Favourite Sci-Fi Books?

[Just Jim]

 

7 minutes ago, TheSaint said:

I did, it was pretty fun, actually. I went to San Diego Comic Con (back when it was just insane, as opposed to Totally Insane) because I was a big Babylon 5 fan and Joe Straczynski was leading a fan panel for it there.

But then I started reading the program and saw that they had a panel with Larry Niven about an hour after the B5 panel, and I thought, "Oh, that would be cool, I'll stick around for that."

Oh... wow! I'm also a big fan of Babylon 5 and Joe Straczynski.... I'd have loved to pick either his or Niven's brain... mostly from an aspiring writers POV. I'm really curious about things like how and where do they get their best inspirations? 

 

5 minutes ago, Bill Phil said:

The War of the Worlds

And to bring this back on topic... yes, definitely!

Also any of Jules Verne... some of the younger readers might get a kick out of how close he got actual present technology... like predicting the first atomic powered submarine.

[Bill Phil]

16 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

And to bring this back on topic... yes, definitely!

Also any of Jules Verne... some of the younger readers might get a kick out of how close he got actual present technology... like predicting the first atomic powered submarine.

I don't think it was atomic... This was in 20 thousand leagues, right? I recall it being electric, but extracting power from the ocean somehow... it did predict electric subs, though. Whether the batteries are charged by Diesel engines or nuclear reactors, it's still electric. 

But yeah, Verne is pretty awesome.

[Green Baron]

It is some time since i read scifi. I found Stanislaw Lem by far the most intelligent, refreshing and humorous reading. Much more thoughtful than all the others i read, including Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, etc. Lem, a Professor of Literature, lectured in Krakow and Vienna, died 2006.

I am not sure if his books were translated into English, he published in Polish and German and his language is not always easy reading.

Edit:oh, i see a quite a few english translations on amazon !

[tater]

I own quite a lot of Lem, I should have mentioned him as well.

[KSK]

@MaxxQ - that's awesome. Sounds like a really fun but slightly scary gig.

Personal favourite science fiction books? Good grief, where do I start. 

Anything by Greg Egan is solid gold. Absolutely mind-blowing stuff and his Diaspora was one of those rare books where I actively couldn't wait to get home from work and carry on reading. Mind you, my wife (at one time an actual Feynman diagram solving particle physicist) found his stuff heavy going.

As somebody posted above, you can't go wrong with Neal Stephenson. Snowcrash is still one of my favourites.

On a more space opera note, I do like me some Peter F Hamilton, especially his Intersolar Commonwealth stuff. Lets hear it for Ozzie - breakthrough physicist and card carrying surfer dude.  

Any of Iain M Banks' Culture novels. Also solid gold and I find that a lot of the basic ideas underpinning his books, about what a genuine spacefaring civilization would be, make a lot of sense.

Slightly offbeat, but getting an honorary mention because much of the series lore revolves around maths (perhaps STEM fiction rather than science fiction  ) are Charles' Stross' Laundry Files novels. @Just Jim - you might like those if you haven't already encountered them - they're very heavy on the eldritch abominations and there's more than a few references to the stars coming right.

And of course, as many folks have already pointed out, you can't go wrong with the classics. Just recently read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, which was a good enough story and worldbuilding for me to forgive Heinlein his political monologueing!

Edit - how could I forget Asimov's Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain? One of my go-to examples of a story that deals with a piece of fictional technology but keeps the science behind that technology completely self-consistent within the context of the story and uses the ramifications of that science to great effect in driving the story. Also, you know, a good read.  

Edit the 2nd - Ted Chiang. He doesn't write much but his Stories of Your Life and Others is a beautifully put together set of short stories. Although as a neophyte writer, some of his work made me want to bite through my pencil and go sob in a corner for a while. Because how the flarp he comes up with some of his ideas I will never know.

Edited July 31, 2017 by KSK

[Just Jim]

30 minutes ago, Bill Phil said:

I don't think it was atomic... This was in 20 thousand leagues, right? I recall it being electric, but extracting power from the ocean somehow... it did predict electric subs, though. Whether the batteries are charged by Diesel engines or nuclear reactors, it's still electric. 

But yeah, Verne is pretty awesome.

Was it... I maybe thinking of the movie... I thought it suggested a nuclear reactor... but don't quote me, it's been a few years since I saw it last.

[Bill Phil]

24 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

Was it... I maybe thinking of the movie... I thought it suggested a nuclear reactor... but don't quote me, it's been a few years since I saw it last.

According to the Wikipedia article, it is suggested to be a nuclear sub in the 50s movie, but uses sodium-mercury batteries in the book.

[Just Jim]

12 minutes ago, Bill Phil said:

According to the Wikipedia article, it is suggested to be a nuclear sub in the 50s movie, but uses sodium-mercury batteries in the book.

Ahhh, that explains it.. it's been twice as long since I read the book... which I believe I should correct here soon... 

[StrandedonEarth]

 

1 hour ago, Bill Phil said:

I don't think it was atomic... This was in 20 thousand leagues, right? I recall it being electric, but extracting power from the ocean somehow... it did predict electric subs, though. Whether the batteries are charged by Diesel engines or nuclear rea...

Clive Cussler likes to put some cutting/bleeding/future-edge tech in his Dirk Pitt and other novels. One novel featured the (re)discovery of electrohydrodynamic engines derived from Verne's sub based on the principles I underlined above. Perhaps you've read it?

[Regor]

36 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

Ahhh, that explains it.. it's been twice as long since I read the book... which I believe I should correct here soon... 

Emiko Station!

[Just Jim]

5 minutes ago, mabdi36 said:

Emiko Station!

Awwww..... Thank you!  

i just ran out of likes, but as soon as I have one available, it's yours! 

[Mr. Peabody]

The Martian and books by Jules Verne. Verne's books will always be classics, though technically they are mundane science fiction.  Also, I don't just enjoy science fiction books, sci-fi movies are great too. Particularly those by Gerry Anderson. (Thunderbirds are Go especially) 

[MaxxQ]

8 hours ago, KSK said:

@MaxxQ - that's awesome. Sounds like a really fun but slightly scary gig.

Nahhh... not scary at all.  Okay, maybe a little bit.  Being on a couple panels at HonorCon in 2013 was a bit nerve-wracking, as I don't like talking in front of groups of people. 

Funny thing is, I only live something like 20 miles from David Weber.  Technically, I could go visit and get his approval right away on some things, but he's a busy writer.  At least one more mainline Honorverse book, plus the next book(s) in a couple/few other series he writes.  Not to mention, having to check over stuff for the third Travis book, which is the prequel series I mentioned in my initial post, that is being co-written by Tim Zahn and Tom Pope, who is my "boss" at BuNine.  Also, he has another Honorverse anthology coming out sometime, in which he's contributing a short story, as well as keeping up with what we're writing for the second companion and writing the novella for THAT book.  My current employer used to be his personal assistant and nanny to his three kids, and it was through BuNine that I met her and was able to get this job (she runs her own jewelry studio now, and I'm her lead bench jeweler - which means I make, by hand, nearly every item of jewelry that gets ordered).

I've actually taken a year off from modeling for BuNine because Tom is an even busier guy than David.  He just hasn't had time to get me sketches and other info I need to finish my current models.  Pretty much everything on my DA page is a "rough sketch", and since the end of May this year, we've finally been able to connect and get some more detail work done.  The general configurations and dimensions of the ships are locked in - we're just making them more detailed and tweaking a few things.  Provided things go well, I should have updates ready to upload in the next couple/three months.

Slightly back on topic... I noticed a couple people mentioned War of the Worlds.  I should have put H.G. Wells in my list as well.  For even more enjoyment of it, though, I recommend the musical version, by Jeff Wayne.  It was first released back in 1970-something ('78 - '79?  Something like that).  Anyway, it's basically a rock opera based on the book version of the story.  It's the only adaptation I've ever seen (heard?) that keeps the time frame and setting of the book.  Richard Burton narrates/plays The Journalist (although recent stage productions feature Liam Neeson, either live or by way of a 3D hologram recording), and the album features Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues, Chris Thompson of Manfred Mann's Earth Band, David Essex of Rock On (it's an early seventies song) fame, and Phil Lynott, lead singer and bassist for Thin Lizzy, as well as other artists.

Here's a sample.  There's two songs, Forever Autumn, sung by Justin Hayward, and Thunderchild, sung by Chris Thompson.  This is from the original recording:

This is the same two songs from the stage production (an older one that still featured many of the original "cast", although Richard Burton and Phil Lynott had died years before):

 

Edited August 1, 2017 by MaxxQ

[qzgy]

I'm surprised nothing by Douglas Adams has been mentioned. Hitchhikers guide and all that.

The Martian is pretty good.

My dad has a large Arthur C. Clarke collection, so I've read parts of that. I've read through the Rama series, but also (I think, it was a while ago) the Hammer of God and Time's Eye and the assorted series. My personal favorite so far is The Light of Other Days. Interesting story about look anywhere cameras (I say cameras, its really quantum tunneling wormholes or something along those lines, but it acts as a camera in that it relays an image to the viewer) that can see in the past.

4 hours ago, The Dunatian said:

Particularly those by Gerry Anderson. (Thunderbirds are Go especially)

I hope you are talking about the originals, and not the rebooted series. Originals were simply called Thunderbirds, not Thunderbirds are go, which is the new one. Not such a fan of the new one.

Edited August 1, 2017 by qzgy

[razark]

14 hours ago, qzgy said:

I'm surprised nothing by Douglas Adams has been mentioned. Hitchhikers guide and all that.

I suppose the argument could be made that Adams was not sci-fi, so much as parody/satire.

 

Spoiler

Dear gods, don't roast me for that.  I mean, I do carry a towel with me, and can tell you the first phone number listed under "How to Leave the Planet" should have been updated years ago. 

Spoiler

(Really, I feel sorry for the guy that has that number now, especially if people figure out the area code has changed.)

Spoiler

s/713/281

Spoiler

Last I checked, I think his name was David (or Daniel?).  (But he has no idea why people keep calling him.)

Spoiler

Dang it.  It was Aaron.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2017 by razark

[qzgy]

Just now, razark said:

I suppose the argument could be made that Adams was not sci-fi, so much as parody/satire.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Dear gods, don't roast me for that.  I mean, I do carry a towel with me, and can tell you the first phone number listed under "How to Leave the Planet" should have been updated years ago.

 

I think it's possible to argue that. Its a weird middle ground I guess.

Spoiler

And no I'm not planning on roasting you. Towels are cool. Especially ones with large friendly letters reminding you to not panic.

 

[MaxxQ]

1 hour ago, qzgy said:

I'm surprised nothing by Douglas Adams has been mentioned. Hitchhikers guide and all that.

Fifth post on the first page.  Just was not mentioned directly.

And there was a movie from 1966 called Thunderbirds Are Go.  I saw it in the theater in the early-mid seventies, when I was 8 or 9.  It was a full-length feature film based on the original series.

[razark]

3 hours ago, MaxxQ said:

Fifth post on the first page.  Just was not mentioned directly.

I thought I had seen a reference, but I overlooked it when I checked.

I guess I'm just not a hoopy frood.

Spoiler

I'm so unhip, it's a wonder my bum doesn't fall off.

 

Edited August 1, 2017 by razark

[Mr. Peabody]

7 hours ago, qzgy said:

I hope you are talking about the originals, and not the rebooted series. Originals were simply called Thunderbirds, not Thunderbirds are go, which is the new one. Not such a fan of the new one.

Yeah. My mistake. The reboot is not bad but is not as nostalgic.

[Messy Recipe]

I've been reading the Mars trilogy; just started the second one recently. Red Mars is now one of my favorite books and I'm liking Green so far as well. I've heard people sometimes find Green and Blue Mars to be a slog because it changes focus more to political stuff, but so far it feels like it follows on pretty naturally.

Edited August 1, 2017 by Messy Recipe

[Dafni]

11 minutes ago, Messy Recipe said:

I've heard people sometimes find Green and Blue Mars to be a slog because it changes focus more to poiticial stuff

dont listen to them

they are great books, I like them a lot. One of the best reads I ever had. I'm sure you'll enjoy the second half of the trilogy too. Have fun.

[NSEP]

Can i tell you a secret?

I only read Sci-Fi from the forums, our community!

This is mainly because i dont have a Library near me, and also because everything else on the internet (Looking at you WattPad) need to have some kind of Teen/Adolecent girl as the main character, that has to fall in love with some other person, thats exactly all of WattPad. The type of Sci-Fi i want is spaceships, planets and exploration! The People on the forums got alot of good stuff.

[StupidAndy]

14 hours ago, qzgy said:

I'm surprised nothing by Douglas Adams has been mentioned. Hitchhikers guide and all that.

i said 42! that counts!

[DeltaDizzy]

14 hours ago, qzgy said:

I'm surprised nothing by Douglas Adams has been mentioned. Hitchhikers guide and all that.

Hitchhikers? Please. Naturally it's Shada.

[Just Jim]

Oh, wait... Admittedly these are young adult, but I forgot about The White Mountains and the rest of The Tripod Trilogy, by John Christopher. I first read these when I was... I'm not sure... 8... maybe 9.... and I still have copies of all three to this day.  

These books were definitely my gateway drug, so to speak, into really hardcore stuff like Asimov and Verne and Herbert. 

Edited August 1, 2017 by Just Jim