Agreed, and adding Tunnel in the Sky specifically.revjay said:
Also E.E. Doc Smith's "Lensmen" series. Hugo Award winning SciFi, though it was based on some science since disproven. Supposedly there's going to be a movie based on them coming up.
Recommend a Sci-Fi Book
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Also E.E. Doc Smith's "Lensmen" series. Hugo Award winning SciFi, though it was based on some science since disproven. Supposedly there's going to be a movie based on them coming up.
"The Forever War" is a fantastic Sci-Fi novel.
Features impressive themes and unique story mechanics and a nice bite-sized length.
Features impressive themes and unique story mechanics and a nice bite-sized length.
Whatever you do, ASK HIM if he's read a book before you buy it for him. A lot of the people on this thread are recommending classics; while they're undoubtably great books, if he's a fan of the classic sc-fi as you said, there's a very good chance that he's already read them.
For example, I won't be the first to recommend Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. That's one of THE classics of sci-fi literature, so there's a very good chance he'd have already read it, but find out and if he hasn't, get it for him.
My best friend would swear by David Weber's 'Honor Harrington' series, but I've never read it. I have, however, read his 'Dahak trilogy', starting with Mutineer's Moon, and would recommend that, although I do find Weber gets a touch obsessed with describing gory scenes in unnecessary detail.
I'd also recommend Stephen Baxter's Raft. I haven't read the rest of the 'Xeelee sequence' it started, but it was certainly a unique book as far as universe-building goes.
For example, I won't be the first to recommend Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. That's one of THE classics of sci-fi literature, so there's a very good chance he'd have already read it, but find out and if he hasn't, get it for him.
My best friend would swear by David Weber's 'Honor Harrington' series, but I've never read it. I have, however, read his 'Dahak trilogy', starting with Mutineer's Moon, and would recommend that, although I do find Weber gets a touch obsessed with describing gory scenes in unnecessary detail.
I'd also recommend Stephen Baxter's Raft. I haven't read the rest of the 'Xeelee sequence' it started, but it was certainly a unique book as far as universe-building goes.
Any of the Ender's Game Saga by Orson Scott Card. Ender's Game is easily one of the best books i have ever read.
I know people have already mentioned these, but I'll second them. William Gibson's Sprawl trilogy (among his other works) and Neal Stephenson's stuff (snow crash is a particularly good read). those guys make some nice cyberpunk literature.
I love the Miles Vorkosigan adventures by Lois McMasters Bujold. A mix of all the best elements in fiction.
I'd like to clarify, I never meant to imply that the political aspect was inherently bad, simply that it occasionally takes up, in my opinion, far too much of a book that has a cover made up mostly of missiles, lasers, and explosions. Also, you forgot the Mesan slavers, they're pretty much pure evil.orannis62 said:
Both the Sprawl Trilogy, most other works set in The Sprawl universe (such as Johnny Mnemonic and Burning Chrome) and Snow Crash are great cyberpunk books, they're really not in the same vein as the hard-Sci Fi Space operas that my dad reads.OldManProdigy said:
However I am a huge fan of everything Cyberpunk (with the possible exception of Post-cyberpunk animes), so I decided to start the Cyberpunk Group [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/The-Cyberpunk-group], so if you've got any recommendations, feel free to join in and share your knowledge .
If you want a brilliant, older sci-fi, get it from Heinlein. He's one of the 3 most important people in sci-fi lit.
I heartily reccomend 'The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress'.
It's a damn fine book, written in an odd style, that I would reccomend to anyone.
I heartily reccomend 'The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress'.
It's a damn fine book, written in an odd style, that I would reccomend to anyone.
Don't know if your dad is in to Star Trek, but Shatner wrote a pretty good series of novels that include the books Spectre, Ashes of Eden, and Dark Victory that deal with the mirror universe, the borg, romulans, klingons, all of it, and they actually make pretty good sense.
He also wrote a series called Quest for Tomorrow that I read the first three of years ago that I thought was REALLY good. Of course, I was teenager, so I may not think the same anymore.
He also wrote a series called Quest for Tomorrow that I read the first three of years ago that I thought was REALLY good. Of course, I was teenager, so I may not think the same anymore.
Looking through all these suggestions made me think, most of them are at least 20 years old, is it just me, or are there no "proper" Sci-Fi books written these days? All we seem to get is either Star Wars expanded universe, Star Trek books or books based on games.
Hardly. Just off the top of my head: Ted Chiang, China Mieville, John Scalzi, Charles Stross -- and this is coming from someone who mainly reads short stories and seldom remembers who wrote them. Many writers from the 80s and 70s, like Card and Haldeman, continue to write new material as well.Arachon said:
Note also that, if posters are actually paying attention to the OP, they ought to be picking material they think someone who reads "old-school" likes -- which naturally skews towards older writers.
-- Alex