Science fiction books about space exploration

[UglyCasanova]

I'll make a suggestion a bit off the subject of strict exploration, but sci-fi and related to the consequences of exploration and colonization.

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

This is one on my list but I've never picked it up to read yet. I've never read any Heinlen, and my only exposure to him is Starship Troopers which I didn't care for.

 

[brianmanahan]

There's a third one now, The Children of the Sky.

yeah i heard about that one, but it didnt seem to go over as well as the first two

havent given it a try yet

 

[angminas]

Have Space Suit, Will Travel. Robert Heinlein. Sorta young adult, but with plenty of hard science.

 

[DigDog]

you want Heinlein, you need Glory Road.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Glory-Road-Robert-A-Heinlein/dp/0765312220

"Aaron's Rod. It makes hard things soft, and soft things hard."

 

[Chaotic42]

The Mars series is pretty hard Sci-fi on colonization of Mars. Bit slow paced from what I hear.

I came here to post this.

 

[Kadarin]

More Heinlein exploration: The Number of the Beast

Not exactly "hard scifi", but it's fun in spite of itself. His other books, The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, and To Sail Beyond the Sunset, tie into the same characters.

For more hard scifi, you can look to John Varley, with Steel Beach (sort of homage to The Moon is a Harsh Mistress), and the Titan/Wizard/Demon trilogy.

 

[Kipper717]

Nobody has mentioned the Foundation series by Asimov.

 

[Babbles]

Maybe I'm on outlier, but I really didn't care for 'Blindsight.' It was pretty hardcore and interesting, but just entirely too tedious to read.

I did enjoy the "Lost Fleet" series by John G. Hemry/Jack Campbell (pen name). While not exactly space exploration, it sorta is, and is probably one of the most 'realistic' approaches to how space combat and operations would pan out. I wouldn't call it hard scifi, but it does have several deeper points; the various events are clearly analogies to current drama in the world.

 

[datalink7]

Nobody has mentioned the Foundation series by Asimov.

This is so good it's assumed you've already read it

 

[DaveSimmons]

Maybe I'm on outlier, but I really didn't care for 'Blindsight.' It was pretty hardcore and interesting, but just entirely too tedious to read.

I did enjoy the "Lost Fleet" series by John G. Hemry/Jack Campbell (pen name). While not exactly space exploration, it sorta is, and is probably one of the most 'realistic' approaches to how space combat and operations would pan out. I wouldn't call it hard scifi, but it does have several deeper points; the various events are clearly analogies to current drama in the world.

Lost Fleet was a fun space opera series. E.E. "Doc" Smith would approve, except for the lack of antimatter asteroids and sun-beams

David Drake's Lt. Leary series (With The Lightnings is the first) is space opera too, but Leary is an amateur naturalist so that is an interesting side story as he goes fightin' round the world with Tugger.

(That makes more sense if you know that the series is an homage to Patrick O'Brian's books, which starred Russel Crowe in the movie version - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCN_Series )

 

[Kadarin]

Lost Fleet was a fun space opera series. E.E. "Doc" Smith would approve, except for the lack of antimatter asteroids and sun-beams

If we're going to refer to Smith, how about his own work? The Lensman and the Skylark series are both great from a "classic pulp" perspective. They're SO old-school, however, that in them a "computer" is someone who does computing on a slide rule.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Yeah, many modern readers would have a hard time with them, but they are great.

Grand Central Area by Ryk Sppor is a fun modern space opera that includes a tip of the hat to Smith in a way that I don't want to spoil. I recommend it and the sequels.

Brain Daley's Floyt and Fitzhugh books (Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds + sequels) is more good space opera. It crosses the galaxy stopping at many different planets, but it is not hard SF so I didn't recommend it earlier either.

 

[Oyeve]

I liked "Bright Messengers" and the follow up "Double Full Moon Night". They are set in the Rama universe and a bit different IMO.

 

[DigDog]

i found foundation to be one of the most boring books i have ever read, of any kind.