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Recommend a Sci-Fi Novel - 8/9/2012 11:19:16 AM   
Edward Nygma


Posts: 711
Joined: 28/12/2005
So I recently started a sci-fi spoof blog, wethemindthinkers.wordpress.com (which I'm shamelessly plugging right now), and I got to thinkin':

Any sci-fi novels you would personally recommend? Personally a big Philip K. Dick fan so I'd recommend the likes of Ubik and Time Out Of Joint. Among others.
Post #: 1
RE: Recommend a Sci-Fi Novel - 12/9/2012 6:47:57 PM   
Le Tenia


Posts: 1115
Joined: 4/3/2006
From: Blue Heaven
 More Than Human - Theodore Sturgeon
2001 A Space Odyssey - Arthur C Clarke
2010 Odyssey 2 - Arthur C Clarke

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RE: Recommend a Sci-Fi Novel - 13/9/2012 7:52:55 PM   
crimond


Posts: 203
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Flood and ark by Stephen Baxter

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RE: Recommend a Sci-Fi Novel - 14/9/2012 10:21:40 PM   
scary_ice

 

Posts: 170
Joined: 11/1/2007
From: Meath, Ireland
 I have only recently started reading more Sci-Fi as theres so many books I still havent got around to.

I have read Dick's The Man In The High Castle which I found a bit of a struggle at times but overall very good.

Also Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination which was a great action packed adventure although not quite as amazing as it was hyped up to be I thought. Then again if I didn't know of its reputation before I read it I may not have had such high expectations for it.

As far as modern authors go I read my first China Mieville novel - The City and The City, which I thoroughly enjoyed and would strongly recommend. Its kind of a cross between a detective novel and a science-fiction novel. Its not "hard" sf ,it just relies on a really clever idea which I thought was brilliantly developed all the way through. I believe its quite different from his usual stuff but I will definitely be checking out some more of his stuff.

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Post #: 4
RE: Recommend a Sci-Fi Novel - 14/9/2012 10:54:13 PM   
sharkboy


Posts: 6032
Joined: 26/9/2005
From: Belfast
 You'll find a few good recommendations in this thread: http://www.empireonline.com/forum/tm.asp?m=704257&mpage=1&key=sci-fi&NID=0#714638

Or this one: http://www.empireonline.com/forum/tm.asp?m=29883&mpage=1&key=sci-fi&NID=0#232656

< Message edited by sharkboy -- 14/9/2012 10:57:32 PM >

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Post #: 5
RE: Recommend a Sci-Fi Novel - 26/9/2012 1:49:53 AM   
Edward Nygma


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quote:

http://www.empireonline.com/forum/tm.asp?m=29883&mpage=1&key=sci-fi&NID=0#232656


I know what you mean about The Man In The High Castle. It takes some time to get into it but once you do, it's great.

Thanks for the recommendations guys :)

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Post #: 6
RE: Recommend a Sci-Fi Novel - 26/9/2012 12:28:27 PM   
hozay


Posts: 3333
Joined: 13/10/2005
From: the long,dark teatime of the soul
Asimov's Foundation series and Rendezvous With Rama are wonderful books.
William Gibson's Virtual Light is a great read.
Ursula K. Le Guin's Left Hand Of Darkness and City Of Illusions are both well worth a look.
Short story collections by J.G. Ballard, Harry Harrison or Ray Bradbury are worth tracking down.
M. John Harrison's Light.
Anything by E.E. Doc Smith

One of my most favourite books may be a little obscure and hard to find but I'll add it anyway,
Barnacle Bill The Spacer and Other Stories by Lucius Shepard.


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Post #: 7
RE: Recommend a Sci-Fi Novel - 16/10/2012 10:02:29 PM   
Drone


Posts: 959
Joined: 30/9/2005
Spares and Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith.

One of the most promising sci-fi authors of our time in my humble opinion... who suddenly decided to write crime novels as Michael Marshall, and never revisit the genre again; despite composing those two stupendously hilarious and conceptually brilliant pieces of fiction.

Apparently Spares was snapped up by Hollywood so the rumour goes, by Spielberg no less.

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Post #: 8
RE: Recommend a Sci-Fi Novel - 17/10/2012 10:17:53 AM   
sharkboy


Posts: 6032
Joined: 26/9/2005
From: Belfast
quote:

ORIGINAL: Drone

Apparently Spares was snapped up by Hollywood so the rumour goes, by Spielberg no less.


It was.  Spielberg is reported to have loved the concept.  Then along came the travesty that was The Island, and Spares was consigned to the "too many plot similarities, do not film" bin.

Only Forward is a masterpiece, a truly original piece of work.  One Of Us is also worth checking out, and he does a great line in short stories too.

_____________________________

WWLD?

Every time we think we have measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and we're reminded that that capacity may well be limitless

I left in love, in laughter, and in truth and wherever truth, love and laughter abide, I am there in spirit.

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Post #: 9
RE: Recommend a Sci-Fi Novel - 17/10/2012 1:21:32 PM   
jcthefirst


Posts: 4079
Joined: 6/10/2005
From: Bangor
quote:

ORIGINAL: sharkboy

quote:

ORIGINAL: Drone

Apparently Spares was snapped up by Hollywood so the rumour goes, by Spielberg no less.


It was.  Spielberg is reported to have loved the concept.  Then along came the travesty that was The Island, and Spares was consigned to the "too many plot similarities, do not film" bin.

Only Forward is a masterpiece, a truly original piece of work.  One Of Us is also worth checking out, and he does a great line in short stories too.



Just finished Only Forward and started One of Us today. Spares is one of my all time favourite reads.

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Post #: 10
RE: Recommend a Sci-Fi Novel - 17/10/2012 9:21:31 PM   
Drone


Posts: 959
Joined: 30/9/2005
One of Us was ok; it didn't quite grab me like Spares or Only Forward. What You Make It was pretty good as well, I don't normally go for short stories but he'd instantly became my favourite author on the back of Spares so I had to check it out.

I bought Spares on a whim one day when I was looking for something decent to read, and I honestly thought I had found an author I would follow for the rest of my life. Then he seemed to develop a passion for (admittedly inventive) crime fiction, which is my opinion is significantly weaker than his earlier work. Seems like such a strange, total shift for him, to completely abandon science fiction after the strength of his first few novels.

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Post #: 11
RE: Recommend a Sci-Fi Novel - 1/12/2012 7:20:44 PM   
endjinnoil

 

Posts: 14
Joined: 3/5/2012
Iain M Banks "Culture" series of tales are a favourite of mine. He manages to build a truly astounding universe which is based on technology that feels credible, and even probable, yet still fantastical. The Player of Games or Consider Phlebas are good places to start.

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Post #: 12
RE: Recommend a Sci-Fi Novel - 3/3/2013 9:54:47 AM   
moontheloon


Posts: 6171
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Birmingham
 Anything by Kurt Vonnegut, Cats Cradle and Timequake are probably my two favourites, but I love most of what he writes anyway.

Also JG Ballard has some Sci Fi Elements to what he writes and he is also fantastic.

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Post #: 13
RE: Recommend a Sci-Fi Novel - 4/3/2013 5:27:30 PM   
AxlReznor

 

Posts: 1095
Joined: 2/12/2010
From: Great Britain
 The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi.

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Post #: 14
RE: Recommend a Sci-Fi Novel - 7/3/2013 1:15:28 PM   
The Hooded Man


Posts: 2721
Joined: 12/7/2006
1984 by George Orwell

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Post #: 15
RE: Recommend a Sci-Fi Novel - 31/3/2013 7:15:50 AM   
chilipenguin


Posts: 1061
Joined: 3/12/2006
From: Edinburgh
 The Forever War - Joe Haldeman. The evolution of war over hundreds of years - it is a cracking read.

Like others have said, Asimov's Foundation series is required reading when it comes to SciFi, and you should also check out the I, Robot, collection.

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