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The best Science Fiction novels?
- Thread starter eizarus
- Start date
Sgt. Kabukiman
Banned
My favorites:
- A Scanner Darkly: Philip K. Dick is my favorite writer and this is his best work imo
- The Martian Chronicles: it's a collection of short stories of course, but they work better as a whole anyway
- From the Earth to the Moon: still incredibly charming today, the most pro-american work to ever come out of France, lol
- I Am Legend
- Foundation
- A Scanner Darkly: Philip K. Dick is my favorite writer and this is his best work imo
- The Martian Chronicles: it's a collection of short stories of course, but they work better as a whole anyway
- From the Earth to the Moon: still incredibly charming today, the most pro-american work to ever come out of France, lol
- I Am Legend
- Foundation
From the top of my head:
Foundation
End of Eternity
Rendezvous With Rama
Caves of Steel
Dune
The War of the Worlds
The Sleeper Awakes
IQ84
Hyperion
The Sphere
Congo
The Lies of Locke Lamora (fantasy)
'Strange But True' is one of my favourite weird books based on strange people in history, full of pretty out-there ideas.
Pick up any short story anthologies by Phillip K Dick.l, Asimov, Clark etc
Foundation
End of Eternity
Rendezvous With Rama
Caves of Steel
Dune
The War of the Worlds
The Sleeper Awakes
IQ84
Hyperion
The Sphere
Congo
The Lies of Locke Lamora (fantasy)
'Strange But True' is one of my favourite weird books based on strange people in history, full of pretty out-there ideas.
Pick up any short story anthologies by Phillip K Dick.l, Asimov, Clark etc
Greatest Ever
Member
Ok, not a big reader here, but serious question: The beginning of The Left Hand of Darkness... Why is it so verbose and littered with lore based names and nouns? It's immediately hard for me to keep up with as someone trying to get into science fiction. Within the first few pages I have barely derived anything.
Dictator93
Member
Amazing books being listed in this thread. I will throw this into the mix:
As well as (already mentioned but, needs more love):
As well as (already mentioned but, needs more love):
DarkChronic
Member
Hyperion was everything I wanted and more in a sci-fi novel.
It broke me out of a reading slump and I haven't found anything nearly as enthralling since finishing the series 2-3 years ago.
It broke me out of a reading slump and I haven't found anything nearly as enthralling since finishing the series 2-3 years ago.
Agree. Otherland is fantastic. Pity he hasn't written any sci-fi since then. Also "The Explorer" and "Echo" by James Smythe. Mindbending stuff.
Second book is also good. Don`t ruin it for yourself and read third one. Just don`t.
The Time Machine - Wells
The War of the Worlds - Wells
Foundation - Asimov
Fahrenheit 451 - Bradbury
Rendezvous with Rama - Clarke
Dune - Herbert
Lord of Light - Zelazny
The Fifth Head of Cerberus - Wolfe
Neuromancer - Gibson
Burning Chrome - Gibson
Hyperion - Simmons
Snow Crash - Stephenson
Use of Weapons - Banks
Blindsight - Watts
The Windup Girl - Bacigalupi
The War of the Worlds - Wells
Foundation - Asimov
Fahrenheit 451 - Bradbury
Rendezvous with Rama - Clarke
Dune - Herbert
Lord of Light - Zelazny
The Fifth Head of Cerberus - Wolfe
Neuromancer - Gibson
Burning Chrome - Gibson
Hyperion - Simmons
Snow Crash - Stephenson
Use of Weapons - Banks
Blindsight - Watts
The Windup Girl - Bacigalupi
Oh yes, Ray Bradbury is good.
Richard Matheson I'm split on. I Am Legend is a masterpiece and he wrote some great episodes of The Twilight Zone. But I just read Hell House this year, which shows up on a lot of recommended horror, and it was awful.
Joe Spangle
Member
I recently read The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. Was good.
There is a series of books published under the name 'SF Masterworks' which seem to all be decent. There are load of them.
I'd also recommend the Horus Heresy from the Warhammer 40k universe. Start at the first - Horus Rising - and go from there.
Edit - i see a few people have already mentioned The Forever War. Good.
There is a series of books published under the name 'SF Masterworks' which seem to all be decent. There are load of them.
I'd also recommend the Horus Heresy from the Warhammer 40k universe. Start at the first - Horus Rising - and go from there.
Edit - i see a few people have already mentioned The Forever War. Good.
Risible
Member
Yeah OP, these authors are revered but this rando on GAF knows better.
You should take his opinion with every single grain of salt in the universe.
GreenMonkey
Member
Bingo.
Not every writer writes all great books, but Foundation is widely cited as a huge inspiration to other authors, like LOTR is cited for fantasy. Ditto for Clarke. Truly huge, huge authors that are critically acclaimed.
Personal favorites:
Asimov - Robots/Foundation (start with The Caves of Steel for Robots). Also fond of The End of Eternity although the female characterization isn't strong (not one of Asimov's strengths). But the concept is fascinating.
Clarke: Personally I like The Songs of Distant Earth the best
Heinlein: another vote for The Door Into Summer. Again, like Eternity, fun concept for a book, badly executed female characters.
Unfortunately not yet accessible to English-speaking audiences (but a translation is coming), this is my answer (written in French, translated in Italian already): La Horde du Contrevent, by Alain Damasio.
I feel sad everytime I see a discussion about science-fiction and, the world being anglo-centric as it is, never see any mention of Alain Damasio or other fantastic contemporary authors such as him.
But yeah, to anyone who can speak French (or Italian; or patient English-speakers, even though it seems very hard to translate given how Damasio plays with the French language and makes it his own), this is a must, whether you like SF or not.
I feel sad everytime I see a discussion about science-fiction and, the world being anglo-centric as it is, never see any mention of Alain Damasio or other fantastic contemporary authors such as him.
But yeah, to anyone who can speak French (or Italian; or patient English-speakers, even though it seems very hard to translate given how Damasio plays with the French language and makes it his own), this is a must, whether you like SF or not.
superdeluxe
Member
David Brin -Uplift series
whatevermort
Member
Youre too kind.
OH HEY heres the cover of my new novel, released next April. I am shameless.
sephiroth7x
Member
I wouldn't start with it as its not a great entry into Sci-Fi but I would certainly look into reading War of the Worlds by HG Wells.
As one of the original science fiction tales, you really get a sense of exploration into this new genre (in 1896 anyway) that Wells was trying to create and nail down. It can be hard going, but its reward is worth it for me.
As one of the original science fiction tales, you really get a sense of exploration into this new genre (in 1896 anyway) that Wells was trying to create and nail down. It can be hard going, but its reward is worth it for me.
Hari Seldon
Member
I recommending Asimov, obviously. The I,Robot short stories are a good starting point, or just go right into Foundation. Asimov is a high-minded sci-fi writer, so you get great Big Ideas with not as much characterization.
Hyperion is amazing. It is brilliant literature.
I really liked The Three Body Problem. It is a classic sci-fi novel in the style of Clarke or Asimov, only written from the perspective of a Chinese Author which is highly unique.
Peter F. Hamilton is great, start with Pandora's Star. He is more of a thriller sci-fi writer, but he throws in tons of great hard sci fi as well. He is a pretty easy read for a sci-fi newbie.
Hyperion is amazing. It is brilliant literature.
I really liked The Three Body Problem. It is a classic sci-fi novel in the style of Clarke or Asimov, only written from the perspective of a Chinese Author which is highly unique.
Peter F. Hamilton is great, start with Pandora's Star. He is more of a thriller sci-fi writer, but he throws in tons of great hard sci fi as well. He is a pretty easy read for a sci-fi newbie.
I've glanced through the first chapter of The Left Hand of Darkness and honestly, it may just be a matter of differing tastes, but I didn't find it particularly verbose. It's meant to inundate the reader with lots of information to establish, through Genly's narrative voice, how alien the Gethenians appear to him and the Ekumen. For what it's worth, it does get better!
Now if we're talking verbose, the prologue to Guy Gavriel Kay's Sailing to Sarantium really hits you over the head with what it's trying to do (It's a fantastic book though). I also generally dislike China Mieville novels because I find that it's usually more world building than plot.
More_Badass
Member
I was introduced to Stanislaw Lem the other day, and his work so far has been great. I got the audiobook of The Cyberiad, and it is a joy to listen to so far. Take the whimsical nature of fables and fairy tales, place them in the endless possibilities of science fiction, and then use the stories to explore human nature and technology and society. The clever prose - the wordplay and descriptions and alliterations - is wonderful even outside of the concepts and tales. The Star Diaries as well.
Eden, His Masters Voice, and Solaris are all different takes on the First Contact premise, with the distinaction of being about mankinds struggle to understand and interact with things beyond their comprehension and understanding
Eden, His Masters Voice, and Solaris are all different takes on the First Contact premise, with the distinaction of being about mankinds struggle to understand and interact with things beyond their comprehension and understanding
Greatest Ever
Member
Uhhh...
I'll check it more though for sure.