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Author Topic:   Favorite SF/Fantasy

sandworm posted 10-04-99 10:30 PM ET
I'm just looking for things to read, or books to recommend. I read SF/Fantasy when I find time. Lately I've read some Anne McCaffrey (Pern stuff), Greg Bear(Eon and Legacy), and Robert Jordan (Crown of Swords).
've also been reading a lot of other stuff you wouldn't be interested in to prepare for a presentation at work/school (the longer you spend in higher education the more the line between school and work fades). In a few weeks, when that's done I'm going to go back to reading for pleasure.
Enjoy.
Beta1 posted 10-05-99 08:23 AM ET
Iain M Banks (for SF) or Iain Banks (for non-SF)
Actually its the same person but the initial tends to wander
Go for "Excession","Consider Plebas" or "use of weapons"
"The wasp factory" is good (but rather disturbing). "Whit", "Complicity" and "A song of stone" are all good. The latest one ("The Business" is not that great.
sandworm posted 10-05-99 08:57 AM ET
"Disturbing" is good, thanks for the ideas.
Schoop posted 10-05-99 10:34 AM ET
Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series is phenomenal, despite a slow section in the first book. Just be prepared to blow a LOT of time reading.
I've never read anything by Frank Herbert I didn't like, and judging from sandworm's nickname, he's a Dune fan as well...
DCA posted 10-05-99 11:45 AM ET
Yeah! Banks is king!
Beta: You don't think Complicity and A Song of Stone are rather disturbing, too? I've just bought The Bridge, hope it's as good as the others...
Beta1 posted 10-05-99 11:54 AM ET
A little but the wasp factory is VERY disturbing!
The bridge is good - I read it ages ago though.
Canal dreams is one of the other good ones
sir_penguin posted 10-05-99 07:54 PM ET
I don't know, I tend to go for classic SF (Asimov, Clarke, etc.). Since I've read most of their books, I've been getting into Gregory Benford (the Galactic Center series (In the Ocean of Night, Across the Sea of Suns, Great Sky River, etc.), Timescape, Artifact), Poul Anderson (The Time Patrol, The Boat of a Million Years), Vernor Vinge (A Fire Upon the Deep, A Deepness in the Sky), and...uh...let's see...Fred Pohl (Gateway), and people like that. Some of Bear's works have been good. My favorite author of those (who is still alive) is Gregory Benford, who is a good writer, doesn't go for frivolous violence or sex, and puts together a good read. My least favorite is Poul Anderson, who tends to go on and who doesn't really explain how things work (although I haven't read much of his works).
SP
sandworm posted 10-06-99 08:46 PM ET
"Fire on the Deep" was excellent. I actually read that one after reading the recommended literature in the SMAC manual.
(Yes, I actually sat down and read it. How lame can I be?)
I read Clarke's "Rama" in about the seventh grade and was pleased to find the rest of the series in college or shortly thereafter. The 2001 series was OK.
I really liked "Cradle" (he co-wrote that with someone).
I've read a little of David Weber's Honor series, but its a little "pulpy". I like his fantasy books better ("The War God's Own" and one other in that series)
sir_penguin posted 10-06-99 09:46 PM ET
The Rama series is one of my favorites, but the books aren't that good, IMHO. The last three (the ones by Lee and Clarke) were very soap-opera-ish. I also read Cradle, and I found it to be crap, I'm sorry to say. I guess that Lee actually wrote the book, and Clarke put some of his ideas in. Clarke is the only reason I would consider Cradle a palatable book.
SP
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Author	Topic: Favorite SF/Fantasy
sandworm	posted 10-04-99 10:30 PM ET I'm just looking for things to read, or books to recommend. I read SF/Fantasy when I find time. Lately I've read some Anne McCaffrey (Pern stuff), Greg Bear(Eon and Legacy), and Robert Jordan (Crown of Swords). 've also been reading a lot of other stuff you wouldn't be interested in to prepare for a presentation at work/school (the longer you spend in higher education the more the line between school and work fades). In a few weeks, when that's done I'm going to go back to reading for pleasure. Enjoy.
Beta1	posted 10-05-99 08:23 AM ET Iain M Banks (for SF) or Iain Banks (for non-SF) Actually its the same person but the initial tends to wander Go for "Excession","Consider Plebas" or "use of weapons" "The wasp factory" is good (but rather disturbing). "Whit", "Complicity" and "A song of stone" are all good. The latest one ("The Business" is not that great.
sandworm	posted 10-05-99 08:57 AM ET "Disturbing" is good, thanks for the ideas.
Schoop	posted 10-05-99 10:34 AM ET Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series is phenomenal, despite a slow section in the first book. Just be prepared to blow a LOT of time reading. I've never read anything by Frank Herbert I didn't like, and judging from sandworm's nickname, he's a Dune fan as well...
DCA	posted 10-05-99 11:45 AM ET Yeah! Banks is king! Beta: You don't think Complicity and A Song of Stone are rather disturbing, too? I've just bought The Bridge, hope it's as good as the others...
Beta1	posted 10-05-99 11:54 AM ET A little but the wasp factory is VERY disturbing! The bridge is good - I read it ages ago though. Canal dreams is one of the other good ones
sir_penguin	posted 10-05-99 07:54 PM ET I don't know, I tend to go for classic SF (Asimov, Clarke, etc.). Since I've read most of their books, I've been getting into Gregory Benford (the Galactic Center series (In the Ocean of Night, Across the Sea of Suns, Great Sky River, etc.), Timescape, Artifact), Poul Anderson (The Time Patrol, The Boat of a Million Years), Vernor Vinge (A Fire Upon the Deep, A Deepness in the Sky), and...uh...let's see...Fred Pohl (Gateway), and people like that. Some of Bear's works have been good. My favorite author of those (who is still alive) is Gregory Benford, who is a good writer, doesn't go for frivolous violence or sex, and puts together a good read. My least favorite is Poul Anderson, who tends to go on and who doesn't really explain how things work (although I haven't read much of his works). SP
sandworm	posted 10-06-99 08:46 PM ET "Fire on the Deep" was excellent. I actually read that one after reading the recommended literature in the SMAC manual. (Yes, I actually sat down and read it. How lame can I be?) I read Clarke's "Rama" in about the seventh grade and was pleased to find the rest of the series in college or shortly thereafter. The 2001 series was OK. I really liked "Cradle" (he co-wrote that with someone). I've read a little of David Weber's Honor series, but its a little "pulpy". I like his fantasy books better ("The War God's Own" and one other in that series)
sir_penguin	posted 10-06-99 09:46 PM ET The Rama series is one of my favorites, but the books aren't that good, IMHO. The last three (the ones by Lee and Clarke) were very soap-opera-ish. I also read Cradle, and I found it to be crap, I'm sorry to say. I guess that Lee actually wrote the book, and Clarke put some of his ideas in. Clarke is the only reason I would consider Cradle a palatable book. SP