Opinions on These Books?

[Colonel Worf]

Some of these I'm sure people have read, and others may be a little less popular. Just needed some opinions on what I have and want to read next year(s).

Way Station - Clifford D. Simak
Sundiver & Startide Rising - David Brin
Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman
The Coming by Joe Haldeman
There Is No Darkness - Joe Haldeman & Jack C. Haldeman II
(have read Forever War & Camouflage)
Angelmass - Timothy Zahn
Ringworld by Larry Niven
A World Out of Time by Larry Niven
The Mote in God's Eye - Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
Footfall by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
(have read Pournelle's Starswarm)
The Big Time - Fritz Leiber
The Queen of Zamba (Cosmic Manhunt) - L Sprague de Camp
Moving Mars by Greg Bear
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear
Eon by Greg Bear
Eternity by Greg Bear
Fallen Dragon by Peter F. Hamilton
Hammer's Slammers by David Drake
The Engines of God by Jack McDevitt
Polaris by Jack McDevitt
Beserker by Fred Saberhagen
Icehenge by Kim Stanley Robinson
The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
And All the Stars a Stage by James Blish
Man Plus by Frederik Pohl
Undersea Fleet by Frederik Pohl & Jack Williamson
A Thunder on Neptune by Gordon Eklund
Ship of Strangers by Bob Shaw
Lord of THunder by Andre Norton
Sargasso of Space by Andre Norton
The Postman by David Brin
To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer
The Mysterious Planet by Lester Del Rey
Lord of Light - Roger Zelazny
The Dark Wing by Walter H. Hunt
The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delaney
Evolution by Stephen Baxter
Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons
Ilium by Dan Simmons
Hyperion & Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons
One Door Away From Heaven by Dean Koontz
Whipping Star by Frank Herbert
The Dosadi Experiment by Frank Herbert
Destination: Void by Frank Herbert
The Jesus Incident by Frank Herbert & Bill Ranson
The Santaroga Barrier by Frank Herbert
(have read Dune, Dune Messiah, & Children of Dune)
In the Ocean of Night by Gregory Benford
If the Stars are Gods by Gregory Benford and Gordon Eklund
(have red Benford's The Martian Race)
Colony by Ben Bova
The Dueling Machine by Ben Bova
The Star Conquerers by Ben Bova
End of Exile by Ben Bova
Orion and the Conquerers by Ben Bova
(have read Mars, Return to Mars, Jupiter, As On a Darkling Plain, Orion, The Winds of Altair, Exiled From Earth, Flight of Exiles, and Star Watchman)
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
Starman Jones by Robert A. Heinlein
The Star Beast by Robert A. Heinlein
The Rolling Stones by Robert A. Heinlein
Between Planets by Robert A. Heinlein
Red Planet by Robert A. Heinlein
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
(have read Starship Troopers & The Cat Who Walks Through Walls)
Voyage of the Space Beagle by A.E. Van Vogt
More Than Superhuman by A.E. Van Vogt
The Mind Cage by A.E. Van Vogt
The Weapon Shops of Isher by A.E. Van Vogt
The War Against the Rull by A.E. Van Vogt
Mission to the Stars by A.E. Van Vogt
(have read Slan)
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
(have read The Martian Chronicles)
Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov
The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
Lucky Starr & The Pirates of the Asteroids by Isaac Asimov
The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
(have read Foundation, Nemesis)
Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
The Sands of Mars by Arthur C. Clarke
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke
Imperial Earth by Arthur C. Clarke
The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke
(have read Rendezvous With Rama)
The Land that Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Lifeburst by Jack Williamson
A Canticle For Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin
Mission Earth: The Invader's Plan by L. Ron Hubbard
Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard
Bones of the Earth by Michael Swanwick
The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
(have read Tiger, Tiger (The Stars My Destination) and the short story Fondly Farenheit)
The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe

 

[redhead]

wow!!! that's quite a list! you've got good tastes. here are my thoughts on books that i have read:

Ringworld by Larry Niven - this is considered a classic, and nearly everyone has ripped off something from it. it may not reach the heights of other, more emotional type novels, but it is groundbreaking. and it's pretty short.

The Mote in God's Eye - Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle - a very enjoyable "first contact" book. the aliens are nice and, well, alien. aliens who look and act just like humans annoy me, and these are nothing like people, besides being carbon based, having 2 legs (usually) and 2 eyes and a nose (again, usually). i recall the end got a little slow. i've picked this book up numerous times, but only finished it once.

Beserker by Fred Saberhagen - there are 4 or 5 (or more??) books in this series. it's been years since i read them, and i could barely tell you what they are about. but i must have liked them, since i read every berserker book i could find at the time. twice.

Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson - a personal favorite. Red Mars is the first in a series of at least three books, about the terraforming of Mars. this first book is the joint US/Russian (and others? sorry, don't remember) venture to create a permenant colony on Mars. Robinson covers everything: pressure suits, environmental hazards, personal relationships, ethical concerns on terraforming, it's very detailed, very long, and quite enjoyable. i heard the next two books in the series aren't as good.

To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer - i read this, and recall not loving it, but not disliking it either. sorry, that wasn't helpful, at all.

Whipping Star by Frank Herbert
The Dosadi Experiment by Frank Herbert
Destination: Void by Frank Herbert
The Jesus Incident by Frank Herbert & Bill Ranson
The Santaroga Barrier by Frank Herbert - i think my problem with these is that i attempted to read them out of order. read them in the right order, and they are probably pretty good (i have no idea what the right order is). if you've read and enjoyed Dune, you're already prepared for some of Herbert's weirdness.

Heinlein (who is one of my favorite authors):
The Rolling Stones by Robert A. Heinlein - i've never read this, i can't even find a copy!! but my husband says it's one of Heinlien's best.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein - one of my most favorite books of all time. funny, touching, a little creepy in that Hal9000 kind of way, and bittersweet. i hope you read and enjoy this one, i think it's just adorable.
Red Planet by Robert A. Heinlein - this is considered a "young adult" novel, because the main character is about 12 years old, and the plot is rather simple. but it's fun, easy, and short. give it a try, it won't take you more than a few days to get through.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein - i'm on the side that considers this a ground breaking work. i've found that most people who read this either love it and think it's groundbreaking, or hate it, and think it's crap. the premise is fun: a human raised on Mars, who knows nothing of human culture, only Heinlien's fantastical Martian culture. i've read this a number of times, and enjoyed it more every time i read it.
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls - also one of my favorites!!

Something Wicked This Way Comes - i read this years ago, and remember enjoying it, but don't remember the details. i'm pretty sure the main characters are two teenage boys, or something.

The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury - this is short stories. some ar good, some not so good. maybe you'll like them, i only liked a few. maybe i'm just not a Bradbury kind of girl?

2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke
it's a little bit annoying how closely these follow the movies (Clarke wrote them at the same time as the movies were being worked on). they are decent, quick, fun, especially if you haven't seen the films. characterisation isn't Clarke's strong point.


you've got quite a list! you'll have to tell us your experiences as you work your way through it. i hope my input was helpful.

 

[Rob B]

Wow! that is a huge list. Did you do a search on the titles in the forums?

 

[Colonel Worf]

Thanks redhead. I'm glad you liked The Cat Who Walks Through Walls as well. Many people seem to not like Heinlein's later stuff, but I thought the book was hilarious.

Yeah, I tried searching for about 10 of the novels or so... but I wouldn't mind people coming into this thread and throwing out their opinions on a book or two.

 

[ArthurFrayn]

One man's opinion

Obviously I have not read everything on the list, and there are things you list that I don't feel compelled to give an opinion about, but here's some that I do...


Consider:

The War Against the Rull by A.E. Van Vogt
Voyage of the Space Beagle by A.E. Van Vogt
The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
Lord of Light - Roger Zelazny
Ringworld by Larry Niven
The Big Time - Fritz Leiber
The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delaney
(not for everyone, but worth the trouble)
Hyperion & Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons
(everything here except the last two is short -how can you lose? )

Avoid:
Eon by Greg Bear
The Mind Cage by A.E. Van Vogt (this is awful -don't read unless you're a fan)
Mission to the Stars by A.E. Van Vogt
The Land that Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Mission Earth: The Invader's Plan by L. Ron Hubbard
Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard

 

[toriphile]

Way Station - Clifford D. Simak
Ringworld by Larry Niven
The Big Time - Fritz Leiber
To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer
Lord of Light - Roger Zelazny
The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delaney
Hyperion & Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Whipping Star by Frank Herbert
The Dosadi Experiment by Frank Herbert
Destination: Void by Frank Herbert
The Jesus Incident by Frank Herbert & Bill Ranson
The Santaroga Barrier by Frank Herbert
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
Voyage of the Space Beagle by A.E. Van Vogt
The Weapon Shops of Isher by A.E. Van Vogt
The War Against the Rull by A.E. Van Vogt
The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
Imperial Earth by Arthur C. Clarke
A Canticle For Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin
The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe

I'd recommend those above. The ones in bold are some of my favourite books.

 

[Randy M.]

What I would like to read,
Way Station - Clifford D. Simak
Sundiver & Startide Rising - David Brin
Ringworld by Larry Niven
The Mote in God's Eye - Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
The Big Time - Fritz Leiber
The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson
Man Plus by Frederik Pohl
The Postman by David Brin
To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer
Lord of Light - Roger Zelazny
Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
Voyage of the Space Beagle by A.E. Van Vogt
The Weapon Shops of Isher by A.E. Van Vogt
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin
Bones of the Earth by Michael Swanwick
The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe


What I've read:
The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delaney
I liked it at the time I read it even though, being young and not as observant as a reader as I (think I) am now, I didn't really "get it." I should reread. I would say I recall it as very '60s in its perspective.

Hyperion & Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons
I enjoyed the first immensely, and the second somewhat less so because the second book was left the duty of finishing off what the first book started. There is a real ebullance in the story-telling, a sense of Simmons having fun applying his imagination in that first book. I suppose it would have been difficult to keep that kind of energy alive for the duration of a second book, and he doesn't. But the story-telling, as I recall, is still quite good.

By the way, I read the novella-length "Carrion Comfort" and enjoyed it. I think Simmons didn't rewrite that and expand on it, but used that as the beginning of the book-length version.

Colony by Ben Bova
I remember liking it when I read it in the ... early '80s? I think that's when it came out.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Fantasy overlapping horror, rather than straight science fiction. This novel infuriated me every one of the five times I read it: It comes so close to being a great novel and doesn't quite make it, but even though I can list out some of the works that probably influenced it (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer probably, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn perhaps) I've come across nothing else quite like it. A coming-of-age story, and not just for the boys that figure prominently in it.


The next three books I'd suggest reading before most anything else. I won't guarantee you'll love them, but they are cornerstones of contemporary s.f.

Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
The mystical side of this puts some people off, and over on rec.arts.sf.written quite a few members claim the ending strikes them as horrific. I found this one of those awe-inspiring books in my early years of reading.

A Canticle For Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
I get tired of religious themes in fiction. This is an exceptional book, for me, in that I did not get tired of its religious point of view. The ending even made me tear up a bit. Should note, this is, technically, a fix-up of two or three novellas, like so many novels of the time.

The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
I think I prefer The Stars My Destination and the story collection, Starlight, but it's a fine novel. The ending, though, makes me uncomfortable much as the ending to Clarke's book makes other readers uncomfortable.

Randy M.

 

[Darkchilde]

Stranger in A Strange Land by Heinlein:

Excellent book, I would recommend it. Makes you think, a lot about religion, society and yourself. Take your time reading it, don't hurry through it.

The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin

This is a book about society and the two major systems and how they would work in two planets. An excellent view of both, without LeGuin taking any sides really. Another recommendation of mine. This is another book, you need to take your time reading it.

2001: Space Odyssey and 2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke

A good read both of them, the first being written after the movie by Kubrick, and not the other way around. I didn't think they were something special, just a good read. The first one is much better though.

 

[Tony Williams]

I've probably read the majority of those over the past half-century, and forgotten most of them

The deciding point for me is which ones I have kept on my bookshelves, lack of space having led to ruthless culling from time to time. The only ones I keep are ones that I think I might want to read again some time. That doesn't necessarily mean that they're great books, just that they appealed to me for some reason - which many include nostalgia - or they're by an author I like.

The ones from your list which I still have - or can remember reading - are:

Way Station - Clifford D. Simak: not bad, but the only one by him which I've kept is City - one of the greats.

Ringworld by Larry Niven: a classic of course (there's a thread on it elsewhere on this site), definitely worth a read

A World Out of Time by Larry Niven: I think I've only got this one because I was a long-time fan of Niven and bought everything by him. I don't remember the plot, though, so it can't be more than middling.

The Mote in God's Eye - Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle: a good read

Footfall by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle: didn't enjoy this one so much - the plot didn't appeal

Beserker by Fred Saberhagen: there was a whole series of these, all based (IIRC) on battles with ancient, lethal spaceships programmed to destroy life wherever they found it. They're a bit lightweight so I didn't keep any of them, but they're a fun read

Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson: the first of a trilogy about the settlement of Mars. i couldn't really get into this - too long and slow - so I didn't bother with the sequels

And All the Stars a Stage by James Blish: the only Blish book I've kept is the classic "Cities in Flight"

Man Plus by Frederik Pohl: I liked Pohl's early work (well, I grew up with it!). I thought this was OK, but I didn't keep it.

To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer: a whole series of these books, on the premise that everyone who has ever lived is recreated on a huge planet. It was interesting at first, but I was relieved when I finally read the last book and discovered what was going on - I couldn't face reading them all again!

Lord of Light - Roger Zelazny: I like Zelazny, and I have kept this book, but it's so many decades since I read it...

The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delaney: I read a lot of books by him in the distant past; he was middling OK, but none survived the "re-read" test.

Whipping Star, The Dosadi Experiment, Destination: Void, The Santaroga Barrier, by Frank Herbert, and The Jesus Incident by Frank Herbert & Bill Ranson: I think I've read everything by Herbert, but the only ones I've kept are Dune, Dune Messiah and The Godmakers.

In the Ocean of Night by Gregory Benford: I like Benford. I've kept this one, plus Across the Sea of Suns, and Against Infinity.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein: ye gods, those take me back....they are generally regarded as classics, but I haven't kept them (or anything else by him) and wouldn't re-read them

Voyage of the Space Beagle, More Than Superhuman, The Mind Cage, The Weapon Shops of Isher, The War Against the Rull, Mission to the Stars by A.E. Van Vogt: ah, the old master! I've kept about a dozen of his books, including Weapon Shops and Rull. Worth a read if only for their historical importance.

Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury: they were OK as I recall, but I've only kept The Martian Chronicles by him

Pebble in the Sky, The Gods Themselves, Lucky Starr & The Pirates of the Asteroids, The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov: I think I must have read everything by him, but I've only kept the Foundation trilogy

Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke: the only one by him on your list that I've kept, probably because it's a classic. I also have The City and the Stars, The Deep Range, and Rama (his best book IMO).

The Land that Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs: you should read one book by him, just for the experience - I don't think it matters which...

The Left Hand of Darkness, The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin: I have both of these, she's a quality writer who's unlikely to disappoint

Mission Earth: The Invader's Plan, Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard: juvenile rubbish. I read one of these long ago, before I realised that he was the fruitcake behind Scientology. 'nuff said.

The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester: OK, read it a couple of times but don't have it now (unlike my tatty copy of The Stars My Destination).

Hope this helps. One thing I have learned is that any one person's list of favourites is most unlikely to match anyone else's, so an exercise like this can only give you a very rough guide.

 

[cgw]

Of this list, these are the ones I would highly recommend:
Way Station - Clifford D. Simak
Startide Rising - David Brin
Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman
Ringworld by Larry Niven
The Mote in God's Eye - Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer
Lord of Light - Roger Zelazny
Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
I have read maybe another 10 or so. While the others were OK, they did not stand out.

 

[B5B7]

It’s a big list, most of them very good and most of them I also have read.
I have read all these – and have bolded ones I really think very good; italicised not too good (ie Jack McDevitt). The reason why I am so down on most Jack McDevitt books one can find by going to my Website, where I have some articles/book reviews on McDevitt books.

Way Station - Clifford D. Simak – I have read & liked many Simak novels eg City, Destiny Doll
Sundiver & Startide Rising - David Brin – these are first 2 of his Uplift series – next is The Uplift War [there is a second Uplift trilogy but I haven’t read them yet]
There Is No Darkness - Joe Haldeman & Jack C. Haldeman II
Forever War
Camouflage
Angelmass - Timothy Zahn
Ringworld by Larry Niven – first of 4 novels (+ also other books set in same universe)
A World Out of Time by Larry Niven
The Mote in God's Eye - Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle (also has a sequel)
The Big Time - Fritz Leiber – sequel The Change War
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear
Eon by Greg Bear
Eternity by Greg Bear
Fallen Dragon by Peter F. Hamilton – I like a number of Hamilton novels
The Engines of God by Jack McDevitt
Polaris by Jack McDevitt
Beserker by Fred Saberhagen – there are about a dozen novels in the Berserker series
The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson
Undersea Fleet by Frederik Pohl & Jack Williamson
Ship of Strangers by Bob Shaw – highly recommended as are some other Shaw novels
Lord of Thunder by Andre Norton
Sargasso of Space by Andre Norton
The Postman by David Brin
To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer [one of the Riverworld novels]
Lord of Light - Roger Zelazny
The Dark Wing by Walter H. Hunt [has 3 sequels]
The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delaney
Evolution by Stephen Baxter
Ilium by Dan Simmons [sequel is Olympos]
Hyperion & Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons [also Endymion & The Rise of Endymion]
Whipping Star by Frank Herbert
The Dosadi Experiment by Frank Herbert
Destination: Void by Frank Herbert
The Jesus Incident by Frank Herbert & Bill Ranson
The Santaroga Barrier by Frank Herbert
Dune, Dune Messiah, & Children of Dune
In the Ocean of Night by Gregory Benford
If the Stars are Gods by Gregory Benford and Gordon Eklund
The Dueling Machine by Ben Bova
As On a Darkling Plain
The Winds of Altair
Star Watchman
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
Starman Jones by Robert A. Heinlein
The Star Beast by Robert A. Heinlein
The Rolling Stones by Robert A. Heinlein
Between Planets by Robert A. Heinlein
Red Planet by Robert A. Heinlein
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein [I have to reread this, as last read in 1969]
Starship Troopers – a personal favourite
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls
Voyage of the Space Beagle by A.E. Van Vogt – also a personal favourite
More Than Superhuman by A.E. Van Vogt
The Mind Cage by A.E. Van Vogt
The Weapon Shops of Isher by A.E. Van Vogt [second book The Weapon Makers]
The War Against the Rull by A.E. Van Vogt
Mission to the Stars by A.E. Van Vogt
Slan
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
The Martian Chronicles
Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov
The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
Lucky Starr & The Pirates of the Asteroids by Isaac Asimov
The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
Foundation [first of first (the original) Foundation trilogy]
Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke - excellent
The Sands of Mars by Arthur C. Clarke
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke
Imperial Earth by Arthur C. Clarke
The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke
Rendezvous With Rama [there are sequels I haven’t yet read]
A Canticle For Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin
Bones of the Earth by Michael Swanwick
The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester - excellent
Tiger, Tiger (The Stars My Destination)
short story Fondly Farenheit


The following I have not read: bolded ones that I need to read

Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman
The Coming by Joe Haldeman
Footfall by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
Starswarm – Jerry Pournelle
The Queen of Zamba (Cosmic Manhunt) - L Sprague de Camp
Moving Mars by Greg Bear
Hammer's Slammers by David Drake - did start reading once but gave up (might try again another day as I have liked a lot of his other books)
Icehenge by Kim Stanley Robinson
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson [plus Green Mars, Blue Mars]
And All the Stars a Stage by James Blish
Man Plus by Frederik Pohl
A Thunder on Neptune by Gordon Eklund
The Mysterious Planet by Lester Del Rey
Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons
One Door Away From Heaven by Dean Koontz
Colony by Ben Bova
The Star Conquerers by Ben Bova
End of Exile by Ben Bova
Orion and the Conquerers by Ben Bova
Mars, Return to Mars, JupiterExiled From Earth, Flight of Exiles
The Land that Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
Mission Earth: The Invader's Plan by L. Ron Hubbard
Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard
The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
The Martian Race
Orion
Nemesis
Lifeburst by Jack Williamson

SPECIAL NOTES I
I have read almost every book of Van Vogt, Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke (except Rama novels), Simak, Haldeman, Zahn, Niven (except many of the Man-Kzin Wars), McDevitt, Shaw, Herbert, and would add these books:
Van Vogt – Away and Beyond (collection), Quest for the Future, The Battle of Forever
Heinlein – Tunnel in the Sky, Time for the Stars, Double Star, The Puppet Masters
Asimov – The Martian Way & Earth is Room Enough (both collections)
Clarke – Earthlight, The City and the Stars
Simak – City, Destiny Doll, Our Children's Children
Haldeman – Mindbridge, All My Sins Remembered, ‘Worlds’ trilogy
Zahn – Blackcollar trilogy, Cobra trilogy
Niven – Protector, IFGS series
Shaw – Nightwalk, The Palace of Eternity
Herbert – The Dragon in the Sea (Under Pressure),
McDevitt – none at all

There are two reasons from my perspective that Jack McDevitt does not belong on this list – his books aren’t very good, and apart from Peter F. Hamilton, Walter Hunt and Dan Simmons, he is the only author on this list that has only been writing in past two decades; all the others are veteran authors, generally SF classical age authors.

If one wants to choose some modern authors then I can recommend:
Neal Asher, Adam Roberts, Wil McCarthy, Roger MacBride Allen, Alastair Reynolds, Sean Williams, Ken MacLeod, Scott Westerfeld, Greg Egan.

SPECIAL NOTES II
The list is as notable for its omissions as for what is on it – these following Authors/Books aren’t on it, and should be:
I DO REALIZE THAT OP SAID THE ORIGINAL BOOKS ARE ONES YOU OWN, BUT YOU SHOULD OWN (or at least read) THESE ONES TOO:
Lois McMaster Bujold – Vor series
David Weber – not a master author, but writes rollicking space military fiction
Barrington Bayley – has one of most unique personal styles - you will need to check second hand bookshops for these - all his books are good
C.J. Cherryh – her Union/Alliance stories are fascinating
Eric Frank Russell – Men, Martians and Machines; Wasp, Somewhere a Voice (collection)
James Blish – ‘Cities in Flight’ tetralogy, A Case of Conscience, Black Easter, he Day After Judgement
Iain M. Banks – ‘Culture’ novels
Olaf Stapledon – Starmaker, Sirius, Last and First Men
Ray Aldridge – ‘Emancipator’ series
Poul Anderson – The Time Patrol, The Corridors of Time, Tau Zero, The Star Fox, ‘Dominic Flandry’ series, ‘David Falkyn’ series
John Brunner – The Compleat Traveller in Black, Quicksand, Stand on Zanzibar,
Telepathist (The Whole Man), The Squares of the City
Chris Bunch+Alan Cole – Sten series
A. Bertram Chandler – ‘Grimes’ series
Philip K. Dick – Eye in the Sky, The World Jones Made, The Zap Gun, The Game Players of Titan, The Man in the High Castle, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, A Maze of Death
Harry Harrison – Deathworld trilogy
Alexei Panshin – his ‘Rite of Passage’; is an interesting contrast with Heinlein’s ‘Tunnel in the Sky’
Robert Silverberg – Dying Inside, Thorns, Vornan-19 (The Masks of Time), Up the Line
Cordwainer Smith – ‘Instrumentality’ series
John Steakley – Armor
Jack Vance – ‘Demon Princes’ series, ‘Dying Earth’ series, ‘Planet of Adventure’ series, To Live Forever, ‘Alastor’ series [some of his series are also in omnibus form]
John Wyndham – The Kraken Wakes, The Day of the Triffids, The Chrysalids, Web,
The Outward Urge, The Seeds of Time (collection)
Colin Kapp – The Unorthodox Engineers, ‘Zeus’ series


SPECIAL NOTES III
For authors already listed would add these books:
Philip Jose Farmer – The Unreasoning Mask, Tongues of the Moon, Dark is the Sun, Time’s Last Gift, A Feast Unknown
Fritz Leiber – The Wanderer, The Green Millennium
Fred Saberhagen – ‘Empire of the East’ omnibus
Roger Zelazny – Creatures of Light and Darkness
Peter F. Hamilton – Pandora’s Star, Judas Unchained, ‘Night’s Dawn’ series

There are plenty of other authors I could add eg Jack Williamson, Algis Budrys, etc, etc, but there are already a large number of authors and books already provided.

 

[s271]

Some of my opinions:

Footfall by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
Anachronistic a little now. So now it's more of alternative history of 70s then pure alien invasion SF. But still worth reading - Orion ascendant !

Hammer's Slammers by David Drake
You should read it if you want to understand what military SF mean.

The Engines of God by Jack McDevitt
if you like McDevitt you will like that one too. If not...

The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
Bester is always worth to read.

 

[KatG]

Wow, this list shows me that I have not read a lot of classic sf yet.

From what I have read, the following:

Sundiver & Startide Rising - David Brin -- Sundiver is the only one of the series I haven't read. It's a prequel to the first one -- Startide Rising. Startide Rising is the best of the series, in my opinion. Though a few of the alien species are a bit much to swallow, it's inventive, has lots of action and suspense, and gives a whole new meaning to the idea of shipwrecked. Plus, dolphin poetry! Brin is a strong writer with the prose, good at character, accessible with his science, and this book made me a firm fan of his anthropological sf.

Ringworld by Larry Niven -- I loved how this novel interlaced satirical farce with theoretical physics. Sort of Mark Twain, Jonathan Swift meets space. While the gender stuff is of course pretty dated and typical of sf at the time, the cultural material more than makes up for it. Niven isn't a brilliant prose stylist, but he's sharp as a tack. I don't know if I'll ever get around to reading the sequels to this book, but I did enjoy this one. And probably learned some useful scientific information.

Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear -- Mr. Bear varies by story, I find. Overall, I thought this one was really interesting, though I didn't entirely love the ending. I thought it sort of simplified some concepts for the sake of the story, but the story -- genetics and possible turns of evolution -- was a great melding of hard and sociological sf aspects. It's a scientific puzzle story and he made a great one, so I did add this to my permanent bookshelf.

Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson -- Technically, I have not read this book yet. But I am a fan of Robinson's fiction and I have read an excerpted novella from this novel which definitely made me want to read the whole trilogy. Robinson is a very strong stylist and very good at character. But in this book, he really does make the whole landscape come to life and tackles the real challenges that would be involved in terraforming Mars.

Hyperion & Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons -- I have read Hyperion and not the rest. I would have to re-read Hyperion to read the series, as I only remember parts of it. Hyperion is very impressive in its scope and ambition. It has bits that will really hit you dramatically, and a lot of enjoyable mystery as well. I'm sure I missed some very cool details because I am not enough of a science geek, but you don't have to be to follow things. Some of the aspects of the story didn't quite hold together for me as a structure, but it's a truly imaginative epic, looking at what might be the effect if we could conquer space and what might also be the consequences.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein -- On the one hand, I really liked this book, and on the other, I did not. The Libertarian philosophy I found quite anoying and felt it often stalled the story. The sentinent computer and underground moon base material I found really interesting. I enjoyed the characters overall. Heinlein's prose style is a little less polished here than in later works, but his inventions are a good deal more powerful. It's a good example of the emergence of sociological sf at that time period.

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein -- The science fiction novel with perhaps the least amount of science in it. It is much more about the times and culture in which it was written than about any particular idea, and again, the musings between characters can pall. But the core concept -- a man raised by alien beings and so having to learn what is human -- a variation on boy raised by wolves -- is beautifully done. If you like sociological sf, it's worth reading as a classic work.

2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke -- Clarke is a strong, if often very precise writer, but this novel was essentially a novelization of the movie that he wrote, and it loses something in the translation for me, though is perhaps less chilly than the movie. It did not seem to me to hang together well -- felt thrown together, and the novel did not add enough new depth to the main concepts of the story. Perhaps the sequels were better; I haven't read them.

A Canticle For Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. -- Has become one of my favorites of Golden Age sf, which given that I'm not a Christian, is saying something. Mainly it's Miller's style. He's a deft prosist, blends humor with pathos, and though doesn't stay long in the head of any one character, renders each one with loving care and vividness. An epic journey through a future history that might have been and a poignant commentary on human struggles. (But again, it's more sociological -- if you really want hard sf, not necessarily something for you.)

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin -- One of the books where upon LeGuin help lay to rest the idea that women can't write no science fiction. Sociological sf, and with a dollop of philosophizing, but really brilliant look at the issue of personal identity.

The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe -- I have not read all of these, or the following series, but have read some of the books and hope to read the whole thing some time. It is a high wire act of mystery, space opera, coming of age, politics and culture warps, with some tech thrown in, probably unlike anything else out there except maybe Hyperion. Wolfe's style is a bit dry and has the somewhat macho-oriented view of the writers of the 50's-70's, but he is very good at character and a pretty dab hand at dramatic action. Be warned, though, many people are under the impression that these books are fantasy.

 

[bluetyson]

Put Battlefield Earth last.

 

[Perry Rhodan]

Ringworld by Larry Niven - Hoping to get to this one as well.

Eon by Greg Bear - I'm not that into hard SF so... what I've read so far hasn't kept my interest, only lasted 40-60 pages.

The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson - It's fairly good for the first 200-250 pages, lost my interest quickly after that. With Foundation and Canticle there was an overarching story to the vignettes, not so much here. But... I didn't finish it, so it might have tied together in the last bit.

Sargasso of Space by Andre Norton - Recently heard about Norton, looking to read this one also.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein - when I first started with Heinlein this is the book I read. Either I wasn't read for it or this wasn't one of his better ones. Haven't come back to it, but now that I'm devouring the rest of his work, I'll give it another shot.

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein - Can't get past the 2/3 mark with this one. There's just something about it, maybe they didn't cut enough of it.

The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury - Great short collection. Some hits, some misses. But you get that with everyone.

The Land that Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs - I've read Lost World, and I can only imagine that Burroughs would make the same story much better with his action/adventure style. Great writer, read the first books of all his series (Mars/Barsoom, Tarzan, Venus), the later books fall flat.

A Canticle For Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. - See above.

Hope this helps somewhat.