I was trying to think of good sci-fi books to rec to
abyssinia4077on her recent post, and took a look at my bookshelves, and realised that I needed some help there myself. My sci-fi collection consists of William Gibson, more William Gibson, Doctor Who, Stargate, Dune (unread), Spider Robinson, a wonderfully trashy book called Pzyche that no one but me has read, as far as I know, and that’s about it. It’s a travesty! I do have more sci-fi books, I’m sure, but they’re at my dad’s and I can’t remember titles. I should be getting them soon, though, along with the enormous bookshelf they're in. *rubs hands gleefully*
So, knowing that there are people out there (*looks hopefully at
secretrebel*) who like to recommend books and love sci-fi, and have in fact recommended sci-fi books to me which I’ve stupidly not taken note of (I really need to be holding a pen and paper rather than alcohol when people tell me these things – oh, my lamentable memory) – what’s good?
ETA: Just for clarity, I have read Orson Scott Card, Anne McCaffrey, some Harry Harrison, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and a ton of Star Trek novels (How Much For Just The Planet rools) - and yes, I'm an ungrateful cow to ask for recs and then say, "But I've read that!" :-) (But this is making me think I should re-read Orson Scott Card, because I remember very little about those books.)
So, knowing that there are people out there (*looks hopefully at
ETA: Just for clarity, I have read Orson Scott Card, Anne McCaffrey, some Harry Harrison, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and a ton of Star Trek novels (How Much For Just The Planet rools) - and yes, I'm an ungrateful cow to ask for recs and then say, "But I've read that!" :-) (But this is making me think I should re-read Orson Scott Card, because I remember very little about those books.)

Comments
Kristine Smith's Jani books... starts with Code of Conduct, I believe. *Excellent*! She's got some damn fine aliens and knows how not to pull her emotional punches. (She won the Campbell award a few years back, btw.)
Check out just about anything by Elizabeth Moon. If you like near future SF that could almost be read as straight fiction, her Speed of Dark is well worthy of the Nebula it won.
Thank you! I'll take a look at those.
The others *must* be read in order, btw.