Books for Christmas

[sonofsanta]

Peter F. Hamilton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia has a good reputation for his Space Opera if he's not read him; not read them myself but could be worth a look.

And I know you say sci-fi, but Game of Thrones etc. really is excellent and is serving as a gateway drug for many people - could be worth a go. It has more in common with an alternate history than it does with Tolkien (although as it's based on the War of the Roses, that makes sense).

[witch]

Space Opera sounds familiar but I will have a look.
Def not Game of Thrones - not him at all

World war Z as a book hadnt occured to me - thanks

[sonofsanta]

Space Opera sounds familiar but I will have a look.
Def not Game of Thrones - not him at all

World war Z as a book hadnt occured to me - thanks

I meant Space Opera as the genre, not necessarily as a title or a series - it's generally summarised as anything taking place on a grand galactic scale, and is less hard sci-fi (by virtue of needing FTL travel to allow for the scale) and more sweeping epics. In space. Example authors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...dia#Literature

[witch]

I meant Space Opera as the genre, not necessarily as a title or a series - it's generally summarised as anything taking place on a grand galactic scale, and is less hard sci-fi (by virtue of needing FTL travel to allow for the scale) and more sweeping epics. In space. Example authors: List of space opera media - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sorry, yes, what I meant was that he had mentioned the genre and I wasnt sure whether he liked it or not. He's certainly read a few on that list

[LeMarchand]

He might not have read Philip Reeve's "Mortal Engines"/"Predator Cities" books as they're normally found in the "Older Readers" section, but they are a rollicking good Steampunk tale (though the author once somewhat ironically decried Steampunk as a literary dead end). The climax of the final book was stunning.

jasper Fforde's books are fun, though possibly not "sciencey" enough with the possible exception of "Shades of Grey".

[witch]

He might not have read Philip Reeve's "Mortal Engines"/"Predator Cities" books as they're normally found in the "Older Readers" section, but they are a rollicking good Steampunk tale (though the author once somewhat ironically decried Steampunk as a literary dead end). The climax of the final book was stunning.

jasper Fforde's books are fun, though possibly not "sciencey" enough with the possible exception of "Shades of Grey".

Thought you said "50 Shades of Grey" for a minute there! The steampunk sounds good - do you think he is old enough at 53?

[JohnCondon]

Peter Hamiltons, Nights Dark trilogy is over a decade old but extremely good..
Chances are that MrWitch will already have read it.

Unless you've read them yourself don't dismiss Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones is the title of the first book and the TV Series NOT teh book Series ).
They are as far removed from Fantasy Fiction as anything I have ever read.
I know people (some in my own family) whose previous reading material ran the breadth from Wilbur Smith, Jackie Collins or that Bridget Jones woman.. and they STILL couldn't put Game of Thrones down when they started reading it.
If you have read them and still think they are not hubbies cup of tea then I obviously bow to your spousal knowledge

[LeMarchand]

Thought you said "50 Shades of Grey" for a minute there!

Jasper Fforde's marketing people have missed a trick there!

[X-13]

"Shades of Grey".

My mum just got that.

I nearly choked on coffee when she told me, I was thinking it was the OTHER shades of grey. [Or as I call it "Master of the Universe".]

[teejay]

Thought you said "50 Shades of Grey" for a minute there!

Well you could buy him that, and a roll of duct tape and some rope....

[Earthling]

No one suggested Stephen King's Dark Tower series?

The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Wasted Lands etc.

Edit:Oopsie, It's The Waste Lands, not The Wasted Lands.

[teejay]

Anyway...the new Neil Asher Owner Trilogy books are quite good, not to everyones taste, but the second book is much better than the first.

[sonofsanta]

No one suggested Stephen King's Dark Tower series?

The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Wasted Lands etc.

Edit:Oopsie, It's The Waste Lands, not The Wasted Lands.

Just read them (well, listened, car audiobooks) and they're cracking books, but they're much closer to fantasy than sci-fi. Not your standard fantasy, but still, everything is vaguely hand-waved and mystical.

China Miéville? Not really sci-fi either (similar genre to Neil Gaiman, slipstream or the new weird or w/e), and not to everyone's tastes, but I do love 'im. Kraken is perhaps the least pretentious place to start.

[aerospacemango]

I don't know if anyone has suggested these....

The Many Coloured Land by Julian May. This starts a series of 4 books (I think) that are pretty good. They are quite old, so your OH may have read them already!

[LeMarchand]

China Miéville? Not really sci-fi either (similar genre to Neil Gaiman, slipstream or the new weird or w/e), and not to everyone's tastes, but I do love 'im. Kraken is perhaps the least pretentious place to start.

I'd suggest Un Lun Dun (or The Scar or possibly Perdido Street Station). Thought Kraken was a bit disappointing.