Best Science Fiction

Science fiction is much maligned as so much in the genre is just terrible. In the words of the great Sturgeon "Ninety percent of SF [science fiction] is crud, but then, ninety percent of everything is crud."

This page is a thematic listing of what this author has enjoyed and been inspired by. This is what science-fiction is all about, the exploration of ideas. (titles link to appropriate Amazon listing)

Futurologies

The Futurological Congress: From the Memoirs of Ijon Tichy Stanislaw Lem

Foundation by Isaac Asimov. This is a whole series which has a prequel but I'd start where the author started and read until you get bored.

Cowboy Bebop. Not only the slickest animation of its time, the Cowboy Bebop universe is a primary example of sustained character and story arcs while exploring a universe of possibilities. I recommend the series, the film and the music if you can get it.

Intergalactic War
Pandora's Star by Peter F Hamilton. This author has set the standard for contemporary intelligent space opera. He creates universes.

Judas Unchained by Peter F Hamilton. Book two after Pandora's Star.

The Forever War by Joe Halderman.

Robots, Artificial intelligence and the replacement of mankind
Caves of Steel (Robot City), The Naked Sun and The Robots of Dawn comprise I believe Asimov's original robot novels. This trilogy has very little to do with the movie starring Will Smith. Don't expect action from Asimov.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, of course more of Philip K Dick's work belongs on this page, but I want a chance to reread them all as they get a bit confused when you read too many. But don't forget the film Blade Runner which is also good, that was based on the book, loosely.

Player Piano, Kurt Vonnegut's first novel. He got wackier later but this is nice pure alternative future.


Alien Contact
His Master's Voice. This book is what brought me back to science fiction. I'd never heard of Stanislaw Lem until Philip K Dick recommended him in an interview, but now he's my favourite science fiction author. One of his pet themes is the possible contact with aliens and confronting our anthropomorphic view of the universe. Also on this theme for Lem are Solaris, Eden and Fiasco.

Roadside Picnic - The Strugatsky Brothers. I read this in 2008, quite different, for me falls into the mysterious encounter method but is really well written. I'll be keen to read more Sturgatsky. This book seems to be out of print, but here's a link to some Strugatsky downloads to compensate. If you're interested in Soviet sci-fi, this is a good place to start.

Cybernetics

Ghost in the Shell. First there was the comic, Volume 1, 1.5 and 2 by Masamune Shirow, the artwork got too colourful for my liking but the detail of an overloaded society is all good. The best know of the GITS universe is the first film which I won't link to becuase it was too heavy-handed and laden with exposition. Then came the animated series by Kenji Kamiyama and its follow ups and that to me is the masterpiece. It contains every sci-fi theme we know and love from robo-love to human redundancy. First Series, Second Series, Solid State Society.

Robocop. Perhaps not the best film ever. Paul Verhoeven is so misunderstood but the background he creates is often worth the not-so-subtle foreground.

Telepaths & Psychics

More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon. Pierre Jr was inspired by this book.  

The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester. This writer is being forgotten a bit which is a shame as this isn't his only good work. There feels to be some similarities between this and Dick's Ubik which is also worth reading.

The Nature of Time
Counter-Clock World by Philip K Dick. Perhaps it is covers like this which science fiction seem less than literary. If you can find it there's a nice navy blue one with a simple silver line drawing, most likely second hand now. This book is a bit of fun.

Reality Bending
Old Twentieth another Joe Haldeman but even though he might not push the boundaries like Dick his talent for revealing story just gets better with age.

A Scanner Darkly

This list is a work in progress, so please email or comment if you think there's something that should be on here.

Comments

[Mersades Malone]

Terence: I am very disappointed to not find reference here to William Gibson. Very very very disappointed. Nor J.G.Ballard.

For shame.

[Terence Bumbly]

Dear Mersades, sorry to disappoint.

While I have read and enjoyed William Gibson's Neuromancer, in retrospect, where I am now I can remember hardly anything about it. This is either a comment on my memory or the book. That being said I do plan to have another read at some point and perhaps some of his later works soon. At the moment only an act of god can stop me reading the new Peter F Hamilton (Amazon.fr says it'll get here soon).

As for Ballard - can you recommend specific titles?