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Must-Read Science Fiction Authors and Some of Their Best Works
I am a writer who is passionate about classic science fiction. There is a list of authors who are considered to be the best. So, if you are looking for incredible science fiction novels, then these five, who happen to be some of my favorites, are included in that list and I would highly recommend them. I’ve given you a short version of their content and what I thought about each one. Whatever you choose to read, I don’t believe you’ll be disappointed. Happy Reading!
Robert Heinlein – Glory Road
This novel was written in first person and talks to the fourth wall on several occasions. The leading character is a down and out, unemployed man in serious need of a job. He answers an ad in the paper for “Hero for Hire” and stumbles his way to success. It was very inciteful and hilariously realistic to today’s social climate.
– The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
A computer becomes sentient in a prison located on the moon and teaches the inmates how to fight back the oppressors on earth by launching large rocks. Heinlein made it sound plausible and added just enough sound technical data to seem real.
John Varley – Titan
One of my favorite characters in this book was the mighty Cirocco Jones and her sidekick, Gaby. On an expedition to Saturn, they discover an unknown satellite orbiting the planet, they crash into it, and attempt to find their missing crew members. The narration was so vivid I could see what they saw as if I was there with them.
– Millennium
Because of a thousand years of war, the Earth has been polluted beyond repair and humanity’s gene pool has become irreparably damaged. Scientists decide on a desperate plan; time travel into the past, collect healthy humans, and transport the populace to an uncontaminated planet to rebuild civilization. The only downside is each person selected can’t have changed the future by disappearing. I found the plot to be interesting, original, and deeply disturbing at the same time.
Piers Anthony – Macroscope
Macroscope is a love story that surrounds the theft of a new kind of telescope that employs an infinite resolution while observing the space time continuum. The machine can look into anywhere at anytime, making it the most dangerous tool in the universe. The two protagonists fall in love while they attempt to keep the macroscope away from those who would misuse it.
– A Spell For Chameleon
The lead character, Bink, must learn his magical talent before he comes of age or suffer the banishment of the country in which he lives. Bink learns he has a talent but there is no way to discover what it could be. He is banished to our world, one without magic, and eventually makes it back to Xanth, his world. Bink ultimately learns his talent is that no other talent will work against him. It is also determined to be the strongest talent in his world. I liked this book primarily because Bink was so naïve and nicer than those around him. It also proved that decency wins out.
Arthur C. Clarke – The Sands of Mars
This book was released in 1951 and shows a much more wholesome view of science and space travel. The leading characters find kangaroo – like creatures on mars and vegetation that will eventually produce air on mars. The protagonist is so taken with the planet that he volunteers to stay and help with the migration of people from earth.
– The City and the Stars
I found the concept of this book fascinating and different from most science fiction of the time. The setting is in the distant future when the earth’s oceans have dried up, and mankind lives in one remaining city on the edge of extinction. The leading character discovers a second group of people that have once again learned how to live off the land, and they teach him the procedures needed to thrive.
Edgar Rice Burroughs – A Princess of Mars
This is my favorite book and was the one that caused me to become a writer. John Carter is whisked off to the red planet, a place the natives call Barsoom. He meets a beautiful princess and has to defend her from a race of people that want her dead. The formula is constant with Burroughs books and involves finding the girl, losing her to kidnapping, and spending a herculean amount of effort finding and saving her.
– The Land that Time Forgot
The main character, Bowen Tyler, is on a ship that sinks during World War 1 and through a series of misadventures finds himself on what he thinks is a deserted island. Exploring the island for food shows Bowen that the island is inhabited by dinosaurs and prehuman people that know nothing of the 20th century. Lys La Rue, a companion from the sunken ship must find a way to survive and ultimately leave the island.
Solitaire
Lessons from Isaac Asimov: Writing Tips for Success
Isaac Asimov (January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American writer and a professor of biochemistry at Boston University. Asimov was considered one of the “Big Three” science fiction writers along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke. He was a prolific writer and wrote or edited more than 500 books within his lifetime. He is most well known for his science fiction, but also wrote mysteries, fantasy, nonfiction, and popular science.
He started with a series of science-fiction novels in the 1950’s, which includes the classic Foundation Series, and his writing in time extended into non-fiction. He wrote works for popular science, guidebooks to classic novels like Gulliver’s Travels and Paradise Lost, and even a 1,200-page Guide to the Bible.
He wrote on numerous other scientific and non-scientific topics, such as chemistry, astronomy, mathematics, history and literary criticism. He even wrote a few joke books and a book of limericks, but he didn’t stop there. He wrote a Guide to Shakespeare and a thorough Chronology of the World. By publishing his Three Laws of Robotics in 1942, Isaac Asimov defined rules for humans and robots to coexist.He brought a new understanding of robots and their relationship between machines and humans which led to modern movies like I, Robot and Bicentennial Man. Asimov enlightened our imaginations.
What can we learn from this amazing writer?
Make the time to write – no excuses. Asimov had many duties but always kept himself on a tight schedule and made the time for his writing. He went from can till can’t.
Stick to what you know. We all have a circle of competence – an area of earned knowledge. Learn to know the limit of that circle and stick within that limit to keep the advantage. (Asimov wrote the books but let screen writers execute the movies)
Find what you love and have unstoppable determination. (Asimov simply “had” to write. It would have been unfathomable not to.)
Never stop learning – have a thirst for knowledge and do massive amounts of research.
Never let the fear of criticism and perfectionism hold you back. Continue striving and writing. Be prepared for imperfection and correct your result, not your process.
Commit to your writing or everything will distract you. Don’t be stopped by a creative block. If one project isn’t working, move on to another.
“Knowledge is not only power; it is happiness,
and being taught is the intellectual analog of being loved. – Isaac Asimov
Solitaire
Exploring David Weber’s Honor Harrington Series
David Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He has written several science-fiction and fantasy book series, the best-known of which is the Honor Harrington science-fiction series.
David Weber’s writing style is highly technical, indicating that a mountain of research has gone into his books. I enjoy the technical qualities of his work because they are always spot on accurate regardless of the subject matter. You learn things while reading and only realize you’ve been enriched later.
I’ve recently started reading the book Flag in Exile which is a part of the Harrington series. The protagonist is a woman named Honor Harrington who is helped by her six-legged tree cat named Nimitz. I found it interesting that Nimitz, although looked at as Honor’s pet, is actually sentient, highly intelligent, and gives Honor a close look at the people she meets because of the cat’s high level of empathy.
Honor is the captain of a spaceship and hugely successful at her job. A tall woman who has never thought of herself as good looking, she keeps her hair short and is a bit awkward in social settings. Her misadventures are colorful while usually somewhat reckless, but always on the moral side of the compass.
If you’re a highly technical person, this is the book for you. On the other hand, if technical stories give you grief, you might want to look for another author. I have enjoyed every book by David Weber that I’ve read so far and would have no problem recommending each and every one of them.
I plan on finishing the series before moving on to another author.
Solitaire
Essential Tips for First-Time Authors
I think the most important first step is to ask yourself what kind of book it will be. Fiction, non-fiction, historical, horror, science fiction, fantasy? Before you can get started, this one question needs to be answered before it’s possible.
Regardless of age, life experience will play a part in what you decide to put to pen, but it will be infinitely easier if you write about what you know. Speaking of pens, how do you see yourself punching away at this new endeavor? Pen/pencil and paper or with a computer? Whatever happens to be within your grasp will be where you start but don’t let it stop you from working toward your dream. If you choose a computer, then the next decision will be which piece of software to use. So now we’re talking about what your budget looks like, and there is some good news. Free software is available to help get you started in lieu of purchasing Microsoft Word or other writing software. Do the research and find out which will be the best fit for you.
The next decision is what type of book are you seeing in the mind’s eye? A short story, a novella, a novel, or a compilation of novels making a series of interconnected characters? Figure that out and your task will be made easier.
With each book you write, expect there to be a huge amount of research before the smoke clears on your finished work. If you write about what you know, there will still be research to perform because none of us knows everything about any given subject.
The next question revolves around preliminary functions like an outline of where the book will be going from chapter to chapter, or do you really need one? From author to author this one question has a variety of responses and none of them are wrong. Some of us use outlines or storyboards, some of us don’t. Whichever way you go, write a lot.
I’m a proponent of critical thinking, and the long and short of that boils down to who, what, why, where, when, and how with every page you write. I call them the six deadlys, and you’ll get sick of asking the same questions every day of your writing career, but there’s no living without them. The day you stop asking these questions is the day mistakes will overtake you.
Talk frequently to friends and family about your book prior and during the writing process. It will help you to stay fresh as they give you added spark and suggestions talking about your project.
Read more than you write. Select books from other authors with the same genre and compare what you’ve written with what you’ve read. It will help the number of potential errors before they happen.
Research which titles have already been used and stay away from repeats whenever possible. Look for ways to make your story different, thereby making it stand out from the rest of the stories within the same genre.
Last, but certainly not least, know what your audience is looking for and stay within those parameters. If it’s a child’s book, stay away from adult concepts and write to the age level of your audience.
These are some ideas that might be helpful to a first-time author. There are many more things that I wish I had known when I started writing. I recently created a book that might help you to avoid some of the mistakes that I made along the way and make your path a little easier to get your works published. If you’ve always wanted to write a book and get it published, this will instruct you how to accomplish your dreams of being an author. Good luck and have a great writing experience! Click here for The Triple Threat.
Solitaire
Mutineers’ Moon – Book One in the Dahak Series by David Weber
Author David Weber says the genesis for this book began with a question. “Assume that earth doesn’t actually have a moon, but rather a giant starship disguised as our moon which has been there for at least fifty or sixty thousand years. Where did it come from, why did it come here, and why hasn’t it left?”
Weber says the answer to those questions built the foundation for this book and its sequels.
Imagine that an alien race came to earth fifty thousand years ago, had a civil war between two factions of their government and was beaten by their advanced AI ship, Dahak. This ship is also the celestial entity we call the moon and during their last battle for supremacy they find themselves stranded on earth with no way to regain access to Dahak.
The two factions of the crew keep themselves young by using cryo-sleep to maintain their lives. Fifty thousand years later they have influenced the earth to gain space flight to re-enter Dahak, although the human population has no knowledge of the moon’s real purpose.
During one of the first flights to the moon, a human is kidnapped by Dahak and convinced to help get the moon back in readiness for a journey to the alien’s home world.
Dahak also wants information about the original crew and whether all of them were part of the mutiny that caused their present dilemma. Another alien race has been spotted closing in on earth’s solar system and only Dahak’s original crew can stop them.
Dahak’s communications system is unable to contact their home world and that means no help is forthcoming to help save the earth.
The lead characters, Colin MacIntyre, Dahak, and what is left of the original crew will have to find a way to co-exist long enough to defeat an alien fleet with nothing more than a ship the size of a moon, and a handful of humans to supplement the crew.
I quite literally could not put this book down, and was excited to know there were two more installments beyond Mutineers’ Moon. If you’re looking for classic science fiction, Mutineers’ Moon is a great choice for your next read.
Solitaire
Unveiling Endless Possibilities: The Essence of Science Fiction
The dictionary defines Science Fiction as follows –
Fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes, frequently representing space or time travel and life on other planets.
You generally find things like parallel universes, spaceships, clones, aliens, self-aware AIs, virtual reality, time travel, mind control, interplanetary warfare and humans interacting with scientific methods or technologies.
Some say it should have its foundations in actual science to qualify and the actual technologies should be a plausible progression of the current education and abilities that we have.
There is usually some type of scientific discovery involved.
Future technology is a common theme with the cost of progress a recurrent theme.
Usually set in realities that are plausible but involve survival.
Worlds are often cynical and dystopian but utopian societies can also exist.
These discoveries and technologies are oftentimes analyzed as to whether it is progress that is worth the price or whether the well-intentioned new breakthroughs are either corrupting mankind or furthering its progress. Entire story lines are built around this premise.
Science Fiction has been around for as long as people have had a curiosity about our world and its physical laws. How far can the boundaries be pushed?
Add human characteristics and emotions into this scientific phenomenon, build a plot that weaves in and out of the scenario, and you can create a world of endless possibilities while developing characters that are relatable to your readers.
Bring science into your conflict but be careful not to “dump” key scientific information on the reader too quickly. Give out scientific explanations and background sparingly so as not to overwhelm them so they stop reading. Remember that dialogue, action and flashbacks are all ways to creatively dispense key information.
Some examples of Science Fiction –
Jurassic Park – by Michael Crichton
The Hunger Games – by Suzanne Collins
Journey to the Center of the Earth – by Jules Verne
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – by Jules Verne
The Time Machine – by H. G. Wells
The First Men in the Moon – by H. G. Wells
Dune – by Frank Herbert
1984 – by George Orwell
I have always been a huge fan of science fiction. It’s not only what I read most often, but a genre in which I write as well. You can find my books at my website and other varied locations.
Solitaire
Art by Solitaire – Unleashing Imagination
In the ever-changing world of art and technology, online tools have completely revolutionized the art world. It demands a blend of artistic flair, technical prowess, and an unwavering enthusiasm for digital media. Solitaire stands as a prime example of a digital artist harnessing these tools to elevate his craft, express himself, and create exquisite artworks that push the boundaries of imagination. Whether delving into abstract, science fiction, fantasy, or scenic art, these creations find homes in video games, websites, book covers, attire, and are often displayed on the walls of homes and offices. It is a dynamic and captivating medium that holds the power to inspire us all.
Help – How Do I Write a Novel?
Writing your first novel can make you craaaazy!!! Do you have a process , or should you even have one? Maybe you’ve taken a class on writing but are still unclear where to begin. If this is where you’re coming from, then hang onto your hats because I’d like to share something with you.
I’ve been there! You are not alone, so don’t worry. This writing process is the reason for my next book –
THE TRIPLE THREAT
(How to write a novel and stay sane in the process)
Hi, I’m Solitaire Parke and I write science fiction, urban fantasy, horror/thriller, larger world and poetry books. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, and I’ve made my fair share of mistakes along the way. Hopefully, I can help you avoid some of those same mistakes and your novel can become a reality instead of just a dream.
I believe everyone has at least one good book within them, probably more. But if you don’t know where to start, that’s a problem. So, I’m attempting to share some of the knowledge I’ve gained along my writing journey in the hope that your dream can come to fruition.
The Triple Threat will cover
Where to start
Outlines
Research
Plots and Subplots
Characterization
Dialogue
Showing not Telling
Conflict
Timelines
Helpful Templates
Editing
Cover Art
Publishing
and much more within each chapter – including examples.
Understanding what you’re writing and finding the answers to all your questions will shape what and how your novel is written and ultimately make your readers (hopefully, a lot of them) happy, and anxious to get your next book when it’s published. Not to mention, the satisfaction you receive from being able to put your thoughts down in a paperback (e-book or audiobook) is well worth all the time and effort, and something you can be proud of for the rest of your life.
The TripleThreat is in its final editing stage and will be out very soon. So, stay tuned for further updates. Happy reading to everyone – and hopefully you’ll be writing your own novel in the near future! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment or contact me.
Solitaire
Accepting Being Imperfect
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of mending broken pottery by joining pieces back together and filling cracks with lacquer mixed with gold. It highlights the flaws in the repaired item. In our world today there seems to be no end to the broken pieces of our society and we are all a part of it in some way. But these pieces can be put back together again and be made stronger than before with work on our part. I am reminded of this when I look at Kintsugi. It turns into a beautiful piece of art.
Accepting our flaws is a fundamental part of the writing process as well. No author writes a perfect first draft. It reminds me of one of my books written years ago that just never quite hit the mark. I ended up tearing it apart, section by section, and rewriting it at least three times. There was a point when I had almost given up on it altogether and considered scrapping it completely. It was very disheartening and left me wondering why I was even writing it at all.
I’m not one to quit easily, so I took it as a challenge, and reworked the entire story so that it became a cohesive plot filled with much more exciting actions and a richer storyline. As a result of fixing the flaws, it became a much fuller narrative that I was pleased to publish – Tinker Smith & the Conspiracy of OZ.
A group of ten genetically altered children are attempting to save the world
from a technological, power hungry scientist,
the self proclaimed Wizard of Oz,
who is determined to control the world with a computer virus.
Johnny and his father meet Tinker, one of the ten children
and together they forge ahead in the hope of survival
in a strange world of machination and espionage.
None of us are perfect, and in the artistic process of writing it sometimes means tearing apart our ideas, then putting them back together again to be stronger and more engaging.
It’s much like Kintsugi. From imperfect to amazing!
Happy Reading to everyone!
Solitaire
Available Now – “Between Two Worlds”
Society is collapsing before his eyes.
Sixteen-year-old Cross Mundos is trying to survive in a world of nuclear disaster and environmental decay. His parents have disappeared, leaving him with an eccentric uncle, a war zone, and a landscape where death and extinction seem to be the inevitable outcome. But Cross has an intellect far beyond most in his age category, and despite the challenges he faces, is determined to find a way to endure and even thrive.
To his surprise, his Uncle Ferrum reveals an instrument called a torch, enabling him to rip a hole into the fabric of time and space. This changes everything as he can transport to an identical world, with one catch – it is many decades into the past!
To survive in this new world, he must keep his previous life a secret and yet somehow blend in with the current populace. His ultimate goal is to discover what went wrong in his world and somehow change the course of events to stop the future of this new planet from complete destruction.
Will history repeat itself, or will Cross be the one person who can alter its outcome?
My latest science fiction book – BETWEEN TWO WORLDS – is now available for purchase below –
LULU BOOKS (Paperback and Ebook)
Check out solitaireparke.com for further information and books. Happy Reading!
Solitaire
Solitaire Parke - Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books 