Are you looking for some new science fiction to read? Don't want to gamble on someone's else's Best 25 list? Then this is the thread for you. Simply state what books you like/love and hopefully someone in the boards has read it and can recommend you something similar.
These are my favorite ongoing sci-fi series and I want to recommend them as well as ask for other suggestions for current series: Frontiers Saga http://www.amazon.com/Ep-Aurora-CV-...pebp=1436195243168&perid=0VKDEJHE09BJB0TQ6D88 Koban series http://www.amazon.com/Koban-Stephen...pebp=1436196424618&perid=0EQJEGQZZRD4PT4SPW7X
I love time travel, especially the kind that explains the mechanism used and moves around a lot rather than making one jump in time as part of a story. Stories I love in this genre include: Time Shifters by Shanna Lauffey (and the rest of the series) 11/22/1963 by Stephen King Time and Again by Jack Finney Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson I generally lean AWAY from the Romance stories and have a preference for some rational explanation for how the time travel works.
I've been wanting to read some Asimov actually. I have I Robot on my Kindle, but hadn't got to it yet. I'll get this one, thanks!
Give Charles Stross' Singularity Sky a go. Also Vernor Vinge's The Peace War and Marooned in Realtime. MiR can be read independently, but it would be much better if you started with TPW. MiR is also one of my favourite science fiction works.
Interesting selections! Both self published authors, too. Sampling through indie books is a new hobby of mine
Amazon samples are great, aren't they? I try anything before I pay money for it these days, even favourite authors.
@kenubrion, I'm rather new into SF, but I have checked your Koban recommendation, which has definitely caught my eye. My question is: would you classify it as hard fiction? if that were the case, I would struggle with it...
Well then. Might as well join the SF forums too huh? So some months ago I was on a little Sci-Fi kick. I'm not very experienced in the genre, so feel free to recommend. The books I read, in order of how much I liked them, were: - The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke. Really liked this one. It hit a lot of the points I like in SF. An unimaginably long passage of time, a sense of curiosity and discovery, a story that seems more 'personal' rather than one to do with some Big Plan. Loved it. I really liked the part where Alvin and Hilvar go exploring into deep space. Not that they're the same, but that part reminded me a little of this YA book called The Starlight Crystal by Christopher Pike that I read years ago. - Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke. Another terrific story. Mankind goes to explore a traveling spaceship that's almost a mini-planet. Far from being a threat, the world is seemingly abandoned. Who were the Ramans and why were they flying towards our solar system? No one knows. I like how, rather than there being anything special about us that attracted the Ramans, it turns out that they were basically using our system as a springboard on their way. A wonderful idea, that humans are not, in fact, the center of the universe. - Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke. Yup, another ACC book. Liked this one, too, but not as much as the others. In some ways, this is the opposite theme of Rama, in that here humanity is, indeed, special. A little egocentric of an idea, but that's fine. Personally, I would have been more interested in a story about the Overlords; an advanced race, for some reason deemed not worthy of joining the greater collective, forever doomed to shepard other races to the gates that they themselves cannot enter. Something tragic about their whole existence. - Spinneret by Timothy Zahn. And you thought I've only read Clarke. This was a decent book, too, though it had its slow moments. I was really not at all interested in the politics shown. But the mystery of the planet itself, and the Spinneret, was very interesting. There you have it. All the Sci-Fi books I've ever read, with my thoughts on each. So what do you guys think I should look into going forward? I'm probably going to read 2001: A Space Odyssey at some point, so consider that a given. Any other recs?
Sir Arthur C. Clarke, definitely one of the most mind expanding authors I started out with. Since you're enjoying his work, you can check out this thread for some more recommendations. I never did get around to adding to the few books I'd already mentioned.
SF for Novices!? Novices? Are you trying to insult me? Kidding, of course. Haven't seen you around the BFB side of the forums in a while.
Yeah, I drop by there only occasionally these days, partly because I haven't been reading much fantasy. I wasn't coming here much either, but during the last few weeks, I've been stopping by here regularly to get BSFB a little more active. Fingers crossed. And I hope there will be some fantasy discussions here, too. We still haven't had a proper debate over China Mieville! I think I'll re-read the Bas-Lag books and then we can argue about his works!
You don't need an argument; rereading Bas-Lag will be torture enough! Wouldn't want to rub salt on your wounds!
Speaking of time travel, has anyone read Wesley Chu's Time Salvager? I have it, but my TBR pile is about as big as it's ever been, and now he has a sequel coming out next month, Time Siege.
I believe I remember @btkong reading it at some point. Hopefully, he can give you a better answer next time he logs on.
