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Best recent sci-fi novels

NeilC

Graduate Poster
NeilC
Joined
Sep 1, 2005
Messages
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I've been reading a bit of sci-fi again recently. Any recommendations for really good and relatively recent (10 years) sci-fi novels that really hold together well as a work of fiction and don't start with a good idea but tale off like many seem to.

I've been reading lots of good short stories but want some full length stuff.
 
Destiny's Road by Larry Niven. It's a new book, and it has nothing at all to do with his Known Space setting.
 
I quite liked the Neanderthal Parallax trilogy by Robert J. Sawyer.
 
William Gibson: Neuromancer trilogy

Octavia Butler:

Parable of the Sower

Xenogensis Trilogy, read the series in order: Dawn, Adulthood Rites, and Imago.

Margaret Atwood's Oryx & Crake
 
I like Ian Banks too. Add to the list Greg Bear; I've enjoyed all of his novels. Maybe in a genre of it's own are the works of China Miehville, but greatly enjoyable-especially if you like prose.
 
Currently reading Simmon's Ilium. It's not grabbing me as quickly as the Hyperion books. I like the approach of three seemingly disparate story lines drifting towards each other. Simmons can wander off into different directions - it's worth the trip, so I'm hanging in there.

Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained by peter F. Hamilton. Great contemporary space opera. Each book clocks in at approximately 800 pages.
The opening sequence was fantastic. So, one chapter got me to read two fat novels. Be prepared for boredom. Hamilton brings in new story lines hundreds of pages into the story. Still, I bought Judas Unchained the day it came out. Check 'em out.

The Road to Mars - A Post-Modem Novel by Eric Idle. SF, Humor, and a treatise on comedic theory.
 
Neal Stephenson RAWKS. Snow Crash, The Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon, and Zodiac are all not only brilliant, but a helluva lot of fun, too. Okay, so maybe Zodiac isn't as ambitious as the others, but it's a cracking good eco-thriller, and has its own charms.

Haven't read the Baroque sequence yet, but it's on my list.
 
I'm not reading anything recent, but I am reading David Drake's Hammer's Slammers books right now. In fact, they just released a hard cover compilation that I am very intersted in picking up as soon as I clear up some debt.
 
Dune may not be recent, but it rules from on high. It was awesome enough for Trena to read all 6 books, even though she generally doesn't like sci-fi.
 
A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Venge.
Stories of Your Life and Others, by Ted Chiang. It is a collection of shorts, but they are marvellously crafted.
Anything by Greg Egan.
Anything by Charles Stross.
The Nights Dawn trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton.
 
I've been reading a Harry Turtledove series where the CSA won the Civil War, and the events in North America parallel those in Europe in the early 20th century. With the CSA as Germany and the US as England/France.
 
Buckaroo said:
Neal Stephenson RAWKS. Snow Crash, The Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon,
Click to expand...

Seconded. Haven't made it round to Zodiac or the other stuff, but all of the above are great. Snow Crash is probably my favorite book.
 
I really enjoyed Eric Flint's Ring of Fire books. I've read the first 2 and one of the short story collections. You can get the first 2 (1632 & 1633) online for free:

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

Basically he took a mining town in modern west virginia and transported back to 1632 Germany. He then looks at the effects our ideas and technology has on the world.

He also opened it up to other writers to write with other characters in the same world. It's very interesting stuff.
 
CptColumbo said:
I've been reading a Harry Turtledove series where the CSA won the Civil War, and the events in North America parallel those in Europe in the early 20th century. With the CSA as Germany and the US as England/France.
Click to expand...

I thought Guns of the South was awesome. I hadn't realized he'd written more on that.

I tried his alternate history book on WWII (where aliens invade during WWII). I thought the concept was good, but there were so many characters over such a wide area that I couldn't keep up. I stopped reading around 3rd book. I should go back and give it another try.
 
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