"first contact" type of books - usually scifi/fantasy

LolaRennt · 10-21-09, 06:03 PM

Hi,

Excuse my lack of better words but I really like "first contact" type of books. With this I mean where the protagonist is faced with a previously unknown situation, and as a reader, you are discovering together with the protagonist what is really happening, and how to deal with it.
A couple of examples that I really enjoyed:

"Speaker for the dead" (Orson Scott Card): What is really happening with the piggies, and why are they doing what they are doing (killing humans)

"Hyperion / fall of hyperion" (Dan Simmons): especially in Hyperion, the "shrike" is introduced, but you have no clue what it is or why it is important to the heroes in the book

"The stand" (S. King): the characters are faced with a massive disaster that wipes out x% of the human population, and the survivors have to figure out how to deal with it.

I know, this is quite vague, but I hope that these examples illustrate my preference in this kind of books.

Based on this, which other books would you recommend, and why. Reason why I ask is that I haven't read too much new in a long time, and I am looking for new material, hence recommendations. Thanks!

mlemmond · 10-21-09, 08:00 PM

Check out Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

http://www.amazon.com/Footfall-Larry...6169567&sr=8-1

Kevin M. Dean · 10-21-09, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlemmond

Check out Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

http://www.amazon.com/Footfall-Larry...6169567&sr=8-1

...and "Lucifer's Hammer" by the same which fits more your "The Stand" mention... along with "Swan Song" by Robert R. McCammon.

LolaRennt · 10-22-09, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlemmond

Check out Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

http://www.amazon.com/Footfall-Larry...6169567&sr=8-1

That is a GREAT suggestion. I have read "the mote in gods eye" several times, and enjoyed every reading. I haven't read Footfall yet, so this one is on my list of things to read shortly. Thanks!

LolaRennt · 10-22-09, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin M. Dean

...and "Lucifer's Hammer" by the same which fits more your "The Stand" mention... along with "Swan Song" by Robert R. McCammon.

Haven't read that one either. Have you read it, and did you like it?

Thanks for the tips so far. Looking forward to some more.

Kevin M. Dean · 10-22-09, 10:52 AM

Yes I've read everything mentioned in this thread (albeit a long time ago). Footfall, Lucifer's Hammer and Swan Song are all excellent reads.

mgbfan · 10-22-09, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LolaRennt

That is a GREAT suggestion. I have read "the mote in gods eye" several times, and enjoyed every reading. I haven't read Footfall yet, so this one is on my list of things to read shortly. Thanks!

I love The Mote in God's Eye as well. But to me, Footfall just didn't stack up.

I think a perfect book for what you're describing would be The Sparrow by Maria Doria Russell. Ranks up there with Mote and Dune as one of the best SF books I've ever read, and it really works for what you're describing.

TimeandTide · 10-25-09, 08:56 PM

Arthur C. Clarke's Rendevouz With Rama springs to mind.

milo bloom · 10-27-09, 11:25 AM

Kind of a stretch, but the Star Trek novel Strangers From the Sky is a great story of the first meeting between Earth and the Vulcans.

Deke Rivers · 10-27-09, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin M. Dean

...and "Lucifer's Hammer" by the same which fits more your "The Stand" mention... along with "Swan Song" by Robert R. McCammon.

Lucifers Hammer is indeed an end of the world story vs a first contact..unless a giant comet coming to earth constitutes contact of some sort

superdeluxe · 10-27-09, 04:20 PM

David Brin's novels?

xmiyux · 10-31-09, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin M. Dean

...and "Lucifer's Hammer" by the same which fits more your "The Stand" mention... along with "Swan Song" by Robert R. McCammon.

I'll second or third these suggestions. Lucifer's Hammer is a great hard sci-fi story. Swan Song is just like the Stand - and imo was even more interesting than the Stand.

cgray · 11-06-09, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimeandTide

Arthur C. Clarke's Rendevouz With Rama springs to mind.

I just finished this one. I thought it was a fantastic book. I was disappointed to go on wikipedia and discover that Morgan Freeman was championing the making of the movie, that Fincher had signed on to direct, and that it has all been cancelled due to Freeman's health. The whole time I was reading, I was wondering why it hadn't been made into a movie yet. A lot of very cinematic scenes, action, etc.

drmar35mm · 11-06-09, 01:53 PM

Roadside Picnic, by the Strugatsky brothers. What if aliens stopped on earth for a time, with no more consciousness of us than we have of ants at a picnic? What do we do with the garbage they left behind?

10-21-09, 06:03 PM	#1
LolaRennt Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 584	"first contact" type of books - usually scifi/fantasy Hi, Excuse my lack of better words but I really like "first contact" type of books. With this I mean where the protagonist is faced with a previously unknown situation, and as a reader, you are discovering together with the protagonist what is really happening, and how to deal with it. A couple of examples that I really enjoyed: "Speaker for the dead" (Orson Scott Card): What is really happening with the piggies, and why are they doing what they are doing (killing humans) "Hyperion / fall of hyperion" (Dan Simmons): especially in Hyperion, the "shrike" is introduced, but you have no clue what it is or why it is important to the heroes in the book "The stand" (S. King): the characters are faced with a massive disaster that wipes out x% of the human population, and the survivors have to figure out how to deal with it. I know, this is quite vague, but I hope that these examples illustrate my preference in this kind of books. Based on this, which other books would you recommend, and why. Reason why I ask is that I haven't read too much new in a long time, and I am looking for new material, hence recommendations. Thanks! __________________ Der Ball ist rund.

10-21-09, 08:00 PM	#2
mlemmond Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 783	Re: "first contact" type of books - usually scifi/fantasy Check out Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle http://www.amazon.com/Footfall-Larry...6169567&sr=8-1 __________________ Blog

10-22-09, 10:52 AM	#6
Kevin M. Dean DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Sep 1999 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,154	Re: "first contact" type of books - usually scifi/fantasy Yes I've read everything mentioned in this thread (albeit a long time ago). Footfall, Lucifer's Hammer and Swan Song are all excellent reads. __________________ • Doctor Who Universe Episode List - Region 1 DVD Releases - updated 11-10-09 • Rhubarb Productions

10-25-09, 08:56 PM	#8
TimeandTide DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Rancho Cucamonga Posts: 2,478	Re: "first contact" type of books - usually scifi/fantasy Arthur C. Clarke's Rendevouz With Rama springs to mind.

10-27-09, 11:25 AM	#9
milo bloom DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: May 2001 Location: Chicago suburbs Posts: 7,669	Re: "first contact" type of books - usually scifi/fantasy Kind of a stretch, but the Star Trek novel Strangers From the Sky is a great story of the first meeting between Earth and the Vulcans. __________________ OAR (Original Aspect Ratio) is not about more image, or less image. It's about the right image. "...and a table made of cheese, and a chair made of cheese..."

10-27-09, 04:20 PM	#11
superdeluxe DVD Talk Limited Edition Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: seattle Posts: 6,579	Re: "first contact" type of books - usually scifi/fantasy David Brin's novels? __________________ My Sparkpeople profile! Follow me on Facebook

11-06-09, 01:53 PM	#14
drmar35mm Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 96	Re: "first contact" type of books - usually scifi/fantasy Roadside Picnic, by the Strugatsky brothers. What if aliens stopped on earth for a time, with no more consciousness of us than we have of ants at a picnic? What do we do with the garbage they left behind?