Reply With QuoteNot sure it counts but a friend gave me a copy of "Tarkin" by James Luceno. Not started it yet but he assures me it's a decent read.
Got through just about everything Neal Asher has written after a tip from a fellow tz-er earlier this year. Half way through "Cowl" right now.
Anyone recommend anything similar?
So who's reading what at the moment?
Not sure it counts but a friend gave me a copy of "Tarkin" by James Luceno. Not started it yet but he assures me it's a decent read.
I'm re-reading Illium by Dan Simmons, just read Reamde by Neil Stephenson which I guess isn't really sci-fi. Bloody good book though!
The Peripheral, William Gibson
Just read Dune again. Brilliant sci fi.
Yes, big Neal Asher fan here- just about to kick into part 3 of the Owner trilogy.
Also partial to Peter F Hamilton- Great North Road was fantastic.
I think my fave is Ian M Banks. Love the Culture universe, Excession being one of my favourite all time books. Such a shame he's no longer with us.
currently reading my mechanical engineers report! its packed with science and a greater work of fiction there has never been
Fred Pohl's 'Gateway'
I've been a science fiction reader since my youth and that's a very long time ... One of the best I've read of late is a collection of short stories which I've been reading on my Kindle, called "The Time Traveller's Almanac: The Ultimate Treasury of Time Travel Fiction" A good thick book with some thought provoking stories, well worth the money...
Anything by Ian M Banks
Lol,Originally Posted by deerworrier
currently reading my mechanical engineers report! its packed with science and a greater work of fiction there has never been
Fiction is not really my thing, but I did read 'Hollow World' recently, as the blurb was intriguing, but I was disappointed.
Isaac Asimov the foundation series again,he is the maestro of heavy SF
Just finished re-reading The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons, brilliant stuff.
Alastair Reynolds- Revelation Space and Redemption Ark were pretty good, but as above, can't beat Iain M banks, a close call between Excession or Inversions for my fave :)
Will have a look at Neal Asher though.
Sadly found an old copy of Magician by Raymond E Feist under the stairs so started that again!
Have to agree about Banks : an absolute star of an author who's writing was the pinnacle of the art. Might just re-read something of his.
Yet to read Hamilton, will give it a go.
Can also recommend Alastair Reynolds, excellent writer, deep and expressive , good intricate plots too.
Stanislaw Lem for me now.
Going to reread the "Kefahuchi Tract trilogy" - Light, Nova Swing and Empty Space - by John M Harrison. Challenging, but rewarding.
"The Abyss Beyond Dreams" by Peter F. Hamilton, part 1 of his latest Commonwealth saga.
+1 for the Foundation Trilogy. An SF classic by the master.. Isaac Asimov.
Have to advertise fellow countryman Hannu Rajaniemi's books. He had written a trilogy so far: The Quantum Tief, The Fractal Prince and The Causal Angel. Alastair Reynolds and Ian M Banks fans might like his books too.
Just finished the Hyperion books by Dan Simmons, currently re reading the Wasp Factory by Mr Banks.
The guy that started the Cyber-Punk idea... William Gibson. Half way through the second Bridge novel.
If you like Asher, Hamilton, Banks (Culture)... you MUST try Gibson.
I finished re-reading Arthur C Clark's Rama series on Saturday night.
It was probably 20 years ago I last read it.
I couldn't remember the last book, so maybe I never actually finished it before.
I fine SF a bit geeky as a rule, but really enjoyed the complete short stories by JG Ballard
A lot of his other books are verging on SF
One of the best writers on the last 100 years IMO
Simon
Then back on to the Commonwealth Saga after The Neutronium Alchemist and The Naked God.
Just finished reading 'odd john'. A bit of a classic, but still an absolute brilliant read. And it's refreshing reading a book that isn't 500 pages long!
Anything by Bob Shaw or Michael G Coney.
Odd to think that the book you're reading is set in the past...
Going back through all the Iain M Banks oeuvre at the moment.
My downstairs loo is referred to as the Francis Banks Library as the bookshelves in there hold only Dick and Iain!
I remember reading this sooooo long ago! maybe over 30 years ago...
it was well trippy, and very visual, and funny!
http://english.lem.pl/gallery/4-cybe...il=0&buttons=1
I've just re- ordered it so it must have made a lasting impression
Last edited by sestrel; 2nd December 2014 at 22:00.
Definitely the Asimov foundation series and Frank Herbert's books, particularly Dune. I'd also recommend Douglas Adam's hitchhikers guide trilogy in 5 parts for some genius ideas and a laugh. Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Neverwhere whilst not really sci fi, are brilliant fantasy.
For trippy you might also like my next read, Job: A Comedy of Justice by Heinlein. Great stuff!I remember reading this sooooo long ago! maybe over 30 years ago...
it was well trippy, and very visual, and funny!
I've just re- ordered it so it must have made a lasting impression
+1
Excession is my favourite of his too.
if you like Heinlein, try 'The Moon is a harsh mistress'. Although written in 1966, it s beautifully crafted well engineered story, still very contemporary topics too.
If you like Neal Asher, then Richard K Morgan is worth a try; Altered Carbon / Broken Angels / Woken Furies are an excellent trilogy, and "Black Man" is a good standalone novel. Also Alastair Reynolds, the 'Revelation Space' series and 'The Prefect' are good.
If you find them all too soft and cuddly, try 'Blindsight' and 'Echopraxis' by Peter Watts.
-- Tim
+1 for Excession as well - my favourite 'Culture' novel.
Last edited by in_denial; 2nd December 2014 at 23:27. Reason: voting for Excession
I'm partial to Jon Courtenay Grimwood too - the earliest ones were a little odd** (but still enjoyable) - but he creates a rather interesting alternate 'verse in the Arabesk trilogy and the following three books.
** NeoAddix, his first, was described as a "cyber-noir ultrashocker".
I really enjoyed Richard Morgans trilogy, the hard bitten Takeshi Kovacs hero/anti hero is a great character.
Recently I finished Iain M Banks' final two novels, both Culture-based, and for me they were amongst his best. You learned much more about the Culture Minds than in any other in that series. Brilliant, in a word.
+ 1 I know its not Sci Fi but The Wasp Factory is one of my favourite books, Canal Dreams is not far behind.
Stephen Baxter - the finest sci-fi writer working today.
His first, Market Forces, is oddly prescient.
Ursula Le Guin:
- The Dispossessed
- the Earthsea (novels)
:)
-flugzeit
Anne McCaffrey's Talent series and Tower and Hive series are a winner
Really useful thread. Definitely going to pick some of the recommendations provided. Like many have already said, I'm also a big Iain M Banks fan and rate Excession as my favourite too. Think it's time I revisited some Gibson.
If anyone fancies some entertaining free e-books I've really enjoyed Peter Watts work. The Rifters series and Bindsight are available on Feedbooks and worth a look...
http://www.feedbooks.com/author/193
David
Yeah not bad, just finished the Long Earth series with Terry Pratchett. Some interesting ideas and a good story.
Ancillary Justice ; Ann Leckie
won the Hugo , Nebula , Clarke and pretty much every scifi award last year with this her debut novel.
Its good so far but features a gender nonspecific referring civilisation that refers to everyone in the feminine . So far I have no idea what sex the protagonist is. And it usually takes a few chapters to find out about other introduced characters.
Its a novel device , however I'm not sure that I'm enjoying it that much.
Gibson's next for me.
I recently read Ancillary Justice and her Ancillary Sword. I enjoyed them as very light reading. I can't tell the gender of the various characters, and wouldn't much care, except she won't let you forget that you can't tell.
Best wishes,
Bob
Just encouraged my son to read Hyperion - one of my favourite books of all time.
In the last few months I've read Snow Crash (Neal Stephenson) and the Forever War (Joe Haldeman) both of which were excellent.
Try some of his earlier stuff for full fat mind bending hard scifi, if you haven't already.
Neal Stephenson is a diverting read, although emphatically not SF in the Asher mould, Snow Crash and Diamond Age are classics, and The Cryptonomicon is a divertingly geeky read, and the Baroque Cycle is a tremendous romp through a slightly tweaked Enlightenment - the sort I would imagine Mr. Frazier enjoying (if it weren't for the fact that one of the protagonists, Newton, went to the wrong University 8-)
I struggled to get into Ancilliary Justice also, but I will give it another go. I still have 'The Quantum Thief' in my 'too read' pile.
Ah! I re-read David Brin's sextet of 'Uplift' books - well worth a try as well.
-- Tim
Seconded on the Joe Haldeman books. Also, there is 'forever peace' and 'forever free'. Mindbridge (same author) is another great book.
He's done quite a few!
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12476.Joe_Haldeman
Posting Permissions
