SF novels

KingMob · Post by **KingMob** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:49 am

Book talk!

Anyone want to recommend me some classic SF novels?
Not looking for anything modern or 'Marines in space', please. Looking for old-school stuff that'll play with my emotions and rock my mind, in the vein of I Am Legend, Farenheit 451, Flowers for Algernon etc.
In particular, would be most chuft if anyone had any fave Phillip K Dick books they wanted to recommend.

I've read quite a number of old SF, but not enough. And new stuff is mostly guff. What have you guys liked, if anything?

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:39 am

Currently into the Algebraist, Ian M. Banks. I'd recommend any of his stuff.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 12:59 pm

Ian Banks is da man

Post by **Denyer** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:20 pm

Particularly Excession and Looking to Windward.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 6:58 pm

Older stuff I've read recently in a SF vein...
Nemesis - Isaac Asimov. Good solid read, very sciencey.
Labyrinths - Jorge Luis de Borges. Amazing. I'm still going back and dipping into it. More concepts in a sentence than most books manage in, well, a book.
Mothership - John Brosnan. Not bad, but a bit predictable, and I found it didn't really go anywhere. For best results see the Sky Lords trilogy, though it's years out of print.
God's Secret Formula - Peter Plichta. Absolutely buggered if I can work it out (apparently it's something to do with threes) but apparently he disproves mathematics and proves God exists. Or something. Very complex.
When Life Nearly Died - Michael J. Benton. Pure scientific study of the Permian extinction. Brilliant. Love it.

Getaway · Post by **Getaway** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:10 pm

Although, you basically stated you didn't want any military Sci |Fi, I really have to recomend David Webber, his honourverse series has been going for more than a decade and is considered by many to be the creme de la creme military naval sci fi. Richter 10 by Arthur C Clarke is excellent too.

Scraplet · Post by **Scraplet** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:42 pm

If we're talking Arthur C Clarke, the Rama books are firm favourites of mine. I love the sense of mystery that goes all the way through the series. The first book tells you nothing about the origin of the object, and I love the sense that, even in sci-fi, there is stuff thats just beyond our understanding. The ending in the final book is so prepostuously big and could so easily have been f*****-up, but Clarke never loses it. Your suspention of belief carries right to the end. And leaves you thinking, which is always a bonus...

Robert A. Heinlein is one of my favs when it comes to classic sci-fi. He generally uses sci-fi concepts to explore the human condition, which not many new writers do well, if at all. Some of his books are a bit dated in their style, but the concepts are timeless. 'Stranger in a Strange Land' is a classic, if you've not read it.......explores culture clashes and the weirdness of being human from the perspective of an alien who finds himself among humans.

Modern stuff....Michael Marshall Smith and Ian M Banks are the daddies!!!

Edited: to correct some of my awful grammer and spelling!

Post by **Denyer** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 11:40 pm

Scraplet wrote:awful grammer and spelling!

*tap-tap*

Grammar.

Scraplet · Post by **Scraplet** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 12:22 am

Denyer wrote:
Scraplet wrote:awful grammer and spelling!
*tap-tap*

Grammar.

You should have seen it before the amendments - I need red and green wiggily lines

KingMob · Post by **KingMob** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:48 am

Cheers guys!
I've read all of Ian M Banks' stuff (my fave would be Use of Weapons) and agree he is top class.
However, I'm really looking to read some older works, but hey, all book recommendations are good. Michael Marshall Smith. What's would be the best one to start with?

David Webber is an author whose very name makes me shudder, for work-related reasons, and I doubt very much I will ever manage to read one of his books. Same for anything by Dietz or Ringo. Sorry, I'm sure they must be good, but the bloke's name makes my skin crawl, so...
I'm happy with Gaunt's Ghosts for marines in space, anyway.

Cheers emvee, scraplet. Will check out some of those mentioned. A couple of those I don't think I've seen before, which is good.

Anyone got any Phil Dick faves (other than Do Androids...)?

Scraplet · Post by **Scraplet** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 12:37 pm

KingMob wrote: Michael Marshall Smith. What's would be the best one to start with?

'Only Forward' it's class!!

Philip K Dick is one that I've somehow managed to miss as well......