Best sci-fi novels ever

Hi all, I must have read thousands of Sci-fi novels in my life, and I have forgotten most of them, but the moment I read the first page of a novel I have read before, I remember the whole novel again (although not in perfect detail). How about starting a list for sci-fi fans, to stir our old memories again, or maybe get us interested in some new sci-fi authors.

Here is my list.
1.) All Isaac Asimov Novels
2.) A.C. Clarke (Rama, etc, etc, etc)
3.) P.K. Dick (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, A Scanner Darkly, etc)
4.) Harry Harrison (The Stainless steel rat novels)
5.). A.E. van Vogt (Null'a novels)
6.) Orson Scott Card (Ender novels)
7.) Carl Sagan (Contact and lots of non sci-fi)
8.) Aldous Huxley (Brave New World)
9.) Robert Heinlein (Stranger in a Strange Land, Orphans of the Sky)
10.) Ron L. Hubbart (sci-fi stuff, NOT scientology, lol)
11.) Greg Bear
12.) Larry Niven
13.) Jerry Pournelle
14.) Frank Herbert
15.) Piers Anthony
16.) Michael Crichton
17.) Fred and Geoffry Hoyle ( A for Andromeda, Ossian's Ride and others)
18.) William Gibson (Neuromancer, How could I ever forget him????)


Fantasy and horror.
1.) Anne McCaffrey (worlds of Pern)
2.) Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance, Deathgate saga, star of the Guardians)
3.) Jean Auel
4.) Brian Lumley (Necroscope)
5.) Ursula K. Le Guin
6.) Anne McCaffrey (Pern novels, and lots of other novels too)
7.) Stephen King

reply to post by Hellhound604


Would like to throw Robert Jordan onto the list......wheel of time is just a massive work, and Frank Herbert(and sons).....Dune was awesome and his sons have followed in step.

And I know what the response to this one is....but no one has touched Sci-Fi quite like Douglas Adams......and no one ever will.......

You pretty much have it covered, glad to see you included Orson Scott Card (One of my favorites!)

I would add to both categories anything by Piers Anthony. Very clever author.

Originally posted by TinkerHaus
You pretty much have it covered, glad to see you included Orson Scott Card (One of my favorites!)

I would add to both categories anything by Piers Anthony. Very clever author.

Incarnations of Immortality was what got me hooked on reading, but I will say re-reading some of his stuff through adult eyes, he can be a bit.....twisted, but still love his work.

Oh, and don't forget King, his stuff is very much sci-fi.....especially the Dark Tower saga and Black house, have actually found more of a sci-fi spin to his work than horror spin.

Originally posted by pointr97
reply to post by Hellhound604

 

Would like to throw Robert Jordan onto the list......wheel of time is just a massive work, and Frank Herbert(and sons).....Dune was awesome and his sons have followed in step.

And I know what the response to this one is....but no one has touched Sci-Fi quite like Douglas Adams......and no one ever will.......

edit on 5-10-2011 by pointr97 because: (no reason given)

sorry, forgot about Frank Herbert, and will add Robert Jordan to my list ..... don't think I have ever read any of his works

reply to post by pointr97


You make a good point. And yeah, Stephen King, while in many cases a formulaic author (disabled kid, hokey old farmer, bus full of people enter a portal to another dimension filled with monsters, disabled kid holds the key to party survival, etc) his fantasy stuff is great. Eyes of the Dragon was one of my favorite novels for a long time. His short story compilations are always a great read too.

reply to post by TinkerHaus


Yes, and some of Stephen King's books gave me nightmares when I was a kid (Good nightmares though), esp. Carry, Christine, and It .... but the movies was a total let-down, except for Carry and Lawnmower Man

reply to post by TinkerHaus


There was also another author, whose style was a LOT like Stephen King's style, but that has slipped my mind now

reply to post by Hellhound604


Bachman? He and King have collaborated on a few things too.

I love David Eddings books, all series. they were beyond great for me.

reply to post by Hellhound604


How about Iain M. Banks and Joe Haldeman two great SF authors and Joe Abercrombie for fantasy, all three create great reads that are hard to put down! Consider Phlebas basically got me hooked on SF!

reply to post by TinkerHaus


en.wikipedia.org...

Bachman is Kings pen name.
The running man was an awesome read...

I think a really great Sci-Fi/Horror author is Whitley Striber ever heard of him many great books some of my favorites are Hybrids and 2012: The War For Souls both about alien kind of things but not really its hard to explain but great books if you ever read anything by him

Originally posted by TinkerHaus
reply to post by Hellhound604

 

Bachman? He and King have collaborated on a few things too.

They are one in the same, when in college king used the name bachman. sorry, was beat to the punch on that....but I will say that it is cool you saw the connection in the writing styles.....impressive eye.

Originally posted by LimitingFactor
reply to post by Hellhound604

 

How about Iain M. Banks and Joe Haldeman two great SF authors and Joe Abercrombie for fantasy, all three create great reads that are hard to put down! Consider Phlebas basically got me hooked on SF!

Thanks, so many names that you guys mention are so familiar to me, guess that will send me back to my library for a while..... but damn, forgot, I don't have a library anymore. When I lived in my old homeland, I had a personal sci-fi library of more than 10 000 books, but when I moved overseas, I couldn't take my library with (books take up a lot of space, and are heavy, and that was my worst regret when I moved)......

Originally posted by InshaAllah
I love David Eddings books, all series. they where beyond great for me.

Agreed....Oh and if you haven't tried Spyder Robinson......you really ought to....they are fun, hip, completely off the wall, and never get old.....I re-read his stuff all the time.....

Originally posted by pointr97

Originally posted by TinkerHaus
reply to post by Hellhound604

 

Bachman? He and King have collaborated on a few things too.

They are one in the same, when in college king used the name bachman. sorry, was beat to the punch on that....but I will say that it is cool you saw the connection in the writing styles.....impressive eye.

edit on 5-10-2011 by pointr97 because: (no reason given)

nope, not thinking about Bachman.... Had quite a few novels of his too, and always remarked on the similarity of the 2 authors, and then I read a collection of short stories (or novellas) by Stephen King, (I think it was called something like the "Bachman Novellas", in which it came out that Bachman and King was the same guy), but now I am thinking of somebody else, I remember one story clearly, in which it was some enhanced dogs escaping from a biolab ..... must've read that in the late 70's or the early 80's.

Originally posted by Hellhound604

Originally posted by pointr97

Originally posted by TinkerHaus
reply to post by Hellhound604

 

Bachman? He and King have collaborated on a few things too.

They are one in the same, when in college king used the name bachman. sorry, was beat to the punch on that....but I will say that it is cool you saw the connection in the writing styles.....impressive eye.

edit on 5-10-2011 by pointr97 because: (no reason given)

nope, not thinking about Bachman.... Had quite a few novels of his too, and always remarked on the similarity of the 2 authors, and then I read a collection of short stories (or novellas) by Stephen King, (I think it was called something like the "Bachman Novellas", in which it came out that Bachman and King was the same guy), but now I am thinking of somebody else, I remember one story clearly, in which it was some enhanced dogs escaping from a biolab ..... must've read that in the late 70's or the early 80's.

are you thinking of Peter Straub?

Originally posted by pointr97

Originally posted by Hellhound604

Originally posted by pointr97

Originally posted by TinkerHaus
reply to post by Hellhound604

 

Bachman? He and King have collaborated on a few things too.

They are one in the same, when in college king used the name bachman. sorry, was beat to the punch on that....but I will say that it is cool you saw the connection in the writing styles.....impressive eye.

edit on 5-10-2011 by pointr97 because: (no reason given)

nope, not thinking about Bachman.... Had quite a few novels of his too, and always remarked on the similarity of the 2 authors, and then I read a collection of short stories (or novellas) by Stephen King, (I think it was called something like the "Bachman Novellas", in which it came out that Bachman and King was the same guy), but now I am thinking of somebody else, I remember one story clearly, in which it was some enhanced dogs escaping from a biolab ..... must've read that in the late 70's or the early 80's.

are you thinking of Peter Straub?

THAT IS IT!!!! YOU ARE MY HERO!!!!!!

Originally posted by Hellhound604

Originally posted by pointr97

Originally posted by Hellhound604

Originally posted by pointr97

Originally posted by TinkerHaus
reply to post by Hellhound604

 

Bachman? He and King have collaborated on a few things too.

They are one in the same, when in college king used the name bachman. sorry, was beat to the punch on that....but I will say that it is cool you saw the connection in the writing styles.....impressive eye.

edit on 5-10-2011 by pointr97 because: (no reason given)

nope, not thinking about Bachman.... Had quite a few novels of his too, and always remarked on the similarity of the 2 authors, and then I read a collection of short stories (or novellas) by Stephen King, (I think it was called something like the "Bachman Novellas", in which it came out that Bachman and King was the same guy), but now I am thinking of somebody else, I remember one story clearly, in which it was some enhanced dogs escaping from a biolab ..... must've read that in the late 70's or the early 80's.

are you thinking of Peter Straub?

THAT IS IT!!!! YOU ARE MY HERO!!!!!!

My pleasure, I think Straub can be creepier than King at times.....but I enjoy them both.