Science Fiction/Fantasy Suggestions

[mgadfly]

I just finished finals and have time to sneak in a novel before work starts up for the summer. I'd like to read something set in a post-apocalyptic future. I've really enjoyed The Stand, On the Beach, Battlefield Earth, some more (White Plague?) that aren't coming to me right now... that all seemed well done an interesting. I've recently read some of the Left Behind series, which wasn't my favorite, but was interesting enough.

Not sure if anyone has any suggestions, but I'd appreciate them if you do.

Thanks,
Aaron

[Abe Sargent]

I love Lucifer's Hammer but a comet crashing isn't exactly post-"apocalyptic" you know? But hey, with Niven and Pournelle you can't go wrong.

-Anxiety

[Lathum]

The reality dysfunction series by Peter F. Hamilton is awesome

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by Anxiety

I love Lucifer's Hammer but a comet crashing isn't exactly post-"apocalyptic" you know? But hey, with Niven and Pournelle you can't go wrong.

I have Lucifer's Hammer and have tried to read it twice. For some reason I just can't get into it. Some day I'll probably pick it back up, but after 2 tries, it has to go to the back of the line as I have a few dozen more novels sitting on my shelf to read. (And that's just novels. Not counting the nonfiction books I want to get too as well. )

I haven't read much post-apocalyptic stuff. Can't help you there. A relatively short, but very good sci-fi book I would suggest is The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. It's short (about 250 pages), so you could read that while deciding on a post-apocalyptic book to read.

[BillyPilgrim]

Dr. Bloodmoney, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and The Man in the High Castle by Philip Dick are all excellent (although High Castle isn't really post-apocalyptic, it's good alternate history), as is Earth Abides by George R. Stewart. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson is also pretty good, and also fairly short.

[Calis]

I will also second I Am Legend by Matheson, great book.

Not Post-Apocalyptic, but imo about the best Science Fantasy around is the Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. Great Stuff.

Not Sci-Fi either, but I just finished The Rising by Brian Keene which is about most of the world dead due to zombies. Not the best written book around, but a fun read nonetheless. It's got zombies, so what more is needed really?

[sachmo71]

The Survivalist.


Just kidding.

[sachmo71]

Sorry...actual suggestion:

The Postman, by David Brin I believe. Bad movie, great book.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

The Survivalist.


Just kidding.

Can't believe I lost my book #1 in this series. I still have up through around 12 or 13.

As for other suggestions:

"The General" series by David Drake and SM Stirling

I don't remember the precise name, but the "Belisarius" series with Drake and Eric Flynt. Similar concep to "The General", but placed in ancient Roman times.

"The Lord of the Isles" series by David Drake (sensing a pattern, here?)

Anything with the word "Bolo" in it.

"The Forever War" by Halderman

That should be enough to get you started.

[sachmo71]

Book 1 was actually pretty decent. Actually, as far as trash goes, this series wasn't too bad until the whole cryogenic sleep/world fire/nazi thing. That was just dumb.

[Simms]

Since I'm not sure if he would go out of his way to pimp his own work, I'll do it for him.

From the Hands of Hostile GOds is not, to the best of my knowledge, post-apocalyptic....but you *would* be supporting FOFC's own Darren Hawkins (Drake).

[daedalus]

I like John Ringo a lot and one of his recent book, "There Will Be Dragon", is a slightly different take on the whole post-apocalyptic deal. The sequel, "Emerald Sea", is coming out in July.

As an aside, a lot of Baen's authors have some of their books online at their website. You can download it to glance at before committing to buy it.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Robert McCammon's "Swan Song" is quite good. In the end it is a pretty blatant rip-off of "The Stand" but it has enough things new and different that make it an interesting read.

I loved it when I was 12.

[clintl]

The best post-apocalyptic novel ever written is Walter M. Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz.

Another good one not yet mentioned is Kim Stanley Robinson's The Wild Shore. Samuel R. Delany's The Einstein Intersection is another great novel that might fit into the post-apocalyptic category. Also Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Terry Bisson's Talking Man is more a satirical fantasy, but has apocalyptic elements in it, and is well worth checking out.

I would also like to concur with those who mentioned Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun and Joe Haldeman's The Forever War. Neither is post-apocalyptic, but they're both great, great works of science fiction.

[Bad-example]

Hyperion by Dan Simmons...Very highly recommended but belongs more in the sci fi/horror genre.

World Out of Time by Larry Niven...Classic early Niven book...a quick, easy read but still very entertaining.

Eon by Greg Bear...A bit dated now, but one of his very best works. Warning, hard science may overwhelm casual readers.

Forge of God by Greg Bear...Also one of Bear's better novels, a very good book that would potentially make a great movie.

Lucifer's Hammer by Niven and Pournelle...I really enjoyed this book way back when...definitely dated by now

[druez]

Its not futuristic, but the best series of books I've ever read has to be George RR Martins, Song of Ice and Fire. Starts out with the Game of Thrones book. Great read even better then Tolkien and Robert Jordan.

www.georgerrmartin.com

[SirFozzie]

Originally Posted by daedalus

I like John Ringo a lot and one of his recent book, "There Will Be Dragon", is a slightly different take on the whole post-apocalyptic deal. The sequel, "Emerald Sea", is coming out in July.

As an aside, a lot of Baen's authors have some of their books online at their website. You can download it to glance at before committing to buy it.

The Webscriptions plan. I love it. Due to delays of a previous month, they are offering the first half of five books due out in July (including Emerald Sea) free on the website (and you can buy the full book in Electronic format for $4-6).

If Space Opera (star wars-ish) fantasy is your forte, you MUST read the Deathstalker series by Simon R. Green.

Other great authors: Anne McCaffrey, Robert Heinlein, Eric Flint (1632 series), David Weber (the Honor Harrington Series, MUST read. The Tom Clancy of the future).

I can go on for a few more paragraphs and will on request

[Bonegavel]

Originally Posted by Calis

Not Post-Apocalyptic, but imo about the best Science Fantasy around is the Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. Great Stuff.

Technically, this is pre-apocalyptic

Gene is obviously brilliant, but half the time you are left wondering WTF is going on. This is series where you have to keep notes if you don't read them in rapid succession.

[OldGiants]

Ken MacLeod is a terrific SF writer, in particular the trilogy that begins with "Cosmonaut Keep." Dark Matter and Engine City are the other two, if memory serves. It starts out a decade or two in the future with lots (almost too much) Euro politics, then blasts into the far future and back again. Wild, inventive stuff that feels extremely real.

The earlier books (sort of a trilogy, but not exactly) are cyberwar-ish and not quite as engrossing as the latter books.But still well worth your time.

[QuikSand]

You might really enjoy a recent publication from a fairly small outfit:

From the Hands of Hostile Gods

My copy is beside my bed right now... I'm working toward starting it. I don't read an awful lot of SF/F but I'm giving this one a shot soon... I'd be happy to compare notes with you.

[albionmoonlight]

The Mars Series by Kim Stanley Robinson (Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars) is really good. It's not what I would call a post-apocalyptic series, but there are several predictable tragedies that hit both Earth and Mars over the several hundred year span of the book. More of a realistic apocolypse type of thing.

The more I think back on these books, the more I like them.

[sachmo71]

Brainwave is a fun, short book.

[mgadfly]

Originally Posted by clintl

The best post-apocalyptic novel ever written is Walter M. Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz.

Another good one not yet mentioned is Kim Stanley Robinson's The Wild Shore. Samuel R. Delany's The Einstein Intersection is another great novel that might fit into the post-apocalyptic category. Also Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Terry Bisson's Talking Man is more a satirical fantasy, but has apocalyptic elements in it, and is well worth checking out.

I would also like to concur with those who mentioned Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun and Joe Haldeman's The Forever War. Neither is post-apocalyptic, but they're both great, great works of science fiction.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I'm going to go pick up a book this afternoon, so I'll look for some of these suggestions when I go to the store.

clintl-I've read A Canticle for Leibowitz and The Handmaid's Tale and am really looking for something similar. They are both two books that I really enjoyed.

I'll take a look for From the Hands of a Hostile God but it sounds like it might be something I have to order, and I'm really looking for something I can read this weekend. I might have another weekend off in August and I'll look to see if I can set this up for then.



Honolulu Blue-I wouldn't mind hearing more about Swan Song as I noticed it at the bookstore yesterday and considered buying it.

A couple others that I was considering are:
Galapagos-Vonnegut
Good Omens-Neil Gaiman (I read his American Gods after picking it up at an airport awhile back, and really enjoyed it)

Once again, thanks for all the suggestions.

[sachmo71]

Bah. I was shut out.

[Coffee Warlord]

CS Friedman's Coldfire trilogy. A must read trio of books. Dark sci-fi/fantasy combination. EXCELLENT read.

Black Sun Rising and When True Night Falls are the first two. I forget the name of the third offhand.

[Calis]

Originally Posted by mgadfly

A couple others that I was considering are:
Galapagos-Vonnegut
Good Omens-Neil Gaiman (I read his American Gods after picking it up at an airport awhile back, and really enjoyed it)

Once again, thanks for all the suggestions.

I'm disgusted with myself for not mentioning this one.

There is a simple rule though, if you're considering reading a book, and one of those books was written by Kurt Vonnegut..you shouldn't be wasting time considering. Read it!

Galapagos was a great one, but very different from most of his work in that it actually has a plot and is a little more standard. I use the term loosely because it's still obviously Vonnegut. If you can look past that though,it really is a great book.

Of course I'd recommend any book by Vonnegut, he's far and away my favorite author, so take it with a grain of salt.

[Abe Sargent]

I read Galapagos, not that great, but then, I've never been into Vonnegut like others have.

-Anxiety

[KWhit]

The Last Ship.

Loved it.

[Mr. Wednesday]

Originally Posted by mgadfly

Good Omens-Neil Gaiman (I read his American Gods after picking it up at an airport awhile back, and really enjoyed it)

If you like Gaiman, you should also consider Neverwhere and Stardust. Although I took my handle from American Gods, I found Stardust to be the most enchanting of the four.

Another book that covers an apocalyptic event, as well as what led to it and how we respond, by Niven and Pournelle, is Footfall.

Edit: I believe Stardust was originally a graphic novel, and it is a fairly quick read.

[mgadfly]

I've read Footfall and if I remember correctly, I thought it was okay. Sometimes I thought it went a little too far where I couldn't even suspend reality enough to get into the story.


I picked Galapagos up yesterday afternoon and just now finished it. The style was different than anything else I've read, and I enjoyed it. The story was good, but not too suspensful as it becomes pretty apparent fairly early on what happened and what the point is. Still, I'm glad I chose to read it.

I might be able to fit in another book (I also bought Swan Song and the Gaiman book) before summer work starts up next Tuesday.

Thanks for the suggestions!

[SFL Cat]

There's always L. Ron Hubbard's Battlefield Earth...oh wait...you said good book.

I think I'd like to re-read some of "Doc" Smith's Lensman series....pretty cheesy stuff, but epic cheesy. How can you go wrong when space fleets tow and use small planets as weapons in their arsenal