I am a self professed fantasy junkie - have read all the major works, love to discover new authors, and naturally gravitate to the fantasy section of the store, (sadly, often in the corner). Having said that, this group has made me curious about sci fi. I've ordered Neuromancer and Ender's Game, but I don't know where to go next. Anyone with some suggestions?

Connie Willis
Lois McMaster Bujold

You might want to try some of Catherine Asaro's work. Her books are science fiction with a fantasy feel. In Conquest Born by C.S. Friedman would probably appeal to you too.

I have to admit that I really hated "Neuromancer". I know that's heresy, but I thought it was awful. However, I did like William Gibson's Pattern Recognition and The Difference Engine.

Sargasso of Space is good, old-fashioned SF fun. It's worth a look if you can still find it at the library.

I think the obvious place to go for a fantasy fanatic is to go to who you know -- therefore, Ursula LeGuin. Two of the finest sci-fi novels ever written are hers: The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed. Hope you like them.

Brad is absolutely right. "The Left Hand of Darkness" is a science fiction must-read. I've never read "The Dispossessed", but I do have a copy. I need to get to that.

A question about The Left Hand of Darkness - A Wizard of Earthsea left me pretty lukewarm towards LeGuin, should I still give Left Hand a shot? Is it different in style/tone?

Left Hand is a bit dense at the beginning, mostly because of the way LeGuin uses language to define her gender themes (although the rewards are immense once the density slips away), and it's been a loooooonnng time since I read Earthsea, but if I remember correctly the tone is completely different. Certainly the themes and message are totally different.

I really enjoyed the Dispossessed and found Left Hand of Darkness well worth the read but there's no question they are both a little bit challenging in their density. As Brad says, LeGuin was doing some creative and challenging things with language and while I really respect what she was doing it didn't necessarily make for a particularly easy read. If you are already iffy about LeGuin might want to try some of her more recent stuff, Voices or Powers. She's worked through to a more flexible, readable tone, although its still got a lot of depth.

Good suggestion, BunWat. Starting with either of those, if they became something one enjoyed, would undoubtedly lead back to the others too.

I think Connie Willis would be an excellent place to start for a fantasy buff. I would recommend starting with either The Doomsday Book (if you like big thick books and Medieval England) or To Say Nothing of the Dog (which has a more literary feel).

I love Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan series, but I never know where to advise folks to start. Definitely don't start with Falling Free, as it lacks much of what is most wonderful about the series.

I wouldn't rule out LeGuin's science fiction based on your feelings about Earthsea. I find the tone and style of her books vary greatly depending on her subject and purpose.

I would also recommend Neal Stephenson's Diamond Age.

I think Curse of Chalion may be the best thing Bujold has written so far, but its fantasy. Science fiction, I happened to start with A Civil Campaign and then devoured the whole rest of the Vorkosigan series in a few months.

Oh, Elizabeth Moon's Remnant Population is terrific. A really good first contact novel.

Dune by Frank Herbert is a must and Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson is terrific.

Thanks everyone - these sound great. Please tell me about more!

word up - Left Hand of Darkness is awesome (way better than Earthsea) but a bit weird for the sci-fi newbie. Do Ender's Game first, and then move on to these suggestions:

Wyrms by Orson Scott Card - an underappreciated treasure of the genre

The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester - can never be appreciated enough, for it is magnificent

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Young-adult sci-fi that is still fun for adults to read.

Then you should be all set to expand a bit and explore more meaty stuff, such as Dune and Left Hand.

Libbie, I don't think "Left Hand of Darkness" would be too weird at all for someone who is familiar with the fantasy genre. I think it's really an excellent cross-over novel.

L.E. Modesitt Jr. is a good fantasy author. His Recluse series is excellent.

Eddings David did well on the Belgariad (5 books), although it wouldn't hurt to skip the rest of the books in that series. I also liked the Elenium. Not Chaucer, but good, quick reads.