Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book Discussion/Appreciation Anyone..??

[Espeon1962]

I have made it through about half the pages through this thread so far, and am quite enjoying all the choices. It is interesting though that so many are newer fiction and not many classics, although I ran across at least one other person who listed E.E. Doc Smith Lensman series, and it does not get much earlier then that. They were so far ahead of their time - I dont think any earlier writer dreamed of space battles and trans system flight that I recall. They had such an impact on me in my own youth and still are memorable today as a result.

For myself, I have been reading sci-fi for a long time and I am really hard pressed to come up with a definitive list, but here are some personal favourites of all time - I restricted myself to one from each author but most are in fact series and if I liked one I almost certainly own the entire series:

Forever War - Joe Haldeman
Cities in Flight - James Blish
Rendevous with Rama - Arthur C Clarke
Voyage of the Space Beagle - A E Van Vogt
Galactic Empire Series - Isaac Asimov
The Space Merchants - Frederick Pohl
To Your Scattered Bodies Go - Phillp Jose Farmer
Lord Foul's Bane - Stephen R Donaldson (ok all 6 books of the 1st & 2nd trilogies)
Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Henlein
The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula Le Guin
Mote in Gods Eye - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
This Immortal - Roger Zelazny (and Also the whole Chronicles of Amber Series)
Tarnsman of Gor - John Lange (aka John Norman)
A Call to Arms - Jerry Pournelle


These are amongst the books that made sci-fi memorable for me and reading my usual favorite pastime. The worst thing is as I was doing this list I realised I hardly even started to scratch the surface of my favorites.

Modern Sci-fi would be shorter and easier:

Honor Harrington series - David Weber
Starfire Series - David Weber and Steve White
Empire of Man Series - David Weber and John Ringo
Legacy of Aldenata Series - John Ringo
Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold (I LOVE THIS SERIES)
Halo Series - various authors


Thus my enthusiasm for series such as Battlestar Galactica and Space Above and Beyond becomes apparent - I tend to favour military or action oriented Scifi.

Just writing this makes me want to grab a book from my library to read!

[AvatarIII]

i'm coming to the end of John Scalzi's Old man's war. it's pretty good military sci fi fluff, very easy to read, but lacks the depth of things like forever war, or dread empire's fall.

[Fandom Addict]

I'm reading Redemption Ark by Alastair Reynolds.

[AvatarIII]

did you like chasm city FA?

[Fandom Addict]

did you like chasm city FA?

I did!

[Mimzy]

FINALLY saw the Coraline movie. It was AMAZING.

[AvatarIII]

awesome, well, enjoy redempion ark, it's one of my favourites

[Krichton]

If you like the SoT series so much, you should give the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan a try.

I tried listening to WOT a while back on audio book and gave up after about 3 chapters or so. The madeup names and places were too much for me and I got very confused by the story, so I never went back to the series. I have since started reading "Eye of the World" this time and it's been pretty good thru the first 20 chapters.

[Mimzy]

Just checked out The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson...I started A Great and Terrible Beauty, but I had to return it

[Krichton]

Well it took a week but I finally the first two books of WOT.

[Mimzy]

Just saw Coraline again...this time in 3-D
Now I seriously have to finish reading The Graveyard Book...

[Mimzy]

Just saw Coraline again...this time in 3-D
Now I seriously have to finish reading The Graveyard Book...

[MartianManhunter]

Anybody here ever read American Gods? If so was it any good because ive heard that it was epic?

[Espeon1962]

I just read Death's Head by David Gunn, I think I will enjoy the balance of the series.

[Mimzy]

Anybody here ever read American Gods? If so was it any good because ive heard that it was epic?

Haven't read it, but since I'm a Gaiman fan, I plan to...