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Original poster

Give me Sci-Fi…

35 replies

BeGoneSpoon · 21/07/2023 23:18

I haven’t read much sci fi and have found it intimidating in the past, but I loved The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. Can anyone recommend something similar? Spaceships, new worlds, new species, but with decent relationships and social commentary? Thank you.

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VittysCardigan · 03/08/2023 17:30

The Embers of War trilogy by Gareth Powell

snurtifier · 03/08/2023 16:57

Some of Kurt Vonnegut's sci-fi novels are very good, especially Cat's Cradle and The Sirens of Titan. No shortage of social commentary there.

I haven't read a lot of sci-fi since I was young but I remember James Blish as being very good. A Case of Conscience is a really interesting book.

category12 · 02/08/2023 23:19

nocoolnamesleft · 02/08/2023 23:11

The AI going live concept is interesting, but wanting young girls married off ridiculously young really spoiled it for me.

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Yeah, he had some dodgy af themes going on. But I think it's an interesting book with the independence of the loonies, AI and some of what it was trying to do.

nocoolnamesleft · 02/08/2023 23:11

category12 · 02/08/2023 23:07

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Heinlein. (not really woke but one of his best, imo, and Heinlein was one of the big names of sci fi).

Lock In by John Scalzi. Scalzi is pretty woke.

The AI going live concept is interesting, but wanting young girls married off ridiculously young really spoiled it for me.

category12 · 02/08/2023 23:07

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Heinlein. (not really woke but one of his best, imo, and Heinlein was one of the big names of sci fi).

Lock In by John Scalzi. Scalzi is pretty woke.

Cathpot · 02/08/2023 22:58

No one going to wave around Iain M Banks?? Culture novels- I started with Use of weapons , then Player of games. No particular order but those are my favourites and all the Culture novels set in same universe.

JaukiVexnoydi · 02/08/2023 22:56

Ursula le Guin as pp have already said.
The Sparrow and Children of God by Mary Doria Russell possibly the best SF ever (important to read both).
Some of my favourite SF books are Star Trek novels - I love The Pandora Principle, Spock's World and The Romulan Way.
Justina Robson.

CampervanKween · 02/08/2023 22:53

I really enjoyed The Expanse Series which they've also televised.

The Expanse is a 10 book (9 novels & 1 short fiction collection) science fiction series from James S.A. Corey, the pen name for a collaboration between Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck.

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 02/08/2023 22:49

I would strongly recommend Phillip K Dick's short stories.

Seconded.

SisyphusDad · 02/08/2023 22:40

I second Sheri S Tepper. Early on she wrote a great set of fantasy novels - Mavin Manyshaped if I remember correctly. She then wrote the Marianne trilogy: strong female lead. Highly recommended. Since then she's written a number of stand-alone novels with a very strong feminist slant, of which my great favourite is 'The Gate to Women's Country'.

TeaMeBasil · 02/08/2023 22:32

NewYear (it won't let me quote you) - I'm just reading 'To be Taught, If Fortunate' now, I'm getting withdrawals already as I'm halfway through. Lovely book.

Sausagenbacon · 02/08/2023 06:57

Under the Skin, as posted above. I really can't understand why it's not better known.
The CS Lewis trilogy is a completely different kettle of fish, but still great
I would strongly recommend Phillip K Dick's short stories. Not the novels (which, despite many of them being adapted as films, I don't think are very good).
There's loads of them, and you can quickly see whether he suits you.

granhands1 · 01/08/2023 22:59

Sheri S Tepper was one of my favourite SF authors, she writes excellent women characters

LilyRed · 01/08/2023 22:48

I've loved Becky Chambers books so far and I'd recommend Anne Leckie's Imperial Radch series - start with Ancillary Justice

NewYearNewUsername23 · 01/08/2023 21:52

TeaMeBasil · 01/08/2023 14:01

Oh this is good timing - I'm on the last of Becky Chambers Wayfarers series and absolutely loved them. Amazing world building. Need something similar too.

Has anyone ready her monk & robot series? I've not tried it but wasn't sure if it would be as good as Wayfarers....?

I haven’t read Monk and Robot but her stand alone novella, To Be Taught if Fortunate is fab.

Mary Robinette Kowal’s The Lady Astronaut series is great too.

Codlingmoths · 01/08/2023 14:21

Everything Adrian Tchaikovsky, I’ve recently discovered him and he’s excellent.

Hyperion100 · 01/08/2023 14:19

Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

New worlds, new species, social commentary, female lead.

BigFatLiar · 01/08/2023 14:16

If you want to try something more contemporary try the Backyard Starship series. Reasonable characters and both make and female ones seem quite strong charactes.

IHeartGeneHunt · 01/08/2023 14:15

Under the Skin by Michel Faber, it's absolutely nothing like the film at all, and it's brilliant. Disturbing and stays with you a long time.

TeaMeBasil · 01/08/2023 14:01

Oh this is good timing - I'm on the last of Becky Chambers Wayfarers series and absolutely loved them. Amazing world building. Need something similar too.

Has anyone ready her monk & robot series? I've not tried it but wasn't sure if it would be as good as Wayfarers....?

nocoolnamesleft · 31/07/2023 21:24

Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series has a fair bit about relationships/character development/social mores/culture clash.

SaturdayGiraffe · 30/07/2023 07:59

Aurora by KSR.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aurora-Kim-Stanley-Robinson/dp/0356500462

Exloony · 30/07/2023 07:56

Here's a few ideas

Childhood's End - Arthur C Clarke. A real classic from the 50s.

Anything by John Wyndham, particularly Day of the Triffids.

For something newer, the Red Rising books by Pierce Brown. A sort of dystopia on Mars.

Anything by Ursula K Le Guin

pollyhemlock · 22/07/2023 10:54

Yes to China Mieville. Try Vonda MacIntyre’s Dreamsnake which has a very strong female lead.