good sci-fi?

[varwoche]

I like good sci-fi. The problem is finding it amidst the mountains of crap. Suggestions?

 

[Chaos]

If you like Space Opera, try the "Honor Harrington" novels by David Weber. The first one is "On Basilisk Station"

 

[Bikewer]

There's an enormous quantity of "pulp" serial stuff out there, so it's hard to find even the great classics of the genre in bookstores.

I'll start a list of the big names; I've been reading sci-fi for about 47 years or so....hehe.

Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Fritz Lieber, Jack Vance, Clifford Simak, Phillip K. Dick, Alfred Bester...for just a few of the oldsters.

Current faves of mine include William Gibson, Greg Bear, John Varley, Gregory Benford, Gene Wolfe, China Miehville.

Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine has published consistently high-quality stories for many years; I've never been dissapointed with an issue.

 

[Hexxenhammer]

If you want action oriented/military sci fi, anything by David Drake is guaranteed to be good. Start with the Hammers Slammers stories.

 

[ASRomatifoso]

Richard Morgan: Altered Carbon, Broken Angels
Neal Stephenson: Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon
Johnathan Lethem: Gun with Occasional Music, Amnesia Moon

 

[(S)]

Vernor Vinge. Retired computer scientist turned sci-fi author.

The Big Three, Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein are required reading, just to scoff at the idea of young'uns who haven't read them. Make sure you read Asimov's robot novels before seeing anything of the movie. [Dear God ... the trailer ... so scary, such horror, such butchering of the original concept]

David Brin writes some interesting things, but be warned ahead of time that he tends to take a crazy, fantastic twist towards the end of most of his books. See his novel 'Earth' for a prime example. cool scifi-cool scifi-what the HELL?

 

[Sindai]

Dan Simmons' Hyperion series is some of the best SF I've read in ages.

Vernor Vinge is also very, very good. He does the same thing as John Steakly (another good one) with his main characters being the same in completely different stories/novels. Read books by both to see what I mean.

 

[specious_reasons]

Through my teen/college years I read "Analog" - a science fiction magazine.

It was generally good quality, "hard" science fiction. Usually featured 2-3 short stories and a novella, or the equivalent number of pages. I dont know if it's still doing so well.

It was also a good way of finding decent scifi authors.

 

[Darat]

The best current writer of Science Fiction (and Fantasy) has to be Gene Wolfe, with Ursula K. Le Guin a close second.

If it is the grand Space Opera you like I suggest the epics by Vernor Vinge, Alistair Reynolds and Peter Hamilton. Or for something a little different try Iain M Bank's "Culture" books.

For some good science fiction thrillers try Nancy Kress - Oaths and Miracles and Stinger are two good ones.

For the older authors:

Anything at all by Cordwainer Smith.
UBIK or Valis - Philip K Dick
Anything by Alfred Bester
The Dreaming Jewels or More than Human by Theodore Sturgeon

 

[Hutch]

Can't believe these guys haven't been mentioned yet.

Poul Anderson--The Nick Vanrijn/Dominic Flandry future history is one of the best overall reads in SF...and his other stuff ain't bad either.

Larry Niven--If you haven't read Ringworld and his Known Space stuff, get thee to a bookstore. His collaborations with Jerry Pournelle are among the best SF has to offer.

 

[ZeeGerman]

Stanislav Lem is my favorite. Solaris e.g. (the book) is way better than the two movies.

Zee

 

[DrChinese]

Classic sci-fi writers: A.E. Van Vogt (Silkie, Slan, Space Beagle, etc.) and Frederick Pohl (Plague of Pythons, etc.) are two of my favorites.

Well before Star Trek came out, Van Vogt wrote of a starship on a 5 year mission to explore the galaxy...

 

[epepke]

Define what "good sci-fi" means to you.

Personally, I like Dick, Clarke, Heinlein, Bradbury, Asimov, Egan, Bear, Willis, Branford, LeGuin, Card, Kornbluth, Shepherd, Delaney, and others I can't remember.

What do you like?

 

[to.by]

Larry Niven: The Ringworld books an The Integral Trees boks.
Hal Clement: The Mission of Gravity

 

[Bottle or the Gun]

Old Pulp stories. Burroughs, Lovecraft.
Modessit - Time God's Omnibus
Sheckley - My Brother's Keeper

 

[Lothian]

His Dark Materials Trilogy : "Northern Lights", "The Subtle Knife", "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman. The latter won the Whitbread book of the year; a first for a childrens book.

 

[varwoche]

Define what "good sci-fi" means to you.

Personally, I like Dick, Clarke, Heinlein, Bradbury, Asimov, Egan, Bear, Willis, Branford, LeGuin, Card, Kornbluth, Shepherd, Delaney, and others I can't remember.

What do you like?

Thanks epepke and everyone. I've read lots of Asimov, unenthisiastic thumbs up (can be boring). Ditto Clarke.

I have tried and tried to get thru various Gibson books but can't. (Seems like I "should" like Gibson.)

I liked the Null-A series by Van Vogt (typical lousy sci-fi writer, awesome stories). I liked City by Simak. Maybe Vonnegut doesn't quite count, but Cats Cradle is an all time fave.

Thanks again!

 

[Bottle or the Gun]

Larry Niven: The Ringworld books an The Integral Trees boks.
Hal Clement: The Mission of Gravity

I like most of Clement's work. He used 'hard' science in his novels. Ice World (Earth is considered an inhospitable ice planet, because sulphur is a solid! All other life in the galaxy lives at high temps!) and Needle are two of my favorites.

Forward's 'Dragon's Egg' is another in that style.

 

[FFed]

I like the RAMA series by Arthur C Clarke and Gentry Lee. Gentry Lee also wrote Bright Messengers and it's sequel Double Full Moon Night. Two great books that are set in the RAMA universe. Another book I have read a couple times and recommend is The Dark Beyond the Stars by Frank M Robinson. I heard it was going to be made into a movie.

 

[Bottle or the Gun]

Any post by Winston is sf