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12 Book Series that are the Sci-Fi Equivalent of a Game of Thrones
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cheststrongwell
my cake, fuck off
Otherland is fucking amazing.
bonesmccoy
Banned
By 'equivalent' to 'Game of Thrones', OP, are you saying that in the middle of these series the author completely loses control of the plot, characters and overall scope of the story?
I kid.
Er, well, I'm not sure I'd say that Banks, Simmons, Herbert, or Asimov's series are anything like Martin's, at all. But worth reading? Absolutely.
I kid.
Er, well, I'm not sure I'd say that Banks, Simmons, Herbert, or Asimov's series are anything like Martin's, at all. But worth reading? Absolutely.
TestMonkey
Member
Or
Tyrion. Seriously he already had half the kingdom wanting to kill him before the family problems.
jakonovski
Member
I'm just gonna name drop Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space books here.
Deathmistress
Member
I love Darkover, I think it does a great job of world-building. If modern tickles your fancy at all, I would suggest Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.
I'm considering reading the stuff that comes after Chapterhouse. once I finish it, I'll give the non-Frank stuff a try and let you know? lol
I can't think of any science fiction series that I would say are equivalent to GoT, though the odd novel/collection springs to mind like Cities in Flight by James Blish or some of CJ Cherryh's novels.
There are a few fantasy contenders, my favourite is R Scott Baker's The Second Apocalypse series.
There are a few fantasy contenders, my favourite is R Scott Baker's The Second Apocalypse series.
That and the Metaconcert books are what I thought of as a good GoT holdover.
It's an excellent series, but you can't really pigeonhole it into a category. It has elements of sci-fi and fantasy, with an overarching western theme. It's hard to talk about the mix without mapping out the progression. For the most part it fits together really well. Some of the books are more focused on sci-fi, others more fantasy, and some feel like straight up cowboy books (with fantasy elements).
I still don't think it would translate to screen very well, but I would give it a chance, definitely.
Count of Monte Sawed-Off
un33dab@dpu$$y
When I first read A Game of Thrones several years ago, it certainly did remind me of Dune to an extent. Never read the rest of the Dune books though. My dad has them and out of curiosity one day I looked through the last few pages of the last book and was extremely confused.
One of the worst endings ever. Read the first book and stop there.
How the fuck is the Commonwealth Saga not in this list?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Saga
My favourite sci-fi series so far I think, and I just finished the 'Expanse' Trilogy. Also a wonderful read, less 'epic' more 'horror', but still very solid space opera.
edit: To clarify, the commonwealth saga is probably more like Game of Thrones than any other book series I've read, sci fi or otherwise.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Saga
My favourite sci-fi series so far I think, and I just finished the 'Expanse' Trilogy. Also a wonderful read, less 'epic' more 'horror', but still very solid space opera.
edit: To clarify, the commonwealth saga is probably more like Game of Thrones than any other book series I've read, sci fi or otherwise.
I've only read three of those and would recommend all 3!
-Hyperion is great. Like someone else mentioned, Endymion somewhat less so, but still very good. The way they're written really changes from the first book to the later ones. In any case, some of the best sci fi I've read.
-I only read the first 3 Foundation books. Very much classic, epic sci fi. Really good stuff.
-Dune is great as well. I didn't feel an urge to read the sequels, it felt complete on its own. All time classic.
There aren't many, if any, similarities to A Song of Ice and Fire though. Might as well throw in Scalzi's Old Man's War or something if we are going to list good series.
I should try the Culture series at some point, GAF has been talking about it for so long.
-Hyperion is great. Like someone else mentioned, Endymion somewhat less so, but still very good. The way they're written really changes from the first book to the later ones. In any case, some of the best sci fi I've read.
-I only read the first 3 Foundation books. Very much classic, epic sci fi. Really good stuff.
-Dune is great as well. I didn't feel an urge to read the sequels, it felt complete on its own. All time classic.
There aren't many, if any, similarities to A Song of Ice and Fire though. Might as well throw in Scalzi's Old Man's War or something if we are going to list good series.
I should try the Culture series at some point, GAF has been talking about it for so long.
Nah.
Well.
Some of the main reasons I don't think it would translate to tv/film are the late game plot devices they introduce.
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"Mary Sue", omnipotent/conduit author bullshit
character from another book with special powers who makes the "final showdown" a non-event
They're really dumb. There are bits of dumb spread throughout, to be fair
Harry Potter references? Really?
indigo-cyclops
Member
Fantastic suggestion, love Dune.
Well I already read their Butlerian Jihad novels (they were pretty good, but I was younger when I read them) and I admittedly read their Dune prequel novels before reading FH's Dune and so on so maybe I'm not the best barometer of literary snobbery.
Fragamemnon
Member
This series is really divisive. Some correctly point out that Hamilton really goes on and on in some parts of both books and they are probably longer than they need to be. Personally I didn't mind and thought that the later payoff for some of the threads was worth it.
The Void trilogy that follows-up is honestly even worse in this regard.
SixStringPsycho
Member
I would love to read something along the lines of space horror. Kind of like Dead Space with great characters. So please recommend me some
Ship of Fools, Richard Paul Russo
Shards. Falling Free is largely disconnected from the main series.
I think it just took all the fantasy tropes that have been used and popularized since Tolkien and turns them on its head. It asks the questions if the good and just are right to rule. Will the land prosper with that type of leader? Or will it be better off with a leader that is in the middle, willing to do what is needed to be done. It doesn't show the guys in dressed in black or the 'monsters' as these evil things. Overall, it just takes all those popularly used tropes and turns them around or shines a different light on it.
I want to read more books like that. I don't necessarily want the good guy to win or get the girl in the end. Or to have plot armor so intense they survive everything that is thrown at them and comes out on top. Sometimes the good guys just lose.
Either way, I've added some books from this thread to my 'read next' list.
That would make the Dune series the equivalent. ;-)
Because its pretty terrible and happens to be nothing like Martins books. Shallow characters and glacial pacing made it one of the worst sci-fi reads in a long time for me.How the fuck is the Commonwealth Saga not in this list?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Saga
My favourite sci-fi series so far I think, and I just finished the 'Expanse' Trilogy. Also a wonderful read, less 'epic' more 'horror', but still very solid space opera.
edit: To clarify, the commonwealth saga is probably more like Game of Thrones than any other book series I've read, sci fi or otherwise.
And if you want something like Ice and Fire you should ignore fantasy and especially sci-fi. It's HISTORICAL FICTION that it emulates.
Player of Games and then Look to Windward.
I always loved Feersum Endjinn.
Another epic sci-fi series worth checking out is the the Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card. Movie coming out soon as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ender's_Game
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1731141/
thanks guys. I've read the wiki synopsis of Ender's Game a while ago at the plot honestly doesn't sound all that great. Might watch the movie though
well, the book/author are somewhat controversial and curiosity got the better of me
I had the ending spoiled for me but it's still one of my favorite science fiction books. I wouldn't bother with the movie one way or another as its guaranteed to be awful.
Jedeye Sniv
Banned
This was basically my response. Zero closure (except for the minor detail of the spy reveal) and the completely ridiculous Wizard of Oz thing. Totally out of step with the tone of the rest of the book.
Anyway, my understanding is that this wasn't a deliberate story decision, but that the novel had to be cut in half for publication purposes. So, whatevs I guess.
Well, that depends on what it is.
I definitely think you should read the second Hyperion book, I thought it was excellent and really 'concluded' the story in my mind, I don't know if I'm interested in reading the Endymion books. The second one is great though, a bit more actiony than the first and with some fantastic sequences. The stuff with Sol and Rachel alone puts it in my top-tier of books, it was so heart wrenching.
Hijack: What's some other "Big Idea" SF? I've been reading random scifi searching for that, and instead i get character-driven messes : (
Hari Seldon
Member
Anything Asimov or Arthur C Clarke. Those are golden age scifi writers where the idea is king and not the characters.
I think i've read literally anything Asimov has written, and a good amount of Clarke's. Ohwell.
Clarke's Fountain of Paradise was really good, but Randevouz with Rama wasn't on par.
Oh my god, i've discovered i managed to read Robot Anthology instead of Robot Cycle. Well, it seems my next 48h will be pretty busy, <3 ebooks
Onto GoT similarities: Horus Heresy. It's not as good, but it's still a good read, if you like faux-historical sci-fi.
I've read Eon, but not anything by Vinge. Adds to the list.
Eon by Greg Bear and A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. both have a fascinating premise. but you've already probably red these, I'm not really suggesting anything obscure.
Maybe the first book. But after that the series becomes random and self-righteous. But even the first one loses points for being a Great White Messiah trope.
I mention A Fire Upon the Deep in every single science fiction recommendation thread.... I've never had a single person respond to it. The book is brilliant on so many levels. It's such a disappointment. Also, I think it and A Deepness in the Sky fit the question of this thread perfectly: both a science fiction political dramas.
From that list, I've only read the first Culture book and bits of pieces of Asimov. Past few years I've been reading cyberpunk/scifi kind of stuff instead: Sam Petrovich, Avery Cates, Kovacs series; Nexus, The Expanse, and Forever War. I'll finish up the Culture series later.
Read Ender's Game and stopped there after reading the wiki on the rest of the books.
Commonwealth Saga did sound interesting until I read the thoughts of posters here.
Will check out the other suggestions. Thanks!
Read Ender's Game and stopped there after reading the wiki on the rest of the books.
Commonwealth Saga did sound interesting until I read the thoughts of posters here.
Will check out the other suggestions. Thanks!
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