Favorite sci fi books?

BamaFlum

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Fahrenheit 451. Incredible read and scary to think about that has come true: ear buds, wall tv's, a detached society, sensationalism, ...
 

Bodhisattva

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I haven't read too many sci fi books and am looking to rectify that. I'm adding Robert Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress to the queue. Should be able to start it within the next couple of weeks.
 

Tide1986

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Anything by Robert Heinlein and anything by Frank Herbert. You should give "Stranger in a Strange Land" a read...it's a classic. Also Asimov is also great...his robot novels and foundation novels are all good ones. This thread will end up making me sad because I just donated my life's collection of SF books to the local library.
 

Bodhisattva

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Anything by Robert Heinlein and anything by Frank Herbert. You should give "Stranger in a Strange Land" a read...it's a classic. Also Asimov is also great...his robot novels and foundation novels are all good ones. This thread will end up making me sad because I just donated my life's collection of SF books to the local library.
My next Amazon order will likely include Stranger in a Strange Land and Starship Troopers to go along with The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Those, I think, will be a good representation of Heinlein's work. Asimov is also a must, and I'll get to him eventually. I'm also looking at reading some Orson Scott Card.

I have read all of the Frank Herbert's Dune books and most of what Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson added to the Dune universe.
 

Tide1986

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My next Amazon order will likely include Stranger in a Strange Land and Starship Troopers to go along with The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Those, I think, will be a good representation of Heinlein's work. Asimov is also a must, and I'll get to him eventually. I'm also looking at reading some Orson Scott Card.

I have read all of the Frank Herbert's Dune books and most of what Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson added to the Dune universe.
OSC is a good one too...I assume you'll pick up his Ender novels.

Regarding Herbert, you should pick up his non-Dune novels as well...all of his works are simply spectacular.
 

RogueElephant

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They are in the ScFi section but more of an alternative reality but the Taylor Anderson books (5) I thought were really good.

First book is Maelstrom but they get better each book. Anderson is a history professor and mixes the right amount of WW1 historical with good characters and storylines. I don't see why Hollywood has not turned this into a movie with multiple sequels down the line.

Currently reading Directive 51 by John Barnes. Little to technical at times but I have not yet finished the book so I can't give an honest review. However I did buy the followup book.
 

SimplyTide

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My favorite genre - off the top of my head:

Ender's Game - Card - my favorite book of any genre

Foundation Trilogy & I, Robot; heck, anything by Isaac Asimov

Battlefield Earth - Hubbard

Dune - Herbert

Ringworld - Niven

Hyperion - Simmons

Anything by Robert Heinlein, though some of his stuff was really out there

I also like some of the newer authors like Neal Stephenson and Peter Hamilton
 

cbi1972

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You will love the Jubal Harshaw character in Stranger in a Strange Land (he is a vehicle for Heinlein's philosophy, which is strongly libertarian, but somewhat chauvinistic)

Vernor Vinge has the most original, mind bending sci-fi I have read, and I have read a lot.

Also, you might try some William Gibson, who created the "cyberpunk" genre with Neuromancer. I haven't read all of his stuff, or even Neuromancer, but I like what i have read (Pattern Recognition, Mona Lisa Overdrive)

I am fond of Elizabeth Moon's "Vatta's War" series, and I have bought, but not yet started the Heris Serrano series. The milieu is similar to Joss Whedon's Firefly series. The main characters are engaged in interstellar travel and trade,and the science is largely handwaved rather than explained in detail, but there is more involvement and cooperation with with military operations. The main characters are not overt outlaws, though they are unconventional and run into conflict continually.

And William Shatner's Tekwar is actually not terrible. It's got a Bladerunner-esque dystopian feel with some elements reminiscent of the Matrix (but it predates the Matrix)

And Ender's Game is a classic, but the sequels, while decent, don't quite meet the same standard.

Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat series is a light-hearted romp that is not serious, but it is a hell of a lot of fun. The main character is a con man in god mode.
 
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RogueElephant

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Finished Directive 51 and about 130+ pages into the follow up Daybreak Zero

9 months since Daybreak killed 7 billion people.
8 months since Daybreak vaporized Washington DC
6 months since rival governments emerged in Athens, GA and Olympia, WA

etc.

2nd book seems to be a much better read so far.
 

IMALOYAL1

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The Mote in God's Eye was good so I read The Gripping Hand which was the followup. Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle were the authors. Both good books.

The Nights Dawn trilogy by Peter F Hamilton was very good, 6 books in all and I've read them more than once. I was disappointed in Pandora's Star. I will read the 2nd book Judas Unchained and hope it makes up for the 1st book.

I read one of The Foundation novels that Asimov's estate authorized. Foundation and Chaos by Greg Bear. I will not waste my time on the other two...probably. Asimov can't be duplicated nor will his Foundation Trilogy.
 

IMALOYAL1

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I just donated my life's collection of SF books to the local library.
I need to go to the library more often. I hear it's a great place to get a book.



I'm a fan of this writing duo...Lucifer's Hammer, Oath of Fealty, and Footfall are also good books.
I want to read Footfall one day. More books than time. So many books so little time.
 

mikes12

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The Mission Earth series by L Ron Hubbard. Quite an interesting saga and satire. There are two intros in each book, one from a computer, and one from a person. The computer intro has more personality, and that's just the start of the satire. It begins as a confession of a criminal sent to Earth as a saboteur. I don't want to give too much away, but a warning: it does have some perverse nature.
 

MattinBama

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Harry Turtledove's Balance series has always been one of my favorites, although the series starts to get a little repetitive/boring after he moves on past the WW2 timeline. The first four books will always remain high on my list. Alien race invading during WW2 is an interesting premise.

Guns of the South is another of Turtledove's history/sci-fi concoctions that I loved.

It has been a while but I enjoyed Footfall as well as things like Nightfall by Asimov & Starship Troopers by Heinlein. I've been meaning to dive into some more of their stuff for a while but just haven't gotten around to it.

The only other ones I squeeze in from time to time are the Warhammer 40k books. They range from really good to really bad. Really just depends on the author. The ones by Dan Abnett & Graham McNeil tend to be my favorites. I've probably read about 25 of these over the years. All in all giant Space Marines vs. orks and aliens usually holds my attention when I'm in the mood for some sci-fi.
 
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