# What classic sci-fi should I read next? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 14, 2013, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218 "2013-08-14T15:46:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/21 "2013-08-14T19:35:36Z")
Heinlein-“Time Enough For Love” Ellison-“Paingod And Other Delusions”, “Deathbird Stories” Asimov-“The End Of Eternity”, “The Gods Themselves” ---
**Author:** ![Keweenaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Keweenaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keweenaw)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/22 "2013-08-14T19:50:29Z")
Theodore Sturgeon - More than Human George R. Stewart - Earth Abides Neal Stephenson - Snow Crash ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/23 "2013-08-14T20:35:47Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Deepness in the Sky and Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge I liked both these books very, very much, but I’m not sure that they qualify as classics yet, which is what the OP wants. Someone mentioned H. Beam Piper. You have to read the Fuzzy books by him (three in all), and also _Fuzzy Nation_ by John Scalzi, which isn’t a classic yet, but it will be. I found a great deal for a lot of Piper’s books and stories on the Nook, so if you have an ereader, you might want to do a search for a Piper collection. My collection only has _Little Fuzzy_ (the first of the three books) in it, but I have the other two in dead tree editions, I mostly got the collection for the short stories. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/24 "2013-08-14T20:39:33Z")
_The Dispossessed_ by Ursula Le Guin is one of the great works of literature of the twentieth century, IMO. Better than her still excellent _Left Hand of Darkness_. You also appear a little light on old old sci-fi - if you have not read _The Time Machine_ or _The War of the Worlds_ you need to do so. Likewise _20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_. Then perhaps some Vonnegut for a change of pace - _The Sirens of Titan_ is a good start. Also have a read thru the thread about reading Heinlein in his entireity. Regards, Shodan ---
**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:** [August 14, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/25 "2013-08-14T20:48:49Z")
_Solaris_ - Stanislaw Lem - I’d consider this one a “must” for classic sci-fi fans. _Footfall_ - Niven and Pournelle - I liked that the aliens in this are very “alien”. _The Martian Chronicles_ - Bradbury _Contact_ - Sagan - opinions will vary widely on this one. I loved it. \*Timescape \*- Benford - not as “action” oriented as a lot of SF, but still an engrossing ‘hard science fiction’ novel. _The Andromeda Strain_ - Crichton - a lot of his stuff should be skipped, but I’d consider this one a classic story. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/26 "2013-08-14T20:52:48Z")
Cordwainer Smith - I haven’t read the novel, but his short stories are amazing. You’d think they were written this year. ---
**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:** [August 14, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/27 "2013-08-14T21:00:16Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I liked both these books very, very much, but I’m not sure that they qualify as classics yet, which is what the OP wants. I wasn’t sure what the threshold for “classic” was, but Fire is older than some of the books the OP listed as classics… ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/28 "2013-08-14T21:01:10Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > **The Book of the New Sun** by Gene Wolfe Seconded. Be aware that this is quite dense and challenging. There’s a series of essays entitled _ **The Castle of the Otter** _ that includes a glossary of all of the archaic language that Wolfe uses, but it’s unfortunately out of print. I’d recommend some Philip K. Dick. Consensus, I believe, is that his short stories are better than his novels (which aren’t particularly long themselves), but I’ve not read any of the short stories, so I can’t say. Specific ones I’ve read and recommend: _ **Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said** _ and _ **A Scanner Darkly** _. _ **Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?** _ is an interesting read to compare/contrast to _ **Blade Runner** _. (Spoiler: It has almost nothing in common with _ **Blade Runner** _. :D) I frequently hear _ **The Man in the High Castle** _ recommended, though I’ve not read it myself. Oh, speaking of short stories, you could do worse than to dip your toe into a little bit of Harlan Ellison. I’ve only read a few of the collections here and there, so maybe someone with more depth will recommend one; I’ll vouch for _ **Angry Candy** _. The man is, by all accounts, something of a raging asshole, but he knows how to write a good story. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/29 "2013-08-14T21:13:08Z")
Authors: Zenna Henderson L. Sprague De Camp ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/30 "2013-08-14T21:14:03Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > _The Andromeda Strain_ - Crichton - a lot of his stuff should be skipped, but I’d consider this one a classic story. I have a sort of idea about Crichton, if the movies is good, reading the novel after the fact is underwhelming, I’d apply that to the _Jurassic Park_ novels in particular. If the movie was full of hokey crap, the novel will fill in the blanks that the movie tried to fill in with random action – I really enjoyed reading _Congo_, and _Eaters of the Dead_. 'Tho I kinda liked _The Thirteenth Warrior_, anyway. Also, I had some fun reading _Princess of Mars_. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I was 12. But I did like reading what other people read as kids, and knowing now what background they were coming from when _they_ wrote sci-fi. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/31 "2013-08-14T21:17:34Z")
I really enjoyed Fred Saberhagen’s Berserker series, including novels and short stories, yet they rarely seem to be mentioned in threads like this… ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/32 "2013-08-14T21:18:51Z")
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is classic sci-fi from way back when. The book is worth reading if you haven’t already. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/33 "2013-08-14T22:34:41Z")
> [@gonzoron](#): > > \*Starship Troopers, \*The Moon is a Harsh Mistress I agree with others: if these are among your favorites, you definitely need to read more Heinlein: both the “juveniles,” and the earlier, more concise adult novels (like _Door Into Summer_ or _Double Star_). I also agree that, if you haven’t read many short stories, you should, and the _Hall of Fame_ is a great place to start. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/34 "2013-08-14T22:52:56Z")
Thanks all for the recommendations. As soon as I finish my current obsession (The Dresden Files) I’ll dig into them. > [@Future\_Londonite](#): > > Hyperion (Dan Simmons) - proceed with sequals on your own peril 🙂 Ooh! that one’s on my shelf. My wife loved it. I’ve been meaning to give it a try eventually. > [@Chronos](#): > > Your Heinlein is also lacking: I don’t see any of his juveniles on that list. Hey, I’ve got a pretty good smattering! ( if you discount the short fiction and juveniles 😉 ) But you’re right. I was on a Heinlein kick about 10 years ago. I should probably get back to him. > [@](#): > > I’m also seeing a shortage of short story collections, which some might argue are the most natural medium for science fiction. I’ve read a bunch of them, but the problem is they don’t stick for me. I read them, I enjoy them, and then I forget them. Then I pick one up and start reading and everything seems very familiar, like I’ve read it before. Because I usually have. 🙂 > [@simster](#): > > Zelazny - pick up some of the short story collections - My Name is Legion or Last Defender of Camelot. Hmm… yeah, I like his work in _Wild Cards_, but haven’t touched his solo stuff. > [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Connie Willis’ time-travel novels thoroughly invigorate that genre. Oh yeah, Doomsday Book is one of my all-time favorites, but I didn’t consider her stuff to be old enough to be “classic.” Though I see that Doomsday Book just hit 20 years old! wow! I’m getting old. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > **Neuromancer** by William Gibson Read it. It’s in the OP. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > **The Dragonriders of Pern** (first trilogy) by Anne McCaffrey I’m scared. It’s just so massive. It has the whiff of a churned out scifi/fantasy melange. Is it really good? At least to start? > [@Keweenaw](#): > > Neal Stephenson - Snow Crash I’ve read the Diamond Age. Snow Crash is on my todo shelf. > [@Shodan](#): > > You also appear a little light on old old sci-fi - if you have not read _The Time Machine_ or _The War of the Worlds_ you need to do so. Likewise _20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_. Yup, TTM and TWOTW are in the OP. 20,000 Leaugues is a good option, I think. All I know about it comes from League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. 🙂 I don’t know if I’ve read any Verne at all. Definitely a gap there. > [@Tangent](#): > > _Contact_ - Sagan - opinions will vary widely on this one. I loved it. Read it. Liked it. > [@Tangent](#): > > _The Andromeda Strain_ - Crichton - a lot of his stuff should be skipped, but I’d consider this one a classic story. Hmm… Jurassic Park was so “meh” (after seeing the movie) that I never went back to Chrichton. Maybe I should. > [@Andy\_L](#): > > I wasn’t sure what the threshold for “classic” was, but Fire is older than some of the books the OP listed as classics… Well, I did put stuff on there that was fairly new, but only if it was a sequel to something older. For the record, I don’t think Shadow of the Hegemon is a classic, for example, but Ender’s Game is, and I wanted to forestall people from listing sequels that I’ve already read. Fire Upon the Deep is borderline, apparently being released the same year as Doomsday Book. I was originally thinking 25-30 years and older, but 20 is probably “a new classic”. > [@LawMonkey](#): > > I frequently hear _ **The Man in the High Castle** _ recommended, though I’ve not read it myself. Read it. It’s in the OP. But it was pretty good. I should try some more Dick. er… you know what I mean. > [@](#): > > Oh, speaking of short stories, you could do worse than to dip your toe into a little bit of Harlan Ellison. Hrm… yeah, Ellison’s well-known antics turn me off a bit, but I guess I should at least try something from him beyond City on the Edge of Forever (which, yes, I know was butchered according to his account). ---
**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:** [August 14, 2013, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/35 "2013-08-14T23:57:14Z")
> [@gonzoron](#): > > Well, I did put stuff on there that was fairly new, but only if it was a sequel to something older. For the record, I don’t think Shadow of the Hegemon is a classic, for example, but Ender’s Game is, and I wanted to forestall people from listing sequels that I’ve already read. Fire Upon the Deep is borderline, apparently being released the same year as Doomsday Book. I was originally thinking 25-30 years and older, but 20 is probably “a new classic”. Yep. “Fire Upon the Deep” was published the same year as “Doomsday Books” - they tied for Best Novel Hugo. How about “The Peace War” by Vinge, and “Protector” by Niven. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/36 "2013-08-15T00:04:46Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Try reading some of Heinlein’s juveniles… Abso-fraggin-lutely. > [@](#): > > Asimov IS quite dry, and if you didn’t like Foundation, you might never like him. Asimov was very good with short stories, though. I think that I liked his Black Widower series best of all, though they were mystery, rather than SF. I don’t quite agree that Foundation defines Asimov. I love many of his novels and have repeatedly failed to get through a re-read of Foundation. (It sometimes seems to be all the characters sitting around talking about what did/might/could happen, with almost zero actual, you know, action.) Try the Caves of Steel/Daneel Olivaw books, at least the first three. Things went downhill for most Asimov when he tried extending and combining his series late in life. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/37 "2013-08-15T00:31:41Z")
> [@gonzoron](#): > > Read it. It’s in the OP. But it was pretty good. I should try some more Dick. er… you know what I mean. > > Hrm… yeah, Ellison’s well-known antics turn me off a bit, but I guess I should at least try something from him beyond City on the Edge of Forever (which, yes, I know was butchered according to his account). And here I was about to snark at people for recommending _ **Neuromancer** _. :smack: So far as Ellison goes, look at it this way: Ellison gets away with acting the way he does because of his writing. That counts as pretty high praise, when you think about it. 😃 ---
**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:** [August 15, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/38 "2013-08-15T00:31:55Z")
Re **Dragonriders of Pern** > [@gonzoron](#): > > I’m scared. It’s just so massive. It has the whiff of a churned out scifi/fantasy melange. Is it really good? At least to start? The first three books (in order published) are great adventures. **Dragonflight, Dragonquest** and **The White Dragon** really pull you along (though the latter is a slight dropoff). The Harper Hall Trilogy ( **Dragonsong, Dragonsinger,** and **Dragondrums** are also high quality. They’re more a YA version of matters and some of the books take place simultaneously with the first trilogy. The next book chronologically is **Moreta, Dragon Lady of Pern** which is good, but the entire story was covered in the previous books. From then, you take your choice. If you really fell in love with the series, then keep reading. If not, end at **Moreta.** ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/39 "2013-08-15T00:56:15Z")
It sucks you in. Just read \*Dragonflight \*and see what you think- you don’t have to commit to the whole series. But nobody has mentioned Spider Robinson? He’s not really one of my favorites, but he’s quite popular and well respected. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/40 "2013-08-15T01:19:21Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > But nobody has mentioned Spider Robinson? > He’s not really one of my favorites, but he’s quite popular and well respected. Well… I can only think of two SR books I’d recommend without knowing the reader and being able to issue a few cautions. I think most readers who are going to like anything of his will enjoy _Mindkiller_ and the first Callahan’s story collection. Beyond that… _eeeyah_. There Be Dragons. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218.md?page=3)