Ask HN: Modern Hard SciFi

#1

Post by codedrome » Sat, Dec 14, 2019, 3:43 PM UTC

Are there any contemporary hard sci-fi authors comparable to Isaac Asimov, Arthur C Clarke and others of their era? I have recently been reading Stephen Baxter and Kim Stanley Robinson and would like to find other comparable authors. The problem I have with modern sci-fi is that it is blurred with Tolkien-style fantasy and it's often difficult to know where a particular book fits on the spectrum.

Re: Ask HN: Modern Hard SciFi

#2

Post by posix_me_less » Sat, Dec 14, 2019, 4:41 PM UTC

Check out Liu Cixin, The three-body problem.

Re: Ask HN: Modern Hard SciFi

#3

Post by code_Whisperer » Sat, Dec 14, 2019, 11:51 PM UTC

I would heartily recommend "Children of Time" (Children of Time #1) by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Another one that stands out over the last couple of years (for me) is "The Book of Strange New Things" by Michael Faber, which has a mix of hard sci-fi with some very thought provoking philosophy/religion.

Re: Ask HN: Modern Hard SciFi

#4

Post by codedrome » Sun, Dec 15, 2019, 11:36 AM UTC

posix_me_less wrote: post #2

Check out Liu Cixin, The three-body problem.

I've seen that, first of a trilogy I think. I'll give it a go, thanks.

Re: Ask HN: Modern Hard SciFi

#5

Post by codedrome » Sun, Dec 15, 2019, 11:36 AM UTC

code_Whisperer wrote: post #3

I would heartily recommend "Children of Time" (Children of Time #1) by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Another one that stands out over the last couple of years (for me) is "The Book of Strange New Things" by Michael Faber, which has a mix of hard sci-fi with some very thought provoking philosophy/religion.

Thanks, I'll look out for those.

Re: Ask HN: Modern Hard SciFi

#6

Post by markus_zhang » Sun, Dec 15, 2019, 2:00 PM UTC

codedrome wrote: post #4

posix_me_less wrote: post #2

Check out Liu Cixin, The three-body problem.

I've seen that, first of a trilogy I think. I'll give it a go, thanks.

I second this. Very fun and many interesting ideas.