For galactic-level science fiction, it doesn't get better than Asimov's Foundation series. Come to think of it, a Galciv2 Foundation mod would be pretty cool.

Overall, though, my favorite sci-fi writer is Neal Stephenson. Snow Crash, In the Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon... Everything he writes is gold.

Another one that I had forgotten about. I'm gonna re-read that one. It's a near classic by itself. Thanks!

Yup. After reading it 4 times ... I agree!

Oh man, I forgot that one too. [scribble scribble]

I agree. He had the touch. The references to him in that Master and Commander film [Russel Crowe] was quite touching and probably very close to the truth of how revered he is and how he ... touched people. Also there was this Chinese guy a few centuries earlier who was quite accomplished. Rumored to have discovered some new continents and stuff long before the brits fell in the water on the way to the pub.   

I loved that game. I still have all the bits and pieces hidden in a closet. No one would ever want to play with me unfortunately   .

I like the way Asimov writes. I enjoyed the Robot series. With the Foundation series I just didn't get where he was going. Maybe I read them too young.

I guess some of Dr. Seuss work could qualify as science fiction, such as the one about the who's, or 'Horton Hatches the Egg'. PlayJeff, you probably have to read those to an audience from time to time. But these books might be below the reading level of most of the posters here.   

I've given up on fantasy in the last few years. There is so much of it, and so much of it is bad. Using the "magic jewel" or "sacred potion" to get out of a plot jam just doesn't seem fair to me.

Hard science fiction grabs my attention and makes me interested. The "Dragonriders of Pern" books are an interesting exception, though. There's just enough hard science in the story to keep it beleivable for me, but they are really fantasy novels. I like them very much, too.

I also should have mentioned "The Stars My Destination" by Albert (I think) Bester. Another really good story.

You know it's odd... I've been a big fan of both science fiction and boardgames for most of my life, and I have never heard of Starfire outside of these forums. I'll have to try and dig up a copy.

My problem with most fantasy literature produced these days is that it is so derivative of Tolkien. Nothing wrong with Tolkien, of course -- he's a great writer -- but there's really no reason that I can see why every new fantasy book has to feature dwarves, elves, dragons, orcs, etc. I think some blame can also be placed at the feet of roleplaying games like D&D, as its players are often the same people buying the books. It can be fun, I guess, but it becomes repetitive very quickly. For me, at least.

That said, of late there have been some great deviations from high fantasy... lots of interesting modern/urban fantasy, and newish authors like China Mieville, who, while not my favourite author, at least has some fresh ideas. I also adore George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. You know, I only read the first book, A Game of Thrones, because I was getting sick of people bugging me to read it. But now I am one of those people. The series really is that good.

I do not have the same problem with fantasy games; I can play computer games or boardgames with standard fantasy tropes and it doesn't bother me at all. It's only really with literature that I find it so boring.

Comics also suffer from the same thing as fantasy, I think. There's really no reason why most comics should be about superheroes. Not all are, of course, but the vast majority are. But there's really nothing about comics, as a medium, should be forced down that path. No more so, say, than that all films should have to be police procedurals. It's just the comics medium stuck in a rut of its own making, I guess. Like with fantasy, there is a demand for it, I suppose.

I don't think science fiction suffers from the same kind of stagnation, though it certainly has in the past. There was a time when every science fiction book had to follow a Campbellian formula, for example. Nowadays, though, science fiction is a very diverse and interesting field of literature that I never really get bored of reading. I can dive into a cyberpunk, space opera, hard sf, soft sf, etc., without ever really feeling like things are getting repetitive (though I kind of dislike some "new wave" sf, I'll admit).

What is sad about science fiction, however, is that it seems most people always refer to the classics Clark, Asimov, Heinlein, etc., rather than discovering all of the fantastic new stuff that is out there. SF publishers make most of their money from their back catalogs, sadly.

Two biggies for me were Perry Rhodan and World War: In the Ballance.

Perry Rhodan is a german space opra, over 2000 books long. Ive got the 110 that were translated into english. Not an espicially chlangening read, but fun.

World War: In the Ballance is the first of a four book series that, in my oppionion, is as good at being a book as GalCiv2 is at being a computer game- kick ass, and unappreaciated.

It's set in the middle of WW2. The Britian, America, Germany, Rusia, China, Japan, fighting. But then the Aliens drop in.

The Aliens werent expecting man to be as quick as he is at inventing things- they were counting on tanks being overkill against men with clubs throwing stones at each other. Instead, they find that they just have the best tanks, planes, missiles.

But humanity has factories, can keep churning them out, making them better, while the Aliens only have what they brought. And thats not counting the addictive propoties that ginger has to them, or the fact that humanity is figuring out Atomic Bombs...

The author you are trying to credit is Harry Turtledove. He is the most prominent and prolific current producer of the "alternate history" genre of sf.

drrider

Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "Mote in God's Eye" is a classic of military SF. I also recommend the collected works of H Beam Piper ('Cosmic Computer', 'Space Viking', 'Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen', 'Uller Uprising', 'Little Fuzzy'). Despite the klunky titles the books are terrific and Piper is an equal to Asimov, Heinlein and Clarke.

Elizabeth Moon's series starring Heris Serrano and Esmay Suiza ('Change of Command' is one) are great.

Poul Anderson's 'Orion Shall Rise', Glen Cook's 'The Dragon Never Sleeps' and 'Passage at Arms' are all terrific.

The absolute best military SF I've ever read is Robert Frezza's trilogy: 'A Small Colonial War', 'Fire in a Faraway Place' and 'Cain's Land'. A look inside a battalion of renegade Finns in the service of the Emperor of Japan on the planet of Suid Africa... breathtaking. Truly fine.

Mmm, I also noticed that.

Check out Lois McMaster Bujold. She's won three Hugos for science fiction novels (and one for her fantasy). I think she's one of the better writers out there.

Connie Willis is quite good, too. Two Hugos, both for time travel, a genre I normally dislike. Her Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog have more in common with P.G. Wodehouse than Back to the Future.

This is really true. I read gobs of science fiction when I was younger, but you could buy a paperback for $1.50. At current prices I tend to be more careful about what I buy. But you can get anything at the library for free.

I just took a look at the "Riverworld" books. I've been hearing about them for years, so I grabbed one at the library and I hated it. Glad I didn't spend $7, but I'm also glad I tried it.



Yep, I agree. John Varley, too.

Who wrote "A Canticle for Liebowitz"? That's a good book - it makes you think.



The problem is us geezers remember the book. The movie, though entertaining and enjoyable, wasn't close at all to the book. The novel had some interesting themes of individual responsibilty, citizenship, and community service. The movie was just a big shoot 'em up.

Just finished reading "Paladin of Souls" ... prety good read. I'm a little confussed by the list of books the publisher has on the back of the front cover tho. It lists 19 books, but they don't seem to be in order. The front cover of the book advertises the author as being a multiple award winner for writing the book that is listed after the one I read. Maybe her style is more balanced, and each book can stand alone. Like I said, it was a good read, didn't need any other book to flesh out the background.


Yes, do! In spite of all I've read, Starship Troopers is one I'll never forget ... the book, that is. One of the neat innuendoes in the movie WAS the neo-fascist uniforms and the "Federalist" style of government. As many of you know, after WWII there were many rumors that some high-ranking fascists had managed to make a run for cover to places in South America, and part of the movie is in the future in South America ... subtle connection maybe...entertaining anyway.   

This is a point I thought about bringing up myself. Paul is not a fremen, he's a member of the other side who is dissatisfied. After all, he's a good guy, and youthful, and idealistic. Perhaps he sees the Universe from a fresh perspective, and what he sees doesn't make sense. The connection that he is forced into (by fate or whatever) is turbulent and difficult to manage, yet he does quite well. A respectable role model in any case, if not an actual Hero.

I kinda waffle on the Hero label, because most Heros are supposed to die so someone else can take credit for their moves. Maybe that part of the theme was taken care of in the follow-on books, which I have not read, nor will I.