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Intelligent sci-fi

Hi im new here

Hi im new here.
Well Enders Game is fine read.
But right now im reading, maybe one of the best novels ive read in a long time, its called "The Reality Disfunction" by peter hamilton.
The book is really about what if, spirits and demons came to the physical dimension to conquer the universe, its real page turner.
Well,Nice to meet you all. :)
 
If by clever, you mean intelectual i would recomend;

Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg (unless you are middle aged / balding, then it might be a bit too depressing).

The Dispossed, We, Brave New world, 1984 are all great distopian novels.
If you like them especially i found Stand on Zanzibar by Jonh Brunner, The Handmaid's Tale by Margeret Atwood, and Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler are all equally as good or better.

(In fact, anyone who hasnt read The Handmaid's Tale should go to the library and get it ASAP).

A Scanner Darkly is my favourite novel by P K Dick, but Man in the High Castle is probably cleverer. I avoided his books for a long time, as they seemed too easily made into (good?) films (which normally means a flimsy plot). But many of his books are excellent.

Yobmod X
 
When intelligent SF is mentioned ...

... I think of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendevous with Rama.
.... Dune by Frank Herbert
.... Ringworld by Larry Niven
.... Neuromancer by William Gibson
.... Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
.... The Mote in God's Eye by Pournelle and Niven
.... Legacy of Hierot by Pournell, Nivens, and Barnes

O
 
Oberon said:
... I think of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendevous with Rama.
.... Dune by Frank Herbert
.... Ringworld by Larry Niven
.... Neuromancer by William Gibson
.... Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
.... The Mote in God's Eye by Pournelle and Niven
.... Legacy of Hierot by Pournell, Nivens, and Barnes

O
Click to expand...

I've read the Rama series, Dune series, and Cryptonomicon. I whole heartedly agree with you Oberon that these are very good "intelligent sci/fi" books.
 
science fiction by taste......

WEREWOLD PRINCIPAL....by Simak
Astronaugt (sp) sent by military to outer galaxys in order to research and understand life on other planets. The man is given the ability to change shape according to the creatures ihabitating the planet in order to gain indepth knowledge since they are more likely to relate and respond if they think he is one of them. After achieving his mission he then manned his ship and went to next assignment. The old characteristics were supposed to fade and he returned to normal until he reached the new planet.

The ideas was for him to switch to the new, release the change, return to normal each time. Problem arises when he realizes even though he is able to return to normal he is not eliminating the new character he took on; therefore, the werewolf principal.

The government never intends for him to return and rejoin earth. With the information stored in the ship he is intended to crash and burn leaving the black box of information to be found.........Politicians are TRICKY.

His ship crashes but he survives and the story gets interesting. The politicians don't want him alive and he uses his new talents for survival.
Of course he mets additional book characters which include a senator, his daughter and his home.....a house that has a voice, decisions to make in keeping the house and is the astronaughts housekeeper, friend, valet, maintenance man, etc.

I am in no way telling you "all of the story" that is just an introduction.

LOGAN'S RUN....a movie was made of this one....
 
A fairly new writer I really like is Charles Stross: Singularity Sky and Iron Sunset. The concepts fly fast and furious, great suspenseful storytelling and credible quirky characters.

O
 
I've just finished Cryptonomicon (excellent, superbly crafted, stylish prose, if a few loose ends still left) and am moving on to Doris Lessings' Shikasta. Anyone willing to offer their opinions on either? Evidently there are several fans of Neal Stephenson's tome at least.
 
Themistocles said:
Anyone willing to offer their opinions on either?
Click to expand...

I read the first half of cryptonomicon... put it down for another book... and am in the process of starting it again... what i've read i love
 
Ted Chiang - science fiction and fantasy writer with very little published work; emotional, thoughtful topics; no two stories are remotely similar and about half of them are can be read for free on the web.

Any of the three Gregs (Bear, Benford or Egan) - less accessible hard-sf; genetic engineering, evolution, far future humanity, plenty of science lessons while you're entertained.

Kim Stanley Robinson - terraforming, environmental disasters, alternate history all done in detail-heavy writing.

Vernor Vinge - artificial intelligence, virtual reality, the singularity etc. Vinge is a mathematician and proponent of the singularity and an early speculator of the Internet. (earlier than Gibson, even.)

Most of these people are scientists as well writers and their expertise is seen in their work.
 
I'm new here and reading the different forums.
When here a title that came immediately to mind was Warday - Strieber/Kunetka. Published in 1984 and still a great read.
 
I looked through this thread and I don't think Gene Wolfe was mentioned.
Definitely intelligent sci-fi. Two of his best stand alone novels are Peace and The Fifth Head of Cerberus.
 
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