The New and Improved Recommendation - Science Fiction

[Rob B]

I figured it was time to revamp the Science Fiction recommendation thread to follow a similar method used in the Fantasy Recommendation thread. Here I’ll list some popular topics where you can find a wealth of reading suggestions, likely more than you’ll ever need.

Ground rules:
This thread will be open for discussion
If you have a question about an author or book, you can ask it here
If you recommend a book, please give the author's full name and the full titleSome of the popular few threads dedicated to them, so I’ve listed a few towards the end of this post. Failing that, plunk their name in the SEARCH function to see what others have said about these popular authors.

Some of our Moderators are also "Official" book reviewers for the site, so check out SFFWorld’s Official Reviews Page, updated at least once a week with a new review

Two of the more popular sub-genres of Science Fiction are Military Science Fiction and Space Opera. As such, we have many threads discussing the authors, books and what make up these subsets:

SPACE OPERA
Epic SF and Space Opera: Here's my giant list, what's missing?
I'm running out of space operas!
Space Opera recommendations?
Best Space Opera
Recommendations for political space opera?

MILITARY SCIENCE FICTION
Military Science Fiction (Merge of 3 threads)
Militaristic SF with 1 POV of a powerful character?
Need more military sci-fi series'

Some of the popular authors
David Weber
Weber, Bujold, Moon, Cherryh - Comparable?
John Ringo
io9 article: Is Bujold "hard sci-fi"?
The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold
What do people think of Miles and Honor? (Miles Vorkisgan is a Bujold creation and Honor Harrington is a David Weber creation)
Peter F. Hamilton...where to start?
Alastair Reynolds (1)
Alastair Reynolds (2)
What series to choose from: (Alastair Reynolds, John Scalzi, Richard Morgan)
The Uplift Saga by David Brin

Some other helpful threads
Free SF ebooks
What Can You Tell Me About...SF Remix
Underrated sci-fi books
Science Fiction Virgin!
Who are the hottest authors in SF right now?
I Just Bought... SF Remix Volume 3
The World After the Post-Apocalypse
Post-apocalypse books
Hard Science Fiction About Space Exploration
Top Ten Science Fiction Books of All Time
2012 Upcoming Releases-Science Fiction
The advantages of secondhand bookshops
The old SF Recommendation Thread: Recommendations

Again, this is an OPEN thread, so come here to find and provide recommendations! Also, please don’t hesitate to start up new threads on particular subjects or authors in the Fantasy/Horror forum or just add to existing threads you find interesting. We want this thread to be active, lively, and un-daunting. Recommendations became. We'll keep this initial post relatively brief and continually update as we see fit.

Always check into the Reading in… threads where members post daily what they’re reading

[mshnd06]

I'm returning to Sci-Fi after a long absence. I'm wading in with some space opera and I'm sure I'll return to many of my old social sf favorites in short order but what I'm really looking for right now is the hardest sf you can imagine. Obviously I'd like a decent narrative, and at least adequate writing and characterization but the priority is a universe of sound physics and some really great scientific/technological ideas with a lot of description of the physics, the math, etc (almost to the point of being "speculative science fact" and I realize that is oxymoronic but I hope it conveys what I'm seeking)
TIA

[Rob B]

Greg Egan or Alastair Reynolds might work for you. I haven't personally read Egan, but much of what I've seen other people praising him for are things you seem to be trying to find.

Reynolds I have read and like quite a bit. Pushing Ice is stand alone and gives a good flavor for what to expect from him.

[mshnd06]

Thanks Rob, actually reading Revelation Space at the moment and enjoying it quite a bit. Part of the reason I've been looking for something with harder science. I imagine I'll be picking up Pushing Ice after I've finished the first trilogy. Just read some descriptions of Egan works on amazon and they sound exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks again

[HeclaBull]

I usually read mostly fantasy but I've been in the mood for a good sci-fi book or series lately. I wouldn't know what type of sci-fi is my favorite because I'm not too familiar with the different categories and when I research on the Internet to try and find out more about them, I end up just getting more confused by often contradictory and redundant definitions and opinions. I guess I'll just post what the latest sci-fi novel I liked was and why I liked it.

The latest sci-fi novel that I really enjoyed was Leviathan Wakes by James SA Corey. The reasons I enjoyed it was that it was fast paced with tight plotting, it had good characters of different moral inclinations and motivations, and the lack of techno-babble and hard science. I'm basically a story and character-first reader and the less bogged down in technical jargon a book is, the better it is for me. Thanks in advance for any recommendations.

[MyklSkeleton]

...but the priority is a universe of sound physics and some really great scientific/technological ideas with a lot of description of the physics, the math, etc (almost to the point of being "speculative science fact" and I realize that is oxymoronic but I hope it conveys what I'm seeking)
TIA

Sounds like The Clockwork Rocket by Greg Egan is exactly what you're looking for.

[waynelw]

Great,good idea

[psikeyhackr]

I'm basically a story and character-first reader and the less bogged down in technical jargon a book is, the better it is for me. Thanks in advance for any recommendations.

Bujold's Vorkosigan series should satisfy most character oriented readers.

The science is decent when she discusses but she does not emphasise it.

http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/

Click -> Cryoburn CD ISO.zip

psik

[Danogzilla]

Bujold's Vorkosigan series should satisfy most character oriented readers.

psik

I feel a Bujold binge coming on. I haven't read anything by her yet, but have Cordelia's Honor and Young Miles ready to go. That many Hugo awards can't be wrong. Getting myself pumped for it.

[kennychaffin]

I recently read "Faith" by John Love. Excellent!

[HeclaBull]

Bujold's Vorkosigan series should satisfy most character oriented readers.

The science is decent when she discusses but she does not emphasise it.

http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/

Click -> Cryoburn CD ISO.zip

psik

Wow, thanks for this. I started reading The Warrior's Apprentice from this series after getting your recommendation and I'm liking it a lot.

[kennychaffin]

near future conceptual fiction here.....transhumanised cities, chips in heads, a new type of virtual world, all against the backdrop of natural telepathic communities and free energy.

And what is your relationship to the author?

Excuse me for being skeptical, but this is your first post here.

[kennychaffin]

Then I suggest your post be deleted due to self-promotion.

[Steven L Jordan]

Wish we had some lists of good SF by independent authors. I want something new and fresh.

[Shadowcharge]

Greg Egan or Alastair Reynolds might work for you. I haven't personally read Egan, but much of what I've seen other people praising him for are things you seem to be trying to find.

I LOVE Reynolds. (his writing... though he is kinda cute, too... lol)

And I've read a book by Egan called "Diaspora" -- if any of you gents are into rather out-there stuff, that book really did some things I'd never seen done before in sf. Hope that helps