SciFi and Fantasy eBook Club discussion

Hi there, i've been reading mainly fantasy but after playing mass effect i felt like i just had to start picking up sci-fi. I'm gonna try and make this one short, got questions just ask!

The problems i've had so far is that (based on the summaries i've read) all centers around a "great apocalypse" and primarily humans.

What i'm looking for is a book with focus on aliens and how they(and humans) coexist together. With all their history and political difficulties..
I would also love if the plot wasn't about a great ancient evil that's going to kill everything and everyone, unless the hero decides it's time to be heroic and awesome.. But that's generally impossible to find.
Some sense of humor would also be lovely.
Thanks for your help!

Anne McCaffrey wrote quite a bit of stuff that may fall into the range you describe. Sherri S. Tepper is another author who is prolific and has written using those themes. Alan Dean Foster's Flynx series or anything he wrote dealing with the Humanx might be appealing to you as well. This is mostly older stuff but I hope it gives you a place to start.

The Dragon Masters

http://www.amazon.com/The-Dragon-Mast...

I think it'll be an easy way to cross genres as well :-)

Joakim wrote: "Hi there, i've been reading mainly fantasy but after playing mass effect i felt like i just had to start picking up sci-fi. I'm gonna try and make this one short, got questions just ask!

The probl..."

You might try the Larry Niven's Man kzin war series. Ring world comes to mind also. Fred Saberhagen had the Berzerker series. These get into the mind of the aliens and their relations with humans and other aliens.

For humor try Spider Robinson, even though aliens aren't well represented.

Larry Niven is definitely one as Thomas said, but I would add anything Niven wrote with Jerry Pournelle as well. Poul Anderson, too.
Elldee

Ringworld by Niven is an excellent suggestion.

Wow lotsa stuff to check out, thanks guys!

The Puppet Record

Try the Puppet Record. No big apocalypse or all-encompassing evil, but there is an alien race that coexists with humans. There's mystery, politics, and a great big universe to fit it all into. The twist at the end nearly had me in tears.

I will recommend "The Mote in God's Eye" by Niven and Pournelle. It is a story about contact with an alien species and how humans learns that the species could be the greatest danger to humanity that they've ever encountered.
How they find this out makes for a fascinating and compelling read. There's no wars or massive battles to be had here although there is some fighting it's done entirely within the context of the book and of the aliens.
Said aliens are most different in many ways from us humans and in others are very much the same, they are brilliantly described in the book.

Joakim wrote: "What i'm looking for is a book with focus on aliens and how they(and humans) coexist together. With all their history and political difficulties.."

Wess'har wars


Joakim wrote: "I would also love if the plot wasn't about a great ancient evil that's going to kill everything and everyone, "

The Vang book 2

For the humor portion (with a little of the rest mixed in), try the Callahan's Saloon series by Spider Robinson. It's a bit dated, but the Skylark of Space series by E. E. "Doc" Smith is still good space opera.

For great intelligent aliens and space travel/space opera, I would recommend C. J. Cherryh's Foreigner series.

Foreigner

How about THE PIRATES OF ERSATZ

BY MURRAY LEINSTER

Free on http://www.gutenberg.org/files/24035/...

I recommend the Xenogenesis trilogy by Octavia E. Butler. (Dawn, Adulthood Rites, Imago) if you're looking for a fascinating alien species; you'll find that in the Oankali, the race that is depicted in those stories.

Also, since I've been trying to get word of this book out to whoever will listen, I recommend a very good, self-published book called "The Shattered Sky" by Paul Lucas. It is easily one of the best sci-fi books I've read in a long time. If you like hi-tech concepts like Dyson Spheres, uplift, and genetic engineering, but with a plot that takes you on an unforgettable ride, I think this will be right up your alley. Happy reading!

Dale wrote: "For the humor portion (with a little of the rest mixed in), try the Callahan's Saloon series by Spider Robinson. It's a bit dated, but the Skylark of Space series by E. E. "Doc" Smith is still goo..."

What is it, PunDay? Great series and fun stuff.

Brandon wrote: "I recommend the Xenogenesis trilogy by Octavia E. Butler. (Dawn, Adulthood Rites, Imago) if you're looking for a fascinating alien species; you'll find that in the Oankali, the race that is depicte..."

^^^this is what I would recommend

I put Ringworld and a couple other Niven on my TBR list. Love this thread.

Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis trilogy is amazing. I remember loving it back when I read it. Much of her work has really impressed me. I also would highly recommend it.

I've got another of Octavia's on my "To Read" list, but I'll add that one too. Thanks!