Science fiction books?

[rcs619]

Hi everyone,
I want to buy my future stepfather a book for christmas but I know very little about sci-fi.
Any suggestions? It has to be relatively popular as I need it in French.
Thanks in advance.

That really depends on what sort of sci-fi he likes. Asking someone to recommend some 'good sci-fi' is like asking them to recommend some good metal. There's a dozen different sub-types within the genre and everyone has their own opinion over which is better =P

If he likes military sci-fi though, you can't really go wrong with the Honor Harrington series by David Weber though. Lots of space-politics, space battles, and a very well developed and fleshed out setting. Harrington herself is also a great example of how to do a great female character, instead of just another female-character. The first book in the series is "On Basilisk Station", with the series hitting its full stride in the second book "The Honor of the Queen".

Weber also has another series called the Safehold series. I really can't say too much without spoiling the premise... but it's kind of like Game of Thrones, only set in a 1700-1800's era world, less sex and with sci-fi elements hovering in the background. Lots of politics, drama and battles with galleons, and flintlocks and cannons. There is a sci-fi element in there, but once again, it's more fun to go into it blind (although the blurb for the book spells it our pretty well anyway).

 

[tangoprime]

If your stepfather wants first class literature that happens to be science fiction, get Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake. Also, also pick that if he likes dystopian sci-fi. Atwood presents a much more believable picture of the end of the world than the likes of Orwell or Huxley (though of course they are also great writers).

If he just wants excellent sci-fi (great fiction with a good dose of science), get Isaac Asimov's The Gods Themselves. Imo this is a better book than any of his Foundation series and since it's a bit less famous there's a better chance your stepdad didn't already read it.

If he likes political sci-fi (that is, sci-fi with themes relevant to society), I'd recommend Joe Haldeman's The Forever War.

An honorary mention, but if your stepfather is interested in either GMOs or Southeast Asia, definitely ignore my previous suggestions and get Paolo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl.

]The Foundation series by Isaac Asimov is an all-time favourite for me. It's a little light on the "sci" half of sci-fi, but if the phrase "Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire IN SPACE" intrigues you at all, you need to check it out.

I guess it all depends on whether your future stepdad can tolerate a book that's basically all dialogue and scheming.

hey, Foundation has a great deal more "sci" than a lot of modern sci-fi!

I definitely second Haldeman's The Forever War, along with Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, both are outstanding political hard Sci-fi. Both are classic must-read hard scifi.

 

[kurupt87]

Well, Iain M Banks is my favourite author and has been recommended already.

Peter F Hamilton is also an excellent Sci-Fi author, and has again already been mentioned.

Both these authors (though Mr Banks has sadly passed) are recent publishings.

Something a bit older (80's/90's) and a bit more obscure would be Julian May, specifically her Saga of the Exiles.

 

[Tanis]

The Night's Dawn Trilogy - Peter F Hamilton

Fantastic, if a bit thick, of a read.

 

[spartan231490]

Hi everyone,
I want to buy my future stepfather a book for christmas but I know very little about sci-fi.
Any suggestions? It has to be relatively popular as I need it in French.
Thanks in advance.

I've only read a few, but if "Old Man's War" is available in French, I bet he would like it a lot. Author is John Scalzi, so you could also just check and see if he has anything else in French.

Oh google says that in french the title is "Le Vieil Homme et la Guerre" which means The Old Man and the War.

 

[Queen Michael]

]The Foundation series by Isaac Asimov is an all-time favourite for me. It's a little light on the "sci" half of sci-fi, but if the phrase "Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire IN SPACE" intrigues you at all, you need to check it out.

I guess it all depends on whether your future stepdad can tolerate a book that's basically all dialogue and scheming.

If stepdaddy hasn't read this series, then this suggestion has my full support. Really, really good stuff.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

Orson Scott Card's books, mostly the Ender's Games saga. The first book is still one of my favorite sci-fi books.

 

[viscomica]

I'd buy "The caves of steel" by Asimov. It's an amazing book and really leaves you thinking

 

[Bocaj2000]

Anything by Philip K Dick, Ursa La Guin, etc would work.

Specific books include Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, The Dispossessed , Neuromancer, Canticle for Leibowitz, etc. These are all highly influential and critically acclaimed classics that I can't recommend enough.

 

[gsf1200]

Try Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven. I've got my wife and her father to read it, and they loved it, even though they don't like sci-fi. It's about a comet hitting the earth.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

Hi everyone,
I want to buy my future stepfather a book for christmas but I know very little about sci-fi.
Any suggestions? It has to be relatively popular as I need it in French.
Thanks in advance.

I have no idea about French translations, but one of the best Science fiction series ever written (and still the most award winning) is the Miles Naismith Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold.

The first book in the series, technically, is "The Warrior's Apprentice" - which is an odd title, but it's about a young aristocrat named Miles who takes a vacation to his mother's homeworld and ends up (while hiding his identity) getting involved with some space mercenaries. Things rapidly spin out of control and he has to figure out a way to survive and get home.

That is a heavily non-spoiler version of book 1.

You could also go with the "prequel" book "Shards of Honor" which is about an interplanetary war - and the story of how his mother and father got together while leading troops on opposite sides of said war.

The early books are good, but the award winners - like "Cetaganda", "Memory", and "Komar" are truly amazing. However, you should probably start at or near the beginning just to get to know the characters.

"Young Miles" is a compilation of the first two major books, "Warrior's Apprentice" and "The Vor Games" as well as the award winning short story "Mountains of Mourning". That omnibus edition is a great introduction to the series.

Hope that helps.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

I don't know about the French part but I like tossing the The Stainless Steel Rat series into these kinds of discussions. I found them amusing and cool. I still haven't read them all.

 

[RoonMian]

I'd recommend the Uplift trilogy by David Brin. They are classics so I'm pretty sure that they have a French translation.

 

[CrazyCrab]

Great, thanks for all the suggestions.
I wrote them down and Ill check what they have.
Merry Christmas.

 

[MetalDooley]

Err the Martian chronicles are by Ray Bradbury. I think you mean the John Carter of Mars books.

A simple spelling mistake on my part.Meant to write "The Mars Chronicles" which is the title of the John Carter collection I own

Thanks for spotting the error