I'm in need of suggestions for new science fiction reading material. I'll list some of my favorite authors/books if that helps. Heinlein- Friday, Farnham's Freehold, JOB, Strange in a Strangeland, actually all of his books. Michael Flynn- His Firestar series Clarke- The Rama series and a few others Silverburg- Some of his older stuff i.e. Downward to Earth and a few others from that era. The Book of Skulls being my favorite. I just need to find some new authors and don't have the spare change to just start purchasing books on the off chance I'll like them.
Michael Moorcock The Jerry Cornelius books and the Eternal Champion novels. SO good. For a review on the Cornelius stuff: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/cornelius-quartet
Theres a sci fi book called the Tenth Planet by Edmund Cooper. It's only 176 pages long but it is one of the greatest books I've ever read. But you may have trouble finding it. Also try the Ring of Ritornal by Charles Harness... Another good one is The Sword Swallower by Ron Goulart
I recently read a good, not too heavy read called HERO's Metamorphosis by Kevin Rau. Definitely something different than what I typically find in sci-fi, but engaging nonetheless. It's based on a world nearly identical to this, except it has a superhero theme to it. Like I said, something you don't find everyday but worth reading!
All of David Brin's books are very good. I'd particularly recommend Startide Rising and Earth. All of Lois McMaster Bujold's books are great. Recommend the excellent series about Miles Vorkosigan starting with Shards of Honor. David Drake's stuff is excellent. Too many good ones to list but try The Forlorn Hope, Killer or Hammer's Slammers. John Dalmas is also excellent. The General's President, The Reality Matrix, Playmasters, others. Keith Laumer can be a lot of fun. Try A Trace of Memory, A Plague of Demons, The Great Time Machine Hoax, the Retief stories and the Bolo stories. Ursala Le Guin is a master. One of the best all time SF books ever is The Dispossessed. Tim Powers is great. If you read nothing else, read The Anubis Gates, it is one of the all time greats. Spider Robinson is very, very good. Try Stardance, Telempath and the Callahan's bar series like Time Travelers Strictly Cash (if you can stand puns). Fred Saberhagen is great. Too many to list but try The Holmes-Dracula File and Empire of the East. James H. Schmitz was one of the old masters of SF. Try Agent of Vega, The Witches of Karres, Demon Breed, Legacy and the Telzy stories. Baen Books put out some collections of his stuff a few years ago. Norman Spinrad can blow your mind. Try Bug Jack Barron (a classic), A World Between, Child of Fortune and Riding the Torch. David Webber is very good and very prolific. Way too many to list. A number of good series that you should definitely start at the beginning - Honor Harrington, March Upcountry, Off Armageddon Reef. Vernor Vinge is very good. A Fire Upon the Deep, The Peace War, Marooned in Realtime. .....and many, many more