Modern Sci-Fi Writers of Merit

[Zenster]

For the sake of clarity, I will define Sci-Fi as not including the vast ocean of sword or magic-related fantasy and other less technological scribbling currently lumped into this genre. I'm looking more towards the hard science fiction of David Brin or cyberspace works like those of William Gibson.

One of my most recent favorites is Peter Hamilton. What's not to like about a book titled, "The Reality Dysfunction"? It is the first of a six-part "trilogy" that was so good I read the entire thing twice. Hamilton has a rare flair for conjuring up really advanced technologies and putting them into a contrastingly mundane framework that propels the plot quite nicely. Many lesser authors would make a centerpiece out of the stuff that Hamilton weaves into the routine backdrop of his stories.

"The Time Ships", Stephen Baxter's pastiche of H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine", was rather impressive but his other works like "Vacuum Diagrams" are sufficiently uneven as to leave me less than happy with his output.

David Feintuch's "Midshipman's Hope" series was a nice enough space opera romp to be worth reading a second time but does not qualify as work on a par with Hamilton's. I am eagerly awaiting the softbound publication of Hamilton's "The Temporal Void", another installment in the Commonwealth series that began with "Pandora's Star".

Incidentally, was I the only one who was less than impressed with Brin's second uplift series that began with "Brightness Reef"? I found it to be overly convoluted and without the strong and relatively linear plot that frequently characterizes his other works. Despite its contorted ending, I especially liked his novel "Kiln People". The implications of having quasi-conscious self replicas was a stimulating challenge in terms of innovative plot lines.

Another pleasant surprise was the add-on "Dune" books by Frank Herbert's son, Brian, and co-author Kevin Anderson. The collection managed to tie up just enough loose ends from the original series whereby they justified their own existence quite adequately.

So, please feel free to recommend other capable science fiction writers that have managed to cobble up truly entertaining alternative realities. I usually stick to the masters, such as Asimov, Clarke, Pohl and whatnot, so my expectations are rather high. Among some of my favorites were the collaborations by Frederick Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth. Their incredibly cynical and outlandish scenarios never failed to amuse.

[Walker in Eternity]

Alastair Reynolds is very good, particularly the "Revelation Space" series.

It is intelligent space opera, no warp drive so everything takes place at relativistic velocities and it can take years to get to a destination.

The weaponry, while fantastic is also not beyond the realms of possibility.

It's pacey, well written and generally good, one or two bad bits, but that is true of most authors.

[Walker in Eternity]

As an aside, I'm surprised you enjoyed the new Dune books, I tried a couple and hated them.

I think it was the Kevin Anderson factor, I've always regarded him as a bit of a hack, he can't even write a decent Star Wars novel IMHO.

[Glazer]

I'll second Alastar Reynolds his books are very good. I'd also like to give a shout out to Robert J. Sawyer, Jack Mc Devitt and Charles Stross. L.E.Modesitt writes both sfi-fi and fantasy, I haven't read any of his fantasy but his sfi-fi is top notch.

[AllWalker]

I second Peter Hamilton - his books are simply amazing. His writing style is supurb, and only seems to get smoother. Also, I have read Robert J Sawyer's Starplex, and I have to say it is a genious piece of hard science fiction.

[Zenster]

As an aside, I'm surprised you enjoyed the new Dune books, I tried a couple and hated them.

You can be sure that I wasn't even ranking them with their original material. My surprise was just that, a surprise that they were even bearable to read.

I second Peter Hamilton - his books are simply amazing. His writing style is superb, and only seems to get smoother. Also, I have read Robert J Sawyer's Starplex, and I have to say it is a genius piece of hard science fiction.

I'm glad to see someone concur about Hamilton and agree that he only seems to be improving. Rarely have I enjoyed a modern sci-fi writer's work so much. Another series that I thought to be rather well-constructed was Kim Stanley Robinson's "Mars" books. Robinson managed to anticipate numerous facets of the complexities involved in terraforming another planet. His books demonstrate what a monumental effort it will be to adapt even neighboring planetoids.

It looks like I will have to put "Starplex" on my reading list.

[Glazer]

I have been meaning to start reading Peter Hamilton for years But it seems that every time I go to the bookstore they either don't have his early books or there is another book I have been waiting on. I see that this is going to have to change when I go to bookstore next weekend.

[Julie]

I'm not really an sf reader, so take this with a grain of salt, but I thought Spin by Robert Charles Wilson was awfully good.

I read Beggars in Spain a while back and thought it was neat, though flawed.

[Zenster]

I second Peter Hamilton - his books are simply amazing. His writing style is superb, and only seems to get smoother. Also, I have read Robert J Sawyer's Starplex, and I have to say it is a genius piece of hard science fiction.

I finally managed to track down a copy of "Starplex" and thought it was a fairly decent sci-fi caper. However, Sawyer's "Calculating God" seemed to be an even better example of the writer's craft. Despite its deus ex machina ending, the overall concept and the book's radically different spin on the usual first contact scenarios made it a rather enjoyable read.

I suppose it's time to put Wilson's "Spin" on my shopping list.

[Glazer]

An "Old School" sci-fi author that's still putting out new works is C.J. Cherryh. I almost finished with "Regenesis" the conclusion of a trilogy that started 20 years ago. She also put out an excellent series called "Foreigner".

Zenster you said "The Reality Dysfunction" was 6 parts but I've only found 3. What are the others? Because "The Naked God" seemed the wrap up the story rather nicely.

[Zenster]

Zenster you said "The Reality Dysfunction" was 6 parts but I've only found 3. What are the others? Because "The Naked God" seemed the wrap up the story rather nicely.

It would seem as though you have located the larger format editions which contain the entire story in only three volumes. The earliest soft cover publications were in the more traditional paperback form factor and required splitting each of the trilogy's portions into two separate books.

Incidentally, please feel free to give a brief critique of Hamilton's style for our studio audience and all the folks at home.

[Glazer]

Well it wasn't as hard of sci-fi as I normally like.What with all the ghost and dead people running around. But a very enjoyable read none the less. I especially liked the whole adamist edenist duality to the future humanity.

[Zenster]

Well it wasn't as hard of sci-fi as I normally like.What with all the ghost and dead people running around. But a very enjoyable read none the less. I especially liked the whole adamist edenist duality to the future humanity.

Actually, I concur with you as to how the entire "afterlife" issue cluttered up the plot. Yes, it introduced some of Hamilton's usual tantalizing socio-moral dilemmas but it was a poor fit for the rest of his typically hard sci-fi. He's better off leaving the spirit world to fantasy authors.

For that reason, I suggest that you try "Pandora's Planet", the first of his Commonwealth series. It has no such distractions and keeps a much more even scientific keel thoughout.

As an example of where Hamilton shines, his entire use of "bio-tek" (body integrated technology, as in: neurally implanted computing), is really outstanding. Where many writers would use that as a central plot component, Hamilton maintains it as a regular appurtenance of everyday status and builds far more significant story lines on top of it.

Another case would be his "re-lifing" technology and distinctions about "body death" and so forth. Hamilton has a special ability to deftly extend his plot arc into the realm of technology's societal impacts in a way that few other writers can manage with a similar degree of ease.

For those unwilling to invest the time or expense in one of Hamilton's multi-part series, please consider his "A Second Chance at Eden". In this collection of short stories are the seeds of his larger works and a dab of some prehistory as well.

[Zenster]

Oops, that would be "bitek" and not bio-tek. Carry on.