Prometheus Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 It's been a while since I read sci-fi so I was surprised how good Joe Haldeman's "The forever war" was. In fact I enjoyed it so much I read it in one sitting. Apparently Ridley Scott is making the film of the book soon. I used to be an avid sci-fi reader when I was younger with Alfred Bester and Robert Silverberg my all time favourite authors. The problem with sci-fi is that when its bad it stinks to high heaven but at its very best its visionary. So to cut to the chase please recommend your all time favourites so I can catch any more that I may have missed in my youth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honestfi Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 John Christopher's Tripod Trilogy. Heavily influenced by War Of The Worlds, methinks, I'm not a sci-fi fan, but I loved that in my teens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Okay, always up for a challenge! At the top of my list would have to be: War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells The original "The Martians are coming!" novel, and probably still the best; I love the descriptive way Wells writes and this is a book I can read over and again without getting bored. The Day of the Triffids, by John Wyndham The Kraken Wakes, also by John Wyndham The Midwich Cuckoos, by - you guessed it -John Wyndham Wyndham is one of my favourite authors, and this non-related little trilogy are three of his best. I love the period feel of Wyndham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Ray Bradbury, "The Martian Chronicles". That is all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanwa Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell One of the best novels ever written, period. A fascinating look at control and subjugation, that is possibly more relevant today than it ever has been. One of the most thought provoking books I have ever read. Oddly as primarily a fantasy reader I don't go much in for Sci-Fi, although I'm trying to get into the idea. 1984 however I read a few years ago and it was (for lack of any other words) absolutely blinding. Plan to reread it in the very near future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 The Day of the Triffids, by John Wyndham Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke I second both of these. Rama is one of my all time faves. I'd also recommend The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov and Childhood's End by Arthur C Clarke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 I will second The War of the Worlds and the stuff by Arthur C Clarke. Also, The City and the Stars by Arthur C Clarke. I'm not sure that it would be considered a classic (although it's one of the SF Masterworks, if that's any indication), but it warrants classic status, in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blithe Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigWords Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 It's been a while since I read sci-fi so I was surprised how good Joe Haldeman's "The forever war" was. In fact I enjoyed it so much I read it in one sitting. Which version? There was a rewritten and updated edition published a few years ago. Which irritated me no end. As much as the original is falling apart (it is held together with a thick rubber band to stop the pages falling out) I can't bear to get rid of it. I agree on it being a classic SF book wholeheartedly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus Posted September 23, 2009 Author Share Posted September 23, 2009 It is the Sci-Fi Masterworks edition (1999) and contains a section that was omitted from the original 1974 version. The writing is not the best but still a good and easy style, the ideas and politics behind this means that there is a good story round the core plot and writers very rarely pull this off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus Posted September 23, 2009 Author Share Posted September 23, 2009 People always refer to Vietnam about this but my reading of this is that the US Government has gone through a wormhole and arrived at the current debacle of Afghanistan & Iraq. Just substitute Communism with Islam. The ideas are still very fresh and contemporary. Haldemann has even come up with an interesting non-Malthusian slant on overpopulation.. brilliant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus Posted September 23, 2009 Author Share Posted September 23, 2009 Thanks to the rest of you posting I have still to read Arthur C Clarke. Always thought he was too cerebral when I was younger ... I have no excuse now I will get round to Wyndham and even the tripods by John Christopher. The BBC series put me off for life (almost). They didn't even finish the series. They will be part of my British sci-fi collection. Apart from Orwell the sci-fi writers I have read are predominantly American I am off to read Fahrenheit 451 completely forgot about that!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 ... even the tripods by John Christopher. The BBC series put me off for life (almost). They didn't even finish the series. They didn't do a bad job of adapting the books they did, given they had a BBC budget, their only real mistake was in trying to spin the story out to fill the 13 week slot vacated by Doctor Who. If it had been six or eight parts, it would have made for a much tighter story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 These cross-over a little into fantasy as well as Sci-fi, but I would recommend Julian May's Saga of the exiles. Four books consisting of The Many-coloured land The Golden Torc The non-born King The Adversary I love these books - I've re-read them so many times Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 That's good to know Ian, as I've got "The Many Coloured Land" patiently waiting on the bookshelf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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