Docc

OK, the War of the Worlds thread reminds me that I need some reading recommendations. I have something of a collection of old books. I've read a fair amount of Bradbury, Orwell, HG Wells, Christopher, etc. I also have some non fiction (Corbett, K. Anderson, Tesla, etc.) and "literature" (Frost, Twain, etc). But my collection is by NO means complete. I'd like some recommendations for good reading, especially good Sci-fi but anything will do. I used to read strictly factual history books but I figured out that reading "period" literature was not only more interesting but also a better view into the past. Thanks!

Oh, I get a lot of stuff through www.alibris.com. Very good for tracking down stuff I didn't think I'd be able to find.

benedict

Determining what is "good", of course, is highly subjective.

However, you have provided a useful outline of your interests so I'd start by suggesting an earlier short list I made that I think would fit and then by suggesting that you try a quick search for earlier science fiction recommendations in this forum to see if there is anything else that chimes.

mifuneral

fantasy:
The Once and Future King by TH White
A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin
A Clash of Kings by George RR Martin
A Storm of Swords by George RR Martin
Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
The Sci Fi Trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength) by CS Lewis
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Sci Fi
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Enders Game by Orson Scott Card
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by PK Dick
Lies, Inc by PK Dick
Dr. Bloodmoney by PK Dick
Angry Candy (short story collection) by Harlan Ellison
Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Scarecrow

What's been mentioned so far is very good (Ender's Game & 451 are among my favorites, along with the George RR Martin books). Another fantasy series I love is the Malazan series by Steven Erikson. For classic Sci-Fi maybe look into the Lensmen series by EE 'Doc' Smith, Asimov's Foundation series & Herbert's Dune series. Also Stranger In A Strange Land by Heinlein.

mgbfan

mif's list is good, though a little overdominated by Dick - he's not for everybody. If you're into the classic science fiction standards, be sure to add titles like:

Dune (Herbert)
Stranger in a Strange Land (Heinlin)
The Left Hand of Darkness (LeGuin)
The Mote in God's Eye (Niven/Pournelle)
2001 (Clarke)

There's more, but that's off the top of my head. You've probably read a lot of those already anyway, but try the ones you haven't.

DeepBlue

Great recommendations so far.

A few more authors I enjoyed reading:

Colin Wilson
Spider World series

Gene Wolfe
(Shadow of the Torturer, Claw of the Conciliator , Sword of the Lictor,
Citadel of the Autarch)

Glen Cook
Black Company series

tasha99

My favorite speculative fiction writers:

Lois McMaster Bujold (the whole Miles Vorkosigan series is great, but my favorites are Mirror Dance and Memory)

Connie Willis (esp. short stories, but also The Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog)

Octavia Butler (Xenogenesis series. "Bloodchild" is one of the best short stories I've ever read).

Heh. I just noticed these are all women.

wlj

This is not a Sci-Fi book but "Into Thin Air" by John Krakaur(sp?) is one of the best books I have ever read. It is a nonfiction book about the 1996 disaster on Mt. Everest. You will not be able to put it down.


wlj

movieking

Anyone have thoughts on Freakonomics (Levitt), Saturday (McEwan), or The Secret Man (Woodward)? I've seen some mixed reviews various places, and want to know before I get them from Audible.

mgbfan

I tried to read one of these and couldn't get through it. Parade of cliche, nothing remotely original. I finish probably 98% of what I start reading, but this one I dumped.