Becky Chambers’s Wayfarer series has this same sort of communion between different alien cultures, the stakes are a bit lower though.
Alien Contact edited by Marty Halpern is a great anthology with a bunch of cool contact stories as well.
stalkerofthedead on
Following!
Astarkraven on
I never know whether to weep or rejoice, when people gush endlessly about PHM. I skew towards the rejoice end because I don’t hate people getting excited about reading and I know how much more awesome sci fi there is for them to get excited about!
I juuust…it’s a fun book but I don’t want it to be people’s first association with my most beloved book genre. I literally had someone, in real life say “you like sci fi? I tried Project Hail Mary and thought it was kind of silly…”
Nooooooo. 😂
What do you like most about sci fi? Have you gone down the list of past Hugo and Nebula winners, to see if any of them sound intriguing to you? Would be happy to give more detailed advice but “good sci fi” is a huge umbrella.
Sleep-Gary on
Frequent responses to this question are Adrian Tchaikovsky who has written multiple SciFi series. Children on Time, Children of Ruin and Children of Memory are very good.
I would also recommend In Ascension by Martin MacInnes. My favourite thing about PHM was that it felt like sci-fi that was very grounded in reality, with an incredible sense of discovery – In Ascension also does this very well.
whats1more7 on
Octavia Butler is brilliant.
babygotbooksandback on
We just finished PHM on audible with our son last month. We just started We are Legion, we are Bob. So far it is kind of the same vibe.
ab5717 on
I love this thread and this sub! **Please elaborate on any recommendations!** I loved `The Expanse`, `Project Hail Mary`, `Children of Time`, `Remembrance of Earth’s Past` (AKA the 3 Body Problem), and many others. This sub never fails to produce good recs!
pothosisbae on
More Rocky want want want
Haselrig on
The Bobiverse books by Dennis E. Taylor are as close as you’ll get.
*Rendezvous With Rama* by Arthur C. Clarke has a lot of the adventure, discovery and wonder of PHM, but without Weir’s humor.
*Red Thunder* by John Varley is light and fun in the way PHM is.
TexasTokyo on
If you want alien contact stuff then a couple are:
The Mote in God’s Eye
Blindsight
Of course neither are as humorous or as light hearted as PHM. Blindsight is pretty damn dense and dark, tbh.
elp103 on
Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds, it’s over a much longer timeline but the plot and pacing is actually similar.
SweetTalkingSin on
The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu
A House Between the Earth and the Moon by Rebecca Scherm.
The Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson, any of his stuff really.
And lastly a left field suggestion Station 11 by Emily st.john Mandel
13 Comments
Becky Chambers’s Wayfarer series has this same sort of communion between different alien cultures, the stakes are a bit lower though.
Alien Contact edited by Marty Halpern is a great anthology with a bunch of cool contact stories as well.
Following!
I never know whether to weep or rejoice, when people gush endlessly about PHM. I skew towards the rejoice end because I don’t hate people getting excited about reading and I know how much more awesome sci fi there is for them to get excited about!
I juuust…it’s a fun book but I don’t want it to be people’s first association with my most beloved book genre. I literally had someone, in real life say “you like sci fi? I tried Project Hail Mary and thought it was kind of silly…”
Nooooooo. 😂
What do you like most about sci fi? Have you gone down the list of past Hugo and Nebula winners, to see if any of them sound intriguing to you? Would be happy to give more detailed advice but “good sci fi” is a huge umbrella.
Frequent responses to this question are Adrian Tchaikovsky who has written multiple SciFi series. Children on Time, Children of Ruin and Children of Memory are very good.
I would also recommend In Ascension by Martin MacInnes. My favourite thing about PHM was that it felt like sci-fi that was very grounded in reality, with an incredible sense of discovery – In Ascension also does this very well.
Octavia Butler is brilliant.
We just finished PHM on audible with our son last month. We just started We are Legion, we are Bob. So far it is kind of the same vibe.
I love this thread and this sub! **Please elaborate on any recommendations!** I loved `The Expanse`, `Project Hail Mary`, `Children of Time`, `Remembrance of Earth’s Past` (AKA the 3 Body Problem), and many others. This sub never fails to produce good recs!
More Rocky want want want
The Bobiverse books by Dennis E. Taylor are as close as you’ll get.
*Rendezvous With Rama* by Arthur C. Clarke has a lot of the adventure, discovery and wonder of PHM, but without Weir’s humor.
*Red Thunder* by John Varley is light and fun in the way PHM is.
If you want alien contact stuff then a couple are:
The Mote in God’s Eye
Blindsight
Of course neither are as humorous or as light hearted as PHM. Blindsight is pretty damn dense and dark, tbh.
Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds, it’s over a much longer timeline but the plot and pacing is actually similar.
The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu
A House Between the Earth and the Moon by Rebecca Scherm.
The Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson, any of his stuff really.
And lastly a left field suggestion Station 11 by Emily st.john Mandel
Three body problem