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/lit/ - Literature

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564869 No.564869 [Reply] [Original]

I've been wanting to read some good science fiction, what do you guys suggest?

pic related, on my "to read" list

>> No.564873

The moon is a harsh mistress

>> No.564872

>good
>science fiction
pick one

>> No.564874

Dune

>> No.564876

>>564869
Just finished Starship Troopers less than an hour ago.

I think it's the only sci-fi I've ever read. Unless you include some video game novels.

Wouldn't mind being introduced to some stand-alone (but not too long) sci-fi novels to get further introduced to this genre.

>> No.564878

>>564876
Try some Asimov/Clarke.

The gods themselves, The end of eternity, Childhood's end etc

>> No.564881

>>564872

don't be an ass

>> No.564882

>>564878
actually been curious to look into some Asimov, but not sure where to start

>> No.564885

Alastair Reynolds's Revelation Space
or
Greg Egan's Permutation City

The only two good SF writers active right now.

>> No.564887

>>564882
'The end of eternity' is a good place to start, or 'The gods themselves' if you want another stand alone.

Otherwise make a start on the foundaton/robot series

>> No.564889

>>564887
The End of Eternity seems pretty deep man.

>> No.564890

Rendezvous with rama

>> No.564893

kurt vonnnegut - sirens of titan

>> No.564892

>>564889
lol'd

>> No.564894

>>564892

I am
>>564876

>> No.564899

You could check the SF masterworks list, it's a good place to start.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sf_masterworks

>> No.564908

phillip k dick - the three stigmata of palmer eldritch

>> No.564917

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman.

It does have sequels, but it's better to pretend they don't exist.

>> No.564918
File: 40 KB, 286x475, hyperion-front-book-cover1.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
564918

have you read Hyperion yet OP? I haven't but I asked the very same question in your post to a friend yesterday and he recommended I go out and buy it.

>> No.564925

>>564869
Don't read that book OP. It's terrible. Really, really terrible.
As far as suggestions go - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick

>> No.564928

>>564925
Care to explain why it is so terrible?

>> No.564930

>>564928
Bad writing, bad characters, book turns into Harry Potter halfway through.

>> No.564932

>>564930
Let me add to that - Bad dialogue. Like something out of a childrens book. And there's a LOT of it. I wouldn't call it dated, because that would imply it was ever good. It's unengaging, uninteresting and there are simply better books.

Read it if you want though. Your loss.

>> No.564943

Read all Phillip K. Dick. Also Joe Haldeman's Forever War and Forever Peace are probably my favourite sci-fi. Thank you Jesus for the Vietnam War

>> No.564962

>>564960
Arthur C Clarke?

>> No.564960

Best SF
Philip K. Dick
Stanislaw Lem
Asimov
Strugacki brothers

Everything else is shallow bullshit

>> No.564964

>>564960

Sir, if I were a woman I wold have your babies.

>> No.564965

>>564962
Ok let him in to the cool bunch too

>> No.564966

As far as I'm concerned Arthur C Clarke is the best for short stories. Philip K Dicks and Heinlein are my favourite for novels.

I've only read a few of Asimovs short stories and i don't particularly enjoy his style but as i say i have insufficient data to say

>> No.564967
File: 20 KB, 233x307, Philip_k_dick_drawing.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
564967

>>564960
Philip is pleased by this thread

>> No.564969

What is it with people only reading/suggesting the old ("classic") science fiction? The new stuff coming out is better written, tends to actually have characters who aren't cardboard cutouts, and features much deeper and mind-blowing ideas.

Fuck Asimov, read some Egan.

>> No.564970
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564970

>>564969
Get out NOW

>> No.564973

>>564970
>I have no counterarguments whatsoever, but what you said is incompatible with my world-view so I'm just gonna go "lalalala go away lalalalala go away".

>> No.564977
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564977

>>564973
No contrarguments ? Read this then

>> No.564984

holy shit

that picture

anyone else think the guy in the OP's pic looks like those blue things from avatar?

>> No.564986

>>564918

All four books of the series are excellent. I highly recommend them.

>> No.564999

>>564977
> contrarguments

seems like you just disqualified yourself

>> No.565001
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565001

>> No.565004

>>564977
>.gif
Oh fuck, is something going to pop out?

>> No.565116

"Spin" by Robert Charles Winston

>> No.565312

I won't bother to mention books others have previously mentioned, but these two I enjoyed:

Old Man's War
Snow Crash

>> No.567005

Aside from whats been said, I'd reccomend Ray Bradbury (especially his short stories - actually, only his short stories), Heinlein's The Door Into Summer for a good pulpy read with feel good factor and the fascinating The Space Merchants by, if I remember, Pohl and Kornbluth.

>> No.567047

Most people here have been suggesting classics, and while you should absolutely read Asimov, Heinlein, etc. I'll add a couple of newer authors: Kim Stanley Robinson (particularly the Mars trilogy) and Neal Stephenson (Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, Anathem).

>> No.567077

The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer

by Neal Stephenson

shit blew my mind, man

>> No.567092

>>564885
Revelation space was pretty bad dude. It started out pretty cool and then, turned into a bad soap opera. Reynolds tried to force drama and failed miserably.

Its a shame too, space seems like such a great setting to tell so many meaningful, deep stories, but it all ends up being aspie garbage.