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Face-Ache
June 11th, 2012, 01:20 AM
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=619305

I have to echo a few contributors in the thread i've linked to, particularly Iain M Banks' "Use of Weapons" - fantastic read, and an epic, twisted ending.

Also, the Robert A Heinlein books, particularly Friday. One of my favourite books of all-time.

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman is also an excellent read.

I've read all of these books multiple times, and always get something new out of them.

qamelian
June 11th, 2012, 01:26 AM
Toss up between H. Beam Piper's Fuzzy Sapiens books and the HeeChee Saga by Frederick Pohl, though I also have a soft spot for A. Bertram Chandler's Rim novels and Keith Laumer's Retief tales. :)

jmore9
June 11th, 2012, 01:36 AM
My social security benefits !!

neu5eeCh
June 11th, 2012, 01:47 AM
Macroscope, by Piers Anthony, was one that left a lasting impression. I read that when I was a teenager. Not sure I would like it as much now, but possibly. I read Lord of the Rings as a teenager, then re-read it as an adult, and liked it just as much if not more so.

lisati
June 11th, 2012, 01:56 AM
My social security benefits !!

This reminds me of my boss emailing me on Friday about a meeting I was meant to attend today. If the pedantic side to my makeup had full reign, I'd be heading off to the wrong place and then wondering why my colleagues weren't there. (For this and other reasons I opted not to go.)

Anyway we digress....

Worthy of mention would be the Terminator movies, Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Doctor Who....

cariboo
June 11th, 2012, 02:36 AM
My favourite at the moment is the Honour Harrington series by David Weber. I'd have to say though that Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein may be my all time favourite.

DingusFett
June 11th, 2012, 02:38 AM
Star Wars will always be my favourite. The movies are great, but what really makes it for me is the novels.

forrestcupp
June 11th, 2012, 02:42 AM
Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

eddier
June 11th, 2012, 03:09 AM
Dune and ASimovs Foundation series,both Epic.

I just wish they would put the Foundation on film. The BBC did a Radio play many years ago,but i've lost the sodding recording!

Qamelian,thanks for reminding me about Pohls Heechee saga--off to find a copy if I can.=D>

eddie

ExSuSEusr
June 11th, 2012, 03:12 AM
Battlestar Galactica (the remake) = best of all time.

Well, except for the ending - it was one of the worst endings I have ever seen - almost like the writers ran out of steam and just threw it together at the last minute.

Greatest Sci-Fi of all time and worst Sci-Fi ending of all time.

Of course that's all a matter of opinion.

3Miro
June 11th, 2012, 03:15 AM
For me Asimov wins with the "End of Eternity", this makes other time-travel stories look like they've been written by a 5-year old. Only Futurama's "Bender's Big Score" can compare in complexity.

MisterGaribaldi
June 11th, 2012, 03:57 AM
I quite liked Roger Zelazny's "Nine Princes in Amber". Also, just take a look at my avatar and nom-de-plume for another favorite series of mine... ;)

I've never read the books, but just on the strength of the movies alone I would not hesitate to second, third, or even fourth the vote for Frank Herbert's Dune. That's at the top of my list of sci-fi books to read.

If you like Dr. Who, I'm told some of the expanded universe novels written for it over the years are good. I've always meant to get more into that show. Maybe one day I'll start collecting the books for it too. Hmm...

Has anyone here read anything by Pratchet or Card? Also, I want to get back into reading more serious sci-fi, so any Nebula Award recommendations?

wilee-nilee
June 11th, 2012, 03:58 AM
Slaughter House Five, Vonnegut.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaughter_House_Five

Not really a sci-fi fan in general they all have the same theme as most every other story that is man made.

The hero's journey over and over again.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_hero%27s_journey

Slight variations that don't fall within this set but very little.

Face-Ache
June 11th, 2012, 06:05 AM
I totally forgot about Dune by Frank Herbert - seriously good sci-fi. I even liked the film! Reminds me of kdanes avatar :)

I read a number of Heinleins other books, and definitely agree with the Stranger in a Strange Land recommendations.

In a similar vein to Stranger, I'd also like to add The Mote in Gods Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. An excellent read. Edit; MisterGaribaldi, The Mote in God's Eye was nominated for the Hugo, Nebula and Locus Awards in 1975.

Slaughterhouse 5; i must read that, have heard a lot about it, but have never picked it up.

HappinessNow
June 11th, 2012, 06:13 AM
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-5XggRhmGls4/T9WAYSdHR5I/AAAAAAAAP_Q/s2aA7FkIjw8/s475/7082.jpg

QIII
June 11th, 2012, 06:39 AM
Some time, years ago, I read through a collection of short stories compiled ny Dr. A. It contained some of the best writers, including Bradbury. Sigh.

Anyway, one of the stories was about an alien who, discovering that we drink coffee, reported back that we must be destroyed as a species because we had nukes but were still so stupid that we drank liquids that would burn our fingers.

Hylas de Niall
June 11th, 2012, 06:47 AM
2001.

mbarland
June 11th, 2012, 08:57 AM
Herbert's Dune, Card's Ender's Game, and Heinlein's Starship Troopers have been read and reread numerous times. I'm also quite fond of Card's Treason, Halderman's The Forever War, and Scalzi's Old Man's War.

Senior_Buckethead
June 11th, 2012, 09:38 AM
War of the worlds

Panawe
June 11th, 2012, 11:56 AM
A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay.

No contest!

PeterP24
June 11th, 2012, 01:05 PM
Foundation series by Isaac Asimov and maybe Roger Zelazny's - Lord of Light.

PeterP24
June 11th, 2012, 03:54 PM
omg - forgot to mention Serge Brussolo with Nightmare for rent :D

sanderella
June 11th, 2012, 05:06 PM
Dune

earthpigg
June 11th, 2012, 08:39 PM
So many great things already mentioned in this thread.

My favorite: Ender's Game.

Also fun: Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron, all six pages (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CFoQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnellen.com%2Fwestside%2Fharr ison.pdf&ei=cAfVT7S9Ceie2AXoxvmpDw&usg=AFQjCNGMCisbbHrNuv3E65kPSaz_MVV1mQ&sig2=I8F1-bB_b-T1PW524RQx0Q), is fun because you can get 5 people to read the short work, and you will get 7 different interpretations.

standingwave
June 11th, 2012, 08:45 PM
Time Enough for Love by Heinlein
Dune by Herbert
Foundation Trilogy by Asimov
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Miller
The Forever War by Haldeman

eddier
June 12th, 2012, 02:01 AM
Time Enough for Love by Heinlein
Dune by Herbert
Foundation Trilogy by Asimov
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Miller
The Forever War by Haldeman

Foundation Trilogy? Get thee back to the Bookshop!

http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_series


eddie;)

wojox
June 12th, 2012, 02:05 AM
The one with Cylons. ;)

Panawe
June 12th, 2012, 11:40 AM
If I'm allowed a second vote I'll go for Stanislaw Lem's Solaris - magnificent novel and a great film (not the George Clooney one though!).

ModelM
June 12th, 2012, 09:29 PM
Asimov's Lije Bailey series; Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun, The Robots of Dawn, Robots & Empire
The Door Into Summer by Heinlein
I'm another big fan of the Honor Harrington series by David Weber
The Destroyermen series by Taylor Anderson
Right now I'm reading Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon & I think I'm going to enjoy this series as much as the Honor Harrington series
The Big Front Yard by Clifford D. Simak; I read this many decades ago & if "favorite" means "most often remembered" then this is it

But I think the one that just barely edges the others out as a "favorite" would be Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke.

Erik1984
June 13th, 2012, 12:12 AM
Dune

+1

Currently reading Heretics of Dune (to be precise, the Dutch translation of it). I stopped after part 3 a while ago but recently picked up at 4. I even read the prequels trilogy and preprequels trilogy :P (both not by Frank Herbert but his son).

standingwave
June 13th, 2012, 01:00 AM
Foundation Trilogy? Get thee back to the Bookshop!The OP asked for favorite stories so I deliberately didn't suggest the entire series but since the original trilogy had a distinct beginning, middle and end, I felt it counted as one story. Dune, OTOH, I think works just fine as a stand-alone.

Face-Ache
June 13th, 2012, 10:03 AM
Also fun: Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron, all six pages (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CFoQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnellen.com%2Fwestside%2Fharr ison.pdf&ei=cAfVT7S9Ceie2AXoxvmpDw&usg=AFQjCNGMCisbbHrNuv3E65kPSaz_MVV1mQ&sig2=I8F1-bB_b-T1PW524RQx0Q), is fun because you can get 5 people to read the short work, and you will get 7 different interpretations.

I enjoyed that read.

Seemed to be talking about equality, but equality taken to the extreme. Better to live free and soar like a bird for but a few seconds than be chained for your whole life. Very "Brave New World/1984" :)

Where did i see this?; someone/something talking about how all the cars had their speeds reduced to that of horse, so that the horses feelings wouldn't be hurt.