Good Modern Science Fiction

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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by placeholder »

For kindle unlimited I read a bunch of the "golden age of the solar clipper".

https://www.amazon.com/Nathan-Lowell/e/ ... bau_000000

Also the bounty hunter books that are part of MD Cooper's huge space opera background with lots of authors co-writing books with her:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B6V7KFM?re ... series_rwt
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by Sandi_k »

LadyGeek wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2020 8:49 pm Yes to both. I didn't read the entire Honor Harrington series, as it seemed to be a bit long in the tooth after 10+ novels. Both were very enjoyable.
:D Yes, I think I tapped out when she became a military instructor on Saganami Island. But fun up until then.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by DataWren »

I enjoyed the Arc of a Scythe series by Neal Shusterman (young adult fiction but also appropriate for older readers).
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by Barkingsparrow »

LadyGeek wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2020 8:49 pm Yes to both. I didn't read the entire Honor Harrington series, as it seemed to be a bit long in the tooth after 10+ novels. Both were very enjoyable.
Have you read "A Memory Called Empire"? It just came out last year. I posted a review on the other book thread. It takes a little time to get into it at the start, but it then begins to pick up and I eventually became engrossed; something that does not happen a lot these days. Just found out that it won the 2020 Hugo Award for best novel.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by LadyGeek »

No, I didn't read it. Thanks, I'll keep it in mind - I've got 11 more books to go in my current series. (Your post is here.)

One of the reviewers called it a space opera on par with C. J. Cherryh - which is another author I like.

Book 2 is scheduled for release on Mar 2, 2021.
Sandi_k wrote: Wed Aug 05, 2020 2:14 am
LadyGeek wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2020 8:49 pm Yes to both. I didn't read the entire Honor Harrington series, as it seemed to be a bit long in the tooth after 10+ novels. Both were very enjoyable.
:D Yes, I think I tapped out when she became a military instructor on Saganami Island. But fun up until then.
That's about the same point I gave up.
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heartwood
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by heartwood »

LadyGeek wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2020 3:22 pm
LadyGeek wrote: Mon May 25, 2020 9:21 pm I'm up to book 4, Spy Night on Union Station. The series is starting to get predictable and I've started looking for something different that's available on Kindle Unlimited.

The murderbot series mentioned in the previous posts look interesting, but I'll need to pay for them. Maybe later.

I recommend the Privateer Tales, by Jamie McFarlane. All 18 books are available free with Kindle Unlimited. 18 books? Hang on, I've only read 17. Book 18 was published in January. I'll start that now.
I couldn't find anything to read in Kindle Unlimited, so I purchased all 5 books in The Murderbot Diaries, by Martha Wells. I'm nearly done Book 1, All Systems Red. I agree with Dave55 and others. This book is a fun read. It's creative and keeps my interest.

The main complaint is that the publisher set the prices too high. I would agree, but I really like this book.

I see a 6th book is out - Fugitive Telemetry.

I'm thinking to cancel my Kindle Unlimited subscription when the 2nd free month runs out.
I just finished the 4th Murderbot book, Exit Strategy, by Martha Wells. Each has been a bit better. I see that several have posted here about enjoying the books. I have as well. They have a different perspective, but too short!

I get all mine as ebooks from the library. I'm currently waiting for book 5, Network Effect.

I note that the 6th book you mention is not due until April 2021.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by SgwayMontrose »

Neal Asher’s Polity series. Or his other series is good too
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by life in slices »

Just finished "The Space Between Worlds" by Micaiah Johnson - very good! A good take on multiverses and traveling between them

Eager to read "The Mother Code" by Carole Stivers which came out today
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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LadyGeek wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2020 3:22 pm I couldn't find anything to read in Kindle Unlimited, so I purchased all 5 books in The Murderbot Diaries, by Martha Wells. I'm nearly done Book 1, All Systems Red. I agree with Dave55 and others. This book is a fun read. It's creative and keeps my interest.

The main complaint is that the publisher set the prices too high. I would agree, but I really like this book.

I see a 6th book is out - Fugitive Telemetry.

I'm thinking to cancel my Kindle Unlimited subscription when the 2nd free month runs out.
I had the same reaction looking at the ebook prices, so I tried The Element of Fire at $3.99 and was pleasantly surprised. It's historical fantasy set in an alternate world at about an Elizabethan level of technology, plus sorcerors and some familiar characters named Oberon and Titania. Not particularly ground breaking but well put together. Wells knows how to tell a story.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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I get lots of my e-books from the public library.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by Millennial »

I don't read a ton science fiction, but I just finished Exhalation by Ted Chaing. Note that it is a short story collection, not a novel. It was excellent, I'd highly recommend.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by BarbBrooklyn »

roymeo wrote: Sun Sep 07, 2014 5:54 pm Everything I've read by Octavia Butler has been great. I've also enjoyed the big, epic (and possibly Space Opera, but generally harder sci-fi than Star Wars type space fantasy) stories of Dan Simmons, Alastair Reynolds, and Peter F. Hamilton.
Second Octavia Butler. Great writing!
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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"Salvation", by Peter F. Hamilton (Del Ray 2019)

I first experienced and enjoyed Hamilton's exuberant Sci-Fi imagination in reading the two books of his Commonwealth Saga. So when I saw his new work in paperback, I snatched it right up. It is - no surprise - a space opera and summarizing the intricacies of the plot is not that easy. There is an emergent threat to the Mankind that involves a lot of sneaky but very frightening sabotage. Is some group of fanatic human terrorists responsible? Or, are aliens to be blamed? After all, a mysterious and intact alien spaceship was just discovered 89 light-years from Earth. You have to be a little patient at first with Hamilton, who repeatedly jumps around past, present and future events that are all germane to his entire (529 pages) tale. The key characters are all well-drawn and fascinating and you will soon be asking yourself: but who is the traitor among them? Once the story really got rolling, I was hooked. "Salvation" is the first book of a trilogy and I absolutely will be buying the second, "Salvation Lost".
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by shariq1989 »

placeholder wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 12:24 am I get lots of my e-books from the public library.
using libby?
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by FoolStreet »

BarbBrooklyn wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 7:22 am
roymeo wrote: Sun Sep 07, 2014 5:54 pm Everything I've read by Octavia Butler has been great. I've also enjoyed the big, epic (and possibly Space Opera, but generally harder sci-fi than Star Wars type space fantasy) stories of Dan Simmons, Alastair Reynolds, and Peter F. Hamilton.
Second Octavia Butler. Great writing!
I've heard great things about her. I will add her series to my list.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by pezblanco »

To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars by C. Paolini ... he's evidently a well known children's fantasy book writer. The book is "space opera" but very will written with lots of fun ideas. It's sort of long but I enjoyed it.

Here is the Amazon link with reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Sea-Stars- ... 1250762847
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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shariq1989 wrote: Mon Nov 09, 2020 9:47 pm
placeholder wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 12:24 am I get lots of my e-books from the public library.
using libby?
We have libby but I use overdrive directly with adobe digital so i can easily get the books on my ipad plus hoopla.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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If you like space opera adventure the Keiko series by Mike Brooks is good it's about a merchant/smuggler outfit with a diverse crew that keeps getting in various situations.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0841 ... le_edition
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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LadyGeek wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2020 6:59 pm ...The Swarm, by B. V. Larson. This is military sci-fi, Book 1 of 12 in the Star Force Series. Reviews suggested this is either a "like it" or "hate it" book. I liked it, as the plot is very creative. The dialogue can be trite at times, but the story just builds on you and I couldn't stop reading.

Hopefully, the trend continues as I already own all but 1 book of the series. It's from my late husband's Amazon kindle account, which is shared with me. We had similar interests (sci-fi), but I never got around to reading all the books he purchased. I have some catching up to do...
Apparently, I did own all the books. I finished the series, but I was disappointed in the way female characters were portrayed (overly emotional and jealous of relationships). Let's just say that it was an accepted attitude many years ago, not so much today.
Barkingsparrow wrote: Wed Aug 05, 2020 8:14 pm
LadyGeek wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2020 8:49 pm Yes to both. I didn't read the entire Honor Harrington series, as it seemed to be a bit long in the tooth after 10+ novels. Both were very enjoyable.
Have you read "A Memory Called Empire"? It just came out last year. I posted a review on the other book thread. It takes a little time to get into it at the start, but it then begins to pick up and I eventually became engrossed; something that does not happen a lot these days. Just found out that it won the 2020 Hugo Award for best novel.
The reviews were really good, but the sequel isn't scheduled until March 2, 2021. I'll wait for the sequel so I can read them both.

In the mean time, I wanted a change of pace from space opera. Back to cyberpunk. Virtual Light, by William Gibson. I've read his other series - Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, Pattern Recognition - but missed this one.
beattherush wrote: Sat Feb 18, 2017 3:29 pm William Gibson - predictive, influential, spiritual - while just about all of his work is worthwhile, the Bridge series was a high-water mark. Virtual Light, Idoru, and All Tomorrow's Parties.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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"Man-Kzin Wars XV", An Anthology of Short Stories Based Upon Larry Niven's Tales of Known Space (Baen Publishing Enterprises 2019)

Niven wrote a short story many years ago titled "The Warriors". In it, he introduced an alien race called the Kzinti, who consisted of tiger-like beings who were ferociously aggressive in conquering other races they encountered. Since the average Kzin is 8 foot tall and weighs 500 pounds with razor sharp claws and teeth, you can understand the existential threat they posed to Mankind. Niven granted permission to other sci-fi authors to write stories about the inevitable conflict between Man and Kzinti. As a result, we are now up to the fifteenth collection of tales after 32 years; I have read the previous 14 volumes. Number 15 has seven stories and in my humble opinion, 4 are good and three are fair. Of the former, veteran MKW writer Hal Colebatch has two (one with Jessica Fox) and Brad Torgersen has one. This book is a paperback edition, so spend the $8.99 (in the US) and, if you are a huge Niven fan like me, you'll be pleased. If you are totally unfamiliar with the Tales of Known Space, read "The Warriors" first (for free on-line), Niven's masterpiece "Ringworld" second, and then proceed to MKW One. My best guess is that you will become hooked at that point.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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H. Beam Piper, Little Fuzzy

Piper was a student of history, and this is one of the oldest of recurring historical patterns: a shift in climate causes northern nomads to come wandering south, where they encounter city dwellers, whom they first conquer and then assimilate into. In this case the new arrivals are short, cute, and covered in silky fur, but other than that everything goes pretty much by the book. It's also that rarest of birds, the science fiction courtroom drama, and a good one too.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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As recommended, started the Martha Wells "Muderbot" series. Good, and as several Amazon reviews say, way too expensive.

https://www.ereaderiq.com/

will track Kindle e-books for you and send an email when the price drops.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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LadyGeek wrote: Fri Nov 13, 2020 8:23 pm In the mean time, I wanted a change of pace from space opera. Back to cyberpunk. Virtual Light, by William Gibson. I've read his other series - Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, Pattern Recognition - but missed this one.
beattherush wrote: Sat Feb 18, 2017 3:29 pm William Gibson - predictive, influential, spiritual - while just about all of his work is worthwhile, the Bridge series was a high-water mark. Virtual Light, Idoru, and All Tomorrow's Parties.
Idoru, by William Gibson. Part 2 of the Bridge trilogy (Virtual Light, Idoru, All Tomorrow's Parties). The plot sounded familiar and now I'm sure I've read the paperback version. My books were given to a friend's son many years ago, so I may be rereading a few things. It's not a problem, I'm enjoying them the second time around.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by heartwood »

pezblanco wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 9:10 am To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars by C. Paolini ... he's evidently a well known children's fantasy book writer. The book is "space opera" but very will written with lots of fun ideas. It's sort of long but I enjoyed it.

Here is the Amazon link with reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Sea-Stars- ... 1250762847
I'm reading To Sleep in a Sea of Stars now. Generally enjoying it. I agree, lots of fun ideas. I'll also agree it's long, Amazon lists it as 856 pages. My Libby reader is showing 1192, but maybe that's the text setting I'm using.

Space, aliens, galactic battles, a quest. I'm a third into it and can't help thinking of The Hobbit: a quest, different races, battles, etc.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by bob991 »

saver65 wrote: Sun Sep 07, 2014 11:10 pm Player of the Games, and everything in the Culture series by Iain Banks.
+1 I was going to post the same. Sadly he is no longer with us.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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Recently got the salvagers series by Alex White as e-books from the library:

A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe
A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy
The Worst of All Possible Worlds

It's space opera plus magic (odd I know) with a ship of misfits going up against a big conspiracy of wanna-be "gods".
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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LadyGeek wrote: Sun Nov 29, 2020 7:07 am Idoru, by William Gibson. Part 2 of the Bridge trilogy (Virtual Light, Idoru, All Tomorrow's Parties). The plot sounded familiar and now I'm sure I've read the paperback version. My books were given to a friend's son many years ago, so I may be rereading a few things. It's not a problem, I'm enjoying them the second time around.
All Tomorrow Parties, by William Gibson. The last book of the trilogy. I'm not quite enjoying it as much as I did the first time around.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by Arabesque »

I really enjoy Nnedi Okorafor, plus I used to work with her. Nigerian and Nigerian American writing is happening. She has won the Nebula and Hugo awards. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nnedi_Okorafor

Right now I’m reading Ling Ma’s _Severance_ at the suggestion of my 20 something daughter. It’s very fine and well reviewed: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newyor ... f-2018/amp
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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OK, I realize this doesn't technically fall into the category of science fiction, but if you're in Barnes and Noble, it's in the Fantasy / Sci Fi section.

A number of years (circa early 1990s) ago I began reading The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, a fantasy series. Lots of twists and turns and what was supposed to be three books, five books, seven books, etc. just kept going on. The author died and they brought in Brandon Sanderson to finish the epic and he penned three 700 page novels and finally finished the tome.

So, overall it's a well done effort. Many of the books were NYT bestsellers and and widely read. There is some drag in the middle (Can you say Song of Fire and Ice here, with the obvious comment that Martin will will never finish the series) but a strong recovery in Jordan's later books and Sanderson's finish.

I'm revisiting (re-listening to) via Audible, and have finished the first three: Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, and The Dragon Reborn. I'm enjoying myself. It's infectious writing. Give it a go if you're open to fantasy. They're also working on a WOT series for Amazon.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by LadyGeek »

FreeAtLast wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 8:55 pm "Salvation", by Peter F. Hamilton (Del Ray 2019)

I first experienced and enjoyed Hamilton's exuberant Sci-Fi imagination in reading the two books of his Commonwealth Saga. So when I saw his new work in paperback, I snatched it right up. It is - no surprise - a space opera and summarizing the intricacies of the plot is not that easy. There is an emergent threat to the Mankind that involves a lot of sneaky but very frightening sabotage. Is some group of fanatic human terrorists responsible? Or, are aliens to be blamed? After all, a mysterious and intact alien spaceship was just discovered 89 light-years from Earth. You have to be a little patient at first with Hamilton, who repeatedly jumps around past, present and future events that are all germane to his entire (529 pages) tale. The key characters are all well-drawn and fascinating and you will soon be asking yourself: but who is the traitor among them? Once the story really got rolling, I was hooked. "Salvation" is the first book of a trilogy and I absolutely will be buying the second, "Salvation Lost".
I just bought all three - Salvation, Salvation Lost, and The Saints of Salvation (published Oct 27, 2020). I've read several Peter F. Hamilton books, he's very good. I just started Salvation and am already hooked.

I'm thinking to read the Night's Dawn trilogy next - The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, and The Naked God. I may have read this before. If so, it was on paperback which I don't have any more. Or, perhaps reread the Commonwealth Saga.

For those wanting an introduction to Peter F. Hamilton, start with the Commonwealth Saga trilogy - Pandora's Star, The Reality Disfunction, and Judas Unchained.

On my list -

- A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine. I'm waiting for the sequel to be published before starting this one. Expected March 2nd 2021.
- Fugitive Telemetry, by Martha Wells. #6 in the Murderbot series. Expected publication date: April 27th 2021.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by Barkingsparrow »

LadyGeek wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:32 am I just bought all three - Salvation, Salvation Lost, and The Saints of Salvation (published Oct 27, 2020). I've read several Peter F. Hamilton books, he's very good. I just started Salvation and am already hooked.

I'm thinking to read the Night's Dawn trilogy next - The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, and The Naked God. I may have read this before. If so, it was on paperback which I don't have any more. Or, perhaps reread the Commonwealth Saga.

For those wanting an introduction to Peter F. Hamilton, start with the Commonwealth Saga trilogy - Pandora's Star, The Reality Disfunction, and Judas Unchained.

On my list -

- A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine. I'm waiting for the sequel to be published before starting this one. Expected March 2nd 2021.
- Fugitive Telemetry, by Martha Wells. #6 in the Murderbot series. Expected publication date: April 27th 2021.
I just purchased Salvation - having heard so many goods things about that series. I'm now working through the Alex Benedict series by Jack McDevitt, starting with A Talent for War. More of a guilty pleasure read - sometimes its nice to just work through something that is interesting but not requiring significant mental involvement.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by rockstar »

The Expanse is a fun read.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by mrb09 »

telemark wrote: Sat Nov 28, 2020 10:07 pm H. Beam Piper, Little Fuzzy

Piper was a student of history, and this is one of the oldest of recurring historical patterns: a shift in climate causes northern nomads to come wandering south, where they encounter city dwellers, whom they first conquer and then assimilate into. In this case the new arrivals are short, cute, and covered in silky fur, but other than that everything goes pretty much by the book. It's also that rarest of birds, the science fiction courtroom drama, and a good one too.
For a fun homage to this book, see also John Scalzi’s Fuzzy Nation
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by chuckb84 »

If "modern" means written recently, these ancient books don't count, but I'm rereading Varley's trilogy "Titan", "Wizard", "Demon" and really enjoying them. I loved his work in the early 80's, but like Heinlein before him, he seems to have gone off to a very different place since then.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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Barkingsparrow wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 11:49 am
LadyGeek wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:32 am I just bought all three - Salvation, Salvation Lost, and The Saints of Salvation (published Oct 27, 2020). I've read several Peter F. Hamilton books, he's very good. I just started Salvation and am already hooked.

I'm thinking to read the Night's Dawn trilogy next - The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, and The Naked God. I may have read this before. If so, it was on paperback which I don't have any more. Or, perhaps reread the Commonwealth Saga.

For those wanting an introduction to Peter F. Hamilton, start with the Commonwealth Saga trilogy - Pandora's Star, The Reality Disfunction, and Judas Unchained.

On my list -

- A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine. I'm waiting for the sequel to be published before starting this one. Expected March 2nd 2021.
- Fugitive Telemetry, by Martha Wells. #6 in the Murderbot series. Expected publication date: April 27th 2021.
I just purchased Salvation - having heard so many goods things about that series. I'm now working through the Alex Benedict series by Jack McDevitt, starting with A Talent for War. More of a guilty pleasure read - sometimes its nice to just work through something that is interesting but not requiring significant mental involvement.
I just finished The Salvation Sequence Series (trilogy) - Salvation, Salvation Lost, and The Saints of Salvation. Peter F. Hamilton is known for developing complex worlds. In this case, I thought it was a bit too complex and detracted somewhat from enjoying this interesting read.

I should correct my earlier post. The Commonwealth Saga is not a trilogy. It's only Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained. I'll (re)read these next.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by bfeenix44 »

I always like award lists for finding new reading materials, for instance look at books that won both the Hugo and the Nebula awards...

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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by Thranduil »

Artful Dodger wrote: Tue Dec 08, 2020 9:11 pm OK, I realize this doesn't technically fall into the category of science fiction, but if you're in Barnes and Noble, it's in the Fantasy / Sci Fi section.

A number of years (circa early 1990s) ago I began reading The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, a fantasy series. Lots of twists and turns and what was supposed to be three books, five books, seven books, etc. just kept going on. The author died and they brought in Brandon Sanderson to finish the epic and he penned three 700 page novels and finally finished the tome.

So, overall it's a well done effort. Many of the books were NYT bestsellers and and widely read. There is some drag in the middle (Can you say Song of Fire and Ice here, with the obvious comment that Martin will will never finish the series) but a strong recovery in Jordan's later books and Sanderson's finish.

I'm revisiting (re-listening to) via Audible, and have finished the first three: Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, and The Dragon Reborn. I'm enjoying myself. It's infectious writing. Give it a go if you're open to fantasy. They're also working on a WOT series for Amazon.
I started reading WoT before Jordan died and while he was still kicking out books at a fairly good pace. Then I caught up with him, and by the time the next book came out, I had moved on to something else and could not convince myself to go back and re-start the series, which led to my "rule" (often broken) that I will not start a series until all of the books in the series have been published. Same issue with GoT and Sanderson's current Oathbreaker books (I forgot what the series is called).

I remember really enjoying WoT and have thought about starting over (or maybe finding one of those summaries people post to the Internet), but have not done so -- I honestly cannot remember where I stopped, book 7 or 8 I think.....and this was before Goodreads was around so I have no way to know.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by FoolStreet »

Barkingsparrow wrote: Wed Aug 05, 2020 8:14 pm
LadyGeek wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2020 8:49 pm Yes to both. I didn't read the entire Honor Harrington series, as it seemed to be a bit long in the tooth after 10+ novels. Both were very enjoyable.
Have you read "A Memory Called Empire"? It just came out last year. I posted a review on the other book thread. It takes a little time to get into it at the start, but it then begins to pick up and I eventually became engrossed; something that does not happen a lot these days. Just found out that it won the 2020 Hugo Award for best novel.
I just finished it over the weekend. It had fairly linear plot, "fish out of water," "which way is up" feel to it and so it was easy to read. I think I would have liked a more complicated multi-plot political thriller, or more aztec influence....but if I'm being honest with myself, it was just the right amount to allow me to read with an already pandemic-fried brain. There were hints of Young Adult reading toward the 3rd act. Some of the more sciency sci-fi elements of the brain implants seemed unfleshed out. I didn't see how the author brought out some of the civil unrest. (a similar complaint about Expanse.) The Aztec culture seemed a cultural insertion in name-only.. maybe some references to poetry and long words in italics using "tz" - I would have like to see more about what makes that culture so unique.

Otherwise, I am intrigued to see where they take the 2nd book.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by FoolStreet »

LadyGeek wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:32 am
FreeAtLast wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 8:55 pm "Salvation", by Peter F. Hamilton (Del Ray 2019)

I first experienced and enjoyed Hamilton's exuberant Sci-Fi imagination in reading the two books of his Commonwealth Saga. So when I saw his new work in paperback, I snatched it right up. It is - no surprise - a space opera and summarizing the intricacies of the plot is not that easy. There is an emergent threat to the Mankind that involves a lot of sneaky but very frightening sabotage. Is some group of fanatic human terrorists responsible? Or, are aliens to be blamed? After all, a mysterious and intact alien spaceship was just discovered 89 light-years from Earth. You have to be a little patient at first with Hamilton, who repeatedly jumps around past, present and future events that are all germane to his entire (529 pages) tale. The key characters are all well-drawn and fascinating and you will soon be asking yourself: but who is the traitor among them? Once the story really got rolling, I was hooked. "Salvation" is the first book of a trilogy and I absolutely will be buying the second, "Salvation Lost".
I just bought all three - Salvation, Salvation Lost, and The Saints of Salvation (published Oct 27, 2020). I've read several Peter F. Hamilton books, he's very good. I just started Salvation and am already hooked.

I'm thinking to read the Night's Dawn trilogy next - The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, and The Naked God. I may have read this before. If so, it was on paperback which I don't have any more. Or, perhaps reread the Commonwealth Saga.

For those wanting an introduction to Peter F. Hamilton, start with the Commonwealth Saga trilogy - Pandora's Star, The Reality Disfunction, and Judas Unchained.

On my list -

- A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine. I'm waiting for the sequel to be published before starting this one. Expected March 2nd 2021.
- Fugitive Telemetry, by Martha Wells. #6 in the Murderbot series. Expected publication date: April 27th 2021.
I'll check out Pandora's Star. I read Murderbot #1 (Martha Wells) and plan to read #2 "soon." Memory Called Empire is worth reading and I'm intrigued by #2.

Not to cross genres, but just cracked open Black Sun (fantasy) and will see how it goes.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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The Nook and Kindle stores have "The John Brunner Collection Volume One: The Sheep Look Up, The Crucible of Time, and The Jagged Orbit" on sale for $3.99, marked down from $19.99, so I picked up a copy, electronically speaking, and am about half way through The Jagged Orbit. It's set in 2014, extrapolating from what appear to be actual news stories from 1968. If you've read Stand on Zanzibar it's fairly similar.

If I had read this in 2014, my thought would have been "ho hum, another dystopia that didn't happen, lucky us." Now, well, it feels somewhat uncomfortably accurate, not in the details but in the general trends. Alas.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by chuckb84 »

telemark wrote: Mon Feb 08, 2021 7:47 am The Nook and Kindle stores have "The John Brunner Collection Volume One: The Sheep Look Up, The Crucible of Time, and The Jagged Orbit" on sale for $3.99, marked down from $19.99, so I picked up a copy, electronically speaking, and am about half way through The Jagged Orbit. It's set in 2014, extrapolating from what appear to be actual news stories from 1968. If you've read Stand on Zanzibar it's fairly similar.

If I had read this in 2014, my thought would have been "ho hum, another dystopia that didn't happen, lucky us." Now, well, it feels somewhat uncomfortably accurate, not in the details but in the general trends. Alas.
You made me remember how much I liked "Stand on Zanzibar". Brunner got a lot right in 1968 about the world of 2010.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by mall0c »

rockstar wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 11:55 am The Expanse is a fun read.
+1 on this, probably been mentioned earlier in the thread too but The Expanse is probably the best "modern" sci-fi I've read in the last five years. Love that it takes a more realistic treatment of gravity without handwaving around magical "inertial dampeners" :D
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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Thranduil wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 7:44 am
I started reading WoT before Jordan died and while he was still kicking out books at a fairly good pace. Then I caught up with him, and by the time the next book came out, I had moved on to something else and could not convince myself to go back and re-start the series, which led to my "rule" (often broken) that I will not start a series until all of the books in the series have been published. Same issue with GoT and Sanderson's current Oathbreaker books (I forgot what the series is called).

I remember really enjoying WoT and have thought about starting over (or maybe finding one of those summaries people post to the Internet), but have not done so -- I honestly cannot remember where I stopped, book 7 or 8 I think.....and this was before Goodreads was around so I have no way to know.
I could have written exactly this. ;) I have books 1-7 on my bookshelf, and just cannot manage the oomph to go back and re-read them.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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Chiming in to agree with at least 5 posters that the Passage series by Justin Cronin is a strong choice, especially in this COVID world. Smartly, you can get the first book on Kindle for $3.99. They draw you in with that. It must be 1000 pages, so well worth the money. Decide if you want to continue, but the remaining 2 books are pricier. Still worth it. Enjoy.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by linuxizer »

A Memory Called Empire and its sequel by Martine are some of the best sci-fi I have ever read. The politics of Dune but more original.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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^^^ On my list.
LadyGeek wrote: Tue Feb 02, 2021 6:54 pm ...I just finished The Salvation Sequence Series (trilogy) - Salvation, Salvation Lost, and The Saints of Salvation. Peter F. Hamilton is known for developing complex worlds. In this case, I thought it was a bit too complex and detracted somewhat from enjoying this interesting read.

I should correct my earlier post. The Commonwealth Saga is not a trilogy. It's only Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained. I'll (re)read these next.
Commonwealth Saga. I'm in the middle of Judas Unchained and wanted to mention that several of the concepts in the Salvation Sequence Series can be found in this series.

I should also mention that Book 6 of the Murderbot Diaries, Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells, is still on-track for release on April 27, 2021.
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heartwood
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by heartwood »

LadyGeek wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 6:39 am
...

I should also mention that Book 6 of the Murderbot Diaries, Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells, is still on-track for release on April 27, 2021.
Probably too late to reserve it as a library e-book if you haven't already done so. I did a couple of months ago. I'm #10 on 1 copy. I looked again if I wanted to sign up now and see that the estimated wait time is now 992 days still on 1 copy, over 2.5 years. The other libraries we have access to aren't taking holds yet.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by humblecoder »

LadyGeek wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:32 am I'm thinking to read the Night's Dawn trilogy next - The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, and The Naked God. I may have read this before. If so, it was on paperback which I don't have any more. Or, perhaps reread the Commonwealth Saga.
I realize this is an older post, but here I go :-)

I read the Night's Dawn trilogy when it first came out. I liked the first book (Reality Dysfunction) so much that when the next two came out, I bought them on the UK Amazon site since they were published early in the UK. It was interesting how they used British spelling and terms in that version, but I digress.

Anyway, I thought that the first two books were great but the ending was meh for me. Actually I really hated it. Hamilton knew how to set up a great story... amazing world building, setting up the plot and characters, etc. But it did not stick the landing... at... all. Think GoT last season bad.

The Commonwealth Saga was much better and had a much more satisfying ending, in my opinion. Clearly he learned from his first outing. If you liked the Commonwealth Saga, you should read the Void Trilogy which takes place in the same universe and has many of the same characters. That one also didn't have the best conclusion in my opinion (not Night's Dawn bad but not satisfying), but the setup was really amazing.

I haven't read the Salvation series yet but sounds like it is worth checking out.

Some other authors that I recommend are Alastair Reynolds and John Scalzi. Reynolds is much more "hard sci-fi" and cerebral. Scalzi's stories are thought provoking but with a very wry sense of humor which is an added bonus.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

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linuxizer wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:31 am A Memory Called Empire and its sequel by Martine are some of the best sci-fi I have ever read. The politics of Dune but more original.
A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine. I agree. I'm not a politics person, but this space opera is intriguing and very creative. Interesting concepts and the author makes you think.

I was disappointed at the relatively high Kindle pricing, but I think the publishers are setting the price based on demand. This book won the 2020 Hugo Award for Best Novel and was nominated for several others.
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Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Post by Iorek »

I am looking forward to reading the nexxt Murderbot and the sequel to Memory Called Empire.

I read the Three Body Problem (1st in a trilogy by a Chinese author) and thought it was very good. I think it's based on a lot of "real" physics-- I saw an afterword or an interview where the author said he thinks the world as it is is much more interesting that anything he could imagine.
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