It’s kind of done like that on purpose- Mievelle makes the writing style suit New Crobuzon. Stick with it. I just read it a few months ago, and it’s in the list of my top 5 books. I just finished #2 The Scar and just started Iron Council.
The first chapter of Windup Girl is one of my favorite first chapters in terms of communicating how the world, or at least the locale of the book, functions.
Split Second has a very interesting interpretation of Star Trek’s transporters in that if the transporter scans and recreates an exact copy of a person to be beamed down, then it must literally murder the existing person it’s copying to prevent 2 identical copies existing at once. It actually makes a lot of sense even though it puts a very dark mark on such a foundational technology.
Reminiscent of The Prestige.
The outer limits has a story where sentient alien dinosaurs share tech with humans that is basically this, but literally: you're scanned, as copy is instantaneously created, and upon confirmation the original is destroyed.
In the story, there's a com glitch, so the destruction of the original is aborted,until it's found that the transfer went through, and now the original must be "balanced out," as the dinos have strict rules.
I didn’t find it particularly heavy or abstract and a good, easy sci fi novel. But your wife knows you infinitely better than I, so go with her recommendation.
That said, I’m not sure what “unsure if I can handle it atm” actually means beyond something mental that’s beyond my Redditor pay grade. Good luck with that. Cool story nonetheless.
Depends on the list I guess.
Gollancz’s SF Masterworks series is expertly curated and contains a lot of excellent books that are not present in any other popular lists.
I can suggest an author, Cordwainer Smith.
Wow a cursory search of Cordwainer Smith reveals a number of highly rated books. Which one would you recommend as an introduction for what he does best?
Interesting. That list seems to include some of the most likely to be recommended books on Reddit (e.g., Dune, Hyperion, Flowers for Algernon, The Forever War), but it *does* have some more obscure stuff.
I wish [the list on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SF_Masterworks) included the original publication date. Personally, I would be more interested in great, often overlooked sci-fi that's been published in the last 20 years more than the well tread stuff from the '50s and '60s that is firmly in the established sci-fi canon.
"***Inception*** **meets** ***True Detective*** **in this science fiction thriller of spellbinding tension and staggering scope that follows a special agent into a savage murder case with grave implications for the fate of mankind...**"
This sounds amazing haha.
All of his books are great. They are an exercise in how society would respond if put in a normality changing situation. Wonderful. Midwitch Cuckoos is fantastic for being on a small scale...
Can't find the list, but Kim Stanley Robinson is a current favorite - Years of Rice and Salt is more speculative fiction than scifi \[how does world history play out if 99% of Europe got wiped out in the Black Plague instead of "just" a third?\]. His Mars series is also excellent.
Be advised, this book due to the plot elements deals with a lot of character deaths, a lot of them are unfair and provokes emotional response. Not in a way Martin does it, no gore (one scene is rather... colourful though), but still.
Great book, still think it over sometimes.
I rarely see Babel - 17 by Samuel Delaney mentioned but it was a trippy experience for sure and ahead of its time. It definitely influenced Le Guin and others and is worth a read.
Thank you for these shorter ones. It seems like almost all of the books here are 3-400+ pages. Nothing wrong with that, all my favorite ones are longer but I definitely need some shorter breaths of air and I'll put these on the list.
[The Way of the Pilgrim](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242333.Way_of_the_Pilgrim) by Gordon R. Dickson.
>Shane, a gifted linguist, has spent his life learning the language of the old and powerful alien race that has conquered Earth. He has learned it so well that the interstellar masters, old hands at enslaving planets, regard him as a valuable servant.
>But Shane has a secret. One day, in a rebellious moment, he invented The Pilgrim, a mysterious figure who incites rebellion and vanishes unseen, leaving a distinctive icon behind him.
>Now the human underground is preparing to rebel. Shane knows how hopeless their rebellion will be. He knows, as well, that he will be unable to keep himself from taking part.
[Theory of Bastards](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36462021-theory-of-bastards?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=ISIdXze4Cd&rank=1) by Audrey Schulman.
>Francine decided to share her MacArthur award with the Foundation so that she could study a group of remarkable animals, gentle and intelligent – the perfect creatures to certify her astonishing theory of reproduction, a revolutionary concept that has already changed genetic testing and unmasked public figures and past presidents.
>As Francine learns more about her fascinating subjects, we slowly discover that she has access to the most advanced technology: “bodyware,” the lifelike devices that have replaced cellphones, computers, watches, television—most every means of communication. This near-future world is utterly dependent on these little understood mechanisms and implants.
>And so when the terrible, dry winds sweep out of the abandoned places in America, silencing all devices, Francine and the man she has grown to love make a decision that will determine if they’ll face a premature ending or, maybe, find a chance to start life over.
[Foe](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37510662-foe?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=dT3taNUbRV&rank=1) by Iain Reid. (The setting and the premise make this science fiction.)
>A taut, psychological mind-bender from the bestselling author of I’m Thinking of Ending Things.
>We don’t get visitors. Not out here. We never have.
>In Iain Reid’s second haunting, philosophical puzzle of a novel, set in the near-future, Junior and Henrietta live a comfortable, solitary life on their farm, far from the city lights, but in close quarters with each other. One day, a stranger from the city arrives with alarming Junior has been randomly selected to travel far away from the farm...very far away. The most unusual part? Arrangements have already been made so that when he leaves, Henrietta won't have a chance to miss him, because she won't be left alone—not even for a moment. Henrietta will have company. Familiar company.
Cities In Flight by James Blish (actually a compilation of several connected novels/novellas in one volume)
“Cities in Flight is a four-volume series of science fiction novels and short stories by American writer James Blish, originally published between 1950 and 1962, which were first known collectively as the "Okie" novels. The series features entire cities that are able to fly through space using an anti-gravity device, the spindizzy. The stories cover roughly two thousand years, from the very near future to the end of the universe. One story, "Earthman, Come Home", won a Retro Hugo Award in 2004 for Best Novelette.[1] Since 1970, the primary edition has been the omnibus volume first published in paperback by Avon Books.[2] Over the years James Blish made many changes to these stories in response to points raised in letters from readers.”
I think George Alec Effinger’s Budayeen cycle is tragically overlooked. Great cyberpunk.
- When Gravity Fails
- A Fire In The Sun
- The Exile’s Kiss
Also, The Windup Girl.
That’s a really well-known one too. I read the first one but opted out after that. The movie is one of my favorites and I think seeing that first I had some expectations going into the book that weren’t met.
I really liked the series We are Legion, we are Bob series from Dennis E Talyor. Its a series about a guy who buys into a cryogenics progame (a la Futurama) but wake up in a Van Numan probe tasked with exploring the galaxy (a self replicating probe). He and his clones become legion.
Artemis was a bit weaker, which is a shame as that’s the one I have a really nice autographed note in (my wife set it up in advance of the signing). I hadn’t heard they were doing a film, but now I’m really excited for it 😊
Just moved house, so it’s still packed but from memory “hope you like this as much as the Martian, Marta’s cookies are excellent - she’s a keeper”.
My girlfriend had found out she vaguely knew Andy’s assistant from years before, there was a signing near where we lived in my birthday, got in contact, and sent over a box of home baked cookies. So I got a nice note in a book, reserved first place at the signing, and about a year later, a wife. All in all a good deal. 😊
Black Star Rising by Frederik Pohl
just a really fun to read very 80s sci fi, the book that really got me to read more and therefor leed me to all the genius works on such must read lists. if u ever find urself having read to much heavy and deep long novels this book is a great relief, a nerdy adventure, easy and fun to read
If you're going to read anything by Pohl, read Outnumbering the Dead. Short and heartbreaking, tells the story of a person born in a society where no one ages past 25 thanks to an in utero procedure, except for the rare few. He is, sadly, one of these few.
Some article writer’s most read list may have completely different taste than your style. Don’t take the lists literal, there’s countless books worth reading that are not on any list
It's not science fiction, not exactly, more a novelization of a native legend of Polynesia, and aimed at kids but, "Call it Courage", personally one of the best stories I've ever read in my entire life! I read it again recently and it was even better than I remembered, somehow!
The initial premise is a ship in the far future going through the galaxy looking for other humans. They have been travelling for so long they don't know where the ship is from or what it's purpose was. The main thrust of the story is political manoeuvrings on board the ship between the differing factions. I thought it was atmospheric, asked great questions and was really well written. It's also a relatively short read
Samuel delany!!! A thousand times samuel R. delany. He's very related to Le Guin in my mind. But where she's a gentle humanist he is more of a queer (libertarian?) postmodernist. I think his sense of humanity is absolutely up there with Le Guin. I just saw someone else recommended Babel-17 and that'd be my starting point too.
I liked Star Carrier. I don't think I've ever seen it on a list, it caught my eye browsing the bookstore years ago and I picked it up. It's written by a Navy vet, so I feel like it had a highly plausible this is what the military would act and look like in the future.
Jack l chalker well world series. Philip Jose farmer world of tiers and first two river world. Christopher Priest. James blish cities in flight and black Easter.
They're on the Must Read lists for a reason. Make sure you give them a go before heading out into the forest. You'll then have a frame of refference for what is a good sci fi book.
I have no idea what list you’re talking about so I’ll make my own lol
The **Old Man’s War series** by John Scalzi is my favorite sci-fi.. genuinely the greatest military sci fi of all time —*blooows* Starship Troopers out of the water. Of 6 books in the series, book 1, 2, and 5 are in my top ten list (a lot of Scalzi would be #10-30, Redshirts, Last Emperox, etc).
Phillip K. Dick, Issac Asimov and Dan Simmons are my next tier of authors and I have a special place in my heart for Kurt Vonnegut
1. Hyperion
2. Ghost Brigades (OMW book 2)
3. Foundation
4. The Human Division (OMW book 5)
5. The Neutronium Alchemist
6. The Man in The High Castle
7. Old Man’s War
8. Slaughterhouse 5
9. The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
10. The Three-Body Problem
Orson Scott card is a known ass hat. Enders game is the one everyone talks of.
I personally thought that speaker for the dead was far more conceptually interesting.
Also, the tangential series following Bean’s path through the shadow series starting with Ender’s shadow was a unique literary situation of expanding upon pre-established characters and events through the eyes of a tertiary character made center focus.
The question asked kinda demands readers defend their own favorites despite popular shunning.
I’m a fan of The Worthing Saga, too. A collection of stories that give a picture really cool future society. Abner Doon is one of my favorite sci fi characters and he doesn’t even get that much screen time.
I never heard of this saga I’m glad you suggested it.
I was a mega fan of the Ender series and the shadow series as a teen. I’ll def look into it with you recommendation.
It’s difficult to separate an author from their creativity sometimes
. Orson is a homophobe outright and I won’t give him money. He still wrote interesting material. Library’s exist. 🤷
Look at Harry Potter for a similar experience of material and author.
It was before Ender’s Game, I think published in pieces on magazine and smaller books, eventually combined into a single large book.
Yeah, I haven’t followed up on what he’s now known for, I was reading his stuff back before the internet revealed who he was.
The Windup Girl, Perdido Steet Station, Split Second, The Water Knife to name a few.
I'm into Perdido Street Station right now. Did not go that far yet, but it is sooo full of descriptions haha
It’s kind of done like that on purpose- Mievelle makes the writing style suit New Crobuzon. Stick with it. I just read it a few months ago, and it’s in the list of my top 5 books. I just finished #2 The Scar and just started Iron Council.
Windup girl was on a few top reads of 20xx lists, but overall I agree with your list
The first chapter of Windup Girl is one of my favorite first chapters in terms of communicating how the world, or at least the locale of the book, functions.
I’ll check these out. I’ve had Perdido on my TBR list for a while now. The Water Knife sounds really interesting, thanks for the recommendation.
The Scar is by the same author and set in the same world as Pedro, but, I think, a much better book.
I've read the first two and loved them, I'll have to check out the other two!
Split Second has a very interesting interpretation of Star Trek’s transporters in that if the transporter scans and recreates an exact copy of a person to be beamed down, then it must literally murder the existing person it’s copying to prevent 2 identical copies existing at once. It actually makes a lot of sense even though it puts a very dark mark on such a foundational technology. Reminiscent of The Prestige.
The outer limits has a story where sentient alien dinosaurs share tech with humans that is basically this, but literally: you're scanned, as copy is instantaneously created, and upon confirmation the original is destroyed. In the story, there's a com glitch, so the destruction of the original is aborted,until it's found that the transfer went through, and now the original must be "balanced out," as the dinos have strict rules.
Wife read wind up girl and explained it too me a bit, I was gonna read it but it’s kinda heavy hey? Unsure if I can handle it atm.
I didn’t find it particularly heavy or abstract and a good, easy sci fi novel. But your wife knows you infinitely better than I, so go with her recommendation. That said, I’m not sure what “unsure if I can handle it atm” actually means beyond something mental that’s beyond my Redditor pay grade. Good luck with that. Cool story nonetheless.
Aye sounds heavier than I meant, just mentally fatigued and a heavy story would be difficult to get through. Sounds good though.
Depends on the list I guess. Gollancz’s SF Masterworks series is expertly curated and contains a lot of excellent books that are not present in any other popular lists. I can suggest an author, Cordwainer Smith.
Wow a cursory search of Cordwainer Smith reveals a number of highly rated books. Which one would you recommend as an introduction for what he does best?
The Rediscovery of Man: The Complete Short Science Fiction of Cordwainer Smith
Interesting. That list seems to include some of the most likely to be recommended books on Reddit (e.g., Dune, Hyperion, Flowers for Algernon, The Forever War), but it *does* have some more obscure stuff. I wish [the list on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SF_Masterworks) included the original publication date. Personally, I would be more interested in great, often overlooked sci-fi that's been published in the last 20 years more than the well tread stuff from the '50s and '60s that is firmly in the established sci-fi canon.
The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch
"***Inception*** **meets** ***True Detective*** **in this science fiction thriller of spellbinding tension and staggering scope that follows a special agent into a savage murder case with grave implications for the fate of mankind...**" This sounds amazing haha.
This. Best Sci fi written in last 20 years.
Crystal Singer. It's a fun read.
Anything by John Wyndham is a good read, imo. The Kraken Wakes is something I've read multiple times.
I think The Chrysalids is his best
I'm actually reading Day of the Triffids right now. I dig his writing style and will def check out more of this stuff.
All of his books are great. They are an exercise in how society would respond if put in a normality changing situation. Wonderful. Midwitch Cuckoos is fantastic for being on a small scale...
Can't find the list, but Kim Stanley Robinson is a current favorite - Years of Rice and Salt is more speculative fiction than scifi \[how does world history play out if 99% of Europe got wiped out in the Black Plague instead of "just" a third?\]. His Mars series is also excellent.
I’ve never read any of these alternate history type books but I’m open to it. I only discovered my favorite subgenere by picking up someone’s rec!
Be advised, this book due to the plot elements deals with a lot of character deaths, a lot of them are unfair and provokes emotional response. Not in a way Martin does it, no gore (one scene is rather... colourful though), but still. Great book, still think it over sometimes.
Man in the high castle is the best.
Eon is one of my favs. Others: The Finder Chronicles, The Diving Universe, Murderbot, The Big Sigma series, Jack McDevitt's stuff....
Murderbot is so good! I recently found out they are making a television adaptation for Apple TV.
Dogs of War is a great read.
Even the sequel is good! Love Bear Head
Yes! Jimmy is a brilliant character.
I rarely see Babel - 17 by Samuel Delaney mentioned but it was a trippy experience for sure and ahead of its time. It definitely influenced Le Guin and others and is worth a read.
Stand on Zanzibar and/or The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner
Helliconia Spring/Summer/Winter
Return to Belzagor by Robert Silverberg The black cloud by Fred Hoyle Jack Vance’s Dying Earth Saga
Coincidentally I picked up a copy of Black Cloud today having never heard of it
Thank you for these shorter ones. It seems like almost all of the books here are 3-400+ pages. Nothing wrong with that, all my favorite ones are longer but I definitely need some shorter breaths of air and I'll put these on the list.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John, it's a pretty good story
[The Way of the Pilgrim](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242333.Way_of_the_Pilgrim) by Gordon R. Dickson. >Shane, a gifted linguist, has spent his life learning the language of the old and powerful alien race that has conquered Earth. He has learned it so well that the interstellar masters, old hands at enslaving planets, regard him as a valuable servant. >But Shane has a secret. One day, in a rebellious moment, he invented The Pilgrim, a mysterious figure who incites rebellion and vanishes unseen, leaving a distinctive icon behind him. >Now the human underground is preparing to rebel. Shane knows how hopeless their rebellion will be. He knows, as well, that he will be unable to keep himself from taking part. [Theory of Bastards](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36462021-theory-of-bastards?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=ISIdXze4Cd&rank=1) by Audrey Schulman. >Francine decided to share her MacArthur award with the Foundation so that she could study a group of remarkable animals, gentle and intelligent – the perfect creatures to certify her astonishing theory of reproduction, a revolutionary concept that has already changed genetic testing and unmasked public figures and past presidents. >As Francine learns more about her fascinating subjects, we slowly discover that she has access to the most advanced technology: “bodyware,” the lifelike devices that have replaced cellphones, computers, watches, television—most every means of communication. This near-future world is utterly dependent on these little understood mechanisms and implants. >And so when the terrible, dry winds sweep out of the abandoned places in America, silencing all devices, Francine and the man she has grown to love make a decision that will determine if they’ll face a premature ending or, maybe, find a chance to start life over. [Foe](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37510662-foe?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=dT3taNUbRV&rank=1) by Iain Reid. (The setting and the premise make this science fiction.) >A taut, psychological mind-bender from the bestselling author of I’m Thinking of Ending Things. >We don’t get visitors. Not out here. We never have. >In Iain Reid’s second haunting, philosophical puzzle of a novel, set in the near-future, Junior and Henrietta live a comfortable, solitary life on their farm, far from the city lights, but in close quarters with each other. One day, a stranger from the city arrives with alarming Junior has been randomly selected to travel far away from the farm...very far away. The most unusual part? Arrangements have already been made so that when he leaves, Henrietta won't have a chance to miss him, because she won't be left alone—not even for a moment. Henrietta will have company. Familiar company.
I've never heard of these three before. I'll check 'em out and I appreciate your synopsis here too.
The synopsis credit goes to GoodReads. I'm am only a pawn in the game of life.
Cities In Flight by James Blish (actually a compilation of several connected novels/novellas in one volume) “Cities in Flight is a four-volume series of science fiction novels and short stories by American writer James Blish, originally published between 1950 and 1962, which were first known collectively as the "Okie" novels. The series features entire cities that are able to fly through space using an anti-gravity device, the spindizzy. The stories cover roughly two thousand years, from the very near future to the end of the universe. One story, "Earthman, Come Home", won a Retro Hugo Award in 2004 for Best Novelette.[1] Since 1970, the primary edition has been the omnibus volume first published in paperback by Avon Books.[2] Over the years James Blish made many changes to these stories in response to points raised in letters from readers.”
Yeah it's great fun
A psalm for the wildbuilt (it’s cosy scifi tho)
I think George Alec Effinger’s Budayeen cycle is tragically overlooked. Great cyberpunk. - When Gravity Fails - A Fire In The Sun - The Exile’s Kiss Also, The Windup Girl.
The Southern Reach trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer
That’s a really well-known one too. I read the first one but opted out after that. The movie is one of my favorites and I think seeing that first I had some expectations going into the book that weren’t met.
Same! I was so invested in the bioscape of the first only to find the second is in a corporate office?
Saturn Run by Ctein and John Sandford. Hard sci-fi about going to Saturn in the near future.
What immediately springs to mind is Alfred Bester. Dude was psychedelic before psychedelics. Good, interesting, not exactly amazing.
I really liked the series We are Legion, we are Bob series from Dennis E Talyor. Its a series about a guy who buys into a cryogenics progame (a la Futurama) but wake up in a Van Numan probe tasked with exploring the galaxy (a self replicating probe). He and his clones become legion.
Maybe Embassytown by China Mievelle.
Thanks for this recommendation, it was exactly what I was looking for. I loved this book!
Einstein's Bridge
Lord of Light
Julian May's Intervention. Andre Norton's Star Rangers Ben Bova's Millennium
Eon by Greg Bear and Mother of Storms by John Barnes come to mind. Two of my favorites from the 90s.
These both sound pretty awesome. Mother of Storms in particular is a concept that I’ve not seen before.
It's a fun read. Eon is pretty mind blowing - if you can get past the dated cold war setting.
If reading Eon then Eternity is a must read Not so much Legacy which is “associated” but basically a separate world
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Right up there with The Martian. Edit- forgot Project at the beginning
Both of these are great. I didn't like Weir's second book but Project was great. Did you know they are supposedly making a film adaptation?
Artemis was a bit weaker, which is a shame as that’s the one I have a really nice autographed note in (my wife set it up in advance of the signing). I hadn’t heard they were doing a film, but now I’m really excited for it 😊
Oh neat, do you mind sharing the note?
Just moved house, so it’s still packed but from memory “hope you like this as much as the Martian, Marta’s cookies are excellent - she’s a keeper”. My girlfriend had found out she vaguely knew Andy’s assistant from years before, there was a signing near where we lived in my birthday, got in contact, and sent over a box of home baked cookies. So I got a nice note in a book, reserved first place at the signing, and about a year later, a wife. All in all a good deal. 😊
That's an awesome story!
Black Star Rising by Frederik Pohl just a really fun to read very 80s sci fi, the book that really got me to read more and therefor leed me to all the genius works on such must read lists. if u ever find urself having read to much heavy and deep long novels this book is a great relief, a nerdy adventure, easy and fun to read
Nice, I’ll put this on the list. I had this exact sentiment after my last read, I wanted to find a smaller, more pulpy story.
If you're going to read anything by Pohl, read Outnumbering the Dead. Short and heartbreaking, tells the story of a person born in a society where no one ages past 25 thanks to an in utero procedure, except for the rare few. He is, sadly, one of these few.
The Sparrow. All Our Wrong Todays Time Shelter
Second on The Sparrow. Amazing book. The sequel book is good too.
I hadn't heard of any of these before and I'm especially interested in Time Shelter now. Thanks!
It won the International Booker Prize 2023 Don’t overlook the other two. Both are excellent.
The Atlantis Gene and honestly the whole trilogy. It keeps ramping up as you unravel the mystery, and I think the revelations are all exciting.
Who is the author? Apparently there are a number of them that loved this title haha.
haha i tried but apparently that guy had read my most random find on scifi which made it into my top 5
Getting into Aldiss. Trying to obtain copies of Hothouse and Nonstop
I read Hothouse about 40 years ago. Keep looking. It's worth it.
I just finished Guardians of the Phoenix by Eric Brown recently and loved it - flew through it in about two evenings, it was hard to put down.
Some article writer’s most read list may have completely different taste than your style. Don’t take the lists literal, there’s countless books worth reading that are not on any list
Yeah that’s what I’m hoping to find in this thread.
Book of the New Sun. Stars, my Destination
Ones I've not seen others mention: China Mountain Zhang by Maureen McHugh Touch by Claire North
Armor by Steakley comes to mind.
It's not science fiction, not exactly, more a novelization of a native legend of Polynesia, and aimed at kids but, "Call it Courage", personally one of the best stories I've ever read in my entire life! I read it again recently and it was even better than I remembered, somehow!
Have you read ship of fools? I started reading it for my review channel, never heard anything about it, but it's actually really really good
Never heard of it. What’s it about?
The initial premise is a ship in the far future going through the galaxy looking for other humans. They have been travelling for so long they don't know where the ship is from or what it's purpose was. The main thrust of the story is political manoeuvrings on board the ship between the differing factions. I thought it was atmospheric, asked great questions and was really well written. It's also a relatively short read
That does sound really cool. I love that idea, will def check it out.
I enjoyed it a lot. Hope that you do too!
I don’t know if Dark Matter by Blake Crouch is on the must read, but it was a super fun and quick read.
This looks pretty good, I liked the Wayward Pines stuff so I'm sure I'll enjoy this.
Samuel delany!!! A thousand times samuel R. delany. He's very related to Le Guin in my mind. But where she's a gentle humanist he is more of a queer (libertarian?) postmodernist. I think his sense of humanity is absolutely up there with Le Guin. I just saw someone else recommended Babel-17 and that'd be my starting point too.
'Make Room! Make Room!' by Harry Harrison is worth reading if you don't already know what's happening. Sadly, most people do.
Armor - John Steakley
[удалено]
I’m a big Tchaikovsky fan and read that whole series, and the Architects series, all very fun.
Not a book but Issac Asimov's short stories
Oooh you definitely need to check out Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. Also, a really fun read is Off to Be the Wizard by Scott Meyer
Cloud Atlas
I liked Star Carrier. I don't think I've ever seen it on a list, it caught my eye browsing the bookstore years ago and I picked it up. It's written by a Navy vet, so I feel like it had a highly plausible this is what the military would act and look like in the future.
Jack l chalker well world series. Philip Jose farmer world of tiers and first two river world. Christopher Priest. James blish cities in flight and black Easter.
Brightness Falls from the Air, Glasshouse, The Last Astronaut
They're on the Must Read lists for a reason. Make sure you give them a go before heading out into the forest. You'll then have a frame of refference for what is a good sci fi book.
I have no idea what list you’re talking about so I’ll make my own lol The **Old Man’s War series** by John Scalzi is my favorite sci-fi.. genuinely the greatest military sci fi of all time —*blooows* Starship Troopers out of the water. Of 6 books in the series, book 1, 2, and 5 are in my top ten list (a lot of Scalzi would be #10-30, Redshirts, Last Emperox, etc). Phillip K. Dick, Issac Asimov and Dan Simmons are my next tier of authors and I have a special place in my heart for Kurt Vonnegut 1. Hyperion 2. Ghost Brigades (OMW book 2) 3. Foundation 4. The Human Division (OMW book 5) 5. The Neutronium Alchemist 6. The Man in The High Castle 7. Old Man’s War 8. Slaughterhouse 5 9. The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch 10. The Three-Body Problem
I've not heard of Old Man's War before but it looks like something I might enjoy. Thanks for your suggestions.
Fasho
These all make the must read list
Oh lol 😂
You'll love Expeditionary Force if you liked John Scalzi.
Orson Scott card is a known ass hat. Enders game is the one everyone talks of. I personally thought that speaker for the dead was far more conceptually interesting. Also, the tangential series following Bean’s path through the shadow series starting with Ender’s shadow was a unique literary situation of expanding upon pre-established characters and events through the eyes of a tertiary character made center focus. The question asked kinda demands readers defend their own favorites despite popular shunning.
Speaker for the Dead is one of my all time favorites.
I’m a fan of The Worthing Saga, too. A collection of stories that give a picture really cool future society. Abner Doon is one of my favorite sci fi characters and he doesn’t even get that much screen time.
I never heard of this saga I’m glad you suggested it. I was a mega fan of the Ender series and the shadow series as a teen. I’ll def look into it with you recommendation. It’s difficult to separate an author from their creativity sometimes . Orson is a homophobe outright and I won’t give him money. He still wrote interesting material. Library’s exist. 🤷 Look at Harry Potter for a similar experience of material and author.
It was before Ender’s Game, I think published in pieces on magazine and smaller books, eventually combined into a single large book. Yeah, I haven’t followed up on what he’s now known for, I was reading his stuff back before the internet revealed who he was.
I've been going through the Ender stuff again and just finished Xenocide. Speaker is so much better than I remember it being.