Comments on: Top 15 Great Science Fiction Books http://listverse.com/2007/08/18/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/ Ultimate Top 10 Lists - Listverse Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:09:18 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: troels http://listverse.com/2007/08/18/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-227365 troels Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:33:21 +0000 http://listverse.com/literature/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-227365 Thanks for the tip - that one IS available through the libraries. Had forgotten about the list you made above, I will definitely use it for inspiration! Thanks for the tip – that one IS available through the libraries.
Had forgotten about the list you made above, I will definitely use it for inspiration!

]]> By: IceCube666 http://listverse.com/2007/08/18/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-226957 IceCube666 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:11:24 +0000 http://listverse.com/literature/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-226957 Hi troels, here's another recent novel you could try : John Scalzi - Old Man's War (2005) [p.313] I loved this book. One of my 5 favorites from the last 10 years. I use the InterLibrary Loan system as well. My library is able to find books for me from all over Canada. It usually takes about 3 or 4 weeks so I simply straddle an order stream that results in a new book coming in every week or two. My target success rate is around 95% with the remaining 5% going on an outstanding list that I'll simply buy online when everything else has been read. My objective is to read at least one book from all of the top Science Fiction authors of the last 100 years. Then I'll go back and read more of all my favorite writers. I think I'm somewhere around 265 or 270 authors so far. I had included my top Science Fiction Novels of all time list in posting 161 above dated : May 15th, 2008. Since this list is 18 months old and I have read 30 new authors and about 50 new books since then I'll need to add a few titles to the list. I hope you are able to find Old Man's War. Its a lot of fun. Not too heavy. Enjoy ! Ice :-) Wednesday 2009 November 18 Hi troels, here’s another recent novel you could try : John Scalzi – Old Man’s War (2005) [p.313] I loved this book. One of my 5 favorites from the last 10 years.

I use the InterLibrary Loan system as well. My library is able to find books for me from all over Canada. It usually takes about 3 or 4 weeks so I simply straddle an order stream that results in a new book coming in every week or two. My target success rate is around 95% with the remaining 5% going on an outstanding list that I’ll simply buy online when everything else has been read.

My objective is to read at least one book from all of the top Science Fiction authors of the last 100 years. Then I’ll go back and read more of all my favorite writers. I think I’m somewhere around 265 or 270 authors so far.

I had included my top Science Fiction Novels of all time list in posting 161 above dated : May 15th, 2008. Since this list is 18 months old and I have read 30 new authors and about 50 new books since then I’ll need to add a few titles to the list.

I hope you are able to find Old Man’s War. Its a lot of fun. Not too heavy.

Enjoy !

Ice :-)
Wednesday 2009 November 18

]]> By: troels http://listverse.com/2007/08/18/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-226737 troels Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:22:54 +0000 http://listverse.com/literature/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-226737 Thanks for the tip - unlike Blindsight I can't find Dauntless in the Danish inter-library system though - curses! (I'm still a poor student...) Ice, you seem to be the right person to make a top-50 SF books list of their own - (or three sub-genre top-20 lists). That would be interesting! Thanks for the tip – unlike Blindsight I can’t find Dauntless in the Danish inter-library system though – curses! (I’m still a poor student…)
Ice, you seem to be the right person to make a top-50 SF books list of their own – (or three sub-genre top-20 lists). That would be interesting!

]]> By: IceCube666 http://listverse.com/2007/08/18/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-226559 IceCube666 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:03:54 +0000 http://listverse.com/literature/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-226559 troels, I forgot to mention , while Blindsight is more easily absorbed by someone with a background in science or engineering (I'm a physicist myself) Dauntless has no such requirement. Anyone at all will be able to understand the "technical" elements of the story. As I said Dauntless would be considered an easy read although in no way would I consider it simplistic or uninvolving. Enjoy ! Ice :-) Tuesday 2009 November 17 troels, I forgot to mention , while Blindsight is more easily absorbed by someone with a background in science or engineering (I’m a physicist myself) Dauntless has no such requirement. Anyone at all will be able to understand the “technical” elements of the story. As I said Dauntless would be considered an easy read although in no way would I consider it simplistic or uninvolving.

Enjoy !

Ice :-)
Tuesday 2009 November 17

]]> By: IceCube666 http://listverse.com/2007/08/18/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-226556 IceCube666 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:51:35 +0000 http://listverse.com/literature/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-226556 Hi troels, I'm very glad you enjoyed Blindsight. It is one of only 8 or 9 books written in the last 10 years that I really enjoyed. In general I tend to like the older stuff. Here's another recent novel that I highly recommend: Jack Campbell - The Lost Fleet: Dauntless (yr.2006)[ p.293 ] Compelling human interaction, the psychological struggle of an isolated soldier displaced in time and an exciting race through the darkness of unfamiliar deep space - complete with a series of well painted space battles. This book is quick and easy to read. It is the first book of a series but does provide a very satisfying ending - it does'nt leave you hanging. Well a tiny bit I suppose. If you enjoy it, there are a number of books to follow. The atmosphere of this story is unlike that of Blindsight. Dauntless is interesting and exciting without the oppressive dark feel of Blindsight. I hope you enjoy it. Ice :-) Tuesday 2009 November 17 Hi troels, I’m very glad you enjoyed Blindsight. It is one of only 8 or 9 books written in the last 10 years that I really enjoyed. In general I tend to like the older stuff.

Here’s another recent novel that I highly recommend:
Jack Campbell – The Lost Fleet: Dauntless (yr.2006)[ p.293 ]

Compelling human interaction, the psychological struggle of an isolated soldier displaced in time and an exciting race through the darkness of unfamiliar deep space – complete with a series of well painted space battles.

This book is quick and easy to read. It is the first book of a series but does provide a very satisfying ending – it does’nt leave you hanging. Well a tiny bit I suppose. If you enjoy it, there are a number of books to follow.

The atmosphere of this story is unlike that of Blindsight. Dauntless is interesting and exciting without the oppressive dark feel of Blindsight.

I hope you enjoy it.

Ice :-)
Tuesday 2009 November 17

]]> By: troels http://listverse.com/2007/08/18/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-226477 troels Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:46:37 +0000 http://listverse.com/literature/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-226477 Wow, I can now safely say that Blindsight is one of the most remarkable and exciting books in a long time (at least if you have at least some sort of training in science, otherwise it's probably just gibberish). It is also one of the most dark, COLD and depressing books ever! I will do my best to try and forget some of its ideas as quickly as possible. I somehow don't think Peter Watts is a very happy person... Thanks for the tip though, I found it very exciting to read SF which is based on so recent scientific findings - it makes the story seem more (in this case frighteningly) plausible. Wow, I can now safely say that Blindsight is one of the most remarkable and exciting books in a long time (at least if you have at least some sort of training in science, otherwise it’s probably just gibberish). It is also one of the most dark, COLD and depressing books ever! I will do my best to try and forget some of its ideas as quickly as possible.
I somehow don’t think Peter Watts is a very happy person…
Thanks for the tip though, I found it very exciting to read SF which is based on so recent scientific findings – it makes the story seem more (in this case frighteningly) plausible.

]]> By: troels http://listverse.com/2007/08/18/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-223427 troels Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:20:52 +0000 http://listverse.com/literature/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-223427 Thanks for the suggestion, it sounds great - will definitely check it out. The only downside of newer books is of course that they aren't always available as inter-library loans, so might have to actually BUY this one... Thanks for the suggestion, it sounds great – will definitely check it out. The only downside of newer books is of course that they aren’t always available as inter-library loans, so might have to actually BUY this one…

]]> By: IceCube666 http://listverse.com/2007/08/18/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-223363 IceCube666 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:18:50 +0000 http://listverse.com/literature/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-223363 Hi troels , yes there's a lot of bad Sci-Fi out there. Its great when you find something thats really good or better yet an author that puts out work that you consistently enjoy. Of course variety is fun too. I've got about 80 or 90 authors that I really enjoy and about 200 or so that I avoid like the plague. I guess 30 % is not too bad. But it took years to find the good stuff. You were looking for tips on newer books. Here's one I recently read and loved : Peter Watts (brn.1958) "Blindsight"(2006) [ p.362 ] Gripping, terrifying, well written encounter with the unknown beyond the outer edges of our solar system. Was nominated for the Hugo award a couple years ago. A well deserved thumbs up for an author that I will definitely follow up on. Enjoy ! Ice :-) Tuesday 2009 November 10 Hi troels , yes there’s a lot of bad Sci-Fi out there. Its great when you find something thats really good or better yet an author that puts out work that you consistently enjoy. Of course variety is fun too.

I’ve got about 80 or 90 authors that I really enjoy and about 200 or so that I avoid like the plague. I guess 30 % is not too bad. But it took years to find the good stuff.

You were looking for tips on newer books. Here’s one I recently read and loved :
Peter Watts (brn.1958) “Blindsight”(2006) [ p.362 ]

Gripping, terrifying, well written encounter with the unknown beyond the outer edges of our solar system. Was nominated for the Hugo award a couple years ago. A well deserved thumbs up for an author that I will definitely follow up on.

Enjoy !
Ice :-)
Tuesday 2009 November 10

]]> By: troels http://listverse.com/2007/08/18/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-223343 troels Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:04:00 +0000 http://listverse.com/literature/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-223343 My own top-three SciFi Books list would probably look something like this (in a non-prioritized order): 1) Rendezvous with Rama (Arthur C.Clarke). The persons may be a bit two-dimensional and the writing is a bit plain, but it is a page-turner unlike any I have ever read, in any genre. 2) Neuromancer (William Gibson). In some ways this is the exact opposite to "Rama" - what affected me most about the book was not the storyline or the ideas but how vivid, real and "gritty" Gibson's writing makes the world seem. The most cool, non-geeky, SciFi I have read. 3) The Culture novels (Iain M. Banks) - especially Look to Windward and Excession. Banks' Culture raises so many philosophical questions about what constitutes sentience, civilization and "meaning of life", while at the same time being extremely well-written and laugh-out-loud funny. To me, Banks manages to combine the best traits from the "type 1/Rama" storyline-based SciFi with "type 2/Neuromancer" great language and literary quality. I sometimes become a bit annoyed with how much bad SciFi there is out there that one has to sift through to find the gems, so I am extremely grateful for the suggestions in all the comments here. Though I'm defintely going to check out some of the classics (Hoyle etc.), I for one would highly appreciate some more tips about newer books, as well. My own top-three SciFi Books list would probably look something like this (in a non-prioritized order):
1) Rendezvous with Rama (Arthur C.Clarke). The persons may be a bit two-dimensional and the writing is a bit plain, but it is a page-turner unlike any I have ever read, in any genre.
2) Neuromancer (William Gibson). In some ways this is the exact opposite to “Rama” – what affected me most about the book was not the storyline or the ideas but how vivid, real and “gritty” Gibson’s writing makes the world seem. The most cool, non-geeky, SciFi I have read.
3) The Culture novels (Iain M. Banks) – especially Look to Windward and Excession. Banks’ Culture raises so many philosophical questions about what constitutes sentience, civilization and “meaning of life”, while at the same time being extremely well-written and laugh-out-loud funny. To me, Banks manages to combine the best traits from the “type 1/Rama” storyline-based SciFi with “type 2/Neuromancer” great language and literary quality.

I sometimes become a bit annoyed with how much bad SciFi there is out there that one has to sift through to find the gems, so I am extremely grateful for the suggestions in all the comments here. Though I’m defintely going to check out some of the classics (Hoyle etc.), I for one would highly appreciate some more tips about newer books, as well.

]]> By: psyphi http://listverse.com/2007/08/18/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-218685 psyphi Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:31:49 +0000 http://listverse.com/literature/top-15-great-science-fiction-books/#comment-218685 Also, must try "nSpace" by Dovin Melhee Also, must try “nSpace” by Dovin Melhee

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