BOLO! and Old Soldiers, both by David Weber (it's not Harrington, it counts!).
Actually, any of the Bolo series.
Actually, any of the Bolo series.
On another note, Wheel of Time is an excellent take on the epic-length fantasy genre. (Don't feel like elaborating right now)
I respectfully disagree with this as a recommendation for a plane trip.Mm. Didn't see the bit about a plane trip at first. Agreed- probably not the best choice for a domestic flight, but still a really good series.
Maybe the Game of Thrones series? There's the HBO series in process but a new book came out not all that long ago. They're long but not insane--about 800 pages each.
Personally, I would recommend the following:
-Player of Games, by Iain M Banks
The perfect entry drug into the Culture series.
Finally, I would also recommend The Quantum Thief and The Fractal Prince, by Hannu Rajaniemi.Arsene Lupin?
It's Arséne Lupin post-singularity, which is fun. Beware however that Rajaniemi absolutely expects you to be able to work out what he's saying without handholding and without a glossary, which makes for challenging, but also rewarding reading.
Peter Watts - Blindsight (good hard SF is rare)
I've already read an assload of 40k, and all the good stuff by Mitchell and Abnett, so don't recommend any of that.trust me, read the ciaphas cain novels, they are bloody awesome.
And no, I haven't read Blindsight. I read the opening section about a kid who nearly beats someone to death because half of his brain had gotten removed through surgery and his social skills were screwed up because of that and that turned me off.
Ursula K. Le Guin. Ursula K. Le Guin. Oh, yeah, and Ursula K. Le Guin.
(the Earthsea novels are a good place to start)
Flowers for Algernon.
I mean, it's a tear inducing amazing little story.
Flowers for Algernon.
I mean, it's a tear inducing amazing little story.
Read that and then read 'Understand' by Ted Chiang
I'm flying cross-country out to Florida on Wednesday, and I need book options to keep me occupied on the plane ride and while I wait in the airport, and yes I'll be flying back but not for a week. :p Any good sci-fi, cyberpunk, or fantasy choices I should buy before I leave?
Please don't mention J. R. R. Tolkein, George R. R. Martin, Starship Troopers, or Honor Harrington, okay? :p
I'm flying cross-country out to Florida on Wednesday, and I need book options to keep me occupied on the plane ride and while I wait in the airport, and yes I'll be flying back but not for a week. :p Any good sci-fi, cyberpunk, or fantasy choices I should buy before I leave?
Please don't mention J. R. R. Tolkein, George R. R. Martin, Starship Troopers, or Honor Harrington, okay? :p
Iain M. Banks (Sci Fi, one of the best, not necessarily just the official "Culture Novels", but also his other works like Against a Dark Background.) - also Iain Banks (same author, but he writes non science fiction novels under this name which is also awesome), Charles Stross (Mixed works, Sci Fi, Fantasy and near future/alternate worlds - incredibly imaginative author, but average writing style), Richard Morgan (both Sci Fi and Fantasy, "hard boiled")?