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The best Science Fiction novels?
- Thread starter eizarus
- Start date
Nappuccino
Member
I'm going to plug Philip K. Dick nice and early.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
Ubik
Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said
Man in the High Castle
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
Ubik
Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said
Man in the High Castle
Master Of Illusion
Member
Not Atlas Shrugged.
Been meaning to get round to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (wasn't it the inspiration for Blade Runner?). Wasn't aware that Phillip K. Dick also wrote Man in the High Castle.
Forever War sounds like a really interesting concept. Added it to my list.
First 3 Dune novels and you can read Foundation from 1 until Foundation & Earth.
Edit: id also recommend the Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson.
Nappuccino
Member
Yep, Do Androids Dream is the inspiration / premise for Blade Runner. The book and movie carry very different philosophical statements about androids and humanity, however. And the book has an essential subplot that the movie completely ignores. But, the main idea detectives hunting down illegal androids is a shared element.
Joyful
Member
Enders game / Speaker for the dead by orson scott card
Blindsight by peter watts
Revelation Space (series) by alastair reynolds
pandora's star by peter f hamilton
Vitals / Eon / Blood Music by Greg Bear
Childhoods End by Arthur C. Clarke
everyones gonna say Hyperion so Ima say Ilium and Olympos by Dan Simmons are also excellent
Blindsight by peter watts
Revelation Space (series) by alastair reynolds
pandora's star by peter f hamilton
Vitals / Eon / Blood Music by Greg Bear
Childhoods End by Arthur C. Clarke
everyones gonna say Hyperion so Ima say Ilium and Olympos by Dan Simmons are also excellent
RowdyReverb
Member
Just re-read this recently. Really a fantastic book.
These are all excellent recommendations. How do you feel about The City and The Stars?
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
Vernor Vinge's A fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky.
Also if you liked Rendezvous with Rama. RAMA II is like a remake with better characters. The problems is that this continues for another 3 books and it kind of dilutes the thing.
Also if you liked Rendezvous with Rama. RAMA II is like a remake with better characters. The problems is that this continues for another 3 books and it kind of dilutes the thing.
Been meaning to read these two, is the third book any good?
More_Badass
Member
Never read a science fiction novel?
Man, you got a good two centuries to catch up on (if we're counting as far back as Frankenstein)
I'd recommend:
- Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
- Hyperion by Dan Simmons
- Foundation by Isaac Asimov
- The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin
- The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
- Roadside Picnic by the Strugatsky bros
- Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
- When Gravity Fails by George Alec Effinger
- Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
- The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Man, you got a good two centuries to catch up on (if we're counting as far back as Frankenstein)
I'd recommend:
- Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
- Hyperion by Dan Simmons
- Foundation by Isaac Asimov
- The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin
- The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
- Roadside Picnic by the Strugatsky bros
- Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
- When Gravity Fails by George Alec Effinger
- Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
- The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Ringworld, Solaris, Red Mars, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Forge of God, The Dispossessed, Left Hand of Darkness, Hyperion, The Stars My Destination, Use of Weapons, A Fire Upon the Deep, Neuromancer, Ancillary Justice, A Case of Conscience, Stand on Zanzibar, To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Gateway, Startide Rising, Shards of Honor, To Say Nothing of the Dog.
Most of these are Hugo winners. Some are Hugo/Nebula winners.
Most of these are Hugo winners. Some are Hugo/Nebula winners.
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
it is a sequel to A Fire upon the Deep with a little bit of Young Adult flavor to it. I liked it because I wanted to know what would happen next. It depends on how much you are left invested in the characters and world of Fire upon the Deep after you finish. someone who really loved AFUTD may like it more than A Deepness in the Sky which takes places on another world with other characters.
I considered it, but for a first time science fiction reader it might be a tough row to hoe.
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
I had a weird time with the first book (haven't gotten to the sequels yet). I liked the plot, but I listened to the audiobook and the narrator is talking like he was dubbing a Chinese film and it was so distracting I took me out of it a couple of times.
Magic Mushroom
Member
Blindsight by Peter Watts. Rock hard sci-fi. Bleak as hell but very well-written. Great alien designs, vampires, transhumans and mind-blowing science about consciousness.
If you believe in free will, this book will rip that belief to shreds.
If you believe in free will, this book will rip that belief to shreds.
Its actually HIGHLY readable and almost not sci Fi but...
Mind blown: this morning I discovered that Sci Fi genius Gene Wolf (Book of the New Sun etc) didnt just set delirious literary standards for the genre. He also invented PRINGLES.
Comrade Crunch
Member
Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delaney
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (Books 1 through 4 especially, 5 was less great, but still good)
Metro 2033, 34, and 35
The John Dies at The End series won't be winning any Hugo awards, but they're really fun reads.
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (Books 1 through 4 especially, 5 was less great, but still good)
Metro 2033, 34, and 35
The John Dies at The End series won't be winning any Hugo awards, but they're really fun reads.
Is he really tho?
He's basically lictor-Jesus by the end of Citadel.
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
Books that are friendly and like to explain:
Ringworld
Rendezvous with Rama
A Fire Upon the Deep
Leviathan's Wake
Snow Crash
Altered Carbon
Books that are not too friendly and like to keep things ambiguous:
The Quantum Thief
Ancillary Justice
A Deepness in the sky
Hilarious:
The Sirens of Titan
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
20th century politics in sci-fi:
Player Piano
1984
Fahrenheit 451
The Forever War
The Three Body Problem
Red Mars
Man in the High Castle
Ringworld
Rendezvous with Rama
A Fire Upon the Deep
Leviathan's Wake
Snow Crash
Altered Carbon
Books that are not too friendly and like to keep things ambiguous:
The Quantum Thief
Ancillary Justice
A Deepness in the sky
Hilarious:
The Sirens of Titan
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
20th century politics in sci-fi:
Player Piano
1984
Fahrenheit 451
The Forever War
The Three Body Problem
Red Mars
Man in the High Castle
disappeared
Banned
I've never been a huge sci-fi fan, but I finished Clarke's 2001 in two sittings. Just a breezy, fascinating read.
My personal favorite novel by one of the best speculative fiction writer to ever live.
Aside from that, my favorite classics:
Frank Herbert - Dune (Yes, OP, go read Dune. Don't touch any of Brian Herbert's books though).
Isaac Asimov - Foundation Trilogy
Joe Haldeman - The Forever War
Clifford Simak - Way Station
Clifford Simak - City (probably hard to find these days)
Walter Miller Jr - A Canticle for Leibowitz
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
I actually didn't like Hyperion that much, but the sequel, Fall of Hyperion was excellent and the first book was a necessary prologue.
One of my favorites is The Mote in God's Eye, a first contact novel by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. I can't recommend highly enough
One of my favorites is The Mote in God's Eye, a first contact novel by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. I can't recommend highly enough
ThusZarathustra
Member
I'll throw a shoutout to one of my recent favorites from the last few years:
Blindsight by Peter Watts
Best dressing down of the "consciousness vs intelligence" dichotomy in narrative form I've ever read. Features also: future vampires (not as cringy as you think), terraforming superjovians, and non-human alien intelligence that is both frighteningly intelligent and wholly non-conscious.
Author is a former marine biologist and treats space as just another great ocean.
Highly recommended.
Blindsight by Peter Watts
Best dressing down of the "consciousness vs intelligence" dichotomy in narrative form I've ever read. Features also: future vampires (not as cringy as you think), terraforming superjovians, and non-human alien intelligence that is both frighteningly intelligent and wholly non-conscious.
Author is a former marine biologist and treats space as just another great ocean.
Highly recommended.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
I'm reading Binti Home right now, it's pretty good, but the imagery isn't strong which I think is the problem with me finding a book I really like. It seems like most authors don't have a strong sense of image.
I definitely mean at the beginning
cryptosporidium
Member
Does Jules Verne count? so much science jargon, so good
i got a big book containing his best, id recommend that
i got a big book containing his best, id recommend that
Skiptastic
Member
I know Orson Scott Card gets shit for his views these days, and rightfully so, but I loved Enders Game and, after not getting hooked then trying it again, I really liked Speaker for the Dead.
I also like various EU Star Wars books, which I guess are space fantasy and not sci fi, so never mind.
I also like various EU Star Wars books, which I guess are space fantasy and not sci fi, so never mind.
Second Enders Game. Though I didn't really like SotD as much.
Most of the goodies have already been mentioned, so I'll take the shortcut and recommend Asimov's "The Last Question", which is an incredibly short read, but still very satisfying. It also is usually the first thing mentioned in these kinds of threads. I probably just didn't notice it getting mentioned so far.
For a newbie, I think a collection of short stories or a bunch of small novellas would be best. All those multi-book sagas or huge ass books are kinda over the top for a first dip.
Also: just to be different, the Ciaphas Cain Warhammer 40k books, because they are mostly humorous. Could be a decisive factor in grooming a future SciFi fan.
For a newbie, I think a collection of short stories or a bunch of small novellas would be best. All those multi-book sagas or huge ass books are kinda over the top for a first dip.
Also: just to be different, the Ciaphas Cain Warhammer 40k books, because they are mostly humorous. Could be a decisive factor in grooming a future SciFi fan.
I would say so, Journey to the Center of the Earth left a mark on me
Otherwise I can recommend the Jumper Series by Steven Gould (except Griffin's Story)
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
Omg
Anything and everything of Iain M. Banks. The Culture series is just amazing.
I just finished the Three-Body Problem Trilogy by Cixin Liu, and I can really recommend that too. It can be a bit depressing at times though, haha.
For grand Space Opera, I consider Peter F. Hamilton to be the top of the game. Some of the most enjoyable books I've ever read. They're huge though, so you shouldn't be afraid of books with 500+ pages!
Asimov, Hyperion, etc. have already been mentioned. I also like the Long Earth series by Pratchett (RIP) and Baxter, but it's a bit more playfull in a sense.
I just finished the Three-Body Problem Trilogy by Cixin Liu, and I can really recommend that too. It can be a bit depressing at times though, haha.
For grand Space Opera, I consider Peter F. Hamilton to be the top of the game. Some of the most enjoyable books I've ever read. They're huge though, so you shouldn't be afraid of books with 500+ pages!
Asimov, Hyperion, etc. have already been mentioned. I also like the Long Earth series by Pratchett (RIP) and Baxter, but it's a bit more playfull in a sense.
Pushing Ice is great. But I love all things Reynolds, hehe.
My list, top of my head and will probably add more when I get home:
Classics: Asimov's Foundation (first three), Herbert's Dune (also the first three).
2001 and Rama by Arthur C Clarke.
Simmons Hyperion
All the Phillip K Dick classics you've heard of.
Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun
Banks Culture series
Newer stuff:
Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space series. But all is his work is A grade scifi
Peter F Hamiltons Night's Dawn trilogy. Veers a bit into fantasy but I think it's his best 'work'.
Richard K Morgan's stuff is a fun romp.
The Expanse is good fun but actually makes more sense as a TV series than as a book.
Someone's mind will be blown, hehe.