should i even bother with sci fi

[omni]

Ok so here it goes. I have read Asimovs robot series an really liked them, thought ringworld engineers was a top read. Yet it goes downhill from here. Dune i found to be a bit boring, Ive got number 2 but cant really be bothered reading it. Peter F Hamiltons's Pandora's star is boring (half way through). Heinleins Starship troopers was nothing special an his time enough for love just isnt cutting it for me. Im keen on the Post-Apocolyptic sub genre. Ive read The Road, good read then ordered Grey Beard of E-Bay an just could not get into it.

The thing is alot of forum members have recommended books such as Dune, Greybeard, Starship troopers an Time enough For Love. Thats why ive chose these books when Ebay-ing. I guess its kind of dissapointing. I want to enjoy Sci-Fi, but the apparent winners are loosers for me.

I am going to purchase World War Z an Necroscope. Even though Necroscope isnt Sci-fi, but its recommended on here.

So i guess my question is what direction should i be steering in If im not keen on (So far anyway)

Heinlein
Peter F Hamilton
Dune
Greybeard

Keep in mind people im relatively new to reading Sci-Fi...

 

[Omphalos]

I thought World War Z was very entertaining, and pretty well researched and written. That book was a lot better than I thought it was gonna be.

If you liked Niven and Asimov but didn't like Heinlein, I have to guess that you have a thing for hard SF? Because Niven worshiped at the alter of Heinlein and they have a lot of similarities otherwise. I'd suggest giving a try to Niven and Pournelle's collaborations in the 70's and 80's. If you have a post apocalyptic bent, then pick up either Footfall (total alien invasion of Earth) or Lucifer's Hammer (comet strike on Earth). The Legacy of Heorot is a great colonization book and IMHO one of their best. And if you have not read Ringworld or any of the other Known Space stories by Niven alone (there are a lot of novels, novellas and short story anthologies to pick from) you may want to give some of them a try.

Based on other things you say, and if you do like hard SF, then there are tons and tons of 70's books that fall in that subgenre. Hal Cement, Arthur C. Clarke, Stephen Baxter, Greg Bear and Fred Hoyle are some of my favorite hard SF writers.

I guessing Im like you in that I liked the Road, World War Z, and Ringworld Engineers, Im not such a Heinlein fan (though I loved that book you didnt like), I absolutely hated Greybeard, and got into the genre based on my early reads of Niven, so maybe you will like some of the other stuff I like too.

Is it the hard, scientific stuff you liked in Ringworld Engineers?

 

[Perpetual Man]

The really quick answer to this is 'Yes'.

Slightly longer, just because you find some books boring does not mean that they are all going to fall into the same catagory. Personally I love some of the books that you have been unable to read, but that does not mean that there is not more than enough out there for you to enjoy.

If you loved Asimov's Robots try more of his work - The Foundation series is meant to be magnificent (I've not got around to it yet). If you enjoyed Niven's Ringworld, try some more of his work, I've enjoyed lots of it.

I'd really try and give Hamilton another go, though. The books are so big it sometimes takes a while for them to get going, but once they do....

Try finding collections of short stories by various authors and go to longer books by the authors you like.

Personally if you want to read more SF keep trying, not everybody likes the same thing and you might find you own little treasures hidden away.

Have a go with Iain M Banks or if you want to start with something smaller try Tactics of Mistake by Gordon R Dickson.

There is plenty of good solid stuff out there... don't give up yet!

(And I'm sure plenty of people with jump in with other ideas)

 

[The Ace]

The problem is that finding good Science Fiction is like panning for gold in a manure pile. There is good stuff out there, but you have to sift through a lot of dross first.

 

[BookStop]

There is a lot more to science fiction than just the classics. YOu may be choosing books that are too hyped up, not that they aren't oftentime brilliant, but if you are new to sci-fi, you should start slowly and work your way up. Ender's GAme by osc is a good beginners scifi book (although it too is a classic now). David Weber's Honor series is excellent if you like military sf in space. You probably will enjoy the Foundation series (I know, I know, classics again) if you liked the Robots.

Science fiction isn't all robots and space either. You might find yourself a fan of steampunk, or time-travel, or alternate history (World War Z is excellent).

IF it is disappointing you to buy books you later get bored with, consider Baen.com for free sdcience fiction downloads. It's a great way to figure out what exactly you like, so you can make better purchases in the future.

 

[omni]

I do like the explanations that Niven (ringworld engineers) an Asimov give. I think it gives the story alot more depth. Are the other ringworld books worth buying ?

Oh yeh i dont like the utopian concept. For example, one reason why Pandoras star an Heinleins time enough for love are boring to me is that everyone is long lived and seems to have had it easy so to speak. Perhaps the more grittier side of things is more appealing to me rather than a society where Humans have descended into the galaxy too find.....nothing.

The Legacy of Heurot sounds just like something i would find enjoyable.

Thanks for your replies people.

 

[yngvi]

I think you should read some other stuff by the guys you already like. You said you liked the Ringworld Engineers but the original 'Ringworld' was an award-winning classic and so I would have thought a 'must read' for you.

I read the Foundation Trilogy in the '70s and I thought it was excellent so that's a good way to go.

Don't worry if you don't like Heinlein, I can't imagine Larry Niven 'worshipping at his altar' as Niven is by far a better author.

Other recommendations from me would be;

If you like Niven you will like Zelazny (try 'Doorways in the Sand')

If you like Asimov you will like Arthur Clarke (try 'The City and the Stars').

Good Hunting.

 

[Connavar]

I was a SF newbie like you only a couple of years ago.

My best advice is to know what you like. What type of SF.

For example i liked social SF,Hard SF,dystopians and read alot of those kind of SF and got hooked. Afterwards can you explore other types of SF than what appeals to you and see if they are for you.


Dont READ anything you are not interested in just cause there are classic authors in that subgenre. I wasnt interested in Space Opera,cyberpunk for example at first there was no way i would read Dune just cause people thought it was a classic.

 

[j d worthington]

Another good possibility is to look into sf anthologies, either of short stories, novellas, or shorter novels. This would enable you to find a number of writers you like without spending much money (or a great deal of time), after which you can look into other writings by them. Check out the thread on Essential Anthologies for sf, and you'll find a number of suggestions there that may help....

 

[clovis-man]

Another good possibility is to look into sf anthologies, either of short stories, novellas, or shorter novels.

Good idea. That's how I keep finding new authors that I like, such as Kage Baker and Michael Swanwick. I'd strongly suggest finding some recent copies of Gardner Dozois' "Year's Best Science Fiction" anthologies. They are uniformly worthwhile and each story is prefaced by an informative blurb about the author:

The Year's Best Science Fiction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And it's easy to skip past things that don't catch your fancy.

 

[j d worthington]

And there are plenty of older sf anthologies that remain very worthwhile, by editors such as Damon Knight, Groff Conklin, Anthony Boucher, etc. And if you're really into "hard" sf, then David Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer's The Ascent of Wonder: The Evolution of Hard Science Fiction, is well worth looking into -- a massive book with tons of information fiction. (It has also been published as a three-volume paperback edition.):

THE ASCENT OF WONDER, edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer

 

[chrispenycate]

If you really like the technical explanations of how things work, what other choice is there but science fiction?
I suggest trying the "Rocheworld* series by Robert L. Forward (and family) or rhe Charles Sheffield "Dark as day" universe.
There's a fair amount of Heinlein predating "Time enough for love" that's well and truly technical, and, as for living a long time (a frequent side theme in SF) Louis Wu is two hundred at the beginning of "Ringworld" (decades,I suspect, before "Ringworld Engineers) so, while he doesn't rival the 1000 yrs+ of Lazarus Long, he's hardly a spring chicken.

 

[Snowdog]

So much is a matter of taste - I didn't like Time Enough For Love either. my favourite Heinlein novel is probably The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress. There are some tremendous reads out there, though, you just need to find the authors and themes that appeal to you.

If you liked the Robot stories, I'd recommend The Caves Of Steel and The Naked Sun, also by Asimov. The Mote In God's Eye by Niven and Pournelle. And maybe something by Arthur C. Clarke like The Sands Of Mars.

If you don't like utopias, try a dystopia like John Brunner's The Sheep Look Up.

Despite its standing, I wasn't particularly keen on Ringworld, which shows you shouldn't let the fact you don't like some of the classics put you off. It's the same for all of us.

 

[omni]

Ive ordered Footfall an the legacy of heorot from Ebay. So hopefully Ill be able to read them soon.

 

[Lobolover]

Not a too big a fan myself.Hmm,but clasic stuff like Wells cant hurt.

 

[AE35Unit]

Don't write off Heinlein just yet,try his The Puppet masters or Stranger in a Strange Land,excellent! Same with Aldiss. Greybeard isn't one of his most compelling books,try his Hothouse instead.

 

[omni]

I will give Heinlein another go eventhough time enough for love's story did not interest me the least, i dont mind his writing style.

Anyway im half way through Footfall an finding it boring Im going to keep on reading it, hopefully it gets better.

I liked the manga movie Akira. would that be classified as cybeypunk...

 

[AE35Unit]

No that would be classed as Manga. Ak!
If you like old fashioned sf,called steampunk look for an Aldiss book called The Saliva Tree,basically a collection of novellas and short stories but the title story,which i'm about to finish,is excellent and features H G Wells as a character.

 

[Connavar]

Dont diss manga AE there are many good SF in manga. Akira is one example.

 

[BookStop]

Um, manga is just the messenger, dude. Akira is definitely cyberpunk as far as genre is concerned. Blade Runner and even the Matrix (elements of anyway)are cyberpunk althought hey are movies. Ghost in the Shell is a good exmple of cyberpunk-anime. Shadowrun, which is just being discussed in another section here, is a good example of a cyberpunk rpg. Cyberpunk comes in all forms.