# Recomend some 'realistic' science fiction books **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 18, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442 "2010-02-18T04:27:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/1 "2010-02-18T04:27:06Z")
I’ve come to the conclusion that I am severely behind in my geek knowledge of Science Fiction books. I am interested anything from the classics of fifty years ago to things published recently. The one requirement I have is that it is ‘realistic’. If at all possible, I would like the stories to be able to believably play out in our universe such that there is the minimum of having to suspend belief. I want to read stories based on science and feasibility, not a fantasy story dressed up with futuristic robots, if that makes sense. No telepathy, magic, psychic powers, etc. Aliens are fine, as long as they aren’t unstoppable, unfathomable, and godlike. Basically I want to understand the world the author puts forth and not have to attribute many of the happenings to ‘mysterious powers’. If I wanted that, I’d join a religion. So what Science Fiction books are _must_ reads? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/2 "2010-02-18T04:34:37Z")
Have you read any Michael Crichton? If not, I’d recommend starting with Sphere, and if you like that, try The Andromeda Strain and The Terminal Man. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/3 "2010-02-18T04:52:26Z")
> [@Captain\_C](#): > > … Basically I want to understand the world the author puts forth and not have to attribute many of the happenings to ‘mysterious powers’. If I wanted that, I’d join a religion. > > So what Science Fiction books are _must_ reads? This might be farther out than you want to go, but I think Hal Clement’s “Mission of Gravity” is an excellent choice. The aliens and their world are utterly different from ours, but everything (IMHO) is based on hard science. ---
**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:** [February 18, 2010, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/4 "2010-02-18T04:59:38Z")
Many fans agree that Heinlein’s _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_ is the best science fiction novel ever written, and the most far-out it gets is a single AI (and a relatively plausible one, at that). The only “mysterious power” is politics. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/5 "2010-02-18T05:33:04Z")
Ringworld. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/6 "2010-02-18T05:51:37Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > Ringworld. Has a psychic power. ---
**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:** [February 18, 2010, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/7 "2010-02-18T05:55:23Z")
I suck at appreciating science fiction, but I’ve always been able to get down with Neal Stephenson’s books. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/8 "2010-02-18T05:56:09Z")
Earlier Michael Crichton stuff, when he was still basically a medical writer, are pretty good, as noted above. _Five Patients_ is probably his best. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/9 "2010-02-18T06:37:11Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Has a psychic power. Sure, but most of it is hard science fiction. He said ‘a minimum’, so I thought I’d throw it out. ---
**Author:** ![vdgg81](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3d9bf3/32.png) [@vdgg81](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vdgg81)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/10 "2010-02-18T06:41:32Z")
I read **Blindsight** by Peter Watts because somebody here on the board recommended it to somebody else and wasn’t disappointed. It’s pretty far out sf and has aliens and lots of weirdness, but it’s still very hard. There’s even an appendix with notes to the science of the book. **Rainbow’s End** by Vernor Vinge is set in the near future and the whole thing seems pretty solid to me (but what do I know). It’s got lot’s of interesting speculation and still it remains very grounded on the here and now. Greg Egan is also a solid bet as far as hard sf goes. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/11 "2010-02-18T08:07:25Z")
> [@vdgg81](#): > > **Rainbow’s End** by Vernor Vinge is set in the near future and the whole thing seems pretty solid to me (but what do I know). It’s got lot’s of interesting speculation and still it remains very grounded on the here and now. Greg Egan is also a solid bet as far as hard sf goes. I hated **Rainbow’s End** , but YMMV. My reaction was, “I’ve already read **Neuromancer** , why should I read it again?” I’'d recommend Vinge’s previous work, **A Deepness in the Sky** instead. Hard Sci-Fi, set in a universe with a slower-than-light trading empire bumping up against a ruthless totalitarian culture, while both compete to exploit a third, pre-atomic alien culture. Great book. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/12 "2010-02-18T08:27:02Z")
Poul Anderson – _[Tau Zero](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tau_Zero)_. IIRC, there is absolutely **nothing** in that book that breaks or even bends current scientific knowledge (except for the _deus-ex-machina_ moment at the very ending, which personally has always been disappointing to me, but it doesn’t ruin the book and I won’t spoil it here.) ---
**Author:** ![vdgg81](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3d9bf3/32.png) [@vdgg81](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vdgg81)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/13 "2010-02-18T08:32:13Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > I hated **Rainbow’s End** , but YMMV. My reaction was, “I’ve already read **Neuromancer** , why should I read it again?” I’'d recommend Vinge’s previous work, **A Deepness in the Sky** instead. Hard Sci-Fi, set in a universe with a slower-than-light trading empire bumping up against a ruthless totalitarian culture, while both compete to exploit a third, pre-atomic alien culture. Great book. I’ll grant you that **Rainbow’s End** owes a huge debt to **Neuromancer** in many, many concepts.\* However, I’d argue that the book updates all those concepts enough to make them fresh again, that it introduces some interesting new ones and that the characters and the main thrust of the narrative are different enough not to make reading one of the novels enough to discard the other. Not to say you should like the novel; I’m just explaining why it didn’t bother me. Now that I think about it, **Neuromancer** itself seems like a great recommendation for the OP. Also, I agree with you one hundred percent on **A Deepness in the Sky** and I only chose **Rainbow** over it because I had already recommended a book set in space that featured aliens. \*Gibson himself owed a lot of **Neuromancer** to Vinge’s own **True Names** , so maybe we can let it slide. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/14 "2010-02-18T08:40:33Z")
The Manifold Trilogy by Stephen Baxter is about as realistic as you’re going to find, and they’re well worth reading to boot. Each book is an alternate exploration of the Fermi paradox and presents a different explanation, using the same characters in different ways. ---
**Author:** ![Rala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@Rala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rala)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/15 "2010-02-18T08:58:10Z")
The **Mars** trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/16 "2010-02-18T09:17:03Z")
“Inherit the Stars” by James P. Hogan. Set in the near future, it’s basically a scientific detective story, and a pretty good one at that. Most of Heinlein’s stories would qualify, although some are set in a more distant future. “The Door into Summer” was set in 1970 and 2000 (from the standpoint of the 50’s when it was written). So the world is a little different, but it’s very interesting nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/17 "2010-02-18T09:40:46Z")
> [@Rala](#): > > The **Mars** trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson. Its kind of the SDMB in space, or a 100 of the most active posters anyway ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/18 "2010-02-18T10:04:09Z")
> [@Rala](#): > > The **Mars** trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson. I read the first one but couldn’t stomach the second two. Granted it was years ago, are they worth another look? ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/19 "2010-02-18T10:05:01Z")
**A Fall of Moondust** by Arthur C Clarke ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442/20 "2010-02-18T10:15:08Z")
The Dispossessed by Ursula Leguin - no magic, robots or psychic powers of any kind. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-realistic-science-fiction-books/529442.md?page=2)