NationStates Jolt Archive

I have read many books that I think might contribute the NS Future Tech game. This list is just that, a list of books I have enjoyed and I think others might get something out of. Please don't let this turn into a disagreement about the validity of certain authors over others. I wish each player to make their own judgement after reading the books everyone has listed here.

My Contributions:


Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays by Stephen Hawking

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking

Hyperspace by Michio Kaku

Visons by Michio Kaku

Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku

Superstrings and the Search for The Theory of Everything by F. David Peat


Please post your favorites.

Personally, I go for Anne McCaffrey for a lot of scifi. However, I also add in the Hitchhiker's Guide series for when I feel like joking, Lovecraft for some of my (as-yet unused) alien ideas, and random authors at other times.

im not quite sure what this is about being i have never read any of those books but if your looking for a good scifi read try and star wars book made by timothy zahn

Well i don't have too much in the way of proper science books to recommend but a few suggestions:

Ender's game by Scott orson Card, a perfect illustration of the sort of concerns combat over interstellar distance brings, the recent Ender's shadow series is also rahter good.
Just about anythign by David Weber, mainly the honor harrignton books but the McIntyre saga is handy for non starwars/startrek/40k uber tech.
Asimov, you simply can't do future tech without his robot goodness
Authur C Clark, soem good "hard" scfi stuff
William Gibson: cyber punk, not a widely explored area of future tech
Kim Stanley Robinson: The Mars saga is excellent even if it does get a bit bogged down in the relationships, his orange county books can give good ideas for post modern stuff.
There are hundreds of other but a few more mentions:
john Ringo, Timothy Zahn (his none star wars books), Kevin J anderson (again his non star wars stuff), jerry pournelle, Larry niven (ring world and Man-kzin wars), just about anyone who has written a Bolo book, joe Haldeman (forever war) etc etc

IF your trying to do FT, you have to read at least half of the Warhammer 40,000 series. i mean, its so unique and violent, you just cant pass it up. Plus, its got the best representation of space combat.

I am not to sure on how well this one will fit in to this list, seeing as I am new to FT. However the book does have some good references and clarifying points on Quantum Physics. Timeline by Michael Chrichton (i know i cant spell, just got off work) is definately a good read. Also Prey gives a good account on nano-technology.

Sayonara

Alan Dean Foster - Commonwealth Series / Books of the Damned / Design for Great Day

Frank Herbert - Dune (duh)

Larry Niven - Take yer pick (The Smoke Ring series was interesting)

David Sherman and Dan Kragg - Starfist Series

Robert Asprin - Time Scout Series

F. Poul Wilson - Repairman Jack

Dean Koontz - Lightning

Orson Scott Card - Kirinyaga

In general though, I tend to get a kick out of Sci-Fi stories in general, be they Star Wars or otherwise.

Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy...

Ringworld - Larry Niven

Conqueror's Trilogy - Timothy Zahn

Honor Harrington series - David Weber

Any university physics textbook

I used the Alan Dean Foster Commonwealth and Flinx series for the start of my nation and I am using the Night's Dawn Triligy by Peter Hammilton to add to that, as well as stuff from other books and my own imagination.

I was about to punch my computer screen because the greatest sci-fi contribution of the century hadn't been mentioned yet. Then, as I scrolled down, I saw that someone had in fact mentioned Dune. Good job, Godular.