I want to read some sci fi

[Kayano]

I read a lot and generally all genres... I have however not read much sci fi (apart from the odd short story)

So please MN recommend me a good sci fi with starships and a rip roaring adventure please x

See, most SciFi isn't about spaceships.

I just reread The Martian Chronicles :). Set in 1999-2026. It is of its time, though, funny to see the merge of 1950s American culture & what they thought life would be like & the contrast with what life IS like now.

I think I preferred The Illustrated Man, if you get a choice.

Alien? Philip K Dick.

I know but I just fancy something old school. I've read hitchhikers and just want something with a good plot too that isn't 'all about spaceships' lol

I've got Ian M Banks the culture novels to read in a bit but I don't know why I'm putting it off lol

Old School: Asimov, Heinlein (especially Heinlein), Huxley.

My Ex loves Ian M Banks, says his books are mind blowing.

I second Philip K. Dick. Very readable, no spaceships. Quite a few of his have been made into movies: Blade Runner, Minority Report, Total Recall, A scanner Darkly...with varying faithfulness to the original books. 'Do androids dream of electric sheep' was quite different to the Bladerunner movie but loved them both equally. George Orwell's '1984' is a classic, and ' War of the worlds' H. G. Wells is worth reading...I know it's spaceships but is short and really interesting.

Yes, Iain M Banks, any of the Culture series. Against A Dark Background is probably the most rollicking of them, they're conceptual and very thought provoking as a series, but most ofte books are also strongly plot driven. They're also not sequential so can be read in any order.

I love the Iain M Banks sci-fi better than Iain Banks novels. Give Consider Phlebas a go (first Culture book)

Isaac Asimov is fantastic and you can get free/really cheap sci-fi classic in collections for kindle.

I've wanted to try Asimov as it sounded what I was looking for

You might like C.J. Cherryh's work. Try "Downbelow Station" or "Rimrunners".

Or try Larry Niven for classic, old-school spaceships'n'aliens stuff - "Footfall" really should be made into a movie some day, as should "Ringworld" and "The Mote in God's Eye".

If you want something a bit harder-science and epic of scale, Greg Bear's "Eon" is mind-blowing as is "Blood Music", and his "Forge of God"/"Anvil of Stars" series was extraordinary.

Yeah, get yourself into Asimov - read the Foundation Trilogy, everyone should.

"a good sci fi with starships and a rip roaring adventure"

2001: A Space Odyssey - Arthur C Clarke
Dune - Frank Herbert
Foundation - Asimov
Time Enough For Love - Robert Heinlein

All of the above are "old-school" sci-fi. As someone else said, the sci-fi written in the last 20 years or so tends to be more about life here on earth in the very near future. More about internet & technology's effect on our lives than space travel.

Ian M Banks writes brain-dead soap operas in space. I read about ten of his books before coming to the sad conclusion that he has never written a brilliant book and he never will. Player Of Games and Inversions were slightly better than his other books, iirc.

Don't agree about "Time Enough For Love". That was smack-bang in the middle of Heinlein's wibbley-wobbly timey-wimey alternate universe bilge themes as well as him being a lot more open about his, um, peculiar views of female sexuality.

His "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress" is a lot better IMO.

Player of Games was good. They're not great works, but I don't agree at all that they're brain dead.

DS is reading Arthur C Clarke's Rama books at the moment and is riveted. David Brin is good for a sweeping read, the Uplift Series.

No spaceships, but if you like it slightly rude and rock and roll, try the Gwyneth Jones Bold As Love books.

Could I tempt you towards sci-fi-fantasy?

For starships try Anne McAffrey's brainship books (eg the ship who sang), although if you will pass on starships particularly then try Restoree, or any of her books!

Also if you are willing to flex on the starships, how about Marion Zimmer Bradley's darkover chronicles?

Definitely Iain M Banks, incredible ideas and stories

Charles Stross (Singularity Sky and Iron Sunrise perhaps or Saturn's Children (re-reading right now) are all full of lovely spaceships and are really very well written IMO)

Or Peter F. Hamilton - fatter books, more epic, but still good.

Both of the above are modern science fiction authors, although I'd agree with anyone who's mentioned Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke etc.

Another vote for Iain M Banks culture series - superb!

alistair Reynolds is also very good.

Orson Scott Card, Enders game trilogy. It is a very accessible start to sci fi.

I really enjoyed the Player of Games- it was my first go at Iain M Banks after his more mainstream books. Easy to pick up the basic concepts of the world he created.

Dh is a big sci fi fan and he recommends

Revelation Space by Alistair Reynalds
Hyperion by Dan Symons
Foundation Trilogy by Asimov

These are well written accessible books for newbie sci fi readers. He said he would personally leave Ian M Banks as his books are quite complicated, same for Peter Hamilton.

I recently read Ringworld by Larry Niven which is proper old-school sci-fi - great storytelling and concepts. Asimov is good too. My only disclaimer is these can seem a little bit dated/sexist, you have to remember they're a product of their time I guess.

House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds.

Iain M Banks is fantastic, but I don't find him easy to read, not sure why but I have to concentrate and read carefully instead of skimming through as I do with some books!

Lois McMaster Bujold (Vorkosigan series) is pretty good. I like Sheri Tepper, though her stuff crosses over towards fantasy at times.

YY to Asimov, Heinlen, Frank Herbert's Dune series. Ursula LeGuin also not bad.

Ray Bradbury is not so much adventure, more stuff that makes you think.

lljkk as it happens I am re-reading The Martian Chronicles at the moment - it's in my handbag!

oooo yes, can I second the Hyperion Cantos - by Dan Simmons - although it makes me cry for plot-spoiling reasons I won't share.

I've just read Marion Zimmer Bradley's Survey Ship, really interesting, not too long, not at all what I was expecting. Set mostly on a spaceship but really about a small group of people setting off to explore space, and the dynamics between them.