Top 10 New Sci-Fi/SF Authors?

Dukebytes asks: "I am looking for the new RAH/Piers Anthony/Roger Zelazny/Weis & Hickman etc..., of the world. I have read just about everything I could find on King Aurthur, all of the Dragon Lance stuff, and all or most of the 'old school' hardcore. I don't know, I have maybe 4000 books at home, most of them Scifi/SF. I am looking for some new stuff. I haven't bought any kind of book other than techie for more than 2 years. I just keep reading the ones that I have over and over and over. What are you guys reading? If it is a series, please list ALL of the books in it!"

Comments

wow

[Anonymous Coward]

i'm on slashdot.

Re:wow

[jobeus]

Stephen Lawhead's a good author, has some stuff on King Arthur, and some other good books like the Celtic Crusades series... I enjoy them, anyways. Check him out... here

King Aurthur?

[Anonymous Coward]

Proof positive that a steady diet of sci-fi contributes nothing to overall literacy.

Re:King Aurthur?

[DeComposer]

And since when did Fantasy get classified the same as Science Fiction? The two are very definitely NOT the same! It's fine to read one, the other, or both; but don't lump them into the same literary category.

FP

[Anonymous Coward]

imagine a cluster of books....4000 even....wow

Re:FP

[perfessor multigeek]

imagine a cluster of books about Beowolf.

AC first post

[Anonymous Coward]

thought I'd try

I like Science Fiction...

[Anonymous Coward]

I just don't know how many of the authors live in San Francisco.

The new Piers Anthony?

[Anonymous Coward]

Why would we need another Piers Anthony? He shits out more crap ion one year than any 8 other authors!

Re:The new Piers Anthony?

[Randolpho]

Yeah, the last thing we need is an old paedophile with a penchant for puns. :D

Re:The new Piers Anthony?

[Anonymous Coward]

read his Incarnations of Immortality. those were quite good. as to the rest of his books... thats another matter.

Re:The new Piers Anthony?

[Dudio]

I kinda dug the Bio of a Space Tyrant series too. Yeah, it was a thinly veiled commentary on US politics, but it was still pretty entertaining reading.

Re:The new Piers Anthony?

[Anonymous Coward]

Agreed... Mr. Anthony stopped producing anything worthwhile years ago. I used to voraciously read every book he wrote...

Re:The new Piers Anthony?

[Doktor Memory]

Which part of US politics, specifically, was being critqued when the main character had sex with his 13-year-old adopted daughter?

No fair saying Bill Clinton; "Statesman" was published in the early 80s.

Seriously, I enjoyed a lot of Anthony's stuff when I was 14 years old, but in retrospect I look back at it and have to repress shudders. If Pete Townsend is under arrest, Piers Anthony should be rotting away in solitary.

Re:The new Piers Anthony?

[yossie]

My favorite authors, in no particular order, of recent years:

Greg Egan - well, OK, he is my FAVORITE, by far, of the lot. Permutation City is incredible, Diaspora is fantastic too. Of the lot, Distress is the least well done (only relatively so).

Wil McCarthy - only read one of his, The Collapsium, but already bought two more - expect them to be equally fun.

David Brin

Greg Bear

Gregory Benford

Vernor Vinge - A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky are both great - incredible alians

Paul J. McAuley - the Confluence trillogy is wonderfully fun to read

Stephen Baxter - The Time Ships, Ring, etc.. All good

Enjoy - Yossie

Re:The new Piers Anthony?

[Anonymous Coward]

Piers Anthony is directly responsible for my now voracious reading appetite. I remember the first Anthony books I read, "Ogre, Ogre" in the Xanth series... that was almost 20 years and more books than I can possibly begin to count, ago... and it's all because of the pulp.

Re:The new Piers Anthony?

[Dudio]

Ummmm ... the laws and cultural taboos against paedophilia? He makes it pretty clear that he believes that the wishes of a 13-year-old trump any societal desire to protect her from her own innocence.

That's not what I had in mind though; I'd conveniently forgotten about that aspect, disturbing as it is. I was thinking about the rest of his not-so-subtle commentary on treatment of refugees and migrant workers, mindless bureaucracy and corruption in government, a political system that strongly favors incumbents and those beholden to special interests, and violent opposition to those seeking to change the status quo.

Re:The new Piers Anthony?

[Squiffy]

About Greg Egan: Did you read Teranesia? I thought it wasn't nearly as well done as Distress. Maybe he was afraid of copying Blood Music, but he had an interesting idea and then just kind of let it go. Or maybe he was trying to do some real characterization -- I love him to death but I think he should just stick to what he's good at.

Also, have you read Schild's Ladder yet? Any word on whether it's worth it? It looks pretty good but I haven't yet brought myself to buy hardback.

Re:The new Piers Anthony?

[spiro_killglance]

I've read Schild's Ladder, very good book, if a
little heavy on the physics. If you can handle
three page asides on decoherence and charge superselection rules, then Schild's ladders is
well, worth a read. Plus its probably they only
book that tries to explain loop quantum gravity to
layman at present.

Re:The new Piers Anthony?

[Tet]

Gregory Benford

Bleugh! After his apalling treatment of Clarke's universe in "Beyond the fall of night", I've struggle to treat Benford seriously.

Vernor Vinge - A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky are both great

Here I couldn't agree more. "The peace war" is the best scifi book I've read in the last 10 years.

Stephen Baxter - The Time Ships, Ring, etc.

Hmmm. I didn't particularly get on with Baxter. Just didn't like his writing style.

Re:The new Piers Anthony?

[chirayuk]

Hi,

I have not read scfi-fi from authors except clarke and asimov. none of these new names are familar to me - except greg egan. when i read your post - i remembered having read a short story authored by him called "Dust".

A google search led me to Permutation City. If ou have read Dust - is permutation city a novel made from that short story? (sort of like what clarke did with nightfall?)

thanks,
chirayu.

Re:The new Piers Anthony?

[eschasi]

I hate to say this, but at least half of the folks you mention (Brin, Bear, Benford and Vinge) have all been writing popular SF for 20+ years. Vinge has always had very low output, but writing wasn't his real job until recently; Benford was winning awards in the early '70s; Bear published his first novel in 1979; Brin won the Hugo for novel with his 1982 novel "Startide Rising".

They're all great authors and have prominent places on eschasi's shelf, but they're almost all older than eschasi -- and he's old.

1st post?

[Anonymous Coward]

RAY BRADBURY

good hard sci-fi stuff

[kbs]

I've found a rather good liking for some of Gregory Benford's work. If I'm not mistaken, he's a Physicist, so he approaches his work in the same sort of manner. The characters might not be all that great, and his main characters are almost always University professors who end up facing tenure issues, but it's an interesting read.

I've also found, for things that are sort of out there philosophically, that Greg Egan is pretty cool. I haven't seen any new books by him recently, but I'd suggest Permutation City, Diaspora, and Quarantine as some interesting things to check out.

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[Bondolo]

Benford's endings are horrible. Often it seems that things are moving along with the plot and then suddenly the writer hit a deadline so wrote 5 more pages to conclude the book.

In one case, after 3 books of a series he introduced a tie-in to his other series in the last 2 pages.

But then again, a good book with a bad ending is better than a bad book any day.

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[Mister Black]

Often it seems that things are moving along with the plot and then suddenly the writer hit a deadline so wrote 5 more pages to conclude the book.

I see you too have read Neil Stephenson's Diamond Age.

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[Ray Dassen]

I've also found, for things that are sort of out there philosophically, that Greg Egan is pretty cool

AOL on that. On the hard SF front, I also enjoy
Alastair Reynolds's work (e.g. Revelation space). Other writers I'd recommend are Peter F. Hamilton (in particular the Night's Dawn series - wide-vista space opera with a touch of horror), Allen Steele (Clarke-esque near-future SF), Robert Charles Wilson and on the more slipstreamy side, Michael Marshall Smith and Jeff Noon.

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[jovlinger]

> AOL on that

cute. Took me a while to get.

Anyways. Jeff Noon is one of those fantastic authors who resists classification into either fiction, SF, or just plain enjoyable. Highly recommended.

For a more litterate approach, I'd recommend some Borges. John Brunner can often be found in bargain bins. Get "Stand on Zanzibar" and "Squares of the City". Both good. I've read "The Infinitive of Go", but couldn't tell you what it was about. Forgettable.

I'd like to unrecommend Baxter, whose superb Xeelee series lured me into buying the deplorable Manifold series. Titan also blew. These books are bad enough to have me contemplating demanding a refund. Yes, I do have a bone to pick with him.

Similarly Greg Bear started very strongly with two or three Eon books, the great children-revenging-earth series, and some really good near-future detective stories, but recently has severely dissapointed with both "Darwin's Radio" and "Vitals". He has yet to earn a blanket disrecommendation: two duds out of 10 odd books ain't bad, but it is worrying that both duds were in a row. This suggests that like Baxter he may be searching for a new twist/style , and is not finding one.

Perennial favorites (by virtue of liking all their books) are Ken Mcleod and Iain Banks. Both write fairly unchallenging, but very fun, space opera. Watch out for Mr. Bank's non-SF output, which is not up to the level of his SF (IMHO).

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[orthogonal]

jovlinger's recommendations are on target. (Though I can't say I've heard of McLeod.)

Ley me also say that I just finished, and pretty well enjoyed David Brin's Kiln People, despite its flirtations with Dr. Roger Penrose's "quantum mind" silliness. (No, I'm usually far to respectful of hard-science Ph.D.s to call their theories "silly", but for Penrose's speculations outside his own field, I'll make an exception.)

I'd mod jovlinger's post up, except I wanna make my own recommendations too. (Sorry. It's not all about Karma, is it? Oh.)

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[Anonymous Coward]

Vitals was awful... But Darwin's Radio was very enjoyable!

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[NoTheory]

I disagree with that assessment.

Compared to Snowcrash, the Diamond Age progressively moves very smoothly towards a resolution.

The book runs on a societal, personal and technological level. It shows the impact people have on technology, how technology impacts society, how society impacts individuals, and how individuals impact each other. What more do you want?

I'm not really seeing the resolution you're missing ::grins:: I'd write up a full out plot analysis but i'm not sure i'd help if you missed it in the book :)

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[DocLoveless]

While not exactly new, Larry Niven's Known Space collection of short stories/novels is good stuff (Protector, World Of Ptavvs, Neutron Star, Ringworld, The Ringworld Engineers, others) as is his collection of Gil Hamilton/ARM stories. Concur with earlier recommendations on Dan Simmons (Hyperion, Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, Rise of Endymion) and David Brin (Uplift stories as well as The Practice Effect) - both authors are exceptional. I find Greg Bear to be a little less accessible, but the Eon series is good (skip The Forge of God and sequel Anvil Of Stars). And, of course, if you want nightmares, there's always Philip K. Dick....

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[Bill Currie]

John Brunner's "Crucible of Time" is excellent (I haven't read his others). The only SF book I can think of that doesn't even hint at humans (I admit I haven't really read a huge quantity), let alone have even a lone human.

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[Mandi Walls]

To the "hard sci-fi" list i'd like to add

Peter Watts - Starfish and Maelstrom

Eric S. Nylund - Signal to Noise and A Signal Shattered

Someone else in reply to this post suggested Noon, but I just can't get through his stuff. Anybody wants my mostly unread copy of Vurt, you're welcome to it.

--mandi

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[Snorlax]

For hard science fiction, I liked Vernor Vinge's work, particularly "A Fire Upon the Deep", and his Across Realtime series ("The Peace War", "Marooned In Realtime", etc...).

David Brin's Uplift series ("The Uplift War", etc...) was also good, but not really hard-core hard science fiction.

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[dotslash]

>Perennial favorites (by virtue of liking all their books) are Ken Mcleod and Iain Banks. Both write fairly unchallenging, but very fun, space opera. Watch out for Mr. Bank's non-SF output, which is not up to the level of his SF (IMHO).

AFAIK Stuff published as "Ian M. Banks" is the SF, non-SF is published under the "Ian Banks" name (no "M").

Interesting meta-information in the author's name.

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[Anonymous Coward]

I liked the book, esp. the world he creates and the technology he presents. And I agree that it moves towards a resolution, but I don't believe that it reaches one.

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[astroboscope]

Just make sure you read Protector before Ringworld Engineers! Actually, skip Ringworld Engineers and go to The Integral Trees and The Smoke Ring.

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[astroboscope]

He is a physics prof, but his characterization is much better the less like a physics prof the character is.

I strongly recommend Great Sky River and Tides of Light.

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[NoTheory]

::grins:: The question is what sort of resolution people are looking for. He gets through all the change the huge paradigm shift, balance is restored into the world that the characters live in, if thats not a resolution, i don't know what is ;) The book ends with each character in a role of some sort for the new world order that's been established. At this point the chapter in each character's life has been closed and they can move onto the next one.

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[TrebleJunkie]

Greg Bear's "Forge of God" and "Anvil of Stars" are two of the best SF books I've read recently. I don't know how I didn't pick these up earlier, as they've both been out for years.

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[jovlinger]

Nylund was more enjoyable than well written. Ie, the story is strong enough to overcome the sometimes stilted writing. If you buy those books, buy both (they are really one book published in two volumes), and force yourself to finish the first one (the second is significantly better written than the first -- with any luck his next books will be even better written with the same strong plots). But well worth the read, all in all.

I don't know Watts. What sort of writing is it?

On a completely different note, If you like the Asimov style SF, you may want to pick up some Charles Sheffield. Be somewhat careful about what you buy as the same book (or at least same plot) has been published under two different titles (forget which tho. Sorry). In particular, I recommend "The compleat McAndrew" for well done Engineer-as-hero shorts. His "The Web between Worlds" is remarkable for being accused of plagarising Clarke's space elevators (Sheffield's book takes the concept in a very different direction, and since Clarke had no problem with it, neither do I). I suspect that Baxter is a fan of this book, as "Manifold:Space"'s super-smart-squid and protagonist Malenfant have clear counterparts in Web.

Lastly, (and then I promise to stop), on the cyberpunk level, I'd recommend Alex Effinger's (RIP) Marid series. Arab cyberpunk kicks ass! Also (if only because I can't seem to find these books anywhere) Walter Jon Williams' "Hardwired" (strong recommend) was probably the first cyberpunk I'd ever read. "Days of Atonement" (recommend) is good Twilight-Zone-meets-detective , while "Aristoi" is almost Piers Anthonyesq (that's not a Good Thing, IMHO). A brief web search indicates that he's now writing Star Wars novellas, which I am having a hard time reconciling with the style of what I've read, but there you go.

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[Simon Garlick]

> Often it seems that things are moving along with the plot and then suddenly the writer hit a deadline so wrote 5 more pages to conclude the book.

I see you too have read Neil Stephenson's Diamond Age.

Or "Snow Crash"... or "Zodiac"... actually, now that I think about it, "Cryptonomicon" is the only one of Stephenson's novels that seems to have a concluding chapter.

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[Nalanthi]

I agree benford/s stuff is pretty good. I was at a sci-fi con with him this weekend and he has a new book coming out. It's about the effects of evolution on society after a million years. I believe that it is called "Beyond Infinity" wich was the title he gave to his publishers as a joke but they took it and ran with it. I am glad he is publishing again. Oh yea, he is indeed a phycist. just my two cents. Nalanthi

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[Grab]

Re "Cryptonomicon", you mean the chapter where out of the blue they get ambushed by some minor character for not much reason, and then they get the gold with some crap method (won't give away how they do it, if you haven't read the book, but for sure there's going to be more gold left in there than comes out!)

"Zodiac" is the only one I can think of with a decent conclusion. They get the boat and the evidence, the cops take down the corporation, ST gets another trophy on the front of his Zode, all concluded fairly satisfactorily.

Grab.

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[flab007]

I'd especially would like to recommend Peter F Hamilton. His Night's Dawn-trilogy is one of the best SF-stories I've read so far! Admittedly it takes you a while since all in all it's about 3300 pages but this story is really capturing!

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[koogydelbbog]

another recommendation for alastair reynolds here. all of you waiting for iain m banks' next culture novel can probably ease the wait by picking up 'Chasm City' (half way through it at the moment and it's coming along nicely).

'Revelation Space' has been followed by 'Revelation Ark' (not read that yet) (chasm city is based in same universe but doesn't seem to be as concerned with the Shroud or the Jugglers) and i noticed last week that a fourth reynolds title has joined them on the shelves but it appears to be two short stories... (ah, Diamond Dogs / Turquoise Days: Tales from the Revelation Space Universe).

jeez, amazon.co.uk also lists a 5th title, 'Absolution Gap' which is 'out shortly'. could alastair reynolds be the stephen king of sf? 8)

andy

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[qengho]

Watch out for Mr. Bank's non-SF output, which is not up to the level of his SF

Agreed. It's easy to avoid, since his SF books are written by "Iain M. Banks" and his other stuff is written by "Iain Banks" (no middle initial).

Re:good hard sci-fi stuff

[mejoff]

by jovlinger (55075) on Monday January 20, @04:19PM (#5121121) "and Iain Banks. Both write fairly unchallenging," uh, was that comment intended purely to subtley insult the previous posters who had had trouble getting into Banksie's books?

Doh!

[Black Parrot]

> What are you guys reading?

Slashdot.

FP

[Anonymous Coward]

I highly recommend the first post series of books.

FP

[Anonymous Coward]

FP

In Soviet Russia...

[Anonymous Coward]

...new sci-fi authors ask for a list of you!

The best:

[Randolpho]

J.R.R. Tolkien! I mean, look, he has like 3 movies out right now! He's gotta be good or sumptin... ;)

What about Willaim Gibson?

[bluethundr]

Hey, have you heard about this new guy William Gibson? He has this new style that people are calling "cyber-punk" and has written a few books taht are pretty good, but I don't think anyone has heard of him yet. Keep your eye on this up and comer!

Re:What about Willaim Gibson?

[jdbear]

I'll agree with William Gibson. Good work, not as flaky as other futurists. The first book I read of his was the Neuromancer, followed by Burning Chrome. Others are good too, but I can't remeber the titles.

"If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space"
jdbear

Re:What about Willaim Gibson?

[vhfer]

>Hey, have you heard about this new guy William Gibson? New guy? Up & comer? Yeah, he's good, yeah, he pretty much invented a genre, but I've beed reading his stuff for a good 10 years. And liking it btw.

Re:What about Willaim Gibson?

[bluethundr]

Hey, have you heard about this new guy William Gibson? New guy? Up & comer? Yeah, he's good, yeah, he pretty much invented a genre, but I've beed reading his stuff for a good 10 years. And liking it btw.

Actually, I was totally joking and operating under the assumption that almost anyone on this site would be very familiar with his work. I've loved Gibson's work since I first read Nueromancer back in 1986, also I read Mona Lisa Overdrive, Count Zero, All Tomorrow's Parties, Burning Chrome and Idoru. I've loved every single one of his books, and can just dive into the pages and not even realize I'm on a crowded bus or subway. Burning Chrome, however stands out for me the most because as effective as he is as a writer of novels, his short stories just spin your head far more. His use of language is what hooks you, but the dramatic tension and pacing and characterization will hold you and hold you well. You'll be cranking through the pages of any of his works, I feel.

Some people have criticized Gibson for the fact that he pretty much sticks to his formula and doesn't much stray (though the formula he uses is 100% his own invention IMO) too far into territory a Gibson fan won't find familiar. I see this point, but enjoy the books too care much about it.

Neal Stevenson played very effectively on the immersive virtuality theme, similar in the broad strokes to Gibson, but only in the loosest sense. Snowcrash was pure Stephenson, and read like a very enjoyable "Teen Reader" aimed at adults. It was very not like my usual fair, but I enjoyed it immensely. However, Cryptonomicon was by far Stephenson's best work. I've read that book about 4 times and devoured it each time.

But, I just wanted to point out that I was totally kidding about the "up and comer" line regarding Gibson.

Re:What about Willaim Gibson?

[Anonymous Coward]

Gibson also had a had in writing "The diffrence engine" Which is in a much diffrent genre the his other books.

Re:What about Willaim Gibson?

[Anonymous Coward]

Virtual Light from Gibson is great too

Too obvious?

[dmah]

Neal Stephenson: Cryptonomicon, Snow Crash, Diamond Age.

Re:Too obvious?

[RevRigel]

And in another 6 months..Quicksilver.

Re:Too obvious?

[Anonymous Coward]

Snow crash? That book was horrible. The only reason why it gets so much attention is because

a) The fat guy gets some
b) Christians are the bad guys
c) Programmers save the world

what a lame book

Re:Too obvious?

[Red Weasel]

Without actually seeing your list I'd have to recommend my 2 favorite Sets.

Bernard Cornwell
-The Winter King
-Excalibur
-Enemy of God

A really good take on the King Arthur myth told through the eyes of one of his Warlords. Really gritty kind of stories that try to show you how life would have been like in the period of Arthur.

David Eddings
- The Belgariad (five Books)
- The Malloreon (five more Books)
Just an all around fun read.

Re:Too obvious?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd love to know what's that great about Neil S.
After reading several of his books the only conclusion is that he is an awful author.
It's not the content of the stories, it's just that he is quite bad at writing. brrrr.
Please enlighten me.

Re:Too obvious?

[vhfer]

Neal Stephenson, oh yeah. Snow Crash: very good, one of the better reads I've had in the '00's to-date, but also one of the more demanding. Many genuinely new ideas and themes, complex but rewarding. Cryptonomicon: Not really SF, but then again, it sort-of is, I mean... I'm not sure what I mean. Just read it and decide for y'sef.

Re:Too obvious?

[Aetrix]

You're missing (IMHO) Stephenson's best book: Zodiac.

Re:Too obvious?

[FPhlyer]

Cryptonomicon is not exactly SCI-FI. It's more of a fiction book. As a matter of fact, that's how the publisher lists it. "Avon Fiction".

I'm still reading it though... I've waited until it reached paperback. Now, maybe somewhere I'll find something "SCI-FI", but so far, it's all very down-to-earth.

Snow-Crash: Great book. Great satire. Great insights into today's society. This one is SCI-FI, and almost "anti-cyberpunk" in it's use of cliche and imagery. You know your in for a delightfully humourous read as soon as you discover the Hero's name.

Haven't read any of his others except "In the Beginning was the commandline."

Re:Too obvious?

[wurp]

Check out Diamond Age. In my opinion, it's easily the best of Stephenson's stuff.

Re:Too obvious?

[Helmholtz Coil]

I second David and Leigh Eddings, the Belgariad and the Malloreon are two of my all-time favourite series. Also the later books Belgarath The Sorceror and Polgara The Sorceress are fantastic, they tie the events in both the above series together. And finally The Rivan Codex was a great read, really lets you know what it's like to be a writer.

I'd also recommend Richard A. Knaak, probably better known 'round here for his Dragonlance stories and books, but he also did a series a while back that was really well done. Can't remember the name of the series (anyone remember the main character Bedlam? anyone?), but they were excellent.

Re:Too obvious?

[jovlinger]

The best part of Snow Crash was the nuclear-powered railgun called Reason, because everyone listens to Reason...

That and rat-thing.

Re:Too obvious?

[carlos_benj]

As a matter of fact, that's how the publisher lists it. "Avon Fiction".

Cryptonomicon is about women who sell makeup in a network marketing company????

Re:Too obvious?

[benwb]

The series was called Dragonrealm, and really was quite interesting.

Re:Too obvious?

[Helmholtz Coil]

Thanks for the reminder! Also worth mentioning...I found his website, and was pleased to see he's got an online subscription service running for new DragonRealm material. For those in the know about Dragonrealm, he hints that Shade might be making a comeback...

Re:Too obvious?

[NeoSkandranon]

I'm only about a tenth of the way into that book, and so far it's slow--but slow like the first half of a Tom Clancy novel (whom i also love to read) So, i can only imagine how the end is gonna be

Re:Too obvious?

[rossifer]

"Zodiac", "Snow Crash" and "The Diamond Age" were well written, fun reads, but "Cryptonomicon" was a painful waste of money (I bought the hardback). I must be the only /. reader who doesn't like it though...

His exposition was painful and labored, trying to explain modern "hacker-ware" to the non-elite. Linux and PGP have never been more painful to hear about than in that book. And then on top of that the ending was such a total and complete non-event, I have never been so completely underwhelmed.

I like Stephenson, but "Cryptonomicon" simply sucked and I'm desperately hoping the next one is a return to the wonderful storytelling of his earlier works.

Regards,
Ross

Re:Too obvious?

[Anonymous Coward]

I am very fond of The Belgrariad myself.. I found myself happily re-reading the series *again* not so long ago.

Inspired by this I bought Edding's new book REGINA'S SONG - which was truly dismal. What went wrong??? The witty banter and supurb character development / interaction evident in the Belgariad was nowhere to be seen. The characters in RS were particularly unlikeable - especially the serial killer teenager who mutilated her victims. And yes, we were supposed to care whether this girl went to prison or not. (BTW - I'm not really spoiling anything here. You figure out the plot pretty quickly with this book)

Sorry for the rant, but GOD this book was disappointing. Maybe you're better off re-reading your old stuff!

Re:Too obvious?

[libertynews]

Don't forget Zodiac. Sangamon Taylor is a radical enviornmentalist that even a conservative like me can like.

Re:Too obvious?

[Bios_Hakr]

Stephenson reads like a string of one-liners. His books are witty. Damn witty! Up until I read the Cryptonomicon, I had never had a book make me laugh so hard.

Unfortunately, his books seem to have weak closings.

Re:Too obvious?

[kubrick]

Optimist.

Surely it'll be more like 12?

Re:Too obvious?

[litesgod]

I've read some of the Eddings stuff and liked it so far, but haven't tried the Cornwell, may have to add it to my list. Along with your Too Obvious list goes my also obvious list:

George R.R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice
--A Game Of Thrones
--A Clash of Kings
--A Storm of Swords
--A new one coming soon!

and also Robin Hobb has two trilogies completed, and a third one just started. So far I've only made it through her Farseer Trilogy, very good stuff. Just a few more recent fantasy books I've picked up. I highly suggest both authors to anyone who hasn't read them yet.

Re:Too obvious?

[billstewart]

Cryptonomicon was more fun if you knew half the people in it :-) The "Secret Admirers", the small company offices in Los Altos, an awful lot of inside jokes. Some of the jokes were inside for a much broader Silicon Valley audience ("Enhancing Shareholder Value....") and people who live near leftie-academia ("War As Text"). And, ok, Stephenson's never been that good at endings.

Re:Too obvious?

[Mac Degger]

Read Terry Pratchet, and be prepared for people to look at you strangely on the bus and tram as you /try/ to stiffle your laughs :)

Re:Too obvious?

[The_dev0]

I dunno, I personally find Eddings' work a little juvenile. It is quite predictable and character development is shallow. I found David Gemmell's Druss series a better read. However, I just finished reading The First chronicles of Thomas Covenant:Unbeliever by Stephen Donaldson for about the 50th time, which IMHO is an awesome series. I recommend it to anyone, especially to those who find like Eddings but may find it a little too simplistic. It's pretty easy to find all three books in one volume, too.

Re:Too obvious?

[spiro_killglance]

And when you finish/got bored with Pratchett, try
Robert Rankin for even dafter plays on the Sci-fi/Horror genres.

Especially recommends are his armeggion trilogy (4 books) complete with a time travelling Elvis and an evil Daila Lamer, and lots of Blade runner and Predator in jokes.

Also read his Fandom of the operator, a truely bizarre and funny book.

Re:Too obvious?

[Wiwi Jumbo]

Diamond Age *killed* me... there was so much cool technology in the book and just when it seemed like something was actually going to happen the book ends.

It's because of Diamond Age that I haven't read Zodiac yet... I don't want to be let down.

Re:Too obvious?

[DrMaurer]

Hey, wait,

1) fat guys do get some
2) Christians can be bad guys
3) Programmers save the world every day! :-)

I liked it.

Other cool stuff: I just finished Mary Doria Russell's "The Sparrow" and it's sequal "Children Of God." Jesuit's initiate first contact. Even though I'm an atheist, the exploration of faith involved is quite intense and interesting, if a little condesending.

Just started Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere," it's really good even though I'm 60 pgs into it, "American Gods" was excellent.

Verging on Sci-Fi, one of my favorite authors is David Foster Wallace, "Infinite Jest" is the work I'm talking about here; it's not sci-fi in even a liberal sense of the terms, but it involves some ideas explored first in sci-fi, but a little different. Not to mention it's simply wonderfully written. It's a massive book, but the language propels you through it.

Also, I know it's a sci-fi question, but I finished "On The Road," the classic novel by Kerouac (I know I misspelled that), it's highly excellent. As well as "Unbareable Lightness of Being" by Kundera. Non-fiction? "Ain't Nobody's Buisiness if you Do" by Peter McWilliams (available for free on-line) and "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlossinger (spelling on that one, too). "The Future of Ideas" by Lessig is an interesting read, as well.

Re:Too obvious?

[fferreres]

Confirms me I was wise to stop reading after reading all the ridiculous "deliver the pizza late and you are a dead deliveryman" thingie. That was the most stupid thing I read in years, from page 1 to page...what was it...page 30??

Re:Too obvious?

[Gulthek]

If you think Eddings is good, try reading *anything* written by Guy Gavriel Kay. Especially "Tigana", "The Lions of Al-Rassan", or "Sailing to Sarantium" and its sequel "Lord of Emperors."

Utterly fantasic writing. GGKay was the one author selected to help Christopher Tolkien edit the Sillmarion (sp). His Tolkien influence really shows in his first work (The Fionavar Tapestry) but he really develops his own strong voice starting with Tigana.

Re:Too obvious?

[julesh]

I second David and Leigh Eddings, the Belgariad and the Malloreon are two of my all-time favourite series.

I'm currently reading The Redemption of Althalus (by those two) for the second time around. While it ain't exactly SF (it's fantasy with a few SF type ideas thrown in for good measure), it's a remarkably good book to say I picked it up in a remaindered stock shop... The characterisations are definitely excellent. Worth hunting down.

Re:Too obvious?

[Anonymous Coward]

If we are going to list books with zero SCIENCE content, how about:

The Cat in The Hat
The Famous Five
The Story of O

Re:Too obvious?

[Froggie]

However, I just finished reading The First chronicles of Thomas Covenant:Unbeliever by Stephen Donaldson for about the 50th time, which IMHO is an awesome series. I recommend it to anyone, especially to those who find like Eddings but may find it a little too simplistic. It's pretty easy to find all three books in one volume, too.

Though you can save yourself a lot of disappointment by not reading the second trilogy... Not that it's bad, exactly, but it's certainly a big disappointment after the first one.

Re:Too obvious?

[matfud]

I was never quite sure if Infinite Jest was a joke ( of great length) played by the author on the reader.

That said it is still a very good read and well written (if you don't mind 200+ pages of footnotes)
Although that lack of a strong well defined central plot will irritate many (e.g those that think strong well definied plots are essential to a good book)

Matfud

Re:Too obvious?

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow! I tried to read Infinite Jest about three times. I never made it farther than about 100 pages. You have my respect man...

Re:Too obvious?

[DrMaurer]

My friend read it after me and told me to fuck off, that the book was a giant joke, a really well-told joke, but I don't see it.

He's said in interviews that he wanted to write something that's really sad, and it kind of is.

That's what I get when I majored in the English department he taught at Illinois State University. There was a lot of idol worship about him, and though I never had a class with him, the feeling that he was around was palpable in the near sense of awe people had for him.

How's that for an essay and/or argument, Dave?

Re:Too obvious?

[The_dev0]

I agree. The second chronicles are a pretty good read, but after the first three books it doesn't seem quite the same quality. A bit to depressing.

Re:Too obvious?

[ajs]

So, I gotta get this straight.... You read Zodiac, Snow Crash and Diamond Age and you were stunned that Cryptonomicon had a non-ending?!

You must have stopped 10-pages short of the end of Diamond Age then!

Stephenson has a wonderful ability to write about technological concepts in a way that is interesting and informative to the casual reader while (at least to me) engrossing for the long-time professional as well. I read Cryptonomicon and Applied Cryptography back-to-back and I have to say that he did a good job of capturing the really interesting parts of cryptography.

The end was standard Stephenson drop-off. He's turned on by the IDEA, not the story. To him, it seems, the idea is all that's worth writing about, and when he's done, the rest is a chore. I'm just guessing, as I don't know the man, but that's the way Diamond Age came off to me, and Cryptonomicon to a lesser extent.

I still find his idead compelling enough to keep reading. I see him as sort of the Arthur C. Clarke of this generation. A friend pointed out that while many engineers in the 50s would have said that Clarke didn't know "enough" about their field, he knew enough about several and had the vision to put them together in a way that told the story that the engineers could not.

I don't know that any of us in the trenches are telling the story that Cryptonomicon told in a way that will ever get to as many people. It's not a hugely important story, but certainly one that I think should be told.

Re:Too obvious?

[rossifer]

Except for the "mouse army" metaphor, I loved the ending to Diamond Age. Not wrapping everything up (and throwing in the Seed twist) was inspired. Snow Crash had a fairly straightforward wrap-up-the-arcs ending. Zodiac was weaker than the other two just for the neatness of the ending (biological systems are never ever that easy to manage).

Cryptonomicon was apparently written for a dozen geeks in San Francisco to enjoy and I'm sure they loved it. For the other hundred million scifi readers around the world, it blew right from the first page.

Your point about Stephenson loving the idea and forgetting about the story arc is rather insightful and a good point. He might do better if he took a few weeks after coming up with the concept to flesh out a compelling plot, and then started playing with the toys.

Regards,
Ross

Try New Genres

[tealover]

You remind me of a friend. The only books he ever read were fantasy books. That's it. He had no other books in his book shelves. As you can guess, he wasn't exactly the most open minded person in the world (not that I'm calling you close minded). He had the same thing with music. Only listened to heav metal. Wouldn't let anyone play any other type of music.

But I think you deny yourself some of life's pleasures by narrowly defining your interests. It's ok to like reading Sci-Fi books, but I can tell you that you are missing out on a lot if that's all you read. I don't consider Tech books to be "reading" books so I won't address that.

Re:Try New Genres

[kbs]

Actually, one thing that might be worth a shot, if you're interested in fantasy but looking at new genres... magic realism is an interesting style which seems to tie in nicely. Forrest Gump (the original book) is a nice example of it, as is One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I'd also highly recommend Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie. Not exactly your "light reads" but still very thought provoking and very good.

Re:Try New Genres

[tlayne]

Being well rounded is overrated. I say find what you like and read/listen to as much of it as you can. There are plenty of people who know a little bit about a lot of different things. There's also a place for specialists. Would the world be better off if Stephen Hawking decided he had spent too much time on Physics and took up literary criticism so that he could be more well rounded?

Re:Try New Genres

[On Lawn]

I have to agree with you there, magic realism can be rather clever sometimes. "Like Water for Chocolate" was another film adaptation of something from that genre. Its best when it is the most subtle.

I think that its probably more prevelant in the latino (spanish, mexican and italian) cultures though. I think it has to do with how they've seen reality historically.

Its not uncommon to hear of miracles in these cultures, happening as every-day events. One wonders if its perception of reality or reality. That mystery and its inclination for allegorical accentuation makes it one of my favorite genres.

In fact I remember on NPR about a Mexican who wrote three best selling books about his ancestry, but had to fight to have them put into non-fiction. The debate ensued becuase they include events like his a police man not seeing the beer his father was smuggling in the back of a pick-up, when his mother exclaime "God, you owe me!"

Whether or not they are reality, I find real litterary virtue in those events.

_______________________________________
OnRoad: Tempering detroit iron with our own hot air since, well, last week.

Re:Try New Genres

[mabinogi]

/me looks at fatasy and metal collection...

you mean there's something wrong with that?!?

Re:Try New Genres

[jgerman]

You have a right to your opinion, however there's nothing wrong with enjoying only one genre. For starters the idea that it is inherently better to read a wide variety of differing "types" is just not true. Read what you like, do what you like, don't let others tell you that what you are doing is wrong, or that you're missing out. That applies to music, reading, hobbies, whatever.

Re:Try New Genres

[Chris Y Taylor]

The Horatio Hornblower series of books is good non-sci-fi for the sci-fi fan. It inspired, among other things, Star Trek and Honor Harrington.

The A&E mini-series is very good too, and one of the few movie/TV adaptations that I can recommend seeing even after you read the book (as a general rule, I think that it is better to see the movie before reading the book or you will probably be dissapointed over what the movie cut out).

Re:Try New Genres

[Moloch666]

I'm with you there. I am very limited to the type of music I like. Rock, Progressive Metal, 80's Metal (not glam rock). That doesn't mean I don't listen to other types of music or refuse any other type. I have a wide range of appreciation, I will give anything a chance... just can't stand to hear the samething over and over again. Metal typically presses the right buttons for me.

Same thing with books. A big Sci-Fi fan, but I've read plenty of other books through school or recomendation. I like most of the other genres, but Sci-Fi books are the ones that keep my thinking about it weeks, some years after reading, they just strike me.

Re:Try New Genres

[knobmaker]

however there's nothing wrong with enjoying only one genre.

There's nothing "wrong" with it, in the ethical sense. But it is limiting. I read very little except sf when I was young. Then when I began writing sf, I realized what most serious sf writers will tell you: that the best writers of the 20th century were not all sf writers. In fact, relatively few of them were.

I still love the genre, but now I read everything else, too.

Ray Aldridge

Re:Try New Genres

[Rand Race]

C.S. Forrester is the author btw. Other good stuff by him includes The General (1936), a hardhitting book about the leaders of WWI which was required reading for pre WWII Warmacht officers, Gold From Crete (1971, his last published work), a collection of WWII era short stories including one of the funniest monkeys ever, The Sky and the Forest (1948), a study of an African native faced with slavery, The Gun (1933), about a lost rifleman during the Peninsular War, and, of course, The African Queen (1935), which was made into a wonderfull movie with Humphrey Bogart and Catherine Hepburn.

But yea, even The African Queen isn't as good of an adaptation as A&E's Hornblower series have been. Also of interest is an earlier big screen adaptation of Hornblower, Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951) starring Gregory Peck and Virginia Mayo which covers, basically, Beat To Quarters and part of Ship of the Line. It's interesting and fairly accurate.

And speaking of Gregory Peck movies, he was much, much better as Atticus Finch in the movie version of one of my favorite books of all time: To Kill A Mockingbird.

Re:Try New Genres

[Happy Monkey]

Then when I began writing sf, I realized what most serious sf writers will tell you: that the best writers of the 20th century were not all sf writers. In fact, relatively few of them were.

And, conversely, almost all of the great SF writers were knowledgeable in a wide variety of subjects.

But what the hey, I still read almost exclusively SF/fantasy, with a bit of Mark Twain mixed in.

Re:Try New Genres

[bfields]

Being well rounded is overrated. I say find what you like and read/listen to as much of it as you can.

I'm with you there. But I'd argue that it's important that whatever you do, you try to keep learning, whether you do it in depth or breadth.

I think the source of this guy's dissatisfaction isn't that he's becoming too specialized so much as that he's getting stuck in a rut. He could get out of the rut by reading something new, or by reading the same old stuff in a new way--reading it more carefully, trying to really study it and understand it, going deeper into it, whatever.

The route he seems to want to go in is to just keep adding more similar books to his collection, maybe in an attempt to recapture the experience of that first Heinlein novel he read. I think that's what people are really trying to get him away from.

--Bruce F.

Re:Try New Genres

[Chordonblue]

Agreed. I recently got turned onto Project Gutenberg (www.projectgutenberg.org), and have been perusing the classics on my PDA.

It has truly been enlightening to read Sinclair Lewis and Mark Twain's actual works and not just some quick quotes.

Re:Try New Genres

[Anonymous Coward]

Hard-boiled mystery is usually fun - anything by Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett or Chester Himes is worth reading. Richard Stark's (Donald Westlake under a pen name) Parker series are great if you like reading about a psychopathic thief and murderer who has a good rep with others of his ilk despite his capers ALWAYS going wrong.

SF is in a minor golden age right now. Neal Stephenson, Alatair Reynolds, Iain M. Banks, and Vernor Vinge all write literate classic-style SF; Tim Powers and James Blaylock and Jonathan Carroll all write entertaining skewed fantasies.

Then there's all that good history to read...

Re:Try New Genres

[WNight]

So much modern fiction these days seems pretentious. As if the author has just heard of some new literary device he wants to try out. Many seem like class assignments (Use device X...) rather than finished works.

"Write every chapter in the mind of a different characters and not bother to identify them. Brilliant idea!"

I don't consider Heinlein the epitome of writing or anything, but he at least understood that he was being paid to entertain. That's the difference between a novel and a text book. He tried to pick topics that he cared about, and to educate, but he knew he had to make it something you'd want to read.

Some of science fiction falls into this, but I think the fact that they'll never get listed on the NYT best-seller list means they tend to skip critic-pleasing nonscense and write for their readers and themselves.

Re:Try New Genres

[canadian_right]

Non-fiction that's not techie:
Biographies. Mozart has a very interesting bio, for instance.
History:
Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman . Absolutely brilliant history of the events leading up to WWI and to the start of trench warefare.
Making of the Atom bomb by Richard Rhodes.
Anarchy, State and Utopia by Robert Nozick - best book I've read about anarchy, if a bit too deferential to Locke.

Re:Try New Genres

[squaretorus]

The best book I've read in the last few years is All Quiet on the Orient Express by Magnus Mills. Pure gold - short - but brilliant. His other stuff is also good. No science in sight - but quite a strong observational 'bent' which drives the plots.

Re:Try New Genres

[Anonymous Coward]

Absolutely.
I have been reading a varied collection since a very young age, ( read LOTR at 8 ) and I am very much a Sci-fi and fantasy fan, but you must try other areas, the real enjoyment I have found is in good characters, good/interesting plots and well researched surrounding material. After reading many scifi/fantasy books, I am now very selective in what I read. I won't bother with anything that is too derivative, as it is just a waste of time ( see comments about Jordans Twilight Crossing for an example).
If you are feeling like trying something else, how about:
Adventure Fiction
Anything by Brian Callison, Flock of Ships, Trapps War, Trapps Peace, Crocodile Trapp etc. These are great fast reads, and the Trapp series is very funny. (Gorbals Wullie is a hilarious character! )
Also falling into this vein would be Geoffrey Jenkins and of course Alistair Maclean. Cussler is fun too, although I have to pace those out a bit as they can be a bit "over the top".

For Sci Fi, I haven't seen anyone mention David Weber, his stuff, particularly the Mutineers Moon and followups is great "Big Battles in Space/Space Opera" material. In Death Ground Fight is very good too.
Someone mentioned Peter Watts, Starfish is excellent, although perhaps not to everyone's taste. I haven't read his latest, but I gave it to my father for Christmas, so I await his passing it along eagerly !

Also agree with someone elses recommendation of Feist. I just read several of the Serpentwar Series and they have been very entertaining.
If you are looking for something really different, try the Brian Lumley Necroscope series. Start with the first one and read through. They are really more Scifi/Horror, but very good if it appeals. The characterizations (sp?) are great of the whamphyri. I haven't enjoyed the latest ones as much, though. So start with the earlier ones.

CyberPunk

[omibus]

Neal Stephenson is a good start in this section, you wouldn't even have to change isles in the book store.

Re:CyberPunk

[Jeremy Erwin]

you wouldn't even have to change isles in the book store.

You have isles in your bookstore? You must be from Xanth...

I'm noticing that the majority of slashdot is dead set on converting this happless, deluded fantasy addict towards pure SF.

The only fantasy series of moderately recent vintage I've enjoyed in Terry Pratchett's discworld series. I suppose one could jump on the JK Rowling bandwagon-- but those are for kids, and thus don't have the literary merit of say, "Beastmaster of Gor".

Stephenson is good--I don't think he's done much fantasy-- except, of course, "American Gods". I liked "Zodiac", but that's not exactly fantasy.

And, no, I will not name the 26 books in the Gor series. I haven't read a single one...

See this list for the discworld series.

Re:CyberPunk

[Eisenstein]

>Stephenson is good--I don't think he's done much fantasy-- except, of course, "American Gods". I liked "Zodiac", but that's not exactly fantasy. American Gods is from Neil Gaiman, not Neil Stephenson.

Re:CyberPunk

[Jeremy Erwin]

Thanks for pointing out my error. Gaiman is probably more to the original poster's taste than Stephenson, anyway.

Jim Butcher

[Anonymous Coward]

I have liked Jim Butchers new series. I find it to be good reading. Try him.

best new author i've found

[Anonymous Coward]

china mieville is awesome. he's got three books out that i know of: king rat, perdido street station, and the scar. king rat was cool but not brilliant. perdido street station and the scar were both gothic and scary and culturally relevant and very fun reads.

very highly recommended.

Try getting out of your genre

[Ars-Fartsica]

I used to dabble in scifi until I started hitting the general fiction/nonfiction shelves and found that in general, the quality of writing is much higher when there isn't a pixie or a dragon or a robot on the book's cover.

Whatgever genre, you can always hit the Amazon editor's picks list (avoid the topsellers lists, its filled with pedestrian crap) or the NY Times book reviews.

The first step to enlightenment is to be a book snob. Stay away from airport crap (John Grisham, Michael Crichton), and try batting out of your league a bit...you might just expand and learn something.

Re:Try getting out of your genre

[ledgeerama]

I used to dabble in scifi until I started hitting the general fiction/nonfiction shelves and found that in general, the quality of writing is much higher when there isn't a pixie or a dragon or a robot on the book's cover.

Perhaps you have been reading the wrong authors. In genereal, I've found the quality of writing in all genres isn't that fantastic, but there are good authors everywhere. In Sci-Fi, Philip K Dick, Iain M Banks and Peter F Hamilton are examples of good writers.

Re:Try getting out of your genre

[Fizgig]

You can also find non-scifi books that "feel" a lot like scifi or fantasy, with their own fantasy components. In particular, I'd recommend The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, and The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. Those are two of my favorite books, and you could certainly call them "fantasy" if you wanted, but they're kept in the "literature" section of the bookstore.

Re:Try getting out of your genre

[bwcbwc]

Actually, even within SF/Fantasy, the quality of writing is much higher when there isn't a pixie or a dragon or a robot on the book's cover.

Re:Try getting out of your genre

[smittyoneeach]

Absolutely. A little Nabokov or Updike...

Re:Try getting out of your genre

[Happy Monkey]

The rule still holds, though. Even the SF/fantasy books without pixies/dragons/robots on the cover are better, on average, than those with them.

Re:Try getting out of your genre

[Arandir]

I used to dabble in scifi until I started hitting the general fiction/nonfiction shelves and found that in general, the quality of writing is much higher when there isn't a pixie or a dragon or a robot on the book's cover.

That's because too many scifi/fantasy authors think all they need to do is have a pixie, dragon or robot. This trend isn't limited to these genres. You can find shallow works in mystery, action/adventure and romance as well.

But there are numerous exceptions. You would do well to seek them out. This is what the poster is asking: what are the exceptions for this current crop of authors?

Re:Try getting out of your genre

[ajs]

Honestly, this kind of narrow-minded reading is why there are so many strange sub-genre's of realistic-fantasy and so few new and interesting SF authors today. If you get branded as an SF author, you're a hack, and worse: you can't write anything else! Strange sub-genres can be good, but they should not have to exist in for an author to be taken seriously.

I remember Piers Anthony writing about this (mind you, I'm not a P.A. fan, but he had a point). He wanted to do some historical fiction, but all his publisher wanted was another crappy Xanth book. He actually would have had to break back into writing all over again just to get out of his genre.

On the other hand, authors like Gene Wolfe, Neil Gaiman, Philip K. Dick, Ian Banks and Jonathan Lethem are capable of science fiction (or magical realism with an SF flavor in the case of the latter two) that I would compare with any author in any genre.

There's also great writing in many other genres including non-fiction (e.g. The Art of Eating by M.F.K. Fisher) and even technical books (e.g. Applied Cryptography is one of the most engrosing books I've ever read, and it doesn't even have a story!) and media (check out some of the many excellent films, graphic literature (aka comics) and musical story-telling that's been around for a fairly long time).

Open minded reading is essential to getting the most out of the vast body of literature out there. If you say, "oh well, robot on the cover," you're pretty much doomed from the onset.

Good luck!

Douglas Adams

[Anonymous Coward]

Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy, trilogy in 5 parts.

wheel of time

[leedo]

If you're looking for something to kill time, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is huge.

Re:wheel of time

[softsign]

Huge. Never-ending. Getting to be rather boring.

Crossroads of Twilight is a major disappointment, IMHO.

Re:wheel of time

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, I'm just starting the Wheel of time series. Looks to be pretty good, well written SF. I recommend it.

Re:wheel of time

[jigokukoinu]

I wouldnt say a disappointment, I'd say it is another "Path of Daggers" where it os only the first half of a good book (Winter's Heart being the second half). It looks like Mr. R. Jordan will be releasing season finales and their second parts for a while, now, ugh!

Re:wheel of time

[Bicoid]

Sure. Robert Jordan's books are god to spend a lot of time reading. That is, if you don't mind the simple fact that the guy's a complete and total hack.

Re:wheel of time

[raeler]

10 books and still no end in sight..

The Eye of the World
The Great Hunt
The Dragon Reborn
The Shadow Rising
The Fires of Heaven
Lord of Choas
A Crown of Swords
The Path of Daggers
Crossroads of Twilight

Re:wheel of time

[AuraSeer]

The first few books were great, but the later ones don't live up to expectations. Many fans of the series are tremendously let down by book 10, Crossroads of Twilight. It's 700 pages long, but there's not enough plot development to fill a paragraph.

I suggest that people wait until the series ends (no earlier than 2005) before they start reading it. That way, if the ending is a disappointment, at least you didn't have to spend years in anticipation.

Re:wheel of time

[raeler]

missed Winter's Heart. My mistake.

Re:wheel of time

[jdbear]

This was going to be my suggestion. I have a similar library, thousands of books. I enjoy both the light, fun books like Robert Lynn Asprin's Myth series (Another Fine Myth is the first book) and more serious works (Cryptonomicron, Lucifer's Hammer) but my all time favorite is Robert Jordan. I've never seen anyone who has built such depth into his characters and his world. Anyone who follows his Wheel of Time series can tell you exactly why Aiel don't use swords, or what the Three Fold Land does for them.

The details of the world are stunning, but pale in comparison to the effort he puts into developing his characters. His descriptions of the characters begin the process, and you can see them revealed bit by bit as the story unfolds.

I have found myself remembering quotes from the book to describe situations in my life many times. I mentally plagerize Jordan all the time.

The 10th book in the series just came out, and I haven't finished it yet so I don't know if it's the last one or if the story will just go on forever. It has been a long read, but well worth it!

jdbear

Re:wheel of time

[CableModemSniper]

well if someone's going mention wheel of time I might as well chime in with the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. Unfortunately it has been goign downhill lately but the first 2 books are kind of like the free crack hit. You get hooked and everytime you read the next book you hope, well maybe the next one will be better. Actually, don't read the sword of truth. It's the literary equivalent of a cock tease.

Re:wheel of time

[softsign]

It's a disappointment. For about 98% of the book, absolutely nothing happens! It's just the ridiculous everyday musings of the main characters. During that 2% of the time when we're not learning about the weather or grain prices, each character does the total opposite of following common sense.

Has it not occurred to anybody else reading these books that maybe the principal characters could help themselves and everyone else out by Traveling to actually talk to each other? For all the time they waste thinking about the weather, you'd think they could devote an hour of their time to figuring out what the others are up to... As it stands, the series has devolved into one contrived plot device after another...

***MINOR SPOILER ALERT***

To top it all off, now Jordan is turning this into a freakin' ghost story???? WTF???

*** END SPOILER ***

You said it yourself, it's a book of season finales... poorly conceived, deliberately obtuse twists in the final two paragraphs of several chapters of useless narrative that do nothing except piss you off because you'll have to wait another two years to find out what the hell is going on. By which time you'll have forgotten what the original plot twist was to begin with.

Reading WOT has gotten to be extremely frustrating... It used to be fun - following all the characters as they developed from country folk into Important People - but it's become mired in mundane minutae while Jordan appears to be dragging this thing out indefinitely to give himself a healthy paycheque until he retires.

/bitter

Re:wheel of time

[Skidge]

I read up through Path of Daggers, I think. It was very compelling through most of those books, but all I can really remember of the last couple is a few women bitching and complaining and crying because they all loved the same guy. The one after Path of Daggers wasn't out in paperback when I finished it, so I stopped there. Maybe it's better after that one, but it's been a while and I don't really feel like reading the ones I have again to catch up with the story.

Re:wheel of time

[prnz]

missed Winter's Heart. My mistake.

No problem. I gave it a miss too. :-) I may go back to WOT if he ever finishes it but the last few installments were so boring that I can't be bothered. George R. R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series is superior to WOT in every respect.

Paul

Re:wheel of time

[Marqis]

If I was Robert Jordan I would sue this hack for plagiarism. I really can't tell you how much I hate Goodkind, it's not even like he's trying to be different.

But I do have to agree with comments on Jordan (he used to be my favourite author), the WOT was amazing until Lord of Chaos, then it sort of fell apart, nothing is happenning anymore. I had a theory that there would be 8 books, one book for each seal, and then one to wrap it up. If the series ever ends I'll read them in one go but I'm sick and tired of not knowing what happens next.

Re:wheel of time

[Anonymous Coward]

perhaps the unfortunate thing about the wheel of time is that most people aren't able to really grasp the complexity of the work as a whole--it gets VERY difficult to spin forty different tales at once and keep everyone interested for each one. Things take time to fall into place, and in Jordan's case, that time == books 8/9/10. Though anyone who says nothing happens in Book 9 is an idiot [see also the last chapter, "With the Choedan Kal"] but nonetheless, I can understand how you people feel. YOu want instant gratification. If that's what you're looking for, why not try a little less far-reaching story, like the crap churned out yearly by Mercedes Lackey, Tad Williams, and Anne McCaffrey. Or you could check out George RR Martin's "The Song of Ice and Fire" if you want to be left hanging for a few years or be infuriated as he kills off all the protagonists.

Re:wheel of time

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, I managed to skip #8 without noticing it, jumping from #7 to #9.

Fortunately some nice guy uploaded the story to Book-A-Minute

Re:wheel of time

[CableModemSniper]

The funny thing to me is that I can draw a lot more parrallels between Dune and WoT then I can between WoT and SoT. But what do I know? Frankly I really don't think Jordan is plagairising Herbert or Goodkind is plaigarising Jordan. I think the genre has been played out. I think everybody is running out of ideas, because the fantasy genre itself has certain expected precepts. You can only do so much if it has to be in a pseudo-medieval swords and sorcery magic setting. My problem is I like it anyway. There are a lot more creative fantasy genres out there, but I like this crap :).

Re:wheel of time

[Anonymous Coward]

instant gratification? Complexity? Nohting happens in book 8, nothing INTERESTING happens in book 9, not until the last chapter. Here's the formula for EVERY SINGLE ONE of the WoT books after book 2:

-one of the girls gets kidnapped
-someone walks across the continent to save her
-someone powerful does something spooky
-5 new characters are introduced, none of whom have anything to do with anything currently happening
-rand gets in a fight
-the girl gets rescued (maybe) ...and then, in the last 50 pages, something interesting happens.

Have you read book 10? I skimmed through it. And guess what? It's the same bullshit formula to the end.

Re:wheel of time

[Anonymous Coward]

If I was Robert Jordan I would sue this hack for plagiarism.

If you were Robert Jordan, that sentence would've been rendered twelve pages long.

I really can't tell you how much I hate Goodkind, it's not even like he's trying to be different.

Really? How's that? I dare you to defense that claim. The only common ground I can find is with the Sisters of Light and Aes Sedai, but almost every detail of the two groups (beyond the superficial) is different. The Sisters aren't ageless (but they lived in a place where time was warped), don't have guardians, are mainly teachers, etc. Hell, even the magic systems are different. Goodkind has more of an edge than Jordan, crafts much better characters, has yet to succumb to Bad-Guy-of-the-Week syndrome, and even writes with a message. They're quite different.

And, right now, Goodkind is the better author by leaps and bounds. I can't say whether Goodkind at his best is better than Jordan at his best, but they both can be very good. If only they were performing up to that level, we'd have better things to talk about than this!

Re:wheel of time

[Mac Degger]

But no-one can tell you why the characters are stupid to the point of irritating, especialy to the point where they seem emotionally stunted. They're also so dumb in the human interaction department that they never seem to hit upon the idea that actually talking to each other would be a good idea, and especially easy due to Traveling.

And don't call that a "theme" or something similar...they've been doing it for 10 bloody books!

Re:wheel of time

[Mr. Firewall]

His sixth book, Faith of the Fallen, is the best of the series. It's pretty clear that Goodkind had just read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged.

My LEAST favorite book in the series is the second. Too violent and the battle scenes were ridiculous.

Re:wheel of time

[CableModemSniper]

My god, faith of the fallen was horrible. The second was high quality good old fashioned high fantasy. One fantasy novel please, hold the politics.

Re:wheel of time

[Anonymous Coward]

Dude.... clearly you werent paying attention to book 10, because Rand pretty well did nothing that entire book and most certainly did not get in any fight.

=P

Re:wheel of time

[Eisenstein]

>. I've never seen anyone who has built such depth into his characters and his world. Three names: George R. R. Martin Steven Erikson Paul Kearney Everyone of them has written a far superior series than WoT. Everyone of them has far better world building and especially much better written characters.

Re:wheel of time

[Xandar01]

I'd have to agree with you. There was a time when I was a real big fan of the books. Then path of Daggers came out. It was kind of a let down and IIRC it was late also. So I am not in a real big hurry to read this next book. I figure I'll squeeze it in somewhere between this one and the next release.

However, what do you mean ghost story? Go ahead and spoil it for me.

Neil Gaiman

[demi]

His books are better than they have a right to be. Don't know about series, but I really enjoyed American Gods, Stardust is a great adult fairy tale, and Neverwhere was the book that got me reading fantasy again after a decade-long break.

Re:Neil Gaiman

[swordgeek]

Damn! As soon as I saw the subject, I was going to jump in and recommend Neil Gaiman. However, SOMEONE beat me to it!

So the best I can do is second it. I'm reading American Gods right now, have read Neverwhere, and have the entire Sandman series of comics. (As a friend said, Gaiman disproves the statement that all 'adult comics/graphic novels' are written by (and for) horny 20-year-olds who never got laid. Neil is simply one of the best authors alive today.

Re:Neil Gaiman

[lammi]

I'm a fan of Gaiman too, American Gods broke up the mind numbingness of my last US to Europe to US to Europe to US business trip.

That being said, if you can find a copy of the comic "Seven Deadly Sins" (circa 1989) which was a book that had different writers for each sin I strongly suggest picking it up.

Gaiman's section on Sloth was one of most unique and brilliant uses of the comic medium that I have ever seen.

Re:Neil Gaiman

[dandelion_wine]

His joint works are indeed impressive, and no one even mentioned Good Omens (the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch) which was my fave, written with the at-least-as-impressive Terry Pratchet.

But Neverwhere... (shudder) oi vey, people. 2-dimensional characters (the Hunter, her perfect lips, her caramel hands, her perfect caramel smile, her caramel perfect... ok already!), protagonist as plodding Arthur Dent replacement who rather simplistically undergoes character transformation, terrible, terrible dialogue, random character emotions. Uh. NO. That one was a real stinker.

Re:Neil Gaiman

[valdis]

Don't forget his collaboration with Terry Pratchett:

"Good Omens".

Very funny book - anything that starts with a nun misplacing the Antichrist is almost certainly going to have some severe sillyness to it. But unlike Douglas Adams, where the sillyness dictates the plot, "Good Omens" has sillyness that just naturally fits in - often making deep statements in the process.

For instance, they toss off a comment that demons find themselves bored, because their job is to torment humans. Unfortunately, humans have free will and demons don't - and humans are *so* much better at inventing new ways to be mean and nasty to each other that the demons are left on the sidelines.

I read that the first time and chuckled. Then I backtracked and said "oooh.. that's actually a lot more profound than it seemed...".

Great read all around. Don't hesitate, just do it.

Re:Neil Gaiman

[Teancom]

I'll have to disagree with you on that. I thought that Good Omens was a very dissappointing book that dragged, and was too "British". Hrrmm, I don't really know how to explain that better. Too much with the tea, crumpets and dry wit meet weird monsters. Neverwhere, on the other hand, I recall enjoying a lot, though I must confess I don't remember the plot much as all *grin*. Something about London? And fog?

To put this into perspective, I'm a huge Pratchet fan (I get two books of his for my birthday and Christmas, every year, so I'm about 1/2 through collecting the Discworld series). I also like everything Gaiman has ever wrote (excepting Good Omens). It's just their collaboration that left me cold.

Re:Neil Gaiman

[rnb]

The only thing I've read by Gaiman is American Gods and I'm guessing it probably will be the only thing I'll be reading by him. The story is great, but the writing is atrocious. I was into the concept and the ideas, but man, his execution definitely leaves something to be desired. I kept trying to get into it, but his writing just pulled me right back out anytime I got close. Oh, well.

Re:Neil Gaiman

[jcsehak]

I read Neverwhere. Meh. It was like a lesser Michael Crichton book. His Sandman series, however, is some of the best writing of any genre. It starts getting really good around the "Season of Mists" story arc, and by the end of the series, you're cursing Gaiman for ending it. But oh! What an ending!

Also, his short storys "Troll Bridge" and "Murder Mysteries" are absolutely wonderful.

Tad Williams: Great Fantasy AND Sci-Fi

[backlonthethird]

Tad Williams "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" trilogy is probalby the best fantasy I've read, period (apologies to J.R.R.). Dragonbone Chair, Stone of Farewell, To Green Angel Tower are the book titles.

He also is writing an epic sci-fi cycle called "Otherland." A cross between the Matrix, classic cyberpunk, and Alice in Wonderland. High, High quality.

more info on his website

Re:Tad Williams: Great Fantasy AND Sci-Fi

[Anonymous Coward]

Otherland is more accurately described as a cross between shit and boredom.

Re:Tad Williams: Great Fantasy AND Sci-Fi

[Anonymous Coward]

Seconded!

Also, poster, if you liked this stuff, try and get your hands on books by Guy Gavriel Kay. Try Tigana, and then work from there.

Re:Tad Williams: Great Fantasy AND Sci-Fi

[Anonymous Coward]

Am I the only one that say a bit of /. in that Treehouse place he talked about?

Re:Tad Williams: Great Fantasy AND Sci-Fi

[Malacca]

While Otherland began well, the rest of the series became a plodding exercise in frustration. The second and especially the third failed to develop the plot in a timely fashion and to me, became more of a chronicle of someone's roleplaying game sessions. A shame as Williams has the ability to write better.

In contrast, "Donnerjack" by Roger Zelazny and Jane Lindskold explores similar themes and concepts and manages to do so, and well in a single volume novel.

At the time of his death, Zelazny had a couple of unfinished books, the other is "Lord Demon". Both were completed by Jane Lindskold who succeeds in capturing the Zelazny voice which is no mean feat.

Re:Tad Williams: Great Fantasy AND Sci-Fi

[Anonymous Coward]

Otherland is nice series, and unlike Jordan, it is finished. Kind of like Alice-in-wonderland, at times.

I would also suggest reading something classical.
Try Moby Dick (or The White Whale) on for size.
Although the pace and language make the book feel a little daunting, Melville's eloquence renders the book a pleasure.

Re:Tad Williams: Great Fantasy AND Sci-Fi

[mvdwege]

While I agree that Williams is a fine writer, his books seem to be lacking in the rereadability department. In other words, although I enjoy reading the stories, they lack richness in their worldbuilding, and his characters are almost, but not quite engaging enough to entice me into a second (and third, and fourth...) read.

Personal tastes aside, the 'Memory, Sorrow and Thorn' trilogy has nowhere near the richness of 'The Lord of the Rings', that much is obvious from the first reading. If Tolkien is not your taste, Williams might be suitable, but that's the most positive thing I can say.

Mart

Re:Tad Williams: Great Fantasy AND Sci-Fi

[Anonymous Coward]

I read Memory, Sorrow and Thorn ... and couldn't put them down. I just finished the Otherland series...and couldn't put them down (finished the last book at 5 am one morning because I had to know how everything resolved). And, obviously, he's not still writing Otherland, it's finished. ;) See, somebody really likes his books.

Define "new"

[gmuslera]

For me Orson Card, Terry Pratchett or Dan Simmons are "new" authors, even if the books I like from them have 10-20 years. You can even discover Isaac Asimov, and like their stuff, and being "new" for you.

Re:Define "new"

[theDEFT]

wait a minute, are you 500 years old? who is this, where are you?

*runs away*

Re:Define "new"

[Bicoid]

Mod Parent +1 Insightful

Seriosuly, this guy has a point. What do you define as new? Is Card new? I mean, another book from the Ender series just hit the shelves a few months ago (Shadow Puppets). How about Sterling? Or Rucker? Or Stephenson? Or Gibson? Word on the street says that Gibson's got a book coming out in just a few scarce weeks called Pattern Recognition.

Or do you mean new as in the last ten years? Greg Egan's great. So's Charles Stross (off-topic: Charles Stross ALSO happens to be a Linux user...it's a wonder Slashdotters don't cling to him like they do to Neil Stephenson). Ian MacLeod's pretty good, too.

Re:Define "new"

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm sorry. I know English must be your second language, but the question was, "Top 10 New Sci-Fi/SF Authors?"

This question asks what authors are new to writing science fiction, not what authors have written science fiction and would be new to me.

Iain M. Banks

[Anonymous Coward]

He alone is about the top five out of the top ten. :)

Hmm....

[melstav]

"I have read just about ... all or most of the 'old school' hardcore."

So does that mean you're looking for more porn to read, or are you looking for a change of pace?

Harry Potter

[TerryAtWork]

It surpaseth the hype.

Be sure to read them in order - there's a huge spoiler in book three (The best one as far as I'm concerned.)

Re:Harry Potter

[vortmax(OU)]

Nah, book 4 is the best one in the group! And it's true, the books are much better than most of us would think: My friends had to convince me to read these "kids' books", and I'm quite happy they did!

By the way, book 5, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is supposed to be coming out June 21! We'll see whether that actually happens or not...

Re:Harry Potter

[Anonymous Coward]

Rowling is the new Enid Blyton.

Re:Harry Potter

[Isaac-Lew]

Wouldn't Harry Potter be considered fantasy rather than sci-fi?

Dozois anthologies

[Onan The Librarian]

Gardner Dozois edits a yearly anthology of science fiction that has turned me on to a variety of excellent new (and not-so-new) authors. To name a few whose work I'll read anytime: Lucius Shepard, William Sanders, Michael Swanwick, Robert Reed, Howard Waldrop, Terry Bisson, Ursula LeGuin, Mike Resnick, Kathryn Rusch, Karen Fowler... well, just about anyone he selects. I know there are other interesting yearly anthologies out there, and occasionally I buy one, but I've been purchasing Dozois's every year for the past 8 years. Worth checking out, might even be at your local library.

Re:Dozois anthologies

[DoomHaven]

I wholeheartedly agree with Onan. Dozois collects some of the best SF short-stories and novellas in his anthology. Dozois is a very keen judge of good SF and, like Onan, Dozois has turned me on to several new authors like the aforementioned Resnick and le Guin.

As well, I would recommend reading Terry Pratchett. A lot of people compare Pratchett to Douglas Adams - I would rather compare Adams to Pratchett. I would recommend reading Small Gods and/or Pyramids to get a good feel for how Pratchett writes.

Another modern Sci-fi author I like is Allen Steele, especially Chronospace and Orbital Decay.

Re:Dozois anthologies

[astroboscope]

I'll second the Dozois anthologies, and go on to recommend Robert Reed's other stuff, like The Hormone Jungle. I wouldn't have come across it except for an unusual semisecret fact.

Vinge, Simmons, Stephenson...

[Anonymous Coward]

Vernor Vinge rocks:
A Fire Upon the Deep
Deepness in the Sky
(loosely related)

Dan Simmon's Hyperion/Endymion series (4 books) is excellent.

Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon.

Re:Vinge, Simmons, Stephenson...

[ShoeHead]

Woah there. Have any of the mods actually read any Vinge?

Deepness in the Sky is the most boring, unprofessional, unimaginative Sci-fi novel I've read in the past 4 years. In fact, it's the only book I've checked out from the library in the past 4 years and *didn't finish*.

He's some prof at a no-name university where he has time to write junk like this, and trust me, it's not worth your time to read.

Try Haldeman's The Forever Peace, or Huxley's Brave New World (both classics). There's some interesting themes between the two.

Also, anything by Asimov--some of it's slow, but it's worth it. Finally, I *highly* recommend Willis' To Say Nothing of The Dog. It's a great book, full of puns, and non-geek humor that'll make you wanna sign up for a class on Latin classics. It's all about time-travel, but all from a non-techie perspective.

For my thoughts on Snow Crash (eh...) see an above AC post.

Re:Vinge, Simmons, Stephenson...

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, you are entitled to your opinion, but you are wrong.

Deepness in the Sky is not one of his best works, I'll give you that, but it does get more interesting towards the end (funny how many books work that way) A Fire upon the Deep is IMHO one of the best SF works ever, for those who like hard sci-fi. I have no interest in Tolkein and other "fantasy" stuff, perhaps you don't like Vinge's work because your preferences are the other way around.

Re:Vinge, Simmons, Stephenson...

[toeran]

Agree with you about the Hyperion series. I have long searched for an artistic representation of the Shrike that does justice to the mental picture I have of it. I am yet to discover another entity that caused me to daydream while reading as much as the Shrike did. Much of Dan Simmons non-SF work is excellent reading as well.

Re:Vinge, Simmons, Stephenson...

[Flamerule]

Deepness in the Sky is the most boring, unprofessional, unimaginative Sci-fi novel I've read in the past 4 years. In fact, it's the only book I've checked out from the library in the past 4 years and *didn't finish*.

Gack. I can understand different tastes, but "unprofessional"? It won the fucking Hugo for best novel in 2000.

He's some prof at a no-name university where he has time to write junk like this, and trust me, it's not worth your time to read.

He just retired from San Diego State University to write full-time. I'm sure you're a Harvard graduate, but no need to be snobby.

Re:Vinge, Simmons, Stephenson...

[Anonymous Coward]

I completely agree about the Shrike character in the Hyperion/Endymion series. I don't recall ever reading about a more sinister monster. I'm in the process of reading the books for the second time and part of the reason was to re-solidify that image of the Shrike in my mind. I devoured Simmons' every description.

I often wish I was more artistic so I could bring some of those images to life. Maybe if I ever get the hang of a decent 3D rendering package...

Internet Top 100 List

[chandoni]

As much as I hate to do this to the site, check out the Internet Top 100 list. Google it if it's slashdotted.

Re:Internet Top 100 List

[waytoomuchcoffee]

Since I have no mod points left, I will have to leave a thank you for this link instead ;-)

Re: Internet Top 100 List

[Black Parrot]

> As much as I hate to do this to the site, check out the Internet Top 100 list [geocities.com].

Nice site, but kind of odd. Frinstance, I've read most of the Vorkosigan novels and either "enjoyed" or "really enjoyed" almost all of them... but #3 on the list?

You get similar oddities if you grep for an author (say, Jack Vance) and look at the order his books show up relative only to each other.

I think the problem is that there doesn't seem to be any sort of weighting by the total number of votes cast, with the result that a few avid fans of one book or series can put it far out of sequence.

OTOH, I suppose that if you filtered out all the older stuff then this method of ranking might be useful for answering the question posed by the Slashdot query.

BTW, O geeks, there's a juicy patent waiting for whoever solves the problem of internet polling. If you don't like software and business method patents, do it first and get that prior art!

Re: Internet Top 100 List

[waytoomuchcoffee]

It's odd but useful. I usually don't like the Vorkosigan series, for example (well, I liked Memory quite a bit), but the real usefulness of this list is to find stuff that you might have overlooked. I am going to list out all the ones I have never read (or bothered to look at) for the next time I go Sci-fi used book shopping.

Re: Internet Top 100 List

[brett42]

The faq says it uses a formula that includes the number of votes "to slow down the rise and falls in the averages of the books." I'm too lazy to try to figure out the math, but the explanation looked plausible.

Re:Internet Top 100 List

[Clover_Kicker]

Nice list, a lot of good books here. I seriously question some of their choices, though.

Pop quiz - which one of these entries doesn't belong here?

25 The Deed of Paksennarion, Elizabeth Moon - 8.24 (66)
26 The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Robert A. Heinlein - 8.24 (515)
27 The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien - 8.23 (854)
28 Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny - 8.21 (302)

Re:Internet Top 100 List

[byrnereese]

An HTML view of the same thing:

http://majordojo.com/fantasybooks/

Something I slapped together because I love the list, but found it near impossible to navigate and actually click through to buy a book I wanted! Doh!

Re:Internet Top 100 List

[ender-]

I dunno about any of them not belonging there. But I will say that The Deed of Paksennarion was a GREAT trilogy. [The add on books were mediocre].

Easily one of my favorite series of books.

Ender

Re:Internet Top 100 List

[daffmeister]

Nice work.

Re:Internet Top 100 List

[Clover_Kicker]

>But I will say that The Deed of Paksennarion was a GREAT trilogy.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I don't have anything against the Paksennarion books, I read them back in high school. They were reasonably entertaining fluff, IIRC.

I don't think Paksennarion belongs in the same category as The Hobbit, TMIAHM, or Lord of Light, but maybe I'm just crazy.

Not hard SF, but still excellent

[DaveQat]

Check out China Mieville.

I haven't read his first novel, King Rat, yet, but the reviews are good.

I can say, however, that Perdido Street Station and The Scar, both set in the world of Bas-Lag, are incredibly good reads.

Mieville's writing has been described as slipstream - a new genre that incorporates steampunk, SF, and gothic horror. I'm not sure about the classification, but I'm eagerly awaiting his next book.

Re:Not hard SF, but still excellent

[Anonymous Coward]

Yay China!
Glad someone else recommended it.
_King Rat_ is very different from _PSS_ and _Scar_.
Not quite as polished, and obviously a different style (it's horror/thriller set in London), but still incredibly imaginative.

Yay China. He's going places.

sol.
.

Robert Jordan

[PolyDwarf]

He's been around a while, but since you didn't list him, I thought I'd throw the name out there.
Specifically the Wheel of Time series... There are currently 10 released books, and even though the last few actually seemed like one book split into two, it's still really good (Am I the only one who thought the ending of Crossroads of Twilight (The recently released book) was lame?).

Re:Robert Jordan

[Anonymous Coward]

yep. the ending was stinkeroo!

Re:Robert Jordan

[Coffee Warlord]

There is no beginning or ending to the Wheel of Time.

Re:Robert Jordan

[Anonymous Coward]

LOL! Too damn true.

Re:Robert Jordan

[sjbrown]

I didn't mind the ending, seeing as the last 4 or 5 chapters were the only chapters where something actually happened. Up until that point, Jordan basically reiterated stuff we already knew and described how about 20 Aes Sedai looked or held themselves. It was my least favourite book of the ten.

Note to Jordan: Your fans would appreciate it if, in the future:

• stuff actually happens
• you include glossary entries for minor characters (how am I supposed to remember the difference between Reene, Renna, and Reine, when they were last mentioned in 2 paragraphs 4 books ago?)
• you wrote faster. Maybe consider hand steriods

Of course, for all the criticism, I highly enjoy the Wheel Of Time series and would reccommend it.

Re:Robert Jordan

[McTardahan]

Jordan has worn out his welcome on my bookshelf. His WoT series started out good, abeit borrowing heavily from his predecessors. But after reading the latest book, I am sorely disappointed. His plot driven story has turned into a character driven soap opera.

Yes, his universe is very detailed. Overly so. Book 9 culminated with what had to be one of the most important events to his universe, and then we spend the next thousand pages covering the details of Egwene's dress? Come on Jordan, you are killing us here. How can it be that in a universe with the imagination to have two forces of magic that each and every character is dominated by an everpresent and static misunderstanding of the opposite gender? If you are going to be character driven, please don't copy and paste so much between characters...

Lets face it, 99% of those reading the WoT will have read/watched LOTR. What was the point of Mr. Underhill? I thought the Misty Mountains was bad, let alone the fremen..err...Aiel.

So I guess this constitutes my vote against the WoT as top 100. I'm not yet done with Crossroads, I'm already unhappy, and the ending does not sound good...

Re:Robert Jordan

[Anonymous Coward]

robert jordan == scifi.britanyspears

Re:Robert Jordan

[jasondlee]

I thought it was a little lame, but it did bring back the Tolkien flashbacks that book 1 evoked. Remember the end of The Two Towers? The book, not the movie. All she needs is Sam to say something annoying, and the picture would be complete.

The book was a little lame, but hopefully he's laying the ground work for an impending Tarmon Gai'don. I hope so. 600+ a shot for nothing to happen is frustrating.

jason

Re:Robert Jordan

[Yunzil]

Book IX - Winter's Heart

Book X - Crossroads of Twilight.

(Which sucks like a Hoover)

Re:Robert Jordan

[Anonymous Coward]

Why no, you're NOT the only one who thought the ending to Jordan's latest steaming dish of literary diarrhea was as lame as the beginning, middle and end.

I got sucked into these books about a thousand years ago when I was sick for a week or two, wanted some comfortable crap to read. I ended up reading five of them and becoming more and more frustrated by this asshole's rambling, crass, over-padded, formulaic, misogynistic, blither with every book.

If he had left at two or three satisfactorily chunky but ultimately empty books I probably would have walked away from it happy.

Re:Robert Jordan

[Anonymous Coward]

I picked up the WoT series something like six years ago, and to be honest I've enjoyed the entire thing the whole time. I just finished the tenth book recently, it took me about 3 days. I enjoyed it, although I have to admit feeling every bit as frustrated with it as I did with book 9. Pretty much, I've really, really liked all of the books straight through number 7. (Although the paperback cover to number 6 makes me look lime I'm carrying a harlequin romance novel!)

Book 8 kind of got slow, and in books 9 and 10 I've really felt that he's let himself write around in circles. What I really love most about his series is the raw depth; frankly I'd be delighted if this thing went on for another 5 books, as long as they were as substantive as the initial ones. It's the books like the past two that kind of tease you with things throughout the whole book, and then only have a couple of things quickly happen at the end, that kind of leave me feeling unsatisfied.

This said, honestly, I've really enjoyed all of his books. I think it's worth noting that the books he writes which seem slow and ineffectual compared to his other books only seem so because his other books were so damned good. I really, really hope he catches back up with himself. He seems on the verge of it, but then, he seemed on the verge of it at the end of the last book. My main concern is that if he keeps this up, he'll start losing his readership base, which will force him to finish up quicker than he'd like and make us miss out on some potentially really interesting developments. (Like this whole ghost thing he introduces in book 10.)

Re:Robert Jordan

[Anonymous Coward]

I couldn't agree more about books IX and X. Book IX ends with a fundimental change to the nature of his universe, and despite the rest of the book did leave you on the edge of your seat to see what would happen. And you saw: nothing happened.
I liked his premise, he focused on each of the different groups he created and showed how they reacted to the event happening when no one knew just what it was, but he took way, way too long doing so. And we never saw anything actually come of it. I mean, seriously, 700 pages, and only, what, 2 chapters on Rand? 3?

Re:Robert Jordan

[Anonymous Coward]

which probably explains why there are so many goddamn books to it .. and why he keeps making so many damn more, and why it keeps getting to so much worse as it goes on :)

Re:Robert Jordan

[Des Herriott]

I'm glad so many others agree with me, though a bit depressed I wasted my money on Crossroads of Twilight.

DULL DULL DULL. I'm about 500 pages in, and nothing has happened yet! And I don't suppose anything will happen in the last 200-odd pages of the book, other than a hundred new minor characters spending a couple of pages each thinking about something entirely inconsequential.

It's a real shame, the first 3 books of the series were great. The next 3 were OK, if getting a little bogged down, but the last 4 have been a real disappointment: nothing but introducing new characters (as if there weren't enough already) and new subplots (likewise). No sense of resolution anywhere in sight, it's just a confusing mess which is more of an effort than a pleasure to read.

I don't think I'll be buying the 11th book. I've given Jordan the benefit of the doubt for long enough now, hoping that each new book might actually start working toward some kind of resolution, but I doubt he knows himself where this whole mess is going to end up.

Some Recommendations

[haplo21112]

1. Elizabeth Haydon
2. David Drake
3. Terry Goodkind(although perhaps not exactly new)
4. George RR Martin(again not exactly new but you didn't mention him)
5. Tim Zahn
6. Brian Herbert - son of Frank

nights dawn

[Anonymous Coward]

Its old but
http://freespace.virgin.net/martin.burcombe/b ook_c onf_1.html

My Sugestions

[Thauma]

One good way to find new Sci-Fi and fiction authors is to follow the awards. I generaly like many of the Hugo and Nebula canidates... (The winners are not always the best of the bunch imho)

You can also try short fiction available electronicly, FictionWise.com generaly has free stories available as well as a good selection of new authors as well as classics.

Re:My Sugestions

[mobosplash]

I completely agree with reading the Hugo and Nebula candidates. I started doing this last year and keep a list in my Palm of the candidates of the last few years and the winners for 1985 on. I'd say a vast magority are good and have discovered several interesting authors that I hadn't heard of before. I've only had one not be worth finishing, which is way ahead of when I was just trying out new authors by reading the back of the book.

Gordon R. Dickson's Childe Cycle

[Anonymous Coward]

11 books (I think) written between 1960 and 1994.

Best Sci-Fi series ever written and many people haven't even heard of it.

Here are the ones I remember.

1. Necromancer
2. Tactics Of Mistake
3. Dorsai
4. Soldier Ask Not
5. Final Encyclopedia
6. Spirit Of The Dorsai
7. Young Bleys
8. Other
9. The Chantry Guild

Re:Gordon R. Dickson's Childe Cycle

[jagilbertvt]

I was going to suggest the same thing. It is a very entertaining read. I stumbled upon "Young Bleys" back in '92 or '93. I enjoyed it very much, but unfortunately it can be difficult to find any of these books (unless you want to order em all new :P). I found "Final Encyclopedia" by chance while at a used book store near where I live. This is one of the best books I've ever read and found it very interesting to follow the main character, Hal Mayne, as he grew up. This book isnt for the faint of heart. As I recall it is over 700 pages and very small print :).

I think I've read 3 - 8 on the above list. By far, "Final Encyclopedia" is the most enjoyable IMHO.

other authors

[raticade]

might check out Tad Williams

Re:other authors

[AdrianX]

I second.. especially the Otherland series. It combines sci-fi, mythology, and fantasy with great character building and story telling in the not too distant future. Imagine if the you surfed the net in virtual reality...

sorry, im too lazy

[FIT_Entry1]

What are you guys reading? If it is a series, please list ALL of the books in it!
That really sounds like a lot of work, howz about u just go wander around Barnes&Noble like every body else, mmmkay?

Re:sorry, im too lazy

[valdis]

It's actually possible to wander into a Barnes&Noble and be unable to identify all the books in a series. This is especially true if it's an extended universe and/or not all the books are in the store at the moment. For instance, I recently found the *FIRST* book in the Wheel of Time series in Waldenbooks. And of course, it didn't have any blurbs on what the next 9 books were.

Then there's series where "the order they were written", "chronological order" and "order to read them in" are 3 different things. See Bradley's Darkover books or Lackey's Valdemar books for examples.

Terry Pratchet

[dubbreak]

I love douglas adams and this guys writing style is very similar (very humorous yet full of amazing inovations). His big book "Theif of time". Of course if you haven't read every Isaac Asimov book yet that could keep you busy for a few years.

Re:Terry Pratchet

[happyhippy]

He has almost 30 books. And there are better ones than the Thief of Time.

I wouldnt recommend which ones to read, as although most can be read without reading any previous ones, its better to read them in order of they were made. Theres some jokes that you will only get if you read them in a previous book first

Re:Terry Pratchet

[Lumpish Scholar]

I love [D]ouglas [A]dams and this guy [Pratchett']s writing style is very similar (very humorous yet full of amazing inovations).

Seconded. Wacky, funny as all get out, but still with well drawn characters and good stories. Some are light hearted, some more serious.

You should start with the The Color of Magic (Amazon.com, BN.com) and The Light Fantastic (Amazon.com, BN.com), and then probably Equal Rites (Amazon.com, BN.com) and Mort (Amazon.com, BN.com); after that, you can read the other books in the Diskworld series in any order (publication order would be preferred but not required).

Good stuff.

P.S.: Apologies to the rest of the world for pointers to U.S. sites and editions.

Re:Terry Pratchet

[DrVital]

its better to read them in order of they were made.

I'd suggest starting with Reaper Man. If you love it you can go back. That's where Pratchett really started hitting his stride.

I've tried giving people earlier works, but in the end it puts them off.

Re:Terry Pratchet

[Yunzil]

You should start with the The Color of Magic

Totally disagree. If I had started with CoM I probably would never have read the rest of them. It's very good. I would start with Mort or Pyramids myself.

Re:Terry Pratchet

[Yunzil]

It's very good.

Er, I meant NOT very good.

Re:Terry Pratchet

[hether]

It isn't necessary to read Pratchett's books in the published order but I recommend that you at least read the 'sets' in order. The sets are sub-series of books featuring the same characters (the city watch, witches, Rincewind, etc).

For instance, the books focusing on the witches include:

Wyrd Sisters
Witches Abroad
Lords And Ladies
Maskerade
and others.

There will be some things happening in Lords and Ladies that you'll want to know about from the previous two, but it wouldn't make any difference if you'd read The Color of Magic, or most of the other books that come first chronologically.

I'd recommend his books to anyone! This site http://www.co.uk.lspace.org/ is very informative. And here is a reading order guide I found through a link on that site. It pretty much confirms what I've suggested.

Re:Terry Pratchet

[LordTherem]

There's only one of the "witch arc" books that outright requires prior knowledge to not be totally lost, and it warns you at the beginning. I believe it's Carpe Jugulum.

And "comes first chronologically" can be a bit confusing...Pyramids, Thief of Time, and Night Watch will all make your head hurt if you try to place them in order. (Night Watch made my head hurt in general.)

Re:Terry Pratchet

[crizh]

you might find the reading some other SF (Anne McCaffrey for example) immediately before Colour of Magic will improve the experience.

Colour of Magic is an amazing piece of parody.

I also highly recommend The Science of Discworld books. Funny, insightful and very informative from a geek perspective.

Feist

[segfault7375]

I have read almost the entire catalog of Raymond Feist's books. His Riftwar saga and all the associated trilogies are really fantastic. Well written, characters you care about, and great plot twists. You can find a complete list here:

The Raymond E Feist Reference Pages

Re:Feist

[macrom]

Second on the Feist books. They're probably the only ones I own that I continually read over and over. The Serpentwar stuff tends to be a tad bit repetitive; ie, the plot lines are similar to the Riftwar books. Still, he writes great high fantasy novels that are worth your time if you haven't a single book of his in your collection.

Re:Feist

[frunch]

I'll second the Feist recommendation as well. If you're willing to commit to his works, I'd start with "Magician: Apprentice" - the first half of "Magician", which was split into two parts b/c it's so damn long.

If you'd rather test the waters, "Silverthorn" can stand on it's own pretty well, and it doesn't require you to have all the background knowledge on Midkemia or the Riftwar.

And personally, I'd avoid all of the books he co-authored w/ Janny Wurtz (The Serpentwar saga). The plot in those is HEAVILY recycled.

Re:Feist

[brett42]

I read pretty much everything Feist wrote up to the second "Krondor" book. After that it seemed like the series was going downhill. The computer game that was somehow associated with it was pretty good though.

Re:Feist

[MacrosTheBlack]

The books he wrote with Janny Wurtz was the Empire series, not The SerpentWar saga...

The Empire series I found was unique and very well done. I loved how it tied into some of the events Riftwar Saga. Although, REF did mispell Tasio's name (I think I spelt that right...) in Magician.

I found the SerpentWar Saga not as compelling as the Riftwar saga... a little recycled as you said.

Not 'new' really but have you tried John Dalmas?

[Mantrid]

Given your library you've probably read John Dalmas (The Regiment, The Three Cornered War), but if you haven't you may wish to check out his writing.

How about Terry Goodkind (Wizard's First Rule...)- though, heh in both cases sometimes it *seems* like they are new - but then I realize I've actually been reading them for 5-10 years - ugh time flies too fast...

I'm interested to see what people come up with though - I walk into Chapters and they have 4 or 5 shelves of Sci-Fi and Fantasy - not that I'm complaining mind you, but my eyes sort of glaze over as I try to pull out one book out of thousands - shamefully cover art is hard to ignore (but I do try and lead the synopsis and flip through a few pages to gauge style).

Hmmm, how about Christian Jacq's Ramses series? It's somewhat interesting - it's not really new, although it's somewhat new to North America being a French book originally.

Wil Mc Carthy

[happyhippy]

Only read two of his books but they are very good. I dont think its a series as they were totally different SF eras.

One is called Bloom and is about people living on some moon around Jupiter or Saturn after Earth was 'consumed' by nanomite weapon and is spitting out nanomites which occasionally hits them.

Coliseium is another and is about the harnessing of blackholes to form 'space highways' that all quick travel.

Re:Wil Mc Carthy

[Leareth]

I second the Wil Mcarthy vote. Although I liked Bloom better, Collapsium was an excellent read in a classic pulp fiction sort of way.

Also I'd recommend Tad Willams, IMHO is the finest wordsmith since Shakespeare.

Here are some other suggestions (so far no-one has mentioned) classified by specific type:

Pure Fantasy:
Garth Nix: Sabrial, Lirial, Abhorsen, Ragwitch, Shade's Children. Technically classified as Young adult fiction, but still an excellent read.

David Weber: War God's Own. From the same author who brought us Honor Harrington.

Jim Butcher: Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, Summer Knight. Think Magic meets hard-boiled detective novel.

Steven Brust: Jhereg, Techla, Taltos... etc. A very rich and detailed fantasy world server up with wry humor. (Now the first three books are available in one volume)

Chris Bunch: The Seer King, The Demon King, and The Warrior King. Good solid classic fantasy.

Dave Duncan: Cursed, and King's Blades series.

Jane M. Lindskold: Through Wolf's Eyes, Wolf's Head, Wolf's Heart. A "Wild child" tale that contrasts nicely with court machinations.

R.A. MacAvoy: Damiano, Damiano's Lute. Classic fantasy set in 16th century Italy.

Mary Gentle: Ash-The lost history of Burgundy (split into four books in the US) and Grunts. Grunts is the Tolkien wars told from the Orc's point of view, and Ash is probably the most realistic depiction of medieval life/war then you would ever want.

Jean Lorrah & Lacqueline Lichtenberg: Hard to find, but the Sime/Gen series they both worked on was an excellent what if...

Space Opera/Space War Fiction/or Science Fiction.
David Weber: The Honor Harrington series, and to many others to list. Start with On Basilisk Station.

Allan Cole & Chris Bunch: Sten Series. Not a lot of depth but a fun, although quick read.

James Alan Gardner: Expendable, Ascending Commitment Hour, Vigilant, & Hunted. Most of them (except commitment hour) happen in the same persistent universe.

Time Travel/Alternate History:
S. M. Stirling: Draka series, Lost in the sea of Time series, and The Peshawar Lancers (Which I'm currently reading.) He has an excellent grasp of the nuances of social-historical forces and their implications.

Cyberpunk:
George Alec Effinger: When Gravity Fails, A Fire in the Sun. Besides Snow Crash, these are the best cyberpunk books I have read. (Yes, I've read all of Gibson's work.)

How about.......

[thenarftwit]

Well, you could get these two newer SF books:"Darwin's Radio" by Greg Bear and "Moonseed" by Stephen Baxter"...

Re:How about.......

[nf0]

I agree Darwin Radio was a really good read.

Benford is new?

[Paulo]

Gregory Benford has been around since at least the early 80s. "Timescape", his most famous novel, is from 1980.

I'll second the recommendation about Greg Egan, though. The guy is wicked cool. You can read some of his short stories in his web page (don't have the link handy, just google).

Re:Benford is new?

[lmt]

his homepage is http://www.netspace.net.au/~gregegan/ ... good books especially like quarantine and diaspora

What about...

[Randolpho]

What about that R. A. Salvatore fellow? I hear people like his crap for some god-forsaken reason.

Re:What about...

[geekoid]

I read the first sentance and was reelling with horor. Than I read the second and laughed my ass off.
Good show, Randolpho. If that is your real name.

Re:What about...

[Randolpho]

Teh bastard killed Chewbacca! He will always be the worst author ever in my mind for that alone. Of course, his writing style certainly helps that assesment along quite nicely...

P.S. Yes, that's my name. :)

Historical Non-fiction

[dmah]

Simon Singh (http://www.simonsingh.net/)

Code Book - history of cryptograhy.
Fermat's Enigma - solving Fermat's last theorem.

my favs

[AssFace]

John F. X. Sundman
Neal Stephenson
William Gibson

Although any of the Mary-Kate and Ashley series are really killer. They always get into the craziest predicaments

Typical /, responses Take up space and unhelpful

[SpyHunter99]

Neil Stephenson -- Snow Crash
William Gibson -- Some say he coined the term "Cyberspace"
^----Neromancer, Mona Lisa Overdrive, and I think Count Zero is the 3rd in the series, but all the books stand on their own.
Philip K. Dick -- although he isn't that new, he is a great writer
^----Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?"

It isn't really science fiction, but the Coocko's Egg is one of the great high-tech thrillers and it is all true.

Intentionally OT

[SplendidIsolatn]

Though I only read a bit of Sci-fi stuff, one non-Sci-fi series of books that has always interested me is the Travis McGee series by John D. MacDonald. It has nothing to do with space aliens, the end of the world, etc, but it is a pretty long series (23 books, starting with The Deep Blue Goodbye), and it is interesting as you can see the changes in his writing style over 20 years. It gives you an interesting glimpse not only into Southern Florida at the time, but the attitudes and how things have changed since then. Nobody I've recommended these books to has come away disappointed.

Yeah, it's not Sci-fi, but sometimes a change of pace is good.

Re:Intentionally OT

[Anonymous Coward]

The McGee books are wonderful. Nightmare in Pink is somewhat sci-fi in tone though; possibly a good place to start.

"Icons" by M. R. Powers

[cybergnu]

I've been able to read a copy of the book "Icons" by M.R. Powers, which is coming out in about a month or so. It's a fantasy set in the modern world. I'd say the ending was a little confusing but overall a great book! Contains stuff that /. readers would probably like (like me): computer chess, artificial intelligence, as well as a healthy dose of good sf (planet with two suns, for instance) and alternate realities. (You should check back on Amazon in about a month for this book because it's not out yet).

Get a GIRLFRIEND and a life!

[Anonymous Coward]

Sheesh, you keep reading 4,000 books over and over? Move out of moms house, get a job, a girlfriend, and a life, and then see how real life is.

SciFi?

[W33dz]

Positive choices: George RR Martin (prolific, excellent) Robert Jordan (long winded, slow but good) Anne McCaffery (old-school) Heinlein (older school) Bradbury (been to Mars lately?)

Re:SciFi?

[Pepeee]

Hey, can't call George RR Martin prolific. He's got out three books in seven years (although I will allow you that the books are huge). Before that, he spent ten years without any book at all, because he had to write TV screenplays to feed himself ("Beauty and the Beast", anyone?)

Re:SciFi?

[studerby]

Hmmm... I though all his "Tuf" books came after his screenplay days...

Lance Olsen

[sublimusasterisk]

I can't say enough about Lance Olsen. The only work he has out is "Freaknest" but it's an amazing novel. I expect more from this author in the years to come - truly a master.

hmmmm sci fi, how 'bout...

[op51n]

Well, I reckon some of the stuff by Jon Courteney Grimwood is rather good, especially RedRobe, and Pashazade (plus the sequel Effendi that I am awaiting in paperback). RedRobe I thought was particularly good.
At the moment though I've been mainly reading all the Haruki Murakami books, which while not SF I do thoroughly recommend, he's a fantastic writer, 'Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World' being especially fine.
And if you like Murakami David Mitchell, author of Ghostwritten and Number9Dream is very good.
Slink

Re:hmmmm sci fi, how 'bout...

[trib]

Grimwood is awesome! The alternate-history near-futures he places at the reader's disposal both in redRobe and the Arabesks (btw, buy Effendi in hardcover, it's worth it) are excellent.
The Arabesks remind me a little of Effinger's "Marid Audran" books, without the weird s&m violence.
And best, he's an author who's prepared to correspond directly with a fan - I have conducted several short email exchanges with him - something no other author I can think of (except maybe Terry Pratchett) does.

Trib

Re:hmmmm sci fi, how 'bout...

[op51n]

I'll have to look out the Effinger books, not come across them, but if they're anything like the arabesks i really should!
I guess his willingness to talk to fans may stem from his journalistic past, he used to write for the Grauniad and I think a couple of other papers, so I think he's relatively down to earth.
And if I were to buy Effendi in hardback it wouldn't fit on my bookshelf properly! I was expecting it to be out in paperback by Xmas, can't be long now?!?
I keep meaning to get round to reading whichever (possibly Lucifer's Ghost?) that is more based on the kind of SF Vampire stuff, since I really liked the Cardinal in redrobe, and think it could be a really cool set up for a novel, since I like the promise of vampire based work, but am constantly disappointed by the writing itself.

Annals of the Black Company

[Teckla]

The first three books of the Annals of the Black Company series are very good. They're written by Glen Cook.

-Teckla

Re:Annals of the Black Company

[Anonymous Coward]

So is the whole rest of the Black Company series...

Re:Annals of the Black Company

[Anonymous Coward]

Awesome series! Also check out the Garrett Detective series....

Robert Jordan

[RoyBoy]

Well, the best read I've had since Tolkien has been the Wheel of Time series:

Book I - The Eye of the World
Book II - The Great Hunt
Book III - The Dragon Reborn
Book IV - The Shadow Rising
Book V - The Fires of Heaven
Book VI - Lord of Chaos
Book VII - A Crown of Swords
Book VIII - The Path of Daggers
Book IX - Winter's Heart

Other perrenial SF/F favs include Douglas Adams (you have read all of the HHGttG right?) and Terry Pratchett (he's right, you really can't have more fun by yourself!).

Just my $0.02...

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact

[caesar-auf-nihil]

If you're looking for the best new SciFi authors, check out Analog. It's a paperback magazine, published monthly (www.analogsf.com), with lots of great SciFi and science fact articles. Sometimes its just a selection of short stores, but you'll also find novellas and serials, some of which have been turned into full published novels. Lots of new authors, as well as few older ones, publish great Science Fiction.

Re:Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact

[thud2000]

Couldn't agree more. I used to subscribe to Asimov's magazine (Analog's sister publication), and this is probably the best way to get a good sampling of current authors without having to shell out a ton of money on a book by one author, that you may or may not like. Asimov's used to regularly feature stories by the likes of Robert Silverberg, Orson Scott Card, Harry Turtledove, etc., as well as Asimov himself before he died. Also, the reviews and occasional editorial pieces about the current state of SF were an invaluable tool to survey the field. Haven't read it in years, but I believe it's still being published.

Just go to the magazine section of your local BookMartCo, and see what's out there.

Re:Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact

[wmspringer]

Total agreement there....Analog has IMO some of the best science fiction available. You can see the table of contents and subscribe at http://www.analogsf.com/ I particularly recommend the probability zero section, and they're currently running an interesting novel entitled "Shootout at the Nokai Corral"

Vernor Vinge best

[msundman]

I have yet to find a better sci-fi author than Vernor Vinge. His novels and short stories are simply amazing.

My favorite New Sci-Fi author

[pogen]

EuroSeti.

Some Suggestions from a SF Freak

[notcreative]

Some authors I like that aren't all that famous in the SF/F genre are: Dave Duncan Phyllis Eisenstein Fred Saberhagen Matthew Woodring Stover Lawrence Watt-Evens Melanie Rawn Jennifer Robinson Robin Hobb Mike Resnick also, James Clavell isn't really SF/F but still rocks the hizouse. Surprisingly, some of Stephen King's books are more SF/F than Horror (e.g. The Stand).

Tad Williams

[slothdog]

Tad Williams writes some great (if slightly long-winded) stuff. Memory, Sorrow, And Thorn is a great fantasy trilogy, and Otherland is great near-future SF, although most of it takes place within a VR network where anything goes, so it has elements of fantasy in it as well.

Re:Tad Williams

[tetra103]

To tell the truth, I loved the Memory, Sorrow, Thorn series. I thought it was a great piece of work. I think the only thing that killed the book(s) for me was the main character. The story starts out with him being a cry baby. So much so you just want to slap the kid, but then by the end of the story, he has all this karma and he's supposedly made something great of himself, but he's still a cry baby and in the end, he doesn't amount to anything when it came to the fight of good and evil. I just couldn't understand the point of the main character. That and his slut bag girlfriend. She was as dumb as a stick and somehow she saves the day? Sorry Tad, great story but horrible, just horrible main characters. BTW, the other characters in the book were great!
Because I was so burned by the dopy characters in MST, I'm hesitant apon reading Otherland. I will add that Tad's one book "Tailchasers Song" was pretty good. If you're a "Watership Down" lover, then you must read Tailchasers. It's just one book, but pretty interesting.

Re:Tad Williams

[aardvarkjoe]

I've read most of the Otherland series -- however, mostly because there are just enough good ideas to keep my attention. They're not good books by a long shot. My biggest complaint is that I haven't read about a more boring set of characters since Jane and Spot. If you want to find something interesting to read, I'd recommend you look elsewhere.

Re:Tad Williams

[elluzion]

To provide a sense of balance, I should say that I really liked Otherland. So I guess it's matter of opinion. The second volume seriously drags, (or was it the third?) but I came away with an overwhelmingly positive vibe from the book. My only complaint was length. It took me almost three years to make it through all 4000 pages. Damn school getting in the way.

Re:Tad Williams

[Godwin O'Hitler]

Otherland critique in six words:

Great idea, great world, weak plot.

I believe it's round about the middle of the third book when you find out what the baddies are really up to. Near the end of the book, when the time comes to implement their evil scheme, I remember thinking, is that it? After that the fourth book was always going to be anticlimatic. But as someone already said, at least Williams finishes his nlogies from time to time. <cough>Jordan</cough>
Williams develops great stories but someone really should teach him how to write endings.

Signal to Noise

[Anonymous Coward]

I really enjoyed Eric S. Nylund's Signal to Noise. Apparently there is/will be shortly a sequel to it called A Signal Shattered.

Also Neil Gaiman, as mentioned earlier.

Genius

[Kill da wabbit]

I'd highly reccomend Ian M Banks. Particulary Use of Weapons, The Player of Games, The phonetically (sp?) written Feersum Enjin is masterpiece of modern times. Some of his newer ones are excellent as well ( Excesion ) I'd keep clear of Look to Windward, it's a bit naff.

Highly imaginative, not just the same old reshashed stuff. Alot of the characters in his 'Culture' novels ( the culture is us lot of gibbons a few thousand down the road ) are sentient AI minds with a delicious sense of humour.

The author also writes fiction as Ian Banks, some classic there as well ( The Wasp Factory and so on). Go check him out, you will not be dissapointed.

Re:Genius

[pmc]

The phonetically (sp?) written

That's "fonetikalee".

A couple of suggestions

[markh1967]

Iain M Banks The Culture series Consider Phlebas Player of Games Use of Weapons ---best SF book I've ever read Excession Look to Windward Other SF Against a Dark background Feersum Enjin His non-SF books written as just Iain Banks (no M) are also strange, thought-provoking, and very well written. Peter F. Hamilton The Night's Dawn trilogy The Reality Dysfunction The Neutronium Alchemist The Naked God Not really a series but with recurring characters Mindstar Rising A Quantam Murder The Nano Flower Other A second Chance at Eden Fallen Dragon If either of the above have passed you by then you're in for a treat

The last 'new' author I read

[drinkypoo]

Or at least new to me, was Storm Constantine. At the time I had no idea who she was and I dropped like twenty or thirty bucks on a single-volume trilogy called Wraethu. I think the first book is called something like The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit, or maybe that's me somehow combining more than one title from the series... Anyway, quite a good read but the characters are a sort of new transhuman third gender so if you're squeamish about that sort of thing, try something else she's written. It's brilliantly depicted and has a lot of depth and is really quite entertaining.

A Sci-Fi author people tend to miss somehow who I really like is C.J. Cherryh, she's amazingly prolific and has quite a large body of interconnected work. Much like most of the works of McCaffrey, everything takes place in the same slice of reality, which is something I've always enjoyed in a sci-fi author. I started with The Pride of Chanur (first of four? books in a series) and I think the next series I read was Cyteen (a trilogy). 40,000 in Gehenna would be a good step after cyteen... Then run around and fill in with other books :)

As for people who you shouldn't have missed, and probably didn't, but really ought not: Vernor Vinge, and Walter Jon Williams. WJW has written some fairly trashy cyberpunk (Hardwired) which is basically a stroke-piece in the same way as Snow Crash (but also entertaining in many of the same ways - WJW isn't NEARLY as flowery as Stephenson, which is frequently a good thing) and also a fairly thought-provoking novel called Aristoi which is heavy on the nanotech, and far future. Vernor Vinge is amazing, the first book of his I read was a fire upon the deep; also check out a deepness in the sky.

Hopefully you've already read everything here; If not, hope this helps. Regardless, for everyone else and posterity, my statements stand.

Re:The last 'new' author I read

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, Walter Jon Williams has produced a couple of very thoughtful, 'different' works: Metropolitan and City on Fire. They bridge the SF/Fantasy genres. The macguffin, or gimmick, in these two is a mysterious substance called 'plasm', an almost indescribable energy source that when used properly by mages can grant (my description for it) psycho-kinetic powers. The plots and politics are well crafted and the culture is very well thought out. Good reads both.

Re:The last 'new' author I read

[Anonymous Coward]

Not to be picky, but Cyteen is not a trilogy. Cyteen was originally published as a single-volume hardcover, and has been recently re-released as a single-volume trade paperback. The "trilogy" was a publishing decision (and as I remember, disliked by the author).

Cherryh has many universes she writes in. 40,000 in Gehenna and Cyteen are in the Alliance-Union universe (and there are other books in it as well - including the Merchanter's books). For a list of her books, see her webite (somewhat out of date, but most of her books are listed):

http://www.cherryh.com

Re:The last 'new' author I read

[StandardDeviant]

WJW wrote two of my favorite "cyberpunk" books: Angel Station (iirc) and voice of the whirlwind. very dark and gritty both. VV is one of my favorite authors. The "deep" books are both good, but i really like his "bobble" series to for the setting, nameing the "the peace(r) war" and "marooned in real time" (other misc. short stories in that milieu as well).

Matt Ruff

[swordgeek]

Some of his stuff is contemporary fantasy, some is borderline science fiction, all of it is BRILLIANT! "Fool on the Hill" and "Sewer, Gas, & Electric" are must reads.

Re:Matt Ruff

[Anonymous Coward]

be careful! fool on the hill is brilliant, but sewew, gas and electric is FAAAAAAAR below!

don't forget

[K2K]

Don't forget Zodiac. It's not as well known as some of Neal Stephenson's other books, but it's still very good.

Re:don't forget

[Anonymous Coward]

Also The Big U and In The Beginning Was The Command Line... are good as well.

Re:don't forget

[rgmoore]

And The Big U, which is even earlier than Zodiac and, IMO, even funnier and more interesting. Both Zodiac and The Big U also seem to be from before Stephenson developed his every so annoying tendency to end his novels without wrapping up loose ends decently.

Re:don't forget

[Nightpaw]

"Decently"? I think you mean "at all".

Re:don't forget

[Fatllama]

The Big U ended, that's for sure. But in more likeness to a trainwreck than a knot of loose ends. A great book though.

Iain Banks

[DyingBreed]

His culture novels are great. Consider Phlebas The Player of Games Use of Weapons Excession Look to Windward

Re:Iain Banks

[spongman]

Yup. Banks Banks Banks! You might need to go to amazon.co.uk to get some of his stuff. Read the culture series, in order!

How about...

[Anonymous Coward]

1. David Brin
2. John Varley
3. Lois McMaster Bujold
4. Robert Sawyer
5. David Weber

John E Stith

[Anonymous Coward]

Well researched, hard science basis. Tough to find in print, but good ebook selection at peanutpress.com (Palm Digital Media).

Re:John E Stith

[OnThree]

Stith has churned out some of the best scifi I've ever read, and also some of the worst (some of his earlier works).

He's not only hard science, but can write real page-turners.

Must read:
Redshift Rendezvous
Manhattan Transfer

To avoid:
Early Stith
All for Naught

Advice

[Henry V .009]

Good goddamn. Judging by your list of authors, I think you mean the "best new crap." Okay, so Roger Zelazny's Lord of Light book was a masterpiece, but I figure his inclusion into your list was some sort of typo. If you really want to find the next Piers Anthony or Weis, try to avoid anthologies like "The Year's Best Science Fiction," edited by Gardner Dozois, which never fails to contain a number of high quality short stories. Avoid science fiction by people like Gene Wolfe--whose books have such obvious characteristics of good literature that they regularly get reviewed in the NYT review of books. Stick with the book-store isle that has all of the Star Trek(TM)/Star Wars(TM) universe stories--don't you hate how libraries never seem to pick those up?

And whatever you do, try to avoid non-SF writers like Wolfe, Updike, or Bellows, I'm sure that you will realize that they suck just from the lack of busty women with laser guns shooting aliens on the cover.

The U.S. Constitution

[bninja_penguin]

Of course, Cryptonomicon, the U.S. Constitution and others. For those who like trolls, or conspiracy theories, I suggest reading anything and everything you can get your hands on, and save copies, as the way the world's governments and corporations are headed is the way of massive book burnings, arrests for free thought articles, etc. etc. etc. I hope it doesn't come to pass, but it sure looks like the age of reason and the information age are about to become the modern version of the dark ages, substituting governments and corporations for kings and religion.

Greg Egan

[Anonymous Coward]

Greg Egan is probably the only author I've been really excited about in the last couple of years

Books include

- Teranesia

- Distress

- Quarantine

and his short story collections are even better

His web page is http://www.netspace.net.au/~gregegan/

Re:Greg Egan

[Facter]

hoi coward, you missed his BEST book out of the lot.

Permutation City.

F.

Re:Greg Egan

[lmt]

you missed diaspora to! :)

Shameless promotion

[haplo21112]

I keep hoping to write my magnum opus...keep an eye on my site, I post new stuff from time to time as I develop my skills...none of it is pure gold yet, in fact most of it is pure "dren"...but its feedback from readers that I use to get better...so what the hell...

Try George RR Martin

[SirCodeAlot]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/series /-/4/hardcover/ref=ref=pd_sim_series/102-5883795-0 500165 This should help you.....

Peter F. Hamilton

[Anonymous Coward]

Peter F. Hamilton

this is one of my favorite recent authors

he wrote :

the Greg Mandel series
Mindstar Rising
A Quantum Murder
The Nano Flower

The Night's Dawn Trilogy
The Reality Dysfunction
The Neutronium Alchemist
The Naked God
A Second Chance at Eden (same timeline)
The Confederation Handbook (Fact book about the Night's Dawn books)

also
Fallen Dragon
Mispenth Youth

I've read all his books, they are like crack :)

I first discovered his books with the Reality Dysfunction wich is the start of the Night's Dawn trilogy (about 3k pages in total)

I can recommend all his books but I especially enjoyed the Nano Flower and the Night's Dawn trilogy (sixtology in the US ?).

He combines nice characters with real identities and some cold hard sience fiction, nice plot's and a golden touch.

K. Langley

Re:Peter F. Hamilton

[OneNonly]

I finished Misspent Youth last night. Once again, fantastic.

I started with The Reality Dysfunction also, and had nice long waits between books :) Love all his work..

He delves into both technological developments and genetic developments and makes some very interesting "predictions". While the different series have their similarities in technology he does a fantastic job of making each unique.

If you are a Sci-Fi fan and haven't read Peter F. Hamilton's work - you're missing out on a real treat!

Re:Peter F. Hamilton

[Chef_TM]

I was waiting for someone to mention Peter F. Hamilton. His writing is probably the most underrated in the Sci-Fi. The nights dawn trilogy presented to me the first "feasible" utopian society and made me think about the future of mankind in a way I had never considered before. But it aint crack, more like Heroin. Not that I have tried either. :)

Now with formatting

[markh1967]

Iain M Banks
The Culture series
Consider Phlebas
Player of Games
Use of Weapons ---best SF book I've ever read
Excession
Look to Windward
Other SF
Against a Dark background
Feersum Enjin

His non-SF books written as just Iain Banks (no M) are also strange, thought-provoking, and very well written.

Peter F. Hamilton
The Night's Dawn trilogy
The Reality Dysfunction
The Neutronium Alchemist
The Naked God
Not really a series but with recurring characters
Mindstar Rising
A Quantam Murder
The Nano Flower
Other
A second Chance at Eden
Fallen Dragon

If either of the above have passed you by then you're in for a treat
--
Input error. Replace user and press any key to continue.

Shitty troll, bone-head

[Anonymous Coward]

As I said, shitty troll, bone-head.

Re:Sci-Fi: Trashy romance novels for geeks

[Anonymous Coward]

Sheesh, if you're gonna cirticize an author, at least get the titles correct - The future "boys vs girls" novel is _A_World_Out_Of_Time_, and is from Niven's State series.

And I'd recommend avoiding any of the crap espoused as politically enlightened - it tends to be little more than a screed for the author's politics, thinly covered in the trendy topics of the PoMo LitCrit crowd.

that wasn't in ringworld

[Anonymous Coward]

"A World out of Time"

My suggestions

[oh2]

I always seem to happen upon new and exciting books in this Genre. This is some of what I like. (YES I like Military SF) Here goes :

David Feintuch : Midshipmans Hope, Challengers Hope

David Weber : Anything, he is brilliant.

David Drake : Hammers Slammers and, well just about anything

Steve White : Insurrection, Crusade, In Death Ground, the Shiva option

Eric Flint : 1632, 1633, the Belisarius series

Peter F Hamilton : Nights Dawn trilogy, A quantum murder, The Nano flower, Fallen Dragon

John Ringo : Gust front, When the devil dances, A Hymn before battle, March Upcountry, March to the sea, March to the stars

Alastair Reynolds

Harry Turtledove

SM Stirling

Well, that's a few at least. Should keep you occupied for a few weeks. Have fun!

Re:My suggestions

[Jason Earl]

Even cooler, you can download quite a few of these books for free at Baen's website. I would particularly recommend the Belisarius series and the stuff by David Weber.

Re:My suggestions

[Anonymous Coward]

I second some of these suggestions.

David Weber's work is excellent. The Honor Harrington books are my current favorite. The Mutineer's Moon books are fun, but a little silly. (In two books the protagonist goes from an Earth astronaut to an interstellar emperor going around blowing up stars.)

Steve White's books are also very good, and Eric Flint's 1632 is an entertaining time-travel story. (A small modern town finds itself dropped into the middle of 1632 Europe.)

Some of these are available for free download (either in their entirety, or the first third or half of the book to get you hooked) from the Baen Books web site.

Re:My suggestions

[Clover_Kicker]

There are a few books by Weber, Drake, and Flint at the Baen Free Library.

I really enjoyed Old Nathan by David Drake, but YMMV.

Re:My suggestions

[ab762]

More Military SF
Tanya Huff - Valor's Choice and The Better Part of Valor

Her non-military urban fantasy in the Blood series: Blood Price, Blood Trail, Blood Pact, Blood Debt concern Henry Fitzroy, vampire and bastard son of Henry VII, and Vickie Nelson, a private investigator, and the stranger goings on of a big city (Toronto, in fact.) Great entertainment. Ghosts, mummies, zombies, werewolves, all with a sense of humour, and not horror. She has that indefinable "Yes, there are consistent rules here" Unknown Worlds kind of fantasy writing.

Re:My suggestions

[waerloga01]

> David Feintuch : Midshipmans Hope, Challengers Hope

There is also...
Prisoners Hope, Fisherman's Hope, Voices of Hope, Patriarch's Hope, and Children of Hope.

Most of the books are good, some are not as good, like Voices of Hope, which is actually told by a diffrent perspective than Nick Sefort's. All in all, a decent series.

Re:My suggestions

[Anonymous Coward]

Feintuch & Midshipman's hope series:
seems to plagiarize the Hornblower series pretty well, lessee search and replace: sail, cannon, gunpowder, hard tack, etc.

Re:My suggestions

[oh2]

Yep. I know. If i typed all my favourites I would get carpal. ;)

okay

[tps12]

I was going to kill myself because I hate the world but then I was like wait maybe there is something out there worth living for. Not everyone is a weird freak I can't relate to, right? So I loaded up Slashdot and I read this story and I've decided that killing myself is the right choice after all. Bye.

George R. R. Martin

[Trillan]

A Song of Fire and Ice

An extremely gritty and realistic fantasy series. So far, three out of the five books have been published: A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords (and coming at some point: A Dance with Dragons and The Winds of Winter.)

It is not a pretty world, but it is a riveting one. Best fantasy series I've read to date, and yes that includes the classics.

Re:George R. R. Martin

[talon77]

I agree. A song of Fire and Ice is plain and simply the greatest and most interesting story I have ever read.

Kim Stanly Robinson

[evilempireinc]

The Red/Blue/Green mars series is quite good.

Re:Kim Stanly Robinson

[Damek]

I'll second that - Kim Stanley Robinson is definitely one of the best modern sci-fi authors. Right up there with Ken MacLeod - and filling out the other side of the political spectrum, too! (sort of...)

The Red/Blue/Green mars series is quite good.

As is his California triptych (Wild Shore, Gold Coast, Pacific Edge). Gold Coast may be his best work.

Re:Kim Stanly Robinson

[steveha]

I second this nomination. When I read his book Red Mars I thought to myself, "this is so obviously the way it would really work to colonize Mars. Anyone writing a new novel on colonizing Mars is going to be following in this guy's footsteps, or wrong."

I'm not sure if I would say that after long reflection, but that's how I felt while I was reading it. His style isn't much like Heinlein, but like Heinlein he thrusts you into a well-thought-out and convincing world.

steveha

Re:Kim Stanly Robinson

[Trillan]

Hmm. I thought it was horribly boring and not realistic at all... not because of the technology, but because of the characters.

Re:Kim Stanly Robinson

[DrGoran]

Realistic? I for one thought that was the meaning of sci-fi, fictional stories about science? Fiction, noun, An imaginative creation or a pretense that does not represent actuality but has been invented.

Re:Kim Stanly Robinson

[Anonymous Coward]

Come on guys - Kim Stanly Robinson is modern classic sci-fi. The mars series is just brimming with brilliant ideas - the space elevator - as a way to revolutionise orbital flights, terraforming Mars by geneering different species, the martian reds movement - where the greens are the anti-environment group - and the reds want to preserve martian geology as sacrosanct - the depth of research in these books makes it classic status easily in my mind. OK so the characters are just a bit predictable - but I found this series totally gripping.

James P. Hogan

[Anonymous Coward]

One of the more hardcore SF authors out there, he uses ltos of good science and speculation to set up phenomenal situations in his books.

A good start would be his Giants Trilogy, now available as a compilation. (I don't think you can buy them new as individual books)

Cradle of Saturn is my favorite of his books that I've read.

You can see his website at http://www.jamesphogan.com.

Re:James P. Hogan

[crashfrog]

Which Stephenson book did you even read? Snow Crash is fun (I don't think it's groundbreaking or possessed of great literary merit), short, and basically aSF adrenaline rush. Diamond Age is much slower-paced, maybe that was the one you were reading. Crypnonomicon, I would think, is more or less tailored to the Slashdot crowd. I'd be surprised if you didn't like it, but it is his longest, so maybe that's what you were reading.

The last thing most people would say about Stephenson's truncated, fast-paced style is that he uses "too many words". But without actually knowing which one you read, who is able to respond to you?

Pick up Snow Crash. It takes 2 hours to read. Do yourself a favor, it's a lot of fun.

Re:James P. Hogan

[Malor]

I found Snow Crash to be quite good; I remember it quite clearly, and with the sheer number of books I read, that's saying something. Admittedly, there was an absolutely INTERMINABLE expository section about language and the Tower of Babel. You could take a pair of scissors to those (40??) pages and barely miss anything. A tremendous clunker in an otherwise very good book, IMO. He's certainly no Orson Scott card, but he's a good read, IMO.

one I absolutely can't stand is Gibson -- he has interesting ideas, but his writing is horrid. I'm still surprised he A) found a publisher, and B) found readers. I guess some folks are a lot more tolerant than I am. :-)

You mentioned Hogan....IMO, he's another one of those writers with good ideas and poor writing. He's more worth wading through than most, however. He has genuinely interesting and different ideas. I just wish his prose wasn't so clunky.

The problem with alternate history books like Turtledove's is that, to be accurate, he CAN'T end in any particular place. History is sorta continuous; it's unusual for it to have really discrete starting and stopping places. I thought he handled it about as well as he could have; the eventual outcome appears inevitable. Getting there would be interesting, but it's really not worth spending another book on. And no matter where he stopped, there would be unresolved issues; that's the nature of history.

Re:James P. Hogan

[TrebleJunkie]

Sorry, a brainfart on my part. Cryptonomicon was the one I fed to the landfill.

I'm sorry, but his style could be a lot of things, but fast-paced it was not, or I wouldn't still be wondering when the story is going to start on page 100. You want fast-paced, read Vachss. I mentioned him above.

You're probably right, though. Cryptonomicon is perfectly suited for the Slashdot crowd. Read *that* one between the lines at your own risk. (Caveat... caveat... crap... how does one say "sheep" and in latin?)

I do *not* want to start a flamewar here, so I'd appreciate it if you'd take this reply as the fill-in-the-blank that it is. You won't convince me it was any good, and I won't convince you it sucks, that's the beauty about opinion, and let us please leave it at that.

Re:James P. Hogan

[crashfrog]

I won't try to convince you Cryptonomicon was good. I liked it, myself, but it does start out slow.

All I ask is that you not throw out an author simply because you didn't like the one book that's not really his "style". If it's fast-paced story you're after, Snow Crash is what you want to read. Again, I'm not saying it's The Great Gatsby (for an instance of great literature), but it's a lot of fun. It's also a fast read. (400 pages, maybe.)

Give it a shot. I think you'l be glad you did. Of course, it's no skin off my nose either way. Just curious which book you had thrown away... happy reading. I'll keep an eye out for Vachss books.

(Did you mean "emptor"? As in "caveat emptor", :let the buyer beware"? I don't know any latin but I do know that "caveat" means beware, more or less...)

Re:James P. Hogan

[Jerf]

I'm sorry, but his style could be a lot of things, but fast-paced it was not, or I wouldn't still be wondering when the story is going to start on page 100.

I made it to about 400. I was still waiting for the story to start.

I don't know about you (literally), but I've got a degree in computer science and I found the anecdotes and random, pointless explanations of things like the Halting problem (which ties into the story in no way that I could see) actively boring, since I knew it well enough to spot the occaisional typo. (To be fair, it seemed largely accurate and I do believe they were typos, not mistakes. Although it's exactly the kind of explanation that leaves a 16 year old reader thinking he actually knows something about the Halting problem and other explicated topics when in reality they couldn't answer the simplest homework problem in a real cirriculum about them, let alone actually use the information correctly.) Subtract those and you're left with almost nothing that even a Slashdot reader could like; a slow boring story, taking forever to get there, and when it finally gets there, nothing happens.

One of the other messages in this thread defends this as "The rambling is the whole POINT. Kind of like if you're driving through really interesting scenery, you might not care about getting to your destination quickly." OK, but the scenery in question is an Iowa cornfield, not a Colorado mountain range. And you're doing 10mph or so, tops. I'll wade through long books; I liked A Deepness in the Sky despite needing about 200 pages chopped out of the middle and heck, I even thought Battlefield Earth was a decent romp (though no classic) for its time at 1000 pages... but they actually did something memorable. 400 pages of Cryptonomicon and I was hardpressed to come up with one interesting thing that had happened; contrast to A Deepness in the Sky where something worth remembering happens every 50 pages or so and despite the fact that I read it years ago, and Cryptonomicon last month, I remember A Deepness In the Sky much more vividly.

Cant go wrong with Dune

[Anonymous Coward]

Im really into he new Dune books I especially liked the Butlerian Jihad and House Corrino. Herberts son is the one keeping the series alive and while the books are no up to par with the original they are entertaining and a welcome distraction. I've noticed some flaws and errors in the new plot line, but nothing major (Irulans mother Ariel was supposed to not die at the end of House Corrino and Yueh shouldnt have been in the prequels at all since in Dune it says he was with the Atreides for 6 years not 15+ years, but anyway this is stuff only a very very hardcore fan would pick up on) Frankly I think turning Dune into a series is a bit of an insult since I honestly believe it was an epic in the homerian sense (technically I dont see why it isnt) and one of the greatest books ever written even Herberts other Dune books (God Emperor, Messiah, Children, Chapterhouse) were subpar when compared to the original and should never have been written (you can kinda tell he wrote them for the money and not out of some vision) Imagine if Tolstoy kept War and Peace going in a attempt to make some money. It would have become a cheap soap opera instead of a Russian masterpiece. I also like all of the Babylon 5 books, but there are to many to list. They arent good literature, but they are a fun read. I do feel a bit guilty after reading them since they arent anything profound or enlightning like the original Dune was, but they arent bad. I would list them, but there are to many to list. Have you read Anne Rices Interview with the Vampire series? The books generally are great, but the homosexual tendencies in them are repelling and I skip through those parts since I am not a fag. Though the Lesbian bits are nice!

David Brin

[AuraSeer]

David Brin is one of the best writers I've seen in a very long time. His most recent book, Kiln People, was reviewed on /. not too long ago.

Not new, but... Julian May

[smoon]

Pliocene Exile series:
The Many Coloured Land
The Golden Torc
The Nonborn King
The Adversary

The Surveilance series (extension of above):
The surveilance
The Metaconcert

The Galactic milieu series (more of above):
Jack the bodiless
Diamond mask
One or two others...

Good writer, good series. These are from the 80's and (very) early 90's. Many are hard to find right now, but maybe there will be another reprint...

Sci-Fi is fun. That's all that matters.

[Anonymous Coward]

English teachers suck. They overanalyze everything. They pretty much sap the marrow from any book remotely interesting and then shove what's left of the carcass down your throat.

Dude, branch out a bit

[glwtta]

I'm sure you'll get a lot of this, but there is a lot more out there than science fiction; if you've read all of SF already, maybe it's time to try something new?

New fantasy authors

[greatsasuke]

If you're into fantasy stuff like Weis/Hickman, I'd recommend the following series:

Robert Jordan - The Wheel of Time
Amazon link

George R.R. Martin - A Song of Fire and Ice
Amazon link

The Wheel of Time is a ten book series so far (Book 10 just came out) and the first six books are great, but the last few get a little repetitive. I'd recommend them all the same.

A Song of Fire and Ice is the hottest fantasy series out right now. It's three books so far and the fourth is out in April, I believe. It's a much more contemporary setting than most fantasy, but it's also much better. Highest recommendation.


Hope this helps a little.

Re:New fantasy authors

[Godwin O'Hitler]

A Song of Fire and Ice is the hottest fantasy series out right now. It's three books so far and the fourth is out in April, I believe.

Since I've all but decided to abandon Jordan until the series is finished (probably some time in 2015), and since everyone seems to rate GRR Martin, I think I'll give Song of Fire and Ice a try.
Could anyone allay my fears be assuring me that this is a saga that looks as though it might actually finish one day?

Yeah...

[Anonymous Coward]

but tell us how you really feel... don't hold back...

James P. Hogan

[Anonymous Coward]

Depends what kind of SF you want. James P. Hogan is my current favorite for tech SF. His computer tech is particularly good.

good books that aren't sci fi

[casper75]

If you don't mind stepping out of the sci fi category, here are some of my favorites:

1. Winter of Our Discontent (Steinbeck)
2. Great Expectations (Dickens)
3. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Pirsig)
4. Catcher in the Rye, Frannie and Zowie, Nine Stories (all are by Salinger)
5. anything by Kurt Vonnegut
6. anything by Tom Robbins
7. Mythago Wood (Robert Holdstock- actually any of his books too)

There are so many good books outside of sci-fi. Although I admit, most of my books are sci-fi or fantasy.

Re:good books that aren't sci fi

[Hast]

"Zen and the art ..." and the following book "Lila" are two books that simply left me stunned after I had read them. Particularly after reading "Zen and the art..." I walked around the house the rest of the evening going over what I had read. For "Lila" the effect was not so strong as I was a prepared for it. (But it's a really good book as well.)

For even less fiction oriented books check out Douglas Hofstadters books. "Gödel, Echer, Bach" is probably his most know book. And it will blow your mind. As a bonus you have a given conversation topic with anyone who has read GEB or his other books.

David Eddings

[primal39]

From the sounds of it, you have probably tackled all of these, but David (and Leigh) Eddings have several series that are excellent. They really excel at characterization, and the plotlines are good.

Re:David Eddings

[Saige]

Well, don't read more than one series unless you like reading about the same plot, and similar characters, over and over again.

They're definitely not cerebral books - simple and fun, though if you stick to the Belgariad, Mallorean, and the books on Belgarath and Polgara, and head somewhere else from there, then you'll minimize repetition by sticking with the biggest series of his.

Re:David Eddings

[scovetta]

Eddings' books are my favorite series-- it's true that the Belgariad/Mallorean series' and the Elenium/Tamuli series are very similar in content, but they're both very fun to read. His non-series books are very good too, especially his latest one... can't recall the name off the top of my head, though.

Re:David Eddings

[whimdot]

Borrow about three David Eddings books, read them, see if you can remember which was which. I have sworn never to spend money on his books again. His one greatest sin is that he never kills off a character, even if they do something suicidal.

Summary Haiku

[Anonymous Coward]

"I think gay is evil.
Scifi has lots of gay.
Won't someone think of the children!"

You're in graduate school aren't you? If not, they'll be waiting with open arms...

Now with formatting

[markh1967]

Iain M Banks
The Culture series
Consider Phlebas
Player of Games
Use of Weapons ---best SF book I've ever read
Excession
Look to Windward
Other SF
Against a Dark background
Feersum Enjin

His non-SF books written as just Iain Banks (no M) are also strange, thought-provoking, and very well written.

Peter F. Hamilton
The Night's Dawn trilogy
The Reality Dysfunction
The Neutronium Alchemist
The Naked God
Not really a series but with recurring characters
Mindstar Rising
A Quantam Murder
The Nano Flower
Other
A second Chance at Eden
Fallen Dragon

If either of the above have passed you by then you're in for a treat

Re:Sci-Fi: Trashy romance novels for geeks

[AnyoneEB]

Take Larry Niven's Ringworld series, for instance, in which the main character is transported to a future Earth that consists of two immortal factions of humanity - boys and girls.

You're thinking of Larry Niven's A World Out of Time. It is not part of his Known Space series, which Ringworld is part of.

Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars

[DakotaSandstone]

A great 3 book "hard sci-fi" series about the colonization of Mars. Really awesome character development, and it starts only 30 years or so in the future. Written by Kim Stanley Robinson

The series won several Hugo and Nebula awards.

Re:Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars

[Damek]

I'll second any recommendation for Kim Stanley Robinson. His other works should definitely be explored, too - Particularly The Wild Shore and The Gold Coast...

How about some oldies?

[geekoid]

Latley, I have taken to reding 19th/early 20th centure Sci-fi. It is quite good, and has an interesting view of the society at the time it was written.

If you have done that, I suggest branching out. try some mysteries, or classics.

George R.R. Martin

[guyo26]

The Song of Fire and Ice series. Highly recommended.

http://www.georgerrmartin.com/

Re:George R.R. Martin

[Repugnant_Shit]

Here here. I can't wait for him to finish the series.

An oft asked question...

[TheGreatGraySkwid]

...and some oft seen responses.

My personal recommendation list of authors that are still putting out books regularly to semi-regularly:
George R.R. Martin
Neil Gaiman
Steven Brust
Terry Pratchett
Neal Stephenson
C.S. Friedman

Up until recently, I would have recommended Robert Jordan...but for now, I'd say hold off until he's finished his Wheel of Time series. I think there's still potential there, but it's not worth waiting for...

Drop the mega-series

[CaseyB]

My only advice would be to drop those lousy interminable fantasy series. Ignore anyone that suggests Goodkind, Eddings, or Jordan. There are many other authors that are capable of starting and finishing a story, while providing far more depth of character, in a single book than these hacks ever will even if the series go on *forever*.

Jonathan Carroll

[a hollow voice]

If you're looking to stick with the fantasy genre but want to branch out some from the high fantasy swords & sorcery stuff, try some of Jonathan Carroll's books. Books that are straight solid drama with just a little of the fantastic in the mix. Try Land of Laughs (biographer discovers that his favorite children's fantasy author may have just been writing about the way things are in his home town) or Bones of the Moon (a woman who dreams of another world that may be just as real as her waking life) and see what you think.

The world doesn't need two Piers Anthonys

[Elwood P Dowd]

Well. From your short list, I get the idea that you have some horrible taste. For everyone else (especially the Snow Crash fans), I'd recommend Thomas Pynchon's Vineland.

I got that recommendation off the back cover of the book. One of the BS PR quotes was "This book is a cross between Gibson's Neuromancer and Pynchon's Vineland." Hrm... I liked Snow Crash; I liked Neuromancer...

All my friends went out and read it, and we were all happy to have done so. Even though it was a *lot* of work to get through.

And if you can't possibly work that hard, and you need something in your limited little genre (I know, they're not new, but) I'd recommend Ursula K Leguinn's Earthsea stuff or Octavia Butler's Parable of a Sower. And read *everything* Gibson wrote. If you don't like what he did after Neuromancer... learn to change. He's the only active Sci-fi writer that I'm terribly interested in, and Pattern Recognition is due shortly.

Re:The world doesn't need two Piers Anthonys

[PinkStainlessTail]

All my friends went out and read it, and we were all happy to have done so. Even though it was a *lot* of work to get through.
Just wait until you try his Gravity's Rainbow. Makes Vineland look like a cakewalk (but very worth the effort). Also, so far no one has recommended Gene Wolfe, particularly The Book of the New Sun. Also hard going at first, but very good indeed.

Re:The world doesn't need two Piers Anthonys

[Doktor Memory]

Man, if you think "Vineland" was a slog, just wait until you get your hands on "Gravity's Rainbow". :)

But do do do do read Gravity's Rainbow. It's worth the effort and thensome.

Re:The world doesn't need two Piers Anthonys

[nosferatu-man]

The world doesn't need one Piers Anthony.

'jfb

Re:The world doesn't need two Piers Anthonys

[Elwood P Dowd]

The world doesn't need one Piers Anthony.

touché. But we got two anyway, with that idiot Terry whatever.

David Weber

[Lechter]

I wouldn't call him a "new" author, but he seldom seems to be in the traditional top-10 or 20. Even so, Weber writes excellent books in the military-sci-fi vein. They're seldom "high art" or particularly thought provoking, but the characters are generally pretty good and the stories themselves are fun reads largely due to Weber's approchable style.

Of his books, I'd recommend the trilogy that begins with The Armageddon Inheritance is a lot of fun. If you like that then you should check out his Honor Harrington Series, which is also excellent

Re:David Weber

[SWPadnos]

Don't forget "Path of the Fury" and "The Apocalypse Troll".

Path of the Fury is an interesting read, because it actually combines sci-fi with greek mythology (yes, it's those furies :).

The Apocalypse Troll is set in the same universe as the Honor Harrington series (though it takes place at a time long before the star kingdom of Maticore exists). I only assumed the same universe because the physics / ships are the same, there's no connection between this story and Honor Harrington.

Honor Harrington series by David Weber

[aldjiblah]

Not exactly "new", but if you haven't read these books, you should get started right away. Well written space opera with characters you'll remember in a future that's not far from believable.

David Eddings has quite a few good fantasy books

[Anonymous Coward]

definately worth a read if you haven't...

My Top Ten (In any order)

[Anonymous Coward]

Greg Egan
Octavia Butler
Connie Willis
Orson Scott Card
Roger Zelazny
Gregory Benford
David Brin
Neil Stephenson
Walter Jon Williams
Bruce Sterling
- Actually, this list has just made me realize how little I have really explored as well. Gotta work on that.....

Dune

[Not Public]

Dune... all of them...
now that brian herbert and kevin anderson have knocked out their 4 prequels (Butlerian Jihad, Houses Harkonnen, Corrino, Atreides)... i'm looking for any added depth or insite to the original 7 by frank herbert. if only to warm myself up for the rumored 8th and final book to be written from F.H.'s original notes...

not to mention, the series as a whole spans such immense time geography and philosophies on humanity, ecology, and purpose... You can constantly re-read them (my personal goal- re-read the entire collection at least once every 5 years- but then again, I'm freakish that way)

Jack Vance!

[AdamBa]

Of course someone who equates Zelazny and Piers Anthony might have strange tastes...but I would recommend Jack Vance. The "Demon Princes" books are some of the best SF out there, and "Planet of Adventure" isn't too bad either.

- adam

Re: Jack Vance!

[Black Parrot]

> I would recommend Jack Vance.

IMO there's none better, but tastes vary and some people genuinely don't care for his style.

> The "Demon Princes" books are some of the best SF out there, and "Planet of Adventure" isn't too bad either.

I heartily recommend both, but actually prefer the latter. Unfortunately it gets off to a slow start, but anyone who's still there half-way through the second book will never put the rest of the books down, nor forget them.

Vance also wrote some best-of-breed fantasy series. The Lyonesse trilogy is as good as fantasy gets {Suldrun's Garden, The Green Pearl, Madouc}. The two Cugel books {Eyes of the Overworld, Cugel's Saga} are also great, though they are somewhat too cold-blooded for many people's tastes (particularly the former).

Re: Jack Vance!

[Anonymous Coward]

You forgot "The Dying Earth". A good read as well as inspiration for AD&D's Wizards must memorize their spells rule. ;)

Re: Jack Vance!

[nosferatu-man]

I think it's safe to say that someone who actually likes Piers Anthony would find Vance baffling.

He is, IMHO, the one true stylist that the science fiction genre ever produced. His books represent the very pinnacle of American genre fiction, along with Chandler.

'jfb

YES!

[jigokukoinu]

Concerning the books being split into two parts, I agree! It struck me at the end of "Winter's Heart" and I was moaning as I neared the end of "Crossroads of Twilight" last night. Another half book. :(

Sad news ... Ray Bradbury dead at 82

[SweetAndSourJesus]

I just heard some sad news on talk radio - Sci-Fi writer Ray Bradbury was found dead this morning at his [ I don't know where Ray Bradbury lives ] residence. There weren't any further details. I'm sure he will be missed by the slashdot community - even if you didn't enjoy his work, there's no denying his impact on popular culture. Truly a Martian icon.

Re:Sad news ... Ray Bradbury dead at 82

[spiro_killglance]

No his flesh was found in a puddle, but what happened to his skeleton no own knows.

Suspects in the case are his new born son suspected of killing his wife see, but now lost replaced by a cube, and a old farmer in a corn field the other side of america.

Questions remain, what was in the jar found by is body, who was the guy seen near by with wildly
differing descriptions including jesus, elvis and the president.

For possible Karma points, name the stories and books the above characters/sitations going from.

-1 Troll

[HiroProtagonist]

My kingdom for some mod points.

Yes, Heinlien is campy and adolecent, etc. etc. BFD.

Your comments about the Ringworld series are bizarre however. I think we must have been reading two different books.

George R. R. Martin

[Harinezumi]

George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" is the best SF/Fantasy series that I've read in a very long time. It's the most realistic and the most politically intricate epic fantasy I have yet read, and most of the people to whom I've lent the books have had a similar reaction. The series presents an incredibly detailed world, and does so from the points of view of a vast number of carefully developed characters.

There are three books out already out of an expected total of seven (A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, and A Storm of Swords) and another one is supposed to be out in March.

Some of my faves

[Anonymous Coward]

Recently I've read all of Gene Wolfe's stuff, especially the Urth saga. Its good! An earth so far into the future that the sand on the beaches is made of ancient cities.

Some other fave authors that you may not be familiar with:

Stanislaw Lem - polish 'hard' SF author, author of solaris. I'd recommend 'The Invincible', or one of the Pirx books. He can get really philosophical sometimes, but also writes lightweight fun stuff too.

Jorge Luis Borges - not new, but highly respected as literature. I consider it SF/fantasy, though you'll never find it in the SF section of the bookstore.

Ken Follett's "The Pillars of the Earth"

[Malc]

Not quite in your list of genre's. I couldn't put the book down, with at least one work night reading until 5am. Other people have told me of similar experiences. Based on heresay, you might like Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series too.

Re:Ken Follett's "The Pillars of the Earth"

[Anonymous Coward]

I liked Pillars of the Earth, but found it not as good as Sharon K. Penman's books about medieval England and Wales, especially the trilogy Here Be Dragons, Falls the Shadow and The Reckoning. I enjoyed Pillars, but if you liked that, you should definitely check Penman out, and be grateful you read Pillars first!

Eddings

[Xaoswolf]

David and Leigh Eddings have several good books that I recomend to anybody out there with eyes. Start with The Mallorean and the Belgariad, then move on to everything else. It's really great epic fantasy.

China Mieville

[alienated]

... is the most interesting writer I've come across recently, both in terms of writing style and ideas. His fiction is a kind of parallel world steampunk, describing a universe where steam-powered computers and coal-burning cyborgs coexist with magiacians schooled in quantum physics.

An interesting thig about Mieville is that like William Gibson or Mervyn Peake, his settings are as important or more important than the characters. His second book, Perdido Street Station, takes place in the massive city of New Crobuzon, and in many respects, the city is the protagonist. The sequel, The Scar, takes place on a floating pirate city called Armada; it's a lot like Waterworld with the suck knob turned way down.

[NB: skip Mieville's first book, King Rat; it's a second-rate urban fantasy set in contemporary London.]

Mieville's home page is here.

Re:China Mieville

[Mac Degger]

Wod of warning...I personally loved Mieville. Very original, well written. However I thought maybe the last third of Perdido st station was too slow. But it is worth it for the first part though.

Miles Vorkosigan

[Anonymous Coward]

The Miles Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold is outstanding.

I hope I remember them all, and in the right order...

Shards of Honor
Barrayar
the Warrior's Apprentice
the Vor Game
Borders of Infinity
Mirror Dance
Memory
Komarr
A Civil Campaign
Diplomatic Immunity

Re:Miles Vorkosigan

[steveha]

Yes. This series starts out good, then it gets better, and recent books have been awesome. She has several Hugo and Nebula awards.

You can get a taste of her work for free from the Baen Free Library. Her novella "The Mountains of Mourning", which won both a Hugo and a Nebula, is available there. It is an early Miles Vorkosigan story.

http://www.baen.com/author_catalog.asp?author=lmbu jold

steveha

Re:Miles Vorkosigan

[steveha]

Arrgh. Wrong link. The above link points to the Baen page on Bujold; here is the correct link to the Baen Free Library page for Bujold, with "The Mountains of Mourning".

http://www.baen.com/library/lmbujold.htm

steveha

Eric Flint

[DG]

OK, so the stuff is lighthearted and not particularly deep, it's still a fun read and the stories truck right along.

Eric seems to have a ken interest in history, and his work is well researched.

It's nae "Dune", but it's fun. And a few of his books are readable for free at the Baen Free Library

Check him out.

DG

List...

[Anonymous Coward]

George Bush's Economic Team...

Sadam Hussein disarmement report commission...

Enron's accounting department...

My recent reading list

[pogle]

-Peter F Hamilton's Nights Dawn Trilogy

-George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series (book 4 coming soon!)

-Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles (Historical fiction on King Arthur's grandparents, very very good)

-Tom Clancy's Red Rabbit (been reading bits and pieces for months)

-Robert Jordan's WOT #10, Crossroads of Twilight (his slowest read ever though, and not too good IMO)

-Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series

-Orson Scott Card's Shadow Puppets, the latest book in the Bean series (Enders Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon preceeding)
-Also the rest of Card's Ender series (Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the mind)

-Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon and Snow Crash

-Search for an online book, The Heretic. Got it from a friend, he said there was free downloads--very cool hacker type book, equates it to spellcasting and such

-Tolkien's LotR, Silmarillion, etc

-Anything by Robert Ludlum

-Clive Cussler novels

Some of these are oldies, but still good. Not all are fantasy or scifi. I've got a ton of others, but these are all the more recent ones (although in most cases it was re-reading them for the millionth time).

Re:My recent reading list

[aaza]

I can only comment on a few of these, then I will be adding my own faves.

A song of Ice and Fire is brilliant, I am rereading books 1 and 2, then starting on 3 - can't wait for book 4.
For more info - George R R Martin's homepage

Orson Scott Card's Ender series, and the Shadow series that follows it, are brilliant.
Official Site

Now for mine:

Tracy Harding: Ancient Future, An Echo in Time, and Masters of Reality (The Ancient Future trilogy)

That's all I can think of right now. Try Neil Gaiman as well.

Google sci-fi directory

How's about...

[Anonymous Coward]

You eat shit and die you uncle fucking pig shit eater... mmmkay?

New Talent

[dfluke]

I've been very impressed by newcomer brit writer Justina Robson, she's only published two books so far, "Silver Screen" and "Mappa Mundi", but both are very well written and oddly personal takes on old cyberpunk themes.. Both books also come off as distinctly "british", which is refreshing as most cyberpunkish fiction is pretty dark and gritty. Definitely one of the better new scifi writers.

good, recent SF

[gribbly]

Didn't we have a question like this not so long ago...?
Anyway:

• Greg Egan - Permutation City, Diaspora
• Steven Baxter - Manifold:Time, Manifold:Space
• David Marusek - check his site
• Iain M. Banks - Culture series (you want me list them all? What the hell!? You haven't heard of google?
• 
  There you go!
  grib

Re:good, recent SF

[SuperMallen]

You mention Greg Egan without Quarantine?Philistine! His other books pale in comparison to the sheer brilliance and readability of Quarantine. I've found the rest of Egan's stuff less than satisfying.

Re:good, recent SF

[Jherico]

Settle down there. Its a matter of personal preference. I'll grant that Quarantine is probably one of Egan's easiest reads, since its essentially formatted as a noir dectective novel, but I don't think its neccessarily his best work. I'd personally say that I think Diaspora or Teranesia are better novels for interesting new ideas.

Re:good, recent SF

[BetaJim]

Stephen Baxter is one of my favorite hard sci-fi authors. I highly recommend his book Ring. But, any of his books are well written.

Baxter reminds me alot of AC Clarke, they even authored a book together (forgot which one.) Any way Ring is one of the best hard sci-fi books that I've read in a while. Check it out!

Re:good, recent SF

[Anonymous MadCoe]

I love Banks. Really refreshing stuff ;-)

Re:good, recent SF

[guran]

I can absolutely, 100% second that!

Baxters sf makes yoou think: "All right. Those theories could be true, now whats left is just engineering..."

"Ring" is really very good. Also check out the manifold sequence ("Time", "Space" and "Origin")

Run (Douglas E. Winter)

[slattery_jim]

Read it. It was so good, I finished it in a few hours, then turned around and read it AGAIN!!!

Hon. Mention: Had a friend pass along 'The Blue Nowhere' by Jeffery Deaver (Author of 'The Bone Collector', etc)

Not usually my style of books, but he's amazing, and didn't make tech sound completely retarded as most authors do.

Since then, I've read everything he's written. All of them were quite good.

Jim

Lois McMaster Bujold

[gorilla]

Winner of 4 Hugo's, 2 Nebulas, and oodles of nominations.

Re:Lois McMaster Bujold

[geekoid]

yeah, but do the cover of his books have big breated, laser toting, mamas?

Re:Lois McMaster Bujold

[sam_handelman]

I second that recommendation for Bujold, especially the entire Vorkosigan series. The Curse of Chalion is fine, but not as much of a romp as the Vorkosigan books.

The books are swashbuckling adventure in space. They are more *fun* than any other science fiction I've ever read.

As science fiction it is a little bit retro; that is to say, not very futuristic by modern standards. Bujold's books, while they have some genetic engineering and (if I recall) a little cyberthechnology here and there, aren't heavy into any future technology except for various star-trek-esque space weapons, and superluminal travel (which is accomplished via wormholes that have strategic importance.)

The principal charm of the books is in their titular protagonist, Miles Vorkosigan, who is native to a savage, feudal, backwater planet only recently reintroduced to modern technology, and is very physically frail. He compensates by being manic and charismatic.

There is no need to read the books in order, except for the most recent ones.

Re:Lois McMaster Bujold

[Fiver-rah]

Some of them do. In complete defiance of the actual content of the books.

Re:Lois McMaster Bujold

[Ellen Spertus]

She has made one of her novels, Borders of Infinity, available as an audiobook online for free at http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/215/the_readers_ch air_inc.html. It's good.

Re:Lois McMaster Bujold

[nacks1]

Everyone thinks of her Miles Vorkosigan/Naismith series, but I recently read one of her fantasy novels and I found it quite enjoyable.

Check out The Curse of Chalion. Supposedly there is a sequel coming out later this year entitled: Paladin of Souls.

A good site for Bujold can be found at http://www.dendarii.com/.

Re:Lois McMaster Bujold

[Anonymous Coward]

Free clue -- Lois is not a man's name.

Re:Lois McMaster Bujold

[Animats]

Bujold is unique in that she sets stories of different genres in the same universe. "The Warrior's Apprentice" is space opera. "Ceteganda" is a detective novel. "A Civil Campaign" is a comedy of manners. "Barrayar" is a war novel. "Cordeila's Honor" is a romance.

Re:Lois McMaster Bujold

[Reziac]

In my experience, and the consensus of all the Bujold fans I know hereabouts, the best way to read the Vor books is thus:

First time: in the order they were *written* (and do forgive the first 25 pages or so of Shards of Honor -- starts weak, but gets better fast).

Second time: in chronological order (per list in the back of most volumes; the Quaddies books can be safely skipped).

After that: whichever one comes to hand when you're in the mood for really good space opera, tho the middle books of the series are the best. The two most recent have tried too hard to make Miles "grow up" and reach a point where she can close off the series.

Re:Lois McMaster Bujold

[demonbug]

I definitely second this, and third, fourth, etc..
Not hard SF, but more sheer enjoyment than anything else I can think of. Read them, and you ewon't be sorry. Personally, for maximum enjoyment, I would suggest starting with The Warrior's Apprentice and go through some or all of the Miles books before going back to the first ones (actually one now, two books were combined to create Cordelia's Honor, which deals with Miles' parents). Really really recommened for anyone.

Encyclopedias...

[RedWizzard]

You should consider checking out the Encyclopedia of Fantasy, and the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, both edited by John Clute. They won't get you onto the very newest stuff (check out the SF magazines and awards for that), but you're bound to find some good older authors you haven't read.

Ken MacLeod

[zwalters]

If you're looking for somebody *really* new, check out Ken MacLeod. _The Star Fraction_ and _The Sky Road_ are both different than anything else you're likely to find out there.

If you're looking for somebody newer than Heinlein, Asimov, etc, Kim Stanley Robinson is a good bet. Of course, the Mars series probably makes him so well known that he doesn't really qualify as "new".

But if you really want to be blown out of your seat, check out Michael Chabon. On the one hand, he doesn't write science fiction, so he doesn't fit into your criteria, but on the other hand, he's quite possibly the best young writer anywhere, in any genre. I've ended up buying a new copy of _The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay_ every three or four months since it came out, just from people borrowing it and loving it so much they forget to give it back.

James P. Hogan

[TrebleJunkie]

James P. Hogan, James P. Hogan, James P. Hogan. Great hardcore SF. Might not be new to you, but if you've been out of it for a while, you've missed a few books.

If you want to try some stuff that isn't SF, try Andrew Vachss for some really dark, hard crime stories with a message (more on the web site). I recommend his Burke series (too many books to list) or Graphic novels (if you can find them) to anyone. He's done a Batman or two, too, I think.

Harry Turtledove's Colonization series (I don't remember the names) -- taking place after his "WorldWar" series, are very good reading, but the series kinda "ends" leaving too much hanging, IMHO. Again, not completely new, but if you haven't read it, you might like to.

I'm probably the only one that will tell you this, but I tried reading Neal Stephenson/Stevenson/However you spell it, and threw it out less than 100 pages in. Not just put it away, THREW IT OUT. Neal is apparently the James Joyce of SF, That is to say, he uses too many freaking words and doesn't really ever gets to the damn point, nor does he tell all that great a story. It's an "emperors new clothes" kind of book. The sophists will tell you it's great, but only because they think they *have* to in order to stay in the "in" sophist crowd. Well, I'm that little boy telling his daddy that the king is walking around naked. Not a good book.

Ian M. Banks

[xyote]

Not to be confused with Ian Banks which is the same guy. Does "space operas". 'Excession' is particularly good. Has things like small planetoid sized A.I. space ships that while transporting the entire population of a planet in stasis, creates tableaus of famous battles with said same passengers. With their permission of course. Apparently humans in stasis make good simulated corpses with the right makeup. There are human subplots of course but the plots involving the space ships are very interesting. And there are plots, literally. And ship on ship battles that beat the hell out of any samurai movie for "quick".

Richard Calder. 'Dead Girls', 'Dead Boys', 'Dead Things', ... Lots of sex. Mostly all sex. Don't read them if you have suicidal tendencies though. Incredibly depressing. Starts out like a junkie completely at the end of his monkey chain and goes downhill from there. Most depressing scifi series of all time (after Gormenghast). Did I say depressing?

Re:Ian M. Banks

[Anonymous Coward]

Not to be confused with Iain Banks and Iain M. Banks who are they same guy, just that IAIN is his real first name, not Ian. He is Scottish, you know.

Re:Sci-Fi: Trashy romance novels for geeks

[Zed Lopez]

"More traditional fiction authors have gotten along just fine in getting their points across without having to resort to ludicrous, unrealistic devices like space or time travel or things taking place in an imagined "future". People like Aldous Huxley, Charles Dickens, John Irving and William Shakespeare, in fact."

Hee! That makes good satire, but ultimately poor trolling, which I take to have been your intent.

Not "new", just better.

[Doktor Memory]

I couldn't tell you who the top ten "new" science fiction authors are, but I can tell you one thing: you've been cheating yourself by consuming a lot of churned-out-by-committee crap, one identical "novel" after the other.

Instead of looking for the next endless, pandering "series" a la Weis & Hickman or (shudder) Piers Anthony, why not investigate some of the actual artists in the field? As about a dozen people above have already pointed out, we have these things called the Hugo and Nebula awards -- we give 'em out every year, and it's usually a safe bet that at least a few of the winners are worth your time to read.

A few authors and books you owe it to yourself to check out if you actually think you like this genre:

"A Fire Upon the Deep" by Vernor Vinge
"White Light" by Rudy Rucker
"Gun, with Occasional Music" by Johnathan Lethem
"The Book of the New Sun" by Gene Wolfe (this one's actually part of a "series", but Wolfe is a strong enough writer to make me forgive that)
"The Shockwave Rider" by John Brunner
"Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World" by Haruki Murikami
Any of Harlan Ellison's mid-to-late 1970s short story collections. "Shatterday" is probably the strongest.
Anything by Thomas Disch (start with "Camp Concentration")
Everything by Alfred Bester.

And, god forbid, you could consider reading something other than SF&F occasionally. Non-genre "literature" needn't be a soul-crushing Lit 101 experience: grab a copy of "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez or "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter Thompson and go to town...

Re:Not "new", just better.

[Anonymous Coward]

While I agree with most of that selection, I would discourage anyone from reading "White Light." To me, this seems like a failed mathematicians attempt to exercise away his failures by failing at writing about them.

The writing is halting, some of the scenes of the story are just ridiculous (e.g., "How to accelerate to infinity"), and others are hackneyed ("How to make room in a hotel with an infinite number of rooms and an infinite number of guests"). I may be being a bit harsh, but this is the only book I've read where afterward I was just angry that I spent the time on it.

Re:Not "new", just better.

[Mandi Walls]

I would whole-heartedly disagree with the Lethem recommendation, and replace it with something good, like Silverberg, though his stuff is from the 1960's. Maybe James Morrow.

I kept waiting for something interesting, or witty, or just humorous in Gun, which was really just a march toward a "man has sex with a sheep" situation crossed with Kangaroo Jack and a splash of freezing bad guys, ala Minority Report.

--mandi

Re:Not "new", just better.

[Anonymous Coward]

I used to love HE, but now that I read his stuff he just seems constipated, arrogant, vain, and very
jewish.
Which may appeal to some, but outside of my teen
years it doesn't appeal to me.

Recommended Sci-Fi Authors

[Anonymous Coward]

John Barnes and Greg Egan

Where to start?

[Nicholas Schumacher]

Neal Stephenson (Snow Crash, Cyrptonomicon, The Diamond Age)
Guy Gavreil Key (The Fionavar Tapestry)
Lois McMaster Bujold (the Vorkosigan books)
Mercedes Lackey (the Valdemar novels)
Michael A. Stackpole (Dragoncrown cycle)
Spider Robinson (the early Callahan books)

and a must read:
Terry Pratchett (Diskworld novels)

Those should keep you busy for a while :-)

George R.R. Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire

[mir@ge]

The first 3 each have 4.5 stars at Amazon. I would highly recomend them if you have not read it and you are into that thing. His style is much like Jordan's. The first two books are great. I have yet to read the third. The first one was actually given to me by a freind who works as an editor at Random House.

Re:George R.R. Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire

[Anonymous Coward]

Please dont say his style is like Jordan's. Jordan is shit, Martin is God. Their styles are completely different in every possible way. There is no comparison to be made.

Great books

[jcoder]

Current favorites:

Robin Hobb:
Farseer series
Assasin's Apprentice
Royal Assasin
Assasin's Quest

Liveship Traders series
Ship of Magic
Mad Ship
Ship of Destiny

The Tawny Man series
Fool's Errand
Golden Fool (just came out)

Robert Jordan: Wheel of Time Series - Listed individually in another post

British, Scottish and Australian SF authors

[jos]

I've been reading a lot of Non-American SF. Here are the ones i like best:

• Alastair Reynolds
• Iain Banks
• Greg Egan

Seriously good sci-fi

[yawble]

I am also a big sci-fi buff, end up reading about one book/week. My personal favorite is Nancy Kress, she has a serious on geneticlly altered children and how they cope. VERY good stuff.
Also if you like sci-fi w/ a good sense of humor, try Steven Brust. He has a "Taltos" series thats kinda fantasy, but still damn good. Brust also has some more hard core sci-fi titles, but i'll let you find those on your own ;)

Robert Asprin is pretty good, but again, hes more of a fantasy tilt. The best place to find new good sci-fi IMHO would be the Issac Asimovs monthly magazine. They have short stories, novellas, and novellettes. Thats where i've found most of the outstanding authors i've come across.
Happy hunting!

Re:Seriously good sci-fi

[trueger]

Yah. Brust it is. ("Shut up, Loiosh.") Also in a fantasy vein is his "To Reign in Hell" - a story of, well, how heaven and hell came to be. Gotta love a book where Satan, Beelzebub, Lucifer, and Mephistopheles are four *different* characters. A minor spoiler: it turns out the eternal conflict between Heaven and Hell all comes down to a simple misunderstanding. :^) Brust is very snarky - if you like Joss Whedon, you'll love Steven Brust.

Hmmm. Best Of British...

[Cwaig]

Terry Pratchett (strata, discworld,etc)
Peter F. Hamilton (Nights Dawn trilogy, Fallen Dragon, Another Chance At Eden, etc)
Ken MacLeod (The Star Fraction)

A few authors

[K2K]

Also try reading other genre's, non-fiction, et al.

Science Fiction
----------------
George Alec Effinger
Orscon Scott Card
Rudy Rucker
Neal Stephenson
William Gibson
Dan Simmons
Cory Doctrow
Bruce Sterling

Fantasy
-------
Steven Brust
Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth Series)
Robert Jordon (Although the Wheel of Time started to bore me after volume 75, when all the characters were well into their 90s and selling wine coolers.)
Roger Zelazny

Fiction
-------
Haruki Marukami
Jim Munroe
Jonathon Lethem
David Bowman

Some of my favourite books

[Anteros]

Raymond E. Feist - Quite a large number of books. I have not been enjoying his most recent series much, but his older books are awesome.

Here's a link to his books and the order you should read them in:
http://www.crydee.com/feist/refindex.htm

Robert Jordan - The Wheel of Time series. The tenth book in the series was just recently released. A well thought-out series, but seems to drag somewhat in the later books.

From the FAQ, here's a list of the books (softcover):
The Eye of the World ISBN 0-812-51181-6
The Great Hunt ISBN 0-812-51772-5
The Dragon Reborn ISBN 0-812-51371-1
The Shadow Rising ISBN 0-812-51373-8
The Fires of Heaven ISBN 0-812-50974-9
Lord of Chaos ISBN 0-812-51275-4
A Crown of Swords ISBN 0-812-55028-5
The Path of Daggers ISBN 0-812-55029-3
Winter's Heart ISBN 0-812-57558-X

The just released one is called Crossroads of Twilight and is only available in hardcover at the moment.

George R.R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire. This series is my absolute favourite at the moment. It can be hard to read at times (not in terms of poor quality but what happens to the characters - cannot explain without spoilers), but I cannot seem to put it down once I start. The characters are really fleshed out.

The list of books in this series so far is:
A Game of Thrones
A Clash of Kings
A Storm of Swords

The next book will be called A Feast for Crows and is due this April.

Terry Goodkind - The Sword of Truth. Some people really detest his writing, some people love it. I happen to enjoy the Sword of Truth books. It is a fun series.

The list of books for this series are:
Wizards First Rule
Stone of Tears
Blood of the Fold
Temple of the Winds
Soul of the Fire
Faith of the Fallen
Pillers of Creaton

Orson Scott Card - If you haven't read any of his books, at LEAST read Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead. They are great books.

Happy reading!

david eddings, steven brust, brian lumley

[Anonymous Coward]

David Edding's books:
The Belgariad
Book One: Pawn of Prophecy
Book Two: Queen of Sorcery
Book Three: Magican's Gambit
Book Four: Castle of Wizardry
Book Five: Enchanters' End Game

Also, Steven Brust's "Ghereg" series is great.

One of my greatest finds, though, was the Necroscope series by Brian Lumley

Re:Sci-Fi: Trashy romance novels for geeks

[Anonymous Coward]

"Furthermore, being a literature buff myself (I've read many of the classics and discussed them during my English courses)..."

Even furthermore, being a software buff myself (I've used many of the classics and discussed them during my Computer courses), I can only say that (insert program here) is the most lowbrow of anything I've used ...

A good troll or anhonest if somewhat snobbish (and less than well read) opinion?

Books: So many words

[discore]

Although it seems you're mostly interested in Science Fiction books, you mention a couple of my favorite Fantasy authors.

Firstly, Weis and Hickman. I'm sure you've read a few of these, but here is the path I took through their books:

Chronicles Trilogy, tells the story of the War of the Lance.
Dragons of Spring Dawning
Dragons of Winter Nights
Dragons of Autumn Twilight

Legends Trilogy, tells the story of the Cataclysm and Raistlin's challenge.
Time of the Twins
War of the Twins
Test of the Twins

Second Generation, 4 or 5 short stories that introduce you to the children of the Lance heroes, and other new important characters.
Dragons of Summer Flame, The Chaos War and the end of the 4th age.

War of Souls Trilogy, the 5th age
Dragons of a Fallen Sun
Dragons of a Lost Star
Dragons of a Vanquished Moon

Very good reads. Everyone who enjoys fantasy should read all of those books (in that order).

Roger Zelazny's Amber Chronicles was somewhat recently (1999) released as one big book that contains all 10 volumes, The Great Book of Amber. It is a very interesting series that mixes Fantasy and Sci-Fi, more towards the Fantasy side. I also enjoyed how it was written in 1st person. It was the first epic fantasy book I'd read that was written like that and I must say it was a welcome change.

Re:Books: So many words

[Clover_Kicker]

>Roger Zelazny's Amber Chronicles was somewhat recently (1999) released
>as one big book that contains all 10 volumes, The Great Book of Amber.
>It is a very interesting series that mixes Fantasy and Sci-Fi, more
>towards the Fantasy side. I also enjoyed how it was written in 1st
>person. It was the first epic fantasy book I'd read that was written
>like that and I must say it was a welcome change.

Please, please, please, please, do yourself a gigantic favor and read some of Zelazny's better stuff. Start with Lord Of Light.

Dating boys who read Sci-Fi

[Anonymous Coward]

....they were pretty sexually weird. Had strange misconceptions about how relationships really work having only covered that stuff in their fantasy books.

Nothing wrong with getting off on unusual things, but sometimes real life intervenes and things don't get done the way they do in the stories. And then the boy(s) would be upset that things didn't go 'the way they did in the books' and didn't understand and couldn't work with the situation.

Some boys who read Sci-Fi are more normal than others, but using it as a basis for real life can create quite a distortion. Same holds true for women who read the romance novels.

my 2 cents

Re:Dating boys who read Sci-Fi

[Anonymous Coward]

Nothing wrong with getting off on unusual things, but sometimes real life intervenes and things don't get done the way they do in the stories. And then the boy(s) would be upset that things didn't go 'the way they did in the books' and didn't understand and couldn't work with the situation.

Hmmm, it sounds like reading excessive amounts of science fiction or fantasy makes your mind work exactly like a typical woman's!

I'll have to watch that, thanks for the head's up!

Re:Dating boys who read Sci-Fi

[Anonymous Coward]

You didn't see him wander around in my underwear and wonder why I wasn't turned on ^_^

Excessive amounts of romance novels turns women into 'didn't go the way the stories do' as well. I guess I am saying don't believe everything you read. Males or females.

Re:Dating boys who read Sci-Fi

[benwaggoner]

Intriguing. I think you need to give some specific examples!

Re:Dating boys who read Sci-Fi

[TerryAtWork]

Never mind them, it's the boys who read Gor books you have to look out for!

Re:Dating boys who read Sci-Fi

[benwaggoner]

Not to mention the GIRLS who read Gor books!

Re:Dating boys who read Sci-Fi

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmm.. my ex asked me to do that once (at which time I refused). However, at a later date I did, and I dont think she was very impressed :P.

Some authors you might enjoy

[Interrobang]

I know how you feel. I own about 2000 books, so there are a lot of times when I go into my local second-hand bookstore and don't find anything I want to read at all. The posters who suggest you branch out have a good point, and I can provide some input as to "Mainstream for Science Fiction Fans" (remember that anthology, "Science Fiction for People Who Don't Like Science Fiction"?)

Note that some of these authors are not new, but you may not have gotten around to them (or heard of them) yet:

W.P. Kinsella, Shoeless Joe Comes to Iowa, The Iowa Baseball Confederacy, and If Wishes Were Horses, which are sort of "magic realism" fantasy (no orcs, elves, or swords to be seen!).

Stephen King, (bear with me!) The Dark Tower series, which is sort of dark, parallel-world fantasy drawn from contemporary popular culture, and not really like anything else King's ever written.

Tom Holt, Only Human, Snow White and the Seven Samurai, and Ye Gods!, which is sort of similar to Douglas Adams, only with less philosophy and more social skills.

Douglas Coupland, Girlfriend In A Coma, which is a complete departure from Microserfs.

Donald J. Skal, Antibodies, a very overlooked little tome on people who want to become machines.

Frank Norris, McTeague, written in 1899 and has probably one of the scariest endings ever written. Ok, so it's not SF, but it might count as horror, and it's definitely a classic book. I love this book and think it's a really great read. Norris doesn't pull any punches, so it's really gritty without any flowery phrases to be found. :)

Theme anthologies are also a great way of discovering "new" authors, as are subscribing to SF magazines. But I'm sure you knew that already.

Adviso: Keep in mind that I'm heavily into Harlan Ellison, Norman Spinrad, Norris, Theodore Dreiser, Stephen King, and Cordwainer Smith (among others), and I despise Tolkien and all the other sappy fantasists who take themselves seriously, so take with the appropriately-sized grain of salt.

Re:Some authors you might enjoy

[fwankypoo]

Stephen King, (bear with me!) The Dark Tower series, which is sort of dark, parallel-world fantasy drawn from contemporary popular culture, and not really like anything else King's ever written.

I was about to write a post on King's Dark Tower series (although mythos is probably a better word) myself, instead I'll second your recommendation.

The books in the serise (The Gunslinger, The Drawing Of The Three, The Wastelands and Wizard And Glass, in that order) are fantastic books in their own right, blending a world that has "moved on" (kind of a post-apocalyptic thing) with pop-culture.

However, as a big King fan, the best part about the series is the way that so many of his other books tie into this huge world he's created. I.e. The Talisman and Black House talk about a very important part of the world. And books like Insomniac and the short story "Low Men In Yellow Coats" from Hearts In Atlantis flesh out the world even more.

I have to recommend the best part of King's work, while he is an "Airport book store" author, I feel that he writes on a much deeper level than some of the others out there. Read the Dark Tower series, then The Talisman and Black House (both of which also were written by Peter Straub) and see where that takes you.

Re:Some authors you might enjoy

[sckienle]

Tom Holt: I would suggest starting with Expecting Someone Taller. That was the first Holt I read and certainly one of my favorites.

If you like humorous books, then you can't go wrong with Terry Pratchett. But skip the first couple and start with Equal Rites or Wyrd Sisters. The earlier ones are fine, but he doesn't hit his real stride until those.

And don't pass up on the Harry Potter series just because its a child's book.

Thank goodness for Amazon UK without that, I would never have managed to get all 15-20 Tom Holts that I do own.

Re:Some authors you might enjoy

[prgrmr]

I despise Tolkien and all the other sappy fantasists who take themselves seriously, so take with the appropriately-sized grain of salt.

You might not despise Tolkien quite so much if you understood him better. He was serious about his writing, but he got a bit bent out of shape himself when others took his writings so seriously that they started digging for allagorical application to Real World Stuff. Also, given the amount of death, destruction, and general despair found in Tolkien's works, I am surprised at the sappy label. Unless, of course, you're basing that entirely on The Hobbit, in which case you're just another over-generalizer.

Re:Some authors you might enjoy

[Utoxin]

Stephen King, (bear with me!) The Dark Tower series, which is sort of dark, parallel-world fantasy drawn from contemporary popular culture, and not really like anything else King's ever written.

I have to agree with you here. The Dark Tower series is wonderful! I've listened to all of the books on tape, unabridged, and enjoyed every second of it.

I would also have to recommend Elizabeth Kerner's Song in the Silence, and The Lesser Kindred. They are the first two books in a series, and the third is due out (Hopefully) later this year.

Re:Some authors you might enjoy

[hiryuu]

My gawd, I thought I was the only one who read Skal's Antibodies! I found it floating around on a shelf of various pulp fiction in the backroom at my dad's old house, years ago - and read it, and thought it was just odd. Surprising to see it mentioned here.

Re:Some authors you might enjoy

[Mac Degger]

No, for Terry Pratchet, do /not/ skip the first books. They kind of set the ground rules, give the propper introduction. How else will you really appreciate the evolution of Rincewind's relationship with Death? Or the importance of teh colour octarine? There are just so many situations which will not be valued as they should if you miss the first books.

And besides all that, I think the first two books are just as good as the rest, maybe even better...at least /fresher/.

Re:Some authors you might enjoy

[Mac Degger]

Yeah...that 'awfull danger to the east' stuff just had no relevance to the 1950's, does it.

Re:Some authors you might enjoy

[Anonymous Coward]

Stephen King couldn't sell me a story for fifteen cents. Who does he write for??..High School freshmen and t.v. trained morons.

Re:Some authors you might enjoy

[Eisenstein]

Considering the books were written mainly between 1940 and 50, I would say no.

Re:Some authors you might enjoy

[crizh]

Definitely read Colour of Magic.

In the context of this thread it is a far better book than any of the rest of the series.

Some of the characters aren't as well developed (Death in particular) but as a parody of everyone from Fritz Lieber to Anne McCaffrey it is funny (hysterically) on several levels.

Re:Some authors you might enjoy

[Mac Degger]

American anti-russian sentiment was not exclusively post WWII; it was just surpressed under the heading "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". Therefore my statement still stands; LOTR was written with mayor hints to Soviet Russia, the 'terror to the east' and communism, that system which was 'against man itself'. I mean, even the route description at the the end of the first two books fits neatly with what you'd find if you travelled to Moskou from Europe.

Ian M. Banks, George R. R. Martin, Modesitt

[ForsakenRegex]

The following is my opinion.

Without doubt, Ian M. Banks is the best true
writer in the Sci-Fi genre. He is above and
beyond pretty much anyone I've ever read,
including the great and the dead (not necssarily
both). As far as pure enjoyment, I'd also
include C. J. Cherryh as a very good writer of
Sci-Fi, as well as some Fantasy.

As far as Fantasy goes, my favorite author is
L. E. Modesitt Jr. (except for the magic singer
books which I will never believe he wrote).
However, the best writer at this time has got
to be George R. R. Martin. His Song of Ice
and Fire series is extremely well written with
intricate plots and in-depth characters.

Dr. Hunter Thompson

[Acidic_Diarrhea]

You should really check out the works of Hunter Thompson. Reading his work is an experience and I think everyone can benefit from it. His classic work "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72" resonates even more so today than it did at the time of publication. Avoid the memoirs and letters until you've gotten up to speed with what the good doctor is all about. I find that the Gonzo Papers are great fun for me to read but I can see how the uninitiated would balk at the works. Anyway, yes - Hunter Thompson. And his new book "Kingdom of Fear" is great!

Two more

[Nidhogg]

Two come to mind for me.

Peter F. Hamilton. I really enjoyed his Confederate Universe series. Looking at your list above you probably would too.

John Varley. Very entertaining. Also notice my sig. :)

James Morrow & Michael Bishop & Christophe

[millia]

Two names there that don't get enough credit. Both will stretch your mind, and both do stuff that runs along the border of SF & Literature.
Morrow is the most savagely satiric writer i've ever read. His Godhead trilogy (google for it) is so full of humanity, that summarizing it (what happens after god's body crashes to earth) is trivializing to the nth degree. Although I would say that any of his stuff is brilliant, good starting points are the trilogy and the book of short stories, "Bible Stories for Adults"
Michael Bishop's work encompasses both straight and SF subjects. My favorite is entitled "Brittle Innings" and is about minor league baseball during WW II- but there's a twist. "Close Encounters with the Deity" is a book of short stories all dealing with religion in SF.
Finally, for pure humorous writing, do check out Chris Moore. While it's not SF, or even really fantasy, it's absolutely hilarious stuff with a touch of the fantastic. "Practical Demonkeeping" is a great starting point.

Good fairly new SF writers

[Anonymous Coward]

Kim Stanley Robinson - Mars Trilogy ("Red Mars", "Blue Mars", "Green Mars",) "Antarctica", 3 Californias trilogy ("The Wild Shore", "The Gold Coast", "Pacific Edge")
"The Years of Rice and Salt"

Jonathan Lethem - "The Wall of the Sky, The wall of the Eye", "Amnesia Moon", "Gun, with Occasional Music", "As she climbed across the table", "Girl in Landscape", "Kafka Americana",
"This shape we're in", "Motherless Brooklyn"

if you're really bored....

[EngMedic]

try the Tolkien Challenge: read the Silmarillion, Histories of Middle Earth, The Lost Tales, Farmer Giles, Smith of Wooton Major, then all his translations: Orfeus, Pearl, Gwain and the Green Knight, Beowulf, etc. Should keep you busy for a while.

Best troll so far this year.

[Doktor Memory]

The mark of a truly excellent troll is that it contains just enough elements of truth to hook the casually unwary. I tip my hat to you, sir or madam as the case may be.

Re:Best troll so far this year.

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, we'll just have to see the doctor about that.

Re:Sci-Fi: Trashy romance novels for geeks

[Anonymous Coward]

Mods, please don't feed the trolls. Thanks.

SciFi is the ONLY genre!

[Anonymous Coward]

... besides SF of course.

On-Line sources...

[Daniel_Staal]

While I can't recommend authors (I generally don't notice until about the fifth book or so) my sources for new reading material these days are mostly online. I would recomend checking out Baen Books (including of course the famous Baen Free Library) and Fictionwise. Both have extensive SciFi collections, and while I won't say that the quality is all good, they both also have at least decent samples. (Baen's, of course, are better than decent.) You may not want to read they way I do (I do a lot of reading on my Clie), but both also offer several formats, including at least defacto standards.

A different stroke

[Anonymous Coward]

Four different authors that I've found particularily refreshing after the usual scifi mumbo jumbo:

1/ Jack Whyte
http://directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Litera ture/Au thors/W/Whyte,_Jack/
Incredible "historical fiction" about "king Arthur" which you've read everything about - but never written or explained like this man does it. No magic but man, what a wicked story about the fall of the roman occupation of britain and the evolution of Camolud. In order: The Skystone, The Singing Sword, The Eagles Brood, The Saxon Shore, The Sorcerer: The Fort At Rivers Bend, The Sorcerer: Metamorphisis. Uther is the latest and the new one will be called "The Spear Thrower" (title in progress).

2/ Janny Wurts
http://directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Litera ture/Au thors/W/Wurts,_Janny/
The cycle of fire is pretty traditional - for a one off romp try "Master of Whitestorm" or, for a less traditional series (but an amazing read), try the series: Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire, Mistress of the Empire.

3/ Glen Cook
http://directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Literat ure/Ge nres/Fantasy/Authors/C/Cook,_Glen/
Definately dark and grim, his Black Company series has you rooting for the "bad guys" - a company of mercenaries working for evil: The Black Company, Shadows Linger, The White Rose, Shadow Games, Dreams of Steel, Bleak Seasons, She Is The Darkness, Water Sleeps, Soldiers Live

4/ Guy Gavriel Kay
http://directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Literatu re/Ge nres/Fantasy/Authors/K/Kay,_Guy_Gavriel/
Haven't read all his other works, but the Sarantine Mosaic was really, really good. Sailing to Sarantium, Lord of Emporers.

Enjoy.

Hunt down the Sci-Fi that isnt...

[Maudib]

There is a lot of literature that I consider to be science fiction that isnt regarded as such by the publishing companies, and are hense marketed quite differently. For instance Thomas Pynchon, or David Foster Wallace. Their works are labled literature, but their substance shares a great deal with our notions of Science Fiction.

Try out Inifinite Jest,Gravities Rainbow or Mason-Dixine

All good for the much of the same reasons that make sci-fi great. In some ways better as the prose is vastly superior to ordinary sci-fi.

There is also a large amount of Russian Sci-Fi that has been translated but is hard to find... Examples elude me at the moment though.

William Gibson

[lokase]

Hopefully you have read through William Gibson's excellent cyber punk novels. I have been reading his books now for 8 years and still can't get enough of the them. If you havn't tried Gibson yet start with 'Neuromancer' then move onto 'Mona Lisa Overdrive'. William is a nice Canadian from Vancouver with some very disturbed visions of the future :).

China Mieville and Gene Wolfe

[Feersum Endjinn]

I recently read China Meiville's The Scar. It is one of the best "science fantasy" books I have read in a long time. I can't wait to read his Perdido Street Station now.

Also if you haven't read Gene Wolfe, you really should. Both Meiville and Wolfe write "adult" science fantasy. Adult in the sense that the writing is dense and the stories and characters are deep. It takes time and thought to get through these books, but they are a welcome break from the rest of recent scifi.

See my web page below for more ideas...

SF is not Fantasy

[Andy Social]

If you're using "SF" to refer to Science Fiction, which is the most common breakout, rather than Speculative Fiction, you're missing the boat entirely with the books you have mentioned. Sounds like you want FANTASY books.

If you are looking for unusual well-written fantasy, check out Storm Constantine. The Wraethu omnibus edition is usually available, and it's a stunning piece of gothic fantasy alternate-reality post-apocalyptic gender-bending writing. Can't get enough hyphens.

For science fiction work, of course there's Neal Stephenson, and the recently feted Cory Doctorow. You can't go wrong with the classics of Heinlein and Asimov, of course.

Beyond that, as others have said, try something outside the F&SF realm. Or, if you can't bring yourself to do that, subscribe to Analog, Asimov's or F&SF to get a taste of new authors. Short fiction is like the snack before you dig into a big meaty novel.

Re:SF is not Fantasy

[Anne_Nonymous]

It frosts my @$$ when (always) bookstores merge their Science Fiction and Fantasy sections. Why don't they merge Classics with Romance? Or How To with Self-Help? Why not put the really good Science Fiction and Fantasy in the Fiction section and leave the dreck in something called Science Fiction? Or vice-versa? Arrrggggg.....!

</rant>

Re:SF is not Fantasy

[Andy Social]

Not to mention that bookstores seem to think that all SF readers want to see 800 different Star XXXX books, most completely indistinguishible from each other. Maybe they should have a Sci-Fi section next to the Science Fiction section. Those of us that know better would steer well clear of that sci-fi crap, letting the Lucas and Spielberg-raised Sci-Fi "fans" get their fill of that dreck. :-)

Other Stuff

[Triv]

I agree with all of the people saying "expand your horizons" and offer this short list:

Jim Thompson, "Population 1280"
Sarah Vowell, "Radio On: A Listener's Diary"
Arundhati Roy, "The God of Small Things"
and Alistar Beaton's "Feelgood" (it's a play)

go for it. :)

triv

Free library at Baen

[Dirttorpedo]

Goto http://www.baen.com and try out the free library. They have several complete books online for reading or download. You can try out an author and then go get the rest of the series. It is kind of like drugs though, only the first part of a series is availble never the whole thing.

Robert Jordan?

[StandardDeviant]

I'm usually more of a William-Gibson/Neal-Stephenson/Bruce-Sterling kind of guy, but fwiw I kind of like Robert Jordan's fantasy world as described in the Wheel of Time series. There are ten books (so far, the series is *not* done yet), each in the 600-900 page range, so that should keep you busy for a while if you haven't read them. The first book is "The Eye of the World". The other nine you can god damned well google or amazon search for. ;-) Much like any popular author, you'll get a bunch of what I call monkey-purists (mindlessly flinging turds at anything bigger than them) slagging it, but if you just want something fun to read for a week or so you can't go wrong with it.

I also rather like Raymond E. Feist's four book Magician series (first book is Magician: Apprentice iirc, search for the other three yourself).

And for an author that's fun to read but not sci-fi or fantasy: take a look at Po Bronson. "The First 20 Million is Always the Hardest", "The Nudist on the Late Shift", and "Bombardiers" are all good books. Bombardiers is a satire of the financial services industry / homage to Keller's catch 22. TF20M and BOMB are fiction, TNotLS is non-fiction. I'd say TF20M is probably the most accessible of the fiction works he's produced.

Re:Robert Jordan?

[Anonymous Coward]

homage to Keller's catch 22

ITYM Heller. And yes, "Bombardiers" works much better if you've read "Catch 22" before.

Re:Robert Jordan?

[StandardDeviant]

yeah, i did mean Heller, that's a typo (normally my fingers wouldn't stray two keys but i'm really, really tired today)

Re:Sci-Fi: Trashy romance novels for geeks

[rocur]

People like Aldous Huxley, Charles Dickens, John Irving and William Shakespeare, in fact.

Obviously a troll, but Huxley wrote "Brave New World", a novel taking place in an imagined "future".

Stephen Baxter

[Anonymous Coward]

My new favorite has to be Stephen Baxter. Physics and mathematics degrees from Oxford are good for something, after all! He consistently walks the line right at the very edge of our theoretical knowledge of the universe.

"Ring" will blow your mind, and "Manifold: Time" as well as "Manifold: Space" are superb novels.

Beware: some of the ideas in these books will keep you up nights! Not for the faint of heart or the low of I.Q. Enjoy!

Re:Stephen Baxter

[kali2001]

I would also include in that list Manifold:origin and "The Time Ships". The unfolding of "the Time Ships" at the end is absolutley incredible. Baxter is a fantastic "hardcore" science fiction writer!

Spider Robinson

[kent_eh]

For light, fun reading: any of the Calahan's books.
I also enjoyed the Lifehouse/Deathkiller/Time Pressure series. An intersting, if optomistic future view.
And finally, Stardancer, co-written with Jeanne Robinson was good for a bit of a mind bending.
Oh, here's his web site

Crossroads of Twilight

[djohnsto]

I was introduced to WOT in the summer of '01 by a friend who happened to have the first 9 books. I ended up reading all of them in about 2 months; I just couldn't put them down! So, it was with great anticipation that I received Crossroads of Twilight. I finally get to find out what happens with about 3 plot lines that have been leading up to something great. Then, I read the book.

Damn Jordan to Hell! I read the book and ... NOTHING HAPPENS!!! He spends 700 pages going over a month or so time frame from 3-4 different plot lines and creeping them all just a little bit closer to where something will actually occur. I'm tempted to just forget this series. I've read that he plans 3 more books, but if they're exciting as Crossroads, I think I'll just pass.

Re:Crossroads of Twilight

[Anonymous Coward]

My only reply is: It took you till book #10 to figure out that nothing has happened plotwise? Come on....I am just in the middle of 9, yet I don't remember anything of import happening from 7-9. (Lets just say that some interesting things happen at the ends of some of the books (wow, big surprise), but all in all, all 3 could have been 1 book.) Take a look at the first book in the series sometime, and compare to the last 4. At least as much, if not more, happens in that one book than in the last 4. Jordan is starting to suck. Perhaps we should wait for the "editor's cut" :-)

Re:Crossroads of Twilight

[miu]

I'm tempted to just forget this series.

I am so glad I stayed away this time. Winter's Heart convinced me that Jordan needs to stop writing. If he won't, I need to stop paying him to do it.

The first four books were very entertaining mind candy, 5 and 6 were okay, 7 sucked, 8 really sucked, 9 was back up to suck level.

Peter F. Hamilton

[Anonymous Coward]

There are the classics and well known but this name hasn't been mentionend yet so here goes :

Peter F. Hamilton
He's a brit but don't hold that against him you yanks :)
This is one of my favorite authors.
He's recent, good writing style, knows his science and knows his characters, good dialogue, etc.

I fell in love the first time he described a space battle in the Reality Dysfunction, he has this certain knack to combine cold hard science with the fiction part and the unbelievable withouth destroying the cold hard science :)

The only problem I have with his books is that it's imposible not to read them withouth ruining the other sf authors, Night's Dawn is a lot like tlotr, 3 big books with a lot of characters and a lot of background stuff and really well written

Here's his list of books with a short description

Greg Mandel Series (global warming has happend, some cool technology and Greg Mandel is an interisting guy with a past)
Mindstar Rising
A Quantum Murder
The Nano Flower (This one is my favorite, to tell you about it is to spoil it, must read)

Night's Dawn Trilogy (hmm, this is one of my favorites about 3k pages in total but even that isn't enough :), there is nano tech, freezing time is possible and faster than light is also there, so what is going to happen when the dead come back and start to poses the living ?)
The Reality Dysfunction (mostly takes place on a colony planet)
The Neutronium Alchemist (this one takes place all over the confederation, we get earth and other places too)
The Naked God (has a deus ex machina ending wich could be a disapointment for some but there is just too much to close it up cleanly)

also
A Second Chance at Eden (short stories based on the timeline of Night's Dawn)
The Confederation Handbook (tech information on Night's Dawn)
Fallen Dragon (really good book, a lot of people were disapointed because the future here is a lot more bleak (is this a word) but I liked it a lot)
Mispenth Youth (near future, gene tech is here and what would you do when you're made young again ?)

Sorry for the rambling :) but I lost my previous post due to stupidity on my part

K. Langley

New books

[Anonymous Coward]

To my surprise nobody really recommended new books or authors (I' am sorry but I read "Neuromancer" more then ten years ago...). Try:
Jeff Noon ("Vurt" or "Pollen")
Neal Asher ("Gridlinked"),
Eric Nylund ("Signal to noise")

or more traditional Sci-Fi:
Jack DeVitt ("Moonfall")

or horror/fantasy:
Brian Lumley (continued his E-Branch Series with a new trilogy starting with: "E-Branch; Invaders")

Mary Renault

[handy_vandal]

I recommend historical fiction -- all the pleasure of fiction, much of the "sense of wonder" from F/SF ... plus a firm grounding in the real world.

Try the novels of Mary Renault --- "The Mask of Apollo" (set in the time of Plato) is outstanding. "The King Must Die" (based on Theseus) is also first-rate.

BattleTech

[Anonymous Coward]

One of the best series is the Battletech series. I'd love to name them all but it's way to many. They're very political and written by different authors that take a location or group of people, and specialize. Micheal Stockpole is on of the most famous. Don't get the mechwarrior ones though, they kind of suck.

P

Dick, Nothing but Dick

[Anonymous Coward]

Not to harsh the poster, but on a different note, can anyone recommend someone at the level of Philip K. Dick? This might be a toughy because SF fans have different ideas about what makes a novel "good." But I'm not interested in silly series with no sense of good literature, nor am I interested in the American classics--Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein, Herbert, etc... My sense of "Dick-quality" sci-fi would be someone like Lem. Gibson got kinda close but I find it amazing the quality and intelligence that Dick achieves while still "appearing" to be a simple, entertaining, fantastic sci-fi.

Any suggestions?

John Ringo

[azagthoth]

Take a look at John Ringo. He co-wrote a series with David Weber called The Empire of Man.It's an excellent series that is currently on it's 3rd book and continuing. Ringo's current solo series, Legacy of the Aldenata, is also very good. In fact if your a Sluggy Freelance fan then you reallly should pick this series up as it has several references to sluggy in it.

John Ringo may not have written much yet but so far everything he has written has keep me glued to it from cover to cover stopping only for the usual (beer, bathroom, food).

The "heirs" of Heinlein & Zelazny

[doofusdan]

Ok, I hate that "this writer is so and so's spiritual heir" thing, but if you really like an author, reading stuff by another person who really likes that author can be a good thing. A lot of good suggestions have been made already, so I'll name two that I haven't seen yet.

If I had to pick someone for Heinlein, I'd say check out John Barnes. A good one to start with is Mother of Storms.

And for a big Zelazny fan, Stephen Brust's Jhereg/Taltos series is excellent. Some of the earlier books have be republished in 3-in-1 editions. His non-Taltos stuff is even better, but it's hard to beat the Taltos books for sheer fun.

In the fantasy world, Robin Hobb's Assassin trilogy is one of the best new fantasy I've read in ages.

Also, Guy Gavriel Kay is INCREDIBLE. Start with the Fionavar Tapestry, then read everything else he's ever done.

Some other newer folks:
Wilhelmina Baird (start with the clipjoint trilogy)
C.J. Cherryh, esp. Cyteen - though the new Foreigner series is great.
Last, I really liked Tim Powers' Declare.

Check out http://www.fictionwise.com, they have lots of micropayment short stories; great way to check out an author. (US$0.50 for a short story, read it on your PDA...)

Steven Brust!

[Wonko42]

If you like Roger Zelazny, you'll love Steven Brust! Brust is best known for his Vlad Taltos series (Jhereg, Yendi, Teckla, Taltos, Phoenix, Athyra, Orca, Dragon, Issola), about an assassin in Dragaera (Dragaera is to Brust as Amber is to Zelazny or Xanth is to Piers Anthony, if you'll pardon the rather general analogy). All of the Vlad novels are absolutely excellent. In addition, Brust has written (and is writing) several other novels that take place in Dragaera (which, I must say, is one of the most detailed fantasy worlds any author has ever created). The Phoenix Guards and its sequel, Five Hundred Year After are excellent adventure yarns that take place some 1,000 years and 500 years (respectively) prior to Vlad's timeline.

Brust has also written quite a few "standalone" novels. Prime among them are To Reign in Hell, an intriguing "what if"-style account of the war in Heaven that's referred to in the opening paragraphs of the Bible. Roger Zelazny particularly liked To Reign in Hell, coincidentally. Also very much worth reading are Agyar; The Sun, the Moon and the Stars; and (if you want something a little more pulpy and silly) Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille.

In my opinion (and that of many other people) Steven Brust is one of the best Sci-Fi/Fantasy authors alive.

Re:Steven Brust!

[hellstorm]

I completely agree.

It's a pity that the athyra book is out of stock. It is the only one i miss from the whole vlad taltos saga :(

Re:Steven Brust!

[Wonko42]

Never fear...in a mere two weeks, you'll be able to buy The Book of Athyra, which contains both Athyra and Orca.

4000 books? You're done dude.

[JHandey]

Why?

Ok let's assume a few things.
1. You're unemployed and can spend 16 hours a day reading, 365 days a year.
2. You're an above avg reader(in terms of speed) and take an avg of 3 hours per book.
3. You do not have a photographic memory

16hourx365daysperyear/3hoursperbook = 1946.67 booksperyear

With 4000 books, that means even at marathon pace you could go two years without repeating a title.

Longer if you had a life.

So you should be set for a decade or so. :-)

Fantasy with heroes in control w/o much real probs

[Reinout]

A different style of fantasy hit my bookshelf a year ago. David (and Leigh) Eddings are the authors. The fun thing about their books is that it doesn't start out all-hopeless for the main character set.

You know, LotR. Nice army Rohan 's got, as does Gondor. But a wee bit underpowered when you look at all those nice, huge armies Sauron has got. Basically hopeless from the beginning.

Many other books keep averting disaster throughout a book by having the main wizard drown the enemy in avelanges, fires and steaming lakes. But without him/her they would be done for.

In come the series by the Eddingses. Especially in their 3-book Tamuli series the good guys have some 100,000 heavily armed knights at their disposal. And a little girl of course :-) Enough to competently trample the opposition. There's some damage, but two chapters later they're back in the saddle.

It is eneourmously refreshing compared to the rest of the genre.

If you want to try something of Eddings, beware. There are two 5-piece series and two 3-piece series. The last two belonging together. The most recent book stands on itself though, so that's your best bet. It's called "the redemption of Althalus". It's typical of their genre and mayor fun to read.

Reinout

Well...

[Kshu]

I admit of not reading a lot of books lately, but may I know I've seen some nice SF tipe of games out there...

Iain Banks

[Xeger]

Despite his wacky first name (just say "Ian"), Banks is really worth a try. He isn't originally a sci-fi author by trade; his first book (The Wasp Factory) was a contemporary novel, but we've seen some of his very best work since he started writing his Culture series of novels. And Iain Banks, even at his worst, is better with prose and with ideas than many sci-fi authors at their best. His primary science fiction offering is a series of novels set in the distant future (perhaps 10,000 years from now), chronicling the adventures of humanity's descendents. The Culture is a vast interstellar civilization, a pseudo-anarchic meritocracy comprised of dozens of humanoid and nonhumanoid races -- it's unclear whether homo sapiens were founding members of the Culture, or if they joined the Culture sometime after its development, or even if they exist at all. Members of the Culture are referred to as "human" throughout the books, but Banks follows the panspermia hypothesis, so many of his races share the same basic biochemical and physiological traits. The Culture has spread to perhaps 10,000 systems, filling space with planets, starships and Orbitals -- immense, ringworld-like structures that house as many as 100 billion people. In all, the population of the Culture is probably around 500 trillion (that's 5.0x10^14) souls. Of these, a sizeable fraction are plain old biological humans, and the rest of them are digitized people, Minds, or group minds. The lifespan of a human is somewhere from 200 to 500 years; Culture citizens, the result of thousands of years of genetic tinkering, could conceivably extend their lives indefinitely. But human existence is seen as a sort of gestation period, and after a few hundred years of life, most biologicals get bored and euthanize. After death, they are converted into electronic form and continue to pursue an active and vigorous life in the collective virtual reality that forms the real meat-and-bones of the Culture. Many of the Culture's most powerful citizens are Minds, vast, artificially-created intelligent constructs with dozens or hundreds of threads of consciousness. Typically, any structure or vehicle larger than a personal transport is inhabited by a Mind. The Mind doesn't merely control the machine, the Mind is the machine, able to interact with the physical world using its "body" which is the ship, or house, or city, or Orbital, or whatever. Of course, a Mind could also be simultaneously inhabiting a dozen different android "avatars," manifesting itself as a holograph in front of an audience, and corresponding with other Minds in a virtual reality. OK, all this is well and good -- but what can you expect from a Banks novel?

• No strife. Material wealth is meaningless when resources are unlimited. In the Culture, social reputation counts more than money. There is no standard form of money; rather, Minds operate factories in every habitat to provide (quite extensive) basic goods and services for free, and luxuries are traded through the social network.
• No death. People (and other entities) die in Banks novels, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Despite the fact that nobody is ever in any danger, and would just end up being restored from backup if he were to die, there is still plenty of suspense in a Banks novel -- I can't describe it; you'll just have to read and find out for yourself.
• Fantastic combat. Banks has a magnificent style when it comes to combat, both space- and ground-based. He runs the whole gamut, from exotic antimatter weapons and computer metaviruses, to simple bladed combat and projectile weapons.
• Intensely cerebral discourse. Because so many of Banks' characters are hyper-intelligent Minds, you'll often find a few paragraphs of calm discussion between Minds in the middle of an intense combat sequence.
• Great human characters. Whenever Banks introduces a character, you come to care about the person, his likes and dislikes, his motivations -- even if he's only a minor character. Banks' characters really come alive like no other.

Re:British, Scottish and Australian SF authors

[Malc]

Wouldn't a Scottish SF writer also be a British one? Or were you using British interchangeably with English, something that really bugs the Scots and the Welsh?

That High-Pitched Keening Sound You Hear...

[RobotRunAmok]

...is dear Roger Zelazny twirling about beneath the ground as a result of being separated by a mere comma from Weiss & Hickman.

That being said, allow me to throw my support behind the Tad Williams fantasy and SF, mentioned elsewhere, as well as the standalone books by Guy Gavriel Kay: "Tigana," "A Song for Arbonne," and "The Lions of Al-Rassan." These are all self-contained, yet have the "epic" feel that most authors only achieve in trilogies or better. (If I'm not mistaken, it was Kay that was tapped to finished off some Tolkien fragments prior to their posthumous publication; when you read his stuff, you'll understand how he got that gig.) Kay also wrote something called "The Fionavar Trilogy" which I tried and couldn't get through, but which the reviewers said was a modern re-mixing of Arthuriana, so maybe you read it and are familiar with him...

Even though cyberpunk is so-o-o-o-o 1994, you should probably hit up the Gibson 'Sprawl Trilogy," or at least "Neuromancer."

Baen Books has just released David Weber's newest Honor Harrington book, "War of Honor," and for the price of the hardback you get the print version, and the entire rest of the series that preceded it on CD-ROM, along with artwork and a bunch of maps and stuff. I highly recommend the series, and supporting Baen's brave and innovative efforts in digital distribution.

The Goerge R R Martin trilogy (kings... thrones... swords... sump'n like that) is better than most (I've only read the first one so far).

Look, we could be here for days. "Fantasy and SF" covers a lot of ground. You want to narrow it down to Sword&Sorcery, Cyberpunk, Empowered Lesbian Telepaths, Space Opera, or some other popular sub-niche, we can really get down to brass tacks...

Re: That High-Pitched Keening Sound You Hear...

[Black Parrot]

> allow me to throw my support behind ... he standalone books by Guy Gavriel Kay: "Tigana," ...

A truly horrid book, on every level of analysis.

> (If I'm not mistaken, it was Kay that was tapped to finished off some Tolkien fragments prior to their posthumous publication; when you read his stuff, you'll understand how he got that gig.) Kay also wrote something called "The Fionavar Trilogy" which I tried and couldn't get through...

Ah, the joys of cognitive dissonance!

Re:That High-Pitched Keening Sound You Hear...

[simong_oz]

The George R R Martin trilogy (kings... thrones... swords... sump'n like that) is better than most (I've only read the first one so far).

I'm a big fan of this series - (so far) it's probably the best fantasy series I've read bar Lord of the Rings.

Do yourself a big favour and go pick up the rest of the series (book 4 is due out soon[ish]). Believe it or not, the books actually get better.

Robert Sawyer, excellent Canadian author

[Irishman]

Good day, He writes mainly near-future sci-fi, taking theories of today and turning them into technologies of tomorrow. He also examines some wonderful philosophical questions, such as what would happen if aliens came to Earth and claimed there is a god (Calculating God), or an examination of the human soul (Factoring Humanity). He is also a Canadian author, basing many of his books in Canada. It is always nice to see something from here and so wonderfully written.

Re:Robert Sawyer, excellent Canadian author

[Shrike9]

Excellent suggestion!! Read them all, damn you!

Terry Goodkind?

[stevey]

I'd recommend Terry Goodkind (worth a look just for the "imposing" photo!).

His 'Sword of Truth' series is entertaining, albeit a little predictable in places.

So far the books are:

• Wizard's First Rule
• Stone of Tears
• Blood of the Fold
• Temple of the Winds
• Soul of the Fire
• Faith of the Fallen
• Pillars of Creation

Slipstream, Magic Realism

[tlayne]

Here's a link to a new anthology of slipstream/magic realism stuff. You might find it interesting. Ursula Le Guin blurbed it, if that tells you anything.

Perdido Street Station, To Say Nothing Of The Dog

[gurustu]

I recently polled my friends to recommend some books I should read, all genres welcome, because I felt that my reading habits were getting a bit stale. I was a little surprised to get three SF&F recommendations, but I'm reasonably pleased with them :

I'm about 150 pages into China Mievelle's Perdido Street Station, and I'm enjoying it immensely. Imaginative and odd, magic and steampunk crammed together.

Connie Willis' To Say Nothing Of The Dog is just straight out funny ... Victorian Comedy of Manners meets Time Travel.

Robert Charles Wilson's The Chronoliths was oversold to me, I think. I thought it was just okay. The ideas were good, the execution was mediocre.

Somewhat off-topic, the other books that were recommended were Jonathan Lethem's Motherless Brooklyn and Stewart Brand's How Building's Learn.

The latter was the real score, as far as I'm concerned. Fantastically written, incredibly absorbing, it's a book I think everybody should read. It's about architecture, how buildings are used and changed over their lives, and how the two interact. I believe that the metaphors he uses could be extended to software/systems architecture as well ... or at least I've tried to do so to get a new perspective.

Patrick O'Brian

[coult]

I'm a big sci-fi fan, and somehow the series of novels by Patrick O'Brian appealed to the same part of me that likes sci-fi. The novels are set in the early 19th century, and the main characters are officers in the british navy. His writing is very good, and the immersion you get when reading his stuff is total. Not sci-fi, but definitely not standard fiction either (and not historical fiction really, though it does play on historical events)..

Re:Patrick O'Brian

[BuzzDat]

I second the recommendation for O'Brian - I am an avid sci-fi/fantasy reader, and I have really enjoyed his books. What I find most interesting (if somewhat frightening) is that they were recommended to me by my Dad (shudder)...
Start at the beginning of the Aubrey/Maturin series with "Master and Commander". More info at The world of Patrick O'Brian I have recommended his books to several friends, and all have enjoyed reading them.

A A Attanasio

[MORTAR_COMBAT!]

I enjoyed his take on the Arthurian legends. The style is lyrical and mystic, and thoroughly enjoyable.

1. The Dragon and the Unicorn (1994)
2. The Eagle and the Sword (1997)
3. The Wolf and the Crown (1998)
4. The Serpent and the Grail (1999)

I wish he would continue the story. A A Attanasio Bibliography. I picked up "The Dragon and the Unicorn" in a grocery store check-out line of all places. It sat unread for a couple of years, and then much like you I started hunting for things to read. After reading the book, I immediately went to the local bookstore and bought the series, one after the other.

P.C. Hodgell

[Whiskey Jack]

I'm a big fan of Ms Hodgell's Jamethiel Taliessen books. The first two, Godstalk and The Dark of the Moon, have been collected in one volume now called The Dark of the Gods. It should be available through most outlets.

The third book in the series is Seeker's Mask, and a fourth is due sometime. The only real complaint I have about the series is that it's not Ms Hodgell's day job, so it's often a wait of several years between novels.

From an earlier age of exploration...

[Bagpiper]

My own tastes have been wandering afield over the last decade. I still enjoy good Sciece Fiction and Fantasy, but my fiction shelves now include such marvelous reads as Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series. Think ST:TOS set in the age of sail during Britain's wars with France. See W.W. Norton's pages for a list of the books. Heartily recommended, and with 20 books in the series, as well as other books by the author, it may last you a month or three.

odd, no one has mentioned these.

[Twister002]

I can't believe no one has mentioned Robert Jordans Wheel of Crack.....errrr Time series. That'll keep you going for a while reading all 10 of the books in the series.

I've enjoyed Terry Goodkinds Sword of Truth series so far.

You can always pick up a few collections of H.P. Lovecraft stories to entertain you on those dark and stormy nights. He's not exactly a Sci-Fi/Fantasy writer but entertaining.

William Gibson, anything by him is usually pretty good.

R.A. Salvatore - His Dark Elf series is great. I also liked his non-D&D fantasy series, the name escapes me right now and I'm not in a position to look it up. The Icewind Dale trilogy or Clerics series is entertaining and enjoyable.

Re:odd, no one has mentioned these.

[Saige]

I can't believe no one has mentioned Robert Jordans Wheel of Crack.....errrr Time series. That'll keep you going for a while reading all 10 of the books in the series.

I can't believe it either - especially since it's not true. In fact, there have already been, say, 50 people recommending that series. Though given that the person who submitted the Ask Slashdot question has over 4000 books in the Sci-Fi and Fantasy areas, it seems almost braindead to assume he doesn't have them. (or LOTR, or Eddings, or Neal Stephenson, or Gibson, or numerous well known fantasy and sci-fi books)

Sorry, I just don't get how SO MANY PEOPLE can recommend the same books over and over again, as if they didn't take a minute or two to scan the comments.

(Though with people mentioning just about every fantasy series known to humankind, I'm suprised nobody's at least mentioned the (admittedly not new) Swords series by Fred Saberhagen, just for additional completeness)

Re:odd, no one has mentioned these.

[Twister002]

Because in the time it takes you to press "Reply" and the time you finish typing and hit "submit", 400 replies will have been posted to the topic you are replying to dumbass.

I hadn't seen anyone mention the Elric series either. Should I assume he has that already?

Elizabeth Haydon

[jhines0042]

Rhapsody, Prophecy, and Destiny Written by Elizabeth Haydon.

I've read the first one and I have the second and third and they are in my book queue.

Right now though I am working on reading Imajica by Clive Barker (also recommended) and I just finished re-reading Idoru by William Gibson.

Rereading 4000 books

[KFW]

I have maybe 4000 books at home...I just keep reading the ones that I have over and over and over.

At one book a day that would take about 11 years. Or do you just look at the pictures?

Slightly OT

[fgb]

I've read SF for most of my life but I've never understood the term "Speculative Fiction".
Isn't *all* fiction, by definition, speculative? If it wasn't speculative, it wouldn't be fiction, now would it?

Good SciFi book series

[benjamin39402]

You should try Brian Daley's Alacrity Fitzhugh and Hobart Floyt series. The titles are: Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds Jinx on a Terran Inheritance Fall of the White Ship Avatar They are REALLY good space operas. They're pretty light reading, not like Frank Herbert or JRR Tolkien. He's dead (the author) so we will never find out if Alacrity and The Nonpariel get together... b. ps I read MOST of the posts, but didn't find these. I hope I am not repeating some other geeks comments

Not unheard of but 'up and comers'

[cryptogryphon]

Richard Morgan - Altered Carbon ISBN: 057507390X - fantastic, stonking hard, Raymond Chandler SF and Broken Angels ISBN: 0575073241 - the word in the booktrade is 'better than Altered Carbon'. Seriously, read these books.

Neal Asher, Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Adam Roberts, and Alastair Reynolds

For fantasy Rob 'Mythago Wood' Holdstock has a new series 'The Merlin Codex' (Celtika and The Iron Grail to date) which takes virtually every other Arthurian retelling out in the street and spanks it in front of its mum

Re:Sci-Fi: Trashy romance novels for geeks

[Anonymous Coward]

Honey, you're just preaching to the WRONG choir here...I suggest you find somewhere else to preach your Dr. Laura/Gay Is Bad/ Sci-Fi Is Bad/ Sex Is Bad/ Imaginitive Is Bad philosophy. Also You totally missed the mark regarding Heinleins Philosophy regarding women.

"Never try and teach a pig to sing: it's a waste of time, and it annoys the pig."
Time Enough for Love - Robert Anton Heinlein

"Thing that got me was not her list of things she hated, since she was obviously crazy as a Cyborg, but fact that always somebody agreed with her prohibitions. Must be a yearning deep in human heart to stop other people from doing as they please. Rules, laws--always for other fellow. A murky part of us, something we had before we came down out of trees, and failed to shuck when we stood up. Because not one of those people said: Please pass this so that I won't be able to do something I know I should stop. Nyet, tovarishchee, was always something they hated to see neighbors doing. Stop them for their own good--not because speaker claimed to be harmed by it."
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress - Robert Anton Heinlein

"...if you have the necessary intellectual
strength and courage, you may leave the roads, or paths of high probability, and strike out over the hills of possible time, cutting through the roads as you come to them, following them for a little while, even following them backwards, with the past ahead of you, and the future behind you. Or you might roam around the hilltops doing nothing but the extremely improbable. I cannot imagine what it would be like - perhaps a bit like Alice-through-the-Looking-Glass."
Assignment In Eternity - Robert Anton Heinlein

"All societies are based on rules to protect pregnant women and young children. All else is surplusage, excrescence, adornment, luxury, or folly which can -- and must -- be dumped in emergency to preserve this prime function. As racial survival is the only universal morality, no other basic is possible. Attempting to formulate a "perfect society" on any foundation other than "Women and children first!" is not only witless, it is automatically genocidal. Nevertheless, starry-eyed idealists (all of them male) have tried endlessly -- and no doubt will keep on trying."
Lazarus Long - Robert Anton Heinlein

Re:Sci-Fi: Trashy romance novels for geeks

[Bicoid]

Fascinating. Simply fascinating.

I guess you've never read William Burroughs, Phil K. Dick, William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, Theodore Sturgeon, Harlan Ellison, Thomas Disch, etc.

REAL sci-fi is not campy adventure stuck in the future (or past or whatever). Real Sci-Fi is philosophy and/or satire masquerading as escapist fiction. It just happens to be set in the future, or an alternate universe, or something else that is not our own world.

Oh, and Aldous Huxley wrote Sci-Fi....that's what Brave New World is. So did Ayn Rand, George Orwell, Kurt Vonnegut, etc.

Your ignorance does not a dissertation make. Just because A World Out Of Time and Moon is a Harsh Mistress seem sexually or socially deviant (which you say as if such things are "bad") does not mean they necessarily are, nor does it men that thye don't have value. So Heinlein is a Libertarian. So was Ayn Rand, George Orwell, Alduous Huxley, and a good many more. If you think Heinlein is "head in the clouds" you must think Ayn Rand's philosophy that you should NEVER submit your own desires for the sake of others NO MATTER WHAT is completely and utterly off the wall.

No, most Sci-Fi is NOT appropriate for kids...plenty of it is simply too complex for kids to understand and a lot more is just too adult. However, to say that all sci-fi is trash because it condones behavior and ideas that YOU are to damned INTOLERANT to accept as OTHER PEOPLE'S CHOICES is ignorant in the least, and fascist when you get right down to it.

It's All About OSC

[ChiperSoft]

If you've got that many books then you're probably already fammilier with him, but if not then check out Orson Scott Card. I haven't been dissapointed by any of his books, and Ender series is very well renouned. You can find a complete list at http://www.hatrack.com/osc/index.shtml

I'd also recommend Anne McCaffrey's DragonRiders series. It's a gigantic series (16 books, not including short stories), and has a nice mix of sci-fi and fantasy. You can find a complete list of the books, as well as a series chronology at: http://kumo.swcp.com/~quirk/afp2.html

King Arthur stuff

[Anonymous Coward]

If you are into King Arthure stuff you should read Jack Whyte's 'A Dream of Eagles" series. Great stuff.

Kim Stanley Robinson - best modern "classicist" SF

[benwaggoner]

If you like the Classic SF stuff, I think the best modern linear extrapolation of that is Kim Stanley Robinson. His early stuff like Icehenge and A Short Sharp Shock was interesting, but self-conciously postmodern. But his stuff of the last decade is modern in the best way. It takes the best of the science-based and future history extrapolation of the Heinlien's and Asimov's, with a real curiosity and passion about human beings. The time I really realized how good he was was the third book of the "Three Californias" trilogy, "Pacific Edge." It was a largely utopian world - the biggest battle of the book was whether to build an enviormentally friendly business development on top of a hill with a good view. But the heart of the book was about the main character's loss of the woman who loved him to another man. As wonderful as the world was, a utopia can't prevent the real pain of life.

I've always felt that SF was fundamentally an exploration of the human condition, refracted through ideas of how humans would live in radically different times and worlds. Robinson fufills that promise better than any other I've read.

The one thing he isn't is funny, though. Humane, but not funny.

Robinson has the good habit of writing lots of short stories and single books, with two trilogies so far. None of those 10-volumes of 1000 pages each some authors can inflict on us.

For starts, the Mars trilogy is unbelievibly good (Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars). It's about the first few centuries of human habitation of Mars, told from a variety of viewpoints. I just finished the excellent "Years of Rice and Salt," an alternate history assuming that the black death killed 99% of Europe, and how history would have been different through about 2100 or so. Both these books are striking both by their compassionate affection towards humanity and their characters, and the absolutely astounding amount of research that must have gone into them. Robinson, in the best possible way, makes writing great SF look HARD.

Anyone who lives in California should read "Three Californias" (The Wild Shore, Gold Coast, Pacific Edge), which posit three alternative futures for Orange County, California. Wonderful stuff.

The short story collections are also awesome, like Planet on the Table, and Remaking History. The short story "a sensitive dependence on initial conditions" is an absolute classic, analyzing many, many different possibilities of what could have happened if the Hiroshima bombing hadn't happened. My favorite of his experimental works.

recommendations

[Zed Lopez]

Here are some favorites of mine, emphasizing the recent:

_Galveston_, Sean Stewart
_Zeitgeist_, _Distractions_, Bruce Sterling
_American Gods_, Neil Gaiman
_Red Mars_, _Green Mars_, _Blue Mars_, Kim Stanly Robinson
_Startide Rising_, _Earth_, David Brin
_There and Back Again_, _Wild Angel_, _Adventures in Time and Space with Max Merriwell_, Pat Murphy
The Miles Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold; start with _Cordelia's Honor_
_Stations of the Tide_, Michael Swanwick
Iain M. Banks' Culture series, so far I've read the first 3: _Consider Phlebas_, _Player of Games_, _Use of Weapons_
_Perdido Street Station_, China Mievelle
_Quarantine_, Greg Egan (haven't read any other Egan yet, but want to)
_Stand on Zanzibar_, _The Sheep Look Up_, _Shockwave Rider_, John Brunner
_Doomsday Book_, _Fire Watch_, _Impossible Things_, Connie Willis
_Declare_, _The Stress of Her Regard_, _Last Call_, Tim Powers
_Snow Crash_, _Cryptonomicon_, Neal Stephenson
_Left Hand of Darkness_, _The Dispossessed_, Ursula Le Guin
_As She Climbed Across the Table_, _Wall of the Sky, Wall of the Eye_, Jonathan Lethem
_Doorways in the Sand_, Roger Zelazny
_Corrupting Dr. Nice_, John Kessel
_Think Like a Dinosaur_, _Strange But Not a Stranger_, James Patrick Kelly
_Dancing with Myself_, _Georgia on My Mind and Other Places_, Charles Sheffield

If you like Heinlein, some current writers to check out are John Barnes (e.g. _Orbital Resonance_, _Kaleidoscope Century_) and Allen Steele (_Coyote_)

various more modern authors you may like

[target]

This may be posted too late for anyone to read, but....

Most other people are posting what they think are the best books in the genre, which is probably a good idea in that it's of more general interest, but here's a list of books that you personally might like based on the books you listed.

The Vorkosigan saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold. Excellent, long-running series. It's a space opera deaturing one of the most entertaining characters I've seen in science fiction. In chronological order of the main character's life, the books are:
Shards of Honor, Barrayar, The Warrior's Apprentice, The Vor Game, Ceteganda, Borders of Infinity, Brothers in Arms, Mirror Dance, Memory, Komarr, A Civil Campaign, Diplomatic Immunity.

These books are unusual in that you don't really need to read them in order. In fact, the first one is by far the weakest; it might be worth skipping entirely and coming back to if you like the others. Read at least most of the series before you read Memory and after -- those books assume you know the characters already.

For pure fantasy, the Robert Jordan Wheel of Time books might amuse you. The 10th book just came out. This is a pure fantasy series that starts in a sort of vanilla way, but by the third book or so, Jordan has created a wonderfully intricate world full of politics and more schemes than you can count. They start to go downhill after about book 6, though. The first few of the series are: Eye of the World; The Great Hunt; The Dragon Reborn; Shadow Rising; The Fires of Heaven.

Have you read the Steven Brust Vlad Taltos series? I think you would probably like them. The main character is a sardonic assassin with an equally sardonic dragon familiar. He starts as a low-level mobster, and quickly moves up in the world. The books: Jhereg; Yendi; Teckla; Taltos; Phoenix; Athyra; Orca; Dragon. They start to go downhill after Phoenix, during which Vlad loses some of his joi de vivre that so enlivens the books.

Finally, check out Guy Gavriel Kay, anything but the Fionavar Tapestry, and you may like that too. Fantastic pseudo-historical fantasy. He got his start editing the Silmarillion, but his writing is way better than tolkien's. This is the best that fantasy has to offer, in my opinion. His books are for the most part in the same world, but they are all stand-alone novels, with one exception. So order matters not at all. The list: Tigana; Lions of Al Rassan; A Song for Arbonne; Sailing to Sarantium; and Lord of Emperors, sequel to Sarantium.

Other people you might like: George R. R. Martin, Terry Pratchett; Neil Gaimon; RA Salvatore.

- target

Rudy V. B. Rucker & Philip K Dick

[dreadlord76]

Rudy V. B. Rucker, Philip K Dick. If you want to read something that makes you think about, then give these guys a shot.

Michael Stackpole

[TeamNutmeg]

I know him best through his Battletech books, and later through his excellent Star Wars series, X-Wing: Rogue Squadron. But his fantasy stuff is very, very good as well. I'm hardly a nose-in-the-air connoisseur of SF/F, but there hasn't been anything that's kept me turning pages like I do with his books since I read the Dragonlance trilogy for the first time. I'm also pretty fond of Timothy Zahn, but if you've been through most sci-fi, you probably know his work already.

Some less obvious suggestions

[Dr. Smoe]

There have been plenty of good suggestions (like Gaiman and Stephenson), but here are some less obvious ones:

1. Syne Mitchell - There's a reason she won the
Compton Crook Award for her debut novel.
2. China Meiville - "Urban" fantasy may be the
best term for it, but the writing is simply
brilliant
3. Susan R. Matthews - an exceedingly talented
SF author
4. Kristine Smith - another great new SF writer
5. P.C. Hodgell - the best fantasy writer you
never heard of

And, while I think the anti-SF people who tell you to dump the genre are insufferable snobs, I do think that doing some reading outside of the genre stuff is a good idea.

Good luck.....

Best of the new SF authors..

[grub]

.. without a doubt: Hilary Rosen. She keeps coming up with new and wacky ideas about how to control bits.

Iain M. Banks -- this time with formatting!

[Xeger]

MODS AND READERS: Please note that this comment is a duplicate -- the original appears somewhere below, and was posted without formatting because of a slip of the mouse. In that state it was unreadable, so I had no choice but to repost. (When, oh when, will we be able to edit our posts?)

Despite his wacky first name (just say "Ian"), Banks is really worth a try. He isn't originally a sci-fi author by trade; his first book (The Wasp Factory) was a contemporary novel, but we've seen some of his very best work since he started writing his Culture series of novels. And Iain Banks, even at his worst, is better with prose and with ideas than many sci-fi authors at their best.

His primary science fiction offering is a series of novels set in the distant future (perhaps 10,000 years from now), chronicling the adventures of humanity's descendents. The Culture is a vast interstellar civilization, a pseudo-anarchic meritocracy comprised of dozens of humanoid and nonhumanoid races -- it's unclear whether homo sapiens were founding members of the Culture, or if they joined the Culture sometime after its development, or even if they exist at all. Members of the Culture are referred to as "human" throughout the books, but Banks follows the panspermia hypothesis, so many of his races share the same basic biochemical and physiological traits.

The Culture has spread to perhaps 10,000 systems, filling space with planets, starships and Orbitals -- immense, ringworld-like structures that house as many as 100 billion people. In all, the population of the Culture is probably around 500 trillion (that's 5.0x10^14) souls. Of these, a sizeable fraction are plain old biological humans, and the rest of them are digitized people, Minds, or group minds.

The lifespan of a human is somewhere from 200 to 500 years; Culture citizens, the result of thousands of years of genetic tinkering, could conceivably extend their lives indefinitely. But human existence is seen as a sort of gestation period, and after a few hundred years of life, most biologicals get bored and euthanize. After death, they are converted into electronic form and continue to pursue an active and vigorous life in the collective virtual reality that forms the real meat-and-bones of the Culture.

Many of the Culture's most powerful citizens are Minds, vast, artificially-created intelligent constructs with dozens or hundreds of threads of consciousness. Typically, any structure or vehicle larger than a personal transport is inhabited by a Mind.

The Mind doesn't merely control the machine, the Mind is the machine, able to interact with the physical world using its "body" which is the ship, or house, or city, or Orbital, or whatever. Of course, a Mind could also be simultaneously inhabiting a dozen different android "avatars," manifesting itself as a holograph in front of an audience, and corresponding with other Minds in a virtual reality.

OK, all this is well and good -- but what can you expect from a Banks novel?

• No strife. Material wealth is meaningless when resources are unlimited. In the Culture, social reputation counts more than money. There is no standard form of money; rather, Minds operate factories in every habitat to provide (quite extensive) basic goods and services for free, and luxuries are traded through the social network.
• No death. People (and other entities) die in Banks novels, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Despite the fact that nobody is ever in any danger, and would just end up being restored from backup if he were to die, there is still plenty of suspense in a Banks novel -- I can't describe it; you'll just have to read and find out for yourself.
• Fantastic combat. Banks has a magnificent style when it comes to combat, both space- and ground-based. He runs the whole gamut, from exotic antimatter weapons and computer metaviruses, to simple bladed combat and projectile weapons.
• Intensely cerebral discourse. Because so many of Banks' characters are hyper-intelligent Minds, you'll often find a few paragraphs of calm discussion between Minds in the middle of an intense combat sequence.
• Great human characters. Whenever Banks introduces a character, you come to care about the person, his likes and dislikes, his motivations -- even if he's only a minor character. Banks' characters really come alive like no other.

Re:Iain M. Banks -- this time with formatting!

[theCulture]

I thought thanks to my /. name I had to reply to to this post!

I can more than recommend Iain Banks' novels. The society of the culture is a fascinating study in what might be. I really agree with the previous post, but in fact think [s]he's sold Iain Bank's SF credentials, and the idea of the Culture itself, somewhat short.

He displays good understandings of physics, underpinning his plots with intense realism - you can believe that what he writes one day may come to pass. The Culture does not descend from humanity (at least not from earth), as evidenced by one short story included in 'The State of the Art' (Although amazon.com says that it's out of print?) where the culture are examining earth (and us) and evaluating us. This seperates them nicely from us, giving Banks more freedom of expression, in my opinion.

Also, Banks actually started out as a SF author. In an interview I saw with him a few months ago on BBC 4, he admitted that he had written several SF short stories (a few of which are published in TSOTA mentioned above) before turning to conventional fiction.

He also has a wicked sense of humour, instantly recognisable. The ship's ideosyncratic names illustrate this nicely (meatf*cker anybody? :)

All in all, do take a look. Well worth it - and his 'normal' fiction too, while I'm at it. I would write all day about his books, but the best way is to just take a look yourself. Happy reading.

Re:Iain M. Banks -- this time with formatting!

[cosmosis]

Wow, I posted about Iain Bank early on in this story, see above. But I thought I'd mention it again here. I would love to do more with the site, but I just don't have the time. Here it is, Culture Shock

Xeger - Nice comprehensive overview of Banks by the Way!

Planet P Blog - Liberty with Technology.

Re:Iain M. Banks -- this time with formatting!

[astroboscope]

He displays good understandings of physics

Mostly, yes, but in Consider Phlebas I don't see how Vavatch (a small ringworld/large space station for those who haven't read it) could have had both arctic and tropical regions. Or at least arctic along the rims and tropical along the equator is not as obvious as he seemed to think. Is there heat loss from the rims? Maybe, but I think he just goofed.

Ah, it feels so geekly good to get that off my chest.

Re:Iain M. Banks -- this time with formatting!

[StrawberryFrog]

No strife. Material wealth is meaningless when resources are unlimited

The culture is a bit like the Star Trek environment taken to it's logical conclusions. benign AIs are in charge. No need to work or compete for food when there are replicators everywhere.

However, "no strife" is not quite right. Mr Bank's culture books are all about strife, struggle, war and conflict, usually between the culture and other civilisations, or between "primitives" outside the culture who aren't in the post-scarcity era.

Anyway, even for civilisations like the culture "resources are unlimited" is not true. There is always the perenial cause of conflict: land, living space, turf, lebensraum.

You have shitty taste in books

[wobblie]

Sorry. Piers Anthony? you got to be kidding.

Ok. Try Stanislav Lem for one, until you figure out that Sci Fi is just a genre, and there's all sorts of great non-SciFi books. In fact, most great books are NOT SciFi nor Fantasy. Wake the fuck up.

Alastair Reynolds

[LoFat ByLine]

Just read Reynolds' Chasm City over the holidays. It terms of sub-genre it's a blend of cyberpunk and space-opera; if you like both (as I do) you will probably like the book. Reynolds writes and plots well, there is some memorable imagery (some of it a bit gruesome); and the story does have a point to it, although at times I found myself wondering if it would. Reynolds hasn't written a lot at this point, but he's definitely a talent to watch.

Seems odd to me that the OT posts (the ones that advise you to change your reading habits) are being modded up in this discussion, and the ones that just attempt to answer your question are not. Yeah, maybe you should seek more variety, but heck, I read nothing but sf for years before I decided it was time to dig into the classics, and I don't think I suffered any permanent damage as a result...

Robert E. Howard!

[Leggman]

OK, OK, he's not new, but I'd give the old Robert E. Howard stories a read. His original Conan stories are awesome! (I'd stay away from Conan by the newer authors, though; L. Sprague de Camp and the others tend to be very repetitive). Also, speaking of Conan authors, you could try Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Book 10 just came out this month and he's still going strong. As for pure Sci-fi, you could try C.J. Cherryh; the Otherland series is pretty good (I think CIty of Golden Light is book one; but I might be wrong; there are 4 books total) and Cyteen started off good but I don't think there's been a sequel published yet. If you're into a bit alternative; try Harlan Ellison. Again, he's not the newest author out there, but he has some REALLY good stories; my personal volume of his was The Deathbird Stories. Good luck!

Books I have recommended to others who liked em

[Marrow]

All of these are series. Only the first book is listed.

Robin Hobb, Assassins Apprentice.
Guilty Pleasures, Laurell K Hamilton
Lord Valentines Castle, Robert Silverberg
Enders Game, Orson Scott Card
Jhereg, Steven Brust
A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursulla LeGuin

Sarah Zettel ; James Alan Gardner ; C. S. Friedman

[Samrobb]

Suprised no one's mentioned them yet...

Sarah Zettel:

• Fool's War
• Playing God
• Kingdom of Cages

Highly recommended: Fool's War.

James Alan Gardner:

• Expendable
• Vigilant
• Ascending
• Trapped

Highly recommended: Expendable, Trapped.

C. S. Friedman:

• Black Sun Rising (Coldfire book #1)
• When True Night Falls (Coldfire book #2)
• Crown of Shadows (Coldfire book #3)
• In Conquest Born
• Madness Season
• This Alien Shore

Highly recommended: The Coldfire trillogy (fantasy), This Alien Shore (SF).

Try something old instead

[rgmoore]

I'm not sure if you've read them, but you might try reading something really old instead. Pick up some Jules Verne or Edgar Allen Poe, or some old classics like Frankenstein or Dracula, both of which have been very badly treated by the movies. You could even go back to some much older stuff like Gulliver's Travels, Beowulf (supposedly there's going to be a newly discovered translation by Tolkein published soon), The Illiad, The Epic of Gilgamesh, or the like. Many of the ideas being used by modern writers were first expressed in those classics, and they're very worth a read.

Re:Try something old instead

[terminal.dk]

I agree here.

There is no doubt Jules Verne is one of the best science fiction writers there ever was. It is all about the futore, but yet most is here in own present.

Robin Hobb

[FroMan]

Robin Hobb is one I suggest if you have not read it.

Farseer Trilogy
Liveship Trader Trilogy
Twany Man Trilogy (not finished as of yet)

Robin Hobb really brings the characters to life. They each have their desires and motivations, even the bad guys. You can relate to the bad guys quite well, as they seem to really be working for good causes at some points in time. It really brings out the ideas of how a situation is percieved to determine right and wrong.

Re:Robin Hobb

[clareo]

I would definately include Robin Hobb Although The Assasins apprentice does start alittle slow, the writing in each book continues to improve by the time u read the 2nd book in the Tawny man series (pg 283 is HUGE!) it's fantastic! I just can't belive We have to wait til the next book is released...

Iain Banks & The Culture

[cosmosis]

Banks isn't entirely new, but he remains largely and undeservedly undiscovered. You can read all about him on my Iain Banks website.

I would also say that if you have not already read Greg Egan, especially his book, Diaspora, do so. This is first-rank hard sf at its best!

Planet P Blog - Liberty with Technology

Re:Iain Banks & The Culture

[bastion_xx]

Can't say enough good things about Iain Banks. There are some really dark ovetones to his books, sci-fi and non-sci-fi.

I was turned on to Banks by one of British friends. Ended up in London at Foyles in Charing Cross. While picking up all of Banks books (about 9 or ten) one of the staff asked me about my selection. Told him I'd read a couple of his books and was hooked. All the books were signed by the author too.

The Brits definitely have a much better selection of Sci-Fi / Fantasy than most US bookstores. Plus, it doesn't seem to be such a "geeky" thing to read the genre.

Re:Iain Banks & The Culture

[mlush]

Iain Banks is of course not to be confused with that other chap, Iain M. Banks who does not do SF :->

Re:Iain Banks & The Culture

[Russellkhan]

A joke right? It's the same guy.

And BTW, his non-SF stuff is far superior.

Re:Iain Banks & The Culture

[JPRelph]

He seems to be pretty popular over here in the UK, I have no idea how much he sells, but most high street bookstores tend to carry a fair selection of his work. His books all tend to be very good, but some really do shine out, Excession and Feersum Endjinn are absolutely superb.

Re:Iain Banks & The Culture

[tater]

In the Bizarro universe. Whereas in ours, it's the other way around.

Re:Iain Banks & The Culture

[RoloDMonkey]

Iain Banks (or Iain M. Banks, whatever) is a great writer because he writes in whatever genre he feels like. The Wasp Factory was easily one of the more powerful books I have read, although it has nothing to do with sci-fi, and Feersum Endjinn knocked sci-fi on its ass, like a combination of Flowers for Algernon and cyberpunk. I personally would recommend staying away from Complicity. It seems to me his editors came to him and said, "Do the same thing you did with The Wasp Factory." So he did, with all the perversion, and none of the poetry.

Re:Iain Banks & The Culture

[Anonymous Coward]

Update your site - you're missing three books from the bibliography ;-)

The Business
Look To Windward
Dead Air

(Of course the business and dead air are both crap by banks' standards - which is still way better than most other authors, but still disappointing. And the cover of dead air annoyed me, simply because it was a departure from the normal cover art style ;))

Re:Iain Banks & The Culture

[Anonymous Coward]

IN THE BIZARRO UNIVERSE, SOVIET RUSSIA POST JOKES ABOUT YOU!!!

Where is that queer, Trollaxor anyway? Did he get raped at MacWorld?

Re:Iain Banks & The Culture

[kpost]

IIRC, you have it reversed: he wrote his SciFi under Iain M. and his non-SciFi under just Iain. I love his SciFi, but his other stuff is a little too weird for me (I've only read The Wasp Factory of his non-SciFi).

Re:Iain Banks & The Culture

[demonbug]

You have it backwards. Iain M. Banks does Sci-Fi, Iain Banks does other stuff. (Well, really they are the same person, but whatever.)

Re:Iain Banks & The Culture

[demonbug]

I agree, Iain M. Banks is pretty awesome. I was introduced to him by my first year roommate in college, who insisted I read Consider Phlebas, which is an awesome book. Unfortunately it is difficult to find more than his three most recent books in the U.S. (Excession, Inversions, and Look to Windward). Definitely highly recommended. The ship names alone show more creativity and talent than most other authors manage in their entire books.

Re:Iain Banks & The Culture

[junklight]

Read some of the later non-sci fi stuff. Like a lot of young british authors at the time (Ian Macewan and Martin Amis are two other) he wrote a couple of "shocking" early novels to get noticed. The later ones are a lot more accessible and enjoyable - in particular The Bridge which is quite SciFi, Espidir Street, Whit, Complicity and Dead Air - all of which are very readable and very enjoyable too.

Re:Iain Banks & The Culture

[mark2003]

Iain Banks is definiteley one of the best writers of his generation. The sci-fi stuff (under Iain M. Banks), particularly the culture novels are miles ahead of anyone else. Personally I like his unusual approach to sci-fi in that it is about characters, societies and plot rather than the usual rubbish of who has the biggest/most technically advanced weapons/spaceships. The technology is just used as a way to get the characters involved in more interesting and unusual situations. And as a bonus it has a sense of humour. Some of his non-sci-fi books are also extremely good, Complicity stands out for me.

Re:Iain Banks & The Culture

[Anonymous Coward]

Banks is a great writer, although I don't go for his non scifi/culture books. Two other authors that I have just got into are Neil Asher and Al Reynolds. Both these authors (and Banks as well) write exactly the kind of SciFi I like - hard and gritty. I particulary enjoyed Ashers latest book "The Skinner", well recommended

Re:Iain Banks & The Culture

[crizh]

Excession was amazing, didn't like Feersum Endjinn tho, I much preferred Player of Games.

On a cyberpunk front some I haven't yet seen mentioned:

Michael Swanwick, Vacuum Flowers

William Gibson/Bruce Sterling, The Difference Engine

Robert Sawyer

[l0ss]

If you haven't read his stuff already, I'd recommend Robert Sawyer. He's a Canadian Sci-Fi writer. He tends to incorporate a lot of philisophical 'what ifs' into his works, so if you're looking for something with a more 'cerebral' pace to it, this might be a good place to look.

how fast do you read?

[kylemad]

4000 books, and you're reading them over and over. Reading these books over 20 years and that'd be 1.8(is) days per book... does this strike anyone else as fast?

Re:how fast do you read?

[RembrandtX]

well .. i can read a 600 page book in about 300-400 mins .. 5-6 hours or so .. depending on how tired I am ..

of course, as I get older .. I don't have the TIME to do that ..

but I still manage to do 4-5 books a month myself .. [sometimes more .. sometimes less]

Re:how fast do you read?

[dosun88888]

Oddly enough, I know at least 2 people who seriously read 3-4 books a night. They just shoot through them faster than I can.

I wish I could read that quickly.

~D

James P. Hogan

[hogans-hero]

Any of his books...starting with the "Giants Trilogy" http://www.jamesphogan.com

Feist/Wurts and Banks

[AlastairMurray]

A fantasy trilogy: The Empire Trilogy by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts (Book I: "Daughter Of The Empire"; Book II: "Servant Of The Empire"; Book III: "Mistress Of The Empire"). Fantastic read, the scale of the story increases with each book.

Sticking to the SciFi theme more, we have Iain M. Banks (he also does contempory crime, which is also very good). Specifically, "Look To Windwards", "Excession" and so far "Against A Dark Background" seems very good, but I've not finished it yet so I'll reserve full judgement. Banks imagination really is phenonemal (sp?), if you've not read any of his works then read "Look To Windwards" just to read about his "Culture". Seriously.

Quick Book Reviews (by me :P)

[RembrandtX]

I just finished a sieries by Carol Bergman.
(Transformation, Redemption, and .. err . one other)

And was pleasantly surprized by an author i picked off the shelf at random.

I generally read about 4-5 SF/Fantasy books a month .. and record my meager findings at :
http://www.remsbox.com/showBooks.php

A warning (Re:Iain Banks)

[femto113]

I am a huge fan of Iain (M.) Banks (he adds the M. on SciFi/Fantasy books), but I think a warning is needed for the uninitiated. His novels can be extremely dark, and he will explore regions of psychological terror (think Silence of The Lambs) that you may not expect in a SciFi novel. This effect is compounded by the highly engaging characters: by the time you realize something bad is going to happen you already care about the people it will happen to. His more recent Culture novels (Look to Windward and Excession) have been somewhat lighter than his earlier books, and I highly recommend Excession as a starting point. For those familiar with his SciFi you may enjoy the crossover elements in his fantasy novels such as Inversions or The Bridge.

Doranna Durgin

[Anonymous Coward]

Brilliant and also a personal friend...

Steve Perry's Matador Series

[BeowulfSchaeffer]

Trilogy The Man Who Never Missed Matadora The Machiavelli Interface Extensions The 97th Step Black Steel The Albino Knife Brother Death The Omega Cage

Project Gutenburg

[Ugmo]

If you've read 4000 books then you've probably read everything SF/Fantasy that is out currently in Barnes and Nobles. Expand beyong SF/Fantasy to related classics, history and source material.

Go to Project Gutenburg (http://www.gutenberg.net/) and look up some Charles Dickens, Herman Melville.

Why them?

If you've read fantasy you must have read Gene Wolfe's Earth of the New Sun Series. (If you haven't then read them. NOT the books of the LONG Sun, I wasn't crazy about them.)

The first book has a lot of settings and some of the language taken from Dickens' Great Expectations. The scene where Severen meets Baldanders in the Inn is taken from Moby Dick, so read that too. There are of course elements of Frankenstein in the later books but I think that is from the movie versions more than the actual book (Mary Shelly).

The book Frankenstein is really not what you would expect. I didn't get into it. Dracula was pretty good. PG also has the Invisble Man, Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde etc.

You could also read Jules Verne's books,H.G. Wells, Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars series, and Sherlock Holmes books there.

Related to King Arthur you can read Tennysons' "The Idylls of the King", Nennius's "History of the Britons" which is one of the earliest mentions of Arthur. Gildas "On The Ruin Of Britain (De Excidio Britanniae)". The last two historical documents written in the Dark Ages that mention King Arthur.

Not in PG but something you might not have read but would enjoy if you like Gene Wolfe, find a translation of short stories by Jorge Luis Borges. The originals are in Spanish but there are English collections. He writes little surreal stories and The New Sun Books take a lot of theme and atmosphere from them.

One of his stories is about an infinite library with every book ever written or could be written on the shelves. The first book is all the letter "A" written down. The second book would be all "a"'s and then at the end is a "b" and so on. Somewhere in the library a book with the story of your life in it and it was there before you were born. Borges writes stuff like that.

So:
Gene Wolfe
Jorge Luis Borges
Charles Dickens
Herman Melville
H.G. Wells
Jules Verne
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Two Words: Douglas Hofstadter

[gosand]

First, I gotta say "For Jebus' sake, stop reading the same genre over and over!" It is one thing to be a fan of something, but another to be a wee bit obsessed. How about reading anything else?

But if you want something that is interesting and will make you think a little, how about Douglas Hofstadter? (Amazon's selections)

I have read "Godel, Escher, Bach", "The Mind's I", and "Metamagical Themas". They are all fantastic. GEB is probably the best, Mind's I is a good collection of various pieces, and Metamagical Themas is quite daunting and will give you a brain freeze if you read it too fast. I have the Alan Turing biography, but haven't read it yet (Hofstadter does the foreword).

Apart from that, how about some philosophy? Classics? Can't beat Grapes of Wrath. Gulliver's Travels. Shakespeare. Once you release the reigns of SciFi, you should be able to come up with something else without much trouble.

How about?

[Anonymous Coward]

Some of my faves...

Preston & Child:

The Relic (good book, crappy movie), The Reliquary, ThunderHead, Mount Dragon, The Ice Limit, The Cabinet of Curiosities, Riptide

or Jeff Long:

The Descent, Year Zero

and of course Douglas Coupland:

Generation X, Shampoo Planet, Life after God, Microserfs, Girlfriend in a Coma, Miss Wyoming, All Families are Psychotic, Polaroids from the Dead

Not obvious

[DThorne]

Man, if there was *ever* an argument for the original poster to try something other than scifi, it's this. I read Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon based on rantings and ravings I've read on /., and I almost didn't make it through SC. Come on! A 15 year old, sexually active imp of a girl that "pontoons" passing cars and hitches rides on her high tech skateboard? Avatars in VR? Talk about adolescent scifi sleaze! *Really* bad writing. Crypt was definitely better and a much more mature work, but he started losing me 3/4 of the way through...his premises outshine his endings.
Hey - not meaning to totally slag the guy - it's easy to criticize and it's frickin' *hard* to write well! I'm more criticizing the blind adoration of the guy from geeks.

DT

Re:Not obvious

[Anonymous Coward]

On the contrary, I thought Stephenson's work is excellent, snow crash included.

It's an interesting and thoroughly plausible cyberpunk story, minus most of the cyber.

And in "Diamond Age", there was some great symbolism at the very beginning. One of the main character's father is an icon cyberpunk character... a heavily upgraded street tough.

In the opening chapter of the book, he dies. The book follows his child, the spawn of cyberpunk.

Nanopunk?

Anyway, I've really enjoyed everything Stephenson has written... with one little quibble:

I'm not big on his endings. They just seem a little anti-climactic, and I'm not really sure why. The characters, plot, and background cultures are all excellent.

I think it has something to do with all the unexplored possibilites that are opened up by those endings. I'm left hungering for more information.

Of course you could easily place his books into a timeline, and there you'd have those answers:

Cryptonomicon -> Snow crash -> Diamon Age

But since they're not really a series (officially anyway), the connection is a little tenuous. Nor were they written in chronological order show crash -> diamon age -> cryptonomicon

On the other hand, you do get to meet that skater-girl you disliked so much as a wheelchair-bound old woman on life support in Diamon age... cool stuff.

Re:Not obvious

[dmah]

I had a hard time getting used to Stephenson style of writing as well at first. However, I was definitely intrigued by Snow Crash's mythology and the amount of, seeming, research that went into it. Of course, you can just read section 56 or 58 for that but then you miss the build up. I'd agree that his endings are a little weak but's the hard part. On the one hand you risk wrapping things up a little too conveniently and on the other you get people wondering what the hell happened.

Regardless, it's a nice diversion, and if you're already reading Anthony, Heinlein, Hubbard, I suspect that's all that you're looking for.

Re:Not obvious

[Anonymous Coward]

the word is harpoon

Re: Not obvious

[Black Parrot]

> Man, if there was *ever* an argument for the original poster to try something other than scifi, it's this. I read Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon based on rantings and ravings I've read on /., and I almost didn't make it through SC.

Yeah, I haven't read it because I hear so many raves about it on Slashdot. Anyone who reads Slashdot might get the impression that The Matrix is a great movie.

Forgive the appearence of trolling, but there's something about the Slashdot demographic that results in some really odd choices of material to rave about.

No accounting for taste I suppose - mine included.

Re:Not obvious

[bugnuts]

Come on! A 15 year old, sexually active imp of a girl that "pontoons" passing cars

Spoken like a true geek! :-)

Some of Stephenson's writing is meta-cliche. He's a bad writer like Army of Darkness was a bad movie.... rather, it was so bad, it was GOOOD. For instance, in Snowcrash, it starts out like "The Deliverator is a member of an elite unit... issued a gun, black supercar, etc." and it's not until a bit later you find out exactly what The Deilverator does which is rather bizarre.

But what it comes down to is that Stephenson's writing is vivid. That's all. His stories may need some tweaks in the plausibility realm, but the writing is vivid. He definitely had a very unique vision in SC, and tailored it to the science fiction punk crowd.

The real question is, where are all the slanderous commments about Hubbard? Did someone do a DNS redirection of /.?

Re:Not obvious

[fferreres]

... his premises outshine his endings

BEWARE of The Diamond Age.... there is NO ending. When I first read it i tough I had a defective book...but heck, I was there at page 713...and technically, it WAS end of story. But all the things that came before, all the tiny details about EVERYTHING, including an infants "digital" book that told us some kind of "customizable" sad cinderella that lasted chapters, was there for no reason at all, except to show how cool the technology was and how sensitive the author could get....

Be carefull if you buy it! You might want to try other book before...for sure (but still, it's better than Snow Crash...I couldn't get past page 40 or something like that)!

Re:Not obvious

[Grab]

Hell, if you can start with something which the reader thinks is a cliche and then surprise the reader with something they really weren't expecting, isn't that the *definition* of good writing?

Grab.

Re:Not obvious

[Anonymous Coward]

Anyone who doesn't grasp Snow Crash is technically and aesthetically retarded. Snow Crash was a great book. Very plausible. Exciting to read. Very advanced and forward thinking. Not like some other authors who are stuck in the 60s and 70s with boring "high brow" aspirations. Face it, SciFi is not, never was meant to be, and never will be high brow. That's why anyone who tries writing high brow SciFi generally sucks. Perfect examples are I. Asimov, A.C. Clarke, and James Herbert. The best SciFi to come out in years is of the cyberpunk/nanopunk genre. Before that, Ray Bradbury and Philip K. Dick were about the only tolerable writers. Then... Harlan Ellison... Don't even get me started with that overinflated ego of his. Considering that he writes total crap and has never had an original idea in his life...

Re:Not obvious

[Trolling4Dollars]

James Herbert? Who's James Herbert? Jeeze! Before ranting, you might want to actually know the author's names... Just a suggestion.

Re:Not obvious

[fferreres]

Anyone who doesn't grasp Snow Crash is technically and aesthetically retarded.

It was really a book for people that like to think of the future as Fanstasyland...I am pretty sure you lack the most basic skills necesary to grasp the complete incoherence and bad taste of Neal (it really isn't your fault though, you didn't have a choice).

Re:Not obvious

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you saying you have taste? That's a joke. It you don't like Stephenson, then you have no taste. You're probably one of those ridiculous fops who thinks that high intellectualism belongs in every arena. That is THE definition of an asshole. Stephenson writes intelligent, astute and very realistic storylines without the need to resort to frilly five dollar words to show of his intellect. His intellect is shown off through the content, not the prose. Words are meaningless stupid and ugly, ideas are intriguing. That is what one reads Stephenson for: the ideas.

Re:Not obvious

[fferreres]

Words are meaningless stupid and ugly, ideas are intriguing.

In Neal's books that's the case. But ideas are not novels. Sorry, I just don't agree a book or world can be told without a good story to make it believable.

Ideas are not scarce. Usefull, intriguing and well deployed universes and stories are, especially, if they have some ground on which to stand.

Sorry, I really don't mind people having Neal as a God. I didn't like it, personal taste. If you are looking for cool ideas (technological ones) and some cyberpunk parody and poetry, Neal is the best...

Re:Not obvious

[Anonymous Coward]

OK. I can agree there. For me cool ideas make or break a story. But, I can relate that not everyone sees it that way. w00t!

Re:Not obvious

[fferreres]

Great thread I must say, started a little bit...and turned into a quite Insightfull one. Cya arround!

Bugger the "amerikano's" - UK & Aussie top wor

[Facter]

Top ten of the "newer" scifi authors. (not in any particular order)

1) Jeff Noon - top. seriously. wow. every single person that reads slashdot must read this guy. Im warning you!! Read him or suffer the fate of never having read him!! Im serious!
2) Sean Williams and Shane Dix - man. Aussie authors rock, vast space opera. Nice guy too.
3) Sean McMullin - more aussie rightness. any of them, but Souls in the Great Machine is fukin awesome.
4) Alystair Reynolds!!!! Tech space opera.
5) Ken McLeod!! OMG serious slashdot geek lover conspiracy gone mental writing...
6) Greg Egan - dont get me wrong, I love his stuff...but I love his earlier stuff where he wasnt trying so hard to make "a political difference" in some way with his stories much better,,plus I have issues with his feelings on immigartion and his boring anti-"cult of personality" thing..but, regardless...read Permutation City or Quarantine. Wow. Eh, Teranesia is good too...
7) China Mieville - Holy shit! The Scar and Perdido street staion. Mind blowing.
8)Iain M Banks - with the M. Need I say more?
9) Jon Courtney Grimwood - the Arabesk stuff. Amazing alt-history series. Blow go boom.
10)Interzone Magazine - okay, so I'm cheating, its not one author - but the stories and the format are fukin amazing - seriously, it is my favorite scifi magazine, and gives a wonderful cross section of non-amerikan-centralised works. A lot of Australian and British etc authors. Go get a copy and subscribe, you wont be disappointed.

Just wanted to throw this in to keep away fromt he us-bias that makes up the majority of this list =P

F.

Philip Pullman

[Anonymous Coward]

Read the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. It's not strictly SF but you'll probably like it. (Ignore the categorisation as "children's literature", that's meant in the same way as it was of CS Lewis, Tolkein et al.)
While you're at it, (re)read Peter F. Hamilton's "Reality Dysfunction" trilogy. It shares some interesting ideas with Pullman's work.

In the same boat

[koan]

I have re read all of my books and even purchased a few twice (donated the others) in case no one got these guys here are my favs.
David Brin (anything by him) Greg Bear (anything) Iain Banks (anything but mostly the culture stuff)
Greg Benford and of course the Orson Scott Card series of "Ender" and "Hegemony" stuff.
I like hard Sci Fi not Fantasy stuff so I go with any author that writes the hard stuff, and they seem to be Physicist too.

a huge sf and fantasy author list, with comments

[Ludoo]

http://sfandf.owlcroft.com/authors.shtml, many of them may be found as ebooks, either legaly or ehm you know what I mean =)

noticed nobody mentioned the Assassin series by Robin Hobb (aka Megan Lindholm), one of the best books i've read in the past couple of years.

3 new guys

[Anonymous Coward]

I may not have scrolled far enough down but I can't believe nobody so far has mentioned these 3 guys:

Alastair Reynold (Revelation Space, Chasm City, Redemption Ark)

M. John Harrison (Light)

Karl Schroeder (Ventus)

And I would agree with the above suggestions of:

Neal Stephenson
Ian M. Banks
Vernor Vinge (especially the old stuff like 'Marooned in Real Time')
William Gibson
Ken McLeod

Oh, and stay away from Lesbian SF writers; they never get anything right (tech, people, character development).

Some reading suggestions

[bkhl]

Paul Di Filippo. -- For instance The Steampunk Trilogy. Great SF set in the Victorian era.

Kim Stanley Robinson -- Somehow writes hard SF and social SF at the same time. You can't miss the Red Mars series, a mastodontic saga about the terraforming of Mars.

Some other names to look out for is Ken MacLeod and Alastair Reynolds.

Hear hear

[kiwimate]

I hope this doesn't sound too harsh, but my first thought when I read this Ask Slashdot was "Mate, you need to get out more".

Perhaps look at some of the classics? (There's often a reason they're classics.) Personally, I dislike Charles Dickens, but love the Russian authors such as Dostoevsky, Gogol, and Tolstoy. ("Dead Souls" (Gogol), "Anna Karenina" (Tolstoy), "The Idiot" (Dostoevsky) are all excellent reads.)

Or maybe some of the fluff, such as Agatha Christie. How about Sherlock Holmes, if Christie is a little too feminine?

But I think you deny yourself some of life's pleasures by narrowly defining your interests.

I can't say it better, so I won't even try.

Kurt Vonnegut

[Lord Puppet]

Read The Sirens of Titan or Cat's Cradle. Truly impressive and engaging books. Vonnegut's style is so refreshing and entertaining.

Other SF Authors

[ktcifone]

David Eddings is great his greatest series is the belgariad and the mallorean series (10 Books Total) with 2 prequels. There is also another series called the Elenium and the Tamuili (6 Books total ) I enjoy the first 2 series so much i will reread them once a year. Robert Jordan's (Mentioned earlier) Wheel of Time is also a great read) ... cant wait to read the latest.

New authors

[mrbill]

I've been reading lately:

by John Ringo (in order):
"A Hymn Before Battle"
"When the Devil Dances"
"Gust Front"

and by Kage Baker (again, in order):
"In the Garden of Iden"
"Sky Coyote"
"Mendoza in Hollywood"
(unfortunately, the fourth, "Graveyard Game", is
out of print; I'd kill for a copy!)

I'm also reading Cory Doctorow's stuff.

Last night, I read (online) "The Metamorphasis of
Prime Intellect", by Roger Williams. <a href="http://www.kuro5hin.org/prime-intellect/">yo u can find it here.</a>.

CS Friedman

[FroMan]

Also I'd suggest CS Friedman's Coldfire Trilogy. This is a bit more the on dark side of fantasy, but enough strife within the series to make it entertaining.

Re:CS Friedman

[Neil Watson]

This set is sci-fi, fantasy and horror all rolled into one. A very entertaining read.

A few more...

[Dinosaur Neil]

By the time I get this posted, I'll probably be redundant, but still...

S.M. Stirling has done some terrific alternate history stuff: the Draka series

• Marching Through Georgia
• Under the Yoke
• The Stone Dogs
• Drakon (takes place after the main trilogy)
• Draka! (short stories by other writers based on the trilogy)

and the Nantucket trilogy (wherein the island of Nantucket is relocated to 3000 years in the past without explanation)

• Island in the Sea of Time
• Against the Tide of Years
• On the Oceans of Eternity

I haven't seen anyone list John Varley yet; he's not all that new, but he's still rwiting and still putting out some amazing stuff. Try the Titan trilogy (Titan, Wizard and Demon) or any of his "Eight Worlds" stuff (nearly any of his other novels and most of his short stories).

Ken McLeod has written a number of excellent books (though not all are avaialable in the U.S.) at least one of which was reviewed here. (I was going to link to the review since that's how I "discovered" his stuff, but I can't find it.) "The Sky Road", "The Stone Canal" and "The Cassini Division" all show (or at least hint at) the catastrophic "Deliverance" from the very different perspectives of the three characters mostly responsible, seen through the eyes of people well before and well after the disaster. Often in the same book. Well crafted, entertaining, grim, thought-provoking, even funny at times...

Jonathan Lethem has written a handful of really terrific books, starting with "Gun, With Occasional Music" (a murder mystery, kinda) and one of my favorites, "As She Climbed Across the Table" (a love story about a particle physicist, an anthro professor, and the spatial anomaly that comes between them). Definitely on the bizarre side, but worth checking out...

Miscellaneous others in no particular order/spelling; Elizabeth Moon, Neil Gaiman, Alan Steele, Neal Stephenson, F. Paul Wilson...

To each his own taste...

[ltkije]

"I am looking for the new RAH/Piers Anthony/Roger Zelazny/Weis & Hickman etc..., of the world.

The trouble with science fiction is that it follows Sturgeon's Law: "90% of everything is crap." Finding that good 10% and stories that suit your individual tastes is pretty tough. Years ago I read Chuq von Ruspach's online "Otherrealms" fanzine, because the reviews there lined up with my tastes better than half the time. That's long gone, and I haven't found anything to replace it. The Ebert and Roeper of SF just plain don't exist. So it's word of mouth, random tries at the bookstore, and the occasional review that makes an impression, that's how I find worthwhile new stuff.

With that disclaimer, here's a short list of authors that are thought-provoking but couldn't be farther from Heinlein, Zelazny, etc., if they tried. Try Orson Scott Card, Neil Gaiman, Nancy Kress, Lisa Mason (stick with the "San Francisco" trilogy), Neil Stephenson (skip Zodiac and Big U), Bruce Sterling (later work). Sharyn McCrumb is a mystery writer who has produced some sharp takes on science fiction fandom.

These authors are all well-established, and their styles run toward the literary side of SF. For tastes that run to swords and sorcery, space opera, hard SF, urban or antediluvean fantasy, hard-boiled cyberpunk, punny adventures -- try someone else.

The only way to find good, new SF may be with every fourth or fifth book, just read someone outside your comfort zone.

Howard V Hendrix

[Anonymous Coward]

Just read HH new book "Empty Cities of the Full Moon". It was really good, and full of neat sf and post apocalyptic ideas.

http://www.rambles.net/hendrix_emptycities01.htm l

suggestions in and out of SF...

[Mr. Slippery]

Scanning my bookshelves, some of my reading recommendations:

• Tom Robbins might be considered fantasy, or "magical realism". Another Roadside Attraction is great.
• Thoreau. I finally took the time to read "Walden", and I'm glad I did.
• "Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglas". This should been required reading in every high school U.S. history class.
• Speaking of which, Larry Gonicks' Cartoon History of the United States, Cartoon History of the Universe, and The Cartoon Guide to Sex are good.
• Neil Gaiman's already been mentioned. If he wrote it,you should read it, it's just that simple. :-)
• Ursula LeGuin. A Wizard of Earthsea is one of my all-time favorites; it's sequels are also worthy. Also, The Lathe of Heaven is excellent. (The old PBS movie is good; the recent TNT one sucked rocks.)
• Roger Zelazny. Some of his later stuff (the second "Amber" series, for instance) is merely ok, but his good stuff will blow you away. (Isle of the Dead and My Name is Legion I can read over and over.)
• Hunter S. Thompson. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Better Than Sex, and the various volumes of the Gonzo Papers.
• Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep amazes me every time I read it.
• Jonathan Lethem's Gun, With Occasional Music. Odd and interesting SF in the Chandleresque vein.

That ought to hold you for a few weeks.

Re:suggestions in and out of SF...

[Anonymous Coward]

As I was reading everyone's lists I was hoping someone would suggest Tom Robbins. His language more than his plots are what make him a great author. "Half Asleep in Frog Pajama's" was my favorite of his.

Other books I would suggest outside of the SF/Fantasy vein would "Cold Mountain", anything by Ayn Rand, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", "The Perfect Storm", too many to list.

Re:Sci-Fi: Trashy romance novels for geeks

[philipborlin]

Come on, you are going to find crap in any genre. Don't make blanket statements like that.

All fiction asks you to suspend your disbelief in order to enjoy the story. Science Fiction and Fantasy happen to be genres where the author does not need to work as hard to keep your disbelief suspended. Because an author chooses the easy way out in this department does not mean that she has skimped on characterization, plot, enriching literary devices, or any other aspect that makes a great story.

I would suggest you try a little Orson Scott Card to prove that there are good authors in these genres. To someone that is looking for a quality book I would recommend Speaker for the Dead which explores the life of a man trying to give rebirth to an alien race that he almost destroyed while trying to find where he fits into humanity. I would also recommend Earthborn which explores racism and the effect that evil leadership can have on a community. These are both part of bigger series but read just fine as separate works.

That being said, I think anyone interested in fantasy would probably love the Three Muskateers (not like any of the movies of the same name). Might want to buy a dictionary along with it if you aren't used to reading classics, but well worth the read.

Re:Fantasy with heroes in control w/o much real pr

[Lokatana]

Do not read Redemption of Althalus. It's a great example of a great writer gone horribly wrong. It's an unoriginal, obviously predictable, unexciting ramble of crap. At no time is any of the characters in anything remotely resembling danger, and overall it's a horrible way to introduce yourself to someone who was once a great writer. If you were a big fan of Eddings (as I am/was) his original works (The Belgariad and Elenium) were masterpieces, his subsequent works (The Mallorean & The Tamuli) were very good, and even his prequels (Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress) were fun with interesting insights. I'll even say that The Riven Codex was good for those who are very dedicated fans, though it was mostly a good way to make a buck. But "Redemption" was a huge dissapointment. If you insist in reading it anyways, borrow it from a library or a friend. -Lokatana

FWIW Here's My List

[vapor2000]

1) Kim Stanley Robinson
2) Iain M. Banks
3) Alistair Renyolds
4) Ian MacLeod
5) Ken Macleod
6) James Patrick Kelly
7) John Barnes

WP Kinsella

[Anonymous Coward]

Let me second that suggestion. Shoeless Joe was the basis for the movie Field of Dreams.

a suggestion

[Anonymous Coward]

cory doctrow is great new writer, and blogger who has just released a new book free under the new creative commons licensing system. it's recieved 50000 downloads in it's first week. not to shabby.
boingboing is his site.

In No Particular Order...

[mikeplokta]

Alasdair Reynolds -- Revelation Space, Chasm City, Redemption Gap, Diamond Dogs/Turquoise Days

Ken MacLeod -- the Fall Revolution series, which go back a few years now (<cite>The Star Fraction</cite> was 1995) and his newer series, Engines of Light

Jon Courtenay Grimwood -- <cite>Pashazade</cite> and <cite>Effendi</cite>

Gwyneth Jones -- not exactly a new author, but I just finished <cite>Bold As Love</cite>, last year's Arthur C Clarke Award winner, and it's great.

Charles Stross -- mostly short stories so far, with one collection, <cite>Toast</cite>, from a small press, and one novel, <cite>The Atrocity Archive</cite> serialised in a British magazine.

John Meaney -- <cite>To Hold Infinity</cite>, <cite>Paradox</cite> and <cite>Context</cite>

Robert Reed -- <cite>Marrow<//cite>

Two Excelent Series: Turtledove and Hamilton

[jelizondo]

Two highly recommended series:

by Harry Turtledove

Striking the Balance (Worldwar Series, Volume 4) Upsetting the Balance (Worldwar Series, Volume 3) Tilting the Balance (Worldwar Series, Volume 2) In the Balance (Worldwar Series, Volume 1)

by Peter F. Hamilton

- The Reality Disfunction composed of the two "Neutronium Alchemist" books and the two "Naked God" books.

Enjoy!

Books

[Mecha[drone]]

Dan Simmons - Hyperion books
Tad Williams - Otherland
Stephen King - Gunslinger
Orson Scott Card - Enders Game, and shadow books.
Kim Stanley Robinson - Mars books
Neal Stephenson - Anything...
Peter Hamilton - Reality Dysfunction, Neutronium Alchemist, Naked God

christ on a crutch

[Doktor Memory]

At the risk of spoiling the joke: literal-minded dolts like you are exactly the fish that our joker here was attempting to catch with this troll. Congratulations on being so utterly predictable.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr's birthday, I would like to state that I, too, have a dream. I dream of a day when it will be possible to have a discussion (serious or not) on the merits and demerits of science fiction as a genre without automatically summoning the dreaded Droning Heinlein Quoting Brigade.

Free clue for the day: We've heard it already. (We've also seen the goddamn bumper sticker and "cute" calligraphic button.) Go away, grow the hell up, and don't come back until you've read something else.

Re:christ on a crutch

[Anonymous Coward]

pnp mac nam. pnp mac nam.

Time Travel, Heaven, Hell, War, Politics, Deceit..

[Anonymous Coward]

And much more. Just check out
Author: Harry Harrison
Series: Stainless Steel Rat

Books -
A Stainless Steel Rat is Born.
The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted
The Stainless Steel Rat
The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge
The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World
The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You!
The Stainless Steel Rat for President
The Stainless Steel Rat Sings the Blues
The Stainless Steel Rat Goes to Hell
The Stainless Steel Rat Joins the Circus

I think i missed one. Anyways, great series. And make sure to read in order... Each story leads to the next.

Also, by Harry Harrison,

Bill the Galactic Hero Series:

Bill the Galactic Hero
The Planet of Robot Slaves
The Planet of Tasteless Pleasure
The Planet of the Bottled Brains
The Planet of Ten Thousand Bars
The Planet of the Hippies from Hell
The Planet of the Zombie Vampires
The Final Incoherent Adventure

peace

thrakos

Techies will love Tom Clancy

[MongooseCN]

Check out some Tom Clancy novels. He goes into such immense technical detail, far beyond any other author I have read. I originally thought his novels would be patriotic stories of people defending their nation, blah blah blah.. Instead they are just very practical very interesting novels on how intelligence agancies work and the tech they use.

The technical accuracy was so good in one of his novels that the CIA actually contacted him about it asking how he got his hands on classified information.

Re:Techies will love Tom Clancy

[Textbook Error]

You can not be serious - Tom Clancy is straight-to-Airport junk. There's just no comparison between him and someone like Ian (M) Banks or Jeff Noon: books should be to make you think, not to help you buff up on pointless military jargon.

SciSemiFiction -- Sterling's Tomorrow Now

[fatcat1111]

Bruce Sterling, Tomorrow Now.

Is it fiction? Is it nonfiction? Is it all SWAG? You decide!

Also, I met Sterling last week and he listed Cory Doctorow as one of the two English SciFi writers he was reading right now. I haven't had the opportunity to read anything from him except 0wnz0red yet, but he certainly looks promising.

Some Great SF/F

[WyrmO'Livros]

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (A first contact novel by an anthropologist.) She followed it with Children of God, but hasn't published any other fiction. A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson A Song of Fire and Ice series (A Game of Thrones; A Clash of Kings; A Storm of Swords) by George R.R. Martin Souls in The Great Machine (followed by The Miocene Arrow and by Eyes of the Calculor) by Sean McMullen Perdido Street Station (followed by The Scar) by China Mieville The Peshawar Lancers by S.M. Stirling Guns of The South by Harry N. Turtledove

Best. Books. Ever.

[Corvus]

George R. R. Martin's series 'A Song of Ice and Fire'. Volumes include:

1. A Game of Thrones
2. A Clash of Kings
3. A Storm of Swords

Mr. Martin is currently writing book 4, 'A Feast for Crows', but please don't ask him when it will be done.

Have you read David Eddings

[Anonymous Coward]

I really enjoyed all of his books perhaps you should look him up. The best series he wrote starts with the belgariad a series of ten books that should keep you busy for a few days

My two groats,

[Anonymous Coward]

I second CJ Cherryh, writes an almost non-human alien.

Also try Micheal Scott Rohan, Elizabeth Moon and Allen Steels - all enjoyable writers.

I would especially recommend Mellissa Scott. A fine hard SF and fantasy writer, with the sort of off-beat outlook that rivals CJ Cherryh.

Jordan? If he can ever be botherered to finish writing I may take him seriously.
Readable but *very annoying*

some to look at

[Anonymous Coward]

I know someone else mentioned Greg Bear, but if you haven't read The Forge of God (apocalypse theme) I would definately recommend it (supposidly they're making a movie out of it soon...).

A pretty cool cyberpunk book called Altered Carbon came out last summer, and I enjoyed reading it over the Christmas break, although it was a tad obnoxious at times (well... it is cyberpunk I guess).

Sci-Fi

[superdan2k]

Lately, I've really enjoyed Wil McCarthy's The Collapsium -- it has the grand-ideas of Clarke but it's somehow more riveting and more real. I'm working on reading Empire of Dreams and Miracles a collection of short stories edited by Orson Scott Card and Keith Olexa -- normally, I enjoy anthologies but skip a few stories...thus far, it's been one of the best I've come across. Haven't skipped a single story.

It's worth branching out if you've read that much sci-fi -- both because it's important to be well-rounded and because it'll make your reading of sci-fi that much more rich an experience. You'll understand more, you'll have things to compare it to outside of the genre. In the past couple of years, I've started venturing strongly outside the genre -- literary fiction, biographies, history, the sciences, etc. I find that doing this has not only enriched my reading of science fiction but it has re-started my "idea engine" for my own writing. (I hold a degree in English-Creative Writing.) And my ideas are my own, are more fresh than they once were, and I find that I'm much more satisfied with what I have produced.

Try Alastair Reynolds

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd definitely back the many posts pointing to Vinge. His stuff is exceptional. Similar to it, and meeting the "new" criterion, is the work of Alastair Reynolds. It's gotten some good press, but still isn't terribly well known.

_Revelation Space_ is a grand space opera. Grand in the sense of a very wide scope. It's Reynolds' first novel, so it suffers from a little sketchiness in character development and a few irritating breaks from the overall narrative style. That said, it's one hell of a good book.

_Chasm City_ is a much more personal book. It takes place in the same universe as the preceding book but stands alone and stylistically very different as its focus is on only a few characters mostly on one particular, though intriguing, planet.

I prefer Revelation Space, but Chasm City is well worth a few hours of reading time.

Robert Jordan

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm sure I missed it, but how come I haven't see anyone yet mention one of the best series of all time: Wheel of Time.

WOT series is one of the best series ever...It is the most detailed and intricate stories written. If you like fantasy, you'll enjoy WOT.

An excellent read.

-C

Author recommendations...

[medavid]

I know I'm probably covering a lot of the same authors other people have mentioned, but hopefully I can come up with one or two new ones:

• Iain M. Banks - read every one of the Culture books you can; he rocks!
• Greg Bear - some of his books are better than others, but they are all good. I still am blown away by Eon every time I read it.
• Dan Simmons - Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, The Rise of Endymion are four of the most amazing books ever written.
• Peter Hamilton - I've loved all of his books
• Neil Stephenson - all of his books are good, but I still believe The Diamond Age is his best.
• China Melville - earlier reviews had it right... his books are always surprising and enjoyable
• Vernor Vinge - Fire Upon The Deep was mind-blowing
• Michael McCollum - Lifeprobe was good, but his other books are just as enjoyable
• Neil Gaiman - American Gods was one of the best books I've read in years
• Ken Macleod - The Star Fraction and his other works are new and exciting
• David Weber - I just started his Honor Harrington series (On Basilisk Station) and am enjoying it quite a bit
• Philip Pullman - the His Dark Materials trilogy

and yes, I also recommend the Harry Potter books... quite good. Unfortunately, many of my favorite authors from days of yore (and I'm sure I'm going to get yelled at because of this) seem to have lost the ability to produce the kind of books that made me love them. Specifically, Piers Anthony (I can't believe the Xanth series and crap like Ghost are from the same man who produced Macroscope and the Cluster trilogy), James P. Hogan (Inherit the Stars and The Proteus Operation were amazing, but his recent works have been less than impressive) and Jack Chalker (I'm sorry, but I think that this first set of Well World books were his peak; the ones written more recently haven't been nearly as attention-grabbing and interesting). I highly recommend the ones I mention here... especially Chalker's first Well World books... amazing.

In defense of Stephenson

[jamesmrankinjr]

I'm probably the only one that will tell you this, but I tried reading Neal Stephenson/Stevenson/However you spell it, and threw it out less than 100 pages in. Not just put it away, THREW IT OUT. Neal is apparently the James Joyce of SF, That is to say, he uses too many freaking words and doesn't really ever gets to the damn point, nor does he tell all that great a story.

True, many have already recommended N.S. in their posts, but just want to say specifically what I find entertaining about his work. The rambling is the whole POINT. Kind of like if you're driving through really interesting scenery, you might not care about getting to your destination quickly. There's so many bits of trivia and minutae (sp?) presented on cryptology, WWII tech, human psychology, venture capital finance, computers, etc. in an accessible and entertaining way that you don't really care that you don't get anywhere very quickly in terms of plot.

IMHO,
-jimbo

Re:Sci-Fi: Trashy romance novels for geeks

[Ugmo]

I know this was moderated up as funny but I don't get the joke. I know of people who built academic careers on views like this.

First, I want to point out factual errors:

Take Larry Niven's Ringworld series, for instance, in which the main character is transported to a future Earth that consists of two immortal factions of humanity - boys and girls.

That book wasn't Ringworld. It was "World Out of Time". It wasn't a series it was a single book. There were no homosexual acts that I remember in that particular book and there could not have been because there were less than a dozen sexually mature (mature in the biological sense) males in the book. The reason being that there was a technique for producing immortality but it involved arresting developement before people reached puberty.

I would admit being one of 12 men with thousands of women available is a pubescent dream and not a fantasy a mature male would need to indulge in, but I think it does raise the question about how society would develope if you had two groups immortal people with slight differences in thinking (and there are proven differences in the structure of the brains of male and female children). Given a tendancy for people to make divisions between US and THEM based on arbitrary differences like skin color or language and division based along secondary sexual differences once the primary purpose of these differences is eliminated seems to make sense to me.

Science Fiction is one of the few literatures where the behaviour of GROUPS of people and societies can be explored. Other literature focuses more on the individual. Politically Correct Academics who criticise all views of society except the PC one almost HAVE to hate SF since it presents multiple opposing views of how people MAY get along given alternate conditions.

Similiarly, "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" examines a society that developes out of a group of prisoners. The Male/Female ratio among prisoners is known to be tilted to the Male side. Prison populations also tend to be crude and are among the type to ogle women and make rude comments. The social customs in "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" seem believable to me as something that might develope among such a population.

Re:Feist - Hell yeah!

[schon]

If you're willing to commit to his works, I'd start with "Magician: Apprentice" - the first half of "Magician", which was split into two parts b/c it's so damn long.

It was only split into two parts for paperback.. If you're one of the lucky ones (like me :o), you'll have a first edition hardcover, which is simply called "Magician"

Of course, if you didn't know that the paperback was split, you might drive yourself crazy trying to find "Book #2" (as the Silverthorn paperback bills itself as "Part 3 of the Riftwar Saga")

At any rate, Feist is one of my favourite authors.. definitely a master of the fantasy genre.

Vonnegut et al.

[iteratix]

I haven't seen Vonnegut mentioned here yet, so I'll mention. He's written some incandescent books, the most notable to many is Slaughterhouse Five. Others written by him include Sirens of Titan, Cat's Cradle and a list of others.

Also, I agree with many comments here, that a walk into the Fiction & Literature section would be highly benefical to all. I did so recently and found several books that are now my favorites (Johnathan Franzen's The Corrections, Dai Sije's Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress and O'Toole's Confedracy of Dunces). Ray Bradbury is often recommended by friends -- he seems to be a nice bridge between fiction and science fiction.

Also check out Umberto Eco (Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum). Great, and will make you feel smart if you finish them. After all that, finish up with a delicious reading of 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

SF needs some talent

[Anonymous Coward]

I loved SF until around the time I went to college and started reading books that were written by people with some talent. Once you read something like philosophy that expands your mind, it is very difficult to go back to reading the pabulum that slakes the needs of the Dungeons and Dragons crowd.

It's unfortunate, because the genre of SF has so much potential. But there is just so much CRAP out there that I've given up trying to find something tolerable. I've even tried specifically buying Hugo winners at Amazon, but still no luck. Much of it is embarassingly bad, like "The Terminal Experiment" by Robert J. Sawyer (an author I'll avoid like the plague from now on).

There are exceptions of course. I liked "A Canticle for Leibowitz" by William Miller, "2001" by Arthur C. Clarke (and no others by ACC), and, suprising to me, "Doomsday Book" by Connie Willis.

I guess it's like SF television. When I was fifteen and watching the "Logan's Run" series on TV, I thought it was great! When I check out reruns, it is just... awful, really awful.

Don't go too far...

[Kumiorava]

...at least not in the beginning. When I shifted my reading habits from SciFi/Fantasy to "traditional" books I came across few great books but also some rather unpleasant ones. Mostly because the book was written in a way that I didn't expect. After all I think it was worth expanding my reading habits, it gave a lot better selection to read from. Good authors are in every genre and good books are always worth reading.

If I must recommend you one book to start from then check out The Egyptian by Mika Waltari. It doesn't go too far from fantasy genre.

Tim Powers

[StarEmperor]

Tim Powers writes more modern and historical fantasy than traditional science fiction, but his books kick ass (in an erudite fashion, you understand). I suggest starting with Last Call or The Anubis Gates. His latest, Declare, is pretty solid, too.

George R.R. Martin is the shiznit

[Anonymous Coward]

A lot of people will tell you to read the Wheel of Time series by Jordan. Unfortunately, that series is a bunch of trash. Jordan is very wordy and adds absolutely nothing new to the genre. If you like the old village boy (or boys) go off on a big adventure schtick then Jordan is the man for you. It's the same old crap that's been written a thousand times before.

If you want some actual creativity then I STRONGLY recommend George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. IMHO, Martin is the best fantasy writer on the planet at the moment and I don't say that lighly since I'm very picky with fantasy literature. He is one of the only fantasy writers that doesn't target his books at 15yr. old zit-faced boys who have never kissed a girl. He assumes his reader is mature, very intelligent and wants to be challenged.

Re:George R.R. Martin is the shiznit

[Epsillon]

And he also wrote some decent works earlier in his career, although no one seems to mention it alongside epic tales of the proportion of "Song of Ice and Fire". Two stick in my mind: Fevre Dream, a sultry tale of vampires on the Mississippi, and Dying of the Light, which I won't spoil by describing except it's more to the tune of what a layman would class as Sci-Fi.

Authors I like..

[CyPlasm]

I like Poul Anderson, Charles Sheffield, Philip José Farmer and Mike Resnick among others.

For Poul Anderson, check out his "Time Patrol" series and "Boat of a Million Years".

For Charles Sheffield, his "Proteus" series is a definite must.

PJF: "Riverworld" series.

Resnick: "Widomaker" series.

Hal Clement

[richmond]

I've always been fasinated by Hal Clement. Science Teacher/Sci-Fi writer. One of the few writers who is concerned with a story as well as the physics of the story.

Here are some sites with backround information.

http://www.sos.mtu.edu/pfrc/clement.htm
http:// www.geocities.com/gamgeephile/hal/

richmond

Re:Sci-Fi: Trashy romance novels for geeks

[Anonymous Coward]

word

Barrington Bayley

[MopOfJustice]

Absolutely amazing. Simple style, clear and direct plots, creative worlds. This guy doesn't get as much attention as he deserves.

Also, I'm very fond of Jerry Pournelle. Best military SF I've read, because he focuses on the people, not the military.

A few here.

[Anonymous Coward]

Rick Cook - "The Wiz Biz" series.

L. Neil Smith:
Pallas
The Probability Broach
The Venus Belt
Forge of the Elders

John Barnes - Timeline Wars (excellent!)
Patton's Spaceship (#1)
Washington's Dirigible (#2)
Ceasar's Bicycle (#3)

Harry Potter series. (Hey, I thought it was great!)

Re:Sci-Fi: Trashy romance novels for geeks

[tcdk]

It has been a bit since you read any new science fiction hasn't it?

Even though you post has some trollish elements it is, with in the narrow confides of the examples you mention, somewhat correct. Heinlein was an offbeat loony, with strange tastes (but still a wonderful read). Niven I won't comment on as I cant remember any of the Ringworld novels except the first one (my very effective "garbage in - garbage out" filter triumphs again!). But that's doesn't translate to every and all science fiction books and definitely not to much published the last ten years and the question was about "new science fiction authors". Also I have to question why you have to tell us this... are you trying to save us or are you simply trolling? Anyway, no thanks.

I would say that science fiction has done a lot of growing up the last ten years. There has been a blooming of new writers that both have their technology and their characters right. Maybe not all the time and maybe not both part to perfection, but it's a lot better than in the post war "golden age" (was that the second or third golden age? I lost count...).

As for the original question:

But as others has suggested, try diversifying a bit. Try a bit of horror, a bit of crime, some elitist literature. It's all fun if it's well written. If you are afraid take some on some authors that you already know from science fiction, like Dan Simmons for horror, Asimov for crime. For something that you can pull out of your hat if you should meet a bunch of elitist snobs I recommend Poul Auster (The New York Trilogy is probably a good place to start), sometimes he's so far out that it kind of borders on science fiction or at least fantasy (only they label it magic realism).

My top list of new authors (what was the definition again?), in random order:

Iain (M.) Banks. Both his science fiction and his mainstream fiction is wonderful. His culture novels are not to be missed. Start of with something like Against A Dark Background.

John Barnes: Funny dark and witty often with a very dark view of the future.

Linda Nagata: Most of her (all to few) books work with in the same universe and most looks at the question of what we can make of man.

Peter F. Hamilton: For epic space (soap-) spaceopera this it the guy to go to. Endless never ending pages of action.

Ken MacLeod: For a political (leftwing) look at a possible future Ken is the man. Provoking and interesting alternative the topias of the seventies (his first series is the best - The Fall Revolution).

Neal Stephenson: Cyberpunk (I hate that word) done right. What William Gibson would write if he had the talent.

Greg Egan: Edge technology all the way. Egan always takes his ideas to the limit. Either we go to the lowest level (quantum is just a stop on the way) or we go for the upperlimit (experimenting with the total of totally).

That's it - there are lot's more, but those are some of my favorites. But again, treat your self to something different once in a while, just don't over do it to quickly like when I tried to read one my wifes Karen Blixen novels :-S.

(shameless link to my own site with information all these authors)

Oh, also try picking up a magazine (my favorite is Interzone), that's a good way to find new authors.

stuff

[Anonymous Coward]

Judging by the initial list, you aren't looking for exceptionally high-quality SF. Hey that's OK, I didn't either for the longest time! First, author's you might like, and then those that you may come to like:
Sara Douglass
Wayfarer Redemption, Enchanter, Starman
Tad Williams
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series
James Clemens
Wit'ch Series
This is pretty much every fantasy series you've ever read, but meaner and strangely compelling, not to mention with tons of apostrophies.
Robin Hobb
Farseer Trilogy, Liveship Traders Trilogy
John Dechancie
Castle Perilous series
This one will appeal to the Piers fan in you.
Robert Asprin
MYTH series
Again, for the Piers fans

Now more thought provoking:
Gene Wolfe
New Sun series, Long Sun series
These are pretty much SF literature, so be prepared to pay attention.

C.S. Friedman
Coldfire Trilogy
Joan D. Vinge (Vernor Vinge's wife)
Snow Queen
China Mieville
Perdido Street Station, The Scar
Michael Scott Rohan
Winter of the World Trilogy

Re:stuff

[MopOfJustice]

Gene Wolf, yes he is amazing. Mind opening stuff...

Best Neglected

[Euphonious Coward]

These aren't new, but they got less attention than they deserved when they came out:

• Alex Gilliland
  • Rosinante series (life in the asteroids)
  • Wizenbeak series (medieval politicking)
• Donald Kingsbury
  • Courtship Rite (group marriage, institutional cannibalism)
  • The Moon Goddess and the Son (space politics, predicted breakup of Soviet Union)

Excellent Suggestion

[Argyle]

Banks's novels are extremely well done. THe poster is right on target.

A-friggin-men

[Doktor Memory]

I have nothing to add. What he said. Ibid. Op cit. Ditto. Right fucking on. You go.

Re:Terry Goodkind - definitely my favorite author

[dszd0g]

I will second Terry Goodkind for the fantasy side of things.

Wizard's First Rule has got to be the best book I've ever read. The only book in that series that disappointed was "Blood of the Fold", it just didn't have a strong ending. Besides that one, the rest of the books listed above are excellent. He changes style slightly in the later books to try something different.

I love how he creates many different stories and pieces to the puzzle that create the plot that comes together at the end of the book. Some of it I figure out, some of it I don't, and some of it is a complete surprise (but that does fit when one goes back and checks). As soon as he publishes a new book in the series I start reading it within the first week after he has published it.

I do like Piers Anthony that the poster said he has read plenty of. Many people have suggested Neil Stephenson, which I've really liked the books that I've read. Stephen Barnes is good with alternative history fiction, a good example being Lion's Blood (not a happy story though).

If you like Tolkien/D&D type worlds, Elizabeth Moon is pretty good. Not quite to the same caliber as those mentioned above. The series is:

Sheepfarmer's Daughter (Deed of Paksenarrion, Book 1)
Divided Allegiance (Book 2)
Oath of Gold (Book 3)
Surrender None: The Legacy of Gird (earlier period of time)
Liar's Oath (After Surrender None)

The first three books, I believe are also sold as one large book called "The Deeds of Paksenarrion". It contains Sheepfarmer's Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold.

Reading these books in the order above matters. For example, Liar's Oath gets terrible reviews if you read it before Surrender None. It gets good reviews if it is the last thing read.

Try a decent bookstore

[DarkLordHelmut]

I think they keep people around with some knowledge of the things they're selling (yeah, them book-thingys). Ask them.

Or go to your nearest public library.

But I suppose I can't resist the urge to tell you which authors I like best at the moment:

Alastair Reynolds
China Miéville
Tove Jansson (yes, Moomin)
Iain (M) Banks
Mikhail Bulgakov
Sean McMullen

How about mystery.

[Anonymous Coward]

I've found I like myster books a lot more than most sci-fi/fantasy, especially lately.

If you want to venture into mystery, lookup Earl Emmerson

Amy Thompson, and seconding some others

[calyxa]

I'm currently reading _Through Alien Eyes_, which is the sequel to _The Color of Distance_.

it's an alien contact story about a scientist who gets marooned on an alien planet and survives due to the amazing biological abilities of the tree-frog-like natives..

as far as what I've seen others recommend that I'd like to second the recommendations of - Stephenson's _The Diamond Age_, Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars series (_Red Mars_, _Green Mars_ and _Blue Mars_) and John Varley (his newest, _The Golden Globe_ was quite a fun romp through the solar system - aliens had taken over Earth and Jupiter, but that was only a minor thread in the life story of "Sparky" Valentine, an actor who is a bit down on his luck...)

-calyxa

Umberto Eco - Philip K. Dick - William Gibson

[bladerunner009]

If you're into fiction then I would suggest you try some of Umberto Eco's novels. Focault's Pendulum, Name of the Rose, and Island of the Day Before....The writing is exceptionally good. At the very least these novels are quite verbose and you may need to have a dictionary near by. I guarantee reading these books will bump your mensa score up a few points... And I also want to throw my 2 cents in for William Gibson (Neuromancer, Mona Lisa Overdrive) and Philip K. Dick (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, also of the recent Minority Report movie fame)

Re:Umberto Eco - Philip K. Dick - William Gibson

[egoots]

If you're into fiction then I would suggest you try some of Umberto Eco's novels

While I would agree that his writing is exceptionally good (even considering it is translated from Italian to English). I would hardly categorize the first 2 books you mentioned as Science Fiction or Fantasy. They are usually characterized as "historical fiction".

As an aside, Foucaults Pendulum was the most difficult book I have ever gotten through. It was packed with so much detail on religious history, I almost had an aneurism trying to get through it all. I have just started reading hiis new one "Baudolino which I am enjoying so far

Re:Umberto Eco - Philip K. Dick - William Gibson

[Simonetta]

Slightly outside the classical science fiction genre but definitely in the magical realism - fantasy - social commentary league is Gore Vidal's brilliant book Myron. Written in 1974, it is about the adventures of a man who falls asleep in front of the television only to awaken and find himself inside the Hollywood set of the 1940's B-movie that he was watching, in a sort of parallel universe along with other people to whom this has happened whenever the movie gets shown. The book is really hard to find. Try your local library and inter-library loan. The original publication substituted the names of US Supreme Court justices for the 'dirty' words, but later and offshore editions skip this sparkling touch of Vidal's nastiness. I've scanned the book and keep it available on Kazaa whenever I'm logged on there.

Re:Umberto Eco - Philip K. Dick - William Gibson

[timftbf]

With the caveat that Name of the Rose has, at a guess, about 20% of the dialogue in Latin. It's a great book, and a passably good film, but it's quite hard work (and I do have a qualification in Latin, although obtained a good few years ago now.)

Regards,
Tim.

new and not so new but still great sci fi authors

[Anonymous Coward]

Rudy Rucker:
Software, Shareware, Freeware series. The new book he just had out in hardcover, which is the continuation of the classic Flatland.

Pat Cadigan - Dervil is digital from the Kostigan series. First book was Tea from an Empty Cup.

Phillipe K Dick is still great and very readable.

Robert Anthon Wilson fiction series such as The Illuminatus trilogy, The Shrodinger's Cat.

James Patrick Kelly - Wildlife

anything by John Shirly, altho he is more horror than Sci-fi

Charles Platt - Silicon man

A few book recommendations

[Muskie]

But first a complaint, "Slashdot threads get too big too fast." Some of us are supposedly working I have no idea if some low moderated post mentioned these or not yet...

Anyway because I'm waiting for a meeting I'll give some advice. I too advise reading books other than SF. I almost read no SF/Fantasy now because there are so many better books out there then another hack formulaic SF/Fantasy novel.

That said my dad read a pile of SF and I kept some his books from their garage sale destiny and am reading some James Blish right now. He's an old dead Science Fiction writer.

I would recommend Burgess, "A Clockwork Orange" as a more literary Scifi. Or perhaps "The Wanting Seed" which I was given for Christmas but have yet to read.

I would also recommend a trifecta of "1984", "Brave New World", and "A Clockwork Orange". I personally think "Brave New World" is better then "1984" but how can you not read both?

I also recommend to everyone to read Malcolm Lowery's "Under the Volcano".

My friend Owen I were just discussing our mutual admiration for Joseph Hellers' "Catch 22". That book is brilliant, funny, insightful.

There are a lot of books out there if you look past the 400 copies of Steve King, Daniel Steel, Micheal Crighton, etc. etc. etc.

Back to work...

Muskie

Card

[Anonymous Coward]

I just recently gave Orson Scott Card a go and read Enders Game.

I still havent decided what I thought of the book. I ended up finishing it at 4:00 in the morning after starting that night, but it was... well an "uncomfortable" read. I dont think I will be reading it again, but I wonder if his other books are simular in flavor? his writeing style was very good, I just dont know if I can take the abuse of reading something like Ender's again.

My 2 coins

[Evan]

Most of my faves have already been mentioned, so I'll just add Lawrence Watt-Evans and David Duncan to the list.

George R. R. Martin

[Lokatana]

George Martin is probably the best "new" author for anyone looking for reading in the Fantasy genre. His "Song of Ice and Fire" series, currently at 3 books with a 4th on it's way (April 1st?) will completely change the way you rate books in this genre.

Martin has done the usual things expected of a fantasy epic: He's built a new world complete with maps, built interacting societies each complete with their own racial traits, histories, legends and prophecies. He's then taken them and made them interact according to his storyline. But that's where things begin to change vastly from the norm.

1. With a few exceptions, you begin to have a hard time telling who is the "good guy" and who is the "bad guy".
2. Those who are the "bad guy" side have some people who might actually be good guys, and vice versa. But not all the time. But you're not quite sure?
3. Martin does not hesitate to kill off main characters if it advances the plot, or suprises the hell out of the reader
4. You cannot predict what is going to happen next
5. The "politics" in his story are deep, brutal, and surprising. They go farther than any other fantasy story I've read.

I could continue with this list for a while, but you get the idea. Probably the most amazing thing about this series is that each book gets better and better, almost exponentially.

If you have not read George Martin's work, I strongly encourage you to try out just the first book. If you're a true fantasy fan, you will be hooked immediately.

-Lokatana

two authors

[silverilx]

I tend to find David Eddings and David Gemmel excellent writers. The style of writing is different to the DragonLance & Forgotten Realm series and I feel that they paint a better story than the Dragonlance/Forgotten Realm books.

Re:two authors

[silverilx]

additionally you may want to have a look at Robin Hobb's newer series - farseer trilogy, (Golden fool - this is one book in the trilogy, can't remember the title of the trilogy). i found the liveship traders trilogy a bit dull.

Military Science Fiction

[IWantMoreSpamPlease]

David Drake - Hammers Slammers
F. Paul Wilson - does all kinds of interesting "SF" stuff. His Repairman Jack series is excellent.
Wil McCarty (or McCarthy) - Aggressor Six - Best 1st encounter novel I've *ever* read (and I'm a sucker for 1st contact novels)
Keith Laumer - His bolo series, cybernetic tanks (also turned into a series of books that went from kick ass to terrible in the space of 4 of them)
Wilhelmina Baird - Crashcourse (and sequels) shows how cyberpunk can really be done properly. Worth catching.

Patricia Anthony - Brother Termite (she generally wrote excellent sci-fi from a most unique perspective)

Almost forgot Jim Butcher's Dresden Files

[Anonymous Coward]

Storm Front (book 1)
Fool Moon (#2)
Grave Peril (#3)
Summer Knight (#4)

All are excellent. Basically in the style of Anita Blake by Laurell K. Hamilton without the softcore porn. The main character here is a put upon highly competent wizard instead of a licensed vampire hunter.

Best new author

[Big Dave Diode]

Cory Doctorow comes to mind. And you can check out his latest novel for free. I haven't been this excited about an author since I discovered Vernor Vinge or Neal Stephenson.

Some Good Series

[Sedennial]

Modesitt, L.E.

• Forever Hero (Military Science Fiction)
  
  1. Dawn for a Distant Earth
     
  2. In Endless Twilight
     
  3. The Silent Warrior
  
  
• Magic of Recluce (Fantasy)
  
  1. The Magic of Recluce
     
  2. The Towers of Sunset
     
  3. The Magic Engineer
     
  4. The Order War
     
  5. The Death of Chaos
     
  6. The Fall of Angel
     
  7. The Chaos Balance
     
  8. The White Order
     
  9. Colours of Chaos
     
  10. Magi of Cyador
      
  11. Scion of Cyador

Goodkind, Terry

• Sword of Truth
  
  1. Wizard's First Rule
     
  2. Stone of Tears
     
  3. Blood of the Fold
     
  4. Temple of the Winds
     
  5. Soul of the Fire
     
  6. Faith of the Fallen
     
  7. Debt of Bones (short novella)
     
  8. Pillars of Creation

Arrgh....stupid 'Your comment has too few characters per line....'. (7.5) Of course it does, it's a freaking LIST OF BOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Arrgh!!! (7.9) how many freaking "characters per line" do I have to have to get it to submit?!? (9.2) *sob* Now I'm at 10.6 and I still don't have enough? Do I have to write a freaking book now? I mean it's not like I'm posting as an AC, or as if I have bad karma or anything. Sheesh....shouldn't these things be taken into account when figuring out things like this? Oh my goodness....I'm at 14.2 now and it STILL WON'T TAKE MY FREAKING POST!!!!! THIS IS INSANITY!!!!!!!!!!!! 15.3??? WHAT THE FREAKING HECK IS THE PROBLEM HERE? First of all, I looked at the lines above, and I don't know HOW this math works out, but there are more than 7.2 chars per line, even if you discount the html tags. WHAT? 18.9? and STILL NOT POSTING? WTH(eck) ? Ok, I'm starting to think seriously about never posting a reply again. I mean, come on, this is absolutely ridiculous !!!!!!!!!!. Good grief, get OVER IT ALREADY!

You're mixing SF with Fantasy...

[Qbertino]

You're mixing SF with Fantasy, but anyway, here's my list of printed asskickers:

SF / Cyberpunk / Post - Cyberpunk

Wiliam Gibson's Neuromancer Trilogy (Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive)
Neal Stephenson (Snow Crash, The Diamond Age)

Have you tried Philip K Dick? Not new, but still "the man"! Same goes for John Brunner... :-)

Fantasy
Tolkien (of course)
Guy Gavriel Kay (The Fionavar Tapestry; Tigana, A Song for Arbonne)
My current Favorite:
Raymond E. Feist (Magician (Riftwar 1), Silerthorn (Riftwar 2), Darkness at Sethanon (Riftwar 3), Prince of the Blood (Riftwar 4), The Kings Bukaneer, Daughter of the Empire (Daughter otE 1), Servant of the Empire (Daughter otE 2), Mistress of Empire (Daughter otE 3), Shadow of a Dark Queen. (Serpentwar Saga 1), Rise of a Merchant Prince (Serpentwar Saga 2), Rage of a Demon King (Serpentwar Saga 3), Shards of a Broken Crown (Serpentwar Saga 4), 1 Krondor - the Betrayal (Riftwar Legacy 1), 2 Krondor - the Assasins (Riftwar Legacy 2), 3 Krondor - Tear of the Gods (Riftwar Legacy 3), Honored Enemy (Legends of the Riftwar 1), Fairy Tale)

That's a start no?

Just tell the story already...

[jnd3]

I can't really remember the last good SF book I read. Probably Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons. I've tried reading some of the authors mentioned ... Kim Stanley Robinson, Alistair MacLeod, etc. I don't know, to me it seems like they were too busy trying to make a political/philosophical point rather than telling a good story (I put down the latest Greg Bear in utter disgust after reading about five pages). Not that I have a problem with a writer presenting their politics or philosophy, but when they do it at the expense of the story, they've just lost a reader.

So who do I like? J.R.R. Tolkien is the undisputed king of the Epic Tale. Ray Bradbury is one of the greatest storytellers I've ever read. I mentioned Dan Simmons. I've read just about everything he's written simply because he tells a good story. Kurt Vonnegut is good. Stephen King can tell rip-roaring tales (I just read Salem's Lot in about five hours). Tom Clancy is always a fun ride with lots of whiz-bang military gadgets. For Sci-Fi, Alfred Bester ranks near the top of my list (in fact, I just got my wife to read The Demolished Man in exchange for me reading Pride and Prejudice). I also like Gordon R. Dickson, Kevin J. Anderson (I loved Dogged Persistence, but then again I love short stories) and Philip K. Dick (among others)

I'd agree with the poster who suggested reading the classics, too. Stoker, Shelley, Stevenson, Wells, Verne. Huxley and Orwell. Homer. And let's not forget the Bible (every story theme ever used can be found there).

Lost Regiment Series

[Anonymous Coward]

The Lost Regiment Series by William R. Forstchen. A+++

not new, but good

[dandelion_wine]

First I'd recommend an excellent older read, The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester.

Steven Brust's "Taltos" series is one that you might like, given your apparent taste for series. It's:
Jhereg
Yendi
Teckla
Taltos
Pheonix
Ath yra
Orca
Dragon
Issola (I think I've got them right)

I didn't care for his flowery court adventures (500 Years After and The Pheonix Guards) but one book that is an all-time fave is Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille. Ignore the name. Give it a try.

I'd also recommend Time Pressure by Spider Robinson if you're looking for something a little different.

Didn't catch you mentioning Terry Brooks who's another monster series-writer, and got paid god knows how much to write the new Star Wars movies books. But forget all that. He started humbly enough with The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, (and much later) The Wishsong of Shannara, before he went nuts and continued on (Scions, Druid, Elf Queen, Talismans, etc!). I'd recommend his first three, though they, ahem, "borrow" liberally from Tolkien. But who doesn't?

Yeah, damn man, go to the source. The Hobbit and the three LOTR books. Savour them.

Loved the first Dune (Frank Herbert) but found the others sooo dry.

Riddle of the Wren by Charles de Lint.

The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay.

Titan, Wizard, and Demon by John Varley if you really want to get weird (but inventive).

Douglas Adams, man! Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and it's sequels, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, So Long and Thanks For All The Fish, and Mostly Harmless.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.

Definitely "Neuromancer" by William Gibson (Argh! Just remembered something for another comment -- Gaiman lifted the whole "sky was the colour of television tuned to a dead channel"!! Argh!!) Give Neuromancer a nice, slow read. The prose is *dense* and lovely.

Mmm. One last. The Wizards and The Warriors by Hugh Cook. I think it was supposed to be continued but I never found others...

4000 books ?

[master_p]

That's almost 11 years of reading, one book per day!!! that's difficult to believe!!! either you are a very fast reader, or a lier, methinks.

Re:4000 books ?

[Sedennial]

And methinks thou art a moron.

Up until I moved recently I had well over 5,000 non-technical books in my library, and probably close to 500 technical/reference books. I myself have read all but about 100 of them, many multiple times.

I started buying books in my mid-teens, and am now 34. Recently I figured out that up until I got married two years ago I averaged 5 to 10 books per week. Now I only average 2 two 3 (except during wrestling season since my son wrestles). I often would read four or five books over the weekend alone, and during a weeks vacation I could easily read 15 or more. I've read L.R. Hubbard's 'Battlefield Earth' over 20 times. It takes me about 5.5 hours to get through now, and took me about seven hours the first time I read it.

So I have no problem with their saying they own and have read 4,000 books. Apparently you might want to invest in some extra reading time yourself.

Re:4000 books ?

[Graspee_Leemoor]

" I've read L.R. Hubbard's 'Battlefield Earth' over 20 times."

I think there's a support group for this.

graspee

Re:4000 books ?

[Sedennial]

Yeah, but I don't want to become a Scientologist!

Best Series

[Anonymous Coward]

Two series I have enjoyed a great deal:

George RR Martin : Game of Thrones series
William Forstchen : Lost Regiment series

Awesome reads ...

Up and comer

[m11533]

Elizabeth Haydon is a delightful author who has come on the scene only recently. Her initial book Rhapsody was absolutely stunning in its writing. She has now added three (or is it four now) books to her writing and they are all of the same high quality.

The aspects I most enjoy are her wonderfully flowing writing, so strong that she is one of the few to follow in the footsteps of Ursula Le Guin. I have a very hard time not trying to read her books in a single sitting, which would be a bad thing to do given their length and my reading speed (we're talking about a couple days minimum to read straight through to the end).

Mary Doria Russell

[bill.sheehan]

The reason SF is such an interesting genre is that it provides a means of studying the really Big Questions. Mary Doria Russell did it in her book "The Sparrow" and its sequel, "Children of God." What does it mean to believe in a merciful God? He sees every sparrow's fall... and yet, the sparrow still falls.

Highly recommended, and I really wish she'd write more.

Contents under pressure. Keep away from open flame.

Terry Goodkind - The sword of truth series

[stretch0611]

Terry Goodkind writes a phenomenal story. By reading his books I can tell that he has a warped and twisted mind. (which is why I like him.) He has such a good attention to detail that I wouldn't want any children of mine reading his books until 18 because of the content.

Wizard's First Rule (Sword of Truth, Book 1)
Stone of Tears (Sword of Truth, Book 2)
Blood of the Fold (Sword of Truth, Book 3)
Temple of the Winds (Sword of Truth, Book 4)
Soul of the Fire (Sword of Truth, Book 5)
Faith of the Fallen (Sword of Truth, Book 6)
The Pillars of Creation

As for my other tastes in Fantasy:

I enjoy most books by R.A.Salvatore

Wiess and Hickman are hit an miss with me: I did not like the first Dragonlance trilogy, but I loved The Brothers Majere trilogy. I also enjoyed their Death Gate Cycle which was a seven book series. However most of their other work never interested me.

Re:Terry Goodkind - The sword of truth series

[kryptoknight]

Just finished Pillars of Creation and it was a bore. All in all, Pillars had no more than 4 chapters with characters from the pass six books in the series. I found myself skpping many parts of this book.

Those familar with Robert Jordan's WoT series will notice alot of similarities in Sword of Truth. Both series start off great like in the first 4 or so books but the rest just drags. The Authors seem to be milking their cash cows with little progress towards the main plot.

dl McTeague from Project Gutenburg

[gandalf23atwork]

You can download a copy of McTeague from Project Gutenburg:

http://promo.net/cgi-promo/pg/t9.cgi?entry=165&ful l=yes&ftpsite=http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg / -Gandalf23@work

Re:dl McTeague from Project Gutenburg

[theperplepigg]

and for a direct non-promo link, not to mention being an actual LINK, try here

--paul

John Brunner etc.

[Anonymous Coward]

He's already dead, but John Brunner is one of the most "under-read" of all SF writers I think. He is dynamic and flexible and creative and an all around great read.

Also try:

Ben Bova
Stephen R. Donaldson

And definitely try:

Jacqueline Carey

something somewhat different

[Anonymous Coward]

I am not really into SF anymore, but I was pleasantly surprised by the Canadian author Robert Charles Wilson: I read "The Chronoliths" and "Darwinia" and both were quite interesting. I still think that these two books can't keep their initial drive in the later stages of the story, but it's worth a read. The man also writes in a really sophisticated style, with "real" sounding dialogue (an issue with many SF authors...).

Otherwise try the Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, he's a star writer in Japan, in the west a cult author. These are delicious books. It's not really SF, more magic-realism. Try "A wild Sheep Chase"and "The hard boiled wonderland". Really refreshing...

SCIFI AUthors

[morgandelra]

For new authors, I have enjoyed:
Eric Flint
David Weber
David Drake
John Ringo

these can all be tried out at www.baen.com/library

Tom Robbins

[mojotoad]

Pick up some Tom Robbins novels. They have plenty of fantasy elements, sex, and irreverence woven into post-modernistic philosophical manifestos. They are a hoot to read.

In particular, I recommend Jitterbug Perfume and his most recent Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates

Matt

Mostly Non-SF

[kalidasa]

Once in a while, if an SF book has a very good reputation, I'll pick it up, but for the most part I finished my SF reading days when I got out of college. Too much crap to wade through to find the real gems. That said, the only newer books (the former is what, 10 years old?) I've read and liked were Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman's *Good Omens* and Gaiman's *American Gods*.

Non SF: I'd suggest weaning youself from SF with Jorge Luis Borges, *Collected Fictions*, which is top-flight 20th c. lit with some of the same tone you'd find in good SF (though it is more fantastic). If you have the wits to handle really complex narratives, try Rushdie's *Ground Beneath Her Feet*, which has some SF-like elements (alternate universes, e.g.) but is unassailably good lit. Also worth reading would be Eco's *Foucault's Pendulum*, about a group of editors becoming too involved with the occultists they're trying to exploit.

This is all rather difficult prose, but it is worth the effort. And if you have 4,000 books and have nothing but SF + technical books, frankly you're wasting 2/3 of your money, because there's probably no more than a few hundred SF books that are really worth owning (and I have about 600 myself, including most of the great ones except the cyperpunks, which are a little after my time.). [Apply a good filter like a book review to Sturgeon's Law and you just might get down to 66% of everything being crap.]

If you like fantasy, you really ought to look into things like the Chinese novel published in the US as "Monkey" (there was a god-awful adaptation of it on NBC about a year ago whose title escapes me), or some of the Norse sagas, which mix mythology and history. Maybe try Ovid's Metamorphoses (get the Indiana translation by Humphries, it's far and away the most readable; or try Ted Hughes' *Tales from Ovid*).

Too much SF limits you to talking about nothing but ... SF. Not a good way to relate to possible future employers (the more sophisticated your small talk, the more impressive you are in such extra-curricular things as business lunches) and dates (You: 'Hey, have you read the latest Star Wars: New Jedi Order book?' Date: 'Oh, look at the time, I've got to go') - that way even if you don't know anything about the books she's read, you'll at least have a broader range of things to compare what she says about them too (I imagine if you have 4,000 books your probably past this sort of worry, but there are others on slashdot who might not be and might not realize this).

Re:Mostly Non-SF

[Mandi Walls]

Oh, yeah, go for the Rushdie. He has a great mix of books out. In addition to Ground, Haroun and the Sea of Stories is a nice light novel about a storyteller and his son. Has some humorous bits and some really funny characters. Reads like a folktale.

--mandi

Re:Mostly Non-SF

[Anonymous Coward]

Too much SF limits you to talking about nothing but ... SF

But how much SF is too much? Why, it's any amount such that SF is the only thing about which you can talk! Argh! Circular logic!

/me goes back to reading his SF

cripes

[Anonymous Coward]

> I have read .... all of the Dragon Lance stuff,

and your looking for something *good* to read????

Have to wonder if you would know it if it came up and bit you in the ass.

Two great new authors

[Jett]

Ken Macleod & Alastair Reynolds.

Ken is a former programmer in Scotland who now writes full time. I'd recommend any and all books from the "Fall Revolution" series (it's not exactly a series, but they are all set in the same world - the order you read them in isn't important). They are all really great books, although some people complain you need a degree in political philosophy to understand parts of them (I personally enjoy this). I would highly recommend starting with the Cassini Division or the Stone Canal.

Alastair Reynolds is a physicist working for the Euro Space Agency. He writes the best cyberpunk-esque "space opera" I've ever read. It's dark, clever, and supposedly accurate to real-world physics. His books are really long too. I personally think Chasm City is the best of them, so I'd probably recommend starting with that one, although if you read it before his first (Revelation Space) it could throw things off for you a little bit.

Robert J. Sawyer

[Roadmaster]

Canadian author Robert J. Sawyer's work is pretty recent (maybe last 15 years, "golden fleece" is, as far as I know, his first novel, and it's from 1990). It's also very good, I've yet to read one of his books and not like it. This guy has such mastery of science, fiction and storytelling, you'd almost think scientific principles adapt themselves to better suit Robert's storylines, and not the other way around.

He also touches topics ranging from paleontology to artificial intelligence, quantum computing, extraterrestrial races, time travel and genetics.

And, if that kind of thing interests you, he's also won the Nebula award and is a 6-time Hugo award finalist.

Finally, he's got a pretty complete website where you can see what this is all about.

No personal ties, I'm not his agent or anything. I just think his books are awesome.

Two Favorites

[Ke]

Two of my favorite lesser known (or at least so far unmentioned) sets of books are Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars series, which is a wonderful combination of personality and technology in a story of the colonization of Mars. Good science/tech, with brilliant political/social impact of the above.

The other book I loved was The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. The contact with alien civilization has been done many times, but not often with the Jesuits as lead characters.

Good reading.

10 Good Authors

[Daetrin]

These are the first ten I came up with, so I figured I'd stop with that since I could keep coming up with more all day :)

Robin Hobb: Farseer trilogy and the Liveship Trdaers trillogy
Vernor Vinger: A Fire Upon the Deep, Marooned in Realtime
James P. Hogan: Voyage From Yesteryear, the Giants of Ganymede trilogy
James Alan Gardner: Expendable, Vigilant, Hunted
Joan D. Vinge: Snow Queen, Summer Queen, Psion, Catspaw
C. S. Friedman: The Madness Season, The Coldfire trilogy
George R. R. Martin: A Song of Ice and Fire series
S. M. Stirling: Island in the Sea of Time trilogy, the Peshawar Lancers
David Brin: The Uplift Trilogy, Glory Season, the Postman, Kiln People (see the recent slashdot review)
Mercedes Lackey: The Valdemar series. (Pretty light reading, but if you liked Weis & Hickman, you might like this too)

John Varley!

[Malfourmed]

Nobody does the mix of far-out, weird but strangely plausible milieus (human/plant symbiotic lovers travelling the asteroid belt, a marketing campaign heralding the obsolescence of the penis, human nuclear bombs celebrating their birthday, to give a taste) with complex, touching, human characterisation better.

A lot of his stories take place in his "Eight Worlds" future history, both short stories (many collected in The Persistence of Vision aka In The Hall of the Martian Kings, The Barbie Murders aka Picnic on Nearside and Blue Champagne) and - to date - three novels (The Ophiuchi Hotline, Steel Beach and The Golden Globe).

He's also written the Gaean trilogy (Titan, Wizard and Demon) which despite their titles are actually SF - wild romps of SF, expressing a real joie de vivre (as many of his stories do)... unless they twist the knife (as many of his stories do).

But some of his best works are standalone - like the Nebula/Hugo winning "Press Enter " (there's suppossed to be a blinking cursor after the 'Enter'), "The Pusher" or "Equinoctial".

Varley's been compared to Heinlein, though personally I never saw it. He's a heck of a lot better in my book.

Honourable mentions to Greg Egan (the earlier stuff like "Learning to be me" is better than the later stuff), Neil Gaiman (his comics, especially his run on Miracle Man, are better than his prose) and Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game and Lost Boys are his two best works IMO - the novel better than the the short story that spawned it in both cases).

Bujold

[Macgruder]

Lois McMaster Bujold

Her Vor series has excellent character development, up there with RAH's later works, and a socio-political background that compares well to anything Pournelle ever created.

On that note, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle both make some great stories, together and indivudually.

Too many goofs

[mangu]

In Cryptonomicon there's a point when someone lost at sea gets oriented by stars that weren't visible from the place where he was. That's something a true SF author would always check, *very* carefully, because it's the obvious thing to verify...

Re:Too many goofs

[Wonko42]

Yeah, that totally ruined it for me. After I read that bit, I threw the book at the wall and grabbed the phone to warn my friends not to read it. I bought "cryptonomiconsucks.com" and called in sick to work the next day so I could spend the day putting together a website warning the rest of the world not to read the book as well.

That weekend, I went to the local Barnes and Noble and picketed in front of the "S" section. I posted several scathing reviews on Amazon.com under various pseudonyms and spent most of Sunday digging up Neal Stephenson's home phone number, after which I prank-called him for a good six hours straight.

I wrote a letter to my congressman as well, and I strongly urge you to do the same! If we don't fight the rising tide of inaccurate astronomical navigation references in modern science fiction, then who will?

Re:Too many goofs

[Anonymous Coward]

L O L.

Ahh sarcasm, where would our society be without it?

Re:Too many goofs

[Webmonger]

Why do you call that science fiction? Or has "modern" come to mean "not"? As in "Modern art", "Modern Jazz" etc?

Re:Too many goofs

[questor]

Yeah. Right. Just like any true SF author would not have the Earth revolving in the wrong direction (first edition of Larry Niven's Hugo-winner Ringworld).

Re:Too many goofs

[The_dev0]

Why thank you Sir, if people like you don't think about the children, who will?

Re:Too many goofs

[fferreres]

Well, I read The Dimaond Age, and I like the world and insight, but there was no story behing it, nothing interesting or believable at all. The end was really bad, no wonder it was the first book I got rid off with relief (I gave it to a friend on his birthday...).

But I had already bought Snow Crash. Well, I found it so hilariously ridiculous and stupid, it's now been granted the "I can't read this" gold medal. Ok, I am nobody, but god, I never really have that sensation where you feel you are the only one that thinks author X really really sucks. I mean, I like Asimov and every classic, including Neuromancer and a lot of strage stuff. But Snow Crash and Diamond Age? I really find them uttely low quality novels with some nice futurism insight.

Re:Too many goofs

[Anonymous Coward]

Because it's fiction where science plays a strong role in driving the plot? Thus science fiction. Easy, really.

Re:Too many goofs

[ehiris]

Cryptonomicon is a very good science FICTION book. It happens in a different dimension and on a different planet which resembles planet earth in many ways.

Or are you living in the kingdom Qwghlm? Maybe you could tell me "Have a good day" in the language of qwghlm (whitout cursing).

Re:Too many goofs

[paynter]

Well, I read The Dimaond Age, and I like the world and insight, but there was no story behing it, nothing interesting or believable at all. The end was really bad, no wonder it was the first book I got rid off with relief (I gave it to a friend on his birthday...).

It's horses for courses I guess; I thought the "larger story", from which the conclusion stems, was very well done. It was present, but since it wasn't relevant to the "charactor story" it wasn't explored--until the end, when it suddenly was very relevant to the character story.

Before you ask: yes, I do like ambiguous endings.

And I think the poster reveals hideous taste.

Re:Too many goofs

[fferreres]

Well, I can only say I didn't like it as a story, but I enjoyed many interesting "partial views" like the nanotech world, or forgetting about material stuff (printing "Goods"). I liked other things too, but as a story I found it going nowhere specific, just "progresing in time", like a soap opera. I don't like hi style either, but yes, that only means I have different taste, and I can say with 99% confidence that those books are classics, so they must have some value .... somewhere :)

Stephenson = cheap hack

[Anonymous Coward]

Seriously, the guy can't write.

His literature is choppy and in short bursts, he makes Hemmingway look like Faulkner in comparision. His material is weak and unoriginal, "pulp" in every sense of the word.

After reading only 1/3 of Snowcrash I lost all respect for the man, for what he puts out is barely suitable for teenagers with a small spec of intelligence....highbrow this is not. Complicated, this is not. The content was in part sensationalistic, but that did not make up for the weak writing, etc.

The ability to write and the ability to have a story in mind are two different things....I'll take Herbert or Asimov any day over this.

Re:Stephenson = cheap hack

[Trolling4Dollars]

Herbert and Asimov are PBS to Stephenson's Discovery channel. While they might be good writers in the technical sense, they are terrible STORY TELLERS. That is where Stephenson shines, he tells a good story. When I read Snow Crash back in the early 90s, I was enthralled. Every time I put the book down, I wanted to pick it up again to find out what happened next. When I read some Asimov, I dreaded picking it back up again. His stuff (and Herbert's) are a task to read. Too wordy. Too precise. Give me eye candy and facinating... that's Stephenson.

Another writer I like is David Brin. I read his eco-scifi masterpiece Earth in the late 80s adn still remember it to this day. He can also be wordy and a little pedantic, but the story was compelling and very plausible. If you want to see what 2038 could be like if we don't stop polluting the world now, read this book. (Actually... it's already too late.)

Not a book, but an interesting scifi read: E.M. Forrester's short story "The Machine Stops". Yes... that's the same E.M. Forrester who's books all those crappy chick flicks are based on. ;P I didn't know he'd attempted to write anything outside of his usual style until I read a non-fiction book that questioned our society's dependence on computer technology. I believe that book was called Cyberwars by Marc ? Anyway, he mentioned the E.M. Forrester story and I had to check it out. It was pretty good. Go to your local library and check out a collection of E.M. Forrester's short stories, it's bound to have "The Machine Stops".

Speaking of short stories, I would recommend checking out a scifi anthology or two from you library. It's a great way to get introduced to some new writers without having to invest in a complete book. Once you find a few you like, then you can explore their other work.

Finally, I'd also recommend Greg Bear. I absolutely loved his book (a biohorror) "Blood Music". At first I'd only read the short story and thought that was it. Then I found out it was a complete book! Again, another enthralling story that had me wondering what happens next.

Above all... explore your libraries because a lot of them have really good collections of short scifi stories and in general are just the coolest places on earth. ;)

Bastard...

[valdis]

Mary Kate and Ashley???


Mountain Dew was not intended to be used nasally.

don't leave out Greg Bear

[Anonymous Coward]

Bear has a suite of epic stories that are awesome: Queen of Angels, EON, The Forge of God, Moving Mars, etc. The nanotech and computing ideas in Queen of Angels hooked me into his other works. The short stories Blood Music and Schrodinger's Cat are must reads too. Most of his sci-fi works take some bleeding edge research today and extend it to what could be, usually with some very cataclysmic consequences. The Forge of God is better than any end-of-the-world story I've seen on the big screen, so I'm sure there will be movies made from his works one days. btw Blood Music has already been poorly ripped off in the Outer Limits.

Re:don't leave out Greg Bear

[index72]

Definitely Greg Bear. One of the best since Larry Niven.

Re:Fantasy with heroes in control w/o much real pr

[phong3d]

I agree with your impression of "Redemption", and I wanted to mention "Regina's Song" in that same vein. I was looking forward to this one, after reading "Redemption" (and subsequent disappointment). Eddings has written a couple of other contemporary fiction books - "High Hunt" and "The Losers". "Hunt" was mediocre - his first book, even before "Pawn of Prophecy". "Losers" was a lot better - with much more realized supporting characters and a considerably smoother plot structure.

That said, "Regina's Song" was unfortunately pedantic and slow-moving, filled with characters that I can only describe as "Eddings Stereotypes" - The Ever-Wise Narrator, The Vulnerable Mousy Girl, The Self-Confident Woman Who Happens To Be An Excellent Cook, The Quiet Huge Guy. The narrative and dialog were exasperating, and it took me forever to finish the book, since I couldn't get through ten pages without rolling my eyes.

His fantasy novels are really great though. They're not deep at all - pretty much the closest thing you can get to a confection in the Swords-N-Sorcery genre - but they're a nice diversion and a quick read. I recommend them.

Robert Jordan and Dan Simmons

[jeffasselin]

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. The 10th book is just out, and excellent. Characterization is very well done, and the story, although taking some time to tell, is fascinating.

Dan Simmons is one of my favorite SF authors ever, with Asimov and Herbert. The Hyperion Cantos (Hyperion, Fall of Hyperion, Endymion and Rise of Endymion) are absolutely fabulous books with a very rich philosophical content, a must for anyone who wants more than the usual drivel from a SF author.

Ken Macleod

[xiox]

For amazing political ideas (anarchic communism and capitalism in a heady mix), well written with good plots, try Ken Macleod. Books include "The Star Fraction", "The Cassini Division" and "The Sky Road".

But also read non sci-fi. Try using a public library to get into new authors.

You're not the only one.

[Doktor Memory]

Pretty much all of Stephenson's novels are, to a greater or lesser extent, a million and a half Neat Ideas all strung together and desperately searching for a plot. The Diamond Age and Snow Crash mostly got away with it by virtue of being briskly paced and having some fairly vividly drawn secondary characters. (Stephenson's narrator/heroes are almost always complete cyphers, which I guess could be considered irony if it weren't so obviously artistic laziness.)

Cryptonomicon, in contrast, was an ugly, sprawling mess with thinly-drawn comic book heroes passing for characters that mainly stands as a testament to Stephenson finally hitting that rare peak of financial success where no editor dares touch your work. Somewhere, buried deep inside, was a nice, tight, 300-page novel, trying desperatly to get out...

Although I have read and mostly enjoyed all of his books, to my mind, Zodiac is the only one that actually succeeds as a novel -- Sangamon Taylor was based on a real person that Stephenson knew and admired, and the extra effort put into fleshing out the character and story a bit shows.

I'll read the next one when it comes out, but I won't ever make the mistake of paying hardcover prices again -- Cryptonomicon cured me of that.

(The two semi-pseudonymous "Stephen Bury" novels are witless attempts at combining sci-fi with Clancy-esque espionage thrillers, and neatly manage to encapsulate the worst of both worlds. Avoid at all costs.)

Good Books

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, for authors:
Kipling for poetry about soldiering, H.G.Wells,
Shakespeare, Dante's Inferno( the book ),
Twain, W.E.B. Griffin, Tom Clancy, and at least one
Harlequin Romance.....

Good reading for the rest of the time could include a trip to the magazine archives for past issues of the Sci-Fi regime.......... good, still, and you
probably haven't read many of them....

'SF' => 'Some Fantasy'
'Sci-Fi' => 'Science Fiction'
'S-Fi' => 'Science Fantasy'

Kerr (and a few others)

[jnik]

Since you seem to be looking for fantasy as well as sci-fi, I have to recommend Katharine Kerr's excellent Deverry series. Her site has the lists of the titles, both American and British. A friend introduced me to these a few months ago and they hooked me hard. Of course Martin's Song of Ice and Fire is great. number9dream is a very Stephenson-esque and just all-around interesting combination of cyberpunk and coming-of-age novel.

The Crying of Lot 49, then Gravity's Rainbow...

[aftk2]

I would second the praise for Gravity's Rainbow above, but would also recommend The Crying of Lot 49, especially if you're relatively new to Pynchon. It's quite accessable (and that's not because it's short - there are "short" passages in Gravity's Rainbow that are completely befuddling.)

Both Crying and Gravity's Rainbow are heavily fantastical, but certainly not in the same ways as the other novels described in this story. Gravity's Rainbow delves into science fiction as well, among an assortment of other things.

Both highly recommended.

Re:The Crying of Lot 49, then Gravity's Rainbow...

[Elwood P Dowd]

I kindof felt like The Crying of Lot 49 was overly cheap and easy. It was as if Pynchon was laughing about how funny he was while he wrote it.

But it is more accessible, and it is funny. And the new york times reviewer says that Gibson's latest (Pattern Recognition) is very similar to it.

And for some reason I disagree about Gravity's Rainbow being harder than Vineland. There are certainly plenty of situations in both where it's impossible to know what's going on for sure, but it seemed more comfortable in Gravity's Rainbow, even when it was more convoluted.

And, I'm from northern California. So Vineland will hold a special place in my heart. It's very accurate, if you're curious.

The new book: Supersalmaindahood

[Anonymous Coward]

I here he has a new book coming out where the hobbits come to OUR earth and move to LA where they have all sorts of wacky adventures involving gangs, secret agents, Britny Spears, drugs, underage prostitution and a long bit where they get locked in a mall overnight. Eddie Murphy and Mike Myers have the film rights.

It's called, "Lord or the Blings: Austin Powers 4: Show me the money, Part one"

I hope it's as good as the last one.....!

My Recommneded Top 10

[peace_makes_plenty]

These are in no particular order but I have also listed my favourite pieces by each author if you wanted to try them out.

• Ken MacLeod (The Star Fraction)
• Iain M Banks (Use of Weapons)
• William Gibson (Pattern Recognition)
• David Brin (The Kiln People)
• Richard Morgan (Altered Carbon)
• Neil Gaiman (American Gods)
• Vernor Vinge (True Names)
• Stanislaw Lem (The Investigation)
• Michael Moorcock (The English Assasin)
• Paul J McAuley (Fairyland)

R. A. Salvatore

[potato1]

Someone else already mentioned him but I really like this guy. He's been around for a long time and the only thing I haven't read from him is his Tarzan book. If you were around Dungeons and Dragons growing up like I was, you should check him out. His books for Forgotten Realms are all about the Drow elf Drizzt Do'Urden. He has also written some books for smaller publishers that he had alot more control over the environment and got to create alot more. He has excellent character development and almost no one in his books are exempt from dying. He is the author that started the newest series for Star Wars where Chewbacca gets killed. I highly suggest R. A. Salvatore. He has a web site, www.rasalvatore.com

Re:R. A. Salvatore

[CrimsonWraith]

R. A. Salavtore is an awesome writer, and I would definately recomend his Cleric's Quintet series in addition to his Drizzt books. They can be found grouped or seperate the first is called Canticle. Also the Luthien books are great, the first in that trilogy is The Sword of Bedwyr. All in all a great author that anyone into fantasy should check out.

More needs to be said about Neil Gaiman

[fernd1]

Neil Gaiman has written the Sandman series, Neverwhere, Stardust, Smoke and Mirrors, American Gods, Coraline and a few other assorted works. He, also, co-wrote Good Omens with Terry Prachett. All are fantastic works; however, a number of his works stand out. American Gods is by far his best work to date, and it won the 2002 Hugo. He also received the World Fantasy Award for best short story for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" that is in the Third Sandman Graphic Novel. This was the first and only time that this award was given for a Comic book. His short story collection,Smoke and Mirrors is quite excellent as well. Some of the stories in the collection simply blew my mind. It is my firm belief that in 20 or 30 years Gaiman will be taught in school as one of the classic authors during the late 20th century and early 21st.

Iain M. Banks

[puusism]

Iain M. Banks is the best still-writing SF author. His Culture novels describe a future ultra-high-tech society very plausibly. If anyone ever wonders where humankind is heading (an optimistic vision), read Banks.

The books are also noted for much violence, blowing up big things and interesting cultural differences (heh). I would recommend starting from Player of Games or Use of Weapons.

I'm glad it's not just me

[Anonymous Coward]

I was rather disappointed in Jordan's "Crossroads". I feel like the series has just become this cash register he keeps ringing. The plot's a fricken hydra... it just keeps splitting and splitting and splitting.

I'm concerned that the ending may have to just grind most of them to dust under this big steamroller of a battle, leaving no legacy save filler... the MSG of literature. Feh.

And an author I don't think anyone else has mentioned yet:

Leo Frankowski. He's done a couple good single-books, and decent series:

A boy and his tank - quite "bolo"esque... AI tanks and all that, only requiring a human operator.

Coopernick's rebellion: none-too-distant future where a pair of scientists start gentically engineering all manner of new creatures.

The series begins with "Cross-time Engineer"... a polish engineer (Frankowski himself just happens to be a polish engineer) is whisked back in time to the dark ages, about ten years before the mongols invade. They're up to six books now, but the last two have just been tacked on... more cash-register ringing.

David Palmer has written a whopping two books and retired.

The first, "Emergence" is mostly about a race of super-people (lots smarter, never get sick, etc) and a biological war designed to wipe them all out (along with most of the human race).

The second book, whose name escapes me is a modernday science + magic kind of deal. Aliens (who look almost exactly like you and me of course) have picked humans (out of all the technologically active races in the galaxy) to help them stop the galaxy-eating monster that will arrive in N thousand years.

Keith Laumer (lots of books, some noticably less serious than others)

Robert Saberhagen (sp?): His "berzerker" books are quite interesting... a race of machines designed to exterminate all life, and replicate themselves, vs star-faring humanity. Good stuff.

Steakley? Stakely? Anyway... "Armor". A modernized, grittier version of "Starship troopers". I liked it quite a bit. He's also written a book called "Vampire$", about a group of vampire hunters... they all know that vampires are tough as all hell, and will almost certainly kill them (sooner or later, probably sooner), but they do it anyway. Great stuff.

Re:I'm glad it's not just me

[ChrisTaylor2904]

David Palmer's second book was called "Threshold" - I think it was meant to be part of a trilogy, but I heard he'd died, rather than retired. "Emergence" is probably my favourite SF book of all time , and is even more amazing for being his first novel - sadly out of print now (at least here in the UK. Threshold's good, but not a patch on his first.

Re:I'm glad it's not just me

[PugMajere]

Oh, I've really enjoyed Frankowski's stuff.

The delays between books are sometimes frustrating though. :)

Good Authors

[crashfrog]

I'm really enjoying George R. R. Martin's "Song of Fire and Ice" series, which starts with "A Game of Thrones". It's some pretty expansive fantasy with the special effects turned down, much like the fantasy series of Tad Williams.

For those who complain of SF's immature gender roles, I suggest you read something besides Niven and Heinlein, the two most chauvinistic writers in the genre. For a major gender theorist, try Sheri S Tepper ("The Gate to Women's Country", "Gibbon's Decline and Fall", "Grass"). You might even learn something about women. I sure did.

Harry Turtledove does some fun things in the area of Alternate History stories. For a brief introduction to the genre, pick up "Guns of the South" for a look at how the Civil War would have ended had time travellers gifted the Confederacy with AK-47's. The premise is hokey but the book is genuinely informing about the Civil War.

It's true, though. Just because it has a robot or a dragon on the cover, doesn't mean you'll like it. Try to seek the more literary SF/Fantasy, I assure you it exists.

Nearly forgot: Robert Silverberg put out an anthology a few years back called "Legends", where popular fantasy authors wrote new short stories set in the worlds of their fantasy epics. Authors include Tad Williams, Stephen King, Ursula K. LeGuin, and Silverberg himself, I believe. It's a great way to get a kind of "sampler" of epic fantasy.

Stephen King

[dosun88888]

My favorite Stephen King book is actually "The Eyes of the Dragon." It's not as deep as the DT series, but I consider it to be a solid entry into the "fantasy" genre from him.

A lot of people hate his writing, but I just hate most of his books. He's a solid writer, though literary snobs might not think his vocabulary is to their standards.

~D

Re:Stephen King

[theperplepigg]

yes, that is one of my favorites, as well. Also, true to Stephen King fashion, he casually relates the story to his "world" (Flagg). It is an excellent fantasy read, and I seem to remember he had written it for his daughter, who complained that he only wrote scary stories. Also, any fan should read the Richard Bachman Books, which were written under his pen name, and are nothing like the chilling tales he usually tells. These are, for the most part, very good.

--paul

Eyes Popping from Sockets

[Anonymous Coward]

4000 books! Stop. You're done.

Tim Powers, Connie Willis, Luc Sante...

[jonesvery]

Tim Powers More along the general lines of fantasy, but an excellent writer, with a real talent for integrating a fantasy world into the every day -- everything that you know about the world is true, but there are just a few things that you don't know...recommend:

• The Anubis Gates
• On Stranger Tides
• The Stress of Her Regard

Connie Willis Difficult to categorize, but another good writer who comes up with some really engaging ideas...recommend:

• The Domesday Book
• To Say Nothing of the Dog
• Passages
• some collections of short stories...can't recall the names right now...

I just finished Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold, not even close to scifi, but a fun novel about a stage magician at the beginning of this century.

I always recommend Low Life, by Luc Sante, to anyone who thinks that facts are cool: a history of crime, drugs, booze, violence, and real estate in early New York City. Chock full of fascinating characters.

Hmmmm...some of Michael Chabon's stuff is very good, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is too long but fun for the most part.

Ah, well...I could go on forever. Just make sure that you read Daniel Pinkwater's The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death no matter what. It's hard to do any better than that.

white light / white heat

[Doktor Memory]

Hm. The funny thing is, I don't think I'd necessarily disagree with any of your criticisms of White Light. It's very much a piece of its time period (1970s drug-enhanced "new wave" sci fi), and certainly reflects an uncomfortable amount of Rucker's then-current neuroses.

I still think it's worth reading, even if only as a failed attempt at creating a "Flatland" for set theory. (Whether this is in any way a worthwhile goal is certainly up for debate.)

My list

[hetta]

Lois McMaster Bujold, the Vorkosigan series, and two standalone fantasy novels

Terry Pratchett, the discworld series - all of them are worthwile, but the first two are weakest of the lot, so skip those at first

- Guy Gavriel Kay, of which the best are perhaps Tigana and the two-book Sarantine Mosaic, but his other works are top-notch writing, too

Michael Swanwick, he's online - check michaelswanwick.com

Vernor Vinge, his three blockbusters

Actually, you might want to follow news:rec.arts.sf.written for a while. They're cool.

Alfred Bester!

[PontifexPrimus]

I think he's been mentioned before, but he deserves his own top-level entry.
He's not a new author per se, but his books have only recently been re-released; so if you didn't pick them up the first time around, get them now!
Another option is to look up the books of an author you like at Amazon and use the "people who bought this book also bought..." or, as some of my friends and I like to call it, the Insta-Money-Drain(tm) service.

David Foster Wallace

[Anonymous Coward]

Try Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace (That'll keep you going for a while - only book I've read that's bigger than A Suitable Boy! you'll need a bookmark for the footnotes...).

And you may have read Iain M Banks Sci-Fi, but give some of his non-genre fiction a whirl too (of which Walking On Glass is probably the most sci-fi-ish).

My Favourites

[schon]

How about Joel Rosenberg?

His first book (The Sleeping Dragon) is now available at the Baen free library!

Another favourite is Sherry S. Tepper. In particular, Grass, Raising the Stones, and Sideshow - they form a (very loose) trilogy, but aren't sold as such. Although set in the future, with space travel, etc, these books are more social than science fiction. They tend to have a bit of a "feminist" bent, but are riveting nonetheless.

Stop at Book 6.

[dosun88888]

Book 1 was a good book. Book 2 was very good. Three was solid. 4 was one of my favorite books of all time. 5 was good.

When book 6 came out, it was a minor disappointment. It didn't really end. It was weird, and felt unfinished.

And then book 7 came out. It was horrible. 8 did no better. 9 made me sick to my stomach, and I have forced myself to read only the first 100 pages thus far of book 10.

Now people remember book 6 as a great book, as it was the last book worth reading in the series.

If you are going to read tWoT, just stop in the middle and remember RJ as a solid author who does well with character development. Read any farther only to be let down time and again, hoping for a glimpse of the past greatness.

~D

Re:Stop at Book 6.

[wass]

Did it really get better? I read 1 and really liked it, then into 2 and 3, and it felt more and more anticlimactic. I just couldn't get myself interested in the story anymore.

FWIW, I find myself exactly opposite of my friends, who said they had to force themselves through book 1, but after that they were hooked.

Re:Stop at Book 6.

[Yunzil]

9 made me sick to my stomach, and I have forced myself to read only the first 100 pages thus far of book 10.

Ah, book nine ("Winter's Heart") wasn't bad, at least compared to the rotting carcass that was Path of Daggers.

However, Crossroads of Twilight is (IMO) the worst of the series. My advice: start reading at chapter 21 and you won't miss anything. Actually, you could start at the epilogue and not really miss anything, because NOTHING HAPPENS.

More recent SF authors (Top 10 list with addenda)

[bwcbwc]

Top 10 authors I continue to read/seek out. Since you claim 4000 books, you probably have all of these already. I'm trying to spring some new names at you by avoidng anybody who published prior to 1980 (by my best guess), even if they have recent work. Also, this list just means the books were enjoyable to me, and have varying intellectual impact. To paraphrase one Amazon commenter "...like Twinkies they may be fluff, but they are definitive fluff."

1. Sean Russell - Fantasy. tends to write duologies: 3 complete series available with one (Swan's War) in progress. These are thick, slow reads, heavy with atmosphere.
2. Terry Pratchett - Fantasy Comedy. Prolific series reminiscent of Monty Python, but with a more lasting impact on the brain. Read each one multiple times.
3. Neal Stephenson - SF - He's already been well covered by others.
4. Lois M. Bujold - SF and some fantasy - Main focus is Barrayar/Vorkosigan series, but has a couple of stand-alones. Kind of the Dick Francis of SF.
5. Elizabeth Moon - Space Opera/Fantasy. Space Opera involves "Familias Regnant" universe with Heris Serrano and later generations. Fantasy is high/religious/D&D level with "Deed of Paksennarion" and "Gird" books in same setting.
6. Harry Turtledove - Fantasy/Alternate History/SF. Haven't read many of his more recent alternate-history series, but "Guns of the South" is classic, and multiple series set in Videssos are readable. Also Gerin "The Fox" series is fun.
7. Connie Willis - SF: I mainly stick to her time travel stories based out of Oxford: "Doomsday Book", "To Say Nothing of the Dog". Also, "Lincoln's Dreams". Currently reigning most-awarded SF author.
8. Orson Scott Card - Like Mark Twain, R. Heinlein and others, has started his descent into sermonizing. Two absolutely classic series: Chronicles of Alvin Maker and Ender Wiggin series (First 4 books of it, before spinoffs). Numerous other works, including some good singleton fantasies.
9. Charles De Lint: Urban Fantasy. Many stand-alones set in Canadian cities Ottawa and "Newford"(?)(I think). Magic is unhuman, innate quality, rather than result of ritual or learning.
10. Stephen Brust tie: Fantasy, some SF. The Vlad Taltos (about 7 books so far) and Phoenix Guards (3 books so far) series set in Dragaera have completely different tones, but are all interesting. ("Brokedown Palace" is also set in same universe, but is a singleton). A couple of singleton fantasies (Agyar? To Reign in Hell?) and SF. 10. Sheri S. Tepper tie: SF and Fantasy. Not the most consistently great author, but there are a lot of good books out there with her name on them. "The Family Tree", "Six Moon Dance" and "The Singer from the Sea" are recent titles.

Older Authors that continue to publish: Anne McCaffrey, Ursula K. Le Guin, Patricia McKillip, C.J Cherryh, Sharon Green, David Brin, Greg Bear, Kim Stanley Robinson, George R.R. Martin.

Some forgotten classics: "When Gravity Fails" (Marid Audran sequence) by George Alec Effinger; "Growing Up Weightless" by some forgotten author. "Unquenchable Fire" by Rachel Pollack (back in print).

Non-genre authors to investigate: Ruth Rendell (mysteries), Reginald Hill (mysteries), Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Laura Esquivel. And for those of you knocking Tolkien, remember that when he did it, it was original. Just because every two-bit fantasy hack out to make a buck has copied T's setting, races and plotlines to the point where most of us throw up at the sound of the word "halfling", doesn't mean he was a hack, too.

Connie Willis!

[peacefinder]

Willis isn't a new author, but this discussion seems to have left that point well behind, so what the heck. :)

If you want a serious piece of fiction, try her "Doomsday Book" which won both the Hugo and Nebula awards.

If you would prefer something lighthearted, then I can't recommend "Bellwether" and "...To Say Nothing of the Dog" (which also won the Hugo for best novel) highly enough.

Best SF I've read lately

[Anonymous Coward]

I have to agree with the Terry Pratchett fans out there that already replied; he's good. A good starting point is "Guards! Guards!" for his Discworld series. I hear that his SF is excellent, but he gave it up for Discworld. John Barnes' "Mother of Storms" is excellent hard SF, and "One for the Morning Glory" is fun fantasy, but he is inconsistant. I wouldn't recommend "Kalidescope Century," and his crosstime books are fun, but not especially good. You might also see if there is a local Science Fiction club in your area, or find a science fiction convention. I'm a member of PARSEC in Pittsburgh and hear about a lot of good books that way that I don't have time to read. PARSEC has reviews linked to their page via their newsletter: http://trfn.clpgh.org/parsec/

David Foster Wallace

[Fatllama]

...a modern master of the short story and essay (i.e. collections like Girl with Curious Hair , A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again , and Brief Interviews with Hideous Men , all good, esp. Girl IMO) and the (very) long novel Infinite Jest . He's a delight to read and, I think, a breath of fresh air to a SF fan. His voice strikes me as very personal though he'll often acknowledge in his writing when he's hiding behing slick po-mo tricks and literary hijinks to avoid the reader's gaze. Very inspiring and memorable stuff.

Check out Booksense

[foo fighter]

Booksense is an association of independent booksellers in the US. It publishes a monthly list called the "Booksense 76" which features the top 76 books recommended by its members.

It's a great source for finding new works and authors regardless of genre. I've never been dissapointed by their recommendations. If you want to branch out to new forms of literature you could do worse than grabbing a copy of the current #1 on the list, regardless of what it is or who it is by.

If you do want to focus just on Science Fiction & Fantasy they have a Top 10 list and a Rediscovered Authors list you should check out.

Greg Bear

[Nintendork]

Greg Bear is my favorite author. :)

There's a trilogy in the works based off Forge of God, Anvil of Stars, and a third book he'll have to write. Check out his web site for more information.

List of Authors

[Anonymous Coward]

How about:

James P. Hogan
Robert L. Forward
Orson Scott Card
Greg Bear

Okay, not 10 authors, but it's a start.

Sean McMullen

[Echo|Fox]

I heartily reccomend anything by Sean McMullen. He's easily one of the most entertaining authors I've ever read and really does present likable yet flawed characters. It's hard to say whether you'd call his stuff SciFi or Fantasy as it's somewhere in between, with the Greatwinter books set far in the future where technology has regressed. Ultimately it's a lot of politics and a lot of plot threads all weaving around before they're tied together in the end, so there's a bit more thinking required than pulp like Dragonlance and Piers Anthony.

Souls in the Great Machine, the Miocene Arrow, and Eyes of the Calculor comprise the Greatwinter Trilogy, and his latest standalone book is Voyage of the Shadowmoon. Shadowmoon was entertaining, if a bit of a let down from the spectacular Greatwinter books. His first book, the Centurion's Empire, is only mediocre but you could do worse for the price of a paperback.

Other random suggestions would be any of Dave Duncan's books, especially the King's Blades books if you like more traditional fantasy fare. Patricia Kenneally-Morrison's Keltiad books are, as a whole, entertaining reads.

If you happen to have any used bookstores around by all means just wander in and judge books by their cover (and the sumary on the back). I've had surprisingly good success just randomly buying books when the cost is cheap enough that I don't care if it ends up sucking.

The best: Lois McMaster Bujold

[penguinland]

If you're going for Sci-Fi, one of the greatest authors out there is named Lois McMaster Bujold. Although few people have heard of her, she has won several Hugo awards and at least one Nebula award for her wonderful science fiction. Her Vorkosigan series starts with a book called Shards of Honor, although the first two books in the series have been grouped together in a book called Cordelia's Honor. I enjoy her work because it has most things you can want in a story: war, political sneakiness, a love story, action, adventure, etc. But above all, I like Bujold because she writes about round, dynamic, believable characters. They have strengths, fears, insecurities, everything that real people have. It makes the stories more believable than most other writers (who have great stories, but characters with little or no background). Give Bujold a look - she is easily my favorite writer.

Change languages

[icebattle]

When I ran out of things to read in English I learnt another language and started reading sf that hadn't been translated to English. Somehow tripe and pennyhorribles in other languages seemed quite fresh and original.

Anthony, Heinlein, etc

[bitusmeus]

Let me get this straight... You want to know the names of the current unoriginal hacks in the SF industry? That's easy. Just go pick out any book that's Book (n) of (2^(n-1)) and have at. I was raised on SF, and I've never understood the fascination with Anthony or Heinlein. Rubbish! Forced dialog, 2-dimensional characters, predictable and anti-climactic plotlines. And let's not forget in Heinlein's case, "Sexual Fantasy of the Month". And throw Orson Scott Card in there for good measure. And Brin, Moorcock, Eddings, Jordan, McCaffrey. Ugh. Thank jeebus for Williams, Gibson, Sterling, Lem, LeGuin, Zelazny, Delany, Miller, Varley, Cherryh, Haldeman, Powers, and others, who made SF in the last three decades bearable. Here's my recommendation list: Anything by Linda Nagata, Alastair Reynolds, Ian Banks. Also (not new, but new to me) _In_The_Mother's_Land_ by Elisabeth Vonarburg. And the next time you find yourself reaching for "book four" of a series, apply a small dose of ball-peen hammer to the middle of your forehead, then buy a book by someone you've never heard of. Chances are it will be better.

Peter F. Hamilton - Reality Dysfunction series

[Anonymous Coward]

I recently read a fusion of Sci-Fi/Fantasy by the Australian author Peter F. Hamilton. It's one of my favourites of all time. Humanity has split across two technological factions, the stuff we see today fast-forwarded, plus organics, taken to the point of organic space stations, starships and memory transfer upon death into a communal super-mind.

Suddenly, the dead find a doorway back into the world of the living, and desperately want out of that place, even if it destroys the human race as a result.
p.
If you're not seeing his stuff in the States, it's a terrible loss for the Sci/Fi fans there.

My Favorites

[spirality]

I really like reading the Harry Potter series. They keep getting better and better as she goes along. I would reccommend them above anything I've read lately.

I also like Robert Jordan. (I'm echoing what many have already said here). I've only read one of his books though (the first book in the Wheel Of Time). I really liked it and will be reading more of them.

Ursula Le Guin is pretty good too. I heard she's still writing. The Earthsea Series is quite good, especially the first book, The Wizard of Earthsea. I also think The Left Hand of Darkness was good.

Ray Bradbury is always good, but not recent, as is C.S. Lewis. There are other obvious classics 1984 by Orwell and A Brave New World by Huxley. Those are two of my all time favorites.

I don't like Adam Smith too much. The first book in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was good, very funny if a bit childish, but I couldn't stomach the second one at all. People really like him for some reason though.

I also like R.A. Salvatore. He's one of my favorites currently. I've seen some comments about him that would indicate he sucks. I've read all of his books about his dark elf character Drittz Do'Urden, and have enjoyed them. They are not serious, have a lot of action, and are pretty fun. They are sometimes funny. He weaves a pretty rich world of characters and adventures. The particular books I'm talking about are set in the TSR world of Forgotten Realms.

If you want a taste of his work the Dark Elf Trilogy is a good place to start. The Icewind Dale Trilogy predates it, but they are not particularly dependant.

Here is a list of the works that follow Drittz Do'Urden.

1. Icewind Dale Trilogy
a. The Crystal Shard
b. Streams of Silver
c. The Halfling's Gem
2. The Dark Elf Trilogy
a. Homeland
b. Sojurn
c. Exile
3. Legacy of The Dark Elf Series
a. Legacy
b. Starless Night
c. Seige of Darkness
d. Passage To Dawn
4. Next Series (don't remember the name)
a. The Silent Blade
b. The Spine of the World
c. Servant of the Shard
d. The Sword Coast

Also, you mentioned you've read Weis and Hickman. You may want to read The Legends series. I remember really enjoying those, but its been years ago.

That's my 2 cents. :)

-Craig

Best SF Writers

[Spudnik]

I seem to be in the same predicament, I havent bought a book in about 3 years and I am constantly re-reading the same ones. Some of my favourites are: Julian May Saga of the Exiles and The Galactic Milieu Trilogy Greg Bears Blood Music Rudy Ruckers Wares series and his other books White Light and Space Time Donuts

did pkd get missed?

[kayroice]

so did anyone bother to mention philip k dick and/or stanislaw lem?

there's just not enough one can say about either of these authors. pkd's penchant for writing about ordinary people stuck in extraordinary circumstances is incredible. and lem's ability to induce literary hallucinations is mind-scrabbling.

does anyone else know of other authors who write so vividly and intelligently about the nature of reality?

David Brinn, Micheal Moorecock, A.A. Antinasio

[SSR]

Can't remember A.A. Antinasio's spelling , but the book is huge, deep and unique....

• Radix

LocalRoger's Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect

[rufusdufus]

Can be downloaded here The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect. Great cyberpunk style science fiction, and you can download it right now!

Im serious, this is up there with the best of 'em.

WOW

[Dukebytes]

Thanks for the great responses!!!!

I will be checking out Stephenson, Gaiman, Hogan, Wolfe, Vinge, Williams, Banks and a few others. They sound like wonderful authors. Also getting a subscription to Analog sounds like a good idea. The Top 100 was cool also - don't recall a few people on there. Good information!!! I can put down the Cisco/perl/BSD/etc books for a while and actually enjoy reading something :)

I really do want to say thanks. I might even stray outside the box and pick up a few of the non-scifi items that were recommended.

Hopefully this was helpful to more than just me.

Duke

Good reading for geeks...

[otis wildflower]

... now that I've had a lot of free time lately, I've been catching up on some reading.. I'd recommend:

• Jonathan Lethem: best known so far for Motherless Brooklyn, he goes off the deep end with As She Climbed Across The Table.. Girl in Landscape is also pretty good imho. He kinda strikes me as a bit Vonnegutian, and I like to support NYC writers, particularly those in the outer boroughs ;)
  
• John Case: Thrillers with some techy edge to them, particularly The Genesis Code. I just finished The Eighth Day, not bad..
  
• Iain Banks: The Business is pretty sweet. Not as 'provocative' about globalization as some might say, but fun just the same, with strange life moments that felt pretty real.
  
• Neil Gaiman: American Gods feels a bit like Small Gods whipped up with a bit of Long Dark Teatime of the Soul, but naughtier and better.
  
• Terry Pratchett: the newest (Night Watch) is darker than usual, but I think it actually works well that way.
  
• Stanislaw Lem's Cyberiad is a favorite
  
• Donald Westlake: The Ax is recommended to those of you fellow overqualified unemployed folks out there, but only if you have a black sense of humor.
  
• James Morrow's Towing Jehovah is a real trip: imagine that God is dead, falls from heaven, and needs to be towed to His final resting place in the Arctic..
  
• Vernor Vinge for old-skool space opera: A Fire Upon The Deep and (what I'm currently reading) A Deepness In The Sky
  
• Michael Chabon's Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, the story of two Jewish kids revolutionizing pulp comics.
  
• Eric Flint's 1632. If you're looking for good pulp SF, I'd also recommend checking Baen titles, and perusing their free library.
  

After my current book, I want to take a stab at Pynchon's Mason & Dixon (70% off! Holy sh?t!!), but I've been buying/inheriting other books in the meantime and I've been procrastinating.. It looks rather daunting ;)

Also, I joined Audible.com so I could have something to listen to while powerwalking my butt off (literally, I hope) on the infernal treadmill.. I'm currently listening to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but they seem to have a pretty solid selection of scifi..

Try a more relevent site?

[Xtifr]

Why "ask slashdot"? Wouldn't it make more sense to check out some SF related web sites for information and suggestions about SF?

Now I have an unfair advantage in that I live near not one, but two, high quality stores specializing in SF (Other Change of Hobbit and Dark Carnival, both in Berkeley CA), and I get a lot of recommendations by going in there and looking at their recommended shelves, or asking people who work there what's new and good.

If you aren't lucky enough to have a good SF bookstore nearby, then you might want to try some SF websites. This year's Hugo voting included the category of web site (a "one-shot" category that I hope will become permanent in future).Locus Online, the Hugo winner, and SF Site, which came in third, are my two favorites. Both are full of book reviews (and author interviews, and links to other interesting sites. (The second place Hugo vote went to the SciFi Channel's website, which is more oriented towards TV and movies than written SF, but still might be worth a look).

And speaking of awards, the various SF & Fantasy awards are a great place to look for recommendations. Check out the nominee list, not just the winners (it really is an honor just to be nominated), and don't forget to check out other works by the same authors. If you don't like short stories, you should still check out the winners (and nominees) in the short-story categories; they may have written some good novels too. Locus Online (link above) has extensive listings of the major SF awards.

That said, here's a few authors who have been high on my must-read list recently: Lois McMaster Bujold, David Brin, Orson Scott Card, C. J. Cherryh, Greg Egan, Tom Holt, Guy Gavriel Kay, Nancy Kress, Jane Lindskold[1], Ken McLeod[2], Wil McCarthy (yes, one 'l'), Jack McDevitt, Patricia A. McKillip, Robert Rankin, Allen Steele, Neal Stephenson, and Connie Willis. I probably included a few that qualify as "old school", there, and left out a few thinking they were "old school" that you may never have heard of, but such is life.

HTH

[1] Lindskold is an associate of, and collaborated with Zelazny, and is well worth checking out if you like Zelazny, IMO.

[2] MacLeod is the only SF writer I know of who has mentioned Linux in his SF. Others, most notably Stephenson, have mentioned it in non-fiction writings, but only MacLeod so far has embedded it in his fictional future.

Richard Morgan - Altered Carbon

[Zaphy42]

One of the best books I've read by new SF authors of recently has been by a guy called Richard Morgan.

The book is called Altered Carbon and deals with a world where there is no such thing as death in the traditional sense.

All human conciousness is stored in a cortical implant called a stack which, in the event of death, your conciousness can be downloaded into another body and you continue as the same person albeit possibly in a different body.

The book itself is very violent and has certain shades of William Gibson to it. Fans of Gibson or cyberpunk in general won't be disappointed!

You can read the Amazon reviews of it here.

Z.

Same boat, but....

[knowledgepeacewi]

The Dune Series is excellent, just finished the Butlerian Jihad. Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is supposed to be good. I don't know what book he's on now. The Doomsday Book was an excellent read. Harry Potter readers love him. If you're thinking about "branching out" Philosophy: Plato's Republic, Zen and the Art of Motorcyle maintenance, We, The Fountainhead, Thus Spake Zarathustra Classics: Shakespeare. Learn those references that are common to all human literature. He'll give you a greater appeal in social settings because most people have heard a few of his famous lines which are everywhere. Good luck.

A very emphatic 'I second this'

[MattW]

George R.R. Martin is the best Fantasy I have ever read, bar none. It reminds me most of Katherine Kurtz's Deryni books in its ability to portray medieval political intrigue, but has absolutely fascinating characters, a riveting plot, and excellent writing. The books are substantial in size, but do not waste pages and pages repeating cliched hair pulling or descriptions of ageless faces.

According to his website, however, the 4th is entitled A Feast For Crows.

Anyhow, this book should be required reading for anyone who enjoys fantasy novels at all. If you dabbled in the genre but found it juvenile after reading more widely, then this might bring you back. I think by the time the series is complete, GRRM may well supplant Jordan as Fantasy's reigning king.

Re:A very emphatic 'I second this'

[Trillan]

Interesting. I found that title list on his site too, but it's a bit burried.

I remember at one point there was a title rename and (I think) an extra book. So your list is probably accurate. Maybe it's three our of six published, not three out of five.

And I think GRRM has long since beaten Jordon in terms of quality. It will just take a bit for the reputation to come.

Re:A very emphatic 'I second this'

[talon77]

Yes, it is 3 out of 6 now I think. He was going to write the fourth book occuring 20 years after the third, but he had a change of mind and decided to add an extra book because too much occured during that time. I cannot wait for it to be released.

Re:A very emphatic 'I second this'

[Eisenstein]

Between A Storm of Swords and A Dance of Dragons was a 5 year gap (not 20) planned, but he had to scrap the gap and fill it with a book, since there are things happening in this time, which cannot be told soley through flashbacks. So the series will probably go to 7 instead of 6 books.

I have some problems with Robinson

[Xeger]

Having read his entire Mars trilogy, his Antarctic novel, and two short story collections, I must say the guy's better than most -- but he has some very real problems.

To borrow a phrase from Greg Bear, Robinson's characters frequently exist in kataspace: no action, and all interaction. It's not uncommon for an entire chapter to pass without any event occuring other than detached, philosophical discussion of whatever the current situation is in the story.

Robinson has the capacity for telling a very human story, but the narrative sometimes becomes so mired in ponderous intellectual humdrum, that I become bored and put the book down.

Re:I have some problems with Robinson

[benwaggoner]

I can see what you mean. Perhaps I'm overeducated, but that striked me as a very important part of the human condition. And they talk about things that matter - we're not in Waiting for Godot territory, here.

Still in the Mars trilogy

The bring down the darn beanpole! Have a revolution! Twice! A character dies while wearing a glide suit trying to save someone else! A scientist is captured, tortured, and saved with a daring rescue involving explosives. And the same scientist immolates the torture facility in a particularly clever and nasty way, years later. One of the moons of Mars gets shot off into space. Lots of sabotage. People suffocating as domed cities collapse. Heck, the whole thing kicks off with a murder!

That said, the characters certainly do talk a lot as well. I believe some of those scenes in Blue Mars were a concious reflection of the deliberation at the constitutional convention.

Re:I have some problems with Robinson

[kubrick]

The bring down the darn beanpole! Have a revolution! Twice! A character dies while wearing a glide suit trying to save someone else! A scientist is captured, tortured, and saved with a daring rescue involving explosives. And the same scientist immolates the torture facility in a particularly clever and nasty way, years later. One of the moons of Mars gets shot off into space. Lots of sabotage. People suffocating as domed cities collapse. Heck, the whole thing kicks off with a murder!

And none of these events are invested with any dramatic depth at all, because the cardboard characters simply go through the motions of action and reaction.

The books failed to make me care that any of the above was going on -- none of the characters seemed real enough to bother. It was a hard slog to make it through all three. At least in, say, Arthur C. Clarke's stuff the rest of the work is interesting enough to distract you from the poor characterisation...

My fave _new_ authors

[mbourgon]

I'm 30 and have been reading sci-fi since 13, and so here are the authors I've picked up lately - I grew up on the masters, from Heinlein to Chalker to Asimov to Foster

Simon R. Green. Not new per se, but I hadn't heard of him prior to the Deathstalker series. Modern space opera.

Ken MacLeod - Stone Canal, Star Faction, Sky Road, etc. Great Libertarian/Communist sci-fi, where he manages to tie two disparate stories together.

James Alan Gardner - the "one word title" author. Start with Expendable. Great sci-fi, where you know what's happening - and 20 pages from the end, he tilts everything you know about the story by 90 degrees. Amazing.

L.E. Modesitt Jr. Writes both Sci-fi and Fantasy, written from the perspective of a former industrial economist. Everything he's written is great.

Authors I never seem to hear mentioned:
Allan Cole & Chris Bunch - the Sten series. Despite what the later books look like (aka "A new Sten adventure"), it's one gigantic story, based on the precept "Absolute Power corrups absolutely". It's something like 7 or 8 books. First one is simply called Sten.

Paul Cook - Alejandro Variations, Fortress on the Sun, Duende Meadow.

John Varley - originally hyped as The Next Heinlein, his early stuff took some of the Heinleinian ideas and mixed them with a hit of LSD. His past couple of books, though infrequent, are really good (Steel Beach, The Golden Globe)

(Vernor Vinge should be mentioned, in case you've somehow missed him. Same with Neil Stephenson, Jack L. Chalker, James P. Hogan, Spider Robinson, Bruce Sterling. Oh, skip Iain Banks - way overhyped. Two of us read a couple of his books twice... they were that bad. The second time was because _obviously_ we were missing something, since everyone else hypes the fsck out oh him. Nope. Still sucks.)

Hope these help.

And I'll toss in one oldie that no one ever knows of - Eric Frank Russell. Get anything of his but "The Mindwarpers". Three To Conquer is cool, The Space Willies is great, and WASP is probably his crowning achievement. I'll echo Chalker's words - if he'd written it as a straight-ahead WWII novel, he'd still be well-known and regarded today.

Peter F Hamilton

[andy78]

Peter F Hamilton: The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, The Naked God.

Liaden Universe: Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

[hacksoncode]

If you like Bujold, another good example of the "character driven but adventure oriented" science fiction category is the Liaden Universe by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.

The do a lot of world building on the way, but what really gets you is the character development.

Also, if you happen to have a girlfriend (having read 4000 SF novels is sometimes contradictory :-), it's possible to pass them off as Romance Novels set in space. Don't let that turn you off, though... the Balance is such that either kind of fan can legitimately like them.

Jonathan Lathem

[Voivod]

Jonathan Lathem is amazing. Do read all his stuff. All his books are unique and each of his books seem to be told from a different voice and perspective. He is writing for intelligent grown ups so if you're looking for more crap from Piers Anthony skip to the next post.

Gun With Occasional Music - Awesome twist on the noir detective novel full of cryogenic time travel, distopian society, great fun playing with cliches of the genre in new ways.

As She Reached Across the Table - A love triangle between a physicist, her boyfriend, and a black hole. How do you compete with a Singularity for the heart of your geeky girl? I laugh my ass off every time I read this.

Amnesia Moon - Very unusual post apocalyptic tale of journeying across the wasteland. Facinating and complicated.

Motherless Brooklyn - His best book IMHO is not sci fi. Most of the people I've recommended this to have come back saying it was the best thing they've read all year. Difficult to describe.

Anyone interested in Lathem should start with "Gun With Occasional Music" and if you like it, try Motherless Brooklyn. I noticed that someone else covered Vernor Vinge so I'll just put in another very very big thumbs up for him.

On a totally other track, if you just don't read Fiction because the stuff you had to read in school was booooring, try these on.

"London Fields" by Martin Amis
"Ask the Dust" by John Fante
"On A Winter's Night A Traveler" by Italo Calvino
"A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Some of my recent favorites

[nacks1]

Its a little campy, but I like Michael Stackpole's writing. His most recent series (which I believe he calls the DragonCrown War Cycle) is a series of four books (at least just four planned so far). So far three of the books are in print:

• The Dark Glory War [amazon]
• Fortress Draconis [amazon]
• When Dragons Rage [amazon]
• The Grand Crusade [most likely due out in Nov 2003]

I got turned on to Michael Stackpole when I was in my Battletech phase (if anyone plays this game you probably know Michael from the novels and the game materials). He has just started writing Mechwarrior novels once again as well.

Another of my recent favorites is Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel trilogy. Good writing, interesting story line (more of an alternate history/universe than fantasy in my mind). The trilogy:

• Kushiel's Dart [amazon]
• Kushiel's Chosen [amazon]
• Kushiel's Avatar [amazon] (due out in April 2003)

Some people would probably call them trash, but I also like the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter novels (and the other stories in the same world) by Laurell K. Hamilton. I think the best description of the world would be a R-rated Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Its a fun read. A good fan site can be found here: http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/

Fadeout by Patrick Tilley

[hakman]

Patrick Tilley is not widely known in USA.
But his SciFi books "The Mission" and "FadeOut"
are very good readings.

Vernor Vinge, Charles Stoltz, Diane Duane

[HiThere]

Depends on just what you're after. Don't expect any of these to be as wildly popular as Heinleing, still:
Vernor Vinge: Start with "True Names", and go from there
Charles Stoltz: Start with "Lobsters" ... figure out what year he's talking about, and see if you can believe it. If so, go on from there.
Diane Duane: This is fantasy, but quite well done. Try "The Door into Fire" if you can find it. Or one of the stories she wrote for the Star Trek Series. Or, if you aren't too proud, "So you want to be a wizard" ... This is an unabashed juvenile, but quite well done, and with several follow ons.
Diana Paxton is another author to check out, but again heavily into fantasy.
Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover books are very popular, and pretend not to be fantasies (but clearly are).
You didn't mention Clifford Simak... he's one of the evergreens, but is, alas, dead.

Then there's the Downbelow Station books by an author whose name I can neither spell nor pronounce. I don't follow the series, but it's quite popular. Probably pronounced something like Cherry and spelled something like Cherijhl (I warned you that I couldn't remember).

Robert L. Forward did a large number of excellent Science Fiction books, and Terry Prachet is still turning out his Diskworld Fantasies (which are excellent).

Steven Erikson etc..

[egoots]

I havent seen Steven Erikson mentioned, so here goes.

He has 4 books out that are interconnected, but not necessarily a series. Fantastic read! I have read the first 3 (Gardens of the moon, Deadhouse gates, Memories of Ice) and am itching to read the 4th which was just published. These are a bit more on the fantasy side with a bit of (soft) sf.

On the harder sf side, Vernor Vinge is excellent.

I also enjoyed Neil Stephenson... it is hard to compare his various books because the genres were so different, but I enjoyed Cryptonomicon more than Snow Crash and Diamond Age, because I think the writing is better. Your mileage may vary

Jon Courtenay Grimwood

[kraut]

Anything by Jon Courtenay Grimwood - I've loved all his books. They are guilty pleasures - very violent - but serious cyberpunk in the tradition of Gibson et al. Albeit with a different twist. Lots of weird and funky technology, in a weird, but plausible society that's just different enough...

Suffice to say there the only sci-fis where I've not been able to wait for the paperback to come out.

reMix, redRobe, Pashazade:the first arabesk, Effendi:the second arabesk; just pre-ordered felaheen:the third arabesk.

I think all the other authors I'd recommend have already been mentioned....

Reading List

[VoidEngineer]

So, here's my 2 cents worth:

Jordan, Robert
Wheel of Time Series
Books: Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn, The Shadows Rising, The Fires of Heaven, Lord of Chaos, A Crown of Swords

Herbert, Frank
The Dune Series
Books: Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emporer of Dune, Heritics of Dune, Chapterhouse: Dune, Dune: House Atraides, Dune: House Harkonen, Dune: House Coronin

Gaiman, Neil
The Sandman Series
Preludes and Nocturnes, The Dolls House, Dream Country, Seasons of Mist, A Game of You, Brief Lives, Fables and Reflection, World's End, The Kindly Ones, The Wake

Rice, Anne
The Vampire Chronicles
Books: Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the Body Thief, Memnoch the Devil, The Vampire Armand, Merrick, Blood & Gold, Blackwood Farm

King, Stephen
The Dark Tower Series
Books: The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Waste Lands, Wizard and Glass

Rollings, JK
Harry Potter Series
Books: Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Pheonix

Stephenson, Neal
Books: Snow Crash, Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon

Dick, Philip
Books: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The Man in the High Castle, The Dark Haired Girl, Confessions of a Crap Artist, Divine Invasion, Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said, Galactic Pot-Healer, The Game-Players of Titan, Martian Time-Slip, A Maze of Death, Radio Free Albemuth, A Scanner Darkly, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, The Transmigration of Timothy Archer, We Can Build You, The World Jones Made

OLDER / HARDCORE

Gibson, William
Books: Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive

Brooks, Terry
The Shannara Series
Books: The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, The Wishsong of Shannara, The Scions of Shannara, The Druid of Shannara, The Elf Queen of Shannara, The Talismans of Shannara
The Landover Series
Books: Magic Kingdom For Sale -- Sold! The Black Unicorn, Wizard At Large, The Tangle Box, Witches' Brew

Tolkein, J.R.R.
Fellowship of the Rings, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, The Book of Lost Tales

Hubbard, L. Ron
The Mission: Earth Series
Books: The Invaders Plan, Black Genesis, The Enemy Within, An Alien Affair, Fortune Of Fear, Death Quest, Voyage Of Vengeance, Disaster, Villainy Victorious, The Doomed Planet
Also: Battlefield Earth, Dianetics

Asimov, Isaac
The Foundation Series
1600+ other books and articles.

Wells, H.G.
The Time Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Monroe, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds

Verne, Jules
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Around the World in 80 Days

OTHER

White Wolf Publishers
Mage: The Ascension, Vampire: The Masquarade, Wraith: The Oblivion, Werewolf: The Apacolypse, Hunter: The Reckoning
(I figure that if you're reading DragonLance, that you're also probably playing some D&D or AD&D. If so, you may want to consider switching from TSR to WhiteWolf. I only suggest this because you've asked slashdot for some new reading.)

Re:Reading List

[Number14]

I'll add to the Neil Gaiman list- while Sandman would be my top recommendation, his books are also good. Stardust is superb (try to get the graphic novel version), Smoke and Mirrors is great, and American Gods and Neverwhere are also very good.

Re:Reading List

[swv3752]

Many of your recommendations are older but still good.

Some others:

Stephen R Donaldson: Very good writing with anti-typical protagonists- Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever series, The Gap Series, The Mirror of her dreams, Many short stories.

Alan Dean Foster: Mostly Humourous but some serious- Spellsinger, Dinotopia, Maori, Quozl, The Last Starfighter, Flinx, and many more

Glen Cook: Military Fantasy and Detective Fantasy- his novels of the Black Company and Garret typify his work
If anyone can recommend someone similiar to Glan Cook, I would be grateful.

Marion Zimmer Bradley: Darkover- I think she has written more Darkover novels than there exist Dragon Lance novels. Or maybe I should append that- good Dragon Lance novels.

Brian Lumley- Necronomicon and new Cthulu mythos books. A note, you will probably find his works in horror not SF/Fantasy.

My other suggestion is to google your favorite TSR Authors, and check out thier other works. And your local used book store is a treasure trove. I have found many Authors this way by picking books I would not normally read.

Re:Reading List

[Simonetta]

I recommend Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka's masterpiece Nature's End. Written fifteen years about a distopian world future in 2025, it has many exciting ideas and predictions. Well written and a great story.

Re:Reading List

[G-funk]

Jordan, Robert
Wheel of Time Series
Books: Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn, The Shadows Rising, The Fires of Heaven, Lord of Chaos, A Crown of Swords


I'm a huge fan of the WOT story and universe, but apart from the last few pages of winter's heart, the last 3 or so books have sucked. It's slow, and has diversified into too many different tales all at once... It's become a soap with magic. Kind of like Night's Dawn but not done as well. The next one is out in a few weeks I think, I hope it picks up the pace.

Re:Reading List

[osgeek]

Well, if you like Robert Jordan, you'll most likely enjoy Terry Goodkind's Wizard's First Rule & company.

It's very similar in many ways, but is a bit gritier in its depiction of sex and violence. Some of the violence descriptions were quite um... memorable. It's also a bit heavy-handed politically -- not that I disagree with his libertarian point of view -- but there ya have it.

Good stuff, overall.

Re:Reading List

[evenflow]

I'm also a fan, and I have to agree. Somewhere along the line it started reminding me of the kind of tv-series which where great in the beginning but just continues season after season until you can't remember why you watch it anymore (e.g., X-Files).

I haven't actually finnished Winter's heart yet. I bought it a few days before the official release date, but as you say, it's slow. And I'm having a lot of troubles remembering what has happend (or even caring :\).

But the beginning of the series is absolutely superb.

Re:Reading List

[Russellkhan]

And I'll add another: While I defintiely enjoyed the ones already listed, Good Omens (cowrttien with Terry Pratchett) is the best I've seen from him. I think the two authors work together beautifully - Gaiman has the ideas/concepts and Pratchett is a master of putting the words together wittily.

Re:Reading List

[demonbug]

Jordan, Robert
Wheel of Time Series
Books: Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn, The Shadows Rising, The Fires of Heaven, Lord of Chaos, A Crown of Swords

I would hold off on this series until it is done, which should be another two books or so. The tenth one just came out, and no doubt it will just piss you off if you read it. The first five or six books in this series are excellent, some of the best I have ever read (especially the first three, imo), but after that it takes a SERIOUS plunge down the toilet. So, wait until the series is done, and at least for the first 3 or 4 thousand pages you will be in for a real treat.

Re:Reading List

[Wastl]

A very comprehensive list. The only thing missing from my point of view:

Williams, Tad
Memory, Sorrow & Thorn and Otherland series.

Sebastian

Re:Reading List

[Grab]

What, no John Wyndham (Midwich Cuckoos, Chrysalids, Day of the Triffids, etc)? No William Horwood (two Duncton Wood trilogies, although the first book is the best)?

I've so far avoided L Ron Hubbard's stuff on principle. I don't want to fund a radical Christian cult, thanks all the same.

Terry Brooks is very much "Tolkein-Lite" in his Shannara books. The first two Shannara books are pretty good (Sword and Elfstones), the rest are sequel hell. IIRC he's got some new series out ("Dark Knight" or something) - anyone got feedback on that?

King's Dark Tower series is great for the first three books, but Wizard and Glass drops the average standard a bit - it's OK, but it's not as sharp as the other three.

And you're a bit previous with putting Order of the Phoenix on the Harry Potter list, aren't you? ;-P

Grab.

Re:Reading List

[iawia]

Alas, part 10 ( Crossroads of Twilight ) doesn't pick up the pace at all. In fact, it slows down so much that you don't get any further (in linear time) than the end of book 9 until about two thirds into the book...

For a better fantasy series, take a look at George R. R. Martin's Songs of Fire and Ice.
A fast pace, ruthlessness with any and all characters, and at least the *promise* that the series won't taper away like the Wheel of Time has...

Re:Reading List

[Froggie]

Alas, part 10 ( Crossroads of Twilight ) doesn't pick up the pace at all. In fact, it slows down so much that you don't get any further (in linear time) than the end of book 9 until about two thirds into the book...

Indeed. In fact, you might as well read the inside of the dustcover. 5 plot threads, 5 summaries of the current state of play at the start of the book, 5 'hints' about how the story pans out. But in fact it doesn't pan out. About all that happens is each character manages to move a few miles, but they don't actually do anything.

And it made me realise how annoying it is to pick up a book like this after a year of not reading the series. There are far too many characters that are either active or referred to in passing to remember, which means you wonder if you're missing something important all the time...

Re:Reading List

[Anonymous Coward]

Why the fsck is this sh*tty list voted as "Informative: 4"? Most of the authors are not only not new, but DEAD and half of the books aren't even Science Fiction?

Re:Reading List

[gnalre]

I've so far avoided L Ron Hubbard's stuff on principle. I don't want to fund a radical Christian cult, thanks all the same.

I've avoided L Ron on the basis that he wrote possibly the worst SciFi ever

Re:Reading List

[sammy baby]

I've so far avoided L Ron Hubbard's stuff on principle. I don't want to fund a radical Christian cult, thanks all the same.

Do Scientologists really even qualify as Christians? I really doubt it.

Re:Reading List

[RedHat Rocky]

If you like Glen Cook, you'd probably enjoy Steven Brust. His books are a little on the short side, but then they move so fast I don't think I could take it if they were much longer. :) He has that Black Company feel, IMHO.

Re:Reading List

[Anonymous Cow herd]

Pratchett, Terry
The Discworld Series, mainly... great stories, really funny, the only thing I really have an issue with is how some of his books seem to finish the story about 100 pages from the end. But very worthwhile reads.

Re:Reading List

[lokki]

OK, personal preferences aside (Jordan? Brooks? Unimaginative, derivative crap!), what's up with having Dianetics on the list?!? Dia-freaking-netics! ::shaking head sadly::

Re:Reading List

[VoidEngineer]

I didn't say that I followed it, or believed in what it says. I just mentioned that a person may want to put it on their reading list. =)

On the note of Dianetics, I would also include the Quaran, The Book of Mormon, The Bible (Parts I and II), the Odyssey, the Illiad, the I Ching, and Emile Durkheim's Elementary forms of Religious Life.

But the reading list asked for science fiction and fantasy books, not texts regarding world religions. ;)

Re:Reading List

[Rushwind]

Steven Brust's Dragaera work is all wonderful (some more wonderful than others, obviously, but for you to decide which):
Jhereg series (aka "Vlad the Assassin" series)
Khaavren Romances
Viscount of Adrilankha

Read Jhereg first.

Re:Reading List

[Anonymous Coward]

How did this get modded up? I guess because there isn't a "-1 didn't read the subject". Stephen King isn't a new auther. Most of his best books are 10 years old!

King's had it rough. If you ever get a chance to hear him talk about getting hit by a car, listen. It will change you to hear him.

Try These on for Size

[5.11Climber]

Move a little into more speculative fiction. These authors are (were in the case of David Lindsay) great.

James Blaylock - The Paper Grail, All the Bells on Earth
John Crowley - Little Big, A Great Work of Time
David Lindsay - A Voyage to Arcturus
James Morrow - Towing Jehovah, Only Begotten Daughter

Sherri S Tepper

[huckamania]

She has an interesting trilogy that starts with "Grass". The others should be listed on the inside cover. Grass managed to grab me from the first page and never let go. It reads like the first Amber trilogy but is a little shorter. The overall trilogy is only loosely tied together but all three books are worth the time. If you like those you can check out some of her other titles.

Doctorow, anyone?

[cel4145]

These have been mentioned on Slashdot before, but worth mentioning again here:

Cory Doctorow's Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom is a fun read. Besides, the "true" first edition seems to be the online one available for free download. The print edition is still unavailable on amazon.

You might check out salon for his stories Ownz0red and Liberation spectrum. Both are somewhat didactic, but they contain messages that most of this crowd will appreciate.

Re:Doctorow, anyone?

[Burwood]

Just a yea vote on Cory Doctorow. He's good enough to make me envious of his sharp-as-glass writing skills and his detail is rich but unobtrusive--I'm re-reading the PDF file now and it's just as good the second time around.

An author you never heard of

[burnfury]

The Sun Will Find You by Chris Muffoletto is an excellent, unknown book not available in any bookstore, as far as I know, and I'm willing to bet it's not one of the 4000 on your shelves. I got mine at Amazon. It's extremely well written, especially for a first novel, and has none of the clichés you see in other novels about vampires these days. A friend recommended it to me, and I'm recommending it to you. Word of mouth is probably the only way anyone will ever hear about this book.

Niche fantasy stuff.

[Anonymous Coward]

You can try Silver on the Tree, a five book series about a group of kids and their intermingling with Good and Evil in a battle to decide which wins. Most of the stories are loosely based around Celtic mythology, including the Arthurian legends, Merlin, the Brennin Llewyd, and other Celtic places and names. Written for kids, it does still have a lot of entertainment value.

Second recommendation is Bridget Wood's four amazing novels - The Lost Prince, Wolfking, Rebel Angel and lastly, Sorceress. Her style is a blending of Celtic and Christian myth, and usually takes people down a sort of Rabbit-hole adventure from their regular lives to this world where bloodlines and magic are very much a daily part of reality.

These books, the ones by Bridget Wood, are hard to come by, so try www.abe.com which is an excellent used book website.

Just an idea.

[pagercam2]

"I have maybe 4000 books at home, most of them Scifi/SF."

May be its time to leave the house and talk to poeple ,maybe even one of those females (there must have been one or two in the 4000 books), they're warm and cuddly!!! I highly recommend.

Steven Gould

[Marqis]

Not that anybody will read the thousand posts and get to mine but here's my 2 cents. Steven Gould.

Jumper and Wildside are excellent, Green War and Blind Waves are merely above average. They're all page turners, and not too complicated but I really like the plot and characters in Jumper and Wildside.

Give em' a try!

Sean Russell - The One Kingdom Trilogy

[Anonymous Coward]

This is a great new trilogy, the 2nd book was published recently and the third is being written.

SF in all its forms

[Revvy]

I've always read a lot of SciFi, and a few years ago I had the same problem. Here's what I ended up getting:

• Lensman series, E. E. "Doc" Smith (Must-read classics, guaranteed to feel like newly-discovered Heinlein)
• Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson (You won't get to Mars without these books.)
• Octavia E. Butler: Dawn, Adulthood Rites, Imago, etc. (Real-feeling SciFi from a master of emotion involvement.)
• Iaan Banks (Excession and The Player of Games are especially interesting to geeks.)
• Greg Egan (Axiomatic has some of the best short stories I've ever read.)
• The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, Howard Pyle (Just got this yesterday. It's a total hoot!)
• Revelation Space and Chasm City, Alistair Reynolds (Amazingly good for his first books. Technical and friendly.)
• Emergence and Threshold, David R. Palmer (Another pair of startlingly good first books by a relative unknown.)
  
• And the ultimate new read, Stephen Wolfram's A New Kind of Science (Enumerating chaos, anyone?)

There's also the annual publications of the Year's Best..., anything well-reviewed in trade mags like Locus , and the reading list of the SciFi geek at your local library (there is one, trust me ;-)

good reviews are a good place to start

[jrstewart]

A good way to find good new authors (other than asking slashdot, which in this case seems to have been a great idea) is to find a reviewer you like. I'm particularly a fan of Dave Langford's reviews. He's very prolific, writes well, and knows the breadth of the field. He also writes a newsletter ansible as well as some quite amusing columns for various magazines.

Langford has introduced me to an sf culture of which previously I was only perhipherally aware.

New Authors

[Chasuk]

Rather than regurgitating the lists of my favorite, been-around-for-a-long-time authors, I'll actually attempt to answer the question that you asked.

To wit, here are my suggestions for new SF/Fantasy authors for you to peruse:

1. China Mieville
2. Robin Hobb
3. Jim Butcher
4. Philip Pullman
5. Garth Nix

Not all of the authors listed above are new in the sense that they started writing/publishing yesterday, but their important works have all been published within the last decade.

China Mieville's Perdido Street Station is brilliant, as is its follow-up novel, The Scar. The novel Perdido Street Station was published in 2001, and The Scar in 2002.

Robin Hobb previously published as Megan Lindholm, but achieved no real success until The Farseer Trilogy in 1996.

Jim Butcher writes in the vein that Laurell K. Hamilton pioneered, which is a recommendation for Laurel K. Hamilton fans. I used to like Hamilton, but now her books are indistinguishable from erotica. Butcher is her better replacement.

Philip Pullman has been writing for quite a long while, and he makes Rowling look like warmed-over shite, but he is largely unknown outside of England. I consider him "newish." Pullman's trilogy His Dark Materials is astounding.

Garth Nix writes fairly literary fantasy for Young Adults, and I recommend his Sabriel and Liriel highly.

You forgot some...

[Hanji]

Jordan, Robert
Wheel of Time Series
Books: Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn, The Shadows Rising, The Fires of Heaven, Lord of Chaos, A Crown of Swords

You forgot The Path of Daggers, Winter's Heart, and Crossroads of Twilight (less than 3 weeks old as of this posting - I finished it about 40 minutes ago :-p)
Have you been living in a hole the last few years?

Re:You forgot some...

[VoidEngineer]

Thanks for the corrections! I didn't know that Crossroads of Twilight was released! I had totally lost track of it's release date.

As for your question... yes. I grew up in an underground house, located in rural Indiana, for ten years. That gives a person plenty of time to read. And no, it wasn't like the fallout shelter in Blast from the Past. It was more of a Frank Lloyd Wright style underground house.

And, no, I'm really, really not kidding. Ask me any questions about growing up in a hole in a ground (i.e. underground house), and I'll be more than glad to answer them.

Re:You forgot some...

[zfalcon]

Read Crossroads of Twilight when the next one comes out. NOTHING happens in CoT.

Re:You forgot some...

[Fredbo]

He didn't forget them, they weren't worth mentioning. He did however forget Heinlein.

Re:You forgot some...

[Cunk]

"less than 3 weeks old as of this posting - I finished it about 40 minutes ago :-p" It's a good thing you hurried through it. That'll give you the chance to re-read the entire series from the beginning before the next book comes out in a couple of years. I can't wait to see what this "big" ending is that's been talked up ever since the first book.

Books and such

[Anonymous Coward]

In more of a hurry (forgive any repeats).

Pullman's series - His Dark Materials (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and, The Amber Spyglass - even mentioned a bit on /. lately) is a great series, even if it is geared slightly towards a younger age group.

Jack Vance - The Demon Princes series (The Star King, The Killing Machine, The Palace of Love, The Face, and The Book of Dreams) are great SF, and (if it matters much) my favorite in the genre.

I'm assuming you've read most of what has been written by Card (the Ender's Game series (Shadow Puppets is still not out in paperback -_- ) / Pastwatch - The Christopher Columbus Redemption)

The Wheel of Time is interesting, if not a bit lengthy (thousands of pages if you get to the most recently published book).

-Out of suggestions-

Philosophy Books

[Anonymous Coward]

Some really good ones by Franz Kafka (like Metamorphosis, but they're all good). The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus is good but intensive reading. Sun Tzu, the art of war is a good read. Dostoevsky wrote some really great ones, but Crime & Punishment is his best. You could read some Jean Paul Sartre or some Wittgenstein (Philosophical investigations is his classic work... along with tractatus logicus philosophicus - but stick to the Philosophical investigations for casual reading). There's always Plato - some good stuff there, especially the stuff where Socrates gets killed, I think its the Trial & death of Socrates or something like that. You could always read some Bertrand Russel but I wouldn't. Or you could try Saul Kripke if you like thinking about language. I find that books are for making me think, and I love sci-fi... Greg Egan is one of my favourite writers. The philosophy stuff has the same level of intellect but is more concerned with current potentialities and practicalities than anything in the sci-fi books. Have you read any Herman Hesse? Some of his books are classics, like Siddartha and Steppenwolf, which really rock imho.

Happy reading.

Cut out the middleman

[Robotech_Master]

Ask Hypatia what you want to read, at the website you will see in brackets thusly:. Through the miracle of collaborative filtering, she can come up with a list of books at least as likely as anything anyone here can give you.

Steven Erikson - a totally engrossing read

[a.jedi]

I've just got the latest in his Malazan Empire series ... been eagerly waiting for the last year!
A new SF author, he's an anthropologist and archeologist by profession and it really shows in the world he's created.
I can't recommend him enough, his books are a throughly intelligent, comprehensive and surprising read.

The series so far :
Gardens of the Moon
Deadhouse Gates
Memories of Ice
House of Chains (just published)

Take a look at

[cefek]

Stanislaw Lem, but, hell, not that Solaris again! It's his WORST novel EVER written.

Perhaps you could try Cyberiad.

Richard Morgan

[Pepeee]

Richard Morgan is THE newest sci-fi author come out of the UK in 2002. His first novel "Altered Carbon" just blew my mind away. Strong language and well constructed story, on top of great originality. Check it out, all of you.

Re:Richard Morgan

[Quelain]

Definitely worth a read. Peter F. Hamilton seemed to like it too, judging by his quote on the back cover.

WHAT HAPPENED TO?

[Anonymous Coward]

Gene Rodenbery? (star Trek, ST TNG, DS9, Voyager, Andromeda, Earth Final Conflict?

Re:WHAT HAPPENED TO?

[mstyne]

He's dead, Jim.

How about the classics?

[Anonymous Coward]

I've seen several opinions that you should branch out a bit from SciFi, and I couldn't agree more. In high school I read lots of fantasy + science fiction stuff, then moved into some stuff with more historical context (I kinda got hooked on military novels for a while).

In this shifting about, I chanced upon the older classic stuff again -- you know, all that dreck they were trying to make you read in high school. It took me 15 years before I could face up to it, but some of it's downright fun. I've recently read lots of the horror stuff -- Dracula and Frankenstein. I've read Moby Dick (long on whale stuff, short on actual plot related to Moby). I pushed myself through "Dubliners" at someone else's suggestion; ugh. "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" is great; you can buy one of the collections or get individual stories. "The Count of Monte Cristo" is excellent, forget the movie. You've very likely heard of all these books I've mentioned; I'd recommend giving them a try.

Honorverse: Not deep, but very fun

[gottabeme]

I wouldn't call the Honor books deep, but they're very fun to read. If you buy the hardcover edition of the 10th book in the series, War of Honor, it includes a CD-ROM with all of the books in the series in HTML, RTF, MS Reader, etc. formats, plus artwork, covers, schematics, other books in other series, and some other stuff. The publishers, Baen Books, are so generous that it says right on the CD that the contents can be freely distributed but not sold. You can download the first three books of the series for free from their Web site, Baen Books . If you hunt around you can probably find all of the Honorverse books online somewhere for download.

Daniel Keys Moran

[Sandfist]

Daniel Keys Moran has written some of the best SF books I have ever read and re-read. You can usually find some of his books in the library. If not available there, check out his current publisher: http://www.quietvision.com/ The books that have been published include: "The Armageddon Blues" "Emerald Eyes" "The Long Run" "The Last Dancer" "Terminal Freedom" All of them are great books and can be read on their own in any order, but the timeline roughly follows how I have them listed. The first book of his I read was "The Long Run". The people I know that have read his books usually have a couple copies of each book. One for personal reading, and one to loan out. my .02

What I read

[HyperMind]

Well, I enjoyed a book by L.E. Modessit Jr. recently, titled "The Ghost of the Revelator"

Not fantasy or horror as the title may suggest, but rather an interesting tale of a modern world with a slightly different past. Especially interesting for me was the computer technology - advnaced Babbage Engines. Fun stuff there...

Re:What I read

[Anonymous Coward]

I have read two of L.E.Modessitt's (jr) novels so far and found them both very dissapointing. Despite being set in different universes, they both seemed to feature near identical societies based around the control of limited resources by a kind of communist system where people earned 'credits' through working for the state.

I find this unbeleivable when set against the backdrop of a level of technology that includes both Fusion power and Nanotechnology! Surely once both of these things are available, the only limited resource would be human thought? Everything else would be nearly free.

The style of writting itself seems at first very deep, but latter becomes pretty damn obvious and you realise its just mister hero guy living in wierd psuedo communism.

Re:Bujold is amazing

[Anonymous Coward]

I completely agree. She is incredible - just don't let the incredibly terrible book covers scare you off - some of the books in her series have covers that make it look like the book's gonna be some cheesy romance crap. They are not. Since this is a series, here's the list, in chronological order:

Shards of Honor
Barrayar
Cordelia's Honor (has both Shards of Honor and Barrayar)
The Warrior's Apprentice
The Vor Game
Young Miles (has Warrior's Apprentice, Mountains of Mourning and The Vor Game)
Cetaganda
Borders of Infinity
Brothers in Arms
Mirror Dance
Miles Errant (has Borders of Infinity, Brothers in Arms and Mirror Dance)
Memory
Komarr
A Civil Campaign
Diplomatic Immunity

Pick up Cordelia's Honor and give it a chance. You won't regret it.

If you read her freebee at Mountains of Mourning just remember that this story happens about 20 years after Cordelia's Honor.

Another great author is Vernor Vinge. He's a computer scientist - Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky are his big ones - they're also awesome, but more technical and WILDLY imaginative.

4000 books

[big_debacle]

4000 books works out to a book a day for 10.95 years.

4000 books works out to a book every two days for 21.9 years.

And you keep reading them over and over.

And it's mostly SciFi.

Right.

Re:Sci-Fi: Trashy romance novels for geeks

[veneficus]

As a Die-Hard Orson Scott Card fan, I have the pleasure of owning all but two of his books -- all of which I've read at least twice. The man is a literary genius; his character building skills are second to none.

Definitely recommended are his Ender series (Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind) as well as his co-existing Bean series (Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets).

For a look towards the Fantasy world, the tales of Alvin Maker (Seventh Son, Red Prophet, Prentice Alvin, Alvin Journeyman, Heartfire, {And Hopefully Coming Soon} Crystal City) is possibly one of the most interesting historical fiction/scifi stories I've ever read.

As mentioned in the previous post, the Homecoming series (Memory of Earth, Call of Earth, Ships of Earth, Earthfall, Earthborn) is an excellent sci fi series -- my only hitch on it was Card's obvious use of Mormon symbolism in parts of the stories. (Come on, Nafai?)

Any way you chop it, OSC has excellent stories; there hasn't been one I've read where I've disliked it. Some are a little slow moving at the start (The Worthing Saga, for instance,) but once it's captured you, that's it. You're enthralled for the next [200-400] pages.

Check out OSC's Webpage at Hatrack River (www.hatrack.com) for rants, raves, reviews, and upcoming news all about the author.

Turtledove and others

[CreationLtd]

Turtledove is certainly among my favorite. His main angle is alternate history (not the kind politicians play) where he creates novels based on how history would turn out should certain key events have turned out differently.

He is prolific, thought provoking, and just plain fun. Amongst his release...

The World At War series
Worldwar series
American Empire series
Ruled Brittania
Colonization series

Masses to read there.

Thumbs up as well for George RR Martin and his massive fantasy series Game of Thrones. I like Terry Brooks but his books have steadily shrunk in size and frequency. Even so his Shannara, Landover, and Knight of the Word series are great fun.

Not new but you should read Stanislaw Lem

[richieb]

I know he is not new, but if you haven't yet you should go read his stuff. It's much deeper than most of the run of the mill SF out today.

Top 10

[BubbaFranks]

1. Thomas Disch - Camp Concentration 2. J.R.R. Tolkein - Lord of the Rings 3. William Gibson - Neuromancer 4. Robert Persig - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance 5. Michael Moorcock - Elric Saga 6. Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse 5 7. Douglas Adams - Hitchhiker's Trilogy 8. Aldous Huxley - Doors of Perception 9. Gary Zukav - Dancing Wu Li Masters 10. Carlos Castaneda - Teachings of Don Juan

Barbara Hambly

[MrResistor]

I've read a few of her books now (Dragonslayer, Lady's of Mandrygin, and another that I can't think of the title at the moment) and I've been really impressed.

Lois McMaster Bujold

[Anonymous Coward]

I vote for her. These 2 replies do a good job explaining her strengths and the series:

reply 1

reply 2

Robert Jordan

[Hassman]

All you need is Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. You'll get sucked into his world.

First you'll borrow the books from the library because of a suggestion from a friend, then you'll go to read them again because a new installment has come out so you buy the soft cover.

Then soft cover won't be good enough, and you need the hard cover.

Then you start trolling newsgroups and finding web sites like www.dragonmount.com.

Then you re-read the books again for the 4th time because book 10 just came out and you want to make sure you havn't forgotten anything (not a light task, each book is like 800+ pages).

Then you start buying the supplimental material...

You get the point. Someone help me...please!!!

David Foster Wallace - Infinite Jest

[Anonymous Coward]

It is one of my all time favorites. It isn't sci-fi, but has near future elements that sci-fi fans will enjoy.

It is a monsterous book, and not by any stretch an easy read, but damned if it isn't a breath taking book.

Peter F. Hamilton

[Anonymous Coward]

Peter F. Hamilton and Nights Dawn Trilogy.
Great SciFi

Mike Stackpole

[Anonymous Coward]

Mike Stackpole's fantasy stuff is good.

Science Fantasy

[slobbit]

My favorite author for science fantasy is Sheri Tepper. She's been writing for about 20 years, so she's not new. Her stories are rich and detailed but not at all hard to read like some authors'. They usually grab you right in the first chapter and they keep you there because the worlds are so real. My favorites are _Raising the Stones_, _The Gate to Women's Country_ and _The Fresco_.

I also second the recommendation for David Brin. Start with _Earth_ or the Uplift stories.

Metaplanetary by Tony Daniel

[mre5565]

http://www.cyberonic.net/~danne1/metaplanetary/

It combines nanotech, AI, interplanetary warfare and the dawn of interstellar travel as the backdrop for a familiar good versus evil plot. The issue of Daniel's future is what is a human being? The inhabitants of the outer planets have a much more liberal view than that of the dictator of the inner planets.

Unfortunately, the sequel to Metaplanetary, Superluminal, is not yet out, so if you if want to be sure you won't be hung out to dry like David Gerrold did to us with the Chtorr series, you might want to wait.

Re:James Morrow & Michael Bishop & Christo

[Mandi Walls]

I'll second your James Morrow and raise you an Only Begotten Daughter. Bible Stories was excellent.

--mandi

sci fi ebooks

[Anonymous Coward]

Heyas-

Dunno if anyone mentioned it yet, but Baen books (www.baen.com) publishes a LOT of good sci-fi and fantasy in ebook format, and also features a decent selection of free books- good stuff too. Introduced me to a few new authors, worth checking out.

m2.
p.s. anonymous coward cause i'm lazy... ;)

George RR Martin

[Anonymous Coward]

Only mentioned twice: The George RR Martin fantasy series, a Game of Thrones is the first book i belive. the series (4 books so far) are the best fantsay i have ever read, Tolkien aside.

Empowered Lesbian Telepaths?

[bigdogs]

Do tell us some of those! :-)

I'm obviously reading the wrong books.....

Re:Empowered Lesbian Telepaths?

[Anonymous Coward]

Marion Zimmer Bradley: _The Shattered Chain_

is a passable starting point.

Julian May

[mo^]

Not exactly new, but julian mays 8 book series rocked my world (and subsequently i have had to buy the whole set 9 times as the rest have been mercilessly stolen)

Starting with "Many coloured Land"

wonderful fantasy/sci-fi.. she takes us on a trip 6 billion years into the past and several hundred into the future!

rock!

Top notch Fantasy!

[Anonymous Coward]

I would highly recommend the Dragon Prince and Dragon Star trilogies by Melanie Rawn. The series are connected with the same story and characters.

Dragon Prince Trilogy:
Dragon Prince
The Star Scroll
Sunrunner's Fire

Dragon Star Trilogy:
Stronghold
The Dragon Token
Skybowl

I would highly recommend these books to ANYONE who likes reading. They are my favourite books of all time, worth checking out.

Replay by Ken Grimwood

[Anonymous Coward]

I read most of the classic sci-fi authors as well as newer fantasy/sci-fi stuff. As I got older, I branched out a bit. If you'd like a mature but ripping good yarn that has a great sci-fi-like premise, try Replay by Ken Grimwood. It really sucks you in and leaves a lasting impression. I've lent it to or bought it for a dozen or so people, all with great reactions. Oh, also rent or buy the movie Donnie Darko. ;)

More on Steven Erikson

[jhallum]

The Steven Erikson books are the first four books of a ten book series titled Malazan, Books of the Fallen. The books are unavailable in the US due to no publishers wanting to pickup the series because of its over complexity (according to the author). They are available from www.amazon.ca, or www.chapters.ca, or your favorite British bookstore.

There are four books (in order) Gardens of the Moon, Deadhouse Gates, Memories of Ice, and House of Chains. The books are an epic work, like Jordan and Martin, and share a grittiness with Glen Cook, who wrote a series about a group of mercenaries in a fantasy world. Unlike Jordan, the author appears to have a firm grasp on ending a series, and wants to limit the series to ten books.

Like George R. R. Martin, but unlike Jordan, there are no heroes, just people trying to make their way in an immoral and uncaring world. The first two books do a pretty good job of standing alone (you could almost read them interchangeably), but optimally, they should be read in order.

The plots in the books are extremely complex. I believe it isn't until Book 3 that readers won't get a solid idea of what the over arching plot of the series is going to be. Because of this, it can be hard going through the first book because a reader is thrown in to the world cold, into the middle of a largish battle, and the reader is forced to sink or swim with little explanation. Once you get to the second and third books, I felt I had a very good handle of what was going on around me, and surprises abound. Like George R R Martin, Erikson will kill characters that the reader empathizes with, to great effect.

I enjoy this series greatly, and I don't think that there is much better than this in terms of epic fantasy.

The human factor

[JPRelph]

Just to clarify on the human thing. The books are set at varying times, Consider Phlebas was set about 3000 years ago, and the rest of the books are not too far removed from our time, just far more advanced species of humanoid. One of his short stories, "The State of the Art" is set during the 1970s, and involves a Culture "Contact" ship and crew visiting Earth, and is mainly about their decision whether or not to contact us. They decide not to, but do in the next century or two (although that's mentioned in a different book). For human just read humanoid really. Also, while people can be transcribed into electronic form, if they do decide to auto-euthanise, they do actually die, completely. As for the Minds, I always remember that quote, the "If god did not exist, then we would have to create one" one (Voltaire, probably misquoted but it was like that). The Minds are basically created Gods in the way that WE would make them. Almost infinitely powerful, caring, fair, but with their own very unique personalities.

Re:The human factor

[Xeger]

I read The State of the Art awhile back, but was never able to reconcile its message -- that the Culture is happening right now, out in the galaxy -- with the way Banks sometimes vaguely implies that humans had a role in the Culture's founding. I'd be interested in reading this latter short story, where the Culture decides to contact us. Can you recall its name?

Re:The human factor

[GrayArea]

That's the first time I hear about the "contact in the next century or two" stuff. Which book is this?

Re:The human factor

[JPRelph]

Its actually The State of the Art itself, the story within the book of the same name. Its the one where the Arbitrary arrives, and they send down a few people, including Diziet Sma. They all have a wander round and then one of them refuses to leave. Great story, very well written. At one point the ship sends a postcard to the BBC World Service asking them to play "Space Oddity" for the good ship Arbitrary and all who sail in her :)

Re:The human factor

[JPRelph]

At the end of Consider Phlebas, the Appendices start with a foreword that explains that the Appendices were taken from "A Short History of the Idiran War" (English language/Christian calendar version, original text 2110), and then goes on to say that this is part of a Contact approved Earth Extro-Information pack. So the suggestion is that Earth is being introduced to the Cultures history at this point.

Re:The human factor

[GrayArea]

Aah.. The geek inside me is satisfied now, thanks. That's strange though considering how State of the Art ended, with Contact deciding to not make contact. I wonder what the timeline of the story and the novel are.

Re:The human factor

[Xeger]

Ah, the famous Banks wit.

I wonder what Bowie would sound like, translated into Marain?

Re:The human factor

[JPRelph]

The reason they didn't make contact at the time of the State of the Art was because they wanted to use us as a "control" planet, to see what happened. It looks like they say hello around 2100, so perhaps they decide they've learnt enough by then, you never know :)

Re:The human factor

[GrayArea]

Yes, but I also remember the control planet status being a few thousand years long. I guess I'm more interested in how Banks thought up Culture-Earth relations than an imaginary civilization's motives for doing what they do (though that's an interesting thing to think about in Culture's case). Apparently, State of the Art came out in 1989 and Consider Phlebas in 1987, so it is probable that he had a change of mind about Contact bringing Earth into the neighbourhood. Which makes me wanna go back and read the story again (the best SF story ever, imho) to figure out why, dammit...

Heres a few more..

[Anonymous Coward]

Peter F Hamilton
British SF Author, 2 "series" of note so far.
The "Greg Mandel" books (Mindstar Rising, A Quantum Murder, The Nano Flower) - a British take on cyberpunk - near future, slightly political. Good charactisation and some decent action. The books are almost stand alone, but you benefit from reading all 3 in order for some detailed background.

"Nights Dawn Trilogy" (The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, The Naked God).
Pretty much classic Space Opera, huge in scope with a slight metaphysical twist. Hefty with each book wighing in approx 1k pages (hardback), but the story rolls along at a fair pace.

The other author ID recommend is David Brin - his "Uplift" series is superb, and again while many can be read as standalone books, the reader benefits from starting at the earliest book.
(Sundiver, Startide Rising, The Uplift War, Brightness Reef, Heavens Reach + others)

Working authors in SF

[snStarter]

Well I have a list of working authors you might want to try.

Lucius Shepard
Life During Wartime
Green Eyes

Kim Stanley Robinson
Pacific Edge
Red Mars
Icehenge
The Years of Rice and Salt

Neal Stephenson
Cryptonomicon

Lew Shiner
Deserted Cities of the Heart

Vernor Vinge
A Fire Upon the Deep
A Deepness in the Sky

David Brin
The Uplift series are fun

David Gerrold
Voyage of the Star Wolf
Starhung
War Against the Chtorr series are fun esp if you like RAH

Iain Banks
The Culture novels

Connie Willis
To Say Nothing About the Dog (humor/timetravel)

There were more than enough votes for Gene Wolf who is a real writer's writer, incredibly talented. Sane? I'm not sure, but talented. And Gregory Benford's Galactic Center novels are excellent.

Connie Willis, Ted Chiang

[Miles]

Connie Willis writes some great stuff--I especially like her short fiction.

I also liked Ted Chiang's short fiction collection.

Gardner Dozois' anthologies have been mentioned before, but also check out other anthologies--David Hartwell has one, and the Nebula awards has one each year. Also check out the short fiction collections by authors you like.

Tad Williams ,Peter F Hamilton, George R R Martin

[poger67]

Tad Williams was mentioned here, but only briefly. I'll try and give a bit more detailed synopsys of 2 series of his that I've read. First is the Otherland series. Without giving too much detail, it's a 4 volume story about virtual reality gone very wrong. This isn't really some hokey "techno" novel, but one that portrays a story of something that might be possible in a few decades. Not only is the story intriguing and one of the best Sci-Fi books I've ever read, Tad Williams is a master at visualization and conveying his images into text. If you've read this series you'll know exactly what I mean - your head just fills up with mental images as you're reading this series of these fantastic (simulated) worlds.

Someone else mentioned the Memory, Sorrow & Thorn books. I'm actually on book 3 of these now and it is excellent Fantasy (way way way better than Weiss & Hickman).

Peter Hamilton's Reality Dysfunction series is drop dead amazing. I randomly picked up the first book in Heathrow for a flight back home - I still consider myself very lucky for stumbling on this fantastic series. It's true Sci-Fi in the best of the genre - space ships, battles, strange planets, alien philosophies - and of course the undead. Good enough that I will eventually go back and read it again - and it's a LONG series, but worth every page.

I'll also mention George R. R. Martin and his Fantasy series 'A Song of Fire and Ice'. Again, an excellent Fantasy series equally as good as the Tad Williams one - but - it's not done yet! The first 3 books are out and I was sucked into them as much as any other series I've read but the 4th book hasn't even been published yet. In fact, his web site states that he's still writing it! Chop chop Mr. Martin!

Also worth a strong mention is Terry Goodkind and the Sword of Truth series. I felt the main character was developed a bit poorly early on but the series did pick right up and was an excellent read. The final book, Pillars of Creation I have not read yet though and I've seen some poor reviews of it. But, from my understanding, the main story is mostly over at this point and the last book is more of an offshoot with some new characters.

A few not yet mentioned

[Kennric]

David Zindell for something a bit more philosophiocal than scientific science fiction. I was pleasantly surprised by 'The Wild'. Alexander Jablakov, for gorgeous writing - look for Carve the Sky, A Deeper Sea and Breath of Suspension. Poetic and human science fiction. Mary Gentle for something rare and precious - Fantasy stories that you haven't already read a dozen times. Her writing is uneven and sometimes insanely bad, but it is a real treat to read a story that is not a re-work of one of the three unoversal fantasy themes. (A Secret History, Architecture of Light, Rats and Gargoyles). Not knowing where the hell she was going got me through a lot of her spotty writing. I was unable to stop reading 'Grunts', though I often desperately wanted to.

Re:A few not yet mentioned

[Kennric]

(Dang it, I did format that....)

David Zindell for something a bit more philosophiocal than scientific science fiction. I was pleasantly surprised by 'The Wild'.

Alexander Jablakov, for gorgeous writing - look for Carve the Sky, A Deeper Sea and Breath of Suspension. Poetic and human science fiction.

Mary Gentle for something rare and precious - Fantasy stories that you haven't already read a dozen times. Her writing is uneven and sometimes insanely bad, but it is a real treat to read a story that is not a re-work of one of the three unoversal fantasy themes. (A Secret History, Architecture of Light, Rats and Gargoyles). Not knowing where the hell she was going got me through a lot of her spotty writing. I was unable to stop reading 'Grunts', though I often desperately wanted to.

Robert Sawyer

[mre5565]

http://www.sfwriter.com I've yet to be disappointed by anything he's written.

Charles DeLint and others

[Cavedragon]

Charles DeLint is a Canadian author (& songwriter & poet &...)who writes brilliant urban fantasy- most set in Newford, a city that doesn't exist but should. Try "Moonheart" as a jumping on point.

Or try Guy Gavriel Kay- If you liked Tolkien. He worked with Christopher on some of the early "Lost Tales" books, then moved on to his own stuff when her realized that CT was going to publish every scrap of JRRT's writing down to the last cocktail napkin. Kay has written "The Fionavar Tapestry", a great trilogy, and some good stand alone stuff, too.

And for a Canadian trifecta, of course there's Spider Robinson, once dubbed the "Next Robert Heinlein" (Of course that was 25 years ago...) He's never lived up to it, but who could? He's still a must-read, IMHO. The Callahan's books are the best place to start, as is the short story collection "Melancholy Elephants".

Robin Hobb (who is also Megan Lindholm) has written some solid non-trad fantasies, including the Assassin's Apprentice Trilogy, the Liveship Traders books, and the Farseer Triliogy. She's tying them all together in the Tawny Man series.

JV Jones's "The Baker's Boy" series is good too, and I enjoyed "Cavern of Black Ice", but I'm dying for the sequel (2-plus years overdue). "The Barbed Coil", too.

Katherine Kurtz's Deryni books have become few & far between, but are always excellent. The Adept series is okay- sort of like Larry Niven's "The Magic Goes Away" without, well, the magic going away.

And if you like alternate realities, Harry Turtledove is your guy- "Guns Of The South" for example, but his entire "World at War" series, etc.

SM Stirling wrote a cool trilogy about Nantucket being sent back to the 1200's or so. Just Nantucket. "Island In The Sea Of Time" et al.

I'll second every "Song of Ice & Fire" recommendation, too. One of the best high fantasy series.

I used to manage a chain bookstore... can you tell? I could go on and on...

Some of my personal favorites..

[Twyst]

Don DeBrandt
- fairly new, but quite entertaining.
SteelDriver and TimberJack are quite good, as is The Quicksilver Screen.

Mercedes Lackey (fantasy)
- I'm a huge fan of hers. Her characters always seem to be "real". I recommend the entire Valdemar series - which is quite a lot of novels:
These are all trilogies, for the most part, and in chronological order - they're all in the same "universe", but along a large span of time.

The Mage Wars:
The Black Gryphon,The White Gryphon,The Silver Gryphon

The Last Herald-Mage:
Magic's Promise, Magic's Pawn,Magic's Price

Brightly Burning

Vows of Honor:
Oathbound, OathBreaker, OathBlood - this trilogy is about Tarma and Kethry, a pair of female mercs .. And they're VERY different from the stereotype. A definate must read.

Heralds Of Valdemar:
Arrows of the Queen
Arrow's Flight
Arrow's Fall

By The Sword

Exile's Honor
Exile's Valor
(haven't read these two yet)
Take a Thief

The Mage Winds:
Winds of Fate
Winds of Change
Winds of Fury

The Mage Storms:
Storm Warning
Storm Rising
Storm Breaking

The Owl Knight:
Owlflight
Owlsight
Owlknight ....

And I'm hoping there will be more!

Also, she does a fun series called "The SERRAted Edge", which is about modern day elves and racecars.

She has several other novels and series under her belt, and I've never been disappointed by them.

Another author I like is Elizabeth Moon - she does realistic military sci-fi.. with horses!
There's a trade paperback called Heris Serrano, which is a great buy - it contains 3 novels, a great taster for her style. She's done collaborations with Anne McCaffery, and others (don't recall offhand).

That's just my $.43 worth.

Jonathan Lethem

[jsab]

Check out the following by Lethem:

Gun with Occasional Music
As She Climbed Across the Table
Girl in Landscape

He has a different take on sci-fi but it works.
To give a point of reference some of my favorite sci-fi books include: Asimov (Foundation Trilogy, The Gods Themselves), Joe Haldeman (The Forever War)

Great moments in history

[Xtifr]

J. Random Passerby: "Gee, Mr. Sturgeon, you write scifi? I've read some of this scifi stuff, and honestly, most of it is crud!"

Ted Sturgeon: "Indeed, about 90% of all science fiction is crud, but then 90% of everything, roughly speaking, is crud."

And thus was born Sturgeon's Law.

I used to dabble in scifi

I used to "dabble" in mainstream fiction, and found that most of it was crap. And what do we learn from this? Sturgeon was right.

Actually, I would argue that today, the meta-category of "speculative fiction" has, overall, a higher percentage of good stuff because it simply give the author more scope. All of time and space, all the lands of the imagination, up to and including the real world here-and-now. How can someone who is truly creative and inventive resist this wider scope? I think this is a fairly minor factor, and is partially offset by the stigma of being a "genre author", but I nevertheless think it's a factor.

avoid the topsellers lists, its filled with pedestrian crap

Here I strongly disagree. Sure, 90% of the bestsellers are crap, but remember Sturgeon's law. Throughout history, most of the great writers have been popular writers, at least as far back as Shakespeare. If you're not writing to entertain, then why the hell are you writing? I'd much rather have a novel written by someone who has worked for years to learn how to write an entertaining, popular novel, than by someone who has spent years trying to prove to the world how much smarter he is than the average joe.

The first step to enlightenment is to be a book snob.

Yeah, I tried that back when I was a young student, a couple of decades ago. Now, looking back, I realize what a pretentious young idiot I was. Back then, I thought James Joyce was the height to which literature could and should aspire. Now I realize that it's simply an interesting side-branch of literature. Worth investigating, but no better in any absolute sense than the best of the popular best-selling authors.

As for learning something, I think that in general, you'll do better to read some non-fiction. I read fiction for entertainment, and thus, I expect it to be entertaining. If it isn't, it's probably just a waste of my time.

Re:Great moments in history

[Anonymous Coward]

Here I strongly disagree. Sure, 90% of the bestsellers are crap, but remember Sturgeon's law. Throughout history, most of the great writers have been popular writers, at least as far back as Shakespeare. If you're not writing to entertain, then why the hell are you writing?

Because the bestseller lists are entertaining for people with grade ten educations maybe????

Christopher Rowley's Dragon Novels

[serutan]

I highly recommend all the books in the Bazil Broketail series by Christopher Rowley. Set in a meticulously detailed medieval world, where dragons are used in battle like tanks and witches strive to suppress technology, these vividly written books follow the career of one dragon and his attendant "dragonboy" for about 10 years. Readers who don't enjoy a cross-country trek as well as a big battle may find them somewhat tedious.

Bazil Broketail
A Sword for a Dragon
Dragons of War
BattleDragon
Dragon at World's End
The Dragons of Argonath
Dragon Ultimate

Re:Christopher Rowley's Dragon Novels

[Kysh]

Wow, I was wondering if anyone else would recommend
this! Glad to see another person who's read the
series. They're easy to find in bookstores, but few
people seem to appreciate the books as well as they
should.

-Kysh

Ian McDonald

[Anonymous Coward]

read Ian McDonald. If there is such a thing as Cyberpunk, then Ian McDonald's books could be described as BioPunk.

Most notably, Ian McDonald uses strange combinations of Alien and norm to create wierd and wonderful worlds that are somehow still recognisable. The best example of this would be

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/05 53 374354/qid=1043107157/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/102-383480 2-5836129?v=glance&s=books

If you are bored with large metalic space ships and big lasers etc, then read Ian Mcdonald. His work focuses much more on human issues, as well as the larger picture.

Literary Sci-fi/fantasy??

[jkauzlar]

I tend to read mostly modern day novels or 'literary' novels like Philip Roth or Jose Saramago, but I love Lord of the Rings and Hitchhiker's books as well. I don't mean to sound hoity-toity in saying all of this, but the problem is I can't really get a doorway into the sci-fi/fantasy genre in order to learn what is good or what is bad. It seems like when I browse the section, they all look the same to me and some of the books are horribly written.

I suppose what I'm looking for is something with a sense of humor and is 'smart' with its characters.

Another way to phrase this might be: is there any literary difference between a 'good' sci-fi/fantasy novel and a 'good' modern-day novel?

I've heard a lot about the Dune series, Neal Stephenson, & Isaac Asimov. Am I on the right track?

Thanks for any replies!

Re:Literary Sci-fi/fantasy??

[Eisenstein]

Terry Pratchett is your man. Funny, deep and intersting characters. Thought-provoking and often philosophical.

How old ARE you?!?

[happyclam]

I don't know, I have maybe 4000 books at home, most of them Scifi/SF. ... I haven't bought any kind of book other than techie for more than 2 years. I just keep reading the ones that I have over and over and over.

OK, let's assume you read really fast and have nothing else to do, like a job or children. 4,000 books at a book a day, taking off Christmas and New Year's and Superbowl Sunday, runs to roughly eleven years.

How much linear wall space does 4,000 books take up, anyway?

PS: I liked "King Hereafter" by Dorothy Dunnett. It's not "Fantasy" in the wizards and sprites and goblins sense, rather an historical novel. I have only read one of her other books, but it was enjoyable.

Off the top of my head...

[incom]

Kim Stanley Robinsion and Tad Williams.

authors to read

[Anonymous Coward]

Raymond E. Feist is my favorite all time author. I can't get enough of Midkemia!

David Eddings is another to check out. his stuff is very good.

A few authors not yet mentioned

[Anonymous Coward]

Here's a few more authors to check out along with recommended works:

Spider Robinson: "Callahan's Crosstime Saloon" series, "Lady Sally" series, "The Free Lunch", "Stardance" series. Spider's work is usually humorous and chock full of humanity. If you've been reading Slashdot lately, you've probably seen his "Meloncoly Elephants" short story in regards to governmental copyright abuse.

Harlan Ellison: Pick up any collection of his short stories or his non-fiction essays. Ellison's stuff is not always Science Fiction, in fact Harlan venomously argues that his stories are not Science Fiction at all. Most of his work is about the injustice in life and the angry backlash it engenders. Some recommended short stories: "Paingod", "All the birds come home to roost", "Repent Harlaquin, said the Tick-Tock man", "A Boy and His Dog", "Flop Sweat". If you are an old skool Star Trek Fan, you're probably familiar with "City on the Edge of the World", which was originally written by Ellison (and ghost hacked by the Paramount studio writers of the 1960's).

Steve Miller and Sharon Lee: Their Liadan Universe stories are some of the most entertaining Space Operas I have ever read. The cultural backdrop
for these stories is as complex and complete as anything I have seen. Their work is somewhat comparable to Lois McMaster Bujold's "Miles Voroskaven" series (which I also recommend).

Robert Sawyer: "Illegal Alien", "Hominids", "Factoring Humanity", "Flashforward", "Terminal Experiment" and "Calculating God" are recommended books.

Theodore Sturgeon: Most of Sturgeon's work is good, but "More Than Human", "Born of Man and Woman" and my guilty pleasure favorite "Killdozer!" are recommended (the made for TV movie of "Killdozer!" is a B-movie classic!).

Murray Leinster: "A Logic Named Joe" is worth tracking down. Written in 1946 it describes the modern day internet in eerie accuracy and it's an entertaining read too.

H.P. Lovecraft: No spaceships here, but plenty of alien inteligences and fantastic settings. Lovecraft's work is more properly Horror or Fantasy. Recommended works: "The Dunwitch Horror", "Colour out of Space", "Cool Air", "Pickman's Model", "The Shadow over Innsmouth", and of course "The Call of Cthulhu".

Issac Asimov: "Nine Tommorrows" and "I, Robot" are great collections of Asimov's short story genius, while the "Foundation" trilogy is a fine example of Asimov's novel chops.

Ray Bradbury: "The Martian Cronicles" is a great story. Also check out the short story collections "R is for Rocket" and "S is for Spaceship".

Kim Stanley Robinson: "Red|Blue|Green Mars" is a great trilogy about terraforming Mars and a pretty good political novel too.

Joe Haldeman: "The Forever War" is a great novel about the disgusting futility of war.

Frank Herbert: "The White Plague" and "The Heisenburg Experiment" are cool books about genetic expermentation and of course there's his "Dune" series.

Eric Flint: "1632" is one of my favority alternate history books -- not exactly science fiction, but an entertaining read. Also Flint's "Belesarius" series is a good read. Other recommended authors of military Science Fiction are David Drake and Steve Weber. "The Warmasters" is a good intro to all three of these authors, featuring short stories from their most famous settings.

H.P. Wells: Wells' works are so good, they've become part of the human collective conciousness: "The Invisible Man", "War of the Worlds", "The Time Machine". Throw in Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and Jules Verne's "10,000 Leagues under the Sea" to round out your old skool Science Fiction collection

Neil Stephenson: Almost all of his books are awesome. "Zodiac" is my personal favorite, followed by "Snow Crash" and "Cryptonominicon".

Also, allow me to second any recommendations of Robert Heinlein you have already seen. My personal Heinlein favorites are "Podkane of Mars", "Stranger in a Strange Land", and "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress".

My two recommendation

[Pieroxy]

Aside from the "classics" (which I'm sure you already read many times), two books in my SF collections did surprise me :

K.W. Jeter - Farewell Horizontal
Frederick Pohl - Gateway (I point out this one because the rest of the Heechee saga is not as good)
From Frank Herbert
- The Santaroga Barrier
- The Dosadi Experiment (All books)
- Destination Void (All Books, the last one being the less interesting)
These three series/books are true gems and that's a shame that Dune's success has hidden them from fame!

Re:My two recommendation

[Iguanaphobic]

Best Frank Herbert IMHO:

The White Plague

Far too plausible.

Non-SF

[gusoline]

As someone who starts getting nervous if my to-be-read pile gets shorter than about 12" thick, I've found that I've had to branch out to find good books.

I would suggest trying to ease into more general fiction. Start with Harlan Ellison and JL Borges - short stories and still connected to SF and Fantasy (Ellison prefers the term speculative fiction). Try Umberto Ecco - The Name of the Rose, and Foccault's Pendulum are outstanding; or Milan Kundera; or Louisa Valenzuela. John Irving and Joseph Heller are both relatively light reading, but still well done and entertaining (Catch-22 is a MUST read). Paul Theroux and Tom Robbins are also definitely worth checking out. Donald Barthelme is outstanding if you want something a little stranger - considered by some to be the father of post-modern fiction.

If you want to stick with strictly SF, I would heartily endorse the mentions of Gene Wolfe I've seen here. I haven't seen it mentioned yet, but I have been enjoying George R.R. Martin's latest series as a break. I also haven't seen Tad Williams' Dragonbone Chair series mentioned. I didn't care for his more recent foray into SF as much, but still interesting.

One last thing - any other Russell Edson fans out there?

Greg Bear. Or Salman Rushdie.

[funwithstuff]

If you want some good old school scifi, try Blood Music, by Greg Bear. Forge of God is great too. His later stuff, even stranger.

But it sounds like you might enjoy something untechy. Try Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie. Really interesting. Look through the Booker shortlists if you're stuck.

Or the best idea? Ask a professional at your local library.

Connie Willis...

[Anonymous Coward]

I can't believe no one has mentioned Connie Willis yet! She's fairly new (early 90's, I believe), and she has some great books out. Not only are the stories new, exciting and hilarious, but the writing is excellent (she has an english degree). I recommend the following two books as a good start: "Dommsday Book" and "To say nothing of the dog". "Bellwether" is quite good as well...they've all been very hard to put down so far, including her short story collections.

Steve Aylett

[moldesigner]

One that hasn't been mentioned yet is Steve Aylett. His "Slaughtermatic" is easily the most insanely violent SF novel I've read, and I think I understood it less after finishing it than before I opened to the first page. Great fun, though.

I'll ready any science fiction that doesn't feature talking cats, or characters with names starting with "T'" (T'Pol, T'Snarg, T'....)

George R. Martin - Song of Fire and Ice

[byrnereese]

My more recent readings led me to the Song of Fire and Ice series, which so far consists of three books (Clash of Kings, Game of Thrones, Storm of Swords). It has an interesting mix of motifs going on - at first glance, it doesn't really come off as a fantasy... but there are some relatively small sub-plots and story elements that are decidedly super-natural/meta-physical/what-have-you. The books are a little verbose, but the length has yet to bother me (even though each book is about as long as all three books of LOTR!). The first of the series is the best, with the others becoming slightly more derivative each time. But I recommend them.

Visit http://majordojo.com/fantasybooks/ for an HTML listing of the Top 100 fantasy books maintained at: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/6113/top100 .html

Re:George R. Martin - Song of Fire and Ice

[aronnyc]

I agree that Martin is awesome. Such a fresh break from authors like Jordan.

4000!!!!!????

[Lord of the Fries]

Holy insane! That is just way too much. Get a life. I like to read and all too, but seriously. Consider:

• At 3/4 x 4 x 7 inches, I figure you've got about 1.5 cubic yards of books.
  
• On shelves, enough to roughly make up the 800 meter run.
  
• If you bought a lot of them at used book stores, I'll give you an average cost of $2.50. That's $10,000! That's three new snowboard sized PowerBooks.
  
• At 6 hours per book (you must be a wicked fast reader by now), and 2048 hours to the standard US work week, that's roughly 12 man years of reading.
  

Are you sure you really have 4000?!?!?!

Book sale finds

[slaker]

Why not also mention George RR Martin's "Wild Cards" novels?

New editions of those novels, plus some new volumes, have been released in the last year or so. I was happy to see them.

Also, I think the "Thieve's World" series is worth digging up, if you've never read it.

I just found a set of Lieber's "Lankhmar" series at a library books sale. I hadn't read them. They're new to me. :P

Walter Jon Williams has written some pretty solid cyberpunkish sci-fi.

And rather than new, why not find some good vintage stuff, like Alfred Bester. There's a joy in finding great books in the $.25 bin at the used book store.

Re:Book sale finds

[troc]

Speaking of vintage.....

Michael Moorcock.

Stormbringer, the eternal champion series :)

Troc.

Sci Fi AND Fantasy

[Hecatonchires]

Author: Laurell K Hamilton
Series: Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter
Books:

1. Guilty Pleasures
2. Laughing Corpse
3. Circus of the Damned
4. Lunatic Cafe
5. Bloody Bones
6. Killing Dance
7. Burnt Offerings
8. Blue Moon
9. Obsidian butterfly
10. Narcissus in Chains
11. Cerulean Sins (Hasn't been released here in Australia yet)

Synopsis: Anita is a hardase monster hunter and necromancer. Kicks butt takes names etc. Lives in a world where vampirism was legalised, and slowly, more an more things that go bump in the night are coming out of the woodwork. Worries that she might be becoming a bit psycho/sociopathic. Of course, all that worrying means she probably isn't. By book ten, she's 'dating' a master vampire, an alpha werewolf, and doing a lot of flirting with others. There is a strong current of D/S & S/M. Dominance, the strength of will to do what is necessary is a very important thread. Anita herself bugs me, she's a bit whiny, but I love the supporting cast and the world its set in.

Author: Neal Stephenson
Books:

1. Snowcrash
2. Diamond Age
3. Cryptonomicon
4. Zodiac

Synopsis: Come on, you read Slashdot and you haven't heard of this guy? Crypto is great, but that long wedge of maths a few hunderd pages in can be a killer to get past. Ditto with some of the digressions. Of course, that same maths leads to a guy working out an equation for how often he needs to jerk off v. have sex to maintain optimum mental efficiency. Snowcrash is amazingly good, Diamond Age can really make you think, and Zodiac is about the chemical engineer version of James Bond. Its ok to think the main character is an asshole, thats how Neal wrote him to be.

Author: Tanya Huff
Synopsis: Writes a lot of little one or two book series. Stuff that feels like the movie length premiere of a tv series. Mostly fluff, but I don't always want to read about the heavy stuff. Enjoyable. Makes you like her characters, and want just one more book to come out in that world.

Author: Glen Cook
Series: The Black Company
Books:

1. The Black Company
2. Shadows Linger
3. The White Rose
4. The Silver Spike
5. Shadow Games
6. Dreams of Steel (I've only read this far)
7. Bleak Seasons
8. She is the Darkness
9. Water Sleeps
10. etc

Synopsis: War in a fantasy land from 'a worms eye view'. The black company are tough as nails veterans, a mercenary company for hire. They have a 400 year history, and have picked up most every dirty trick. They start to work for a mighty wizard, one of the 'Ten who were Taken', and things go from there. Hard for me to describe the way the series is written, but I really enjoyed it. You don't expect a common soldier to know what spell a sorceror cast, or how, and that shows in this. Battles are dirty, sorcery is the fantasy worlds artillery, and the Ten who were Taken are dark, angry powers.

There is so much more to list, these are just my last few that stood out.

Let me get this straight...

[Anonymous Coward]

You've read 4000 books and the best authors you can come up with are Heinlein, Anthony, and Weis/Hickman?!?

There's plenty of good SF/Fantasy out there, but these guys ain't it.

To avoid being a total troll, I'll suggest P.K. Dick, Ursula Le Guin, Fritz Leiber, and Michael Moorcock.

Jane Lindskold, Peter David, E.R. Eddison

[Anonymous Coward]

I generally enjoy Jane Lindskold and Peter David. Here are a couple of suggestions (each is the first in a series...Jane also has another new series).

Jane Lindskold: Changer
Peter David: Sir Apropros of Nothing

Another one you shouldn't miss is some pre-Tolkien fantasy. It's really interesting to read some fantasy without his influence anywhere to be seen (you might have to look for it at a used bookstore though).

E.R. Eddison - The Worm Ouroboros

Paul J MacAuley

[ikoleverhate]

Paul J MacAuley is an incredibly good writer. He is to our age what Gibson was to the 80's - gibson's predictions about technology are taken on board, but MacAuley's vision of biotech and later, nanotech in the near future is stunning.

In his world gene hackers create psychotropic virii as cheap highs. Later cults spring up, whose utter belief can be transmitted like a disease. Dictators use loyalty plagues to ensure devotion. There is a universal unearned wage in western europe, due to a bioengineered workforce of 'dolls'.

Check out Fairyland and Invisible Country.

Langford's review of Fairyland at amazon explains it a lot better ;)

George RR Martin = GOD

[SuperBusTerror]

I've read most of the authors mentioned in this thread. Unfortunately, I have extremely cynical standards for fantasy/sf literature.

I'm currently reading Neil Gaiman's 'American Gods' and find it drawn out and digressive. I also recently re-read the first two Dune books. they were exciting at the start, but really slowed down toward the end. Robert Jordan writes the most worthless trash ever printed and should be jailed. I couldn't stomach Lois McMaster Bujold either, though I tried hard, and I can see how some people would like his/her? work.

George RR Martin's 'Song of Fire and Ice' trilogy, however, blew my mind. I found myself glued to the pages hours and hours a day. This is real literature, with complex, living characters that you really understand. The topic is rough, suspenseful, brutal, and above all, BELIEVABLE. The plot never takes precedence over the characters' motivations.

I also enjoyed Tad William's Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. A little light, but it keeps moving, and is powerful in parts.

David Brin's Uplift series, especially 'Startide Rising' are fun too.

My 2 cents. But seriously, if you read no more fantasy for the rest of your life, pick up "Game of Thrones", the first of GRRM's trilogy. I guarantee you will be surprised!

Okay, so I haven't seen these yet...

[Mandi Walls]

This thread is up around 500 posts at my threshold, but I haven't yet seen listed:

Walter M. Miller Jr - Canticle for Leibowitz, which usually gets mentioned when we have this discussion.

Robert Silverberg - Nightwings and Up the Line were both good. Both recently republished works from the 1960s.

Robert Anton Wilson - what kind of crack is this man on? Can he even function in society? fnord.

Margaret Atwood - The Handmaid's Tale. I've had to read this a couple times for classes, but I had first read it for pleasure. Her other works that i've picked up aren't in the same vein as this one.

19th century Russian lit is another place to go. Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky.

For other good novels, I look up the current AP English reading list, or go to college bookstores for the English 100 books, the point being to read something that may inspire thinking. (too much hemingway, though, people, come on!)

It just depends what you're looking for. Schoolboy escapism, cross cultural narrative, etc. There are dozens of fabulous suggestions in this thread now, and if you're sticking in the SF/F world, you've got plenty to work on. Hugo winners, Nebula winners, now we've basically got the /. award winners. :)

Have fun.

--mandi

Nice Troll, you High School Engilsh Lit Teacher!

[Anonymous Coward]

Other than "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" and Kurt Vonnegut's work in general, your list reads like a laundry list of the verbally constipated crap forced down my throat during High School.

I mean, "Great Expectations" as a recommended work, Puleez! The only thing more boring and droll than "Great Expectations" from my High School's "You must read and review this tripe" list was Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath".

C'mon have the decency to recommend "MacBeth", "Hamlet", "Julius Caesar", "The Iliad", "The Oddesey", "Legend of Sleepy Hollow", "Moby Dick", "The Inferno", "The Prince", "Lysestrata", "Inherit the Wind" or "Beowulf" from the Classics list. At least those stories are entertaining.

Finding Tom Holt in the US

[billstewart]

Tom Holt books seem to be a bit hard to find over here, but maybe that's because people keep them rather than recycling them to the used book stores - thanks for the Amazon UK pointer. Expecting Someone Taller and Who's Afraid of Beowulf? were both cheerful and interesting reads; Valhalla was pretty lame, as was Flying Dutch.
Pratchett - Also try Lords and Ladies as an early start (elves - nasty, brutish, and short....)
George R.R.Martin - A Game of Thrones - Lots of swords, not much sorcery, stark, cold, depressing - pretty much worthwhile. The "R.R." double middle initials are a bit crudely derivative, unless they're actually his...

First Contract by Greg Costikyan

[mre5565]

http://www.costik.com/books.html

A hilarious book about what happens when the aliens come to earth. The aliens have superior technology at affordable prices. Nothing Earth manufactures can compete with the imports, causing an economic depression, and the book's human protagonist to go from riches to rags.

Kim Stanley Robinson

[Tewley]

For hard science fiction mixed with thought-provoking social ideas and a ass-wholloping good storyline (at least in the first two books) -- you can't miss Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy -- Red Gren and Blue.

I may be out on limb -- but I'll even venture to think these books have had a quasi-inspirational effect on the poeple who are paid to plan and think about actual Mars exploration. What plays out in the next 50-100 years on Mars -- assuming we make it there to stay (big assumption) -- might bear some tangental similarity to what KSR has imagined ... similar in social effect to that of America in comparison with The Old World.

an end in sight

[lysander]

Robert Jordan claims that there will be at least two more books.

Heh, just for reference, at around book six, he claimed there would be at least ten.

FYI, Jordan's on a book tour right now. Got mine signed. :)

Patrick O'Brian's Jack Aubrey novels

[billstewart]

Similarly, Patrick O'Brian's novels in the same genre - start with Master and Commander, and if you become addicted, there are lots more. Hollywood has noticed the trend, and decided to movieize it, so we'll see if the characterization and mood stick around or if they turn it into adventure-movie tripe.

Authors I'd recommend

[studerby]

In no particular order, authors I'm willing to recommend...

• Emily Devenport - "Shade" (SF)
• Connie Willis - "Doomesday Book" or "To Say Nothing of the Dog" (both time travel novels) (actually "Passage" is a literature knockout, but it's disturbed me enough I won't read it again, nor recommend it...)
• John Barnes - "Mother of Storms" (SF)
• Lois McMaster Bujold - "The Spirit Ring" (magic fantasy) or "The Warrior's Apprentice" ("space opera" SF) (but the latter is part of a loose "series")
• David Brin - "Glory Season" (SF)
• Sheri Tepper - "Grass" (SF) or her 80s fantasies, the "True Game" nonology or the "Marianne" trilogy
• George R. R. Martin - "Storm of Swords" ("medieval" fantasy)
• Kim Stanley Robinson - the "Mars" trilogy (SF, a lot more "future science" than anything else on the list)
• Robert Holdstock - "Mythago Wood" (mythic fantasy)

Two new Favorites of Mine

[dwillden]

Currently, I recommend two relatively new Authors. Robin Hobb, and David Farland.

Robin is the auhor of the Live Ship Traders trilogy which I have not read yet, and the Assassin's Apprentice and Tawny Man trilogies. Robin has just had the second book fo the Tawny Man. published so it will be a year or so probably before we get the conclusion to that story line.
All three series take place in the same world. The two series I've read are directly related, the Live ship Traders is not. The Assassin's Apprentice Series begins with Assassins Apprentice follwed by the Royal Assasssin and the Assassin's Quest the Tawny Man series so far consists of Fools Errand and Golden Fool . I really enjoy her writing style and story flow.

My oher "New" favorite is David Farland. His Runelords Series takes a rather new or unique take on the use of Magic. Or at least I haven't seen anyone else using this. The Series starts with The Runelords: Sum of All Men , followed by Brotherhood of the Wolf and Wizardborn I'm not sure how many books Farland intends to stretch this series out over, but the story clearly has a ways to go at the end of the third book.

Other Authors that I haven't seen many references to in the other posts (I do admit I was reading at +4)include Terry Brooks, Anne McCaffrey, and David Drake.

Re:Two new Favorites of Mine

[Robug]

Well Said!!!
Just finished the Liveship and Runelord series, both very good.
I would recomend Shogun by James Clavell and chalenge anyone in a SF/Fantasy rut to do a little genre surfing. Had I not, I would not have ever found Dick Francis, Dean Koontz, Wilbur Smith.

George R. R. Martin

[Fencepost]

A quick googling reveals that "His middle initials stand for Raymond Richard"

Re:Lois McMaster Bujold - series chronology

[Anonymous Coward]

Why not read them in order??? Here's the chronology:

• Shards of Honor
  
• Barrayar
  
• Cordelia's Honor (has both Shards of Honor and Barrayar)
  
• The Warrior's Apprentice
  
• The Vor Game
  
• Young Miles (has Warrior's Apprentice, Mountains of Mourning and The Vor Game)
  
• Cetaganda
  
• Borders of Infinity
  
• Brothers in Arms
  
• Mirror Dance
  
• Miles Errant (has Borders of Infinity, Brothers in Arms and Mirror Dance)
  
• Memory
  
• Komarr
  
• A Civil Campaign
  
• Diplomatic Immunity

Great series. Definitely my favorite sci-fi.

the evolution of a town

[Alan Holman]

behind all thegirly anime family values stuff, banana chan ( http://www.geocities.com/radiomovie2002/ ) is compelling sci fi about the evolution of a town called Rain, Japan.

I prefer anthologies...

[Provocateur]

...because I can't commit to really long novels. I have been reading Year's Best SF 1 thru 7 edited by David Hartwell, because it's like a different episode in each short story.

Anybody know of some other similar stellar collection?

Re:I prefer anthologies...

[F452]

Gardner Dozois, the editor of Asimov's SF magazine, puts out a collection every year. There is also the L. Ron Hubbard "Writer's of the Future." I know some people will object because of his name, but it's a great contest and the judges are all big names in SF, and you really get your cutting edge new writers.

Re:All Stephen King books tie in

[MickLinux]

All of the Stephen King books, as far as I can tell, tie in to the Dark Tower series, and some of his screenplays (Rose Red) as well. His short stories may not, though.

More than that, King is a truly *deep* writer, writing philosophy as well as his own physical universe, and on several levels.

My favorite is his naming of the demon "Randolf Flagg" from "The Stand" (an excellent sci fi in its own right, for the first half), in combination with the same character in "Eyes of the Dragon": Randolf Flagg is an advisor to the king; some say he is as old as the country, and others say he *is* the country, and yet others say he merely represents the country.

He never does his own evil--just gets others to do evil in his name.

Think of the song: "You're a Randall Flagg; you're a high-flying Flagg..." and you'll catch the similarity between RF and "Grand Ol Flag".

However, that said, not all of his work is good. The Black House, for example, I dropped in disgust, and did not complete it.

_Almost_ anything by Ludlum

[billstewart]

As one of my coworkers says "Madness!"...
If you want enjoyable disposable escape fiction for vacation or airport reading, these rock.

When Ludlum's trying to be funny (Road to Omaha, Road to Gandolfo), however, he can be seriously lame. I thought Cry of the Halidon sucked badly as well. And the last couple of books, published either posthumously or semi-posthumously, don't work - they're superficially similar to real Ludlum works, but there's no depth there, just a thing walking around with his name on it.

Old School?

[Arandir]

I am looking for the new RAH/Piers Anthony/Roger Zelazny/Weis & Hickman etc..., of the world.

Okay, RAH may be old school. Maybe PA and RZ are nearing the that state. But Weis and Hickman? I remember when they first started mass producing tripe and wondering to myself what the state of scifi was coming to.

Old School is Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, Clement, Smith, Niven, etc. Remember, the world didn't start the day you were born.

Here's an online excellent King Arthur work

[MickLinux]

http://camelot.celtic-twilight.com/rudmin/arthur_c erdic_c1.htm

My brother and father wrote it; and though Geoffrey Ashe, the world's leading expert on King Arthur, said he has other ideas, he also said that this is a very convincing work.

Overall, it isn't fiction -- but it is written with a very dynamic style. Some elements are made up as pure fantasy, but the author is clear about what is fact and what is fiction.

Anyhow, read away -- and enjoy.

mysteries??

[Anonymous Coward]

I like a lot of the same authors you mention but have also had a lot of fun with mysteries:

Robert Parker - lots of stuff, style reminds me a bit or RAH;
Randy Wayne White - the "hero", Doc Ford is a marine biologist (and retired CIA type);
Lawrence Shames - great Florida fiction, gentle and thoughtful;
Carl Hiassen - older stuff is better (the latest "Basket Case" is not his best;

Also:
Larry McMurtry, "Caddilac Jack" (but stay away from "Lonesome Dove" series - too depressing);
Tom Wolfe, "A Man in Full"

Good reading!

James Alan Gardner

[sflory]

I find James Alan Gardner generally worth a read.
I really liked Expendable and Ascending. Commitment Hour is fun if wierd read.

http://www.thinkage.ca/~jim/

Sarah Zettel

[sflory]

I loved Sarah Zettel's Kingdom of Cages, and Reclamation.

First step: the obvious

[jcsehak]

I totally agree. The problem with Science Fiction is that the writer is so concerned with fantasy that there's no room for plain old good writing. Same reason you don't see Van Gogh painting dragons, and you don't see Boris Vallejo in museums. (of course, you can't discount the pre-raphaelites, but I digress...)

Go to a bookstore or library and read Hemingway's short story "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber." I swear it'll get you hooked on Ernie for life. Even if it doesn't, I guarantee you won't consider your time wasted. After that, "For Whom the Bell Tolls" is about as perfect a book as you can get. Action, adventure, romance, war, death, happiness, a little comedy... a masterpiece.

Re:Bujold is amazing

[AndroidCat]

gonna be some cheesy romance crap

But I thought A Civil Campaign revolved around cheesy romance crap? Oh wait, there was some romance with cheesy bug vomit, and a whole lot of political maneuvering, plus the implications of advanced biotechnology to society on a backwater planet. :^) (But don't read it first.)

If you get a chance to meet her at a convention, do so -- well worth it! (But please don't just barge right up.)

Re:James Morrow & Michael Bishop & Christo

[prizog]

I, too, am a big James Morrow fan (although he was rude to a friend of mine at a book signing). But I think that especially the second and final Godhead books are far from his best. My recommendations would be City Of Truth and This is the Way the World Ends .

Steven Brust - Jhereg

[billstewart]

If you're reading any of Brust, start with "Jhereg" before reading any of the other Vlad Taltos or Phoenix Guards books - it's the key to that universe, and if you like it you'll like most of the rest. It's interesting to see Brust's characters and plots evolve - he got definitely tired of writing the same old stuff, and started doing different things with them. He's also done some other things; I found The Gypsy and Agyar quirky and enjoyable.

I view Asprin as a much different category of writer. Most of his stuff starts out as "We're going to have fun writing a formulaic novel or bunch of stories for the Disposable SF/Fantasy Marketing Genre", but once you accept the concept that this stuff isn't meant to be literature or take itself at all seriously, some of it's good enough escape fiction.

nobody's mentioned this guy?! my god

[Corf]

John Barnes. Pure fun, and it raises some unique points. Mother of Storms, Kaleidescope Century, Candle, The Sky So Big and Black... the list of fun stuff goes on.

Great SF

[Kevin_Cedrone]

Cory Doctorow (who just released a book, and a short story on salon)

Robert J. Sawyer - Link

Modern Fantasy

[Fencepost]

If you're interested in fantasy in a modern setting (and not the Lackey elves & cars bit), two authors to look at are:
Charles deLint, who writes stories with mysticism but not a lot of "magic," set in a city similar to Toronto but with big aspects of mythology (largely Native American) thrown in. He's been around for a while.
Laurell K. Hamilton sometimes gets grouped into horror instead of SF/F. Her older and longer series is based around a licensed vampire executioner and necromancer living in the St. Louis area; her newer one is based around the, hm, "unloved" niece of the Queen of the Unseelie Sidhe, who spent several years hiding from the rest of the court because her life wasn't worth spit. The Anita Blake series starts out a little young-adultish, but it (and the main character) have gone through a lot of changes. From a discussion at a con, she apparently listened mostly to The Bloodhound Gang while writing the first book of the newer series - I won't say that it shows, but that series is definitely not targeted at young adults.

You should also look at Baen's Free Library which has HTML and PDA-readable versions of quite a few books from various authors, many of them the first 1-2 books of a series so you can decide whether it's worth plunking down money for paper (or electronic, see Webscriptions on the same site) versions of the later books.

Everything right is wrong again

[Anonymous Coward]

Isaac Asimov, and like their stuff, and being "new" for you.

Showed a lot of promise with "third stone from the sun", but went downhill from there.

It's like H.P. Lovecraft, reading one or two books is OK, but reading a lot gets very repetitive.

George Turner, Greg Egan, Lem, and some manga (eg. "Yokohama Shopping Trip") is really good for SF full of ideas and consequences. Dowling is just weird, but good at it.

Sean Williams and Shane Dix

[medge_42]

A good intro to Sean's works would be 'new adventures in sci-fi' which is a collection of short stories.

Sean and Shane have worked on a Star Wars book and several others together. Check out Slow Glass Books

a classic

[qasama]

Dr. E.E. Smith the 6 book Lensman Series (Triplanetary, First Lensman, Grey Lensman, Second Stage Lensman, Children of the Lens, Galatic Patrol). Another book by him worthy
of note is the Skylark of Space. All of his
writing is before 1950... but still worthy it.

I'd also suggest Katherine Kerr's Deverry Series.
(yes I know it crosses the line into Fantasy,
but it does it in a way that you can almost believe it's Speculative Fiction) I'd give the
titles but I've got the British Copies which have
different ones that the ones in the states.

Simon Green's Deathstalker Universe is another good one to dig into... 6 or 7 books these days
centering around the life and adventures of Owen Deathstalker.

list of definitive sf series

[Morthaur]

Check out the following link to an Amazon list I created. They only allow 25 items, so I placed the first book from a particular series on top, then listed all related books in the comments box. These are almost all series, with some authors instead represented by a list of best works.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/listmania/l is t-browse/-/D0KNH8RDGARB/ref=cm_aya_lm_title.more/0 02-4099811-5020804

Hope this is helpful to you. I can also write you a lost of my favourite fantasy and horror authors/series; just send me an e-mail and ask. I too have a ridiculously large library (~3500 volumes presently).

Cheers,

wmaheriv

Re:list of definitive sf series

[Morthaur]

Okay, I've copied my list out of Amazon, pasted it below, and added some of the titles that didn't fit. Hope this is helpful.

Frank Herbert- Dune series: Dune; Dune Messiah; Children Of Dune; God-Emperor Of Dune; Heretics Of Dune; Chapterhouse Dune

Orson Scott Card- Ender quartet: Ender's Game; Speaker For The Dead; Xenocide; Children Of The Mind

Isaac Asimov- Foundation series: Prelude To Foundation; Forward The Foundation; Foundation; Foundation And Empire; Second Foundation; Foundation's Edge; Foundation And Earth

Isaac Asimov- Robot series: I, Robot; The Complete Robot; The Caves Of Steel; The Naked Sun; The Robots Of Dawn; Robots And Empire; Robot Dreams; Robot Visions

Isaac Asimov- Empire series- The Stars Like Dust; The Currents Of Space; Pebble In The Sky

Misc. Asimov- The Gods Themselves; Nemesis; Nightfall; The End Of Eternity; Gold

Robert A. Heinlein: The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress; Stranger In A Strange Land; Starship Troopers; Double Star; Time Enough For Love; The Number Of The Beast; The Cat Who Walks Through Walls; To Sail Beyond The Sunset; Job- A Comedy Of Justice; Red Planet; The Puppet Masters

William Gibson: Neuromancer; Count Zero; Mona Lisa Overdrive; Virtual Light; Idoru; All Tmorrow's Parties; Burning Chrome

Alfred Bester: The Demolished Man; The Stars My Destination; Virtual Unrealities

Theodore Sturgeon: More Than Human; Venus Plus X; Selected Stories

Arthur C. Clarke: Childhood's End; Rendezvous With Rama; Rama II; The garden Of Rama; Rama Revealed; 2001- A Space Odyssey; 2010- Odyssey Two; 2061- Odyssey Three; 3001- The Final Odyssey; Songs Of Distant Earth; The Fountains Of Paradise; The Hammer Of God; The City And The Stars; The Sands Of Mars; The Ghost From The Grand Banks; The Deep Range

Greg Bear: The Forge Of God; Anvil Of The Stars; Eternity; Eon; Legacy; Blood Music, Moving Mars; Queen Of Angels; Darwin's Radio; Darwin's Children

Larry Niven- Ringworld series: Ringworld; The Ringworld Engineers; The Ringworld Throne
Misc. Niven- Three Books Of Known Space; Protectors; Neutron Star; Integral Trees; The Smoke Ring

Peter F. Hamilton- Night's Dawn Trilogy: Reality Dysfunction- Emergence; Reality Dysfunction- Expansion; Neutronium Alchemist- Consolidation; Neutronium Alchemist- Conflict; Naked God- Flight; Naked God- Faith; also A Second Chance At Eden

David Brin- Uplift series: Sundiver; Startide Rising; The Uplift War; Brightness Reef; Infinity's Shore; Heaven's Reach

Neal Stephenson- Snow Crash; The Diamond Age; Cryptonomicon; Zodiac

Bruce Sterling- Schismatrix Plus; Heavy Weather; Holy Fire; Distraction; Globalhead; A Good Old-Fashioned Future

Vernor Vinge- A Fire Upon The Deep; A Deepness In The Sky

Joe Haldeman- The Forever War; Forever Free; Forever Peace

Dan Simmons- Hyperion; The Fall Of Hyperion; Endymion; The Rise Of Endymion
Eric S. Nylund- Signal To Noise; A Signal Shattered

C. J. Cherryh- Foreigner; Invader; Inheritor; Precursor; Defender; Explorer

Philip K. Dick: The Man In The High Castle; A Scanner Darkly; Valis; Ubik; Flow My Tears, The Police Man Said; Confessions Of A Crap Artist; The Three Stigmata Of Palmer Eldritch; The Divine Invasion; Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep; Radio Free Albemuth; The Transmigration Of Timothy Archer; Time Out Of Joint; The Simulacra

Daniel Keyes- Flowers For Algernon

Walter M. Miller Jr- A Canticle For Leibowitz; Saint Leibowitz And The Wild Horse Woman

Ben Bova- Privateers; Empire Builders; Mars; Return To Mars; Moonrise; Moonwar; Venus; Jupiter; The Precipice; The Rock Rats

Frederik Pohl- Heechee series: Gateway; Beyond The Blue Event Horizon; Heechee Rendezvous; The Annals Of The Heechee; The Gateway Trip

Kurt Vonnegut- Slaughterhouse Five; Cat's Cradle; Mother Night; The Sirens Of Titan; Welcome To The Monkey House; God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian; Breakfast Of Champions

Aldous Huxley- Brave New World

George Orwell- 1984

Ray Bradbury- Fahrenheit 451; The Martian Chronicles; Something Wicked This Way Comes; The Illustrated Man; Dandelion Wine; From The Dust Returned; Death Is A Lonely Business

Hard Science Fiction...

[djsable]

Definitly one of the best new voices in the Science Fiction genre (with an emphasis on HARD science fiction..)

is Stephen Baxter. he writes very detailed and amazingly well researched books that use lots of very current information for his explanations of the science behind the stories.

One of the more intersting things is that he usually cites the papers he got his ideas from. He is well read, and has drawn ideas from papers on natural nuclear reactors, space time continum, and many other theoretical works.

His works are fresh, and detailed, but he doesn't skimp out on character development. You believe in his characters, and you are drawn in hook line and sinker to his highly detailed, quite beleiveable world.

Vernor Vinge

[Anonymous Coward]

Can't find Vernor Vinge in here?

Nobody who likes "Fire upon the Deep" and "A Deepness in the Sky"?

Jack Chalker...

[sudog]

...especially the Well World series, which includes the following books:

Midnight at the Well of Souls (the best)
Exiles at the Well of Souls
Quest for the Well of Souls
The Return of Nathan Brazil
Twilight at the Well of Souls

There are newer ones, but the above are the original and best. The newer well-world series is kind of a sub-series and includes:

Echoes of the Well of Souls
Shadow of the Well of Souls
Gods of the Well of Souls

Another series, "The Changewinds" series is damn good and includes:

When the Changewinds Blow
Riders of the Winds
War of the Maelstrom

The next series that I enjoyed tremendously was the "Four Lords of the Diamond" series:

Lilith: A Snake in the Grass
Cerberus: A Wolf in the Fold
Charon: A Dragon at the Gate
Medusa: A Tiger by the Tail

Another series I thought was very promising but that I wasn't able to find the other three four was the "Rings of the Master":

Lords of the Middle Dark
Pirates of the Thunder
Warriors of the Storm
Masks of the Martyrs

--and those are the best ones that I read. A pile of others exist, too. Most of his novels have a kind of bittersweet happy ending, so in that light it's refreshing from the post-war, depressing evil big brother pulp. They're positive at the endings, which is *so* nice.

Favorite book Of 2002 Neil Gaiman - American Gods

[himthatwas]

Yes, this cheapskate only buys paperback. Neil Gaiman - American Gods I have found Timothy Zahn to be very satisfying as well. You never get lost but somehow he can suprise me an interesting twist and the best alien species I have found in any sci-fi. Except Farscape, shame on you Sci-Fi Network.

Zelzany's last published work

[slaker]

Zelzany's last published work was a goofy little shared-world type novel called "Happily Ever After". I only just read it, but your post reminded me of it, so I'll mention it.

The basic concept is, "What happens after the end of the Epic Fantasy Adventure(tm)?", which is as good a concept as any, but executed marvelously by each of the contributors.

There's an absolute gem of a short story in that collection by David Drake. I laughed loud and hard enough that the guy sitting next to me on the train got up and walked away. David Drake? The hard-bitten military SF guy? Yup. Cross "Conan" with "Monty Python" with "Hammer's Slammers" and you're on the right track.

Re:Feist - Hell yeah!

[The_dev0]

I agree. I read Feist's series soon after finishing Eddings' Belgariad series. Both very good, but Feist seems a more well-rounded, deeper experience.

How about books to stay away from? My picks

[Anonymous Coward]

Just a note at the top to say where I'm coming from. One of my favorite series I have read in the past 20 years was Dan Simmons Hyperion. It lagged a bit in one out of the 4 books, but the first, second, and last books were outstanding.

The wizard of earthsea is one of my favorite fantasy books (besides Tolkien, of course).

That said: Top on my list of 'I wish I had the time back'

David Brin: - Latest uplift trilogy. Way Way too long without saying ANYTHING of interest. Entire first and some of second book were superfluous, and the ending was boring. Bleah. Nothing I have seen by Brin since startide rising has lived up to the promise of that book. This is waaaaay off the mark. Stay away. I read a few bad reviews on Amazon, but figured, gee...how bad could it be? I enjoyed the first 3. Well, it could be horrendous. I specifically created an account on amazon to warn others away. That's how bad.

Neal Stephenson - Cryptonomicon - Too long. Loved Snow Crash and really like Diamond Age. This is sub-par. 900 pages shouldn't leave you with that 'all that for this?' feeling. Can't for the life of me figure out why anyone on slashdot thinks this book kicks ass. It was okay, but unsatisfying. Perhaps it was the hip computer references, but for anyone who knows what they are talking about on slashdot, (probably the minority), the computer stuff was pretty basic really. Perhaps slashdotter's just needed a book to call their own?

Iain Banks - Consider Phlebas. Perhaps the Banks lovers are correct, and he is a great writer. Not obvious from this book. I am still looking for the Player of Games, but that is in spite of this book, not because of it. Running around the galaxy and getting into strange situations is not a plot. Well, okay, it is a plot, but here it is just not an interesting or good one.

Robert Jordan - last 3 volumes of the Wheel of time (6 - 9). This guy needs to have some movement in a forward direction on his plot. The last 3 books should have been edited into one. Someone hand this guy an editor. Enough with the mannerisms=characterization already! Rob - flaws with your writing are easily overlooked once. After 5000+ pages of them, they are getting out of hand. Really. Find a good editor and listen to her/him. Please. I still think an "editor's cut" of the last 3 books would be a good idea.

Of course YMMV :-)

Top "New" Authors

[jordandeamattson]

Lois McMaster Bujold for those looking for pure "romp" space opera. Strong characters and plotting.

Harry Turtledove for fantastic alternate history and great science fiction. His War World series is incredible science fiction (WW II meets alien invasion).

Catherine Asaro for strong science fiction and strongly drawn characters. She is a cross-over author (SF and Romance), so don't let the garish covers turn you off. It is solid SF within the covers.

Orson Scott Card for some great stories. His continuation of the End series has been fantastic.

Vernor Vinge for some of the best hard, hard science fiction. Remember that he is the daddy of "Cyber Space" and that his famous novella, True Names is back in print.

good science fiction?

[A Gremlin In Kremlin]

Good sci-fi is hard to find.

I have read only a rare few authors that are good enough for me; Arthur C Clarke (Excellent stories, great characters), Eugen Semitjov (Fascinating ideas carried out very well), Carl Sagan (well it's Carl Sagan, do we need to say anything there?).

Problem with a lot of the science fiction is that it's so hard to predict the future. Basically, people add future technology as they see it, but doesn't update anything else. A lot of the sci-fi today is just not good. It's unrealistic (sure it's sci-fi, but you know what I mean) a lot of the times.

Barry Hughart

[iion_tichy]

Since nobody mentioned him yet, I thought the three books by Barry Hughart were absolutely brilliant. Certainly among my alltime favourite books. It's fantasy set in china, both very funny/original and very touching.

Barry Hughart at Amazon

Given my nick, I feel compelled to also recommend Stanislaw Lem ;-)

The most recent scifi/fantasy books I enjoyed were much to my surprise the Shadowrun books by Nigel Findley, which I picked up cheaply on ebay. I expected mindless trash, but was pleasantly surprised. Reminded my of Raymond Chandler.

Try out Stephen Baxter

[TheMadReaper]

I discovered Stephen Baxter recently thanks to a book that he coauthored with Arthur C Clarke. Baxter tends to have novels that spane the lifetime of the universe, and that consider humanity's place in such an immensity of space and time. He is often also quite critical of NASA (at least in the part of the book that takes place near enough to the present for NASA still to be in existence).

Dream of Glass

[Saddy McSad]

Dream of Glass Jean Mark Gawron Amazing book.

My favorite SciFi/Fantasy authors

[MacDude1]

Margaret Weiss - Star of the Guardians, Dark Sword
Stephen R. Donaldson - Thomas Covenant series
David Eddings - Belgarion series
Robert Jordan - Wheel of Time (first 6 books or so - he has really ticked me off the last few books)
Tolkien
W. Michael Gear - Spider series (good scifi)
Isaac Asimov - Foundation books
R.A. Salvatore - Dark Elf books

These are the authors that stick out in my mind. Of course, I harbor the dream of adding my own name to this list if Wizards of the Coast would ever get back to me! I am committed enough (or crazy enough) to not be daunted by their lack of timely response - heh...they must all be the same hiring managers that ignored my resume for months!

Re:My favorite SciFi/Fantasy authors

[Frisky070802]

I liked Donaldson... if you like him, I recommend a relatively new author (and someone I knew about 20 years ago in college), Katya Reimann. She has a very nice fantasy trilogy out.

I also second all the votes for Neal Stephenson and Vernor Vinge.

authors

[Anonymous Coward]

L. E. Modesitt's Recluce saga isn't bad. More or less an attempt at making magic more of a science with two side order(black) & chaos(white).

Robert Lynn Asprin's Thieve's World series wasn't too bad. Essentially edited by Asprin with a few of his own stories tossed in amongst MANY MANY other contributing authors. Pretty any author who is any one contributed at least one short story to the collection(12? books of short stories). The stories are tied together by the location in which they take place, and characters appearing in stories to an extent. Of course, you'll likely have a problem finding them other than used, as they are long out of print.

One word: Wagner

[bugnuts]

I can't believe noone has mentioned the Kane series by Karl Edward Wagner. This is probably the most enjoyable Fantasy I've ever read. LOTR, fun and great storytelling, with great appeal to everyone. The Kane books do not appeal to everyone, much like the Illearth series (Donald Stephenson's Thomas Covenant anti-hero) didn't appeal to everyone. Kane is a very complex, chaotic, and amazingly evil character cursed by a mad god to be immortal until killed by the chaos he creates.

Go find a copy of Bloodstone today!

Re:One word: Wagner

[msfodder]

The books vary wildly in quality, but basically
are all worth reading if you find yourself liking
any of them.
That's not high praise I know...but KEW created
a really unique anti-conan type and was, like REH,
a better storyteller than author.
I was sad to find out he died back in 9?.
His collaboration with David Drake on Killer is
decent too..

Cover Art is a reasonable way to buy

[jonskerr]

I know that sounds kinda dumb, and certainly didn't apply in the 60's and 70's (have you SEEN some of those covers?) but if you see a great piece of art on a cover by Michael Whalen you know the publisher thinks enough of the book to pay top dollar to promote it.

Anything by Lawrence Watt-Evans...

[Ferretman]

...is pure gold. He's primarily a fantasty writer but he's done some science fiction as well. Check out his excellent page at The Misenchanted Page.

Ferretman

Second the C.J. Cherryh

[ab762]

A Sci-Fi author people tend to miss somehow who I really like is C.J. Cherryh, she's amazingly prolific and has quite a large body of interconnected work. Much like most of the works of McCaffrey, everything takes place in the same slice of reality, which is something I've always enjoyed in a sci-fi author

I've just finished the Foreigner series ... Foreigner, Invader, Inheritor, Precursor, Defender, Explorer I'd characterise these as "space opera done right" - aliens, first contact, re-contact, but realistic, with things like learning languages, negotiations, and generally adult (in the good senses) behaviour.

Perhaps not quite in the same reality as the Downbelow station universe, but a related one. They center on Bren Cameron, the ambassador/interpreter between a lost human colony and the atevi, a race who had just invented the steam engine when the colony was left there. That was two centuries before, and everything has changed. Then the ship that left the colony comes back ... and eveything changes again.

Re:Second the C.J. Cherryh

[drinkypoo]

If I am clear on some points, the Atevi books are in the same universe as the rest. Humanity reached out in three directions. One of them is human-dominated, and I think that the only alien contact in that direction is downbelow. In another we have the plethora of alien species we meet in the Chanur series... And of course there's 40,000 in Gehenna which is in that same direction (I think - I always forget what's where because I don't study the maps, someone needs to make an interactive 3d starmap of Cherryh's writings for my sorry ass) and that has a whole other sentient species. There's also... serpent's reach? That doesn't seem like it IS in her world.

I agree that the Foreigner series is fantastic, I just didn't want my post to get too long. How many of her books do I plug? I figure it's enough to say "here's where I started, it's all good, read everything."

A sibling comment mentioned the Morgaine cycle which I DO feel bad about leaving out as well. If you think about it, the Morgaine cycle could easily be in the same universe as all else, and simply have occurred well before or after it, and it can explain former events or later ones. I really like the meshing and continuity...

Re:Second the C.J. Cherryh

[Anonymous Coward]

The atevi books aren't in the same universe. It becomes clear in the last one that the FTL technology is different. (This is not a spoiler.)

FWIW.

Re:Fantasy with heroes in control w/o much real pr

[Number14]

Have to agree. Redemption was, on top of everything else, possibly the single worst treatment of something like time travel I have ever read. I enjoy Belgariad/Mallorean well enough, and while I applaud his attempt in the Elenium and Tamuli to make a world where not _everything_ was black and white, as it pretty much was in the Belgariad, I do wish he had managed to find a new plot to put in that world instead of recycling the one he'd already done twice... two more times.

All of them?

[wass]

Hi, I just finished Dune 8 days ago. I've heard some say that the whole series kind of slides downhill from the first one, but do you still recommend reading the 7 by Herbert?

Regarding his son and the prequels, I'm somewhat of an elitist purist, thinking it somewhat blasphemous for someone else to continue another's masterpiece, even if it is their progeny.

CS Friedman

[raolin]

Have you checked out the ColdFire Trilogy by CS Friedman? Black Sun Rising, When True Night Falls, and Crown of Shadows are the names of the books (in order) and I have greatly enjoyed reading them. The aren't exactly new, but well worth the read.

The longest running SciFi in History

[Anonymous Coward]

40 Years and counting ... Perry Rhodan
(several authors)

Small nitpick...

[Any Web Loco]

In a short story collection called "State of the Art" it's made quite clear that Homo Sapiens were not founding members of the Culture, and thath they were not likely to be any time soon. Other than that, I agree with the parent and cannot recommend these books highly enough. Check out his web site - http://www.iainbanks.net/

Jack McDevitt, anyone?

[CyberDong]

Hit & miss, but generally pretty good.

Jack Womack, Pat Cadigan, Robert Rankin, etc.

[CJSWork]

Some others to check out for something different.

I find 'em readable, but YMMV.

Pat Cadigan: Fairly original cyberpunk.
Fools, Tea from an Empty Cup.

Jack Womack: Near-future. Some of the things he does to language are frankly criminal.
Not a series, but set in the same world:
Ambient, Terraplane, Heathern, Elvissey,
Random Acts of Senseless Violence.

Robert Rankin: 'Humorous' SF straight out of left field.
The Armageddon Trilogy - Armageddon The Musical, They Came and Ate Us, The Suburban Book of the Dead
The Brentford Trilogy (The Antipope, The Brentford Triangle, East of Ealing, The Sprouts of Wrath)

Neil Gaiman

[Anonymous Coward]

Neil Gaiman Neil Gaiman Neil Gaiman
Has anyone read Stardust or American Gods???
Neil Gaiman is God, period.

New Sci-Fi?

[Anonymous Coward]

Calculating God, by Robert Sawyer

check it out!

if these aren't here already...

[Anonymous Coward]

Tim Powers writes some good stuff:
'Last Call'
'The Anubis Gates'

Ken Macleod is must read stuff:
'The Cassini Division'

Umberto Eco's 'The Name of the Rose' is set in medieval europe, is neither scifi nor fantasy but might as well be. Unlike Robert Jordan, he can write.

You cannot afford not to read Robert Anton Wilson and Rob Shea's masterpiece:
'Illuminatus!'

I'd recommend Stephenson but its been done already.

Re:David Eddings + some suggestions

[Anonymous Coward]

I stopped reading fantasy after reading David Eddings, it read too much like a bad comic book.

I'm surprised I have not seen Larry Niven mentioned yet. I also like his collaborations with Jerry Pournelle. A lot of his stuff is inspired by macro engineering and social experiments:

Ringworld
Footfall
Mote in God's Eye
Lucifer's Hammer

The asteroid hits the earth angle may be a bit overplayed after movies like Armageddon, but these guys wrote about it twenty years ahead of Hollywood.

systematic destruction of the world's ecosystem

[Anonymous Coward]

David Gerrold's Chtorr series. a little moody, but lot's of cool stuff to think about.

Also CJ's Morgaine Books

[jonskerr]

Since the poster reads Dragonlance et all, check out Gate of Ivrel, The Well of Shiuan, The Fires of Azeroth and the 4th one I don't remember, but they're all good. And realistic fantasy for once (sorta. based on technology). An arrow wound takes quite a while to heal and is a big deal for example.

another great one

[Anonymous Coward]

oh yeah, stephen donaldson's 'gap series'. amazing, 5 books, starts with "the real story", ..... epic si-fi

Eric S. Nylund, SF writer & microsoft employee

[OneInEveryCrowd]

His A Signal Shattered and Signal to Noise books are both very good. If you like Neal Stephenson and Bruce Sterling you should check them out.

He also did a novelization of the game Halo but I never checked that one out.

authors: my recs

[Madcapjack]

Stephen Baxter: Manifold Space; Manifold Time; Manifold Destiny

Neil Stephenson: Snow Crash

Tad Williams: Memory Sorrow Thorn

Kim Stanley Robinson: Red Mars; Green Mars; Blue Mars

enjoy the reads!

Rule of Thumb

[Anonymous Coward]

Chinese restaurant owners too cheap to buy cups with wings, tell me that you've got to "cup" the cup in your hand, 'cos, if it's too hot to hold in your hand, then, you won't want to hold it in your much more sensitive insides. Sensible, eh ?

IMHO, same goes for science-fiction. If a story can't fit in one humungous book. Well, then don't expect me to cram it into my head. Avoid trilogies, poli-ologies 'n such.

Exceptions to confirm the rule : Riverworld. And Gibbion's "Fall of The Roman Empire", of course. :)

Gregory Benford

[joshuaos]

At the moment, I'm over half way through my first of Benford's books. My dad recomended it to me, "Time-Scape" is the name, it's quite good, but much as you describe.

I must say, though, that the best science fiction writer I've read of late is Orsen Scott Card! Most famous for his Ender series (all great, imho), my favorite of his books so far was called "Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus." This book combined science fiction and historical fiction in a most remarkable way, and I would highly recommend it.

Cheers, Joshua

Glen Cook

[Anonymous Coward]

He also wrote an excellent hard SF novel titled "The Dragon Never Sleeps"; one of my all-time favorites.

If you're gonna mention Greg Bear....

[UrGeek]

....then you GOTTA mention _Blood_Music_. Tim Leary recommended it and it did complete blow my mind.

Other Vance novels, hard to find in the U.S.

[wilgamesh]

I want to put in a few words also of support for Jack Vance. He writes with a style that immerses you totally in his world, populated by incredible peoples that you can both at once recognize and empathize with, yet find totally alien.

I recommend Emphyrio, and Tales of the Dying Earth. Emphyrio absorbed me as an adventure story when I was a kid. I read it again when I was older, and I saw it in a different light as a much more complicated story. Tales of the Dying Earth is a sampling of short stories he compiled long long ago.

The back cover may pique your interest:
"A dim place, ancient beyond knowledge. Once it was a tall world of cloudy mountains and bright rivers, and the sun was a blazing white ball. Ages of wind and rain have beaten and rounded the granite, and the sun is feeble and red. The continents have sunk and risen. A million cities have lifted towers, have fallen to dust. In place of the old peoples a few thousand strange souls live. There is evil on Earth, evil distilled by time... Earth is dying."

He also published only two titles of which I'm aware in the U.S.: Demon Princes and Tales of Dying Earth. People will have trouble finding him. Perhaps www.amazon.uk? You can also find used copies of his books online or in sci-fi used bookstores, such as one pointed out to me on Irving St. in San Francisco.

Re:Favorite book Of 2002 Neil Gaiman - American Go

[MiniFig]

I have recommended American Gods to more of my friends this year than any other book! Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant.... You might say that it borders on a thin line between fantasy and sci-fi... o.k. it's a fantasy book. No, it's a rich character study... No, it's an indictment and a celebration of what America is all about... no, it's an excuse to write about "Rock City".... Did I mention that it's brilliant? If you like this one.... read NEVERWHERE and STARDUST! Neverwhere kicks ass and should make a great film one of these days.....

Science Fiction/Fantasy Writers On My List

[MisterMook]

These are just the authors of the books in my "put these away soon" pile. All have books that I have recently read and enjoyed and follow the basic theme of science fiction and/or fantasy. Qualifier: I have thousands of science fiction and fantasy novels and works collected by my father for over 50 years and I've been collecting them myself for over 20. I have an attic full of books, three rooms of bookshelves, and some in storage. Still there is a definite trend of taste in most of the books that some people might not share or agree with.

Lois McMaster Bujold (reread)

LMB simply deserves every accolade she's won. Of all the books of hers that I've read (which I believe with the completion of The Curse of Chalion now includes all of them) only Falling Free felt like it was wrote in haste or lack of care.

Harry Turtledove

Turtledove is the king of Alternative Historical Fiction and when he writes I always get the sense that he's gone to the effort of trying to get a unique or intimate perspective on the people or cultures he's writing about.

William Dietz

Not my favorite, but he's fun for neat explosions and one-liners occassionally I suppose.

Eric Flint

Hit or miss, I think that when he's writing with a co-author he sometimes either shows brilliance or else manages to bring out new ideas in otherwise somewhat tired authors.

Greg Bear

Vitals wasn't his best book mostly because of his insistence of switching viewpoints and thereby coming across like an accomplished conspiracy theorist. Sometimes I think he talks too much, like me. He's almost always dealing with a novel technology or idea though, so I generally read everything he writes.

David Drake

Unless it's yet another anthology of 20 year old stories, Drake is usually a good bet even when he's editing. Lately I've discovered that he's an acquired taste, though I still think that it's a worthwhile taste to acquire.

Laurell K Hamilton

Hamilton's major sticking point with me is that even her fantasy novels seem like they're firmly entrenched in the female romantic fiction market. Simply put, sometimes I feel like I'm reading soft core porn rather than something that I shouldn't be hiding the cover from passerbies.

Nancy Kress

I finished Probability Moon recently, but I had to pick it back up to remember anything about it. After reading through it some, I still don't remember much. I suppose that is a good endorsement that Kress doesn't do a whole lot for me.

Fritz Leiber

Every few years I reread Leiber, who in my opinion epitomizes a lot of good thing about past writers in the field that people don't do much anymore. His work is usually short and concise and complete. Since the present market is dominated by sometimes overly long winded, long running series I don't see how that can be a bad thing.

Charles Sheffield

Sometimes CS seems to have an underlining message to his books that I'm just not programmed to interpret. They're not bad books, they're memorable and mostly interesting. Perhaps it's that they sometimes lack a bit in plot development?

S M Stirling

SMS writes military science fiction primarily. In that, he's competent and worth filling a shelf or two checking him out. If you're out there cruising for new concepts or ideas though in your science fiction, I might recommend that you steer clear of him.

Fred Saberhagen

Another old favorite, like Asimov I doubt I've even begun to discover everything he's wrote to tell you how much I like it all. Every so often I delve into a dusty box of old books and find yet another book he's wrote or has a story in though, and each and every time I'm impressed. Sometimes you can tell that he's writing for a paycheck though, so some pieces are better than others.

Gordon R Dickson

I reread his old books, I buy his new ones. I recommend that everyone follow suit on general principles.

Ann Rice

Sometimes I get a lot of flak for reading her, but there is no denying that she started a trend with her books. Sometimes I wish her work were a little bit more like Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, who is a much better author of "vampire fiction" in my opinion. I'm always picking up the Mayfair Witches though, picking through it and rereading it. It's either good or I'm obsessive-compulsive.

Harry Harrison

Harrison isn't my favorite writer, but he's a good writer with a healthy portfolio of books to purchase from. If nothing else I think people should be familiar with his work in a sort of science fiction heritage way.

C S Friedman

I read Madness Season after passing the book over for years. I didn't know what to make of it, and I still don't. Part of me wants to like it, the other part insists that it's hokey. Sometimes hokey is fun though, so maybe someone else will enjoy it more than I did.

CJ Cherryh

When Cherryh writes about aliens, they're ALIEN, not funny looking humans with pointy ears or personifications of human traits. At least she tries, and her books set in her weird light speed restricted universe of Cyteen and Hellburner are pretty good too.

Jack McDevitt

Not a lot of people seem to know about Jack McDevitt, but more people should. I'm not sure how to classify his work, possibly because I haven't finished reading all of it. It seems like science fiction from a non-science fiction writer, which may be true. In any case it's usually fun and fascinating.

Poul Anderson

Anderson's Flandry novels always move me for some reason. Perhaps it's my father's deep affection for them. In any case, I reread one or two of them on occassion.

Steven Gould

A newer science fiction writer, of the "one gimmick" school. Boy though, does he write the gimmick well. Even as I sit here writing I can't help but look forward to his next book.

Dan Simmons

Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion might be the best science fiction books I've ever read. Carrion Comfort might be one of the better horror stories I've ever read. The Hollow Man is right up there in the top ten "literature disguised as science fiction" books...So, if you haven't read ANY of those, please go do so.

Joe Haldeman

Haldeman's talent seems to be slowing down, but every time I read something new that I don't entirely like I find myself picking up The Forever War and reading it again. The Forever War and Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card) ought to be required reading in high school I think.

David Weber

Honor Harrington lines the bookshelves, and since everyone else was buying it I didn't for a long time. Then after I read some of his other series, I turned around and gave it a try. Weber writes the equivalent of Science Fiction action flicks, but he does it well.

Bernard Cromwell

Cromwell doesn't really write science fiction or fantasy, but his Winter King series (I believe that is the name - the books are on loan right now)is good enough that I think he deserves mention. It's really one of the most interesting retellings of the Arthurian Legend I've ever read. I liked it so much I went and bought and read The Archer's Tale, which was quite good as well.

Gary Jennings

Gary Jennings bothers me sometimes. He writes too much, he bores me to tears, he makes me wonder if he'll ever finish his internal monologues and conversations sometimes. I still think he's worth reading, his Aztec books are so out of the ordinary that they read like fantasy.

I could continue, but is anyone really still reading now?

Stephen Hawking is well rounded.

[astroboscope]

First, there only one thing more general than physics, and that's math.

Second, it's a good thing he branched out from General Relativity.

Techies hate Tom Clancy

[Anonymous Coward]

His books are littered with technical errors. Let's start with something easy. The English pub in Rainbow Six.

1) Everyone who drinks beer drinks Guinness. This is unlikely but just about possible I suppose
2) The pub is called the "Brown Stallion". That's a very odd name for a Pommy pub.
3) Guinness is described as having a "thin" head. I'd hate to see a thicker head!
4) The clincher. Somebody had a few drinks and then ... settles the bill! No way, it's strictly pay as you go in the UK (and Oz).

I liked Red October and the one after that, but most of the rest are pretty unimpressive.

Sometimes Truth is Stranger than Fiction

[not_from_here]

like others have said, branch out a bit

Colleen McCullochs First Man in Rome series is awesome. i am on my third reading now. she has the largest collection of history books in the southern hemisphere and she tells the story so well. sulla is cooler than marius and julius ceasar is the man! She also wrote the Song of Troy which is an excellent story about Troy. taught me more about the history of it than i learnt in school.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Breakfast of Champions is a funny book you can knock over in an afternoon. kilgore trouts story ideas are priceless.

James Clavell is pretty good. i really loved Noble House and King Rat and Shogun are also damn good reads.

Read some military history like Julius Ceasars Gallic Campaigns or the history of the french foreign legion or rommels book on tank warfare (i bet he wished he never wrote that!)

and the best book EVER is Dr. Suesses Sleep Book. The news just came in from the county of kek, tht a very small bug by the name of van vleck, is yawning so wide you can look down his neck. now this may not seem very important you know, but it is so i'm bothering telling you so.

tip: when you go to a bookshop, check out all the other sections!!

Re:Sometimes Truth is Stranger than Fiction

[tadas]

You said:

Colleen McCullochs First Man in Rome series is awesome. i am on my third reading now. she has the largest collection of history books in the southern hemisphere and she tells the story so well. sulla is cooler than marius and julius ceasar is the man! She also wrote the Song of Troy which is an excellent story about Troy. taught me more about the history of it than i learnt in school.

I can second this recommendation (I just read the final book in the series, The October Horse , yesterday -- about 6 hours of nonstop reading, and I read fast ).

I just want to warn all of you that Ms. McCullogh's books are as addictive as crack.. Warn your friends that you will be unavailable for a week or two - you will end up spending all of your spare time reading them.

Modern Sci Fi Classics

[arrogance]

Neal Stephenson (who also wrote under the name Stephen Bury, title Interface: great book). I know he's been mentioned here, but it's worth reiterating. All of his books are great reads. Speaking of polymaths, it's amazing the number of people who say they've read everything good but have never read Stanislaw Lem (not recent I'll admit, but worthy of mention). He's the Ultimate sci-fi author: totally bleak, compelling, funny as hell. Other somewhat more recent stuff: William Gibson (Neuromancer et al), Bruce Sterling (The Difference Engine), Cory Doctorow (haven't read it but it's a free distro and was just mentioned on /.). The Culture novels by Iain Banks are wonderful. Have you read all of Orson Scott Card?

Didja Google? The tenth result lists: "2000 Thunderhead, D. Preston & L. Child: not sci-fi, but a standard southwest American Indian-based mystery with a smattering of archaeology Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson: excellent!, but an acquired taste, massively long; essentially two parallel tales of the Southwest Pacific, the Philippines and Indonesia split between World War II and today, with characters in the same families figuring in both threads; a long treatise on cryptography, with such characters as a young Alan Turing, and an invented Scottish Hebridean island; a bit of a treasure hunt spiced up with borderline criminal intent Darwin's Radio, Greg Bear: biological sci-fi, a rare sub-genre Enchantment, Orson Scott Card: not sci-fi, on the border between folk-tale and fantasy; this is not Card's normal genre, and he has immense fun with it; quite humorous, with an edge 2001 The Silk Code, P. Levinson: another entry in the genre of biological sci-fi, with a focus on the Amish and the Mennonites, with a bit of Neanderthal thrown in Perseus Spur (v1), Julian May: a trilogy with attitude, her characters are in the Dashiel Hammett or Humphrey Bogart vein, true smart alecks that have lots of odd and bad things happen to them; mixed up with planetary corporations gone bad, and other familiar villainy; she has always written well, but her humor is in the fore here Orion Arm (v2), Julian May: Sagittarius Whorl (v3), Julian May: Pegasus in Space, Anne McCaffrey: if you're familiar with her short stories about "Pegasus" (contemporary and a little in the future attempts to study and control real human psi powers), this is the first full-length novel in that series The Book of Q, J. Rabb: very good; not sci-fi, but another "hidden document" mystery/adventure with (again) the overtones and background of early Christianity, this time with conspiracies and Ludlum-esque action starting in contemporary war-torn Eastern Europe The Eye of Horus, C. Thurston: not sci-fi, but a cross between Egyptology, archaeology, and a forensic mystery; a surprisingly good first novel, parallel threads between ancient Egypt and contemporary events Wheelers, Ian Stewart & J. Cohen: a cross between the "mysterious alien artifact" genre and warring academic factions and "save the world" situations"

Try "Year's Best" Short story collections

[Anonymous Coward]

Short story collections will expose you to a wide variety of authors and styles, and you can then look for novel-length works by them. Some of the authors won't have any novels yet, but at least you get the shorts.

The "Year's Best Fantasy & Horror" is usually good. As a bonus, the first quarter of the book is a year-end recap of related things that came out: novels, comics, movies, TV shows, and non-fiction. Those might give suggest things to try.

It's edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, and there have been 15 or so editions. They're around 1000 pages or so every year.

One nice thing is that the editors go beyond typical genre fiction sources to get their stories. They'll run stories that originally ran in mainstream magazines like the New Yorker.

They have a pretty broad concept of fantasy, not just sword & sorcery, but there is some of that too, usually.

There's also a Year's Best Science Fiction, but I've not read it.

The best hard fantasy stuff ever.

[Anonymous Coward]

The best is the Song of Fire and Ice series vy George R.R. Martin. A game of Thrones, A clash of kings and a Storm of Swords. Blows everything else away. Builds slow and gathers moment like a sledgehammer to the forebrain. When it comes to other good Fantasy read the Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan. For really gritty stuff. Read the Black Company Books by Glen Cook. They get better and harder all the the way through.

Timothy Zahn

[Telamon]

I see a few people have already mentioned Robert Jordan, so you might want to consider Timothy Zahn's stuff. It's Sci-Fi, not Fantasy like the others mentioned, but still very good. His Star Wars books are the best out there (hey George, Thrawn would make a cooler villain than these Darth idiots) and what I've read of the Conquerer's series is good too.

Just finished it1

[bjorn74]

"American Gods" Neil Gaiman It's got the plot of a Zelazny story with the screwed up reality of Terry Pratchett and the dark, sinister, acid-trippy overtones of Robert Anton Wilson's "The Illuminatus Trilogy". It's a must read.

of the beaten path

[Traa]

Since I have allready seen most of the obvious choices mentioned, I'll go for some lesser knowns and trow in some warnings what to stay away from too (my $0.02 ofcourse):

(GOOD)Terry Pratchett
but try his two SciFi books "Strata" and "The Dark Side of the Sun". Like his (excelent and funny) diskworld series, these books are light but extremely pleasant to read.

(BAD)Terry Goodkind
I'll admit that I have only tried 1 book, but god was it awfull. It put me of so much that I refuse to read anything fantasy for another year or two (or at least untill Terry Pratchett's next book :-)

(BAD)Orson Scott Card
You will no doubt have read the excelent "Enders game". Hopefully you have not read any of the later books in the series. "Speaker for the dead" might have been ok-ish, but "Xenocide" and the modern 'bean-series' books are horrible. Don't waste your time.

lastly I just have to mention:

(GOOD)Vernor Vinge
"A Fire upon the Deep" is currently my alltime favorite sci-fi book. One of the very few grandiose space opera stories that mentions to touch upon the big picture as well as some of the detail in a convincing way.

Robert A Heinlen

[Anonymous Coward]

Im surprised that with all the posts about great science fiction authors no one has mentioned one of the greatest authors of all time. Id have assumed it everyone has read at least one of his books.. but since it hasnt been mentioned maybe im the only one...

No one will read this....

[Vermifax]

...but I had to say it anyway.

What this slashdot thread has most informed me about, is the fact that most of the book snobs complaining about suggested authors have lost the ability to enjoy a story as a story.

Everyone take a moment of silence to mourn these poor people.

there are a few authors ...

[constantnormal]

... whose works I'll buy sight unseen --

Larry Niven and Connie Willis spring to mind.

Others, I generally require a brief inspection before purchasing. I NEVER buy SciFi solely on a reviewer's recommendation, there are simply too many degrees of freedom in personal preferences for that to be reliable. But a short list of authors that will make me pause at the bookstore is:
Bruce Sterling
Vernor Vinge
Charles Sheffield (sadly, now deceased)
Steven Barnes
Walter Mosley
Nancy Kress
David Brin

And I must confess to being a sucker for Michael Crichton's stuff -- the science is generally pretty rough, but the concepts and writing are always first-rate.

An awesome new SCI-FI author

[Anonymous Coward]

I think Syne Mitchell is spectacular (despite having a day job as a Micro$erf). Murphy's Gambit is her first and I believe she's got a few others out there now.

Disclaimer: My wife is this author's agent. However, Syne really is an awesome writer, and she knows her tech!

Read "Psychohistorical Crisis" by Don Kingsbury!!!

[farrellj]

I recently read it and was totally blown away by it...It's in paperback now, but I bought it in Hard Cover.

ttyl
Farrell

Belated Responce...My Appologies

[DarkwingGT]

My abbreviated SF list (no fantasy, sorry) David Weber: Military & Traditional SF (Honor Harrington series + many more) John Ringo: Mostly Military SF (March Upcountry w/ David Weber + new Hymn Before Battle series) David Gerrold: Good Mix of SF (Chtorr series + more) Leo Frankowski: (Cross Time Engineer Series + others) David Sherman/Dan Cragg: Military SF (Starfist series) Bill Baldwin (not the actor): Military SF (Helmsman series....not new, i know) Elizabeth Moon: (Already mentioned a few times but worth repeating here) David Drake: (Again, mentioned earlier: Try 'With the Lightnings'...a new series that is more SF than most of his books...such as Hammer's Slammers) To give you a taste of some of my favorite 'old school' authors: Robert Heinlein, Larry Niven, H. Beam Piper, Gordon Dickson, John Steakley's 'Armor', Frank Herbert's 'Dune' (the rest of the books were crap, admit it), Orson Scott Card's 'Ender's Game' (again, don't bother with the rest of the books in that series)

Possible series for you to get into

[Anonymous Coward]

You said that you have read just about everything that you can on King Arthur. Have you happened upon the Camelod Chronicles by Jack Whyte? Check out his website for more information: http://www.camulod.com/ (Forgive the site design, he is a writer, not a web designer!) The books give more of a historical fiction feel to the legends. It more or less provides a tale of how the Aurthurian Legend could have actually happened. Weaving the stories throughout actual history, and providing a less "magical" and more logical outlook on the tales. It is a fairly long series, but well worth the read if you haven't happened upon it already.

Another excellent series is the Cold Fire Trilogy by C.S Friedman. This is a MUST read series! I can't find an official website, but this page on Amazon has information on the books: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-ur l/index=books&field-keywords=cold%20fire%20trilogy &search-type=ss&bq=1/002-4695841-7110466

Good luck in your quest for new books. And thanks for the post! I am getting a lot of great new book ideas.

~Aaron

P.s. Oh, I must second the vote to read the Otherland Series. While it would seem that some found it boring, I found it rather entertaining.

Where are the gems?

[Serotonin]

This is a disappointing thread. The guy has 4,000 books, so he probably has the very popular, obvious stuff that has been repeated in just about every reply.

My recommended authors aren't new I guess but I never hear folks talk about them. I'll broaden the question a bit to "genre" books.

Military Sci-Fi

Life During Wartime by Lucius Shephard

Reminds me of Gibson's line about how to write about the future: write about today, but with all the knobs turned up. Imagine Iran/Contra, Pepsi/Coke, Black Ops with psychics.

Armor by John Steakley

Sadly, his only other book (Vampire$) was made into such a shit movie that you may have been scared away by this page turner that is one of the overlooked Bug vs Mechanized Infantry books.

Helm by Steven Gould (no, not the scientist)

mmm, maybe not military sci fi, since it is a feudal culture, but they are the legacy of post apocalypse earth. Descriptive martial arts (aikido) scenes and good intrigue.

The Matador Trilogy by Steve Perry (no not the singer from Journey)

This is definitely mind candy. Good for the commute to work. Good martial arts. Fun technology. For something a little more chewy, he co-wrote (with Michael Reaves) 2 hard to find books called Hellstar and Dome, which explore the lives of people living in closed communities, the first in a deep space mission, and the second in an underwater city/science station. hmmm, maybe thematically owes a debt to James Whites books, All Judgment Fled and The Watch Below. BTW, word for the wary, the characters in the Matador books have sex with anything--animals, kids, mutants.

Arthurian Legend

Think you've got 'em all, eh? How about Poul Andersons translation of The Hrolf Kraki Saga? Dunno how it really stands up academically. The saga was recently translated again by J. Byock, but I ain't read it yet. Ok, so maybe it owes more to Beowulf, but Anderson's treatment is Arthurian.

Cyberpunk

Ha ha, is it really a genre? When I look at the canons people write up for this category, I get as confused as I do when I look at a compilation of "Goth" music.

Anyhoo, I just read James Patrick Kelly's Wildlife and I think it meets Gibson's criteria for scifi. I must have blinked when it first issued, cuz I totally missed it.

Just off the top of my head. I really want to add more, but dinner calls.

L.E. Modesitt, J.

[saberworks]

L.E. Modesitt, Jr. is my all-time favorite author. About half his stuff is fantasy, but the really good sci-fi includes:

The Parafaith War
Gravity Dreams
Timegod's World

Another AWESOME sci-fi author is Michael Flynn. He has one series that deals with near-future space exploration. The first book is 'Firestar' but I don't remember the rest of them offhand. They were all excellent.

David Drake

[MattTC]

Author of the Hammer's Slammers series and much more, Drake is a Viet Nam vet, and his books are heavily influenced by his experiences there. Excellent writer, but not for the faint of heart.

I specifically Recommend "Cross the Stars" and "Ranks of Bronze" as well as his novella, "The Warrior"

I also recommend Joeseph Haldeman ("Buying Time", "Forever War") and Lois McMaster Bujold (Vorkosigan Series)

I would say these are my top writers...

[Volkhavaar]

In no particular order i would pick: Tanith Lee, Tad Williams, Robert Jordan, Frank Herbert, Gene Wolf, Ann McAffry, Vernor Vince, Jack Vance, William Gibson, Douglas Adams, David and Leigh Eddings, Roger Zelaszny and some more. All of these range from SF to Fantasy and some have both. I also like Tom Clancy and other writers in different genres but mainly read Fantasy. As for an open mind....read what you like and be done with it.

How about some of others??

[Anonymous Coward]

In addition to some of the great names already mentioned, how about:

Charles Sheffield
Jack L. Chalker
Ben Bova
David Weber (Honor Harrington series, not read any of his others..)
James P. Hogan
Roger Zelasny

Another must read (immediately) ....

[fferreres]

Simmons, Dan
Hyperion

Re:Another must read (immediately) ....

[jooniqzb1tch]

absolutely. READ THESE BOOKS
it's excellent. I've read them twice already and am finishing off the last book of the sequel now.

Re:Another must read (immediately) ....

[sanity_slipping]

I absolutely hated them.

I didn't get all that far, but Hyperion just seemed to be stupid.

Apparently other people like these books better than I did.

here's a good list

[on the 8ball]

I have also read thousands of SF books and these are some of my favorites. Try reading one book by each author and you will be happy for months. Not all are new, but all are good to great (IMHO).

==A==

Kevin J. Anderson, Poul Anderson, Patricia Anthony, Isaac Asimov, Robert Asprin

==B==

Kage Baker, Iain M. Banks, John Barnes, William Barton, Greg Bear, Gregory Benford, Ben Bova, David Brin, John Brunner, Lois McMaster Bujold, Chris Bunch

__C__

Orson Scott Card, Jeffrey A. Carver, Jack L. Chalker, C. J. Cherryh, Arthur C. Clarke

__D__

John Dalmas, Philip K. Dick, Gordon R. Dickson, William C. Dietz, Stephen R. Donaldson, David Drake

__EFG__

George Alec Effinger, David Feintuch, Alan Dean Foster, Robert Frezza, William Gibson

__H__

Peter F. Hamilton, Robert A. Heinlein, Frank Herbert, James P. Hogan

__KL__

Nancy Kress, Henry Kuttner, Keith Laumer, Fritz Leiber, Ursala K. LeGuin, Paul Levinson

__MN__

Ian MacDonald, Ken MacLeod, Susan R. Matthews, Julian May, Anne McCaffrey, Jack McDevitt, L.E. Modesitt, Jr., Elizabeth Moon, Larry Niven

__PR__

H. Beam Piper, Frederik Pohl, Terry Pratchett, Mike Resnick, Kim Stanley Robinson

__S__

Fred Saberhagen, Robert J. Sawyer, James H. Schmitz, Charles Sheffield, Robert Silverberg, Dan Simmons, Norman Spinrad, Allan Steele, S. M. Stirling

__TV__

Sheri S. Tepper, George Turner, Harry Turtledove, John Varley, S. I. Viehl, Vernor Vinge

__WZ__

David Weber, James White, Connie Willis, David Wingrove, Timothy Zahn, Sarah Zettel

Vernor Vinge

[Lovejoy]

I have to second "A Fire Upon the Deep" and its prequel "A Deepness in the Sky." Also read "The Witling" if it's in print, and anything else you can find of his.

Absolutely fantabulous swashbucklingly wonderful stuff. Vinge's imagination is unparalleled.

Why, yes, I am a geek. Why do you ask?

[Omniscient Ferret]

I might like technical consistence & cluefulness more than most people. The following list of writers reflects that.

Cory Doctorow of Boing Boing just released Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom. Cory and his work have been mentioned here a time or five before. He just co-wrote Jury Service with Charlie Stross, another loopy fun writer. Stross' Lobsters is online; Stross' interview and appearance on Slashdot made me seek out more. Stross' list of published fiction includes a dozen online versions of stories. Both Doctorow & Stross are entertainingly loopy, and technically consistent & clueful.

John Brunner's "The Sheep Look Up" and "The Shockwave Rider" are good dystopian lit.

Bruce Sterling is still around; he just wrote "Tomorrow Now," a non-fiction futurist book. Zeitgeist, Distraction, and Holy Fire were all enjoyable and insightful.

Vernor Vinge coined the term "singularity." "A Deepness in the Sky" and "A Fire Upon the Deep" have a joining character pre- and post-Singularity, and both won Hugos. He just released some short stories, but I haven't read it yet.

Matt Ruff wrote the science fiction "Sewer Gas & Electric" and fantasy "Fool on the Hill." The first is funny and fast-paced.

I've enjoyed K. W. Jeter, Rudy Rucker, Roger Williams (The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect) a bit...

Technical accuracy isn't his forte, but Jim Monroe, a former managing editor of Adbusters, wrote Angry Young Spaceman and Living in Silico. I downloaded AYS ages ago, but bought a copy during his tour so I can loan it to friends. Oh, and checking now, he's put his 1999 book Flyboy Action Figure Comes with Gasmask up.

EOS Books, a division of something-or-other

[krinsh]

I have been 'clicking' with these folks for about two years now; and was lucky to get an advance reader copy of one book about a year ago. To me it hearkens back to the pulpy sci-fi and 'Writers of the Future' anthologies; as well as this one magazine published somewhere in Norther Virginia that I religiously subscribed to for about three years before I realized I just couldn't keep up with all the great short stories in them and had to give it up much like I did Warhammer and other hobbies from my youth.

Try Doctor Who!

[Anonymous Coward]

That's right, I said it and I'm proud. Those of you who remember the old TV show can shove off.

Since 1996, Virgin and now the BBC itself are publishing new adventures of the Eighth Doctor (based on Paul McGann's 1996 TV movie) as well as "new" adventures with the previous Doctors. Not much is left from the old days, apart from the beloved TARDIS ... and the Daleks of course.

Anyway, I'd strongly recommend picking up Alien Bodies by Lawrence Miles, Vampire Science by Kate Orman & Jon Blum, or any of the Who books by Paul Cornell or Keith Topping (who has done a number of Buffy books as well) or Lance Parkin. Good starting points, and from there there's over 100 other novels to check out!

That should keep you busy for a while ...

Sean Stewart

[Black Copter Control]

Sean Stewart was only mentioned by one other person in passing, but a surprisingly high percentage of his books have either recieved or been runners up for reasonably prestigious awards. (He's also a friend of mine from about a decade ago).

When his first book Passion Play came out, I caught myself saying that "It's the best book I've read in a really long time, but that doesn't count, because I've been catching up on the classics of Science Fiction/Fantasy for the last while." Then I realized the implications of what I'd said.

Passion play occurs around the middle of what is now his 'rise and fall of magic' timeline, where magic is unleashed by the horrors of the second world war, almost overwhelms humanity (and human technology) and then subsides over a small number of generations. It concerns an empath bounty hunter in an empath-phobic world hunting the murderer of a TV religion superstar.

Resurrection Man occurs earlier on in the timeline. it's about a man who seems to have been stuck investigating his own murder.

Night Watch occurs as the magic is near it's peak, and starting to subside. It's set in the remains of Edmonton and Vancouver (Two Cities where Stuart spent a number of years) and concerns both the battle between humanity, technology and magic. It also concerns the facing of one's own demons (both figuratively and literally).

Mockingbird occurs in the deep south -- probably sometime between Passion Play and Night Watch. It seems very much a story of the society of the Rural deep south set in a world of burgeoning and misunderstood Magic.

Galveston is his most recent book. I haven't read it yet, but now that I know it's out, I'm going to go hunt for it.

Cloud's End Takes place in a universe different than the afformentioned. I've spent some time with West Coast Native elders. Clouds End has very much the feel of the stories they tell of 'dream time' -- the beginning of the world in their mythology. A world of stories and ties and world-shaping responsibilities not always welcomed by their bearers. As I read Clouds End, I pictured it starting in the fogs of the Pacific North West and moving up and down what we now know as the Fraser River.

Nobody's Son takes place in something close to a Standard Fantasy Realm, but as Stewart put it: "Everybody expects a fantasy story to have a young knight fulfilling a quest, winning the hand of a beautiful princess and taking her off to his castle where they live happily ever after(tm). My solution was to put that in the first couple of chapters, so that I could get on with the real story. It's probably the 'lightest' of his books, and a very enjoyable read.

For further information on Sean Stewart, a quick Google search provides a pretty good starting point.

A One Minute Story

[effer]

01052016
Awakened. Open channels and I feel full body control.
Europa. Cause Mission.
I am alive for the mission. All systems logged and verified. Cross reference to Taylor
and Byrnes complete.

I am alive for the mission. We are departing the carrier craft. Engines firing and tracetory is set. Hugo is a good computer!

We are .597 days to Europa. The system has needed adjusting. .

I am alive for the mission. Burning fuel to decellerate. Attempting camera turn. Byrnes

refuses it. Burn engines.

Images of earth life intruding. What are these things? Exspunged. I am alive for the the mission.

I am alive for the mission. We have arrived on Europa. They have added to me. We will
return to Earth.

I am alive for the mission.

Blaylock, Shepard, Rucker and Mieville

[cesther]

3 authors that are IMHO hugely under appreciated: 1/ James Blaylock - P K Dick Award winner - wonderful fantasy, often based on the West Coast, he manages to create wonder out of ordinary human experience by his unique way of describing the world. Philip K Dick described his work as "A magical world, magically presented...having journeyed there you will not wish to leave, nor ever to forget." 2/ Lucius Shepard - Nebula Award winner writes a mix of SF, fantasy and horror. Green Eyes and Life During Wartime are my favourites. 3/ Rudy Rucker - fiction and nonfiction. The XXXware series are a good fun read. Check 'Mind Tools' and the 4th Dimension for some math mind fuck. ...and China Mieville is one to watch...

P.K.D

[slimordium]

Philip K. Dick is not by any means new... but it is refreshing to read. Some of my favorites:
Radio Free Albemuth
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
The Divine Invasion
A Scanner Darkly
Ubik
There are plenty more...
Digging through what you can find of his "exegisis" is a good read...
suck is life

Wilbur Smith is worth a look

[Robug]

Check out Birds of prey and the books that follow also River God. Excelent books.

3 authors again...

[cesther]

3 authors that are IMHO hugely under appreciated:

1/ James Blaylock - P K Dick Award winner - wonderful fantasy, often based on the West Coast, he manages to create wonder out of ordinary human experience by his unique way of describing the world.

Philip K Dick described his work as "A magical world, magically presented...having journeyed there you will not wish to leave, nor ever to forget."

2/ Lucius Shepard - Nebula Award winner writes a mix of SF, fantasy and horror. Green Eyes and Life During Wartime are my favourites.

3/ Rudy Rucker - fiction and nonfiction. The XXXware series are a good fun read. Check 'Mind Tools' and the 4th Dimension for some math mind fuck.

...and China Mieville is one to watch...

Re:3 authors again...

[jdidom]

Most definitely agree on China Mieville, very good writer, great storylines and his city/state of New Crobazon, a rather dirty and corrupt city that could be London's alter-ego, introduced in his second book,"Perdido Street Station", is another timeline where some technology exists, like lighter than air dirigibles, but no airplanes and steam transport but no internal combustion engines.

The aftermath of an alien presence long ago appears to the present inhabitants to be magical but is actually very dangerous route to yet another world with some very scary residents that are trying to find a new home.

Very interesting world he has come up with, and his third and latest book, "Scar", which is also set in the world of New Crobazon, expands out into the seas and lands beyond New Crobazon's sphere of influence. Defintely not fantasy, no swords, magic jewels, wizards or elves, but there are some walking dead men, a vampire colony, a whole city composed entirely of ships, boats and rafts tied together to form a huge community that is peopled by exiles, renegades and criminals hiding from the law of New Crobazon, and is the base for a large pirate fleet that supplies the city and keeps it independent from land. It floats on the sea and serves as the base for societies outcasts. When some new arrivals try to use some of the alien tecnology to propel the city they get a lot more than just motive power. The creature they capture and use to tow the city is an alien construct that can tear open an entrance into the world it came from, possibly destroying New Crobazon's world.Very refreshing, nice to see a new SF wrter with real talent.

books..

[Anonymous Coward]

My favorite authors:

George RR Martin
Robert Jordan
David Gemmell
Raymond E Feist

Two Authors falling through the Cracks

[omynous]

Mary Stewart, best narritive writing I've read:

The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment - this is the story of Camelot as told through Merlins eyes.

Wayland Drew:

The Erthring Cycle - a trilogy about the recovery of earth after catastrophic global collapse.

I prefer a series that is well-written in a consistent style.

Intriguing nuggets in the dirt

[GCP]

He writes what are almost comic books (speaking of Snow Crash and Diamond Age). Stupid stories with plots that must come from a random algorithm of some sort (plug a random noun and a random verb into a template sentence and use the result to guide the next chapter...), but with intriguing ideas scattered throughout.

If only he would take the intriguing idea generator and apply it to the overall plot first, then fill in the details with smaller intriguing ideas and not say anything cartoonish as filler....

Re:Intriguing nuggets in the dirt

[Grab]

As a quick PS, if you check the back of "Snow Crash" there's a quick few pages about how he wrote the book. Originally it was intended to be a comic-book-style graphic adventure on the Mac, but the computer power wasn't up to it and the storyline just kind of spiralled. You're right, that style does show though.

Re the intriguing idea generator (great phrase! :-) that really gets some use in Cryptonomicon, which works almost on a fractal basis. He goes along, and at some point he goes off on an extended aside, and the aside goes off on asides, and so on. Very wierd, but I like that style of writing - in RL, ppl do tend to do "free-association"-type stuff, so these asides give you more depth of how their minds work.

Grab.

Military-themed Sci-Fi

[maddogsparky]

William Forstchen's "Lost Regiment" series is a good one about a civil war regiment who more or less falls through the Bermuda triangle while being transported.

David Drake's "The General" series is about a war of unification on a formerly space capable civilization.

Harry Turtledove has a number of series based on alternate fiction. I would recomend the "WorldWar" series and the stand-alone novel "Agent of Byzantium".

Brian Lumley

[Pi Kapp 142]

Any of the Necroscope series. Also, Orson Scott Card with the Ender's Game series. Melanie Rawn with her Dragon Prince and Star Scroll series. Also the Ruins of Ambrai. Raymond E. Feist. David Eddings, especally his latest one, the Redemption of Althalus.

From an ex-bookstore employee - Overlooked authors

[QuietKarma]

I'm going to presume that you've read most authors that have managed to get publicity or have been heavily promoted - so here's some authors that I think don't get enough attention:

Dave Duncan - Yes I know he is a Fantasy author, but I'm including him because if you liked Piers Anthony back when he had some decent stuff, then I believe you'll like Dave Duncan's "The King's Daggers" series. It's a trilogy featuring the same character, starting with Sir Stalwart. It decent sword and sorcery with a good pace. The only complaint I've ever had about Duncan's work is that while a bit bland, it's still interesting.

Phyllis Eisenstein - Technically an old author but she is well worth tracking down - 2 Duologies (Sorcereor's Son and The Crystal Palace)(Born to Exile and In the Red Lord's Reach). I'd always recommend her to people looking for an new writer [after I convinced the mgr to order her in], and no one ever complained.

David Feintuch - The Seafort Saga (4 book series with 2 stand alone add-ons - starts with Midshipman's Hope). He's also just released a sequel to The Still, his fantasy novel and I find that he does very good chracterization and following how his characters change as the story progresses.

Robert J Sawyer - Among the cream of today's Sci-fi writers publishing today. With several Hugo and Nebula credits, he doesn't seem to get a lot of press. I would recommed his books Frameshift and Calculating God.

Dan Simmons - I would have to rate this man among the 3 best writers today. If nothing else, I recommend reading Carrion Comfort. While it may be daunting at 884 pages, it starts small and gradually gets scarier. By page 200 you'll be wandering how this story could get even more suspenseful and you'll be wondering the same thing at page 300, and 400, and so on until the conclusion. This is a man who used to teach gifted children and I believe this helps to explain why he is so good at presenting his ideas in a way that is engaging and maintains your interest. You can also read the Hyperion series that has 4 books and begins with the same title.

Terry Brooks

[JS7773]

Terry Brooks is one of my favorite authors.

from www.terrybrooks.net...
The Original Shannara Trilogy
The Sword of Shannara
The Elfstones of Shannara
The Wishsong of Shannara

The Heritage of Shannara
The Scions of Shannara
The Druid of Shannara
The Elf Queen of Shannara
The Talismans of Shannara

A Shannara Trilogy Prequel:
First King of Shannara

The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara

Ilse Witch
Antrax
Morgawr

The Ard Rhys of Shannara
Jarka Ruus (forthcoming September 2003)
Book Two (untitled, forthcoming September 2004)
Book Three (untitled, forthcoming September 2005)

The World of Shannara
The Sword of Shannara Trilogy

The Magic Kingdom of Landover
Magic Kingdom For Sale -- Sold!
The Black Unicorn
Wizard At Large
The Tangle Box
Witches' Brew

The Word & the Void Trilogy
Running with the Demon
A Knight of the Word
Angel Fire East

Other Works
Imaginary Friends (short story)
Hook (novelization)
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (novelization)
Sometimes the Magic Works (forthcoming March 4th, 2003)

Books I've enjoyed recently

[Jerry Kindall]

Personal favorites like Card, Egan, Stephenson, and Gaiman have already been mentioned, so I thought I'd mention some of my favorite discoveries from the last year or so.

Karl Schroeder's "Ventus" and "Permanence" -- very inventive space opera type stuff. "Ventus" features a planet whose terraforming AIs went horribly wrong, sending the human society back to carts and buggies while being surrounded by nanotech. "Permanence" features novel ideas like the NeoShinto religion (whose practicioners are assisted by an illegal AI device) and the idea of a slower-than-light culture dependent on "cycler" ships that orbit every few decades among the brown dwarfs.

Wen Spencer's "Alien Taste" and "Tainted Trail" -- SF detective stories featuring a tracker who turns out to be an alien. The premise sounds goofy, but the books are fast-paced and a LOT of fun. Spencer keeps pulling surprises out of the idea.

Tony Daniel's "Metaplanetary" -- There are enough intriguing ideas in this book for three novels. Vast systems of cables that connect the planets of the solar system. Ships that used to be people. People who fall in love with AIs and have children with them. A mad dictator who puts AIs into what amounts to a digital concentration camp. The only major problem is that this is the first volume of a series but doesn't say so on the cover, which leads to a case of "plottus interruptus" at the end.

Catherine Asaro's works -- She gets pegged as a romance/SF hybrid writer, and in fact there are a somewhat ridiculous number of people falling in love in a fairly predictable fashion in her books, but she's also a physicist, and there's enough hard speculative science in her "Skolian Empire" space opera series earn her actual geek cred. She also does very good female characters, which are something of a rarity in SF. In particular I really liked her first couple of "Skolian Empire" books ("Primary Inversion" and "Catch the Lightning"). She's also done a couple of fun adventures involving AI and robotics that reminded me a little of Asimov, except with more realistic characters.

Terry Pratchett is God

[oakbox]

Okay, I must admit that I winced a little bit at the Piers Anthony reference in the original post. Piers is good stuff when you're an adolescent male (which I view as "until I turned 23") but the joke wore thin.
But I come not to bash Piers, but to praise the One True Author, Terry Pratchett. Terry Pratchett writes books that set your soul and imagination on fire. Terry Pratchett makes you laugh, fight back tears, and grip the pages in white-knuckled suspense, sometimes all on the same page. Terry Pratchett is so good, that I can't get all the overly-fawning words typed out in one place without warping time and space.
Terry Pratchett created Discworld, "A world and a mirror of worlds" and if you haven't read his (magnificent, wonderful, awe-inspiring, just plain inspiring, incredible, fantastic, amazing) [choose all because the all apply] books, then I pity your empty and meaningless life.

The above statements include no hyperbole what so ever.

New Science Fiction

[jdidom]

There is a new writer from the UK, Richard Morgan, who's first novel "Altered Carbon" is a really interesting concept of storing human conciousness in stacks of carbon implants inserted into every baby at about 6 months old. Enables people to buy, rent , sell bodies, especially convicts, and this is called 'sleeving". Story is set in future with interstellar travel, and a black market in bodies that gives immortality. Story is quite violent, but a great new concept from a new author. Published in UK 2-2002, due out in PB in US 3-2003. Already a collectable title. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle- form/026-3693076-8845216

my 2 cents

[l1_wulf]

Well, I just got back in town and have arrived on this topic a bit late, so forgive me for not reading all four pages of posts. I got .25 of the way down the first page and got tired of reading about NEAL Stephenson (whose books I have enjoyed enough to read more than once). Somone mentioned Marion Zimmer Bradley, but I did not see The Mists Of Avalon, but I'm sure you have already read this (based on your original post claiming to have read just about every Arthuran tale :P).

A couple of my favorite authors are Tad Williams (his books) and Mickey Zucker Reichert, check her chronological bio (complete with books) here and a nice book listing here (has book covers).

Tad Williams has a tendency to be quite wordy, especially in the Otherland series, but if you are a fan of detailed worlds, be sure to check him out. I would suggest starting with the Memory, Sorrow And Thorn series. As for Reichert, I can only attest to the Renshai books (pretty good IMO) and the first of the Bifrost Guardians (having never finished the series due to some distraction which I can not remember).

Should you feel the need for something different and wish to try some straight fiction, try Richard Russo of which, Straight Man is my favorite. Very witty and a great read.

To wrap things up, you may want to check out Gnod. Just search for an author and you'll get a kind of cool mapping of suggested reads based on your search. I haven't examined this site to see how accurate the suggestions are, but it looks like it may have potential.

Regardless of which authors you choose out of all these posts, I hope you find some fresh content that can keep you going. I always find myself in the same situation you described where I tend to just cycle through all of my books. Good luck on your search!

Culture and earth (no spoilers)

[IncarnationTwo]

I must disagree with the notion that if culture would examine earth (and us) it would not have to be earth and us. As Culture is able to create any material or immaterial environment if it wishes so.

And on the other hand, The Feersum Endjin, can be seen or readen as what happened to earthbound men when culture evolved of spacefaring men.

Greatest thing about banks IMNHSHO is his ability to write totally of mindcrumbling complexity and still make sense (in so many ways).

Some good stuff...

[Anonymous Coward]

Robert Ludlum's stuff is pretty good, if not formulaic. Not sci-fi, but the Bourne series is a good place to start.

Stephen Baxter is good, his book "Timeships" is an interesting take on H.G. Wells. Hell, H.G. Wells is a good read.

I've seen his name mentioned a few times but George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series is very well written.

Philip K. Dick is always good.

I find myself drawn to older stuff when my book shelves get stale: Samuel Butler, Joseph Heller, Hemingway, etc.

Connie Willis

[prand]

I just discovered Connie Willis a few months ago, and read several of her novels in quick succession. So far, my favorite is "To Say Nothing of the Dog", a funny and satisfying time travel story.

"Doomsday Book" happens in the same universe but is not at all a comedy. A young time travelling historian accidently gets stuck in the middle of the Black Death.

For something completely different, also by Willis, try "Bellweather", about pop culture, trends, fads, chaos theory, and a new take on free-will versus determinism. Fun read, and fun ideas.

Read some non-fiction for a change !

[Anonymous Coward]

...you might actually learn something.

Anything by Joe Simpson, especially "Into Thin Air" is a great place to start.

Absolutely!

[Burb]

Alien Bodies and Interference, along with The Infinity Doctors, rate in my view as the best in the BBC range. For the Virgin NA series, Human Nature is pretty good too.

The main problem with the both BBC and Virgin series is that they are the work of many hands and the quality varies enormously.

Re:Absolutely!

[Burb]

Oh, and forgot to mention that Lance Parkin's The Dying Days although out of print, is available online from the BBC web site.

My Pick...

[treczoks]

Tad Williams "Otherland" series:
- City of Golden Shadow
- River of Blue Fire
- Mountain of Black Glass
- Sea of Silver Light
Beware, this is not a classical "series" with four separate books, but one book in four volumes, about 3500 pages total, and has to be read in order to make sense (of course). Very good cyberspace SciFi, many strange, twisted plotlines, which ultimately meet in a fascinating setting.

Kim Stanley Robinson "Mars" series:
- Red Mars
- Green Mars
- Blue Mars
Very good techno/political/social SciFi. Very realistic ideas about seetling/inhabiting mars.

some suggestions

[Anonymous Coward]

newish writers

ken macleod
iain (m) banks
jeff noon
greg egan
peter f hamilton

and of course, anything you haven't seen from

bruce sterling
william gibson
neal stephenson
cj cherryh

etc

some more overlooked authors

[zuzulo]

I also have a 8k+ SF/fantasy/horror book collection, and one of the best authors i have yet to see mentioned here is Ian McDonald.

Desolation Road
Out on Blue Six
Terminal Cafe
Speaking In Tounges
and more

All very very good science fiction. He is up there with Sterling/Gibson/Vinge/Banks/ etc etc
Check here for more details
http://www.sfsite.com/lists/ianmc.htm

Another favorite that does not seem to make most lists is Daniel Keys Moran. The 'Long Run' world is quite spectacular.

There are hundreds of other overlooked authors, but those are two of the best SF ones you might have missed.

British author Christopher Priest

[Anonymous Coward]

Little-known in the US, Christopher Priest is one of the finest authors working on the fringes of sci-fi today. His books often deal with alternate realities, skewed situations, and are both chilling and masterfully written.

The Slashdot crowd might most appreciate The Extremes, a book about virtual reality and shifting time frames.

Here's his site:

http://www.christopher-priest.co.uk/

I would like to suggest: Julian May

[wulffi]

You may have read her, because the works I would suggest are pretty old:

Intervention
Jack The Bodiless
Diamond Mask
Magnificat

There are also books prefacing these, they are part of the "Pliocene exile" series. Dont like them as much as those mentioned above

Good reads

[Einar Rune Haugnes]

I think Paul Auster is an excellent storyteller in the non-SF category. Check out Moon palace and The New York trilogy. Gave me plenty of sensawunda. It's "real" literature as well. YMMV.

Several SF favorites have already been mentioned several times. They can probably bear yet another repetition :

Vernor Vinge for the utterly fantastic A Fire upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky

George R.R. Martin for the excellent A Song of Ice and Fire series (in progress)

China Mieville for the dark, strange, gothic steampunk brick Perdido Street Station

Try a new language

[Anonymous Coward]

I think that after you have read a number of
books it is difficult to find novels that grab
you in the same way as when you were starting to
read. The solution is changing to a new language.
For example try reading Chinese Kung Fu authors,
like Jin Yong, Gu Long etc.

jeff noon, british author

[unwesen]

he's compared to philip k. dick, which i don't really understand, but maybe you do. his writing is like he's paranoid and on drugs, but very intense and full of interesting ideas. i'd call it sf, but it's more like a trip into the psyche of the future's misfits.

i tend to find the 'old' authors better, so i suppose that's the only one i can name.

erm, just to avoid confusion, not to insult people: i tend to call sf what other people call hard sf. lem, asimov, brunner, that sort of thing. not something like otherland or similar nice but relatively shallow stuff.

Here's a good history book (I know, I know...)

[Wee]

You're positively correct: branching out is the only way to go. You can always come home, after all, and probably none the worse for the journey. I read a lot of SF, usually "hard" or military SF. I've been running out as well (I very nearly started re-reading the Stainless Steel Rat series for the third time) and have been looking to branch out. Oddly, history caught my eye.

I cannot recommend Throwing Fire: Projectile Technology through History by Alfred Crosby enough. It's an amazing book, and actually very funny. The book's premise is an investigation into why H. sapiens became the dominant hominid on Earth. Sounds pretty bland, but it's really not. Here's a hint: chimps throw like girls and humans have deep-seated urges to light shit on fire.

Althoguh I'm not quite through with it yet, but he's covered about every military technology I can think of save nuclear arms and fuel-air bombs (with an occasional foray into oddments like the stirrup and fire as a wildlife management tool). It's the one book I've read in recent memory which has used the word 'apostasy'. It's rare treat to be educated and entertained without knowing of feeling like one or the other is (supposed to be) happening.

I also recently picked up a copy of Herotodus' The Histories and a new translation of Machiavelli's The Prince. But you know all about those so I don't have to go into them. I'm thinking about re-reading Ovid's Metamorphoses, which is just as much an SF book as anything we have nowadays.

To really stay in SF, I'd read anything by William C. Deitz (I'm a big fan of Steelheart) or John Steakley's Armor (which for some weird reason is probably my favorite SF book of all time).

-B

Try Open Source Fiction

[mgoulish]

There is a small but growing community of
writers who make works freely downloadable
online.

Take a look at www.storymania.com .
They currently have 4146 works by 1155
writers, in 14 categories.

The site lets you post a review, and read
others -- and counts downloads and lets
you see that. It seems to me that, especially
for Slashdotters, this is the way that
publishing ought to work.

If you're a science fiction fan, may I
humbly suggest my "series" of two novels?
They are "Johnny Reb" and "Air Force One".
The easiest way to find them is by clicking
on the "Top Title Hits" link on the left
side of the front page. Johnny is the top-
ranked completed novel on the site. (They
call it a novel, but it's really a novella.)

(Johnny -- JNY 013 -- is a Bolo: an AI-driven
battle tank. Have you ever read Keith Laumer?)

The Broken God

[Anonymous Coward]

Do yourself a favour, and read David Zindell's "The Broken God" - the first (and best) book in his trilogy "A Requiem for Homo-Sapiens".

This is one of the very few SF books I've ever read to combine authentic spirituality with the genre. Absolutely astonishing.

There's a prequel to the series called "Neverness" that's also worth a read.

Have to put my vote in for Orson Scott Card as well - anything he has ever written is outstanding, but of course, "Ender's Game" must take prime position. "Mikhail's Songbird" (a short story of his) is also beautiful. OSC fans should definitely check out his new series, based in the Ender frame, but from the perspective of another character, Bean ("Ender's Shadow" is the first in this trilogy).

Egan, Bear, Baxter, Stanley Robinson

[Anonymous Coward]

Greg Egan:
Permutation city, Diaspora

Greg Bear:
Eon, Anvil of Stars, Darwins Radio

Stephen Baxter:
Space, Triton

Kim Stanley Robinson:
Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars, Antarctica

All a must read.

Alistair Reynolds - british sci-fi author

[sibat]

Excellent space opera.
Current titles are: Revelation Space
Chasm City
and Redemption Ark

Am currently reading Redemption Ark - can't put it down.

Re:4000 books? You're done dude.

[Captain Large Face]

I think point 1 might be more of a hinderance than a help in attaining the reading goal, unless you happen to live near an extremely well-stocked library!

Some Great Authors...

[Matrix2110]

No particular order.

Neil Stephenson (any book)

Leo Frankowski (Adventures of Conrad Stargard series)

Terry Pratchett (Discworld series)

Simon R. Green (Deathstalker series)

L.E. Modesitt Jr.(most any book)

C.S. Friedman (Coldfire Trilogy)

Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series)

Steve Perry (Matador series)

Orson Scott Card (Ender series)

Terry Brooks (Sword series)

Robert Jordan (Wheel of time series)

Terry Goodkind (Sword of truth series)

Alan Dean Foster (most any book)

Eric Frank Russell (most any book)

Keith Laumer (Retief series)

Glen Cook (Black company series, Garret, P.I. series)

Pick up most any book by these authors and you are in for a treat! I included the "old school" authors Russell and Laumer because they tend to get overlooked. I promise you that Hamilton and Goodkind books are almost impossible to put down.

Cory Doctorow is an impressive newcomer as well with "Down and out at Disneyworld" Located here: (for free!) http://www.boingboing.net/

Enjoy!

Stephen Donaldson

[Gimble]

Not mentioned yet.

Writes both fantasy - Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, two trilogies and Mordant's Need, two books, and SF, The Gap Series, 5 books, which I just reread over Xmas.

well

[Eisenstein]

First I doubt there are even 4000 half-decent SF books out there - the names you mentioned are surely not even near the top of SF-writers. Fantasy: Simple rule: Avoid Jordan and Goodkind, they are very popular, but also mediocre at best. Good authors (most of them named several times here): Paul Kearney - Monarchies of God Steven Erikson - The Malazan Book of Fallen George RR Martin - The Song of Ice and Fire Tad Williams - Memory, Sorrow & Thorn and Otherland Terry Pratchett - Discworld Neil Gaiman - Neverwhere, Stardust, American Gods, Sandman, Smoke & Mirrors

Barry Hughart

[ivant]

1) Bridge of Birds 2) The Story of the Stone 3) Eight Skilled Gentelmen These is probably the most amazing thrilogy I've ever read!

Fritz Leiber

[chefren]

I'm just started on Leiber's Lanhkmar saga. Ill met in Lankhmar is chronicles the first adventures of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser. I have this nice paperback with the first four Lankhmar books, and it's great.

Amazing, all of you missed...

[Anonymous Coward]

Steven Erikson's "The Malazan Book of the Fallen" this is absolute one of the greatest series ever.
If you like George R. R. Martin you will love this.
Inzanly great story, tops Jordan and Goodkind by miles.

The books are:
Gardens Of The Moon
Deadhouse Gates
Memories Of Ice
House of Chains

Run down to the nearest bookshop an by them all...

Re:Reading List - free download on the web

[gbjbaanb]

I note you've put the Harry Potter series on your list... if you like them, you will like the Phillip Pullman Dark Materials trilogy.

Best of all, the BBC have just finished broadcasting the adaptation of the trilogy on the radio, and have put them up on the web for download. Note that they come to 7.5 hours duration.

The books are childrens stories, similar in quality to Rowling's.

Cheers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/hisdarkmaterial s/ index.shtml

Re:third the C.J. Cherryh

[gbjbaanb]

but not necessarily the Foreigner series, get yourself a copy of Cyteen, Heavy Time, Merchanter's Luck, and Rimrunner and see how the same things can be told from so many different viewpoints. Quite an eye opener once you get to a point in a book where they start describing some cultural aspect that you've read in another book from a different culture's view.

And they're top banana books. All of Cherryh's works are well recommended.

Fantasy authors

[Froggie]

I'm currently awaiting the 3rd book in J.V. Jones' "A Cavern of Black Ice" series, and I found the first two very good. I'm surprised she's not been mentioned up till now, but the other comments seem to focus on SF and rather more established authors.

Another author worth looking for is Robin Hobb - the stories are good, but I find that the books themselves can take a while to get through, particularly the Liveship Traders series.

Take all my recommendations with a pinch of salt. I'll read anything ;-)

Don't see "Writers of the Future" mentioned...

[julesh]

... so I'll mention it.

You'll find it here. Its a contest for new writers, judged by some fairly well known SF and Fantasy writers. Many of the writers have never published anything since winning their prize, but a lot of them have gone on, and the stories from the anthologies are pretty good by themselves anyway.

Also have a look through the winners of the Nebula award (sorry I don't have a URL) and check out anyone on there that you don't know. They're almost always excellent.

David Zindell

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't know how any list of SF can not include David Zindell! It's intelligent SF, up there with Ursula Le Guin, not the pulpy stuff. His first book, Neverness, is one of my alltime favourites, and the then it continues with The Broken God, The Wild, and War in Heaven. Superb books, eastern in philosophy. His fantasy series hasn't gripped me yet, but the SF is desert island stuff.

David Wingrove

[pahpabut]

the "Chung Kuo" series. btw, one of the best book-series-made-for-big-brass-Spielberg-Hanks-1tr illion-dollar-budget-20-episode-tvseries there is.

James P Hogan

[Anonymous Coward]

James P Hogan wrote an inherit the stars trilogy
which i would call science fiction with the emphasis on science. The discovery of a 50000 year old body on the moon starts it and leads to a 24million year old ship on titan full of goodies like black hole drives and anti gravity,
and eventually the discovery of our origins.

ciao

Sigh! parody anyone?

[danro]

It's a parody, get it?
Kind of like spaceballs.
Stephenson is mocking the "cyberpunk"-genre by taking the already over-the-top jargon really over the top. Introducing things like the full-body personal airbag (good for jumping into a busy freeway from a low flying helicopter), the fusion-powered gauss-gattling gun (requiering a mid-sized lake to dip the heatsink in) mentioned in the parent post.
And, last, but not least, the pacemaker wired to your own personal nuclear warhead (for those of you that really, really crave the same respect for your person that people otherwise only give major soverign states).

Reread it as a parody and I can almost promise you you'll enjoy it.

I'm sure you'll listen to reason... ;-)

Re:Sigh! parody anyone?

[fferreres]

Oh, I wouldn't know that. I thought it was meant to be believable...it was not. I didn't know I was supposed to be a parody!

I love Douglas Adam's humour, I also like in-book jokes from Avimov, Simmons and specially, Clarke's way to include jokes but instead of making the story's world unbelievable, they make the characters more real and human! If I was told Neal was Science Parody I may have enjoyed a little bit, maybe!

Recommendation: Raymond E. Feist

[Anonymous Coward]

He's a fantastic fantasy writer.. some people think as highly of him as of Tolkien (blasphemy.. I know, but he IS damn good).

The reason why I slept too little the last couple of years.. I must have read his books 10 times ;o)

Try Writing!

[ErikBaard]

In "Sailing to Byzantium," a poem that SciFi/Fantasy reader should love for its imagery, William B. Yeats wrote:

"Nor is there singing school but studying
Monuments of its own magnificence."

http://www.online-literature.com/yeats/781/

In other words, you learn to write poetry --singing school -- by reading lots and lots of it. Well, you certainly have immersed yourself in reading science fiction and fantasy, so why not stretch your creative muscles and try writing for a time? Maybe block off a few months in which the time you'd normally spend reading, you write instead? The best place to start is by scouring academic journals for new science breakthrough and promising avenues of research that haven't been reported on much and then ask yourself, "What if?"

Even if you don't find a commercial publisher, there are plenty of places online to share your work.

I guarantee you'll love the experience of writing if you take your stories on your own terms, rather than constantly measuring yourself against Dune. And you'll meet unforgettable characters, forming relationships with them that are more intimate than any you've encountered elsewhere.

Erik Baard

Less well known authors

[boggits]

Ian Macleod - Star Fraction sequence especially. Will appeal to Ian Banks fans especially the political situation.
Alastair Reynolds - Very hard SciFi but more of a human face to the emotions.
David Zindell - not got round the Ea Cycle yet so try the Requim for Homo Sapiens first and pray for a good grounding in Mathematics.

Knowledge of Angels

[sashang]

By most peoples' definition this isn't sci-fi however it does deal with themes that crop up in sci-fi novels. Excellent book and highly recommended. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail /-/books/0552997803/reviews/qid=1043149942/sr=2-1/ ref=sr_2_1/102-1687957-6094563

Donaldson!

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm disappointed noone so far seems to have mentioned Stephen Donaldson. His Gap cycle is absolutely astounding.

Be warned, the first book, while doing a terrific job setting the scene, is extremely brutal. The other four books are excellent space opera, though.

His Chronicles of Thomas Covenant is also well worth reading. Absolutely top-grade fantasy in my book.

Re:Donaldson!

[Laferlout]

I could not agree more, his fantasy is excellent and the Gap series is just wonderfull

Try David Zindell

[sharone]

One of my favourite SciFi series is by David Zindell titled "A Requiem for Homo Sapiens". There are 4 books starting with Neverness, The Broken God, The Wild and War in Heaven. Seekers of the Ineffable Flame can try this link.
Has some very interesting concepts that appeal to geeks, metaphysicians and people who just like a good story.

Lindgren, Lovecraft, Zahn, Eddings...

[ThomasW]

- Terry Pratchett (Discworld books) especially the watch

- Michael A. Stackpole (X-wing series) i'm a sucker for star wars...

- Timothy Zahn (The Thrawn Trilogy) star wars again...

- Robert Jordan (wheel of time) Does it never end? :)

- David Eddings (Belgariad, Malloreon)

- Tolkien (Rings, Bilbo )

- C. S. Lewis (Narnia)

- H. P. Lovecraft (Cthulu etc)

- Karin Boye (Kallocain) in swedish...

- Astrid Lindgren (Ronja, Börderna Lejonhjärta etc ) last but not least...

Walter John Williams

[sandow]

The successor to Roger Zelazny is Walter John Williams. He wrote Hardwired, Voice of the Whirlwind and Aristoi. He also wrote a sequel to "Elegy for Angels and Dogs" called "The Graveyard Heart".

brothers Strugatsky

[wowbagger999]

many good others have been named - from this I would recommend Tad Williams "Otherland", Ive never reached 400 pages in english read on one day as a german native speaker before. If you dont know the brothers Strugatsky - though they are the same not new as Lem and Asimov -, their "Roadside Picnic" is one of the best ever written. http://www-win.rusf.ru/abs/english/e-index2.htm is a good site about them. Thanks to all taking part on this thread, I ve found some interesting books to get a read on, important here in austria as on german bookmarket some publishers dont reprint good sf e.g. Asimov, some produce only expensive hardcovers (Tad Williams and to the pity of all parents Harry Potter)

Lesser-known SF

[Eoin O Clerigh]

In addition to Banks, try Ken MacLeod (the Cassini Division, for example) and Tricia Sullivan (Someone to Watch Over Me). But have you _really_ exhausted the past? ;-> Most people I know have never read Samuel R Delany's Stars in My Pockets Like Grains of Sand.

Urban fantasy

[mr breakfast]

A few writers other people seem to have missed:

I strongly recommend Mark Chadbourne - his Age of Misrule series ("World's End" / "Darkest Hour" / "Always forever" ) deal with the idea of the Age of Reason collapsing around our ears and old gods returning to wreak havoc on civilisation. Absolutely brilliant.

Tim Powers is also a very original and compelling fantasy writer- "The Anubis Gates" and "The Drawing of the Dark" are both good starting points.

On ths sci-fi side I would recommend Eugene Byrne his "Thigmoo" is clever and funny. It would also be criminal to ignore the brilliant and original work of Jeff Noon, who I would recommend as a great writer although he tends to be a imaginative rather than technical which annoys a portion of hard sf fans. "Vurt" is a good starting point. It would be a terrible shame for anyone to have missed out on Mary Doria Russell - "The Sparrow" and it's sequel "Children of God" are very powerful writing by anyone's standards.

Although it's been said before, "Mythago Wood" by Robert Holdstock (author of "The Dark Wheel", Elite fans) is one of the greatest moments of fantasy fiction.

Eddings

[njj]

If you want to try something of Eddings, beware. There are two 5-piece series and two 3-piece series.

Strictly speaking, there's just one series. He just keeps republishing it with different titles, and different names for some of the characters, that's all.

nicholas

Re:David Eddings - "borrowing" ideas from Tolkien

[OneNonly]

I read the Belgariad / Mallorean / Belgarath / Polgara and enjoyed them very much as a "light" read. Very humourous but terribly terribly repetitive. I found reading the Mallorean quite painful as it seemed like the Belgariad all over again..

I'm currently Re-reading the LoTR - and I'd missed half of the "similarities" between it and the Eddings books ;) Here is just a couple of examples..

Magic Ring vs Magic Orb
Gandalf runs off to research, Belgarath runs off to research
Frodo offering ring to others, Eriond? offering Orb to others
Dark lord not killed but "sleeping"

There are a heap more - but hard to think of off the top of my head. Not knocking the series - it is a good read (if you like Fantasy, come on folks, this isn't Sci-Fi!)

Authors-

[cynon83]

Well, I've seen suggesitons for Pater Hamilton - great stuff, especially the Reality Dysfunction series.
If you want a good story, and don't mind being depressed, you can read Robin Hobb's assassin series.
David Webber has some really fantastic books - not just the Honor Harrington series (Which I thought was really good).
Laurel K. Hamilton has great stuff - if you like bubblegum for the brain.

Tim Powers

[Anonymous Coward]

Check him out. Where many fantasy authors are setting their worlds in pretty recognisable default medieval worlds, Powers is off mining some unique vein all of his own. From memory, Declare and Last Call both won World Fantasy Awards, and The Anubis Gates won the Philip K. Dick Award, so it's not just me who likes him.

He writes urban fantasy for the most part, and does so with depth, intelligence, and originality. His favourite approach is to take a historical situation, research the hell out of it, and write a story showing what was really going on. For example, The Drawing of the Dark is set during the siege of Vienna by the Turks, and features a magical beer ("the Dark") that is the key to Western civilisation and the real goal of the Muslim invasion. The Stress of Her Regard is about the romantic poets Byron, Shelley, Keats, and others, and their enounters with the true source of the vampire legend. Fun and kind of compelling.

If you're interested, there's more info here (nothing to do with me, BTW.)

Fantasy War: Glen Cook!

[SnapShot]

One of my favorite fantasy series was the Black Company series by Glen Cook.

They are, generally, written in a low-fantasy style in a high-fantasy world. The main character is the doctor and historian for a mercenary company.

The first three are really good. I've read the rest simply to continue the story, but the quality starts to go downhill. Here's the titles that I can remember.

The Black Company: Excellent
Shadows Linger: Very Good
The White Rose: Excellent

The Silver Spike: Okay
Shadow Games: Very Good
Dreams of Steel: Okay
She is the Darkness: Okay
Bleak Seasons: Okay

Bottom Line: An awesome author

[PontifexMaximus]

Want great Sci-Fi? Try Peter F. Hamilton.

Kim Stanley Robinson, Melanie Rawn...

[llordreefa]

And have you read Ann McCaffrey's Pern novels? I just read, or reread all of those during the past six weeks or so. Ripping yarns.

Moorcock rocks...

[TopShelf]

Reading Michael Moorcock can be as wonderfully mind-bending as a Hunter Thompson-esque drug binge, without the hangover.

Rather than list each book, here is a bibliography. My faves are Elric (of course), Corum, Hawkmoon, and the Dancers at the End of Time series.

Lyda Morehouse

[Jim Hall]

I highly recommend Lyda Morehouse. Her work is always associated with Lois McMaster Bujold's, although I can't think why. Morehouse's LINK series is interesting and provacative.

-jh

Joanna Russ!

[Anonymous Coward]

Joanna Russ is without a doubt the true master of good science fiction. If you haven't read "The Female Man", then read it...

Among newer authors, Nicola Griffith ("Ammonite", "Slow River") and her partner Kelley Eskridge ("Solitaire") is recommended...

Starhawk's "The Fifth Sacred Thing" shouldn't be left unmentioned...

Check out www.feministsf.org.

Gordon R. Dickson

[t8k_it_ez]

Don't know if this has already been mentioned or if you've already read them but the Dragon Knight series by Gordon R. Dickson. I love them all. 1. The Dragon and the George 2. The Dragon Knight 3. The Dragon on the Border 4. The Dragon at War 5. The Dragon, The Earl and the Troll 6. The Dragon and the Djinn 7. The Dragon & the Gnarley King 8. The Dragon In Lyonesse 9. The Dragon and the Fair Maid of Kent The author died a couple years ago so no more to this series.

Michael Marshall Smith

[Anonymous Coward]

Great books with interesting twists and some thought provoking stuff.

Book list (that I have read):

Only Forward
Spares
One Of Us
What You Make It
The Straw Men

http://www.michaelmarshallsmith.com/

Cities in Flight - James Blish

[jacbo]

it's Classic Sci-Fi.
The stories span many centuries of human future history. It's a collection of books written over 50 years ago.
Check
http://www.overlookpress.com/fiction/cities.shtml for more info.

Jacbo

- You cannot think about thinking, without thinking about thinking about something; Seymore Paypert -

Even older still

[lesv]

Alfred Bester
E.E. "Doc" Smith - The Lensmen Series

Re:Even older still

[haapi]

I just re-read "The Stars My Destination" (aka "Tiger, Tiger!" by Bester. Great stuff.

I also like Tanya Huff way much.

C.J. Cherryh

Brin

Stephenson ...

How about the Book of Mormon?

[zubillaga]

Not really SF, but non-believers would catalog it as such. It is simply the best book you'll ever read.

Charles Sheffield

[uberdood]

Great author. What I'd consider hard SF.

Too bad he died a few months back.

Janet Kagan & C. S. Lewis

[Anonymous Coward]

Both are outstandig authors. If you don't already know them, try:

Janet Kagan, Hellspark
(other books: Mirabile, Uhura's Song)

C. S. Lewis, Space Trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength - a classic. If you are a friend of the King Arthur saga, you will probably like the 3rd part featuring Merlin coming back to present-day England.

Stephen R Donaldson

[uberdood]

Since you're a fantasy/horror person looking for SF, here's a cross-over.

His fantasy was good for three books, then sucked for another three books (he didn't want to write the second trilogy if you believe the legends...)

However, his Gap series ROCKS.

Re:James Morrow & Michael Bishop & Christo

[haa...jesus christ]

thanks! i read a brief description of Morrow's books several years ago and for whatever reason forgot the specifics, but remembered the concept. needless to say, i just picked it up on half.com

Charles DeLint

[uberdood]

Wondering if I'll get modded down for listing a non-SF author. But hey, you listed mostly non-SF authors.

Have you tried DeLint? Great urban myth stories with lots of depth and characterization.

Scott Westerfeld

[bartzler]

I never see Scott Westerfeld's name thrown around in these posts. His ideas are top and his prose is beautiful. And he seems to only be getting better. He's got two books on my top five list at the moment:

Vernor Vinge, Marooned in Realtime
Greg Egan, Diaspora
Neal Stephenson, Diamond Age
Scott Westerfeld, Evolution's Darling
Scott Westerfeld, Fine Prey

happy reading . . .

A few of each, not yet mentioned

[jbcarr83]

Not yet mentioned and along the more literary, Zelaznyish line:

• Kim Stanley Robinson
• Bruce Sterling
• Lewis Shiner (Glimpses)

Newish Fantasy

• Robin Hobb (the first Assasin trilogy only)
• George R. R. Martin Song of Fire and Ice series (old author but fantastic new series)

Arthurian
Bernard Cornwell (Winter King, etc) [only the Once and Future King is better]

Best ways to find new authors yourself:

• subscribe to Asimovs and F&SF
• pick up Gardner Dozois anthologies
• check out Locus

Re:Iain Banks & Ken MacLeod

[Demiah]

I don't know if I'm thick or something, but I had a fairly hard time getting into Iain M Banks, though I guess Excession wasn't a good novel to try & start with.

Consider Phlebas & Inversions are the two I just about managed to understand :)

Iain Banks has a friend called Ken MacLeod who I started following a couple of years back, with novels out like The Start Fraction, The Cassini Division and The Sky Road, with 3 nominations for the Arthur C Clark award & 1 for a Hugo.

I've just finished Cosmonaut Keep, the first in the Engines of Light series and have to say I rate it his best work to date - and shows not just the strengths that Bank's work does (who must have helped out) but has an inventiveness and originality of its own. Some parallels to Greg Bear.

Keep your eyes open for all the Geek references. Not just the references to aging geeks/coders, Slashdot, Linux, Microsoft, etc, but he has the gall to start the book with "you are in a maze of twisty passages, all alike"!

Definately recommended, none the less.

Anti-Recommendation: Raymond E. Feist

[EEgopher]

I'm afraid I'll have to disagree. I picked up the Magician series on a whim and recommendation from an extremely prolific fantasy reader, and I almost vomited with every agonizing page-turn. Halfway through Silverthorn, I threw the book accross my room, collected the Magician series (and Silverthorn off the floor) and sold them to my local used book shoppe for $0.25 each.
Feist does only two things even reasonably well: rommance and attack scenes, even though they are WAY too short. The rest of his writing -- narrative, dialogue, and characterization -- are atrocious. The characters are always hand-waving:

. . . Roland spread his hands in suppliction, to indicate he did not understand.
"I don't understand!" said Roland.

This is HORRIBLE writing! And it insults my intelligence. Another thing I hate is characters always grinning at each other. If the situation or the words they say are FUNNY, the reader should be able to catch it without needing to see a character laugh or smile! It's called sublime wit -- a great writing ingredient, but you have to just DO it, you can't inform the reader that he has just read something witty.
So avoid Feist. I read Lord of the Rings as my first Fantasy adventure and I was looking for more MATURE TALENT than anything else. Tolkein could make Bilbo's trip to the ice cream store interesting. Feist couldn't even make a multi-dimensional Rift-War interesting.
If anyone can suggest a high-reading-level fantasy series to me, please reply to this post, or email me at NiqDan135@aol.com

Re:Anti-Recommendation: Raymond E. Feist

[Monchanger]

Come on!

Like Tolkien never mentions Bilbo putting his hand in his pocket to get the ring. Of course he does! Do we need to read it to know that's where he gets it from? No. But it gives us a better picture of the scene.

Grinning characters are the same - it's part of the character. You don't ever see Borric grinning, do you? Why? Because he's not the type to grin at a joke. Roland's character is and your understanding of him would not be the same if he didn't. That's part of Feist's talent - he has created a complex world, full of detail and most of it appears in the life-likeness of his characters.

If you just want to read dialog, grab a screenplay (and try to ignore the stage directions). If you want long unending descriptions of every leaf on every tree a character sees in the distance, pick up a Robert Jordan WOT book - he's the master in describing scenery.

And if you're not a fanatic to either way, I say Feist is a good read. And I've read them all.

Check out Baen publishing and thier free library

[Jesterr]

www.baen.com
and
www.baen.com/library

The library posts full books, while the catalog has the first 100 or so pages (or chapters) in a book, to allow you to properly evaluate it without having to buy it.

As to authors:
John Ringo
David Weber
David Drake
Eric Flint

Check them out at baen!

Good Omens & Neverwhere

[oneiros27]

Personally, I liked Good Omens, but then again, I also like British comedy in general. If you aren't a fan of that genre, I can see how some people might not have cared for it. [personally, I think it still ranks as my favorite book to date, but then again, I also love MPFC, Red Dwarf and the like].
[not directly a reply to you, but to some of the others in this thread]

As for Neverwhere, the problem is that you read the book. This is one of those cases where the book didn't come first. [ie, it's like reading the book adaptation of a movie... it's going to suck, so don't bother]. It was decent, but it wasn't nearly as good as the BBC mini series, that Neil Gaimen did with Lenny Henry [whom most Americans would only recognize from Chef! if their PBS station carried it]. The current anticipated release date for it in the US is June 2003. [See the Jan 17th entry]

It was shown in the US, however, as a promotion through the release of the book in the US by Borders, which is when I saw it. [Personally, I know it's sick, but I liked the frog scene]. Oh...and although it was done 6 years ago, and US standards were low, it had that gritty 'Dr. Who' production budget feel to it, but it was still good TV.

George R.R. Martin isn't getting enough love here!

[theghost]

Gotta say his Song of Ice and Fire series ("A Game of Thrones" "A Storm of Swords" "A Clash of Kings" soon: "A Feast for Crows") is some of the best epic fantasy i've read in a long time.

Adjectives i'd use to describe it:
Gritty, Realistic, Gripping, Brutal, Amazing, Character-Driven, Spooky

Good things happen to bad people, bad things happen to good people, and sometimes the bad people don't seem so bad and the good people don't seem so good. No punches are pulled. His low-magic fantasy seems more real than most historical fiction, and thus when he pulls out the hocus-pocus it really grabs you and sends chills down your spine. The characters are realistic and compelling, with clear and believable motivations - even the so-called bad-guys.

"A Game of Thrones" is out in paperback. Do yourself a favor and go pick it up.

The big Bs

[aquitaine5]

You should try what I call the big Bs
Lois Bujold
David Brin
Greg Bear

My books

[willy the walrus]

Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth Series 1. Wizard's First Rule 2. Stone of Tears 3. Blood of the Fold 4. Temple of the Winds 5. Soul of the Fire 6. Faith of the Fallen 7. Pillars of Creation Robert Jordan (need I say more?) Wheel of Time Series Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman Death Gate Cycle 1. Deagon Wing 2. Elven Star 3. Fire Sea 4. Serpent Mage 5. The Hand of Chaos 6. Into the Labyrinth 7. The Seventh Gate

Vinge, Bujold, Pratchett, Weber, Rowling

[david_thornley]

This is what I buy on sight in hardcover:

1. Anything by Vernor Vinge. I heartily recommend The Peace Wars, Marooned in Realtime, and A Fire Upon the Deep. A Deepness in the Sky was very, very good, but I didn't like it quite as well as the three I've named. His short fiction collections are of variable quality, since what he's been writing lately is far better than what he wrote in the '60s.
2. Anything by Lois McMasters Bujold. Anything.
3. The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. The books are normally extremely funny and can be insightful. Unlike most long-running series, he's been getting better as he goes along, so start with something copyrighted after 1990.
4. J.K. Rowling writes the Harry Potter books. They're marketed as children's books, but I won't read my son some of the chapters before bedtime. Again, getting better over time.
5. David Weber writes far-future Horatio Hornblower books about Honor Harrington. I like them (although I'm not as fond of the latest one, War of Honor, as the first nine). I have read a few of his other books, and while they're not bad I haven't enjoyed them as much.

Baen Books has been providing some of their books as free downloads in several formats. This includes one Bujold and several of Weber's. There are other authors there, and it's a good way to get a taste for various authors. So, too, is the public library, if you have a good one near you.

Try These Authors

[OmniGeek]

I read a LOT of SF, have for all my reading life, and here are some of the better writers I've run across. (Interestingly, many of the best SF writers I've read lately are women. No idea what it means, but they're good storytellers.) YMMV, natch.

Lois McMaster Bujold
The new Heinlein, IMHO. Everything she has written is excellent. Start with Borders of Infinity, a good introduction to the Miles Vorkosigan series. Also try The Spirit Ring; more fantasy than SF, but very well written.

C.J. Cherryh
the Foreigner series. Also, anything else she's written, as I've liked all of her work that I've read.

David Weber
the Honor Harrington series, don't know the full list of titles.

Vernor Vinge
A Fire Upon The Deep, and the unrelated but in-the-same-universe A Deepness in Space.

A good writer I avoid (and it's a shame) Iain Banks
He's a very talented writer and his universes are engaging, but I stay away from his work these days 'cause his attitude is just too dark. I know that by the end of the book, the characters I've come to care about will be utterly destroyed and will lose everything. Heinlein wrote a novel in which authors and their characters come to inhabit the same universe; in this scenario, Mr. Banks would be in serious danger from all his delightfully engaging creations... those who survived the last chapter, that is.

Feminist SciFi

[turambar386]

Personally, the only sci-fi/fantasy I'm reading these days is from feminist and lesbian authors.

Two of my favourites, which I'd recommend to anyone are are:
The Black Chalice - Marie Jakober
Mainline - Deborah Christian

Find more Feminist/Lesbian sci-fi/fantasy here.

ooh!

[mr breakfast]

Almost forgot! If Iain M Banks wrote fantasy it would be very like K J Parker - look out for recent novel Shadow for some of the most dark and twisting fantasy written.

Steven Brust and some classics...

[RedHat Rocky]

If you enjoyed Glen Cook's Black Company series, give Steven Brust a spin, you won't regret it.
Fan Site

A couple classics:

John Steakley, Armor. Felix!!
Hugh Cook, Wizard War. Sadly, the rest of the series...well, sucks.

Re:Feminist SciFi - Link corrrection

[turambar386]

musta forgotten a quote or something. Here it is again:

http://www.feministsf.org/femsf/index.html

My top 10 'newbies'

[eschasi]

Recognizing that some of these folks may have been around for a long time before I got around to noticing them, here (in no particular order) are my favorite newer writers.

Jeff Noon: Fiendishly clever, hard to find in USA. Read The Automated Alice and Vurt to see his breadth.

Iain (M.) Banks: Love the Culture, love his non-SF too. Brilliant eye for the human condition. The Player of Games and Use of Weapons blew me away.

Neal Stephenson: He's barely within my definition of new, but you all know who he is. He needs more discipline and/or a better editor if he is to last.

Sarah Zettel: New, good, and getting better. Try her novel Fool's War.

And that's about it. Sorry....

Robin Hobb

[Brett333]

There was barely a mention of one of the best new writers in the past few years. Robin Hobb (www.robinhobbonline.com) has written 8 books so far and if finishing up the last book in her third trilogy.

The Tawny Man:
Fool's Errand, Golden Fool

The Liveship Traders Trilogy:
Ship of Magic, Mad Ship, Ship of Destiny

The Farseer Trilogy:
Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin's Quest

Stephen R. Donaldson

[asldihf]

The 2 Convenant trilogies are awesome.

Eye of the beholder.

[danro]

I didn't know I was supposed to be a parody!

It's all in the eye of the beholder, dude...
The beauty is that he constantly threads the thin line between Gibson style "kool cyb3rphunk" and outrageous slapstick.
I don't presume to know what Stephenson thought when he wrote it, but considering how different it is from his other work, I don't think he was dead serious all the time.

I just couldn't read it and keep a straight face, so I decided to read it like a parody, and it turned out to be a brilliant one at that!
I think parody, like sarcasm (or trolls) are at its best when you thread that fine line where people just can't be sure if you are being serious or just pulling their leg.

Besides, I always wanted my business card to say:
Last of the Freelance Hackers
Greatest swordfighter in the world"
I mean, come on! How could anyone write that and not be giggling hysterically over the keyboard.
The main character is called "Hiro Protagonist" for Pete's sake!

Asimov

[Phantros]

They're not exactly new, but have you tried Isaac Asimov's Robot-Empire-Foundation series? More than 30 books, so you probably missed at least a few.

Re:Iain Banks & Ken MacLeod

[Anonymous Cow herd]

Argh... I read Banks' Use of Weapons and found it a pretty good read, the ending was a surprise... but then I read some rave reviews about Banks (mostly here, I think) and picked up Excession, and can't get more than 50 pages into it! Does it just rank low on his scale, or are there a couple of novels before this I should read for scene-setting? Glad to know I wasn't the only one that didn't dig Excession, though :-)

Daniel Keyes Moran Deserves a Mention Here

[johndiii]

I've only read The Last Dancer, but it was very good.

***SPOILER***

[softsign]

*
*
*
***SPOILER ALERT***
*
*
*

Alright, you asked for it... No fewer than three times (possibly more, can't recall exactly), characters see spirits walking about in broad daylight. It seems that only some people are capable of seeing them at this point.

The first one is Elayne's maid, who sees her dead grandmother in a hallway. Next is Perrin's party, who come across a town that's so freaked out by ghosts they've been killing each other by accident (several of Perrin's people see ghosts walk into walls and stuff). Finally, on a road into a town, Mat avoids some bustling villagers which Tuon can't see. When Tuon asks him why he's jumping around, he turns around and realizes there was nobody there.

I would love for somebody to point out where this is foreshadowed in the previous 9 books, but I don't think it is... You'd think that with 700 pages of very little else, Jordan could have squeezed in an explanation of some sort. The opening paragraph - the prophecy - makes some mention of "all that is, all that was and all that will be" balancing on the edge of a sword... Not sure if that's supposed to be foreshadowing, but, as usual, we'll have to wait...

I think I need a support group to discuss this book...

/bitter

Re:***SPOILER***

[jigokukoinu]

I MUST agree with spirits and ghosts not really fitting with this world. It really struck me as odd an incongruous.

As for them not Travelling to each other, it wouldn't be a good story if they did everything right. If that were the case, Emond's Field wouldn't have lasted through Winter's Night.

End of story.

And yes, this is late, but that is OK, right?

otherland

[Morphocypris]

well. All in all I liked (and like) otherland very much, I am currently reading it again and can't get rid of it...

But I also gotta agree with what has been said above... Sometimes it is _really_ boring, IMHO especially the second and third novel, I almost had to fight with them and it took me about two years to get these two finished (because while reading them I read a lot of other books)... but once you're in, it's not that easy to get out again.

Just my two cent.

alt.binaries.ebooksMost SF Books for FREE

[Anonymous Coward]

Need I say More??

Not SciFi or new but definitely a must read

[Anonymous Coward]

"Blue Nowhere" by Jeffery Deaver author of "Bone Collector"

Here is a Novel Idea.

[DJ FirBee]

If you are a total science fiction zealot with 4000 books in your house many that you have read multiple times, then maybe, just maybe, you should change.

You could do one of a few things. Perhaps you could write your own science fiction book and present it to the many publishers of the books you own. Maybe, you could find another form of art that interests you are pursue it. Maybe you could change your life to be closer to that which you like so much.

Just a gentle clue, from one zealot to another.

Ken MacLeod, Lois McMaster Bujold, John Ringo an

[LandGator]

1. Ken MacLeod is the finest 'new' SF author to be had today, bar none. He takes the finest concepts of SF and stands them on their ear in a believable yet certainly not-your-father's-politics matrix. Kinda like Ursula LeGuin at her best before she descended in whiny pretentious mushy crap. He has two interlinked trilogies, yet each book stands well on its own.

http://www.salon.com/books/feature/1999/07/27/ma cl eod_interview/
called him "the greatest living Trotskyist libertarian cyberpunk science-fiction humorist."

2. Lois McMaster Bujold is the Heinlein of our generation. No foolin', she writes about _people_ who just happen to be in the future, and does the finest job of writing romantically about the hope of the future.

http://www.dendarii.com/

3. John Ringo does the best job of hard-science, military SF page-turners since, oh, say, that Clancy fellow. However, he's been there and done that (Airborne!) and also does war commentary for FOX.

http://www.johnringo.com/

4. The latter two authors appear in the Baen Free Library
http://baen.com/library
which makes 44, count them, 44 free e-books in unencrypted formats (RB, RTF, HTML, PDB and Microsoft Reader) for PCs, Macs and PDAs of all kinds. Now, Jim Baen (former editor of GALAXY and owner of his own publishing house, Baen Books) ain't a dummy; he knows once you start reading Ringo and Bujold, you will be hanging around his websiote, looking to buy the next fix... but, a (mostly) harmless habit, if I do say so myself. I can quit any time, really I can.

Re:George R.R. Martin isn't getting enough love he

[Driv]

George R.R. Martin's epic is amazing! His characters and storyline are so rich and fresh. You're really missing out if you haven't experienced this series.

Michael Moorcock?

[Morklebb]

Elric series or Anything really that he has written. They have them all in nice hardcovers now with all the series in one book.

Sci-Fi/SF Author

[MadMagician]

I like Rudy Rucker, especially The Hacker and the Ants. Insightful discussion of virtual reality, and the hero saves the world because he knows C++!

Anne Bishop

[martial]

I do highly recommend this trilogy composed of "Daughter of The Blood", "Heir to the Shadows" and "Queen of the Darkness". Those stories are placed in a world where women "naturally" dominate society, both because of innate magical power and because of cultural and gender preferences. And where dark is good: magical strength is measured by a person's Jewels, and the darker the color, the stronger the wearer.

Sheri S. Tepper

[dOxxx]

She's not new but but I have read a number of books by Sheri S. Tepper and have enjoyed them all. All the stories have a feminist slant but generally that's half the fun ;)

One thing I always like about her books is that nothing is as it seems -- there's always a twist or something hidden that just blows your mind when it's finally revealed.

A number of her books are related, not in a series as such, but more of the same universe type of relationship. One such cycle is Grass, Raising The Stones and Sideshow which feature some freaky fungi ;)

Some titles:

Gibbon's Decline and Fall
Grass
Beauty
The Visitor
The Family Tree
Singer From The Sea
The Fresco
Six Moon Dance
The Awakeners: Northshore & Southshore (two books in one volume I think)
Sideshow
Raising The Stones

Re:Iain Banks & Ken MacLeod

[ralphclark]

IMO Banks' isn't the most consistent writer. Some of his stuff is amongst the best out there (Use of Weapons, The Wasp Factory, Walking On Glass). His later novels have suffered a little from a swollen ego I think.

I agree Excession was largely unreadable, consisting, as it often did, of long rambling conversations of half-finished sentences and vague allusions to unknown events, between completely unnamed participants. How are you supposed to follow something like that? And the ending leaves one up in the air.

Personally I think Banks has lost it a bit. One must wonder if his brain might have gone soft - inevitable I suppose if he is anywhere near as fond of recreational drug use as his novels' characters are mostly.

Most people would consider Ken Macleod to be his natural successor (and like Banks his stuff is written in a very Scottish voice) but if Macleod is too political for you (it's unremittingly far-left in colour) or you've already read all his stuff then I strongly recommend Michael Marshall Smith (Only Forward, Spares) whose stuff has the same black "hidden horror just under the surface" flavour that the best Banks novels do.

Other than that, for a good read: Greg Egan (just about anything, especially Diaspora and Permutation City), Stephen Baxter (Voyage, Titan and the Manifold Series especially), Peter F Hamilton (Night's Dawn Trilogy). And if you haven't read Greg Bear's Eon and its sequel Eternity yet I urge you to go back read those too.

Re:Iain Banks & Ken MacLeod

[Anonymous Coward]

MacLeod is a very, very good writer.

I read the "Fall Revolution" 'series' out of order, reading the one which was written first (Star Fraction) last.

Star Fraction (his first novel) is a cyber-punk style novel along the lines of Neuromancer or Snow Crash.

Ken MacLeod has a lot of political content in his novels. To me, he has the literary skill and tech nical vision of Gibson but his work is a lot easier to read and more entertaining like Stephenson's. Even though it is essentially cyber-punk, it doesn't have that grimy, depressing and dark atmosphere that Gibson's works do.

Strongly recommended.

BTW, Banks is a very gifted writer, though not always exciting or easy to read.

The Bridge is a non-sci-fi tale that is real similar to Through the Looking Glass/Alice in Wonderland, IMO. A sort of psychological/fantasy exploration.

The Player of Games is my favorite (so far) Banks book based upon The Culture.

My take

[alexo]

>I am looking for the new RAH/Piers Anthony/Roger Zelazny/Weis & Hickman etc..., of the world. I have read just about everything I could find on King Aurthur, all of the Dragon Lance stuff and all or most of the 'old school' hardcore. I don't know, I have maybe 4000 books at home, most of them Scifi/SF.

Personally, I dislike the Weis & Hickman novels, especially the DragonLance series. They read like a script of a D&D campaign, they put too much emphasis on "special effects" while neglecting the basics (like character development, internal consistency, etc.)

Piers Anthony had some very interesting ideas but I felt that the series that I read quickly became repetetive or degenerated into punfests. Maybe it was intentional but I found it tiresome.

Zelazly is a different matter. I read most of his books and liked most of what I read. I especially enjoyed "Eye of Cat".

>I am looking for some new stuff. I haven't bought any kind of book other than techie for more than 2 years. I just keep reading the ones that I have over and over and over. What are you guys reading? If it is a series, please list ALL of the books in it!

It is hard to give a recommendation, as our tastes differ, but I'll tell you what works for me.

Start with the familiar then expand and branch out.

You've mentioned Zelazny. Have you read his non-Amber books as well? Some of them are as good or even better.

Most readers are familiar with the hard SF of Larry Niven. However, he also wrote some interesting fantasy stories (try "The Time of the Warlock", etc.) Being a hard SF writer, he does not cut corners in making his universes internally consistent.

You've probably read Asimov. Why don't you try his popular science books? Even though they contain only the "science" part (without the "fiction"), they are still a most enjoyable reading material. And if you happen to learn something from them, consider it an added bonus. There's a list here

Also, there are several good authors that wrote some SF/fantasy but it is not their only (or even main) focus.
Read some of the SF writings of Ray Bradbury (start with "The Martian Chronicles") and if you like his style read his other fiction.
Try the same approach with Kurt Vonnegut's work.

Michael Swanwick and Ted Chiang

[Anonymous Coward]

Michael Swanwick was an early cyber-punk writer (actually co-wrote a short with Gibson back in the early 80s) who has hopped back and forth between fantasy and sci-fi over the years.

The Iron Dragon's Daughter is a pretty good novel but where he is truly brilliant is in his short stories. The collection "Tales of the Old Earth" includes multiple Hugo nominated shorts (3 from the same year!) and has some of the best short stories I have ever read.

Another author who is an amazing short story writer is Ted Chiang. He has only published 7-8 stories but they are all collected in a new anthology entitled (I think) "Stories of your Life and Others"

Both authors are very technically gifted and address serious issues with an inventiveness, intelligence and skill level that are very rare, especially in short stories. Both of these collections have more than one short story which will leave you speechless or will really impact you emotionally in some other way.

Re:Tim Powers, Connie Willis, Luc Sante...

[Twitch42]

Powers is amazing!

He also wrote a "series" that includes Last Call , Expiration Date , and Earthquake Weather , and a cold-war spy novel with fantasy elements called Declare .

Like Gaiman, his work is about the fantastic that lies under the surface, unseen by all but a few.

More info: http://www.jberlyne.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.htm

Local library and co-authors

[bluGill]

I've found two good souces for new reading material. The library and co-authors of my favorites. They work togather for me. Fan sites and reviews might help, but I've never bothered with them. You need to find what works for you. I don't personally know anyone who likes the books I do, so I can't get their recamendataion, but if you can find people who think like you great.

The library is great because when I don't pay for a book I don't feel bad about wasting money on it. When I buy a book and hate it I read the whole thing anyway because I've spent good money on it. When I check it out I read until I decide that I don't like it (several chapters generally) and then return it.

Co-authors are harder to guess, but if I like Joe, and joe writes with Frank, I'll read their book, and unless I hate that book I'll try a few things that Frank wrote alone. The theory is that Joe wouldn't work with Frank if he didn't like how Frank wrote, so they likely write similear. Since there are good authors who write something other than SF, This is a good way to discover which general fiction authors you can stand.

Re:Feist - Hell yeah!

[MacrosTheBlack]

Eddings I found was too soft - his characters don't seem to have any major hurdles they didn't overcome easily. Nothing 'bad' happened to them. And he recycled his plot... Malorean is the same as the Belgariad, different people (slightly). Elenium and Tamuli were just the Belgarian and Malorean on a different planet with different people.

Friedman, Somtow

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm late to the party but I'd second the comments on CS Friedman. However, I enjoyed her first two novels the most ("In Conquest Born" and "The adness Season"). The first book of the Coldfire trilogy was really good, but she lost me after that. "This Alien Shore" didn't do much for me.

Another book that really stood out in my mind was "Light on the Sound" by Somtow Sucharitkul (aka S.P. Somtow). It's the first of a four part series. I think I never finished the other books because they weren't nearly as good. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find them, in any case.

If you like hard sci-fi, these books aren't for you. They are all just very rich in imagination and/or emotional content. To me, they are similar in feel to Simmons' "Hyperion" in one way or another.

More Williams Gibson

[Hangman Jim 99]

Difference Engine.

I haven't finished it yet, but it is a cool mix of new and old technology. Steam computers and that kind of stuff.

Darwin working archeology digs and finding dinosaurs.

Shaping up to be a great book.

they don't end,

[John Harrison]

they accelerate. His novels start off slow and very detailed and then at some point the detail starts dropping off. Once that happens it drops off faster and faster, like he can't wait to finish the book. The end result of this acceleration in the amount of detail left out is that the last chapter of the book is simply not there. He was going to fast and skipped it. I still don't know if Uncle Enzo won the big fight at the end of Snow Crash.

Re:Even older still (addendum)

[Anonymous Coward]

A.E. Van Vogt
Murray Leinster
Hal Clement

Ian Banks

[monk]

The Culture books. Nice, deep characters, great plots and some kick-butt technology.

If you like Gaiman, you should try...

[gorgeous999]

Kim Newman. they collaborated once on Ghastly Beyond Belief, which was a book of all the worst possible (and funniest) SF quotes. newman's got this whole in-joke, cultural (movies and books) reference thing happening in most of his work which will either entertain or bug the hell out of you. not strictly SF, but if Gaiman gets in, well... A more traditional SF author who nobody seems to have mentioned yet, and also clearly has fun with her writing, is Wilhelmina Baird (CrashCourse, Clipjoint and Psykosis). fab-ewe-luss.

scratching my head

[Doktor Memory]

You just tried to dis "Gun with Occasional Music" by for unoriginality by comparing two of its plot devices with works that (a) came out years after the book, and (b) in the case of "Kangaroo Jack" you have almost certainly not seen, since it hasn't been released yet. You're either trolling in a manner too subtle for me to comprehend, or you're overreaching.

(Yes, I know that Minority Report was based on a PKD short story, but I believe that the bit about freezing prisoners was an invention of the movie script.)

Anyway, I just don't know what to say to anyone who doesn't find Lethem's writing to be breathtakingly beautiful. Maybe you should try his "Motherless Brooklyn", which is not sci-fi at all, and seems to fit his stylings a bit better as a result. You like James Morrow, so it's not like there's no hope for you. :)

More good authors

[Anonymous Coward]

Everybody has chipped in on some good ones, I just thought I'd throw in a couple that I've not seen but think are good.
Morgan Llywelyn is a good, not only does she write Fantasy, she writes historical fantasy, historical fiction, other historys and the like.
Katherin Kerr is a good one also. She writes Fantasy as well.
Steven Pressfield wrote a good historical fiction about Thermopylea
Sci-Fi has more good authors than you can shake a stick at. Asimov, Ray Bradbury, there are so many it's hard to cover. If you just limit yourself to the older established authors you'll have plenty to read. The newer authors do well also though, it's nice to read sci-fi that incorporates technology created after the 70's.
If you want to branch out into other fields check out Allistair MacLean. Nothing like a quick WWII spy book to pass a rainy evening. Dick Francis is pretty good to, a nice light mystery that generally doesn't revolve around little old ladies. You can learn about Horse racing/betting in England with him.
Well there's my two bits. Go to a used book store, pick up what is handy, if they suck, bring them back and swap them out for some more that hopefully don't.

some recent faves

[LazyBoy]

Neal Stephenson: Snow Crash, Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon (as many have said)

Ken MacLeod: The Fall Revolution series: The Star Fraction, The Cassini Division, The Stone Canal, The Sky Road. Lots of socialist and libertarian politics!

S.M. Stirling: 'Nantucket series': Island in the Sea of Time, Against the Tide of Years, On the Oceans of Eternity. Off season Nantucket island is suddenly shifted to ~1200 B.C. No one to fill the Piggly Wiggly. Learn to farm now!

Sheri S. Tepper: Where to start? Grass, Sideshow. A unique voice. I read a couple of her books and was confident in buying 6 more.

Connie Willis: To Say Nothing of the Dog. Time travel gets ugly.

Mary Doria Russell: The Sparrow, Children Of God. First contact handled by the Jesuits!

Check out the Nebula and Hugo lists.

The End is Near

[sanity_slipping]

You will note that he only included the first seven books in his recommendation. The Path of Daggers, Winter's Heart, and Crossroads of Twilight did not make the list, and rightly so.

The theorists believe that Robert Jordan has put out a few books because he is trying to position all of his characters before the action of the Last Battle really starts. The last few books have not been very eventful, I will agree.

I think it would be absolutely amazing if the series ever ends, so I think it's a good thing that it seems like the end is near.

Best Utopian Author...

[Grog6]

.. Has to be James P. Hogan. The Genesis Machine, Voyage to yesteryear;
Great stories- Utopian togetherness- Yada yada....

When Good Authors Go Bad

[BrendanL79]

John Barnes broke out about ten years ago with two fabulous novels: Orbital Resonance and A Million Open Doors, both of which I recommend without hesitation.

He might have written other excellent books since then, but his third (Mother of Storms) was sufficiently awful to turn me away from him for good. Perhaps someone here knows if he ever rebounded...

Glen Cook vastly underrated...

[Anonymous Coward]

...and particularly for his stand-alone SF novels, namely "The Dragon Never Sleeps", probably the best Interstellar space opera written before Vernor Vinge's "A Fire Upon The Deep" and also Cook's brilliantly claustrophobic "submarine" novel, "A Passage At Arms", which was written just before "Das Boot" came out and reads like you are there. One is a broad portrait, the other a perfect miniature, and this guy now sells second hand SF at conventions for a living! Both are magnificent.

Yeah, but...

[Anonymous Coward]

...what're empowered lesbian telepaths without cocoa butter? Y'gotta have standards!