I’m very much enjoying Isaac Asimov’s Foundation.

[tosbourn@masto.ai]

@Old_IT_geek oh nice, haven’t heard of either, both going on! (Well the first of the series can go on and I’ll see!) thanks.

[unixmercenary@infosec.exchange]

@tosbourn By "classic science fiction books", I'm guessing you mean the era of Asimov's original Foundation Trilogy, of which the novels appeared 1951–1953. Probably you mean the whole Golden Age, mid-1940s to early 1960s.

So: Ray Bradbury, Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Jack Williamson, Murray Leinster, Clifford D. Simak, Alfred Bester, Damon Knight, Poul Anderson, Cordwainer Smith, James Blish, Kurt Vonnegut, Frederik Pohl, Brian Aldiss, Anthony Boucher, Robert Sheckley, Lewis Padgett, Cyril M. Kornbluth, Richard Matheson, Fritz Leiber, Theodore Sturgeon, Lester del Ray, Eric Frank Russell, James H. Schmitz....

You could do a lot worse than starting here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Age_of_Science_Fiction_(anthology)

and here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Science_Fiction_Hall_of_Fame,_Volume_One,_1929–1964
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Science_Fiction_Hall_of_Fame,_Volume_Two

When you're caught up on the Golden Age, proceed to New Age authors, and get to know, for example, Harlan Ellison and Roger Zelazny.

And then keep going up to the present, and get to know Steven Brust and Lois McMaster Bujold. And many others.

[tosbourn@masto.ai]

@unixmercenary I meant it more “popular heavy hitters” than a specific age, but thank you!

[jmctee@mastodon.social]

@tosbourn Iain M. Banks The Culture series! Player of Games and Consider Phlebas are my faves, but the whole series is great.

[tosbourn@masto.ai]

@jmctee thanks! Added Player of Games to my list.

[gregorclaus@troet.cafe]

@tosbourn @af
In terms of classics I'd recommend Stanislaw Lem (often overlooked in the west), particularly his Ijon Tichy stories.
And think in terms of the father of a genre H. G. Well War of the worlds and Time machine are good reads, even if maybe a bit less accessible than more modern writers

[tosbourn@masto.ai]

@GregorClaus @af thanks! I picked up War of the Worlds and War of the Air from a charity shop recently.

I’d not heard of Stanislaw Lem (to your point!) Will take a look! Thanks.

[jmctee@mastodon.social]

@tosbourn I am sure you'll get lots of great suggestions, but if you're looking for more, check out these two threads I posted sometime last year. Over 60 book recommendations!

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[nyrath@spacey.space]

@tosbourn

You might want to try a couple of the Heinlein Juveniles. Which despite the name are not just for kids.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinlein_juveniles#Novels_written_for_Scribner's

[nyrath@spacey.space]

@tosbourn

The traditional third in the scifi greats is Arthur C. Clarke. Good Clarke novels include Childhood's End, Earthlight, The City and the Stars, and 2001 A Space Odyssey

[unixmercenary@infosec.exchange]

@tosbourn you’re entirely welcome. Anthologies such as those I mentioned will start you out with a diverse sampling of top works from most-respected authors, which is good because it’ll help you decide what subgenres, authors, and (often) series are your cuppa. As the saying goes, Those Tastes, They Do Differ[tm].

Sometimes, you just bounce off something highly acclaimed, e.g., I just can’t connect with C.J. Cherryh’s novels, and feel bad about that, as Carolyn Jane’s personable, but somehow I just bounce off the prose. But, say, almost anything by Steven Brust, Charlie Stross, or Martha Wells, and I’m right there. And when John Scalzi hits jackpot, like with the SF satirical comedy "Starter Villain", I’m totally there.

[tosbourn@masto.ai]

@nyrath thanks! Will look into them!

[tosbourn@masto.ai]

@leej403 thanks very much! I am certainly on the look out for more Asimov. Will check out the others too.

[unixmercenary@infosec.exchange]

@rdm @tosbourn , I totally concur. Somewhat different, both good in overlapping ways. I worried about the TV series hitting the target, but have enjoyed it thoroughly, and the fleshing out of SecUnit's video binge-watching was a particularly successful addition.