SF book recommendations

[drdoug]

What are good recent-ish scifi books to read?

I've realised I've almost entirely stopped reading purely for fun, rather than for curiosity or Improvement, and so don't read much fiction at all. I'd like to try changing that, so I'm looking for good reads. I re-read Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat and enjoyed it, but it is really showing its

Comments

[drdoug]

Thanks! Will look at both of those.

[cartesiandaemon]

I think most of these you may know, but thinking of interesting but easy-to-read sci-fi

[julietk]

Bujold! All the Bujold. I loved the most recent one in many ways but it would be a bad place to start if you didn't already know them.

I found the Martian a bit meh, though had enough in the 'how is he going to manage *this* then?' line that I got all the way through it. However I then forgot whether I'd actually finished it and had to check, which -- seems sub-optimal?

[drdoug]

Ok, Bujold is on the list.

I liked The Martian - the film version got me musing about competence erotica. And [note to self] several people on that post (and on LJ) suggested stuff that might meet both that definition and what I'm looking for here.

[julietk]

(sorry, I accidentally replied anon due to device/login error.)

[wildeabandon]

Bah. LJ just ate my comment, so this might be a bit terser. The Flex trilogy by theferrett is a good ripping yarn. On the cusp between sf and fantasy, has been described as "Breaking Bad but with magic". He is a middle-aged middle-class white man, but his efforts to write other perspectives are more successful than some (I say, as another approaching middle-aged middle-class white man)

Oh, also I'm currently half-way through Transmetropolitan, and whilst I'm late to the party, so may be stretching the definition of recentish it's stunningly good. The prose does get a bit literary at times, but it gets broken up by being a graphic novel, so it remains fairly easy reading.

[cartesiandaemon]

Oh wait, are we allowed to recommend comics too? :)

In which case, Saga, which is like starwars with breastfeeding.

And Sandman, which has nothing to do with anything on your list, it's just the most amazing thing Neil Gaiman wrote :)

[drdoug]

[LJ is in comment-eating form clearly - this was longer first time round]

Sandman is good.

Saga is new to me as of now and has gone to the top of the list. Star Wars with breastfeeding? I am so there. If we call it a graphic novel it totally counts.

[drdoug]

I'm an occasional reader of Ferrett's journal/blog and have wondered about his fiction, so ta.

Lots of my friends were big on Transmetropolitan so it's worth a look, I reckon.

[andrewducker]

The winner of the latest Hugo for best novel is NK Jemisin's The Fifth Season.

And it is marvellous, not from any of your usual perspectives, and you should read it.

[drdoug]

Thank you for such a clear recommendation! Which I will take.

[jvvw]

There is a very unintimidating science fiction and fantasy reading group in milton keynes by the way, veering more towards the science fiction side. I used to go pre-kids - it was quite a good way to discover new authors.

[drdoug]

Oh crumbs, I've just had a pang of guilt about the reading group I went to pre-kids and for a little while afterwards until actually reading the book became too challenging. Which is silly.