Need A Science Fiction World, but....

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Mentat1231
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Need A Science Fiction World, but....

Post by Mentat1231 »

This is my first post here, and I have no idea if this is the right place to ask this sort of thing. Moreover, my parameters seem obscure even to me! Sorry...

Basically, I've read a lot of sci-fi, but there are some writers whose style I adore, and many others (though great) whose style I really don't like.

What is it that Ursula K Leguin had that Asimov didn't? I think Asimov's writing is rightly considered "great sci-fi", but it isn't my cup of tea. But, I could read Leguin any day. And I also really enjoyed the Dune series (all of it, though I admit the prequels and sequels from Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson are inferior writing... by that point I was in love with the world).

The "Uplift" series from Brin had every right to win me over (I love the "progenitor" idea and ancient races in general), but... I don't know what it is. It felt very "syfy tv series"-esque in its execution. The promise of the ideas couldn't get me past the second book (I did give it two books, out of hope that it would get better!).

Who/what should I read that will capture whatever it is that LeGuin and Herbert had, but that Asimov and Brin don't? I don't really know what it is. Perhaps it's the sort of transcendant themes and air of their settings and characters? Let me list a few more things I've loved and some that have let me down, and maybe it will help...

Loved: Orson Scott Card... specifically the trilogy after Ender's Game (Ender's Game itself and the Shadow spin-offs are very good, but too... gritty? too down-to-Earth-right-now?), the Homecoming Saga, and Wyrms (<-- my favorite). I also think the Pathfinder Trilogy was good, but a bit childish (YA?).

Liked: Anne McCaffrey... Pern is a wonderful world to stop in and visit from time to time. Super light, but enjoyable. And I even liked the Pegasus trilogy; though it was a little too comic-bookish at times.

Liked: Tom Toner's "Promise of the Child".... but, the ending is... frankly, ridiculous. And I have no desire to read the sequel.

I've also loved a great deal of sci-fi short stories, and of course I adore H. G. Wells and Jules Verne.

Didn't like: Niven's "Ringworld" or Clarke's "Rendezvous with Rama". The former is too absurd and cobbled together, and the latter is too... grounded? I don't know. They both tease an amazing, transcendant race, but it's just a tease.

I could go on and on. Does anyone see what the common threads are? Would more examples help?

One that I really thought I'd like was The Culture series by Banks... I'll be honest, it was the constantly foul language that turned me off after Consider Phlebas. That's probably a point I'll need to be flexible about (I mean, the same thing caused me to stop reading Bear's "Eon" part way through... and it was a bit "Rama"-ish).

What do you think? Am I hopeless? Any suggestions?
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Kdefaye
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Post by Kdefaye »

I haven't read much of what you mention, but I loved Anne McAffrey, and from there I read Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I also really liked Jackaby by William Ritter, the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. I tend toward YA because I don't like foul language or sex 'scenes'.
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Jagiine
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Post by Jagiine »

I don't know most of what you're talking about, but I really enjoyed The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente. Each chapter is a different narrator with a unique voice and distinct story. You will probably like several chapters if not every one.
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00LynnMarie
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Post by 00LynnMarie »

Have you ever read anything by Neil Gaiman? His work definitely has a mixed genre feel. It is somewhere in the land of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. I love his work though, and it may give you an opportunity to explore something a little different. I find when I read heavily from the same genre for awhile everything I read starts to feel a little stale. Other recommendations I would give you that you haven't already mentioned are: Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and I even like Dean Koontz, though I find his work sort of a horror/sci-fi blend. I loved all of the books in the Ender series and loved Dune as well. I've read many of the books you listed and enjoyed most of them. I hope you find what you are looking for!
"There are times when the world is rearranging itself, and at times like that, the right words can change the world." - Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game
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Lee-Ann20
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Post by Lee-Ann20 »

What about Terry Pratchett's Discworld series?
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DakotaA
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Post by DakotaA »

I second Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman as general recommendations, however I find them to be more fantasy than sci-fi. I enjoy dabbling in pure sci-fi like Orson Scott Card, but personally tend to lead more toward YA sci-fi and fantasy. A series that I have recently run in to that you might be interested is The World Walker Series by Ian W. Sainsbury.
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SckB
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Post by SckB »

I have really enjoyed the books I have read by Neil Gaiman, though it's been awhile... Magic Kingdom For Sale...Sold may have been the first, but it was really good. I believe I've read that entire series. If you like sci-fi mixed with fantasy, but don't need all the technical bs details that just take up space (it is all gibberish to me) you should try C.S. Lewis' space travel trilogy. It begins with "Out of the Silent Planet" followed by "Perelandra" and ends with "That Hideous Strength". The language is a bit dated, as the series quite old, but if you can get into the right frame of mind, it is an EXCELLENT read!
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Brandt
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Post by Brandt »

Hello! I am also a brand new member here!

I am quite unfamiliar with a lot of the mentioned authors and titles, but I just finished the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson and I must say it is an incredible fiction/fantasy read. The characters are dynamic and go through an incredible amount of development through the series. There is a science to the kind of "magic" that is enlisted within it that allows for a fantasy feel of the book, but with a grounding into how the world works (meaning there are reasoning and logic in everything). It has been branded as YA, but don't let that lead you to think these are teen/children novels. The themes are heavy and thrilling. They're pretty long reads, but are so worth it. Hope this helps!
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Post by NetMassimo »

Clarke uses scientific elements to write his stories but Childhood's End is more character-oriented despite the fact that the different protagonists appear in the various parts.

Philip J. Farmer is a writer of adventurous science fiction so you might like his stories. You also might like John Varley's Titan trilogy but consider that the erotic element can be quite strong so it's not for everyone.
Ciao :)
Massimo
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casdill
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Post by casdill »

So you liked Ender's Game? You could take it up a notch and try these authors that are known for their in-depth space operas:

Peter Hamilton - start with Pandora's Star (The Commonwealth Saga Book 1)
Alastair Reynolds

Also,

Tad Williams - City of Golden Shadow (Otherland, Book 1)
(Williams also has a more high fantasy type series called Memory, Sorrow and Thorn that begins with The Dragonbone Chair.)

And further, more fantasy driven worlds that are not very sci- but very very deep:

Robert Jordan's the Eye of the World series (starts with The Wheel of Time).
Raymond Feist's Magician: Apprentice (The Riftwar Saga #1)
Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer trilogy #1)

Good luck finding something great. :)
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Post by annaestelle »

Have you read any Ray Bradbury? He has some top-notch SciFi. Some of it is a bit too much for me (I prefer fantasy of science fiction, usually), but it's all good. I also echo the recommendation, above, for C. S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. The third book, Out of the Silent Planet, is the most science fictiony of the three, but all of them are so excellent!
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Andy_C
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Post by Andy_C »

annaestelle wrote: 16 Aug 2019, 10:31 Have you read any Ray Bradbury? He has some top-notch SciFi. Some of it is a bit too much for me (I prefer fantasy of science fiction, usually), but it's all good. I also echo the recommendation, above, for C. S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. The third book, Out of the Silent Planet, is the most science fictiony of the three, but all of them are so excellent!
I was going to recommend Bradbury too. I'm not big on sci-fi, but his short stories in particular are incredible.
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Reynaa
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Post by Reynaa »

I haven't read any of these books you have listed but you have similar genre taste as my husband and he's really into The Expanse book series.
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Post by nicole-adrianne »

Please please please try Elantris by Brandon Sanderson! It's my very favorite sci-fi world, complete with its own culture, rules, and rich characters. It's told from multiple POVs, and it's really hard to put down! Speaking of, I should really reread it soon...
* * *
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Post by HeatherEi »

Mentat1231 wrote: 21 Jun 2018, 10:42 This is my first post here, and I have no idea if this is the right place to ask this sort of thing. Moreover, my parameters seem obscure even to me! Sorry...

Basically, I've read a lot of sci-fi, but there are some writers whose style I adore, and many others (though great) whose style I really don't like.

What is it that Ursula K Leguin had that Asimov didn't? I think Asimov's writing is rightly considered "great sci-fi", but it isn't my cup of tea. But, I could read Leguin any day. And I also really enjoyed the Dune series (all of it, though I admit the prequels and sequels from Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson are inferior writing... by that point I was in love with the world).

The "Uplift" series from Brin had every right to win me over (I love the "progenitor" idea and ancient races in general), but... I don't know what it is. It felt very "syfy tv series"-esque in its execution. The promise of the ideas couldn't get me past the second book (I did give it two books, out of hope that it would get better!).

Who/what should I read that will capture whatever it is that LeGuin and Herbert had, but that Asimov and Brin don't? I don't really know what it is. Perhaps it's the sort of transcendant themes and air of their settings and characters? Let me list a few more things I've loved and some that have let me down, and maybe it will help...

Loved: Orson Scott Card... specifically the trilogy after Ender's Game (Ender's Game itself and the Shadow spin-offs are very good, but too... gritty? too down-to-Earth-right-now?), the Homecoming Saga, and Wyrms (<-- my favorite). I also think the Pathfinder Trilogy was good, but a bit childish (YA?).

Liked: Anne McCaffrey... Pern is a wonderful world to stop in and visit from time to time. Super light, but enjoyable. And I even liked the Pegasus trilogy; though it was a little too comic-bookish at times.

Liked: Tom Toner's "Promise of the Child".... but, the ending is... frankly, ridiculous. And I have no desire to read the sequel.

I've also loved a great deal of sci-fi short stories, and of course I adore H. G. Wells and Jules Verne.

Didn't like: Niven's "Ringworld" or Clarke's "Rendezvous with Rama". The former is too absurd and cobbled together, and the latter is too... grounded? I don't know. They both tease an amazing, transcendant race, but it's just a tease.

I could go on and on. Does anyone see what the common threads are? Would more examples help?

One that I really thought I'd like was The Culture series by Banks... I'll be honest, it was the constantly foul language that turned me off after Consider Phlebas. That's probably a point I'll need to be flexible about (I mean, the same thing caused me to stop reading Bear's "Eon" part way through... and it was a bit "Rama"-ish).

What do you think? Am I hopeless? Any suggestions?
Check out The Expanse!!! It is a book series and an Amazon Prime series. It is the best space sci-fi I have ever encountered.
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