Science Fiction Books

Can anyone recommend a good SF book, or SF series of books?
I have read, and loved, the Hyperion series. Also the Rama series.
Time Ships by Stephen Baxter is a GREAT book.
I started reading Reality Dysfunction, but gave up half way through the second book. Too many characters taking up space and hard to keep track of all of them.

BTW, one of my pet peeves is when the writer ties up all the improbable loose ends by the use of a Deus ex machina.

Anything by Heinlein, Armor by John Steakley,
The Stainless Steel Rat series by Harry Harrison. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?(Blade Runner)by Philip K. Dick.

If you havent read Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy I would consider that mandatory for the sci fi lover.

I just posted this in another thread, but C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy is excellent. I’m in the middle of the third.

Out of the Silent Planet
Perelandra
That Hideous Strength

I havent read them, but I’ve heard the Issac Asimov’s “Foundation Trilogy” (with all of his works as I understand) are also fantastic sci fi reading.

Star Wars! There are many, many great Star Wars books…

Shadows of the Empire
Heir to the Empire trilogy
Rouge Squadron
Republic Commando
The Jedi Academy Trilogy
The New Jedi Order
Darksaber
The Black Fleet Crisis

I could go on and on?Vader can vouch for me

[quote]Lonnie123 wrote:
I havent read them, but I’ve heard the Issac Asimov’s “Foundation Trilogy” (with all of his works as I understand) are also fantastic sci fi reading.[/quote]

They are.Also Arthur C. Clarke is highly recommended.

Orson Scott Card - Ender’s Game and the other books in the series (although Ender’s Game is the best)

Frank Herbert - Dune, etc.

Lovecraft - At the Mountains of Madness, etc.

[quote]Himora22 wrote:
Star Wars! There are many, many great Star Wars books…

Shadows of the Empire
Heir to the Empire trilogy
Rouge Squadron
Republic Commando
The Jedi Academy Trilogy
The New Jedi Order
Darksaber
The Black Fleet Crisis

I could go on and on?Vader can vouch for me[/quote]

Some of these that Mimora mentioned are great but I did NOT like The New Jedi Order, I used to be a rabid reader of all the Star Wars books but this really killed my interest.

[quote]pushmepullme wrote:
Orson Scott Card - Ender’s Game and the other books in the series (although Ender’s Game is the best)

Frank Herbert - Dune, etc.

Lovecraft - At the Mountains of Madness, etc.[/quote]

I’ll second the first two, haven’t read the third though. I’d list Enders Game amongst the best books I’ve ever read.

If you haven’t read it, I, Robot by Isaac Asimov. I’ve read the first two books of his Foundation trilogy (the original foundation trilogy) and liked the first one but couldn’t really get into the second.

If you want sci-fi that’s quick to read, try the Warhammer 40k books.

[quote]NycMan wrote:
I started reading Reality Dysfunction, but gave up half way through the second book. Too many characters taking up space and hard to keep track of all of them.

[/quote]

Ahh man, you should have kept going.

My favorite book by that guy is actually Fallen Dragon though.

[quote]Neuromancer wrote:
Lonnie123 wrote:
I havent read them, but I’ve heard the Issac Asimov’s “Foundation Trilogy” (with all of his works as I understand) are also fantastic sci fi reading.

They are.Also Arthur C. Clarke is highly recommended.[/quote]

Forgot to say, 2001 is a fantastic book, haven’t read the others though. I’d highly recommend it

If you liked Hyperion, you should give Ilium a swing. I liked Ilium better than the sequel, Olympos, but a good series overall.

Mainline by Deborah Christine is a good book that I’ll dust off on occasion, the premise is alternate realities that with a focus on a female assassin as the main character.

When I started this thread last night, I didn’t realize there was another thread further down below on pretty much the same subject.
I thought my new thread had not gone through and I then contributed to that thread below.
I welcome everyone’s recommendations, but I also apologize for starting a duplicate thread. Mea culpa !

Good recommendations so far.

I would add any Ben Bova series-- he has several (Exiles, Grand Tours series, etc). The Sam Gunn books are very entertaining (read: comedic sci-fi).

I’ve come to love Allen Steele’s “Coyote” series. It’s sort of a futuristic interpretation of the Revolutionary War via planetary colonization.

Kim Stanley Robinson’s “Mars” series (Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars) are incredible stories. “Anarctica”, while maybe not space sci-fi, is a beautifully written scientific thriller.

Any of the Neal Stephenson books are wild rides (Cryptonomicon, etc).

I could go on for pages…

I’ll second anything by Heinlein. I particularly enjoy the series about the Long family. They are some on the only books I have read a number of times.

On a side note, I hate every movie made from one of his stories. They always miss the entire point of the story.

oops

Anything that’s written by John Varley.

Anything older by Harlan Ellison.

Heinlein’s older stuff. His later stuff got ridiculous.

Silverlock author unknown may not be in print any longer, but is a great romp with references to all the great books of the last 1000 years or so. Never stated outright, but if you’ve read any of the classics, you’ll recognize the characters.

The Tarn series, for flat out porn sword/scifi. Actually started as a joke book, but sold so well the author kept writing more of them. Googling Tarl Cabot should get you some links.

Stuff by Larry Niven and/or Jerry Pournelle. Niven’s Known Universe short stories, novellas and books were fun. And you have to read The Mote in God’s Eye.

Stuff by Iain Banks.

Vernor Vinge.

I am going to recommend anything by Stanislaus Lem, if you want a Science Fiction book that is also a philosophical novel. Top on my list goes to his book “Solaris”, which Tarkovsky turned into a cinematic masterpiece and Soderberg (sp) turned into a crappy Hollywood flop.