not even sure if anybody reads books any more . when i was a kid i loved Asimov's Robot stories, but they i don't find them as exciting now that i am going senile. what sci-fi books made impression on you? a couple books that i still remember were really good read: Martial Timeslip - Phillip K. Dick The invisible man - H.G. Wells The Way Station - Clifford Simak Roadside Picnic - A. and B. Strugatky
I read but only non-fiction. I voted for 1 fiction book/year for the simple fact that the amount of miscellaneous fiction I read on a daily basis (much of which is on ET ) probably amounts to about a book worth. I certainly don't read any science fiction - but do enjoy actual science books. Especially Hawking's writings. Used to really be into true crime books but lately I've mostly been reading history and science books.
Very nice... Creatures of Light and Darkness - Roger Zelazny Demon Princes series - Jack Vance Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman The Rediscovery of Man - Cordwainer Smith The City and the Stars - Arthur C. Clarke Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson And many others...
Hyperion - Dan Simmons, is probably my favourite hard science fiction book. I'm also addicted to the Honor Harrington series by David Webber, awesome space combat.
If you are looking for the modern Heinlein, that mans' name is John Scalzi. Try "Old Man's War". The start of an excellent trilogy.