What "classic" sci-fi series should I read next?

I’ve read all those… I would recommend;

Frank Herbert’s Dune
Phillip José Farmers’s Riverworld

Not sure if you want to branch out to what is considered more fantasy… but there is also Tolkien’s Lord of the RIngs, and a great series by Piers Anthony based around magic called Xanth.

Larry Niven has a lot of books based on his construct of ”Known Space”. Some are a series, others more or less just kind of build on the paradigm.

Nearly all of them are very good.

I personally enjoyed:
– The Mote in God’s Eye
– Footfall
– The Gripping Hand
– Flatlander

I got tired real fast of the Ringworld series, though.

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Oh, and many of these can be gotten on the cheap at a place like Half Price Books.

Stephen R. Donaldson’s Gap Series is always worth a look.

L. Ron Hubbard’s Mission Earth series is fantastic no matter what you think of the man and his beliefs.

I have to strongly second @jumpo7‘s recommendation of Philip Jose Farmer’s Riverworld series. Just a fantastic and original read.

If you’re interested in fantasy as well, Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Series is fantastic.

Of course the Lord of the Rings books are amazing.

For more pure sci-fi…Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash and The Diamond Age.

I would recommend Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover books if you are OK with a touch of fantasy.

Although I am not a fan of the Witch World series, I love Andre Norton. Her early works, such as Star Rangers and Space Service are fun. The first sci fi book I ever read as a child, which hooked me for a lifetime was her Catseye, and I loved the Beastmaster series.

Perry Rhodan

I rather enjoyed the Otherland Series by Tad Williams (cyberpunk/virtual reality). I would also second svladcjelli’s Snowcrash recommendation, even though it isn’t in a series the book is incredible.

John Varley’s Gaea Trilogy. Varley is one of sci-fi’s lesser known geniuses. He is also my favorite author, even more so that Asimov, Philip K. Dick, and Arthur C. Clarke. That would be considered blasphemy by some. Also, check out The John Varley Reader, 30 years of short stories. Great book, and I have read it several times. Best story in there, Persistence of Vision.

Heinlien books, start with Starship Troopers.

Here’s another vote for Dune.

The Gap Cycle by Stephen Donaldson is fantastic and well worth a look (I’m actually rereading it now for the third or forth time).

@Lightlyseared . . .Angus Thermopyle is one of the coolest sci/fi character names ever.

I can’t believe I forgot the Dune series. It was my first introduction to the genre and I was hooked.

>Perry Rhodan

that doesn’t take long to read!

I have always enjoyed Alan Dean Foster’s Pip and Flynx books. I second Phillip José Farmers’s Riverworld and Larry Niven’s books, including the ones he wrote with Jerry Pournelle. I also like James Blish’s Cities in Flight series, Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End, and Miller’s A Canticle for Liebowitz. I also very much enjoy Poul Anderson’s books in both the Polesotechnic League period of Nicholas van Rijn and the Psychotechnic League, as well as his Flandry books and his Time Patrol books.

I enjoyed Dune but I got tired of the sequels.

I am also a fan of Marian Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover books, but bear in mind that she writes fantasy more than science fiction. However, if you like fantasy, then I suggest Anne McCaffrey’s Pern books as well as her Ship Who Sang books.

The Harry Potter Series.
hides in another fluther, waiting for the certain abuse to come

Ahem, @filmfann – Much as I enjoy Harry Potter, the books are not exactly science fiction.

I’m afraid that’s about as abusive as I can be this evening.

Hehe and I was going to reccomend Ender’s Game… Orson Scott Card has a “Homecoming” series which is also sci-fi.

Also, I recently read a really cool sci-fi called ‘Stars my destination’ by Alfred Bester. I really enjoyed it, hope you like it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stars_My_Destination

@filmfann I’ve read Harry Potter, and am thoroughly obsessed. But I’m looking for SciFi, not Fantasy.

How about Iain M Banks’ Culture Novels.

@lercio Oh hell yes, they are fantastic and well worth reading if only for the names of the space ships such as Lightlyseared on the Reality Grill (from Matter).

So there’s an audiobook version of Dune read by Tim Curry and it’s AMAZING. Highly recommend it.

I’m all about Ursula LeGuinn’s “Earthsea” series right now. Quite easy and a bit introspective. I like them because they make me feel contemplative and deep.

My favorite short stories collection is called: “Her Smoke Rose Up Forever” by James Tiptree Jr (/Alice B Sheldon) but it’s a bit dark (and fantastic!)

I also think that lots of Steven King qualifies as Science Fiction and would have to say that the “Dark Tower” series is the best thing I’ve ever read. Ever. It’s about a cowboy/knight/gunslinger in a post-apocalyptic future. How could it get any better?!?!? :-)

Happy Hunting!

@LauratheRockStar . . .i trig

Have you watched the Battlestar Galactica? Best SciFi on TV ever.

Anything by Robert Rankin he is AWSOME!

Kathy Reichs series is rather good, not sure if it’s what you are looking for but still a damn good read :)

@saraaaaaa – I thought Kathy Reichs does books about being a forensic anthropologist in both the US and Montreal that qualify more as thrillers than science fiction.

I stand corrected. I still recommend them though.

I’ve heard great things about Gene Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun, a more recent series.
Olaf Stapledon’s Last and First Men isn’t really a series, but is a classic by all means.

Phillip K. Dick is an amazing sci-fi writer. He never wrote a series, but his books inspired movies such as; Blade Runner, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and many others. He is my favorite sci-fi writer and worth checking out

You left out Total Recall!

@filmfann I also left out Paycheck. there are so many it is hard to remember them all

Kim Stanley Robinson’s “Mars Trilogy” is all about the science part of science fiction. The series reminded me of Asimov’s work in that way. There are three books (Red Mars, Green Mars and Blue Mars) and I highly recommend them.