of the old books off the back of the bookcase for a reread.


  • #59
    The White Feather
    Registered Users Posts: 5,385 ✭✭✭The White Feather


    I have just only stumbled across this thread and there are some great recommendations here. Some I have read and others I have bought but haven't got round to them yet!

    I would throw out Jeff Somers and his Avery Cates series. I have only read the first 2 in the series of 5 but they are very good. They are cyberpunk if you like that kind of thing. It starts off with The Electric Church. Some great action in it where there are cyborgs with human brains.

    Another Author is Simon Morden. His most recent was a book called Bright Morning Star and its about an alien probe landing here on earth in the middle of a war. He has 2 others about men being sent to the moon called One Way and No Way.

    As a plug, I do have a reading log here where I review what I read also.


  • #60
    aismac
    Registered Users Posts: 43 ✭aismac


    Mentioned elsewhere but I'm currently reading Hold Up the Sky - short stories by Cixin Liu (who wrote Three Body Problem) and it's reaallly good. Fresh and quirky - I'm liking it more than the the novels.


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  • #61
    cdgalwegian
    Registered Users Posts: 1,906 ✭✭✭cdgalwegian


    Although Martha Wells is primarily a fantasy writer, and her 'Murderbot Diaries' have an off-putting title, the conceit and stories of the Murderbot Diaries are pretty simple, but really good.

    "The series is about an artificial construct designed as a Security Unit, which manages to override its governor module, thus enabling it to develop independence, which it primarily uses to watch soap operas. As it spends more time with a series of caring people (both humans and fellow artificial intelligences), it starts developing friendships and emotional connections, which it finds inconvenient."

    Although a lover of hard sc-fi, and I'd call this low sci-fi, I love them so far. I've read the first 4 in the series. An easy read, with good pacing, full of good action and humour.



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