Cryptonomicon question

Blood Music by Greg Bear, greatest sci fi ever written

[...]I really like good, intelligent, sci-fi reading[...]

Then I would say: Blindsight by Peter Watts

Assuming you went through Neil Stephenson's books, try "Altered Carbon". I enjoyed that one. Also, I sometimes get anthologies of sci-fi short stories as a way to look for authors.

Check out Ian M Banks (Culture series), Alastair Reynolds (Revelation series), & Peter F. Hamilton (Commonwealth series). If you like any of these authors' styles, you'll have multiple books to enjoy.

Try the Ware (Hardware, Software, ...) tetrology by Rudy Rucker for something not so heavy but still very thought provoking.

Rucker has a very different style than Stephenson, but the underlying science has a similar feel.

Any John Ringo,Heinlein or David Weber.

Harry wrote: "I hate bad sci-fi. I mean HATE IT... but I really like good, intelligent, sci-fi reading. I've done the classics (Herbert/Clarke/Heinlein) and really like Scalzi and really enjoyed Cryptonomicon b..."

This is probably going to look like a shameless plug, but I wrote in the style of the very same writers you mentioned. Having started reading, and loving, the worlds of Asimov, Heinlein, Herbert, Niven, Pournelle, etc, when I started to write Discovery I wanted the realism, the flavor of possibility for the futures I read, if only in my mind, that the masters of Big Universes had given me.

According to the reviews of the first book in the Darkside Trilogy, readers like the speculative universe I created around a premise that had never been explored before.

The second installment of the trilogy was released two weeks ago and the readers and editors who have gone through Conception like it as much or more than Discovery.

Here's a link if you're at all interested:

http://www.amazon.com/William-Hayashi...

Should you venture into the Darkside Universe, I would be quite happy to get your impressions, and any suggestions you might have for improvement. I caution you, I have a total of 7 volumes in the series; 2 trilogies and a seventh volume that brings the story to a close.

Regards,

WmH

David Marusek... "Mind over Shp"... modern classic!

If you want to read more stephenson, then The Diamond Age is my favorite of his. The Windup Girl is really good and so is Oryx and Crake, both of which are post apocalyptic. One of my all-time favorites is Armor, by the late great John Steakly.

You might try books by Evan Currie or Laura Reeve.

From your brief description of what you like, you seem to be somewhat conventional, liking non-depressing fiction. Stephenson would also seem to indicate you like something a little off the beaten path.

Above, someone recommended Watts. I love Peter Watts' work. It's a little dark and might not be for you. Likewise, someone suggested the late Iain Banks. Don't start with "The Use of Weapons". :)

Hey Harry,

I had a look at your bookshelf and found some similarities in in taste, like Vonnegut or Harris. My 5 cent for you:

Your classics definitly need some Phillip K. Dick

For "modern classics" I would try probably William Gibson perhaps the "Neuromancer" Trilogy first (and possibly only) and I can support the Ian M. Banks suggestion already made and would add Dan Simmons, especially Hyperion as a start (not saying its an "easy" book).

Oh, yes and if alone for the military aspect of good space opera for sure I support the suggestion of David Weber, probably start with On Basilisk Station (availabale for free at Baen books) or In Fury Born
Have fun.

not mentioned yet, but definitely hard science fiction is the series The Quantum Thief, The Fractal Prince, and The Causal Angel by Hannu Rajaniemi.

It's hard to summarize, or even describe: it's a heist novel set in the far future, but within the solar system, where quantum-entangled game players are in conflict with clone clans, and Jupiter has vanished in a discontinuity for reasons mysterious.

Give this a look see. I thought this book was a very good read, think it was written in 1967. The chapters on the big bang was goood.


Ten Billion Days and One Hundred Billion Nights

Ryu Mitsuse

"Diaspora" by Greg Egan
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

"Moonfall" by Jack McDevitt
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

I have exhausted many of the authors listed on this thread - trying to find more of the same caliber, as well. Don't forget Neal Asher! The Polity books are great. It seemed like he lost his sense of humor for the Owner trilogy, unfortunately - I need a spark of humor, engaging dialogue..Stephenson, Gibson and Asher all typically deliver.