I saw the title and thought, Wow, that's really interesting, but before I watched, I tried to think What IS MY favorite SF book? I couldn't decide! So as soon as you said, "If your favorite is Hyperion" I snapped into it Yes! Hyperion is my favorite! and of course, your next 5 words made me laugh because I had just proved your point!
Children of time is not my favourite sci fi , but I loved it! And I am DEATHLY SCARED of spiders. They give me nightmares. It's a testament to how good the book is, i enjoyed it so much despite my fears 😅
Favorite sci fi book is tough. Overall I’d probably say Startide Rising or Cloud Atlas (if that counts). From your list I’d have to go with Dune, which probably needs no explanation.
Perhaps you can make a future video where you cover favorite sci fi authors. And if you do, please include Iain M Banks. ps. Have purposefully denied myself the pleasure of children of time, primarily because my own novel has a heavy focus on intelligent arachnoids and I don't want to risk any subconscious influence. As I have at least two more books to write in this series it's going to be quite some time before I ever get to read it, which is genuinely a shame.
This was a cool video idea Jonathan! Dune and Hyperion are my first and second favorites. You were pretty right on with Hyperion. I just need a Farcaster lol. With Dune it was less true of me, but you were spot on with me being a fantasy fan lol.
Yeah, probably Dune. And it's true I do love movies and fantasy. Hyperion and House of Suns are close. Still love Gateway and Startide Rising though, which don't get enough attention.
Well you got me with Dying Inside, though closer to 70 than 17, sadly. And I am catching up with SF from the 70s I didn't read at the time ... Though Hyperion is on my soon TBR list too. PS I'm a retired psychologist and I approve of your personality test. It's as valid as the rest ...
My favorite science fiction book is Dune (and has been for 50 years); I'm an avid reader who is retired. I also just adore The Martian Chronicles, Rendezvous with Rama, and the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy by Cixin Liu. I have always loved to fantasize exploring space and having adventures, as in Star Trek and The Expanse.
I have read relatively few of the many SF books, but I have read a high percentage of the books you named here. For example, the only Simak I've read is Waystation (loved it - not my fave). The only Weir I've read is Project Hail Mary (loved it - not my fave). The only Tchaikovsky I've read is Children of Time (loved it - not my fave) (OK, that's the obvious "one" to have read, just like Dune and Hyperion). I read SF as a kid (mostly Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, E.E. Smith) and only recently rediscovered good SF fun at the age of 60. Stuff like Reynolds, Banks, Hamilton, Cherryh, McDevitt, Bear). Having a blast!
A couple of books u mentioned are among my favorites project Hail Mary and the handmaid’s tale and I’m definitely buzzed right now. Happy Turkey Day!⚛❤
Choosing 1 favorite is impossible, quick shortlist: The Stars my Destination, House of Suns, Howling Dark, Ilium, Ship of Fools, maybe The Martian. So much variation, how could you ever choose?!
I loved the Three Body Problem and I definitely like science more than I like people. Haha! However, Snow crash is my favourite sci-fi novel, so I’m not sure what that says about me….
My favorite Scifi books are: - Leviathan Wakes (and the first books of The Expanse Series) - The Three-body Problem (along with the reset of the series) - The Windup Girl (a book that doesn't get mentioned enough)
My favorite is Red rising love the whole series. I just finished book number 6 Light bringer yesterday what a ride ! can not say enough about these books .
I had to go through my Hardcover book app ratings to check out the five stars. 19 five star books so far, but Ubik is the top PKD. Oh dear, there goes my reputation for clean living. 😃
My fav sci-fi books of all time? Tough…2001 (Clarke), Ring (Baxter), Three Body Problem (Cixin Liu). Really all 3 of these Series….with maybe Rama coming in a close fourth
That was my favourite when I was a teenager! (A long, long time ago.) I rather lost interest in SF for a long time, but then Vernor Vinge's "A Fire Upon the Deep" got me interested all over again, and probably replaced "Sirens" as my all-time favourite - except that its prequel "A Deepness in the Sky" is perhaps even better. But the SF novels I've read most often, and most avidly, are E. E. "Doc" Smith's "Lensman" series - I hate to think what that says about me!
So far I've read Reynolds' Revelation Space, and it is very nearly my fave. Contrariwise, I read the Kindle sample on Bester's The Stars My Destination, and I was not interested in continuing. From that limited sampling of Bester, I could see maybe some influence on Reynolds, but for me, the differences outweigh.
Those who say they love Permutation City, really love Diaspora or Schilds Ladder way more, but have tried to tell their friends about them and realized that those friends will never read them. So Permutation City gets recommended because its easier to summarize. Cixin Lius trilogy falls to that same category. As Three Bodys sequels are way more interesting. You didnt go for the easiest target: If your favorite Scifi book is Ready Player One, you are a cynic who doesnt like ideas.
Many are my favorites probably Dune, Permutation and Hyperion the most. Many of the authors but with different books also. Three Body and the Handmaids Tale were depressing, like Kafka or Dostoevsky. 😸😸😸😸😸😸
I've re-read Hitchhiker's the most probably, so that probably says something. Think I read Foundation twice. Martian Chronicles, too. I liked the idea of being a loner on a farm, so maybe I'll pick up Way Station soon. And, yeah, I do hate people... Except you, obviously. Wait...maybe you ARE a robot.
"There's a good chance that you love science, and you hate people" "You were probably rooting against humanity in this book" Hey, get out of my head. 😂
Spiders and science, yay! People, meh. 😂 I am the person who picks up the spiders with my hands if that's all I have. I'm not even sure what my favorite scifi books are. Left Hand of Darkness, Ancillary Justice, Annihilation, Canticle for Liebowitz, Anathem, and Dune.
Good stuff! My top 3 are on this list. Apparently, I like to help old ladies across the road, but at times also hate people and am on drugs, lol. Checks out.
If "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is your favorite SF book, you may... ... be a perfectly acclimated human type person that wrote for Monty Python in a previous life.
Some of my favourites (I love Dune too). Bolo Rising - William H Keith Sten - Chris Bunch; Allan Cole The General series - David Drake Redliners - David Drake Empire From The Ashes - David Weber Stars At War - David Weber Lensman series - E.E. Doc Smith Transit - Edmund Cooper Sinister Barrier - Russell, Eric Frank Nor Crystal Tears - Alan Dean Foster All Judgement Fled - James White Sector General series - James White
"If Project Hail Mary is your favourite sci-fi, then Bookpilled is visiting you very soon. With an axe, no less".
@@MirrorReaper1 Hahaha
Hahahaha
lmao
I saw the title and thought, Wow, that's really interesting, but before I watched, I tried to think What IS MY favorite SF book? I couldn't decide! So as soon as you said, "If your favorite is Hyperion" I snapped into it Yes! Hyperion is my favorite! and of course, your next 5 words made me laugh because I had just proved your point!
@@russricciardi6669 Haha it was meant to be!
Hyperion was eerily accurate for me!
@@Yesica1993 Haha there’s too many good options!
Children of time is not my favourite sci fi , but I loved it! And I am DEATHLY SCARED of spiders. They give me nightmares. It's a testament to how good the book is, i enjoyed it so much despite my fears 😅
@@kasturic-n1v Haha glad you overcame them!
Favorite sci fi book is tough. Overall I’d probably say Startide Rising or Cloud Atlas (if that counts). From your list I’d have to go with Dune, which probably needs no explanation.
@@Paul_McSeol Ooh, Cloud Atlas is a good one. Six steps forward, six steps back!
Perhaps you can make a future video where you cover favorite sci fi authors. And if you do, please include Iain M Banks. ps. Have purposefully denied myself the pleasure of children of time, primarily because my own novel has a heavy focus on intelligent arachnoids and I don't want to risk any subconscious influence. As I have at least two more books to write in this series it's going to be quite some time before I ever get to read it, which is genuinely a shame.
@@bendybruce Thanks for the suggestion. And I think that is a good idea to help you focus on your own unique story. Best of luck!
This was a cool video idea Jonathan! Dune and Hyperion are my first and second favorites. You were pretty right on with Hyperion. I just need a Farcaster lol. With Dune it was less true of me, but you were spot on with me being a fantasy fan lol.
@@BookishChas Haha farcasters are cool but I don’t trust the technology!
@ yeah I get that. I wouldn’t either honestly. Just like I wouldn’t trust the Star Trek transporters lol.
Yeah, probably Dune. And it's true I do love movies and fantasy. Hyperion and House of Suns are close.
Still love Gateway and Startide Rising though, which don't get enough attention.
All good picks!
Man I feel so called out for Hyperion, especially that part about indecisiveness 😂
@@DecayTheDemon Haha we’ve all been there!
Children of Time and yes, you even got it right 😂
@@LivingDeadEnby Haha I respect it 🕷️
Well you got me with Dying Inside, though closer to 70 than 17, sadly. And I am catching up with SF from the 70s I didn't read at the time ... Though Hyperion is on my soon TBR list too. PS I'm a retired psychologist and I approve of your personality test. It's as valid as the rest ...
Hahaha
My favorite science fiction book is Dune (and has been for 50 years); I'm an avid reader who is retired. I also just adore The Martian Chronicles, Rendezvous with Rama, and the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy by Cixin Liu. I have always loved to fantasize exploring space and having adventures, as in Star Trek and The Expanse.
Great picks!
I have read relatively few of the many SF books, but I have read a high percentage of the books you named here. For example, the only Simak I've read is Waystation (loved it - not my fave). The only Weir I've read is Project Hail Mary (loved it - not my fave). The only Tchaikovsky I've read is Children of Time (loved it - not my fave) (OK, that's the obvious "one" to have read, just like Dune and Hyperion). I read SF as a kid (mostly Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, E.E. Smith) and only recently rediscovered good SF fun at the age of 60. Stuff like Reynolds, Banks, Hamilton, Cherryh, McDevitt, Bear). Having a blast!
@@russricciardi6669 That’s great! I’m glad you enjoyed those!
Now what about Book of the New Sun, David Drake, Alfred Bester and Timothy Zahn? (But mostly Book of the New Sun)
@@iSamwise I haven’t read all of those but I’m going to guess you beat everyone video game you play. BotNS readers have perseverance.
@ Haha I appreciate the thought but I’m actually an AWFUL gamer. But BOTNS is my favorite SF so I’ll take the compliment!!
Fun stuff, now what does loving Ender's Game, or Starship Troopers say about me?😆
@@MuleFace100 You’re good at board games haha
@@WordsinTime True!
A couple of books u mentioned are among my favorites project Hail Mary and the handmaid’s tale and I’m definitely buzzed right now. Happy Turkey Day!⚛❤
@@FrankOdonnell-ej3hd Haha enjoy Thanksgiving!
Choosing 1 favorite is impossible, quick shortlist: The Stars my Destination, House of Suns, Howling Dark, Ilium, Ship of Fools, maybe The Martian. So much variation, how could you ever choose?!
@@sjoerdth Haha too many good options
@@WordsinTime I'll just choose the complete genre as my favorite book 😉
I loved the Three Body Problem and I definitely like science more than I like people. Haha!
However, Snow crash is my favourite sci-fi novel, so I’m not sure what that says about me….
@@tashslibrary You probably like gadgets!
My favourite three books are; Rimrunners, A Talent for War, and Cordwainer SMith (yeah, an author, but if you know, you know).
Nice! I haven’t read the first two but I have read Norstrilia by Cordwainer Smith.
My favorite Scifi books are:
- Leviathan Wakes (and the first books of The Expanse Series)
- The Three-body Problem (along with the reset of the series)
- The Windup Girl (a book that doesn't get mentioned enough)
I own The Windup Girl and hope to read it soon!
My favorite is Red rising love the whole series. I just finished book number 6 Light bringer yesterday what a ride ! can not say enough about these books .
@@robyoder583 Awesome! Looking forward to a release date for the final book!
You've linked Dick and Hendrix absolutely brilliant two of my all time favourites.
Love it!
I had to go through my Hardcover book app ratings to check out the five stars. 19 five star books so far, but Ubik is the top PKD. Oh dear, there goes my reputation for clean living. 😃
@@Kim_Miller Haha I won’t tell
Fun video concept! And, yes, I am high right now
@@ajaxdavis Hahaha
You got me to read Permutation City!
@@oliverdemille8388 🙌
This was fun. I didn't realize I like buffets so much! 🤣
@@RedFuryBooks Haha. Personally, I overindulge!
My fav sci-fi books of all time? Tough…2001 (Clarke), Ring (Baxter), Three Body Problem (Cixin Liu). Really all 3 of these Series….with maybe Rama coming in a close fourth
@@TokraRoch You got an A in science in high school.
Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut
@@rachelthompson9324 If The Sirens of Titan is your favorite then you probably enjoy music as much as a Harmonium 🎶
That was my favourite when I was a teenager! (A long, long time ago.) I rather lost interest in SF for a long time, but then Vernor Vinge's "A Fire Upon the Deep" got me interested all over again, and probably replaced "Sirens" as my all-time favourite - except that its prequel "A Deepness in the Sky" is perhaps even better. But the SF novels I've read most often, and most avidly, are E. E. "Doc" Smith's "Lensman" series - I hate to think what that says about me!
@@WordsinTime LOL I do in fact enjoy music, maybe more than a Harmonium. Beside writing, I play guitar and paint.
@ Love it!
I'm reading Alistair Reynolds (Revelation Space series) and Alfred Bester right now. People need to read more of both.
@@timothybolt565 Both great!
@WordsinTime just started permutation city
@ Hope you enjoy!
So far I've read Reynolds' Revelation Space, and it is very nearly my fave. Contrariwise, I read the Kindle sample on Bester's The Stars My Destination, and I was not interested in continuing. From that limited sampling of Bester, I could see maybe some influence on Reynolds, but for me, the differences outweigh.
Those who say they love Permutation City, really love Diaspora or Schilds Ladder way more, but have tried to tell their friends about them and realized that those friends will never read them. So Permutation City gets recommended because its easier to summarize.
Cixin Lius trilogy falls to that same category. As Three Bodys sequels are way more interesting.
You didnt go for the easiest target: If your favorite Scifi book is Ready Player One, you are a cynic who doesnt like ideas.
Haha Permutation City is easier by Egan standards
That last section with the three body problem was amazing😂
@@giulyblaziken268 Haha they have their priorities
Many are my favorites probably Dune, Permutation and Hyperion the most. Many of the authors but with different books also. Three Body and the Handmaids Tale were depressing, like Kafka or Dostoevsky. 😸😸😸😸😸😸
@@nightsazrael Nice! And yes, those are depressing haha
Where is sun eater?
A great pick! ⚔️
My favorite Sci-fi is still Enders Game. Not sure what that says about me. Except maybe I need to read more sci-fi.
@@Knighthawk92 That’s a great choice! I’m going to guess you are good at strategy games haha
When Jonathan said he had family visiting, I expected to see a few aliens wandering into view, and hastily dodging out of the door again.
Haha it was a long flight from Andromeda!
Permutation City was my favorite sci-fi book I read last year, does that count for anything? Otherwise I’m just another Dune Bro.
@@lurchEbean The Dune Bro and the Permutation City Genius is a good combo.
This was pretty funny, 'You probably help old ladies across the road' this one got me lol. I was waiting for Flowers for Algernon to make the list.
@@ReadingNobody Haha just doing my part. And if you like Flowers for Algernon you probably like to cry!
@@WordsinTime Or you might be a very intelligent mouse.
None of these are my favourite. Clearly we need a part 2!
Also you got replaced by a robot? what else did i miss on the discord? 🤣
@@Zivilin It makes sense the robot apocalypse would start on Sci-Fi BookTube (but I’m human I swear!)
My favorite on this list is Hyperion but I’m not indecisive and I hate buffets. 🤔
@@DCSinUSA Haha you’re an exception!
"Who do we cast as Ryland Grace?"
"Dunno, someone with the same initials?"
Haha good catch!
I've re-read Hitchhiker's the most probably, so that probably says something. Think I read Foundation twice. Martian Chronicles, too. I liked the idea of being a loner on a farm, so maybe I'll pick up Way Station soon. And, yeah, I do hate people... Except you, obviously. Wait...maybe you ARE a robot.
@@dqan7372 🤖
"There's a good chance that you love science, and you hate people"
"You were probably rooting against humanity in this book"
Hey, get out of my head. 😂
@@Aquila_Sol #TeamTrisolarans
If humanity wanted to be rooted for they should behave better! :p
Time Ships, very underrated sequel to the time machine, which absolutely melted my brain.
@@SylvesterAshcroft88 I own it but haven’t read it yet.
This is obviously backed up by lots of scientific data and research. Children of Time and House of Suns are my favorites and you got me on both.
@@gerardhynes5825 Haha I am a man of science! And respect for being a House of Suns hero!
What about suneater? It's my favorite sci fi book
If Sun Eater is your favorite then there’s a good chance you own a lightsaber haha
Great list. Missing military Scifi tho
Ender’s Game is a favorite among others!
Spiders and science, yay! People, meh. 😂 I am the person who picks up the spiders with my hands if that's all I have. I'm not even sure what my favorite scifi books are. Left Hand of Darkness, Ancillary Justice, Annihilation, Canticle for Liebowitz, Anathem, and Dune.
@@cherylmccutchan1282 With your hands?! You’re braver than I am haha
@@WordsinTime If needs must! I am a biology nerd after all. Had to move a rattlesnake off the trail last week. 🐍🕷🦂
@ The only way I’m grabbing a snake is if it’s to defend Charlie! 🐍 🐶
@@WordsinTime Charlies' Champion! And I picked the rattlesnake up with a stick not my hand.
Good stuff! My top 3 are on this list. Apparently, I like to help old ladies across the road, but at times also hate people and am on drugs, lol. Checks out.
@@cbenson513 Hahaha
If "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is your favorite SF book, you may...
... be a perfectly acclimated human type person that wrote for Monty Python in a previous life.
@@sleestack13 Haha perfect
A Memory Called Empire is my favorite. What does that say about me?
@@yenneferalvarez7122 You are a poet and you write using a quill pen.
"The characters are flat.."
Those who've read TBP : Hmm..
@@sayantan_02 Hahaha
I live in a big city, think about farm life and like Way Station... you got that right 😂
@@gorans.849 Haha knew it!
“You love science and hate people” for TBP is spot on 😂
@@andres-d933 Haha Cixin Liu knew what he was doing with 3BP
Dune fan here, I do enjoy my fantasy, but that book belongs to us 😂
We gotta fight to keep it haha
2001 A Space Odyssey is my favorite sci-fi book. What does that say about me?
@@roberthieber1 You don’t trust AI or anyone named Hal.
If you love the Three Body Problem you're probably a direct descendant of Leonhard Euler.
@@JLchevz The guy loved maths haha
Book of the New Sun gang!
@@JLchevz Perseverance level 100
This made me laugh so hard 😂
@@akaidatenshi Haha glad you enjoyed it!
ok, now do Blindsight
@@yrrep27 You probably listen to doom metal haha
...I actually do!
did I say ubik?
👀
Consider Phlebas : a Scottish Commie. that's me at least.
Haha
No love for Asimov or Clarke? Or Crichton?
@@AbhijeetBorkar I can only include so many books/authors in each video. I’ve made plenty of videos on those three.
You probably love science and hate people
I feel very called out...
Uh oh haha
Hard to call most of these sci-fi, they're largely fantasy with magical superpowers and such.
@@jasongrundy1717 Some are sci-fi some blend genres.
Huh? I think you're quite mistaken, sir.
If Hyperion is your favorite, you probably love every M. Night Shyamalan movie there is.
Haha perhaps!
Some of my favourites (I love Dune too).
Bolo Rising - William H Keith
Sten - Chris Bunch; Allan Cole
The General series - David Drake
Redliners - David Drake
Empire From The Ashes - David Weber
Stars At War - David Weber
Lensman series - E.E. Doc Smith
Transit - Edmund Cooper
Sinister Barrier - Russell, Eric Frank
Nor Crystal Tears - Alan Dean Foster
All Judgement Fled - James White
Sector General series - James White
Cool choices, I’ll have to check some out!
Good vibes in this vid
@@bookdmb 🫡
You love science and hate people - yup that describes me way too perfectly 🤣🫡
Uh oh haha