Modern science fiction, which is worth reading Part 2

Karl Schroeder

Certified futurist and an influential author for the followers of the philosophy of speculative realism, Canadian Karl Schroeder writes novels on the verge of cyberpunk and space Opera. On the one hand, his books are usually set in the distant future, and the plot is associated with interstellar flight, with another writer interested in the problems most often associated with cyberpunk: the privacy, the identity of the individual (and its dissolution), augmented and virtual reality, artificial intelligence. Futurism Schroeder is professionally engaged in: creativity time, he advises organizations on forecasting the development of technology. Best books of the Schroeder this is what is called the word world building; the ability is beautiful, fast and accurately describe imaginary worlds. In his latest novel, “the Order”, for example, he tells about a very long space travel and describes hundreds of strange worlds, from lonely planet without a star, illuminated by lasers and planets made entirely of water, to the gas planets, where people live on huge balloons, and planets where the atmosphere is like a huge neon lamp.

Charles Stross

The most versatile writer of the entire new wave of British science fiction (the British are craving for “hard” sci-Fi and often leftist political views), Strauss for his life has worked as a programmer, pharmacist, and technology journalist. Ten years he wrote a monthly column about Linux in Computer Shopper magazine, but eventually closed it to devote himself to writing. In literary genres Strauss is about as unusual as the choice of a profession: not counting short stories, he has published about 20 books in a variety of styles, from science fiction to fantasy and horror in the spirit of Lovecraft. His sci-Fi novels are best described by the word “mind fuck”: Strauss lot is deceiving the reader and comes up with the most incredible design. An exemplary novel in that sense (who, incidentally, may well be the only thing you read from this list it’s so good) “Greenhouse” in which a group of people from the future agrees to an experiment: they live on an isolated space station in the XX century. The book leads the reader by the nose and repeatedly turns everything on its head.

John Scalzi

Scalzi is a classic geek turned writer. Since 1998, he maintains a blog, Whatever, where is expressed on a variety of topics, writes books and articles about video games, movies and astronomy; he even acted as a consultant on one of the TV series “Star gates”. Most famous book Scalzi “People in red”, very geek novel. In this comically played out a well-known stamp of “Star trek” there appeared often nameless characters in the red uniform who always died in the mission to highlight for the viewer the danger. In the meantime, Scalzi writes more serious often military fiction. However, he is capable of much: in one of his last novels “Locked up”, he writes a real detective story. The main thing that distinguishes books Scalzi, ironic, resourceful characters and witty dialogue.

Alastair Reynolds

A favorite Welsh writer, known for “hard” science fiction and large scale space operas. Like other authors of space operas, it is possible to describe numbers alone: his series “revelation Space” covers the time period of tens of thousands of years (although the main action takes place over three centuries), and travel it happen with ships that move almost at the speed of light. Reynolds explains the Fermi paradox, the existence of a mechanical race that destroys intelligent civilization, when they develop to a certain level.