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/lit/ - Literature

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4329310 No.4329310[DELETED]  [Reply] [Original]

What's your favorite scifi book /lit/? Need some lighter reading, just spent 2 months reading Hobsbawm's history of the 19th century.

Pic related is what I'm looking for. Something with decent prose, decent story, characters.

>> No.4329314

Why read science fiction when you can study real science?

>> No.4329340

>>4329314
Because I want to read a light book you fucking retard.

>> No.4329342

>>4329340
Just watch some Star Wars. That should be good enough

>> No.4329348

>>4329342
That's science fantasy.

>> No.4329352

>>4329348
I don't see the difference.

>> No.4329353
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4329353

Anything Dan Simmons is fantastic. A few other good authors: Frank Herbert, Arthur C. Clark, Orson Scott Card, and Larry Niven, just to get you started.

>> No.4329365

>>4329352

Good sci-fi uses some actual science as a basis which helps it seem more believable.

>> No.4329376

>>4329352
Science fiction, or at least hard science fiction, is supposed to have some plausibility. Science fantasy is essentially fantasy (it couldn't possibly happen) with futuristic elements (spaceships and such). In science fiction, the laws of nature are the same as in our universe. In science fantasy, they don't have to be. An example of science fiction is Rendezvous with Rama. Really, most if not all of Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein's work was science fiction.

Star Wars is science fantasy; Star Trek is science fiction.

>> No.4329379

>>4329353
>Orson Scott Card

I just finished reading Children of the Mind. Should I read Ender's Shadow? The story doesn't seem as interesting and Children of the mind got a little bit too philosophical for its own good at times.

>> No.4329387

>>4329376
Star Trek has lots of fantastical stuff in it that could obviously never happen.

>> No.4329394

>>4329387

Yeah it does get silly. But some of it is often based on at least some kind of scientific theory.

>> No.4329435
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4329435

>>4329353

>2013
>only recommending cis white male authors

lol nope egoyin same

>> No.4329483

>>4329379
Ender's shadow is like ender's game, but through the eyes of the little bean (I think that was his name?) kid.

>> No.4329490

>>4329376
I'm having a hard time reading through Rama. I'm a dozen chapters in and Clark's descriptions just feel...bad? I don't know how to describe it. Almost too technical. This ladder is eight meters, those steps are ten meters apart with the hatch approximately four kilometers or along the central axis where they arrived upon in a ship that was 50 meters long than went through an entrance approximately 20 meters from a wheel that was less than a meter in diameter.

It's a fucking cylinder not an M.C. Escher piece, Jesus Christ! I really wish he'd take a break from talking about how large or small something is in meters. Description can be more than that.

>> No.4329491
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4329491

>>4329310
This is a good one, anon.

>> No.4329512

>>4329490
I know what you mean, I found it overdescribed and I think that actually made it harder to picture it. Larry Niven's Ringworld has a similar 'investigating a massive mysterious alien artifact' story, but his writing is much more interesting and easy to follow (with all due respect for Clarke, I love his work but Rama was a bit dry)

>> No.4329526

Any book recommendations for someone who is looking for a very alien world? I want it to be even more strange than usual. In the best case a group of austronauts crash on the planet only to struggle with surviving.

>> No.4329571
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4329571

Okay, well,

>Ray Bradbury: Martian Chronicles, short story collections
>Phillip k Dick: Scanner Darkly, VALIS trilogy, DADOLS, Flow My Tears, short stories
>Larry Niven: pretty much anything from the 'Known Universe'... universe. Ringworld and sequels, Neutron Star, etc.
>Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle: Lucifer's Hammer (more a disaster story than sci-fi, about a comet striking earth, but still really intense and cool)
>Neal Stephenson: Anathem, Snow Crash
>James A. Corey: Leviathan Wakes trilogy. fantastic 'space opera', all takes place in our solar system, very plausible technology.
>Joe Haldeman: The Forever War
>Ursula K. Le Guin: The Disposessed, The Left Hand Of Darkness. I would call these 'social science fiction'. Disposessed is about a colony on the (habitable) moon of a planet that might as well be earth, inhabited and run by anarchists. it's been centuries since they've interacted, they send a diplomat to earth, story ensues. Left Hand is about a sexless, genderless race and what kind of society would be like, from the point of view of a human reporter.
>last but never least, Arthur C Clarke: Childhood's End, 2001, short stories.

...are my favourite sci-fi books.

>> No.4329578

>>4329490
I agree. I didn't actually like the book. I just wanted to give an example of what might be called hard science fiction. Wells is the only science fiction author I've read whom I've enjoyed.

>> No.4329599

>>4329379
It is a quite interesting way to write a book and its an easy read, I would recommend it. But jesus fuck do not pursue the rest of that saga.

>> No.4329601

>>4329571
>Ray Bradbury: Martian Chronicles, short story collections
How does the Mars Trilogy itself stack up to it? I could get all 3 for around 10 bucks, but they have quite a few pages. Hard scifi wanekry or actually engaging?

>> No.4329628

>>4329601
I actually haven't read the Mars trilogy, but Martian Chronicles is pretty soft stuff. I guess science fantasy is more appropriate (the atmosphere is somewhat breathable on Mars. It's portrayed as an American dustbowl style environment, there's instances of martians). Still, the writing is beautiful, often melancholy, and the story is awesome.

Would reccomend.

>> No.4330007
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4330007

>>4329314

>> No.4330011

>>4329376
>Falling for bait this hard

>> No.4330051

>>4329526
Read Blindsight, by Peter Watts.
It will blow your mind.

Its free at his website, google it.

>> No.4330059

>>4329601
The Mars Trilogy is unreadable.
The first half of the first book is absolutely great. After that the author gets lost in describing the fucking landscape for 2 thousand pages.

I wish I was kidding.

>> No.4330117

>>4329490
Also his 2001 sequels crib whole chapters from each other. I've never understood the Arthur C. Clarke hype at all.

>> No.4330147

What do you think about Asimov? Imho, his ideas are magnificent but his writing skills are terrible. Not a single one of his protagonists have soul

>> No.4330153

Heinlein's Starship Troopers is a must!

I know, the film is awful if you're >10 but the book..man, it's certainly worth it

>> No.4330199
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4330199

I really enjoy Heinlein's books. Almost everything I've had the chance to read has been decent to amazing.

For one shot scifi you should look up The Windup Girl or The Forever War.

>> No.4330322

>>4330199
I loved the first half of Strangers but then it just went to shit, I didn't like all the sex and awful characters. Not sure if I'll bother pursuing Heinlein.

>> No.4330351

>>4330322
Fuck... if the first half was the better part...
I read the first 100 pages (yes, exactly 100, I forced myself to get that far) and put it down.
And I NEVER put down a book once I decide to read it.
It was just soo bad!
I've thought someday I might finish it just to say I did, but if the second half is even worse then fuck... No way.

>> No.4330421

>>4330351
I mean, that's just my opinion, you might like it, who knows. The main thing I liked was the idea of a human raised by aliens and how they would be integrated in society. I was hoping there would be a lot of stuff about linguistics and sociology and stuff but then it's just about a dude with super powers and how awesome he is and how hot the ladies he bangs are. Didn't grok it at all.

Then I read Flowers for Algernon and realized that was the book I had hoped Strangers would be.

>> No.4331639
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4331639

>> No.4331699

>>4329314

Because some people don't have autism.

>> No.4332286

Iain Banks, Use of Weapons. 'Luminous' prose, interesting/complex story, eccentric characters.

>> No.4333111

>>4330322
>start reading,
>1/2 into it

Oh man this is amazing, i cant wait to see where it goes.

>suddenly its a porn story about a guy fucking everything and everybody he meets, or leading a religious sect dedicated to fucking everybody

What, The, Fuck.
Fucking literally made me throw the book into trash after i was done, fuck heinlein, last book i read of his. Not many things have pissed me off ass this ass pull.
And to think that after the moon is a harsh misters i wanted to read more of his stuff.

>> No.4333146

>>4329310
Simplier books i liked
>Snow crash
might be a bit edgy for you, it comes from the time when wearing sunglasses at night in a dark room was cool, and hackers were actual ninjas
>Enders game
Still, its a kids book, a good book but dont expect any depth from it
>Altered carbon
Again, might be way too edgy for some people
>The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
If you dont mind a book being a bit preachy

>Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
all jokes, not much anything else


and
>The Mote in God's Eye
My fav, cant say anything bad about it, other than the sequel is an abomination and should be avoided.

I dont know, good s-f books arent exactly know for being light, but try Mote in gods eye or hitchhikers guide if you didnt already.

>> No.4333183

Someone once recommended me some praised story about hitman/murderered/mercenary/anti-hero scifi or fantasy but I've forgette its name

Fuck.

>> No.4333191

>>4331699
Autistics are usually terrible at science, though.

>> No.4333713

>>4329310
Solaris by Lem
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Miller
Dune by Herbert

I'd also recommend The Book of the New Sun, except I wouldn't say it's lighter reading.

>>4330051
It's okay, not mind blowing. He tries to explore too many ideas in a single book, and leaves a bunch of them underdeveloped.

>>4330117
I agree entirely.

>>4330322
I read a few chapters of this and was quite bored, thanks for helping to convince me to put it in my "permanently dropped" pile.

>> No.4335392

What do you think about Asimov?

>> No.4335399

>>4329310
Based hyperion.
My favorite sci fi books are the ender saga and the hyperion saga. The forever war is grest too.

>> No.4335962

I can't believe Wolfe hasn't been brought up yet.

At any rate, he has now. Fifth Head of Cerberus and The Island of Doctor Death are good places to start. Then work your way to The Book of the New Sun.

>> No.4335998

>>4329310
>>4329340

SF ≠ light reading. Not the good stuff, anyway.

>> No.4336011

>>4329353
>frank herbert
>good prose
interesting story but dune's prose hurt enough that I didn't bother with the sequels

>> No.4338223

>>4329571
>Niven
>Stephenson
Shit taste.

>> No.4338336

>>4338223
And what is good taste to you?

>> No.4339927

Guys I never read, but I just finished Childhood's End and liked it a bunch. Same with 2001. I don't like things to get too wrapped in details or it ends up feeling too much like fantasy.

I'm not an avid reader, but should I just keep reading Clarke?

>> No.4339972

>>4329352
Science fiction must be within the bounds of known science at the time of writing - that's the science part. Science fantasy is a misnomer. Star Wars is fantasy, though it isn't sword and sorcery.

Yup, Star Trek isn't SF either - the way we understand nature today, warp drives are impossible. Personally I think one or two exceptions can be made for a most interesting story.

Try Alastair Reynolds for hard SF.

I heard that the Nebula-winning The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi has a piss-poor scientific foundation. Didn't read it myself for that reason.

>> No.4340168

>>4332286
>Banks
I'd also recommend Iain M. Banks's Culture novels, but probably to start with 'The Player Of Games', the second in the series.

'Use Of Weapons' (#3) attempts a certain level of structural complexity, but unfortunately this forces certain flaws on the narrative which the reader is forced to tolerate. So it's not an unreserved recommendation.

Consider Phlebas (#1) is more like an old-style Space Adventure, and enjoyable despite the occasionally crude prose.

The series evens out somewhat after the first three. The later books are slower paced and denser. They're entertaining, and they all have their moments - the scenery is usually stunning - but the plots are not strong.

His non-Culture SF novel 'Against A Dark Background' is very readable too.

>> No.4340221

>>4329599
you talkin shit babout my Speaker for the Dead? fuck you fag

>> No.4340247

>>4338223
I'd hate to see what "good" taste is to you, the Ringworld books are fucking great.

>> No.4340255

>>4329601
The Martian Chronicles are just.... fucking beautiful, read it.was

>> No.4340280
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4340280

>>4329571
>Bradbury - Martian Chronicles

Yes

>Larry Niven - Known Universe Series

Yes

>Niven and Pournelle

YEEEESSSS

>Joe Haldeman

>Arthur C Clarke - Childhood's End


I.... I fucking love you anon...

I just recently finished Childhood's End, first satisfying climax in a Sci-fi that I've read in quite a while

>> No.4340293

I enjoyed The Neuromancer.

>> No.4340312

>>4329599
>>4329599
>>4329599

Agreed, Card is fucking garbage.

>> No.4340440
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4340440

I fucking love Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny. I've read a ton of good science fiction and some great science fiction, but Lord of Light is the one I always end up listening to just one more time (audio books are a godsend as I can work while doing my favourite thing).