Favorite Sci-Fi book/author/series

[Prophaniti]

I started this thread because of this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63912). This is the one for your favorite science-fiction novels. If you want to list three, five, or praise a single book for your whole post, that's up to you.

Let's see... my favorites...

I'm currently reading the Horus Heresy series from WH40k, multiple authors but really stellar work so far, love it!

I also really enjoyed the Halo novel adaptations, they found a great author for that one.

There was a series my dad let me borrow that I loved as well, but I cant remember the author, just that they all had one-word titles, Insurrection and Crusade I think were two of them. I'll check those so I can give the author the credit they deserve on them...

There was also a little gem I found when I was at Basic in Missouri. Can't remember the title, but it was by a Ben Bova, set in the somewhat near future involving nano-bots and asteroid belt mining operations. Pretty good work.

[Muz]

Dan Simmons's Hyperion Cantos. Incredibly detailed and well-woven. Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion are the best, but Endymion and Rise of Endymion ain't bad...even if they do seem to retcon a few things.

Simmons's ability to masterfully weave so many different threads together in his storytelling has been an inspiration to me as a writer ever since I read the first two books.

[UncleWolf]

The horus heresy novels(just not the newest one)
The Mote in God's Eye
the Alacrity Fitzhugh series isn't bad and
Dream Park by Larry Nivin

[sikyon]

I, Robot/Issac Asimov/Foundation

[Dragor]

Douglas Adam's, Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy. Can't be beaten.

[Fascisticide]

Out of my many favorites, there is one that I need to share with you

Gil's All Fright Diner, by A. Lee Martinez
http://www.powells.com/biblio?PID=27627&cgi=product&isbn=0765314711

It's definitely one of the funniest book I've read! Great mix of humor and Lovecraftian horror, very well written, the kind of book you just can't stop reading.

[Winterwind]

While collections of short stories by either Isaac Asimov or Stanisław Lem come close, I think I'll go with Orson S. Card's Ender's Game.

I really sympathise for (and identify with) the protagonist there. :smallfrown:

Also, I love strategy games. :smallbiggrin:

[Emperor Tippy]

Most of Asimov's work.
The Honor Harrington series by David Weber
Starship Troopers
The Halo Novels (they really are quite good, I can't wait for the next one).

[Prophaniti]

Man, I can't believe I forgot to mention Treasonby Orson Scott Card! I love that book!

I liked I, Robot and was very sad when they tried to make it into a movie... it's just not movie material. The movie wasnt terrible, but it didn't really have anything to do with the book... Are the later installments of Asimov's Robot books any good?

[Winterwind]

Are the later installments of Asimov's Robot books any good?Well, I think they are very much so, personally. :smallwink:

[Daze]

I'd have to go with the Hitchhikers series... funny, relevant and cool :)

Honorable mention to Stranger in a Strange Land too.. I grok that book ;)

[Mr._Blinky]

Starship Troopers (Heinlein)
The Forever War (Haldeman)
Ender's Game (Card)
Childhood's End (Clarke)
The Stainless Steel Rat (Harrison)
Dune (Herbert)
Neuromancer (Gibson)
The Demolished Man (Bester)
Hammer of God (Clarke)
The Left Hand of Darkness (Le Guin)
The Majipoor Chronicles (Silverburg)
The Vorkosigan Saga (Bujold)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Adams)

Good stuff.

[RandomLogic]

Dune series and prequels.
1984.
Starship Troopers.
Ender's Game and Treason.

[xanaphia]

Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy and series
Harry Turtledove's Colonization (little known, but awesome, please read)
Stranger in a Strange Land and The Cat Who Walks Through Walls by Robert Heinlein

[Icewalker]

I'd say my personal favorite is the Night's Dawn trilogy by Peter Hamilton. Three 1200 page books: The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, The Naked God. Awesome, although the ending is a little sudden.

Either that or Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson, which is worth checking out for the sole reason that the main characters name is Hiro Protagonist :smallbiggrin:


Also, good:
Ender's Game/Ender's Shadow. Haven't read the sequels.
Dune
I, Robot
Ice Station
1984, which I just read.
Fahrenheit 451
Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy...mainly the first 1-2, once they reach the one with the alternate universe it starts going downhill.

I've also heard many times that Foundation is amazing, but haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

[Joran]

I've also heard many times that Foundation is amazing, but haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

The first three books are very good; however, once you get past those, it gets weird. Asimov wrote the first three in the 50's, but only got back to the series in 80's.

Favorites of mine are: Dune, Ender's Game, Childhood's End, Foundation, I, Robot.

[Charity]

I am quite taken with the Gap series by Stephen Donaldson. Well thought out, and a little bit dark. I am a big big fan of Iain M Banks work, clever and complex while still being engaging.
Some of my guilty pleasures include The Status civilisation (http://manybooks.net/titles/sheckley2091920919-8.html) by Robert Sheckley .
and the pulp nonsense tat is The space mavericks (http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/k/michael-kring/space-mavericks.htm) I have a soft spot for Michael Kring.

[Sebastian Bux]

Terry Brooks .... Shannara and Landover Series are awesome.

[Smeik]

Hm.

Does the Illuminatus - Trilogy count as science fiction? If yes, it takes my first place.:smallwink:

Then the Hitchhiker's Guide to the galaxy (Trilogy of four) by Douglas Adams

3. "Otherland" - Series by Tad Williams, shares the place with everything Philip K. **** ever wrote.

Also good is the swedish book "Svålhålet", could be translated as "hole in the bacon", very realistical approach to what the humans would really be like, wandeirng around in the universe, and funny as hell... Hm, perhaps that on place one, too?

Oh, and the "Barrakuda"-trilogy by Gisbert Haefs, that nobody but me knows, apparently...

[Catskin]

Left Hand of Darkness--Le Guin
Lathe of Heaven--Le Guin
Compass Rose (collection of short stories)--Le Guin
the first two books of Dan Simmon's Hyperion series are absolutely amazing
the very short stories in Bradbury's The Illustrated Man changed the way i view the everyday
Hitchhiker's Guide, of course--Adams
Dune--Herbert

[Halna LeGavilk]

There was also a little gem I found when I was at Basic in Missouri. Can't remember the title, but it was by a Ben Bova, set in the somewhat near future involving nano-bots and asteroid belt mining operations. Pretty good work.

Empire Builders, I believe. Quite a good book.

Okay, well book:No idea (not a book, I just have no clue).
Author: Isaac Asimov/Ray Bradbury (tie)
Series: Bone

[doliest]

Animorphs/A.K. Applegate(I think, might not be.)

[Dhavaer]

Exultant, by Stephen Baxter.

[Mr. Mud]

Hands down, the "Dune" Series, Bye Frank Herbert. I dont even need an explanation :smallamused:

[Mr. Mud]

I can't believe no one has mentioned star wars! Not my FAVORITE books, but their better than the movies in my opinion.

[Glawackus]

Dan Simmons's Hyperion Cantos. Incredibly detailed and well-woven. Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion are the best, but Endymion and Rise of Endymion ain't bad...even if they do seem to retcon a few things.

Simmons's ability to masterfully weave so many different threads together in his storytelling has been an inspiration to me as a writer ever since I read the first two books.

This. :smallbiggrin:

[Sundog]

There was a series my dad let me borrow that I loved as well, but I cant remember the author, just that they all had one-word titles, Insurrection and Crusade I think were two of them. I'll check those so I can give the author the credit they deserve on them...



That would be David Weber and Steve White. Further books in the series are In Death Ground and it's sequel The Shiva Option, and more recently Exodus.

My favourites would be the Honor Harrington series by Weber, the Hammer's Slammer's and Lieutenant Leary series' by David Drake and A Fall of Moondust by Asimov.

[Thiel]

My favourite sci-fi book of all times must be Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein

Other great books/series include Honor Harrington by David Weber, Vatta's War by Elizabeth Moon and both series in Orson Scott Card's Enderverse.