[Jenae LaTorque]

Originally Posted by TheAngryPostman

Mostly fiction and sci-fi but I like realistic sci-fi.

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Realistic Science Fiction ???????

I am not sure what you mean by the add on term "realistic" that you use here. I think you are using the term to exclude fantasy type stories with elves, witches, wizards, etc. As you know. the line between the two genres is often blurred as in the Pern stories which focus on dragons. The worlds of science fiction are usually set in our future which makes it un-realistic to many so I will just reccomend some SF that I have found enjoyable and worthwhile.

1. Anything by Robert Heinlein starting with Stranger in a Strange Land . There is a reason he has won more Hugo awards for novels than anybody else.

2. The Dune Series by Frank Herbert. Even the continuation of the series by his son with K. Anderson are worthwhile.

3. The Ender Wiggins series by Orson Scott Card. I have never ever forgot the short story that spawned this series. Talk about a big oak tree that sprang from a little acorn.

4. The Foundation Series by Issac Assimov. Another author like Heinlein who has written tons of great books.


These are just a few. I could go on for hours talking about SF. But on to other genres. I have favorite authors of whom I love almost anything they write.

Stephan King - The master. There is a valid reason why he is the yardstick by which others are measured. The Stand is one of my all time favorites!

Anne Rice - Even if you don't care for vampire fiction, you should read Cry to Heaven and Memnoch the Devil. Forget about the crap she has written since she returned to the fold and embraced Christianity. She comes across like a naive beginner in those.

Colleen McCullough - Her series on Roman history has been characterised as "a work of monumental fiction" and I couldn't agree more. They are a great read. It doesn't matter if you are familiar with the history of Rome or not, she brings the characters to life like few other authors can, and creates a totally believable scenario from the immense amount of research she did prior to her writing.

James Michener - Which of his books did I like? Every last one of them!

I hope this is enough for now. It is hard to recommend a book to someone. Especially when you know next to nothing about them. I have read a lot of books in my life and it is hard to separate out the ones to reccomend; I have read so many good books. My folks gave me and my siblings a big advantage in this area. There was no TV in our house when I was a child and since we lived in the country, books were a constant influence. The interesting thing there is that my Dad, who was primarily responsible for this, wasn't near a voracious reader as any of us kids. Never understood this, or him, I guess. In later years he spent hours watching sports on TV; something I consider a great waste of time. I could give rat shit about whether the Broncs beat the Chiefs in a game, and I damn sure wasn't going to waste time watching the process. Thanks, Dad!