Looking for some ehm..epic universe scifi... to read, description in thread

[Helios21cz]

Hello guys. After some time i decided to read some more books, so far as i can tell i've enjoyed most sci-fi genres. Anyway i'm looking for something specific now.

I want some great story about distant future. Focused on technology (although i don't mind PSI at all, but technology has to be present), and having some epic scale plot. Cool ideas, mostly about universe... exploration, meeting unknown, etc. But i would love all that ideas and tech to be at least little be realistic (i know you can't really tell whats realistic in terms of distant future... but you know what i mean i hope).
Also i want just few book, let say less than 10, so i would really like to pick some sort of "best of" that genre i want.

I found one, it's also how i got this idea of reading more. It's House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds. Would you reccomend it?

Btw: i hope this is right place to post it, if not, i'm sorry .

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

 

[Dave]

I haven't read House of Suns, sorry. I was going to suggest Iain M Banks, but Alastair Reynolds and Adrian Tchaikovsky would be on a list too. All have forums and discussions here already. Welcome to Chronicles!

 

[Brian G Turner]

i hope this is right place to post it,

Yep, sure is, and welcome to the forums.

Personally I'd recommend some Ralph Kern, not least Endeavour and Erebus. Some great science fiction and concepts in there.

 

[hitmouse]

The Culture novels by Iain M Banks.

 

[soulsinging]

Hello guys. After some time i decided to read some more books, so far as i can tell i've enjoyed most sci-fi genres. Anyway i'm looking for something specific now.

I want some great story about distant future. Focused on technology (although i don't mind PSI at all, but technology has to be present), and having some epic scale plot. Cool ideas, mostly about universe... exploration, meeting unknown, etc. But i would love all that ideas and tech to be at least little be realistic (i know you can't really tell whats realistic in terms of distant future... but you know what i mean i hope).
Also i want just few book, let say less than 10, so i would really like to pick some sort of "best of" that genre i want.

I found one, it's also how i got this idea of reading more. It's House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds. Would you reccomend it?

Btw: i hope this is right place to post it, if not, i'm sorry .

Alastair Reynolds was my first thought. I've not read that book, but it fits. Peter Hamilton also seems to fit this bill.

 

[Danny McG]

The Culture novels by Iain M Banks.

Not a Culture one by him but try the Algebraist

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

It's difficult recommending books without knowing what you've already read

That said, let me be the first to suggest the obvious Asimov's Robots, Empire and Foundation series.

 

[Helios21cz]

It's difficult recommending books without knowing what you've already read

That said, let me be the first to suggest the obvious Asimov's Robots, Empire and Foundation series.

Ah yeah, sorry... well i've read most Asimov and Clarke books, definitely their famous ones. Ray Bradbury Caleidoskop and Martian chronicles, some books from Stanislaw Lem, and some others. To make it simple, i would say i'm quite familiar with sci-fi predating 90's, thanks to my fathers library, but i don't think i've read anything modern.

 

[williamjm]

Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky are both excellent and feature some fascinating aliens.

 

[BAYLOR]

The Dragon Never Sleeps by Glen Cook
The Killing Star by Charles Pelligrino and Gooerge Zebroski
The Nimrod Hunt Charles Sheffield
Bolos 1 Honor of the Regiment Keith Laumer
1.Sundiver
2.Star Tide Rising
3. The Uplift War All by David Brian
The High Crusade by Poul Anderson

 

[soulsinging]

1-2 against both the white and red sox for the tigers

 

[Rodders]

I'd add Neal Asher's Polity books. Very exciting, lots of action.

A second for Bank's Culture series, although I'd recommend his earlier Culture books to start with. Not Inversions and certainly not Feersum Enjin, (which is clever but chapters are written phonetically, which makes it really hard to follow in my opinion). Perhaps Use of Weapons is a great start, although my favourite all time novel is The Player of Games.

Alistair Reynolds Revelation Space series for definite.

Walter Jon William's Praxis trilogy was also a pretty good read.

Greg Bear's Forge of God. It may read a little dated now (it's set in the nineties), but golly, what a superb ending.

 

[Paul_C]

I like House Of Suns.

 

[Vince W]

Good recommendations here so I'll add Ringworld and The Ringworld Engineers by Larry Niven and The Quantum Thief Trilogy by Rannu Rajaniemi.

 

[Spade]

House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds - covers millions of years if I recall correctly. The characters go in and out of stasis often.
Exultant by Stephen Baxter (part of a larger series, but they can all be read standalone). Set 100,000 years in the future where Humanity throws everything that have at an alien force 24/7.

 

[Vertigo]

House of Suns is possibly my favourite Reynolds. An excellent book.

So if you enjoyed that I think you'd enjoy most of the current crop of top Britsh SF authors. They've pretty much all been mentioned: Reynolds, Iain M Banks (Culture books and the often forgotten Algebraist mentioned by @dannymcg), Neal Asher (Polity books), Hamilton (the Commonwealth duology followed by the Void trilogy).

However for that epic feel you get from House of Suns I would go, in particular, for the Hamilton Commonwealth and Void books (two linked series) which are pretty darn epic in scale!

 

[Helios21cz]

To make it clear. i haven't read House of Suns yet.
Anyway thank you all for your sugestions. I will get that House of Suns, nobody said its bad... also im going for Children of Time. From that brief description i've read i got nostalgia becouse of Clarkes Rama... lets read about more spiders .
Now i will go through description of all your suggestions, although i hate spoilers (thanks god it's so many, i won't remember it ). Later i'm going to share my pick list here for final approval .

 

[Helios21cz]

so here is my list:
House of Suns - Alastair Reynolds
Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Quantum Thief - Hannu Rajaniemi . Should i get all three boks? Sequels are even better rated than first one.
Exultant - Stephen Baxter
The Dragon Never Sleeps - Glen Cook
A Fire Upon the Deep / A Deepness in the Sky - Vernor Vinge
Bolos 1 Honor of the Regiment - not sure about this one, super-tank sounds...dummy... and hard to imagine space exploration there..., but reviews are good... have to think about it
The Praxis - Walter Jon Williams - Its a trilogy, but looks very good. Is it necessary to read all books, or can i try just first one.. does it have finished plot? I suppose it does not, since its trilogy

Would like to read something from Iain M. Banks. But i'm afraid of series, i know its almost neccesary for some epic story, but thats it... i'm always too curious how story goes on, but what if i don't like it, i would have a great dilemma . Also quality of books can vary, for example I loved first Space oddyssey, second was OK, third was bad, and i just found out there is even fourth part which i 've never read (please don't stone me ). Maybe i should try sugested The Algebraist, but i wasn't convinced much by desctiption and reviews about that one. Well and same concerns goes to Neal Asher Polity series.

 

[Rodders]

Hi, Helios. Although there are a few Culture books, they're not really a series as each of them is stand alone. I'd recommend Use of Weapons, although my absolute favourite is The Player of Games.