Underrated sci-fi books

**nquixote** · February 12th, 2011, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by spiralcity

Stephen R. Donaldsons 'Gap Cycle' never recieved much glory. I thought the series was excellent.

I thought Donaldson went WAY overboard with his antihero thang.

**spiralcity** · February 12th, 2011, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Sfinx

Errr...this being the most overrated series of al times in my opinion

Back on topic: second the Devil Princes by Jack Vance, and add Stone by Adam Roberts, Helliconia by Brian Aldiss (not underrrated, but perhaps forgotten...), A trace of memory, Dinosaur Beach and others by Keith Laumer, World of Null-A by AE van Vogt.

Cheers,

Sfinx.

The Foundation series was very good. I guess we can stomp on any book, opinions vary to a great degree.

**spiralcity** · February 12th, 2011, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by nquixote

I thought Donaldson went WAY overboard with his antihero thang.

I thought it was a great series and over looked by many.

I wouldnt call Morn Hyland an anti hero.

**nquixote** · February 12th, 2011, 02:34 PM

I really liked the Foundation series.

Though I'm not sure why people think of it as the seminal space opera series. It has barely any space stuff in it at all. Lensman is the seminal space opera series.

**pox** · February 12th, 2011, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by nquixote

I thought Donaldson went WAY overboard with his antihero thang.

it did work though, against all my expectations and continued questions over turning the next page, I really rated it. It's remarkable for being the only place I've seen that compact style of OTT pulled out of the bag.

**bearcatmark** · February 12th, 2011, 10:50 PM

I think Speaker for the Dead is really underrated science fiction. I loved it. Though a completely different kind of book I think it is every bit as good as Ender's Game (sadly cannot say the same for everything else Card has written since).

**nquixote** · February 12th, 2011, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by bearcatmark

I think Speaker for the Dead is really underrated science fiction.

Disagree...

I mean, it won the Hugo and Nebula, and is rated as the 27th best sci-fi book of all time, so how exactly is it underrated?

**bearcatmark** · February 13th, 2011, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by nquixote

Disagree...

I mean, it won the Hugo and Nebula, and is rated as the 27th best sci-fi book of all time, so how exactly is it underrated?

I just never hear people talk about it like they do Ender's Game. I also hear it get a bunch of criticism from Ender's Game fans.

**spiralcity** · February 13th, 2011, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by nquixote

I really liked the Foundation series.

Though I'm not sure why people think of it as the seminal space opera series. It has barely any space stuff in it at all. Lensman is the seminal space opera series.

The books focus is on the fall of a galatic empire as predicted by Harry Seldon and the mathematicians. I think it works very well as a space opera.

The most significant trait of space opera is that settings, characters, battles, powers, and themes tend to be very large-scale.

This trilogy covers a vast empire over the course of years, so it fits the bill.

**nquixote** · February 13th, 2011, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by spiralcity

The books focus is on the fall of a galatic empire as predicted by Harry Seldon and the mathematicians. I think it works very well as a space opera.

The most significant trait of space opera is that settings, characters, battles, powers, and themes tend to be very large-scale.

This trilogy covers a vast empire over the course of years, so it fits the bill.

Yeah, but we don't get to see any of the space battles 'n stuff!

**Hitmouse** · February 13th, 2011, 02:53 PM

Not sure whether these are underrated, or just a bit obscure these days:

AE van Vogt: Slan, Empire of the Atom, The Book of Ptath
Robert Heinlein: the Future History series of short stories. Start with the collection The Man Who Sold The Moon
Robert Sheckley: The Status Civilization

Agree about Babel 17

**psikeyhackr** · February 13th, 2011, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by Hitmouse

Not sure whether these are underrated, or just a bit obscure these days:

Robert Sheckley: The Status Civilization

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20919...-h/20919-h.htm

psik

**Sfinx** · February 14th, 2011, 03:59 AM

Originally Posted by spiralcity

Stephen R. Donaldsons 'Gap Cycle' never recieved much glory. I thought the series was excellent.

Agree. Brought something new to the field; at least it did for me! And glad to see Heinlein and van Vogt are still remembered

And thx Owl for the reminder to finally catch up on Cordwainer Smith!

Cheers,

Sfinx.

**Viti** · February 14th, 2011, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by owlcroft

I was just kidding, though.

Thank goodness. I took another look and was daunted. But they're all books running somewhere from good to superlative, and I fear most--at least today--are little-known (it's hard to say how well regarded).

It's hard to know who knows what. Cordwainer Smith is absolute must-read for anyone who wants (or claims) to know anything about sf. Doris Piserchia had a unique and wonderful voice, but who remembers her today? M. A. Foster is as close as one will come to Jack Vance without someone deliberately aping the style. Brian Stableford, for all his huge output, probably couldn't write a bad book if he tried. And so on.

I've found that Owlcroft and I usually have somewhat similar tastes (Jack Vance is my favorite author), however the only Stableford I've read - The Halcyon Drift, left me underwhelmed. Whereas the only Piserchia I've read I, Zombie, under her Curt Selby pseudonym, left me intrigued enough to place a bunch of her output on my TBR pile.

**nquixote** · February 14th, 2011, 12:13 PM

I'm just re-listening to the original Dying Earth short story collection on audiobook right now.

VANCE IS SO AMAZING. The "Songs of the Dying Earth" collection just can't hold a candle to the real thing. The man is in a class of his own. He is the sci-fi Mark Twain.