# Stuck in a rut - need new Sci Fi authors **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 15, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748 "2003-07-15T22:23:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/21 "2003-07-16T10:06:57Z")
Stephen Donaldsons Gap Series. Although he usually does Fantasy style stuff I enjoyed this series immensely. There are about 5 books in the series, the weakest one unfortunately is the first one ‘The Real Story’, but it takes off in book 2 ---
**Author:** ![jinty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jinty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jinty)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/22 "2003-07-16T12:40:18Z")
Well, for classic space opera, I’d recommend: **Consider Phlebas** by Iain M Banks. Since reading this one, I’ve read a few more in the series, but CP stands out, both in scope, story-telling and cool intergalactic gadgets. **Armor** by John Steakley. He’s written only two books, and only one SF, this one. Lots of people have said this book should have been the basis of Starship Troopers, and there are some similarities in plot (humans vs giant insects), but Armor stands out in having an extraordinary central character, Felix, whose bravery, fighting skills and will to survive all depend on the suit of space armor he wears. And I’m now off to check out Quantum Butterfly’s HH recommendation. Looks interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/23 "2003-07-16T12:52:29Z")
I saw John Varley mentioned earlier, but not his short story collections, which I think are some of his best work. _The Persistance of Vision_ _Blue Champagne_ _Picnic on Nearside_ _The Barbie Murders and Other Stories_ ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/24 "2003-07-16T12:53:18Z")
**Stanislaw Lem**. start with _The Cyberiad_ and go from there. ---
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/25 "2003-07-16T13:40:56Z")
I’ll second (third?) **David Brin** and add **Greg Bear** , **Gregory Benford** , **Peter Hamilton** and **Julian May**. And let me just add that all the authors you listed as being your personal favorites are among mine as well, so I think we definitely have similar tastes. Barry ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Derfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lord\_Derfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Derfel)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/26 "2003-07-16T13:58:19Z")
I picked up a collection of short science fiction stories by none other than _Rudyard Kipling_. I’ve only just started it, but it’s pretty good so far. Your list of favourites matches up pretty well with mine, so I think you’d probably like it. Although it’s not a short read by any means (it’s 4 books), the _Otherland_ series by _Tad Williams_ is excellent. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/27 "2003-07-16T14:35:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sampiro \* > \*\*The hero (or protagonist), whose name eludes me \*\* Hey, this is funny! I highly recommend Varley. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/28 "2003-07-16T14:35:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Robot Arm \* > \*\ ***Stanislaw Lem**. start with _The Cyberiad_ and go from there. \*\* Stanislaw Lem is one of the most brilliant writers I have ever read. Pure genius. Read “The Futurological Congress” as well - the Cyberiad is one of my favorites, but it is not for everyone … ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/29 "2003-07-16T14:56:36Z")
I lost a whole huge post \. Here’s the condensed version: “Stories of Your Life and Others” by Ted Chiang – the collected stories of a short-story master “Red Mars,” Green Mars," and “Blue Mars” by Kim Stanley Robinson. Blows anything else written about space colonization out of the water, nay, off the map. (BTW, I did not care for “The Years of Rice and Salt.” It was interesting but… boring.) and FYI, Neal Stephenson’s newest book “Quicksilver” is coming out at the end of September. It is primarily a historical novel with a nod to cryptography and alchemy. ---
**Author:** ![magog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/fbc32d/32.png) [@magog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magog)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/30 "2003-07-16T14:58:04Z")
Since no one else mentioned him - **Greg Egan**. Writes “hard” sci-fi using concepts like quantum mechanics, genetic drift, and chaos theory. Start with _Quarantine_, because it’s the quickest read and (IMHO) the most entertaining. Or he has a few collections of short stories. **Sharon Shinn** bleeds from romance to fantasy to sci-fi (sometimes in the same novel). Solid writer. And add me to the list that recommends Brin (especially _Uplift War_) and Stephenson. ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/31 "2003-07-16T15:08:16Z")
Looking over those authors, I see a certain amount of primarily action authors, or space stories. I think you might enjoy books by Iain M. Banks. Try “Against a Dark Background”, which is really good. If you like that one, try some of his other novels that are set in what he calls “The Culture” - there are several of these, and they’re all good. On a different tack, Gene Wolfe is an excellent short fiction writer, and his stories don’t (to me, of course) seem like they all come across with the same voice. So you might try some of his collections. ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/32 "2003-07-16T18:26:48Z")
Octavia Butler is good. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/33 "2003-07-16T18:35:49Z")
May have been mentioned already, but I thought I’d add Bruce Sterling and Gardner Dozois. Although Dozois has really done more editing than writing his own stuff. You mentioned Harry Harrison – he’s still publishing, although I think these days he’s doing alternate history stuff. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/34 "2003-07-16T18:37:29Z")
**Allen Steele** is another writer you might want to check out. Much of his work is similar to Heinlein’s “Future History” stories and novels. Check out his early short story collections if they’re still available. His early novels are AFAIK currently out of print but if you can track them down I think you’ll find them worth the effort. One of his most recent, _Coyote_, first appeared as a series of novellas in IIRC _Isaac Asimov’s_. ---
**Author:** ![Quantum\_Butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e79b87/32.png) [@Quantum\_Butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quantum_Butterfly)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/35 "2003-07-16T20:15:58Z")
Oooh, lots of stuff that’s new to me here! Off to la biblioteca, as soon as I finish my current load… ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/36 "2003-07-16T21:09:50Z")
For those playing at home, the winner, by a landslide, is Neal Stephenson. Here’s the list of SDMB recommended authors & titles (in order of posts). Kim Stanley Robinson x2 Red Mars Green Mars Blue Mars The Years of Rice & Salt Stephen Baxter CJ Cherryh Jack McDevitt The Engines of God Eternity Road Infinity Beach Alastair Reynolds x2 Revelation Space Chasm City Neal Stephenson x7 The Diamond Age Snow Crash Dan Simmons Neil Gaimons David Drake Connie Willis The Doomsday Book James White Sector General (series) David Weber Honor Harrington (series) On Basilisk Station Dan Simmons Hyperion (series) Frederik Pohl Gateway David Brin x4 Orson Scott Card Ender’s Game Treason Earth series Cruel Miracles (shorts) C.S. Friedman This Alien Shore Vinore Vinge x2 John Varley x4 Titan Demon Wizard Steel Beach The Persistence of Vision (shorts) Blue Champagne (shorts) Picnic on Nearside (shorts) The Barbie Murders & other Stories (shorts) Philip K. Dick Gene Wolfe Harlan Ellison Wil McCarthy Bloom The Collapsium Robert Charles Wilson Bridge of Years The Harvest Mysterium John Barnes Orbital Resonance A Million Open Doors Bruce Sterling x2 William Gibson S.M. Stirling x2 Domination of the Draka (series) Nantucket (series) Theodore Sturgeon Ben Bova Moonscape Moonwar Venus Jupiter Asteroid Wars (series) Allen Steele Robert J. Sawyer Neanderthral Parallax (series) (Hominids, Humans, Hybirds) Lois McMaster Bujold Christopher Hinz William Saunders Harry Turtledove Frank Herbert Stephen Donaldson Gap (series) Iaim M. Banks x2 Against a Dark Background Consider Phlebas John Steakley Armor Stanislaw Lem x2 The Futurological Congress The Cyberiad Greg Bear Gregory Benford Peter Hamilton Julian May Rudyard Kipling Tad Williams Otherland (series) Ted Chaing Stories of Your Life and Others (shorts) Greg Egan Quarantine Sharon Shinn Gene Wolfe Octavia Butler Gardner Dozios Allen Steele Anthology Future on Ice Websites [http://www.hour25online.com](http://www.hour25online.com) [http://www.uchronia.net](http://www.uchronia.net) ---
**Author:** ![dejahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dejahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dejahma)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/37 "2003-07-16T21:38:13Z")
James Allan Gardner’s Expendable series. Very funny and unusual. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/38 "2003-07-16T21:45:05Z")
One more time! New & improved with bonus coding! _sorry_ Kim Stanley Robinson **x2** [ul]Red Mars Green Mars Blue Mars The Years of Rice & Salt[/ul] Stephen Baxter CJ Cherryh Jack McDevitt [ul]The Engines of God Eternity Road Infinity Beach[/ul] Alastair Reynolds **x2** [ul]Revelation Space Chasm City[/ul] Neal Stephenson **x7** [ul]The Diamond Age Snow Crash[/ul] Dan Simmons Neil Gaimons David Drake Connie Willis [ul]The Doomsday Book[/ul] James White [ul]Sector General (series) [/ul] David Weber [ul]Honor Harrington (series) On Basilisk Station[/ul] Dan Simmons [ul]Hyperion (series) [/ul] Frederik Pohl [ul]Gateway[/ul] David Brin **x4** Orson Scott Card [ul]Ender’s Game Treason Earth series Cruel Miracles (shorts) [/ul] C.S. Friedman [ul]This Alien Shore[/ul] Vinore Vinge **x2** John Varley **x4** [ul]Titan Demon Wizard Steel Beach The Persistence of Vision (shorts) Blue Champagne (shorts) Picnic on Nearside (shorts) The Barbie Murders & other Stories (shorts) [/ul] Philip K. Dick Gene Wolfe Harlan Ellison Wil McCarthy [ul]Bloom The Collapsium[/ul] Robert Charles Wilson [ul]Bridge of Years The Harvest Mysterium[/ul] John Barnes [ul]Orbital Resonance A Million Open Doors[/ul] Bruce Sterling **x2** William Gibson S.M. Stirling **x2** [ul]Domination of the Draka (series) Nantucket (series) [/ul] Theodore Sturgeon Ben Bova [ul]Moonscape Moonwar Venus Jupiter Asteroid Wars (series) [/ul] Allen Steele Robert J. Sawyer [ul]Neanderthral Parallax (series) (Hominids, Humans, Hybirds)[/ul] Lois McMaster Bujold Christopher Hinz William Saunders Harry Turtledove Frank Herbert Stephen Donaldson [ul]Gap (series) [/ul] Iaim M. Banks **x2** [ul]Against a Dark Background Consider Phlebas[/ul] John Steakley [ul]Armor[/ul] Stanislaw Lem **x2** [ul]The Futurological Congress The Cyberiad[/ul] Greg Bear Gregory Benford Peter Hamilton Julian May Rudyard Kipling Tad Williams [ul]Otherland (series) [/ul] Ted Chaing [ul]Stories of Your Life and Others (shorts) [/ul] Greg Egan [ul]Quarantine[/ul] Sharon Shinn Gene Wolfe Octavia Butler Gardner Dozios Allen Steele Anthology Future on Ice Websites [http://www.hour25online.com](http://www.hour25online.com) [http://www.uchronia.net](http://www.uchronia.net) ---
**Author:** ![ouisey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc29f/32.png) [@ouisey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouisey)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/39 "2003-07-16T21:47:23Z")
I heartily endorse Neal Stephenson. I just finished The Diamond Age, am tearing through Snow Crash and can’t wait to get to Cryptonomicon. My bf recommends Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan. He says its a kind of sci-fi detective story. ouisey ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748/40 "2003-07-16T23:18:20Z")
For very good, **hard** sci-fi, **John Cramer** ’s _Einstein’s Bridge_ and _Twistor_ are very good. Cramer is a physicist, and his novels are heavy on speculative science (branching from real, modern high-energy physics), but in an interesting way and there is plenty of action as well. He’s only written a few novels–these two and a couple of westerns I think–I’ve only read his two that I’ve listed here, and I enjoyed them very much. The closest comparison I have is to Gregory Benford’s _Timescape_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuck-in-a-rut-need-new-sci-fi-authors/188748.md?page=3)