[dura]

There are so many sf-writers nowadays compared to when I started reading sf (long long ago) that it is impossible to know every writer.
So, like me, you probably recognize that feeling that a gem is probably hidden somewhere in the vast rows of sf-books, if only you knew which one.

Let's write our tips, with a short explanation here.


Let me start by mentioning

Eric S. Nyland

AFAIK he has written 4 books, I think they are (I am at my work, so I can't check my bookcase) :
-A game of Universe, cool spaceopera like story, good!
-Pawn's dream, magical society with family feuds here on earth, good!
-Dry water, strange magical book, noyt quite my cup of coffee, but worth trying out.
-Signal to noise, pure sf with virtual realities, I just read about 100 pages, very promising, and a sequel is mentioned at the end.

[Cellandros]

dura, I like this topic. Its always fun to discover a new 'gem' in the SF world, especially, as you said, that there are so many more authors in the genre nowadays.

I'm almost ashamed to admit that latley, I haven't had much of an opportunity to look for new gems in the sf genre (I've been so busy catching up on all my favorite books by well-known authors).

I will throw out a series by a well-known author that alot of folks may not have read.

Margaret Weis, best know for her fantasy work, wrote a series a while back called Star of the Guardians. There are four books in the series: The Lost King, King's Test, King's Sacrifice, and Ghost Legion. Like I said, its a great space opera, packed full of awesome characters (what else would one expect out of Weis), plenty of action, an all around great read.

[James Madison]

A good topic Dura, and a worthy reply Cellandros. But if you guys want to read a new author whose style is very different, and whose storyline in his first novel is chillingly real, then get hold of The Tide Turners by Colin Macpherson. It was published at the end of last year in Australia, and I think the only way you can get it is via the publisher's website at www.mopoke.com.au (http://www.mopoke.com.au) - that's how I got my copy anyway. The website tells you a little about the book and the author, etc. and is well worth a visit. You've probably noticed that I liked the book so much that I started it as a forum topic here at sffworld. I've also written a review for the review section if you're interested, so I won't repeat it here.

The Tide Turners isn't sf fantasy, and there are no space cowboys - it's about a slight shift in reality and about changing the world and ... don't get me started, check it out for yourselves. I just hope Macpherson keeps writing and doesn't disappear like one of his main characters.

[Ravenlock]

I know that alot of people who read SF hae probably read stuf by Orson Scott Card. I usually read more fantasy stuff, but the libray didn't have the books I was looking for so i got the Ender's Saga. An interesting new book which my brother lent me is called Ender's Shadow. It isn't a sequel to Ender's Game, but rather a companion novel. It is basically the same time period and some of the same events, but from the point of view of bean, one of the less important characters in Ender's game. I thought that it was very interesting.

[Merry]

One of my fave authors when I was younger (all that time ago!), was Andre Norton.
I've just caught up with an "up to date book" of hers which has made me want to read more of her newer books. The book was 'Brother to shadows' and was brill!!!!
I would recommend her to anyone.
Merry

[shevek]

Ursula K. Le Guin: Worlds of exile and illusion.
Her novels "the disposessed" and "the left hand of darkness" should be quite known. This one is a compilation of three older stories set in the left hand of darkness universe (not as cerebral though).

[bearcatmark]

if u have not read Ender's Game, then u need to. It is far and away the best book ever written. It has elements that all will love, and charecters that will never be forgot.

[dune dude]

Check out some books by Clifford D Simak, he has long been out-of-print. I've picked up lot of his books on ebay and second-hand book shops. I would recommend "Ring Around the Sun" and "Way Station". Also read his short-story collections like "All the Traps of Earth". Fantastic stories.

Bye.

[lemming]

A good topic... I feel compelled to post recs to some newer stuff, since in SF (unlike pop music, it seems) there *is* some pretty good recent stuff.

John Barnes--Orbital Resonance and Mother of Storms. Orbital Resonance is an excellent story about growing up in space after Earth has been more or less ruined. The problems of growing up in a guinea pig generation are very real and thought provoking, and the characters are great. Mother of Storms is an interesting disaster novel that will teach you a lot about hurricanes, with some cyberpunk and smut thrown in for fun.

David Brin--Earth. You've probably heard of it, but I just read it and was quite impressed. A good planetary love story and an entertaining ride.

Vernor Vinge--A Deepness in the Sky. A space opera about 5 times as good as its Hugo winning prequel A Fire Upon the Deep, and not very related to it.

Nancy Kress--Beggars in Spain. Steals kind of a lot from Objectivism, but an excellent read about society and how it reacts to a bunch of brilliant people who don't need to sleep.

Kim Stanley Robinson--Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars. My all-time favorite SF trilogy.

lemming

[Cadfael]

Can I do something really out of the norm here... and recommend some really old stuff? I am aware that Dura began reading long long ago

A Canticle for Leobowitz by ??? (help)
The City and the Stars, Authur C. Clark
Dandelion Wine, Ray Bradbury
Foundation, Issac Asimov
Indoctrinarie(sp?), Christopher Priest(?)

I also need some help here, I read a series (I think just 3 books), about a guy who landed on a planet that had magic. He had a robot in the hold of his spaceship that was a horse, he thought the believe in magic was quaint, until he found out it actually existed. Viking ships had something to do with the plot, and in the dungoens was a moss that could be used to 'make things'.

Can anyone help an old guy out here?