Is the Gap the best Sci-fi you've ever read?

[Farm Ur-Ted]

Yup, it's the best sci-fi I've ever read. Totally.

[Avatar]

Definitely up there amongst the best. Certainly wouldn't call much if anything better.

--A

[futureproof]

Definitely the most engrossing sci-fi series I have read.

Also highly recommend the Otherland series by Tad Williams - virtual reality sci-fi - it's 4 books long and perhaps would have been better as a trilogy, but like his Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series once it gets going it's hard to put down.

[Avatar]

Welcome to the Watch FutureProof.

--A

[ItisWritten]

Oh, the GAP into conflict. That is, picking the best SF series.

I can't. I just can't rank what I like. But I like a lot of SF.

Dune -- 'nuff said

Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan books -- they're all stand alones, and they aren't heavy SF, but they are fun.

Riverworld -- excluding Gods of Riverworld, which seemed an indulgence for Farmer's publisher.

CJ Cherryh -- she tends to write in 3s, and 2 of hers standout: The Faded Sun trilogy and the Chanur series.

Of course, The GAP into . . . rapture. I re-read it last summer, and found it even better the second time--even TRS was better, though that could have been the anticipation for C&O. It's still a tough read, but putting it down from Dark and Hung was harder. I kept getting back late from lunch.

Speaking of which, I can't remember now if it was in there or my warped brain put it there. Did Hashi ever deny that there was such a thing as a Free Lunch?

[Avatar]

Oh, the GAP into conflict. That is, picking the best SF series.

I can't. I just can't rank what I like. But I like a lot of SF.

Dune -- 'nuff said

Join us for the Dune dissection at the Watch's sister site, Ahira's Hangar:

PlanetFall Arrakis at the Hangar.



As for the free lunch, sounds like The Moon is a Harsh Mistress to me.

--A

[Relayer]

I believe the quote was

"Free Lunch? It is commonly held knowledge that there is no such thing."

[Avatar]

Will have to wait for my re-read.

--A

[sandriderman]

The Gap Cycle is one of my favourite sci-fi reads. I first read it about 7 years ago. I have reread it several times.

I remember when I first read it I found the politics sections hard going / boring but during my most recent read of the series I found this to be as gripping / interesting as the rest of the action.

However, my favourite sci-fi has to be Dune. I found the original three books at a car boot sale for £1 in about 1991. I found the first book easy to read having seen the original film a few times but I really struggled with the rest of the original 5 books (it took me years to manage to get through the 6 books having restarted several times). I now enjoy the last 3 of the original books (God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, and Chapterhouse Dune) more than the original 3. I have also read the 6 prequels and I thought they were OK but the last 2 books (after Chapterhouse) were perhaps not so good.

I am currently reading the Nights Dawn Trilogy – Peter F Hamilton. I am halfway through the second book and am enjoying the story.

[Prebe]

Welcome to the Watch sandriderman.

I will hereby take the oportunity to chime in that I ALSO think that the Gap is the best SciFi I've ever read.

[Mortice Root]

Certainly one of the two best, with Dune. Gap appeals more to the emotional side of me and Dune to the intellectual. But both are simply fantastic.

[Roynish]

I have tried to like this series but have been struggling to maintain interest.
For me Donaldson is just way out of his depth on sci-fi concepts. With writers like Banks, Simmons, Reynolds it just seems more convincing and the gadgets and big guns are cooler .

Also Donaldson's writing style is excruciatingly painful in the GAP books.

Malfeasance, chagrin... please stop, just stop.

I doubt I will finish the last book. I might skim read it perhaps.

These books have their moments but while I have re-read the chronicles several times I will not be revisiting the GAP.

For those Donaldson readers that have only read the GAP as sc-fi there is much better fare to be found amongst the above writers.

[Prebe]

Well, it should be pretty obvious that I vehemently disagree with Roynish

[CovenantJr]

'Chagrin' is a problem? It's not an uncommon word. I say it quite a lot, aloud, in coversation.

Well, we all have different tastes. Perhaps I liked the Gap so much because it's people-driven. Some like a lot of science in their science fiction; I prefer people. And that's what Donaldson provided - he told a story about people in a science fiction setting.

[I'm Murrin]

I'm not sure I get that complaint either. Donaldson's vocabulary and writing is far less accessible in the Chrons than it is in the Gap series--I'd say the Gap has some of Donaldson's best writing in it.

[CovenantJr]

I'm not sure I get that complaint either. Donaldson's vocabulary and writing is far less accessible in the Chrons than it is in the Gap series--I'd say the Gap has some of Donaldson's best writing in it.

Indeed. Nothing in the Gap is unambergrised, nor even engaged in formication.

[variol son]

I totally agree with Cj here - I had to reach for the dictionary far less whilst reading The Gap than when reading any of Donaldson Covenant works.

As for big guns being cooler, that's definitely a personal judgement, and one that I don't agree with. I find authors who throw lots of big guns into their works are trying to keep readers from realising that their work is a load of crap.

[Skyweir]

dont get me wrong .. I liked the Gap series .. but its not way up there in imo the sci fi stakes.

I liked Dan Simmons Hyperion / Endymion series better .. and I am pretty sure there are other books I enjoyed more ...

the Gap series is good but not my fav sci fi ever ..

[CovenantJr]

The thing for me is, I've read very little science fiction, so the Gap easily makes it to the top - though possibly second to Hyperion/Fall of Hyperion. I tried Dune, but it bored me to tears. I'm currently in the middle of a Philip K Dick short story collection, and I plan to start Banks' The Algebraist soon. Or possibly *gasp, accompanied by thoughts of Danlo* Neverness.

[Skyweir]

Neverness is a good read

.. nice sci fi ..

.. I am totally sold on Zindell for fantasy .. EA cycle is awesome!