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Mind-expanding science fiction
- Thread starter Silk
- Start date
Id recommend Iain M Banks. He writes thrillers and horror as Iain Banks and Science Fiction as Iain M Banks. In particular he uses sci fi to look at the structure and politics of society, in particular at the concept of utopianism.
if that doesn't put you off then I'd recommend this one as a start,
Welcome to World Book Night
Enjoy
if that doesn't put you off then I'd recommend this one as a start,
Welcome to World Book Night
Enjoy
Marxo
Well-known member
Peter F. Hamilton - The Night's Dawn Trilogy, The Commonwealth Saga and The Void Trilogy.
William Gibson - Sprawl trilogy
Ian M. Banks - The Culture series
Alastair Reynolds - Revelation Space series
and a great Sci-Fi/detective series by Isaac Asimov the Robot series with the Elijah Baley character. The 3rd book has one of the best ever twists at the end.
William Gibson - Sprawl trilogy
Ian M. Banks - The Culture series
Alastair Reynolds - Revelation Space series
and a great Sci-Fi/detective series by Isaac Asimov the Robot series with the Elijah Baley character. The 3rd book has one of the best ever twists at the end.
The Sock of Poskett
The best is yet to come (spoiler alert)
- Jun 12, 2009
- 2,810
If you prefer a laugh and to be made to think as well, go for Terry Pratchett. Not strictly sci-fi - more fantasy - but he's both intelligent and entertaining at the same time. A rare mix.
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- Thread starter
- #6
Read it, albeit along time ago. Brilliant.
- Thread starter
- #7
Might go for this. I've read a couple of these. Good stuff.
TotallyFreaked
Active member
- Jul 2, 2011
- 324
Michael Marshall Smith writes some great Sci-Fi, only forward and spares are great if you have not read them already
Doc Lynam
I hate the Daily Mail
- Jun 19, 2011
- 7,220
Terry Pratchett would be my next choice in that case.
Anything by Robert Heinlein although special mention to "Time enough for Love" and "Stranger in a Strange Land".
"Lensman" books by E.E Doc Smith.
"Ender's Game" - Orson Scott Card - this book is amazing, this is a stand alone story but is followed with sequels which are pretty good.
Anything by A.E Van Vogt
Deathstalker books by Simon R Green
"Split Infinity" - Trilogy - Piers Anthony
"Uplift Series" - David Brin
"Dorsai" + others - Gorden R Dickson.
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Don't be put off by the fact that some of these were first published 50+ years ago.
I'll need to dig some of these out for a re-read, I keep buying new books but could just save some money and spend the next 20 years re-reading these.
If you are partial to some fantasy - then anything by David Gemmell and you can't go wrong - I would recommend you start at the start with "Legend".
Also don't be put off by the "Forgotten Realms" branding for the Dark Elf books by R. A. Salvatore - first book "Homeland" - these are great stories.
Should keep you busy for a couple of years.
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"Lensman" books by E.E Doc Smith.
"Ender's Game" - Orson Scott Card - this book is amazing, this is a stand alone story but is followed with sequels which are pretty good.
Anything by A.E Van Vogt
Deathstalker books by Simon R Green
"Split Infinity" - Trilogy - Piers Anthony
"Uplift Series" - David Brin
"Dorsai" + others - Gorden R Dickson.
---
Don't be put off by the fact that some of these were first published 50+ years ago.
I'll need to dig some of these out for a re-read, I keep buying new books but could just save some money and spend the next 20 years re-reading these.
If you are partial to some fantasy - then anything by David Gemmell and you can't go wrong - I would recommend you start at the start with "Legend".
Also don't be put off by the "Forgotten Realms" branding for the Dark Elf books by R. A. Salvatore - first book "Homeland" - these are great stories.
Should keep you busy for a couple of years.
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- Thread starter
- #11
Spares sounds good, I'm getting it
beorhthelm
A. Virgo, Football Genius
- Jul 21, 2003
- 35,409
i think that positivly helps, Sci-fi writers were quite into the politics of the time giving work some depth.
Isaac Asimov's Foundation series is good, especially the first three. The book of Starship Troopers is supposed to be very good, lots of concepts around politics and nationalism covered. More modern cant recommend enough Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash which is what inspired Second Life, and paints a cynical and all too probable picture of the near future.
Silent Bob
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
- Dec 6, 2004
- 22,172
Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy is a modern classic.
- Thread starter
- #16
Yes I've read that. Probably one of the best sci-fi novels ever written. You should try "Fifth head of Cerberus " by Gene Wolfe.
- Thread starter
- #17
I've got those somewhere, I must dig them out. I think I read one and a half of them but have often thought about giving them another go.
magoo
New member
I've always enjoyed Arthur C Clarke.
Another vote for Iain M Banks. I have read all his SF books and not found a bad one yet.
Norman Potting
Well-known member
From the "Alternative History" part of the SF spectrum try "Pavane" by Keith Roberts, set in a "present day" Dorset (Corfe Castle features strongly) where Queen Elizabeth I was assassinated and the Spanish Armada/Catholics "won". For reasons not fully clear until hinted at the end society is still steam powered, bereft of electricity and modern communications and reliant on a highly sophisticated network of manual semaphore signalling towers to communicate - these form a key element of the story. The book is made up of seven separate stories, all interlinked, and is an excellent and haunting fantasy.
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