What would you recommend to start me on SF?

[vinay87]

Well, its like this, I haven't read any books on Science Fiction. I know Fantasy is clubbed under SF, but I feel its just wrong.

I want to start a pure SF series. I don't think I have read any. What I want is something that'll show me what the Genre can offer, and still be something that can drag me into it. Doesn't have to be a series, but if it is, it'll be a plus point. And don't give me a bunch of names, just say two or three. I want to pick up a few books next week, and have three or four books in mind and cash only for two more. So, that means I can get two books of SF at the most.

[Werthead]

There are three books which I like to suggest to rope in newcomers to the genre:

 

ENDER'S GAME by Orson Scott Card

A rather straightforward introductory SF novel, with the focus on the characters rather than baffling science, with a great central character and a nice twist ending. Earth is at war with a hostile alien species and young children are trained and indoctrinated from birth to help fight the enemy. The story follows several of the youngsters at 'Battle School' as the war against the aliens intensifies. There are many sequels, prequels and even equals (books set during the events of this one), but arguably only the two direct sequels (Speaker for the Dead and Xenocide) approach the quality of Ender's Game.

 

CHASM CITY by Alastair Reynolds

Tanner Mirabel, a security specialist, is hot on the trail of a criminal, chasing him across the stars to the planet Yellowstone and its capital, Chasm City, which is being consumed by a techno-organic plague. As his relentless pursuit unfolds, we simultaneously follow his story in flashback leading up to the beginning of the pursuit, and at the same time we also follow the story of one of his ancestors who founded his homeworld, thanks to a halluciogenic plague containing his story which our hero is injected with. The result is a brilliantly twisted (and highly convoluted) detective story mixed with gothic horror and dazzling SF ideas. One of the best SF novels of the past decade.

 

THE REALITY DYSFUNCTION by Peter F. Hamilton

The opening volume of Hamilton's brilliant Night's Dawn Trilogy, a colossal, star-spanning epic which I think Wheel of Time fans will especially appreciate (given its vast cast of characters, huge scope and immense page-count). It's the 27th Century and the human Confederation spans over 640 planets and 11,000 settled asteroids. Humanity has broken into two species, the Adamists (our descendents, who use standard technology and cybernetic augmentations) and the Edenists (telepaths who use biological technology and living starships), who live in peace alongside several known alien races. The many different cultures of the Confederation allow people to live any lives they wish to, the standard of living for humanity is on the rise and it looks like mankind is on the verge of some kind of utopian golden age. Obviously, it all goes horrendously wrong. A chance encounter between an utterly alien entity and a group of murderers on a remote colony world unleashes a horrendous force upon mankind, the 'reality dysfunction', something which every race must confront at some point in their history, and many have not survived. As the crisis spreads, it falls upon a select few people scattered across many worlds, asteroids and space habitats to take the steps necessary to save the human race from extinction.

 

Hamilton's series is huge, and in the USA it is published in six volumes rather than three. Despite this, the books are compulsive page-turners featuring a constant stream of intelligent ideas and memorable characters.

 

Of these three books, I would say that Ender's Game is good if you want a clever, self-contained story. Chasm City is also self-contained (although Reynolds has written other books set in the same universe) but more challenging with a terrifically clever ending. The Reality Dysfunction is more for those who want to be blown away by an action-horror-SF hybrid which features tons of awesome Dumai's Wells-style moments but has some great character and plot development in there as well.

[CUBAREY]

Anything by Asminov (the Master), the Empire series is my favorite.

 

And of course the Dune series by Hurbert.

[Karana Majin]

As a stand alone Sci Fi, I always liked The White Plague by Frank Herbert.  Another great (finished) sci fi series is the Lilith's Brood series by Octavia Butler.  The first one is Dawn, then Adulthood Rites, then Imago.

 

Off Amazon:

Dawn: After nuclear war destroys the world, Earths survivors are rescued by the miraculously powerful Oankali aliens- who survive by merging genetically with primitive peoples without their permission.

Adulthood Rites: Desperate to regain their world, childless humans seek to cleanse the alien taint by kidnapping hybrid children. But the raiders are blind to the truth of Earths new children.

Imago: The futures of both humans and aliens rest in one young beings successful metamorphosis into adulthood.

 

Highly recommend!  And you can sometimes find all three in one volume.

 

[Tenshin_Xo]

The foundation series will explore human societal growth and change, and might give you ideas for how people stay the same as they change.

 

The robot series will follow humanity's desire to create, and what its results can be.  I particularly like the main characters Elijah Bailey, and to a lesser extent(at first) R Daneel.

 

Both are written by Asimov, who also wrote a number of mystery short stories, all based in science fact.

 

I liked Destination void by Herbert.

 

If you need a comic break look for Douglas Adams. 

 

Dune is Herbert's major series, the first is great, the second and third slip into mediocrity, the rest become an exercise in controlled insanity.  It's recently been resurrected to tack on an ending.

 

Enders Game to echo wert.  It's often used to examine the Mystique of Command.  SOOO good. There are two parallel series, Ender's series, and the Shadow series sometimes called Bean's series.  Both are worth reading, and they supplement each other very well.  I tend to prefer Ender's series.

 

William Gibson is worth a read if you like cyberpunk type stuff.  I think Snow Crash is the most memorable.  Particularly because the main character's name is Hiro Protagonist.

 

CS Lewis' Ransom trilogy is also a special case.  It's sci-fi meets Christian apologetics, the first book is great, the second is a retelling of adam and eve, and the third has Merlin.  I didn't like the second but the first and third were good, plus they're a short read.

 

HG Wells is another classic author as is Jules Verne.  I particularly liked Wells' The Time Machine.

 

Aldous Huxley and his dystopia/utopian A Brave New World is also good, if a bit heavy insofar as it's social commentaries.

 

Heinlein.  Mustn't forget Heinlein.  The man is a genius, mostly because his social views are remarkably like mine.  Notables include, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers(nothing like the movie, thank god), and The Cat who Walks Through Walls. 

 

The last is a random one.  Its an interesting if flawed look at where human meets machine, and what exactly does gender mean.  Its titled "Steel Beach".  I enjoyed the story immensely though, and much of the imagery sticks with me.

 

[Nightstrike]

Alastair Reynolds has written several great SF novels and so has Peter F Hamilton. Those two are my top recommended SF authors.

 

Orson Scott Card has written some pretty good novels (Ender). Check out Greg Bear and John Varley, too.

[Myyrth]

The Faded Sun Trilogy by C.J. Cherryh

 

the previous suggestion of the Frank Herbert's Dune and the accompanying novels.