Reading the 20th Century discussion

The twentieth century was a golden age for Science Fiction


Are you someone how enjoys science fiction?

Who are your favourite Sci Fi authors?

What are your favourite Sci Fi books?

I posted this in the Kindle Offers (2020) thread...


The Man Who Fell to Earth (1963) by Walter Tevis

I read this one decades ago too. Predictably, as a huge teenage Bowie fan, I was inspired by the Nic Roeg film adaptation but it is a book that stands up on its own merits. A sci-fi classic indeed.

It's currently 99 pence in the UK for Kindle

If anyone fancies a buddy read do let me know

More information...
The Man Who Fell to Earth is a 1963 science fiction novel by American author Walter Tevis, about an extraterrestrial who lands on Earth seeking a way to ferry his people to Earth from his home planet, which is suffering from a severe drought. The novel served as the basis for the 1976 film by Nicolas Roeg as well as a 1987 television adaptation and an upcoming television series.

Although I am not big on sci-fi, there have been some novels I have loved. I think my favourite was:

The Book of Strange New Things

I am not sure it was really loved by fans of the genre though - it might have been more literary fiction than science fiction?

More typical fare was Altered Carbon

There are some crime books set in space, I have liked too.

Places in the Darkness by Christopher Brookmyre

Gravity by Tess Gerritsen

Interesting - thanks Susan

Judging by the number of her books that I own, I would say that C J Cherryh is my favourite SF author. Favourite book is however impossible to say!

Here's something a bit different and a good little exercise to tickle your brain cells - a murder mystery which is set on a space cruiser (crew of 6). Nothing too heavy, just a whole heap of good old honest fun...

Six Wakes



Well worth it.

Looks good, Ian, thanks.

I'll keep on eye on this thread and watch out for recommendations. I've never read a sci-fi novel, though I enjoy the films.

Thanks all


I wonder why I don't read more Science Fiction as I have read some really great examples of the genre

A few off the top of my head...

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (and many other great books by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.)

Dune by Frank Herbert

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Currently rereading for 3rd or 4th time Fahrenheit 451. This edition has introduction by Neil Gaiman and some literary commentary on the novel. The extra information is nice. What stuns me more this read: How mediative this short novel is.

At the moment I am ploughing my way through Xenocide, volume 3 in the Ender series which began with Ender’s Game.

It is not a complicated read, though it is filled with philosophies and religions. It is just that it is not filled with much in the way of action. Listening to philosophers and divines discussing their beliefs and the reasons for their beliefs is hardly riveting stuff, especially when much of it refers to made up situations. I will persevere. Just over half way through, only 200 pages to go.

Just joined, grew up reading "The Masters." My rec. list would be ridiculous.

Nigeyb's examples include my - all genres - GOAT Dune, and the other five are all considered important novels, more so now than when published.

Here is a sometimes overlooked novel Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Some big ideas.

I'm a scifi fan, although I tend to prefer books with dystopian/collapse type elements more than space opera. Some of my 4 and 5 star sci-fi books from the 20th century:
Solaris
The Man in the High Castle
Dune
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Left Hand of Darkness
The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia
Slaughterhouse-Five
Enchantress from the Stars
The Word for World Is Forest
Galapagos
Contact
Ender’s Game (et al - although Card is an author that I now avoid)
Replay
The Color of Distance
Remnant Population
The Children Star
Roadside Picnic
A Door Into Ocean
Ammonite

Plenty there I don't know - thanks

Ursula Le Guin is an obvious recent favourite.

I had an early passion for cyberpunk (unlike my peers, who were strictly high fantasy) and I drank whatever William Gibson I could find in translation at the time.

Since this group seems focused on literary fiction, I can recommend the novella The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster, which at the beginning of the 20th century predicted the internet and, incredibly, social distancing.

Earlier this year I discovered that The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham and The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin share a surprising amount of themes.

My obsession in recent years is afrofuturism, and I'm keen to explore Samuel R. Delany and Octavia E. Butler, if anyone's interested.

I like all speculative fiction, despite not reading as much lately. Of recent reads, Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky was fun, and there are more in the series. That makes me want to revisit Vernor Vinge because he wrote in that vein.
I have a lot of Neal Stephenson, Gene Wolfe, Iain M. Banks, Philip K. Dick, and Jeff Vandermeer to read. I also would like to get to China Miéville

For women author's, besides Butler and Le Guin, I'd like to read more Alice Sheldon (James Tiptree Jr.), and Connie Willis, and even for comfort, Lois McMaster Bujold

I want to try Delany but finding the time is always the problem. Next year would be nice.

Alistair wrote: "Ursula Le Guin is an obvious recent favourite.

I had an early passion for cyberpunk (unlike my peers, who were strictly high fantasy) and I drank whatever William Gibson, which I read during lockdown, so had a particular resonance. I recently read Woman Alive by Susan Ertz, which is often compared to 1984. It was written in 1936, set in 1985, and imagines a future where a plague caused by a recent war has killed off all the women, until one woman is found still alive. An interesting read, with an anti war message.

Alistair wrote: "Since this group seems focused on literary fiction"

I'd say we're a bit more eclectic than that and have author threads for John Wyndham and Ira Levin.

Nothing's off the table in this group!

Alistair wrote: "Ursula Le Guin is an obvious recent favourite.

I had an early passion for cyberpunk (unlike my peers, who were strictly high fantasy) and I drank whatever [author:William Gibson|9..."

I'm working through Octavia Butler now - just finished a re-read of the Earthseed books, and am about to embark on the Patternist series - if you (or anybody) are interested in buddy reading these, I'm in!

Sam wrote: "I like all speculative fiction, despite not reading as much lately. Of recent reads, Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky was fun, and there are more in the serie..."

I've read the first two Children of Time books, and really enjoyed them. I keep meaning to re-read them and then to finish the series.

I also really like Alice Sheldon/James Tiptree Jr.

Alistair wrote: "Ursula Le Guin is an obvious recent favourite."



We read The Dispossessed back in 2022, there are ULG fans in the group....

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Thanks for the tip.
I've read the three 'major' Hainish novels and the original Earthsea trilogy; I'd like a reread of both entire cycles in the future.

Rose, one of my groups is currently going through the Patternist series. I'll join probably later in the month.

Clodia, my bad then!
Happy to know that.

Brianna wrote: "I just finished a novel I would call genuinely literary rather than simply well written and wanted to share it with this group.
It is called Error in Translation by P. Gordon Judge. The author is a..."

I've heard of this, and wondered if it was something I should try. I'm not normally a reader of science fiction, but occasionally there's a title I enjoy. This one is not in my library system, but if I can get it from ILL, or find it on Libby or Hoopla, I'll take a look.

Brianna wrote: "I just finished a novel I would call genuinely literary"

The author of this post has no books on here, no reviews, no friends, and has just posted this same message to three groups, including ours.

Roman Clodia wrote: "Brianna wrote: "I just finished a novel I would call genuinely literary"

The author of this post has no books on here, no reviews, no friends, and has just posted this same message to three groups..."

Your info prompted me to google the book. Audible has it, narrated by "virtual voice". That makes me come all over in ick.

I wasn't sure if I should mention this or not, but 'Brianna' is a almost certainly a bot account, designed to promote books.

I'm seeing a growing number of these accounts requesting to join the groups I moderate. If you look at their profile history they typically join a few groups in one day, promote the book and then don't interact. The books they promote often appear to be written by A.I.

In another group I recently saw one try to nominate one for the book of the month - the mod deleted it and its membership! I do the same because self/bot promotion is against our group rules.

I love that this is happening in a scifi thread. Some scifi authors predicted future onslaughts of slop and here it is 😹

I thought exactly the same, Beige, but didn't want to take it upon myself to delete the post as others had already responded to it - 'Brianna's' photo and text certainly looked AI to me. I just wanted to warn others.

Thanks all

I’ll delete the original post and remove “Brianna” from the group

Tania wrote: "Alistair wrote: "Ursula Le Guin is an obvious recent favourite.

I had an early passion for cyberpunk (unlike my peers, who were strictly high fantasy) and I drank whatever [author..."


Is that similar to [book:The Children of Men|41913] by any chance?