On Wed, Dec 3, 2008 at 5:32 AM, Eris Discordia <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > There are the Great Three, of course. Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and > Robert A. Heinlein. Anything they wrote is worth a read. Sometimes a number > of reads. Clarke particularly interests me. Try the short story The Nine > Billion Names of God. The series of Odyssey novels are very readable--2001 > is a magnum opus of Clarke, and of science fiction.
Clarke's short stories are great, as are many of his novels. Quick tip, though: DON'T read any sequels. 2001 is great, 2010 so-so, 2100 blah, and 3001 well-nigh unreadable. Same with the Rama books: read the first, ignore the rest. Also, if there's a short story, and then an expanded novel, stick with the short story. Especially Guardian Angel/Childhood's End. If you want short stories, look for the "Best of …" set by del Rey books. Great introduction to many authors, especially Golden Age ones. —Joel
