/r/scifi_bookclub

Photograph via snooOG

Welcome to the Science Fiction Book Club.

The Science fiction book club - every so often we pick a book, classic or new and discuss it. Posts of all sorts are encouraged: links to reviews, interviews, and links to related material about the book or author. Please keep posts on topic (the current or past book selections).

To write spoilers in comments, use the following method: spoiler.

Past books

Rules

  1. Be nice to each other.
  2. Do not post links to illegal copies of books.
  3. Do not post advertisements or self-advertisements to science fiction books/podcasts/videos/whatever. I honestly respect the effort you've put into your creation but this is not the place to advertise it.
  4. Please label spoilers.

/r/scifi_bookclub

15,153 Subscribers

2

Chaos Chronicles

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?

1 Comment
2024/12/13
02:14 UTC

1

Looking For Book

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

2 Comments
2024/12/09
10:41 UTC

5

Aldo, by... Me.

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.

1 Comment
2024/12/08
00:17 UTC

1

Struggling to find a book title

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)

5 Comments
2024/12/06
05:43 UTC

3

The Echoes of Another Life

0 Comments
2024/11/28
23:21 UTC

15

Anyone here like these?

Looking for a new home.

4 Comments
2024/11/27
15:28 UTC

2

Looking for an author/title

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.

3 Comments
2024/11/25
01:55 UTC

1

Robert Sheckley "Fishing season". Can you help me to understand the main idea of the story?

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.

4 Comments
2024/11/23
20:53 UTC

3

Help finding childhood book

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.

0 Comments
2024/11/19
02:54 UTC

1

Looking for a specific kind of nowel

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!

1 Comment
2024/11/18
21:40 UTC

8

Circle the Robot

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.

9 Comments
2024/11/17
03:53 UTC

5

Book rec for someone with Aphantasia (no ability to visualize)

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!

15 Comments
2024/11/16
19:33 UTC

2

Short story from the 50's? Maybe?

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!

2 Comments
2024/11/16
19:17 UTC

3

Sci-fi/ Space Exploration-Opera. Can't remember title.

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.

0 Comments
2024/11/16
02:40 UTC

2

Sci fi universes with inter-species legal system/union?

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!

5 Comments
2024/11/13
08:11 UTC

4

New to Genre

Can you help me? I'm looking for Sci Fi a series only. The thicker the books, the better. I'm familiar with much of the conventions, so I don't need a "primer" novel, if that makes sense. Thanks!

10 Comments
2024/11/13
00:16 UTC

6

Looking for a book

I'm looking for the title of a book that was published maybe 50 years ago. All I remember about it (except that I really enjoyed it and want to read it again) is that it ends with the protagonists in a space ship watching the universe collapse and being reborn. Anyone know the author/name?

2 Comments
2024/11/11
01:21 UTC

11

Stellar Heir - Book Review

As part of an effort to review more books I enjoy, I wrote this up for Stellar Heir. Sci-fi doesn't seem to be as popular lately, but I love space opera and adventure, and this felt like Mass Effect (a video game series I loved) so it was perfect.

Stellar Heir by Scott Killian

5/5 Stars! Like I said, I love Mass Effect (the first 3 games, not including the ending) and I'm so glad I read this. Stellar Heir is a space opera story about Jael, the captain of the Zigzagunda (say that 3 times fast) and I love the team he puts together. He finds an artifacts that gives him visions (just like with Shepard) but the story takes a much different twist.

Jael used to be a warrior monk, so the fight scenes are awesome in more ways than just with guns. Also, the author has said that his younger life he was part of a super religious community, and later left, and I think the main character has a little bit of that in him. I found that really fascinating.

However, the book really shines in character interactions and moment, and while there's tons of action, I definitely loved seeing the team. I highly recommend to anyone who loves space opera.

6 Comments
2024/11/09
03:01 UTC

5

Best read of 2024

Curious what books released in 2024 people have really enjoyed

2 Comments
2024/11/06
19:17 UTC

12

SciFi action adventure similar to Altered Carbon and Gridlinked from the last 10 years?

Hi - I'm looking for a new(ish) series of stand alone book that has a 'high-tech James Bond' type protagonist. I really liked Altered Carbon (book 1) and Neal Asher's Gridlinked / Agent Cormac books, though those are now 20 year sold. Anything similar but more recent? Cheers!

13 Comments
2024/11/06
17:42 UTC

9

Favorite Hard sci-fi?

12 Comments
2024/10/29
23:16 UTC

2

Book Club

Is there a November book for the book club?

1 Comment
2024/10/25
03:07 UTC

31

What was the Science Fiction book or series that made you of fan of this genre?

Was it a book you were required to read in school? Were you older and just wanted to pick up a little something different? Have you always been a fan and a book or series stands out over others. I'll begin - Fahrenheit 451 as required reading in high school, but I consumed Sci-fi movies prior enjoying books. Please share yours.

80 Comments
2024/10/24
19:45 UTC

3

How does look like a laclac and a wreave? In Frank Herbert's ConSentiency?

I'm curious by nature, i get it, this question si boring, but i like details, and i think this is the only blur in all Frank Herbert's work that i can think about. Please answer me if you can, i love to visualize all the stuff i can read. English is not my mothertongue, and i read it all in french since i was a little boy, now i've read it in english too, and i didn't get any clue about these guys appearance.. thanks everyone !

3 Comments
2024/10/24
19:38 UTC

7

Sci-fi novels or films with highways, roads and cars as a central symbol

I am doing a project for university where I hope to look at highways, roads and cars as a significant symbol in future scapes. More specifically, how the future of the film challenges the idea that they represent absolute freedom, an extension of the self, a tool of self governance etc. Think blade runner 2049, Fith Element, Brazil, The Road. Any recommendations and why would be really appreciated!

20 Comments
2024/10/21
22:45 UTC

5

Help with a forgotten book title

Hello! I was wondering if anyone reading this can help me identify the name of two sci-fi stories I read as a child. These are likely very old stories, before the 90s for sure.

One story is about the sun getting too close to earth. People are installing air conditioners and dreaming of being too cold but in reality the earth is getting roasted by the sun.

The other story is of a family living on a planet (earth?) where it is so cold they must venture outside of their cave to collect solidified oxygen so they can warm it up by their fire to breath. They had loads blankets to help keep to cold out of their cave and spare buckets of solidified oxygen as back up.

Thank you!

5 Comments
2024/10/21
16:21 UTC

6

Why is it so hard to find a good copy (more specifically hardcover) of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

I'm a big fan of both Blade Runner movies, and I've wanted to read the book for a little while now, but I can't seem to find hardly any copies of the book (much less any good ones) with the exception of a paperback with a pretty meh cover.

From a lot of the things I've read, Do Androids Dream is a sci fi classic and one of the founding pillars of cyberpunk, so why is it so hard to get a good version of the book? Is it a publishing issue?

If anyone has any insight on this and/or knows of a reasonably priced, good edition of the book, it would be much appreciated.

6 Comments
2024/10/17
13:16 UTC

12

Need recommendations

Here are some of the books I've read and enjoyed: Bobiverse series; Altered Carbon; All of Andy Weir's books and short stories; Blake Crouch's Dark Matter, Pines series, Recursion; The Three body problem trilogy I'm a big fan of The Expanse (the show), but idk if I should read the books since the show kinda gives away the endin? (Happy to be corrected if I'm wrong here) But yeah that made me begin James Corey's new series, starting with the Mercy of Gods, I found it good enough but a bit stretched So essentially what I'm asking is:

  1. Should I read The Expanse series knowing that I've watched the show and thus know a good deal about the plot (and risk getting bored)?
  2. Please give some recommendations based on the stuff that I've read. Contrary to what the list might suggest, I do not particularly enjoy reading about aliens as such, I find the human politics and the drama and the sense of future space exploration much more interesting (as in the Expanse and Andy Weir's older work, basically).

Thank you!

Edit: Thank you so much for your suggestions everyone! I've decided to begin with Children of Time for now (I've read about 50% of the book, and I'm already looking forward to completing the series). I've also understood that the show doesn't undermine the books and therefore I will be reading all the Expanse novels and novellas after completing the Children of Time series. That should keep me occupied for a while. Thank you so much again.

24 Comments
2024/10/09
22:49 UTC

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