For starters, just selecting 10 was a tough one! For example Grass by Sheri S. Tepper didn’t make the list although it is one of the books that I read in recent years that regularly pops into my mind when I think of my collection - but there are so many excellent books that I couldn’t leave out that I had to put her on my private honorary list. Or Herbert’s Dune - an absolute classic - also didn‘t make it, but instead I listed Sailing to Byzantium by Silverberg which for some reason holds such a strong emotional grip on me that I just couldn’t imagine leaving it out. The second difficulty was ranking within the top 10 - if you would ask me again in a year it would look different.
I read The Many-Coloured Land a few months ago. I was pretty lucky to find the remaining 3 in the series in my local Oxfam so I'll be able to read through the rest. I read my first Simak, finally. It was City. Looking forward to continuing with him - I have Why Call Them Back, They Walked Like Men and Cosmic Engineers to get to as well. The Man in the Maze is great. Probably one of the best books I read last year (I think it was last year 😂). Inspired by an ancient Greek tragedy, I understand.
I read the Female Man by Joanna Russ this week, and it was... interesting. I think the phrase "short step from the sublime to the ridiculous" applies. It's not clear to me if it should actually be filed under SF, or Politics, or Social History, or Angry Rantings. At times I found it almost impossible to follow, and at times it is absolute genius. Sometimes these were the same times. It's a stream of conciousness, fourth wall breaking, fractured, hold-on-to-wtf-is-happening-by-your-fingernails type narrative, that switches without warning between four narrators who are all the same person but also different people, and crosses multiple alternative realities without any attempt at a warning. Plot happens but it's almost irrelevant, read for its individual scenes and passages, and rants, and thoughts, and descriptions, and lists, and (over)use of "and". All in all Joanna Russ undeniably a great writer. The Female Man is a Very Important book. Everyone should read it. I wouldn't blame anyone for DNFing it. Probably by throwing it across the room screaming in (frustrated? righteous? incoherent?) rage. I will be hunting out her other books. It may be a while before I work up to reading them. I've now started an Eric Brown book. Its fun. The intellectual whiplash is extreme.
I'm familiar with the basic structure of The Female Man, but I am yet to read it. Sounds challenging! Eric Brown is another I need to read, I can imagine they are rather different ends of the sci fi spectrum. Cheers Chris, thanks for watching 👀!
@@SciFiScavenger Eric Brown is good, a much more traditional and straight ahead writer than Joanna Russ, but often that's what you want in a writer. Challenging has its place but sometimes you just wanna have fun! I think I saw Kings Of Eternity on your bookshelf tour which is a great place to start. Thanks for making enjoyable videos 😀
I'm still watching that bookshelf video. 😂😅 Been mostly reading a LitRPG I've found recently, about someone who was a hero in another universe reincarnated to our Earth...and the Apocalypse happens, complete with Monsters and Magic. Thankfully, his skills, while rusty, are being relearned fast. Its...literary fast foods...but sometimes, you need that junk food fix. 🙄 Recently completed collecting the Galactic Center saga...I'm thinking about it, might read the first book, to see if I'm in the mood for sone really great hard science fiction...or finally get to the Alternate history of WW2, also by Benford. 🙄
Ooh what's the Benford WW2 book? I like an alternate history. The Galactic Centre books really get going by book 3, apparently, the first two are more like prequels. Or so I understand, I've only read the first one. Thanks for watching 👀!
@ The Berlin Project. Do read the Wikipedia page, it turns out Benford met the physicists who worked on the Manhattan Project as a young physicist. He populates the book with people he actually knew, like his PhD professor, Edmund Teller. 🤯🤯🤯🤩
Link to the Top 10 SURVEY:
forms.gle/58PX9Sy6BUKZaXtJ8
For starters, just selecting 10 was a tough one! For example Grass by Sheri S. Tepper didn’t make the list although it is one of the books that I read in recent years that regularly pops into my mind when I think of my collection - but there are so many excellent books that I couldn’t leave out that I had to put her on my private honorary list. Or Herbert’s Dune - an absolute classic - also didn‘t make it, but instead I listed Sailing to Byzantium by Silverberg which for some reason holds such a strong emotional grip on me that I just couldn’t imagine leaving it out. The second difficulty was ranking within the top 10 - if you would ask me again in a year it would look different.
@herzbube102 yes, a tricky business! I agree with you about such lists changing over time, I think mine will too.
I hope you enjoy the Simak, it's one of my favourites of his, alongside City, Way Station, Time is the Simplest Thing, and The Werewolf Principle.
Jon, looking forward to the mysteries episode. It was probably quite tricky avoiding spoilers. Love this weekly update feature. Cheers!
Hi Rick, you all can be the judge of how successful I was at the spoiler avoidance! Glad you enjoy the weekly updates, thanks for watching 👀!
Life's no fun without a spreadsheet! I use one to outline all my novels 😎
Love a good spreadsheet, thanks for watching 👀!
I read The Many-Coloured Land a few months ago. I was pretty lucky to find the remaining 3 in the series in my local Oxfam so I'll be able to read through the rest.
I read my first Simak, finally. It was City. Looking forward to continuing with him - I have Why Call Them Back, They Walked Like Men and Cosmic Engineers to get to as well.
The Man in the Maze is great. Probably one of the best books I read last year (I think it was last year 😂). Inspired by an ancient Greek tragedy, I understand.
I haven't read City yet, must get to it. And Way Station. And and and and....
Thanks for watching 👀!
"China Mountain Zhang" was excellent. I never read a sci-fi book about everyday mundane life. That was very exciting!!
I'm looking forward to it! Thanks for watching 👀!
@SciFiScavenger It's an excellent book. I hope you make a review
If all goes well I will read Natural History in a couple of weeks.
Nice, hope you enjoy it too..cheers Montie, thanks for watching 👀 !
I read the Female Man by Joanna Russ this week, and it was... interesting. I think the phrase "short step from the sublime to the ridiculous" applies.
It's not clear to me if it should actually be filed under SF, or Politics, or Social History, or Angry Rantings.
At times I found it almost impossible to follow, and at times it is absolute genius. Sometimes these were the same times.
It's a stream of conciousness, fourth wall breaking, fractured, hold-on-to-wtf-is-happening-by-your-fingernails type narrative, that switches without warning between four narrators who are all the same person but also different people, and crosses multiple alternative realities without any attempt at a warning. Plot happens but it's almost irrelevant, read for its individual scenes and passages, and rants, and thoughts, and descriptions, and lists, and (over)use of "and".
All in all Joanna Russ undeniably a great writer. The Female Man is a Very Important book. Everyone should read it. I wouldn't blame anyone for DNFing it. Probably by throwing it across the room screaming in (frustrated? righteous? incoherent?) rage. I will be hunting out her other books. It may be a while before I work up to reading them.
I've now started an Eric Brown book. Its fun. The intellectual whiplash is extreme.
I'm familiar with the basic structure of The Female Man, but I am yet to read it. Sounds challenging! Eric Brown is another I need to read, I can imagine they are rather different ends of the sci fi spectrum. Cheers Chris, thanks for watching 👀!
@@SciFiScavenger Eric Brown is good, a much more traditional and straight ahead writer than Joanna Russ, but often that's what you want in a writer. Challenging has its place but sometimes you just wanna have fun! I think I saw Kings Of Eternity on your bookshelf tour which is a great place to start. Thanks for making enjoyable videos 😀
Yes, that and a few others. 📚🚀👽
Well, I did the survey, but only listed six. Sorry, but I just have not read a lot of scifi, which is why I subscribe and watch your channel.
@ProfessorEchoMedia excellent 6 is great, will add your early impressions to the mix. Thanks!
I'm still watching that bookshelf video. 😂😅 Been mostly reading a LitRPG I've found recently, about someone who was a hero in another universe reincarnated to our Earth...and the Apocalypse happens, complete with Monsters and Magic. Thankfully, his skills, while rusty, are being relearned fast. Its...literary fast foods...but sometimes, you need that junk food fix. 🙄
Recently completed collecting the Galactic Center saga...I'm thinking about it, might read the first book, to see if I'm in the mood for sone really great hard science fiction...or finally get to the Alternate history of WW2, also by Benford. 🙄
Ooh what's the Benford WW2 book? I like an alternate history. The Galactic Centre books really get going by book 3, apparently, the first two are more like prequels. Or so I understand, I've only read the first one. Thanks for watching 👀!
@ The Berlin Project. Do read the Wikipedia page, it turns out Benford met the physicists who worked on the Manhattan Project as a young physicist. He populates the book with people he actually knew, like his PhD professor, Edmund Teller. 🤯🤯🤯🤩
@User_Un_Friendly oh yes I think you mentioned it previously. 👍