Classic science fiction for the new year

I recently decided, based on nothing but finding some older titles on this Goodreads list interesting, that I'd like to read some older science fiction in 2023.

What are some of your favorite older science fiction novels?

It also will be helpful if you note in what subgenre(s) you'd place your recommendations.

Thank you!

What do you consider older? Dune is the first that comes to my mind.

>2 Narilka: Hmm, good question. I'm well-versed in sci-fi published this century, especially within the last decade or so. Let's say older = 20th century sci-fi or even the Aughts.

Thank you for the rec! Do you also like the well of sequels?

Edited: numbering

Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion. I found the sequels unnecessary.

>4 pgmcc: What Peter said, plus Player of Games, and for even older scifi Martian Chronicles and the Foundation trilogy.

If pre-2010 counts, The Shadow Speaker by Nnedi Okorafor.

I don't know how old it is, but I really enjoyed Old man's war.

>1 libraryperilous: Take a peek at the Worlds Without End Classics of Sci-Fi list.

C.J. Cherryh's Foreigner Series is marvelous but be aware that those titles should be read in order. Begin with Foreigner. All of them are lengthy in terms of page count. Outside of that series would be her other award-winner, Downbelow Station.

Anything by Ursula K. Le Guin, of course. In the genre specifically of science fiction, you'd start with either The Left Hand of Darkness or The Dispossessed.

If you've any interest in linguistics, I'd recommend Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin.

If you're looking for a fast read, I have a very real fondness for Leigh Brackett's space opera Black Amazon of Mars.

That is an interesting list and I saw many a book that looked like I would enjoy. Some I don’t consider “classic” as they came out when I was in high school. :D I guess I’m a classic. ;)

The book that started me down my science fiction road was The Legacy of Heorot. I love the story of Beowulf. I read it for the first time in 9th grade or so. When I finally asked my dad about sci-fi, he recommended this book (I was in 12th grade). I don’t know if he noticed my love of Beowulf or if it was just one he really liked. I loved it! I’ve been a sci-fi fan every since.

>10 catzteach: I'm a big fan of The Legacy of Heorot! Samlon for dinner, anyone?

>3 libraryperilous: I never read the sequels. The first stand well on its own and the rest of the series has mixed reviews.

>12 Narilka: Like you, I have not read any of the sequels because of the mixed reviews. Dune certainly stands on its own two feet.

>11 Karlstar: I’ve never met anyone else who has read it! Just confirms Green Dragon peeps are my kind of peeps. :)

https://www.librarything.com/work/6823

I think this gets overlooked as a Starship Troopers clone, but it’s quite different.

>10 catzteach: Oh, that's a great way to fall in love with the genre. I love Beowulf, but I spent high school brooding over Grendel. I'm going to read this one!

Have you seen this yet, forthcoming in 2023?: Bea Wolf

>12 Narilka:, >13 pgmcc: Thank you. I'm interested in Dune, but I was intimidated by the number of sequels.

Thank you, everyone! These are great recommendations, and the list also has lots of interesting titles on it. I'm excited to try some of these.

Some I don’t consider “classic” as they came out when I was in high school.

The local oldies radio station now regularly plays artists who were popular when I was in high school. I flipped over to the local alternative rock station, expecting to hear some of my favorite bands, and it's now a contemporary pop station. Time marches on, alas.

Joe Haldeman's The Forever War
Frederik Pohl & Jack Williamson's The Singers of Time
Arthur C. Clarke's The Songs of Distant Earth
Poul Anderson's Tau Zero

>16 libraryperilous: Bea Wolf looks wonderful! Hopefully it’ll get a new generation to fall in love with Beowulf. :)

Just off the top of my head: nobody has mentioned Alfred Bester. I consider a couple of his classics: The Demolished Man and The Stars My Destination. Then there is A Canticle for Leibowitz, and The Man in the High Castle. Kate Wilhelm takes on cloning in Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang. Zamyatin's We is very good. Finally, I'm a huge fan of Gene Wolfe, especially The Book of the New Sun (four volumes) and The Fifth Head of Cerberus.

My all-time favorite that has withstood several re-reads is the Robots of Dawn series by Isaac Asimov. There's science! And a murder mystery! And sentient robots!

>19 Jim53: >20 Darth-Heather: All good suggestions, IMHO.

>19 Jim53: I would certainly agree with you on The Stars My Destination and A Canticle for Leibowitz. Both are worthwhile reads!!

>22 jillmwo: I've heard that TSMD is a reworking of The Count of Monte Cristo, but I still haven't gotten around to reading Count.

>20 Darth-Heather: Regarding Asimov's Robots Universe, other authors have contributed additional works that are very much worth exploring, IMHO. Roger MacBride Allen's trilogy is written more in the style of Asimov's own works. The trilogy by Mark W Tiedemann departs a bit in style but his approach to both story and mystery is top-notch. The standalone, Have Robot Will Travel is also a decent entry. However, I bounced off the trilogy by Mickey Zucker Reichert after two volumes. YMMV.

Has anyone mentioned The Complete Roderick by John Sladek? It contains his two Roderick novels, Roderick and Roderick at Random.

Thank you, everyone! I'm back from vacation and loading up my TBR with all of these titles!

I'll second votes for Old Man's War and anything by Le Guin.

Also, what about Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea? Does that count as classic science fiction?

>27 gilroy: Jules Verne definitely counts! I have a banged up Bantam edition that's been on my shelf for years ...

>9 jillmwo: another fan of Cherryh here. I am working through the Foreigner series, but it's not arduous at all.

The Pride of Chanur is still a favorite, fun, with lots of character development. Cyteen is a chunkster, but it was oh SO worth the investment for me. Both are definitely science fiction as opposed to fantasy.

Wave Without a Shore is marvelous.

And the oft overlooked Rider at the Gate is a spooky kind of SciFi read.

Cherryh often starts reallllly slow, but she's a rollercoaster writer...slow beginning but then HOLD ON!

Robert Heinlein wrote a bunch of books, from his juveniles in the 1950s to his Lazarus Long books of the 1970s and 1980s. My favorite is Friday, I reread it every couple of years. Of his juvenile books I liked Tunnel in the Sky quite a bit, gave it 4 stars.

Going back to the 1950s I can't recommend Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank enough.

Beastmaster by Andre Norton is definitely a worthy read, as is Sargasso of Space.

Dune is a classic but don't bother with the sequels. I'd recommend The Dispossessed; I re-read it every few years.

One author I've not seen mentioned that I enjoyed back in day is Larry Niven, Ringworld of course, but any of his "known space" are excellent. Also, if you can find a copy then read Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner. Definitely worth a read.

>29 fuzzi: I really need to get to Cherryh!

>29 fuzzi:, >30 UncleMort: Thank you, these all sound great!

>30 UncleMort: I have Brunner's The Crucible of Time on my Kindle. I hope to get to it soon.

How have I missed this thread so far?!

I recommend Biting the sun and The silver metal lover by Tanith Lee, who doesn't seem to have been mentioned yet.

Gollancz's Masterworks series is worth a look. Several books reprinted in it are mentioned in previous posts; additionally some of my highlights from it are:

Rachel Pollack's Unquenchable fire and Temporary agency are so weird but have stuck in my mind for ages after reading. I've not read anything quite like them.

I read Take back Plenty last year and loved it.

Many more female authors have been added in recent years, including Joanna Russ (The female man) and Nicola Griffiths (Ammonite) which are very good.

Seconding the suggestions of Gene Wolfe, CJ Cherryh and John Brunner.

>30 UncleMort: agreed on Dune being enough, though I did read the next two books. Meh.

I would recommend Clifford Simak's Way Station as well as his short story collection The Worlds of Clifford Simak. Some other favorites would be Roadmarks by Zelazny, Star Guard by Norton, and The Survivors by Godwin which was re-issued as Space Prison. I'd also second almost anything by Niven.

>30 UncleMort: ooh. Can I add a second vote for Stand on Zanzibar!

Jules Vern started me on my love of Science Fiction as a child! Now my tastes go from hardcore science fiction to fantasy. I love the Dragon Riders series by Ann McCaffery! Maybe too new for this post but I read the first one in 1974. Also Allan Dean Foster's Pip and Flinx series is a favorite but that is newer. Sue

>32 Sakerfalcon:, >33 fuzzi:, >34 alco261:, >35 Tane:, >36 SueHerbine: Thank you!

>36 SueHerbine: I'd really like to read Quozl. The Pip and Flinx series sounds fun!

>35 Tane: I loved Way Station. I should read more by Simak.

>32 Sakerfalcon: lol, these all are book bullets.

>36 SueHerbine: I'm a big fan of both McCaffrey and Foster, those are great books. Not thought provoking or heavy science, just good futuristic books.

>38 Karlstar: I have read most of the dragonrider books, but especially love the Harper Hall series Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums.

>39 fuzzi: While I appreciate the original trilogy, especially The White Dragon, I do enjoy the Harper series more, as it seems like they had a more developed sense of what she wanted the world to be.

>39 fuzzi: and >40 Karlstar: I remember those fondly.

>40 Karlstar: agreed. The first two Harper books are on my Comfort Reads list.