RIYL!

Recommended if you Like

Ok, I'm going to start a RIYL thread to provide everyone with a new selection of books that they may not have heard of.

The rules;

It's simple! recommend a book based upon the previous entry that you think someone may like. There is no thematic requirement, just pick something that you think we would like.

No flaming anyones book choices! If you don't like something, enlighten us with your own selection.


I'll start:

Neuromancer by William Gibson

The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall

reply to post by round_eyed_dog


Dean DeLillo - White Noise

I have to go back to the OP, since the only one of these I've read is Neuromancer. If you liked that, I'd recommend a few:

Bruce Sterling - The Difference Engine. Alternate history based on what if they actually built Charles Babbage's difference engine, a mechanical computer. Recommended because it also involves a story based on computers, even if it's 19th century :p

Aldous Huxley - Brave New World. Very dystopian, just like all Gibson's stuff. Very dreary, dark outlook on the world.

William Gibson - basically anything else he did, I've read nearly all his stuff. Also note that Neuromancer had two sequels, whose names escape me at the moment.

Dan Brown - Digital Fortress. Slightly unrealistic if you know about some of the technologies involved, but it's about codebreaking and computers and it's quite fast paced. Deception Point is another one he did, which is also slightly unrealistic, but focuses a lot on high tech and fast-paced plot.

I'd recommend the Nights Dawn Trilogy by Peter F Hamilton, its comprised of 3 books which total about 3700 pages (dont let that put you off!), there a hell of a read I blitzed all 3 in about a month, its hardcore sci fi with lots of AMAZING technology, massive space and land battles, theres also plenty of sex lol.

The sprawling narrative deals with a far future where humanity struggles and wages war against past souls flooding back into the land of the living via possession (Al Capone and Fletcher Christian are among the returnees). Hamilton's future is expansive and primarily optimistic, with huge sentient space-cities that can closely resemble a natural Eden. He extrapolates on current trends concerning the blurring of technology with biology, and environmental devastation. But Hamilton pulls no punches on humanity's darker side. Poverty, sexual exploitation and cruelty still dog our civilizations in Night's Dawn, and the coalition opposing the Possessed are faced with a particularly cruel moral conundrum; they cannot destroy them without also killing their host bodies.

The books...

The Reality Dysfunction
The Neutronium Alchemist
The Naked God

The quote below is of wiki which explains the story format...

The story is divided in many threads, based around primary, secondary and tertiary characters. These delve deeply into the rich and complex texture of the Universe providing a great sense of verisimilitude, also exploring some of Hamilton's darker themes. These story lines include Dariat's struggles inside Valisk, and the Deadnights' voyage to their 'Saviour'.

Theres also a book of short stories based in the same universe called "A Second Chance At Eden"...this is a good introduction book to the universe.

en.wikipedia.org...'s_Dawn_Trilogy

These books are EPIC and I recommend them to anyone!

[edit on 13-9-2008 by fred3110]

reply to post by fred3110


A wonderful space opera author! I'll have to add a favorite tale of my own with The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

reply to post by fred3110


Double post!

How about Iain Banks Culture series.

[edit on 22-9-2008 by round_eyed_dog]

Originally posted by round_eyed_dog
A wonderful space opera author! I'll have to add a favorite tale of my own with The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

I'll recommend George R.R. Martin's a Song of Ice and Fire as another epic series.

Epic series...


The Engineers trilogy by K.J. Parker fantasy with a dark humorous edge.