Jan 6th, 2021, 5:51 pm
Does anyone still read these type of books.

I enjoy them a s an alternative and I read, Arthur C Clarke, John Wyndham, Edmund Cooper to name a few. From looking through the threads on this site, to me it seems a dying art of fiction.

What do others think?
Jan 6th, 2021, 5:51 pm
Jan 12th, 2021, 7:30 pm
I guess these type of books are slowly becoming out of favour with today’s readers.
I tend to lean towards fantasy rather than sci-fi these days but I still enjoy Edmund Hamilton’s Captain Future novels as well as E.E. ‘doc’ Smith’s work, haven’t read a hard sci-fi novel faience the early 80”s
Jan 12th, 2021, 7:30 pm
Jan 14th, 2021, 5:21 am
Maybe because so much sci-fi tends to read more like current affairs? Not a novel, but I've heard of people no longer watching shows like Black Mirror because it's just too real for them. So maybe that could be part of it? In the heyday of science fiction, much of it was really still fantasy. Scientifically informed fantasy, yes, but so much was still up in the air. Now, so much of what those authors predicted has become reality, more or less. I don't really blame people for turning more toward fantasy these days. That said, there are many hard sci-fi classics on my list of books to download.
Jan 14th, 2021, 5:21 am
Feb 2nd, 2021, 3:13 pm
WoodleighPensioner wrote:Does anyone still read these type of books.
I enjoy them a s an alternative and I read, Arthur C Clarke, John Wyndham, Edmund Cooper to name a few. From looking through the threads on this site, to me it seems a dying art of fiction.
What do others think?


I still enjoy reading them, most of the modern books (many self published) just don't have the quality of the older books.
John Wyndham's, The Kraken Wakes, The Chrysalids and The Day of the Triffids are unbeatable.
Jack Vance is another favourite of mine.
Feb 2nd, 2021, 3:13 pm
Feb 6th, 2021, 7:40 pm
I'm dying to find something to read and I've spent ages going through the board, trying to find anything actually sci-fi. It's all dragons and swords and magic, or it's climate disaster dystopia. I'm struggling to find anything interesting. I think the genre is doomed.
Feb 6th, 2021, 7:40 pm
Feb 9th, 2021, 9:57 pm
Give this a try, it’s a great read
Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio
Feb 9th, 2021, 9:57 pm
Feb 9th, 2021, 11:06 pm
What are you looking for? Space battles? Making a living in space?

For space battles try the Kris Longknife series by Mike Shepherd or the Honor Harrington series by David Weber or the Vatta or the Serrano series by Elizabeth Moon, or the miles Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold.

For non space-opera try the Trader Tale series by Nathan Lowell or, if you want to go oldie, the Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov.

If you're looking for something oddball, try the Callahan's Crosstime Saloon series by Spider Robinson.

Most of these are pretty old since the current trend seems to be fantasy rather than pure science fiction.
Feb 9th, 2021, 11:06 pm
Feb 10th, 2021, 3:12 pm
Thanks for the suggestions but I think I've read most of those already. I have most/all of Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, Haldeman, Bear, Vinge, Robinson, et al. Trying to find anything by new authors just seems to be impossible. Tried working my way through the SF Masterworks series, but I struggled to find value in most of them and question how they were rated as master works. Tried looking at some of the more recent Hugo and Nebula winners and they're just awful. And Philip K. Dick is just WEIRD. :)
Feb 10th, 2021, 3:12 pm
Feb 10th, 2021, 3:54 pm
die you read Jack Campbells "Lost Fleet" and "Lost Stars" Series? I also enjoyed the "Nick Seaford"-Series by David Feintuch and the "Dominic Flandry" Series by Poul Anderson. David weber ist mostly know for the Honor Harrington Series but also I liked it, my favourites were "Empire of Man (1-4)" and "Empire from the Ashes (1-3)", also know as the "Dahak-Trilogy.
Feb 10th, 2021, 3:54 pm
Apr 29th, 2021, 8:08 pm
I used to be a huge scifi fan but have largely given up on the genre because they all seem to be about a distopic future where humanity almost killed itself, or military stories with detailed descriptions of battles that last for pages upon pages

I'm reading right now a book that I am really enjoying 'Cast under an Alien Sun' by olan Thorensen, I can't say the storyline is absolutely original (it reminds me of a very old classic Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp) but at least it's optimistic and I keep guessing what changes the hero will bring to his new environment. There will be battles, here's hoping they won't take over the storyline
Apr 29th, 2021, 8:08 pm