I started a thread like this once upon a time, and got a lot of great feedback. Sad thing is due to the pruning of old (partially of my own doing) the thread got lost, and I am slow. But pruning is a thing of old, and I need to try this again! So I ask for any suggestions for sci-fi books, to read, I'm eager for a new read. If any of you have read the Tenebrea Trilogy by Roxann Dawson and Daniel Graham, I loved this. Loved it. I guess that could be described as sci-fi drama and space opera. I want more of that. While I love complicated TV, I'm not so good with complicated books. I like a complicated story, but find with books if there's too many characters I get confused and switch off. BUT, if I do get engaged then I commit and love it. Any suggestions from you all?
OK, brother, you asked for it: The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress-R.A.H. Santiago:A Myth of the Far Future-Mike Resnick 1632-Eric Flint(and the Universe he created, try Baen'sBar for free e-versions) Little Fuzzy-H Beam Piper Paratime- " Federation- " Empire- " The Coming Of the Quantum Cats-Pohl(?) anything by Allen Steele, anything at all The Mote In God's Eye-Pournelle/Niven Axis of Time trilogy by John Birmingham Island In the Sea of Time by S M Stirling(actually, most of his stuff is good although some of his last 2 trilogies is a little heavy-handed) Conquistador-S M Stirling The Peshwar Lancers-Stirling Freehold- Michael Z Williams Old Man's War-John Scalzi Startide Rising/The Uplift War-David Brin Stirling's Draka series(only available in omnibus form new, very expensive individual novels used)-some of the most horrifying alt hist stories I've ever read. The Chronicles of Amber-Roger Zelazny Flash Forward-Robert Sawyer Desolation Road-Ian McDonald The Riverworld series-Phillip Jose Farmer Starborn-Andre Norton Armageddon Blues-Daniel Keyes Moran BOLO-Keith Laumer The Stainless Steel Rat-K Laumer The Guns of the South- Harry Turtledove Pavane-Keith Roberts The Lord Darcy series by Randall Garrett Lest Darkness Fall-L Sprague DeCamp
and... Time and Time Again-Jack Finney Shakespeare's Planet-Clifford Simak Norstrillia-Cordwainer Smith Cowboy Angels- Paul J. McAuley The Big Time - Fritz Leiber A Canticle for Liebowitz-Walter Miller The Forever War-Joe Haldeman Rainbow's End-Vernor Vinge The Peace War-Vernor Vinge The Postman-David Brin Emergence David R Palmer Time Enough For Love-R.A.H. The Time Patrol-Poul Anderson Flowers For Algernon-Daniel Keyes Dorsai!-Gordon R Dickinson Kage Baker's Company series(The Garden Of Iden, et al) by Ken MaCleod- Cosmonaut Keep (2000; US paperback ISBN 0-7653-4073-9) -- Clarke Award nominee, 2001 [11]; Hugo Award nominee, 2002 [12] Dark Light (2001; US paperback ISBN 0-7653-4496-3) -- Campbell Award nominee, 2002 [13] Engine City (2002; US paperback ISBN 0-7653-4421-1) And that should keep you busy.
The Culture novels by Iain M Banks (start with Consider Phlebas) The Sprawl trilogy by William Gibson (important for the shape of the net today) Any books you can find by Howard Waldrop (mainly a short story writer but dazzlingly good).
Mistral! I'm shocked! How could you not suggest Space Viking (doesn't get more opera than this) and Cosmic Computer aka Junkyard Planet? Both by Piper. Space Viking has even seen a reprint in the last few years, picked up a new copy a couple months ago. Also The Berserker books by Fred Saberhagen (and now other authors) Still waiting for someone to write a Berserker VS Bolo book. That would rock!
I figured if he liked the 4 I suggested by Piper he'd find those on his own. I didn't suggest A Planet For Texans either but its one of the better stand-alone novels he wrote. For that matter, there's Earthblood by Keith Laumer-now that's opera at its finest.
Anything by Dan Simmons, John Scalzi, Vernor Vinge, Peter F Hamilton, and Alastair Reynolds. And in that order.
Bejesus, that's a lot of suggestions. Thanks guys. I'll need to trawl Amazon and read about them. I wish I had an eBook reader, it'd be easier!
Antony, if you have an iPod Touch or an iPhone, you can get a nice eReader ap for it. I have one and never use it. On to my suggestions: Old Man's War by John Scalzi The Tomb by F. Paul Wilson The Outback Stars by Sandra McDonald Dune by Frank Herbert The Calling by David Mack
Midworld, by Alan Dean Foster. It's a wonderful and thought-provoking work. One of his best, in my opinion.
Keith Laumer, people say? If someone's looking for a space opera satire about diplomatic politics (and who isn't) his Retief series is very funny.
Two of my favorites: The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold (Of "The Trouble With Tribbles"), and Tommorrow and Tommorrow, a time travel romance by Charles Sheiffeld.
Keep in mind, Antony, that what I posted was a distilled list of 31 years of reading scifi at an average rate(until 3 yrs ago when my son was born) of 5 books a week. What I listed is truly cream-of-the-crop stuff, albeit an incomplete list of same. I dug it too but he gets very heavy-handed about the Wicca stuff later on. Don't say I didn't warn you. I actually found myself skimming in sections of the later books. I never did that in his Nantucket trilogy.