[pearldrum944]

Hi, I recently graduated college so FINALLY have some time to do some pleasure reading. I am having trouble finding some new sci/fi authors to read. I am a big fan of Ben Bova (esp. the Grand Tour) and similar Orson Scott Card books... I have tried a few other acclaimed authors recently, but really can't get into their stuff. (Peter Hamilton, Greg Bear, ...etc) I guess their books are just too fantasy...I guess I enjoy books that are a little more "realistic" and not so far "out-there" It just seems as if a lot of books focus too much for my taste on random religions and obscure ideologies that the author has thought up.

...I'm having trouble describing what it is about these books I don't like...but maybe some of you know what I am talking about, or have some suggestions?

Thanks!


EDIT: So after further research...I guess I am a fan of mostly "hard science fiction"...but not such like Greg Bear who started making up random names for new technologies without properly explaining them. But I did like OSC even when he did start getting a little fantasy-esk. ugh, I am particular.

[Hitmouse]

Ermm...if you do not consider Peter F. Hamilton's works to be hard SF then you should probably try reading a Haynes manual.

[Garyfury]

Ermm...if you do not consider Peter F. Hamilton's works to be hard SF then you should probably try reading a Haynes manual.
I think Hamilton probably falls more properly into the "New Space Opera" area, which includes works by authors like Iain M. Banks, Neal Asher, and Charles Stross and concentrates on far-future, highly advanced and highly speculative technology. Which is not how most of Bova's SF work can be described.

If you don't mind suggestions of older "new" writers, I'll suggest to you Jerry Pournelle's books including Birth of Fire, High Justice and Exiles to Glory, which are all roughly-21st century without post-scarcity or "magical" tech. Another individual book in this vein is Heart of the Comet by David Brin and Gregory Benford. (Not all of Brin's or Bedford's work is what you're looking for.)

I'd also suggest some of Michael Flynn's books: Firestar, Falling Stars, Lodestar... there's another in that series I can't remember... and Wreck of the River of Stars.

[psikeyhackr]

Literature map shows Larry Niven and Robert Heinlein as closest to Ben Bova.

http://www.literature-map.com/ben+bova.html

psik

[hughhowey]

Literature map shows Larry Niven and Robert Heinlein as closest to Ben Bova.

http://www.literature-map.com/ben+bova.html

psik

!!!

I had no idea such a thing even existed. Too freakin' cool!