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I just finished with The Martian by Andy Weir

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A friend gave this to me for my birthday, and I'm reading it right now. I'm amazed that with each chapter, it keeps getting more and more interesting. Can't wait to see the movie later this year.

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I'm so glad I keep up with the reader posts or I doubt I would have ever found Sanderson aside from him completing WOT. Just finished Mistborn and man he just keeps knocking them out of the park. His setting and characters are amazing!

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After I finish dresden files, I think that's who Im going to read next. Gotta finish WoT first though... Almost done with book 9!

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I just finished with The Martian by Andy Weir

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A friend gave this to me for my birthday, and I'm reading it right now. I'm amazed that with each chapter, it keeps getting more and more interesting. Can't wait to see the movie later this year.

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The Martian is fantastic! I knew the movie was coming out, but didn't consider reading it until this thread. Started it yesterday and am about half way through.

Surprised Neil Gaiman hasn't been mentioned yet. Everything I've read of his, I've enjoyed.
If you've ever traveled to London before, then Neverwhere is a must-read.

Many years ago read a book that included 7 H. G. Wells novels. That should be at the top of your list. Also:
Andromeda Strain
Salem's Lot

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Some of my favorites:

Dune (first 5 books only)
Ender's Game / Speaker for the Dead
anything by Heinlein (but especially Starship Troopers, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and Double Star)
A Canticle for Leibowitz -- Walter Miller
A Case of Conscience -- James Blish
The Left Hand of Darkness -- Ursula K. LeGuin
The Retief series -- Keith Laumer

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Starship Troopers the book was somehow worse than the movie. Over half the book was spent at boot camp.

Why do people always group Sci-Fi and Fantasy. They are such drastically different genres.

There's a lot of similarities between the two, a lot of crossover (Star Wars) and most people that reads one reads the other as well. There's a reason the Hugo and Nebula awards are for both science fiction and fantasy.

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There's a lot of similarities between the two, a lot of crossover (Star Wars) and most people that reads one reads the other as well. There's a reason the Hugo and Nebula awards are for both science fiction and fantasy.

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The Reality Dysfunction and Void series by Peter F. Hamilton are must reads for any sci-if fan.

Revelation Space series by Alastair Reynolds is badass too for hard sci-fi.

On the outskirts of the fantasy genre, I would highly recommend Clive Barkers Imajica and a few others he wrote in the 80s. His last few books have sucked c*ck (heehee) though and I don't think he's doing much writing anymore.

Couple obvious choices that everybody should already know about are World War Z and Ready Player One. Another one to look into is Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The movie was awful, but the book is actually really quite good.

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The Reality Dysfunction and Void series by Peter F. Hamilton are must reads for any sci-if fan.

Revelation Space series by Alastair Reynolds is badass too for hard sci-fi.

On the outskirts of the fantasy genre, I would highly recommend Clive Barkers Imajica and a few others he wrote in the 80s. His last few books have sucked c*ck (heehee) though and I don't think he's doing much writing anymore.

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+1 for anything by alistair Reynolds

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There's a lot of similarities between the two, a lot of crossover (Star Wars) and most people that reads one reads the other as well. There's a reason the Hugo and Nebula awards are for both science fiction and fantasy.

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I actually prefer fantasy, not into sci fi in the slightest. They are both huge genres on their own, no need to combine them into one.

Some that would seem to fit with your tastes I haven't seen mentioned.

Blood Song - Anthony Ryan

Theft of Swords - Sullivan (certainly not up there with Sanderson but I enjoyed these books and others I have recommended to have as well)

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There's a lot of similarities between the two, a lot of crossover (Star Wars) and most people that reads one rEeads the other as well. There's a reason the Hugo and Nebula awards are for both science fiction and fantasy.

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I actually prefer fantasy, not into sci fi in the slightest. They are both huge genres on their own, no need to combine them into one.

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Exact opposite in that I rarely care for fantasy and believe the don't need to be combined. Love a good space opera

I don't understand the arguement. The op asked for sci fi and fantasy recommendations. Is that not allowed?

It is allowed, it just doesn't make sense for some of us. For me that is the equivalent of asking for a good crime thriller/steamy romance novel. Can they have elements of each other, sure, but those are typically kept in separate sections of the bookstore. I wish Fantasy and Sci Fi were kept separate personally since I rarely read Fantasy and hate having to sift through all of the stuff I won't read.

The Newsflesh trilogy from Mira Grant is a pretty interesting sci-fi read.

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The Newsflesh trilogy from Mira Grant is a pretty interesting sci-fi read.

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Those are a great zombie series, without the focus being on the zombies. Especially the first one, as it really delved into the the faith that the populace lost in the traditional media sources during the outbreak and how blogs had taken over as the OFFICIAL media source.

Do any of y'all use Goodreads? I think it would be interesting to have a TexAgs group on Goodreads to discuss these books, etc. Some of the better books that I have read have come from TexAgs recommendations!

I'm on GoodReads and would be interested in a group but would need to create a separate account. I don't want you psychos knowing my real name.

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I'm on GoodReads and would be interested in a group but would need to create a separate account. I don't want you psychos knowing my real name.

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Just don't piss off old rivalries

Fantasy: Malazan Book of the Fallen (10 book series) starts with "Gardens of the Moon"

Sci-fi: Honor Harrington Series starts with "On Basilisk Station"

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Starship Troopers the book was somehow worse than the movie. Over half the book was spent at boot camp.

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Shenanigans.

Ender's Game.

Every book I've reach by Alastair Reynolds has been incredible. I'm working on the Revelation Space series but unfortunately I lost track of reading it and need to remember where I left off.

Many of his books are series containing 3 or 4 novels. However my favorite is a standalone - Terminal World. It's sci-fi with a bit of steam punk from the future thrown in.

He's a master of building worlds, machines, races (people), etc.