Old School SF

[froggyguy]

Anyone else a fan of old school SF? (Science Fiction for non-fans out there ;3 ) I've read most of the classics, Asimov, Heinlein, Herbert, Clarke, and Bradbury
I think my current all-time favorite out of these authors is Herbert's Dune. It is amazingly believable in terms of the environment that the characters are in. The economic, environmental and political stystem all seem so thorough and so possible that you can't help but get engaged. Dune is also an amazing mix of fantasy and SF. The desert planet sandworms are reminiscent of dragons in a way, the whole mythical beast aspect, and while technology runs rapant within their world, it's presented in such a natural way that it practically fades into the background as the reader accepts it as normal.
Definately recomended reading x3

Another favorite is Puppet Masters by Heinlein. It's an exciting and novel twist on the aliens-have-invaded-planet-earth plot. It's also in that wonderful spot after he really got into his writing grove, and before he started writing what basically amounts to porn.

Anyone else got recomendations for good, solid SF? Or just wants to chat about what's so great about it? ^^

[tsukasa]

I love Ray Harreihousen (damn, its really late, i know i spelt that wrong)
Azimov, Sagan, and Wells more than the others.

[Aratos]

I'm a huge fan of the Rama books. Assimov was quite intersting, and I suppose I enjoyed Dune. I'm more of a "horribly pessimistic sci-fi" fan though. PKD and the like.

[froggyguy]

oh, Rama was good :3 Except I remember not liking the last sentence of the last book. >,>
I think Asimov has some really really good pessimistic short stories.

And if you like pessimistic SF, have you read Snow Crash? It's not old-school SF (it's by Neal Stephenson) but it's very good :3

[Stuck_Process]

I've always been a die hard asimov fan read almost all of his stuff, I never did like dune though, it was entertaining when reading it (only read the first few books). But I quickly lost interrest. I really liked Gibsons (Mona Lisa Overdrive, Neuromancer, etc) books, kinda new school though. I read a few other authors as well, but Asimov and Gibson remain my favourites.

[froggyguy]

I just picked up Neuromancer recently, haven't had a chance to read it yet :P
regarding Dune, the one that I'm raving about is only the first one. I think it kind of lost track of where it was going by the 4th and 5th books...the 2nd and 3rd are still good, but the 1st is a real gem in my mind :3

[Aratos]

Ah, Neuromancer. Possibly the greatest cyberpunk book ever written. And got an impossible video game made from it.

[shadowmose]

In God Emperor of Dune, What future was Leto trying to prevent? Wasn't Leto raising Atreides with the ability of not being able to be seen with prescinece? I heard it could be that thinking machines would come back or that another would use prescinece to rule the universe.

[PeterAhlstrom]

I love Ray Harreihousen (damn, its really late, i know i spelt that wrong)
Ray Harryhousen the monster movies special effects guy responsible for things like Clash of the Titans? I'm not sure that fits in the Novels forum...

Unless you actually meant Harry Harrison, writer of the Stainless Steel Rat books and also Make Room, Make Room! (basis for the movie Soylent Green). He's excellent.

[slyabnye]

Ray Bradbury is possibly one of my all time favorite authors. I wish I could remember which one of his stories I liked the best.

Duh, it was The Martian Chronicles.