Sci-fi action and adventure novels!

[Jaqhama]

A guy on another forum requested recommendationsfor sci-fi books that contained lots of action and adventure...(but not space ship battles stuff)...he was looking for good old fashioned shoot 'em up's and lots of danger and excitment.
So a few of us posted up a list of sci-fi novels that we felt covered the original scenario.

As this is the only kind of sci-fi I normally read I thought it would be cool to start a thread for it here also.

So without further ado...my suggestions. Please feel free to add your own.

William C. Dietz.</o>

A very prolific author of action sci-fi.</o>
The Sam McCade interstellar bounty hunter and Legion series. Plus many more.</o>
http://www.williamcdietz.com/ </o>
</o>
David Gunn: Death?s Head and Maximum Offence. <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Hardcore kick arse action.</o>[/I]
<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Death?s Head was excellent. Max Offence wasn?t so hot. A third book coming out soon.[/I]</o>
</o>
Jeff Long: The Descent. (Nothing to do with the movie of the same name)</o>
<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Journey to the centre of the Earth meets They came from Beneath.</o>[/I]
</o>
Timothy Zahn.</o>
Another prolific author.</o>
The Blackcollar and Cobra series.</o>
</o>
Ken Bulmer, writing as Tully Zetford: The Ryder Hook series. 4 Books in English, several more in German. <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Plus he has written about 200 other action based genre novels, written under different names.</o>[/I]
</o>
Laurence James: The Simon Rack series.</o>
</o>
Mike McQuay: The Matthew Swain sci-fi detective series. 4 Books</o>
</o>
Frederick F. Nolan: The <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Logan?s Run series. ( Much better than the movie)</o>
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Logan?s Run. <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Logan?s World. <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Logan?s Search. <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Loaded with action and adventure.</o>[/I]
</o>
Roger Zelany: Damnation Alley. (Nothing like the awful movie) <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Meet Hell Tanner. Steel tough Biker anti-hero on a race across the nuclear wasteland of the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">USA. Mutants, monsters, savage humans, motorcycle gangs, firestorms and tornados?and that?s not the Alley, that?s the parking lot.</o>[/I]
</o>
Simon R. Green: Deathstalker series. <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Good old fashioned, pulp sci-fi action.</o>[/I]
</o>
H. M. Major: The Alien Trace and Time Twister. <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The only two books in what would have been a great series.</o>[/I]
</o>
H. Beam Piper: Space Viking and many others.</o>
Space Viking free to read at: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20728</o>
</o>
</o>
Jeffery Thomas : Here is the link to a free download of his novel Deadstock. </o>
Sci-fi adventure.</o>
Download as a PDF file, then go to file and click on save as...otherwise you'll lose the download when you close the window.</o>
http://www.solarisbooks.com/features/deadstock-free-download.asp</o>
</o>
Simon Haynes: The Hal Spacejock series. Adventure/comedy.</o>
Written by an Aussie author and published via Penquin Books. </o>
You'll need to run the free YBook Reader that goes along with the novel download.</o>
All info is on the link page below:</o>
http://www.spacejock.com.au/Hal1Download.html</o>
</o>
Harry Harrison: The Stainless Steel Rat series and the Deathworld series.</o>
</o>
Richard Avery: The Expendables series. <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Long before the Colonial Marines went Alien hunting, these guys and gals were on the job[/I].</o>
</o>
Now: many of the books I?ve listed above were written back in the 60?s and 70?s and early 80?s, but most of them are available through used on-line booksellers.</o>
All you have to do is type the author name and books titles into Google and you?ll find places that sell them.</o>
I already checked most of them.</o>
Had the links up yesterday, but they got deleted along with my original post.</o>
I can?t be arsed to trace all the book seller links again. Took a few hours last night?then the damn post disappeared. Frustrating as all hell!</o>
</o>
If you go here: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/</o>
You will find an A to Z listing of over 15,000 authors and books, the majority of which are science fiction and fantasy. </o>
Find the author you want and there will probably also be a link to a used on-line bookstore selling copies of the book you?re looking at.</o>
</o>
I?ll add more sci-fi action authors and novels as I think of them.</o>
</o>
You will note that a lot of the books here are ?old??trust me when I tell you that the Golden Age of action orientated sci-fi was the 70?s and early 80?s.</o>
</o>
Cheers: Jaq.</o>
</o>
</o>
</o>
</o>
</o>
</o>
</o>


The Jaqzone:
http://kevin-jaqhama-lumley.blogspot.com/
http://alfwarz.blogspot.com/

[Jaqhama]

I can see the above list didn't jaunt over from the old forum very well.

[PaulMc]

The Warhammer 40K universe is chock full of bloody action-oriented space opera. For a starting point, I'd try the Eisenhorn omnibus.

[Dave]

does this post really need to be sticky?

[Jaqhama]

I guess it doesn't have to be a sticky...I was just trying to make a list of all the action and adventure SF books I knew of.

People could have added to the list if they had wanted.

Most people can get the latest action SF novels on an Amazon list, but not the older novels.

You unsticky it if you want.

Cheers: Jaq.

[Jaqhama]

I've just finished reading James Rollins Amazonia, Subterranean and Excavation.

While not SF in the strict sense they certainly contain mild SF elelements and are written in the Tomb Raider style of wild adventure.

I enjoyed all three novels and while Rollins is a bit light on some of his technical details, epsecially when it comes to firearms...and odd things like having 3 Majors on one small military team?...the books are fast paced and enjoyable and a lot more realistic than anything Matthew Reilly writes.

I liked Amazonia and Excavation the best, Excavation in particular had some great moments in it.

[Lyn McConchie]

Yes, a lot of earlier novels were action adventure rather than spaceship battles. Myself - and yes, I have and regularly reread these - would recommend Keith Laumer's Retief books if you like humor with the action, much of Harry Harrison, Charles Sheffield, Gordon Dickson, and oh yes, Tom Godwiin. Many people don't know him. But he did one brilliant book and short story, one reasonable book, and I think that was about it.

[Orten999]

A great article indeed and a very detailed, realistic and superb analysis, of these books, very nice write up, it is really a nice book, Thanks.


Term Papers

[Tomolan]

I just saw the advert for the new online game. It looked interesting, but not much in friend-making. lol!

[luci2also]

William C. Dietz.
A very prolific author of action sci-fi.
The Sam McCade interstellar bounty hunter and Legion series. Plus many more.
http://www.williamcdietz.com/

David Gunn: Death?s Head and Maximum Offence. Hardcore kick arse action.
Death?s Head was excellent. Max Offence wasn?t so hot. A third book coming out soon.

Jeff Long: The Descent. (Nothing to do with the movie of the same name)
Journey to the centre of the Earth meets They came from Beneath.

Timothy Zahn.
Another prolific author.
The Blackcollar and Cobra series.

Ken Bulmer, writing as Tully Zetford: The Ryder Hook series. 4 Books in English, several more in German. Plus he has written about 200 other action based genre novels, written under different names.

Laurence James: The Simon Rack series.

Mike McQuay: The Matthew Swain sci-fi detective series. 4 Books

Frederick F. Nolan: The Logan’s Run series. ( Much better than the movie)
Loaded with action and adventure.

Roger Zelany: Damnation Alley. (Nothing like the awful movie) Meet Hell Tanner. Steel tough Biker anti-hero on a race across the nuclear wasteland of the <st1:country-region w:st="on"> USA. Mutants, monsters, savage humans, motorcycle gangs, firestorms and tornados ‘and that ‘s not the Alley, that ‘s the parking lot.

Simon R. Green: Deathstalker series. Good old fashioned, pulp sci-fi action.

H. M. Major: The Alien Trace and Time Twister. The only two books in what would have been a great series.

H. Beam Piper: Space Viking and many others.
Space Viking free to read at: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20728


Jeffery Thomas : Here is the link to a free download of his novel Deadstock.
Sci-fi adventure.
Download as a PDF file, then go to file and click on save as...otherwise you'll lose the download when you close the window.
http://www.solarisbooks.com/features/deadstock-free-download.asp

Simon Haynes: The Hal Spacejock series. Adventure/comedy.
Written by an Aussie author and published via Penquin Books.
You'll need to run the free YBook Reader that goes along with the novel download.
All info is on the link page below:
http://www.spacejock.com.au/Hal1Download.html

Harry Harrison: The Stainless Steel Rat series and the Deathworld series.

Richard Avery: The Expendables series. Long before the Colonial Marines went Alien hunting, these guys and gals were on the job .

Now: many of the books I ‘ve listed above were written back in the 60 ‘s and 70 ‘s and early 80 ‘s, but most of them are available through used on-line booksellers.
All you have to do is type the author name and books titles into Google and you ‘ll find places that sell them.
I already checked most of them.
Had the links up yesterday, but they got deleted along with my original post.
I can ‘t be arsed to trace all the book seller links again. Took a few hours last night ‘then the damn post disappeared. Frustrating as all hell!

If you go here: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/
You will find an A to Z listing of over 15,000 authors and books, the majority of which are science fiction and fantasy.
Find the author you want and there will probably also be a link to a used on-line bookstore selling copies of the book you ‘re looking at.

I ‘ll add more sci-fi action authors and novels as I think of them.

You will note that a lot of the books here are ‘old ‘ ‘trust me when I tell you that the Golden Age of action orientated sci-fi was the 70 ‘s and early 80 ‘s.

Cheers: Jaq.