Brave New World is definitely closest to being prophetic of those big names. Almost every single time people are like, "This is just like 1984!" when you look at what's actually going on, it's like, "Nope. This is 100% Brave New World, brotato chip."
There’s elements of all 3 in the world today. The ones you said eg but the one I’ve noticed from 1984 is Goldstein the guy everyone’s supposed to hate but no one knows why. Now there are figures in the world such as Andrew Tate, trump etc (not saying that I like them) that everyone hates and everyone goes mad if you do like them and they don’t even know why they hate them
Flowers for Algernon is such a good classic. It’s sci fi but it’s quite philosophical as well, and easy to recommend to people who don’t traditionally enjoy sci fi.
We read it in high school English class. I was a sci fi nerd even then, and until this video I've never heard anyone call it sci fi. It's a great book though. Probably the best thing school ever forced me to read. :D
I second Pandora's Star. It's a huge 2 book series though. As an epic fantasy reader, I'm sure you can handle it. Paula Myo is my woman. I picture her as Kelly Hu from Xmen 2. Genetically engineered for justice. There's a heavy metal song about the alien, Morning Light Mountain.
A Canticle for Leibowitz was so incredibly moving to me, one of my favorite reads this year. People call it dark and cynical, and in some ways it is, but a heart of spiritual depth and love for humanity beats so strongly within it. It brought me to tears multiple times.
Flowers for Algernon is one of the most powerful books I ever read. I read it in high school and I haven't stopped thinking about it. Now that I have a child with down syndrome, that book makes me concisely be better than the protagonists parents
I have either just read, reading, or have on my list almost all of these. I would love to see more sci-if on your channel. I like the newer stuff, not so much the older books, but I’m trying to get a full spectrum of influences.
It's worth adding "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin to your list. It inspired Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four" and arguably Huxley's "Brave New World", and lauded by Ursula LeGuin.
I read “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” earlier this year. I really enjoyed it. It reminded me of a great noir film. Deckard is pretty complex character in this book. It’s a quick read. You’d probably finish it in a day
My friend recommended Flowers for Algernon as a book that will make the toughest of cookies shed a tear. Agree it will do that while being extremely good book in general!
Definitely some surprises there. I first read I Robot in the early 70s, lol. Asimov was a giant in the SciFi world. You'll find his robot stories a little dated now but well worth reading. Canticle for Leibowitz I read back in high school as well. Akira, Snow Crash, Metro 2033, Pandora's Star and Children of Time are the books on your list I haven't read. In fact, Akira is the only one I've even heard of. Keep up the good work. I enjoy your channel.
Oh man, I read Flowers For Algernon in high school and cried my eyes out and I have never forgotten it. Philip K Dick…😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 I died. I have The Man in The High Castle on my shelf to be my first read by him. 😊
I'm rereading Snow Crash now and it's even better than I remembered. I think the people who bounce off of it either don't understand it's a satire or don't care for satires. It's fun and scathing social commentary with non-stop action.
I haven't read Akira, Contact, Snow Crash, or Metro 2033 but all of the other books are worth reading. Here are some other books I really liked: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North, Wool by Hugh Howey, A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge, House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds, The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, Earth Abides by George R. Stewart, Ubik by Philip K. Dick, Replay by Ken Grimwood, The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold, and Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov. Thanks for recommending To Kill a Mockingbird in one of your other videos. That book was fantastic.
I am a huge fantasy fan, and also love sci fi, but struggle with sci fi books so haven't read that many. Have read 1984, Flowers For Algernon and Brave New World (all wonderful.) Tried Dune 3x and struggled so much, I always put it down early on, but now I'm getting into reading free audio books via my library & just decided to give Dune another go to listen to as I read along with my physical copy. Page 80 and still going strong (even though I'm looking at the appendix quite often haha XD)
A lot of great picks. I've read about half of these. Contact is a BIG recommend from me. It's in my Top 15 favorite books of all time. Haven't read The Forever War, by Haldeman, yet. Always wanted to. Also, read Revelation Space. Alastair Reynolds is dense, sure, but not that hard and not even slightly confusing. I found Steven Erikson to be at least twice as difficult.
I love this! For me, 2023 turned into the year of Sci Fi and I'm obsessed! I also think you would love revolation space by Alastair Reynolds. Its a Gothic space opera and the atmosphere is phenomenal! The first one is my favorite in the series, but I think the character development in book 2 you specifically would go crazy for!
Love A.C Clarke. I would also add Rendezvous with Rama, which is my favorite of his. Children of Time is a favorite all time Sci-fi book. I feel like you will love it. Now, I am familiar with your experience with the Three-Body Problem, and know you DNF'd it. But I, of course, will always hope you return to the series. It gets incredible. If not the books, there is a Chinese produces television adaptation that beat netflix to the punch that does at least the first book. I think it is incredibly well done and gives much more life to the characters, while being very faithful to the book (though not perfect).
Snow Crash is brilliant. I tend to read it in fairly small bites because it sends my down a lot of rabbit holes. Neuromancer is great (and a classic) but my favorite book in that world is Mona Lisa Overdrive. All of it highly recommended.
Hey Mike! I’ve read 11 of these books and my personal favourites are 2001: A Space Odyssey, Flowers for Algernon, and Children of Time. And 2 of the others I enjoyed that I think might suit your reading tastes are The Forever War and Snow Crash. Happy reading! 🚀
I haven't read any of the ones on the list from the 2000s, but everything else -- even if you don't absolutely love all of them, I'd say they're all worth reading. There's also loads and loads of great, less notorious 20th century science fiction literature to get into. Stanislaw Lem and Cordwainer Smith come to mind as really interesting writers who aren't on your list and whom I don't think you've talked about before on teh channel. jack Vance too. And Theodore Sturgeon. And the Strugatsky brothers.
I read I, Robot a couple of years ago and liked it way more than I thought I would. Seeing the evolution of robots from the stereotypical image to more and more advanced models was fun and interesting. Snowcrash is great too.
What an amazing list. You've picked very good books. The funny part is I've read everyone. First time that's happened someone's to read list. Just an FYI: I, Robot is a collection of related short stories, A Canticle for Lebowitz covers a lengthy period of time and along with reading 2001, I recommend reading Clarke's short story, the Sentinel which was the inspiration for the book.
A GREAT list of sci-fi books. And, a wonderful synopsis on each book. I've just completed The Expanse series, and I am actively looking for another great read. You'll enjoy Forever War. It was a fantastic read
Fantastic list! I’ve read most of them. Just finished Algernon three days ago. It’s a bit depressing in parts but still great. Can also recommend Anathem for real mind expansion
I’ve mostly stuck to fantasy so I really wanna get to a lot of these too like Philip K Dick, Haldeman, Hamilton, and Neuromancer. I read Idoru by Gibson a while back and really liked it and can’t wait to try his more famous cyberpunk book. I’m in such suspense to see which side of the fence you fall on with Snow Crash!
Your tbrs have some of the books on them that im most excited by personally. Look forward to almost all of these and will probably read a few along you. For dystopian sci fi I would have lived tp see Octavia E Butler on there and Parable of the Sower. Excellent book.
The motes in gods eye is pretty great sci fi that i read this year but the second book in the seires has a huge time jump so i read it as a stand alone. Its really great world building and character archs. Plus multiple planets and space ships as well as various alien species.
I haven't read Akira since the early 90s but I remember it being a really great series with fantastically detailed background art. Hope you enjoy it too.
4:33 you doing right, don’t read the books if you like they’ve-show. Main story line is on line I guess, but it’s completely different! Start with prelude and read it in order when you start. Books are better.
Mike, have you read The Three Body Problem? It wasn't in today's video and don't see any reviews from you on it. One of, if not, the best thing I've read in the past few years. (Asked this in the discord but adding it here because algorithm)
I need to try Children of Time again I was really struggling getting through that book. There was a POV that I just didn't enjoy. But perhaps now that it's been over a year it may click better for me.
I, Robot, Forever War, Flowers for Algernon, Neuromancer are all great fast reads. I do have a copy of Snowcrash but am hesitant to read it for the same reasons you said. Children of Time is definitively in my future plans. I dont think i'll ever start one of those hugemongous Peter F. Hamilton series though. Alistair Reynonld's House of Suns would be a good option since it is a favorite and a stand alone. Take care
2001 A Space Odyssey was one of the first sci-fi/fantasy books I read back in high school. Really enjoyed reading the book along with the movie, it was great! Forever War is a really great novel and can't recommend that one enough. Happy reading!
i read I-Robot in school and i remember it being very good but i want to reread it again as its been a long time. and i also wanted to read through man in high castle some day. cool to hear is that you want to read Akira.
Children of Time is a magical read. But far and above the one sci fi tale I've read recently that has absolutely blown my mind is the Three Body Problem (trilogy). Having said that you studied astrophysics it may appeal to you. It's ideas, and delivery, have left a million jaws on the floor, going by the current reactions. Cixin Liu is the author. Forever War is a clever little book, algernon and Canticle are classic literature by their own right. Asimov and Sagans picks are a tad dry but full of scope. Other must mentions (and there are many) My Stars, The Destination by Alfred Bester, and Way Station by Clifford Simak. 2 short reads but brimming with excitement and adventure.
@mikesbookreviews the sequels really are the strong point of that series. The first novel is good, but The Dark Forest is where it really gets interesting
@@hansolo6831 Same for me. I actually had to listen to 3 Body on audible after I read it to understand it better. But Dark Forest and Death's End are where it became truly spectacular.
Hey Mike, Great list! I just finished reading Touch, by Claire North, after seeing the author interview on Media Death Cult channel. A great book, that made me think of the vampire chronicles by Anne Rice. Not that its about vampires, but immortals in a way. Great book, also on par with Blake Crouch imho. Maybe something for you also?
Flowers for Algernon and Brave New World were both books I was assigned in High school. I enjoyed both but the one that stayed with me is BNW. It is incredibly real and scary. Like 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 major aspects are happening now and society is encouraging those changes. They were taught because they were warnings and yet people clap like seals as we devolve into the future dystopia they predicted, and we are heading towards. Brave New World might not be your favorite book of the year but I bet it makes you shake your head as you see our future.
I recommend David Weber's sci-fi novels and series, especially his "Mutineer's Moon" trilogy and 2 of his stand-alone novels, "In Fury Born" & "Apocalypse Troll" . Also Steve White's "The Disinherited" trilogy is great.
Great list. I expect you will enjoy all of those. I do HIGHLY recommend The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. Scifi and Fantasy mixed together. I could go on for hours about those 5 books.
*I read 'I, Robot' after seeing the movie/ The movie is not a great adaption, but it is a fun time, and the book is so good! I really need to read it again at some point. *I read 'Flowers for Algernon' back in high school. It was required reading in my high school and I remember really enjoying it. You got a great selection of books here!! A ton of these I haven't read, so thanks for sharing! :)
Have you ever considered reading a web novel? I watched Petrik’s vid the other day and saw him talking about a web novel called Worm, already obsessed. I’d never considered reading one before, but it’s great quality already and I heard it only gets better.
Not sure about I, Robot versus the robot books as the right things to read, but consider giving Caves of Steel and the follow on series a read as well. Many of these books are obviously good, but I recently read Children of Time and it is very, very good. Neuromancer and Snow Crash are sort of mandatory books to read as being foundational part of the cannon of the genre of cyberpunk.
Perfect timing for this video. I'm currently reading "The Left Hand of Darkness" - my first by Ursula K. Le Guin - and I'm enjoying it so far. Do you have any videos about her work? I couldn't find any and would like to hear your opinion. Great list, most of them are (still) on my sci fi TBR list as well 👍
Hi Mike, i've read every foundation book... Even the 4 books the came after the firts trilogy, and it's really amazing. Asimov made a universe that the robots becomes a part of too.
Supposedly Metro 2033 had two million readers as an online novel. I'd say that counts as popular. That's a great list of books you have there. Happy reading! 📚
I'm really enjoying Sue Burke's Semiosis right now. It's like Children of Time but with sentient alien plants instead of spiders. Basically connected short stories over different generations. I'm in the middle of a murder mystery, and the plant is very suspicious! Comparable to Martian Chronicles or I, Robot.
You need to read some Jasper T. Scott. The Kyron Invasion and Ascension Wars are both gripping, exciting page turning series that are completely finished. Another great series is Dark Space. Also complete. Jasper is great at both world and character building. Also one of my favorite books is Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. This book was so good I instantly re-read it. He has a good amount of hard science like The Martian. But I found Project Hail Mary is much better than The Martian, IMHO. Super standalone book.
In a similar vein to Metro 2033 is Roadside Picnic. 1972 and written by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Post apocalyptic but in the aftermath of alien visitation. It has been adapted as a Russian movie, turned into a tabletop RPG, and was the basis for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video games. The book is actually referenced in the Metro 2033 game. The world is split into zones after the visit and there are mutated creatures and anomalies out in the zone. Most people stay out but there is a group informally known as stalkers that scavenge in these no man's land. I feel like there's a lot philosophical meaning behind the book but who knows when it comes to that.
I had to read Brave New World in school in the early nineties, but didn't much care for it as a teenager. A few years later I re-read it on my own and it was a very different experience. It earns its status as a must read classic. Maybe I should do another re-read soon! Another classic, which left a lasting impression on me, was Stanislaw Lem's Solaris. From more modern sci-fi I am re-reading Cixin Liu's Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy at the moment. Better known by the name of the first book, The Three-Body Problem. I read the first two years ago and want to finally read the third book. And I definitely nead a refresher before I get to that. Fascinating books, if you can get into them.
I read 2001 and 2010 this year. Great quick reads. Im reading nuromancer right now actually and have the two follow ups to read afterwards. Very compelling stuff if you are into the cyberpunk genre.
I, Robot is an anthology novel and nothing like the movie. 2001 is meant to be a companion book to the movie. Stanley Kubrick approached Clark about the story and "co-wrote" the novel via the screenplay. Neuromancer is brilliant and a lot of the elements in the novel show up in Cyberpunk 2077.
Canticle is a sci-fi book I’d recommend, found it interesting! I enjoyed Seveneves more than Snow Crash. Not a fan of Snow or Neuromancer. Definitely better Hamilton!! And what about Alastair Reynolds? Are there any NEW sci-fi books that intrigue you? I’d like to try Akira with you. I hope you mention if you add it to your TBR. Take care, Twainy
I would highly recommend the following from Peter F. Hamilton: 1. The Night's Dawn Trilogy 2. Commonwealth Saga 3. Void Trilogy 4. Chronicle of the Fallers 5. Salvation Sequence
I tried to read Snow Crash, but I DNF'd it as I'm not familiar enough with the cyberpunk genre to get it. And it's a big old book to try and push through. I tried akim reading bits but that didn't really work either. To me it felt too 'why say one word when you can say it in ten'. If that makes sense
Ooh, its a list where I've actually read nearly all of them. I liked Snow Crash more than Neuromancer, and Pandora's Star is a great read. One thing I will say is don't discount Neon Genesis Evangelion (the original) if you didn't really like Ghost in the Shell and you do like Akira when you read it. Because I don't really like GitS either, but Evangelion is probably my favourite anime series of all time.
A lot of Great stuff to look forward to Mike, have read most of the «Classics» (those from before 2000) you mention here, except from «A Canticle for Leibovitz» (something I must remedy not too far in the future!) and they are all great! «Brave New World» is best read after a HG Wells story, as it was first and foremost a satire of Wellsian Utopian Futures. Similar with «Snow Crash», which should be read after «Neuromancer» at least, as it was a satrical take on the tropes of Cyberpunk established by «Neuromancer» and it’s successors of better and worse quality!
Lots of these titles have been roasting hot on my TBR. My only real exposure to sci-fi has been Hyperion Cantos and Sun Eater. But I definitely want to read some Issac Asimov (Foundation) and Arthur C Clarke. But also very interested in trying Neal Stephenson (I want to start with Baroque Cycle trilogy).
Did you read The Culture, Book of the New Sun or Remembrance of Earths Past? I’m diving into the Culture for the first time with The Player of Games tonight.
some of the halo books are actually incredible! The first book was written as the first game was developed. They had planned to expand the story through books from the very beginning!
Hey Mike. Love your channel. You should also give The Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell a try. It's a great military sci fi and dosen't get enough attention.
Wow!! That’s a great list! I read Wool which is book 1 of the Silo series and I loved it. I’m gonna start watching the tv show. I also plan to read the Foundation series. Are you still doing Sci-Fi September?
Not this year. 2023 will be the last year I tie myself down with finishing long series on a schedule. Going forward it will be all about reading freedom and I can read most of these whenever I want and do more themes like SFS.
Neuromancer has my favorite opening line to any book “The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.”
Brave New World is definitely closest to being prophetic of those big names. Almost every single time people are like, "This is just like 1984!" when you look at what's actually going on, it's like, "Nope. This is 100% Brave New World, brotato chip."
Nah, it's 1984. They are doing everything they can in the real world to try and implement 'oligarchical collectivism' in the west.
Ha ha yeah that's me with Fahrenheit 451. They're now censoring art and people are happy about it! That book should be mandatory reading.
What's better absolute happiness or being free and miserable? That's the question from the novel.
There’s elements of all 3 in the world today. The ones you said eg but the one I’ve noticed from 1984 is Goldstein the guy everyone’s supposed to hate but no one knows why. Now there are figures in the world such as Andrew Tate, trump etc (not saying that I like them) that everyone hates and everyone goes mad if you do like them and they don’t even know why they hate them
I still think 1984 is more accurate, though both books are correct in different ways
Flowers for Algernon is such a good classic. It’s sci fi but it’s quite philosophical as well, and easy to recommend to people who don’t traditionally enjoy sci fi.
Interesting.
We read it in high school English class. I was a sci fi nerd even then, and until this video I've never heard anyone call it sci fi. It's a great book though. Probably the best thing school ever forced me to read. :D
It kinda gave me the same type of vibes as Forest Gump and Cuckoo’s Nest. Really enjoyed it.
Agreed. I love sci fi, but for some reason I struggle with sci fi books. Flowers for Algernon was my first sci fi read that I really enjoyed.
pandoras star is one of the most epic feeling books ive ever read, highly recommend!
Wow! Okay.
I second Pandora's Star. It's a huge 2 book series though. As an epic fantasy reader, I'm sure you can handle it. Paula Myo is my woman. I picture her as Kelly Hu from Xmen 2. Genetically engineered for justice. There's a heavy metal song about the alien, Morning Light Mountain.
@@mikesbookreviews I third Pandora's Star. Fantastic.
Such a great series!
I could not get into the book. I read half and had to drop it.
A Canticle for Leibowitz was so incredibly moving to me, one of my favorite reads this year. People call it dark and cynical, and in some ways it is, but a heart of spiritual depth and love for humanity beats so strongly within it. It brought me to tears multiple times.
Sounds great!
Did you ever read the sequel? I loved Canticle but couldn't get through the second book
No, I haven't. I haven't heard much about it but the little I have heard lines up with your feelings@@emosongsandreadalongs
Flowers for Algernon is one of the most powerful books I ever read. I read it in high school and I haven't stopped thinking about it. Now that I have a child with down syndrome, that book makes me concisely be better than the protagonists parents
I have either just read, reading, or have on my list almost all of these. I would love to see more sci-if on your channel.
I like the newer stuff, not so much the older books, but I’m trying to get a full spectrum of influences.
It's worth adding "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin to your list. It inspired Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four" and arguably Huxley's "Brave New World", and lauded by Ursula LeGuin.
I read “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” earlier this year. I really enjoyed it. It reminded me of a great noir film. Deckard is pretty complex character in this book. It’s a quick read. You’d probably finish it in a day
11:50 the sprawl trilogy is what directed me into a career in computer science. I still have a server at home called wintermute...
My friend recommended Flowers for Algernon as a book that will make the toughest of cookies shed a tear. Agree it will do that while being extremely good book in general!
Glad you're getting more into Sci Fi because there are some amazing stories and ideas and these are some of the books I'm going to read next too!
Definitely some surprises there. I first read I Robot in the early 70s, lol. Asimov was a giant in the SciFi world. You'll find his robot stories a little dated now but well worth reading. Canticle for Leibowitz I read back in high school as well. Akira, Snow Crash, Metro 2033, Pandora's Star and Children of Time are the books on your list I haven't read. In fact, Akira is the only one I've even heard of. Keep up the good work. I enjoy your channel.
Oh man, I read Flowers For Algernon in high school and cried my eyes out and I have never forgotten it. Philip K Dick…😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 I died. I have The Man in The High Castle on my shelf to be my first read by him. 😊
Yeah, Of Mice & Men and Flowers for Algernon were the most common response in that Cry video that I've yet to read.
I'm rereading Snow Crash now and it's even better than I remembered. I think the people who bounce off of it either don't understand it's a satire or don't care for satires. It's fun and scathing social commentary with non-stop action.
I haven't read Akira, Contact, Snow Crash, or Metro 2033 but all of the other books are worth reading. Here are some other books I really liked: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North, Wool by Hugh Howey, A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge, House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds, The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, Earth Abides by George R. Stewart, Ubik by Philip K. Dick, Replay by Ken Grimwood, The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold, and Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov.
Thanks for recommending To Kill a Mockingbird in one of your other videos. That book was fantastic.
Great list! I’m currently reading The Snow Queen (1980) by Joan D. Vinge. I’m hoping to try CJ Cherryh’s work soon.
I am a huge fantasy fan, and also love sci fi, but struggle with sci fi books so haven't read that many.
Have read 1984, Flowers For Algernon and Brave New World (all wonderful.)
Tried Dune 3x and struggled so much, I always put it down early on, but now I'm getting into reading free audio books via my library & just decided to give Dune another go to listen to as I read along with my physical copy. Page 80 and still going strong (even though I'm looking at the appendix quite often haha XD)
A lot of great picks. I've read about half of these. Contact is a BIG recommend from me. It's in my Top 15 favorite books of all time. Haven't read The Forever War, by Haldeman, yet. Always wanted to. Also, read Revelation Space. Alastair Reynolds is dense, sure, but not that hard and not even slightly confusing. I found Steven Erikson to be at least twice as difficult.
The Forever War is one of my favorite Sci fi books. Great read.
I love this! For me, 2023 turned into the year of Sci Fi and I'm obsessed! I also think you would love revolation space by Alastair Reynolds. Its a Gothic space opera and the atmosphere is phenomenal! The first one is my favorite in the series, but I think the character development in book 2 you specifically would go crazy for!
I’m actually reading I, Robot right now. Enjoying it for sure
Great video! I’m about 1/3 of the way through The Wheel of Time…definitely want to get back to some SciFi when I’m done. You’ve given me a great list!
I picked up the forever war and old mans war. Have not read them yet but am excited to
Love A.C Clarke. I would also add Rendezvous with Rama, which is my favorite of his. Children of Time is a favorite all time Sci-fi book. I feel like you will love it.
Now, I am familiar with your experience with the Three-Body Problem, and know you DNF'd it. But I, of course, will always hope you return to the series. It gets incredible. If not the books, there is a Chinese produces television adaptation that beat netflix to the punch that does at least the first book. I think it is incredibly well done and gives much more life to the characters, while being very faithful to the book (though not perfect).
Snow Crash is brilliant. I tend to read it in fairly small bites because it sends my down a lot of rabbit holes. Neuromancer is great (and a classic) but my favorite book in that world is Mona Lisa Overdrive. All of it highly recommended.
I’ve got most of those on my tbr as well Mike.
Hey Mike! I’ve read 11 of these books and my personal favourites are 2001: A Space Odyssey, Flowers for Algernon, and Children of Time. And 2 of the others I enjoyed that I think might suit your reading tastes are The Forever War and Snow Crash. Happy reading! 🚀
Excellent!
The Forever War is absolutely amazing. A top 3 read for me this year.
Thank you, Mike. I just appreciate that I’ve read some classic sci-fi you haven’t read.
My pleasure!
I haven't read any of the ones on the list from the 2000s, but everything else -- even if you don't absolutely love all of them, I'd say they're all worth reading.
There's also loads and loads of great, less notorious 20th century science fiction literature to get into.
Stanislaw Lem and Cordwainer Smith come to mind as really interesting writers who aren't on your list and whom I don't think you've talked about before on teh channel. jack Vance too. And Theodore Sturgeon. And the Strugatsky brothers.
Great list. I’ve read them all except the last 2 and think you’ve created a really solid selection of great sci fi. Hope you enjoy them all!
I read I, Robot a couple of years ago and liked it way more than I thought I would. Seeing the evolution of robots from the stereotypical image to more and more advanced models was fun and interesting.
Snowcrash is great too.
What an amazing list. You've picked very good books. The funny part is I've read everyone. First time that's happened someone's to read list. Just an FYI: I, Robot is a collection of related short stories, A Canticle for Lebowitz covers a lengthy period of time and along with reading 2001, I recommend reading Clarke's short story, the Sentinel which was the inspiration for the book.
A GREAT list of sci-fi books. And, a wonderful synopsis on each book. I've just completed The Expanse series, and I am actively looking for another great read. You'll enjoy Forever War. It was a fantastic read
Fantastic list! I’ve read most of them. Just finished Algernon three days ago. It’s a bit depressing in parts but still great. Can also recommend Anathem for real mind expansion
Great list!
I have Brave New World on my TBR as well. I also have Neuomancer on that list as well. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on both.
I’ve mostly stuck to fantasy so I really wanna get to a lot of these too like Philip K Dick, Haldeman, Hamilton, and Neuromancer. I read Idoru by Gibson a while back and really liked it and can’t wait to try his more famous cyberpunk book.
I’m in such suspense to see which side of the fence you fall on with Snow Crash!
Your tbrs have some of the books on them that im most excited by personally. Look forward to almost all of these and will probably read a few along you.
For dystopian sci fi I would have lived tp see Octavia E Butler on there and Parable of the Sower. Excellent book.
The motes in gods eye is pretty great sci fi that i read this year but the second book in the seires has a huge time jump so i read it as a stand alone. Its really great world building and character archs. Plus multiple planets and space ships as well as various alien species.
The Forever War I heard is amazing I am also planning to read it since I have had a copy for awhile and A Brave New World I heard is kinda like 1984
I haven't read Akira since the early 90s but I remember it being a really great series with fantastically detailed background art. Hope you enjoy it too.
I hope so, too!
I can't recommend Necromancer enough. I was purely a fantasy nerd, but that book finally got me interested in SF.
Mike, I’d love to do a reread of Akira. When you decide to read it, I’d be more than happy to do a read-a-long.
I'll keep it in mind! Gotta finish Vinland and 20th Century Boys first.
I’ll join the reread as well.
4:33 you doing right, don’t read the books if you like they’ve-show. Main story line is on line I guess, but it’s completely different! Start with prelude and read it in order when you start. Books are better.
14:57 that's really just the setting of the book, the story goes so much deeper. Ready player one is light reading in comparison.
Mike, have you read The Three Body Problem? It wasn't in today's video and don't see any reviews from you on it. One of, if not, the best thing I've read in the past few years. (Asked this in the discord but adding it here because algorithm)
I need to try Children of Time again I was really struggling getting through that book. There was a POV that I just didn't enjoy. But perhaps now that it's been over a year it may click better for me.
I, Robot, Forever War, Flowers for Algernon, Neuromancer are all great fast reads. I do have a copy of Snowcrash but am hesitant to read it for the same reasons you said. Children of Time is definitively in my future plans. I dont think i'll ever start one of those hugemongous Peter F. Hamilton series though. Alistair Reynonld's House of Suns would be a good option since it is a favorite and a stand alone. Take care
2001 A Space Odyssey was one of the first sci-fi/fantasy books I read back in high school. Really enjoyed reading the book along with the movie, it was great! Forever War is a really great novel and can't recommend that one enough. Happy reading!
i read I-Robot in school and i remember it being very good but i want to reread it again as its been a long time. and i also wanted to read through man in high castle some day.
cool to hear is that you want to read Akira.
Children of Time is a magical read. But far and above the one sci fi tale I've read recently that has absolutely blown my mind is the Three Body Problem (trilogy). Having said that you studied astrophysics it may appeal to you. It's ideas, and delivery, have left a million jaws on the floor, going by the current reactions. Cixin Liu is the author.
Forever War is a clever little book, algernon and Canticle are classic literature by their own right. Asimov and Sagans picks are a tad dry but full of scope.
Other must mentions (and there are many)
My Stars, The Destination by Alfred Bester, and Way Station by Clifford Simak. 2 short reads but brimming with excitement and adventure.
I wanted to love 3BP it just didn't click with me, sadly. Perhaps the adaptation coming up will convince me to try again.
@mikesbookreviews the sequels really are the strong point of that series. The first novel is good, but The Dark Forest is where it really gets interesting
@@hansolo6831
Same for me. I actually had to listen to 3 Body on audible after I read it to understand it better.
But Dark Forest and Death's End are where it became truly spectacular.
The teardrop!!!!!
Hey Mike,
Great list! I just finished reading Touch, by Claire North, after seeing the author interview on Media Death Cult channel. A great book, that made me think of the vampire chronicles by Anne Rice. Not that its about vampires, but immortals in a way. Great book, also on par with Blake Crouch imho. Maybe something for you also?
Flowers for Algernon and Brave New World were both books I was assigned in High school. I enjoyed both but the one that stayed with me is BNW. It is incredibly real and scary. Like 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 major aspects are happening now and society is encouraging those changes. They were taught because they were warnings and yet people clap like seals as we devolve into the future dystopia they predicted, and we are heading towards. Brave New World might not be your favorite book of the year but I bet it makes you shake your head as you see our future.
*nodding*
I recommend David Weber's sci-fi novels and series, especially his "Mutineer's Moon" trilogy and 2 of his stand-alone novels, "In Fury Born" & "Apocalypse Troll" .
Also Steve White's "The Disinherited" trilogy is great.
All these books sound awesome. Sci-fi is definitely my preferred genre and I haven’t read any of those books. Thanks for the list!
I have the robot books on my list to catch up with as well.
I'm in the "Snow Crash is *fantastic*" camp, and I think you'll really enjoy it too.
Great list. I expect you will enjoy all of those. I do HIGHLY recommend The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. Scifi and Fantasy mixed together. I could go on for hours about those 5 books.
*I read 'I, Robot' after seeing the movie/ The movie is not a great adaption, but it is a fun time, and the book is so good! I really need to read it again at some point.
*I read 'Flowers for Algernon' back in high school. It was required reading in my high school and I remember really enjoying it.
You got a great selection of books here!! A ton of these I haven't read, so thanks for sharing! :)
These are all excellent choices, Mike. Classics for a reason.
Have you ever considered reading a web novel? I watched Petrik’s vid the other day and saw him talking about a web novel called Worm, already obsessed. I’d never considered reading one before, but it’s great quality already and I heard it only gets better.
Not sure about I, Robot versus the robot books as the right things to read, but consider giving Caves of Steel and the follow on series a read as well.
Many of these books are obviously good, but I recently read Children of Time and it is very, very good.
Neuromancer and Snow Crash are sort of mandatory books to read as being foundational part of the cannon of the genre of cyberpunk.
Perfect timing for this video. I'm currently reading "The Left Hand of Darkness" - my first by Ursula K. Le Guin - and I'm enjoying it so far. Do you have any videos about her work? I couldn't find any and would like to hear your opinion. Great list, most of them are (still) on my sci fi TBR list as well 👍
I've not yet had the pleasure to read Ms. LeGuin. But I want to!
Akira is epic! I read it after seeing the movie about 6 times. It’s fantastic, enjoy!
Hi Mike, i've read every foundation book... Even the 4 books the came after the firts trilogy, and it's really amazing. Asimov made a universe that the robots becomes a part of too.
Supposedly Metro 2033 had two million readers as an online novel. I'd say that counts as popular. That's a great list of books you have there. Happy reading! 📚
I'm really enjoying Sue Burke's Semiosis right now. It's like Children of Time but with sentient alien plants instead of spiders. Basically connected short stories over different generations. I'm in the middle of a murder mystery, and the plant is very suspicious! Comparable to Martian Chronicles or I, Robot.
Have you heard of the Culture series by Iain M. Banks? I have it on my shelf but yet to read. Have heard great things. Cheers Mike!
You need to read some Jasper T. Scott. The Kyron Invasion and Ascension Wars are both gripping, exciting page turning series that are completely finished. Another great series is Dark Space. Also complete. Jasper is great at both world and character building.
Also one of my favorite books is Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. This book was so good I instantly re-read it. He has a good amount of hard science like The Martian. But I found Project Hail Mary is much better than The Martian, IMHO. Super standalone book.
Nice, I recently finished 3 King novels and am hitting up some Science Fantasy
In a similar vein to Metro 2033 is Roadside Picnic. 1972 and written by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Post apocalyptic but in the aftermath of alien visitation. It has been adapted as a Russian movie, turned into a tabletop RPG, and was the basis for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video games. The book is actually referenced in the Metro 2033 game. The world is split into zones after the visit and there are mutated creatures and anomalies out in the zone. Most people stay out but there is a group informally known as stalkers that scavenge in these no man's land. I feel like there's a lot philosophical meaning behind the book but who knows when it comes to that.
I had to read Brave New World in school in the early nineties, but didn't much care for it as a teenager. A few years later I re-read it on my own and it was a very different experience. It earns its status as a must read classic. Maybe I should do another re-read soon! Another classic, which left a lasting impression on me, was Stanislaw Lem's Solaris.
From more modern sci-fi I am re-reading Cixin Liu's Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy at the moment. Better known by the name of the first book, The Three-Body Problem. I read the first two years ago and want to finally read the third book. And I definitely nead a refresher before I get to that. Fascinating books, if you can get into them.
I read Solaris in the early 2000's and liked it a lot.
I just got Contact in the mail last week. I'm excited to read it. Hopefully soon.
Excited for you to read Flowers for Algernon, so I can hear your thoughts on it.
I read 2001 and 2010 this year. Great quick reads. Im reading nuromancer right now actually and have the two follow ups to read afterwards. Very compelling stuff if you are into the cyberpunk genre.
Flowers for algernon was absolutely amazing. The writing style at the beginning was a little jarring but then it gets okay
I, Robot is an anthology novel and nothing like the movie. 2001 is meant to be a companion book to the movie. Stanley Kubrick approached Clark about the story and "co-wrote" the novel via the screenplay. Neuromancer is brilliant and a lot of the elements in the novel show up in Cyberpunk 2077.
thanks Mike, Oh man Canticle is AMAZING. It's in my top 5 books of all time (a little behind Moby Dick which I know you are a big fan of!!!!)
Canticle is a sci-fi book I’d recommend, found it interesting! I enjoyed Seveneves more than Snow Crash. Not a fan of Snow or Neuromancer. Definitely better Hamilton!! And what about Alastair Reynolds? Are there any NEW sci-fi books that intrigue you? I’d like to try Akira with you. I hope you mention if you add it to your TBR. Take care, Twainy
Akira is a classic anime! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. No spoilers here! I read it and watched it and I thought it was a great read. 😊
I would highly recommend the following from Peter F. Hamilton:
1. The Night's Dawn Trilogy
2. Commonwealth Saga
3. Void Trilogy
4. Chronicle of the Fallers
5. Salvation Sequence
I tried to read Snow Crash, but I DNF'd it as I'm not familiar enough with the cyberpunk genre to get it. And it's a big old book to try and push through. I tried akim reading bits but that didn't really work either. To me it felt too 'why say one word when you can say it in ten'. If that makes sense
Ooh, its a list where I've actually read nearly all of them. I liked Snow Crash more than Neuromancer, and Pandora's Star is a great read. One thing I will say is don't discount Neon Genesis Evangelion (the original) if you didn't really like Ghost in the Shell and you do like Akira when you read it. Because I don't really like GitS either, but Evangelion is probably my favourite anime series of all time.
a canticle for Leibowitz and
I-Robot are both in my future reads list as well.
Wow…..not a single bad book on this list. I envy you getting ready to experience some of these for the first time.
That's exciting.
A lot of Great stuff to look forward to Mike, have read most of the «Classics» (those from before 2000) you mention here, except from «A Canticle for Leibovitz» (something I must remedy not too far in the future!) and they are all great! «Brave New World» is best read after a HG Wells story, as it was first and foremost a satire of Wellsian Utopian Futures. Similar with «Snow Crash», which should be read after «Neuromancer» at least, as it was a satrical take on the tropes of Cyberpunk established by «Neuromancer» and it’s successors of better and worse quality!
I read Brave New World and 2001: A Space Odyssey back when I was a teenager. Definitely recommend them. In fact, I need to re-read them.
Nice, I've only read Brave New World from this list, but many of them sure sound interesting
Hi Mike, have you read "Rendezvous with Rama" by Arthur C Clarke? I've heard is going to Denis Villeneuve's next Sci Fi movie project.
im gonna read Snowcrash once I''m finished with Hyperion and Neuromancer!
God, I love Hyperion.
I've added a few of these to my TBR list. Have you read Seveneves by Neal Stephenson??
I have been intrigued by Flowers for Algernon, but I have been unsure.
Hey Mike did you ever read “The Book of the New Sun” series by Gene Wolf? I’ve always been curious about that series
Lots of these titles have been roasting hot on my TBR. My only real exposure to sci-fi has been Hyperion Cantos and Sun Eater. But I definitely want to read some Issac Asimov (Foundation) and Arthur C Clarke. But also very interested in trying Neal Stephenson (I want to start with Baroque Cycle trilogy).
Did you read The Culture, Book of the New Sun or Remembrance of Earths Past? I’m diving into the Culture for the first time with The Player of Games tonight.
some of the halo books are actually incredible! The first book was written as the first game was developed. They had planned to expand the story through books from the very beginning!
I've heard there are some real gems in those.
Hey Mike. Love your channel. You should also give The Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell a try. It's a great military sci fi and dosen't get enough attention.
I'll look it up!
Wow!! That’s a great list! I read Wool which is book 1 of the Silo series and I loved it. I’m gonna start watching the tv show. I also plan to read the Foundation series.
Are you still doing Sci-Fi September?
Not this year. 2023 will be the last year I tie myself down with finishing long series on a schedule. Going forward it will be all about reading freedom and I can read most of these whenever I want and do more themes like SFS.