Sci-fi books | Golden Skate

Sci-fi books

Meoima

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Feb 13, 2014
Because we need a thread about sci-fi books.
I really like this genre. How about your favorite sci-fi books?
 

dorispulaski

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Jul 26, 2003
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Anything by Ursula K. Leguin.

Especially The Dispossessed and The Left Hand of Darkness.

I also liked her Wizard of Earthsea books, although they are more properly in the fantasy genre.
 

Sandpiper

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Apr 16, 2014
I tend to be more interested in sci-fi as a genre/study rather than the books themselves. But I loved, loved The Left Hand of Darkness.

Another one I'd recommend is A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller.

There are many great short stories too: Ted Chiang's "Story of Your Life," Octavia E. Butler's "Bloodchild"... many others that will probably be covered by people with more expertise than me.
 

dorispulaski

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I also like the gentle parables of Clifford Simak who died in 1988.

I particularly liked The Way Station (1963), Project Pope (1981), The Big Front Yard (1959 novelette) and The Goblin Reservation (1968 - the grandfather of the Patricia Briggs' and Charlaine Harris' "vampires, goblins, and werewolves are real" genre).

If you liked a Canticle for Liebowtz, you might like Project Pope as much as I did.


Simak did not write of the birth and death of empires with lots of explosions and weapons of mass destruction. His future worlds are occupied by ordinary, often lonely folk (and robots and goblins and sentient ponds) questing for their place in the universe.
 
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LRK

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Nov 13, 2012
SF isn't really "my" genre, but I have read a few books that I liked. I don't know why, but suddenly the thought struck me of A E VanVogt's duology "Empire of the Atom" and "The Wizard of Linn". It's been many years since I read them (I have acquired them since, and they are on my Reading List, so I will get to re-reading them eventually), but I really enjoyed them at the time.
 

dorispulaski

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SF isn't really "my" genre, but I have read a few books that I liked. I don't know why, but suddenly the thought struck me of A E VanVogt's duology "Empire of the Atom" and "The Wizard of Linn". It's been many years since I read them (I have acquired them since, and they are on my Reading List, so I will get to re-reading them eventually), but I really enjoyed them at the time.

That's a blast from the past!

I remember reading and liking AE Van Vogt's Weapon Shops of Isher.
 

Sandpiper

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Apr 16, 2014
I just finished Partials by Dan Wells. A real page-turner. Hoping to get my hands on the sequel ASAP!
 

Sandpiper

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Apr 16, 2014
:dance: interesting!! thank you I will find it on Amazon kindle
It's a bleak but exciting "after the end" scenario. Good fast-paced, efficient writing--nice break from the long-winded high fantasy I usually read. :p
 

skatedreamer

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Feb 18, 2014
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Another blast from the past: Asimov's Foundation trilogy. I really did love those books, especially the bit about the musical instrument that allowed you to "hear" colors. :)
 

guenever

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Mar 8, 2013
I've been working my way through Bujold's Vorkosigan saga; I'm pretty sure I'm the last SF fan on earth who hasn't read them all but in case I'm not, I recommend starting with Cordelia's Honor.
 

plushyfan

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Jun 27, 2012
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Because we need a thread about sci-fi books.
I really like this genre. How about your favorite sci-fi books?
I just recognized this thread I'm a big fan of the Si-fi books and movies!

my favorites: all of Isaac Asimov!!!!!!!!!!! and Arthur C. Clarke.

I like Lem's books and some Russian sci-fi novels, too. I like the Dune. I just remembered these books quickly. But I will be back!!
 

katia

On the Ice
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Feb 20, 2006
My favorites:
Cliford Simak (though his book are rather fantasy than S-F)
Bujold Vorkosigan saga
L.E. Modesitt Jr. (saga of Recluce)
 

GermaricanMix

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Mar 8, 2014
ooh I love sci-fi! Brace yourself, a list is coming!

Ender's Game is my favorite adult sci-fi book series but I can't actually recommend it to anyone because the author is a terrible person and I don't want him to get any money. If you're able to borrow it from a friend or the library check it out! But please don't buy it, seriously, the guy is a total jerk.

Animorphs is a young adult series that I read as a teenager and I still love it today. Each book only takes a couple hours to read and some of them don't really hold up for adults, but in general the series deals with some amazing themes and the characters are very interesting. Highly recommend reading it.

I also just finished reading Zoo City which was very interesting. I didn't really love the ending but in general it was a fun ride.

Another favorite from my childhood was Acorna: The Unicorn Girl. In retrospect it was pretty cliche and it might not hold up but I own the whole series and have read all of it. Sadly Acorna's Children was a big step down and I couldn't even finish the first book

I feel like I'm missing a bunch but I can't think of them right now.
 

Meoima

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Feb 13, 2014
ooh I love sci-fi! Brace yourself, a list is coming!
Ender's Game is my favorite adult sci-fi book series but I can't actually recommend it to anyone because the author is a terrible person and I don't want him to get any money. If you're able to borrow it from a friend or the library check it out! But please don't buy it, seriously, the guy is a total jerk.
I like this book as well. I know the author is a jerk but this series is really thought-provoking.
Have you read the series Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy?
 

GermaricanMix

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Mar 8, 2014
I like this book as well. I know the author is a jerk but this series is really thought-provoking.
Have you read the series Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy?

Yes, the author is a jerk, but I quite liked his book Songmaster.

haha ugh it's so aggravating cause I really do love the Ender's Game Series and the Ender's Shadow Series buuuuuut...

As for Hitchhikers's guide - that's a funny story. I own the entire series in German because my dad bought it for me for Christmas one year and German is a lot harder for me to read than English at this point so I never get very far. I might pick it up again, see if I can actually get through it now
 

LRK

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Nov 13, 2012
Maybe reading it in English first might help?:) Also, a translation can do much to change a book - and especially a humourous work; if the translator doesn't get the tone right...
 
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