Need a new book!

[Paulie92]

Hey, I've been playing alot of Mass Effect, Starcraft, UFO: AI and listening to alot of Hawkwind recently however I've been reading books like Nausea, Inferno and In Cold Blood.

The problem is I feel like something a bit more spacey but everything in the bookstore looks like the same generic crap and reading the first few pages doesn't really tell you how good at book is going to be.

So my question is can any of you recomend a good, original, sci-fi novel with good characters?

 

[The Amazing Tea Alligator]

Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy? On the Escapist I would assume that everyone's read it but you never know...

 

[Paulie92]

Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy? On the Escapist I would assume that everyone's read it but you never know...

Yeah I've read that one and all sequels, I should probably also emphasise sci-fi not fantasy (whenever someone mentions Douglass Adams I think Terry Pratchett)

Kafka on the Shore. I don't care that it's not sci-fi, you need to read it. Now.

What's it about?

 

[holographicman]

The supernaturalist

cuz its fucking awesome

 

[Dejanus]

I'd recommend a Warhammer 40k book, if you haven't read them. Very unique setting, if you don't know it. If you go there I suggest Dan Abnett and the Gaunt's Ghost's series.

For a series with some good characters, I suggest Dies The Fire by SM Stirling. Basically, all technology from gunpowder to nuclear fusion stops working and the world collapses, really memorable characters and world building.

For more far-future hard SciFi, Id suggest anything by Banks, Niven, or even the classics like Asimov or Clarke.

Or would you prefer military SciFi? Thats a whole different list.

 

[Icarion (aka Stockholm)]

Dune by Frank Herbert. The most original Sci-fi that isnt Isaac Asimov. I win

 

[Koroviev]

I haven't read too much sci-fi, but if my opinion is still worth anything, I highly recommend Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick. It's not the longest book, but it packs a punch and had me reading it like I watch Zero Punctuation videos, which is to say, crazy.

 

[Icarion (aka Stockholm)]

I'd recommend a Warhammer 40k book, if you haven't read them. Very unique setting, if you don't know it. If you go there I suggest Dan Abnett and the Gaunt's Ghost's series.
.

This too. Those books are awesome and are like 1000 pgs for $12

 

[hittite]

The Honor Harrington series. It's a pretty huge, epic space opera. It starts with On Basilisk Station. Enjoy.

 

[iBananaCrazy]

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow and any book by Ted Dekker is going to be good.

Oh sorry, I misread the spacey part..But those are good books anyway. =P

 

[Paulie92]

Dune by Frank Herbert. The most original Sci-fi that isnt Isaac Asimov. I win

I've read Dune, only the first one though I've heard very mixed things about the rest of the series.

Or would you prefer military SciFi? Thats a whole different list.

I think I would prefer military SciFi

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

A Song of Ice and Fire series, by George RR Martin. Be warned though: There are supposed to be seven books. Right now, there are only four. And the fourth one was released five years ago. And the fifth one doesn't have a release date yet. And George RR Martin is in his 60s.

 

[Dejanus]

All right then, the Warhammer recommendation still stands, that's military SF all the way.

The Starfist series is good gory battles and some pretty bad-ass characters, takes a very realistic view of the Marines and puts it in space.

Orphanage and it's sequels, by Robert Buettner, great read, one of my favorites of the last few years. Really unexpectedly touching, and the ending you never see coming.

Of course, for classics you have Heinlein's Starship Troopers and Joe Haldeman's The Forever War(my personal favorite).

Oh, and about Dune, you are far better served stopping with the original.

 

[cheese_wizington]

Fucking The Hunger Games trilogy, amazing shit right there.

 

[FlashHero]

So my question is can any of you recomend a good, original, sci-fi novel with good characters?

Well i haven't Read it yet but i have read ALOT of the same authors other books already and if it is anything like them it will be a good read.

It is called the Starfishers Series by Glen Cook..im about to start reading it in about a week.

Here is a synopsis from wikipidea:
Starfishers is a science fiction series drawing on elements of Norse mythology, and in the case of Passage at Arms, World War II submarine warfare.

There are 3 books in the series
Shadowline (1982)
Starfishers (1982)
Star's End (1982)
They are still sold brand new in bookstores due to republishing despite being written so long ago.

 

[Dejanus]

A Song of Ice and Fire series, by George RR Martin. Be warned though: There are supposed to be seven books. Right now, there are only four. And the fourth one was released five years ago. And the fifth one doesn't have a release date yet. And George RR Martin is in his 60s.

Though he said SF, these are my favorite books of all time, delays or no.

And at least the HBO series is actually happening, so there's that.

 

[MikailCaboose]

Well, there's Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clark, then the Space Odyssey series (also by Clark).