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Posted: |
Aug 14, 2020 - 9:27 PM
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By: |
Xebec
(Member)
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I don't read too much science-fiction and mainly it is from the 50s-70s.
I've read quite a few Philip K. Dick - enjoying them all to various degrees, even the mostly terrible Lies, Inc.
and the Strugatsky Brothers' the excellent Hard to Be a God and Roadside Picnic. I have a few more of those on order
and the Best of John W Campbell, which includes Who goes There which i liked a lot, and Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, which is great till the huge letdown of an ending. The Book of Skulls by Robert Silverberg, was problematic, but interesting and more like a late 60s road trip book.
The only modern sci-fi i can recall reading was The Martian, which i really rather enjoyed, though it goes off the rails a bit at the end.
I just wondered if anyone had any sci-fi novel recommendations. The Sci-fi Masterworks that i think might be by Orion Publishing are everywhere but i don't know which to take risks on.
Quite a few seem interesting like Hyperion by Dan Simmons and other titles. Dune seems too massive for me to get into, though everyone seems to love it, i'm not sure i have the capacity to concentrate for that long on one book any more, as much as i'd like to.
I just wondered if anyone had read anything good they would recommend.
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Posted: |
Aug 15, 2020 - 7:04 AM
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By: |
Last Child
(Member)
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I don't read too much science-fiction and mainly it is from the 50s-70s.
I've read quite a few Philip K. Dick - enjoying them all to various degrees, even the mostly terrible Lies, Inc.
and the Strugatsky Brothers' the excellent Hard to Be a God and Roadside Picnic. I have a few more of those on order
and the Best of John W Campbell, which includes Who goes There which i liked a lot, and Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, which is great till the huge letdown of an ending. The Book of Skulls by Robert Silverberg, was problematic, but interesting and more like a late 60s road trip book.
The only modern sci-fi i can recall reading was The Martian, which i really rather enjoyed, though it goes off the rails a bit at the end.
I just wondered if anyone had any sci-fi novel recommendations. The Sci-fi Masterworks that i think might be by Orion Publishing are everywhere but i don't know which to take risks on.
Quite a few seem interesting like Hyperion by Dan Simmons and other titles. Dune seems too massive for me to get into, though everyone seems to love it, i'm not sure i have the capacity to concentrate for that long on one book any more, as much as i'd like to.
I just wondered if anyone had read anything good they would recommend.
If you liked "Who goes there?" (btw, an earlier longer draft is now available called "Frozen Hell") because it's both scifi and suspenseful horror, you might enjoy "Earth Has Been Found" aka Xeno. The author D.F. Jones wrote several end-of-civilization novels (like "Colossus Forbin Project" and "Implosion" which pre-dates "Children of Men"). But "Earth Has Been Found" is the only one I've kept and re-read. His books are easy-reading page-turners (plot driven), and this one would make a good movie. Avoid reading reviews since they'll have spoilers.
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I haven't read the story it's based on, but Predestination is indeed a pretty trippy and fascinating film. Recommended for a watch.
Some of my favorite sci-fi lit apart from those mentioned includes:
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress - Robert A. Heinlein
Contact - Carl Sagan
At the Mountains of Madness - H.P. Lovecraft
The Time Machine - H.G. Wells
Neuromancer - William Gibson
The Diamond Age - Neal Stephenson
Also just finished The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. Pretty intriguing stuff. The Vietnam War as science fiction with U.S. space marines invading and bringing war to beings on distant planets in a strife that spans centuries.
And Michael Crichton, while far from the greatest writer of prose, is ever reliable for his thoughts on cutting-edge developments in science and their philosophical implications—and he sure knows how to keep you turning over the page. His books really are meant to be read passing through airports, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Jurassic Park, Timeline, The Terminal Man... I'm looking forward to reading Sphere and Micro, both for the first time.
Also looking forward to Stephenson's Snow Crash, which is hailed as one of his best books.
Can't go wrong with Ray Bradbury or Richard Matheson either. Two giants of the 50s/60s.
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Good call on The Invisible Man. That was my favorite along with The Time Machine when I read through Wells' greatest works.
And perhaps this is more horror than science fiction, though it crosses genres, but Max Brooks' World War Z truly is a fantastic read and relevant now more than ever with our current pandemic. Ground zero of the zombie outbreak even takes place in rural China, believe it or not.
Of Philip K. Dick, I've only read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Loved it, though it's a totally different animal from the film. For someone who enjoyed Do Androids Dream...?, where would you recommend exploring next with PKD?
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Posted: |
Aug 15, 2020 - 6:27 PM
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By: |
Xebec
(Member)
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Good call on The Invisible Man. That was my favorite along with The Time Machine when I read through Wells' greatest works.
And perhaps this is more horror than science fiction, though it crosses genres, but Max Brooks' World War Z truly is a fantastic read and relevant now more than ever with our current pandemic. Ground zero of the zombie outbreak even takes place in rural China, believe it or not.
Of Philip K. Dick, I've only read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Loved it, though it's a totally different animal from the film. For someone who enjoyed Do Androids Dream...?, where would you recommend exploring next with PKD?
World War Z! I own it but had to put it in storage, i'll have to find it.
PKD - i really liked A Scanner Darkly and Ubik. These two have some really marvelous ideas and moments in them.
The Man in the High Castle was a great idea and a decent read, but i wanted more from it, but still very worth reading. I liked the TV series a lot. They did very well spinning the relatively slim novel out.
Time Out of Joint I liked a lot, too. A guy who basically solves the newspaper puzzle for a living and feels his life may be fake.
I'd avoid Lies, Inc. AKA The Unteleported Man has a great central idea and a decent start but then became unreadably bad for me and i struggled to finish it.
PKD has great ideas, some clunky writing, but nothing to drag it down too badly most of the time.
His short story The Hanging Stranger is brilliant, and one of my favourite short stories.
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PKD - i really liked A Scanner Darkly and Ubik. These two have some really marvelous ideas and moments in them.
The Man in the High Castle was a great idea and a decent read, but i wanted more from it, but still very worth reading. I liked the TV series a lot. They did very well spinning the relatively slim novel out.
Time Out of Joint I liked a lot, too. A guy who basically solves the newspaper puzzle for a living and feels his life may be fake.
I'd avoid Lies, Inc. AKA The Unteleported Man has a great central idea and a decent start but then became unreadably bad for me and i struggled to finish it.
PKD has great ideas, some clunky writing, but nothing to drag it down too badly most of the time.
His short story The Hanging Stranger is brilliant, and one of my favourite short stories.
Not that anyone is asking me, but FAITH OF OUR FATHERS is my fav Phil Dick story, and a loose sequel to MAN IN HIGH CASTLE.
Cool, thanks! I enjoyed the film A Scanner Darkly and Ubik often comes recommended so I'll probably start with those. I'll look out for the short stories "The Hanging Stranger" and "Faith of Our Fathers," too.
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Posted: |
Aug 15, 2020 - 8:18 PM
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By: |
Last Child
(Member)
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PKD - i really liked A Scanner Darkly and Ubik. These two have some really marvelous ideas and moments in them.
The Man in the High Castle was a great idea and a decent read, but i wanted more from it, but still very worth reading. I liked the TV series a lot. They did very well spinning the relatively slim novel out.
Time Out of Joint I liked a lot, too. A guy who basically solves the newspaper puzzle for a living and feels his life may be fake.
I'd avoid Lies, Inc. AKA The Unteleported Man has a great central idea and a decent start but then became unreadably bad for me and i struggled to finish it.
PKD has great ideas, some clunky writing, but nothing to drag it down too badly most of the time.
His short story The Hanging Stranger is brilliant, and one of my favourite short stories.
Not that anyone is asking me, but FAITH OF OUR FATHERS is my fav Phil Dick story, and a loose sequel to MAN IN HIGH CASTLE.
Cool, thanks! I enjoyed the film A Scanner Darkly and Ubik often comes recommended so I'll probably start with those. I'll look out for the short stories "The Hanging Stranger" and "Faith of Our Fathers," too.
Yes, "A Scanner Darkly" is a good read overall. Again, all his books have memorable moments (interesting twists, odd scientific extrapolations, hilarious social satires) so they shouldn't be overlooked if you become a fan.
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Just read a PDF of "The Hanging Stranger" online. Wild story. I liked it. Thanks for the recommendation. It reminded me of Matheson's short fiction or a Twilight Zone episode. This actually seems like the kind of plot PKD could have fleshed out into a novel. But the twist admittedly would seem to work best in short form.
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I don't read too much science-fiction and mainly it is from the 50s-70s.
I just wondered if anyone had read anything good they would recommend.
Same with me. The only author whose novels I collected was Clifford D. Simak - from his short story collections & early novels from 1951 onwards until his last book in 1986 a few years before his death. I read these throughout the 1980s, but haven't read anything newer (by younger writers) over the past 30 years.
My faves range between 1967 & 1976 and are THE WEREWOLF PRINCIPLE, OUT OF THEIR MINDS, DESTINY DOLL & SHAKESPEARE'S PLANET.
Simak see-saws between sci-fi and fantasy, so he might not be to your tastes but I nonetheless recommend him.
Robert Bloch is another writer whom I like, but I haven't read as much by him as I'd like to.
Never got into or cared for Harlan Ellison, honestly, and think he receives too much praise. As a teenager, I felt Kurt Vonnegut was too 'adult' for me - but I might like his writings now as a middle-aged person.
Aldous Huxley rates highly-favorable by me.
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Posted: |
Aug 15, 2020 - 10:17 PM
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By: |
Xebec
(Member)
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I don't read too much science-fiction and mainly it is from the 50s-70s.
I just wondered if anyone had read anything good they would recommend.
Same with me. The only author whose novels I collected was Clifford D. Simak - from his short story collections & early novels from 1951 onwards until his last book in 1986 a few years before his death. I read these throughout the 1980s, but haven't read anything newer (by younger writers) over the past 30 years.
My faves range between 1967 & 1976 and are THE WEREWOLF PRINCIPLE, OUT OF THEIR MINDS, DESTINY DOLL & SHAKESPEARE'S PLANET.
Simak see-saws between sci-fi and fantasy, so he might not be to your tastes but I nonetheless recommend him.
Robert Bloch is another writer whom I like, but I haven't read as much by him as I'd like to.
Never got into or cared for Harlan Ellison, honestly, and think he receives too much praise. As a teenager, I felt Kurt Vonnegut was too 'adult' for me - but I might like his writings now as a middle-aged person.
Aldous Huxley rates highly-favorable by me.
I'v never read Simak but his Way Station (1963) seemed interesting from the description. I'm not into fantasy literature but will have a look through his sci-fi stuff. Thanks.
Huxley and Vonnegut I've only read Brave New World and Slaughterhouse 5 but didn't enjoy them as much as i thought i would, so didn't read any more by them. But it's been over a decade, so might be worth visiting their other stuff.
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I forgot to mention Richard Morgan's Altered Carbon from 2002 for something more recent. Been awhile since I've read it so my recollection is hazy, but I remember being suitably impressed by its vivid descriptions and sprawling story. It's hard-boiled cyberpunk, sort of like The Big Sleep done in the 25th century with a hard R rating.
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