Scifi novels

[jcwade]

I used to read scifi. A lot. I have over 700 paperbacks in storage in my basement (packrat thing and I hate to sell books).
I tried to read Dahlgren, a scifi novel by Samuel L Delany several times. The first time, over 40 years ago, I got 300 pages in and stopped. Nothing had happened. Decades later, I tried again. I got 700 pages in and still nothing had happened.
Maybe I'm dense, but has anyone here read this book and had a different experience?
But, to make this thread more inclusive, what are you favorite scifi novels?
Mine is Norstrila by Cordwainer Smith.

[Nostril Cheese]

There's so many...

At one time I had a copy of everything Arthur C. Clarke ever wrote. Easily my favorite author.
Robert Heinlein - Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land
Steven Baxter - Voyage
Really like the Niven/Pournelle books. Lucifer's Hammer and Footfall in particular

And Dune of course.

[Roswell]

IIRC, nothing ever does happen of any significance. The story just drifts on. Good novels i hate to see end. Dahlgren was a waste of time.

Hard to choose a favorite. Possibly Macroscope by Piers Anthony.

[epbrown]

I started out reading a TON of sci-fi, but over time it seems the tone has changed. People used to take ideas and run with them, or imagine bright futures. Now, we're in the Age of Dystopia, and most books seem to be based on the author thinking "Here's another way I think humanity will screw things up!"

The most recent science fiction books I really enjoyed were The Martian (old school vibe) and Ready Player One, which is about a dystopian future but leans really hard on 80s nostalgia. Maybe throw in The Spaceship Next Door by Gene Doucette, as it's a fun, light read.

My favorite book? An old short story collection by George RR Martin called Tuf Voyaging about a down-on-his-luck, cat-loving space trader who stumbles into owning what's basically a Star Destroyer, who simply wants to be left alone on his 3-mile long battleship.

[kach22i]

This morning I was just thinking about a Sci-Fi book I read 45 years ago.

I don't read many books anymore, the singular voice of a book just does not resonate with me at this time.

[LWJ]

Re-read Dune last month. Fun read.

Cool side note. Frank Herbert lived in the Pacific Northwest. The dunes at the Oregon Coast were the inspiration. I took my kids on a sand rail there two weeks ago. Good times.

[flatbutt]

I got my start with the "Tom Swift" stories and moved on to Isaac Asimov (his chem texts are good as well) who remained my favorite. Of course there's Heinlein and Bradbury too. I also have a tragically comprehensive collection of Star Trek paperbacks.

[techman1]

The Forever Hero by L E Modesitt Jr
I read it when it was one book, now broken into a trilogy. Great story.

[red-beard]

The Expanse is a great series to read. The TV adaption is actually quite good.

Saturn Run is a very good "one of", by an author that doesn't do Sci-Fi. It is very much like the Martian in that it tries to be a scientifically plausible as can be. John Sanford.

On the Juveniles front (like Heinlein's 1950s books), the "Miner" series by Jamie Macfarland, along with his "Junkyard Pirates" books are pretty good.

I've read several other books series, but none I really recommend.

[ledhedsymbols]

The Forever War by Joel Haldeman is fantastic.

Always loved Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Also, When Gravity Fails is a great read by George Alec Effinger.

[Nostril Cheese]

Originally Posted by epbrown

\
The most recent science fiction books I really enjoyed were The Martian (old school vibe) and Ready Player One, which is about a dystopian future but leans really hard on 80s nostalgia. Maybe throw in The Spaceship Next Door by Gene Doucette, as it's a fun, light read.

Check out Artemis (also by Martian author Andy Weir) fun read.

I LOVED Ready Player One. Theres a sequel out now. Havent head it yet.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by epbrown

I started out reading a TON of sci-fi, but over time it seems the tone has changed. People used to take ideas and run with them, or imagine bright futures. Now, we're in the Age of Dystopia, and most books seem to be based on the author thinking "Here's another way I think humanity will screw things up!"

The most recent science fiction books I really enjoyed were The Martian (old school vibe) and Ready Player One, which is about a dystopian future but leans really hard on 80s nostalgia. Maybe throw in The Spaceship Next Door by Gene Doucette, as it's a fun, light read.

My favorite book? An old short story collection by George RR Martin called Tuf Voyaging about a down-on-his-luck, cat-loving space trader who stumbles into owning what's basically a Star Destroyer, who simply wants to be left alone on his 3-mile long battleship.

I was a major fan of Isaac Asimov. Anything he wrote was interesting. Of course Arthur Clarke and Robert Heinlein of course make up the grand masters. I too just hate the dystopian futures of virtually all the science fiction now. I always loved Star Trek just for the mostly positive future.

I have not read a science fiction novel in many years. I just hate the constant negativity and doom and gloom of the stories.

[LakeCleElum]

Written by our very own Pelican member Charles Kissick - Highly recommend:

https://www.amazon.com/Lottery-Losers-Charles-Kissick/dp/1546909427

[ckissick]

I like this one because I wrote it. Notice who one of the reviewers is. I wish it could get more traction. It ain't easy to get found on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Lottery-Losers-Charles-Kissick/dp/1546909427

[ckissick]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

Written by our very own Pelican member Charles Kissick - Highly recommend:

https://www.amazon.com/Lottery-Losers-Charles-Kissick/dp/1546909427

Whoa... I wrote my post while you were writing yours. That's really weird. Thanks for the good words.

[Rtrorkt]

Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation. In the day, this was the trilogy

[wdfifteen]

I used to read a little sci fi. It's been decades since I read Dune and it is the one I remember best.

I recall a book that speculated that babies were born with perfect knowledge and had to progressively un-learn it in order to get along in the adult world. It followed the experiences of one person whose de-programming wasn't perfect and could remember that he used to know everything.

[Joe Bob]

L Ron did some good stuff before Scientology. Not a fan of any religion but his sci fi was interesting....

[id10t]

John Steakley's Armor is fantastic.

As said above, Ender's Game but not a fan of the rest in the series

Lucifer's Hammer by Niven/Pournell

Pip and Flinx series by Alan Dean Foster

[nota]

emberverse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emberverse_series

brin sundiver uplift war very good aliens he wrote the postman and did the foundation continuation

gibson cyberpunk

Neal Stephenson snowcrash Baroque Cycle diamond age reamde