The Sword and Laser discussion

I just listened the latest S&L and I'm so with Tom on wanting a spaceship book!

I'm reading Locke Lamora with everybody else, but I need a book with ships as an alternative pick.

So, favorite spaceship book recently? Mine is Leviathan Wakes. I'm not normally a fan of co-authors but this one was really quite well done.

There are a lot of good books with space ships to choose from. I know on Basalisk Station has been mention already, but here are a few others I enjoyed. Guess it depends on if we just want a book with lots of space battles or something set in a universe with space ships.

Mutineers Moon by David Weber
Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan (no space battles)
The Lost Fleet series by Jack Cambell
Troy Rising by John Ringo
The Gathering Flame by Debra Doyle & James MacDonald
Enders Game by Orson Scott Card

I would agree with List Fleet, a good series and book one can stand on its own.

In danger of being a broken record but I really enjoyed Old Man's War.

Non-Stop by Brian Aldiss
Tau Zero by Poul Anderson

Nick wrote: "In danger of being a broken record but I really enjoyed Old Man's War."

Loved that series!

The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell
Jesuits in space! Which is a concept that makes more sense when you get into it. (And while many of the main characters were Jesuits, there was also atheists and Jews, as an atheist I didn't feel like I was being preached at).

Warchild - Karin Lowachee
Excellent book that kicks off a series of three book about the effects of interstellar war on boys. All excellent character studies and refreshing takes on military sf. Contains distressingly evil space pirates. (Fair warning, the book starts out in the second person, there is a good reason for this, and it switches to... I can't remember if it's third or first later)

Dust - Elizabeth Bear
A generation ship with broken engines has collapsed in to a feudal society. Very interesting book, that at first glance looks like it's mixed fantasy in with sci-fi, but is really just using Clarke's third law to interrogate the hell out of some overused fantasy tropes. You can also ignore all that if you like an focus on the story and how cool the nano tech and rouge AI is.

Nick wrote: "In danger of being a broken record but I really enjoyed Old Man's War."

So you're saying you liked Old Man's War?

terpkristin wrote: "Nick wrote: "In danger of being a broken record but I really enjoyed Old Man's War."

So you're saying you liked Old Man's War?"

What I'm saying is that if I was at a diner and had just had Old Man's War as desert, I'd order seconds.

The Sparrow is one of the best books I have ever read, full stop. And it does have spaceships in it.

Ahemmm... Pandora's Star

A few that come to mind

Light
Natural History
Ship of Fools

Dozens of books come to mind
but Old Man's War is probably the best.
(Side note-Tom hasn't read the book and neither
has Veronica)

I second the The Gathering Flame. I love a good space opera. The Liaden series is also fantastic, starting with Agent of Change. Tanya Huff's Valor's Choice is good military science fiction. This Alien Shore is just good.
Also as I've seen others mention, C. J. Cherryh's Company War/Alliance-Union books are classics.

CJ Cherryh is good and Jack McDevitt is also...

Not a book, but I thought of Tom when I saw today's woot shirt:


http://shirt.woot.com/Blog/ViewEntry....

I am a bit hesitant to admit this, but I have NEVER read a "space ship" book (yes, that includes The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy which I tried to read in my teens but did not understand at the time many many years ago) , and am not really even sure what is meant by "space opera" (but I have an idea). So, I am really looking forward to the laser selection this time in hopes that my more space-ship experienced comrades on this forum will help pick a selection that will get my motor humming for a "space-ship" book!!

Leviathan Wakes has been on my to-buy list, and I know it is new so many have probably not read it yet. Would it fit a "space-ship" book theme?

terpkristin wrote: "Not a book, but I thought of Tom when I saw today's woot shirt:


http://shirt.woot.com/Blog/ViewEntry...."

Cool shirt!

How about A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge?

Listing my favorite author or the last book I read is easy.Coming up with a book that involves space ships and that a Scifi fan has't already read is a bit more difficult.

Another vote for The Sparrow. Jesuits in spaaaaaace like Kate said, but very thought provoking.

I'll add my support to Leviathan Wakes. I loved it. The sequel comes out later this year.

Old Man's War FTW.

Now that we've made these recommendations
he'll come up with something completely different.

http://goo.gl/gY7HZ

I read part of Leviathan Wakes. I don't know. It seemed more like The Rockford Files than science fiction. It is accessible.

Nick wrote: "What I'm saying is that if I was at a diner and had just had Old Man's War as desert, I'd order seconds. ..."

Me too, and I did. It's called The Ghost Brigades. That one is almost as good, so I am ordering thirds :)

terpkristin wrote: "Nick wrote: "In danger of being a broken record but I really enjoyed Old Man's War."

So you're saying you liked Old Man's War?"

Javier Bardem was fantastic in it

I say The Quiet War or The Praxis, book one of the Dread Empire's Fall series.

Keith wrote: "terpkristin wrote: "Nick wrote: "In danger of being a broken record but I really enjoyed Old Man's War."

So you're saying you liked Old Man's War?"

Javier Bardem was fa..."

Movie hasn't been made of the book yet. I think you are thinking "No Country For Old Men" to which I say, Damn it man! Keep your head in the right genre!!!!

Hehe.

My favourite spaceship book of all time is Excession (by Iain M. Banks). While it would not be my pick as the first Culture-series book, it's the most spaceship-centric of them.

Not sure if Banks has been read to death already, though.

Iain M Banks really does write exceptional spaceship books.

Jukka wrote: "My favourite spaceship book of all time is Excession (by Iain M. Banks). While it would not be my pick as the first Culture-series book, it's the most spaceship-centric o..."

I second that.

Can I recommend:
Hidden Empire (The Saga of Seven Suns #1)
By Kevin J Anderson. A terrific sprawling space saga with ancient races, ruins, empires and lots and lots of spaceships. You will love it.

Jess wrote: "The Sparrow is one of the best books I have ever read, full stop. And it does have spaceships in it."

Jenny wrote: "Another vote for The Sparrow. Jesuits in spaaaaaace like Kate said, but very thought provoking."

Another vote for The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. I have yet to hear someone who read this and didn't like it. It's got good reviews on Amazon, Audible, and Goodreads.

And it's part of Audible's Win-Win Sale for $4.95 until it ends March 13, 2012 at 11 AM ET. http://bit.ly/zEKbYH

I've also found it free via Overdive on a local library's website.

Available inexpensively on multiple formats, plenty of good reviews, and at least one spaceship. Plus it's written by a woman, so we could get a taste of female perspective on space exploration. And no vampires, I think.

Reading a Steve Gibson (the Steve from the TWIT network) recommendation - Dauntless. Fleets of spaceships in battle. Oh yea! I'm about 55% through it and looking forward to completing the series.

cheers, Jim

Jim wrote: "Dauntless. Fleets of spaceships in battle."

I'll have to admit that I couldn't read the series past the first book. The author's habit of writing out every single thought of the protagonist (and he wasn't spoiled with variety) slowly drove me mad. Though I listened it as audiobook and the style might work slightly better as written. The physics of space combat and fleet action were good, though, as one could expect from an ex-naval officer.

Jim wrote: "Reading a Steve Gibson (the Steve from the TWIT network) recommendation - Dauntless. Fleets of spaceships in battle. Oh yea! I'm about 55% through it and looking forward to complet..."

Jim's vote for Dauntless seconded. Really entertaining series. I've read them all on Audible and eagerly await the next.

Philip wrote: "Another vote for The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. I have yet to hear someone who read this and didn't like it. It's got good reviews on Amazon, Audible, and Goodreads."

Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but I rather disliked it. While the concept of the Vatican funding an interstellar mission is intriguing and Father Emilio is a truly great character, the whole climax of the narrative relies on multiple people doing incredibly stupid things. I don't think the author did any research at all into manned spaceflight or the amount of planning and risk analysis that goes into such things. The end of the story leaves you hanging for the sequel, and the sequel's resolution is laughably bad. That said, the characterization is fantastic, and it draws you in. You quickly come to care about the characters and want to know what happens to them. I can understand why people like the book so much. I just wish the plotting was a little more intelligent. Just my two cents.

My suggestion would be one of Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan novels. Cordelia's Honor is a good place to start.

John Ringo is great, along as you take the right wing republican, or Jeffersonian, views with a grain of salt.
But I really enjoyed the "Star Carrier" series by Ian Douglas. Just wrapping up the third one now. Makes me want to find out if there were ever any books written about the old anime show, "StarBlazers".

Ed wrote: "Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but I rather disliked it. While the concept of the Vatican funding an interstellar mission is intriguing and Father Emilio is a truly great character, the whole climax of the narrative relies on multiple people doing incredibly stupid things. I don't think the author did any research at all into manned spaceflight or the amount of planning and risk analysis that goes into such things. The end of the story leaves you hanging for the sequel, and the sequel's resolution is laughably bad. That said, the characterization is fantastic, and it draws you in. You quickly come to care about the characters and want to know what happens to them. I can understand why people like the book so much. I just wish the plotting was a little more intelligent. Just my two cents...."

Sounds like it'll still work for me. I'm pretty forgiving of plot holes and details if I enjoy the characters and overall story.

Coupla spaceship book notions:

Schismatrix by Bruce Sterling (he did hard sci-fi early on)

The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks (major space wars)

Saturn's Children by Charles Stross (Yeah, I know - this one is entirely different)

Bios by Robert Charles Wilson

Peter F. Hamilton - Night's Dawn trilogy.

It's only three 1000 page books. ;)

Philip wrote: "Sounds like it'll still work for me. I'm pretty forgiving of plot holes and details if I enjoy the characters and overall story. "

Me too! If i love a story I usually won't even notice any of these so called "plot holes". I take the story for what its worth, it will take my wife or someone else pointing out a problem to me for me to even notice it.

Take the movie Toy Story for instance. It wasn't until last year (16 years after the movie was released) that I wondered why Buzz Lightyear stopped being "alive" while Andy was in the room. Talk about a plot hole to rule them all! And I never stopped to think about that until I was 28 ;)

Tamahome wrote: "Peter F. Hamilton - Night's Dawn trilogy.

It's only three 1000 page books. ;)"

I told my kid to read this, but it appears I'm missing The Reality Dysfunction 1: Emergence. I guess I'll have to give old Pete a few more pesos and buy the newer trade paperbacks that aren't split into two parts.

Micah wrote: "Take the movie Toy Story for instance."

Me too! If i love a story I usually won't even not..."

Let's look at Cars. Who built the buildings?

I'll chime in to vote for Pandora's Star (because I'm already reading it - though if you're listening on a commute, beware: the narrator tends to drop the ends of his phrases and mutters occasionally) or the Space Jesuits.

And I'll also pull a Nick and nominate the book I mention in every other post: Red Mars. Space ships, space sports, space sex... a whole lotta space shit goin' on.

aldenoneil wrote: "And I'll also pull a Nick and nominate the book I mention in every other post"

I don't really expect them to pick it but after the third time I posted the book link I figured I'd go with the old comic device of repetition which according to Wikipedia is one of the lowest forms of humor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comedic_...

Nick wrote: "I figured I'd go with the old comic device of repetition which according to Wikipedia is one of the lowest forms of humor."

Listen, after another forty times I'll be laughing my ass off. Funny is funny.

The Toy Story universe makes perfect sense to me - your toys can move and talk, but it's against the rules for people to see it happen. They can move when Andy's in the room, they just don't.

Cars...oy. When that movie first came out, DH and I talked for an hour trying to figure out how the hell that world was supposed to work. We never did work out where little cars came from.

Red Mars! Yes! Except it's another first-in-a-giant-trilogy. But we should probably read it now before the Startram and Virgin Galactic take off and the series doesn't count as sci-fi anymore.

The Ship who sang
The rolling Stones
Time for the Stars

Jess wrote: "The Toy Story universe makes perfect sense to me - your toys can move and talk, but it's against the rules for people to see it happen. They can move when Andy's in the room, they just don't."

for sure. It works until you think about the fact that buzz light year doesn't KNOW he's a toy. He thinks he's a space ranger. So why does he freeze when Andy walks in the room?