Sci Fi series as good as The Second Apocalypse?

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What Came Before

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« Reply #30 on: May 14, 2013, 09:46:28 pm »
Quote from: Twooars
Dan Simmons' Hyperion Cantos and Ilium/Olympos are really good scifi with epic scope and interesting concepts. And Dan Simmons can write in a Scriptural style (like Bakker) quite well, as seen in the stories the The River Lethe's Taste is Bitter and The Man Who Cried God, from Hyperion. Although, I liked the first books of both series and the latter books, not so much.

I like Clarke's Odyssey series too, mainly 2001. The first book (which was written after the movie script was written) tells the same story as the movie, but with minor differences in the details. Also, Clarke's Childhood's End is one of my favourites.

But if you can call it science fiction, the Dune series is the awesomest ever and tops everything mentioned above! :) Especially for me, books 3 (Children) and 4 (God Emperor) are as good as The Second Apocalypse. But DON'T EVEN TOUCH the prequels by Brian Herbert!

What Came Before

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« Reply #31 on: May 14, 2013, 09:46:34 pm »
Quote from: Madness
Cheers, Twooars.

I'm a huge fan of the Hyperion dualogy, not so much Endymion. Probably two of my favorite science fiction ever. The Time Tombs were an awesome conception, so reminiscent of McKenna's transcendent object.

Big +1 on the Dune up to God Emperor... If only Herbert had a chance to come back and write today based on the evolution that's taken place in genre fiction since his time and the different dissemination mediums now available.

I figure all those old school serial writers could still write circles around most authors today.

What Came Before

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« Reply #32 on: May 14, 2013, 09:46:38 pm »
Quote from: Twooars
Quote from: Madness
I figure all those old school serial writers could still write circles around most authors today.

Agreed! It's surprising how serialized fiction from those times seems so coherent in novel form now. And that reminds me of another 'stitched-up' novel that has always been a favourite of mine: More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon.

And while I'm listing scifi, some more old works that I think are not given their due:
- Lord of Light (Roger Zelazny)
- Simulacron-3 (Galouye) - bits of this sound so much like The Matrix, you can't help but wonder if the Wachowskis read the book. Although, they haven't listed it as one of their influences, AFAIK. (They did mention the Ghost in the Shell series as an inspiration - which, for an anime, is surprisingly literary, with lots of philosophy and angst :)

What Came Before

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« Reply #33 on: May 14, 2013, 09:46:44 pm »
Quote from: Madness
Quote from: Twooars
It's surprising how serialized fiction from those times seems so coherent in novel form now.

+1.

What Came Before

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« Reply #34 on: May 14, 2013, 09:46:49 pm »
Quote from: coobek
Roger Zelazny is defenitely worth reading.

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« Reply #35 on: May 14, 2013, 09:46:53 pm »
Quote from: coobek
Maybe its not Sci/Fi but there are similarities between Scfi/Fantasy settings of Earwa and the world created by late Karl E. Wagner with immortal Kane being the character. Its a Conan meet HP Lovecraft literature but it was quite entertaining for me in its time.

Another good series is Glen Cook's 'The Black Company'.

SilentRoamer

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« Reply #36 on: May 21, 2014, 10:14:57 pm »
Cant really say he is similar to Bakker but Peter F Hamilton never fails to entertain me, he weaves a good space opera yarn.

Somnambulist

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« Reply #37 on: May 22, 2014, 04:28:48 pm »
I enjoy Hamilton, as well.  The Night's Dawn trilogy was cool, and I liked Pandora's Star/Judas Unchained.  Having some trouble getting into the follow-on from that, though (the Void series).  Have you read it, SilentRoamer?  Should I stick with it?  Almost through the first book, but undecided if I'll continue.
No whistling on the slog!

SilentRoamer

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« Reply #38 on: May 22, 2014, 07:16:10 pm »
Hey Som,

Yeah I have read the Void. It isnt as good as Nights Dawn or PS/JU but it is a decent read. Some pretty cool concepts which Hamilton always delivers on. At first I found myself quite annoyed by the Eddard stuff but it starts to make some sense later on - I wont go into detail as I cant remember the individual books.

Have you read any of his standalones? I have 1 left to read I think. If you get a copy of Fallen Dragon then definetely read it, I thought it was on a par with Nights Dawn and PS/JU as a really good standalone.

If you like Nights Dawn you will probably like Kevin J Anderson Saga of seven suns as well. Couple too many books and he could have condensed a bit better but the scope of the story is great.

Somnambulist

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« Reply #39 on: May 22, 2014, 07:59:23 pm »
Thanks, SR.  I have indeed read Fallen Dragon, and I agree with you.  Very good, but I remember feeling slightly disappointed that it was only one book (as opposed to a series).  I started Seven Suns years ago, but only finished the first book.  Not sure why I didn't continue, don't remember much of it, TBH.  Maybe I'll try again.  Cheers.
No whistling on the slog!

SilentRoamer

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« Reply #40 on: May 22, 2014, 08:13:56 pm »
Saga of Seven Suns takes a while to get into it. I would definetely try, I think if by the end of book 2 your not feeling it then just give up/ Couple of reveals make you want to keep reading. Then I think it was book 5 or 6 that was slow.

Yeah Fallen Dragon just ended kind of quickly but it was really well rounded and I thought the end was satisfying and I just didn't see it coming! Hamilton releasing a new book this year, actually a story I really want to see:

From Wikipedia:

The Chronicle of the Fallers
 
Hamilton announced in 2011 that he is developing a new trilogy.He later cut this down to two books titled The Chronicle of the Fallers. It is a return to his Commonwealth Universe, set in the time before the Void Trilogy, and will tell the story of Nigel Sheldon and what happened when he broke into the Void. The first book will be ready for publication in 2014.Preliminary titles for the two books are The Abyss Beyond Dreams and The Night Without Stars.Cover art, together with the release date, for The Abyss Beyond Dreams was unveiled on 19th March. The book will be published on 21 October 2014.

If we get some Nigel Sheldon might also get some Oscar Isaacs - Ozzie is da fookin man!

mrganondorf

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« Reply #41 on: July 01, 2014, 04:05:23 am »
Um, I'm not sure this is the right place, its definitely not as good as Bakker, but I liked Mark Lawrence's Prince of Thorns...

geoint

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« Reply #42 on: July 02, 2014, 07:48:59 am »
Quote from: Ajokli
I have a love-hate relationship with Tales of the Malazan.

There are parts where I get sucked into it and others where it's a slog. I just couldn't muster up enough Will to read past Book 5

Thats where I lost interest as well

Wilshire

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« Reply #43 on: July 02, 2014, 12:41:02 pm »
Quote from: Ajokli
I have a love-hate relationship with Tales of the Malazan.

There are parts where I get sucked into it and others where it's a slog. I just couldn't muster up enough Will to read past Book 5
Thats where I lost interest as well
Discussion on Erickson continue here if you're interested:
http://www.second-apocalypse.com/index.php?topic=1170.0
One of the other conditions of possibility.

SilentRoamer

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« Reply #44 on: July 10, 2014, 11:27:01 am »
From Wikipedia:

The Chronicle of the Fallers
 
Hamilton announced in 2011 that he is developing a new trilogy.He later cut this down to two books titled The Chronicle of the Fallers. It is a return to his Commonwealth Universe, set in the time before the Void Trilogy, and will tell the story of Nigel Sheldon and what happened when he broke into the Void. The first book will be ready for publication in 2014.Preliminary titles for the two books are The Abyss Beyond Dreams and The Night Without Stars.Cover art, together with the release date, for The Abyss Beyond Dreams was unveiled on 19th March. The book will be published on 21 October 2014.

If we get some Nigel Sheldon might also get some Oscar Isaacs - Ozzie is da fookin man!

Just to add to this:

http://torbooks.co.uk/2014/06/30/peter-f-hamilton-cover-reveal-extract/
http://torbooks.co.uk/2014/06/30/peter-f-hamilton-cover-reveal-extract/extract-from-the-abyss-beyond-dreams/

Extract looks like the usual Hamilton, frank and to the point but with his own style.

Really looking forward to this book. :)