Exceptional Books discussion

Please post here if you've read a fabulous Science Fiction book that you want to rave about!

Well, my favorite books would be:
1. The Giver
2. Fahrenheit 451
3. Any Jules Verne or H. G. Wells novel

And A Wrinkle in Time is also a good book.

The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling

I love

Ender's Game and Incarceron. Unwind is pretty awesome as well.

Exceptional SF include, I think:

Dune - Frank Herbert
A Stranger in a Strange Land - this edition - Robt Heinlein
The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula Le Guin
The Dispossessed - Ursula Le Guin
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress - Heinlein
Nighfall - the short story - Asimov
Dhalgren - Samual Delany (also should be in the Literary category)
The Day of the Triffids - John Wyndham
Downbelow Station - CJ Cherryh
Cyteen - CJ Cherryh
Chronicles of the Lensmen - Edward E. "Doc" Smith
Ilium - Dan Simmons
Little Brother - Cory Doctorow
Cycle of FIre - Hal Clement
Patrimony: A Pip Flinx Adventure - Alan Dean Foster
When Worlds Collide - Philip Wylie, Edwin Balmer
Mountains of Mourning - Lois McMaster Bujold
Barrayar - Lois McMaster Bujold (all the Vorkosigan books)
The Mote In Gods Eye - Larry Niven
Sundiver - David Brin
The City and The Stars - Arthur C. Clarke

...

Ender's Game. Ahhhhh <3

Have you read it Heather? I've read the other books as well and enjoyed those but nothing is like the first.

Thanks for the awesome list Kernos! Looking forward to checking some of those out.

Yes! I adored it. And yeah I heard the other ones weren't as good; do you think they're worth looking into though?

Like one of the commentators above, I have to say it's
all of the Jules Verne and H. G. Wells novels.

1984 by George Orwell
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Time Machine by HG Wells
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
The Road by Cormac McCarthy

They are definitely worth reading Heather as they give perspectives from other characters, for example, Bean. I like the second book in the series as well. If I"m not mistaken, it's been a long time since I've read it, it sort of tells you what Ender's life is like after the "big game."

We'll be creating a Top 100 thread in a bit. What criteria do you all feel is important in determing a Top 100 book?

Amy wrote: "I love

Ender's Game and Incarceron. Unwind is pretty awesome as well."

I really liked Incarceron! Did you like the sequel as well?

I didn't enjoy Sapphique as much. It was one of those as soon as I read it I forgot about it. I think they definitely should have stopped at the first and just left it hanging instead of trying to further the story.

Still need to read Incarceronand Unwind!! This year I started Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy and it's great. Soon to read Blue Mars.

No top science fiction list is complete without C.J. Cherryh! Her Foreigner series, as well as Cyteen and Downbelow Station, both Hugo award winners are outstanding. There are many others as well.

Robopocalypse by Daniel Wilson

Two of my favorite science fiction novels are The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut and The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury.

oooh, this is probably the wrong place to post this (it doesn't really fit into any specific category) but the Thursday next series (the first of which is called The Eyre Affair) is really well-written and completely captivating. It involves a completely alternate version of the present day world, time travel, and pet dodos that make "plock-plock" noises.

Frank Herbert's Dune sets the bar quite high.

Dune - Frank Herbert UM MAYBE
A Stranger in a Strange Land -Robt Heinlein EXCELLENT BUT DATED
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress - Heinlein ONE OF MY RECOMMENDEDs.
Ender's Game - WONDERFUL
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley DIDN'T DO IT FOR ME
The Time Machine by HG Wells A CLASSIC

The Foundation Trilogy - Asimov. Really the best to me, have reread it many times.

If Brave New World was one you didn't like, then would you consider it a book to recommend to others or a Top 100?

The Nulapeiron Sequence, by John Meany who is insanely talented and vastly underated.

Hermione wrote: "oooh, this is probably the wrong place to post this (it doesn't really fit into any specific category) but the Thursday next series (the first of which is called The Eyre Affair) is re..."

God I miss my plock-plock dodo! :(

My Addition to the list would be the "Foundation Series" from Isaac Asimov

Horray for Rajat-=-the Foundation series would be my choice as well. Truly classic, timeless, a series I sometimes wished I could live in, so to speak (not always of course).

Just to add to the discussion of Enders Game, the series that follows Bean, the first one called "Enders Shadow" is excellent, highly recommended. :)

I've read it. It's interesting to see Bean's perspective.

Would you call it Sci-fi?

I didn't mind Justin Cronin's "The Passage". It wasn't great, which is why I'm wondering why I'm in this thread, but it was passable.

Celine wrote: "Would you call it Sci-fi?

I didn't mind Justin Cronin's "The Passage". It wasn't great, which is why I'm wondering why I'm in this thread, but it was passable."



I agree. Passable, barely. Certainly not exceptional, except perhaps in the large number of side tracks and unneeded words!

No I'm reading it now and I definitely agree that so far it isn't exceptional, but it's an easy read. It's just so long and taking me forever. I will probably be reading this book for like the next month.

Amy wrote: "No I'm reading it now and I definitely agree that so far it isn't exceptional, but it's an easy read. It's just so long and taking me forever. I will probably be reading this book for like the next..."

LOL. I listened to it and thought it would NEVER end.

Well I"m giving myself only so much time. I don't want to be reading it forever. Have too many others on my list to read.

I disagree, I really enjoyed The Passage. I guess it just depends on how we define exceptional.

I totally agree Princess!

I think another Clarke that should be considered is Rendezvous with Rama. I loved it, though it seems to provoke a lot of controversy.

Definitely Foundation - esp the original trilogy—can't believe I forgot about it.

Some others for consideration:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
A Wrinkle in Time - children's, but great
Slaughterhouse-Five
Neuromancer
Speaker for the Dead - the best sequel ever
A Clockwork Orange
The War of the Worlds
Hyperion
Childhood's End
Dragonflight - the Pern Series, even though it starts out as epic fantasy, it ends up definitely SF
Ringworld
The Forever War - a favorite of mine
Old Man's War
I Am Legend
Voyage of the Star Wolf
A Canticle for Leibowitz
The Lathe of Heaven
Gateway Heechee Saga 1

So many more...

Loved Hitchiker's Guide. Very odd but a good read.

Neuromancer is such a great book. William Gibson had true vision back then when he wrote that, and to this day it's still an excellent read.

Hermione wrote: "oooh, this is probably the wrong place to post this (it doesn't really fit into any specific category) but the Thursday next series (the first of which is called The Eyre Affair) is re..."

I read The Eyre Affair. It was a pretty interesting novel.

I don't read much science fiction but I thoroughly enjoyed the Chtorr series by David Gerrold. It fascinated me that Gerrold could switch my mind, over the course of the books, about who were the 'good guys' and who were the 'bad guys.' As well, the philosophy in the books provoked thoughtful consideration and exploratory conversation with others who had read these.

Mike wrote: "Robopocalypse by Daniel Wilson"
I just read that. I also read
Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "No top science fiction list is complete without C.J. Cherryh! Her Foreigner series, as well as Cyteen and Downbelow Station, both Hugo award winners are outstanding. Th..."

2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America

Amy wrote: "I totally agree Princess!"

I liked it except for the ending.

I don't read that much science fiction but I think the best that I did read was the Chtorr series by David Gerrold. I've read them 3-4 times and scream every time that I get to the end of the fourth book because I want more, and there isn't any!

I've not read Chtorr (soon to be corrected), but enjoyed his Star Wolf Series

Has anyone read Gerrold's autobiographical novel The Martian Child: A Novel About A Single Gay Father Adopting A Son? It keeps starring at me. There's a movie too with Gerrold played by John Cusack, I've not seen.

Tami wrote: "Mike wrote: "Robopocalypse by Daniel Wilson"
I just read that. I also read
Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "No top science fiction list is complete without C.J. Cherryh! Her Foreigner ser..."

I enjoyed 2030 as well

I'd vote in favour of
"The Illustrated Man" by Bradbury (also "Something Wicked This Way Comes")
"Fiasco" or "Eden" by Stanislaw Lem

and I second the inclusion of John Wyndam (Triffids or "The Chrysalids") as well as L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time".

Now, do my eyes deceive me or has no-one suggested Philip K. Dick? I'd recommend "The Philip K. Dick Reader".

Hitchhiker's Guide and all relating stories, obviously. I will say I read a lot of PNR but I love humor in my books and saw Gini Koch, Alien books were funny. I'm on the 4th one now and really enjoy them--humor, plot, characters...it's all there for me.

I see that a few people have recommended Asimov's Foundation series. I would also recommend his robot stories and the really exceptional The Gods Themselves.

Definitely, The Gods Themselves! IIRC, It won the Nebula, Hugo, Locus and other awards.

Missy wrote: "Two of my favorite science fiction novels are The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut and The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury."

Really anything by Kurt Vonnegut is exceptional. Although I did prefer Welcome to the Monkey House to Sirens

Mike wrote: "Robopocalypse by Daniel Wilson"

I tried to read Robopocalyse but the beginning was too slow for me. Does it pick up?