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#31 |
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Rollercoaster
It's not quite first contact sci fi but I would (always) recommend the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov - from what you've said I think you'll enjoy the series. It is, IMHO, one of the greatest sci fi masterpieces ever written. Another series I'll recommend are the Eric Van Lustbadder's fanasy novels - there is a trilogy (not sure what the collective name is) comprising the Ring of Five Dragons, a Veil of a Thousand Tears and Mistress of the Veil. Be warned, they are quitre challenging to read at times, but they are also brilliant. They concern the invasion of one planet by a group of aliens - it's a bit like a sci fi version of the colonization of the Americas. Not that many people have read these books, but they are worth it. |
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#32 | |
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Foundation (1951) Foundation and Empire (1952) Second Foundation (1953) The next book wasn't written until 1982 and I wonder how successful the merge with the original trilogy was. |
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#33 | |
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I am recommending the five main books in the series - the original trilogy plus the much later sequels. I know some don't like the last two books, but they do - IMO - offer a better narrative in terms of character development, etc. I understand why some don't enjoy them as much as there is a big change of pace from having three generations of characters in one book suddenly transformed into the same set of characters for the last two. By personally, I don't think the first three really tell the completed story. That said the finale in the final book isn't amazing either, but I did feel that after having read all five I had read the complete saga, as it were. Also, it was the latter books, particuarly the last, that I felt were most suited to this thread. I take it your not a fan of books 4 and 5? In haven't read the prequels yet so I cannot comment on them...yet ![]() |
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#34 |
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I only read the first three (which were excellent). Foundation's Edge (1982) did win the Hugo for best Sci-Fi novel and if I get around to reading the series again it was on my list. I guess if that goes well I'll have to add Foundation and Earth (1983) too.
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#35 |
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@ray-reid thanks. the Foundation series in already in my reading list. I have a whole lot of book in my list and I am overwhelmed but very very happy about it.
currently reading Ender's Game Series (Shadow of the Hegemon) and Sector General Series (Star Surgeon) and Dune Series (Children of Dune) so i have to wait a bit to get into Foundation series ![]() am i weird? ![]() |
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#36 | |
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@ Rollercoaster - not at all, that sounds like a great reading list. I absolutely ADORE the Dune series - for our first wedding anniversary a couple of years back my wife got me first editions of the last three Frank Herbert Dune novels (God Emperor, Heretics and Chapterhouse). Dune is probably my favourite novel of all time. Also, Herbert and Asimov were friends and though their works were very different an idea or concept from one occassionally crossed over into the other. Happily, the first three Foundation novels are short and shouldn't take you too long to get through ![]() |
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#37 |
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Transfigurations by Michael Bishop
and Alien Cradle by Jeff Inlo (jinlo on these forums) Both are excellent first contact books. |
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#38 |
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My favorites of this type are indeed the Vernor Vinge you reference and
Arthur C. Clark's - Rendezvous With Rama (I'm sure that's ebooked) Hugo Award Frederik Pohl's - Gateway, Hugo Award David Brin's - Startide Rising (no idea if ebooked) Hugo Award and C.J. Cherryh's - The Pride of Chanur (ebook version on her website I think) Hugo nominee edit: I'm wrong, The Pride of Chanur is still in the publisher's domain and not available as an ebook. What it's about is: from an alien species point of view, first contact with the (Earth Company part of the Company/Alliance/Union universe) humans. Just tremendous ![]() On her website are "Heavy Time" and "Hellburner", the first two Company Wars books which are somewhat related later to the Chanur books. Heavy Time is one of my favorite books by her and while not "alien first contact", it is the beginning of a long, related, group of standalone books about contact between 1) Earth (Company), 2) the Merchanter Alliance and 3) Union, those original colonists who are now so far away from Earth they have become a separate .... culture in the galaxy. Last edited by wayspooled; 08-06-2010 at 06:33 AM. |
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#39 |
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Another vote for the Culture novels by Iain M. Banks. The man has a staggering imagination, a great sense of humour and he writes beautifully. The US versions used to have terrible covers straight out of the 1970s, though they seem to have been brought in line with the British editions now.
Alastair Reynolds, in particular his Revelation Space series, is very good if you're into 'harder' sci-fi. He used to work for the ESA and all his books contain at least semi-plausible interstellar space travel (no warp drives) and incorporates the travel time involved (and the time dilation effects of travelling at 90% of C) into his plots. Joe Haldeman's Forever War is also good, though it does fall more into the military sci-fi bracket. The author based it upon his Vietnam experiences and the book describes a protracted, largely unexplained war against an unknowable race of aliens. The hero eventually comes home to find that he's completely alienated from his own society and that no-one knows or cares much about his experience. Shameless plug time: My own sci-fi novel, Exiles, would fall into this genre as well. Currently available on Amazon US, UK and Smashwords. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UYUWE2 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003UYUWE2 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18959 |
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#40 | |
Crab In The Dark
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Quote:
![]() Last edited by wayspooled; 08-06-2010 at 06:39 AM. |
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#41 |
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I've downloaded Neptune Crossing. Should keep me occupied next week
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#42 |
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If you can find it - Memoirs of a Spacewoman by Naomi Mitchison is a wonderfully sensual series of vignettes of first contact.
Another +1 for Contact by Carl Sagan. Watched the movie again on blu-ray the other day - it's a good hollywoodisation of a great book. |
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#43 |
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For some reason this first contact book came to mind last night:
http://www.amazon.com/Alien-Years-Ro.../dp/006105111X http://www.majipoor.com/work.php?id=20 http://books.google.com/books?id=d6-...page&q&f=false Out of print, but plenty of used copies available. No official ebook, it is "out there." |
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#44 |
Crab In The Dark
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A link I came across about alien related sci-fi. Thought it might be interesting to those in this thread
![]() http://www.bookthink.com/0023/23ali.htm |
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#45 |
Maratus speciosus butt
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Oh! Seeing some of those old covers made me think of this classic: The Jupiter Theft.
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first contact, science fiction, suggest, verner vinge |
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