# 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:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/41 "2013-08-15T01:22:12Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > _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_. \ That’s what I was going to recommend - it took me far too long to get around to this book, and it is fantastic. I didn’t just read it; I relished it. > [@gonzoron](#): > > \ > > 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. 🙂 \ I’m glad it’s not just me who does this. 🙂 I do love short stories, though - perfect for a before-bed read. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/42 "2013-08-15T05:03:20Z")
Asimov wasn’t great to start with, and hasn’t aged well. However, as others have said, “The Gods Themselves” is a fine novel and well worth reading. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/43 "2013-08-15T06:07:36Z")
It wasn’t clear from the OP: did you read _Dune_, or did you come into the series at _Chapterhouse_? If you were just going to read one, the first one is definitely the one to read. I quite like a lot of Azimov’s stuff. I’d say _The Gods Themselves_ is a better start than _Foundation_. I’d also recommend _Nightfall_ (the short story) if you can find it. As for Niven, I loved his exploratory essays and the early known space stuff. His “Gil the ARM” series is good, too. His essay, _Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex_, had me quite literally laughing out loud. Is _Ringworld Engineers_ the only one of that series you’ve read? I think the first _Ringworld_ book was better. I don’t remember the first story that introduced Pak Protectors, but it’s a unique concept in SF. I’d agree with the _Dragonriders of Pern_ recommendation. Do the first trilogy and decide whether you want to keep going. It is science fiction that reads like fantasy, though, so if you’re looking for hard SF, this probably isn’t your thing. Even though it’s dated, see if you can find _The Complete Venus Equilateral_ by George Smith. Great early science fiction with plenty of science (well, mostly tech, but that counts). My favorite Heinlein book is _Time Enough for Love_. It’s a massive tome, but it’s well worth it. Where to start with Spider Robinson? His stuff is all over the map. I’d say read _Time Travelers Strictly Cash_. If you don’t find anything in there you like, you probably won’t like any of his. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/44 "2013-08-15T07:12:17Z")
Bester, Brin and Banks. and Le Guin and Cherryh. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/45 "2013-08-15T09:29:15Z")
I love _Time Enough for Love_, but it might be a little confusing if you have not already read _Methuselah’s Children_. And _Methuselah’s Children_ might be a little confusing if you have not already read _Revolt in 2100_. I would also recommend _Space Cadet_ and _The Rolling Stones_ (the latter because it features the original tribbles, and Hazel from _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_ as a curmudgeonly old grandmother.) I would also recommend any collection of Harlan Ellison short stories. He was doing twist endings long before M. Night Shyamalan made it a joke. Also read some of his essays. He may be a jerk, but he is a highly entertaining jerk. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/46 "2013-08-15T11:06:15Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:43, topic:666218”] It wasn’t clear from the OP: did you read _Dune_, or did you come into the series at _Chapterhouse_? If you were just going to read one, the first one is definitely the one to read… His essay, _Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex_, had me quite literally laughing out loud. Is _Ringworld Engineers_ the only one of that series you’ve read? I think the first _Ringworld_ book was better. [/QUOTE] Yes, the “-” above is meant to be “through” and the “,” is “and”. Neither is “,the series, of which I’ve read only these:” It would be a strange read indeed to come into Dune starting with Chapterhouse! :eek:😕 I’ve also read Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex, as every good comic geek should. ---
**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 15, 2013, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/47 "2013-08-15T11:27:27Z")
> [@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… Heh. I tend to think of “classic” SF as “anything I read as a minor”, that is, anything that was published before the mid 70s. My grandfather had an extensive SF library, and he let me browse through most of it, so I was pretty heavily influenced by his tastes. If he bought something and regarded it as too modern, he’d usually pass it on to me, though, so I wasn’t completely overwhelmed by Engineer Porn. ---
**Author:** ![OtisCampbellWasRight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d78d45/32.png) [@OtisCampbellWasRight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtisCampbellWasRight)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/48 "2013-08-15T11:42:50Z")
James P. Hogan has written some gems. The \*Giant Star \*series is amazing, as is the \*Code of the Lifemaker \*series. Some of the material is a little dated, e.g. the USA relationship with “The Soviets,” but that is a minor detail. Real page-turners. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/49 "2013-08-15T12:31:49Z")
Absolutely read _Downbelow Station_ by CJ Cherryh. And the best sci-fi parodies ever, _Bill the Galactic Hero_ and _Star Smashers of the Galaxy Rangers_, both by Harry Harrison. Also by Harrison – the _Deathworld_ trilogy, which Spielberg ripped off as the basis for that fuckin’’ awful _Avatar_, and is about a thousand times better than it. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/50 "2013-08-15T13:27:53Z")
Datedness is not an issue for me. Heck, if it’s dated, it’s classic almost by definition, isn’t it? 😉 After all, I’m enjoying Lensmen, for goodness sake, and it reads like a sci-fi film noir, complete with brassy dames and strong-chinned tough guys. 🙂 And as mentioned, I love The Doomsday Book forever and ever… even a huge portion of the plot could be avoided if Willis had predicted the ubiquity of cellphones. ---
**Author:** ![Molesworth\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@Molesworth\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Molesworth_2)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/51 "2013-08-15T21:26:30Z")
Julian May’s four-book “Saga of the Exiles”, “Intervention”, and most importantly her “Galactic Milieu” trilogy. Some of the greatest characters in sci-fi history, as shown by a wonderful storyteller, in a tale that lasts six million years. Atoning Unifex and “Jack the Bodiless” FTFW. ---
**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, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/52 "2013-08-15T21:31:51Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Also by Harrison – the _Deathworld_ trilogy, which Spielberg ripped off as the basis for that fuckin’’ awful _Avatar_, and is about a thousand times better than it. I highly concur with the recommendation - the second book is especially outstanding - but if there’s a connection to Avatar I am completely missing it. ---
**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 15, 2013, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/53 "2013-08-15T23:27:38Z")
And I don’t think Spielberg had anything to do with _Avatar_. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![MrQwertyasd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@MrQwertyasd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrQwertyasd)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/54 "2013-08-15T23:52:50Z")
Stainless Steel Rat - Harry Harrison, Deathworld was good too +1 Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury Non-Stop (Aldiss) ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218/55 "2013-08-16T03:58:37Z")
> [@MrQwertyasd](#): > > Stainless Steel Rat - Harry Harrison I don’t know how I forgot that one. It would drive the pure science fiction crowd crazy, I suppose, but I love the crossovers, and this has as much noir tough guy in it as it does science fiction. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-classic-sci-fi-should-i-read-next/666218.md?page=2)