Looking for new reads

tonphil1960

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Joined
Feb 12, 2012
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16
Hi all, first post here, great forums. I am looking for a new series to start 3 books is ideal. I am a big fan of Al Reynolds who I came about by chance in the bookstore one day, loved the Rama's, CJ Cherrya, Bill Napier, Dune series, yet just couldnt finish Ringworld or Foundation. I was thinking The Mars series, Frank Herberts non-Dune books, Ben Bova which I havent read a years, CJ Cherrya etc. I like High Tech, mechanical, spacecraft heavy Space Opera. Any recommendations in Kindle ?

Thanks T
 
You could do worse than;

Iain M Banks's Culture books; more than 3 and not a series, they are all stand alone books in the same world.
Peter Hamilton's Night's Dawn, or Commonwealth books; not to everyone's taste (and very long books) but a lot of Reynolds fans (though by no means all) like Hamilton as well.
Neal Asher's Polity Books; several different series set in the same universe. There are 5 Ian Cormac books which form a series though most of the rest are fairly standalone.
 
Only thing is those are more "organic/symbolic" sort of (though so is the Reynolds and "Dune" stuff). For high tech mechanical spacecraft I'd think more like some Greg Bear, Charles Sheffield, Jack Campbell's "Lost Fleet" series, Robert L. Forward (though less directly centered on ships and not 3+ books) or the Bova/Cherryh stuff you've mentioned yourself. I haven't read too many non-Dune Herbert books but what I have read wouldn't seem right and the Mars stuff is largely a political treatise in which Robinson shows a little too clearly how hard he studied some of the hard SF details but he has no love of spaceships and there's not much space opera-y about it.

Given some of your examples, I take it "new" means "new to you" and not "published last year". And, as far as Kindle, I don't know anything one way or another.
 
Yes I admit I did base my suggestions largely on his recently completed Reynods series. For high tech space opera, J-Sun is quite right the Campbell Lost Fleet Series would be very good (though don't be put off by the dreadful US editions covers and blurbs). Even possibly David Weber's Honor Harrington books, though we are talking a lot more than three books there!
 
The Honor Harrington series by David Weber. All books can be found in the electronic format of your choice at Baen Books http://www.baen.com/ and the first 2 books are in the free library so you can get a feel for it without tapping your pocketbook. The rest of the books are $5.00 for the older ones and $6.00 for the newer.
 
Thanks everyone, I will look into all your suggestions. Yes I mean new to me, not new on the market. I am not against the wide ranging Space Opera that combines the political and tech and strong characters. Organic/symbolic is just fine I loved all the original Dunes and will probably read them all again at some point, they are not heavy on Tech but I doubt we'll have anything of that caliber coming our way soon. The closest thing I have found to the real extended storyline like Dune is A Reynolds, his books really amazed me. Stand alone books taking place in the same worlds, universes are great with me. I just like a little longer read than one book on its own. I guess I am looking for the perfect Sci Fi/Space Opera that mixes all of the above, will probably have to wait a long time for that to happen.

Thanks T
 
The closest thing I have found to the real extended storyline like Dune is A Reynolds, his books really amazed me... I just like a little longer read than one book on its own.

Definitely sounds to me like you should give Hamilton a try. Extended stoylines, and certainly a "longer read" :)
 
Read Leviathan Wakes. The second (and not to mention third) books aren't out yet (though I think the second is coming pretty soon). You will love that book. It's quite long, but it's definitely the best Space Opera I read this year. It fits your description of spacecraft heavy, high tech mechanical space opera perfectly. Also if you have ever played Mass Effect or watched Firefly, there are some similarities. Pretty much a captain and his crew accidentally starting a war and getting into all sorts of shenanigans. And it's actually all set in our own Solar System, and FTL travel hasn't been invented. Despite this, it definitely falls into the Space Opera genre. The setting is awesome, and still retains the sweeping scale of other space operas.

And on the subject of Alastair Reynolds, if you haven't read it already, read Revelation Space.
 
Of non-Dune Frank Herbert books I'd recommend 'The Dosadi Experiment' (skip the earlier 'Whipping Star' as it's not at the same level IMO and you don't need it to enjoy the second book).

I'd also put in a recommendation for C. J. Cherryh's 'The Faded Sun' trilogy.
 
I'd also put in a recommendation for C. J. Cherryh's 'The Faded Sun' trilogy.

That would have been my first Cherryh suggestion as well, but I was limiting myself to what Amazon has listed for Kindle.
 
Why are you limiting yourself to kindle books? Seriously, there are a lot of books you would be missing out on.

I'd imagine it would be something to do with wanting to read it on Kindle and Kindles only support amazon's .mobi format I believe.

The whole reason I went with Sony instead. Would have gone with nook but can't get it here.

Although there is always converting software, but they can cause errors and be annoying.
 
I am not limiting myself to Kindle but I do have it and have sworn to not buy many hardcopy books for the near future. I am going to download a few today and see which I like and move on from there.

Tony
 
Leviathan Wakes was my choice, looks like a great single book to check into. Ill post my review on the boards, thanks all for your opinions, all the books mentioned will be looked into.
Itll be a while before I read it ( have to finish The Coldest Winter, by David Halberstam) I am a huge Military History fan also.

Thanks T
 

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