[Salt-Man Z]

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.

Niven & Pournelle's The Mote in God's Eye and Orson Scott Card's Speaker for the Dead are two classic First Contact stories. The latter in particular has the mystery angle going (what with the "why are these happy friendly aliens murdering our xenobiologists?" and all.)

[amphibian]

Niven did a tremendous job with the Ringworld books and his co-author job with Pournelle on the Motie duology is spectacular as well.

He's a rather good author, although not as interested in exploring the emotional experience of characters as much as Iain Banks or someone like that.

[Serenity]

amphibian, on 26 February 2014 - 03:57 PM, said:

Niven did a tremendous job with the Ringworld books and his co-author job with Pournelle on the Motie duology is spectacular as well.

He's a rather good author, although not as interested in exploring the emotional experience of characters as much as Iain Banks or someone like that.

Yeah, that's pretty much my thoughts, too. I haven't read the Mote books, shall have to get them now - ever since remembering Legacy of Heorot this morning I've been wanting to read it again, must be 25 years since I read it. I thought it was fantastic, one of the best novels about colonisation of another planet that I've read, and pretty scary, too. Kind of like Alien, but with actual science.

[Abyss]

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

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

You're in luck... we do that here.
Hard.

Quote

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.

More in the nature of scientists discover rather than create, but on both points let me point you at Fahy's FRAGMENT and PANDEMONIUM, and Alten's MEG series.
Characters and plots, not so much, but great nasty beasties.

Fahy focuses on what happens when a closed ecosystem goes wild for a few million years, while Alten's MEG is exactly what it says on the label... Jurassic Sharks.

Quote

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.

I'm on bk 5 of RM Meluch's TOUR OF THE MERRIMACK and loving it. A bit less military than Weber, but better characters and some great space shootouts.

Quote

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 can't outreco the upthread for Reynolds. He's the master of that sort of thing.

In a more action/thriller vein you may enjoy Patrick Lee's BREACH trilo - THE BREACH, GHOST COUNTRY and DEEP SKY. It's faily light on the science part, doesn't try to explain how things work very much, but uses the sf elements to great effect for the action and occasional mindfuckery.

[Grief]

amphibian, on 26 February 2014 - 04:59 AM, said:

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.

And Perdido Street Station needs the Scar for...absolutely no reason because it's much more rounded.

And better in just about every other way.

However, given how often this discussion comes up, I suspect we're going to cover nothing new. I would be curious to know which you read first though.

[Tiste Simeon]

These don't necessarily fit directly in any of the categories you mentioned but kind of touch on all of them throughout the various book, but Iain M Banks Culture series are all excellent. Like I said they aren't strictly what you're looking for but I reckon you would enjoy them based on what you have said!

Also, I apparently can't take part in a discussion on sci-fi type books without mentioning the Culture series!

[Abyss]

Oh hey, one more... John Love's FAITH. It's sf, ship vs ship action with a dose of new weird. Great read.

[Andorion]

Abyss, on 27 February 2014 - 10:53 PM, said:

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

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

You're in luck... we do that here.
Hard.

Quote

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.

More in the nature of scientists discover rather than create, but on both points let me point you at Fahy's FRAGMENT and PANDEMONIUM, and Alten's MEG series.
Characters and plots, not so much, but great nasty beasties.

Fahy focuses on what happens when a closed ecosystem goes wild for a few million years, while Alten's MEG is exactly what it says on the label... Jurassic Sharks.

Quote

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.

I'm on bk 5 of RM Meluch's TOUR OF THE MERRIMACK and loving it. A bit less military than Weber, but better characters and some great space shootouts.

Quote

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 can't outreco the upthread for Reynolds. He's the master of that sort of thing.

In a more action/thriller vein you may enjoy Patrick Lee's BREACH trilo - THE BREACH, GHOST COUNTRY and DEEP SKY. It's faily light on the science part, doesn't try to explain how things work very much, but uses the sf elements to great effect for the action and occasional mindfuckery.

I have read Fragment, have not yet got my hands on Pandemonium. I have heard of Alten but I read a review of the first Meg book criticizing it a lot, so I nevere really went into that series. Patrick Lee's Breach looks very promising. R.M>Meluch is a name I have not heard before, but is definitely intriguing. Thanx!!

[Andorion]

Abyss, on 28 February 2014 - 02:00 PM, said:

Oh hey, one more... John Love's FAITH. It's sf, ship vs ship action with a dose of new weird. Great read.

read the blurb.....Very very interesting

[Andorion]

Has anybody here read Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice? And Greg Bear's Hull Zero Three

[Baco Xtath]

Andorion, on 02 March 2014 - 11:15 AM, said:

Has anybody here read Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice? And Greg Bear's Hull Zero Three

Ancillary Justice is being touted by some as the next big thing. I've yet to read it but it is in my pile/mountain of books somewhere near the top. Haven't read any of Bear's stuff so can't comment there.

[Coco with marshmallows]

Read Ancilliary Justice.

Not bad, will definitely pick up the sequel when it crops up.

[Mentalist]

For no 1, a bit of slow burn, with a lot of interesting side fluff on the way, but the "discover something" would surely apply to Jeff Vander Meer's "Amberghis" cycle-City of Saints and Madmen, Shriek, and Finch. Also, I suppose you've read the classic "Lost world" by Arthur Conan-Doyle?

Another intersting example is "Bookman Histories" trilo by Lavie Tidhar. Though it's less about straight-up destroying stuff, more about alternative history where 19th century fiction is all real.

You may also want to check out Gavin Smith's "Veteran" and "War in Heaven" duology, though it's much more post-apocalyptic cyberpunk, and doesn't really get to the aliens till later. Still, it's a really cool read imo, my favourite books of 2013.

[polishgenius]

Anne Leckie's Ancillary Justice is excellent, and fits smack bang into request 3 in your original post.

It's quite Banksian, but with a more military flavour.