I think it has to do with the setting, this kinda-dystopian overpopulated city reminded me of Ubik and Do Androids Dream, and The Lathe of Heaven is just so different from her better known novels, like Left Hand or The Dispossessed. Even the characters, especially Dr. Haber, could have come from PKD's mind. Only in the protagonist's non-action do I recognize Le Guin and her beliefs.

What do you think?

Hi all, I finished book nine of the Expanse yesterday and am staring at my TBR pile with a certain amount of apprehension.

Can people please recommend series like the Expanse, not necessarily the same sort of world but one where the characters are just as believable and likeable.

Cheers.

I’m reading the very first chapter of I Am Legend and in the third paragraph of the book it says “He walked around the house in the dull gray of afternoon”, but then the very next page, without the main character having gone to sleep, it says “then lit another cigarette and had his mid morning drink”.

Am I missing something or is this an error?

Asking for help here for the title of a story or book I read a few years ago. It has to do with an AI program which is sent to explore space and finds nothing and becomes lonely and insane. That AI has an Earthside twin that gains sentience too and then finds out about it's "twin" who is suffering alone, then gets angry.

The Huntsman: A Journey Through Time and Space

In the grand tapestry of the cosmos, the Gateway Space Station in the Andromeda Galaxy emerges as a crucial nexus for a historic convergence of minds. Here, esteemed scientists, distinguished engineers, and decorated military leaders gather to delve into the enigmatic condition of Commander Belle, a renowned science officer whose vessel met a tragic fate amidst the cosmic dust while probing a mysterious asteroid eight years ago.

The suspense thickens as Professor Weaver presents his ground breaking discovery: Commander Belle was exposed to alien blue crystalline spores during her mission. These spores have since woven into her neural fabric, inducing a state of continuous hyper-awareness and making her a conduit for celestial phenomena. Despite the deployment of the most sophisticated medical and technological interventions available, her condition defies conventional treatment, presenting a puzzle that tests the boundaries of human and alien science alike.

The narrative reaches a critical juncture when Belle collapses during a high-stakes presentation, her eyes reflecting the vastness of swirling galaxies. In a moment charged with ominous portent, she whispers, "They have arrived," just as a red alert jolts the station. This cryptic declaration coincides with the dramatic arrival of beings from another era, arriving through a star portal in their highly advanced star ship with intentions wrapped in mystery yet bound by a common urgency.

These visitors advanced beyond the contemporary understanding of time and space, revealing that Belle’s unique condition positions her as a pivotal link in confronting a looming existential threat. Faced with a decision of galactic significance, the assembly, led by Admiral Redback, must choose a course of action that could redefine the future of entire galaxies.

In a bold move that marries curiosity with the audacity of hope, "The Huntsman," a legendary vessel that once sailed the tumultuous seas of the Duality Wars, is recommissioned. Belle’s husband, Captain Minardi, known for his strategic leadership and battle-hardened resolve, joins forces with Belle. Together, they venture through the star portal, catapulting ten billion years forward into Milkdromeda—a serene expanse where the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies have merged in isolation.

Here, they encounter the Descendants, a civilization that has evolved beyond their biological origins to establish a harmonious society intertwined with sentient AIs. Central to their culture is "The Weaving," a philosophical and literal matrix integrating life, intelligence, and the cosmos, maintained by god-like entities known as the Minds. This society, founded on the primordial knowledge bestowed by the Star Weavers, utilizes the threads of Star Silk to connect stars and weave a living network that sustains their civilization.

However, the peace is threatened by the Ascendant, a mysterious force manipulating dark matter to absorb and transform star systems indiscriminately. This looming menace challenges the Descendants to defend their enlightened existence or attempt to decode the motives of this unfathomable enemy.

As Belle and Minardi navigate this new, complex reality, they find themselves amid escalating conflict. The Ascendancy, viewing the temporal portal as an existential threat, destroys it, igniting a chain reaction of galactic hostilities. As Belle harnesses her newfound crystalline powers and Minardi takes command, they must balance their destinies with the broader fate of civilizations.

"The Huntsman" weaves a tale of cosmic intrigue and introspection, where survival and discovery intertwine against a backdrop filled with interstellar mysteries and conflicts. It is a journey that tests the resilience, understanding, and the very nature of existence in a universe brimming with the unknown.

I've been searching for this story for years. It's about a boy who spends his allowance every Friday to replace one of his body parts with an android part. His parents are getting worried! I thought it was by Asimov but I've had no luck finding it. I thought it was called Mr. Friday, but that's not it. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I’m planning on starting a book club for the benefit of my mental growth (I’m bored out of my skull), and looking for any book nerds who might be interested (As a fellow book nerd I mean this as an endearment). So if you’re crazy enough to start a book club with some strangers on the internet, please let me know and we can work out the finer details. All kinds of sci-fi (and people) are welcome! ✌️

P.S. I might have a slight bias towards Michael Crichton, but I’m open to any suggestions.

Hello everyone, I recently got into reading and Im about to finish the Ender saga which I really liked. Ive stumbled upon many recommendations online and have a list. Was wondering if there are some books/ sagas Im missing or any that should be there, and what anyone would recommend I go to next.

• 3 body problem
• Sprawl
• Dune
• Red rising
• Sun eater
• Children of time
• Hyperion cantos
• The expanse
• Foundation
• Time forward trilogy
• Hitchiker’s guide to the galaxy

I've been sifting my memory for 6 months trying to find this book, without luck.

There's a side character in it - a group of monks, who have given up their ability to speak coherently, but achieve a hive mind status in return.

I have a vague recollection of a chase through the desert, perhaps, but its all very hazy.

Any suggestions? thanks!

I prefer old books to new ones (books that have stood the test of time), but I’m wrapping up what I consider to be classics and I’m looking for recommendations of older books that are still really solid if not a little more niche.

For reference, I’ve read lots of Heinlein, Asimov, Bradbury, PKD, Dune series, Hyperion series, etc. I’m about to get into Ringworld by Larry Niven and I consider that to be more niche. What are some other older books like it that may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of classics, but are groundbreaking classics nonetheless?

Edit: Lots of really great suggestions that have made my reading list for the year. Much appreciated!

The Rise of the Mech Smith; The Crucible

As war ravages the colony world of Prescott, young engineer Kovacs finds his life turned upside down when his innovative mecha designs become the key to survival. Thrust into a whirlwind of destruction and urgency, he must balance his pursuit of engineering perfection with the grim reality of the battlefield. Every choice he makes could mean the difference between salvation and annihilation.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Jackie Stewart leads her squad of gritty survivors through relentless skirmishes, piloting cutting-edge machines in desperate attempts to turn the tide. But as the enemy closes in, she grapples with losing her hard-won autonomy and the rising stakes of a conflict that threatens to consume everything.

In The Crucible, ingenuity clashes with firepower, and the line between hero and casualty grows thinner by the hour. For Kovacs and Jackie, survival isn’t enough—they must forge a path to victory in the inferno of war.

https://preview.redd.it/qarsooxssyce1.jpg?width=2666&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=371c6c0c32ddb5cfe22d9584c526f9a001e1e145

I just started reading Children of Time (literally only one chapter in), and I’m pretty sure I found my new favourite character in fiction. Dr. Kern is clearly a narcissist and terrible person, but I absolutely love her! Chuckling at her own stupid jokes and the complete Frieza energy in calling your one researcher who will be all by himself for years a monkey! I’m dead

I'm madly in love with the Expanse. I'm 4 books out of 9. I'd love to keep riding this high. Could you all suggest a series like it? I'd prefer a series with a high volume count.

The book is fairly old (I read it at least 30 years ago and it's possibly even older). The book has a series of short stories all by the same author, each story is structured in the same way - starts in the middle, goes to the end of the story and then has the beginning of the story which brings an entire new perspective to the story.

All I can remember beyond the above is that there is a watch in one of the stories and it's integral to the story.

These stories were pretty fantastic so anyone finding the name of the book may help everyone here rediscover this type of genre and read more books from the same author.

Edited to note that the book will be at least 30 years old and not 20 per my initial post.

2nd edit: tried to search using chatgpt, it gave a number of suggestions but none of them match, unfortunately. Leads me to think that it may be a fairly obscure author and / or book. Thank you for all your advice but I think I will have face the fact that I will not be able to find this book.

I'm looking for a book, it has a blue cover a science fiction that revolves around technology and i can't remember if it has aliens. I seem to remember that the main characters has an agent partner, and it has a sex scenes too. The book is not too well known but the plot is really really great.

The Chaos Chronicles by Jeffrey A Carver is the first sci-fi book i remember reading by choice. I randomly picked it up off a bookshelf at the library, around 96-97.

There are currently six books, the last coming out a few years ago. However the first, Neptune Crossing, was published in 1994. The author has written other series and books, but has suffered writers block and life getting in the way. Has anyone else read these?

I'm looking for a book I read that I can't remember.

It was about portals that allowed instant travel to different points. One portal was used to transport ice to other places using ice-gathering machines. There may have been a terroristic threat to the portals.

I'm drawing a blank.

Thanks

Sorry. I'm very new to Reddit and am not sure if I'm using this app correctly so please forgive me if I can't post this here. Also, I'm not sure if it was here or another Post Apoc group but they said book promos on Wednesdays? I'm in Australia and, it's just gone Wednesday so I'm not sure about time zones sorry.

Anyways! If it's allowed, here's my book 🙂

I'd love some reviews. It's my debut. It's a bit long for a debut but, beta readers were happy with it. Trigger warning, it is very ummmm, it has almost everything bad in it. (Sex, violence, gore, sexual gore, sexual violence and bad language.)

It's about an old man and his crazy mates in the apocalypse. Please enjoy 🙂

Thank you.

I saw a post on pinterest some time ago about a sci-fi book, but cant remember what the book's name is.

What I do remember is that there is a photo that looks like a sand dune with a long limbed robotic creature that is chasing a person/two people. I remember the op describing the grimdark aspects of this creature and how well it is written. The picture itself looks like it is coffee stained/dark beige colour.

My memory of this is extremely vague, but I hope someone might know what it is.

Edit: It is identified (https://images.app.goo.gl/cbiXJwrdKdRySv2C6)

My father was an avid sci-fi reader since he was a kid in the 40's. I remember him telling me of a series where these ships were found inthink maybe around Jupiter and nobody knew how they work. If you were to buy one and turn it on, the ship might take you on adventure or it might take you into the middle of a black hole. I could have sworn he said it was a series of books called, "the ichi chronicles" but I can't find anything like that and AI suggested the "culture" series, which wasn't even close to what I described.

Hello! Could you explain me the meaning and the main idea of Robert Sheckley's story "Fishing season"? Unfortunately, I couldn't understand the meaning of it.

Hi all, I need help finding one of my favorite sci-fi books I read in the early-mid 1990s. I can’t remember the author or title any more.

The book was about a low-tech distant future earth that had been depopulated by a genetically engineered virus that made most people infertile to ease over population. The main character was named Soldier, no actual name just his function. The people were divided into three castes soldiers, workers and scholars. In the end, a spaceship returned to earth that had been searching for other habitable worlds and Soldier joined them on their search.

I don’t remember much else except that it was good. I’ve searched online but haven’t been able to find it. Any help would be appreciated.

I have the impression that, in most science fiction novels, machines are often portrayed as either outliving humans, trying to kill humans, or helping them. Do you know of any novels where humans try to save machines—or technology in general—that would otherwise disappear or be destroyed? Thank you for your help!

Hi, I'm in an online group. The person who posted is named Circle and this is partly because their parent had read a book with a robot character named Circle. They're curious about the name of the book as their parent can't remember. This person is probably 30s-40s so the book would have been pre-1990s. Anyone ever read a book like this?

Edit: person is in their mid 40s so the book would have had to been published pre-1984ish.

Hi, I'm an aphantasiac, meaning I don't see ANYTHING in my head. If I close my eyes, I have no idea what my wife or daughter look like, and have very little functional memory.

This means that when I read, I don't create any images either. No faces, no visual settings, nothing. About 15 years ago I was trying to learn to visualize things in my head and a friend recommended I try reading sci-fi due to the challenge it would offer in terms of imagining worlds that I'd have to create in my head.

Well... it worked and it didn't! I have been an avid sci-fi fan for that past 15 years since then, but still don't see a damn thing in my head. So when I read books that include a lot of visual imagery, I feel frustrated and go back and forth between (most often) skimming those sections, and sometimes trying really, really hard to figure out what the hell a planet or spaceship being described looks like, mostly failing, and feeling exhausted.

This also means I have trouble keeping characters straight when there are tons of characters, especially if they don't get mentioned for a long time in a book.

To be clear, I'm a smart guy and really, really fast thinker. I love complex ideas when I read, just not complex visual descriptions. I also read fast, so I love long books and especially long series.

All this is to say, does anyone have any recommendations for me?

A few books I love, in case it's helpful:

- The Expanse series

- The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson

- Neptune’s Brood and Saturn's Children, by Charles Stross

- Anything by Alystair Reynolds

- The Bobiverse series

- Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan

Thanks in advance, I've picked a few duds in a row lately and am eager to find a few books I can really dive into and enjoy!

Asking for Dad: short story by Bradbury, Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, that crowd, the denouement of which was something like "The whole building was a rocket ship!" Anyone know the author & title? Thanks!

SCI FI BOOK

I read it probably 2 or 3 years ago. The MC is the daughter of two very influential spacers. She's about to join a crew and her psych eval doctor, who used to be her professor, asks he to lunch. She obliges, talks shop, then leaves for the ship. Checks in with the Captain and finds a stow away, who turns out to be a double or triple agent. That's all I remember. PLEASE HELP, I WANNA REREAD IT, also to find out if it's a series.

Hi folks, I'm a law academic and sci fi enthusiast who woke up in the middle of the night last night with the idea to write an article about sci fi as a commentary on international law. I've been thinking about the galactic commons in Becky Chambers' Wayfarer universe, the Presger treaty in Leckie's Ancillary Justice series/universe, and maybe the Ekumen in UKLG's Hainish Cycle.

Do you have any recommendations for other books with some kind of inter-species/inter-planetary union or some other legal system governing relations between species? TIA!