Sci-Fi Recommendations - for the unenlightened

[weirdside]

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
I Am Legend by Richard Mattheson
Old Man's War by John Scalzi
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Ringworld by Larry Niven

Ender's Game is a great place to start in sci fi. It has an awesome story, well-developed characters, and a thick, sci fi atmostphere. Its accessibility makes it indespensible for the newly initiated.

 

[AE35Unit]

If it hasn't been mentioned already I'd have to add Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks.superb!
Also one I read a few years back,Mortal Remains by Christopher Evans

 

[Rodders]

Guys, i need a little help. For some reason, i'm just not getting into books at all. I usually stop reading about spring time and go into day dream mode, but this usually goes away after about a month. This year, i haven't been able to get into any SF literature (or films for that matter) for about 6 months. It's unusual and i don't like it. Does anyone have any recommendations for some "Light" SF that might get me back into my beloved SF books?

 

[Sparrow]

A sure fire way of getting out of that funk your in, Rodders, is reading something by Jack McDevitt... I suggest one of his Alex Benedict books, the best being Seeker which won a Nebula for best novel. It's a quieter kind of space opera, with two main characters, Alex Benedict & Chase Kalpath, going about the Universe in search of artifacts they later sell. They essentially find and sell antiques and curiosities from human space travel, and of course almost get killed while doing it.

Any of the Alex Benedict stories is well worth reading.

 

[Ian Whates]

Rodders, not sure how modern or classic you're looking for, but two novels I've often recommended (with considerable success) to people curious about SF and wanting to dip their toes in without reading anything too 'heavy' are Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon and Frank Herbert's Santaroga Barrier. If you haven't read these, they might be worth tracking down.

Another thought, if you're finding it tough to get into novels at the moment, why not try some short story anthologies? That way you get snapshots of various writers and might find yourself hooked by a particular story or two, which could then encourage you to give those authors' novels a go.

(I confess a vested interest in the latter, since I'm passionate about the short story and have published a number of award-winning anthologies of original stories by selected authors myself in recent years -- always available to fellow Chrons members at discounted rates ) www.newconpress.co.uk

 

[Rodders]

Thanks guys, i'll check them out. I think i read a Jack McDevitt book a few years ago and enjoyed it. As for Flowers for Algernon, it's one of those that i've been meaning to pick up for a long time. Good idea about moving to short stories.

I hope i can get back into the reading soon.

 

[AE35Unit]

Frank Herbert,light reading? Yea OK! . Maybe his son Brian. I read two of his books which were funny.
I would also recommend Alan Dean Foster's Pip and Flinx novels,or maybe Quozl which is funny and cute and his Glory Lane about a guy at a bowling alley who gets abducted by Aliens.
Then there's Allen Steele whose books are set on a colony on the moon.
Try and get hold of Brian Aldiss novella The Saliva Tree which is an homage to HGWells.

 

[Ian Whates]

Frank Herbert,light reading? Yea OK! . Maybe his son Brian.

Have you ever read Santaroga Barrier, AE35Unit? From your comment, I'd guess not. It's very SF-light, and is an intriguing, thoroughly enjoyable read.

Herbert didn't just write Dune novels.

 

[J-Sun]

Yeah, but I've read several Hebert novels and a collection and none of them were light in either style or mood, so I'd be surprised by Santaroga, too, it sounds like. (I think one story about a saboteur tried to be a little light.) And Keyes is extremely weighty, IMO.

The McDevitt might work but doesn't really sound like what I'd think Rodders was looking for (unless the sequels are very different from A Talent for War). I was thinking more about selected Keith Laumer or Harry Harrison or something. Certain Retief things or The Lighter Side and the Stainless Steel Rat books and so on. But I also agree that shorter stories might be the way to go.

Speaking of stories, as always, if I were going to recommend Keyes, I'd recommend the story version of "Flowers" rather than the novel. But that's just me.

 

[murphy]

For some light, fun and exciting stories, try C. J. Cherryh's Chanur novels.

 

[Ian Whates]

Yeah, but I've read several Hebert novels and a collection and none of them were light in either style or mood, so I'd be surprised by Santaroga, too, it sounds like. (I think one story about a saboteur tried to be a little light.) And Keyes is extremely weighty, IMO.

As for Herbert never being light (I've only read 24 of his books, mind, including 4 short story collections), well, we're all entitled to our own opinions -- it's one of the things that makes life so interesting.

Both the original novella and the subsequent novel version of Flowers for Algernon are excellent; personally I read the novel first and the novella second, and was glad to have read them in that order.

Lord, Harry's Stainless Steel Rat books... haven't read those for years, but the early ones in particular are certainly great fun.

 

[Connavar]

I have read only the first Stainless Steel so far it was great fun and exactly i was looking for. Not light sf as i would put it but as fun sf. Not haha funny but something that so was so much fun that i smiled through the hole book of Stainless Steel Rat.

I will be looking for similar type SF to balance the serious,sombre sf i read.

 

[Skipbee]

My two favorite novels are probaly Jurassic Park and Prey by Michael Crichton. I really like the idea of a monster/monsters going around killing stuff.

Could anyone recommend similar themed stories?

 

[daveac]

Some unusual recommendations a bit outside the mainstream:

The Dumarest Saga, by E.C. Tubb.

The longest running SF series by a single author, still had me intrigued over two dozen books in (32 at final count).

Love the Dumarest Series - It took me a long time to collect them all.

He's added a couple of very short stories about Dumarest in 'Fantasy Advenures' 1 and 2 edited by Philip Harbottle
ISBN 1587155133 and ISBN 1-58715-514-1

Cheers, daveac

 

[webb]

Hi all not posted much here yet and only been into reading for about two years this has advantages as u can read hole series with out haveing to wait for them to be published i read a lot of fiction but got into sifi by means of bob shaw (palace of eternity, orbitsville trilogy ...... altho not as yet been able to get orbitsville judgment Grrr, a wreath of stars, shadow of heaven, terminal velocity, a million tomorrows) his books are all a bit short but good reading

also just read Ken macleod Newton's wake woz so so but worth reading

from reading the post here just aquired some of kim stanley robinson's work will let u know that goes

any other must read on a sifi front please let me know

ps cant seem to read a sifi book thats also been a film i already wacthed i know the book will be better but i know the ending already lol

 

[Diggler]

ps cant seem to read a sifi book thats also been a film i already wacthed i know the book will be better but i know the ending already lol

You'll actually find the novels are generally so far removed from the movies that they are definitely worth a read.

I Am Legend, Starship Troopers, The Shining, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Blade Runner) being just a couple off the top of my head, are only similar in name, characters and themes. The closest to the book would have to be The Shining. After reading the novel, the movie not only made sense but also showed how glaringly bad it was

 

[webb]

i read the shining didnt relate it to the film till after good writing lol but still a like a unforeseeable twist sum books are too easy to second geust ... the best ones are the ones that u guess wrong ...... as long it not stupid lol

 

[Lairith]

I'm looking for some SciFi book recommendations with a theme I can almost never find. I'm hoping someone can help me out.

What I'm looking for is stories where an AI works closely with the main character or is about the AI itself, with it either acting somewhat like a human itself or slowly becomes humanlike. I want to avoid stories with an AI going crazy or evil at the end though.

Looking for as many recommendations as possible!

 

[Fried Egg]

Lairith

What I'm looking for is stories where an AI works closely with the main character or is about the AI itself, with it either acting somewhat like a human itself or slowly becomes humanlike. I want to avoid stories with an AI going crazy or evil at the end though.

Have you read Isaac Asimov's Elijah Bailey stories? "Caves of Steel", "Naked Sun", "Robots of Dawn" and "Robots and Empire".

I think that is also quite a common theme in Iain Bank's "Culture" novels...such as "Use of Weapons" and "Player of Games".

And not forgetting Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep".

 

[murphy]

I'm looking for some SciFi book recommendations with a theme I can almost never find. I'm hoping someone can help me out.

What I'm looking for is stories where an AI works closely with the main character or is about the AI itself, with it either acting somewhat like a human itself or slowly becomes humanlike. I want to avoid stories with an AI going crazy or evil at the end though.

Looking for as many recommendations as possible!

Robert Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress comes to mind. Also, Dream Ships and Dreaming Metal by Melissa Scott.