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

[The Left Armpit of Hell]

Far from the best in my opinion, but only because it stands among giants. Certainly one of my favorites, in spite of a few holes in the science (which I did not just mention, you must have imagined it).

Here are a few of my other favorites that might appeal:


Dickson: Gordon R. Dickson's Childe cycle spans about 1000 years (from about century 14 to century 24) and consists of several novels and short stories, my favorite of which is "Soldier, Ask Not," (actually a Novella I think). I bring him up because SRD's work reminds me of Dickson's, with prose that transcends any genre, and characters that get chewed in the teeth of hell and walk out heavily scarred and fundamentally changed (when they walk out at all). I seem to see some of his influence in the Gap cycle, or perhaps they share some influences.

Other books in that series include "Necromancer" and "The Final Encyclopedia," and "The Tactics of Mistake," (others too, not sure how many). They don't have to be read in any particular order.


Baxter: I loved Wells' "The Time Machine," but that was more about politics than time travel. However, about a hundred years later comes Stephen Baxter with a sequel. "The Time Ships" begins where "The Time Machine" leaves off, with the Time Traveler getting back on his machine to return to the Eloi and Morlocks in the year 802,701.

As he sits in his machine and the years, then centuries, roll past in an "attenuated blur," the sun's movement across the sky slows and stops (decades are going by in seconds, but the sun is hanging in one place). Then the sun goes out.

After that things start to get <i>wierd</i>.

This is the book many of us thought we were picking up when we picked up "The Time Machine," a mind-boggling story about time travel and its implications. It seems that quantum physics was developed at some point between when the two books were written. There aren't many authors who can try to convey this much breadth and scope and wierdness without it coming off like a load of horseshit, and I'm not one of them, so I leave it to the interested to find out more. Baxter's work will mess you up.


Clarke: It is my skewed opinion that there's only one sequel to 2001 that counts, and that's 3001, because these are the ones with the really big changes. In 2001, humankind learns that they are not alone. In 2010 the plot thickens, and in 2061 it thickens some more. Both are plenty good, but 3001 is when the other foot falls, so to speak. It's the one that made me sit down heavily, mouth hanging open, and go 10 minutes without blinking.


Niven/Pournelle: "The Mote in God's Eye," and sequel "The Gripping Hand," are essential. In "The Gripping Hand" are some of my favorite space battles of all time. Faster-than-light travel (it's just magic, damnit) aside, there is more realism "laid up for you here than your petty mortal heart can bear." Or at least my petty mortal heart.


Bear: FaTeke is dead on about "Eon". I have to read that at least once every two years. Wierd wierd wierd. Same with "Moving Mars". Bear also wrote a good fantasy called "Songs of Earth and Power," which I dare not try to talk about after being up all night, beyond saying this: Very, very droll. I'm not much of a reader of fantasy (Tolkien and Donaldson and not much else), but this book also makes my short list.


Now I'm fraying into mist. If you have read this far, you win a cookie!

[danlo]

Armpit is deadon about Soldier Ask Not--It is a stellar story. I liked Moving Mars, but didn't think it was great--Bear has a way of introducting alot of strange concepts in other books, such as City of Angels and not "nurturing" them enough. He, kinda, takes them for granted before the reader does and that grates with me. Walter Jon Williams, David Brin, Dan Simmons and David Zindell have the gift of doing that right--they all use great language and latter reinforcement to lovingly accustom the reader--Donaldson's prose is purposefully grating and the language works--grating in the sense in that you know bad things can and will happen at any moment-and that space is an incredibly dangerous place to be. Oddly enough, and this may in fact be due in part to the "terseness" of the shortstory form, . P. K. Dick has the gift of shoving new concepts in your face and making you deal with them in a simplistic manner. He doesn't nessesarily care if it works or not--and it DOES! Amazing...he kinda forces you to deal...especially in his rare longer works like The World Jones Made (which can be very weird) and The Man in the High Castle.

[Bahgoon_the_Unbearable]

Now i must tell you that i am not done the gap series. I have just finished a dark and hungry god arises. And yet I must contest that donaldson knows his stuff. His science fiction is written in a way that any scientist can understand. First we must understand that the last greatest invention was made in the 1800's. This of course was the computer. Once the man who thought up of the idea realized that in his time they could not create gears small enough for the computer, he gave up. Thus later in the 1900's a man came acrossed his notes and said "Hey, we can make these gears now" Thus taking all credit upon himself, and becoming the first man to invent the computer. Donaldson seems to understand this notion that great ideas come from little understanding. Yet those are only his more advanced ideas (the gap). As I said before, our lastest technological advancement (other than cloning) has been the comp. Thus S.R.D gives logical (not just scientifically logical) explainations for his ideas. His background of the world we are entering is so thoughtful and brilliant that it alone makes S.R.D. The best WRITER, if not the best sci fi writer ever

[Loredoctor]

Welcome back to the watch, Bahgoon. What an excellent post!

[Revan]

Now i must tell you that i am not done the gap series. I have just finished a dark and hungry god arises. And yet I must contest that donaldson knows his stuff. His science fiction is written in a way that any scientist can understand. First we must understand that the last greatest invention was made in the 1800's. This of course was the computer. Once the man who thought up of the idea realized that in his time they could not create gears small enough for the computer, he gave up. Thus later in the 1900's a man came acrossed his notes and said "Hey, we can make these gears now" Thus taking all credit upon himself, and becoming the first man to invent the computer. Donaldson seems to understand this notion that great ideas come from little understanding. Yet those are only his more advanced ideas (the gap). As I said before, our lastest technological advancement (other than cloning) has been the comp. Thus S.R.D gives logical (not just scientifically logical) explainations for his ideas. His background of the world we are entering is so thoughtful and brilliant that it alone makes S.R.D. The best WRITER, if not the best sci fi writer ever

Could not agree with you more.

[krycek]

very good point baghoon, my main complaint with the gap series is i read a lot of science fiction comedy, e.g. colony and other rob grant books (red dwarf and the like) and it felt as though it was written similarly to them and i kept expecting big jokes throughout. but it is definetly a very good series, one of my favourite science fiction books series. then again i dont read much sciene fiction, mostly just watch it

[stegraham]

Yes, I definitely think that the Gap series is one of the best SF series, it's one of my favourites anyway! Other writers I enjoy are:

Peter Hamilton - I think the Nights Dawn triliogy is marvellous. I'm looking forward to reading the new book he has out.

Julian May - mot sure if it's pure SF, but May's Saga of the Exile series is amazing. Plus with Intervention and the following three books it makes up a jolly good read.

One author and series I can recommend is the Faction Paradox series by Lawerence Miles. It's split up over three different media. So far there's been two books (next one out in April), two comics, and six audio adventures. I can highly recommend the book, "The Book of the War". Amazing stuff - honest. Check out the following website if you are are intersted and are having problems tracking FP stuff down:

www.factionparadox.co.uk/

Ste

[Revan]

I am glad we are getting more posters here on the gap.

[Byrn]

All this Sci-Fi and not one of you has mentioned Heinlein

The Gap is the best Sci-Fi I've read. Glory Road and Starship Troopers are my other Favorite Sci-FI

I've read Asimov, Brin, Hill, Adams, Anthony, Norton, May, Lucas, Pohl, Silverberg, Cheryh, and Friedman. I know I've read more, I jusst can't think of any at the moment .

[Loredoctor]

Starship troopers is excellent, as is anything by Asimov, Brin, Stapledon and many others.

[extravirgin]

yeah gap is up there...
with Neverness and the Reqiuem for homo sapiens
and the Nightsdawn by Hamilton.

[Würd]

I'm not sure if it's my favorite but it's definitely on the list.

Other favorites:

Foundation Trilogy

'Signal to Noise' and its sequal, 'A Signal Shattered' - Eric Nylund.

Terminal Experiment, The Neanderthal Parallax - Robert J Sawyer.

2001 + sequals.

[A Gunslinger]

Not my favorite ever. I am a Phillp K. Dick / Theodore Sturgeon guy myself...BUT I will say that the suspense during the big space battle (I forget which book...it has been 3.5 years since I read them) that kills Nick is the best space bound fight EVER!!!!!!

[Dutch]

Well, I would definitely say it was ONE of the best science fiction stories I had ever read. Because of the books, I'm tempted to buy the entire Wagner opera of the Ring Cycle on CD. I had never read any story with that much intensity and realism. It's not the sci-fi that drives the story so much as the characters and the way they develop. I have no idea how they'd make this into a series of films, but I'd surely take work off the day they came out.

Followed by the Gap Cycle, I'd say Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card is a close contender.

I also enjoyed Asimov's Robot and Foundation novels, particularly Foundation and Earth. Goodness knows how they're going to butcher I, Robot for the big screen.

-Dutch

[Bucky OHare]

Has anyone mentioned the Ringworld series by (I think) Niven & Pournelle. That is also some fantastic Sci-Fi.
Also, how about Alastair Reynolds Redemption Ark series including Chasm City? sorry, no Revelation Space series (including Redemption Ark, Chasm City and Absolution Gap)

[Edinburghemma]

That was just Niven there Johnny, but it's class. Is Alastair Reynolds better than Dan Simmons?

[Bucky OHare]

oooh toughy.

I'm gonna have to go with Simmons. The galaxy he has created has more variation and is more interesting. also, it is more recognisible as human, so you can relate to it more. Reynolds is also much darker; the series ends with the end on a very big bad. But in Simmons, in the end love conquers all. (am i turning into a romantic?)

[Loredoctor]

Simmons = legend.

[Bucky OHare]

Just thought, what do people think of Stephen Baxter? I really liked the first book i picked up written by him, but having read a few of them, they all seem to have the same ending.

How about Joe Haldeman's Forever War?

[Loredoctor]

Forever War is a masterpiece. Stephen Baxter is good, but after the 2nd book in his main series it goes downhill. The Raft is excellent. I agree with your claim that they have the same ending. They also have very similar characters.