Best Science Fiction books - since 2000

[ratsy]

I am fairly new to reading SciFi after years of devouring Fantasy. I haven't read a lot of the suggested modern classics, but I do mean to read Ready Player One soon from the library, and I tired Ancillary Justice and just couldn't get into it, so it was returned to the library half finished.

I have read all of Scalzi's though and I would say Old Man's War should be read. I have enjoyed all of his books to some degree or another but OMW is great.

I would add The Martian too because I really did enjoy it.

I've been reading a lot of self-pubbed/small press SF from the past couple years and ones that stand out are

Fluency - Jennifer Foehner Wells (first contact book - ship appears out there, crew goes to investigate) I really enjoyed this one
Endeavour - Ralph Kern (hard science/space exploration book with great ideas. I will help shamelessly plug Ralph cause he's a great guy)
Constitution- Nick Webb (space opera/military SF, aliens came and destroyed almost everything, then left...now they are back. A lot of fun)
The Ember War - Richard Fox (military SF, this one was short but fun. Fox is a US soldier and you could see it on the pages. At times it felt a little video game like too but in a good way)
Fear the Sky - Stephen Moss (invasion SF, story was interesting, and showed both sides of the conflict well. I haven't read the sequels yet but I have a feeling they go much further into the alien side. Good debut novel.)
Pelquin's Comet- Ian Whates (space opera at its finest. This is a great example of doing SO right. Great characters and a story to keep you guessing. I was extremely impressed with this one)

Some of the sales numbers on the above are amazing, and it makes you wonder about the SP vs Trad a little more. These guys know how to release a product of good quality into the marketplace.

So I'm not sure if you would call them modern classics, but they are all worth a read, especially for the cost on kindle

 

[Ray McCarthy]

I'm still looking out for the modern classics of science fiction.

Scarce since 1980s I think?

 

[Zoe Mackay]

Hyperion - Dan Simmons

1989!

I don't know, there's a lot of good stuff out there, but I'm struggling to find things that I think "wow, that completely breaks the mold". Lots of books I liked - Perdido Street Station (which just sneaks in), Nalo Hopkinson's Midnight Robber. I like the Richard Morgan things, but they're neither jaw-droppingly original nor definingly-brilliantly-executed.

I'm not sure I know what a classic is, though.

 

[Jeremy M. Gottwig]

I noticed a few books not mentioned that are repeatedly well-spoken of in other discussions:

Old Man's War - John Sclazi
Hyperion - Dan Simmons
Leviathan Wakes - JAmes S Corey

I nearly added A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge, but I read a publication date of 1992.

Either way, I'm still looking out for the modern classics of science fiction.

All great choices. I didn't realize that Hyperion was that recent, but I freaking love that book. It's easily in my top 3.

Edit: I just saw the post declaring it 1989. Well, it deserves to be owned by both centuries.

I'll also echo others and mention Iain Bank's more recent stuff.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Constitution- Nick Webb (space opera/military SF, aliens came and destroyed almost everything, then left...now they are back. A lot of fun)

This came up on my Amazon recommendations. A quick look suggests that this could be quite interesting - especially as I wouldn't mind picking up a military SF series right now (along with half a dozen other things!).

Joshua Dazelle and Vaughn Heppner also come up a lot at the moment - presumably also military sf.

 

[ratsy]

Hey Brian. It is quite fun. Not a lot of heavy substance but a good space battle type book. I have Warship on my Kindle to be read by Joshua Dazelle. I also read the follow up to Constitution, Warrior, and it while not quite as good as the first, it was much of the same and an enjoyable read.

Richard Fox has a cool kind of military series out there too. I read the first and has a sort of Battlestar/Halo mash-up feeling to it.

These books are kind of like Popcorn for the SF reader.