Your favorite Sci-Fi books, series and writers.

[Daradon]

So the book Contact was brought up in another thread, and I myself just started reading a a great sci-fi series so I was wondering what books and writers people liked.

I'll start by saying first off, that I'm not talking about any 'franchise' type books, like Star Trek and Star Wars etc. So if you want to talk about those maybe you should head on down to the Bat-elth thread.

First of all I wanted to see if anyone had read the series I just started so I could get their opinions on it and the science in it. I'm just started reading Stephen Baxter's Manifold series. There are three books in it as far as I know. Manifold: Time, Manifold: Space, and Manifold: Origin. Please don't spoil anything for me if you have read them, as I'm just finishing up the first book, but are there any opinions on this series or writer? I am quite enjoying it, lots of great ideas, and the science seems very sound. He's been given praise from Arthur Clarke and been compared to being a writer to stand with Asimov and Clarke. Wondered if anyone else had him their bookshelf and what they thought.

Other classics are of course Asimov's Robot and Foundation series', Dune was great in the beginning although it has become more 'franchise' orientated after the ideas in the first book or two.

I once read a series called The Gap Series, by Stephen Donaldson. He was normally a fantasy writer, but did a fairly good job in sci-fi in that series I thought.

Any other 'must reads' out there? Any thoughts on the books I mentioned? Let me know what you think.

[Bobblehead]

This may be a good start...

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=65553

[flip]

The bible.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

This may be a good start...

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=65553

Not really what I was looking for. I mean I'm sure it's got a few good ideas in there for something new, but it doesn't carry the discussion I was looking for. Not to mention I've got to wade through 25 other categories or so.

[GGG]

Ender's game and enders shadow by orson scott card. He has written a bunch of other books in the same series but they aren't nearly as good as these to.

[Fozzie_DeBear]

Dune:Frank Herbert 'nuff said

[Kipper is King]

Originally Posted by flip

The bible.

Dude...we have enough of those threads elsewhere! Don't turn this into one.

[Ashartus]

The Revalation Space series by Alastair Reynolds is pretty good. I also enjoyed Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks and Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan; haven't had a chance to read the remaining books in those series yet. Vernor Vinge is brilliant IMO, particularly his last 3 books, but seems to write about 1 book a decade. I also like David Brin most of the time, though he sometimes has trouble ending his books.

For older stuff, I don't think anything compares to Dune. When I was younger I just liked the first books and didn't like the later ones, but re-reading them several years later I got much more of an appreciation of where he was going with the later books - too bad his son and Kevin Anderson botched the last one so badly.

[Locke]

Another vote for Ender's Game, really good book.

I'm a huge Sci-fi guy, so here are some of my favorites:

Isaac Asimov - Foundation Series (Whole Series, original trilogy and extended)
Timothy Zahn - Conqueror's Trilogy
Arthur C. Clarke - Odyssey Series (2001, 2010, 2061 and 3001)
Arthur C. Clarke - Rama Series
Arthur C. Clarke - Childhood's End (Sci Fi lovers must read)
Douglas Adams - A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Isaac Asimov - Nightfall

Theres more but those are the ones that immediately come to mind.

[HPLovecraft]

Anything a little more...recent, that people may not have heard of and want to pick up? These oldies but goodies have all been read by most decent Sci-Fi readers.

[Daradon]

Ahhh, yeah I've read the Hitchhikers series too, very good of course. Not the kind of 'heavy' sci-fi I was originally thinking about.

A lot of the usual suspects up there. No one has heard of Stephen Baxter?

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

Anything a little more...recent, that people may not have heard of and want to pick up? These oldies but goodies have all been read by most decent Sci-Fi readers.

The series I am reading was first published in 2000 in the real world, and the series starts in a period from 2010 on. The usual ideas about the world running out of resources etc. starting the series up. As I mentioned the science seems pretty solid, though like many books, the future, even just 10 years ahead of when he started writing, is a little advanced of where we are now (it being 2009 and all). Both on the problems facing the world, and the technology that we have at our disposal.

The good old Jetsons/1984/2001 problem of predicting the future, lol.

But I must say I am really enjoying it was hoping someone would be able to comment on it. Stephen Baxter Manifold Series.

[Biff]

David Weber Honor Harrington series. Rather good.

[Cain]

Can't go wrong with Heinlein.

Tunnel in the Sky and Starship Troopers are both very good, as are many others of his (Moon is a harsh mistress, double star).

I haven't read it yet, but my friends are raving about Anathem by Neal Stephenson.

[cyclone3483]

Originally Posted by flip

The bible.

where is the unthanks button?

[cyclone3483]

One I read years ago is the Amber Series by Roger Zelazny.

But I think it's out of print now, can't seem to find it at Chapters...

[Circa89]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Not really what I was looking for. I mean I'm sure it's got a few good ideas in there for something new, but it doesn't carry the discussion I was looking for. Not to mention I've got to wade through 25 other categories or so.

Check out the spreadsheet on the first Page and look under the sci-fi column. That way you won't have to wade through the other categories. A lot of Philip K. Dick selections in there. If you haven't picked up one of his books I encourage you to do so.

[troutman]

Peter Hamilton - Pandora's Star/ Judas Unchained

Alastair Reynolds -

Farmer - Riverworld Series

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by cyclone3483

One I read years ago is the Amber Series by Roger Zelazny.

I know what you are talking about and I have them. That is one of my favorite series EVER! Both the Corwin series and the Merlin series. But not really sci-fi, more fantasy. (Even though he did win sci-fi awards for other books he wrote). He was kinda more like a Douglas Adams type writer. Some good ideas but in a very light hearted sorta way.

I actually heard there was supposed to be a third series of books along the Amber lines, but he died before he got much of it done.

[Itse]

I love "the Vorkosigan saga" by Lois McMaster Bujold. Not exactly heavy on the science side, but easily the most fun I've had reading books as an adult. Personal favourites in the series are propably The Warrior's Apprentice, Brothers in Arms and A Civil Campaign.