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
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.
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
Stanislaw Lem. start with The Cyberiad and go from there.
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
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.
Hey, this is funny!
I highly recommend Varley.
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 …
I lost a whole huge post <pout>. 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.
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.
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.
Octavia Butler is good.
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.
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.
Oooh, lots of stuff that’s new to me here! Off to la biblioteca, as soon as I finish my current load…
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.uchronia.net
James Allan Gardner’s Expendable series. Very funny and unusual.
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.uchronia.net
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
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.