SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Hi There

I'm looking for fun space adventures. No military or hard sci-fi, no dystopian futures, nothing dark and dreary. Just pure, fun, popcorn/pulp space fun.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

Heinlein juvies. You can hardly fail with STAR BEAST or DOUBLE STAR.

Enders game

If you don't mind a teenage protagonist, you should really try the Norby series by Aasimov. (ex. Norby and the Terrified Taxi)

Vorkosigan Saga is fantastically fun space opera. The main character is basically a crazy guy with an inferiority complex. Example: you get failed out of military school; clearly the logical answer is to fake and bluff your way into control of a bunch of space mercenaries: The Warrior's Apprentice.
(Title, by the way, comes from the story of the Sorcerer's Apprentice, which gives a hint of where this is going...)

Space Captain Smith and its two sequels (with another on the way!). Very funny space opera with a slight steampunk twist. You may need to be British to get some of the humour, mind.

Well I'd definitely recommend The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and all the sequels if you haven't read them yet. They are extremely funny and you'll love them if you enjoy British humour.

Year Zero by Rob Reid is also pretty funny and even though the author isn't British, it has a similar type of humour to it.

I'm seconding Carly's recommendation of The Vorkosigan saga. The Warrior's Apprentice you may find this first or this Test of Honor (Omnibus: Shards of Honor \ The Warrior's Apprentice) or Young Miles. Let's just say he goes by many names...

I took a look at the Vorkosigan saga and noticed that The Warrior's Apprentice is the second book in the series. Is there a reason that the first book wasn't recommended? Just wondering whether the whole series is funny or if it's just that one book.

I think the whole Vorkosigan saga is funny. Which book to start with is always a question. Chronological order rather than publication order is to start with Dreamweaver's Dilemma.

And if you go here http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/2...
The Vorkosigan Saga Reading Order Debate: The Chef Recommends


Many pixels have been expended debating the ‘best’ order in which to read what have come to be known as the Vorkosigan Books, the Vorkosiverse, the Miles books, and other names, since I neglected to supply the series with a label myself. The debate now wrestles with some fourteen or so volumes and counting, and mainly revolves around publication order versus internal-chronological order. I favor internal chronological, with a few caveats.

Thanks for the info. I find I usually prefer to read things in chronological order as well, but sometimes it can be difficult if a series is still being written and you never know exactly when it will take place in regards to the books that have already been written.

Shards of Honour and Barrayar are the first two books in the series about Miles' parents. They are some of my favorites, but aren't the ideal place to start for everyone. They are reprinted as Cordelia's Honor, among other names.

I will testify that I began with the 8th or 9th book and had no difficulties at all. Anyplace you begin with Miles is ok (although I would finger MIRROR DANCE as the place -not- to begin).

Have you read any of the Star Wars books? Those are quite fun. I would start with either The Courtship of Princess Leia (which is just hilarious and pure fun) or the Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn.

Other excellent space adventures would include The Icarus Hunt by Timothy Zahn, as well as Angelmass

If you like a bit of a fantasy feel to your space adventures, I also highly recommend The Star of the Guardians by Margaret Weis - probably one of my favorite series ever. The first book is The Lost King

How about a trek across the galaxy ending in a total meltdown of the human colony's technical tools and a confrontation with the empathic locals ending when the humans teach them fiddle tunes?

Brenda wrote: "Heinlein juvies. You can hardly fail with STAR BEAST or DOUBLE STAR."

I'll second that. I cut my teeth on 'em!

I'll offer a third on Heinlein, but include Podkayne of Mars and Have Spacesuit, Will Travel. "No military" would probably exclude Starship Troopers, but that's also a good one (and no, the movie was not at all true to the book). I don't know if "no dystopian" would exclude The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, but that's my all-time Heinlein Favorite.

Jenelle wrote: "Have you read any of the Star Wars books? Those are quite fun. I would start with either The Courtship of Princess Leia (which is just hilarious and pure fun)"

I read The Courtship of Princess Leia a long time ago and I don't really remember it being all that funny. Perhaps I was just too young at the time to appreciate the humor...

Have you read Robert Asprin? His Phule series might be up your alley. Quite humorous, not at all dark.

Alan Dean Foster's series about Flinx is well written and has quite a bit of humor mixed in. There are over a dozen in the series---but they does make a bit more sense if read in order. The first book isThe Tar-Aiym Krang.

One of my favorite Science Fiction novels of all time was "Galactic Odyssey" by Keith Laumer. Also, the Mars (Barsoom), Under Earth (Pelucidar), and Venus series by Edgar Rice Burroughs were all great escapist literature.

Brenda wrote: "Heinlein juvies. You can hardly fail with STAR BEAST or DOUBLE STAR."

Good suggestions. "Double Star" was, and still is, one of my all time favorite novels. Every few years, I read it again, and it is just as entertaining every time.

Kythe42 wrote: "I took a look at the Vorkosigan saga and noticed that The Warrior's Apprentice is the second book in the series. Is there a reason that the first book wasn't recommended? Just wondering whether the..."

Kythe42, just to add to what Julia, Brenda, and Tasha said, I actually think Warrior's Apprentice makes a good starting place for the series. I started there myself, and it is one of Bujold's recommended entrances into the series. The only other place to consider starting is with Shards of Honour, which is (as Julia mentioned) told from the perspective of Miles' mother. It is a romance and also a bit more on the political satire side, while Warrior's Apprentice is more just a crazy adventure with space pirates. Both are fun, and both are good places to start.

The major Clarke novels would also meet your criteria. RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA is just about perfect SF.

My recommendation is the Foundation trilogy by Isaac Asimov. Intellectual, thought provoking, empire reaching and yet simple series all at the same time.

Kythe42 wrote: "Jenelle wrote: "Have you read any of the Star Wars books? Those are quite fun. I would start with either The Courtship of Princess Leia (which is just hilarious and pure fun)"

I read The Courtship..."

Possibly. Everything Han does/says in that book cracks me up... but I do have a weird sense of humor... ;)

I completely forgot about this when I first posted in this thread but The Road to Mars: A Post-Modem Novel by Eric Idle is extremely funny. It's about a pair of comedians and their robot who struggles to understand comedy.

For Monty Python fans, there are some references to the show in the book which I thoroughly enjoyed.

id recommend Battlefield Earth though people will probably slate it. Its a nice easy read and is a little bit different.

the stainless steel rat ..harry harrison ..read it as a kid, you'll get through it in a day

The Human Division by John Scalzi is more on the "romp" side of the space adventure equation.

Protector by Larry Niven isn't quite as lightweight, but it's a lot of fun while not being military SF.

There is always Foundation. It might not be a complete Space Opera but it has some grand themes. Okay, what else: most anything for CJ Cherryh.

Check out The Witches of Karres
Unlike many other suggestions, most reviewers actually use the word fun in their reviews of this book.

I echo the recommendation for Bujold and also suggest starting with The Warrior's Apprentice. I don't think there is a bad one in the bunch.

I also suggest the Liaden Universe novels by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. I'd start with Agent of Change.

Any Doctor Who novel. You're set for life with those.

Any of the STARBRIDGE series by A.C. Crispin. Interesting aliens; good world building, straight forward but interesting plots.

Hm; Andre Norton's Solar Queen series starts with it's available on Amazon Kindle for $3.99, next two Plague Ship & Voodoo Planet for free

I'd also recommend C.L. Moore's .

Alex wrote: "Leviathan Wakes is absolutely your best bet."

That's exactly what I was going to say.

I haven't read anything of Jack Vance, but I think some of his books like Dying Earth or Tschai sagas could be similar what are you looking for.

Redshift Rendezvous by John Stith has a hard-sf basis, but is mostly a fast-moving murder mystery on a star ship.

Canoples Investigations Tackles Space Pirates is a great YA detective novel set on a space station. It's the first in the series. I loved it (and reviewed it). It's definitely a fun read.

The Daedalus Incident is great fun. Mix of Alt. History with SciFi - sort of Master & Commander meets Star Trek. Here's a review if interested: http://wp.me/p2XCwQ-j6

Ezra wrote: "My recommendation is the Foundation trilogy by Isaac Asimov. Intellectual, thought provoking, empire reaching and yet simple series all at the same time."

Foundation series (the original three)!!! Totally agree, I've actually just loaned my copies to a friend who has never read sci-fi before and he's loving them.

Scott wrote: "Foundation series (the original three)!!! Totally agree, I've actually just loaned my copies to a friend who has never read sci-fi before and he's loving them. "

Agree completely about the Foundation trilogy. I wrote to Isaac Asimov about the trilogy years ago, and here's the postcard he sent to me in reply:

Glory Road by Robert Heinlein
Glory Road

Michelle said this almost a month ago.

"Any Doctor Who novel. You're set for life with those."

That hasn't been my mileage, Michelle.

I quite liked Doctor Who: Touched by an Angel twice and Doctor Who: Ghosts of India, butDoctor Who - The Wheel of Ice was odd and not for me. I have some very old Doctor Who books that I'm not sure I'll love, like Doctor Who And The Android Invasion and Doctor Who and the Day of the Daleks...

So I'd appreciate some Doctor Who books that worked for you...

I just finished Sherry D. Ramsey's One Aspect to the Sun, published last month. It's a terrific story with some great twists, and the characters are really well-rounded. I just reviewed it today. You should try it.

Some of Mike Resnick's earlier books might suit, maybe Santiago, or Ivory.

Peggy wrote: "Some of Mike Resnick's earlier books might suit, maybe Santiago, or Ivory."

Good choices.

Steve wrote: "the stainless steel rat ..harry harrison ..read it as a kid, you'll get through it in a day"

Actually, anything in that series, but start with this one 'cause it's a great kickoff to the series.

Al wrote: "Steve wrote: "the stainless steel rat ..harry harrison ..read it as a kid, you'll get through it in a day"

Actually, anything in that series, but start with this one 'cause it's a great kickoff to..."

I loved The Stainless Steel Rat books! Haven't read any for years. Now I'll probably have to go back and revisit them :)