I’m one of those people that love book series – big book series. When I see a trilogy my first thought is often “Isn’t that cute!” as I turn my attention to truly massive piles of words. This can work to my disadvantage, as I have that compulsion to finish a series no matter the cost to my psyche. (The Warriors series by Erin Hunter about killed me) Today, though, I’m focusing on the expanses of space and epic science fiction series. (All measurements below are from the hardback editions)
The Ringworld Series, by Larry Niven – With only 10 books it seems light at a mere 2/3rd of a cubic foot, but one shouldn’t neglect that it is part of his Tales of Known Space that clocks in at around 2.5 cubic feet!
Larry Niven is the prototypical “hard” sci-fi writer. By sheer osmosis the reader will somehow learn a bit of physics and astro-mechanics entirely by accident while reading his stories. The Ringworld itself is just that – a ring 186 million miles in diameter built around a star. The first book follows a human, Louis Wu, and his companions as they investigate the Ringworld at the behest of Nessus, a member of the Puppeteer race. Think of a 3-legged deer with 2 snake-like single-eyed heads – that’s a Puppeteer. Oh, and they’re manipulative cowards, but hey, they have cool haircuts (on the hump between their heads) so they have that going for them.
This series serves as an excellent introduction to truly hard science fiction and opens the docking bay doors to the huge and well thought out universe of Known Space.
Culture series, by Iain Banks – The Culture novels come in at about 4/5ths of a cubic foot although the subjects it touches upon are far weightier than meets the eye.
“The Culture” is described as a post-scarcity society where the economy and production are handled by machine intelligences, leaving humans to remake their societies and even themselves. Set within an expansive universe of multiple species and cultures, the novels generally follow the theme of clashing cultures and the friction between societal beliefs in that multicultural environment. Rather than the hard science-based SF of Niven, Banks explores large-scale psychologies and political idealism.
The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold – At 13 books the Vorkosigan books take up about 3/4th of a cubic foot. That said, the books read like a romp through a very large universe and is distinctly toward the fantasy end of the science fiction spectrum. I absolutely love this series, and re-read it every few years.
The series is set in a universe of tensions between wide flung planets with distinct political systems due to their relative distance from each other. Bujold does a masterful job (a McMaster-ful job, if you will) of world-building several distinct and interesting cultures and governmental structures that enhances her explorations into political machinations and personal truths.
The majority of the books follow Miles Vorkosigan, a scion of Barrayaran aristocracy. Miles is short and deformed due to his mother being poisoned during pregnancy. On a planet with an ingrained prejudice toward mutations Miles suffers greatly at the hands of others and through a sheer force of intelligence, personality, and stubborn will, he carves out an impressive military and civilian career.
What most engages me in these stories is how Miles accepts and understands that the prejudices he endures are a product of a long-felt fear, and he often uses those prejudgments to his advantage in solving politically sensitive problems as a representative of his Emperor. Tagging along on these adventures often is his cousin Ivan, a humorously written court fop who is far more on top of things than he appears to be. If you like political intrigue, derring-do, romance, and persistence in the face of long odds then you’ll love this series.
~ Posted by Jay F.
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