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Disclaimer: I've read and enjoyed most of his books and short stories, but Egan's not for everyone. He favors ideas and world-building over characters and story
by ggreer 12y ago
Disclaimer: I've read and enjoyed most of his books and short stories, but Egan's not for everyone. He favors ideas and world-building over characters and storytelling.
I most like Egan when he avoids math and goes to a dark, cynical place. His short story The Extra[1] is probably the best example. If you like The Extra, you'll probably enjoy Blindsight by Peter Watts[2]. Some of the late Ian M. Banks titles fit as well: Against a Dark Background and Matter are both grim, somewhat hard sci-fi.
If you're a fan of Greg Egan, you'll likely enjoy Ted Chiang[3]. He doesn't write much, but he writes well.
1. http://eidolon.net/?story=The%20Extra http://eidolon.net/?story=The%20Extra
2. http://rifters.com/real/Blindsight.htm http://rifters.com/real/Blindsight.htm
3. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/130698.Ted_Chiang http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/130698.Ted_Chiang
- zem 12y agoand if you do like egan for the worldbuilding, check out stephen baxter as well. 'vacuum diagrams' makes a good introduction.
- diego898 12y agothank you both for these suggestions! Ive been searching to try and find something like Egan. Ill definitely give these a read!
- JadeNB 12y agoMy God, but "Story of Your Life" is a marvellous story. I'm not sure that it's the intended effect, but I read it at a very stressful time in my life, and it had a marvellously calming effect. Both "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" (not science fiction at all) and "The Lifecycle of Software Objects" were fine, but, for me, nothing touches the shock of reading that first story. (I think that perhaps the greatest recommendation that I can give for Chiang is to say that, for a long time, I remembered "The Infinite Assassin" as being his story.)