# SciFi books I haven't read? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2001, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scifi-books-i-havent-read/92051 "2001-11-07T20:46:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2001, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scifi-books-i-havent-read/92051/21 "2001-11-08T15:56:40Z")
Since no one has mentioned him yet, I’ll recommend Iain Banks. Probably best to start with _The Player of Games_ but other good ones are _Consider, Phlebas_ and _Use of Weapons_. _Excession_ is also good but you probably should read one or two of the others first since it will help to know some of the background. > [@](#): > > Lucifer’s Hammer, Niven and Pournelle (an English teacher pointed out this one when Deep Impact came out) Just wanted to point out an anecdote I heard from Niven and Pournelle about this one. What became _Lucifer’s Hammer_ was the first version of _Footfall_. (Slight spoiler ahead.) _Footfall_ involves an alien invasion. The aliens start the invasion by dropping a large asteroid (The “Foot”) on the Earth. When they presented the idea to their editor, the editor told them “Forget the aliens, go with the asteroid impact!” ---
**Author:** ![DarkWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee59a6/32.png) [@DarkWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkWriter)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2001, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scifi-books-i-havent-read/92051/22 "2001-11-08T20:09:11Z")
**Lucifer’s Hammer** was excellent. I also enjoyed **Moonfall** by Jack McDevitt. I don’t read sci-fi that much (especially if they’re very technical), but I do like the “Doomsday Rock” scenarios. Sheri ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2001, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scifi-books-i-havent-read/92051/23 "2001-11-08T20:12:25Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. Warlord of Mars (not Hi, Opal of Mars) As opposed to Burroughs’ other main series, of which the third book, as everyone here can probably guess, is: … **Tarzan and the Jewels of Opal** 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2001, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scifi-books-i-havent-read/92051/24 "2001-11-08T20:46:58Z")
How did i miss this thread for so long? they already covered the Burroughs/Mars question, i actually have all 11 now, thanx to a used book store nearby that got the last 4 i needed. There is also a 5 book Venus series, that i got from the library a few years ago, which are pretty good, though not as good, as the Martian series. And Burroughs also wrote The Land that Time Forgot, The People that Time Forgot, and Out of Time’s Abyss (i think that’s the third book). He also wrote The Mad King, which i picked up this week and haven’t read yet, it is in line behind Heinlein’s Number of the Beast… ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scifi-books-i-havent-read/92051/25 "2001-11-09T12:46:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Polycarp \* > **Lois McMaster Bujold is also remarkable. I haven’t read her newest fantasy, and didn’t particularly like _The Spirit Ring_ (her other fantasy).** 1. Regarding the rest of your post: “Me too” 2. I read the new Bujold fantasy (who’s name escapes me) and while it was better than The Spirit Ring, it still wasn’t as good as a Miles book. Characterization great. Plot, pacing and setting…good? Ok? And **Cal**! Mi Compadre! I thought I was the only one alive who didn’t like (hated!) Childhood’s End. If you want a laugh, read Laumer’s The Monitors for a funny take on a similar theme. Fenris ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scifi-books-i-havent-read/92051/26 "2001-11-09T13:14:28Z")
read a book called metrophage by richard kardey\ it was printed under a ace sf line Its even more politicially viable given todays climate than when it was written in 87 ---
**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:** [November 9, 2001, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scifi-books-i-havent-read/92051/27 "2001-11-09T13:50:36Z")
> [@](#): > > And Cal! Mi Compadre! I thought I was the only one alive who didn’t like (hated!) Childhood’s End. If you want a laugh, read Laumer’s The Monitors for a funny take on a similar theme. > > Fenris I haven’t read Laumer’s book, but I have seen the movie they based on it: [http://us.imdb.com/Title?0064684](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0064684) The stars of the film are the as-yet-generally-unknown Second City troupe (_longgg_ before John Belushi, John Candy, Eugene Levy, et al.) I’d only seen it once, and had no idea Laumer had written the book it was based on. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scifi-books-i-havent-read/92051/28 "2001-11-09T14:19:38Z")
**nightshadea** - I remember _Metrophage_. Perhaps more helpfully, I remember an article which said Richard Kadrey (_sic_) had given up hope of getting it republished, and was putting the whole text online. And, indeed [here it is](http://www.speed.demon.co.uk/kadrey/). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scifi-books-i-havent-read/92051.md?page=1)