Classic Sci-Fi recommendations?
Hi, longtime Trekkie and more recent Whovian finally getting into classic Sci-Fi. I've read a smattering of Bradbury over the years and just finished neuromancer. I recently picked up the whole Lensman series at a used book store for a couple bucks and was looking for some other recommendations or even an idea where to start. I just started Triplanetary the other day. I got some old Heinlein books from my dad that he read as a teenager recently too. Any advice is appreciated.
by topbaker17
13 Comments
Harlan Ellison, Jack Chalker, Isaac Asimov, Philip Dick and Ursula K. Le Guin. You mentioned Heinlein- you should read the unabridged version of Stranger in a Strange Land and Time enough for Love.
Take care!
Arthur C. Clarke’s Rama series
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury is really good.
I agree with the previous posts and would add H Beam Piper, Phillip K Dick and Frank Herbert. This is just for starters. There are so many good ones waiting for you.
*The Stars My Destination*, by Alfred Bester
The Dispossessed
The Left Hand of Darkness
Dune
HG Wells and Jules Verne.
2001 and 2010 by Arthur C Clark
Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clark
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
You have a lot of good recommendations already. I will add the author [James White](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14624750.James_White), who wrote a lot of Star Trek-like stories.
If you liked Neuromancer, it’s actually first in a series. The sequel Count Zero is my personal favourite. Other books similar to Neuromancer are:
* Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller
* Void Star by Zachary Mason
There is a file on TPB and probably some other places as well called “the top 100 scifi books” that I downloaded early in my audiobook listening career. Not all of them are winners, but I’d say about 85% were totally worth the read. Heinlein has a bunch on there, but Michael Crichton, Arthur C Clark, Kurt Vonnegut, Neal Stephenson, Phillip K Dick, Isaac Asimov, HG Wells are great ones to start with.
Orson Scott Card is also an honorable mention with his Enders Series, although some people hate him personally, which I get.
The two big awards for sci-fi is Hugo and Nebula. A few books won both, start with those
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_joint_winners_of_the_Hugo_and_Nebula_awards
To add other authors:
Paolo Bacigalupi (not classic, but good one)
Orson Scott Card (from Ender’s Game)
And from Asimov, his short stories are really great, specially “The last question”
Clifford Simak is my favorite Grand Master.
And if you want some simlar era humorous sci-fi, try Retief, by Laumer