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Red Mars by K. S. Robinson Blue Mars Green Mars
Basically a complete future history of humanity in the next 2 hundred~ years. It's kind of rather slow paced, like very slow paced it all takes place on mars and spends a great deal of time talking about the rocks and the sky around the characters, to the purpose of making you feel what it's like to live on mars. But it's basically about a team of 100 scientists who make the first big expedition to terraform the planet, and what happens on mars before, during, and after its terraformation, all written from the points of view of various of the most intelligent and expertly people humanity has to offer, each in their own field. There's lots of interesting ideas on geology, architecture, psychology, philosophy, politics, religion, physics, math, economics. And all the characters are very eccentric and interesting. Very well written imo and extremely epic.
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On August 20 2010 06:02 Biochemist wrote: Why is everyone recommending Dune so much?
I'm about 3/4ths of the way through it now (been listening to the audiobook for a few weeks now), and I'm bored out of my mind. Both Paul and his mother are impossible to relate to (Richard Rahl syndrome), and most (all?) of the characters are extremely one-dimensional. Going to finish it anyway, but I'm not exactly sitting on the edge of my seat here.
With Peter Hamilton's books (similar scope/genre) I couldn't wait to get an opportunity to get back to the book, and found myself getting annoyed if people interrupted me... no so with Mr. Herbert; getting interrupted is almost a relief.
I actually find I could relate to paul just fine. But anyways when I read Dune my primary concern wasn't relating to him. It was finding out wtf was going to happen. I was very interested in finding out wtf was going to happen.
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Im sorry if someone already said it but
Backcoller- Timothy Zahn
There are 3 books but you can get all 3 in a bundle for the price of one It's about some Spartan like guys trying to save their planet. Really awesome sauce. And his other books are great, too.
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A lot of the previous suggestions are amazing.
I'll add that anything by Charles Stross is very good, not just Glass House. In particular, check out the Accelerando series as he's made the first book available for free at http://manybooks.net/authors/strossc.html
For another just plain fun series, the Vorkosigan books by Louis McMaster Bujold are fantastic. Start with the Warrior's Apprentice.
Finally, if what you want is gritty military scifi, nothing comes close to the Hammer's Slammers series by David Drake. Paying the Piper or Hammer's Slammers are the books to try first.
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If you don't mind Star Wars, the Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn is very good. Everything after that is just crap.
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THANKS to the people who suggested Stranger in a Strange Land! I recently read the book and it was amazing! Thanks, dudes! May you never thirst!
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Small bump:
I just finished The Evolutionary Void by Peter F. Hamilton, and wanted to post something here in response to criticisms of the first two books.
I enjoyed reading the Edeard sections more than the first two books; they are nowhere near as formulaic as they were before with the very trite "chosen one fulfills his destiny" storyline.
Having all the loose ends tied up was nice, and we learn a lot more about the history of everything.
Also the book starts off with lots of action, and keeps up the pace pretty well. If you enjoyed the first books and were mainly annoyed with the blandness of the makkathran storyline, you'll probably really enjoy this one.
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You can't say that you like science fiction books if you haven't read Dune.
Also, the Mass Effect and Halo books are solid.
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I kind of liked the starcraft books personally...
but besides those anything by R. Bradbury is good.
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RINGWORLD BY LARRY NIVEN
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I read most of stranger in a strange land, the book was exclusively about sex. It belongs in the harlequin romance section of a book store, not sci fi. Lots of the sci fi classics like 1984 are pretty awful, that's why I generally avoid the sci genre, so much of it is crap.
Also the halo books were surprisingly good, I thought they'd be a joke but they're really fun quick reads, just don't expect anything too deep. And no, i'm not a halo fanboy, can't stand playing it.
Last sci book I read was Fermat's last theorem the last book by arthur c clark before he passed. I wouldn't recommend it, the book starts off strong then gets weaker as it goes on.
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The Road and I Am Legend are both fantastic.
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On September 17 2010 02:15 EAGER-beaver wrote: Lots of the sci fi classics like 1984 are pretty awful, that's why I generally avoid the sci genre, so much of it is crap.
Also the halo books were surprisingly good, I thought they'd be a joke but they're really fun quick reads, just don't expect anything too deep. And no, i'm not a halo fanboy, can't stand playing it.
You have good taste lol ! Halo > 1984 yo
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I really liked the dark templar saga by Christie Golden
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Anything from Peter F. Hamilton is extremely good, the man is a legend an has sort of revolutionized science fiction, at least the characterization part of it imo...
Especially the Nights dawn trilogy if some people wonder where to begin^^
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Dune (the original 3 books are best)
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Am i the only one that thought Ender's Game and Speaker of the Dead was a unbelievably amazing book, easy top 5 in scfi, and it was way ahead of its time? Ive read ender's game probably more then 20+ times. And i STILL dont understand what a desk looks like, i imagine it as a ipad kind of.
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The Golden Age series by John C. Wright deserves a mention. Kind of hard to get into when you've just picked it up and there's not a lot of action going on. It does however get you thinking which is what i read sci-fi for anyway, handles lots of interesting concepts such as mass minds, machine intelligences that outsmart humans by many orders of magnitude and immortality. Also, +1 for Alastair Reynolds, just finished Revelation Space. Loved it.
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diamond age > golden age
++ anathem, snow crash etc. Stevenson truly is the asimov of our time.
also His dark materials, sort of sci-fantasy, but classy anyway
oh and obv ender's game. The whole series is phenomenal, though the later books are a lot more philosophical and dealing with issues not as immediately identifiable with, I actually think they're better written.
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