[wynterfel]

Hi there! I've kinda been out of the SF loop for a while. The last SF I read was C.J. Cherryh's Inheritor. I'd really appreciate it if you can recommend two or three of your favorite sci-fis published after 1995.

[Rob B]

Here are a few goodies that I have read this past year:

Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
The Golden Globe by John Varley
Almost anything by Jack McDevitt-Moonfall, Infinity Beach, Ancient Shores
Starplex and Factoring Humanity by Robert J. Sawyer
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

[Cadfael]

I'm sort of out of the loop myself, but Tad William's 'Otherworld' books are pretty darn smart. I got the first book thinking it was a fantasy book, but I was still impressed.

The main gist of the plot is that there is a whole culture based in Virtual Reality, and something sinister in happening to people who venture into a certain section of the simulated world. The is also some references to other Sci/Fi books, one of the world is based (I think) on Rice Bourrough's Barsoon.

[Rob B]

I second the Otherland vote. It has the quest-ish motif of fantasy, but is filled with alot of techie stuff, too (TW was a computer programmer at one time). Damn if it isn't complex, TW may be outdoing his Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series.

[Cellandros]

I've got to agree with what yall are saying about otherland. Tad's done a great job on that series so far and I'm holding my breath waiting on Sea of Silver Light.

Other than that, to be honest, I've only been reading a sci-fi book here and there over the past couple of years; with the exception of a few on-going series (Bujold's Vor saga and Weber's Honor Harrington series; both of with are excellent). Just seems like the sci-fi genre is a tad flat at this point.

[Cadfael]

IMHO the reason the Sci/Fi scene is flat is because of the huge number of TV and movie spin-off material in book shops. In most bookshops I visit the Sci/Fi section is full of Star Wars, Star Trek, X-Files with very little in the way of classic sci/fi. It sells... so the bookshops stock more of the movie/tv stuff

[Cellandros]

That's so true.

Man, it makes me sad to think of how bookshelves look nowadays (ST, SW, etc etc), and thing back 15 years ago when you could see awesome sci-fi novels piled up high waiting to take you to a new place; one that you've never seen or heard of. I really miss those days.

[wynterfel]

Thanks for all your recommendations http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif I have to agree with Cellandros and dennizm though, the sci-fi genre seems to be thinning out recently http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/frown.gif That's one of the reasons I was kinda out of the sf loop. The best vintage for SF in my opinion were those written in the 80's to early 90's by SF greats like the late R. Zelazny, C.J. Cherryh, Stephen Leigh, Joan Slonczewski, Ursula K. LeGuin and Larry Niven.

Do you guys know of any recent SF work (last five years or so) written by these authors?

[This message has been edited by wynterfel (edited January 03, 2001).]

[Cadfael]

I THINK Niven has wrote some new Ringworld books, but don't take this as gospel http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by dennizm (edited January 05, 2001).]

[Cadfael]

Have you read any older authors, EE 'Doc' Smith, Heinlein, Asimov, Moorcock and of course the master Lovecraft? If not I will start by recommending 'The Classic Lensman Series' by EE 'Doc' Smith