Good Sci Fi?

[Alyssa]

I'm looking for some good sci-fi. I'm a fantasy reader and I really appreciate reading about strange alien races, planets etcetera.

If anyone knows the Chanur Saga by C J Cherryh, I thought that was a great story so perhaps you know something similar?

Thanks!

[Trike]

Have you read the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey? While I class them technically as Fantasy, they are a near-perfect transitionary series to go from Fantasy to Science Fiction.

The first three are the best (and White Dragon is one of my all-time favorites). They've been reprinted a few times now and there are a couple omnibus editions.

Dragonflight
Dragonquest
The White Dragon

Her son has made a cottage industry out of the series, but I've only read a couple of the others. Personally, I'd stop after the first three.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonri...

For The White Dragon, Michael Whelan created one of the all-time iconic covers. It's practically brimming with implied adventures ahead.



Large image: http://www.dana-mad.ru/gal/images/Mic...

[Jenelle]

I don't know the story you posted, but I tend to prefer fantasy myself, or fantasy-esque sci fi, and some of my favorite sci-fi's are:

-Star of the Guardians by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
-Anything by Timothy Zahn (specifically The Icarus Hunt, Angelmass, and any of his Star Wars books)
-Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov (can't really recommend the rest of the series, but Prelude was really good)
-Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (I prefer the series about Bean (Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant, etc) to the Ender series... but it's hard to read the Bean story without first reading the Ender story...
-Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (a classic, and more on of a comedy than anything else)

[Tasha]

I've not read the book you mention but here are my recommendations:
1. On Basilisk Station and the rest of the Honor books by David Weber
2. Shards of Honour and the rest of the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold

[David]

I'd recommend just about any novel by Jack Vance, who was a consummate stylist. For pure SF adventure, start with his Demon Prince series. Also try his other series: Planet of Adventure. If you enjoy fantasy, his Lyonesse novels cannot be missed, nor his novels set on "The Dying Earth".

[Silvio]

I haven't read the Chanur books, but I'm guessing Trike's recommendation of the Dragonrider books is spot on. You might also enjoy Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End or Iain M. Banks's Culture novels.

And Ender's Game is great, of course.

[Igor]

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey, first book in Expanse series. There is 2nd one too and third one coming 4th of June.

[Kevis]

I'd recommend you read Dune. I can't think of another book that I'd recommend more to a fantasy reader looking to dive into some great science fiction reads.

[Ric]

The China Miéville series that includes Perdido Street Station and The Scar are a natural extension from Cherryh.

[Amy]

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K LeGuin is a very heady encounter with a deeply alien culture. I agree with Kevis about Dune, it's epic and majestic. The Dancers at the end of time by Michael Moorcock, romantic and baroque. Alfred Bester's Tiger, Tiger is an amazing saga and so deeply strange an unique. Phillip K. Dick is brilliant and twisted.

[Carolyn]

I recommend the Darkover series by Marion Zimmer Bradley and the Pern series by Anne McCaffrey, both of which are hotly contested as to whether they are scifi or fantasy in the first place, so they should be enjoyable reads for you. (I come down on the scifi side. :). I recommend skipping all the ones with her son's name though.
I loved the Chanur books too, based on them, I would also recommend:
The Fuzzy books by H. Beam Piper, with the follow up by John Scalzi
The Color of Distance and sequel Through Alien Eyes
A Woman of the Iron People
The Liaden Universe series by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
The Sector General series by James White
Uncharted Territory by Connie Willis
Playing God by Sarah Zettel
The Web Shifters series by Julie E. Czerneda
Phylogenesis series and the Pip & Flinx books by Alan Dean Foster
This Alien Shore,
And one of my favorites:
The Sholan Alliance series by Lisanne Norman

[Alyssa]

Some awesome suggestions thanks guys! All of them added to my to read list!

I've already read and loved Dune (Ya Hya Chouhada!)

[Jed]

God's War. One of my favorites by a new, modern author, Sci-Fi, aliens, slight fantastical elements. Very violent. Beautifully constructed world.


Josh wrote: "I'm looking for some good sci-fi. I'm a fantasy reader and I really appreciate reading about strange alien races, planets etcetera.

If anyone knows the Chanur Saga by C J Cherryh, I thought that w..."

[Chris]

The Curse of Europa by David Kayser is an interesting read and the ending is different from most.

[Dale]

The "Imager" series by L E Modisett Jr is an excellent read.