SF/SMAC/Journey to Centauri

thorwahl · October 24, 2003, 10:15

I just reread journey to Centauri and i must say i really love the dark apocalyptic feel of it, intersprersed with the hope some of humanity might survive the trip to Alpha Centauri and possibly save humankind from extinction.

Ive allrdy ordered the other Alpha Centauri books by Michael Ely, but im wondering if anyone knows of other SF books centered around the same themes?
By the same theme i mean Earth deteriorating, colony ships etc - the same concepts as in Journey to Centauri but well, more.

Would be very grateful for answers, Journey got me hooked on that kinda SF and i need my fix!

Thorwahl

Hydro · October 24, 2003, 13:14

I read Ely’s books, and it was definitely love/hate. The first was OK, the second I liked, and the third I hated. But, make up your own mind.

Do you have the SMAC manual? In the back, buried in the appendix, are the books that are the inspiration for SMAC. Particularly, the book The Jesus Incident by Herbert is telling (Gaia-like planet, mindworms, unethical scientist aka Zak, “Lab One” destroyed, last remnant of humanity trying to survive). This book may only be available in used book store, however. Others definitely will give you the flavor that inspired Brian Reynolds and his team in their master work, SMAC. I made a point of finding and reading as many as I could after becoming hopelessly addicted to SMAC.

You might also try the SMAC Fiction forum, and the Archives. Buried deep in its recesses as far back as 1999 are many fine works. Many are short stories, but several are actual book-like Magnum Opuses (Opie?). There are also SMAC anthologies that may suit your taste. Check it out…

Hydro

thorwahl · October 24, 2003, 14:50

Cool, thanks, ill take a look in the fiction forum!

And it so happens i have "the Jesus Incident" on my comp as an ebook, whaddyaknow hehe.
Just didnt know i had it or what it was all about... i guess i have to many ebooks

Ill read it asap!

Thorwahl

gwillybj · October 25, 2003, 00:36

Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars Green Mars Blue Mars series.

thorwahl · October 25, 2003, 08:09

Heh, thanks

Ill take a look at the Mars books when im done with the Frank Herbert series.. it seems i have at least two of the books by Robinson in my ebook collection *grin*
(I kinda collect ebooks if you hadnt noticed allrdy)

Thorwahl

SynthetGod8 · October 25, 2003, 17:53

yes, those Robinson books were excellent, although some bits were boring (like the long monolouges about psychology and color-theory)... but the rest was wicked.
I bought The Martians a little while back and there's a story about an climbing expedition up Olympus Mons (the cliffs around the 2 degree slope is aprox. 10 kilometeres tall, straight up, so I'd say that's a feat to climb). that's something I always dreamed about and finally I got to 'see' it.

Some of the Aliens books, especially Earth Hive and Music of the Spears (which both take place mostly on Earth), feature Earth deteriorating into mega-corperations and excessive drug-use. Plus there are those darn xenomorphs and fantatic cults. And psionics. Sure, it's not brilliant literature, but you can never say those books are boring.