Childhood's End

I just read (1) Roadside Picnic (the book which "Stalker" game is based from). This was a page-turner! Fascinated by the science artifacts & effects (like gravitational glitches, frozen black sparks, etc) (2) "Childhood's End" by Arthur C Clarke (who wrote 2001 Space Odyssey) The sheer time scale of the story is impressive, and the technology is so interesting - especially for 1950s! There are some interesting time effects too (like an unborn child telepathically channeling information to a conversation in the past!)

Childhood’s End was not bad, but it didn’t leave an impression on me. I thought that it was dated (the Spanish watching a bullfight when the aliens came, oh c’mon!). What did you like the most about it?

Caves of Steel, Forever War, Childhood’s End

Recently finished childhood’s end and the end of eternity, enjoyed both. Just started the big time… it’s odd so far lol we’ll see. Edit: also reading empire of AI. It’s insightful but not as fun of a read.

"A Canticle For Leibowitz" "The Sparrow" "Lord of Light" "The Immortal" "Hyperion" "The Last Question" "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" "Stranger in a Strange Land" "The City and the Stars" "Childhood's End" "Anathem" "Eifelheim" "A Case of Conscience" "VALIS" trilogy "The Book of Strange New Things" "Behold The Man" "The God Engines" "Book of the New Sun" "The Parable of the Sower" "The Dosadi Experiment" "Grass" "Project Pope" "Calculating God" "Factoring Humanity" "Jesus on Mars" "Surface Detail

Just finished reading "Fiasco" by Stanislaw Lem. Between that "Cyberiad" I feel like Lem doesn't get enough credit. Maybe part of it is not being in the Western European writer's camp? At any rate, I would say: Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Heinlein The Dispossessed, Le Guin The Stars My Destination, Bester Childhood's End, Clarke Stand out as some of my favorites. I'm pretty terrible at making top-5 lists, but those stand out as ones that I would read again in a heartbeat if there weren't already 50 books on the floor next to my bed waiting for me :)

Snow Crash Childhood's End

Since the OP asked about books not authors my favourite book is "Foundation and Earth" (Isaac Asimov), "Childhood's End" (A.C. Clarke) and Solaris (Stainslaw Lem).

Stand on Zanzibar, Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, Childhood's End, A Cantilce for St Leibowitz, The Stars My Destination, Midnight At The Well of Souls, Nine Princes in Amber, Halting State, Strnger In A Strange Land, The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress.

Childhoods end - Humanity takes the next step in evolution Anhilliation - Fish out of water like story of exploring a mysterious, horrific, environment (2 sequels drag on for too much after this one though) Many Ray Bradbury stories (Martian chronicles, and the Everyman collection contain the best ones) Infinite Jest (Alternate American future of a culture of addiction and depravity, partly mediated by technology) The Circle (haven't read, but like the author, life inside the biggest tech company of the future)

A single book? Impossible. I don't think I could even name my favorite Zelazny or PKD. Many of the works of both are in the running. As is "Dune", for sure. Possibly "Snow Crash". "Protector" might not quite make the cut, but comes somewhat close - from my recollection it was my favorite Niven (not counting short stories)... I'm currently finally getting around to "The Mote In God's Eye". Further back, "Foundation" was pretty amazing, and I've a bit of a soft spot for "Childhood's End". Bester's "The Demolished Man" is well worth a read, but I think also doesn't quite make the cut.

Want to blow your mind? Fiction Keep an open mind, and a sense of wonder when you read these for max effect! Hitch-hikers guide to the galaxy. I was hooked at "The big yellow ships hung in the air just the way bricks don't." Dune - what does scarcity do to a society? Isaac Asimov - Robot series. Foundation series. All of his short stories, esp. The Last Question, Nightfall. A.C. Clarke - 2001 - series, Childhood's End, The Fountains of Paradise The Little Prince, The Count of Monte Cristo, Catch-22, Siddhartha, Ender's Game, Sundiver, Wodehouse.

My favorites: Childhood's End by Clarke: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childhood%27s_End Foundation series by Asimov: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Foundation_Series City by Simak: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_(Clifford_D._Simak_novel)