I’m just finishing the thrid book of a trilogy by Alastair Reynolds ( Absolution Gap), which is probably the best hard sci-fi that I have read so far. That is next to the Mars trilogy by Kim Stanely Robinson. Can any one recomend a writer that that you think I will enjoy based on the two before mentioned?
My current favourite author is Iain M. Banks (He also writes non Sci Fi as Iain Banks ) less tech but more society and ‘Culture’ darn good yarn spinner . 
Spooky… I’m a huge sci-fi fan and whenever I see a second-hand bookshop I have to go see if there’s anything I don’t have that may be of interest. This past weekend the g/f and I were down in Swanage for a weekend of r&r and stumbled across just such a bookshop, and one of the books I bought was “Red Mars”… I’ve never read of Robinson’s works before but it looked intriguing. I presume it’s the first book in the trilogy?
If you want some good, hard sci-fi try some Greg Bear - check out “Eon”, it’s good stuff and the first book in a trilogy 
As people have mentioned, Iain Banks, the culture series is excellent, i particularly like Excession.
Not sure if the following could be classed as Hard Sci-Fi but;
My ‘flavour of the moment’ is William Gibson
“Neuromancer” imho is amazing, i have only had the book for maybe 2 months but have read it through twice.
After my first read through i had to go and get some more, so this was followed by:
“Mona Lisa Overdrive”
and
“Count Zero”
Also a very good book of short stories “Burning Chrome” explores many avenues of Sci-Fi, rather than the single theme that runs through the other three
HTH
Andy
Love Greg Bear’s stuff!
Also Orson Scott Card - Ender’s Game and Speaker for the Dead are classics.
I’ll mail this thread to DoubleTwelve (my Dad).
My parents are moving house to the Isle of Wight from Leicester and at the weekend they were sorting the loft. My Dad has a huge collection of sci-fi books, too many to initially list, but I’m not sure whether he is selling or taking with him to the new place.
I know its a :Pimp: post, but anyone interested if I get him to compile either a list or just count them up as a batch lot ?
He found loads of collectable vinyl albums as well, some going for over £40 on ebay just for the album sleeve and he has them all in near new condition !!!
DT.
I would recommend BEN BOVA… His writing style is excellent, his imagination is amazing!
I would suugest you start of by reading “Mars”, and the sequal to it “Return to Mars”
I know how he feels I have got about six small crates of SCI-FI books in the garage from the last move . mid sixties stuff onwards , currently re reading my collection . its amazing what little gems turn up also a lot of pooh .
Yes the first of three, followed by green and blue mars.I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. I’ll look into Bear and the others mentioned here thanks every one.
BEN BOVA gets my vote 
For hard SF I recommend:
“Mission of Gravity” by Hal Clement (in fact all his SF books…)
“The Pride of Chanur” by C J Cherryh, and its sequels and related books:
She writes both hard SF, fantasy and a few books which are a little harder to classify. Her Alliance/Union future history (“Downbelow Station” and others) is a magnificent achievement. “The Pride of Chanur” introduces a group of spacefaring civilisations one of which has just made contact with an Alliance/Union ship. The stories are told mainly from alien viewpoints, with a lone human caught up in, and sometimes complicating, the events.
Poul Anderson also wrote lots of first-rate hard SF stories. Try “The Man Who Counts”. “The Earth Book of Stormgate” contains that and other related stories.
Has anyone ever read “Shakespeare’s Planet” by Clifford D Simak? Excellent example of older sci-fi, one of my favourite books 
I got 3 of alistair reynolds books and there all fantastic
stephen baxter is good too although I only got 1 book of his it is wel good
ps. Ireland for the cup yay
Has he got any albums by the Who? I’d be tempted if he had…and if not I know someone that would be.
Anyhow for Sci-fi…I love Warhammer 40,000. For those that dont know, Warhammer 40,000 is a figure based wargame made by games workshop (the game Firewarrior was the first MAJOR computer game set in the universe)
Anyhow I used to play the game but am now bored/grown out of it but the background and universe is huge and most excellent reads!!
Dan Abnett is a good auother (look for a series of books called Gaunt’s Ghosts)… I The books are mostly sci fi/ war but some are sci-fi horror etc…
Recommend you check them out…