The Sci-Fi Book Thread
- Thread starter Intrinsic
- Start date
-
Guest, it's time once again for the massively important and exciting FoH Asshat Tournament!
Go here and give us your nominations!Who's been the biggest Asshat in the last year? Give us your worst ones!
spronk
FPS noob
- 23,636
- 27,721
yeah, I read a few scifi books over the last few months that were "top rated" on amazon and they were all cut and paste generic clones. Its like mods for starcraft 2 or something, just the same generic humans vs. humans in space military-porn storyline tweaked here and there.
I'd REALLY recommend the Broken Empire series by Mark Lawrence, 3 books and the story is done. Its fantasy, but there are bits of sci fi in it and its really good, in that "holy fuck I did NOT see that coming" way. Great world building as well. In sci fi, I've read 2 of the Code Breaker series by Colin F Barnes, pretty decent so far - post apocalyptic, AI themed stories. Everything else has been dog shit.
I'd REALLY recommend the Broken Empire series by Mark Lawrence, 3 books and the story is done. Its fantasy, but there are bits of sci fi in it and its really good, in that "holy fuck I did NOT see that coming" way. Great world building as well. In sci fi, I've read 2 of the Code Breaker series by Colin F Barnes, pretty decent so far - post apocalyptic, AI themed stories. Everything else has been dog shit.
There are so many good fantasy series out there, why is it that people can't seem to write good sci-fi? I'm currently reading the Honor Harrington books, and while they're good time killers on my train ride, they're not great. I can think of ten fantasy series that I've really been sad when I finished them, but when it comes to sci-fi it just seems the quality level across the board is a lot lower. Maybe I'm reading the wrong sci-fi books.
Palum
what Suineg set it to
- 28,279
- 46,145
HH is right on the line between sci-fi and sci-fantasy, though. A lot of what is labeled as 'sci-fi' is really just future fantasy schlock that has little merit to people who want high fantasy or people who want actual science fiction. I mean if you think about it sci-fi is basically a label for 'fiction book that takes place in the future' whereas fantasy is a writing/story style of fantastic elements of world building taking place in any setting, so they aren't really advertised in a way that is comparable.
If I had to fix things I would probably establish more robust scales to define books IE setting timeline is from ancient past to far future 1-10, from rigidly historical to crazy fantasy 1-10, from grounded internal rationality to crazy bullshit 1-10, from strictly human to insanely alien 1-10, etc. I'm sure someone could define it better but I'd be interested to see something like it.
- 7,920
- 7,735
I find Evan Currie to be one of the more interesting Sci-Fi writers. I strongly agree with the sentiment that there is a lack of good Sci-Fi though. A lot of the authors just lose the story in the fact that they are trying to write too much Sci-Fi stuff. I wish Peter Hamilton wrote more.
I find myself more often than not falling back on Star Trek novels in the post Nemesis timeline, just because they at least usually have a story. They don't get bogged down on the details of making it Sci-Fi novel.
I find myself more often than not falling back on Star Trek novels in the post Nemesis timeline, just because they at least usually have a story. They don't get bogged down on the details of making it Sci-Fi novel.
Ukerric
Bearded Ape
- 8,448
- 10,614
Just finishedWarrior King, the book 5 of theOdyssey Oneseries, and was disappointed. The book was short and felt like a quick transition volume to start the next arc of the series and not enough of a book that stands on its own.
While he writes ok and his books are entertaining, he also has a tendency of not thinking of the consequences of what he wrote beforehand, which leads him to tweak his universe a lot. I mean, he has clearly a rough idea of what he wants, but I still feel he's making rookie mistakes which he spends the next book extricating himself from.
I should check his other series/books, but although the series that got me into him first is ok, I'm afraid of the rest.
So do I. I want some moreGreat North Road. We're getting a new volume in the Commonwealth universe this fall.
(I also wish HBO would make a Night's Dawn TV series. Because)
Ukerric
Bearded Ape
- 8,448
- 10,614
Hmmm, what to recommend...
It's been a long time, but if you've never read Stephen Baxter, you're missing on one of the hardest of hard SF writers. He's mostly known for his Xeelee series, which comprises a boatload of various novels and even more short stories collections, but he's written stuff like Time's Tapestry (how our entire history is the result of a ... let's not spoil it too much then), and other.
Basically, anything by Baxter is worth reading, including his collaborations like The Long Earth...
It's been a long time, but if you've never read Stephen Baxter, you're missing on one of the hardest of hard SF writers. He's mostly known for his Xeelee series, which comprises a boatload of various novels and even more short stories collections, but he's written stuff like Time's Tapestry (how our entire history is the result of a ... let's not spoil it too much then), and other.
Basically, anything by Baxter is worth reading, including his collaborations like The Long Earth...
Ukerric
Bearded Ape
- 8,448
- 10,614
He write SF based on whatever science concept he found, and extrapolating from there. Pure hard SF, almost no fantasy-style cheats.
Time's Tapestry is 4 books in 4 different eras where people try to figure out the meaning of some prophecies. I mean, the first book starts with a woman in Roman times reciting the start of the Declaration of Independence during childbirth, so you know you've got some timey-wimey stuff, just without time travelers. It's not a pure SF series, more like an alternate history series. It's more literary than most SF you usually read. If you want to check his style without investing in a 4 book series, check Moonseed, which is a single novel (a rarity these days), which I think represents best his writing.
I'm partial, that's the one that I got dedicated by him when I met him a few years ago.
Time's Tapestry is 4 books in 4 different eras where people try to figure out the meaning of some prophecies. I mean, the first book starts with a woman in Roman times reciting the start of the Declaration of Independence during childbirth, so you know you've got some timey-wimey stuff, just without time travelers. It's not a pure SF series, more like an alternate history series. It's more literary than most SF you usually read. If you want to check his style without investing in a 4 book series, check Moonseed, which is a single novel (a rarity these days), which I think represents best his writing.
I'm partial, that's the one that I got dedicated by him when I met him a few years ago.
Lusiphur
Peasant
- 595
- 47
If you don't know about him already it sounds like Greg Egan would tickle your pickle.
Ukerric
Bearded Ape
- 8,448
- 10,614
I've read everything except his last trilogy (for... reasons? Too many books around, maybe?)
Everything Egan wrote before that one was good, except maybe Teranesia. Couldn't like that one. But things like Permutation City, Diaspora or Schild's Ladder should be considered classics of SF.
Palum
what Suineg set it to
- 28,279
- 46,145
I've started Safehold series while I wait for the next HH book by Weber. I'm not sure if I regret it yet. It basically starts near the middle of HH writing style wise for Weber where he got so popular he only has spell checkers not editors. Political intrigue is only interesting when it's intriguing and not so much when it's based upon foreign motivations that you have no real frame of reference for. I get that the main POV is from an outsider (analogous to or current understanding of social/political constructs) if not exactly an early 21st century human but still kind of meh? I mean it's not so much bad as it's twice the words for the same punch.
I'm not sure if I'll continue it past book one at this point.
I'm not sure if I'll continue it past book one at this point.
khorum
Murder Apologist
- 24,338
- 81,363
Huh? Why not? Dune was required reading in high school for me... I doubt that's changed in 20 years.
Nester
Vyemm Raider
- 4,985
- 3,186
A Mote in God's Eye is one of my Favorites, the sequel "the gripping hand" is not bad either. I liked it more than Niven's Ringworld
- 1
MikhailBakunin
Golden Knight of the Realm
- 121
- 62
I'm just starting the fifth book of The Expanse series. Pretty great so far. There's a show on SyFy (that deviates in a few ways that make me like the books more).
- 1
Void
BAU BAU
- 9,987
- 12,019
Like actual curriculum required? Because I can't see many high schools having that even 20 years ago (much less today). You must have had a really cool English teacher.