Recommend a Sci-Fi Book

[hittite]

He prefers the kind of SF set in space, often with a large-scale storytelling method (Space Operas I believe they're called?).

In that case, try the Honor Harrington series by David Weber. It's a long one, but chronicles the story of one naval officer as she rises through the ranks from the simple Captain of a Light Cruiser all the way up to being a full fledged Admiral. It's highly reminiscent of the 18th Century wet navy books (such as Master and Commander, or the Horatio Hornblower series) but is set in space, which adds a whole other dimension. It sometimes gets bogged down in the politics, but then makes up for it with gigantic space battles. Seriously, in the most recent book, there are about 1000 ships on either side and most of them would be able to own the Death Star in a one-to-one brawl. Weber is widely hailed as the King of Space naval combat.

You make it sound like the politics are a bad thing. But yeah, this was going to be my recommendation as well.

Don't be confused, though. Space combat is important in this series, but it's also very character driven, and is notable for making sure every side, with the possible exception of State Security, has at least one sympathetic character, and even the good sides have flaws (coughcoughHighRidgecough), so it's rarely "Good vs Bad" so much as "light shade of gray vs dark shade of gray". Again, the only exception to this State Security, who are portrayed as pure evil.

I'd like to clarify, I never meant to imply that the political aspect was inherently bad, simply that it occasionally takes up, in my opinion, far too much of a book that has a cover made up mostly of missiles, lasers, and explosions. Also, you forgot the Mesan slavers, they're pretty much pure evil.

 

[TheOnceandFutureKing]

Dianetics

 

[Arachon]

I know people have already mentioned these, but I'll second them. William Gibson's Sprawl trilogy (among his other works) and Neal Stephenson's stuff (snow crash is a particularly good read). those guys make some nice cyberpunk literature.

Both the Sprawl Trilogy, most other works set in The Sprawl universe (such as Johnny Mnemonic and Burning Chrome) and Snow Crash are great cyberpunk books, they're really not in the same vein as the hard-Sci Fi Space operas that my dad reads.

However I am a huge fan of everything Cyberpunk (with the possible exception of Post-cyberpunk animes), so I decided to start the Cyberpunk Group [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/The-Cyberpunk-group], so if you've got any recommendations, feel free to join in and share your knowledge .

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

If you want a brilliant, older sci-fi, get it from Heinlein. He's one of the 3 most important people in sci-fi lit.
I heartily reccomend 'The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress'.
It's a damn fine book, written in an odd style, that I would reccomend to anyone.

 

[Sigmarius]

Don't know if your dad is in to Star Trek, but Shatner wrote a pretty good series of novels that include the books Spectre, Ashes of Eden, and Dark Victory that deal with the mirror universe, the borg, romulans, klingons, all of it, and they actually make pretty good sense.

He also wrote a series called Quest for Tomorrow that I read the first three of years ago that I thought was REALLY good. Of course, I was teenager, so I may not think the same anymore.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Day Of The Triffids or War Of The Worlds are my favorites.

 

[MysticnFm]

The Red Dwarf Omnibus.

Well I thought it was awesome

 

[Peanut Butter]

The Saga of Seven Suns series by Kevin J Anderson

 

[scotth266]

I'm more of a fan of the newer sci-fi novels, so I can't be of much help here other than offering a meager bump.

 

[Trotgar]

Iain M. Bank's sci-fi (mostly culture) novels. I'd suggest reading Consider Phlebas (good) and The Player of Games (great).

 

[Arachon]

Looking through all these suggestions made me think, most of them are at least 20 years old, is it just me, or are there no "proper" Sci-Fi books written these days? All we seem to get is either Star Wars expanded universe, Star Trek books or books based on games.

 

[Alex_P]

Looking through all these suggestions made me think, most of them are at least 20 years old, is it just me, or are there no "proper" Sci-Fi books written these days? All we seem to get is either Star Wars expanded universe, Star Trek books or books based on games.

Hardly. Just off the top of my head: Ted Chiang, China Mieville, John Scalzi, Charles Stross -- and this is coming from someone who mainly reads short stories and seldom remembers who wrote them. Many writers from the 80s and 70s, like Card and Haldeman, continue to write new material as well.

Note also that, if posters are actually paying attention to the OP, they ought to be picking material they think someone who reads "old-school" likes -- which naturally skews towards older writers.

-- Alex

 

[Arachon]

Note also that, if posters are actually paying attention to the OP, they ought to be picking material they think someone who reads "old-school" likes -- which naturally skews towards older writers.

-- Alex

Good point, but I've also noticed from my own researching that there seem to be an over representation of older works in most peoples recommendations. I also visited the Scandinavian Science Fiction fair today... And that was depressing, there was nothing but Star Wars, Star Trek and freaking Twilight o,O Is there a need for things to be shown on TV for it to be considered Sci-Fi nowadays?

 

[Daveman]

If I could suggest a sci-fi novel the first book I think of is Ender's game by Orson Scott Card.
Brilliant book.

this is full of win. my cousin got to study this for her english class. *****.

 

[Sky Captanio]

I would recommend a book called The Forever War. While very realistic and interesting it relates closely to Vietnam.

 

[similar.squirrel]

One of the Crescent City books by Kathleen Ann Goonan.
'Nanopunk', they call it. Very, very good.

 

[Captain Pancake]

If he's got the willpower, some Iain M. Banks won't go wrong. But I warn you, it takes a while to get into any of them.

 

[Arachon]

One of the Crescent City books by Kathleen Ann Goonan.
'Nanopunk', they call it. Very, very good.

Nanopunk? Is that like, what, Cyberpunk with nanotechnology?

 

[CouchCommando]

"The Reality Dysfunction" by Peter F. Hamilton. It's part of a very, VERY long trilogy and it is an amazing story, as long as you can keep up with the huge number charachters. I don't think I can say much about it as the plot. It is a truly epic story and I'm gonna start reading again soon.

It's a little bit in the "New School" of sci-fi as it's a relativley new book, but seeing as I'm a fan of the old school myself, it is a book that can be enjoyed by most Sci-Fi fans.

Agree with everything he just wrote.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

Good point, but I've also noticed from my own researching that there seem to be an over representation of older works in most peoples recommendations. I also visited the Scandinavian Science Fiction fair today... And that was depressing, there was nothing but Star Wars, Star Trek and freaking Twilight o,O Is there a need for things to be shown on TV for it to be considered Sci-Fi nowadays?

i'd say if you are unsure, maybe try a fantasy or similar style book, unless your dad is totally against the idea of that. might be worth a try if you're unsure what he's read already.

like i said you might want to try Clive Barker or Neil Gaiman