Notes from a year of reading science fiction and fantasy [potentially minor spoilers]
Notes from a year of reading science fiction and fantasy [potentially minor spoilers]
Below are books I've read over the last year, with notes about on what I thought of them. I started this list just to remind me what the books were about and if I thought they were worth reading. As the year went on, my notes became a little more substantial. The list was for me, but I thought I'd share in case it's useful to anyone. I recognize that it's very subjective.
Project Hail Mary, Weir Don't want to describe it even a little because spoilers would spoil; it's a book you should read without knowing anything. It's really good.
Fall, Stephenson Billionaire scanned into a digital world, and the people around him in the real world. Interesting and thought-provoking.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Gaiman Little boy stumbles upon old magic and an old evil. Really good.
The Ultimate Earth, Williamson Children on the moon are the latest in a long series of clones watching over the facility there, generations after the earth has all but forgotten them. A historian visits them.
The first four Discworld books, Pratchett Silly fun - disc-shaped world that sits atop four elephants that stand on a giant turtle riding through space. Each book is in the world, but separate stories with mostly separate characters. Lots of magic, lots of humor.
Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge, Resnick Long after humans are extinct, a group of alien archeologists uncover the origins and stories of mankind through the stories told by artifacts found in Olduvai gorge. Very unusual.
A Memory Called Empire, Martine Galactic empire space opera. Ambassador from a large space station to the central planet of the empire has an old copy of her predecessor implanted in her head - a technology user for generations by the station people but not known to the empire. She wants to solve the mystery of her predecessor's death. Character-driven discs opera.
A Desolation Called Peace, Martine Sequel to prior. Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass help the empire confront an alien that. Good.
The first six Murderbot Diaries books, Wells Security unit - sort of a cyborg combination of a robot and cloned human tissue - has hacked the part that forces it to comply. It mostly wants to watch soap operas, but finds itself rescuing humans. Surprisingly funny and heartwarming. Mostly novellas, so quick reads.
The Kingston Cycle trilogy, Polk Edwardian setting where magic is real but people are put in institutions for it if discovered. Each book from the vantage point of a different person, the first a psychologist who uses his powers to help his patients and seeks to discover why a witch was murdered. First is best, but all are good.
Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Sword & Ancillary Mercy (imperial radch trilogy), Leckie From the perspective of a warship AI dealing with a galactic empire. Feels like it could have been an inspiration for murderbot. Good.
Annihilation, Vandermeer A biologist is a member of a team trying to figure out what's happening in an area where investigative teams generally don't return from. Strangely paced, like a Lovecraft story. Wouldn't recommend to everyone. Very weird.
Gideon the Ninth, Muir Girl raised by necromancers sent to protect the head of her world as they try to unlock the secrets of an old world. Surprised by how much I liked it.
The Spare Man, Kowal The Thin Man in space - murder mystery on a space-going cruise ship. Not very deep, but enjoyable.
Piranesi, Clark Man Who lives in a world that is entirely a castle with endless halls and rooms, populated by just one other person, trying to understand his world. Interesting.
All Clear, Willis Sequel to Blackout - historians from Oxford in 2060 use time travel to see events surrounding WWII in person, but something is wrong. Not as light as some of her books, but very good.
Blind Lake, Wilson Reporters visiting a facility that uses incomprehensible AI-written systems to view life on a planet 50 light years away get caught in a lockdown that separates the people of the facility from the rest of the world. Very interesting.
Nettle and Bone, Kingfisher Fantasy - princess is sent to a convent, and eventually sets out to kill a powerful man who deserves it. Very enjoyable, and manages to be fun while also being dark.
Harrow the Ninth Sequel to Gideon the Ninth. First half is very confusing. Not an easy book to read, but well crafted and interesting.
WWW: Wake, Sawyer Blind teenage girl gets a computerized implant to restore her sight and ends up connected to a budding consciousness in webspace. Neat idea and an easy read but some parts felt unrealistic or cheesy.
The Graveyard Book, Gaiman Boy is raised in a graveyard by ghosts, protected by something else. Maybe written for teens, but wonderful regardless.
The Three Body Problem, Liu Strange things are happening in the scientific community in China. Interesting premise and an unusual book, but some things felt very unrealistic.
Saturn’s Children, Stross Humans built conscious robots to explore and develop the solar system, but they long outlast the now-extinct human race. Intrigue as one such robot gets in over her head.
The Anomaly, Le Tellier A plane from Paris to New York takes off in March and lands after severe turbulence. Then the same plane, with the same people, lands again in June. Thought provoking with well drawn characters.
The Daughter of Dr. Moreau, Moreno-Garcia Same/similar setting as The Island of, but focused on the daughter of the doctor as he conducts his experiments and his patron grows dissatisfied. Enjoyable.
Leviathan Wakes, Corey First book of The Expanse series. A war starting between people of earth, people who settled Mars, and people who settled the asteroid belt and stations. A missing person, and something strange happening. Really good.
Caliban’s War, Corey Second Expanse book. A protomolecule-based monster/soldier kills a bunch of other soldiers and everyone thinks some other government is responsible. Also very good.
Halting State, Stross A bank robbery inside an online game gets the attention of the cops - and a lot of other people. Written in 2007, set in 2017. Very interesting, even just for its take on technology.
Glasshouse, Stross In a distant future with ubiquitous wormhole technology, a man recovers from self-chosen radical memory deletion and joins a 30+ year experiment, but things aren't what they seem.
System Collapse, Wells 7th of the Murderbot Diaries. Starting basically where the 6th book ends, what to do with the colonists on the alien-infected planet, and what a rival company is trying to do.
2024
The Cloud Roads, Wells Fantasy about a loaner who can shape shift into a sort of dragon and doesn't know that he is. Enjoyable.
Passage, Willis A psychologist studying people who have had near death experiences joins a research project where they're induced, trying to figure out what they're for, what they mean. Good, but like a lot of Connie Willis books, there are too many people missing each other and too many misunderstandings. Still, very touching.
Gods of Risk, Corey Book 2.7 of The Expanse (novella). Bobby's nephew gets caught up in making drugs. Very short. Good.
Sundiver, Brin Written in 1980, the first of the Uplift series. Set in a time when humans have found there are many other intelligent, space-fairing beings in the galaxy, but nearly all were “uplifted" by another race. Everyone debates whether humans were uplifted and then abandoned by some unknown race, or are a very rare case of natural evolution. All this is the backdrop, or the fabric, of a story about the discovery of life in the sun.
Transition State, Leckie Set in the same universe as the Imperial Radch trilogy, with a couple minor characters from that as minor characters here. A guy is found abandoned on a ship as a baby, raised by adoptive parents, but is always strange (including urges to dissect people that he never acts on). Who he actually is might shake the empire, including the treaty that keeps aliens from destroying humans. Really good.
The Serpent Sea, Wells Second book of the Raksura series. The tribe (blanking on the word used internally) relocate to their ancestry home, a special giant tree, but it's dying because its seed was stolen. They go looking for it and get into trouble. Good.
Abaddon’s Gate, Corey Book 3 of The Expanse series. Rocinante crew gets hired to take a documentary crew to the ring made by the Venus protomolecule. All the other governments are sending ships too. Julie's sister Clarissa plots revenge for her father.
Hominids, Sawyer In an alternate universe, a neanderthal quantum physicist doing an experiment ends up marooned in our universe. A weird little bit of religion in the middle, but pretty interesting overall and fun to read about the speculative modern neanderthal society.
The Time Ships, Baxter Authorized sequel to “The Time Machine," by H.G. Wells. It's strange, in a way, because I of course read Wells’ work in the modern era, though it was written in 1914. Part of the charm was reading his notions of time and his commentary on class divides from this time a hundred years later, when the author has no knowledge of what happened in the intervening century. Baxter’s sequel is written from this modern era, but from the perspective of the same protagonist. Many of the advances in the sciences are captured, but it feels oddly artificial to have them observed by our early 1900s hero. Still, it's a very ambitious book, with a very broad scope, and much more commentary on the nature of man. Well worth reading.
Beggars in Spain, Kress People gene modified to no longer require sleep basically become a separate race of people. Lots of commentary on socialism, community, charity, racism, individuality, and more. Very thought provoking.
Humans, Sawyer Sequel to Hominids. A love story and a commentary on our world as seen through the eyes of a different version. Also more on the neanderthal version of it. As an ex Catholic, having a main character be matter of factly Catholic feels weird. Enjoyable sequel though.
Blindsight, Watts Strange first contact story with an enigmatic alien and a spectrum of technology-modified humans. A lot of it is an exploration of what it means to have consciousness or intelligence, and of how we're affected by language and communication. Not sure I'd call it enjoyable, but very interesting. Not a fluff piece by any means.
Startide Rising, Brin Sequel to Sundiver, set a couple hundred years later. A ship crewed by humans and dolphins has found something that could have major ramifications for the galactic races, so they're all fighting each other to get the earthlings. Very good, has aged well. Side note: I'm certain I read it when it came out in paperback, but I didn't remember it at all.
The Churn, Corey Book 3.5 of the Expanse series, a novella. Back story of Amos in Baltimore. It would have been a very different experience reading if I hadn't seen the series version - it couldn't disguise a main character because you actually see them. Semi-avoiding spoilers.
Leech, Ennes A doctor, one of many that share a group mind due to a parasite, finds its predecessor killed by a different type of parasite. Very strange, pretty dark. Thought provoking.
The Siren Depths, Wells Third book of the Raksura series. Moon’s birth court wants him back, against his will, and there's a danger facing everyone. Just as good as the prior books.
Starter Villain, Scalzi Down on his luck young man inherits his uncle's villain business. Quick, fun read. Funny!
The Host, Meyer Alien possession told from the POV of the compassionate alien. It turns out that I'm a little bit of a book snob because, as I opened the book on my Kindle and saw the blurb about it being by the author of the Twilight series (sparkly vampires), I almost abandoned it. I decided to at least start it and… I didn't hate it. The SF aspects of the story are actually pretty interesting and thought provoking. Given my understanding that Meyer is basically a romance novelist, I was surprised that the part I connected with the least well was the romance part - it's described as way overly physical (this body loves that person or could never love that other person).
Provenance, Leckie In the Imperial Radch series. Daughter in a scheming family tries a scheme of her own and gets mixed up in issues that span worlds and races. Interesting. Feels like a side story, which I guess it is.
Nona the Ninth, Muir Third of the Locked Tomb series, following Harrow the Ninth. I loved the first book, didn't love the second (challenging, interesting, not sure it was enjoyable), and liked this one better. Ending needed to be reread a couple times - confusing - but overall an interesting book.
Perdido Street Station, Meiville Elements of SF and fantasy. Set in a Victorian world (future earth, or maybe an alternate one) populated by humans and many races of aliens, some more alien than others, a scientist is hired by a bird person to give him back fight after his wings were removed as a punishment by his people. While working the problem, the scientist releases something truly horrible. It's a really evocative world and story, well imagined and well told. It brings up a lot of sadness, horror, and pity for its characters that didn't really stop, so not exactly a fun read. Long, but good.
The Watchmen, Moore Graphic novel about masked heroes being popular, then outlawed, then being systematically eliminated. Gritty, odd. It deals a lot with what constitutes the greater good and what compromises are reasonable.
How to live safely in a science fictional universe, Yu A time machine repair technician, hiding from life, tries to find his father who disappeared ten years prior, after almost inventing time travel. Amusing, short, quick read.
The City & The City, Mieville A murder victim is found in a European city that shares geography with another city. The cities aren't separated by physical borders, they overlay and are separated by more of a psychic border, and crossing from one to the other that way, breaching, is a serious crime. The detective investigating the murder uncovers things that could shake the fabric of both cities, and he has to work with a detective in the sister city to solve the crime. Very unusual and imaginative premise. Very compelling story.
The Sirens of Titan, Vonnegut It's Vonnegut, so it's hard to know where to start. The richest man in the world tries to avoid a life that's predicted for him. It doesn't go the way he envisioned either way. Lots of commentary on morality, friendship, religion, love. Not flattering commentary on any of those things.
Neptune's Brood, Stross Set in the same universe as Saturn’s Children. A banker/historian chasing down old debts finds much more than she bargained for and gets many factions out for her blood, including her mother. Lots of good speculation on a galactic society without FTL travel, composed of people who are fabricated, not Born.
The Scar, Meiville Following Perdido Street Station, but not in the city and with different characters. A translator fleeing the city gets pulled into a series of unfolding conflicts while she tries to find a way home, or at least to save it. Lots of layers, and commentary on trust and manipulation.
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Chambers A clerk running away from family on Mars signs onto a ship that builds wormholes, and gets a new family in the process. After recently reading books by Meiville, Vonnegut, and others, this was a more hopeful, loving story. The explanation for why all the aliens look like various earth species felt kind of thin, but it's a good story with strong relationships.
Children of Time, Tchaikovsky A project to uplift monkeys on a terraformed world, at the peak of human civilization, is sabotaged by people who don't think humans should play god. There follows a human civil war that nearly destroys civilization. A couple thousand years later, an ark ship of human remnants leaving an uninhabitable earth is heading towards that terraformed planet. This is a great book, with lots to say on intelligence, the nature of people, and both the fragility and heartiness of life.
Off to bestoflemmy with you.
I have some old school recommendations for you: The Fire Upon the Deep - Vernor Vinge (if you want to commit to a series) - Consider Phlebas - Iain Banks (be warned, this might bend your mind) The Peace War - also Vernor Vinge Rendezvous with Rama - Arthur C Clark
Good recommendations, I've read all of them except Banks. Remember, this list is just the last year. There were several years prior where I wasn't reading much, but before that I was reading a fair amount (not as much as now). I really liked Fire Upon the Deep.
Thanks for posting this. I've added a few to my list.
Great, tell us what you liked!
If you liked Scalzi, I highly recommend Old Man's War if you haven't read it. I've only read first one, so I can't speak to the rest of the series, but I really enjoyed the kind of gritty starship troopers-esq vibe laced with humor and realistic characters.
The first sequel is worth a read. Subsequent ones are weaker, IMO.
Hmmm okay, I have not read that one. Thanks for the recommendation.
Fall and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, sounds like good ones I am going to add to my list.
Sadly, I cannot wipe my memory to listen to Project hail Mary again :(
Those are both really excellent, even among many other great books.
There's a lot more to Peter Watts, with the Rifters trilogy in particular.
Thanks for sharing this list ; about everything I enjoyed recently is there, so I'm saving this as "I should probably like most of them". Martha Wells, Becky Chambers, and Ann Leckie - Leckie is fab. I get your point about Connie Willis, but her portrayal of London's wartime is poignant.
One author that didn't do for me is
SergeiDavid Brin. I like the themes, I can't go though the books (uplift).And anyone feeling overwhelmed by your olympic-grade S-F nerdery should just pick any John Scalzi book and stop worrying.
I feel that what makes hard sci-fi interesting is not necessarily the plot but the exploration of the themes and the imagery that they prompt you to develop. They tend to be very densely packed with thought-provoking ideas. I remember reading Greg Egan and having to stop all the time to think about a paragraph.
It doesn't help that they use a lot of scientific and technological terms. You must have a very good grasp of the language to enjoy this genre. It took me about a decade after starting to read English scifi in original to be able to read it properly. Thankfully the mainstream classics are a lot more accessible.
It's funny you say they tend to be thought provoking: I was a little embarrassed by how often I used that phrase in my descriptions when I was proof reading the list to post it here. I for sure agree with you though.
Hard SF trends to be more full of the scientific terms that softer SF, I guess obviously enough. And I do like hard SF, so there's a lot on the list
With David Brin's Uplift books, I'd just start with Startide Rising. It's not so much a sequel to Sundiver, but another standalone book set in the same universe. There's a couple of very minor references to Sundiver, but you're not really missing anything if you haven't read it going into Startide Rising.
While Startide Rising is fantastic and is probably one of my favorite sci-fi books, I found Sundiver just wasn't that good. It's not really bad per se, but it was David Brin's first novel and that really shows and has some issues with pacing, an unreliable narrator, and things like that (IMHO). It's also more of a mystery/detective novel set in space whereas Startide Rising is space opera, so the whole feel of the two books is very different and can just boil down to what sort of books you like.
I actually had read Startide Rising twice without even knowing Sundiver existed before looking it up online and realizing it was the second book in a series. I'll probably pick up Startide Rising for another re-read sometime in the future, but for Sundiver once is probably enough.
The third book The Uplift War, is also quite good, and similar to the other two it's more of another standalone book that's set in the same universe, with some minor references to the previous two. I wasn't as much of a fan of the last three books - they are a trilogy more than a standalone books, and you'd probably want to have read the previous three books before tackling them (or at the very least, Startide Rising) because things aren't going to make a lot of sense if you just jump right in. I found them a long read and they got really weird at the end. Like Sundiver I'd say once is enough for books 4-6 too.
Thank you for taking your time about this. I will make sure to give Startide a go, since as I said, I like the themes but couldn't go through Sundiver actually.
I actually think I read Startide Rising first too, though it was decades ago and I don't remember why. Those are the only books on this list that were a reread. I have a friend who was a somewhat known science fiction reviewer and would suggest books for me; my guess is he felt the same as you.
I should note that I really, really like Connie Willis, it's just that book that got on my nerves a bit, and maybe because she's done the same thing in others. I loved Bellwether, To Say Nothing of the Dog, and others in that universe.
By the way, it's David Brin. I love him, but I get that not every author clicks with every person.
Children of Time is amazing. Tchaikovsky writes incredibly alien species despite the fact that non of the creatures in that book are even aliens.
Project Hail Mary is probably my favorite Sci Fi book period. Apparently they are making a movie adaptation with Ryan Gosling. After The Martian I am thoroughly hyped for that
It's funny, I almost said in my post that the first book and the last book on the list (those two) might be my favorites. The reason I didn't is because I just finished reading Children of Time last night and it's hard to compare such a fresh read with things I read a year ago. But I very much agree with you.
I have never heard of Leech (Ennes) or Starter Villain (Scalzi) but both sound intriguing in completely different ways. It's been a while but you might just have gotten me to start reading something longer form again.
Also, massive props for not just including some of the main books in the series starting with Leviathan Wakes but for also including Gods of Risk and The Churn on here. The Expanse is so compelling that those novellas really add an extra something special!
Those are both well worth reading. You'll plow through Starter Villain, it's a fast read. Leech is a different kind of book. Odd, but I like odd.
It's strange, I really like The Expanse books but, as you might have noticed, I've sort of stalled on them. Every time I finish a book and go to grab a new one, I see book 5 (Nemesis Games) and always end up grabbing something else. I'm sure I'll get to it, but I'm not hungry for it. I watched the series, so knowing what happens might be part of it. I did enjoy the novellas though, and I'm glad I'm reading those in sequence.
I think that's definitely one of the reasons Leech sounds so intriguing to me, I kind of just want to see how the unified consciousness is written as the main (instead of a side character) and as a parasite instead of a collective, especially in such an unusual mystery plot -- it's so different that I figure I gotta satiate that curiosity. After carefully checking out some non-spoiler reviews, I'm gonna go for that one first since I feel like I might need something light and fun like Starter Villain to recover afterward.
And I am with you on The Expanse books and 100% think it's because we watched the show first -- especially since that show brought the actual authors of the books into the writers room for the entire series (for anyone stumbling across this that are confused, the author "James S.A. Corey" is actually a pseudonym for the two people that wrote the books, Ty Corey Franck and Daniel Abraham). With the actual creators, plus an incredible showrunner that really helped them navigate how to keep the heart and stability of their story world while making some necessary changes for the medium, translated extremely well to screen.
But that also means we've essentially gone through the three main things that makes The Expanse so compelling already (at least to me):
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First, the careful balance between "science" and "fiction" that considers so many details. It makes it realistic and believable while also understanding it's an epic fictional story. Stuff like the muscle difference of people depending on how much gravitational force they grew up with is fascinating, with Belters having lived their lives in low gravity stations and Martian military training extra hard in order to withstand the same level of gravity that Earthers are naturally conditioned to. Normally that would be extremely fascinating to read, but because the show did such a fantastic job at explaining it, it was more of a nod and an appreciation for the elaboration on the effects of it.
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Then, the characters. Even with the differences, it's easy to see why so many people that read the books before the show ended up embracing the cast in its entirety after being initially put off. While Amos and Bobbie look a little more beastly in the books, most anyone that was initially put off admitted that the actor for Amos ended up being so true to that guy that him being too pretty for the part quickly faded from their minds. Same thing with Bobbie, as realistically the fact that casting found an actress with the height, ethnicity, muscle and real-world competitive fight experience to come close to the Bobbie character in the book is a miracle in itself (and my bias for having a massive crush on Frankie Adams as well as every actress in the show). For that reason, for the most part, instead of being fascinated by Amos' adjusting and growing, Bobbie's Martian education and patriotism and her exposure to the reality of the universe, and just wanting more Avasarala dialogue, it's kind of just reminding you why they are such fascinating characters instead of pulling you in to understand them -- after the show, in a lot of ways, we already were captivated at unraveling these people and already have done so.
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Finally, the most compelling thing for me was the need to know WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! There are political stakes, thriller sequences, tough decisions, all done with the grace that causes someone to say "I can't stop now, just one more episode" or "just one more chapter" and keep going. Because of the show, we, for the most part, already know what's going to happen.
I found the books to be very well written, but with these three main draws already having played out in the show, they didn't give me that addictive rush I usually get from a good book that turns me into a page-flipping fiend that just can't put the damn thing down. That said, the elaboration is fantastic. I was confused by the guns on the space station in the show initially since they don't explain there is different ammo until either near the end of the first season or even later. When the books clarified, in satisfying detail, the plastic gyro rounds used on space stations that are designed to puncture human flesh but not pierce the walls of a space station, and that normal bullets are still used in other environments, was great. All this stuff about reducing gun recoil for use in space, etc., all were a treat to read. Even when not perfect, the added details on top of the thought they put into trying to convey some realistic use of the laws of physics, etc., elevates the believability of the books to a new level. Other than that, it is a lot of just "spot the difference" for us that have seen the show. It's interesting to say "oh okay so this is different from the show but I see how they're going to get there still" or "ah so they must have realized these events weren't enough to justify adding another character on the show with limited screentime, so they just rolled that character's actions into Camina Drummer's character, which worked well." Extra tech, characters, bigger differences, etc., are all nice to bring you in closer to this story universe I love so much, but at the end of the day the need-to-know stuff is mostly already in our memories.
I also think that's why, like you, I really enjoyed the novellas. They added so much extra to a story universe that I didn't want to leave yet. The Churn was actually the first thing I read because the reveal of [redacted]'s upbringing was so eye opening that finding out there was a novella further explaining just what made this person who they are today felt like a must-read addition to such an interesting character.
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Great list, thanks for putting together.
Assuming I don't want to wade through spoilers, what has been hot over the last year?
You know, I'm not the one to ask. My reading list jumps around the decades and I don't necessarily even notice unless they're really old.
Let's see, Nettle & Bone won the 2023 Hugo, and also from my list Nona the Ninth, The Daughter of Dr. Moreau, and The Spare Man were nominees, so those all got a lot of talk. Nona is the third in a series.
The 2024 nominees are out, but the winner not yet announced. From my list, Starter Villain and Translation State are nominated. Translation State is well into a series.
All of those are great. Spare Man and Starter Villain are fluffier than the others.
I’m not the one to ask
Delivers in fine style
By the way, though I said "possible spoilers" in my title, I don't think anything I said gives away an important plot point that you don't get in the first chapter or wouldn't see on the dust jacket. My wife sometimes looks for a recommendation, so I had a thought that she might read the list and I didn't want to ruin anything for her. I think you could probably read it safely.
The City & The City (China Mieville) is a book I remember being captivated by. Not sure what happened to my copy (think I must've donated it during some purge or other), but - yeah - it's something I want to read again at some point.
My favourite SF author is Iain M Banks, which I was surprised to not see on your list. I think my favourite book is another bit of Scottish Sci-fi: Learning the World, by Ken MacLeod.
Where should I start with Banks?
Most of my reading list is seeded from the Hugo and Nebula nominee lists or other "best of" lists. Not really sure what Banks is known for - I tend to not go in for alternate histories or military fiction. I certainly don't have an aversion, he just hasn't ended up on my lists.
And this isn't everything I've read, just the past year, through there were many years when I was reading very little. I don't think I've read Banks before though.
Several people told me to skip Consider Phlebas & start with the next one, The Player of Games. I did that & found it perfectly accessible & enjoyable. Haven't read any others yet.
Player of Games features a civilization that is both congenial & incredibly high tech. There is a satisfying exploration of sci-fi board games, including a game with a ludicrously complex board that stretches over several tennis courts. I liked it.
He's mostly known for the 'Culture' series of novels. His writing was a reaction to how dystopian sci-fi had become, and so the Culture depicts a Utopian society with no money, no work, super-intelligent machines and a human lifespan of about 400 years. The stories mostly come about from their meddling with other civilizations. They can be read in any order - the nerdiest one is Excession, which I like a lot. He wrote non-culture sci-fi too (of which I'd recommend The Algebraist, nommed for a Hugo in 2005).
@AFKBRBChocolate @andrew_s @sciencefiction
Consider Phlebas
I had not been into sci-fi when I got to the end of all the Iain Banks' books, and loved them all, so got this one and it blew my mind.
Have almost exclusively read sci-fi since then...
Look up old time short story gods R. A. Lafferty and Howard Waldrop
You read a lot!
Thank you for writing all that. I was looking to add some books to my list and its surprising how helpful it is to just get one person's opinion on a ton of books like that.
If you had to pick one (or a few) book(s) from this that you consider 'must-reads' which would you choose?
There might not be any on that list that I regret reading, so no terrible choices. As I mentioned to someone else, the first (Hail Mary) and the last (Children of Time) are among my favorites. Some of the really great ones are also kind of soul crushing - opposite of uplifting - but those two are just all around great.
One book that's not on the list because I read it before last year, but that I like to recommend, is Replay by Griswald. It tends to be one that people haven't heard of, but every single person I've recommended it to has come back to tell me how much they liked it. It's kind of a time travel story with a twist.
Nice find of Stross. Have you checked out his "Laundry files" ? An absolute marvel according to me :-)
I haven't! But I like him as you can tell by his many of his I've read in the last year. I'm sure I'll get there.
Big agree about Harrow the Ninth. It is a very challenging read and if you liked the series enough I strongly suggest to re-read Harrow. Really all of them. The Locked Tomb series is a mystery/horror series where the last 1/3-1/4 reveals most of the mysteries you could have puzzled out by reading it. So they are a lot of fun to re-read and catch all the clues you missed the first time. Especially with the knowledge of what happens later (Book 3: Nona really explains a lot of world-building stuff that makes the earlier setting make more sense. Did you know cows look at the sunset?)
But Harrow is another beast in this vein. For anyone reading it for the first time or wanting to: Harrow is told from an extremely unreliable narrator who is processing immense trauma and incredibly esoteric magic. Not all of the events are happening at the time the book suggests (flash backs and forwards are not called out) and the narrator doesn't always know either. The end really ties it all together with a coffin lid.
Yeah, I'm glad I read it, I'm just not sure I can say I enjoyed reading it. Somewhat satisfying by the end, but the process was tough. And I agree it would be interesting to reread, but I still have so many on my list.
I really, really liked Gideon, and I was kind of dubious based on the description, so I was excited to start Harrow, which might have added to my frustration.
thank you for posting!
I've been looking for something like this, and judging by the inclusions on this list I've already read, I'm guessing I'll enjoy most of the others as well!
now I'll be busy for the foreseeable future, which is nice :)
Glad to hear it, I was hoping it might serve that purpose for someone.
Saved, this is a large list and not just recent bestsellers. Definitely worth its salt.
Amazing list, definitely saving.
Regarding The Churn, does it not tell you you're following Amos for awhile or something? I've only seen the show. I'm guessing it's his criminal upbringing right? Pretty interesting idea to hide it's him, imo.
You might put that behind a spoiler.
spoiler
No, in the book you're following someone with a different name and who isn't introduced as Amos. You might figure it out part way through, but it isn't made clear until the end. In the show you couldn't do that because you could see him.
I was sucked up big time by Project Hail Mary, the Children of Time series is nice too, currently reading the third book, had to stop reading Hyperion because Sol Weintraub's story made me cry uncontrollably (as a father), A Canticle for Leibowitz is nice, highly recommend The Swarm by Frank Schatzing, seems kinda boring, but it was highly captivating read for me, highly accurate fact wise and the main premise is a very interesting idea
I've read A Canticle for Leibowitz, but probably 30 years ago and I don't remember much more than I liked it. Probably time to reread. Never read The Swarm - just looked it up and it sounds interesting.
I'll for sure read the sequels to Children of Time; I really liked that book.
The expanse: I first watched the show and found out that the story continues in the books. So I started reading the books from start to finish in rapid time. The show is good but the books are on another level. I also liked that the show's story is different than the books.
I haven't noticed too many differences. Good books through.
Just keep reading reading the other books, you'll see 🙂
I would also like to recommend Hyperion Cantos. Really awesome books.
I've read them, when they first came out (well, when they came out in paperback). I've forgotten a lot about them, but I thought they were good.
That is,,, a lotta books! Thanks for the tips.
I’m a big Stephenson enjoyer, what authors would you say are similar in your opinion?
Off hand, the only Stephenson novels I can think of that I've read are Snow crash, Seveneves, and Fall. All of them are excellent, but they're very different from each other, so it's hard to think of another author that's similar.
All that being said, you might try Project Hail Mary, by Weir, and maybe Saturn's Children by Stross.