What To Read

[maxwell005]

Hi, I really want to read a very good sci fi novel and I am actually considering Isaac Asimov's Foundation series or Dan Simmons' illium/olympos. As i have already read and loved The Hyperion and Endymion Series im more willing to go for illium and olympos. What do you guys think i should get? Do you know something else that is great as well ??
thx alot

[Joel007]

You can't go wrong with the Foundation series!

[Giovanna Clairval]

Azimov and Simmons are very different.
First, are you a fan of classic SF or do you prefer contemporary authors? Have you already read and enjoyed Azimov? Or do you just trust any Chronic's personal taste?
I like both authors, for different reasons, but, talking about Dan Simmons, I think Hyperion is better than Endymion and Ilium.

[maxwell005]

I never read a book from Asimov (I just read occasionally by the way) and i dont really know Asimov writing style. Concerning Simmons I heard that Illium and Olympos requires some knowledge from the Greek mythology; (there is a lot of references to Homer Iliad and Odyssey) and, not that I don't like it, but I am not really aware of such thing. So does I really have to know some stuff about Greek mythology and Homer Iliad? Or can I give it a go even if i don't have such knowledge...
Btw, i am not saying here that I have no interest in the Greek mythology...

thank you!

[Spade]

Dune by Frank Herbert

If you haven't already.

[Ginkus]

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick. Was the inspiration for Blade Runner.

[maxwell005]

already read Frank Herbert's Dune...really good and classic sci fi stuff. And Do android dream of electric sheep, actually considering it! thanks guys

[speedingslug]

Try Altered Carbon - Ricard Morgan, it's cyberpunk, a bit of violence and sex. Okay a lot of violence but a good read, there's three books in the series if you like the first.

[pyan]

Try Ringworld by Larry Niven.

Thoroughly recommended.

[gully_foyle]

It's a bit like trying to name your favourite flavour of ice cream.

Try Gateway by Frederik Pohl for a good classic SF book. Or Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks for something a little more recent (even though it has been published these 20 years).

[paranoid marvin]

Farewell Horizontal by KW Jeter is a great , although short , novel

TBH though , you really cant go wrong with Adams' Hitchikers Guide To The Galaxy series

[dustinzgirl]

Originally Posted by Ginkus

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick. Was the inspiration for Blade Runner.

Originally Posted by pyan

Try Ringworld by Larry Niven.

Thoroughly recommended.

Either one of these will make you think.

I could never get into Aasismov, he confuses me. I'm fairly simple in my reading, LOL.

If you like novellas, pick up The Witches of Kares which is a good old story in one of the Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volumes...I'd have to go into storage to see which one, but I think you can get these on ebay, they were published in the 70's or something. Good collection of great novellas that won the Nebula (?) awards. Kares has space pirates, and space pirates are awesome.

[Parson]

As this is an opinion question there is certainly no right answer. But IMO the very best SF book ever written was Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. I preferred that to any of the previously mentioned and believe I've read them all.

[Overread]

The Witches of Kares Change to Karres and its availble from amazon at 3.60 - I was interested so I looked

[Connavar]

If there is a choice beteween Asimov and Simmons. Choose Asimov!

Foundation is classic and Simmons most famous book Hyperion i read, it isnt half as good as people make it out to be IMO.

If you want a modern SF writer i recommend Richard Morgan's Altered Carbon or Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game.