Looking for some new Hard SC-FI

[David]

Paul wrote: "Until reading this thread I hadn't come across the term "hard sci-fi". Now having read several definitions above I don't know which category my writing falls into. It seems I write books which over..."

Paul:
I self-published my first novel last year and have had similar questions and issues about category. Just yesterday I described my near-future (2080 A.D.) novel as: “a mildly dystopian military sci-fi action/adventure with a Western feel.” When pressed, I call it “sci-fi” even though there are no aliens or spaceships in the story.

Your description of what you write sounds a lot like my favorite style—a good example being: “The Mote in God’s Eye” by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. That novel has an interesting sci-fi themed backdrop (First Contact with Aliens) experienced through an ensemble cast of characters, and the science in the story is realistic—“realistic” being a key for me and for my definition of “hard” sci-fi.

I have a completed, 120,000-word draft of a sci-fi novel that I deliberately based on the formula of “The Mote in God’s Eye” (sci-fi themed backdrop, large ensemble cast, realistic science) although the plot and storyworld are completely different. I plan on categorizing it as hard sci-fi. It may be that the publishing industry intends for novels with this formula to be categorized as “space opera,” but my concern there is, when I think space opera, I think of George Lucas’ Star Wars. Star Wars is a fun story, but I prefer a sprawling space drama that is more adult and is based on more realistic science. Does that mean we need a sub-sub genre for separating hard space opera from soft space opera? My head is spinning...
--Dave Couzins
Domers

[Dale]

Defining "hard sci-fi" vs. the other type is easy. E.E."Doc" Smith wrote both. The Skylark series is technically "hard" sci-fi since it revolves around gadgets etc. while the Lensman series goes the other way.

[Mawgojzeta]

Mary JL wrote: "Jay: Cordwainer Smith and Zenna Henderson are not well known today , which is a shame. Both are excellent writers."

I second that!

[J.M.]

Brett wrote: "Timothy Zahn is a great writer overall. I'd like to see more of his work.
I have especially liked his Frank Compton series and his Cobra series."

Ditto. In particular, Zahn's stuff from the '80s is awesome.

[Stuart]

Sean Williams' Geodesica, Orphans of Earth and Astropolis series are all reasonably hard

[Selso]

If you're a Hamilton fan, I'd STRONGLY recommend John Meaney's 'Absorption'.

It's absolutely first rate hard SF and you'd almost think you were reading Hamilton himself. Similar tone and themes.

[Michele]

Has anyone mentioned the Galactic Milieu books by Julian May yet?

Also anything by Asimov and Robert Heinlein.

[Kenneth Kwame]

Michele, what about Piers Anthony or Arthur Clarke?

[Peter]

How about Einstein's Bridge. This book is pretty hard SF with the quantum tunneling and stuff. A very interesting read. "In a newborn twenty-first century, tunnels through spacetime have connected our planet with hitherto unimagined alternate universes. After many years, the genius minds working at the SSC project have reached out into the vast cosmos to achieve their greatest dream: contact. But with whom. . .or what? And at what cost?"

Also, this one is older Thrice Upon a Time and it has a romance angle, but still hard SF time travel.

[Saul]

Not sure how popular Greg Egan is, but he's really a fantastic Hard Scifi writer. I would think can't go wrong with any of his books, but if you want to just give it a try, read Luminous, a compilation of some great work. Highly recommended by...er...me.

[Reads with Scotch]

Wow, I have really missed out on some good conversation here. I really need to make more of an effort in participating in this group. Cheers.

[Paul]

So, if my understanding of this discussion is right(and I'm really not sure) my books are "hard scifi" insofar as the science is a sensible/realistic prediction on current tech (not going too far into the future), it's very close to the core of the story and forms an important part of the plot, but they are "space opera" genre because of the scale, range of characters and the scope of the plot. Whether fans of hard scifi would enjoy my books or not might depend on what aspects of it they are after.

Personally I think they would enjoy them, but I guess that doesn't count for much as I'm the author!

[Reads with Scotch]

Your, book sounds right up my alley.

[Brett]

A recent release that I feel to be exceptional is Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey. The sequel, Caliban's War is out now.
Good hard sci-fi and definitely in the space opera genre as well.

[Bill]

Another suggestion for hard SF is Stephen Baxter's Flood and Arc which are almost reboots of When World's Collide and After World's Collide which I also recommend. The former written in the noughties, the later in the thirties. Together they'd make a good compare and contrast group read.

[Stephen]

At the risk of being self serving I would like to recommend my novel Tinker’s Plague as hard sf. It is a post apocalyptic medical political thriller with very realistic tech mostly predicated on things that we either have and are under utilising or are in the prototype stage of today. No space ships and a lot of subsistence labour. Give it a try the first chapter as available on my web site: www.stephenpearl.com

Tinker's Plague