Science fiction books about space exploration

[tynopik]

The definition/restriction in this post is total snobby BS.

no, hard scifi is a real category

Saying Star Trek is not hard scifi is no more snobbish than saying Mary Poppins is not erotica. It just isn't and there's nothing wrong with that.

What would be snobbish would be to say that Star Trek sucks BECAUSE it's not hard scifi

and i said no such thing

 

[nace186]

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

No, you shouldn't. Trust me on that.

What about Ender series?

 

[DaveSimmons]

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

To an extent, but "hard SF" is a specific sub-genre just like military SF, science fantasy or hard-boiled detective stories. Perhaps you hadn't heard the term before and mistook it for "real" or "good"?

The definition/restriction in this post is total snobby BS.

The snobbery is in your mind. When I want to read a hard-boiled detective story I reach for Mickey Spillane not C. J. Cherryh. For hard SF I'd recommend Robert L. Forward but not the excellent science fantasy of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. Because they write in a different sub-genre.

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.

You're saying there is no real difference between Mexican, Chinese or Indian cuisine. "All food is food, relative to cooked organic matter and spices."

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

"In this house we obey the laws of thermodynamics!" - H. Simpson

Our understanding of the laws of nature might change but the laws themselves do not.

Anyway, the OP was asking for tacos instead of cannelloni, not attacking Star Trek.

 

[cabri]

check out books by Ben Bova

 

[Kadarin]

For some rollicking good ol' space opera, you could check out the Spinward Fringe series by Randolph Lalonde. Also, it's hard to beat the price of the first book:

http://www.amazon.com/Origins-Spinwa.../dp/B004EPYUXA

 

[UglyCasanova]

check out books by Ben Bova

I need to, I've seen his books but never picked one up. I've read all of Alastair Reynold's books, some better than others.

 

[Mojoed]

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.

Great recommendation. I've heard some good things about Jack McDevitt. I'll be jumping all over this series the next time the kindle versions go on sale.

 

[Nograts]

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

Okay, just stop. Close this thread.

Go back, and finish the series. I don't know who's been recommending what, but they are dead wrong.

The first book was good. The 2nd book was easily twice as good. It is a bit different than the first, but it introduces the main characters of the rest of the series that you follow along until they are old. It is a GREAT series, one of my favorites I've read it twice.

Again, go back, and read the rest of Rama.

 

[mikeford]

Cherryh has a unique take on alien life, cultures mixing, but can get space operatic.

 

[nace186]

Okay, just stop. Close this thread.

Go back, and finish the series. I don't know who's been recommending what, but they are dead wrong.

The first book was good. The 2nd book was easily twice as good. It is a bit different than the first, but it introduces the main characters of the rest of the series that you follow along until they are old. It is a GREAT series, one of my favorites I've read it twice.

Again, go back, and read the rest of Rama.

No, don't listen to this guy. The rest of the series are junk.

 

[Nograts]

No, don't listen to this guy. The rest of the series are junk.

The 2nd book is so good, and the third. The spaceship takes off with them in it, and starts to come alive. Then they talk to the entities with the most amazing for of government ever, which got me suspended from English class for a day for proposing...yeah.

You sir, must be high on some of that crack stuff.

 

[DigDog]

if you haven't read it yet, Martian Chronicles.

has absolutely NOTHING to do with what you asked for. but you will love it nonetheless.

also, what Nace said.
seriously, you could at least read the wikipedia entry for rama. the sequels are complete rubbish. the characters elevenpog likes so much were never meant to be in there.

or, you can read the new book of the Lord Of The Rings series, where they finally introduce aliens and superheroes. thats pretty much the equivalent of the other rama books.

 

[JTsyo]

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

 

[JamesV]

check out books by Ben Bova

I've read quite a few of his books, but they are more character than science driven imo. Feels a bit like Stephen King writing sci-fi.

I'd recommend :

The Planet Pirates by Anne McCaffrey - old but great sci-fi series; imagine being stranded in space and having to put yourself into coldsleep and being rescued decades later... not once, but three times.

The book is chock full of interesting future tech, that the author builds from interviews with real scientists and professors, so it generally tends to feel 'real'.

 

[dawp]

Asimov's Nemisis

 

[Oyeve]

Bright Messengers

and

Double Full Moon Night


By Gentry Lee, based in the Rama universe.

 

[UglyCasanova]

An update, I just finished Great North Road by Peter F Hamilton.

It was a decent book overall, a detective story mixed with military expedetion and an alien monster. He overdid it with some of the characters (Angela) and thus dehumanizes them and makes me not really care much about them. Neat ideas though and a decent setting.

Next on my list is On the Steel Breeze by Alastair Reynolds.

 

[brianmanahan]

vernor vinge "zones of thought" books!

try "a fire upon the deep" and "a deepness in the sky"

great galactic-scale adventures

 

[DigDog]

or why not try actual space exploration books. something along "a brief history of time"; there's plenty of astro-physics books that are written for non-physicists, and they are a pleasure to read.

 

[Belegost]

Try Blindsight by Peter Watts.

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

I'll second that recommendation, easily one of the best SF books I've read.

 

[sao123]

No, you shouldn't. Trust me on that.

What about Ender series?

Enders game and Enders Shadow were good. The rest of the sequels were terribad.

However the newest trilogy of Mazor Rackham and the First Invasion was good: Earth Unaware, Earth Afire, Earth Awakens

 

[Sable]

Yeah the Mars books. Great.

Also the Revelation Space books by Alister Reynolds.

 

[bigi]

Stanislaw Lem

I'd start with Eden

 

[JTsyo]

vernor vinge "zones of thought" books!

try "a fire upon the deep" and "a deepness in the sky"

great galactic-scale adventures

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

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

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