Lapsed sci-fi fan, looking for recommendations to get back into it

[Orange_Squash]

Varley sound interesting. I'll give him a try. Ofcourse, being into physics you surely know Kim Stanley Robinson? :)

Yes, I read his Mars stuff a long time ago, but I was perhaps a little too green for it (more interested than the place than the people).

 

[AllanR]

For short stories, the Year's Best collections conscitently have some excellent short and long reads. Get one from a couple different decades to get some nice variety.

 

[Klystron]

For short stories, the Year's Best collections conscitently have some excellent short and long reads. Get one from a couple different decades to get some nice variety.

Agreed. The best short story SF anthologies employ a gamut of editors who choose authors from different genres including fantasy, adventure, time-travel, space exploration, etc. "The Years Best SF nnnn" anthologies make nice gifts for SF fans who otherwise might not encounter a particular writer.

 

[sbrothy]

[...] I was perhaps a little too green [...]

Heh, funny given the titles of his Mars trilogy, which was also my introduction to his authorship. I've discovered later that he has a very business-like approach to writing. By which I mean: it sort of seems he picks a topic he wants to explore and then let's his imagination rip. It may not always be as successful as intended (I'm looking at you, "Aurora" :) ), but it's almost always refreshing because you know he has a message with everything he does where other authors "just" want to tell a story. Don't get me wrong: both avenues can be interesting. I think wiki makes a point of mentioning him as the only scfi writer exploring alternatives to capitalism. Classical works seem bent on the romance of asteroid "belters" digging up precious metals. I'm sure I'm going to get burned for this one. I'll take suggestions to heart though. :)

 

[Svein]

Here is a list of novels that have been considered for an award: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebula_Award_for_Best_Novel