Correct "Out of the Silent Planet" is correct, my mistake. Though I still enjoyed it (Malacandra is the given name of Mars in it) You may not have enjoyed it for C.S. Lewis's great love of languages (much like Tolkien) and he put a character in with the same love.
Wow a lot of top-notch recommendations here, I'll have to try them myself, especially the Ringworld one.
Anyways, 2 series I have to recommend. First is the Bolos series. Basically, the Bolos are giant, sentient, AI controlled tanks with one human commander apiece. I have the 3 full-length novels and the first 7 compilations. Keith Laumer started it but other authors continued it in the same universe, and some of the stories are great and some are crap. They're all in a set timeline, the books all range from the Great Collapse to the Melconian War and the new Dark Age where the two races nearly wiped each other out. However, some of the authors have butchered the timeline and made major technical errors that fudges up the suspended disbelief part of it... My personal favorite full-length novel is <i>Bolo Rising</i>, published in 1998, and my favorite short story <i>Miles to Go</i> IIRC is found in Book III: The Triumphant.
Secondly, unlike most movie-to-book series, Aliens is great. I haven't read the stand-alone titles, but the consistent ones, <i>Earth Hive, Nightmare Asylum,</i> and <i>Female War</i> have relatively simplistic plots but with good character development throughout. And, Ripley is in the final book.
Still, I'm gonna have to catch up to you guys, most of the books in your posts seem excellent.
Starwars Rogue Squad books The Shiva Option (dunno who writes it and too lazy to check) Enders Game Neuro Mancer HALO: Fall of Reach HALO: The Flood Starship Troopers Star Craft Series (Short but I enjoy em <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->)
<!--QuoteBegin--Renegade+Jul 29 2003, 07:01 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Renegade @ Jul 29 2003, 07:01 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Agreed <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> RAMA is absolutely superb. Truely awe-inspiring. It was good enough infact to spawn an adventure game for the PC.
Also, read Halo: The Fall Of Reach, a very good sci-fi novel. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> In fact I have that game! And that game kicked me off into the RAMA series and Arthur C Clarke
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->If you're doing one book out of the C.S. Lewis Space trilogy do them all, so add in Malacandra and "That Hideous Strength"<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Problem is I can only recommend books I've read. I haven't read Malacandra or That Hideous Strength
The Belgariad, and Belgarath the Sorceror, by David and Leigh Eddings. Don't bother with the Elenium, the Tamuli, the Malloreon or The Redemption of Althalus - the Eddingses seem to have difficulty with the idea of "seperate characters", as the characters in each of their other series are identical in personality (even in their little expressions) as they are in the first series. For all intents and purposes, they're the same people with their names changed.
Having said that, the exploits of said characters is very entertaining the first time around, so pick any one of those series and read it. Just don't bother with the others <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
I agree with everyone suggesting Gibson - he's my current favorite sci-fi author.
He also released his earlier works into the net - they can be found <a href='http://project.cyberpunk.ru/lib/' target='_blank'>here</a>. I especially recommend the short stories in 'Burning Chrome' - personally, I especially loved the 'Grensback Continuum' and 'Dogfight'. Both aren't traditional sci-fi, but hell, what a ride.
Aside from this, I always suggest Philip K. D*ck (How did this guy survive elementary school?); you might not want to read his most famous novel, 'Blade Runner', first, however - it's a <i>little</i> difficult to get into if you don't know his style.
Also, take a look at H.G.Wells. One of the very first sci-fi authors there were. He was also a convinced socialist, so all you Heinlein freaks will get a mild cultural shock, but I like it <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
It's 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> In the English original, yes. My German translation is called after the movie -_-
I thought it was very well written and developed. I did not, however, feel compassion for the characters. They all seemed like backstabbing jerks to me. Too much intrigue for my tastes.
Comments
Anyways, 2 series I have to recommend. First is the Bolos series. Basically, the Bolos are giant, sentient, AI controlled tanks with one human commander apiece. I have the 3 full-length novels and the first 7 compilations. Keith Laumer started it but other authors continued it in the same universe, and some of the stories are great and some are crap. They're all in a set timeline, the books all range from the Great Collapse to the Melconian War and the new Dark Age where the two races nearly wiped each other out. However, some of the authors have butchered the timeline and made major technical errors that fudges up the suspended disbelief part of it... My personal favorite full-length novel is <i>Bolo Rising</i>, published in 1998, and my favorite short story <i>Miles to Go</i> IIRC is found in Book III: The Triumphant.
Secondly, unlike most movie-to-book series, Aliens is great. I haven't read the stand-alone titles, but the consistent ones, <i>Earth Hive, Nightmare Asylum,</i> and <i>Female War</i> have relatively simplistic plots but with good character development throughout. And, Ripley is in the final book.
Still, I'm gonna have to catch up to you guys, most of the books in your posts seem excellent.
The Shiva Option (dunno who writes it and too lazy to check)
Enders Game
Neuro Mancer
HALO: Fall of Reach
HALO: The Flood
Starship Troopers
Star Craft Series (Short but I enjoy em <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->)
Hmmm cant think of anything else
Also, read Halo: The Fall Of Reach, a very good sci-fi novel. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
In fact I have that game! And that game kicked me off into the RAMA series and Arthur C Clarke
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->If you're doing one book out of the C.S. Lewis Space trilogy do them all, so add in Malacandra and "That Hideous Strength"<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Problem is I can only recommend books I've read. I haven't read Malacandra or That Hideous Strength
read
now
But nevertheless...
The Belgariad, and Belgarath the Sorceror, by David and Leigh Eddings. Don't bother with the Elenium, the Tamuli, the Malloreon or The Redemption of Althalus - the Eddingses seem to have difficulty with the idea of "seperate characters", as the characters in each of their other series are identical in personality (even in their little expressions) as they are in the first series. For all intents and purposes, they're the same people with their names changed.
Having said that, the exploits of said characters is very entertaining the first time around, so pick any one of those series and read it. Just don't bother with the others <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
He also released his earlier works into the net - they can be found <a href='http://project.cyberpunk.ru/lib/' target='_blank'>here</a>. I especially recommend the short stories in 'Burning Chrome' - personally, I especially loved the 'Grensback Continuum' and 'Dogfight'. Both aren't traditional sci-fi, but hell, what a ride.
Aside from this, I always suggest Philip K. D*ck (How did this guy survive elementary school?); you might not want to read his most famous novel, 'Blade Runner', first, however - it's a <i>little</i> difficult to get into if you don't know his style.
Also, take a look at H.G.Wells. One of the very first sci-fi authors there were. He was also a convinced socialist, so all you Heinlein freaks will get a mild cultural shock, but I like it <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Hey cool. A moderator dodging the swear filters. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
It's 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'
"I Am Legend" Richard Matheson
Highly recommended.
It's 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
In the English original, yes. My German translation is called after the movie -_-
Incidentally, my reccomendation would be 'Snow Crash' by Neal Stephenson. Excellent book, though it does fall down at points.
I mean, who could argue with a Samurai sword toting pizza delivery computer hacker called Hiro Protagonist?
I thought it was very well written and developed. I did not, however, feel compassion for the characters. They all seemed like backstabbing jerks to me. Too much intrigue for my tastes.