Hey Asimov/Herbert fans, did I recommend right...?

[lemming]

On the plane back from a business trip this week, I was trying to read my fantasy book but was seated next to a really bored talker, so eventually I took pity and talked to him. Turns out he was an SF fan, and that I knew more about the genre than he did, so I offered to recommend him something based on what he likes (a game I often play in real life and usually do pretty well at).

His favorites were the Foundation series by Asimov and Dune by Frank Herbert, in SF, neither of which I'm a great fan of, and Tolkein in F (yawn). That added some serious challenge to the game, but then he also turned out to like magical realism, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and all that... hmmm... so I ended up recommending A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge, based on the long time scales it shares with the Foundation series, the good world-building it shares with Dune and the basic fact that it's a great book from a recent year, and now I'll never see him again to know whether I did right.

So, Asimov and Herbert fans, do you like A Deepness in the Sky? Why or why not? Could I have given a better recommendation?

[Hobbit]

For what it's worth I enjoyed Deepness, though its size might put someone off!

Might be worth trying the prequel first, (it's shorter!) Fire Upon the Deep. They're not that closely connected, but there are interesting little links...

Mind you I enjoyed Vinge's Across Realtime, which might be a good start, though getting on a bit now - written in the 80's. Is an easier read than Fire and Deepness. Time travel, etc. I'm sure Cameron et al borrowed the idea of the time travel spheres from here...couldn't prove it though....

Hmm... CJ Cherryh?

Don't think you did any harm at all with your choice though. Nice story Lemming.... be nice if it works out fine.

Hobbit

PS - What were you reading?

[lemming]

Well, all his favorites were long and potentially boring already, so that's why I figured he could take the length... and (IMHO) Deepness is just way better than A Fire upon the Deep. I can't in good conscience recommend it to people before Deepness, anyway.

Alas, I haven't read any Cherryh myself so couldn't have thought of it. Possibly quite good advice there. Though if you recommend it for people who love Asimov and Herbert, perhaps I should approach her slowly and with a long stick. Hmmmm.

(It's out of genre, but since you ask, I was reading Hidden Warrior by Flewelling, the sequel to The Bone Doll's Twin. It was a very good read and for a while had me thinking there wouldn't even be a third book--really avoided the usual "middle book of a trilogy" doldrums quite nicely!)