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Space-faring and Sci-fi - the book recommendation thread

colmo

By colmo
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air805ronin

air805ronin

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Rocket Boys, by Homer H. Hickam Jr.

A memoir by a real NASA scientist. Inspired by the launch of Sputnik, Homer H. Hickam Jr. starts an amateur rocket club (the Big Creek Missile Agency). The launches are described in detail (some of them a very kerbal :) ), and the book is very emotional in parts. Overall, a very good read. 10/10.

If you want to see the movie adaptation (with added father vs son drama...groan) one of the studios put out October Sky.

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Valley

Valley

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Nobody has seemed to mention 'The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress' or 'Have Spacesuit Will Travel' by Heinlein.

Also, I think fans of KSP would also enjoy 'The Rocket Company' by Patrick J. G. Stiennon and David M. Hoerr.

May I also suggest the webcomic 'Quantum Vibe' by Scott Bieser (think space opera meets hard sci-fi meets libertarian ideas plus a touch of Doctor Who)

The movies-turned-into novels 'Outland' by Alan Dean Foster and 'Moon Zero Two' adapted by John Burke are, in some ways, better than the movies.

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Ranger

Ranger

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I was actually going to start a thread about Media in general, but I will post my book portion here, and my visual media part in another thread.

Heinlein, particularly the Juveniles, are indeed heavy on the science. Air805, you seem to have restricted yourself to those. There is so much more to RAH, as mentioned by Valley. Also read "The Past Through Tomorrow" which has a bunch of short stories as well as some essays that deal with things like Orbital Mechanics, actually walking you though the math. Also, do not let the movie series steer you away from Starship Troopers. The book is MUCH better. As an example, Heinlein kind of invented the whole Battle Suit sub-genre of Military Sci-Fi. His widow, who had been hired as a consultant, actually walked out on the filming.

Space, by James A. Michener, is an epic fictionalized telling of the history of the US space program from WW2 until the start of the Shuttle Era.

For something a little more modern, the Firestar series (Firestar, Rogue Star, Lodestar, and Falling Stars) by Michael Flynn is almost as epic, spanning about 30 years if I recall correctly, of a private space venture, starting int he late 90's, with a good combination of the tech, science, and politics involved. As a computer geek, I always liked the concept of "AS's", or "Artificial Stupids", kind of extremely specialized idiot savant AI's, since they can not get true AI's yet.

Spreading a little further afield, but still with heavy science background, basically anything my Travis Taylor, who is also an aerospace engineer and optical scientist that has worked for NASA, and might be more popularly known for the TV show "Rocket City Rednecks" is usually an interesting read, and he has the background to get his stuff right.

That is about all that I can come up with right now. I am sure that more will occur to me.

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air805ronin

air805ronin

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Heinlein, particularly the Juveniles, are indeed heavy on the science. Air805, you seem to have restricted yourself to those. There is so much more to RAH, as mentioned by Valley.

I've actually ready everything the man has ever written and sought out as much of it as I could in hardback. He's my favorite author (or roughly in a tie with Patrick O'Brian who sadly doesn't fit with this thread). I've found I have the best luck recommending him when I suggest the juveniles, as those seem to be nice introductions to his writing style and stories.

edit: I was recommending books that in particular features aspects of things we see in KSP such as building a rocket to go to the Moon, navigation, etc. Being Heinlein novels they weren't the absolute focus of the books mostly, but rather a vehicle for a human story. If I were to recommend my absolute favorite Heinlein books it would be Starship Troopers (I count myself in the dedication), the short story collection you mentioned, and Tunnel in the Sky.

Edited by air805ronin
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Ranger

Ranger

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I've actually ready everything the man has ever written and sought out as much of it as I could in hardback. He's my favorite author (or roughly in a tie with Patrick O'Brian who sadly doesn't fit with this thread). I've found I have the best luck recommending him when I suggest the juveniles, as those seem to be nice introductions to his writing style and stories.

edit: I was recommending books that in particular features aspects of things we see in KSP such as building a rocket to go to the Moon, navigation, etc. Being Heinlein novels they weren't the absolute focus of the books mostly, but rather a vehicle for a human story. If I were to recommend my absolute favorite Heinlein books it would be Starship Troopers (I count myself in the dedication), the short story collection you mentioned, and Tunnel in the Sky.

OK, fair enough on both parts. I was going to recommend Space Cadet myself, if no one had before me. I think that I have read everything of his except 2, "Take Back Your Government", which can be hard to find, and "For Us The Living" the first novel that he thought that he had wiped all copies of, but one copy was found after his death and published. I just could not make it through that one, it needed a lot more polish IMO. Although he did put forward a few interesting ideas in the part that I did read...

While I have not read O'Brian, I have heard that the Honor Harrington series is a good combination of something similar (Hornblower) with Space Opera. HH even makes a cameo of sorts in one of the books.

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hugix

hugix

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you guys make me sick!

220px-From_the_Earth_to_the_Moon_Jules_Verne.jpg

I still love this story! I read it as a child, loved it and moved on. A few years ago I became infested with the space exploration decease and now it is on my night stand together with 1984 (another holy book of mine).

It is not so much the story that I love but it is the things that came true. things Verne never could have guessed to be so. NASA got formed from he US army (hence the first 7 astronauts where army personnel). He got the launching site quite right (Florida). The struggles to launch it.

The only thing he got really wrong was the way to get there. He envisioned a cannon. But still Most of the calculations where within accurate reach. an dhe wrote this a 100 years before Apollo!

another book I love is the right stuff I saw it mentioned it here once before. It tells the story of the Mercury program and all the stuff that came with it. From the humiliating medical tests to the wives who where worried sick and being plagued by the press.

And also because tom Wolfe is my favourite journalist. It was because of above mentioned book I came in contact with his work but he has a lot of other books that are worth the read. If you want to broaden your horizon just buy a random book of this guy!

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Sid

Sid

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The Right Stuff is full of inaccuracies. Don't let that put anyone off from reading it though, for me it's right up there with Hunter Thompsons " Hells Angels" and a modern classic.

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Sid

Sid

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"The Forever War" by Joe Haldeman

"Starship Troopers" by Robert Heinlein

I love both of those books. The Forever War is a lot more readable though - Starship Troopers is a little heavy going at times. They both have important things to say about personal freedom and the role of the state in peoples lives, whether you agree with the authors opinions or not. But that's probably politics...I say just read them and make your own mind up...

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  • 3 years later...
Green Baron

Green Baron

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I loved to read Stanislaw Lem as a young guy. Partly humorous, partly critic short stories and novels, though never shallow (i found as a young guy). I remember reading his last book "Fiasco", that came out in the 80s, wihtout looking up.

If the eyes fall shut over Dune these could be alternatives ... :-)

 

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