Running out of Sci-Fi

pmrid (Peter) · #1 06-03-2015, 07:59 AM

Strewth! Now here's a thorny problem: I'm heading off for a few weeks on the road, caravan and spouse. Part of my "road " kit is a decent supply of books that don't challenge the brain too much. So I have been scouring my as-yet-unread Sci-Fi supply and come up empty. I've exhausted my supply of Sci-Fi authors.

Who do you read out of the newer generations of authors? Who has inherited the laurel from Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke, Aldiss etc?

I've read all I can get of Niven, Baxter, Stephensopn, Brinn, and a long list of others. Many of them seem to be target at the bodice-ripping end of Sci-Fi which we can safely ignore - along with tales of hopelessly clever adolescents and naiive but wealthy damsels challenging 10-legged monsters and finding love at the same time. But where is the next Enders Game, or the Red, Green, Blue Mars trilogy? What has replaced Rama and Foundation?

C'mon guys, rattle your libraries and tell me what you're reading that's worth the effort.

Peter

anj026 · #2 06-03-2015, 08:22 AM

Iain M Banks culture novels.

Consider Phlebas
Use of Weapons
The State of the Art

glend (Glen) · #3 06-03-2015, 08:31 AM

I share your pain. The lack of quality in this area has motivated my son to write a sci-fi novel but that is years away from publication as he is still developing the culture, background, etc.

I am sure there must be 'lost' stories from Clark, Heinlen, et al that are in a box somewhere. I hope their respective families can find them and get someone to develop them for publication.

LewisM · #4 06-03-2015, 09:00 AM

Back to the classics for me - they never grow old.

speach (Simon) · #5 06-03-2015, 09:01 AM

I've been addicted to Scifi for a long time, but now when browsing the shelves at the library (remember them) they are full of Magic books. Not the PROPER SciFi So I'm forced to reread books. BTW try Ben Dover.

bojan · #6 06-03-2015, 09:56 AM

Try Stanislaw Lem.. he is classic all right, but not really in the western world.. which is a big shame, considering the quality of his work.

Andy01 (Andy) · #7 06-03-2015, 10:19 AM

Tried the Honor Harrington series by David Weber?
Ripping action space opera stories in the Hornblower/EE Doc Smith Lensman series tradition - lots of battles, politics and action - and there's lots of them!

While you're there, Frank Herbert's son Brian has done a fine job expanding the "Duniverse" with well researched back stories, prequels, sequels and more. if you liked Dune but couldn't really get into the original sequels, I'd highly recommend these books by Brian Herbert.

Happy reading

Andy

RickS (Rick) · #8 06-03-2015, 10:45 AM

I've been reading more fantasy lately, including the reports I get at work

I recently read the Wool Trilogy by Hugh Howey and enjoyed that. There's a new William Gibson book out too.

Cheers,
Rick.

issdaol (Phil) · #9 06-03-2015, 10:49 AM

All great classic Authors you mention but you may want to try:

Joe Haledeman - Quite prolific writer with a wide array of short and multi novel mini operas

Julian May - The awesome Intervention & Golden Torc Opera a towering achievement with approximately 10-12 full size novels that makes up the full story

Kevin J Anderson - Some awesome classic multi novel space operas

Peter F Hamilton - The awesome Commonwealth Saga and Mindstar novels

Vernor Vinge - Award Winning Marooned in Realtime Novels

If you want a science+PSI spin on Vampires instead of the usual fantasy spin on vampires the Brian Lumley novels are an amazing read about 12 in the whole saga. He also did the Psychomech trilogy

I can probably think of some other but I would be surprised if you can't find something engaging from these :-)

alocky (Andrew lockwood) · #10 06-03-2015, 10:55 AM

Alastair Reynolds - another modern author of the Asimov mould. Big on the nano-tech side of things. Revelation space was especially good. Someone else has already suggested Ian m banks - these would be my personal top two of contemporary sci fi, but sadly there will be no more novels by Banks.
Cheers,
Andrew.

graham.hobart (Graham stevens) · #11 06-03-2015, 11:08 AM

+1 for Iain M Banks culture novels. Especially the first 3.
Joe Haldeman the Forever War series.
If you like sc fi with history I would highly recommend The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis- contemporary Oxford research student travels back to black plague infected middle ages and gets stuck, whilst her colleagues vainly try and get her back - excellent science and well researched history.
If you are looking for other books to take I have just read "incognito, the secret history of the brain" by David Eagleman- a fascinating account of modern neuroscience and how our unconscious really rules the roost.
Plus the new Bill Bryson book about 1927 is hilarious.

wavelandscott (Scott) · #12 06-03-2015, 12:18 PM

I am a fan of Orson Scott Card - the Ender Series...

I am sitting at Shanghai Airport a bit weary from travel so names escape me...
I can not think of the name of the author but the Beserker Series is an easy and fun read.

A Mote in God's Eye is also enjoyable...

pmrid (Peter) · #13 06-03-2015, 01:22 PM

Gentlemen, I thank you one and all. I now have 300 or so of the books/series mentioned by you all on my iPad and ready to rock 'n read.

Just put a new set of tyres on the 4x4 and another set on the caravan (an easy way to blow a couple of grand if ever there was one) so I'm right to go.

Peter

clive milne · #14 06-03-2015, 01:41 PM

Peter F Hamilton - expansive space opera
Richard Morgan - dystpoian future fiction
Ian M BAnks - The Algebraist is my favourite
Fred Bester - Old but astoundingly prescient.
Greg Bear (Eon) - If you like Orson Scott Card, you will like this guy.

And... last but not least, George RR Martin, A game of thrones.
A stunningly well rendered gothic fantasy without equal. This would be my number one pick without a moments hesitation. Tolkien doesn't even come close imho.

ZeroID (Brent) · #15 06-03-2015, 02:53 PM

Try 'The Quantum Thief' ( can't remember author sorry ) Very complex and clever SciFi. Quite recent.

Regulus (Trevor) · #16 06-03-2015, 05:51 PM

So many good SciFi authors now, but these guys never let me down.
Peter F Hamilton
Ian M Banks
Alastair Reynolds
David Weber for space opera in the Honor Harrington series

These are the authors whose books I have re-read. Some within months of the first, and at least 3 times each. Excellent SF all.

pmrid (Peter) · #17 06-03-2015, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy01

Tried the Honor Harrington series by David Weber?
Ripping action space opera stories in the Hornblower/EE Doc Smith Lensman series tradition - lots of battles, politics and action - and there's lots of them!

Strewth Andy, you were not exaggerating. So far I've located 61 of his.

Peter

pmrid (Peter) · #18 06-03-2015, 06:20 PM

For hose last few who came in after my first Thank You, I repeat - Thank You.

That'll keep me going for quite a while.

Peter

PeterM · #19 06-03-2015, 10:44 PM

Jerome Bixby - (not so recent as he died in 1998) wrote The Man From Earth, one of my fav sci fi/fantasy.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Bixby

MichaelSW (Michael) · #20 06-03-2015, 11:10 PM

pmrid Peter,

G'day.

If you enjoyed reading Asimov's non-fiction as well as his sic-fi, I would recommend books by Dava Sobel, especially Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love (2000), and Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of his Time (1995).

Two wonderfully told historical science stories.

Travel safe.

Cheers.