It has been suggested on a number of occasions that I do some sort of top 10 SciFi authors list. However, I don’t think I could easily rank my favorite authors, so instead I’ll simply do a series of articles about them and their stories. I’ll start with John Scalzi.
Many people have suggested that Scalzi [...]
Favorite Author - John Scalzi
July 29th, 2008 · 2 Comments · 5/5 - Must Read
Tags:aliens·colonization·comedy·FTL travel·humor·survival·war
Hal Spacejock by Simon Haynes
July 18th, 2008 · 5 Comments · 3/5 - Enjoyable and Fun, 4/5 - Excellent
At the end of May I told you about a free online ebook that you could download and enjoy direct from the author. Simon Haynes was then kind enough to send me printed copies of the first three Hal Spacejock books for a review and discussion here.
I’ve just finished reading the second book in his [...]
Tags:comedy·FTL travel·humor·robots
The Lost fleet by Jack Campbell
July 17th, 2008 · 9 Comments · 5/5 - Must Read
Have you been worried I was lost? Well I was. Amazon turned me on to The Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell via it’s recommendation service, and I gave a whole month of my life to it in one swift binge. The fourth book in this six book series, Valiant, was released [...]
Tags:conflict·FTL travel·military·survival
Gateway by Frederik Pohl - Cams #5
April 8th, 2008 · 2 Comments · 5/5 - Must Read
Number 5 on my all-time favourite novels list is Gateway by Frederik Pohl. This is a hard read for many people due to its use of flash-backs, but the fact that it won the Hugo, Nebula and John W Campbell awards means should at least be up for consideration in any top 10 list. [...]
Tags:adventure·aliens·FTL travel·gigantic alien engineering·sentient AI
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card - Cams #6
March 20th, 2008 · 4 Comments · 5/5 - Must Read
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card is number 6 on my all-time top 10 list of Science Fiction stories you need to read. Written as a novella in 1977 and expanded into a novel in 1985, it won both both the Hugo and the Nebula awards that year. The follow up sequel Speaker for the [...]
Tags:aliens·battle·deception·FTL travel
Moving Mars by Greg Bear
March 5th, 2008 · 2 Comments · 5/5 - Must Read
Superb. Greg Bear’s Moving Mars won the Nebula Award in 1994 and was a finalist for the Hugo the same year. It’s a gripping story about early colonial life, politics, science (the fictional kind) and deep characters. Written from the point of view of the central female character — who is both strong and flawed [...]
Tags:AI·colonization·FTL travel·politics·sentient computers·survival
Seeker by Jack McDevitt
October 30th, 2007 · 1 Comment · 3/5 - Enjoyable and Fun
I’m tired. For the last week I’ve been staying up late reading as fast as I can. Last night I finished Seeker by Jack McDevitt and tonight I’m going to bed early. Seeker is my first exposure to Mr. McDevitt’s work and was a recommendation that Amazon gave me based on the other books I’ve [...]
Tags:adventure·AI·aliens·archaeology·colonization·espionage·FTL travel·isolation·mystery
Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds
September 19th, 2007 · 3 Comments · 3/5 - Enjoyable and Fun
I’m not sure who recommended Pushing Ice to me (it might even have been Amazon), but whoever did — Thank You! I read this novel while on vacation at the cottage, and while it won’t get you thinking deeply about any topic, it was hard to put down for long.
Summary: This novel is a cliche, [...]
Tags:aliens·betrayal·deception·epic·first contact·FTL travel·gigantic alien engineering·isolation·space opera·survival
Ringworld by Larry Niven
September 16th, 2007 · 4 Comments · 3/5 - Enjoyable and Fun
So I’m 37 years behind the times — sue me. I wasn’t even born when this book was written (1970) let alone when it won both the Hugo and the Nebula awards for best novel. Now, at least, I can say I’ve read it.
Written and released during the golden age of science fiction, this book [...]
Tags:adventure·aliens·fallen civilization·FTL travel·gigantic alien engineering·mystery·romance·sex·space opera·world builders
Variable Star by Heinlein and Robinson
November 10th, 2006 · No Comments · 3/5 - Enjoyable and Fun
In late August, Slashdot reported that a lost Robert A. Heinlein novel was mere months away from being released. True enough, Variable Star was completed and released on October 18th, 2006 by Spider Robinson, himself a distinguished speculative fiction writer. On the back cover, John Varley is quoted as saying “Completing a book from notes [...]
Tags:deception·drunken mistakes·FTL travel·humor·isolation·music·space opera
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