Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 33
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Denver, Colorado

    Sci-Fi "Must Reads"

    About to truck through the Dune series where at first I'll be thinking this has to be the best sci fi novel of all time, and then when I get to God Emperor where I will disappointed to the point of almost throwing the book against something and my dislike for Heretics of Dune will prevent me from fully finishing the series again. However, I must not fear, fear is the mind killer and I will try to read all of them including Heretics and Chapterhouse.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Undisclosed
    Quote Originally Posted by Dukefan1.0 View Post
    About to truck through the Dune series where at first I'll be thinking this has to be the best sci fi novel of all time, and then when I get to God Emperor where I will disappointed to the point of almost throwing the book against something and my dislike for Heretics of Dune will prevent me from fully finishing the series again. However, I must not fear, fear is the mind killer and I will try to read all of them including Heretics and Chapterhouse.
    Asimov's Foundation trilogy always tops my list. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series as well, although a totally different thing.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Denver, Colorado
    Quote Originally Posted by OldPhiKap View Post
    Asimov's Foundation trilogy always tops my list. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series as well, although a totally different thing.
    Hitchhiker's Guide taught me the answer to life, the universe, and everything was 42 a lesson I have never forgot, if only I knew the question. I've only read through the Foundation trilogy once and have them laying in my apartment somewhere so I'll probably read through those. I haven't read the two prequels to Foundation though do you know if they're a decent read or are they hit and miss like the Dune Prequels from Herbert's son?

    My list would have the Dune series before God Emperor above Foundation, that might change since I'm fuzzy on details from not reading them more than once, then Time Machine, and I guess 2001: A Space Odyssey to finish my Sci-Fi list. I still prefer Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit to the ones I just mentioned overall for some reason, I guess Tolkien just has that kind of an effect on me .

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Undisclosed
    Quote Originally Posted by Dukefan1.0 View Post
    Hitchhiker's Guide taught me the answer to life, the universe, and everything was 42 a lesson I have never forgot, if only I knew the question. I've only read through the Foundation trilogy once and have them laying in my apartment somewhere so I'll probably read through those. I haven't read the two prequels to Foundation though do you know if they're a decent read or are they hit and miss like the Dune Prequels from Herbert's son?

    My list would have the Dune series before God Emperor above Foundation, that might change since I'm fuzzy on details from not reading them more than once, then Time Machine, and I guess 2001: A Space Odyssey to finish my Sci-Fi list. I still prefer Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit to the ones I just mentioned overall for some reason, I guess Tolkien just has that kind of an effect on me .
    I guess if we count Vonnegut in the genre (a debatable proposition) there are several classics. Cats Cradle and Slaughterhouse Five are classics.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    About 150 feet in front of the Duke Chapel doors.
    What about Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game"?
    JBDuke

    Andre Dawkins: “People ask me if I can still shoot, and I ask them if they can still breathe. That’s kind of the same thing.”

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Denver, Colorado
    Quote Originally Posted by JBDuke View Post
    What about Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game"?
    I probably jumped in when I was too old to appreciate Ender's Game, granted I'm only twenty, but I felt the book was targeted towards a younger audience with all the name calling and talk about body parts. My roommate bugged me until I read it, and after reading the glowing reviews from websites I picked it up. It just became a chore for me to finish as 2/3 of the story is Ender's training in what is basically laser tag without gravity, not sure how that turns a six year old into the next Heinz Guderian, with the Aliens invading being a footnote. The book is not bad like certain novels, it may just be me reading it when I was 19 that didn't make it interesting, for me it's just kind of there.

    What are your thoughts on adding the Ringworld series to the list of must read science fiction novels?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    About 150 feet in front of the Duke Chapel doors.
    I've moved these posts into their own thread, as I think the topic could be of broader interest to more than just the LTE crowd.

    So, what are the "must reads" of science fiction? Posts have already discussed the Dune series (of which IMO only the first book is a "must read"), the Foundation Series (of which IMO only the original triology is a "must read"), the Hitchhiker's series (great fun), and "Ender's Game".

    Regarding "Ender's Game", Dukefan 1.0 posted the following:

    Quote Originally Posted by Dukefan1.0 View Post
    I probably jumped in when I was too old to appreciate Ender's Game, granted I'm only twenty, but I felt the book was targeted towards a younger audience with all the name calling and talk about body parts. My roommate bugged me until I read it, and after reading the glowing reviews from websites I picked it up. It just became a chore for me to finish as 2/3 of the story is Ender's training in what is basically laser tag without gravity, not sure how that turns a six year old into the next Heinz Guderian, with the Aliens invading being a footnote. The book is not bad like certain novels, it may just be me reading it when I was 19 that didn't make it interesting, for me it's just kind of there.

    What are your thoughts on adding the Ringworld series to the list of must read science fiction novels?
    I didn't read "Ender's Game" until I was in my late 20's or early 30's, and I still thought it was brilliant. Yes, the main character is a tween, but he's a ridiculously advanced tween in many ways. I found myself relating to Ender on an adult level with several of his struggles, but also relating to some of his challenges through my own memories of being a tween and dealing with other tweens. I think Orson Scott Card does a brilliant job of writing Ender as a child-adult and allowing audiences to see both sides of him.

    And regarding your question about Larry Niven's Ringworld series, I have a few thoughts. First, the original "Ringworld" is by far the best of the series. Second, I think Niven wrote better stuff than "Ringworld" - "Protector" is probably my favorite.

    I think Niven started to become obsessed with sex as he went along. The Ringworld follow-ups start to reflect this, as do some of his other works. Heinlein seemed to suffer the same problem, starting with "Stranger in a Strange Land" and peaking with "Time Enough for Love". I don't know why these two giants of classic sci-fi went down this road. Perhaps they both couldn't get laid until they became rich and famous, and when they actually had sex, they became obsessed and their writing reflects it. Perhaps they both got tangled up in the "Free Love" movement and that got captured in their books. Regardless, I think both of their writings suffered for it. I like Heinlein's pre-"Stranger" stuff much better than his later works. Several of his "juvenile" novels followed by "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" and "Starship Troopers" would be on my "must read" list, and they're all pre-"Stranger". As for Niven, I love his Known Space Series, and the novels are mostly great. As I said above, "Protector" is probably my favorite, but I really enjoy "World of Ptaavs", and "A Gift from Earth" too. Niven also wrote a couple of dozen Known Space short stories, and they're absolutely worth reading as well.

    Niven has also done a bunch of collaborations, the best of which were done with Jerry Pournelle. I like "The Mote in God's Eye", "Lucifer's Hammer", and "Footfall". Great stuff.
    JBDuke

    Andre Dawkins: “People ask me if I can still shoot, and I ask them if they can still breathe. That’s kind of the same thing.”

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Pitchforks to everyone who mentioned Dune and Foundation. Except OPK, who I'm still not allowed to give positive feedback to.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Charlotte, North Carolina
    Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I thought Ender's Game was a very interesting character study about what made someone a natural killer, which Ender most definitely was. His name says it all - he had a strong instince to end conflict with decisive victory, and he was willing and able to achieve that. It was uniquely disturbing and interesting to make that character study in a kid, and that's the strength of the novel, imho.

    I have trouble finding Sci Fi series that maintain a high level all the way through. The original Foundation Trilogy certainly did. The additional books fell off a little, to me, but still were quite good.

    As single works, Neuromancer and Snow Crash are two of my favorites.

  10. #10

    heilein

    I have to jump in as a huge Heinlein fan ... there's a reason he was considered the master.

    I agree that he got a bit obsessed with sex in some of his later novels, but, hey, sex is central to the human condition. I grew up on his juveniles -- Between Planets, Space Cadet, Double Star, Have Space Suit, Will Travel and most especially Rocket Ship Galileo (his description of the first touchdown on the moon was an astonishingly accurate depiction of the first lunar landing) -- even down to the pilot having to overide the automatic system and patiently guide his craft to a safe touchdown with almost no fuel left). From there I went back and read the short stories before WWII that made him a legend.

    I was thrilled when he broke out of his juvenile mold with Starship Troopers, which started out as a juvenile, but ended up a very adult defense of the military and rejection of pacifism (a far less fascist work that the awful movie version). His The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress was a masterpiece -- thrilling and thought provoking at the same time. It won him his fifth Hugo (he was nominamed five other times). So many great novels -- The Puppet Masters, Door Into Summer (nobody could write time travel stories like Heinlein) and Sixth Column (okay, it is a bit racist) early ... Friday and the Cat Who Walks Through Walls late ... and, of course, Stranger in a Strange Land (which is in many ways, a very atypical Heinlein novel).

    But I think his greatest achievment is his "Future History" a series of novels built around the life of Woodrow Wilson Smith (aka Lazarus Long), a character who was born in 1912 and lived several thousand years.

    BTW, as much as I like Niven's Ringworld, I actually prefer a couple of novels he co-wrote with Jerry Pournelle. Lucifer's Hammer (the story of a comet that hits the earth) is the best doomsday novel I've ever read. And the Mote in God's Eye is the best first-contact novel (and the sequel The Gripping Hand is not bad either).

    I loved the first Dune, but rapidly lost interest in the series.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Dukefan1.0 View Post
    About to truck through the Dune series where at first I'll be thinking this has to be the best sci fi novel of all time, and then when I get to God Emperor where I will disappointed to the point of almost throwing the book against something and my dislike for Heretics of Dune will prevent me from fully finishing the series again. However, I must not fear, fear is the mind killer and I will try to read all of them including Heretics and Chapterhouse.
    This may be my favorite post ever on DBR. It has been decades since I read the entire series (at some point in my 20s I went back and read Dune again), but I don't know if you could sum up the entire experience better (although I liked Heretics after God Emporer).

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    raleigh
    I first read ROCKET SHIP GALILEO when i was 8...my first "big" book...i was hooked for life....Heinlein was my favorite...

    one book that i feel should be on everyones' must read list.... FLOW MY TEARS THE POLICEMAN SAID by Philip K Dick...wow!!
    "One POSSIBLE future. From your point of view... I don't know tech stuff.".... Kyle Reese

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by JBDuke View Post
    What about Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game"?
    I always thought Speaker for the Dead was even better. Some of the later books in the series are downright terrible though IMO.

    I haven't read him in ages, but for Asimov, I prefer the short stories. Foundation book 1, I Robot, or just collections. He doesn't excel at characterization but the ideas come fast and furious, which is perfect for short stories.

    Dune is great up until the ending, which I think is a huge letdown after an entire novel of buildup.

    In the awesome-but-nobody's-read-it-category, I would also nominate The Long Run by Daniel Keys Moran: http://www.amazon.com/The-Long-Run-T.../dp/1576466396

    Never read Heinlein. I respect Snowcrash, but didn't love it. Ringworld and Neuromancer didn't do much for me. Different strokes indeed.
    Last edited by darthur; 08-16-2012 at 12:58 PM.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Ashburn, VA
    The interesting thing about the "Ender's Game" series (4 books) is that the first book is very different from the next three, which form a sort of trilogy. I thought some of the ethical dilemmas and ideas of existence and survival with multiple sentient races were pretty interesting.

    And if you liked EG, you can go back and read the "Ender's Shadow" series, where the first book re-tells the events of EG but from Bean's perspective.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by snowdenscold View Post
    The interesting thing about the "Ender's Game" series (4 books) is that the first book is very different from the next three, which form a sort of trilogy. I thought some of the ethical dilemmas and ideas of existence and survival with multiple sentient races were pretty interesting.

    And if you liked EG, you can go back and read the "Ender's Shadow" series, where the first book re-tells the events of EG but from Bean's perspective.
    This seems to happen relative often in Sci-Fi, although maybe not quite to the degree in the Ender's Game series. The Hyperion series expanded greatly in scope after the first book, as did Dune.

    Of those three, I think that Hyperion pulled it off best. As you say, some of the ideas in the post Ender's Game books about Ender has interesting ideas, but the story was not nearly as strong. In Hyperion, the story remained compelling, even after Big Ideas were brought into play.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Another vote for "The Mote in God's Eye." I love First Contact novels and this is the best. A page-turner. I actually recall reading this during game six of the 1975 World Series, it was so hard to put down.

    I think Fisk's fly ball was fair.

    "Childhood's End" is my favorite Clarke novel.

    One of my absolute favorites is "A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter Miller. Avoid this if you think science fiction should stay away from the Meaning-of-Life stuff.

    I haven't read much in the genre in recent years. It seems like every time I read something interesting, it turned out to be part one of a seven-part cycle. I have time for stand-alones but not seven-part cycles. I loved Riverworld but there's only so much time.

    If you want to be scared witless, find a copy of Harlan Ellison's short story "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream." Just dont' read it close to lights out.

    As an aside, I think it was reading Heinlein, Clarke, Asimov, Anderson et. al, when I was 14 that made me a big supporter of the space program. I still think we should have permanent moon colonies, just like Heinlein wrote about.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Undisclosed
    Quote Originally Posted by jimsumner View Post
    As an aside, I think it was reading Heinlein, Clarke, Asimov, Anderson et. al, when I was 14 that made me a big supporter of the space program. I still think we should have permanent moon colonies, just like Heinlein wrote about.
    Just don't build it near the Clavius Crater. Rumor is, there's been an outbreak there of some mysterious sort. Quarantined and everything . . . .

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Denver, Colorado
    The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is another good read I found looking through my books, so is Jurassic Park which most people propably only know about the movie, 1984, and Farenheight 451.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    raleigh
    the andromeda strain was excellent...even more scary than the movie...
    "One POSSIBLE future. From your point of view... I don't know tech stuff.".... Kyle Reese

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Partly Orlando, FL partly heard Sandpoint, ID
    A number of mentioned things I very much agree with and others that haven't. Asimov had some intriguing ideas that he delved into in numerous stories. I'm probably a bigger fan of his short stories than his novels, but if I had to choose one it would be The Caves of Steel instead of Foundation. A Canticle for Leibowicz is definitely a classic in my mind(doesn't hurt that I was raised Catholic either). More recently, the two works that I'm huge fans of are The Hyperion Cantos, and The Sparrow. The former explores a wealth of ideas that start seemingly unrelated, but tie to gether in a wonderful manner. The Sparrow is an outstanding first contact novel, and a marvelous exploration of faith in that context. Dune, Ender's Game, and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress are wonderful reads as well.

Similar Threads

  1. Ryan Kelly, "The Bridge" That Spanned "The Gap"
    By Newton_14 in forum Elizabeth King Forum
    Replies: 26
    Last Post: 03-25-2012, 12:07 PM
  2. Relative productivity of "big" and "small" lineups
    By Kedsy in forum Elizabeth King Forum
    Replies: 130
    Last Post: 03-21-2011, 11:14 PM
  3. Icing the Shooter: "Good" play or "Bad"
    By greybeard in forum Off Topic
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 02-07-2008, 03:53 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •