Far-future SF recommendations please

You've surely already read Azimov's Foundation series.
David Brin's Uplift series.
Peter F Hamilton's Neutronium Alchemist series.
Greg Bear's series about The Way.

I can probably think of more, but that lot should be a few months reading. ;o)

OK, so Uplift might not be far enough away for you.

In that case, Niven's Known Space series, particularly the Ringworld trilogy. They go about a thousand years out...

Is it just me that finds Iain M Banks SF richly enjoyable, and just about every other SF book I've ever read fairly woeful? Perhaps I've not tried hard enough, I too need some recommendations!

Bruce, no you a right, Iain M Banks is particularly good - its the humour and humanity in his books that set them apart. Use of Weapons is my favourite - what an ending!!

Worked for a short time with Ian Banks at the time of "Consider Phlebas" - interesting guy.

You might want to look at Adam Roberts (try Gradisil). High concept!

Steve

Niven's Ringworld & Known Space are both well worth exploring as is Jose Farmer's World of Tiers and River World. I last looked at these many years ago and of late have been ploughing through some of the offerings from Iain M Banks but now I'm out of ideas and look forward to the contributions of others.

Frank Herbert's Dune series is a classic; The follow ons by his son are OK

Also consider Julian May's Galactic Millieu series which goes from the future to 6 million years in the past and back to the future.

Emporium by Steven Lawhead is quite a good read. Not major taxing like but good.

If you want really far future try Stephen Baxter.

If you want a single book to start you off try

- Vacuum Diagrams

It's short stories. The first is set in AD 5,664 and it finishes with stories set around AD 5,000,000

His "Destiny's Children" series titles:

- Coalescent
- Exultant
- Transcendant
- Resplendent

Cover from the last days of the Roman Empire to half a million years later

regards
Geoff

quote:

Emporium

sounds like a future supermarket...I think actually it's Empirium

How about the Restaurant At The End of The Universe by Douglas Adams or Dancers At The End Of Time by Michael Moorcock - excuse me while I put another Roger Dean poster on the wall.

quote:

Originally posted by Roy T:
... Jose Farmer's World of Tiers and River World.

Both truly excellent, but do they meet the N thousand years hence criteria? Ahh, those Bellers still give me the creeps...

Robert Reed's "Marrow" is definitely millenia away, and indeed takes millenia to complete - it must have one of the longest timelines of any single novel. A book of *enormous* imagination.

Sheri S. Tepper's nine book "True Game" series masquerade as fantasy, but are in reality distant SF. Tepper's written a ton of good stuff to be honest.

quote:

Originally posted by SteveGa:
Worked for a short time with Ian Banks at the time of "Consider Phlebas" - interesting guy.

Steve

I worked with his older brother Gordon at Stoke

Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun series are a good read.

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. It's a brilliant book and it goes on forever (well not quite, but a long time). It deals in a very interesting way with the effects of time spent at near light speed, such as everyone getting older much quicker than you, society changing in ways you don't recognise when you return and your bank balance getting quite healthy due to the interest. Fantastic on the nature of war too.

Mark

I forgot Stephen Donaldson's "The Gap Series". Starts with one of the most disjointed books I have ever read "The Real Story" but don't be put off the next four volumes are probably the best stuff Donaldson has written. First book should carry a Government Health Warning as it is very nasty - the rest of the series just gets nastier but it really is right up there with the best in Sci-Fi (IMHO).

For anyone at the other end of the scale (fantasy) his Thomas Covenant books starting with Lord Foul's Bane are worth a look.

Steve

quote:

Originally posted by Diccus62:

quote:

Originally posted by SteveGa:
Worked for a short time with Ian Banks at the time of "Consider Phlebas" - interesting guy.

Steve

I worked with his older brother Gordon at Stoke

That's a bit one-eyed Diccus

I remember a book by one of the classic american SF writers (Philip K Dick? Could have been someone else) where traders used Einsteins theory that if you travel very near the speed of light you will also travel forward in time. These traders loaded their rocket with what ever people in the time frame they where currently visiting liked to sell, blasted of, traveled near the speed of light for a while and then landed again, some hundred years forward. They traded with the inhabitants (or sometimes had to shoot themselves out of a hostile situation), and went away again. They travelled faaaar away into the future.

JohanR

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card