Forever War was a refutation of Heinlein's anti-war novel Starship Troopers? Not sure that follows. I remember reading the book as a young adult and seeing the movie and wildly misunderstanding the message. The movie didn't help, it barely even winked at you. It's like the Watchmen, Rorschach was the villain but the ending in the movie was unclear and as a result a lot of people misunderstood Moore's original story. The movie has changed the pop culture memory of the work and changed it's original intent. Starship Troopers has the same problem. I'm not saying it's the best book I've ever read, maybe not even top 100 but to call an anti-war book a refutation to an anti-war book is unfair.
Thanks for all your analysis. I stumbled upon your channel and am amazed at how many of these books I have read. Silverberg? Wow. I remember reading this so long ago. I was reading SF in the 60's and 70's. I still own most of them and feel it is time to revisit them. Thank you again for bringing these titles up.
Startide Rising by David Brin is an epic story on a galactic scale. A stand alone, but it's also the start of an astonishing series. The Plioscene Saga by Julian May is another sweeping epic. Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear is worth your time. There's just so much out there...!
Found both Brin and May at my university bookstore (Bear came later, loved him as well), and loved them both. But May's Plioscene Saga was THE series I've read again and again... Incredible example of a writer who had it all, but she was never so stuck up as to let the story lag. A stunning life's work 🧡
Hyperion is awesome, I'm glad to see it getting some love. And, altough I agree that the first book is better than the second, I think the second expands on the universe in an AMAZING way, and I actually like it a lot (except for 2 things near the end). I just found the video and the channel, and I'm glad I did, because I have added a few of the books in my list, so, thanks!
@@PsychoholicSlag83 I'm not sure I know what those are, but I 100% pretend I didn't read some things when remembering the book as well, lol. Shrike vs Lamia being one of them, in my case
@@MultiWar22 Father Duré not remembering Severn when he appears in his dream (dude, he was just with you in the Vatican planet) and The Consul knowing about the Technocore's Ultimate AI (how/when did he get that info?)
One of my all-time favorite stand-alone novels is Isaac Asimov & Robert Silverberg's Nightfall. This is a full novel based on Asimov's earlier short story of the same name. It's just wonderful, and I keep re-reading it every few years.
Great review, I've read and loved most of them, especially the Vinge duo and The Dispossessed, all favourites. Others I'd like to suggest are Brin's Uplift series, Benford's Galactic Centre series, Bear's Darwin's Radio (really good), Bujold's Vorkosigan series. I like some of Niven's stuff (I read Mote in God's Eye overnight when it first came out) but haven't been able to get into Ringworld at all. As an Aussie, I'd like to recommend Sean McMullen, especially for his Greatwinter series, Sean Williams for The Resurrected Man (a take on Star Trek's transporters, with a murder) and, for very hard sci-fi, Greg Egan. Keep up the great work!
Peter F. Hamilton, my favorite SF author. Perhaps as prophetic as HG Wells. We'll see. I grew up reading HG Wells, Jules Verne Conan Doyle, Azimov, Heinlein, Clarke, Bova, Niven (Ringworld, all of them) and most of the ones you mention. Now days, Hamilton often blends fantasy and SF space opera. His sci fi is spectacular, the smooth transition into fantasy in the same books is handled gracefully. The Night's Dawn Trilogy, Pandora's Star, Judas Unchained, The Evolutionary Void trilogy, the Salvation Trilogy. All lot's of fun.
My introduction to PFH was The Night's Dawn Trilogy. I thought this was a fantasic bit of space opera. I devourd those books and have since read them again. Twice. And whilst The Commonwealth Saga was an enjoyable read, I wouldn't spend the time reading it again. I really couldn't get on with The Void Trilogy. I didn't really like the heavy mix of SF and fantasy. Had to really stuggle suspending my belief to finish it. Now, I know that there were some fantasy elements in Night's Dawn, souls being an example, but it still felt much more SF than fantasy. Don't get me wrong, I love both SF and fantasy. I just prefer them to be in separate books. Please don't take this as a critique on someone elses tastes. It's just my personal preference.
I adore Hyperion, will always be my number one. Also even though it didn't make the list you did mention Flowers for Algernon which I think is one of the most criminally underrated sci fi's out there, a truly beautiful and tragic story. It doesn't have the flashy wars and galactic scope of so many sci fi's yet it has the heart of what sci fi is to me, the questioning of technology and it's moral and philosophical implications on humanity. I cannot recommended Flowers for Algernon enough.
Fatal Shore....Are you familiar with the movie made in 1968 starring Cliff Robertson called Charly? It was based on Flowers For Algernon. There is also a movie...or movies...? titled Flowers For Algernon.
@@fatalshore5068 I was 16 in 1968 when I saw Charly; it was a very emotional movie and I think Cliff Robertson gave a great performance. I have not seen the other movie(s) named after the book. Watching Charly was like watching a parent or someone you love develop Alzheimers...really gut wrenching...!!
I read the short story version of that book. It was one of the most depressing stories I've ever read. How on earth could someone read an entire big novel of such a sad and depressing story? How could you bear it?
A strong list, all very worthy. I read a lot of these some years ago, but I found myself leaning more towards more modern space opera/harder sci-fi of writers like Peter F. Hamilton, Alistar Reynolds and Iain M. Banks (RIP) these days. Always love looking at other people's opinions. A book/short story I think you'll like is The Black Corridor by Michael Moorcock, a sci-fi/thriller/psychological treatment. Vastly underrated.
You mention of Moorcock brought back a memory of the long-forgotten, but much enjoyed Dancers at the End of Time series he wrote. In it, while exploring the vast differences and striking similarities between the Victorian Era and The End of Time (AND the 1970s!), Moorcock does a remarkable (and seemingly sincere) job of creating an actual, honest-to-God ROMANCE! I remember thinking that the relationship between a super-decadent end-of-time character and a proper Victorian lass was no more unlikely than MOORCOCK ACTUALLY WRITING IT. I was completely entertained, and enjoyed it on several levels. Probably not a Top 15 candidate, but a recommend if...well, I was going to say "If you like that sort of thing.", but there are no other examples of "that sort of thing". It's pretty unique.
Some great books here. I was most delighted to see “Midworld” and “The World Inside” on your list, they were both a favorites of mine as a teenager and helped stoke my appetite for science fiction.
Love the vid. Your enthusiasm for books/ this genre shines through in the way you can summarise these selections. I also love the fact that your list includes much older works like Wells' "The Time Machine". Have you read much Ray Bradbury? His "Martian Chronicles" has got to be a classic of the genre... Also, I was wondering what you thought of Philip K Dick's work? Not sure how popular they are in the US but a couple of British writers you might like to check out are John Wyndham and Michael Moorcock. The latter is probably most famous for his fantasy novels (The Eternal Champion / Elric of Melnibone series) but he is also a prolific sci-fi writer. Then, of course, you have Edgar Rice Burroughs. Everyone knows he wrote Tarzan but few know he also wrote sci-fi based on Mars and Venus... Pulp fiction maybe, but he knows how to write a good story!
I was very surprised (and pleased) to see Expedition on this list. I am fascinated by extraterrestrial flora/fauna, and this book with all of it's excellent artwork and wild view of exoplanet creatures absolutely fascinated me. I agree, one of the top 15.
Peter F Hamiltons ' Second chance at Eden' is brilliant and one of the most provocative novellas I've read recently. His Nights Dawn trilogy was also one crazy ride.
I've been telling people with any interest in Sci-Fi to read Mote, Ringworld, Varley's Gaea trilogy and Simmons Illium/Olympos as quickly as they can. Haven't read Vinge at all, somehow. I'll rectify that. Greatly appreciate your efforts.
Very interesting list. The Dying Earth and The Stars My Destination are two of my favourite books. I saw the Bester book also as a rendition of The Count of Monte Cristo.
Same here! Had to scroll down just too see who else would say this and you’re the first. Funny the comparison only dawned on me after I watched the Count of Monte Cristo again (years after reading Destination) but not when I was reading The Stars My Destination, if that makes any sense.
Just finished Mid World. I really loved the last two pages of the book. The way he illustrates the idea of the underlying connection of living things is quite beautiful. I like big ideas. The big ideas in The Iron Heel are also amazing. The struggle of mankind to grow out of exploitative and self predatory modes of behavior towards cooperation and a universal loyalty towards humanity.
One thing that I noticed in your updated list clip already - you got a fantastic vocabulary. !**** You should go around the high schools or book stores and speak .
Between the "Zones", the Skroderiders (most heroic potted plant EVER!), the Tines and The Blight, that book has enough unique ideas for a half-dozen novels. Good choice for #1. I just read it for the first time last year. Just got Deepness, but I'm booklogged...
Any book the piques your curiosity and interest is most definitely worth a mention. Nice picks, I've read a few, I'm rather late to the sci-fi genre , other than some of the big name authors / classics, I've got a lot of pleasant catching up to do.
The Vernor Vinge stuff is great. I am reminded I need to read Hyperion. Happy to see Silverberg in there. I will also say Willam Gibson is worth so serious look too. Surprised that Dune wasn't in there, great characters and world building, but a bit dense at times. -- I always think people that read Starship Troopers as being pro militaristic, missed something in that book. I saw it as a coming of age story in a society that was militaristic, which probably seemed very relevant in that period of the late 50s, and in many ways today, sadly. It was written during the Korean war, and I think he was trying to show how we stuck a flag on things and called patriotism, no matter how pathetic the reality.
LeGuin is one of my very favourite writers from short stories to novels. Agree about slow (not boring) because her characters tend to be scholars and those left behind - I.e. the servants left behind during a revolution or the family left behind by the spaceman. Such poetic and thoughtful writing, with quiet moments where other authors might put a fight scene.
I really adore Hyperion and Endymion (which has the most emotional ending... ever, i cried... loud). BUT: You forgot about Hamilton, his Commonwealth / Void and Salvation Saga is great. Currently reading the third book of the Salvation Trilogy and if someone just exhales Scifi... its Peter F. Hamilton.
Thanks for your review of The Worlds Inside. I found a mint brand new book printed in 1971 on ebay which I received today, can't wait to read it tonight!
I have been reading SF for more than 50 years and for a long time I did not have the amazing experience of reading Octavia E. Butler´s books. They are amazing and completely original, not all of them, but I am refering to her series Patternists and the Xenogenesis Trilogy. HIGHLY RECOMEND and inmy opinion MUST READ. Try them !!!
Your list is profoundly excellent. My hypthetical version of this video would have lined the books in the same order and described them the same way. I am so glad I watched this. Very cool. Also, 'boring the way Le Guin is, sorry'. Best line in your video! I love Le Guin and have since I was a kid. She is also truely boring! That is how you know she is good cuz you don't feel pain from her boringness. Hilarious statement.
This is an excellent list. Some of those on your list would be on mine. As to "Hyperion", the first two books are excellent, the others not so much. Thanks for doing this.
I loved Midworld! Never heard anyone else mention it before! I remember thinking it was very like Hothouse, by Brian Aldiss and another novel by Brian M Stableford whose title I forget, but I enjoyed it more than either of those. I love Vernor Vinge too, but my favourite of his books is Across Realtime, whose simple concept is both incredible and incredibly well done. Excellent list, though!
The way you describe Alan Dean Foster's Mid-yip reminds me of Special Deliverance by Clifford D. Simak. It might be worth checking out if you enjoy 'person is thrust into an odyssey of a world with many intriguing objects and mysteries'.
Love your show but disagree with your take on Gene Wolfe .It's a chore to read but I find help with podcasts of Marc Armani and the smarter people helping me out .it's like James Joyce ..many layers. My Dad's favorite author was Jack London never hear of Iron Heel ,thank you for that .look forward to next time
Yes, the "quality of the prose in 'Frankenstein' " as you correctly put it, got a few academics in trouble for daring to suspect it was actually heavily edited, at least, by Mary's husband, Percy. Mary's other writing bears little resemblance to what she wrote in "Frankenstein". Food for thought.
@@Scottlp2 Yes, it does take work because of the Victorian era writing style, but if you stick with it for 30 or 40 pages it might take you along, and it can be very rewarding. If you finish it, you will have read what is absolutely one of the most important works of Western literature, most bizarre, and foundation of an entire mythos.
Seriously? Her Mother was Mary Wollstonecraft and her father was William Godwin, both of them intellectual giants of the time. Samuel Taylor Coleridge recited The Rhyme of The Ancient Mariner in her living room when she was a child. William Blake practically worshipped her mother. Just so condescending to imply she was not "capable" in some way of writing Frankenstein. And as time passes, Shelley's reputation as a romantic poet has only shrunk in comparison to the many others. Sure, he was a rock star of his day, but much of that was probably due to his personal charisma; because the writing only dims with time; it has more than elements of melodrama, and sidles up to kitsch. This is not meant to be a Shelley dis, but Mary Shelley's significance continues to grow, she did something extraordinary. This entire supposition is just so like the Shakespeare deniers. Anyway, read Frankenstein.
You didn’t like Across Realtime by Vinge? I loved that one. Both Blood Music and Eon by Greg Bear would make my list as well. Blood Music is about an experimental bacteria colony that escapes a lab and becomes self aware, and Eon is about humans discovering that an enormous asteroid in the asteroid belt is both hollow, and appears to have been occupied by humans for many centuries.
It's so good that people just call it "one of the greatest book of all time" and forget it's science fiction -- Slaughterhouse Five. Another one that is so genre breaking that people forget to include it on this sort of list is The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Also, how do you have nothing by Philip K. Dick at all?
If you haven't read the following I recommend dropping everything you are doing and getting to it ASAP: Roadside Picnic, Dune, We, Solaris, Man in the High Castle, Foundation
I do need to read a lot more. My wife gifted me the original Dune saga, and I'm the middle of Dune Messiah. So for what it's worth, here's my current top 10: 1- Dune 2- Hyperion 3- A Hymn Before Battle 4- Foundation 5- 2XS (a Shadowrun novel) 6- War of the Worlds 7- The Time Machine 8- Watchmen (read it as an omnibus first, so I consider it a "graphic novel" 9- Brave New World 10- Logan's Run (so much better than the movie)
gene wolfe is great, only have read book of the new sun but clearly hes a goat like wow what a series, curious to read the others in the world he wrote too, wayne barlowe has an outstanding vibe that book seems incredible
Loved your list,thank you. Agree with your views on A Fire Upo The Deep . Oddly enough though I enjoyed Fall of Hyperion and the Endymion books more than Hyperion.
Thank you for your channel- it is great and I can't stop watching it! Regarding your comment about "Shadow of the Torturer" by Gene Wolfe-- how the language and storytelling is a bit detached/ remote, and treats the reader with some disdain, I think you missed the mark here a bit. This was likely in part intentional (and the author alludes to it in commentary in the book). Indeed, this quality is why I love this book and the whole Book of the New Sun tetralogy so much. The story is like a unique find from an archeologic excavation: there are missing pieces of the story, the narrator is unreliable, randomly inserted mythologic stories challenge the reader, and the language contains many synthetic words which requires constant extra effort. All of this makes the world more authentic, complex, and alluring in a melancholy way. I remember reading it on a long flight from the US to China and I couldn't put it down (although the regular wine and rice dishes brought by the stewardess probably helped); I was just sucked into Severian the Torturer's strange world. I didn't realize how much of an influence Jack Vance's Dying Earth book was on this work (and I hope it was not totally ripped off!); I've never read Mr. Vance, but on your recommendations am definitely going to check him out.
"I appreciate it, but also..fuck off" Love it! I need to check out Wolfe's "Shadow of the Torturer" again. I admit to being a bit perplexed by it's vague virtuosity. Thanks!
"No Man on Earth" by Walter Moudy remains one of my favorites. It is rather "entry level" space opera, but so readable and witty. It may be Moudy's only book. "The War Against the Rull" by A.E. Von Vogt is another great military SF book. I think that "the Rull" are precursors to "The Thing".
Thanks for mentioning _Midworld._ I started reading it in my teens, enjoyed it, but for some reason never finished it. I'd forgotten its name. Now I know. It's good to see you recommend some Silverberg. I read lots of his books in my early days. All very enjoyable. I would especially recommend _Downward to the Earth._
As a teenager, I read a book that might have been sci-fi (or fantasy) and I didn't understand anything!!!! I kept reading it thinking that, soon this will start to fit together and make sense - and it didn't! I don't know how it got published. Luckily it wasn't very long.
Wolfe requires a lot of work, and sometimes you re-read a book three times, puzzle out some of the etymology that signals a particular word or meaning in his neologisms, and you're like 'that was a sort of ok pun' at the end of the whole thing, haha. Still ove Book of the New Sun, though, my favorite err... science fantasy/dying earth thing? Lots of classics on here, which is cool. Read any Iain M. Banks? It seems like The Player of Games would fit on this list nicely. Maybe Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space or House of Suns, also.
I was wondering what you thought Deep of the Sky by Kay Kenyon? I think Avatar may have taken liberty with the idea though i am not sure if she originated the idea- the first book is engaging. There are four volumes and each one is less and less but all in all a solid read!
“I appreciate it but fuck off.” Best review of Gene Wolfe I’ve heard yet. I’ve always favored authors who have wanted to be understood. Clarity above profundity. But there’s a place for Joyce, Faulkner, and even Wolfe on my shelf.
I like to watch videos about science fiction books. I like to read science fiction books also. I also like to listen to audio books on you tube. I love short stories, of any genre, including sci fi. My fave sci -fi writers are Stephen King, Ursula K Le Guin, Philip K Dick, HG Wells, Dan O'Bannon, Tim Schooch, Joey Vimsante, Jules Verne, Bob Gale, and George Orwell.
Great video (haven't finished watching) but god I really want to read Shadow of the Torturer lol, I'll start it when I finish the big series im reading or my head is gonna explode.
Randomly found this vid, thanks for your list. I've read about half of your list. I agree with you on Heinlein (based on an older friend's recommendations), I've read his big three and was not thrilled with any of them. My one disagreement with you is Frankenstein - I found it horribly bad. I read it after being impressed with Stoker's Dracula, was never so disappointed with a read in my life. A Fire Upon the Deep is on my list now. Thanks again.
Just found your ch and subbed :) Fantastic list with a couple I've not read. Thanks for the recs! Have you read Bowl of Heaven and the sequel Shipstar by Larry Niven and Gregory Benford? Edit: Bowl of Heaven and Shipstar are part of a trilogy, the third book is Glorious, I haven't read it yet.
@@Bookpilled Both really took me by surprise. Lot's of stuff I hadn't seen before. Super unique/weird characters/creatures and worlds. It surprises me they aren't more well known or talked about. Nothing super profound but had my imagination on fire! Don't want to say too much, but does seem like something you might really enjoy :)
Hi I am going to read A fire upon the deep / I enjoy SF but sometimes it’s hard to know what to read. I will recommend Seveneves A new book that I enjoyed a lot
Need some help here. Long time ago I’ve used to have a SiFi book from an author that I don’t remember his name but I vaguely remember that it was a known one, and this book was of short stories and one of the stories was about a world where everyone was educated thru a machine that infused knowledge to the brain of people. In this world the story revolves around a child that was forced to learn the hard way, reading books, etc. This person lived his life thinking he wasn’t good enough to learn thru the machines until his consul revealed that it was on the contrary, he was special and he was been trained to be one of the engineers that makes the machines. I wish I could remember the title of this book so I could by it again. Any clues? Thank you.
If I made a top list of the ones I enjoyed the most, it would only coincide in The Forever War. But that's good. To each his own. (And yes, I've read all the books in that list)
Anyone else read Quarantine or Roadside Picnic? I love sci fi where aliens either don't care about us or have way more important things to do so we're just secondary lesser beings.
that was a really good one. It was like "Stars my Destination" in that each novel was finely etched & fully realized psychological study of the respective protagonists
@@mbrintys i gotta read Stars it sounds like a fun read and it seems jam packed despite being under 300 pages. I wish more speculative writers chose brevity over exhausting detail.
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Updated list is here:
ua-cam.com/video/pP0XnfC1jVM/v-deo.html
"Moting Gods Eye" 😆
Forever War was a refutation of Heinlein's anti-war novel Starship Troopers? Not sure that follows. I remember reading the book as a young adult and seeing the movie and wildly misunderstanding the message. The movie didn't help, it barely even winked at you.
It's like the Watchmen, Rorschach was the villain but the ending in the movie was unclear and as a result a lot of people misunderstood Moore's original story. The movie has changed the pop culture memory of the work and changed it's original intent. Starship Troopers has the same problem. I'm not saying it's the best book I've ever read, maybe not even top 100 but to call an anti-war book a refutation to an anti-war book is unfair.
Dude, it was nice to sit here with you for forty minutes and talk about books, thanks! Very well done 👍
Thanks for all your analysis. I stumbled upon your channel and am amazed at how many of these books I have read. Silverberg? Wow. I remember reading this so long ago. I was reading SF in the 60's and 70's. I still own most of them and feel it is time to revisit them. Thank you again for bringing these titles up.
I've seen alot of best sci fi lists and YOU are the first person to include The Time Machine.... thank you for that. It is one of my favorites too 🙂
I love how passionately you describe your favorite books. Thank you for these reviews.
Wow, man. Amazing list. I've never seen one of these lists mirror my own tastes so closely. Great breakdowns and descriptions.
Startide Rising by David Brin is an epic story on a galactic scale. A stand alone, but it's also the start of an astonishing series.
The Plioscene Saga by Julian May is another sweeping epic.
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear is worth your time.
There's just so much out there...!
Found both Brin and May at my university bookstore (Bear came later, loved him as well), and loved them both. But May's Plioscene Saga was THE series I've read again and again... Incredible example of a writer who had it all, but she was never so stuck up as to let the story lag. A stunning life's work 🧡
Hyperion is awesome, I'm glad to see it getting some love. And, altough I agree that the first book is better than the second, I think the second expands on the universe in an AMAZING way, and I actually like it a lot (except for 2 things near the end).
I just found the video and the channel, and I'm glad I did, because I have added a few of the books in my list, so, thanks!
I loved The Fall of Hyperion except for two gigantic plotholes I pretend I didn't read when remembering my overall enjoyment of the book
@@PsychoholicSlag83 I'm not sure I know what those are, but I 100% pretend I didn't read some things when remembering the book as well, lol. Shrike vs Lamia being one of them, in my case
@@MultiWar22 Father Duré not remembering Severn when he appears in his dream (dude, he was just with you in the Vatican planet) and The Consul knowing about the Technocore's Ultimate AI (how/when did he get that info?)
@@PsychoholicSlag83 Well, I'm glad I don't even remember those things lmao
One of my all-time favorite stand-alone novels is Isaac Asimov & Robert Silverberg's Nightfall. This is a full novel based on Asimov's earlier short story of the same name. It's just wonderful, and I keep re-reading it every few years.
Actually just found it in a little free library a couple nights ago.
Asimov's various tales on, Robotics are simply riveting , not only the stories, but the history behind his creation.
I'm halfway through it and I wish every story in it was a full length book!
Great review, I've read and loved most of them, especially the Vinge duo and The Dispossessed, all favourites. Others I'd like to suggest are Brin's Uplift series, Benford's Galactic Centre series, Bear's Darwin's Radio (really good), Bujold's Vorkosigan series. I like some of Niven's stuff (I read Mote in God's Eye overnight when it first came out) but haven't been able to get into Ringworld at all.
As an Aussie, I'd like to recommend Sean McMullen, especially for his Greatwinter series, Sean Williams for The Resurrected Man (a take on Star Trek's transporters, with a murder) and, for very hard sci-fi, Greg Egan. Keep up the great work!
Peter F. Hamilton, my favorite SF author. Perhaps as prophetic as HG Wells. We'll see. I grew up reading HG Wells, Jules Verne Conan Doyle, Azimov, Heinlein, Clarke, Bova, Niven (Ringworld, all of them) and most of the ones you mention. Now days, Hamilton often blends fantasy and SF space opera. His sci fi is spectacular, the smooth transition into fantasy in the same books is handled gracefully. The Night's Dawn Trilogy, Pandora's Star, Judas Unchained, The Evolutionary Void trilogy, the Salvation Trilogy. All lot's of fun.
Love Hamilton! I think the explanation/history of the aliens in Pandora and Judas was excellent.
He's great. One of my favorites is Great North Road. I had to read it twice to appreciate it.
My introduction to PFH was The Night's Dawn Trilogy. I thought this was a fantasic bit of space opera. I devourd those books and have since read them again. Twice. And whilst The Commonwealth Saga was an enjoyable read, I wouldn't spend the time reading it again. I really couldn't get on with The Void Trilogy. I didn't really like the heavy mix of SF and fantasy. Had to really stuggle suspending my belief to finish it. Now, I know that there were some fantasy elements in Night's Dawn, souls being an example, but it still felt much more SF than fantasy. Don't get me wrong, I love both SF and fantasy. I just prefer them to be in separate books. Please don't take this as a critique on someone elses tastes. It's just my personal preference.
I adore Hyperion, will always be my number one. Also even though it didn't make the list you did mention Flowers for Algernon which I think is one of the most criminally underrated sci fi's out there, a truly beautiful and tragic story. It doesn't have the flashy wars and galactic scope of so many sci fi's yet it has the heart of what sci fi is to me, the questioning of technology and it's moral and philosophical implications on humanity. I cannot recommended Flowers for Algernon enough.
Fatal Shore....Are you familiar with the movie made in 1968 starring Cliff Robertson called Charly? It was based on Flowers For Algernon. There is also a movie...or movies...? titled Flowers For Algernon.
@@marbleman52 I have not, I will look into it
@@fatalshore5068 I was 16 in 1968 when I saw Charly; it was a very emotional movie and I think Cliff Robertson gave a great performance. I have not seen the other movie(s) named after the book. Watching Charly was like watching a parent or someone you love develop Alzheimers...really gut wrenching...!!
The farcaster network was mind-blowing for me when I first read about it back in the 90s. Really one of the most amazing concepts in the genre.
I read the short story version of that book. It was one of the most depressing stories I've ever read. How on earth could someone read an entire big novel of such a sad and depressing story? How could you bear it?
A strong list, all very worthy. I read a lot of these some years ago, but I found myself leaning more towards more modern space opera/harder sci-fi of writers like Peter F. Hamilton, Alistar Reynolds and Iain M. Banks (RIP) these days. Always love looking at other people's opinions. A book/short story I think you'll like is The Black Corridor by Michael Moorcock, a sci-fi/thriller/psychological treatment. Vastly underrated.
You mention of Moorcock brought back a memory of the long-forgotten, but much enjoyed Dancers at the End of Time series he wrote. In it, while exploring the vast differences and striking similarities between the Victorian Era and The End of Time (AND the 1970s!), Moorcock does a remarkable (and seemingly sincere) job of creating an actual, honest-to-God ROMANCE!
I remember thinking that the relationship between a super-decadent end-of-time character and a proper Victorian lass was no more unlikely than MOORCOCK ACTUALLY WRITING IT. I was completely entertained, and enjoyed it on several levels.
Probably not a Top 15 candidate, but a recommend if...well, I was going to say "If you like that sort of thing.", but there are no other examples of "that sort of thing". It's pretty unique.
@@Trollificusv2 Fairly sure there was a whole lot of "natural remedies" being imbimed during that period of writing. 😃
The names of the Culture ships alone in Iain.M.Banks books deserved an award! Fave Sci-Fi series.
Not on very many top lists, but should be, is "Lurking Near The Oregon Coast." It's at Amazon.
Some great books here. I was most delighted to see “Midworld” and “The World Inside” on your list, they were both a favorites of mine as a teenager and helped stoke my appetite for science fiction.
Love the vid. Your enthusiasm for books/ this genre shines through in the way you can summarise these selections. I also love the fact that your list includes much older works like Wells' "The Time Machine".
Have you read much Ray Bradbury? His "Martian Chronicles" has got to be a classic of the genre... Also, I was wondering what you thought of Philip K Dick's work?
Not sure how popular they are in the US but a couple of British writers you might like to check out are John Wyndham and Michael Moorcock. The latter is probably most famous for his fantasy novels (The Eternal Champion / Elric of Melnibone series) but he is also a prolific sci-fi writer.
Then, of course, you have Edgar Rice Burroughs. Everyone knows he wrote Tarzan but few know he also wrote sci-fi based on Mars and Venus... Pulp fiction maybe, but he knows how to write a good story!
I was very surprised (and pleased) to see Expedition on this list. I am fascinated by extraterrestrial flora/fauna, and this book with all of it's excellent artwork and wild view of exoplanet creatures absolutely fascinated me. I agree, one of the top 15.
Great list. I would definitely add Iain Banks and Peter Hamilton, especially Banks. Use of Weapons is my no 1 SciFi book of all time.
Mine's the player of games. Still a lot of Iain Banks unread though
Peter F Hamiltons ' Second chance at Eden' is brilliant and one of the most provocative novellas I've read recently. His Nights Dawn trilogy was also one crazy ride.
Young man, I am impressed! This is a great overview of many generations of SCIFI. Thanks.
I've been telling people with any interest in Sci-Fi to read Mote, Ringworld, Varley's Gaea trilogy and Simmons Illium/Olympos as quickly as they can. Haven't read Vinge at all, somehow. I'll rectify that. Greatly appreciate your efforts.
I envy you that first read experience of the Vinge books!
Very interesting list. The Dying Earth and The Stars My Destination are two of my favourite books. I saw the Bester book also as a rendition of The Count of Monte Cristo.
Same here! Had to scroll down just too see who else would say this and you’re the first. Funny the comparison only dawned on me after I watched the Count of Monte Cristo again (years after reading Destination) but not when I was reading The Stars My Destination, if that makes any sense.
Wow! Great list! Especially gratified to see The Shadow of the Torturer.
Just finished Mid World. I really loved the last two pages of the book. The way he illustrates the idea of the underlying connection of living things is quite beautiful. I like big ideas. The big ideas in The Iron Heel are also amazing. The struggle of mankind to grow out of exploitative and self predatory modes of behavior towards cooperation and a universal loyalty towards humanity.
One thing that I noticed in your updated list clip already - you got a fantastic vocabulary. !**** You should go around the high schools or book stores and speak .
Thank you very much
Not gonna lie, the skroderiders were great characters! Never thought I’d care about a potted plant like that!
Love those skrodes
Between the "Zones", the Skroderiders (most heroic potted plant EVER!), the Tines and The Blight, that book has enough unique ideas for a half-dozen novels. Good choice for #1. I just read it for the first time last year. Just got Deepness, but I'm booklogged...
Any book the piques your curiosity and interest is most definitely worth a mention. Nice picks, I've read a few, I'm rather late to the sci-fi genre , other than some of the big name authors / classics, I've got a lot of pleasant catching up to do.
The Vernor Vinge stuff is great. I am reminded I need to read Hyperion. Happy to see Silverberg in there. I will also say Willam Gibson is worth so serious look too. Surprised that Dune wasn't in there, great characters and world building, but a bit dense at times. -- I always think people that read Starship Troopers as being pro militaristic, missed something in that book. I saw it as a coming of age story in a society that was militaristic, which probably seemed very relevant in that period of the late 50s, and in many ways today, sadly. It was written during the Korean war, and I think he was trying to show how we stuck a flag on things and called patriotism, no matter how pathetic the reality.
I just love hearing this homeless looking man talking about sci-fi books for hours. Keep it up my man, great channel
LeGuin is one of my very favourite writers from short stories to novels. Agree about slow (not boring) because her characters tend to be scholars and those left behind - I.e. the servants left behind during a revolution or the family left behind by the spaceman. Such poetic and thoughtful writing, with quiet moments where other authors might put a fight scene.
I really adore Hyperion and Endymion (which has the most emotional ending... ever, i cried... loud). BUT: You forgot about Hamilton, his Commonwealth / Void and Salvation Saga is great. Currently reading the third book of the Salvation Trilogy and if someone just exhales Scifi... its Peter F. Hamilton.
And Night's Dawn Trilogy/Confederation series.
As a long time lover of Gene Wolfe's work, your review is an almost perfect capturing of rhe experience.
Thanks for your review of The Worlds Inside. I found a mint brand new book printed in 1971 on ebay which I received today, can't wait to read it tonight!
I have been reading SF for more than 50 years and for a long time I did not have the amazing experience of reading Octavia E. Butler´s books. They are amazing and completely original, not all of them, but I am refering to her series Patternists and the Xenogenesis Trilogy. HIGHLY RECOMEND and inmy opinion MUST READ. Try them !!!
Your list is profoundly excellent. My hypthetical version of this video would have lined the books in the same order and described them the same way. I am so glad I watched this. Very cool.
Also, 'boring the way Le Guin is, sorry'. Best line in your video! I love Le Guin and have since I was a kid. She is also truely boring! That is how you know she is good cuz you don't feel pain from her boringness. Hilarious statement.
Robert Heinlein is my life-long favourite author (followed by Orwell).
Favorite RH? Moon is a Harsh Mistress......is mine with Starship Troopers right behind. I am of the right age to have read and loved his YA books...
Great recs. The Dying Earth is going straight on my tbr. 👍
This is an excellent list. Some of those on your list would be on mine. As to "Hyperion", the first two books are excellent, the others not so much. Thanks for doing this.
I loved Midworld! Never heard anyone else mention it before! I remember thinking it was very like Hothouse, by Brian Aldiss and another novel by Brian M Stableford whose title I forget, but I enjoyed it more than either of those. I love Vernor Vinge too, but my favourite of his books is Across Realtime, whose simple concept is both incredible and incredibly well done. Excellent list, though!
"Macroscope" Piers Anthony. even if you hate Anthony's other works. Mindblowing
The way you describe Alan Dean Foster's Mid-yip reminds me of Special Deliverance by Clifford D. Simak. It might be worth checking out if you enjoy 'person is thrust into an odyssey of a world with many intriguing objects and mysteries'.
Man i really enjoyed midworld just found out about this book two months ago. Will definitely read again
Love your show but disagree with your take on Gene Wolfe .It's a chore to read but I find help with podcasts of Marc Armani and the smarter people helping me out .it's like James Joyce ..many layers. My Dad's favorite author was Jack London never hear of Iron Heel ,thank you for that .look forward to next time
Yes, the "quality of the prose in 'Frankenstein' " as you correctly put it, got a few academics in trouble for daring to suspect it was actually heavily edited, at least, by Mary's husband, Percy. Mary's other writing bears little resemblance to what she wrote in "Frankenstein". Food for thought.
Interesting because I couldn’t get past page 3 of the book because of the writing style.
@@Scottlp2 Yes, it does take work because of the Victorian era writing style, but if you stick with it for 30 or 40 pages it might take you along, and it can be very rewarding. If you finish it, you will have read what is absolutely one of the most important works of Western literature, most bizarre, and foundation of an entire mythos.
Her style
Oops
Seriously? Her Mother was Mary Wollstonecraft and her father was William Godwin, both of them intellectual giants of the time. Samuel Taylor Coleridge recited The Rhyme of The Ancient Mariner in her living room when she was a child. William Blake practically worshipped her mother. Just so condescending to imply she was not "capable" in some way of writing Frankenstein.
And as time passes, Shelley's reputation as a romantic poet has only shrunk in comparison to the many others. Sure, he was a rock star of his day, but much of that was probably due to his personal charisma; because the writing only dims with time; it has more than elements of melodrama, and sidles up to kitsch. This is not meant to be a Shelley dis, but Mary Shelley's significance continues to grow, she did something extraordinary. This entire supposition is just so like the Shakespeare deniers.
Anyway, read Frankenstein.
Love these lists. Great stuff! Keep on SFing.
You didn’t like Across Realtime by Vinge? I loved that one.
Both Blood Music and Eon by Greg Bear would make my list as well. Blood Music is about an experimental bacteria colony that escapes a lab and becomes self aware, and Eon is about humans discovering that an enormous asteroid in the asteroid belt is both hollow, and appears to have been occupied by humans for many centuries.
It's so good that people just call it "one of the greatest book of all time" and forget it's science fiction -- Slaughterhouse Five. Another one that is so genre breaking that people forget to include it on this sort of list is The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Also, how do you have nothing by Philip K. Dick at all?
Great list! I love several of these. I never have seen The world inside mentioned before! I absolutely love it
If you haven't read the following I recommend dropping everything you are doing and getting to it ASAP: Roadside Picnic, Dune, We, Solaris, Man in the High Castle, Foundation
Huge Vance fan here! I hope to see more discussion about Vance. I really like _The Dying Earth_'s sequel _The Eyes of the Overworld_.
I do need to read a lot more. My wife gifted me the original Dune saga, and I'm the middle of Dune Messiah. So for what it's worth, here's my current top 10:
1- Dune
2- Hyperion
3- A Hymn Before Battle
4- Foundation
5- 2XS (a Shadowrun novel)
6- War of the Worlds
7- The Time Machine
8- Watchmen (read it as an omnibus first, so I consider it a "graphic novel"
9- Brave New World
10- Logan's Run (so much better than the movie)
gene wolfe is great, only have read book of the new sun but clearly hes a goat like wow what a series, curious to read the others in the world he wrote too, wayne barlowe has an outstanding vibe that book seems incredible
All of Barlowe's art books are worth seeking out if you haven't read them before
Ya seems a good author
Loved your list,thank you. Agree with your views on A Fire Upo The Deep . Oddly enough though I enjoyed Fall of Hyperion and the Endymion books more than Hyperion.
As I remember, The Stars My Destination came out in 1953. I shall jaunte.
Thank you for your channel- it is great and I can't stop watching it! Regarding your comment about "Shadow of the Torturer" by Gene Wolfe-- how the language and storytelling is a bit detached/ remote, and treats the reader with some disdain, I think you missed the mark here a bit. This was likely in part intentional (and the author alludes to it in commentary in the book). Indeed, this quality is why I love this book and the whole Book of the New Sun tetralogy so much. The story is like a unique find from an archeologic excavation: there are missing pieces of the story, the narrator is unreliable, randomly inserted mythologic stories challenge the reader, and the language contains many synthetic words which requires constant extra effort. All of this makes the world more authentic, complex, and alluring in a melancholy way. I remember reading it on a long flight from the US to China and I couldn't put it down (although the regular wine and rice dishes brought by the stewardess probably helped); I was just sucked into Severian the Torturer's strange world. I didn't realize how much of an influence Jack Vance's Dying Earth book was on this work (and I hope it was not totally ripped off!); I've never read Mr. Vance, but on your recommendations am definitely going to check him out.
Nice to see The Mote in God's Eye on the list. One of my favorites, not often cited on lists like this.
"I appreciate it, but also..fuck off" Love it! I need to check out Wolfe's "Shadow of the Torturer" again. I admit to being a bit perplexed by it's vague virtuosity. Thanks!
"No Man on Earth" by Walter Moudy remains one of my favorites. It is rather "entry level" space opera, but so readable and witty. It may be Moudy's only book. "The War Against the Rull" by A.E. Von Vogt is another great military SF book. I think that "the Rull" are precursors to "The Thing".
Thanks for mentioning _Midworld._ I started reading it in my teens, enjoyed it, but for some reason never finished it. I'd forgotten its name. Now I know.
It's good to see you recommend some Silverberg. I read lots of his books in my early days. All very enjoyable. I would especially recommend _Downward to the Earth._
Just finished that one, amazing book.
As a teenager, I read a book that might have been sci-fi (or fantasy) and I didn't understand anything!!!! I kept reading it thinking that, soon this will start to fit together and make sense - and it didn't! I don't know how it got published. Luckily it wasn't very long.
Wolfe requires a lot of work, and sometimes you re-read a book three times, puzzle out some of the etymology that signals a particular word or meaning in his neologisms, and you're like 'that was a sort of ok pun' at the end of the whole thing, haha. Still ove Book of the New Sun, though, my favorite err... science fantasy/dying earth thing? Lots of classics on here, which is cool. Read any Iain M. Banks? It seems like The Player of Games would fit on this list nicely. Maybe Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space or House of Suns, also.
Would you recommend reading A Fire Upon the Deep first or A Deepness in the Sky first?
Nice list, old favourites and some surprises I've noted TBR
Older vid so don't know if you'll see this but my feelings exactly on Gene Wolfe. So difficult to find the "groove" when reading him.
Have to find one of the Vernor Vinge books and give it a try.
I was wondering what you thought Deep of the Sky by Kay Kenyon? I think Avatar may have taken liberty with the idea though i am not sure if she originated the idea- the first book is engaging. There are four volumes and each one is less and less but all in all a solid read!
Somehow had expected Iain M. Banks on this list. But nonetheless I do agree... :-)
"You Sane Men" by Laurence M. Janifer - torture sleaze sci fi cheese. incredible.
“I appreciate it but fuck off.”
Best review of Gene Wolfe I’ve heard yet. I’ve always favored authors who have wanted to be understood. Clarity above profundity. But there’s a place for Joyce, Faulkner, and even Wolfe on my shelf.
I like to watch videos about science fiction books. I like to read science fiction books also. I also like to listen to audio books on you tube. I love short stories, of any genre, including sci fi. My fave sci -fi writers are Stephen King, Ursula K Le Guin, Philip K Dick, HG Wells, Dan O'Bannon, Tim Schooch, Joey Vimsante, Jules Verne, Bob Gale, and George Orwell.
Rocking the Laibach tee. Respect.
The Iron Heel is already from 1908! It's really early and yes I liked it too.
Really engaging discussion, thanks
Great video (haven't finished watching) but god I really want to read Shadow of the Torturer lol, I'll start it when I finish the big series im reading or my head is gonna explode.
Yes, you need vacant cranial space to fit Shadow of the Torturer into.
@@Bookpilled yeah exactly
Midworld brought me into sci-fi too :)
I'm late but heinleind wrote double star. I loved it
Foster wrote a number of books based on scripts. I'm not sure if this one falls into that list but I recommend Slipt
Randomly found this vid, thanks for your list. I've read about half of your list. I agree with you on Heinlein (based on an older friend's recommendations), I've read his big three and was not thrilled with any of them. My one disagreement with you is Frankenstein - I found it horribly bad. I read it after being impressed with Stoker's Dracula, was never so disappointed with a read in my life. A Fire Upon the Deep is on my list now. Thanks again.
Man I found Dracula unbearably dry. Happy to agree to disagree. I think you'll dig Vinge though.
What about the Lensmen series, by Doc EE Smith, a great galactic spanning series from long ago.
I loved Midworld when I read it as a teenager. It would make a great movie.
Neal Asher. John Varley. Sheri S. Tepper.
Just found your ch and subbed :)
Fantastic list with a couple I've not read.
Thanks for the recs!
Have you read Bowl of Heaven and the sequel Shipstar by Larry Niven and Gregory Benford?
Edit: Bowl of Heaven and Shipstar are part of a trilogy, the third book is Glorious, I haven't read it yet.
Welcome. Have not read them but will be on the lookout.
@@Bookpilled
Both really took me by surprise.
Lot's of stuff I hadn't seen before.
Super unique/weird characters/creatures and worlds.
It surprises me they aren't more well known or talked about.
Nothing super profound but had my imagination on fire!
Don't want to say too much, but does seem like something you might really enjoy :)
Have you read the second book after A Fire Upon the Deep? I think it’s called A Deepness in the Sky.
Yes, love it
Check Dragon's Egg by Robert L Forward
Read Lem and Banks, young man!
Hi I am going to read A fire upon the deep / I enjoy SF but sometimes it’s hard to know what to read. I will recommend Seveneves A new book that I enjoyed a lot
being disillusioned with something that doesn't make sense in the first place is a good starting point for a novel :)
Foster's original work is great. I think he got his reputation as a hack from his movie adaptations.
Need some help here. Long time ago I’ve used to have a SiFi book from an author that I don’t remember his name but I vaguely remember that it was a known one, and this book was of short stories and one of the stories was about a world where everyone was educated thru a machine that infused knowledge to the brain of people. In this world the story revolves around a child that was forced to learn the hard way, reading books, etc. This person lived his life thinking he wasn’t good enough to learn thru the machines until his consul revealed that it was on the contrary, he was special and he was been trained to be one of the engineers that makes the machines. I wish I could remember the title of this book so I could by it again. Any clues? Thank you.
If I made a top list of the ones I enjoyed the most, it would only coincide in The Forever War. But that's good. To each his own.
(And yes, I've read all the books in that list)
Anyone else read Quarantine or Roadside Picnic? I love sci fi where aliens either don't care about us or have way more important things to do so we're just secondary lesser beings.
that was a really good one. It was like "Stars my Destination" in that each novel was finely etched & fully realized psychological study of the respective protagonists
@@mbrintys i gotta read Stars it sounds like a fun read and it seems jam packed despite being under 300 pages. I wish more speculative writers chose brevity over exhausting detail.
I'm also going to read all of these!!! :)
Greg Egan's Diaspora is the best sci fi book ever written if you can get to grips with its hardness. Cool channel mate. Peace from the UK.
Never heard of it, will look more closely. Thanks Philip, and cheers.
Permutation City another great read
And not to overstay my welcome, but 100% my thoughts on A Deepness and Hyperion (I did not like the sequel).
'The Forever War' is the basis for the Queen song '39' .
05:30 Alfred Bester? So he's not just head of the PSI Corps, but also a time-traveling SF author... SCNR...
Great list bro👊💪
Alastair Reynolds should be on any space opera list :)
Read Revelation Space, found it competent but non-thrilling
Wonderland Gambit Series by Jack L. Chalker is a fun read.
Very interesting. Ps... Le guin is pronounced Le gan. I was told that at a SF fair.
Starship Trooper is anti-war too, isn't it? that's how I understood it anyway.
I didn't read it that way