# Need recommendation for science fiction books -- Christmas Gift **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [December 4, 2017, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563 "2017-12-04T19:08:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![slightly\_askew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@slightly\_askew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slightly_askew)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/1 "2017-12-04T19:08:56Z")
Hi all, Need a little (okay a lot) of advice for a Christmas gift for my sweetie. He likes to read a lot of sci fi and it’s not a genre with which I have a lot of experience. (I tend to read non-fiction.) Anyway, he’s a big fan of Clark, Asimov and Bradbury. He’s read some of the Dune series, mostly the earlier stuff. In recent year’s he’s read some Neal Stephenson. He loved \*Cryptonomicon \* and _Snow Crash_, liked _Seveneves_ and neither of us could get through _Quicksilver_. So, any science fiction lovers out there have any suggestions for a book he won’t be able to put down. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/2 "2017-12-04T19:15:05Z")
I recently finished the [Imperial Radch](http://amzn.to/2BHs6Iw) trilogy and can’t recommend them enough. Good writing, interesting story, really bummed I finished it. I also very much liked [Aurora](http://amzn.to/2BJ4B1u) and [Luna](http://amzn.to/2BHsPJK). I’m not a big Kim Stanley Robinson or Ian McDonald fan, but both of those stand out in my mind as “Good sci-fi I’ve read this year” so I figure that’s saying something. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/3 "2017-12-04T19:21:01Z")
I recommend these books by Lois McMaster Bujold: Falling Free and The Warrior’s Apprentice. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/4 "2017-12-04T19:30:11Z")
The Sten series by Bunch and Cole. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/5 "2017-12-04T19:37:55Z")
If he reads a lot of SF, you run a big risk of buying something he already has. Why not pick a book or two that you already knows he likes and buy a fancy hardback limited edition? Something silimar to [this](https://subterraneanpress.com/simmons-hyperion)? ---
**Author:** ![slightly\_askew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@slightly\_askew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slightly_askew)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/6 "2017-12-04T20:02:45Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > If he reads a lot of SF, you run a big risk of buying something he already has. Why not pick a book or two that you already knows he likes and buy a fancy hardback limited edition? Something silimar to [this](https://subterraneanpress.com/simmons-hyperion)? I’ve thought about getting him a nice leather set of Clark or Asimov, but I am afraid it will sit on the shelf and he will continue to read his beat up paperbacks. But your right, a lot of his books are still in boxes and I don’t know what all he has. The only recent things he’s read are the Stephenson books, so that’s why I was wondering if there were any new things out that he would like, but hadn’t stumbled across. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/7 "2017-12-04T20:10:02Z")
Andy Weir (who wrote _The Martian_) just published a new novel [_Artemis_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis_(novel)), which is good. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/8 "2017-12-04T20:34:47Z")
Alan Steele is pretty good. If he’s never read “Coyote”, it’s a good read and if he likes it there’s more in a series. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/9 "2017-12-04T20:47:27Z")
Do some research at Goodreads, for example: > **[Authors similar to Isaac Asimov](https://www.goodreads.com/author/similar/16667.Isaac_Asimov)** > > Find authors like Isaac Asimov from the world’s largest community of readers. Goodreads members who like Isaac Asimov also like: Douglas Adams, Frank Her... > **[Authors similar to Ray Bradbury](https://www.goodreads.com/author/similar/1630.Ray_Bradbury)** > > Find authors like Ray Bradbury from the world’s largest community of readers. Goodreads members who like Ray Bradbury also like: Ernest Hemingway, Stephe... > **[Authors similar to Arthur C. Clarke](https://www.goodreads.com/author/similar/7779.Arthur_C_Clarke)** > > Find authors like Arthur C. Clarke from the world’s largest community of readers. Goodreads members who like Arthur C. Clarke also like: Charles Stross, ... > **[Authors similar to Neal Stephenson](https://www.goodreads.com/author/similar/545.Neal_Stephenson)** > > Find authors like Neal Stephenson from the world’s largest community of readers. Goodreads members who like Neal Stephenson also like: Dan Simmons, Willi... ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/10 "2017-12-04T21:03:13Z")
The Hugo Winners (Volume I & II): Twenty-three Prize-winning Science Fiction Stories by Isaac Asimov (Editor) Robert A. Heinlein’s the Virginia Edition (The Complete 46 Volume Collectors Set) Leather Bound – 2010 ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/11 "2017-12-04T22:52:16Z")
People don’t really write books like Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke, and other classics these days–and not a lot of younger readers read them. They really haven’t aged that well in views of the future, characterization and even writing skill (much older writing seems so much clunkier than today.) So “like them, but recent” is a tough ask. I’ll toss out a few IMHO good works (which aren’t necessarily much like the writers of the mid-20th century) though. Those four Dan Simmons books (in more sanely priced editions.) The Culture books by Iain Banks. The Commonwealth books by Peter F. Hamilton. The Takishi Kovach books by Richrd K. Morgan (coming soon as a Netflix series.) The Engines of Light books by Ken McLeod. ---
**Author:** ![JPrescott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e36b37/32.png) [@JPrescott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JPrescott)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/12 "2017-12-05T03:53:54Z")
I just released one 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/13 "2017-12-05T07:27:08Z")
[Gibson and Sterling’s _The Difference Engine_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Difference_Engine) might be appreciated. For more classic but (comparatively) lesser-known sci-fi, you might try Cyril Kornbluth. [_His Share of Glory_](https://www.amazon.com/His-Share-Glory-Complete-Kornbluth/dp/0915368609) collects all his short works, including the unforgettable “The Marching Morons.” (_“I’d buy THAT for a quarter!”_) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/14 "2017-12-05T13:41:43Z")
Boy, there’s an open-ended question. Does he want new stuff, or older/ Does he have a big classic collection, or not? If he appreciates older SF but doesn’t have a big collection, **the Science Fiction Hall of Fame** is still in print, and is still a superb collection of stuff written 1929 to 1964.Volume I is short stories, and includes a lot of classics. Volume II (in two parts, A an B) is longer stuff. Don’t even think about getting volumes III and IV, though. (Don’t confuse these with the Hugo Winners that **Dr. Deth** recommends above. Those are good, too) > **[The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vol. 1: 1929-1964: Silverberg, Robert,...](https://www.amazon.com/Science-Fiction-Hall-Fame-Vol/dp/0765305372)** > > The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vol. 1: 1929-1964 \[Silverberg, Robert, Silverberg, Robert\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vol. 1: 1929-1964 > **[The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two A: The Greatest Science Fiction...](https://www.amazon.com/Science-Fiction-Hall-Fame-Two/dp/0765305356)** > > The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two A: The Greatest Science Fiction Novellas of All Time Chosen by the Members of The Science Fiction Writers of America (SF Hall of Fame, 2) \[Bova, Ben\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers.... > **[The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two B: The Greatest Science Fiction...](https://www.amazon.com/Science-Fiction-Hall-Fame-Two/dp/076530533X)** > > The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two B: The Greatest Science Fiction Stories of All Time Chosen by the Members of the Science Fiction Writers of America (SF Hall of Fame, 3) \[Bova, Ben\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. The... Larry Niven writes classic “hard” sf, and he’s still cranking it out. Highly recommended. Curious that no one’s yet recommended **John Scalzi**. I think he’d definitely like his stuff. If you’re looking for good “classic” stuff, look at the publications of NESFA Press. They’ve gathered together a lot of the best of the best. It’s a bit pricey, but they’ve also issued the definitive editions of works like Cordwainer Smith’s _Norstrilia_ and his “Rediscovery of Man” Future History. They also just released Harlan Ellison’s approved biography, _A Lit Fuse_ > **[NESFA | NESFA Press](https://www.nesfa.org/press/)** > > The New England Science Fiction Association is one of the oldest SF clubs in the northeastern U.S. It was founded in 1967 by fans who wanted to do things in addition to socializing. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/15 "2017-12-05T16:05:31Z")
Too bad you guys couldn’t get through Quicksilver. I would have recommended that to a couple who is in to sci-fi and non-fiction! TBH I only really read Neal Stephenson sci-fi books, and ones that I picked up as a recommendation for people who like Stephenson so… If he liked the “cyberpunk” aspect of _Snow Crash_ I can recommend William Gibson’s \*Neuromancer \*and, as some super fun fluff Ernest Cline’s _Ready Player One_. And further fluff is the recent \*Otherworld \*by Jason Segel (of movies and TV). ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/16 "2017-12-05T16:11:32Z")
Okay, if he likes Neal Stephenson, here’s a recommendation that’s both obscure and wonderful: [The Gone-Away World](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3007704-the-gone-away-world), by Nick Harkaway. It’s a complex post-apocalyptic world with plenty of humor somewhat similar to Stephenson’s; it’s very well-written; it’s by the son of John Le Carre, if that matters. I really enjoyed it a lot, but not many people know about it IME. ---
**Author:** ![howye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9adbd/32.png) [@howye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/howye)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/17 "2017-12-05T16:55:39Z")
A lot of good recommendations here. Second the Scalzi, who has been held up as a successor to Heinlein but is worthy in his own right. Harkaway is fun. I liked Artemis and thought it was a good second novel from Andy Weir. If military sci-fi is what he likes, try the Frontlines series by Marko Kloos. If he likes Clarke and does not have it, try the massive Collected Short Stories of Arthur C. Clarke. Amazon has it in paperback. But be warned it is weighty. I have it and have read it cover-to-cover several times. Well worth the twenty bucks. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/18 "2017-12-05T22:16:01Z")
Niven may still be cranking them out, but his recent quality isn’t anywhere remotely close to what he used to write. ---
**Author:** ![slightly\_askew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@slightly\_askew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slightly_askew)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/19 "2017-12-06T14:36:31Z")
Hi all! Thanks for all the input. I’ve been reading with great interest. Think I may either save this list for future presents or show him the list and let him explore on his own. I should have know that I was opening a Pandora’s Box, but I kind of hoped that there would be consensus or at least some author that lots of folks recommended. Silly me.:smack: Anyone read any Charles Stross? He’s one of the writers listed in the “goodreads” link that **PastTense** linked to as a similar read to Stephenson. Stross sounds like he could be interesting. Thanks again for all the suggestions. I will put this all to good use. His birthday isn’t too far off, so in addition to Christmas there will be many more book purchases. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563/20 "2017-12-06T16:19:07Z")
I can’t recommend Hannu Rajaniemi’s _Jean le Flambeur_ series often or highly enough. There is very little expository information, especially in the first book; it is up to you to paint a picture of this highly complex, very old civilization and culture as best you can from the information gleaned as you go. My own first conception is so different from what I picture now after half a dozen readings I have a hard time mentally reconciling them as resulting from the same story. But I pull more details out each time I read them, so the book has, for me, the curious quality of always being something somewhat new. [The Quantum Thief](https://smile.amazon.com/Quantum-Thief-Jean-Flambeur/dp/0765367661/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1512576713&sr=8-2) is the first book of three. I’m surprised there aren’t already a bunch of recs for The Culture, so I’ll give one. I started with a later book, one that I’m told is just about the worst for a Culture noob to read, but I loved it. Very complex story, excellent narrative structure, fantastic characters… it’s all here. This is another book with very little expository information, tho, and I know many people find that off-putting. What was really great was that I didn’t need to know anything about The Culture for the story to work. The book I’m talking about is [The Hydrogen Sonata](https://smile.amazon.com/Hydrogen-Sonata-Culture-Iain-Banks/dp/0316212369/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1512577409&sr=1-1&keywords=the+hydrogen+sonata%5B/url) by Iain M. Banks. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recommendation-for-science-fiction-books-christmas-gift/803563.md?page=2)