[Andorion]

I am hoping to get suggestions on four types of books:

1. Where some scientists/organizations are creating some secret organism in a lab/have discovered some previously unknown thing somewhere and it breaks out and wreaks havoc. Classic example: Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park.
2. Where some monstrous creature/mutation/previously extinct creature arrives and starts killing people/destroying stuff example: Jaws.
3. This is totally different from the other two; large scale space navy battles, humans vs aliens, humans vs other human factions, preferably with faster than light travel. I really like large-scale space navy with multiple POVS including commanding officers. Example David Weber's Honor Harrington series.
4. Where a scientific expedition finds mysterious alien life/artifact on another planet/space/space station/ or even near earth and have to figure it out.

I am really hoping for some good suggestions as this forum is superfull with really well read people. I picked up on Glen Cook and Brandon Sanderson from reading posts here. I know most of the fiction in these categories is pretty light, but I need something to unwind with as I have to do some really heavy reading as part of my work.
Thanks in advance!!

This post has been edited by Andorion: 25 February 2014 - 01:56 PM

[Aptorian]

Perdido Street Station and Scar, both by China Mieville might work for you.

Same with The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons.

Maybe somebody else can comment on this but I believe there is also some kind of monsters in his two newest books The Terror and The Abominable.

[Andorion]

I read the first tow books of the Hyperion Cantos. Not Endymion and Rise of Endymion. Hyperion is awesome. Thanks for the other suggestions. I have been meaning to read China Mieville for sometime now. How are his books? I once picked up something by him called the Kraken at a library and remember being intrigued by the blurb on the back

[Aptorian]

PSS and Scar are two relatively straight forward fantasy books, or should I say weird fiction? Set in a steampunk like universe where he mixed magic and technology in strange ways. The first book can be a bit hard to get into. It's only after the first 100 pages that the story really gets under way but when it does it, oh boy.

Kraken was not really to my liking. I liked the quirky british dialogue and the mixing of the modern and the fantastic but I thought the story was pretty unsatisfying.

[dietl]

Blindsight by Peter Watts is exactly what you are looking for. Or you could try The Gap Cycle by Stephen Donaldson.

[QuickTidal]

Andorion, on 25 February 2014 - 01:53 PM, said:

4. Where a scientific expedition finds mysterious alien life/artifact on another planet/space/space station/ or even near earth and have to figure it out.

If you aren't averse to denser reads, this is pretty much what Alastair Reynolds REVELATION SPACE series is about. It's a slow boil, but very good and worth the time and effort.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 25 February 2014 - 03:45 PM

[Coco with marshmallows]

with regard to number 3:

Human vs Humans/Aliens :the Starfire series by David Weber and Steve White:

Crusade/Insurrection/In Death Ground/The Shiva Option.

Humans vs Humans: The Lost Fleet Series by Jack Campbell:

The Lost Fleet: Dauntless
The Lost Fleet: Fearless
The Lost Fleet: Courageous
The Lost Fleet: Valiant
The Lost Fleet: Relentless
The Lost Fleet: Victorious

Which in the sequel series Beyond the Frontier progresses to Humans vs Aliens:

Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnaught
Beyond the Frontier: Invincible
Beyond the Frontier: Guardian
Beyond the Frontier: Steadfast

[Binder of Demons]

Also you could try the uplift series by David Brin.

The first book, Sundiver isn't really that great (but not too bad either) but it does lay out the ground rules for his universe. The second book, Startide Rising is great fun and might actually tick every box you mention above. You could quite easily start on that book too since there is enough exposition to fill in the story from the first book. The 3rd book, The Uplift War is more of the same and again is great fun. Humans, aliens, a mystery, intrigue, and some space battles. Good old school sci-fi which is really easy to read.

There is a follow up trilogy which is also very enjoyable.

[Andorion]

QuickTidal, on 25 February 2014 - 03:45 PM, said:

Andorion, on 25 February 2014 - 01:53 PM, said:

4. Where a scientific expedition finds mysterious alien life/artifact on another planet/space/space station/ or even near earth and have to figure it out.

If you aren't averse to denser reads, this is pretty much what Alastair Reynolds REVELATION SPACE series is about. It's a slow boil, but very good and worth the time and effort.

I actually read the Revelation Space trilogy a while back. Its awesome. Reynolds is one of my favourite authors. Though I like House of Suns best I think. I haven't read his new Poseidon books yet though. I was thinking more on the line of Arthur C Clarke's 2001 a Space Odyssey.

[Andorion]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. Peter Watts seems pretty interesting. The Steve White-David Weber series as well. David Brin... another one to look up.....just love this, discovering new authors, looking up new books.... I once spent 5 hours continuously looking up new authors....
Keep the suggestions coming everybody.

This post has been edited by Andorion: 25 February 2014 - 04:49 PM

[Aptorian]

Oh,I don't know how it skipped my mind but China Mieville also wrote Railsea. The story is a fantasy version of Moby Dick where the world is some kind of mutated wasteland covered in train tracks. There's a "Hunting train" that is seeking the legendary Great White Mole. Which is simply GIGANTIC. It creates small mountains of earth when it emerges from the ground.

The sky is also all kinds of fucked up and there tentacled things floating around in the poison sky.

[Grief]

Another vote for Mieville here, Perdido Street Station is his best imo, followed by The Scar (cue inevitable debate on which is slightly better than the other).

I'll also second Alistair Reynolds, if you like vast space operas.

For something lighter, The Attrocity Archives by Charlie Stross is a quick and quirky lovecraftian spy novel. Not entirely too serious as you may have guessed, but not entirely comic either.

Whitechapel Gods is more steampunk, with a more contained narrative. It's not doing anything hugely ambitious, but it's well written and really blazes along.

[Tiste Simeon]

Night's Dawn Trilogy by Peter F Hamilton should fit the bill at number 3 (and sort of 4 as well!)

[Andorion]

Briar King, on 26 February 2014 - 01:02 AM, said:

I recommend The Expanse series! It's 3 books and 2 novellas at the moment with another 3 books and more novellas planned. It has some really cool things I think you'd find from your list.

It's set all in our solar system maybe 150 yrs from now. Look into it. 1st book is Leviathan Wakes.

By Expanse you mean the one by James Corey right? Did you know his real name is Daniel Abraham? I was thinking of starting his Long Price series. But Expanse looks very promising indeed. thanx a million.

[amphibian]

There isn't a debate: The Scar is much better than Perdido Street Station and the former really only needs the latter to more fully establish how sinister New Crobuzon really is.

[Serenity]

Andorion, on 25 February 2014 - 01:53 PM, said:

4. Where a scientific expedition finds mysterious alien life/artifact on another planet/space/space station/ or even near earth and have to figure it out.

Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep kind of fits into this - researchers uncover a data archive and unleash a malevolent intelligence, humans escape and crash on a planet that's home to a previously unknown life form (which is probably my favourite alien species in any book I've read to date, the Tines). And this all happens in the first 20 pages.

You could also have a look at Jack McDevitt's The Engines of God. It's nowhere near as good, but it is all about the discovery of alien artifacts.

[Serenity]

There was another one nagging away at the back of my mind and I've just remembered what it was: The Legacy of Heorot by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle and Steven Barnes.

[Andorion]

Serenity, on 26 February 2014 - 09:00 AM, said:

There was another one nagging away at the back of my mind and I've just remembered what it was: The Legacy of Heorot by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle and Steven Barnes.

I have read McDevitt. I think his books are a bit uneven and a bit slow.... Thanks for the suggestion on Vinge. How is Larry Niven as an author in general? I mean not just the one you referred but his other stuff?

[Andorion]

Maybe Apt, on 25 February 2014 - 02:22 PM, said:

PSS and Scar are two relatively straight forward fantasy books, or should I say weird fiction? Set in a steampunk like universe where he mixed magic and technology in strange ways. The first book can be a bit hard to get into. It's only after the first 100 pages that the story really gets under way but when it does it, oh boy.

Kraken was not really to my liking. I liked the quirky british dialogue and the mixing of the modern and the fantastic but I thought the story was pretty unsatisfying.

Started Perdido Street Station today. Like you said, the first chapter or so was a bit of work but I am finding myself really liking the world he is creating. I have a bit of a weakness for well-crafted large cityscapes, which is why SE hooked me with Darujhistan in GotM.

[Baco Xtath]

Andorion, on 26 February 2014 - 01:23 PM, said:

Maybe Apt, on 25 February 2014 - 02:22 PM, said:

PSS and Scar are two relatively straight forward fantasy books, or should I say weird fiction? Set in a steampunk like universe where he mixed magic and technology in strange ways. The first book can be a bit hard to get into. It's only after the first 100 pages that the story really gets under way but when it does it, oh boy.

Kraken was not really to my liking. I liked the quirky british dialogue and the mixing of the modern and the fantastic but I thought the story was pretty unsatisfying.

Started Perdido Street Station today. Like you said, the first chapter or so was a bit of work but I am finding myself really liking the world he is creating. I have a bit of a weakness for well-crafted large cityscapes, which is why SE hooked me with Darujhistan in GotM.

You're going to love New Crobuzon then. Other really well crafted cities you should check out are Vandermeer's Ambergris and Felix Gilman's Ararat.