Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy discussion

What books have you read that you love, but never see other people even mention (good or bad)?

Gordon R. Dickson has two books of short stories that I always recommend - "Beginnings" and "Ends". "Beginnings" has one of my favorite short stories of all time - a piece called "Idiot Solvant" that I reread several times a year for inspiration.

Dickson himself is more "obscure" now than he used to be - he was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel twice, and he won the Hugo for Best Short Story once (and was nominated another time). But I rarely see him mentioned anywhere - and like I said, Beginnings/Ends are my favorite of his.

What books do you like that you never see mentioned?

Martians, Go Home by Fredric Brown...the funniest SF novel EVER

Man of Many Minds by E. Everett Evans seems to be unknown. It's a fun old space opera & free on Gutenberg.org.

Star Smashers of the Galaxy Rangers by Harry Harrison is another. It's a spoof of Campbellian SF.

The Gor series (Chronicles of Counter Earth) by John Norman was something I read back in the early 1980's. I can't say I can recommend it these days; it's a bit campy by today's standards and the concept of an earthlike planet sharing our orbit around the sun exactly one hundred and eighty degrees out of phase has been soundly disproved by satellites. But as an artist and someone who always carried around a drawing pad between classes, I was always captivated by the stunning Boris Vallejo covers.

I also enjoyed the Retief series by Keith Laumer for some spoofy, light-heartedness.

I never see either series talked about much.

Seahorse in the Sky by Edmund Cooper. Almost no one talks about his work, but I like it a lot. His books balance characterisation and "what if" beautifully.

Bolo Rising Keith Laumer's Bolo novels, expanded by other writers. An exact opposite of the AI will destroy mankind theme that is the default these days. Bolos are smart, loyal, unwavering in their trust in mankind, as well as the greatest fighting machines ever built. When all else has been stripped from humankind, the Bolos remain at our side. Again almost no one ever mentions these books or the marvellous characters of the Bolos themselves.

Great topic, William! (Unfortunately, I can't think of one.)

Robopocalypse Man, I loved that book! :) I think I got it from a GR giveaway, but REALLY enjoyed it.

The Looking Glass Wars I'm not sure if this fits the genre, but has anyone read this? I have only read this one (first in the series), but I thought he did a really good job of twisting and retelling a story we're all comfortable with and making it dark/action packed/interesting.

Dragon Weather
The Dragon Society
Dragon Venom

I quite enjoyed this as well, but don't think I've ever heard anyone mention them.

Also, Solstice Wood.

Gather in the Hall of Planets by Barry Malzberg...it's a SF story with a SF convention as backdrop...a fun book

Some obscure ones that I've enjoyed...

The Chronicles of Scar Discovered this old paperback at the old book sale. Typical street rat turns out to be a prince story, but I loved the smart ass hero whose only goal is always not to die. Had to look HARD for the other two books in the series. Not great literature or anything but fun.

Eifelheim Not sure how obscure this one is, but I thought the concept of aliens coming to Earth during the Plague was very cool.

The Legacy of Heorot Not the best known of Niven's books but an action-packed read. Still haven't managed to lay my hands on the sequel, but I look for it when I'm in used book stores.

Kivrin wrote: "Still haven't managed to lay my hands on the sequel..."
The sequel is quite rare, and not really up to the promise of Heorot, but even so, it is certainly worth a read (carnivorous bees on speed!). Good luck with your search

There are problems with the Gor books that have nothing to do with their campiness or geological issues.

How about GREY MANE OF MORNING, by Joy Chant> A stupendous fantasy by a woman who did not write anywhere near enough.