Books
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Dude, post here: http://www.ironheart.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=780.msg118626#msg118626
I would happily discuss authors with you.
Well, currently I'm reading up on Vernon Vinge, like him ok so far.
When it comes to sci-fi I like Simmons, Banks, Hamilton, Reynolds and the rest of the classics, right now I'm looking for a large series, not necessarily the same storyline, but the same universe, like Reynolds or Banks. Suggestions?
It’s hard to beat Simmons, Vinge, Banks, Reynolds and Hamilton!
Try Neal Asher, he’s good fun and very Banks/Hamilton, if a bit pulpier. Gridlinked (book one) isn't bad, but perhaps not the best, although they get really good fun after that. You can read The Skinner first if you like the sound of it, it's excellent and set in the same reality but following a different set of characters.
Michael Cobley’s series is also pretty good, and well worth a look.
If you want something a bit more action/adventure try Richard Morgan's Kovacs novels (Altered Carbon is the first), or John Scalzi's Old Man's War and the follow-ons are great. If you like the sound of full-on military space opera, read Joe Haldeman's Forever War and Heinlein's Starship Troopers for a great pro/anti-war debate or, for something on the pulp line, try the recently released in the UK, out for ages in the USA, Jack Campbell Lost Fleet series, or something by David Weber.
If you want to go old school, read these few if you haven’t already:
Dune
Eon by Greg Bear
Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars series
David Brin’s Uplift series (although the last one sucks, in my humble opinion, but the others are awesome).
Ender’s Game, Speaker for the Dead and Children of The Mind by Orson Scott Card
The Ophiuchi Hotline by John Varley
The Engines of God by Jack McDevitt
Demon Princes books by Jack Vance
Books of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
The Runestaff books by Michael Moorcock (a controversial choice perhaps, but more SF than Elric and well worth it).If you want Near Future/cyberbunk/post-cyberpunk and bio-punk, read these:
Neuromancer by William Gibson
Virtual Light by Gibson
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Crypotnomicon by Stephenson
Heavy Weather by Bruce Sterling
Distraction by Bruce Sterling
Fairyland by Paul J. McAuley
River of Gods by Ian McDonaldIf you want New Weird, or just plain weird, read these:
Perdido Street Station by China Mievillie
Kraken by China Mieville
The Atrocity Archives by Charles StrossOh, read some Philip K. Dick, but choose wisely…
That should keep you going for a while...
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Ops, missed some replies there while I was typing!
Re: Neal Asher, I'd say read The Skinner, it's my favourite of his and you don't need to read the following books if you don't want to. He is a bit derivative, and pulpy, but then everything is these days. I'd say he's more space opera than hard SF.
Re: Greg Egan - great writer, scares me when he puts graphs in the books though! He's hard SF and then some!
Try John c Wright's Golden Age series (US import only), they're great fun. Accelerando by Charles Stross is interesting, but structurally weak as it's a fix up from shorter work, if I remember correctly. I enjoy his Lovecraftien weird Bond style thrillers more than his straight SF.
Chris Wooding's latest series is good fun. Pulp adventure, but really well done and entertaining.
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A pro post by a pro
Ha! You're too kind, years of selling the stuff and sometimes, when you stop to think about it, you forget whole authors!
If you don't already use the site, I heartily recommend fantasticfiction.co.uk if you want to do some research, it's a wealth on info on authors, series order, what people search for etc. and covers all the major fiction genres.
M.
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Not really an Asher fan TBH. There's a whole series about a war with these naughty alien crab things. My mate rates them
Very naughty crab-things. I like the Old Captains though (if that's what they're called?). And his monsters are very entertaining. He never did as well as you might have expected though.
M
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You know, I never read the Otherland series. I did the fantasy books, then ran out of steam, but they are supposed to be excellent.
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Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith - superb, bonkers and and very weird. Wonderful book, not sure if it's still available though. Spares is good as well.
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I like big fat SF that an take you away for a whole season–and winter here is a good place to disappear from. I did those huge Peter Hamilton books one winter followed by the next. I'm going back in time, instead, this winter, using Lonesome Dove to get me through--and IH denim and flannel.
I read the first Richard Morgan of some cyberpunky/detective trilogy, meant to read all three--found my East End producer had done the same, and did read all three!, so I bailed. As far as trilogies go, some of the older CJ Cherryh--one of those trilogies--was good, reminded me of old school. But I sometimes think Dan Simmons Hyperion Tetralogy is unmatched. Vernor Vinge is good too, as mentioned.
I once gave away about 50 old ACE Specials from the 60s,70s some years ago--and then regretted it and bought some back on ebay. Robert Shaw, R.A. Lafferty (Fourth Mansions), Gordon Dickson, and the like. Those were fun.
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Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat series. Just thought I'd mention it.
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And has anyone mentioned Douglas Adams yet?
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Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat series. Just thought I'd mention it.
Excellent recommendation! Everyone should read these.
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Crash?
As in Ballard? I read it years ago, and to be honest I didn't get on with it. There's only so much of people having sex with open wounds, or talking about it, that I can take and it hit my limit, then backed up and ran over it a few more times just to be on the safe side. I get why he did it though, and it's a very well written book, and an interesting literary statement for the tme, but I much prefer his Concrete Island or The Drowned World.
Some of the short stories are marvellous as well, I must read more of them one day.
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went to the library old school style & picked up an oldie but goodie,
No Country For Old Men.
blood & guts & a man that keeps his word to the end. how that Killing Lincoln went/going?
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I got about 2/3 through but haven't finished. Not impressed. Interesting stuff but I wouldn't recommend it. I'll finish it cause it was a gift.
Love Cormac McCarthy. The movie followed the book almost to a T. Own both the book and movie, I think it's the only DVD I own. I watch it about once a month. The Road is very good and so is Blood Meridian, quite dark and raw as is his style. I'll send you my copies if you like.
