[shadow9d9]

I am ordering some peter hamilton from another thread recommendation, but I'd like to get some more sci fi. Here is my list of read books with their ratings from 1-5(5 being best) to help gauge what you think I might like. Any help would be appreciated:

Stephen King- The Gunslinger- 3.75
China Mieville Perdido Street Station- 3.99
George Martin A Song of Fire and Ice Game of Thrones - 4.7x
Scott Bakker Prince of Nothing- A Darkness that Came Before- 4.69
Prince of Nothing 2- 4.7x
Prince of Nothing 3- 4.3
Guy Gavriel Kay Tigana- 4.4
A Song for Arbonne- 4.15
Wil Wheaton Just a Geek- 4.35
Nick Mason Inside Out- 4
Richard Adams Watership Down- 4.35
Lois McMaster Bujold Vorkosigan Warrior's Apprentice- 4.35
Shards Of Honor- 3.2
Ethan of Athos- 3.6
Falling Free- 3.5
Barrayar- 4.3
The Vor Game- 3.9
Cetaganda- 4.3
Borders of Infinity 1- 3.8
2- 4.35
3- 4.25
Brothers in Arms- 4.35
Mirror Dance- 3.9
Memory- 4.5
Komarr- 4
A Civil Campaign- 4.5
Anne McCaffrey Dragonriders of Pern Dragonflight - 4.55
Dragonquest-4.55
The White Dragon- 4.25
Dragonsong- 3.6
Dragonsinger- 3.65
Dragondrums- 3.65
The Rowan- 3.65
Crystal Singer- 3 Stopped at page 125-too simple, uninspiring, nothing ever happens!
Ursula Le Guin The Left Hand of Darkness- 4.425
Rocannon's World- 3.6
Planet of Exiles- 3.7
City of Illusions- 3.7 stopped halfway through... too much travelling-akin to the hobbit
The Lathe Of Heaven- 3.6 stopped at page 110-too simple, not much substance
Wizard of Earthsea- 3.5 Stopped at 80 pages in... very average and by the books compared to today's standards
Terry Pratchett Discworld- A Colour of Magic- 3.1
A Light Fantastic- 3.2
Equal Rites- 2.9
Mort -3.75
Sourcery- 3.8
Wyrd Sisters- 3.4
Pyramids- 3.7
Eric- 3.5
Guards! Guards! -4
Moving Pictures- 3.4
Reaper Man- 4.0
Witches abroad- 4.25
Small Gods- 1
Lords and Ladies- Halfway through..stopping for a while.
Men At Arms- 4.425
Soul Music- 4
Neil Gaiman Neverwhere-3.7
Terry Pratchett/Neil Gaiman Good Omens-4.3
Robert Heinlein Stranger in a Strange Land- 2
Star Trek Unity- 2
Avatar 1-2 -3.85
A Stitch in Time a 4.25
34th rule- 3.8
Abyss- 3.6
Left Hand of Destiny 1-2 -3.2
Legends of the Ferengi- 3.9
Worlds Of Deep Space Nine Book 1 Cardassia- 2
Arthur C. Clarke's 3 of Arthur C. Clarke's short stories Big Game Hunter and 2 following stories - 1.3
Agatha Christie Murder on the Orient Express- 3.875
Tolkien The Hobbit- 2.5
Ray Bradbury Something Wicked this Way Comes- 3.2
Fahrenheit 451- 3.65
Dan Simmons Ilium- Stopped at page 75, A non gripping story, not crazy about settings.
Elizabeth Moon Deed of Paksenarrion- Stopped at page 70, 2.5-very average, by the books.

[shadow9d9]

Also keep in mind that I have no interest in older books(pre-1970) and I have no interest in authors who wrote a few good books and a dozen cash-ins. I do not want Heinlein or Dune or Orson Scott Card. This is the problem I have with recommendation threads... they devolve into "classics."

[RimWorlder]

Why no interest in the "classics"? because you've read them all or because you aren't interested in them?

[shadow9d9]

Why no interest in the "classics"? because you've read them all or because you aren't interested in them?

I find them always to be overrated- I hate Heinlein, bradbury, tolkien, etc. I also have no interest in a few one hit wonders who end up writing crap after 1-2 good books. I don't know if it is nostalgia clouding judgment or whether they haven't aged well... but I am more interested in 1970+

[thrinidir]

Dan Simmons - Hyperion

It's a "classic"...but hey, you don't know it until you read it ;) ...no really, a spleenid piece of (scifi) fiction!

Tad Williams - Otherland series

Not sci-fi in the strictest sense but...one of the best things I've read.

These books fulfil your criteria (except for simmons being a "classic")

[Andols]

That is without question the most confusing "scale" I have ever seen. I have no idea what I could possibly suggest to you.

[ArthurFrayn]

It is a rather scattershot list. Based on the low marks you give to what I would regard as the true SF writing you have read, and the high marks you give to epic and historical fantasy or fantasy flavoured SF, and specifically series books, I would think you'd stand a better chance of getting useful suggestions if you post a thread in the fantasy forum: Recommendations of SF by Fantasy Oriented readers.
I think you might score with that.
People here would usually recommend in a thread like this writers like Charles Stross, Venor Vinge, Stephen Baxter, Alistair Reynolds and Dan Simmons and I don't see you interested in any of that.

Maybe you'd be interested in something like the Dragonriders of Pern books:


http://www.amazon.com/Dragonriders-Pern-Anne-McCaffrey/dp/0345340248/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-2371934-1335031?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183657972&sr=1-1

[shadow9d9]

It is a rather scattershot list. Based on the low marks you give to what I would regard as the true SF writing you have read, and the high marks you give to epic and historical fantasy or fantasy flavoured SF, and specifically series books, I would think you'd stand a better chance of getting useful suggestions if you post a thread in the fantasy forum: Recommendations of SF by Fantasy Oriented readers.
I think you might score with that.
People here would usually recommend in a thread like this writers like Charles Stross, Venor Vinge, Stephen Baxter, Alistair Reynolds and Dan Simmons and I don't see you interested in any of that.

Maybe you'd be interested in something like the Dragonriders of Pern books:


http://www.amazon.com/Dragonriders-Pern-Anne-McCaffrey/dp/0345340248/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-2371934-1335031?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183657972&sr=1-1

I've done some Dragonriders : ). I know I could easily find more fantasy, which is why I wanted to find some sci fi : ).

Vorkosigan is sci fi and I love it. As long as it is focused on characters and complex stories, I'm up for it. There are a few that I ordered to try the other day like Mindstar Rising. Hoping for the best.

[ArthurFrayn]

As long as it is focused on characters and complex stories

See, posting something like that will probably get more useful recommends than your reading list. ;)

But I still maintain these criteria are more important amongst fantasy readers, and they would have better SF recommendations because they share the above criteria with you.

[RimWorlder]

I think you should do two things: (well, maybe three)...

1. drop the time frame cut-off; a good story is a good story regardless of when its written. You'll be more than rewarded by the wealth of additional material it opens up for you

2. Don't expect a 'fantasy' read from SF. Good SF requires thoughtful participation by the reader - not just sitting back for the ride.

3. Forget anyone else's review of a book - that's the surest way to almost always be disappointed. Read the cover. Read the back cover. Read the first two or three pages. Go the the author's website and read some of the free stuff they've most likely printed there. Go to gutenburg and see if any free stuff is downloadable. If you are still interested in it at that point, spend the dollars.

The ONLY fiction I order online is - A: things by authors that I am already familiar with or things that are recommended to me by literally two other people who's tastes I know from decades of experience are the same as mine or B: collectibles and collection replacement copies, which I am not ordering for the read but for the collection. Everything else is purchased at the bookstore after doing #3, above. I am rarely disappointed.

The 'classics' provide the foundation for the non-classics. There are many newer writers who are paying homage to earlier works, and you'll miss out on all of that. The 'classics' provide the basis for understanding science fiction literature - the icons, memes, shared concepts, without which much of science fiction is rendered into cardboard. For example, an absolutely hillarious 'classic' by Harry Harrison - Bill, the Galactic Hero, will be flat, stupid and boring without having a background in the stereotypes he is poking fun at in the story.

Likewise, much of Eric Frank Russell will go over or under the reader's head - and Russell, because of the themes he deals with, has aged very well.

I'll close by saying that I think your cut-off is very detrimental and short-sighted - you're missing out on Matheson, Kornbluth, Brown and so many others who not only contributed to SF but also to television and theater, as well as other authors, regardless of genre. Try to find a copy of the SF Hall of Fame (vol 1) edited by Silverberg and force yourself to read through it from front to back. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised and, at the worst, you'll have a whole list of authors you know to stay away from...