[Corwwyn]

Does anyone have any recommendations or suggestions for good, unusual SF novels?

In particular ones other than those commonly mentioned here?

Here are a few I enjoyed to start things off:

Star-Rigger's Way - Jeffrey A Carver
The Wandering Worlds - Terry Greenhough
The Mind Traders - J Hunter Holly

[Penumbra]

If you are looking for originality and something really thought provoking, I urge you to read "The Kaska Trilogy." You'll find a review and excerpts here at sffworld.

[Vitriol]

V. Vinge's Fire Upon The Deep is good, and it has some very well thought out aliens

[Hope for Humour]

I like Janet Kagan - Her Miribile series - the concept is ingenious I think.

[Carmichael]

Futurological Congress by Stanislaw Lem...

One of the weirdest books I have ever read.

Carmichael

[saintjon]

Just checking in with my usual suggestion to read Akira. Nothing usual about it.

[Kamakhya]

I just finished the Xenogenesis trilogy by Octavia Butler. I thought it was really unusal. My only complaint with the series is that it seemed too superficial, that is, neither the premise nor the characters were developed anywhere near enough to my liking. Yet, the premise that an alien race survives by combining its dna with other species really cool. It sure beats the old War of the Worlds scenario.

I don't suppose that Butler can fall under the little known authors, but given that she's been writing since the 70s, I am a bit surprised that I only heard of her 2 years ago and only got around to reading her this past month. I think she deserves a lot more credit.

[Corwwyn]

I'd need a pretty good recommendation to pick up an Octavia E Butler novel I think.

I made the mistake of reading Mind of My Mind, which, while it had some interesting concepts, was a very painful book to read.

Thanks for the suggestion on Vinge, Vitriol. He's a pretty well known/popular author though, and I've read nearly every SF novel I've found by him.

A Fire Upon the Deep and its sequel certainly fits as unusual though, and his The Peace War and Marooned in Realtime also fit this bill well imo.

[Kamakhya]

Corwwyn, Yeah, I have read on these boards that there are some who really dislike Butler. I can understand that. Unfortunately, I haven't read Mind of My Mind yet, so I can't tell you whether you should try Xenogenesis.

I would also recommend Towing Jehova by James Morrow. I'm not sure this rates as Sci-Fi, but it is twisted and fun.

For downright bizarre, there is Image of the Beast by Philip K. Dick.