So, what's good to read in SF lately?

[rolanni]

I just had the occasion to review my wish list over on Amazon.com and notice something...peculiar. Excluding non-fiction, my book list is exclusively fantasy -- no, I'm wrong. Surely Palimpsest is science fiction. So, the Overwhelming Majority of my fictional wants is fantasy.

I can't help but think that there's something wrong with this. Back before I uttered the Fateful Phrase, "I can do better than this!" and so embarked upon my career as a writer, I was pretty much reading science fiction, having gotten there via a crooked path through mystery, classics, romance, and general literature. Granted, because I'm a natural mimic, I tend to stay away from reading SF when I'm writing SF, but I'm not even buying SF anymore (another exception -- the new Bren Cameron novel hit the mailbox this week). I have here in my TBR pile:

New Amsterdam, E. Bear (fantasy)
The Last Days of the Incas, K. MacQuarrie (non-fiction)
Nine Years Among the Indians, H. Lehmann (autobiography)
A Song in Stone, W. Hunt (fantasy)
The Animal Dialogues, C. Childs (non-fiction)
Thirteenth Child, P. Wrede (fantasy)
Conspirator, CJ Cherryh (sf)
The Source of the Nile, R. Burton (non-fiction)
The Kimono of the Geisha-Diva Ichimaru,Till, Warkentyne, Patt (non-fiction)

...and I'm currently reading Edison's Eve: A Magical History of the Quest for Mechanical Life by G. Wood (which by the way is fascinating) -- nonfiction.

I remember hitting a thick patch with SF a couple of years back, where I was reading books that people whose taste I trusted raved about -- and finding them (choose all that apply): (1) dull (2) incomprehensible (3) Inflated with a sense of their own Importance (4) lack sympathetic characters -- and I guess I found that my itch for exciting! character driven! stories! got scratched better elsewhere. But, surely, there's SF that's worth reading out there. Right?

What're you reading that's good in SF? And! Special Bonus Question: What makes it good?


edited to fix spelling

Comments

[missingvolume.livejournal.com]

I really liked the The New Space Opera anthology that came out a few years ago. I liked most of the stories and it gives a good jumping off point into reading somebody new or a new series you hadn't read. But I have noticed that I have been reading a lot more fantasy as well. Granted right now I am reading the new Laurie King book.

[ramblin-phyl.livejournal.com]

When you need a touch of space opera, "Space Grunts" edited by Dayton Ward from Flying Pen Press is due out May 18. I have a story in there along with some other names you might know.

I enjoyed Song in Stone when I blurbed it for Walt. Too bad the imprint died.

[lagilman]

Thirteenth Child was quite wonderful.

Mostly I'm reading mysteries right now (re-reading In the Electric Mists with Confederate Dead while waiting for the new Laurie King to arrive). I got turned off SF that was too antagonistic to the human race (I love Peter Watt's ideas and style, but can he please give me characters I can empathize with?). Short SF is pleasing me more than long-form, these days. Also, there is much fantasy that is structured like SF, to pick up some of that slack ('hard fantasy,' where the internal logic of magic is well-integrated not only to the worldbuilding, but also into the characters' awareness and actions).

When in doubt, I fall back on Joe Haldeman's books. Can't go wrong, there.

[jelazakazone.livejournal.com]

I think you make a really good point here. I have drifted away from SF of late and have been reading more "hard fantasy", to borrow your term. DH says he just likes a good story when I tease him about reading romances and that's true for me too.

I also notice that writers that used to be writing SF have now drifted towards "hard fantasy":)

[(Anonymous)]

Yes, the fantasy has kinda taken over, hasn't it?
These are some of the relatively new SF that came into the shop. OK, SF, not Fantasy:

Duplicate Effort by Kristin Kathryn Rusch
Close Encounters by Katherine Allred
Hunter's Run by George RR Martin, G. Dozois and D. Abraham
Fast Forward 2, edited by Lou Anders
Time Machines Repaired While-U-Wait, by KA Bedford
Scout Squad: Going Native, by Mark O. Chapman
(I have copies if you can't find it anywhere else)

Escapement (Jay Lake) and Zoe's Tale (John Scalzi) are both out in Mass Market paperback.

Lauretta@ConstellationBooks
PS I, personally, am working through Scout Squad and have just finished Little Fuzzy for the book club. This is in between everything else I'm reading for the shop.

[(Anonymous)]

Oops, that's should be Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
Kristine not Kristin. I looked at it afterwards and thought something didn't look right but I'd already hit post.

Reading

[(Anonymous)]

I've just finished Conspirator and now have to wait for Deceiver, the next in Cherryh's Foreigner universe. I'm not finding too much to read in SF at the moment and I'm not a great fan of Fantasy. One author I emailed mentioned that fantasy sells right now and that is what she is being encouraged to write.

I'm back to reading mysteries; my current favourite is Cara Black's Aimee Leduc series set in Paris.

[jelazakazone.livejournal.com]

Oh. I take it back. I have been reading Wen Spencer. But you probably already know about her:)

[mardott.livejournal.com]

I'm more behind on my reading than I've ever been in my life. With that caveat, I'm currently on Julie Czerneda's Rider's of the Storm. I've liked every single thing I've read by her, because the worlds and characters are (like your books) places I'd like to live, and people I'd like to know.

I've got Zoe's Tale lined up next - remember, I'm playing catch up - should've read it a long time ago. But I just now finished Ghost Brigades. This series is the first I've read of John Scalzi's books, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover they were less about war, and more about characters.

I can't get into war books, not even if the war's in space.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

You cannot possibly be as far behind in reading as I am. I make no pretense of catching up, ever. I keep meaning to grab one of John's books, which! I'm obviously not going to do unless I stick them in the wish list to remind myself.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Well, there's these space operas by some authors you might know -- Lee and Miller? They're pretty good *g*. But actually new SF I like is pretty thin on the ground. I like Tanya Huff's military SF (a new book in the 'Valor' series soon), and Elizabeth Moon's; Peter F. Hamilton's earlier work I liked but his recent ones are just too darned long. The same with Neil Stephenson. There's a new Larry Niven series in his "Known Space" universe, I have the first and it's not at all bad, the second is due soon.

But mostly for SF I've been rereading -- Heinlein, Fred Pohl, Poul Anderson, Patrick Moore...

Books...

[(Anonymous)]

Tanya Huff has a new book in the Valor series? I thought it finished with Valor's Trial. Confederation of Valor is an omnibus of the first 2 books. This would be really good.

In a similar vein is Kristine Smith's Jani Killian series.

I'm going to re-read Julian May, I believe. Not her fantasy series but the others.

Recent SF I have read

[(Anonymous)]

Recently, I have read C.J. Cherryh's "Regenesis", a compilation of C.L. Moore's Northwest Smith short stories called "Northwest of Earth", and I JUST received David Drake's "In the Stormy Red Sky" (the latest Lt. Leary book), and have read a little bit more than half of it since yesterday afternoon.

Re: Recent SF I have read

[(Anonymous)]

I also gobbled up Regenesis as soon as it hit the library shelf.

[elektra.livejournal.com]

Try Endless Blue by Wen Spencer. Most of the other SF I've read recently has been mentioned already.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Ah, hadn't seen that one. I like Wen's stuff.

Thanks!

[(Anonymous)]

Any and all Terry Pratchett. Devour a new one to find out what happens, let it sit as long as self-control will allow, then reread to find out WHY it happened...
Alex Beldsoe's "Sword-Edged Blonde" - solid, likable main character, not overwhelmingly bloody and discouraging, and has touches of the everyday(hero removes the Model Name & Logo from a sword so it won't stand out).

Cathy C

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Just can't read Pratchett. Yes, I have tried. Several times.

Alex Beldsoe's "Sword-Edged Blonde" - solid, likable main character, not overwhelmingly bloody and discouraging, and has touches of the everyday(hero removes the Model Name & Logo from a sword so it won't stand out).

This sounds like fantasy, though, not SF?

[reedrover]

New? Not so much. Older? The Price of the Stars trilogy is one of my go-to sets. Don't stray past the first three, though. And I just "lost" (loaned and never got back) another copy of The Path of the Fury.

Or you could go back to urban fantasy and get hooked on Jim Butcher.

[muehe.livejournal.com]

Path of the Fury is a great book.
Apocalypse Troll is another good one.

Anything by Modesitt. Ok, alot of his is fantasy. The forever hero trilogy is SF and darn good.

[grassrose.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... I enjoy David Weber's "Honor Harrington" universe, but I do have to wade through the battle scenes occasionally. I think the short stories set in that universe are terrific. I enjoyed his "Path of the Fury" better, but that drifts into hard fantasy a bit. I'm enjoying the Safehold series, so far.

The story I'm reading right now, "Airman" by Eoin Colfer, isn't really science fiction, but it's good... sort of a fairy tale without the fantasy. It's got a princess and a commoner that grow up together, then face villains, trials and tribulations. It's primarily from the commoner's viewpoint. It might be considered "young adult," or even "young reader," but I DON'T care! :o)

edit: on my list of older books is C.S. Friedman's "This Alien Shore"... a very satisfying read.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Most of the better stuff lately seems to be YA. I don't care, either, (Greek Chorus whispers: That woman will read ANYthing)as long as it's a good story.

David Weber -- again I am a Philistine. Read one, was never motivated to read another. It's sad, really.

[chipwyn.livejournal.com]

If you had a fondness for Clifford Simak in your youth, the give Scalzi's Agent to the Stars a try. David Drake has a really good military SF series going (With the Lightnings was the first). What's not to love about a series that features a kick-ass librarian/information retrieval specialist? I can echo praise for Tanya Huff's Valor series, and Elizabeth Moon. And then there is always the excellent Connie Willis who defies categories, but always makes you think or laugh or both.

Thank you!

[(Anonymous)]

I'm glad you had Thirteenth Child on your list - I didn't know Patricia Wrede had a new book out. (It's now on my wish list at Barnes & Nobel - I use that to jog my memory of what's due out.)

I haven't read much SF lately either - it's been mostly paranormal/urban fantasy and mysteries. And then there is Eric Flint's 1632 universe stuff - I'm not sure how to classify that!

I'm currently waiting for the new Laurie King and Charlaine Harris books to arrive - I'm hoping that will be soon.

Mary

[redpimpernel.livejournal.com]

The best new SF author I've discovered in the past few years is John Scalzi, his best book is Old Man's War.

It's a first person story, totally character driven. It's very old-fashioned story telling, it felt like the stuff I was reading in the '70's. Strong interesting characters, good use of humor, good story line. Best hard science fiction story I have read in a long, long time.

[(Anonymous)]

Old Man's War started strong and i agree with what you said about it -- but he lost it. Not a book i would recomend.

What do you call steam punk, anyway? F or SF?

[(Anonymous)]

First of all - great suggestions...I'm thinking, oh yeah, THAT one! and making lists to order.

Watching this thread and thinking about this, I must ask - What do you consider steampunk? Fantasy or Science Fiction?

Lauretta
@Constellation Books

PS Steampunk as defined as The Difference Engine, Larklight (YA - very good), most of Jay Lake's work, etc.

[katmax1.livejournal.com]

In fantasy the books I've recently read that I'm reccomending to my friends are:

Brent Weeks - Night angel trilogy (way of shadows, shadows edge, beyond the shadows)

Peter V Brett - The Warded Man

I found all these excellent and a notch above a lot I've read in recent times....mind you I'm really looking forward to the conclusion to the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher due out later this year, its been a consistently entertaining series.

[elbales]

Have you read the Vorkosigan novels by Lois McMaster Bujold? I've loved everything of hers that I've read, though my favorites are the three books set in Chalion. That's fantasy, though.

If you can find Ann Tonsor Zeddies' excellent Singer duology—Deathgift and Sky Road—I urge you to read both. They're SF that looks at first like fantasy. She also wrote Iron Helix, a genre-bending book called Blood and Roses, and, under the name Toni Anzetti, Typhon's Children and Riders of Leviathan. All are quite good, though the Singer books are my favorite.

Good Sci-Fi to Read

[sonyaotto.livejournal.com]

I recommend John Meaney's Nulapeiron Trilogy: Paradox, Context, and Resolution. It not only contains some good hard sf (space pilots, logosophy, paradox, new technology) but the heart of the books is the characters. I cared deeply about the main characters by the time I was halfway through the first book and couldn't wait to read the other books to see how it was going to turn out. In these books the techno stuff is simply a means to explore real people with real problems and loves. And, as a bonus the books are centered around a touching love story!

[(Anonymous)]

Linnea Sinclair combines romance and SF; just picked up her "Hope's Folly" (still unread), but I would recommend starting with her "Accidental Goddess".

Also picked up Jack Campbell (John Hemry) Lost Fleet: Relentless.

Recent reads: Reflex (Stephen Gould), By Schism Rent Asunder (Weber), Quofum (A. D. Foster).

Brom

Suggestions

[bookmobiler.livejournal.com]

I really hate recommending books to people.

But since you were incautious enough to ask....

Try Mark Van Name. Hard science, space opera and an honorable hero. See here: http://www.marklvanname.com/

Or Charles Stross's Family trade series.
See here: Parallel universes and their pitfalls.http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/

Then there's Anne McCaffery's dragons of Pern series which are definitely not fantasy. Her son has been writing in that world recently and hasn't been doing to badly.

I have also found Eric Flint's Ring of Fire series quite good.

And have I ever mentioned that I hate spell checkers! Just because the word is spelled correctly doesn't mean its the word I meant!

[berneynator.livejournal.com]

The Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell
Pegasus books by Anne McCaffrey
the Skolian Empire books by Catherine Asaro
Kris Longknife books by Mark Shepherd
Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold
Heart of Gold by Sharon Shinn
Stardoc novels by S. L. Viehl
Rats, Bats and Vats by Eric Flint and Dave Freer
Freehold by Michael Z Williamson
Belisarius novels (kinda) by Eric Flint/David Drake
not exactly new, but Fallen Angels by Jerry Pournelle, Larry Niven and Michael Flynn
Valor books by Tanya Huff

I've enjoyed all of these, hope you might too.

[jestermac.livejournal.com]

Good list. Lots here match (Longknife, Vorkosigan, and Freehold particularly.)

Also, I know David Weber was already mentioned as someone not to be read again, but I highly recommend Empire from the Ashes (omnibus of the Dahek series) and the Roger MacClintock series (March Upcountry, etc).

Elizabeth Moon's Heis Serrano/Esmay Suiza series
David Brin's Glory Season
David Brin's Kiln People
Tad William's Otherland series (a bit of a slog at parts, but still good)
Iain Banks' The Wasp Factory (not SF, but still good)
Iaim M. Banks' "Culture universe" series (Consider Phlebas, Player of Games)... the "M" in Iain M. Banks lets you know if his books are SF

- Jacques

[otterb.livejournal.com]

I second the recommendation on Endless Blue by Wen Spencer. I found it a bit difficult to get into, but cut her slack because of liking her other stuff so much, and when it caught me up, it really caught me up. I was hoping for a sequel - I think the world offers lots of room for it - but haven't seen any indication.

Elizabeth Moon's Vatta War series.

I've enjoyed Matthew Hughes' Henghis Hapthorn books. They probably sit somewhere on the boundary of fantasy & science fiction. It's a far future, and there are spaceships and AIs, but there is also some magic seeping in around the edges. But probably not out of line for someone whose space operas include wizards and sentient trees.

Oh, and I'm a sucker for Timothy Zahn's Quadrail series. Night Train to Rigel is the first one. I see Amazon has them labelled "SF thrillers." They're not deep, but they're fun popcorn reading. Aliens! Incomprehensible alien technology permitting travel to the stars! Hard-bitten former spy turned private eye, fighting galaxy-wide conspiracy! Lots and lots of people who are not what they seem!

if you read ebooks

[mtz322.livejournal.com]

Fictionwise has some good ones.
SF try Michelle Levigne and Nina Osier (who is also in Maine, btw)

There seems to be a definite drift towards what I call Science Fantasy. The hardware aspects are shifting to the background. Maybe because physics has just gotten too abstract for most people? (Note that I have always liked biology, sociology, and other 'soft' science based stories, no matter what the 'hard' purists snif.)

Sigh, definitely fantasy, dragons, etc., but I just have to mention Gloria Oliver's Cross eyed Dragon. Her other books seem to be romance.