The Best Sci-Fi Book!

[The Scubadude]

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlen is continuously voted as the greatest sci-fi book of all time.  It's not.  In fact, I'd go so far as to say it sucks.  Both hard and a lot.  Some argue of its influence on the hippie movement of the sixties shortly after the book was published.  This is undeniable, but I think we can all agree that hippies were (and some still are) idiots, so what does that tell you?

I'm actually here to tell you about a book many of you have probably already read because it's so incredibly good.  I'm talking about Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game!!!  I'm actually not a big sci-fi fan, and when this book was suggested to me by Kahn, saying I was skeptical would be an understatement.  He's a big sci-fi fan, and I thought this book might be crap.  But he managed to convince me that it's on a different level from all the others.  He was so right.  This book is downright amazing.  I could not put it down.  I definitely recommend it to everyone (though I should give credit to Kahn).  You won't regret it   !

[Whispers]

YES! Finally someone who agrees with me.  Stupid Stranger in a Strange Land....

Waay too much hippie crap for me...  although the concept of "grok" was pretty neat.

Ender's Game was very very good, although I don't think it was my favorite...  there was just something about it...

As for me, I like the Rogue Squadron series... but hey, I'm a Star Wars junkie.  

[moonsdemon]

enders game was awesome   i just started speaker for the dead dunno if its as good but enders game made it on my top 10 ^_____^

[Ozymandias]

Orson Scott Card is a genius.  Few authors can do both Science Fiction and Fantasy, but Card pulled it off marvelously--although the Ender Saga takes a slight dip after "Speaker for the Dead", he more than makes up for it with his newer stories following Bean with "Ender's Shadow" and that series.  

Personally, I've gravitated towards "Alvin the Maker", his Fantasy series.  I haven't gotten a hold of the newest one ("The Crystal City), but I have yet to pick up a Card book I did not like.

As for suggestions of other Science Fiction books, Kage Baker (often published in 'Asimovs Science Fiction') wrote a series that starts with "In the Garden of Iden" that is a fascinating read, and Rick Cook wrote an amusing fantastic-comedy about a computer programmer brought into a magical world with "Wiz Biz" (hard to find, but it's free at www.baen.com/library ).