Other Hard Sci-Fi (Books, TV, Film, YouTube, Podcasts, Blogs, etc)

[rcoobc]

I'm a fan of hard sci-fi.

That's science fiction with an emphasis on realism, but maybe with a single twist.

I just finished Altered Carbon (book) and it just doesn't quite scratch that hard sci-fi itch for me. Total bunch of nonsense, as enjoyable as it was.

Recommend me your favourite hard sci-fi in any format.

 

[diarm]

I'm a fan of hard sci-fi.

That's science fiction with an emphasis on realism, but maybe with a single twist.

I just finished Altered Carbon (book) and it just doesn't quite scratch that hard sci-fi itch for me. Total bunch of nonsense, as enjoyable as it was.

Recommend me your favourite hard sci-fi in any format.

I've really enjoyed For All Mankind so far.

 

[Tarrou]

probably my all time favourite is Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke

 

[rcoobc]

I've really enjoyed For All Mankind so far.

Apple TV?

 

[diarm]

Apple TV?

Yes. It's based in reality but if the Russians had won the race to the moon.

 

[Vidyoyo]

Anybody read anything by Greg Egan? He's somebody I've had on my to read list for a while

 

[nimic]

Anything by Alastair Reynolds.

 

[Red the Bear]

I wouldn't call either the odyssey or androids dreaming of electric sheep hard scifis as they seem to be too speculative, but great books nonetheless.

 

[Beachryan]

Anything by Alastair Reynolds.

Truth. Or Iain M Banks.

 

[rcoobc]

Truth. Or Iain M Banks.

Love(d) him

 

[Drawfull]

A few films that are ´harder´ than normal based on time travel/time and space manipulation:

Primer

Timecrimes (Los Cronocrimenes if you can't find the English version)

Coherence (not that hard, but a good paradoxical film nonetheless)

All are low budget, but worth watching if you've not seen.

 

[largelyworried]

If we're talking about hard sci-fi the sub-genre, I would go with Stephen Baxter. They're not always that easy to read but the scientific theories he waves about are brilliant. I'd say Time Ships is just about my favourite hard sci-fi book. The Manifold trilogy is also excellent.

If we're generally talking about "real" sci-fi as opposed star wars and that kind of stuff, I'd say Iain M Banks is the GOAT. But I wouldn't call him hard sci-fi personally.

 

[flameinthesun]

Haven't read it but have watched breakdown videos of a book series called The 3 Body Problem which seems pretty hard sci fi.

 

[Volumiza]

I grew up gazing repeatedly at 2001 a space odyssey. That has to be the king for me. Just an incredible piece of work made from an incredible book. Still my favourite really.

I also really liked a film called Gattaca. Wasn't a huge commercial success but a really cold, clinical sci fi film that really isn't too much of a stretch to believe that could be a possible future.

 

[Bobski]

Anything by Alastair Reynolds.

Yes, so much yes here, and if Reynolds is mentioned you almost have to mentioned Adrian Tchaikovsky and Peter F Hamilton as the best of the modern era along with Banks.

 

[nimic]

Yes, so much yes here, and if Reynolds is mentioned you almost have to mentioned Adrian Tchaikovsky and Peter F Hamilton as the best of the modern era along with Banks.

I haven't read Tchaikovsky yet, he's on my to-do list eventually. I do love Peter F. Hamilton too, but he's hardly hard sci-fi. He writes a mean space opera, though. The Commonwealth Saga is one of my absolute favourites.

 

[Bobski]

I haven't read Tchaikovsky yet, he's on my to-do list eventually. I do love Peter F. Hamilton too, but he's hardly hard sci-fi. He writes a mean space opera, though. The Commonwealth Saga is one of my absolute favourites.

Fair, though have never really cared about the distinctions between the different sub genres.

We must be getting close to be being able to do some of the Culture books justice at this point in an adaptation, who is going to be brave enough to take those on. Or Hyperion?

Jumping off on another tangent here but I think the TV show was better than the books for The Expanse, just find the writing a little lacking in the books, functional without really inspiring me.

 

[nimic]

Fair, though have never really cared about the distinctions between the different sub genres.

I don't really care too much about it either, it's just that Hamilton's books all have some kind of FTL, while Reynolds' don't. Of course, their stories would be impossible to tell using the other method, so I'm happy anyway.

 

[FrankDrebin]

I grew up gazing repeatedly at 2001 a space odyssey. That has to be the king for me. Just an incredible piece of work made from an incredible book. Still my favourite really.

I also really liked a film called Gattaca. Wasn't a huge commercial success but a really cold, clinical sci fi film that really isn't too much of a stretch to believe that could be a possible future.

Yep, love both.
And I also love Tarkovsky's Solaris, though it isn't necessarily hard science and the author of the book wasn't exactly a fan of the adaptation.

 

[nimic]

Speaking of films, Contact is amazing.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

That's science fiction with an emphasis on realism, but maybe with a single twist.

I'd say that definition fits Soft sci-fi more, where science is more of a concept and emphasis is on lifestyle, culture etc.

Hard Sci-fi is .... Sciency. Lots of scientific explanations, theories etc. It's more closer to real life science extrapolating it to future (but not always).

 

[V.O.]

Absolutely loved The Expanse and they obviously had the book material for several more seasons. Just a shame there's no room on TV for anything that isn't fecking Star Wars/Marvel/LOTR etc.

 

[oneniltothearsenal]

This is probably my favorite sci-fi trilogy of all time. I don't know what the boundary to qualify as "hard" sci-fi is these days but these novels are the perfect blend of hard sci-fi for me with classic storytelling since its also inspired by the old school Lupin stories.

Haven't read it but have watched breakdown videos of a book series called The 3 Body Problem which seems pretty hard sci fi.

3 Body Problem is 100% hard sci-fi and that's probably my second favorite sci-fi book series. Anyone that hasn't read it that loves sci-fi...what are you doing? Go read it now.

 

[Salt Bailly]

3 Body Problem is 100% hard sci-fi and that's probably my second favorite sci-fi book series. Anyone that hasn't read it that loves sci-fi...what are you doing? Go read it now.

It really is incredible.

Looking forward to the big budget Netflix adaptation, even if it is being showran by D.B.Weiss and David Benioff of GoT infamy...

 

[GaryLifo]

The Orbitsville series by Bob Shaw was one I loved in my early 20s.

 

[rcoobc]

I'd say that definition fits Soft sci-fi more, where science is more of a concept and emphasis is on lifestyle, culture etc.

Hard Sci-fi is .... Sciency. Lots of scientific explanations, theories etc. It's more closer to real life science extrapolating it to future (but not always).

For me, hard sci-fi... is an umbrella term.

If you look at Larry Nivern's Ringworld; the "Ringworld" is a really important hard sci-fi concept which doesn't really break any known laws of physics (some may disagree but I disagree with the disagreements), but the actual book is set in a soft sci-fi universe with (if memory serves) teleportation, FTL travel and anti-gravity.

The same is true to a slightly less extent, of Iain M Banks Culture series. The Orbitals (which are very related to Ringworld) are another hard sci-fi concept that breaks no known law of physics. I.e one day, we can probably build one. And again, the books are set it in a far future space opera universe which is slightly harder than Larry Nivern's Ringworld

Most of The Expanse is hard sci-fi because they don't have anti-gravity, and they don't have FTL communication. They do have the "Epstein Drive" which is quite literally "science fiction" but because it has defined properties that make sense (literally, you can look up the specific impulse and thrust, etc) it still comes under "hard sci-fi" for me. The Expanse does have some weird shit that is basically magic, but forgetting that, 99% of it is hard sci-fi.

Then there is ultra-hard sci-fi like The Martian where there is no crazy fake technology, essentially everything in the book/film we could build with known technology (the odd mistake on a Martian storm aside)

Softer "hard sci-fi" would be stuff like Iain M Banks and Adrian Tchaikovsky. I don't want to call it just "soft sci-fi" though because it's still much harder than the Star-Treks and Star-Wars (although actually Star Trek does have the odd bit of hard sci-fi).

You could probably do a tier list.

True Science Sci Fi (breaking no known laws of physics)
Hard Sci Fi (any new science needs to have clearly definable and explainable properties i.e Epstein Drive)
Speculative Sci Fi (Unclear whether sci-fi is realistic due to speculative far-future nature i.e Iain M Banks, Adrian Tchaikovsky)
Space Fantasy (Star Wars, Star Trek)

But much will come under parts i.e. partially hard sci-fi

 

[WI_Red]

The Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson was one of my favorites. It’s been a while so no idea if it still holds up.

I may be in the minority as some think it’s boring and slow, but I thought Asimov’s Foundation series was fascinating.

I will second (third?) the vote for Clarke’s Rama series.

Finally, as a guilty pleasure I would recommend We Are Legion (We are Bob) and the rest of the Bobiverse books. The audiobooks are fantastic and what starts as dark comedy (the background political situation is waaaay to close to home right now) turns into an exploration of some fascinating moral and philosophical ideas.

 

[Eriku]

I grew up gazing repeatedly at 2001 a space odyssey. That has to be the king for me. Just an incredible piece of work made from an incredible book. Still my favourite really.

I also really liked a film called Gattaca. Wasn't a huge commercial success but a really cold, clinical sci fi film that really isn't too much of a stretch to believe that could be a possible future.

I was in a conversation with an 18 year old this spring who insisted the SFX of 2001 were nothing special.

Even today the fecking space shots are mind-blowing… what the actual feck.

But yeah, great movie, tough to digest first go around. Fantastic cinematography, and music is spectacular too.

 

[The Firestarter]

I've really enjoyed For All Mankind so far.

I enjoy it but it turned into a bit of soap opera. Scientifically it's mostly sound I think.

 

[The Firestarter]

I'm a fan of hard sci-fi.

That's science fiction with an emphasis on realism, but maybe with a single twist.

I just finished Altered Carbon (book) and it just doesn't quite scratch that hard sci-fi itch for me. Total bunch of nonsense, as enjoyable as it was.

Recommend me your favourite hard sci-fi in any format.

Since you liked The Martian

 

[rcoobc]

The Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson was one of my favorites. It’s been a while so no idea if it still holds up.

I may be in the minority as some think it’s boring and slow, but I thought Asimov’s Foundation series was fascinating.

I will second (third?) the vote for Clarke’s Rama series.

Finally, as a guilty pleasure I would recommend We Are Legion (We are Bob) and the rest of the Bobiverse books. The audiobooks are fantastic and what starts as dark comedy (the background political situation is waaaay to close to home right now) turns into an exploration of some fascinating moral and philosophical ideas.

Ive never spoken to anyone who's also read Red Mars.

I found the ending fifth or so of Red Mars so quick im not sure i can keep going with blue mars. The last fifth could have the entire book. Nothing happened in the middle 200 pages then everything happened at once!

 

[rcoobc]

I was in a conversation with an 18 year old this spring who insisted the SFX of 2001 were nothing special.

Even today the fecking space shots are mind-blowing… what the actual feck.

But yeah, great movie, tough to digest first go around. Fantastic cinematography, and music is spectacular too.

He's probably right to be fair in comparison to todays films. You look at the cinematography of inception and how everyone loved that. Now every other MCU film has similar cinematography... Its obviously got a lot easier!

The ability to run all the way around a spaceship in one shot is cool though.

 

[WI_Red]

Ive never spoken to anyone who's also read Red Mars.

I found the ending fifth or so of Red Mars so quick im not sure i can keep going with blue mars. The last fifth could have the entire book. Nothing happened in the middle 200 pages then everything happened at once!

It’s been probably 20 years since I last read the trilogy, but I remember enjoying books 1&2 quite a bit and then book 3 got kinda weird but was not bad. I may be misremembering it completely, but it is one of those series that jumps to the front of my brain whenever sciency Sci-Fi is brought up.

 

[Eriku]

He's probably right to be fair in comparison to todays films. You look at the cinematography of inception and how everyone loved that. Now every other MCU film has similar cinematography... Its obviously got a lot easier!

The ability to run all the way around a spaceship in one shot is cool though.

The practical effects to mimic shots in space is still impressive af. And anybody viewing it should be like "1968? Get the feck out of here!"

 

[diarm]

It really is incredible.

Looking forward to the big budget Netflix adaptation, even if it is being showran by D.B.Weiss and David Benioff of GoT infamy...

In fairness, the two pads were fine while they had written material to work with. It was when the books ran out and they had to come up with stuff on their own that things fell apart.

 

[Bobski]

In fairness, the two pads were fine while they had written material to work with. It was when the books ran out and they had to come up with stuff on their own that things fell apart.

Yes, but you could tell in the earlier seasons that was likely to happen, they rushed through story-lines to get to the "cool parts" The spectacle was keeping them afloat.

Tried Cixin Liu and the translation didn't really do it for me. There is a guy who does vids on youtube who talks/raves about this the plot, theme and scale of the series, concept of "The Dark Forest" is terrifying in its possibility so I am hoping that an adaptation will do it justice.

 

[Salt Bailly]

In fairness, the two pads were fine while they had written material to work with. It was when the books ran out and they had to come up with stuff on their own that things fell apart.

Yes, but you could tell in the earlier seasons that was likely to happen, they rushed through story-lines to get to the "cool parts" The spectacle was keeping them afloat.

Tried Cixin Liu and the translation didn't really do it for me. There is a guy who does vids on youtube who talks/raves about this the plot, theme and scale of the series, concept of "The Dark Forest" is terrifying in its possibility so I am hoping that an adaptation will do it justice.

Let's hope they learned their lesson from the backlash.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Anything by Alastair Reynolds.

Truth. Or Iain M Banks.

Love(d) him

Yes, so much yes here, and if Reynolds is mentioned you almost have to mentioned Adrian Tchaikovsky and Peter F Hamilton as the best of the modern era along with Banks.

Y’all would very much enjoy anything by Ian Asher. Discovered him a couple of years ago and immediately ploughed through his entire works (and he’s written a lot)

 

[nimic]

Y’all would very much enjoy anything by Ian Asher. Discovered him a couple of years ago and immediately ploughed through his entire works (and he’s written a lot)

Do you mean Neal Asher?

 

[Suv666]

I wouldn't call either the odyssey or androids dreaming of electric sheep hard scifis as they seem to be too speculative, but great books nonetheless.

Yeah agreed.