# OK, I finished "Dune": now what? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 6, 2018, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404 "2018-07-06T18:45:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**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:** [July 9, 2018, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/81 "2018-07-09T21:25:49Z")
The Many-Colored Land by Julian May (and then its sequels) Lock In by John Scalzi (and then its sequel) The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey All Systems Red by Martha Wells (and then its sequels) Mars Evacuees by Sophia McDougall (and its sequel) ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/82 "2018-07-09T21:39:56Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > “100 Science Fiction Novels Everyone Should Read.” > > #52 - _A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court_ > > Huh? > > ===== > > I thought _World War Z_ was a cool read … kinda of a unique plot style, apparently nothing like the movie … I found it light and airy, a delight to ponder through, not really cerebral but not really empty either … and _World War Z_ the book still ended up being a thousand times better than the movie ☹ I’ve read about a quarter of the top 100. Despite it’s cult status I was surprised to see John Steakley’s _Armor_ on the list, personally I would rank it higher than 70 and how is _Rendezvous with Rama_ NOT on the list? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/83 "2018-07-09T21:41:02Z")
How about Robert J. Sawyer? Of his books that I’ve read, I don’t think there are any that I’d consider a masterpiece or a classic, but quite a few are readable, entertaining, well-constructed, with interesting ideas. And, like Asimov, several of his books are mysteries or have mystery elements. ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/84 "2018-07-09T22:12:31Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > No love for Ray Bradbury here? Obligatory video [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/e1IxOS4VzKM/maxresdefault.jpg "Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury - Rachel Bloom") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1IxOS4VzKM) ---
**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:** [July 9, 2018, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/85 "2018-07-09T22:51:47Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I was thinking specifically of “The Weapon Shops” and “Scanners Live in Vain”. Both of which were, no doubt, influential, but neither of which was very good. The former is just puerile wish-fulfillment fantasy, and the latter really tried hard to set up a complex and believable world, but failed horribly. I think we’re going to have to agree to disagree about Scanners. I’m very impressed by Cordwainer Smith, including this first professional effort. But I’m willing to give you Van Vogt, who I think is overrated. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/86 "2018-07-10T01:43:34Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I also just briefly perused that list in the OP. Strange, some of those books like _A Clockwork Orange_ barely register as sci-fi to me. It’s a great book, creepy as fuck, the movie too, but sci fi? I don’t know, man. > > And the list includes Hubbard’s _Battlefield Earth_? Really? That book is shit and the movie somehow managed to be even worse. Battlefield Earth- lost hours of my life I’ll never get back. How could the movie be worse than this book? Perhaps the greatest crime of Scientology is this book and the phony reviews it got. ---
**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:** [July 10, 2018, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/87 "2018-07-10T02:41:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **DSYoungEsq** : > > The original short story “The Weapon Shop” (which is itself derived from an earlier short story, “The Seesaw”) is not a bad story. If you’re very strongly anti-gun, the implicit message that guns keep you free might not be to your taste, but the other aspect of the story (the difference between the public face of a government, and the private workings of it) is quite worth reading. The problem is that they’re _magical_ guns, that make the user invulnerable, with the perfect defense to go along with the perfect offense, but they’re magically only in the hands of certified Good People, so it’s all OK. That alone is enough to make a story boring. But then you add in the fact that the author apparently thinks that those properties apply to real, non-magical guns, too, and it just becomes creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/88 "2018-07-10T03:38:35Z")
I think you would like Hyperion Cantos by Simmons. ---
**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:** [July 10, 2018, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/89 "2018-07-10T03:55:34Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > For a real game changer, check out Liu Cixin’s _The Three Body Problem_ trilogy. He’s a Chinese sci-fi writer and his books are translated into English but what makes the books extra interesting in addition to the plot elements and characters is that not all Chinese characters translate real well into English, so there are various footnotes throughout the books to provide clarity. Not only are these books insightful into the possibilities of science fiction, but also Chinese and Korean culture. Those books have it ALL, I just finished them not long ago and I cannot urge you to read them enough. > > His first book, which has the same name as the trilogy carries (Three Body Problem), is a 2015 Hugo Award winner. I love Three-Body Problem, but I hesitate to recommend it to someone wanting to dip their feet into the field. It’s not hard science fiction in the sense that everything in it has strong scientific underpinning; but in the sense that the book revolves heavily around scientific ideas, it’s diamond-hard. The characters, IMO, are not especially well-written, and the prose, even accounting for translation issues, isn’t exactly scintillating. But I said I love it, and that’s true, because goddamn can the author write a spectacle. The scientific ideas in the book–however absurd they may be to real scientists–are jaw-droppingly entertaining in their execution. If you’re out for lovely prose or three-dimensional characters, it’s not the best place to go. But it’s got enough awesome ideas for any three other books. * * * And on a separate note, am I the only person who’s left cold by Robert Silverberg? I know he’s hugely respected, and every five or ten years I give him another try; but I find his stuff not especially interesting. His female characters in particular give me the creeps. I’m not sure exactly why–but they never feel like humans, and I end up thinking he’s probably an asshole to the women in his life, which may be unfair, but doesn’t leave me wanting to read more by him. Edit: holy shit, to see if I was the only one, I Googled “Robert Silverberg misogyny,” and [look what turned up!](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=301390) guess i’m not the only one ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/90 "2018-07-10T04:07:37Z")
David Brin Lois McMaster Bujold Ursula K. Le Guin Ann Leckie Robert Charles Wilson Some John Varley. Earlier is better. Same with Heinlein, as others have mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/91 "2018-07-10T17:50:50Z")
Has [Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirrorshades) been mentioned yet? It needs to be. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![MattDHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@MattDHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MattDHat)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/92 "2018-07-10T20:05:15Z")
IMHO, as someone who had read about 85 of those 100 listed, C.J. Cheryl’s series of books about lion-like aliens is worthy of inclusion more so than a number on that list. Imagine not just a world, but a _culture_fully envisioned with different basic assumptions- as in males are emotionally unstable and have to be protected.\*\* See: The Pride of Chanur and follow. She’s been compared to Tolkien in the creation of cultures. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/93 "2018-07-10T20:10:00Z")
I loved Vernor Vinge’s [Fire Upon the Deep](https://www.amazon.com/Vernor-Vinge/e/B000APOW0E/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1) and Deepness in the Sky. And Rainbows End is really good too, but it is a one-off. ---
**Author:** ![Anubis8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@Anubis8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anubis8)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/94 "2018-07-10T20:14:37Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Let me back up a bit. I was introduced to sci-fi reading at the age of 12, and for a short while, I was a voracious reader. You can probably figure out who my favorite author was, but I’ll spoiler box it for you, in case you want to guess. > > Stephenie Meyer 😉 > > Anyway, though I read quite a bit as a teenager, my reading fell way, way off in my adult years. I go through phases here and there where I’ll get engrossed in a book or three, but then I’ll stop reading again for a few months. > > In the past few months, I’ve started paying a bit more attention to my Kindle. I’ve read a couple of recent (2016 and 2017) sci-fi short story compilations, and as referenced in the title, I just finished Dune. And it made me realize that, despite having read a few books in my day that might be considered classics, I know there are many, many more that I’ve missed. As a non-scientific example, I took a look at this [Good Reads compilation](https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7925.100_Science_Fiction_Novels_Everyone_Should_Read?page=1) of “100 Science Fiction Novels Everyone Should Read.” Of the first ten books, I’ve read either seven or eight of them, including the first six on the list. But after that, it drops off quickly. I’ve only read a total of 22 of the top 100. > > I’d like to get some additional “classic” sci-fi under my belt, in addition to picking up some new stuff. For what it’s worth, I liked Dune, and I’m well aware of the debate about whether to finish part or all of the rest of that series. Suffice to say that isn’t going to be my next step. I thought it was more of a hybrid of sci-fi and fantasy, and while I don’t object to fantasy, that’s not what I’m after at the moment. > > So, where to, now? Obviously, I like Asimov a lot. I like Arthur C. Clark. I’ve enjoyed Neal Stephenson quite a bit. I like Greg Bear. I like Lois McMaster Bujold. I don’t like Heinlein much (I got incredibly turned off by the sliminess of “Stranger In a Strange Land” and never finished it). What are some of the classics you think I might be missing that I shouldn’t? I realize that you can’t give me perfect recommendations without me providing you with an exhaustive list of what I have and haven’t already read, so I’m happy for this to be a broader discussion of sci-fi literature. But I’m hoping for some focus on books that might be considered classics and/or “must-read” for sci-fi fans. > > The floor is yours. E. E. “Doc” Smith’s “Skylark” and “Lensman” books. Hugely influential. Astonishing that he wrote in the teens and twenties ---
**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:** [July 10, 2018, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/95 "2018-07-10T20:46:48Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > As a non-scientific example, I took a look at this [Good Reads compilation](https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7925.100_Science_Fiction_Novels_Everyone_Should_Read?page=1) of “100 Science Fiction Novels Everyone Should Read.” Of the first ten books, I’ve read either seven or eight of them, including the first six on the list. But after that, it drops off quickly. I’ve only read a total of 22 of the top 100. I’ve read 56 of them, but really, that list is crap. There a good dozen or so books on the list that aren’t fit for birdcage liner, much less taking up space in your mind. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/96 "2018-07-10T21:19:35Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I heartily agree about both the _Hutchins_ and _Benedict_ series of books. _The Engines of God_ is one of the better sci-fi books I have ever read. > > Another massive vote for Peter F Hamilton from me. His space opera is so damn engaging with it’s blend of hard sci fi, great character development, huge worlds/galaxies, super intriguing ideas about AI development and biological enhancements, etc. I cannot state enough how much I love this author. He’s that good, at least to me. > > The _Commonwealth Saga_ and the _Void_ trilogy are some of the best books I have ever read. Real mind candy, that. > > Isn’t _Misspent Youth_ the first book in that series? I thought _Pandora’s Star_ was the second. Nevertheless, they are all excellent. > > I also happen to think that some of Ben Bova’s stuff is pretty good, especially the series that focuses on a more close to present technology stuff like the mining of asteroids, colonization of the Moon and near planets, etc. Similar in some respects setting-wise to _The Expanse_ books, ALL of which I recommend, as well as the TV show. > > Did I mention that _The Expanse_ books are good? They are VERY, very good. Very engaging. > > … Misspent Youth is the first, chronologically, book set in the Commonwealth universe, but it is a stand-alone and reading it isn’t required to understand PS or JU. Hamilton is a hardback author for me, of which there are few: Turtledove, King, and PF are pretty much the only three authors whom I will buy their stuff as a full-price hardback. ---
**Author:** ![MacSpon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@MacSpon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacSpon)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/97 "2018-07-10T22:20:55Z")
> [@Anubis8](#): > > E. E. “Doc” Smith’s “Skylark” and “Lensman” books. Hugely influential. Astonishing that he wrote in the teens and twenties For a writer that’s writing grand space opera now, attempting to achieve (and, I think, sometimes succeeding) the same kind of feel as Doc Smith while writing for a modern audience, try Ryk Spoor: his “Grand Central Arena” series is a terrific starting point. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/98 "2018-07-10T22:21:04Z")
Many good suggestions here. I’d like to second one - _The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August_ by Claire North. I was blown away by it - as someone said upthread, it’s a unique take on time travel that’s well thought through. Great characters and a gripping ending. Her other novels have been a bit of a letdown after _Harry August_, but I can’t recommend that highly enough. I haven’t seen Connie Willis mentioned here. She’s certainly not a hard science fiction writer, but she’s one of the best. Many of her stories center on time travel, so they may be up the OP’s alley. _Doomsday Book_ is her masterpiece, but it’s a heavy introduction. _To Say Nothing of the Dog_ is a humorous romp. The twin novels _Blackout/All Clear_ about time travelers stuck in London during the blitz might be a bit overlong, but the amount of historical detail Willis works in is amazing. ---
**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:** [July 10, 2018, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/99 "2018-07-10T22:34:08Z")
> [@Wilson](#): > > Many good suggestions here. I’d like to second one - _The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August_ by Claire North. I was blown away by it - as someone said upthread, it’s a unique take on time travel that’s well thought through. Great characters and a gripping ending. > Her other novels have been a bit of a letdown after _Harry August_, but I can’t recommend that highly enough. I’ve enjoyed all her others, except for 64K, because that book was excellent but depressing as fuck. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404/100 "2018-07-10T22:50:47Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I’ve enjoyed all her others, except for 64K, because that book was excellent but depressing as fuck. True dat. I enjoyed _The Sudden Appearance of Hope_ - but the ending left me a bit unsatisfied. Reminded me of how perfect the ending to _Harry August_ is. Just thought of another recommendation - Becky Chambers, who has written two (loosely connected) novels in the space opera vein. I liked the first, _The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet_ more than _A Closed and Common Orbit_, but both are worth reading. She’s got a third novel out this summer, I believe. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-finished-dune-now-what/817404.md?page=6)