Top 3 science fiction novels you've read
- Thread starter newtraveller
- Start date
GypsyComet
Emperor Mongoose
AndrewW said:
I intended to use the whole list, but was operating off of memory.
Ok, right off the bat;
Starman Jones, Heinlein
Space Vikings, Piper
Hardwired, Walter Jon Williams
But, that is only the tip of the iceberg, I find novels to be fun. But if I am looking for meat in SF I turn to short fiction.
My favorite collections are
The Fleet edited by Drake.
Burning Chrome..
The Stars at War..
And always the Hugo and Nebula collections.
Starman Jones, Heinlein
Space Vikings, Piper
Hardwired, Walter Jon Williams
But, that is only the tip of the iceberg, I find novels to be fun. But if I am looking for meat in SF I turn to short fiction.
My favorite collections are
The Fleet edited by Drake.
Burning Chrome..
The Stars at War..
And always the Hugo and Nebula collections.
Infidel_Vll
Mongoose
Keith Laumer's Bolo & Retief series
Asimov's Foundation series
Harry Harrison's Deathworld and Stainless Steel Rat series
Asimov's Foundation series
Harry Harrison's Deathworld and Stainless Steel Rat series
alex_greene
Guest
The Andromeda Strain, by Michael Crichton
Cities in Flight by James Blish
Stranger in a Strange Land, Time Enough for Love and The Number of the Beast, all by Heinlein
I'm going to throw in Star Maker and Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon, and The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury.
I also cite Larry Niven's Known Space books, notably the Ringworld series but also Destiny's Road; Alan Dean Foster's Humanx Commonwealth series; and William Gibson's books Burning Chrome, Neuromancer, Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive. I loved The Difference Engine.
I also like Gibson's Virtual Light series Virtual Light, Idoru and All Tomorrow's Parties.
A long time ago, E E "Doc" Smith wrote a lot of space opera stuff. I know the Lensmen series are probably the first thing people think of - but I'm going to cite the Family d'Alembert series as my favourite Doc Smith series instead. Secret Agents, loyal to the Empire, operating under the guise of a travelling family circus? Priceless.
Finally, I love anthologies of short stories; Alan Dean Foster's With Friends Like These ... and ... Who Needs Enemies?, John SHirley's Heatseeker; and Pat Cadigan's Patterns.
Oh, and Mirrorshades: the Cyberpunk Anthology, Alien Sex edited by Ellen Datlow and Mathenauts, edited by Rudy Rucker.
Cities in Flight by James Blish
Stranger in a Strange Land, Time Enough for Love and The Number of the Beast, all by Heinlein
I'm going to throw in Star Maker and Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon, and The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury.
I also cite Larry Niven's Known Space books, notably the Ringworld series but also Destiny's Road; Alan Dean Foster's Humanx Commonwealth series; and William Gibson's books Burning Chrome, Neuromancer, Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive. I loved The Difference Engine.
I also like Gibson's Virtual Light series Virtual Light, Idoru and All Tomorrow's Parties.
A long time ago, E E "Doc" Smith wrote a lot of space opera stuff. I know the Lensmen series are probably the first thing people think of - but I'm going to cite the Family d'Alembert series as my favourite Doc Smith series instead. Secret Agents, loyal to the Empire, operating under the guise of a travelling family circus? Priceless.
Finally, I love anthologies of short stories; Alan Dean Foster's With Friends Like These ... and ... Who Needs Enemies?, John SHirley's Heatseeker; and Pat Cadigan's Patterns.
Oh, and Mirrorshades: the Cyberpunk Anthology, Alien Sex edited by Ellen Datlow and Mathenauts, edited by Rudy Rucker.
I could add more votes for books already mentioned. Instead I'll try to add, and lean toward the Travelleresque:
1. Jack Vance Showboat World
2. C.J. Cherryh Merchanter's Luck
3. Umberto Eco Foucault's Pendulum
Of the previously mentioned, Winds of Gath stands out among the Dumarest novels I've read so far (about 13 of 32 or so.) I love the Lensman series though First Lensman is much more rough and forced than the books before and after it.
As to the Starship Troopers movie, I wish they'd just licensed The Forever War.
Now I'll cheat on my three and mention The Grey Prince and Big Planet by Vance, Downbelow Station as a mate to Merchanter's Luck, and the Skylark Series by E.E. "Doc" Smith.
1. Jack Vance Showboat World
2. C.J. Cherryh Merchanter's Luck
3. Umberto Eco Foucault's Pendulum
Of the previously mentioned, Winds of Gath stands out among the Dumarest novels I've read so far (about 13 of 32 or so.) I love the Lensman series though First Lensman is much more rough and forced than the books before and after it.
As to the Starship Troopers movie, I wish they'd just licensed The Forever War.
Now I'll cheat on my three and mention The Grey Prince and Big Planet by Vance, Downbelow Station as a mate to Merchanter's Luck, and the Skylark Series by E.E. "Doc" Smith.
Three? - Ack! Canna do it cap'n! Who came up with that...
Well here are three good ones I have sitting on the nearest shelf...
Adiamante by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. - for The Paradigms of Power
Macroscope by Piers Anthony - simply because of the SDPS
Revelation Space by Alistair Reynolds - well, I like my sci-fi thick
Well here are three good ones I have sitting on the nearest shelf...
Adiamante by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. - for The Paradigms of Power
Macroscope by Piers Anthony - simply because of the SDPS
Revelation Space by Alistair Reynolds - well, I like my sci-fi thick
Infidel_Vll
Mongoose
BP said:
I have a incredibly hard time pining down 3 individual book, in that I have read so many. I generally read 5 to 10 books in the SF/fantasy genre a week, along side a number of peer reviewed journals in a broad spectrum of related fields, as well as assorted forums, blogs, mail and news groups. Top that all off with the various sources on turns too when one is desperately looking for a real job in a diving economy. So pinning down favorites is kinda of a pain.
The best I have got is broad Genres, Heinlein's Juveniles, Cyberpunk and related, Shirow's mangas and anime (though to be honest much of that is 'punk also). Or specific Authors, William C Deitz, Brian Daly, Allen Dean Foster and a bunch of others.
DaisedLady
Mongoose
I've really enjoyed reading this thread, some new ideas for future reads!
my current top 3 (it changes on a weekly/daily basis!)
Chasm City - Alastair Reynolds
Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson
Red Mars - Kim Stanley Robinson
I often think about using the Sten series of book (authors names escape me at the moment) as a basis for a traveller campaign
nic
x
my current top 3 (it changes on a weekly/daily basis!)
Chasm City - Alastair Reynolds
Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson
Red Mars - Kim Stanley Robinson
I often think about using the Sten series of book (authors names escape me at the moment) as a basis for a traveller campaign
nic
x
Mongoose Pete
Mongoose
Its tough to limit oneself to just three, but if I was going to be shipwrecked and had only 3 sci-fi books, I'd choose the following. On self analysis, it seems I like a lot of mysticism and mystery... although hard, military Sci-Fi comes a close second.
Lord of Light - Zelazny
Dune - Herbert
The Zero Stone - Norton
Lord of Light - Zelazny
Dune - Herbert
The Zero Stone - Norton
howardfanatic
Mongoose
My top 3 novels...
In no particular order:
Dune by Frank Herbert
Rendevous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
My top 3 series...
In no particular order:
Robots/Empire/Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Space Odyssey series by Arthur C. Clarke
1st Dune trilogy by Frank Herbert
In no particular order:
Dune by Frank Herbert
Rendevous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
My top 3 series...
In no particular order:
Robots/Empire/Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Space Odyssey series by Arthur C. Clarke
1st Dune trilogy by Frank Herbert
lastbesthope
Mongoose
howardfanatic said:
Caves of Steel was, I think, the first sci-fi novel I ever read, at about the age of 5 or 6, I loved it.
LBH
snrdg121408
Mongoose
This is a tough one since I've got a library with over 1,200 books with about 98% of them read at lest once.
Ian Douglas has, so far, written 8 of a 9 book series, broken up into 3 trilogies: The Heritage (Semper Mars, Luna Marine, Europa Strike), The Legacy (Star Corps, Battlespace, Star Marines), and The Inheritance (Star Strike, Galactic Corps, Semper Human [release date 5/26/09]).
The Beast Master series (4 or 5 books) by Andre Norton and Lyn McConchie
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
Looks like I can't count either I've multiplied by about 5 times.
Ian Douglas has, so far, written 8 of a 9 book series, broken up into 3 trilogies: The Heritage (Semper Mars, Luna Marine, Europa Strike), The Legacy (Star Corps, Battlespace, Star Marines), and The Inheritance (Star Strike, Galactic Corps, Semper Human [release date 5/26/09]).
The Beast Master series (4 or 5 books) by Andre Norton and Lyn McConchie
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
Looks like I can't count either I've multiplied by about 5 times.
Cleon the Mad
Mongoose
My reply won't be my top 3. I don't think I have a top 3, as much as I have a gigantic stack of favorites that I keep handy depending on my mood.
So, my list is the first three that come to mind. As an aside, a large number of the books in my huge stack of favorites have already been mentioned. And even with that, I'm going to cheat and put a fourth since right when I posted, this one popped into my head.
1) The Moon is a Harsh Mistress: Robert Heinlein
2) Creatures of Light and Darkness: Roger Zelazny
3) Inferno: Larry Niven.
4) The Man In The High Castle: Phillip K. Dick
Ask me again in 30 minutes, and I'd suspect a completly different list of 3 books would be mentioned. And I'd probably cheat and have to add a fourth (Or even more) after that too.
So, my list is the first three that come to mind. As an aside, a large number of the books in my huge stack of favorites have already been mentioned. And even with that, I'm going to cheat and put a fourth since right when I posted, this one popped into my head.
1) The Moon is a Harsh Mistress: Robert Heinlein
2) Creatures of Light and Darkness: Roger Zelazny
3) Inferno: Larry Niven.
4) The Man In The High Castle: Phillip K. Dick
Ask me again in 30 minutes, and I'd suspect a completly different list of 3 books would be mentioned. And I'd probably cheat and have to add a fourth (Or even more) after that too.
