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RE: What Is Your Favorite Science Fiction Novel?
"Steel Beach" by John Varley
Steel Beach is an old favorite of mine that still seems relevant to me. I was thinking about it recently and how Varley was somewhat panned by the critics back then. I Love that universe of his, with "The Ophiuchi Hotline," followed by "Steel Beach" and then "The Golden Globe."
Really though I love Neal Stephenson's "Anathem" What a great read that was for me.
I enjoy everyone that you list. Of course the Dean, my Son is reading a lot of Heinlein lately. And you list Rudy Rucker! Great work, his. Not widely cited in my experience. I am not familiar with Vinge, however, what book should I start on with Vinge?
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Vinge wrote "True Names." When I first read it (early '80s) I thought, "Interesting, but pretty fanciful..."
As it turns out, True Names is pretty much dead-on prophetic. Visionary. Recommended, for sure! ;)
I haven't read John Varley. I'm always looking for good binge reading authors. I have a funny story about Neal Stephenson. I went to a book reading for Cryptonomicon in '99. i didn't know where in the bookstore it was, so i went to the desk. I had my copy of the book with me and before I could say anything, the person at the desk said, " are you Neal?" I briefly considered saying yes, going into the reading room and just start reading. I refrained.
Heinlein is one of my best binge reading authors. Rucker, I think, is too full of drug use and weird sex to be hugely popular. Vernor Vinge is one of the best. I don't exactly know where to start. Maybe, "Fire Upon the Deep" is one of my top 5 all time. "Deepness in the Sky" is a prequel that was published after, excellent book. He also wrote two books and a short story that later became "Across Realtime". There is more, but these are the shining gems.
Thank you for the recommendations. I'll have to start looking.
Ha, ha, ha, good Neal story. I have never made it to a reading. Oh well, bucket list!
Excellent, I will read some Vernor Vinge, then! I still remember when and where I was, when this one co-worker friend of mine recommended Neal Stephenson back in the early 90's. Since then, I've always been sharp to seek recommendations from fellow sci-fi fans. Heh, I prefer Speculative Fiction, but I gather it can come off snooty. :-)
Bruce Sterling is another favorite of mine who does not seem to be as widely known. He is billed as a futurist and has a very nice body of work.
Of note:
Bruce Sterling is one of my long time favorites. I've read all listed except,
The Zenith Angle. Islands in the Net was also excellent. He also wrote a book with William Gibson called, The Difference Engine. I believe it is one of the instrumental pieces of media in the popular promotion of "Steam Punk".
I first ran across him in Mirrorshades, a collection of short stories.
It seems I don't have a firm understanding of what speculative fiction is. i was under the impression that speculative fiction is a superset including things such as sci-fi, fantasy, alternate history, and others. Is this inaccurate? What is your understanding?
You know, come to think of it, I believe the designation was popularized sometime in the 50's to 70's as a rebuff to the snubs from other "serious" forms of literature. Not sure if I remember correctly, but wasn't Stranger in a Strange Land the first science fiction book to be added to the Cannon of Western Literature?
Great scott, man! Robert A. Heinlein himself coined the term!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculative_fiction
it's possible that i knew that at some point and forgot.
MIrrorshades! Yes! I still have my copy, lol!
My understanding is that Speculative Fiction is about speculating on possible future scenarios and technologies. So Bruce Sterling is a great example, being a futurist and all. I could be out of date on this though, but I keep fantasy as just that, fantasy. Spec Fic tends to have a science angle and reads as a possible future, although I don't think it is limited there because, after all, A sufficient level of advanced tech will appear as magic to the primitive. In other words, Rudy Rucker talks about dimensions that does end up functioning like magic, if I recall correctly. Still, break out the broad swords, start hollering "Snicker-SNACK!" and wearing lot's of leather with charms and enchanted items hanging off and POOF That's fantasy, no self respecting cyber punk fan ... nah, just kidding with the last bit. Friendly rivalries are funny. Like the Star Wars fans vs. the LOTR fans. Shiney!
thought i was going to have to break out the "no true scotsman". hah.
there seems to be lots of blending. for instance, larry niven talks about the possibility of certain technologies and the consequences of using them. then some of his writing is problem solving and taking a logical argument to it's furthest extent. then some of it is full on space opera. which, at some levels is indistinguishable from fantasy. does any spec fic have aliens? sometimes, i think useful speculation may be hampered by "logical" assumptions made within a context populated by humans. john brunner wrote a book called "the crucible of time" in which, all of the characters are intelligent, insect aliens. this gives the first person narrative a truly alien feel. in some sense that is speculative, isn't it? WWAD what would aliens do? some very good sci-fi boils down to nothing more than a mystery story, dressed up in a grand future. Is mystery a type of speculation? robert reed wrote a book called "marrow" it is the far flung future for humanity, lots of interesting, crazy seeming technologies along the way, brilliant, i thought, but the main plot is simply a mystery story. it is one that takes place over thousands of years of the characters unusually long lifetimes, but still, a mystery story. lots of it based in pure speculation of, what if? i think i will have to further clarify my understanding here.
if you do get a chance to read Vernor Vinge, i'd be curious to hear what you think.