Looking for a more modern day (not a 1970's) novel which has lots of up-to-date technology etc, the in the "space opera" genre
I enjoyed the first 2/3 of Seveneves by Neal Stephenson so something like that maybe, but perhaps on a bigger scale.
Looking for a new world to get completely immersed in for a few weeks / months.
Thanks!
awww yeah. space opera!
I always recommend Dune if you haven't read it yet.
Also I'm reading the Bobiverse series at the moment. It's 3 books (The third was just released).
It's about a guy who dies in this century and gets revived in the future as an AI, to be trained for the purpose of piloting space faring ships. the whole series is about him exploring the universe with copies of himself.
it's super nerdy and a bit light hearted in tone.
If you want a more serious tone, I'd also suggest the culture series by Iain M banks. most of the books are standalone stories set in the same universe. I'd start with perhaps player of games.
And for epic insane serious level, there's always the foundation series by Asimov. I couldn't get through it personally. It was like reading about an entire different universe. Scaling over centuries of time.
I haven't read it but have heard good things about The Caledonian Gambit by Dan Moren.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Caledonian-.../dp/B06XH5T4WG
My favourite pure SF book is The Player of Games by Iain M Banks.
Peter F Hamilton
Very in depth,big books,lots of detail and a damn good read.
If you want something truly epic and powerful I always suggest The Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson.
So clever my foot fell off.
I tried this and despite it ticking all the boxes, I abandoned it after a few chapters. Can't remember exactly why now.Originally Posted by TheFlyingBanana
Another vote here... a very moving and thought provoking series. I found it so moving at the end I was almost in tears.
seconded - from Greg Mandel series to the most recent, love them all.
Richard Morgan is good fun. Start with Altered Carbon (which I believe is being made into Netflix series)
Just reading Richard Morgan now. You can get 5 books as a set off amazon for the kindle. It's my first read of this genre for years and I'm enjoying it
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Richard Morgan is probably one of my favourite new authors, his A Land Fit For Heroes fantasy series is as good if not better than his scifi stuff
Asimov's Robots series or Foundation series or others, Ian M Banks' Culture novels, Frank Herbert 's Dune, Dan Simmons Hyperion Cantos'....slightly left field but John Courtney Grimwoods Stamping Butterflies.
Last edited by Passenger; 23rd August 2017 at 18:39.
I'm reading the the "Red Rising" trilogy by Pierce Brown at the minute, which seems to be a modern iteration on the traditional space opera saga, and am enjoying them so far. I love Banks' "Culture" series, "Use of Weapons" being a favorite. Peter Hamilton is great for in depth SciFi, I prefer the "Commonwealth Saga" to the "Nights Dawn Trilogy", but both are cracking reads. One issue is you mention "up to date technology", whereas Banks and Hamilton specialize more in "crazy advanced made up future technology", which is no bad thing, but might not be what your after.
Really enjoyed Red Rising trilogy. There is not much great Sci Fi IMO - I end up reading more fantasy it seems.
Stephen Baxter is who you need.
So clever my foot fell off.
As par of the course here on this forum this will turn into another expensive thread for me. I can see my amazon kindle account taking a hammering over the next few days.
Larry Niven's Ringworld, in fact anything by Larry Niven. Rhe are all set in the same universe.
Bob Shaw - Orbitsville.
Pratchett and Baxter - The Long Earth series.
^^
This.
I have read everything by Niven and Niven/Pournelle, and most of the newer ones with other author interactions.
He is "Hard" SF all the way,
I read Seveneves and Aurora (KS Robinson) back to back, and Aurora is enough like the first half of Seveneves for me to strongly recommend it. Both were terrific, but the second half of Seveneves was weak (like OP found).
Read one or two Stephen Baxters. Good. But not as good as Iain M Banks. But what is?
A Deepness in the Sky, and a Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge, these were both great. Is there a third book? I vaguely remember there being a third book but I can't find any reference to it.
Galactic Odyssey, of course, but that is 1970s :D
The Heechee Saga by Frederik Pohl...
#1 'Gateway'
#2 'Beyond the Blue Event Horizon'
#3 'Heechee Rendezvous'
#4 'The Annals of the Heechee'
#5 'The Boy Who Would Live Forever'
That reminds me, I must read Lucifer's Hammer again.
Another good yarn is Alan Dean Foster's Icerigger.
I also have a soft spot for Greg Bear's "Eon". Written in the mid 80s it is very much as product of its time, and in some ways it's also in the alternative future genre, which I also like, and it blew my mind when I read it as a teenager:)
Looks like I'm going to have lots of time on my hands, had a massive heart attack on Wednesday:(
Love from UH Stoke CCU ICU.
I was going to suggest Foundation, Foundation and empire and Second Foundation. Also early Arthur C Clarke's earlier stuff like A fall of moondust.
I really hadn't pegged Richard Morgan's Altered Carbon series as being "space opera", but I guess that's what happens when you give up on subgenrefication. I've seen it described as cyberpunk, military sci fi and even Scottish speculative fiction.
China was right.
Although I have been hard core sci fi since I was a teenager, I really got into "American Gods" !
Wow what a ride! Thoroughly impressed!
I absolutely love sci-fi. As others have said Ian M Banks is fantastic, a master of the craft. Peter F Hamilton a close second for me, plenty to choose from and all decent. James S A Corey expanse series is pretty good, a bit lightweight compared to the first two but quite entertaining. I also really enjoyed recently Cixen Liu - The Three Body Problem series. Alistair Reynolds is also very good.
You are pretty safe with most of the suggestions on here.
Also Neal Asher similar to Banks Culture novels but a bit more pulpy and extremely violent. Very good though. His Owner Trilogy is pretty good too but be warned its seriously dark and violent , I actually felt physically sick at some of it.
Dread Empire's Fall series by Walter Jon Williams ( very hard space opera).
Ancillary Justice Ann Leckie
Rimrunners C. J. Cherryh ( her whole Merchanter series is good but this one is my fave)
A Talent for War (Jack McDevitt all his stuff is quite spacey)
The Forge of God / The Anvil of the Stars (Greg Bear , first is great , second is okay but more spacey)
The Forever War Joe Haldeman
FootFall /The Mote in God's Eye Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
The Stars My Destination Alfred Bester (quite old but one of the best action scifi stories ever written , often named as other scifi writers' favourite)
The Vorkosigan Saga (The Warrior's Apprentice) Lois McMaster Bujold ; physically disabled and frail aristocrat becomes great military commander ( safe for youngsters too , would be a great fim series hary potter meets Hornblower in space)
The Expanses series by James S A Corey are very good. I'm on book 4 at the moment and really enjoying them.
You could do a lot worse than read the Hunger Games Trilogy.
Barbarella
No need to thank me.
What ever you do don't watch the rubbish effort that Netflix have done in porting it to the TV. Books excellent... TV version total crap.
Last edited by solwisesteve; 24th August 2017 at 09:10.
Nitpicking I know, but tv series is done by Syfy
I like the tv show. One of the best scifi shows I've seen.
Well there's always 3001 by Arthur C. Clarke, but although post 1970's, it's looking a bit dated now.
I'd prefer to recommend John Birmingham's Axis of Time series Weapons of Choice, Designated Targets and Final Impact. Written about 10-12 years ago, and many of the alternate history scenarios he paints have a worryingly contemporary feel.
I'll second the ann leckie ancillary justice series - best I've read in a decade or more.
Some good suggestions my brief summary:
Mars Trilogy - well worth persisting with, proper "science" fiction
Iain M Banks - beautifully written but they all end the same way with a deus ex machina solution which I find a bit tiresome
Peter F Hamilton - can't bear his books, far too gruesome and visceral for my taste
Alistair Reynolds - wonderful and compelling, probably my favourite in the space opera genre, I especially enjoyed Chasm City
Joe Haldeman - The Forever War is fantastic; the follow up The Forever Peace is utter tosh
Jon Walter (or is it Walter Jon I can't remember) Williams - the Praxis trilogy - these are great, loved them. There are two follow up novellas which are not so good.
Evan Currie has written a host of fairly trashy sci-fi which are available on Kindle; hardly high brow but they are good fun, I especially recommend On Silver Wings, the first of a (I think) six book series; its the best but the others are readable.
The Gap series Stephen Donaldson.
Space Opera but there is quite a lot of sexual violence in there. And I'm not sure if its depiction was necessarily handled that sensitively.
The first novel especially was quite tough to read. It does have plenty to offer though. It reminded me a lot of CJ Cheryh but nastier.
The Praxis series is the "Dread Empire's Fall" series I mentioned from Walter Jon Williams.
As previously mentioned the Foundation trilogy by Asimov is well worth a read. In fairness it does feel a little dated now though.
I would also recommend the Planet of Adventure series by Jack Vance - a good mix of hard SF and social commentary. Although written 50 or so years ago it stands up well.
Slightly more fantasy but still containing lots of interesting SF elements is probably my favourite - Philip José Farmers River Word saga. The historical and biographical descriptors of significant people from history adds a extra dimension to the appeal.
Last edited by Velorum; 24th August 2017 at 09:12.
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