Beyond Reality discussion

Our current Fantasy series (The Poppy War) will end in mid-November and then we usually take a month off from reading and discussing a series, so I am opening nominations for a series to begin December 15, 2023. Since we alternate genres, this time we are accepting nominations for a SCIENCE FICTION series. Please read the guidelines before making your nomination.

GUIDELINES:
—Each member can nominate one series.
—The series should be complete, as far as you can tell. I realize authors sometimes revisit a series years later, but as much as possible, we are looking to read a completed series.
—The series should be one we have not read and discussed as a group. Click HERE for a list of the past series we have read together.
—Please give the name of the series, the author, and how many books are in the series. Feel free to add the titles of the individual books, if you want.
—The series must be SCIENCE FICTION.
—Nominations do NOT require a second.

Nominations will be open through October 21. We will have a preliminary round of polling to narrow the field starting October 22, and then a final poll starting October 29 to determine the winner. The series read itself will start December 15.

Please post nominations in this thread here on the group page, not by responding to the broadcast message sent to your Goodreads inbox.

Let’s go!
Kathi, for the mods

Nominations:
Salvation Sequence by Peter F. Hamilton, 3 books starting with Salvation
Gap Cycle by Stephen R. Donaldson, 5 books started with The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story
Academy Series by Jack McDevitt, 8 books starting with The Engines of God
Interdependency Series by John Scalzi, 3 books starting with The Collapsing Empire
Centenal Cycle by Malka Ann Older, 3 books starting with Infomocracy
Matador Series by Steve Perry, 10 books starting with The Man Who Never Missed
Patternist Series (Seed to Harvest) by Octavia E. Butler, 4 books starting with Wild Seed
Earthseed Duology by Octavia E. Butler, 2 books starting with Parable of the Sower

Nominated but disqualified:

I nominate The Salvation Sequence by Peter F. Hamilton, a Trilogy:
Salvation
Salvation Lost
The Saints of Salvation

The Gap Cycle by Stephen R. Donaldson.

5 book series, apparently (very loosely) based on Wagner’s Ring Cycle.

The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story
The Gap Into Vision: Forbidden Knowledge
The Gap Into Power: A Dark and Hungry God Arises
The Gap Into Madness: Chaos and Order
The Gap Into Ruin: This Day All Gods Die

I'm nominating The Academy series by Jack McDevitt starting with The Engines of God.

My husband has been trying to get me to read this for a couple of decades and I read the first, but did we did not have the others at the time. I can't 100% promise the series is finished. Its been 5 years since the last one was published, but there have been similar gaps between a few of the others.

From what I understand however, this is a series of more or less independent books as there is no great overall story arc. Same main character, but each book is mostly self contained.

I would like to nominate the Interdependency series by John Scalzi, which includes the following books in order: The Collapsing Empire, The Consuming Fire, and The Last Emperox.

I will nominate the Centenal Cycle by Malka Older: State Tectonics, Null States, and Infomocracy. Billed as cyberpunk political thrillers.

The 10-book Matador series, starting with The Man Who Never Missed.

An old, underappreciated series that just had its last book published this year. It's 10 books but they're all pretty short. The couple I've read have been fast-paced, fun books.

I nominate the Patternist series aka Seed to Harvest by Octavia E. Butler, 4 books starting with Wild Seed.

Kathi wrote: "I nominate the Patternist series aka Seed to Harvest by Octavia E. Butler, 4 books starting with Wild Seed."

Kathi, I just came here to nominate the same series :) Great minds think alike!

Shel wrote: "Kathi, I just came here to nominate the same series :) Great minds think alike!”

I was debating between this series and the Earthseed duology she wrote (Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents).

I'll nominate the Earthseed duology (2 books) :)
Starting with Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler.

I want to read more Octavia Butler, so hopefully one of these two series will win :)

We have a lot of great nominations, but if you haven’t nominated a series and would like to, you still have a couple days to make a nomination! Nominations are open through October 21.

The preliminary poll to narrow the choices for our next series read—a science fiction series to start December 15, 2023–is now open. You can vote through October 28.

Please vote!
Series Preliminary Poll (SF, starting 12/15/23)

The preliminary poll is close! October 27 is the final day to vote in this round!

Thanks to everyone who voted in the preliminary round. Our 2 finalists have moved into the final round and voting is now open. The poll will remain open through November 4.

Please vote!
SERIES Final Poll (SF starting Dec. 15, 2023)

One day left to vote for our next series! The poll will be open through November 4!

Our new series will be the Interdependency Trilogy by John Scalzi.
Schedule:
December 15, 2023: The Collapsing Empire
January 15, 2024: The Consuming Fire
February 15, 2024: The Last Emperox

Thanks to all those who nominated and voted!