What are some of your favorite science fiction books and why? If you had to pick only a few. As of writing this post my favorites are the following.

  • The Quantum Magician
  • Three Body Problem
  • Children of Time

I tend to like in-depth explanations of the fictional science that exists in-universe as well as a good mystery.

  • VitaMan@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I really enjoyed the ‘Foundation’ series by Isaac Asimov. ‘Rendezvous with Rama’ by Arthur C. Clarke is a great one as well.

      • Bram2B@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I am currently reading a collection of all of Asimov’s short stories. That will take a while, it’s a 2339 page epub. In the beginning there are some lesser stories but they keep getting better and better.

    • Izzy@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      I completely agree and love The Expanse. It’s more character driven than I prefer, but it is still in my top 10 for sure.

      • Ongar@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        The thing I loved about the characters in the expanse is that they were well fleshed out and while events were happening I could think about how other characters will react to it when news reaches them. It still had plenty of space opera/political intrigue for me too.

    • Izzy@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      I recently read Artemis by Andy Weir, but the protagonist had so much teenage angst that it was difficult to finish despite its short length. I’ll have to try one of his more popular books instead.

      • Squirrel@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I haven’t read Artemis but I’ve seen multiple people say that it is his weakest work. There is no teenage angst in this one.

    • hairwire@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Didn’t know about this, going to go out and get this one, thanks! I really enjoyed reading The Martian by the same author way back when.

    • Walop
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      1 year ago

      I ended up reading The Martian after seeing the movie and while poking a hole in the glove was mentioned in the book, I was a bit disappointed that the movie could not resist forcing to going through with it. Felt more silly and unnecessary even when originally watching the movie.

      After that Project Hail Mary was a must read when I found out about it and was not disappointed. The amnesia was a bit forced, but necessary for the structure and didn’t actually bother me much while reading. Also

      spoiler

      one of the best depictions of an alien that actually felt out of this world.

  • juker@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I’m a big fan of world building and well fleshed out settings and characters. I love getting lost in descriptive and unique imagery.

    • Hyperion by Dan Simmons - feels like such a lived-in universe, some interesting tales, and a horrifying antagonist in the Shrike.
    • Neuromancer by William Gibson - cyberpunk ahead of its time, great story, incredible atmosphere.
    • CylonBunny@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I feel like you’d really enjoy House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds. One of the most “lived-in” feeling worlds I’ve encountered since Hyperion. I’m reading Pushing Ice now and haven’t read any of Revelation Space yet, but I’m planning on it.

  • professed@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    “The Dispossessed” by Ursula K. Le Guin is maybe the best political sci-fi book I’ve ever read. Cory Doctorow’s “Walkaway” is also quite good and feels a bit like its spiritual successor.

    • WetBeardHairs@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I just finished The Dispossessed. I am simply in awe at how wonderful that story felt as I read it. I am about to dive into Ursula K Le Guin’s catalog now.

      • Void_Reader@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Haven’t read The Dispossessed yet, but love Le Guin’s work ever since I read The Lathe of Heaven and The Word for World is Forest, can’t recommend these enough. Am reading through a collection of her short stories now.

        Anyone interested in a general Le Guin discussion thread, or a reading group type thing where we discuss a different book each month?

  • Sertou@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    “Creatures of Light and Darkness”, and “Lord of Light” by Roger Zelazny - I love the blending of mythology and science fiction.

    “Dune” though it hasn’t aged well in terms of the science of genetics.

    “Cyteen” by C.J. Cherryh

    “Starship Trooper” and “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” both are peak Heinlein.

  • EamonnMR@lemmy.sdf.org
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    1 year ago
    • Three Body Problem (and sequels, especially The Dark Forest:) it’s good scifi, though I worry that a lot of people missed the message.
    • Consider Phlebas/Use Of Weapons: tragic space opera is my favorite kind.
    • Gideon The Ninth: sci-fantasy popcorn with a sass-mouthed narrator.
    • Providence: Fresh take on ubiquitous scifi tropes, and I’m a fan of Max Barry’s punchy writing style.
  • Skadiia@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I really enjoyed Stranger in A Strange Land by Heinlein… Its a classic and even though some concepts are a bit outdated, I think overall its amazing. Actually most of Heinleins books are my go to when I just want a lazy relaxing read. I’ve read them all so many times, its like visiting comfy friends.

    • mPony@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      This book is still really solid ; I didn’t really mind the moments of “oh this was SO written several decades ago.”

  • sjmulder@lemmy.sdf.org
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    1 year ago

    I haven’t read Quantum Magician but certainly agreed on the Three Body Problem and Children of Time. Fantastic books.

    Some others I really like:

    • This Is How You Lose the Time War - short, poetic. Love it.
    • Red Mars trilogy and really anything by Kim Stanley Robinson. Oh also in particular The Years of Rice and Salt
    • Diaspora by Greg Egan and also much of his other stuff
    • Player of Games and Use of Weapons from Ian Banks’ Culture series. Haven’t read all of them yet.
    • Ancillary Justice
    • Ongar@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I don’t see many people recommending Ancillary Justice, but really enjoyed the series. I thought it was a pretty light read as far as Sci-fi goes, but it ticked all the right boxes for me.

      • EamonnMR@lemmy.sdf.org
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        1 year ago

        I wouldn’t call AJ a light read, just because you spend so much time wrapping your brain around what the narrator is doing and the cultures are so deliberately weird. All the more rewarding for it though imo.

        • Ongar@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          well compared to some of the really dense classic sci-fi I considered it a light read lol.

      • sjmulder@lemmy.sdf.org
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        1 year ago

        “Ticking all the boxes” describes Ancillary Justice well for me, it has a bunch of interesting thing and the fit together and play out well. I also found it interesting to see how quickly the gender neutral thing felt natural.

        The sequel however felt like a syndicated tv crime drama. Haven’t gotten myself to read the third yet.

        • Ongar@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I know that I read all the books and enjoyed them but its been years. The first one was the best in my opinion though.

  • End0fLine@startrek.website
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    1 year ago

    I read Dark Eden by Chris Beckett within the last year and it quickly became one of my favorite universes. The trilogy tells the story of a group of humans who crashed onto a planet of eternal night, and the civilization that arises from that event.

    I’ve linked the BookWyrm page below. https://bookwyrm.social/book/590341/s/dark-eden

    For anyone that doesn’t know, BookWyrm.social is the federated version of GoodReads.

  • Razzleberry@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I just finished listening to To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars. I really enjoyed it, and the audiobook version is narrated by Jennifer Hale (Sheppard from Mass Effect)

  • Ongar@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Dune, The Expanse, Seveneves, Snow Crash, Hitchikers Guide, Ancillary Justice are all good ones off the top of my head. I really enjoyed reading Neal Stephenson’s novels because they are so thoroughly researched as to be plausible.

  • strudsB
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    1 year ago
    • Children of Time

    Is also one of my favourite books full stop. The followingups are pretty solid as well. It’s amazing that he was writing Shards of Earth and its followups at the same time.

    • The Use of Weapons

    • is Piranesi sci-fi or is it crossing more over to that crossover genres of science fantasy?