Recommend some new sci- fi

Dunedin · April 01, 2012, 04:54:25 PM

I'm a big fan of Ian M Banks, Dan Simmons and Alistair Reynolds amongst others. Can anyone recommend any new authors that might float my boat?

Mr Neutron · April 14, 2012, 02:51:41 AM

Have you read China Mieville's Perdido Street Station?

Dunedin · April 14, 2012, 12:06:14 PM

No, I haven't read any China Mieville yet but it's a name I've heard good things about. Thanks for the recommendation!

frobbert · April 26, 2012, 03:43:06 PM

I really liked China Mieville's King Rat but I absolutely hated his book Kraken. In fact I loathed that book so much I never want to read anything by him again.

Dunedin · April 29, 2012, 07:24:15 AM

Quote from: frobbert on April 26, 2012, 03:43:06 PM
I really liked China Mieville's King Rat but I absolutely hated his book Kraken. In fact I loathed that book so much I never want to read anything by him again.

What was so bad about the book that it put you off reading any more of his stuff Frobbert?

Volume · April 29, 2012, 10:47:04 AM

Quote from: frobbert on April 26, 2012, 03:43:06 PM
I really liked China Mieville's King Rat but I absolutely hated his book Kraken. In fact I loathed that book so much I never want to read anything by him again.

I didn't think it was that bad, not a great book but readable. The City in The City wasn't that good either, but I liked The Scar, it's a long time since I read it though.

Dunedin · May 02, 2012, 02:36:51 PM

Ok so I went with Perdido St Station. Don't any of you fuckers be telling me the butler did it!

frobbert · May 04, 2012, 06:16:01 AM

Quote from: Dunedin on April 29, 2012, 07:24:15 AM
What was so bad about the book that it put you off reading any more of his stuff Frobbert?

The 'slang', the way the characters conversed, it all felt really too contrived, too deliberate, and regularly took me out of the flow of the story, so much so that eventually it became really annoying. And the story itself isn't all that great to begin with I think. It's a miracle that I managed to finish the damned thing at all. If this is mr Mieville's 'thing' I'll pass..

Dunedin · May 07, 2012, 08:01:52 AM

Ok, so I'm 100 pages into Perdido and I'm starting to understand your point about his dialogue. It's far from the best I've read, doesnt come across as natural for one thing. That said I'm enjoying the setting he's describing so I'll stick with it.

giantchris · July 26, 2012, 02:33:13 PM

I'd recommend Vernor Vinge's books

A Fire Upon the Deep
A Deepness in the Sky

MadJohnShaft · July 27, 2012, 09:46:38 AM

'Wool' is getting a lot of positive attention, was an Amazon self published that found a big audience.

I dipped into it to see what the fuss was about and now I am well into it.

berrugal · August 25, 2012, 04:06:02 PM

I managed to get a hold of a Mieville book, The Iron Council I think, after a lot of reading his name here/ SRcom, it was dissapointing, had to do an effort to finish it, quite dragging

On the oher hand, someone recommended Jeff Noon, and that one I did enjoy...

The Vurt and Pollen describe his main theme I would say
Falling out of cars is really eerie, kinda bleak
The needle in the groove has good ideas but the narrative is weaker

Beerjerk · August 25, 2012, 06:48:16 PM

Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

MadJohnShaft · August 28, 2012, 10:59:15 PM

'Wool' is wonderful, I am past half now. I like the writing style as much as the story.

Dunedin · August 29, 2012, 12:01:06 PM

I am going to try and get a hold of this "Wool"

Really struggling with Perdido St Station. I don't like the guys writing style at all.

frobbert · August 29, 2012, 01:31:16 PM

Told you

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell is supposed to be good and contain SF elements.

kippled · August 29, 2012, 05:17:47 PM

I just got turned on to this Japanese publisher called Haikasoru and they have some pretty cool stuff. "Usurper of the Sun" and "Lord of the Sands of Time" are my favorites so far. They only publish Japanese authors, and in the books I've read so far that seems to be a good thing in that they have a different tone from most of the American and British science fiction that I've read. Kinda how the Strugatsky brothers from Russia or Stanislaw Lem from Poland seems different when I read them. Kinda adds to the "alien" vibe.

Mr. Poopypants · December 21, 2012, 12:04:46 AM

I watched Melancholia not too long ago and it has renewed my interest and fascination with planetary collisions. Anyone know of any sci-fi books with this apocalyptic scenario as a backdrop in the story?

Can you imagine looking up at the sky and seeing not only the moon but another celestial body too? Man, that really blows my mind.

giantchris · December 28, 2012, 11:25:43 PM

Quote from: MadJohnShaft on August 28, 2012, 10:59:15 PM
'Wool' is wonderful, I am past half now. I like the writing style as much as the story.

I second this. I bought Wool 1-5 Omnibus on kindle for like $5 best book purchase I've made in the past couple years completely floored over how good it is. The writing style is engaging, the plot is great, and he does an amazing job with the imagery.

I also am reading that Ridley Scott bought the rights to make it a movie. Which is pretty insane when from what I can tell the guy STARTED writing the book in 2011...Which is crazy.