# Need good sci-fi



## kittyjan (Dec 21, 2005)

I don't care really what kind of sci-fi as long as it isn't trashy. Such as language and stuff.


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## journyman161 (Dec 21, 2005)

Almost anything by Larry Niven, but specifically The Integral Trees (follow-up is The Smoke Ring) or Ringworld. (follow-ups are Ringworld Engineers, Ringworld Throne) 
There's a series of books - short stories by other authors in LN's Universe, exploring the Man-Kzinti wars that is just excellent, but you may want to read some of the original LN stories first so you know about what is going on.
Also, Legacy of Heorot (follow-up is Beowulf's Children)
Also Destiny's Road
All excellent reading & you know the science is good.


Orson Scott Card writes some nice work, including Ender's Game & the follow-ups - Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide (there's another but can't think of the name just now)
Edit: Children of the Mind - ties up all the loose ends

Frank Herbert's - The Dosadi Experiment - very good book or Whipping Star for just plain rollicking sci-fi


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## Hodge (Dec 21, 2005)

Heinlein.

He has some 40 books over three distinct periods of writing. One of the "big three" sci-fi authors of the last century (along with Asimov and Clarke). He's arguably the best of those three, as he not only creates realistic science in a futuristic setting, but he also does it in a very interesting way. His writing is incredible and his books are classics, you can not go wrong with Heinlein.


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## Anarkos (Dec 21, 2005)

Anything by Iain (M) Banks.


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## missmojorising (Dec 22, 2005)

Heinlein 'Friday'--easy read, great story. Then you can devour more RAH--he is an awesome story teller.



Friday is strong, smart, and sexy; a secret courier who lives in a world of violence and intrigue; and an "Artificial Person," or genetically engineered human, in a post-USA America that doesn't allow APs even the most basic rights. Friday finds herself smack in the middle of a baffling political and corporate power struggle--first she is imprisoned, then is offered training as an assassin, and is finally chased off-planet to an unsure fate. Over the course of the novel, she seeks acceptance by family, friends, and co-workers, suffering betrayals where she least expects them and receiving help from the most surprising sources. 
*Joy F., Resident Scholar *


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## Chalks (Dec 24, 2005)

some of my favorites:

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
  This ranks *very* high up on my list of *good*

  EDIT: Oops, didn't notice that journyman161 had already mentioned this book. oh well. I like the sequel Ender's Shadow WAY more than I like xenocide and the other one... Ender's Shadow tells the same story from a different viewpoint. It is done extremely well.


Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein
  A classic.  It will make you think though, so you've been warned.  

EDIT2:  I really should read everything before I post.  Hodge recommended all of these before I did.  *sigh*


Rendevous with Rama - Arthur C. Clarke
 Oldy, but goody. I really enjoyed the interaction between the humans and the aliens in this book. Sure it's a tad old, but the story still fascinates me.

Isaac Asimov.
  he wrote over 500 articles, books, essays, etc.  Go read something of his.  Anything.

War of the Worlds - H. G. Wells
  As you can probably tell, I like a lot of the older authors.  The ones from the golden age of sci fi.  


EDIT2 (continued):  So, I'll add a few more:
Poul Anderson has several good books.

ooh, just thought of one:  Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard.  AMAZING.  this book is 10 million times better than the movie.  Yes, 10 *million*.  It's a long read, but I ended up staying up till 4am three nights in a row just so I could finish it.  Err, this may have a few swear words though... I don't remember.


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## Hodge (Dec 24, 2005)

_Stranger in a Strange Land_ will do several things besides make you think!

It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry. It'll make you re-read certain parts (just to be sure you read it correctly), it'll make you cringe in disgust (especially that soup part at the end!). And of course it'll make you think.

The most creative sex scene I've ever read is in that book. I had to re-read it to make sure I wasn't just taking it all the wrong way... Very good, very suspenseful, very _awesome_ sex scene.

And you can't go wrong with _Ender's Game_ like the above two mentioned. Modern sci-fi classic, although its sequels don't live up to it.

Can't say I disagree with any of these suggestions... 

You should also read _Dune_. Good, good book. Somewhat wordy at times and you may get lost occasionally, but keep at it, it's good. 

(Journey, the last book of the original Ender series is _Children of the Mind_, a very strange book that's hard to follow)


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## journyman161 (Dec 24, 2005)

Yeah, I remembered just a while back & did an Edit...

But I didn't find it hard to follow at all. Maybe just my twisted mind? :lol:

Another couple of absolute must-reads from Larry Niven - The Mote in God's Eye & the Moat Around Murcheson's Eye - simply the best alien race I have seen (with maybe the exceptions of the puppeteers & the Kzinti as competitors - also by Larry Niven)

Also Greg Bear's Eon. Also the follow-up Eternity. Oh and Forge of God & Anvil of Stars also by him - mind-blowing SciFi


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## Hodge (Dec 24, 2005)

Journey said:
			
		

> But I didn't find it hard to follow at all. Maybe just my twisted mind?



Maybe. Or it could be that I was in 7th or 8th grade when I read it. I had no problem through _Xenocide_, but then it got confusing as hell for me.

I also recommend Michael Crichton. He's less sci-fi than techno-thriller, but I guess it's still technically sci-fi... Even if it isn't that fictional (he usually operates in the realm of theoretical science).

There's also an old sci-fi book that I absolutely love. I've read it countless times since I stumbled upon it so many years ago... It's called _Planet of Peril_, and it's written by Otis Adelbert Kline, who I guess was apparently an Edgar Rice Burroughs imitator and he wrote a book or two in the John Carter of Mars series. This book mentions the series briefly, apparently taking place in the same universe, but everything else is completely original. It's a very good book for people who like adventure a la _Indiana Jones_.

I also recommend _Gateway_ by Frederik Pohl. The rest of the series you can take it or leave it, but the first book is a sci-fi classic. 

One last recommendation: Orson Scott Card's short story anthologies. He's written some really good short stories, and each volume deals with a specific theme.


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## journyman161 (Dec 24, 2005)

Oh & John Brunner has written some excellent works, but Crucible of Time is stunning


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## IJS (Jan 3, 2006)

Nobody seems to care for him but William C. Dietz made a series called the "McCade Series". It consisted of Galactic Bounty, Imperial Bounty, Alien Bounty, and McCade's Bounty. Fun, quick reads IMO. 

Also Armor by John Steakley is a good one.


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## Shade53 (Jan 3, 2006)

The series order for Ender I believe goes like this 
1. Ender's Game. 
2. Speaker for the Dead. 
3. Xenocide 
4. Children of the Mind 
5. Ender's Shadow 
6. Shadow of the Hegemon 
7. Shadow Puppets 
8. Shadow of the Giant (I've read all but the last one... now I'm going to have to find that one...)

~S


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## Kane (Jan 3, 2006)

I recently(in the last 6 months) read a book called Eisenhorn, written by an author named Dan Abnett.  It is set in the world of an RPG called Warhammer 40000.  Be that as it may, and despite my initial hesitance to read the book, I found it to be quite good; very entertaining.  I doubt that all of the books would be as good, as they are written by several different authors, but I am interested to read more of Abnett's work, even if it does mostly consist of RPG/Comics.  The guy can write well.

I'd like to write science fiction myself, but I've always felt limited in my knowledge of space and propulsion and all that jazz, so I usually go with fantasy instead, having a better grasp on swordplay, hand to hand combat and life medieval.


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## this_reckless_pace (Jan 8, 2006)

Anything by Dan Simmons.

Hyperion, Endymion, Ilium.

The man is a genius. If you're a hard core science fiction fan, think back to the first time you read Frank Herbert's Dune books (not the tacky immitations written by his son.) 

Reading Dan Simmons will blow your mind in the same way.


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## kittyjan (Jan 24, 2006)

Have you read "Solar Flare" by Larry Burkett, anyone?


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## SxThorntonxS (Jan 26, 2006)

Dont forget bradbury. Im reading Starship Troopers right now


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## Hodge (Jan 26, 2006)

You mean Heinlein... Bradbury didn't write that book. Bradbury wrote a much lighter and more fantastical vein of science fiction. Although both he and Heinlein wrote about first contact with Martians.


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## SxThorntonxS (Jan 26, 2006)

I know he didnt write that. I was just mentioning that i was reading the book. Probably came off like that. Anyways, check out short stories by Philip K Dick too


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