The 15 Best Sci-Fi Books I've Ever Read [Updated]
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
- This is a list of my 15 favorite science fiction books, as of September 2022. My selection criteria were a mishmash of all the variables you might imagine. There is no strict litmus or set of standards I applied. Timestamps are below for those who'd like the quick version.
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00:00 Dune by Frank Herbert
01:19 The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
02:48 The Stars My Destination / Tiger! Tiger! by Alfred Bester
04:24 Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
05:45 The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
08:58 The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin
12:09 Norstrilia by Cordwainer Smith
15:09 City by Clifford D. Simak
17:02 Hothouse by Brian Aldiss
18:57 Neuromancer by William Gibson
20:16 Blood Music by Greg Bear
22:23 The Dying Earth by Jack Vance
24:49 Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
27:29 A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
31:15 Blindsight by Peter Watts
Thanks for watching. This took a ton of work, hope you enjoy it.
This is an update to a similar Top 15 video I made a little over a year ago:
• The 15 Best Sci-Fi Boo...
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Updated Top 15 list for 2024: czcams.com/video/k0H584ftkQU/video.htmlsi=zlQVU4a5SWyWlI1U
The voice of the Lord is by far the best Stanislaw Lem's book, Solaris back of the queue behind Eden or Invincible. Golem XIV is also mindblowing.
You spoil us with no cheesy intro, 3 min setup about what you're going to talk about... You just get to it and that's why I love your videos.
i hit the Like button the moment i heard him say NUmber 15 ! ..
absolutely and i loved and appreciated that. it reminded me of the movie gravity, it just jumped right into it. 👍🏽
here's a word from our sponsor... ;)
I subscribed cause of this comment.
Yeah man that’s so refreshing
i felt shocked when he literally got straight on the topic without giving a 1 - 2 min intro . hats off man❤
Refreshing af
I thought it started 30 seconds in at first.
I like the no intro, so freaking cool
I'd just like to applaud not only your list of books but also your ability to articulate each one without giving total spoilers.
You are the first book tuber I've ever seen talk about a Mote in God's Eye. I read that when I was a teen and it has been one of my all time favorites.
Me, too.
@@monsterinhead214 Me too.
It's secret, mostly kept to the end is not so unlike human's basic problems but ramped up. Definitely a great book.
I only read Ringworld as a kid, and never touched anything else by Niven, until now 😉
@@bunkie2100 I judge books on their own merit, independent of the author's personality or lifestyle. I am sure that plenty of authors are unpleasant people that I wouldn't want to spend a day in a booth with; but that doesn't mean I wouldn't enjoy reading their books.
I had never watched a video from you before nor heard of many of these books. Your eloquent expression of the power of these novels has convinced me to give them a try with no further investigation. Quite a feat.
Had the same effect on me. Fascinating list, and a great elevator pitch for especially the top choices!
Same. And subscribed
Same. Saw this video quite by accident. Watched it all the way to the end and immediately bought five of the books. I fancy myself as quite widely read, but hadn't heard of many of the novels and found their description compelling. This man is a hell of a salesman.
You are in for a treat!
Same here. Stumbled on the video and discovered many authors I've never heard of before. I'm planning the trip to my library.
Thank you!
Remembrance of Earth's Past by Cixin Liu. The full trilogy. It changed me. It changed the way I look at the stars at night. It changed how I read literature.
A masterpiece
Same, my all time favorite series, with Dark Forest being probably my favorite book of all time. It just changed my perspective on scifi.
@@dumbmemer8749 This is a good question. I think it depends on each individual whether it changed their view in a bad or good way. The whole trilogy is very pessimistic.
I love how you said it changed the way you look at the stars. same exact thing for me. the night sky will forever be so much more beautiful and terrifying after reading that trilogy, especially Death's End.
One of the greatest if not the greatest
The dune sequels are truly some of the most profound fiction I have ever read, they make me laugh and cry and have affected how I view life, humanity, religions, family, war, conservation, survival, and much more. The first 6 books written by frank herbert stand alone and span long generations and are such quotable, meaningful experiences.
I liked the Dune series, got pretty far out with the worm emperor, but Herbert pulled it off. I haven't pulled the sequels, (prequels) another 8 books, written by Herbert's kid, I f I remember correctly.
I've read the first two and part of three. Really good
Ive read hundreds of scifi books and have tried to read Dune multiple times and always end up setting it down and sayin its boring. I feel I'm missing something about it because you can't all be wrong about it.
@@petethechin the last third of the book is what gives the whole book it’s power.
I enjoyed the first 2-3 books in the Dune series but wow did they ever turn left at Albuquerque after that. Takes a special mind to get anything from those sequels, imo.
Dan Simmons Hyperion cantos has stuck with me for more than 25 years, I just listened to the audio version and was blown away. Best sci Fi series in my opinion.
Agreed. I was absolutely blown away throughout the entire series, and no ending has ever had such a visceral effect on me
It’s a brilliant book, but I made the mistake of reading Simmons horror novel “Carrion Comfort”. It’s terrible and also filled with awful racist writing, and it’s kind of ruined all his other writing for me because I believe him to be a racist creep.
Another call out for Dan Simmons Hyperion. This has been the best book (any genre) I have ever read. It still haunts my mind to this day in a good way. The ending of the series was very emotional for me in a way that no other book has even come close
Absolutely! The best series of sci-fi books I've ever read. Simmons was a genius at worldbuilding in this series!
@@perilouspursuits692 exactly. I was actually sad when the series resolved itself.
Props for putting Solaris on your list. I've read it for the first time not so long ago and I feel exactly the same as yourself - I keep asking myself whenever I was really ready for it and wondering how much more I can get out of it if I read it again. And this book has such qualities which can hardly be described to someone who has not read it.
Stanislaw Lem has another level of writing. Back from the Stars or Diary found in a bathtub or Martian etc. So different, so amazing. But there is not many psychological sci-fi writer as far as I know.
And he also wrote sci-fi satire. What I love most about his books, that they feel like the ending is just there because the important part, the road / the story, is now over and there is no more to say on that.
I am rediscovering science-fiction after many years. This list has given me plenty more I will have to read. Thank you so much!
I think a big reason why Mote in Gods Eye was so great, was that it doesnt bother with setting up all the complicated concepts in the book. It just brings them up as they are needed and trusts the reader to take them in stride and understand. This means the book never feels like its meandering, which is something i greatly appreciate
I love that book, well written, great characters, interesting concepts and depictions of society, space travel, an alien civilization, a great plot, I could go on but you know what I mean.
I agree 100% that it never seemed to get lost in setting up things that were not needed, it gave you all the information necessary for you to accept what was said at face value, everything they did say was part of the story. No wasted words even though it was very descriptive at times.
mote is problematic dated cringe tho with the not being allowed or afraid to say the ef word so the captain says rape me which is weird and also the women are really shown as second class citizens in a rude way.
We all have lists, of course. Mine is : 1) Left Hand of Darkness 2) Stranger in a Strange Land 3) Dune 4) Mote in God's Eye 5) Cat's Cradle 6) Tau Zero 7) Time Enough for Love. I totally respect everything on your list.
Left Hand of Darkness is probably my number one as well. I could not stop thinking about it for a long long time after reading it.
Your list really resonated for me, but Tau Zero has eluded my attention. I must put it on my list to read!
@@gibbousmoon35 It probably doesn't belong in the company of the others, but it was something I personally loved that really took my interest in hard sci-fi to a new level. It really is the odd man out on that list.
I'm getting ready to reread Time Enough for Love as soon as I finish Terminal Shock by Neal Stephenson.
The way I gasped when the list started in the first microsecond. I can't express just how grateful I am, lmao. I'm definitely subscribing.
I just finished "Dune" by Frank Herbert. I’m glad I finally read this book! There’s quite a bit of marvelous detail in this story. A gripping and memorable journey! There were some details and reveals that blew my mind! Definitely a long read, but worth it. 😀
The sequels are where it really gets good IMO. I read and enjoyed Dune, but did not quite understand why it was considered to be one of the greatest ever. But the sequels, especially God Emperor of Dune... those are some of my favorite sci fi ever. And they made me appreciate the first one way more
I remember reading _Dune_ in college, ca. 1972 or so. During the weekend before finals. 700+ page paperback.
Didn't seem to hurt me. :)
I'm still struggling to make a decision. I've read Dune before when I was in grade school. Now that there are prequels and background novels, I am trying to work up the guts to start from the verrrryyy beginning with "Dune: The Butlerian Jihad." After that come twelve more novels that end with "Dune". It totals a whopping 6,784 pages! For me, that's over ten dictionaries!! Yikes. Still on the fence about it since I'm already stuck on the adventures of the fictional Swedish cop Anita Sundstrom in the "Malmo" series.
@@largol33t1 as a massive Dune fan (I've read the first book 16 times, the other five I've read around 7 or 8 times) you should avoid anything in the series written by Frank's son Brian Herbert it's glorified fanfiction. Stick with the 6 novels written by Frank, then decide if you want to read any of the prequel or sequel stuff by Brian and Kevin J. Anderson
I would also recommend:
HYPERION by Dan Simmons. RINGWORLD and INFERNO by Larry Niven. GATEWAY by Frederick Pohl. LORD OF LIGHT by Roger Zelazny and if no-one has read the works of Iain M. Banks I highly recommend all of his books.
I loved Lord of Light. I think that one and Creatures of Light and Darkness were two of Zelazney's best.
Gateway had me hooked with its sense of mystery, and I read it, and then the entire Heechee saga, faster than I've read any other series of books. This was decades ago, and I've never forgotten them.
Lord of Light is just mind blowing. I read it when I was 15 or something and was impressed by transition from what I thought was fantasy to the science fiction. I recently decided to read it once more almost 25 years later - still amazing, the book is beyond time.
Im a big fan of Zelazny's AMBER series
+1 for Hyperion
Hyperion Cantos is my all time favorite. Having said that I have 15 Greg Bear books in my collection, the most of any author. RIP Greg.
I also love Hyperion Cantos. Such incredible writing, gorgeous style, incredible world building.
Real respect that you opened up immediately with Dune, and that you made clear that it just didn’t vibe with you completely. Its a great way to set the tone that this is your personal list and your choices.
Nice list, you inspired me to make my own:
1. Neuromancer - William Gibson
2. Excession - Iain M. Banks
3. Seven Eves - Neal Stephenson
4. Dispossessed - Ursula LeGuin
5. At the Mountains of Madness - HP Lovecraft
6. Integral Trees - Larry Niven
7. Red Mars - Kim Stanley Robinson
8. The Gate to Women’s Country - Sherri S Tepper
9. The Many Coloured Land series - Julian May
10. The White Dragon - Anne McCaffrey
11. Accelerando - Charles Stross
12. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
13. Titan - Stephen Baxter
14. I, Robot - Isaac Azimov
15. Hyperion - Dan Simmons
Nice to see The Mote in God's Eye get a mention. First Sci Fi book I ever read and it's stuck with me ever since, which has been about 45 years. For me it's the book all alien first contact stories should be judged against.
Thank you for mentioning Norstrilia by Cordwainer Smith. Love that book and all his writings.
I remember the Moties! Read some time 1980 - 82 I believe.
@@tomyamartino I've reread it about every 5 years since first reading it in 1979. I love the story and the characters. The sequel was called "The Gripping Hand", but it wasn't as good.
This is how a book review is done ! Concise to the point and no BS ! Awesome Job Mate :)
I just finished "A Fire Upon the Deep" by Vernor Vinge. Absolutely incredible! I loved this adventure. So many wonderful characters. Such amazing world building. Definitely a book I will remember for a very long time. I read it in 17 days. Your recommendations have been spot on! Thank you! 😀
I would 100% recommend his other book in that universe - a Deepness in the sky. He wrote it afterwards but it is a prequel of sorts, I actually think it is better than a Fire Upon the Deep, and I freaking love that book.
Absolutely read his other books, the serie starting with The Peace War. Fire Upon is a thousand ideas in one big story. Peace war is essentially ONE idea of a shield, and then 3 books of different uses of it.
I love your description of what it feels like when a book or film gets inside you. Things linger inside me often and I feel they change the quality, tone, and content of my thoughts and feelings.
My all time favorite is Dan Simmons Hyperion series... particularly the original 2. Blew my mind.
Just finished the Hyperion series. The world building is a bit much at times but it's a great work!
I know people are going to inquire about this: I took Shadow of the Torturer off the list because I didn't feel qualified to include it this time, having only read Shadow and Claw of the Conciliator, and considering the fact that Wolfe wanted it published as a single volume. I intend to read the Book of the New Sun in its entirety and when I do it will be back in the top 15.
Valid. Much respect.
Also love the long 30 minutes video. I listen to book review vids like yours while I drive for work. Great stuff. Have a great week bookpilled!!!
It's one of those books I've recommended to people for decades. (Along with Little Big by John Crowley.) I consider Wolfe one of the few writers of literature in the field. The Book of the Long Sun awaits.
Spoiler:
…
Yeeeesss he added Greg Bears Blood Music. People always forget it but love the experience while read it. And I agree with your #1 also. Kick ass list. No Hyperion or 3 Body Problem? Interesting.
Blasphemy
I've just finished rereading TBOTNS. I know it's a cliche to say it, but it's true that the sequence grows in power the more you read it. When I first read it I enjoyed every element and found it phenomenally clever and interesting. But I didn't feel I could see it as a whole without taking a post-graduate course in Wolfology first. But reading Citadel of the Autarch again just now I found it tying everything tother in a much clearer and more satisfactory way than I remembered.
I picked up A Fire Upon the Deep because of your enthusiastic recommendation and I'm loving it so far. It's SO imaginative and ambitious yet so unpretentious for what it is.
That was also one of the first sci-fi books I read, and it was really interesting to hear how he painted the overview. You're so engrossed in the plight of the kids stuck on the medieval planet while this universal-scale narrative looms over it. Makes me want to read it again.
I was really pleased to see this here. (Dunno about Blindsight: will read it though. Sounds a little like a modern Philip K Dick?) IMHO Vinge has two great books loosely in the same series. "A Fire Upon the Deep" and "A Deepness in the Sky." Both excellent and I'm unsure which I would rank top.
@@David-iv6je I don't think Blindsight is Dick-esque. It's very hard science fiction horror, intense space travel and biology discussion, bleak and fascinating but not weird in a Dick-esque fashion. I thought Blindsight was amazing and it was so different from what I expected. But, just FYI.
This was the worst sci fi book I’ve ever read. Terrible terrible. How can people like this?
Huh! While I've definitely seen people not liking it as much as I or Bookpilled do, I don't think I've ever seen such a strong negative reaction to it. Would you be able to explain what you don't like about it? Genuinely quite curious!@@MattBargain
I just finished "Solaris" by Stanislaw Lem. Definitely a thought provoking journey. I can't help but be moved, left in a frustrated suspense, and warm glow by this story. I very much enjoyed the journey. So many questions, but a strange satisfaction at the same time. Thanks for the recommendation! 😀
It would be nice to talk to you about the things you thought about Solaris. I read a slightly altered version where some of the wordings were changed (not sure why) and the names of some were also altered. I think Rheya was changed to Harey and Snow to Snaut. Think it had to do with certain translations from the polish version?
Either way, I would hate to discuss spoilers here in a comment section where most likely other's are looking to share their bests books for others to try out. I just read someone mention Hyperion Cantos, and want to give that one a try.
As for Solaris, I kind of wish there was more exploratory scenes. So much was explained through the Giza texts but since the novel is essentially about this planet and the interactions between the crew, I guess I would've preferred there to be first hand experiences with what was read through the texts. But perhaps that was the point. _That_ had already been done by many qualified scientists and not the job of the narrator to do, as that was not his field of expertise.
I'm intentionally sounding vague so to not give too much away incase another reader stumbles upon this without having read Solaris. The attempt is futile it seems.
Honestly your much shorter comment encapsulates a similar feeling in me and does a great job explaining how one would feel after reading Solaris.
I've read 9 out of the 15 and would largely agree on the ordering. The one thing that surprised me was the absence of Liu Cixin's "The Three Body Problem".
The Three Body Problem starts out slow but if you can get through it, wow does it pay off
@@perilouspursuits692 Not sure about The Three Body problem - it is a good book and a decent series - but definitely NOT in the GREAT category
Agree. Probably the best hard science fiction.
@@perilouspursuits692 I never managed that. I rarely stop reading a book, but that was an exception. Maybe I'll give it another go
It’s one of the few science fiction books I’ve read that includes ACTUAL scientist. The fact that it enthralled me, a non-scientist, speaks to the author’s talents as a storyteller.
Saving for later but had to look at the list. I'm shocked at how many titles we share, since I'm a lot older. The Stars My Destination , City, Norstilia, Dying Earth, Solaris--multiple rereads all, good to see you recommending them to folks, they're in for such treats--no bad books on this list.
You've sparked my curiosity with the short book summary's you've given. I love how you give just enough to hook me in but not enough to spoil the book. I am going to attempt to read a lot of them. Thank you! Great video!
Ok. This was a pretty good list. Kudos for putting The Mote In Gods Eye in here. I have it as a 1st edition hardcover lol. Thanks also for mentioning Jack Vance. That man wrote books with such a superb grasp of prose and poetry that it is criminal that so few people know of him. And then there’s Blood Music by Greg Bear. I met him and have a signed copy of that very book! He was doing a book sign thingy at a shopping mall in melbourne, Australia right near the factory that I was doing my apprenticeship as a boilermaker in so I grabbed all my copies of his books that I’d actually been bingeing and skipped out of work and walked to the bookshop and the poor guy was sitting at a desk in the bookshop all by himself so I wound up talking to Him for nearly two hours! He was actually a really nice and down to earth guy who seemed to really enjoy having a conversation with a spotty 17 year old in filthy grease smeared overalls and a mullet haircut (it was 1987) he actually told me that he’d signed off the movie rights to Blood Music and that they were going to use the morphing CGI effects that had been pioneered in The Abyss to make it into a big budget Hollywood movie. Damn I really wish that had happened.
Other books that I think are worthy of your list are:
Star tide Rising by David Brin
Downbelow Station By C J Cherryh
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
The Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C Clarke
Use of Weapons by Iain M Banks (or any other culture novel by him)
Tough call to make a top 15 but you did a great job mate. Liked and subbed from Oz…
I come to CZcams for comments like this
@@fiedag lol thanks mate. I also got docked 2 hours pay… worth it!
I'm glad Bear made this list. He's one of my favorites. RIP
@@dangr123 he died!? I didn’t know this!
@@planetdisco4821 just recently. Last November.
Man in the High Castle, Ubik, VALIS, Flow My Tears the Policeman Said, A Scanner Darkly, these Dick novels, one or more belongs on this list. Also, A Canticle for Leibowitz which is extraordinary. I have re-read these and they hold up as well as when I first read them. A Scanner Darkly was most ably adopted into a movie, pretty much precisely following the book and extraordinary…
Yeah, Dick is in a league of his own. I love it when he plays around with elements of a fragmented reality.
I am a huge fan of PKD and also Miller's book, which may be the best melding of science and religious interactions ever presented in science fiction. Every time I drive through Texarkana, I wonder what is would be like if that small city was the capital of the country after a post-apocalyptic disaster.
I second Miller’s Canticle for Liebowitz. Easily my #1 SF book. Very precise & concise writing; kind of Hemingway-esque. For massively grand, beautifully bizarre otherness in world building, I strongly recommend Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville.
The thing about pkd is his characters and dialogue, a delicious icing on his creative premises.
Good list!
I'm SO glad you have A Fire Upon The Deep on this list. I feel like Vinge is never recognized in these lists, and he's just brilliant. And this is one of my favorite books.
He used to be more famous for his Peace War trilogy but those were from a long time ago
Top of my list along with A Deepness in the Sky.
A Fire Upon the Deep is the single book I can point to that re-introduced me to science fiction after being only mildly interested; that one book and the delight I took from it has had me hooked as a reader ever since.
I’d also thoroughly recommend Vinge’s ‘Across Realtime’ that contains a brilliant mystery sequel to the Peace War.
Vinge is the man. Wish he would write more.
Wonderful book. Personally I think Deepness is slightly superior, and is in fact the best SF book of the last 50 years.
I really enjoy your book reviews so much. I grew up reading sci-fi almost exclusively and so have that strong connection to your subject. I read much less sci-fi now, but just enjoy the way you go about describing the books and your reactions to them. Your reviews have encouraged me to re-read a few of my favorites (Le Guin, for example) and dive into a few that have been waiting patiently on my shelves for a first read. Thanks so much for sharing your enthusiasm.
An excellent list. I've read 11 of the 15 you reviewed and I'm just getting ready to start Blindsight...I can't wait!
Props to you for including 'City' on your list, it's such an incredibly moving story. You often talk about a book sticking with you long after you have read it. I read 'City' maybe 45 years ago and it's still popping up in my head all the time.
Love your videos.
I read War of the Worlds for the first time a few months ago and I was so struck how Wells wrote the black fog seeping through the streets. It was so poetic that it has stuck with me since. Definitely an amazing story.
There's a book out on his life. An interesting character, for sure.
It is. But I think Time Machine is more haunting and culturally more on point.
Wells set the archetype for so many modern SF stories. Verne was tremendous, but his writing style is from an earlier age. WotWs was published in 1898 - find an earlier alien invasion novel of its quality and importance.
In the time that Wells was writing, that type of dense black fog was fairly common in London. In real life, it was because most buildings were heated with coal ....
A great writer but a poor man. A classic example of how one should not investigate the author but just love their works.
My list would absolutely have to include at least one book from the late and great Iain M. Banks.
"The Player Of Games" , or "Use Of Weapons", or maybe "Inversions".
His Culture series of books are really worth checking out if you like Sci Fi.
Excession, Surface Detail and The Hydrogen Sonata were probably my favourite Iain M Banks books. I agree Player of Games was good too.
I really liked The Player of Games, but struggled with the other books in the series, somehow couldn't get into them. I did read the Use of Weapons but can't remember a thing about it.
Not everyone's cup of tea perhaps..
He also wrote non sci-fi fiction...
"A Song Of Stone" or "The Bridge"
Are two that stood out for me, and also "Dead Air"
I was a fan anyway.
In my opinion the best Sci-fi series of all time. Great writer
"Consider phlebas" deserves a shout out too. Maybe it's because that's the first one of his I read, but I'd say it's still up there as my favourite.
Olaf Stapledon - Last and First Men and Starmaker, Philip K Dick - VALIS trilogy, Dan Simmons - Hyperion Cantos, Daniel Keyes - Flowers for Algernon, Kurt Vonnegut Jr - Sirens of Titan are all brilliant.
I love how you open up the video instantly cracking on with your choices. Of the books I have read in your list, most of them I enjoyed (the only outlier being Dune, which i tried 3 times but couldn't finish) and your descriptions of the ones i haven't read sound like my kind of bag. I've added the top 2 as my next 2 books to read, thank you for the recommendations. One slight aside (and I am afraid to say this due to your scary pinned post), but I was surprised that Philip K Dick didn't appear anywhere in your top 15. Not that he should, as it is your own preference, but he usually dominates most lists, so it was unexpected and refreshing. Thanks again!
In my teen years many many years ago I came across an antique Frankenstein book and read it. It was amazing and the story sticks with me to this day.
One of my favorites is the Foundation series by Asimov. I first read the Foundation Trilogy, and then I discovered separate prequel and a separate sequel. Fantastic reading!
@@tw0pers0nalities Honestly, I can't wait for this "anti-woke" braindead witch hunt to die off.
@@tw0pers0nalities read the books many many decades ago. Liked them, but they are neither character driven (Asimov didn’t write much character depth) nor fast past plot type driven.
Thought the Tv Series was pretty good-they had to add some character/plot so people would watch. I’m sure there was some woke stuff, but I didn’t find it like eg STD/Picard.
@@tw0pers0nalities I wish someone would define "woke" for me.
It’s strange how stories affect readers differently. I would have the Foundation series as my clear number one. I’ve read the series at least 10 times and still come away with a fresh joy and respect for the story. To me, the book is completely character driven, and no book ever has made me laugh and think more. An author that creates a new, supported and believable science and then weaves in the evolution of that ability in a meaningful and humanistic way is a rarity indeed…
@@tw0pers0nalities am as adverse to “pc agenda” being shoehorned into stories as anyone but i found the way the series reimagining of the books to be fairly masterful. Its tough source material for tv and a lot of the tech predictions are very dated now.
I’ve only read 4 of this whole list and I didn’t even care about seeing MY picks in your video. Your passion, your zeal sticks out and is palpable and infectious! Loved your delivery! Very well done!!
Thank you for this. It's refreshing to see a list that is so different.
I was getting disappointed when it got to top 5 without Blindsight being mentioned - what a surprise! Read it over a year ago on your recommendation and it is still so vivid in my head, incredible book.
Great list Matt.
I loved it, it described detachment very well. It was upsetting to me at first because it rationalized nihilism from a bunch of stances I already have, but then I saw an interview with the author. He’s off his rocker.
I couldn't agree more with your feelings on the Dispossessed. While probably a lot higher on my list (LeGuin has been my favorite author for quite a while now), Anarres is a place that I think of constantly. I couldn't have described the escapism aspect of novel better. The fact that she packs so much punch in such a relatively short book left me in awe once I finished it.
I'll have to try The Dispossessed. I felt like the Broken Earth trilogy was one of the most overhyped things I've ever read. But I try not to judge an author on a single work.
@@oliverdemille7953 Yes, that was written by NK Jemisin, not Leguin.
@@oliverdemille7953 I've been told that Jemisin is good but to stay away from The Broken Earth.
The Lathe of Heaven was an outstanding LeGuin book for me.
I love LeGuin's books, but The Dispossessed has eluded me to date. If it beats The Left Hand of Darkness and The Lathe of Heaven to make the list, I must read it soon!
I cannot thank you enough for putting Blindsight on my radar. I just finished it less than an hour ago, and I already can tell that it’s going to live with me for a long time. It’s the kind of book that makes you sad for having read it because it’s hard to imagine anything else hitting in quite the same way any time soon. But wow am I glad that I did! So thank you, very much.
I feel that way about George R Martin. Back before it was the wreck of popularity it is now, a young me walked into the bookstore and picked up A Game of Thrones. My jaw was on the floor when I read it.
Fantasy forever more, was ruined. No one can compare. They can only try.
and the sequel might be even better
Just finished Blindsight. Wow, what a masterpiece. The prose was just stunning. And the story, of course, was absolutely mind blowing.
One of the most eloquent and informative book reviews I have come across. Cheers
For Dune, I think the first book is in many ways the simplest. It has great narrative cohesion, but as the series progresses - it becomes much more rich and complex.
I read the series 2.5 times. In high school I couldn’t get through book 4. In college I completed it. And in my mid 20s, I found the last 3 books to be my favorite.
I encourage you, as a mature and sophisticated reader, to read the series as I think the world building, themes, and topics in the later part will be more captivating.
Cheers and I enjoyed this video. Will read a couple of these!
I second all of this^^
Respectfully I disagree, I have read the three next books in the series as an adult and they are violently boring. The Dune series, in my oppinion, is best when you only read the first book.
I largely agree. I've read all 6 Dune books and love the series. I think the second and third go down in quality but he 4th, God Emperor, really captivated me. Just the idea of him and what he could do and how he rules is intensely interesting. The 5th and 6th books are worth reading I think. I sometimes wonder if we need to set up something like the Bene Gesserit in today's world just to survive the next couple hundred of years.
Yeah it is crazy that it would be many people's number 1. The series overall is cool but don't think any individually should be in a top 10 list.
@@tde02021idk i think Dune Messiah really drives home a great point. It stops being some hero’s journey and becomes a fantastic deconstruction of it just as Herbert intended
I really loved The Dispossessed. It continues to stay with me. I've read about 100 pages of the Mote in God's Eye and I'm already very impressed. Just coming off of the Forever War and Startroopers helped prepare me for the military aspect of Mote.
The Dispossessed was about the unfulfilled dream of Soviet communism.
I can see how you might interpret it that way, but that's not what I got out of it. No matter what the " ism," human institutions tend to become rigid over time. This leads to loss of freedom and opportunitiy. This is what she means by the idea that, " the revolution must continue." The same applies to capitalism. If it can't reinvent itself to meet the needs of average citizens, it will become obsolete.
I finished "The Stars My Destination". Whoa! What an adventure! This book was crazy fun, especially at the end! The story telling! It totally blew me away. Another excellent suggestion. Thank you! 😃👍
Well presented list. I like the different cover art variants per title and the elaborate explanations with their authentic subjectivity!
Agreed! Big fan of seeing the different cover variants!
IF YOU DID NOT SEE THE BOOK YOU LIKE IN THIS VIDEO: it's because I haven't read it or I don't like it as much as these fifteen. It also may be in my previous Top 15 video.
I am 0% interested in arguing with you over my picks.
EDIT: I am not trying to be a dick. I am open to suggestions and disagreement. I am not open to people trying to rap my knuckles for making the "wrong" choices or showboating about how superior their tastes are.
Thanks for this list! Added five to my reading list. To return the favor, Based on your picks, I think you’d really enjoy the aliens in Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis series, and for beautiful prose: A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine.
Oh, wow. There I was thinking "such a cool guy", interesting list. I wonder if I can suggest something to him...
Guess not. I am now 0% interested in this channel. You went full-on asshole with this comment and I am not into it.
Okay, here's my question: why do you have 2 separate books listed at the number one spot? Am I missing something? Are you being facetious, are you trolling, or is it an error of editing? Or what?
@@jchinckley Paxwax is a running gag on the channel
@@petech3975 Octavia is such a good writer!
I was surprised that so many of your choices were written so long ago - but pleased that I had read so many of them, and broadly agree with so many of your choices. For consideration if you haven't already considered them:
"Stand on Zanzibar" by John Brunner - overpopulation, Artificial Intelligence, social change...
"The Rose" by Charles Harness - arts v. science and a possible resolution...
So much good stuff, so much to read (although I've read many of these). And I LOVE the different book versions you show for each title, with all the different cover art.
Love your articulate thoughtful presentation.
Great list. "The stars my destination" is such a great book, I have always wondered why it hasnt been adapted into a film or series yet. So good man.
Perhaps waiting for the right screenwriter? Perhaps you should be be contacting whoever owns the rights and off your services? The 1st step to writing film is to to "see" the story.
I preferred "The Demolished Man" by the same author.
On my bucket list would be a Christopher Nolan adaptation of The Stars My Destination. Will probably never happen.
23:31 - "They command magic which might be forms of high technology"
See also: Clarke's third law; Any technology that is sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic.
See Karl Schroeder's rejoinder: any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from nature.
My first visit to your channel: love how you talk about books. You communicate your response to these books in a way that enchants me.
This is my first time seeing your channel and I'm already a fan. You're picking books that I've never heard of, and that's not to say that niche books are better or cooler than the big name books, but these clearly meant a lot to you on an emotional level. You don't seem to be picking books you think everyone might like, but the books that meant something to you individually and that to me is so much more interesting than the same 10 or so titles you tend to see in a list on booktube.
Really quality insight/overviews of the books. This channel has been a breath of fresh air-- glad I found it.
Earth abides (1949) by George R. Stewart.
Is an interesting short read.
Earth Abides is a 1949 American post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by George R. Stewart. The novel tells the story of the fall of civilization from deadly disease and the emergence of a new culture with simpler tools.
I just stumbled onto your channel and I couldn’t be happier. I’m tired of “top ten” lists without commentary or previews. Given the amount of titles and lists to choose from, I find yours unapologetically personal. THANK YOU!
Your description of these books made them all sound so interesting and something I would want to read immediately. Surely going to do some shopping. Thanks!
Your discussion of the books, and what it is about them that moved you, got them on the list... for me, as good as 'the list' itself. Super insightful, given me a bunch more books to look forward to.
For some reason I was expecting you to name as your number one book, "Star Maker" by Olaf Stapledon. I'm also surprised that Asimov, Clarke, Bradbury, Ballard and Heinlein all failed to make your list. Still, as Asimov said "When was the Golden Age of science fiction? When you were 16," and those were the writers I read in my youth.
Star Maker is so impressive!
Asimov's 'The End of Eternity' - a solo book - is the only one that's left an impression on me decades after reading it.
Asimov is great, done vast amounts for the genre, but his characters are kinda shit and flat. I enjoyed his books immensely and scifi wouldn't be here without him but there's a laundry list of books I'd recommend above any Asimov purely due to his frankly utterly forgettable characters.
@@keith6848 Is SF about characters or ideas?
@@tonyoliver2750 great sf does both.
@@keith6848 Great 'literary' SF may do both, but I suggest great SF can be great even with minimal character development. Think of Star Maker, did the narrator even have a name? or 2001:a Space Odyssey - is Dave Bowman a memorable character, the sort that Dickens would describe?
There is a rather brilliant 1972 Soviet film of "Solaris." If you have not seen it, I think it is a fair representation of the book. As you said, there are horror aspects, but they do not overwhelm the film. If you are familiar with early Russian art film or even German Expressionism, this film will resonate with you.
Stanislaw Lem hated that movie.
Loved this vid, as a fan of sci-fi thank you for the synopsis of all these books, some of which I haven’t read but am sure to check out!
It’s impressive how many of these are new adds from your last list. And, as always, your enthusiasm is infectious.
Everytime someone mentions A Fire Upon the Deep in a top list, I have to agree solely on the fact that a book has never made me care about a sentient potted plant before and that in itself is a marvel in my opinion!
_Sideshow_ by Sherri S Tepper; you'll never again look at a head of celery in quite the same way. 😀
See, I read Sundiver by David Brin as well as A Fire Upon the Deep, and boy, if I had a nickel for every time I was emotionally invested in a sentient potted plant...well, I'd have 10 cents, but it's weird that it's happened twice.
Thankyou. Enjoyed your list. Off to get a couple I hadn't heard of, including your No.1!
Just discovered the channel with this video and have already added 4 or 5 new books to my list. Liked, commented, subscribed for the algorithm. Channels like this deserve to blow up.
I love that our top 15 lists are completely different, but yours is great!
Got immense pleasure out of hearing such a literate review of some of my favorite genre novels. I just finished Li Cixin’s trilogy “Remembrance of Earth's Past” & found it enthralling. I'll have to give it some distance to see how it compares to many of these books that are on your most excellent list
Frankenstein is an amazing book. Its allusions to greek mythology are very interesting, and I found its philosophical underpinnings and its search for humanity really compelling.
Also your love for The Dispossessed is legitimate. Le Guin is a phenomenal writer, very subtle and yet profound. I love her Earthsea books for the same reason.
Also, Vance's books are the basis for Dungeon's and Dragon's magic system, which is literally called the "Vancian" magic system - because spells once used are forgotten and have to be remembered, thus explaining spell slots.
Thank you so much for this list. Sci-fi is my favorite genre! I have a long flight from Vietnam back to New Orleans, and I’m downloading audiobooks from my library on my phone. I’ll have plenty left to listen to for when I drive Uber after I’m back. Lots to look for later too!
And Hyperion should definitely be on this list. AMAZING, highly original sci-fi novel.
Great book !
Hyperion was awesome but the sequel was pretty terrible imo, and the first book ends on a cliffhanger so that you kind of have to read the next one.
@@breeeegs You didn't have to read the next one. I actually sort of liked the cliffhanger. :)
The endymion books where decent follow ups even if it felt like the last quarter was just Dan tying loose ends off.
Anyway that first book was so good I can forgive the ending... I think that is the only book I have ever read I could forgive an incomplete ending.
Indeed
He isn't looking at series, just singular books. Had he been doing series, I'd expect Dune to place higher. Reading just dune is like watching star wars without watching empire or jedi. Sure, you can do it, but the 3 together make it what it is.
Absolutely superb description of the books I know (Dune, Dispossessed, Neuromancer, Dying Earth, Solaris) making me very curious and keen to read all the others.
I haven't watched many other book reviews that make me frantically trying to add everything you say to my list. You have a good rationale for every book and a genuine excitement
So glad to see Solaris mentioned, and ranked so highly! I haven't read much sci-fi but it easily blew everything else out of the water. I'd like to do a video review on it but there are so many layers to its meaning that I don't know how to do it concisely, haha. If you revisit it, I'd recommend reading up a bit about Andre Breton, one of the founders of surrealism. If you remember, one of the earliest researchers on Solaris who encountered some crazy stuff on the planet is named Andre Berton, so Lem is definitely telling the audience that surrealism is a big key to understanding the book's deeper themes. The philosophical underpinnings of the movement and its fixation on the human subconscious is a big element to 'figuring out' the book.
Anyway, thanks for this list! Anyone who doesn't put the typical fare at the top always gets my attention so I'm sure I'll be following some of your recommendations soon :)
A worthwhile 35 minutes. I'm not sure if the number of classic authors is representative of your reading range, or the true quality of the 'past masters'. I personally tend to default back to such authors. My experience with more recent authors has not been as positive overall. I'm also glad to see you vary wildly from the standard lists of the 'best' science fiction. You got more than one cheer from me for some authors and books you cited.
This is a fantastic sci-fi book review. Bookpilled reminds me of guys I knew back in high school/college back in the 70's and 80's. Very smart, intense people who know what they like or set goals for a month and very politely tell you: "Man, I can't see or talk to you until next month as I've planned for years to read these 15 Sci-Fi novels, if I don't do it now I'll never get it done..drop on by my pad at the first of the month". Then when the month is finally over he answers the door, looking completely overwhelmed from the exhausting enterprise.
I'm excited to read a few of these books that had not entered my sphere to date! Thank you for the recommendations!
Hey, thanks for the recommendations, this video is exactly what I've been looking for after finishing Dune. It got me back into reading sci-fi and then left me wanting for more. So far I've read Hot House (what a ride this one was, loved it), Solaris and Blindsight and plan to read pretty much all the others on your list too. Would not have heard of half of those books if it was not for you ! Blood music and Fire upon the deep sound especially interesting to me, you sold them well ! Cheers from France and thanks again.
I have been reading Science Fiction & Science Fantasy since the early 70’s . I have read so many . I think that most of the books out today don’t compare to the older writers
I d recommend Project Hail Mary as a modern science fiction story...One of the most beautiful stories ever written in my opinion.
@@peterschroeder3087 I will check it out , thanks
What do you mean by Science Fantasy?
I agree , check out r.a.lafferty books, he has recently been reprinted so new prints are available. Many have not heard of him but he was celebrated for his unique stories
@@schenksteven1 to me there is not much difference , yet there is & maybe they don’t use that classification any more . I have been reading books since the early 70’s . In the early 90’s my collection was ruined by water damage ,so I started again . I will list just a few of what I have of each by author
Science Fiction - Jack Chalker - David Weber
John Ringo - Elizabeth Moon - Steve Perry
Issac Asimov - Robert Heinlein - David Drake
Elizabeth Bear - Roger Zelazny - Catherine Asaro
Science Fantasy - Steven Burst - Brent Weeks - Tom Deitz - Jennifer Roberson
Micheal Moorcock - JF Rifkin - Fred Saberhagen -
The way you described A Fire Upon the Deep is exactly how I feel about the Revelation Space series by Allistor Reynolds.
The impact Blindsight had on you totally justifies the unconscious weird feelings I get when deciding if I should finally pick it up and read it lol I always end up deferring to another book
completely agree and I was just going to leave the same comment. @bookpilled, I think you'll really like Revelation Space! A Fire Upon the Deep was at the top of my list until Allistor Reynolds unseated it.
I like these recs and I like your straight-forward style. It’s nice when Booktubers actually have some knowledge of their subject, instead of just giddy, reactive emoting. Frankenstein is in my top 5 books of all time and I also love Solaris and all things LeGuin, so on the strength of that similar taste I’ll be checking out some of these older recs. Thanks man!
For me, it's Jack Vance all the way. Vance not only is an extremely proficient writer, his humour also is unsurpassed. All his descriptions are totally believable however weird the worlds, creatures or situations are. His economy of words, dialogues, pace.... Vance is nr1 for me. Great content, keep it up. I'll read some of your suggestions.
Never felt the urge to actually read "Frankenstein"... until now. Thx. (I did totally enjoy reading Blood Music. Glad to see it made the list.)
It's a fantastic book. His comments reflected my own thoughts almost exactly.
Thank you for sharing your favorite sci-fi novels and why you like them. There were a couple I don't recall reading, but I'll check them out asap.
My favorites are Asimov's Foundation trilogy and Blish's Cities in Flight tetralogy. They address the human condition so powerfully that I've read them several times over the years.
I finished Solaris a few weeks ago and since then I can't seem to enjoy any other book. It was such a great journey that if you tell me that I'll never be able to read any other book ever I'll be fine just remembering how great Solaris is.
Thanks for the awesome recommendations. Lots of my favourites plus some I’d never heard of. Just bought City and The Mote
the Dune experience STARTS when you read Messiah. It really feels like going from a film adaptation of a story to reading the book, the amount it adds. You'll get that lingering reflection with the next ones.
Messiah was awesome. Im in the group that didnt like Children of Dune though. Nothing wrong with it objectively. I just wasn't a fan of the direction it went with Leto
@@Gruso57 interesting, I loved Children and really like Leto’s story but I’m reading God Emperor and it’s being rough. I hope it gets better.
I dunno... by the time it turns into space nuns vs space whores and hey, it's duncan idaho! I kinda started wondering what the hoopla was all about.
@@iamme1743 God Emperor is as far as I've gotten in the series, but it is the one that has stuck with me the most. I think about the depth of sacrifice required to achieve/preserve the Golden Path a lot.
@NRG I took around 1 year to read the first 3 books. And think the first has the most simple story with the most boring writing, so I’d definitely go for the other 2. If you feel you want to know what happens with the universe keep reading 4, 5 and 6. But I think the third can be seen as the last part of the main story. And again, Children was my favorite by far.
Great! Found your channel today and also something to put on my eternal, never-ending TBR Pile. Keep Going, growing and reading! :)
Thanks for sharing. You gave a voice to several feelings I had while reading a few of these books. I can’t wait to dive into to several of your recommendations. Cheers -
Nice to see Jack Vance high on the list, though I am one of those who don't consider him science fiction. His books are really fantasy wrapped superficially in sci-fi trappings, but the real reason to read Vance is to admire his rarely-equaled ability at English prose. Very few people who ever lived could fully utilize a sentence for effect as well as he could.
I agree. But much like other SF writers of his time, I find the actual stories less interesting and quite often feel like pulp dressed up to the nines. I really enjoy reading Frederik Pohl, but then I get really disappointed by his endings. ...oh, oh, except for Gateway!
Well, he did do a lot of science fiction as well. He's great at building human societies with a twist somewhere. As for his prose, it's unique and instantly recognizable. Nobody even comes close to his style.
One of the all time greats, one of the greatest endings of a book was that of "The Face"
@@Warstub The Gateway series is some really good near-future world-building, and very solid characters with relatable problems. As for Vance, he's one of the most distinctive stylists I've ever read. All I have by him is a collection of short stories, and I only have the vaguest of impressions of any of his novels. But I find the concepts as well as the characters stay with me.
I've read thirteen of these, and met seven of the authors. (Aldiss, Bear, Bester Herbert, Niven and Pournelle, Vinge).
I tell folks to read Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune as one _long_ novel, which is how they were conceived, and think about whether to read the rest. They are very much products of their time, with Ecology the thing everyone talked about. A weakness for me was that I didn't believe an interstellar empire based on Arabian Feudalism was possibe, or that it could have persisted if it did, but "Buy the premise, buy the story".
I knew Bester back when, and he was a charming and engaging fellow. His previos novel "The Dmolished Man" is arguably better as a work of literature, but The Stars My Destination is a delightful romp. Bester was the most skilled and flamboyant technician in SF..He could make words sit up and beg, roll over, and play dead. Looked at closely, TSMD does not hold up, but Bester's sheer velocity keeps you engaed, and it's not till after you put thew book down that you say "Wait a minute..."
I knew a filmmaker back then who wanted to make a film ot TSMD in the worst way, but didn't see getting funding. (He assumed about $20 million in the 70s.) I knew Bester and put hin in touch. Alfie said the book had been pretty much continuosly optioned, but no one else ever got financing, so.. With modern technology it would be a lot easier to actally make.(Who would you cast as Gully Foyle?)
I prefer LeGuin's "The Left Hand of Darkness" to "The Dispossed". The Dispossed suffered from authorial stacking of the deck. The idyllic (from LeGuin's POV) anarcho-commnist society only existed because Annares was resource poor, and there was just about enough to go around. It simply wasn't possible to accumulate significantly greater wealth than others. The society on Urras was less believable for other reasons. The bit where Sheek's assigned servant breaks character and says "Please sir, save us from the masters" had me nearly throw the book across the room, and my politics were a lot closer to LeGuin's back then.Her villians were the sort of top hatted cigar smoking fat cats protrayed in cartoons in thtngs like "The Masses", but that view wasn't correct back whenTthe Masses was in publication, let alone in the 70s.
TLHoD was simply stunning, and turned a lot of assumptions about gender and sex roles on their heads. LeGuin commented in later years that were she to make a revion, it would be use of female pronouns throughout, as a more accurate depiction of the actuall state of affairs,
Norstrilia is simply wonderful. Cordwainer Smith was a pseudonym for Paul Linebarger, who was a fascinating person in real lie and merits Looking Stuff Up. It's a shame Linebarger died before completing the full story. The speculations I've seen hinted ar a religios climax, as an underpinning to the idea that the Underpeople were just as much people as the normal humans of the Insrtumentality.
Simak was SF's pastoralist, with most works inrural settings. His approach is one I can be claassify as "gentle". I also push "WyStation" and "Time is the Simplest Thing".I also loved the bit in IIRC, The Goblin Reservation, where a University English Department is mad at the Department of Temporial Studies, because the Temporarl Studies folks had n ot only proved Shakespeare ddid _not_ write the palys attributed to him, but bought Will himself forward in time to lecture about it.
My favorie Alsiss work is probably "Barefoot in the Head" set in a future Europe where a war fought with psychedlic agents has left everyone stoned out of their minds., But Hothouse is wonderful. The notion of an Earth whose rotation has changed, and the moon is closer and stationary reltive to Earth, and connected by webs crafted by giant spiders is compelling
I know Vinge a bit, and adored A Fire Upon the Deep. But he had to back away a bit from the concept in followups. The problem with the use of the Singularity Vinge posited (expressed as "What happens hwen your machines are smarter than you are?") is that by definition, you don't and can't know what's in the other side, and Vinge couldn't see a likely outcome. Wonderful book, though. I did once ask him whether it was possible for organic lifeforms to Transcxend, and he siad the Puppies might be able to. I also wondered, given the premise, whether things were possible in deep intergalac tic space beyond that of the Transcend in the Milky Way in the book. He hoped so. :-)
Super cool insights, thanks !
Great channel, thanks for sharing! I got a few new ones added to my list from this video, thanks :)
I'm on the second book in the Dark Tower series at the moment, really enjoying it so far!
I've never seen one of of your episodes before. I finished it wiith12 to 13 new books to read .. or re read.
You hooked me by mentioning "The Stars My Destination" which I first read in the mid 1950s when I 8 ir so. I still recall how great it was after your reminder. Also I recently reread The War of the Worlds and like you I realized how good it was. I had forgotten all about The Red Weed!
I'm taking on your list as a new reading project. Cheers!
Thanks for putting together this video and doing it in such a ways as not to spoil the stories. With such a wide variety of topics and styles, I should be able to find something I really like in there!