h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oh dear. I just bought that. It's been well reviewed.

Ah... Beware the well-reviewed book, with such accolades as "the next Dune!" or "in the spirit of The Lord of the Rings!" You will always be disappointed, because they will have either a) stolen the plot, inserted new characters, and trotted their Frankensteinien creation through its paces for 500 pages, or b) created a totally creative, innovative work that wants to stand on its own laurels, and instead has to live up to the expectations of people who wanted to read Dune or LTR instead.

Aside from all that...

My two favorite authors (at the moment) are John Varley and Terry Pratchett.

John Varley's been writing since the 1970's, ("the new Robert Heinlein!") and his books have that hard-nosed scientific sensibility, combined with great characterization. Two short stories of his - 'Press Enter' and 'Blue Champagne' should be required reading for creative writing students. I read his Titan-Wizard-Demon series first, and it's still one of my favorite all-time trilogies.

Terry Pratchett of course has also been around for quite a while, and everybody seems to know about him except for me. I just started reading his works last year. Great stuff - I love the satire, and his books are the best source for quotes. ("His wasn't a reign of terror, more like a light shower.")

Err... that's what I get for not reading past the last LED.

I was very disappointed by Arthur C. Clarke's 2061. It seemed shallow, quickly written, and really not worth my time. I ended up finishing it, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it was about. So as a result, I haven't read another thing by him. I have heard some good things about 3001 (title?) from my dad - but when you're getting gall stone surgery, any entertainment is welcome. My favorite book of Clarke's is Rendevouz with Rama - that was a good book, kept you going, had some interesting ideas, and very little need for character development.

I usually find Clarke too odd for my tastes anyway. Of course there are gems. Even Philip K Dick wrote some books which don't make your head hurt (and Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep is a masterpiece).

I'm about to read Iain M Banks's The Player Of Games, which my boss reckons is very good.

The five-volume set of Philip K Dick's collected short stories is really excellent reading.

I've found that all the old "greats" lose it as the get old - Heinlein's last novels were pure tosh, Larry Niven's recent ones have been so dull I gave up on some (I almost never give up on books), Clarke seems to be just peddling same old tripe, Harry Harrison seems to be writing so many "collaborative" novels I doubt he has much input in them.

Most of these, if they arrived at a publishers with an unknown name on wouldn't ever get published.

CH

I read The Player of Games over Christmas.I've seen Iain Banks books on the shelves but never thought to even look at them.My husband bought it home second hand and we both enjoyed it.I shall be checking out some more of his work to see if they are as good.

Banks is very good. Try to stick to the "Culture" books at first. One problem with then is they always seem to be in the buildup to something, right up to the last page. Then they end.

Like they say, there are two secrets to great art: first, always leave the audience wanting more...

A pity about Niven, yes he has gone downhill. His early stuff was immensely readable. I especially enjoyed Protector, an absolutely novel idea AFAIK.

I guess Stephen King has it right.

I wonder if there are any SF writers messing around on h2g2?
(besides me and my pitifully unfinished little manure pile of a novel)

Personally, je pense que most of ze people on ze h2g2 are izer ze writers of ze sf, or are ze frustrated writers of ze sf. Of course, ze greatest, most intelligent sf novel of zem all was ze seminal "Planet des Singes", by Pierre Boulle. Such a shame about ze terrible films.

I personally have written no less than eleven SF books. None of them made it as far as my fingers, though.

Sales were, understandably, poor. Although my left hemisphere did once flog one to my right one for 7 grams of glucose and exclusive use of 19GB of spare memory.

William Gibson! "Burning Chrome," "Neuromancer." Cyberpunk isn't as hard-core as Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke, Heinlein.. but it is every bit at creative, the prose style is more imaginative. ("The sky was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.") Also, Pat Cadigan, along the same lines. You might try a couple books of Orson Scott Card's. Ender's Game is quite good; Enchantment is, too -- although its more fantasy than science fiction. But as good as Ender's Game is two books of short stories that Card edited -- one is called "Future on Ice", the other is "Black Mist and Other Japanese Futures." Both are new, interesting, varied science fiction. As you can tell I am far too interested in this subject.

I like to go back to Alfred Bester and Zelazney and Saberhagen and Norman Spinrad and Harlan Ellison...

Especially Harlan Ellison. Although I'm very fond of Niven's books, and Harry Harrison is probably my favourite (not for intelligence, but for humour with a message).

A good taster for any new SF is to get hold of Analog magazine (formally allllllong time ago astounding) common in the states but bit rarer else where. Collections of science fiction short stories and some science "fact" articles.

Had to rack my brains last night when my friend came over to ask for recommendations for things to read so came up with the things i like being: Anne McCaffery (can be variable depending on the serise), Pratchett (of course but not really SF), Robert Asprin (as can be said for this), Harry Harrison (once co-wrote a saint book with Leslie Charteris), Piers Anthony and Alan Dean Foster.

Your local "charidee" shop or second-hand bookseller might have some of the old "Astounding/Analog Reader" anthologies

If it's intelligent Sci-Fi you're after - this is your lucky month - get your selves over to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/U189342

The best Philip K Dick are:
Flow My Tears the POliceman Said
The Transmigration of Timothy Archer
The Three Sigmata of Palmer Eldritch

The greatest sci fi ever written is Kafka.

Never read "Transmogrification". Both "Flow my Tears" and "Palmer Eldrich" are excellent. I've read "Palmer Eldrich" twice and still find it hard to recount the plot to people.

Is there a plot - i'll have to re-read.

The Transmigration is his finest work. Really. Not stricctly sci-fi i suppose, but on the boundaries.

Those last books, published after his death, that he couldn't get published while he was alive, the non-sci fi stufff - that's great too, Mary and the Giant stands out at the moment.