Sci Fi / thriller suggestions? [Archive]

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bjornkeizers

03-27-2004, 06:46 PM

Hi all,

Well, the unthinkable has finally happened - I ran out of things to read, so I need some suggestions.

I've read every Tom Clany novel out there; a feat in and of itself as anyone who's ever picked up one will attest to. 8O

I've read quite a few classical books; George Orwell's '1984' ; H.G. Well's 'War of the Worlds' (I've read it a dozen times so far) and I'm fond of classical works such as Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. Hell, I've even read some shakespeare in my day.

I'm also a big fan of contemporary Sci Fi - Star Trek. Read pretty much every good book out there (I can highly recommend Greg Cox' 'The Eugenics Wars volumes 1 and 2)

So, now that we've definied the particulars of my taste, who'd like to take on the challenge of recommending some books? I prefer series (Clancy, Harry Potter) and big books - I have a boring 3 hour commute three days a week, so I quite literally have all the time in the world...

Pat Logsdon

03-27-2004, 07:34 PM

If you like Potter, you're probably ok with Fantasy. One of the best fantasy series ever written (in my opinion) is the Belgariad series (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/series/-/25/mass_market/ref=pd_serl_books/104-0662840-0972701). All told, there are about 10 books (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/series/-/26/mass_market/ref=pd_serl_books/104-0662840-0972701), and all of them get 5 out of 5 stars. And if you're looking for a long, top notch fantasy series, you have to try Terry Pratchett. They man has written a book or two a year since the early eighties, most set in his "Discworld" universe. Hilarious, very well written, and there are more than 30 in the Discworld series alone. I would start with either "Wyrd Sisters (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0061020664/qid=1080411896/sr=5-1/ref=cm_lm_asin/104-0662840-0972701?v=glance)" or "Guards! Guards! (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0061020648/qid=1080411896/sr=5-1/ref=cm_lm_asin/104-0662840-0972701?v=glance)"

As far as SciFi goes, you might want to check out anything by Vernor Vinge, starting with "A Deepness in the Sky (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0812536355/ref=pd_sim_books_1/104-0662840-0972701?v=glance&s=books)", then "A Fire Upon the Deep (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0812515285/ref=pd_bxgy_text_1/104-0662840-0972701?v=glance&s=books&st=*)" and then "The Peace War (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0765308835/ref=pd_sim_books_2/104-0662840-0972701?v=glance&s=books)" and its sequels. I've also just finished Richard Morgan's two books - "Altered Carbon (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345457684/ref=pd_sim_books_3/104-0662840-0972701?v=glance&s=books)" and "Broken Angels (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345457714/ref=pd_sim_books_2/104-0662840-0972701?v=glance&s=books)" - some of the best Sci-Fi I've read in years. Then, of course, there's anything by Neil Stephenson, starting with Snow Crash (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553380958/qid=1080412183/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/104-0662840-0972701).

You might also want to check out Arthur C. Clarke's Rama series (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0553287893/qid=1080412291/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_5/104-0662840-0972701?v=glance&s=books) - those are quite good as well, and there are 3 of them, if I remember correctly. And finally, there's Dan Simmon's "Hyperion (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0553283685/ref=pd_sim_books_1/104-0662840-0972701?v=glance&s=books)" series - there are a few of those as well, and they're really quite excellent and original.

Jorgen

03-27-2004, 07:43 PM

Go for Preston and Child - any of their books, see http://www.prestonchild.com/ - I have them as paperbooks but saw that Fictionwise sells them at http://www.fictionwise.com/servlet/mw;jsessionid=xFsrij2rh5XtOAzvBkLBhbcD4g0?a=rewrite&url=/eBooks/DouglasPrestoneBooks.htm

Fictionwise also have books by my favourite Raymond Chandler.

Or for scifi, authors like Robert Silverberg (Across a billion years, Times of Changes, Downward to Earth) and Greg Bear (Moving Mars, the mtriology Eon + Eternity + Legacy, Darwins Children) are always good.

Jorgen

Enderet

03-27-2004, 07:56 PM

8O You didnt mention Isaac Asimov in your Sci-Fi.

If you have never read Asimov... go out and buy his books...right now.
He has several series... the most popular being the Foundation Series.

Also... you could try out his I, Robot series...the one from which the movie starring Will Smith is about.

Another Sci-Fi author I recommend is Orson Scott Card. His Ender Series is pretty good, and its probably his most famous. He also has several others...

If you are OK with fantasy... I suggest you give the DragonLance series a look. 100+ books if I remember correctly. :D

dean_shan

03-27-2004, 08:24 PM

I'd recomend Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. Also if you are into Star Wars you should try reading The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn.

hamishmacdonald

03-27-2004, 10:39 PM

There's a nice guy I know from Toronto named Cory Doctorow who's won a Hugo award, and who releases his books as they come out in paperback and in a free digital form under an Open Commons license. His site is:
http://www.craphound.com

Free is good!

03-27-2004, 11:36 PM

If you are thinking of fantasy, you need to check out George RR Martin and Robin Hobb. Most of their books are available in eBook formats and are among the best things I've read for a while.

Fictionwise has the first two books of their series for the price of one so it's not expensive to get going.

I'm really looking forward to the next Martin book - A Feast for Crows - which is due out this year. I've read two of Robon Hobb's trilogies while waiting for it.

Dan Simmons' Hyperion and Return to Hyperion are my favorite ScFi books. They even made me want to read all of Keat's poems.

Steven Cedrone

03-28-2004, 12:15 AM

Pick up some Clive Cussler novels, You won't regret it. I really like the "Dirk Pitt" series the best (as opposed to his newer stuff)...

Steve

Tom W.M.

03-28-2004, 04:56 AM

In the SciFi category, there's David Weber (http://www.baen.com/author_catalog.asp?author=dweber)'s Honor Harrington novels (http://www.baen.com/series_list.asp#HH). The first one, On Basilisk Station is available at webscription.net/free/ (http://webscription.net/free/) for free in a variety of formats. (As is Changer of Worlds, but that book should be read much later in the series.)

I'd also like to repeat the reccomendation of Orson Scott Card. He writes some of the best SciFi and Fantasty books out there. Look for his Ender Trilogy, Enchantment, and the Homecoming trilogy.

Hamishmacdonald mentioned Cory Doctrow—the free ebook he released, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, is just about the weirdest book I've ever read. It deserves awards for sheer creativity.

bjornkeizers

03-28-2004, 10:13 AM

If you like Potter, you're probably ok with Fantasy.

Actually, Potter is the only such fantasy that I've read so far :-) I've never even read LOTR - though I have seen all of the movies in one sitting (I know, no substitute, but I just never got around to it)

And if you're looking for a long, top notch fantasy series, you have to try Terry Pratchett.

I seem to recall reading something by him.. don't know what it was, but not discworld. I'll add one to the list and see if I like it.

You might also want to check out Arthur C. Clarke's

I've read all the 2001 novels - pretty good.

You didnt mention Isaac Asimov in your Sci-Fi

There's a very fine line of what Sci-Fi I'll read and what not. Anything with Star Trek in the title is good. Since it would disrupt the space-time continuum if I was also a warsie, I don't read anything from that *other* universe.

I have to admit, I've never read any Asimov. I like my books with a little action and lotsa spaceships :D Asimov, while defining, does sound a little.. well, boring. Sometimes I like to try a new thing (Harrison Harry's 'the stainless steel rat' comes to mind) but I find the experience usually a bit unsatisfactory.

Cory Doctorow

Sounds like my kind of guy. Free is always good (though I must admit, I never buy any books anyway because I prefer digital formats - my eyesight is poor, so I just can't read paperbacks or certain fonts.)

All, thanks for some great suggestions. Í'll add everything to my little list. Should be enough to last me a while. :D

ironguy

03-28-2004, 04:32 PM

I would also recommend The Forever War series by Joe Haldeman

For some free ebooks, go to www.Baen.com. Baen has several dozen ebooks in several formats that you can read. All are Sci-Fi or fantasy.

I'll second the George R R Martin Fire and Ice series, but "BE ADVISED", only 3 of the 4 boks is out although the 4th is due soon.

Ommadawn

03-29-2004, 06:20 AM

I have to admit, I've never read any Asimov. I like my books with a little action and lotsa spaceships :D Asimov, while defining, does sound a little.. well, boring. Sometimes I like to try a new thing (Harrison Harry's 'the stainless steel rat' comes to mind) but I find the experience usually a bit unsatisfactory.

Do you? Then you have to read Peter Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy - The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, and The Naked God. Ripping good SF!

Also, do take the time to read LOTR, you won't be disappointed.

Craig.

Jorgen

03-29-2004, 10:29 AM

Among a lot of good books I did not mention are the two Judge Dee books by van Gulik you can find at Blackmask at a very favorable price here http://www.blackmask.com/page.php?do=page&cat_id=512

If you like humour, don't forget Wodehouse's Jeeves books http://www.blackmask.com/page.php?do=page&cat_id=20 (he has written tons of books but the ones with Jeeves (and his books about Blandings Castle which are not free yet) are by far the best. Best of all these books are free.

Jorgen

Tom W.M.

03-30-2004, 05:21 AM

And if you're looking for a long, top notch fantasy series, you have to try Terry Pratchett.

I seem to recall reading something by him.. don't know what it was, but not discworld. I'll add one to the list and see if I like it.
If you're after Terry Pratchett SciFi, go with Strata.

Jon Westfall

03-30-2004, 05:39 AM

Enderet

03-31-2004, 09:11 PM

I'd also like to repeat the reccomendation of Orson Scott Card. He writes some of the best SciFi and Fantasty books out there. Look for his Ender Trilogy, Enchantment, and the Homecoming trilogy.

Correct me if I am wrong... but isnt the Ender Series a Quartet? If you were to count the Shadow series as part of the Ender Series (since they are somewhat related [i.e. same characters, same universe]) you would have at least 3 more books to add.

Also, Homecoming... isnt that also more than 3 books?

Enderet

03-31-2004, 09:12 PM

Cause I know you haven't gotten enough suggestions yet...

I recently finished Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. It was a very good (albeit long) novel that I use Audible to listen to on my 45 min. commute. Lots of suspense, fantasy, and plot twists to keep you guessing till the end, but not so much suspense that you don't enjoy the ride along the way.

Interesting... I am about to start reading Odd Thomas. A family member let me borrow the book, and from the first few pages.. it seems somewhat interesting.

Tom W.M.

03-31-2004, 11:29 PM

Correct me if I am wrong... but isnt the Ender Series a Quartet? If you were to count the Shadow series as part of the Ender Series (since they are somewhat related [i.e. same characters, same universe]) you would have at least 3 more books to add.

Also, Homecoming... isnt that also more than 3 books?
Ah, silly me—you're right. There are five books in the Homecoming series. :oops: I've only read up to three, though—I keep getting distracted by David Weber books! :D

As for the Ender trilogy: that's what I've seen Card refer to the series as in my copy of Speaker for the Dead. He speaks of Ender's Game (full novel version), Speaker for the Dead, and Xenocide as the "Ender Trilogy." There certainly are other books in the "Enderverse"—Ender's Shadow comes to mind. You've clearly read more of them than me; do the others deal with things from Ender's perspective? If not, then it would make sense for those three to be the "Ender" Trilogy. I know that Ender's Shadow is written from Bean's perspective.

Paula

04-02-2004, 11:48 AM

I may have my 2215 taken away from me for suggesting this, but do these books HAVE to be eBOOKS?

I suggest anything by Charles De Lint. Some of his new works are in eBook form (see Amazon) , but the one I truly fell in love with was "Moonheart", which is not in ebook form. Think Harry Potter (sort of) meets an alternate universe (or two). He also has several fantasy series running.

I am also a Patricia Cornwell fan, so any book involving her Medical Examiner (K Scarpetta) character is a must read for me. There are about 10 or 11 books in the series now. I believe these books will be available in eBook form very soon. Keep an eye on Fictionwise.

Paula

rtrueman

04-02-2004, 04:46 PM

I'd like to "third" the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin. I love fantasy and these are the best I've read. Definitely not for kids as Martin is very harsh (realistic) at times.

There are supposed to be 6 books in total with the fourth, A Feast for Crows, due out "soon". I've read the first three on the Palm reader and I know they're available in other formats.

Happy reading!

Rob

disconnected

04-03-2004, 05:47 AM

Paula,

I haven't read any of Patricia Cornwell's books, but there are several of them on the PeanutPress site.

Paula

04-07-2004, 10:49 AM

Thanks Rob. I did a search quite a while ago and came up with zip.
I hope all of her new books are available in ebook form from now on.

Paula

bjornkeizers

04-09-2004, 09:50 AM

I recently finished Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz.

That name sounds vaguely familiar... Didn't he write a Trek ep or two?...

I may have my 2215 taken away from me for suggesting this, but do these books HAVE to be eBOOKS?

I haven't touched a paper book in *six years* my friend. *six years* and I'm not about to start now :D My eyesight is poor, so I can't read paperbacks. Plus, I read at night, and last I checked, $3 paperbacks don't have backlighting :D

Oh and don't worry about stuff not being out in E-book - I make them myself from raw texts so that's rarely a problem ;-)

ironguy

04-09-2004, 02:58 PM

bjornkeizers

04-09-2004, 08:32 PM

8O
$3 paperbacks

Whoa! Where do you buy your books? Last time I looked, a solid paperback runs about $7.99, give or take...

I like the library and used book stores. Paperbacks for sale at the local library are $.50, hard covers are a buck.

Well, yeah, new books (even paperbacks) are expensive - the newest Harry Potter cost well over 20 euros... Still, I'm sure I could find *a* $3 paperback :D

Cost is one of the reasons why I don't buy books - I only bought my first Ebook yesterday; it was 2,50 euros instead of the usual 15 for a paperback... I already have the book; got it from IRC today - but I figure at 2,50 it's worth a try - plus it stimulates publishers to bring out more E-books; which benefits everyone in the long run.

socrates63

05-03-2004, 06:06 AM

I just bought Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code (http://www.palmdigitalmedia.com/product/detail/10378) on Friday and haven't been able to put it down.

Kati Compton

05-03-2004, 06:12 AM

Sigh. I got the Da Vinci code (hardback) for Christmas I think and I haven't been able to read it yet. Maybe next week....

Ommadawn

05-03-2004, 06:29 AM

Sigh. I got the Da Vinci code (hardback) for Christmas I think and I haven't been able to read it yet. Maybe next week....

I just finished reading it, and was impressed. This is the first of Brown's books I've read, and I think I'll pick up the others in ebook format as well, now :mrgreen:

Read it!

Craig.

Paula

05-03-2004, 09:25 AM

Craig,
If I may suggest, read Angels and Demons next. It is a page turner.
One of the best books I have read in ages, next to The Da Vinci Code that is.

Paula

dMores

05-03-2004, 03:15 PM

erm, not trying to drag the "dan brown" discussion to all threads in this forum, but i just thought i'd point out that "angels and demons" plays before "the davinci code".

Ommadawn

05-04-2004, 12:40 AM

Craig,
If I may suggest, read Angels and Demons next. It is a page turner.
One of the best books I have read in ages, next to The Da Vinci Code that is.

Paula

Thanks for the tip, Paula. I've grabbed it as well, but haven't started it yet... I got distracted reading Lois McMaster Bujold books, and haven't wandered back to the "real" world yet 8)

I now realise Angels and Demons is set prior to DaVinci Code, but there wasn't really any mention (in that book) of much that happened in Langdon's past apart form some veiled hints, so I should be able to read it with out worrying about any spoilers.

Craig.

Alastria

05-12-2004, 04:56 PM

Some good fantasy novels:

Piers Anthony's Xanth novels...I have all of them on my pocketPC, varying back and forth between Microsoft Reader and Palm Reader formats...the Incarnations are a great series, along with the Adept novels, the Battle Circle trilogy, I haven't read yet...

If you can find them, Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth books are really good...

Anne McCaffery has some good ones out there, both sci-fi and fantasy mix genre

I'm was reading the Wheel of Time books on my Pocket PC; I combined books 1-5 into one file and 6-10 into another file, and then I have New Spring as a seperate file, but whoever made the original WoT files missed half of the 4th book in the series, so I'm looking for a complete version of it so I can add it...

Stephen King e-books seem to be very popular and easy to find...I'm currently reading the Dark Tower books...1-4 I put into one file, yet again, and the newest book, Wolves of the Calla, is in .pdf format and it won't let me save it as a text file to make into a Microsoft Reader format, but that's okay...

If anyone wants any of these books, let me know and I'll setup a link for them (I need to do this sometime anyways)

muaddip

05-20-2004, 09:45 PM

I also have to recommend David Weber, his books are great and if you like starship and action then you should definitely check them out.

I have started the first book of the Honor Harrington series, but I keep getting distracted by other books.

I can say that the Empire from the Ashes (http://fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook10747.htm) is awesome and you will not be able to put it down.

HTH

SteveHoward999

06-06-2004, 08:30 PM

For an excellent selection of FREE books, you should go look at the Baen free library:-

http://www.baen.com/library/

Many of the authors mentioned here have free books posted on the library in several formats. Some of the books are crap. Many are good. a few are great. With around 80 free books to choose from you have enough selection to keep you busy for at least a year and a wide enough spectrum of authors and styles to keep every sci-fi or fantasy fan happy.

Sadly I have read almost all of them now, so I have been forced to start paying for my eBooks :-(

Steve

06-06-2004, 08:40 PM

I'm was reading the Wheel of Time books on my Pocket PC; I combined books 1-5 into one file and 6-10 into another file, and then I have New Spring as a seperate file, but whoever made the original WoT files missed half of the 4th book in the series, so I'm looking for a complete version of it so I can add it...

If anyone wants any of these books, let me know and I'll setup a link for them (I need to do this sometime anyways)
I'd be interested in the Wheel of Time books. I have the first six or seven in either hardcover or paperback and somehow I got out of it and never read any of the newer ones.

I've found George Martin to be a great alternative and read the two Robin Hobb trilogies to pass the time waiting for A Feast for Crows.

dMores

06-06-2004, 11:14 PM

well i'm currently going through the entire sidney sheldon series.
it's not really a series, since the books don't have common characters. but they're pretty good.

they're all thrillers/crime/mystery books, mostly of biographical character since you read about the entire life of the main character. sometimes there's 2 or three, and at some point they meet and the story continues.

i kind of miss happy ends, the 3 books i've read so far had either bad or "unfulfilling" ends, but they're good none the less.

update: "if tomorrow comes" is the first to have a nice happy ending, with enough power to immagine the story to continue. this book is the best i've read so far from s. sheldon.

Ommadawn

06-11-2004, 02:49 AM

Jay Hartman

06-13-2004, 05:46 PM

In addition to the mainstream publishers, there's a lot of terrific sci-fi/fantasy stuff out there from publishers such as Double Dragon. Check out our Ebook Directory at:

http://www.knowbetter.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=89

Right now, the index shows there are 3,038 titles in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy category. Most of that will be from independent publishers, but of course some will also be from the big ones. I've always said a lot of really great books don't get discovered because people don't think about looking at the independent publishers.

It looks like we've also reviewed 40 sci-fi/fantasy novels, so you might want to check those out too to help you make up your mind. You'll find those at:

http://www.knowbetter.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=24&genreid=24

I'm more of a mystery guy, so the above two things will probably help you more than I can personally! :)

Best,
Jay Hartman
Content Editor
KnowBetter.com: For Everything Ebook
http://www.knowbetter.com

Alastria

06-14-2004, 03:01 PM

Ommadawn

06-15-2004, 04:47 AM

I'm now reading some _really good_ Harry Potter fan fiction, by an author called Barb Purdom. It's GOOD! The books (and I mean books, alternate book 5, and book 6/7 done) are every bit as good as JKR's stuff IMHO. If anyone else is interested, check out the Psychic Serpent group on Yahoo.

I'm in the middle of reading these, also. I copied and pasted everything into Word and made MS Reader books out of them so I can carry them to read...I'm in the middle of Psychic Serpent right now (I finished book 5 of WoT and decided to take a break)...pretty damn good...:) I look forward to reading the other two...:)

I'm about 15% into the Triangle Prophecy now, and loving it. I grabbed the HTML, compressed them and read them with ubook, which is my favoured reader.

I must say, the next book after Psychic serpent (Time of Good Intentions) was the first book to make me cry since I finished LOTR for the fisr time all those years ago. That's saying something, coming from a hard-core, jaded fantasy reader 8)

If you like Harry Potter, find these books and read them!

dMores

06-15-2004, 03:20 PM

find them ?

WHERE ???

Alastria

06-15-2004, 03:25 PM

http://www.schnoogle.com/authorLinks/Barb/

dMores

06-15-2004, 04:17 PM

oooh ooh ooh !!!

great !!!

so after having read the real hp5, maybe i need to re-read hp5 by barb to get up to date with how that story ended :)

oh man, so much to read, so much work, so little time ...

:(

Alastria

06-15-2004, 04:20 PM

Yeah...I'm loving the Barb version...not to mention that there's 2 other books after it...that's only thing I hate about the normal HP books...you have to wait FOREVER for a new one to come out...

Ommadawn

06-16-2004, 01:28 AM

Yeah...I'm loving the Barb version...not to mention that there's 2 other books after it...that's only thing I hate about the normal HP books...you have to wait FOREVER for a new one to come out...

Oh, she's also written a prequel to the series as well, which is set in the time of Harry's parents, I think.

dMores

06-16-2004, 10:49 AM

i took the time to copy paste the entire HP6 and HP7 by barb to word.
waiting to get my "palm ebook studio for mac" to create .pdb files.

if anyone wants to skip the tedious task of copy/paste/format/etc. just send me a PM and i'll send you the .doc.

Talyn

06-19-2004, 10:21 PM

Thanks for the link, Barb Purdom's series look excellent!

Here's an eReader (formerly Palm Reader) version of her Harry Potter and the Psychic Snake, fully formatted and all that jazz.

I used all the recommended eReader formatting, and a few others of my own to get it to look good on both the desktop and PPC versions of eReader.

I did, however, remove the "author's notes" that appeared at the end of a few chapters.

HarryPotterPsychicSerpent.zip (http://talyn.wotshire.ws/HarryPotterPsychicSerpent.zip) 933kb

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