A seventy-five year old widower, John Perry finds the Colonial Defense Force's offer of a new, youthful life intriguing. The CDF fulfills their end of the bargain, now he needs to fulfill his: ten years' commitment as a space marine, fighting the worst the universe has to offer. Funny, thoughtful, and packed with action, Old Man's War is a great read and one of Scalzi's seminal works.
Dark, gritty, and singular in scope, King begins an epic story in the first novel in the Dark Tower series.
Tales of the Dying Earth takes place in a future so far advanced that technology has become more akin to magic. This compilation spans four separate tomes and is written in the classic, no nonsense style as befitting a grandmaster of science fiction. The book is entertaining nonetheless, and should be on every serious reader's list.