SCI FI Book list part 2

[mikekn]

So I've pulled out the books from the list that I haven't read yet. What should I read next? Italics mean I already own a copy. Bold means I've never even heard of the author.

A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin
Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick
Children of the Atom, Wilmar Shiras
Cities in Flight, James Blish
The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester
Dhalgren, Samuel R. Delany
Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey
Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
Gateway, Frederik Pohl
I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
Little, Big, John Crowley
The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick
Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement
More Than Human, Theodore Sturgeon
The Rediscovery of Man, Cordwainer Smith
On the Beach, Nevil Shute
Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys
Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner
The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester
Timescape, Gregory Benford

Comments

[siobhan1214.livejournal.com]

OMG. Ender's Game, definitely. Then Childhood's End. Phil Dick is good but *weird*, and Anne McCaffrey is sweet but really light. Those are the ones I know well.

[kbuxton.livejournal.com]

Definitely Ender's Game. Man in a High Castle is un-weird for Dick and definitely worth a read.

[mikekn]

Alright, I've also got a book called "First Meetings" which is a short story collection that is a prequel of sorts to Ender's Game. Read it first or after?

[kbuxton.livejournal.com]

absolutely don't read any of the Ender's universe stuff before reading Ender's Game.

[mikekn]

Ok, Ender's Game is now next on the list.

I love PKD's weird stuff :)

I think a librarian read Dragonsong to us when I was in elementary school, but I've never gotten around to reading any of her stuff on my own.

[fosveny.livejournal.com]

Note that Ender Wiggin is an analog of Adolf Hitler. Same birthdays, same .. all sorts of stuff.

No, really. Look for Elaine Radford's Ender and Hitler: Sympathy for the Superman. Just realize she's a bit over-the-top.

A different angle, with a bit more of the story behind the story, can be found here: http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2005/5/28/22428/7034 Realize that it's likely to be biased, based on the fact that the author is a friend of Radford.

[mikekn]

I've actually heard some of that before. I'll have to read the books and see what I think.

[danabren.livejournal.com]

Why make it harder on yourself? Start from the top shelf and work your way down....

[mikekn]

The shelves are high and my back is sore? :)

(Seriously, we've got floor to ceiling book shelves and the icon only shows a small part of them)

[danabren.livejournal.com]

*glances at bookshelves at home which are double-stacked, and considers the boxes still in storage*

Uh huh....

[sskipstress.livejournal.com]

I've only heard of Nevil Shute because we had to read On the Beach in public school. I have no idea if he wrote anything else of interest (or not).

Of the ones I've read, here's a list from most upbeat to most depressing:
Dragonflight
Interview with the Vampire
A Wizard of Earthsea
Ender's Game
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
The Man in the High Castle
On the Beach

I can't remember if I've read The Forever War or if that's another one the libraries haven't had when I've visited. Looking at the wikipedia synopsis, it doesn't sound familiar, so I'm guessing I haven't read it, but I read and liked Gateway but don't remember it very well and the wikipedia synopsis of that isn't helping me remember the book enough to rank it with the others.

[beththeevilone.livejournal.com]

Ender's game is a pretty dang good book.

[math5.livejournal.com]

I'm a big fan of Cordwainer Smith, think people never know about him though.
I'll post my list tomorrow, I think.
The ones you have in italics,I've read (except Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card & The Forever War, Joe Haldeman) and liked.

[lissa510.livejournal.com]

hehe...I just finsihed reading something by Cordwainer Smith ...a little choppy..but interesting...

[mikekn]

I've heard of him but never run across any of his books.

[serista.livejournal.com]

Ender's Game and all the subsequent books, including the Ender's Shadow series, which I think are much better done.

I just read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and really enjoyed it. It's a quick read.

[kbuxton.livejournal.com]

Oh, and to be complete, of these I've read:

A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin -- good but I read it ages ago
Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke -- ok, but I don't remember being overwhelmed
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick -- good
The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester -- good
Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card -- excellent
The Forever War, Joe Haldeman -- good
Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice -- better than the movie
The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick -- liked it
Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement -- liked it
Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner -- remember liking it
The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester -- good
Timescape, Gregory Benford -- unimpressed