UKC

Basically as per the title looking for recommendations to download on my kindle. So far have really enjoyed all the Culture novels, more recently the Expanse series and plenty more along that vain. So let me know your must reads.
Thanks

In reply to Frank4short:

You might want to try Alastair Reynolds. The Revelation Space sequence is particularly good.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alastair_Reynolds

In reply to Frank4short:

Peter F Hamilton is one of my favourite authors. The Night's Dawn trilogy is where I started, well worth it.

In reply to Pok:

It's worth saying that Night's Dawn has some bits which drag a bit, however they're necessary set up for some of the most enjoyable writing I've ever read.
If you're not averse to some thinly shaded criticism of the Vietnam war take a look at Forever War by Joe Halderman.
If you're a fan of Firefly possibly take a look at Retribution falls by Chris Wooding, it's ridiculously fun (but doesn't quite match the request being more fantasy/ steampunk).

In reply to andyjohnson0:

Seconded. Mostly he's all good, though I didn't think the Blue Remembered Earth trilogy was too good. Revelation Space series, Terminal World, House of Suns, and Pushing Ice are all worthwile.

Not space opera, but Hyperion by Dan Simmons is great.

In reply to Frank4short:

Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice / Mercy / Sword trilogy are the best sci-fi I've read recently, along with Station 11 and Zone One - but those two are "The Road" style post-apocalytic rather than space opera. I also recently enjoyed Singularity Sky by Charles Stross - not read the sequel but fully intend to.

In reply to Frank4short:

Cheers folks have read or am well aware of most of the authors/books mentioned. Though in saying that there are a couple i seem to have missed along the way. So it's good to re-jog the memory regards who's who and worth reading, when looking for something new to read.

In reply to Frank4short:

Neal Asher transformation trilogy is quite good
He has occupied the slightly pulpy end previously but this is a step up for him

In reply to Frank4short:

I just finished reading the Three Body Trilogy by Cixin Liu it was fantastic and spans many centuries. Really can't recommend strongly enough.

In reply to Frank4short:

second for hyperion

In reply to Frank4short:

The Expanse series by the 2 authors that make James A Corey started off excellent but is starting to bog down a little in the latter books.
Not quite space opera, but A Deepness in the Sky and A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge are some of the best SciFi I've read.

In reply to Frank4short:

Stephen donaldsons 'Gap' series are good.

In reply to andyjohnson0:

I'd second (third?) that. Start with Revelation Space.

It would also be worth taking a look at Ken MacLeod, perhaps starting with The Star Fraction.
I think you're especially likely to enjoy this if you like Iain Banks as well as Iain M Banks, if you see what I mean.

In reply to Frank4short:

Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan's series

The series is really excellent, you can dip in anywhere or start at the beginning, with 'Shards of Honor'

In reply to Frank4short:

... the Asimov Foundation Trilogy and the I Robot series are really good...

In reply to Richard Wheeldon:


I was going to suggest that along with the 6 dune series books but I think I'm really out of touch

In reply to andyjohnson0:

Yes I agree..after thinking that after Banks it wouldn't be good.

I recommend Robert Charles Wilson for 'real' sci fi with well written fiction Chronoliths, Spin, Axis

In reply to Frank4short:

M. John Harrison's trilogy Light/ Nova Swing/ Empty Space has to be the top space opera recommendation for a climbing forum. He's a fine writer, and there are some odd parallels in there with his novel about the 80's Peak climbing scene "Climbers", which is a great book too.

In reply to Frank4short:

Have you read the Ben Bova novels. Probably my favourite Sci fi author.

Currently on altered carbon by Richard Morgan. Enjoyable. Have another couple of his waiting to read

In reply to Frank4short:

Trying to think of other stuff...

Quite enjoyed the sci fi military Dorsai novels by Dickson.

And the v long but excellent Mote in Gods Eye by Niven & Pornelle. Alien civilisation encounter type. But set in our future.

In reply to Frank4short:

The Ambassador series by Patty Jensen is really good. Also highly recommend Foothold by Dennis Ingram.

In reply to thebigfriendlymoose:

Good recommendation. I read the Ann Leckie books recently and really enjoyed them.

OP - not sure if it would class as sci fi or fantasy but anything by China Mieville is great, especially the Bas lag series.

In reply to Dr.S at work:


....and very dark.

In reply to Frank4short:

E.E. 'Doc' Smith's Lensman series was what got me hooked on sci-fi in my pre-teens.

In reply to Frank4short:

Spinward Fringe by Randolf L** something. It's like a book boxed set, found them online, loved the tech but like some of the good series on TV I found them quite challenging in that the main characters don't always get their way and sometimes die.

In fact here you go, free on kindle:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spinward-Fringe-Broadcast-0-Origins-ebook/dp/B004E...

Also the phoenix conspiracy another online one that may have been free for the first copy, not a bad read.

My favourites have been by E. R Mason and ex nasa engineer and test pilot, may not be to your taste but, adventure in space with happy endings, (not like the first suggestion). He has the experience and can write so it rings true but you may find it lacks some of the grit of the above but easier reading.

Also free on Kindle

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fatal-Boarding-E-R-Mason-ebook/dp/B00LMKHT5Q

Finally this, the bastard child of sci-fi and mills and boon, not a bad story but every time the love interests meet it descends into a couple of pages of "his hard body pressed against her and he kissed her so hard her socks flew off". It made me smile and cringe equally, the guy who wrote it is either 15 or lives with his Mum but the theme of the story is entertaining.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Praetorian-Redemption-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B...

Also free to kindle.

Enjoy

Toby

In reply to Mike Peacock:


Different strokes and all that.. I thought BRE was a great return to form, on the other hand I thought HoS was terrible, didn't think much of The Prefect either. Terminal World is maybe my favourite of his.
Gary Gibson is worth a look, I enjoyed the Shoal series.

In reply to aln:

I suppose my main issue was with the first book, which was just a bit pointless I thought. The third was a vast improvement. I just finished Revenger, his latest, which I also enjoyed.

I'll add Gibson to my list of things to be read - haven't come across him before.

In reply to Frank4short:

The Larry Niven Known Space books are worth a look. The Niven /Pournelle ones as well, Though some of the politics is a bit Trump-y - I still like the Mote in Gods Eye

In reply to Frank4short:

Not really the Space Opera end of the spectrum, but I'd recommend the works of Philip K Dick as fascinating explorations of perception/reality/what it is to be human within a Sci Fi scenario.
His work does fluctuate quite wildly in terms of quality and approachability, but a couple of bonafide classics to get you started would be "Ubik" and "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch". Enjoy the trip!

In reply to The Ivanator:

Not really at the space opera end, but:
Cj Cherryh's Foreigner books are ace. As are the morgaine ones

In reply to Frank4short:

Stephen Baxter's Xeelee stories.

In reply to hokkyokusei:

Stephen baxter/terry pratchetts Long Earth series had me completely hooked, not so much for the plots as the "what if"s and imaginary travelogues. Now if only I could wire that potato up right....

In reply to pebbles:
I was very disappointed by the long earth books. Not enough story and not...Pratchetty enough

In reply to toad:

"not pratchetty enough" . For me this was a plus. I just loved the imaginary journeys into all the potential different earths there could be, and the musings on how people deal with differentness and how people would live if they could just walk away and start again, and the changes this means for how society works.

In reply to Frank4short:

If you enjoyed the Culture then give Neal Asher's polity series a go.
The ones with the pradoror or the hooders are particularly good.
His other series is a bit so so IMHO.

In reply to graeme jackson:


I enjoyed tht too, but I think I would have trouble suspending my disbelief, given the subsequent development of chaos theory. (Similar problems with Asimov's Foundation series.)

In reply to paul_in_cumbria:

I must have read the (original) Dune series 2 or 3 times.
Also enjoyed Greg Bear's stuff. Eon series.

In reply to Frank4short:

This just popped up on Fb. Thought it may be of interest given the topic. I know these lists are always debatable. (I certainly wouldn't have Banks on mine)

https://omni.media/greatest-sci-fi-authors-of-all-time?utm_content=buffer19...

In reply to Frank4short:

Some great recommendations on this thread.

I keep hearing people raving about 'The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet' by Becky Chambers. I've not read it yet but am looking forward to it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00TTM2B84/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=U...

Richard Morgan's Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, Woken Furies trilogy are excellent, noir sf. Altered Carbon is currently getting the big budget tv show treatment by Netflix so something to look forward to there.

More steampunk than SF but I really enjoyed 'Senlin Ascends' by Josiah Bancroft. Definitely worth a read.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Senlin-Ascends-1-Books-Babel/dp/1482590956/ref=sr_...

In reply to Frank4short:

I really enjoyed Kim Stanley Robinson's 'Aurora' recently - a 'generation spaceship' scenario very effectively explored.

I liked 'Red Mars' too, but haven't read the rest of the trilogy yet.

In reply to Frank4short:

I'm going to add my vote for house of suns and add century rain, both Alistair Reynolds.

In reply to aln:


Terrible mistake on my part somehow confusing Terminal World with Century Rain. CR is brilliant, TW is not.

In reply to Frank4short:

Gene Wolfe, Book of the long sun

In reply to HansStuttgart: long or new? Although I'm not sure botns counts as space opera.

In reply to toad:

Ah. I'm an idiot. As you were....