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Any Science Fiction readers here?

Navy Chief

Navy Chief

Senior Member
I am not a big reader these days. I am starting to get back into it, though, mainly to keep myself from buying any more electronics, etc...!

Years ago, I read a book by Robert Heinlein called, "Have Space Suit, Will Travel". It was one of the first Science Fiction books I ever read. I was looking at used books on Amazon.com, and saw it listed. Ordered it, and received it this past week.

It is an outstanding story! Still a joy to read after so many years. Actually, it's like reading it for the first time.

I recommend it highly.

NC


 
I used to read a lot of science fiction Chief.One of my favorites is John Campbell,I also ordered an old book of his from Amazon.I wish I could give you the title but my books are packed away at the moment.

He wrote the original story for the movie "The Thing" titled (I think) "Who goes there".
 
My favorite SF books were Larry Niven's Ring World series, and anything by Arthur C Clarke, especially his Rama series. Good stuff. And I like Frank Herbert books too.
 
Yep, I've liked Heinlein since I was a kid. Jack McDevitt is pretty good too.
 
My first experience of reading science fiction was through the penmanship of Stephen King:

The Tommyknockers
The Dark Tower Series
The Regulators (under his pseudonym of Richard Bachman)

And recently, a good friend of mine introduced me to Lois McMaster Bujold. I fell in love with her books from "The Sharing Knife" series.
 
Depends on your tastes and preferences. The Foundation and Robot series of Asimov are absorbing. There are the Heechee novels of Frederik Pohl and a set by by Greg Bear starting I think with Eon. Those are a few that come to mind.
And you are right Safn. The original short story was called "Who goes there?"

Forgot Orson Scott Card's Speaker for the Dead, Songbird, and others.
 
Big SF reader here. Favorites are Dan Simmons, Lem, Phil Dick, and the great Peter F Hamilton. Clarke a little, Heinlein absolutely not. Can't stand him, sorry.
 
Maybe someone can help me out here.............
I discovered science fiction thru my father, who was a big fan of Heinlein and Assimov.
There was one book I read during high-school in which the protagonist ( or his mentor ) had a LONG LIST of things to accomplish in order to really appreciate life....ie: sail a boat, build a house, deliver a baby, etc. It left a big impression.
I carried that list for years and accomplished most of what was on it before the paper disintegrated from old age.
I've been trying to find that book ( I think it was Heinlein ) but haven't had any luck.........

Anybody remember it ??

Thanx, LD
 
SF, I do read but more of a fanasty buff...
Heinlein is a favorite, Stranger in a Strange land, The Cat who walked through Walls, The moon is a harsh mistress..Are the ones I like..

More into Of course Tolkien, but also Edgar Rice Burroughs, Martian series, Venus series..
C.J Cherryh, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Jennifer Roberson..
C.S. Lewis for both His fanasty, But also His Theology Books are great..

And before the badly written Harry potter junk..
There was the Great Myth Series By Robert Lynn Asprin..

and of course the Great Dune books By Frank Herbert..

I think Preserved Smith, is truly a GREAT Among GREATS..
Who many Know who this Is??
I also Have His "A History of Modern Culture" 1st edition and "The Outline of History"
Not SF But Great also..

I like to read, but not limited to one type of books, Fanasty is truly a passion, but not the only one..
 
PRB said:
My favorite SF books were Larry Niven's Ring World series, and anything by Arthur C Clarke, especially his Rama series. Good stuff. And I like Frank Herbert books too.
Click to expand...


I second that. Amazing books. They should make a movie of these.


Also from Heinlein is 'Stranger in a Strange Land' (Phoenix?) about a guy found on Mars, brought back to Earth.


Thanks for the heads up on that book NC. I'll have to check that out.




Bill
 
luckydog said:
Maybe someone can help me out here.............
I discovered science fiction thru my father, who was a big fan of Heinlein and Assimov.
There was one book I read during high-school in which the protagonist ( or his mentor ) had a LONG LIST of things to accomplish in order to really appreciate life....ie: sail a boat, build a house, deliver a baby, etc. It left a big impression.
I carried that list for years and accomplished most of what was on it before the paper disintegrated from old age.
I've been trying to find that book ( I think it was Heinlein ) but haven't had any luck.........

Anybody remember it ??

Thanx, LD
Click to expand...

I'm not positive, LD,
but Time Enough For Love, by Heinlein
rings a little bell.
I really liked that one...
worlds oldest man has done everything,
is bored and wants to die.
goes back in time
to meet the folks.
and so on

I am also very partial to
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr
his dark humor really strikes a chord
or dischord, as it where.
so it goes
 
smilo said:
I'm not positive, LD,
but Time Enough For Love, by Heinlein
rings a little bell.
I really liked that one...
worlds oldest man has done everything,
is bored and wants to die.
goes back in time
to meet the folks.
and so on

I am also very partial to
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr
his dark humor really strikes a chord
or dischord, as it where.
so it goes
Click to expand...


Ya know Smilo.................I think you're right. Time Enough for Love.
Headed for a big bookstore tomorrow. If you're right, I will ship a case of your favorite beer ( or a coupla bottles of your favorite hard-stuff ) to your location. Promise.

Other sci-fi authors I've enjoyed are..........

Gregg Bear: The Forge of God
Arthur C. Clarke : Rendevous with Rama
 
C9G, forgot about King, probably because I usually don't think of him as a Sci Fi author. I did enjoy the Dark Tower series, but I think my favorite of his is The Green Mile.
 
Jerry Pournelle
David Drake
Phillip Jose Farmer
Allan Dean Foster
H. Beam Piper
to name just a few
 
Asimovs Foundation series is a must read even for those who don't appreciate the genre.
How about E.E. Doc Smith's classic Lensman series, has not fared so well with the predictions but still a good read.
 
I'll throw in the classics, Jules Verne and H.G. Wells...

Add Harry Harrison to the list, who did a lot of different genres within the Science Fiction universe.
From the serious and dramatic "Make Room, Make Room!" which evntually was made into the movie "Soylent Green".
To the wonderful humor of the "Stainless Steel Rat" series.


My all time favorite science fiction author is not well known, but H. Beam Piper's Paratime series of books and short stories about the Paratime Patrol, I would recommend to anyone.
Especially those folks who enjoy time travel and alternate universe themes.

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

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0441008011/scifidimensions
 
HG Wells, David Drake, Jules Verne and Robert Heinlein are some of my favorites.

Starship Troopers by Heinlein is probably my favorite SF book. It's a shame Hollywood didn't do a better job of interpreting it.
 
Good Lord...

Not a one of you posts someone who's written anything in the last 40 years... ;)

I love Sci-Fi. Big into the expanded Star Wars universe up to the New Jedi stuff (never liked the whole Jacen/Jaina/Anakin stories...).

For more "original works", Jack McDevitt is one of my favorites. "A Talent for War" is one of my favorite books. About finding out a major, MAJOR event in a culture's history was not exactly what it was made out to be. He also has a series going, starting with "Engines of God".

With The Engines of God (1994), McDevitt introduced the idea of a universe that was once teeming with intelligent life, but contains only their abandoned artifacts by the time humans arrive on the scene. Although it was initially written as a standalone novel,<sup class="Template-Fact" title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from October 2008" style="white-space: nowrap;">[citation needed]</sup> the main character of The Engines of God, pilot Priscilla Hutchins, has since appeared in five more books, Deepsix (2001), Chindi (2002), Omega (2003), Odyssey (2006), and Cauldron (2007). The mystery surrounding the destructive "Omega Clouds" (which are introduced in The Engines of God) is left unexplored until Omega.<sup id="cite_ref-omega_comments_0-0" class="reference">[1]
Click to expand...
Another of my favorites from him is "Infinity Beach". It's a book about first contact between humans and an alien civilization.

Another I've read a lot of is L.E. Modesitt, Jr. You fantasy readers might notice that name. :) "The Ethos Effect" is one of my favorites from him. "The Forever Hero" series is quite the marathon, especially if you can find it in a compilation book as I did. Great read though. "The Parafaith War" is another good one. "Gravity Dreams", "Octagonal Raven", "Flash", "Archform: Beauty", etc.

I've also read a good number of Stephen Baxter's books. The "Manifold" series is one of the more bizarre series I've read. "Manifold Time/Space/Origin", Origin dealing with prehistoric humanity. A very vicious book.

Another good author is Alistair Reynolds. I've read his "Revelation" series and enjoyed it. (Reading on Wiki, apparently he's written another of the series since I last read, so now I have a book to get!)

I like grand, epic sci-fi stories dealing with advanced technology and ideas. I'm not into that "quaint" sci-fi from the 40s and 50s.
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