Recommended Books

Here are some books I have read and enjoyed. Mostly science fiction and fantasy but other genre may appear.

Permutation City by Greg Egan

A book which blends cyberspace, psycology, artificial life, and the very foundations of reality.

The Quintaglio Ascension - Far-Seer, Fossil Hunter, Foreigner by Robert J. Sawyer

A trilogy in which a race of sapient dinosaurs make crucial discoveries about their world and themselves. This overthrows previously held beliefs about religion, astronomy, biology, and psychology.

The Crucible of Time by John Brunner

A book without humans, an insectoidal race and its development from the first scientific discovery through to a technological future. The story is told from the viewpoint of a variety of major historical figures.

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

A misinterpreted wink leads the anti-Christ off the intended path of destroying the world and leaves him growing up in a little village in England. Anges Nutter's prophesies are as accurate as ever though not very intelligible. The extracts from misprinted bibles are particularly good.

Mars - Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

A trilogy covering the colonisation and teraforming of Mars in an unstable political climate. A huge collection with each book over the 700 page mark but worth it for the ideas.

Heart of the Comet by David Brin and Gregory Benford

A mission to capture Halley's Comet discovers life which they have to live with during the long journey before the comet passes the sun again.

Case of the Toxic Spell Dump by Harry Turtledove

A mystery set in a peculiar world where modern technology is replaced by magic. Problems from todays world a given new light in a familiar but fantastical setting.

Arabian Nights' Entertainments

The original book of Arabian tales told by Scheherazade in 1001 nights. Not favourite but interesting in the way characters are portrayed and the behaviours which are shown as acceptable.

Out Of Control by Kevin Kelly

Technology and biology combine in the description of hive minds, destructive robots, coevolution, emergent behaviour, biospheres, God games, libraries of form, and many many other topics.

Other recommendations in brief include I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, Weaveworld by Clive Barker, The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul by Douglas Adams, Mother of Storms by John Barnes, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge, Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson.

For any readers of science fiction I would also strongly recommend listening Escape Pod the weekly science fiction podcast. It has had some truely excellent stories over the years, Impossible Dreams and Barnaby in Exile spring to mind.