What's the best Sc-Fi book you've read?

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

**Big, Useful post**

Thanks. I've always been a SW fan, and I never read the books as I had no idea where to start. I read LotF because I got the audiobook of the first one free, and subsequently saw the second in a used book store. From there I went onto FotJ, and I went back to start reading about this "Yuzhong Vong War" everyone was on about. I'll check those books out. Thank God for Amazon (and the large number of great used book stores near me).

I've heard that the Thrawn books are good. Have you read them?

I don't tend to recommend the Thrawn books, not because they aren't fantastic, but because they aren't the regular Star Wars novels. A lot of people I know who enjoyed the other Star Wars novels found the Thrawn books too much for them, and a lot of people who read the Thrawn books first and then found the rest of the SWEU lacking.

I read and enjoyed both, but be aware that the Thrawn books are something else, even when compared to some of the stuff that the rest of the EU has produced. A lot of people attribute it to Zahn being a better writer, but I couldn't honestly claim that, he's just different.

 

[Sean565]

Actually it's kinda the first book. After that Card went and turned Ender's Game into a novel.

Wrong Speaker of the dead was started in writing before Ender's game, but is not the first book. Card started writing Speaker for the dead as a completely unrelated novel. As he was writing he decided it worked best if Ender was the main character. He found the beginning was way too long. He then went back to the short story of Ender's game and expanded it. Ender's game the novel was released in 1985. Speaker for the Dead was released in 1986

 

[alandavidson]

Ender's Game (and following Ender's Books)
Dune
Hitchhicker's Series
The Seems
A Matter of Profit

 

[homacidal duck]

the dragonback series best book series of all time.

 

[The Gnome King]

I've realised that I hardly have any Sci-Fi books and I've had enough of high fantasy lately.

What are some good Sci-Fi books?

Probably "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Heinlein. Just... a classic, in so many ways.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Cities in Flight by James Blish made me cry at the end. It's beautiful.

 

[SilverStrike]

Good grief, so many suggestions yet so few have mentioned some of my favourites!
First of all, Lois McMaster Bujold. The Vorkosigan Series. That is an EPIC sci-fi series. I've re-read it multiple times.
Warrior's Apprentice is the first book of Mile's story, he's the main character. There are two prequels based around his mother, though. But, start there. I did. Hang in there through the first few chapters. It get's really good.

ANYTHING by Elizabeth Moon.
Serrano Legacy: Good, but it drags on a bit, and has MANY CHARACTERS.
Vatta's War: Much better sci-fi series, more focused, gradually goes big picture seamlessly. I love that series. I wanna re-read it now. Thankfully I have 'em all
Tale of Paksenarrion: For one thing, this is thirty years old fantasy. But I still love the three books. Also! She's bringing out a second trilogy! WOO!

And for Fantasy, David Eddings! Nobody has mentioned the Belgariad! Pawn of Prophecy is the beginning. Five book series.

 

[The Gnome Queen]

I've realised that I hardly have any Sci-Fi books and I've had enough of high fantasy lately.

What are some good Sci-Fi books?

Stranger in a Strange Land, by far.

Dune. No question...

I'd start with both of these, as they are classics.

 

[Singularly Datarific]

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
I was stuck at an airport that day, so I read the whole book.

 

[Verbage]

Brave New World - By Aldous Huxley

 

[Titan Buttons]

Artemis Fowl, most bad ass fairys ever

 

[Dafttechno]

I usually avoid novels; science-fiction doesn't sit very well with that literary format, in my opinion. Off the top of my head, though, I would have to nominate Light Music by Kathleen Ann Goonan. I haven't been able to acquire the other books in that series, sadly. As for novels that incorporate elements of sci-fi.. Cloud Atlas and Slaughterhouse 5 are two of my favorite books ever..

Crescent City Rhapsody (story wise the first book in Goonan's Quartet) was mind blowing. I have Light Music, but I haven't read it yet as I want to find the other two books first.

Piers Anthony's Apprentice Adept series
Jack L. Chalker's Rings of the Master series and Well World series
C.S. Friedman - This Alien Shore

I've been reading too much fantasy in the past few years. I really need to get back into hard sci-fi.

 

[Kadoodle]

I haven't read sci fi in years, but I enjoyed house of the scorpion simply because of its believable setting.

I also got a kick out of Mortal Engines, it had sort of a steampunk theme and the plot and characters were great.

 

[black_omega2]

All of the big ones seem to have been covered so I'm just gonna throw in some of the ones I also liked.

The Gods Themselves by Asimov
The Foundation series also by Asimov
The Heechee series by Frederik Pohl
Our Children's Children by Simak

And that's all that comes to mind atm.

 

[EvilPicnic]

The Complete Robot by Asimov. The collection of short stories based around his 'three laws'. Absolutely essential hard sci-fi

 

[ajemas]

Slaughterhouse-Five is an absolutely amazing one. Kurt Vonnegut is a phenomenal, and hilarious, writer. Trust me, I think you'll really enjoy it.

 

[ArtanisCreed]

Ben Jeapes has a few more books other than xenocide mission. First one is The Ark(us) His majesty's ship or somethin in UK.

Northworld trilogy.

Some series where there was an alien chick where her pussy was located in the abdominal region an had 2 sets of boobs.... too lazy to find it.

Magic The Gathering could count as sci-fi thanks to the multi dimensional stuff.

Armor/Armour however u spell it

Battletech novels are good for the most part.

Dirigent Merc Corps series. seriously good read

Dragon Riders of Pern series.

I am Number Four wasnt bad

Rick Cook's Wizardry series... got some sci-fi elements.

Alan Dean Foster has good stuff

omg...T_T way too many books to talk about...sigh

captcha: callsad secretary

 

[The Apothecarry]

The Halo novels are pretty good. If you want something a little more "modern," you could try the Splinter Cell books

I think that I've been brainwashed by Bungie into enjoying game-based novels.

Something a little more on the classic end? Fahrenheit 451.

 

[Hoplon]

Snow Crash By Neil Stephenson.

Consider Phlebas By Iain M. Banks.

Axiomatic By Greg Egan.

 

[iamthe1]

I really, really wanna say "Xenocide," but I'm afraid that means that I hate gay people. And I don't. I love gay people!