Book Advice for a Bored Reader (and gamer)

Hello Community, I have been scouring the shelves of my local bookstores in search of some quality reading and have come up empty handed so far. I am looking for some good sci-fi horror suggestions that are reminiscent of the John Carpenter classic The Thing. Something set in a secluded location where people are fighting for survival. If anyone has any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you just know any good sci-fi, horror, etc. selections I will gladly take those as well. Thanks everyone.

I just finished reading The Infection by Craig DiLouie.

It's a pretty awesome book. Picture The Road mixed with I Am Legend.

Hey man. Not sci-fi though but... If you haven't read the Game of Thrones books, you definitely should.

'Salem's Lot - Stephen King -- Also, I second A Game of Thrones through A Dance with Dragons. I've been reading the A Song of Ice and Fire series since 2006 ( late to the party, I know) and I always come back to them. Also on the fantasy genre, why not check out "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss.

If you want to go insane, you could start reading the Warhammer40k books. I started at "The Horus Heresy" and found myself still wrapped up in the stories 12 books later. They've got a future apocalyptic vibe to them that is very well fleshed out and extremely interesting.

I read a lot, but sci-fi horror is a huge blind spot for me. How about, uh, Metro 2033? I wouldn't normally invoke a video game book, but hey, the book came first. Failing that, I guess The Road sort of counts.

Blood Meridian

Moby Dick

Salems Lot

World War Z

To the White Sea

The Road

At the Mountains of Madness

Heart of Darkness

For a more thoughtful take on sci-fi, check out something like Girl in Landscape by Jonathan Lethem or Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Neither of them fit the bill of horror sci-fi, but both are really excellent books.

John Dies at the End

read it.

@Posharoo: Good call on David Mitchell. I absolutely love another of his books number9dream. Of course it is neither sci-fi nor horror, well I guess it is kind of sci-fi in some ways... but sadly not really what the OP is looking for. Still, anyone reading this post should check out that book.

Do it.

Now.

ಠ_ಠ

I will second John Dies at the End and Salems Lot. I loved those books. I will highly recommend Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons - totally awesome book - Mind Vampires. People who can control other people with their minds. The concept sounds silly, but it may be one of the best books I have read. I would suggest The Strain, but the third book of 3 blows. Books 1 and 2 are awesome. For something with a very humorous approach to horror - Mister B. Gone from Clive Barker. Short read, I loved it.

Enders Game is a classic and if you haven't read that you should get on it. Though it's writer is an ass, so I dunno but the work is solid.

Te Gears of War books are surprisingly really good fluff books that are almost good enough to stand on their own.

Te boy who couldn't sleep and didn't have to, is an interesting light scifi/fantasy quick read.

The Stand is amazing and should be read, this book hooked me on Stevin King and I don't understand why he gets a bad rap with this and other of his classics.

Fire in the Ashes reminds me a lot of John Carpentrr but theres like fifty of them so just read the first, honesty.

Lucifers hammer is an slow story about the end of the world. And Oblivian Society is a quick fun read though a bit forgettable.

AND DEFINITLY READ JOHN DIES AT THE END.

So ya, that's all I can think of while looking through my kindle on te bus that you might like.

It may not be exactly the subject you're looking for but one of my favourite books is Ready Player One. Brilliant.

Also I'm currently reading John Dies At The End, and I am enjoying that so far.

Try things like 'Color out of space' from H.P. Lovecraft or assorted things from Brian Lumley.

@TheWholeDamnShow said:

I just finished reading The Infection by Craig DiLouie.

It's a pretty awesome book. Picture The Road mixed with I Am Legend.

sold!

@Posharoo said:

For a more thoughtful take on sci-fi, check out something like Girl in Landscape by Jonathan Lethem or Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Neither of them fit the bill of horror sci-fi, but both are really excellent books.

Does Cloud Atlas get better? I'm finding it hard to get interested in the first chapter.

@JBG4: Have you read any of Issac Asimov's robot stories? I got "The complete Robot" collection recently and I loved it. He has a series of full length novels too but I haven't read them yet.

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. It's much better, and quite a bit different, from the movie. While it's not set in a remote location, I think it might qualify as secluded.

@FengShuiGod said:

Blood Meridian

Moby Dick

Salems Lot

World War Z

To the White Sea

The Road

At the Mountains of Madness

Heart of Darkness

Come to post that Blood Meridian was one of those most terrifying things I've read. See person with Strangelove avatar has already suggested it. Remembers why he loves Giantbomb.

I'd go ahead and just blanket add Lovecraft to that list though. If you, @JBG4, look for the Library of America publication of his work, you can get a lot of short stories on the cheap.

EDIT: OH! And look into House of Leaves. It's not really sci-fi horror so much as psychological, but its ALL about people trapped in a specific place. It has some problems, and you have to meet it halfway at points, but some of the scenes in it are generally unnerving. Best read at night/in an empty house.

Why's everyone saying Salem's Lot? Not only is it not sci-fi in the slightest, it's also one of Stephen King's least enjoyable books. 
 
Does World War Z count?

@JBG4:

Yeah, if you're willing to grant some creative writing tomfoolery in the construction of the book (which I think works super well but its a point of contention for some), then yeah, it is catastrophic horror as all get out and pretty damn great.

Probably not really Sci-Fi Horror but probably close enough are the "Hyperion" books by Dan Simmons. And for a more pulpy space opera I would recommend the "Deathstalker" series by Simon R. Green, but I would only recommend the first three (Deathstalker, Deathstalker Rebellion and Deathstalker War), all the following books were not that great...

@JBG4 said:

Hello Community, I have been scouring the shelves of my local bookstores in search of some quality reading and have come up empty handed so far. I am looking for some good sci-fi horror suggestions that are reminiscent of the John Carpenter classic The Thing. Something set in a secluded location where people are fighting for survival. If anyone has any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you just know any good sci-fi, horror, etc. selections I will gladly take those as well. Thanks everyone.

The Terror by Dan Simmons is exactly what you're looking for.

@JBG4 said:

@theguy I have not read any of those but they seem interesting, I'll give them a closer look. Are you planning to read any of his novels? I'm adding The Infection to my list.

Yeah I'll definitely read them but I need to finish Cloud Atlas, House of Leaves and Neuromancer first. Actually that hasn't been mentioned yet Neuromancer by William Gibson is supposed to be incredible.

@JBG4 said:

Hello Community, I have been scouring the shelves of my local bookstores in search of some quality reading and have come up empty handed so far. I am looking for some good sci-fi horror suggestions that are reminiscent of the John Carpenter classic The Thing. Something set in a secluded location where people are fighting for survival. If anyone has any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you just know any good sci-fi, horror, etc. selections I will gladly take those as well. Thanks everyone.

Look up Scott Sigler. Infected and Contagious come to mind. He is a pretty good Horror writer, my old boss recommended him to me.

@TheWholeDamnShow said:

I just finished reading The Infection by Craig DiLouie.

It's a pretty awesome book. Picture The Road mixed with I Am Legend.

added to my wishlist on Amazon, thanks. Gonna pick it up on my kindle.

Scott Sigler writes some cool stuff, also does free audio books on itunes. Just search his name and you'll find it. Check out Infected and Nocturnal.

@Subject2Change: no PROBLEMO!

@JBG4 said:

@theguy Neuromancer is absolutely great, I enjoyed it immensely and if you're on the same wavelength as I am then you will too. I cannot recommend that book enough.

@strangone I will give Dan Simmons a look, seems to be getting high praise here.

Something to note if you're getting House of Leaves. I went to get it today and it was €31... Every page is printed weirdly so I supposed it would cost more but seriously? I'll have to shop around.

Isaac Asimov is the king of science fiction. The Foundation series has an amazing premise, and all of his writing is pretty stellar. Read The Last Question if you aren't convinced.

@JBG4: After you read The Terror by Dan Simmons.... (if what you're looking for is something like The Thing, than I doubt there is a better fit than The Terror and I loved that book so great choice)

Give Blindsight by Peter Watts a try. It's a slower burn and a bit more hard sci fi as the author frequently explains the real science he is using to justify the shit that is happening, but it's a hell of a book. And it definitely has some things in common with The Thing. (paranoia and such)

Sorry I meant Blindsight, damn iPhone.

City and the city is great

@JBG4: Oh man, then there's always the danger of it working the other way and you knowing too much about the science in question and being annoyed at any stuff he fudges or just get's wrong. I never have that problem, though, because I know so little about everything.

Stephen King's "The Stand", and pretty much anything pre "IT".

Also, not sci-fi at all, but John Kennedy Toole's "A Confederacy of Dunces" is an hilarious award-winning book you'll thank me for if you read it. Nobody I've recommended it to has regretted it.

Gotta read those Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire) books... they are exhilarating to say the least.

if you liked 1984 I would recommend " the handmaids tale" by margeret atwood. Its an unusual and poetic dystopia novel and as close to sci-fi as I am willing to read.

Surprised to see a couple recommendations for "John Dies at the End" already; I'm currently reading it (a little over halfway through) and quite enjoying it. You mentioned having read a lot of Lovecraft; this book is pretty much a mashup between Lovecraftian horror and humor. An odd pairing, but the author does a really job with it, I would recommend it for sure.

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood has a real survival horror vibe...

If you want a quick morsel, A Colder War should sate you for one uneasy hour.

@JBG4: @theguy I just finished Neuromancer. It really throws you into the world right off the bat, but once you find your footing in Gibson's style and you get to a point where you can decode the heavy use of techno jargon, it's a masterpiece. One of the best books I've ever read. I liked it so much I put the Japanese cover art as my profile picture!

I would wholeheartedly recommend The Regulators (Stephen King under the name Richard Bachman) and Desperation (SK), I have similar taste to you and these are two of my favourite stories of all time. The Regulators is an absolute must, bunch of people stuck in this town that's under the control of an autistic reality-shifting little boy, the town starts changing around them, imaginary monsters appear, it's incredible. Desperation is set in a sort of parallel universe and tells a similar story, reading them one after the other is the way to go.

Does anybody here have any recommendation for Philip K. Dick books to start with? (Other than Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep) I was looking at the Valis trilogy.