# Science Fiction: If I like X, then I should like... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 14, 2013, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842 "2013-09-14T13:14:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/1 "2013-09-14T13:14:48Z")
OK, so help me find some new SF to read. I like me some rocket ships and ray guns stuff, but also like thoughtful pieces that explore the human side of SF. So if I like these writers: Robert Heinlein - where it all began for me David Brin - his concepts are brilliant and his writing well done Larry Niven - his short stories more than his novels Niven and Pournelle - on the other hand, the novels from these two are spectacular H. Beam Piper - understood the blood and thunder of adventure yarns Jack McDevitt - His Priscilla Hutchins novels are great tales of exploration and problem solving Arthur C. Clarke - his sheer writing is beautiful. It’s like he paints pictures with small brushstrokes John Varley - about half of his stuff works for me John Scalzi - Old Man’s War worked for me but not all of the sequels Harry Turtledove - but I’m a sucker for alt-history Writing who haven’t worked for me: Kim Stanley Robinson - I’ve tried to read the Mars books a few times and they’ve never caught my attention Alistair Reynolds - tried one and didn’t get a chapter into it So what do you think? ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/2 "2013-09-14T13:26:18Z")
Robert L Forward maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/3 "2013-09-14T13:29:16Z")
Iain M Banks. Hugh Howey - particularly the “Wool-Shift-Dust” novels. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/4 "2013-09-14T13:30:43Z")
Some of [Allen Steele](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Steele)’s stuff is pretty good. He’s driving the Coyote series into the ground, but the first three books or so were enjoyable. I also liked The Jericho Iteration. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/5 "2013-09-14T13:41:05Z")
Stephen Baxter If you can find a copy, get **[The Carpet Makers](http://www.amazon.com/The-Carpet-Makers-Andreas-Eschbach/dp/0765314908/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379165749&sr=8-1&keywords=carpet+makers)** by Andreas Eschbach. It has everything you are looking for – grand space opera, fascinating characters, and an emotional slug to the gut in every chapter. It is by far the best science fiction novel of the past 20 years; Eschbach would be one of the modern giants in the field if he wrote in English. Alas, he’s German and the cost of translating ($10K per novel) means he’s unknown in the US; only **The Carpet Makers** has been published in English. Readers compare him to Orson Scott Card, but Card never wrote anything this good (nor did few others). If you’re willing to go out of your comfort zone, **Shades of Grey** \* by Jasper fforde is an extremely well-thought-out dystopia; you first think his world is random nonsense but he slowly makes it all fit together. \*No connection. fforde was first. ---
**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:** [September 14, 2013, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/6 "2013-09-14T14:40:29Z")
Try Robert J. Sawyer. A lot of writers get the science right, a lot get people right. Sawyer is the rare writer who manages to do both. Sawyer is also a Star Trek fan and includes the occasional throwaway trek reference in most, if not all, of his novels. ---
**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:** [September 14, 2013, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/7 "2013-09-14T15:01:54Z")
Brian Daley’s _Jinx On A Terran Inheritance_ trilogy John DeChancie’s _Starrigger_ trilogy Alan Dean Foster’s _Icerigger_ trilogy And just to break up the theme that seems to be developing Eric Flint’s _163X_ megaverse. ---
**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:** [September 14, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/8 "2013-09-14T17:51:16Z")
Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan series would seem to be what you’re looking for. ---
**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:** [September 14, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/9 "2013-09-14T18:08:36Z")
Among classic SF: 1.) Isaac Asimov – you list Heinlein and Clarke, but not the good doctor. His stuff is highly variable, but a lot of it definitely explores “the human side” He got lots of short stories, and I’d recommend the original \*Foundation \* Trilogy, but not the sequels. Also the first two Lije Bailey books, _The Caves of Steel_ and _The Naked Sun_. 2.) Eric Frank Russell – often overlooked, but good SF with humor to it. He wrote lots of short stories and a few novels, with _Sting_ being excellent. The problem is that he’s long out of print, unless you can get e-editions, or buy the colections of his works from NESFA Press. 3.) If you like short stories with twists, there were quite a few practitioners from the 1950s. Try **Fredric Brown** , many of whose short stories were anthologized. He wrote some great short novels, too. (And he wrote some excellent non-sf/fantasy mysteries as well). Then there’s **Robert Sheckley** , whose schtick was that you got the impression that he was too cool for this genre, and had a good sense of humor. I think they lifted a lot of his stuff for movies (including the original _Total Recall_). And try _Theodore Coggswell_ if you can find his stuff. Also Richard Matheson\*, who just died recently, and a LOT of his stuff gopt on TV and movies (such as the recent **Real Steel**. Or Charles Beaumont. 4.) If you like Ray Guns and Rocket Ships, you might want to go real Old School with E.E. “Doc” Smith’s _Lensmen_ series or _Skylark_ series. Space Opera at its founding. _Edmond Hamilton_, too. 5.) For unusuallly stylistic SF, try _Cordwainer Smith_’s stories (and his one novel, _Norstrilia_). His stuff has been reprinted in recent years, and is also available through NESFA. 6.) If you can find them in old bookstores or through online shops, the Ballantine/Del Rey series _The Best Science Fiction of…_ series has a lot of great stuff. It started with The Best of Stanley G. Weinbaum and continued for a decade or so. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/10 "2013-09-14T18:27:08Z")
If you appreciate the craft of writing, especially as employed in the services of the short story, I would suggest Theodore Sturgeon. A contemporary of RAH and Asimov and that era. Not as prolific as many, but many unusual ideas and always excellent writing. ---
**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:** [September 14, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/11 "2013-09-14T19:57:33Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > 4.) If you like Ray Guns and Rocket Ships, you might want to go real Old School with E.E. “Doc” Smith’s _Lensmen_ series or _Skylark_ series. Space Opera at its founding. Which then demands _Bill the Galactic Hero_ by Harry Harrison to compensate! _Stainless Steel Rat!_ (the early ones, not the dreck at the end there.) ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/12 "2013-09-14T20:13:46Z")
For simple technical science fiction similar to early Heinlein, I’d recommend Lester Del Rey, who wrote stores about space travel in the 21st century or so. Probably a bit dated, but some good stories. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/13 "2013-09-14T21:05:39Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Which then demands _Bill the Galactic Hero_ by Harry Harrison to compensate! > > _Stainless Steel Rat!_ (the early ones, not the dreck at the end there.) Harry Harrison is likely to meet the criteria. You might also consider the under-appreciated (IMHO) Clifford Simak. You might enjoy Way Station or They Walked Like Men. I’d also suggest Keith Laumer’s _Retief_ books, similar to the _Rat_ books. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/14 "2013-09-14T21:09:05Z")
My two favorite under-appreciated SF writers that sound like you might like them: Jack Vance and Roger Zelazny. Might need to find them in a used book store, though. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/15 "2013-09-14T23:01:13Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > My two favorite under-appreciated SF writers that sound like you might like them: Jack Vance and Roger Zelazny. Might need to find them in a used book store, though. Closer to fantasy than to SF, by and large. They definitely both are at their best when writing fantasy. (Mind you, I love these guys! They are about the best writers in the field, ever!) I’m glad Jack McDevitt was on the original list; he’s the one I was going to recommend. Robert Sawyer, in addition to being a right fine writer, is also a nice guy in person. (As is McDevitt.) ---
**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:** [September 15, 2013, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/16 "2013-09-15T15:44:36Z")
Joe Haldeman is also pretty decent. Generally a solid “B”. But when he’s at the top of his game, he’s just great. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/17 "2013-09-15T17:23:43Z")
Alan Dean Foster-Sentenced to Prism. Nor Crystal Tears Michael McCollum-Life Probe. Procyon’s Promise ---
**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:** [September 15, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/18 "2013-09-15T19:16:09Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Alan Dean Foster-Sentenced to Prism. Nor Crystal Tears > [@silenus](#): > > Alan Dean Foster’s _Icerigger_ trilogy You guys are playing my tune.😃 ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/19 "2013-09-15T19:20:18Z")
Poul Anderson Eric Frank Russell (especially _Men, Martians and Machines_ and his short stories) Lois McMaster Bujold I’ve always been partial to Andre Norton and A Bertram Chandler. ---
**Author:** ![Glazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e57/32.png) [@Glazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glazer)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842/20 "2013-09-15T19:23:25Z")
L.E.Modesitt Jr. I haven’t read any of his Fantasy but his Sci-fi is much like McDevitt in feel and tone. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-if-i-like-x-then-i-should-like/668842.md?page=2)