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

[AvatarIII]

yeah, i'll say, it's pretty impressive! i understand about lotr though, i tried reading it when i was 12 or so, and it put me off reading for 4 years! only reading what i had to for school. but these days i try to read as much as possible even if it's only an hour on weekdays, a day in my lunch/tea breaks at work.

[Betelgeuze]

anyway, this thread is seriously lacking in SF recently, there's way too much YA and Fantasy stuff going on in here

I've read far more fantasy than science fiction, but i hav e read some.

I've just read Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon, i liked it. I've also read her Serrano Legacy series, liked that one as well. One of my favourite scifi series is the Demon Princes series by Jack Vance.

Is there any science fiction series you would recommend?

[AvatarIII]

depends on how big you like things.
a good place to start is the SF Masterworks series, a series of republications of classic sci-fi,

also, quite an easy author to read is John Scalzi, (you may recognise his name as he has been hired as a creative consultant for SGU) i also recomment Kevin J Anderson and his "Saga of Seven Suns".

If you like your books deep and philosophical i recommend Dan Simmons, who has 2 SF series (one starting with a book called Hyperion, the other starting with Ilium)

i also would like to recommend Peter F. Hamilton for several of his series. for a near future cyberpunkish novel about a psychic PI, his Debut Greg Mandel series is rather good. after which he turned to Grand Space "opera", starting with a massive trilogy of 1200 page books, combining horror with space based sci fi, "nights dawn trilogy", followed by standalone novel "fallen dragon" about corperate mercinaries. he also has a series of 5 (soon to be 6) novels set in the same universe spanning from near future earth (a standalone book called misspent youth) via 2400ad (a duology of Pandora's star and Judas Unchained, chronicalling a massive turning point in human history) to 3500ad (the current series in progress called the void trilogy where the human race has colonised a large part of the galaxy)

also an honorable mention goes to Alastair reynolds whose high concept SF may not be for all, but for those who can handle his gothic futures he is an ace.

[toomuchcaf]

^ Thanks for replying to Betelgeuze, Avatar III. I've always been more into the fantasy novels, but unfortunately all my fave authors are between books, or I just can't buy them here in OZ (Lynn Flewelling is one, her 4th in the nightrunner series I just can't get my hands on!).
So I'll have to branch out, though the main SF books I've ever gotten into were Jules Verne, and Anne McCaffrey.
Was thinking of tracking down the english versions of Sergey Lukyanenkos' Nightwatch series, but I'd have to buy them, the Library doesn't have any!

[AvatarIII]

^ Thanks for replying to Betelgeuze, Avatar III. I've always been more into the fantasy novels, but unfortunately all my fave authors are between books, or I just can't buy them here in OZ (Lynn Flewelling is one, her 4th in the nightrunner series I just can't get my hands on!).
So I'll have to branch out, though the main SF books I've ever gotten into were Jules Verne, and Anne McCaffrey.
Was thinking of tracking down the english versions of Sergey Lukyanenkos' Nightwatch series, but I'd have to buy them, the Library doesn't have any!

ah, well SF haschanged a lot since that days of Verne, especially in the last 20 or so years.
i looked up McCaffrey, and if you've read her Brain and Brown series you'd probably get on well with Alastair Reynolds as far as current authors go. the plots sound of a similar feel to his work.

also for nightwatch you might try an online bookstore or one of the amazon sites, it seems there is no aus amazon, but the US and UK amazons do ship internationally.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_...sprefix=sergei
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw...rgei&x=22&y=22

[toomuchcaf]

Thanks Avatar III. I'll also have to order the Republic Commando books 3 & 4 by Karen Travis. Star Wars books I could actually read and understand! I have tried reading a couple, but there are always so many different characters introduced in other books, or past battles or events are referenced, it was very easy to get lost

[AtlantisRules!!!]

Thanks Avatar III. I'll also have to order the Republic Commando books 3 & 4 by Karen Travis. Star Wars books I could actually read and understand! I have tried reading a couple, but there are always so many different characters introduced in other books, or past battles or events are referenced, it was very easy to get lost

Those are soooo good I finished those around Easter The book after that is called 501st and is coming out in October.

[Iffy]

Twilight can anyone explain what was so good about it too me? It was not all that and a bag of blood (ah yes pathetic attempt to be funny )

[Mimzy]

Twilight can anyone explain what was so good about it too me? It was not all that and a bag of blood (ah yes pathetic attempt to be funny )

Hah, well I'm the wrong person to answer that question...the only thing I liked was Edward, and even he can't compare to Sanctuary's Nikola Tesla. lol.

[Iffy]

Hah, well I'm the wrong person to answer that question...the only thing I liked was Edward, and even he can't compare to Sanctuary's Nikola Tesla. lol.

Edward and the vampires were interesting but they in no way carried the book.

[Mimzy]

Because Bella is so whiny.



And I've only read halfway through the first book... I actually got interested enough to want to finish it, but I haven't had the chance to yet Mostly b/c of Edward, b/c I found him intriguing. But the whole "glittering" thing is just stupid. And Bella gets in the way of everything. Besides, Tesla doesn't glitter and he's sexier than any fictional/semi-fictional vampire I've ever seen "Glitter" is not necessary for hotness...in fact, I think it just makes them look dumber...

[Iffy]

Because Bella is so whiny.



And I've only read halfway through the first book... I actually got interested enough to want to finish it, but I haven't had the chance to yet Mostly b/c of Edward, b/c I found him intriguing. But the whole "glittering" thing is just stupid. And Bella gets in the way of everything. Besides, Tesla doesn't glitter and he's sexier than any fictional/semi-fictional vampire I've ever seen "Glitter" is not necessary for hotness...in fact, I think it just makes them look dumber...

I own glitter hairspray *giggles*

That's because he's so politically correct. I kept waiting for them to have a proper snoog and it never happened and Bella just whined some more.

[diana6echo]

Twilight? fantasy? horror? nah.. more like comedy

anyway to me, the ultimate master of sf books is Isaac Asimov
I guess I don't have to explain why

[Iffy]

Twilight? fantasy? horror? nah.. more like comedy

anyway to me, the ultimate master of sf books is Isaac Asimov
I guess I don't have to explain why

Twilight is not funny enough to be comedy.

[Mimzy]

Twilight? fantasy? horror? nah.. more like comedy

anyway to me, the ultimate master of sf books is Isaac Asimov
I guess I don't have to explain why

I still have to get around to reading his stuff
But I do agree with you...
...and he's closely followed by Ray Bradbury