I read the first 3 Dune books after seeing the movie and hearing about the challenges of getting that story on the screen. Love the first 2, the ending of the 3rd was ok.
I’m 3/4ths through the 4th and final Hyperion books. Absolutely incredible, I’m disappointed knowing I’ll be done with it soon. I highly recommend it if you’re at all curious. The author does an excellent job sneaking deep references into the colorful narrative; Keats and Ancient Greek mythology among them. The characters are vivid, varied, and somehow all relatable.
When I was younger I liked Vonnegut, specifically Galapagos, cats cradle, and slaughter house 5. I recently read Philip K Dicks “do androids… electric sheep” and wasn’t a fan. I loved the film blade runner, but the book kind of trudged on for me with, what I felt was, a let down of an ending. Asimov’s foundation was ok, but it lacked action and the characters seemed thin; I do like the concept a lot, it was just missing something for me.
So what’s next? I read a few classics in school and wasn’t terribly moved by most of them. I’ve considered giving Philip K Dick another chance, and possibly exploring the Dune books not authored by Herbert. I’m not a big fan of fantasy- at least in the horse riding, sword wielding, magic and sorcery vein.
Thanks for any suggestions
- Octavia Butler
- Ursula K Le Guin
E: Markdown
I’ve heard of Le Guin, thanks for the recommendations
The Dispossessed is a really interesting look at anarchism in practice
Also may I recommend the Culture series by Iain M Banks.
The Book of the New Sun (really 4 books) gave me the feeling of reading Dune, Hyperion, and Lord of the Rings kind of wrapped into one.
I would also recommend the 4th Dune book (God Emporor), as it wraps up where the first 3 books were going with the Golden Path. After that, he starts a new trilogy, which doesn’t get finished, so results may vary.
I second the finishing of the quatrology. I think one could stop at the first book, maybe even the second, but if you’re in for the third you should be in for the fourth.
Second The Book Of The New Sun - it’s dense and really rewards re-reading.
There’s also the Urth Of The New Sun, which sort-of concludes the story.
I liked Urth of the New Sun, but I can also see why it is separate from the others. For me it felt like a step back for the main character.
Just wrapped up Fall of Hyperion, which I enjoyed, but much less than Hyperion. I don’t think I’m interested in finishing the series though. I’ve moved on to The Three Body Problem.
Absolutely incredible, I’m disappointed knowing I’ll be done with it soon.
Hyperion was def one of those series that I was sad to finish, like, it impacted me that “how tf can there be no more of it” way more than the norm.
Simmons in general has a very wide variety of topics in genres & Hyperion alternates them nicely (while never really leaving sci-fi).
any suggestions
Maybe as a short palette cleanser ‘The Terror’ by the same author? It’s completely different, but nicely done. I’ve read a few more books by Simmons after Hyperion & this one stood out* a bit more (it’s not as polished as Hyperions, but much more than the rest I’ve read - overall easy to read, I like it when the setting/spaces are always explained, and most importantly it’s one of those stories that I gladly let live in my mind).
Warning: it has one instance of horse riding! But it’s in horny a flashback :). It’s a historical fantasy with good semifictional characters, really tasteful blend of actual Inuit stories, historical nautical facts, & authors own derived reality of both, also one of the top tier “monsters” ever … and the Hyperion-style technical description that make sense of the basically literal alien world (the same story could have been set in planet exploration).
[*Edit: I completely forgot about Ilium & Olympos. Those are sort of more of the sci-fi with the expected classical twist, but I stand by my Terror recommendation too, it just lacks interplanetary travel.]The real suggestion (and I can’t/am unable to explain why the association in my mind) is the Rama series by Arthur C. Clarke. It’s prob one of the top easiest writer/books for me to read (the way things are explained & which things are explained, how characters act, etc). It’s nicely logical & absurdity fantastical without it ever being fantastical for the sake of being fantastical (ie the big amazing things always make sense & don’t seem forced or unlikely).
While nothing like Dan Simmons, The Three Body Problem is the only one that has knocked my socks off in the last 10 years. If you want to stick with Simmons I recommend Song of Kali.
I put down three body after first book, perhaps I should push through
I didn’t like the rest as much, it did more get more universal in scope. It’s OK to give them a miss, first book is satisfying on its own.
I believe the most popular PKD is Man in the High Castle, my favorite is Ubik. But to be honest, if you disliked Do Androids, PKD may just not be your thing.
Hmmm… maybe next go for something a little less ponderous, try some Neal Stephenson, maybe Diamond Age.
I read Snow Crash last year and it was one of the worst slogs I’ve ever endured. I get that people like Stephenson, but definitely not for me.
The 4th and final you say? That means Endymion and it’s sequel. I couldn’t stand them. Loved Hyperion. Additionally loved Ilium hated Olympos. Idk what it is about Simmons and his inability to stick the landing for me.
Honestly Hyperion landed so hard for me that I didn’t need the second or the Endymion books. The second is certainly superior to the rest but Hyperion was so magical that it was just downhill from there for me.
The first book is such a well-contained story, when I started the second one, I just had no interest in continuing it and potentially ruining it for myself. So I didn’t.
Dogs of war
To sleep in a sea of stars
Expeditionary Force
Three body problem
I gotta say I think Three Body Problem is not very good. Some interesting ideas and an interesting perspective re:Chinese revolution, but as a story it was weak. Plus when you get to the second book it drags out the premise so much and relies on basically deus ex machinima to handwave the plot holes.
I’m struggling to get through the first book. The writing is just downright bad.