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Offline The Village Idiot

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What is your favorite science fiction book?
« on: July 27, 2009, 06:27:50 AM »
What is your favorite science fiction book(s)? Is it a funny one- Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy? or First Contract? or one more serious or even escapist? possibly leans toward fantasy?

I like most science fiction (can't stand Peirs Anthony) so I would find it hard to answer the question
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Offline thundley4

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #1 on: July 27, 2009, 07:10:55 AM »
I would find it difficult to pick one book or even several books.  I do like more authors from the "Golden Age " of Sci-Fi.  As for a favorite author from that time, probably Heinlein is the one that I remember the most.

I DO like Piers Anthony.  :tongue:  I also try and read every Dragonriders of Pern book by Anne McCaffrey that comes out. I also like the Necroscope series by Brian Lumley, but that maybe be more in the fantasy/horror/scifi genre.
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Offline LC EFA

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #2 on: July 27, 2009, 07:42:00 AM »
If we're talking fantasy fiction, my favorite individual book would be "Magician" by Raymond E Feist. Favorite series is the "Serpent War Series" by same author.
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Offline NHSparky

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #3 on: July 27, 2009, 08:20:30 AM »
Heinlein--Starship Troopers.  Saw about 10 minutes of the movie and turned it off, was so bad and so not like the book.

Niven--Ringworld and Lucifer's Hammer.

Asimov--Foundation series.

Card--Ender's Game

Miller--A Canticle for Leibowitz

(yeah, I was a sci-fi geek.  deal with it.)
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Offline DumbAss Tanker

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #4 on: July 27, 2009, 08:55:35 AM »
Quote from: NHSparky on July 27, 2009, 08:20:30 AM
(yeah, I was a sci-fi geek.  deal with it.)

Me too!  I have read hundreds and hundreds of SF books, I would have to say in no particular order that these authors pretty much never disappoint -

Heinlein up to and including 'Stranger in a Strange Land,' pretty spotty after that.
Poul Anderson
Neal Stephenson
John Boyd - may have to stay with it a bit to get fully engaged with the story but once you do, wow!
Norman Spinrad - a true master of his craft
Andre Norton for younger readers (But some of them, like Time Traders, are great at any age)
Larry Niven, including the collaborations with Pournelle (Some of the extended Ringworld cycle stories get a bit to in-bred)
Jack Vance - Some of the shorter stuff obviously written to pay the bills but still good.  Very wry humor.
John Brunner - Also wrote a lot of short bill-payers, but some true classics as well.
Keith Laumer - Who doesn't like Retief and Bolos?
Eric Frank Russell
C. M. Kornbluth and the Pohl/Kornbluth collaborations - "The Marching Morons" is a must-read
H. Beam Piper
Harry Turtledove - Not so much the semi-fantasy, which is unexceptional; his alternate history series are good but milked out much too far
Gordon R. Dickson
S.M. Stirling - occasionally overdoes the bad-assery, and painted himself into a corner that way in the silly-premised Draka series
David Drake - Fantastic military SF, unexceptional fantasy

Ahh, I could go on, but that's more than anyone here will recognize anyway...
« Last Edit: July 27, 2009, 10:11:55 AM by DumbAss Tanker »
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Offline djones520

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2009, 09:59:44 AM »
Don't have a favorite per se.  I read a lot of Star Wars books, have read all the Halo books, and I'm also in the middle of a John Ringo series, the Council War.  John Ringo's one is probably the most interesting that I've read so far.  A good combination of Sci-Fi and Fantasy.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2009, 12:20:23 PM »
As if no one could tell, I'm something of a Sci-Fi afficianado.  My favorites include:

  • the Sten series (8 books) by Allan Cole and Chris Bunch
  • the Honor Harrington series (11+1(2010) books) by David Weber
  • Moonrise, Moonwar, and The Kinsman Saga by Ben Bova (I'm a big Bova fan generally)
  • the Well of Souls series (7 books) by Jack Chalker

I'm sure there's more that I'll kick myself for not including, but these are the ones I read again and again so often that they stay at the top of my head.
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Offline delilahmused

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2009, 12:33:57 PM »
My guilty pleasure is the Star Wars novels. My favorite sci fi book is Memoirs of a Survivor by Doris Lessing. On the fantasy side of things I'd have to go with the trilogy, The Chronicles of Thomas Convenant, the Unbeliever.

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Offline mamacags

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2009, 01:05:33 PM »
Emergence by David R. Palmer and The Traveler (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 1) by John Twelve Hawks
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Offline Airwolf

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2009, 04:20:44 PM »
I'm one thats only read a few books by anyone in SCI as much as I like Sci fi movies I should read more. I have read some of Arthur C. Clarkes books like 2001 and Childhoods End. I read "I am Legend" By Richard Matheson. Alot of Star Trek books. A coupole of Books by John Varley and one by a guy that does books on Submarines by Michael DiMercurio called "Emergency Deep"
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Offline megimoo

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #10 on: July 27, 2009, 04:29:19 PM »
Quote from: FGL on July 27, 2009, 06:27:50 AM
What is your favorite science fiction book(s)? Is it a funny one- Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy? or First Contract? or one more serious or even escapist? possibly leans toward fantasy?

I like most science fiction (can't stand Peirs Anthony) so I would find it hard to answer the question

'The Moon Is a harsh mistress', Heinlin !
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Offline The Village Idiot

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #11 on: July 27, 2009, 05:39:48 PM »
Quote from: DefiantSix on July 27, 2009, 12:20:23 PM
As if no one could tell, I'm something of a Sci-Fi afficianado.  My favorites include:

  • the Sten series (8 books) by Allan Cole and Chris Bunch
  • the Honor Harrington series (11+1(2010) books) by David Weber
  • Moonrise, Moonwar, and The Kinsman Saga by Ben Bova (I'm a big Bova fan generally)
  • the Well of Souls series (7 books) by Jack Chalker


Amazing that I will have to look some of those up.
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Offline franksolich

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #12 on: July 27, 2009, 06:01:48 PM »
The only science fiction I ever read--fiction's not my thing, scientific or unscientific--was A Canticle for Leibowitz; I have no idea who wrote it.

I was 21 years old, it was a dull summer in Lincoln, and so I read it.

It was pretty good; I had no problems, and practically couldn't put it down.

But my tastes run towards non-fiction, so I never went any further.
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Offline Gratiot

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #13 on: July 27, 2009, 06:22:24 PM »
I've never really read many sci-fi books, which is quite odd considering I LOVE the genre for movies.

Some how, a few years ago I picked up the book version of Dune.  Read it, than proceeded to read the next ten or so after that... The writing was pretty lousy at times, but the depth of that universe was phenomenally brilliant  :cheersmate:
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Offline DumbAss Tanker

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #14 on: July 27, 2009, 06:39:29 PM »
Quote from: Gratiot on July 27, 2009, 06:22:24 PM
I've never really read many sci-fi books, which is quite odd considering I LOVE the genre for movies.

Some how, a few years ago I picked up the book version of Dune.  Read it, than proceeded to read the next ten or so after that... The writing was pretty lousy at times, but the depth of that universe was phenomenally brilliant  :cheersmate:


I read Dune when I was in about 10th grade and really dug it, but I never could get into any of the sequels or Frank Herbert's other books, his normal style was a bit ponderous but he surpassed himself in that one book.
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Offline Duke Nukum

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #15 on: July 27, 2009, 06:43:47 PM »
VALIS by Philip K. Dick.  The greatest American novel ever!
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Offline Randy

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #16 on: July 27, 2009, 08:31:29 PM »
Vote number 2 for Lucifer's Hammer.
I also liked The Mote in Gods Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.

I read alot as a student. Lots and lots until my mid 20's then life sorta got all my time.
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Offline rich_t

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #17 on: July 27, 2009, 08:44:59 PM »
Quote from: thundley4 on July 27, 2009, 07:10:55 AM
I would find it difficult to pick one book or even several books.  I do like more authors from the "Golden Age " of Sci-Fi.  As for a favorite author from that time, probably Heinlein is the one that I remember the most.

I DO like Piers Anthony.  :tongue:  I also try and read every Dragonriders of Pern book by Anne McCaffrey that comes out. I also like the Necroscope series by Brian Lumley, but that maybe be more in the fantasy/horror/scifi genre.

Ditto on Heinlein, Anthony and McCaffrey.
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Offline MrsSmith

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #18 on: July 27, 2009, 09:21:03 PM »
Quote from: rich_t on July 27, 2009, 08:44:59 PM
Ditto on Heinlein, Anthony and McCaffrey.
Anything by Anne McCaffrey - (less impressed with her son Todd)- except I don't really love the Acorna books.

Mercedes Lackey, and a lot of the books she's written with others.

Patrica Wrede

Tamora Pierce

Naomi Novik- Temeraire books

CS Lewis's Narnia books

I grew up on Tolkien, Heinlein and Asimov, and the "historical" books, like Mary Stewart's books about Merlin and Arthur. 

On edit, I see the title was favorite BOOK.  I couldn't even narrow it down to one author, let alone one book.
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Offline dutch508

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #19 on: July 27, 2009, 09:57:16 PM »
Science Fiction?

Dune (no. 2 favorate of all time)


"Other" Fiction?

Lord of the Rings (no. 1 favorate)


I say this because many do not think of Tolkien's works as SF- thus my number two: Dune.

Book number three:

Starship Troopers

( do I get points for extra credit?)
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Offline Wineslob

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #20 on: July 30, 2009, 12:36:26 PM »
One of my favorites is "Nova" by Samuel R. Delany.
IMHO it would make a great movie, if they stick to the story, and don't screw it up.


"Dahlgren" sucked.

Any of the Burroughs 'Mars" (John Carter) series should be required reading along with EE "Doc" Smith.

More obscure is William Hope Hodgeson's "The Night Land" made more readable as "The Dream of X" (non prosaic) but is a example of early SF.
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Offline asdf2231

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Re: What is your favorite science fiction book?
« Reply #21 on: July 30, 2009, 06:09:08 PM »
The Posleen War series by John Ringo, The Daniel Leary books by David Drake, and anything written by S.M. Stirling.
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