The Good Old Stuff: Adventure Sf in the Grand Tradition7 reviews Griffin, 1998 Not Free SF Reader + Grand Old Writers Slipslidin' Away + Good Intro to Earlier Science Fiction + Consistently interesting selection + The GOOD OLD STUFF Is Good Stuff!             The New Space Opera8 reviews Eos, 2007 More for fans than for newcomers While this anthology may appear to be aimed at newcomers to the genre (or subgenre), I doubt that newcomers will get as much out of it as fans who have already read a good deal of the material referred to here as "the new space opera." Why? Many of the stories take place in universes already ...             Revelation Space147 reviews Alastair Reynolds Gollancz, 2008 Fantastic epic of the highest order + A Science Fiction master piece! The entire Revelation Space series is a space opera of the highest order. Alastair Reynolds has set the new bar by which science fiction of the new millenium should be judged. Unlike many science fiction novels, the characters of the Revelation Space saga are highly developed and full of deep ...             The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy663 reviews Douglas Adams Del Rey, 1995 Comic work of genius + One of my all-time favorite books + My go-to gift for 12 year old boys + improbably great             In the Courts of the Crimson Kings20 reviews S.M. Stirling Tor Books, 2008 Super Reader + Another side of Stirling + A Really Pleasant Surprise + A great read + Terrific Tale Set on the Red Planet             Dune Messiah (Dune Chronicles, Book 2)180 reviews Frank Herbert Ace, 1987 Bought it! + Wonderful book + Really, this is such a fine book + A great follow-up for fans of Dune!             Flandry of Terra: Ensign Flandry, Book 3 (Ensign Flandry)3 reviews Poul Anderson I Books, 2004 Super Reader Dominic Flandry is an interstellar Agent of the Terran Empire. He is of the more flamboyant, James Bond not so secret variety, where quick wit, witticism, and raygun are more important than disguise. Good at the reading people and getting local help caper, he needs a bit of that here, particularly ...             Resplendent: Destiny's Children Book Four (Gollancz S.F.)2 reviews Stephen Baxter Gollancz, 2007 BIG Baxter fan + Not Free SF Reader The previous three books in the "Children of Destiny" series were all structured so that they told the story along two different timelines, switching back and forth between them. Resplendant doesn't so much follow that format, and follows a seemingly linear timeline, albeit on a literally stellar ...             Sea Kings of Mars and Otherwordly Stories (Fantasy Masterworks)2 reviews Leigh Brackett Gollancz, 2005 Fascinating evocative stories from a bygone era + Super Reader leigh Brackett is one of a kind writer. Her melancholic Mars and luscious Venus are magnificent examples of science fiction worldbuilding, very original and with a sense of wonder and exotic mystery at par with E.R. Burroughs and Jack vance. Who cares if her Mercury, Mars, Venus, are not asthose ...             The book of Skaith: The adventures of Eric John Stark2 reviews Leigh Brackett Nelson Doubleday, 1976 EXCELLENT TRIOGY + mesmerizing This particular book is a three in one and includes "The Ginger Star," "The Hounds of Skaith," and "The Reavers of Skaith." This is good, adventure SiFi in the Burroughs tradition. The book follows the adventures of one Eric John Stark. Leigh Brackett is quite strong in character development, is ...             Children of Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 3)121 reviews Frank Herbert Ace, 1987 Wonderful + Hero of Classic Sci-fi + Even better than Dune Messiah! + STILL RELEVANT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS             Dune, 40th Anniversary Edition (Dune Chronicles, Book 1)1036 reviews Frank Herbert Ace Trade, 2005 "The Sleeper Has Awakened!" ~ Science Fiction Or Prophetic Utterance? + A SciFi Masterpiece + I do not understand why Dune is so popular. + AMAZING BOOK! + Brings Back Memories of Old Sci-Fi Days             Blindsight69 reviews Peter Watts Tor Books, 2006 Indescribably delicious. + amazing riff on modern cognitive neurobiology In a scientifically chuthuloid universe, "The Speed of Dark" and "I Am Legend" meet "Spider Monsters from Mars" over drawn philosophical debates about the merits of consciousness. The mind boggles. If that first sentence made sense to you, you're better prepared to read this book than I was. It ...             The Hyperion Omnibus: "Hyperion", "The Fall of Hyperion" (Gollancz S.F.)7 reviews Dan Simmons Gollancz, 2004 Hyperion as it should have been + superb science-fiction + Simmons' two science fiction classics under one cover as they were meant to be + A good surprise.             Babel-171 review Samuel R. Delany ACE Books, 1978 A true classic This book is simply amazing. All science fiction fans should read this! This is Delany's finest work (in my opinion), and should absolutely not be missed. The story is about language, identity, meaning. Ahead of its time, I don't know why this book isn't lauded by all, instead of being hard to ...             Startide Rising (The Uplift Saga, Book 2)93 reviews David Brin Spectra, 1984 I started my trilogy here... + True science fiction classic + Not Free SF Reader + Brin's best! + Can't get enough             The Rediscovery of Man (Sf Masterworks 10)2 reviews Cordwainer Smith Gollancz, 1999 Not Free SF Reader This is also the Best of Cordwainer Smith in a different edition - not to be confused with Rediscovery of Man : the complete stories. Yes, people who name collections the same as an existing collection are annoying. However, this is outstanding, the story average is 4.04 thanks to not one, but ...             The Good New Stuff: Adventure in SF in the Grand Tradition4 reviews St. Martin's Griffin, 1999 Read this book! + Not Free SF Reader + Not Free SF Reader + About as good as the run-of-the-mill old stuff             Schild's Ladder32 reviews Greg Egan, 2002 A grand story at Egan's usual pace + Another creative masterpiece from Egan + Schild's ladder + One of the best hard sci-fi I have read + Australian SF Reader             The Space Opera Renaissance8 reviews David G. Hartwell, Kathryn Cramer Orb Books, 2007 Hartwell & Cramer's best BIG review-anthology yet. + Not Free SF Reader + Great stuff! I'm working my way through the Hartwell & Cramer SPACE OPERA RENAISSANCE anthology, and finding it well-done and to my taste -- I think it's Hartwell's best BIG review-anthology yet. Truly a doorstop: 940+ pages!, with a surprisingly large number of new-to-me stories. Space Opera, as Hartwell ...