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What we're reading

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

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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.

OP posts:

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 02/08/2023 22:49

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

Seconded.

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.

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.

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.

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.

CampervanKween · 02/08/2023 23:08

Also loved The Company series by Kage Baker. Good strong female characters in this series.

https://www.goodreads.com/series/41665-the-company

The Company Series by Kage Baker

The Company series written by Kage Baker consists of 12 novels and 5 novellas released between 1997 and 2012. La compañía del tiempo, Die Ufer der Neuen ...

https://www.goodreads.com/series/41665-the-company

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 23:19

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.

Show quote history

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.

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.

VittysCardigan · 03/08/2023 17:30

The Embers of War trilogy by Gareth Powell

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