# Recommend a Science Fiction Book - Any Genera **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 24, 2015, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416 "2015-04-24T04:56:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/21 "2015-04-24T16:13:13Z")
Heinlen - Door into Summer ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/22 "2015-04-24T16:15:53Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Anything by Andre Norton. Oof, I don’t know. I picked up _Knave of Dreams_ on a whim and that just…oof. The prose was no good. I remember coming across several so poorly worded lines that I laughed out loud. And the main character learned and became proficient within a new language in the span of a few weeks (to the level of being able to fool upper government officials), which was utterly ludicrous. It put me off trying all his other works, but maybe that’s just me… I’m also not a fan of Zelazny’s works. Tried _Lord of Light_ and all of the first arc of _Amber_ and they just didn’t stick. _Ready Player One_ was simply awful, for super-popular modern sci-fi. But it spoke to a lot of people, so… So on to things I _DO_ like then. Anything by Asimov. _I, Robot_ is great as well as his Robot series _Caves of Steel_, _The Naked Sun_, etc. which may be easier to get into compared to his\* Foundation \*series. _We_ by Yevgeny Zamyatin is a gem that’s often overlooked. _Nomad of the Time Streams_ by Michael Moorcock explores some ideas I enjoy. _Dancers at the End of Time_ is also great (both are actually trilogies and some of the books are weaker than others but as a whole I like them plenty). They’re more of a fantasy/sci-fi blend though. _The Martian Chronicles_ by Ray Bradbury. A rather sad and wistful take on planet colonization/terraforming _Neuromancer_ by William Gibson. Prose isn’t exactly my taste but the story really grows on you after a bit if you’re into the genre. It’s influenced a lot so it’s worth trying. And for fun young adult, _House of Stairs_ by William Sleator was one that always stuck with me and I still re-read. _The House of the Scorpion_ by Nancy Farmer is also plenty enjoyable by adults. Not heavy on the sci-fi but still good. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/23 "2015-04-24T16:35:06Z")
**The Stars My Destination** , Alfred Bester **The Paradox Men** , Charles Harness **Mission of Gravity** , Hal Clement The Planet of Adventure series ( **City of the Chasch, Servants of the Wankh, The Dirdir, The Pnume** ), Jack Vance ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/24 "2015-04-24T16:50:00Z")
_Spin_, by Robert Charles Wilson _Beggars in Spain_, by Nancy Kress (Taken with a grain of salt because I don’t consider myself an sf fan (and I find Heinlein not worth reading).) ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/25 "2015-04-24T16:51:36Z")
“Fire Upon the Deep” and “Deepness in the Sky” by Vernor Vinge ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/26 "2015-04-24T16:55:02Z")
**Dune** , Frank Herbert **Childhood’s End** , Arthur C. Clarke also second **Neuromancer** by William Gibson. also also, has anyone seen this: [http://www.flickeringmyth.com/2015/04/teaser-trailer-for-syfys-arthur-c-clarke-adaptation-childhoods-end.html](http://www.flickeringmyth.com/2015/04/teaser-trailer-for-syfys-arthur-c-clarke-adaptation-childhoods-end.html) ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/27 "2015-04-24T17:03:45Z")
Some of my favourite genera include _Corvus_, _Rana_, _Macropus_, _Castor_, _Dacelo_… 🙂 Genera =/= genre. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/28 "2015-04-24T17:20:37Z")
_Fire in the Abyss_ by Richard Gordon, pretty interesting take on the Philadelphia Experiment. _The White Plague_ by Frank Herbert, very dark, very well written, but you kind of have to like a lot of “chin music”. _The Dispossessed_ by Ursula K. Le Guin, a 60s era look at political systems. These are not easy books. If you want an easy book, try _Speaker for the Dead_ by that Card guy, it is kind of fun and you can blow through it in an evening or two (it alludes a bit to _Ender’s Game_, but it stands well on its own as the only book in that series worth reading). ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/29 "2015-04-24T18:51:49Z")
> [@Rocketeer](#): > > **The Stars My Destination** , Alfred Bester And Bester’s _The Demolished Man_ ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/30 "2015-04-24T19:04:40Z")
A book that seems to get very little attention, despite the author’s profile: _The Gods Themselves_, Isaac Asimov Hard to summarize, but the crux of the novel regards a seemingly miraculous “free” source of energy for the denizens of Earth. The source of the energy is an essentially “magical” exchange of elemental metal with an alien race in a parallel universe. There are consequences and conflicts on all sides of the exchange. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/31 "2015-04-24T19:06:46Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > A book that seems to get very little attention, despite the author’s profile: > > _The Gods Themselves_, Isaac Asimov > > Hard to summarize, but the crux of the novel regards a seemingly miraculous “free” source of energy for the denizens of Earth. The source of the energy is an essentially “magical” exchange of elemental metal with an alien race in a parallel universe. There are consequences and conflicts on all sides of the exchange. The middle section of the book, which features the alien characters, is terrific. Asimov later wrote an SF story in which characters are producing a movie of an SF story, which is clearly intended to be the middle portion of “The Gods Themselves.” ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/32 "2015-04-24T19:11:30Z")
“Accelerando” by Charles Stross is a mind-bending look at the future of humankind during and post-Singularity.[You can get it for free here](http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/fiction/accelerando/accelerando-intro.html) with the full blessing of Stross and his publishers. However, I found it to be a bit disjointed. I much prefer a couple of his other works, “Halting State” and “Rule 34” set in the near future where cybercrime has become a lot more dangerous. [You can get them both here on Amazon.](http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Stross/e/B001H6IW0Q/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1429902485&sr=8-2) I think his Laundry Files series, dealing with a British bureaucrat/spy dealing with Lovecraftian horrors (and I mean he very deliberately is borrowing from Lovecraft, this isn’t "Lovecraft-ish fantasy) is his most popular series, but like his Merchant Princes series, has strong fantasy elements, and you asked for SF. Plus, I prefer SF myself and consider his non-fantasy books to be better reads. ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/33 "2015-04-24T20:38:33Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > _Fire in the Abyss_ by Richard Gordon, pretty interesting take on the Philadelphia Experiment. > > _The White Plague_ by Frank Herbert, very dark, very well written, but you kind of have to like a lot of “chin music”. > > _The Dispossessed_ by Ursula K. Le Guin, a 60s era look at political systems. > > These are not easy books. If you want an easy book, try _Speaker for the Dead_ by that Card guy, it is kind of fun and you can blow through it in an evening or two (it alludes a bit to _Ender’s Game_, but it stands well on its own as the only book in that series worth reading). I didn’t care too much for _The Dispossessed_ by Ursula K. Le Guin, but maybe should give it another try. I can definitely recommend _The Left Hand of Darkness_, by her. I think it’s her best book and one of the best I’ve read. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/34 "2015-04-24T21:07:20Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > “Accelerando” by Charles Stross is a mind-bending look at the future of humankind during and post-Singularity.[You can get it for free here](http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/fiction/accelerando/accelerando-intro.html) with the full blessing of Stross and his publishers. Stross also has a short story collection “Toast” available for free at his site [After Appomattox, by Gregory Downs, reviewed.](http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2015/04/after_appomattox_by_gregory_downs_reviewed.html) > [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > However, I found it to be a bit disjointed. Possibly because it was published as 9 separate novellas over the course of several years. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/35 "2015-04-24T22:20:05Z")
> [@Macca26](#): > > . . . I’m also not a fan of Zelazny’s works. Tried _Lord of Light_ and all of the first arc of _Amber_ and they just didn’t stick. . . . Zelazny is tricky. One thing to realize is that his first-person narrators are usually assholes. But that’s part of his genius: you find yourself interested in a tale told by (the character) someone you wouldn’t want to know in real life. This is strongly evident in “The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth” and “A Rose for Ecclesiastes.” These are brilliant, brilliant stories, and both essentially involve the asshole narrator transcending his own limitations and demonstrating love for another person. [Here is a text copy of “This Mortal Mountain,” also by Zelazny](http://www.lib.ru/ZELQZNY/ThisMortalMountain.txt_with-big-pictures.html), also featuring a first-person narrator who is a jerk…and who transcends himself at need. I think it’s completely brilliant, and also one of the best “mountain climbing” stories ever. But…yes…I know a lot of people who tried to read the Amber series and couldn’t maintain any interest. Me, I love 'em! (Fair disclosure, the Amber series are fantasy, not SF.) ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/36 "2015-04-25T23:51:33Z")
Anything by Jack Vance. ---
**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:** [April 26, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/37 "2015-04-26T00:12:51Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > “Accelerando” by Charles Stross is a mind-bending look at the future of humankind during and post-Singularity.[You can get it for free here](http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/fiction/accelerando/accelerando-intro.html) with the full blessing of Stross and his publishers. > > However, I found it to be a bit disjointed. I much prefer a couple of his other works, “Halting State” and “Rule 34” set in the near future where cybercrime has become a lot more dangerous. [You can get them both here on Amazon.](http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Stross/e/B001H6IW0Q/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1429902485&sr=8-2) I think his Laundry Files series, dealing with a British bureaucrat/spy dealing with Lovecraftian horrors (and I mean he very deliberately is borrowing from Lovecraft, this isn’t "Lovecraft-ish fantasy) is his most popular series, but like his Merchant Princes series, has strong fantasy elements, and you asked for SF. Plus, I prefer SF myself and consider his non-fantasy books to be better reads. Another great Charles Stross novel is _Saturn’s Children_. It’s about a future where all the humans have died off but artificially intelligent robots are still around. Their problem is that they were all designed to serve humanity so they’re trying to figure out how their post-human society should work. There is a short story _Bit Rot_ and a novel _Neptune’s Brood_, which are sequels, but I haven’t read them yet. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/38 "2015-04-26T00:21:43Z")
Also, consider some of the collections of short stories by Cordwainer Bird. I am particularly fond of _The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World_ (which includes _A Boy and His Dog_) and _Angry Candy_, but most of them are composed of 80~90% good-to-excellent with only a few clunkers. And the _Dangerous Visions_ compilations he edited are quite good as well. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/39 "2015-04-26T04:12:15Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Also, consider some of the collections of short stories by Cordwainer Bird. I am particularly fond of _The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World_ (which includes _A Boy and His Dog_) and _Angry Candy_, but most of them are composed of 80~90% good-to-excellent with only a few clunkers. And the _Dangerous Visions_ compilations he edited are quite good as well. I’m betting you mean Harlan Ellison rather than Cordwainer Bird. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416/40 "2015-04-26T05:35:06Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > I’m betting you mean Harlan Ellison rather than Cordwainer Bird. Go to that wiki thingy and type in “Cordwainer Bird”, see what you get. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-science-fiction-book-any-genera/718416.md?page=3)