Science fiction books about space exploration

[UglyCasanova]

Anyone have any recommendations? I'm thinking something in the vein of Rendezvous with Rama or Coyote. Hard sci-fi only, anything with any element of "fantasy" in it instantly turns me off on the book for some reason.

The obvious choice would be Star Trek but that's not really my thing. I'm just looking for a book about discovering new worlds, etc.

 

[Mojoed]

Try Blindsight by Peter Watts.

It's a very heavy, detailed read set in the not so distant future IIRC. Really good read.

 

[Kaido]

The Engines of God series by Jack McDevitt is pretty interesting. It's almost space archaeology exploration, basically the idea is that the universe previously had intelligent spacefaring life at one point, before humans got out to explore it. Slower paced, but good if you like thinking about interesting questions.

 

[Ampersand38]

I just finished Ringworld by Larry Niven. Plenty of "new world" to explore there. Subverts some common scifi ideas, such as separate drive and weapons systems: particle cannons and fusion-powered ion drives are the same thing, just pointed in different directions.

 

[shortylickens]

I like the Naked God series, but its not as exploratory as you'd care for.

Heinleins Red Planet is good.

 

[MongGrel]

I just finished Ringworld by Larry Niven. Plenty of "new world" to explore there. Subverts some common scifi ideas, such as separate drive and weapons systems: particle cannons and fusion-powered ion drives are the same thing, just pointed in different directions.

Pretty old school there, surprised people still read that.

A lot of Cordwainer Smith is good, used to be one of my old school favorites.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_5?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=cordwainer%20smith&sprefix=Cordw%2Cstripbooks%2C205

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Cordwaine...rdwainer+smith

Was Dr Paul Linebarger actually I believe or close enough, Smith was a pen name.

I forget who wrote "The Mote in Gods Eye", but was another old school one.

Larry Niven it might have been he's done many over the years, like Ringworld or Jerry Pournelle is good.

*edit* yeah went and looked it up.

http://www.amazon.com/Mote-Gods-Eye-...erry+pournelle

The two of them used to collaborate a lot I believe.

I always liked the John Varley trilogy back in the day, "Titan/Wizard/Demon"

Would make a pretty out there Sci-Fi movie Trilogy if anyone ever went that route.

http://www.amazon.com/Titan-Gaea-Joh...T8WK9FB7MBA008

http://www.amazon.com/The-Moon-Is-Ha...TRX94AR1NF6BWB

Not what you described exactly, but I'm sticking it in there.

http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Elli...harlan+ellison

I rarely read at all these days, but used to eat about 3 or 4 books a week for many decades.

 

[Paratus]

The Martian - a humorous very hard Sci-fi story set in the immediate future.

The Mote in Gods Eye - Advanced humans find a derelict spacecraft of an advanced but stunted race and go looking for them.

Pandora's Star - several hundred years from now humans have spread to other planets, (without spaceships) when they notice a star disappear. What they find there gives the book it's name. (this one does a good job of extrapolating what society would be like with advanced technology but the same human impulses.)

 

[MongGrel]

*redact*

 

[Carson Dyle]

A 3rd recommendation for "A Mote in God's Eye" by Niven and Pournelle.

 

[UglyCasanova]

The Martian - a humorous very hard Sci-fi story set in the immediate future.

The Mote in Gods Eye - Advanced humans find a derelict spacecraft of an advanced but stunted race and go looking for them.

Pandora's Star - several hundred years from now humans have spread to other planets, (without spaceships) when they notice a star disappear. What they find there gives the book it's name. (this one does a good job of extrapolating what society would be like with advanced technology but the same human impulses.)

I've read all three of those. The Martian and The Mote in God's Eye were both great. Pandora's Star, not so much...

Ringworld was mentioned above, that was also a good one. Fanciful for sure, but definitely had big ideas.

 

[MongGrel]

Someone one should tell Hollywood about "The Mote in Gods Eye", with the CGI these days would make a great movie.

I'd be buying a ticket in a heartbeat.

Sounds like you might like some of that Cordwainer Smith if you've never went there, trust me

*Looks for Mother Hittons Little Kittens*

Mroew.

 

[tynopik]

Star Trek is not hard sci-fi

hard sci-fi obeys the laws of physics, thus it has as no FTL travel (warp, star gates, wormholes, etc)

also technologies that are indistinguishable from magic (*cough*transporters*cough*) don't make the cut

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Anyone have any recommendations? I'm thinking something in the vein of Rendezvous with Rama or Coyote. Hard sci-fi only, anything with any element of "fantasy" in it instantly turns me off on the book for some reason.

The obvious choice would be Star Trek but that's not really my thing. I'm just looking for a book about discovering new worlds, etc.

Mars by Ben Bova
http://www.amazon.com/Mars-Ben-Bova/dp/055356241X

 

[UglyCasanova]

Star Trek is not hard sci-fi

hard sci-fi obeys the laws of physics, thus it has as no FTL travel (warp, star gates, wormholes, etc)

also technologies that are indistinguishable from magic (*cough*transporters*cough*) don't make the cut

Very true. I was alluding to the exploration and discovery aspect of it.

 

[Paratus]

I've read all three of those. The Martian and The Mote in God's Eye were both great. Pandora's Star, not so much...

Ringworld was mentioned above, that was also a good one. Fanciful for sure, but definitely had big ideas.

I liked Pandoras star. There were some good ideas and some decent chapters. There was also a lot of filler and meandering about. I read fast though, so I feel like I get my moneys worth with a longer story.

I don't know if you've heard, but The Martian is getting made into a movie staring Matt Damon and directed by Ridley Scott.

 

[glenn1]

Code of the Lifemaker.

Broken Angels might fit in OP's criteria also.

 

[Paratus]

Star Trek is not hard sci-fi

hard sci-fi obeys the laws of physics, thus it has as no FTL travel (warp, star gates, wormholes, etc)

also technologies that are indistinguishable from magic (*cough*transporters*cough*) don't make the cut

While Star Trek is not hard Sci-fi, hard Sci-fi comes in varying degrees and FTL in my opinion doesn't automatically make it a space opera.

Wormholes and Warp Drive aren't impossible according to relativity just almost so.

 

[MongGrel]

Star Trek is not hard sci-fi

hard sci-fi obeys the laws of physics, thus it has as no FTL travel (warp, star gates, wormholes, etc)

also technologies that are indistinguishable from magic (*cough*transporters*cough*) don't make the cut

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2014/12/09/quantum-teleportation-reaches-farthest-distance-yet/

:hmm:

 

[DaveSimmons]

A good recent one is Boundary - Ryk Spoor & Eric Flint

A classic is Dragon's Egg - Robert L. Forward

 

[nace186]

The Expanse series by James Corey is pretty good.https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4192148.James_S_A_Corey

 

[Nograts]

Riverworld by Phillip Jose Farmer. Not sure your definition of "fantasy", read the plot.

My 2nd favorite Sci fi series next to the Rama series. You did read the whole series right?

Edit: misread your title. Riverworld still stands!

 

[Kadarin]

Dragon's Egg, by Robert L. Forward

It's about the discovery of intelligent life on the surface of a neutron star.

 

[UglyCasanova]

The Expanse series by James Corey is pretty good.https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4192148.James_S_A_Corey

Read all of these (even have an autographed copy of the book by the two authors) and it is indeed a good series. They are currently making a TV show out of it.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Riverworld by Phillip Jose Farmer. Not sure your definition of "fantasy", read the plot.

My 2nd favorite Sci fi series next to the Rama series. You did read the whole series right?

Edit: misread your title. Riverworld still stands!

Nope, just the first book. Everything I've heard said to stay away from the sequel. I make pick it up anyways..

 

[mistercrabby]

Star Trek is not hard sci-fi

hard sci-fi obeys the laws of physics, thus it has as no FTL travel (warp, star gates, wormholes, etc)

also technologies that are indistinguishable from magic (*cough*transporters*cough*) don't make the cut

Star Trek and any specific book or movie or whatever being "hard" sci fi is in the eye of the beholder.

The definition/restriction in this post is total snobby BS. Speculative fiction pushes boundaries of theory, wonder, reality and perception into new and interesting places, times and situations. If one were to accept this, then there would be no sci fi genre; it would merely be fiction relative to present-day science.

The laws of physics and other sciences aren't static and neither should our adventures in thinking about the future be.