ALL SCI-FI *Shelf Up* [closed]

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

fiction-scifi -space-tech-old skool

What books do you highly recommend & want to see on this group shelf?

We can do a poll once the thread's been up a while.

[Riona]

I second The Left Hand of Darkness and another LeGuin, The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia. I'd also add The Martian Chronicles, though I'm due for a re-read.

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

Thanks. I'm thinking of maybe having two sci-fi shelves, one for the older style hard-scifi and one for specifically near-future sci-fi. What do people think?

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

I think the difference I see is that near-future is based on tech that exists now. Older sci-fi is more highly speculative, and often less detailed, because they didn't know how the basic frameworks (like the Internet, cloud computing etc) would work then.

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

I reckon Derek could probably help me articulate this much better!

[Derek]

Ruby wrote: "I reckon Derek could probably help me articulate this much better!"

Probably not :-( I tend to agree that "Older sci-fi is more highly speculative" (it's rather guaranteed - if someone wrote a speculative novel in 1900 that accurately detailed life in 2000, we'd probably (a) find it boring; and (b) no longer think of it as SF). But then you said "one for the older style hard-scifi ", and hard SF is a different kettle of fish.

I'm having my own battle with "Hard SF" right now, because I'm reading The Quantum Thief, which is claimed (not afaict by the author) to be "Hard SF". imo, hard SF needs to be based on currently known laws of Physics. I think this means it can't be subject to Clarke's (third) Law. While I'm enjoying the book, I keep getting distracted by the fact that I don't consider it hard SF: hand waving while chanting "Quantum physical effect" puts it pretty squarely into the realm of a technology indistinguishable from magic.

[Nathan]

One of my favourite books ever is The Positronic Man by Isaac Asimov. It's one of the few books that I've read more than once. And it qualifies under both "older" and "tech" sci-fi in this shelf.

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

Yeah, I don't disagree with anything that's been said here. I did realise I shouldn't have used the term "hard sci-fi".... after I misused it. :)

If you like we can lump all the sci-fi together. Personally, I much prefer the near-future sci-fi. That's the distinction I was going for.

[Derek]

Jim wrote: "I think The Four Lords of the Diamond belongs here somewhere. "

LOL. That goes under under "guilty-pleasures-by-authors-with-strange-sexual-kinks". [I actually own most of his books...]

I agree though that it's impossible to determine where SF ends and fantasy starts, particularly with Chalker.

[Petra]

I second The Foundation Trilogy.
I'd also add John Wyndham's books. They are "real world-real people" stories with a dystopian or speculative twist, set in some undefined near future. If we had to choose one or two for the shelf, I'd recommend The Chrysalids, Chocky, Web or The Day of the Triffids.

[Derek]

Jim wrote: "I've never read anything else by him strangely enough. Any recommendations?"

I think my favorites were the Soul Rider series, though my first exposure was Well of Souls, and that got me hooked.

[Tom]

I just reread Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, speculative fiction at its finest, with sleek hard-boiled veneer. You can find the text online here

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

Just a heads up that I'm hoping to put the first batch of books up on the Sci-Fi Shelf this weekend some time. So if you have any extra suggestions for the first wave of books to hit the shelf, post them here..

FYI- I'm planning on including the nominations from the near-future/cyberpunk thread in together with this lot too.

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

I'm just about to change the title of this thread to plain ole "Sci-Fi". If there are books people haven't added because they weren't "older/hard-scifi/speculative".... now would be a good time to add them before I put the first version of the shelf up :)

[Peter]

Ruby wrote: "Just a heads up that I'm hoping to put the first batch of books up on the Sci-Fi Shelf this weekend some time. So if you have any extra suggestions for the first wave of books to hit the shelf, pos..."

I was always struck by a Gregory Benford book called Timescape. It is meant to be a sequel to The Time Machine and begins the day after the original character returns home. He spent a great deal of time ensuring that the voice of the writer was as close as one can get to HG Wells' Victorian vocabulary but includes more contemporary theories of time-travel and paradox situations that Wells couldn't have dreamt of. A nice juxtaposition.

[ceeeeg]

not familiar with most of these, but i give a hearty second for The Martian Chronicles, which is a long time fav...i am due for a re-read myself...

i recently finished Cinder, which was a fun lil read combining sci-fi with the classic fairy tale....it was an easy read with a fresh twist...not the best written or most intellectual outing, but if you like fairy tales (and i love them!) and need a lil light reading for poolside this summer, this is prob a good pick...

[ceeeeg]

checking back in here as a series comes to mind that really deserves mention/nomination...can't believe i did not think of it when i was here before...

City of Golden Shadow
River of Blue Fire
Mountain of Black Glass
Sea of Silver Light

truly original, could it really happen? epic piece of work...Williams is a fav author of mine, usually dabbles more in the fantasy side of 'fantasy/sci-fi,' which is usually my preferred genre of the two as well, but in this case, this series is my favorite in his list of titles...

[Derek]

pip wrote: "i recently finished Cinder, which was a fun lil ..."

That one caught my eye a few weeks back, but I forgot to add it to my TBR, thanks.

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

A few more last minute additions before the shelf goes up. Although some are probably mentioned in the near-future sci-fi thread, which I'll combine with this lot anyway.

Feed and Feed - Yup both flavours.
And one of the novellas from Mira Grant's Newsflesh books, which is particularly science based - Countdown.

Neuromancer and Idoru

Also, a novella that's the first part of a (hopefully) soon to be released serialised novel. Much as I hate this format, the story is awesome, and I can't wait to see where the rest of it goes. I'll be devastated if he doesn't follow through with this series!
Rx - Episode 1: The Blackouts

Also Deathbird Stories by Harlan Ellison.

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

A couple of last minute prompts, while I add the last few books to the shelf....
*What about "infection scenario" sci-fi? There seems to be a lot of it about....
*Or maybe some of the Twilight-Zonesque short stories?
*Any anthologies people loved?
*Does anyone nominate The Quantum Thief, Ringworld, Transmission or anything by Charles Stross? I can't but I had the feeling that others might want to!
*Is there anything by Mieville that people would recommend and fits the sci-fi theme? I've only read Perdido Street Station & The Scar. Both have science elements, but do we think either fit here?

I know this thread started out as one thing and morphed into a general sci-fi thread, so I think we may have missed some books in other sub-genres.

FYI - Where people have mentioned series, I have put up the first book in the series only, on the assumption that most people would want to start with book one anyway. If people have only mentioned a particular book in the series (like Idoru - book 2 in a series), I have just entered the book mentioned. Let me know if you don't like that approach.

[ceeeeg]

i think 'infection' tales...

well, it depends on how 'sciency' they are, i guess...

for instance, King's 'The Stand' is an 'infection' tale, but falls more naturally into the horror category as it does not really concentrate on the science factor...

while Coma would, i think, maybe ride on the line between the two genres because it does rely more heavily on the science involved...

but neither of these is exactly my usual in terms of genre reading...

i noted that you really like Mieville, Ruby...

commenting on your question regarding his work...

i have only read The City and the City by him so i only have that to go on...

there were certainly sci/fi elements, but again, i did not see it as the main thrust and would categorize it as more of a dystopian fantasy...

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

Fair enough. Thanks, Pip.

The shelf is up here: http://www.goodreads.com/group/booksh...

There's a new thread for sci-fi books, so comments, edits, more suggestions can go in there. Thanks guys! :)