(UPDATE) I have since read: - Frankenstein and it became an all-time favourite - Solaris and it became an all-time favourite - Hitchhiker's Guide and very much enjoyed it - The Children of Men and found it incredibly impactful - Contact and really enjoyed the ideas - I, Robot and enjoyed the ideas - The Martian Chronicles and liked many of the stories
Dune - I tried reading this years ago and failed so hard. I couldn't follow what was happening and gave up not too far in. Quinn from the channel Quinn's Ideas finally pushed me to try again. He's such a fan and I'm such a fan of his channel. It was killing me that he had so much Dune related content that I couldn't watch! So I finally dove in a few weeks/months ago. It was still slow going. But I pushed through and the more I read, the more I understood. I got to the end and realized, ah, now I see more clearly what was happening at the beginning. So a few days after finishing, I decided to read the first few pages, now with the full knowledge of what was going on. I couldn't stop. I ended up reading through the entire book a second time. That has never happened to me before! I re-read all the time, but never right after finishing a book the first time. I'm with you, in that I was fascinated by the worldbuilding, while the characters were somewhat secondary. (Not nearly as much as I feel with Arthur C. Clarke. They did interest me and I wish we'd learned more about some of them.) But, yeah, you really do feel like you are experiencing that planet and learning about cultures so different than our own.
I can't even talk about it. I was so excited to read Dune Messiah. Let's just say if it had been my own book instead of a library one, I would have thrown it across the floor in frustration!@@scottslotterbeck3796
I just finished the Hyperion Cantos and I loved every one of them! I also think the other books are even better than the original. My favorite is probably the Fall of Hyperion. I can attest that the Watchers is a great read! I read that book years ago and still remember how good it was. That being said I have been watching a lot of your videos and am liking all your content. Thanks for creating some good content!
Thanks for the kind words Paul! I’m glad you enjoyed the Hyperion Cantos, The Fall of Hyperion is also my favourite! I’ll have to check out The Watchers!
I didn't read Frankenstein until I was 70 years old, and I think it is unfortunate that the story is known mostly only through the films. The book is a lot different, and well worth reading, and I think it does warrant a high spot on the list.
Yes, diff than all of the movies it inspired, but a bit lacking. Great job for it having been written so long ago, 1819 or, the second edition, which I read last year, 1830. Was expecting it to deliver more of a punch, and this because of all the YT hype for it lately. Glad I gave it a try, quit with about 30 pages to go. If a reader has a lot of books that need to be read, go ahead and give "Frankenstein" a go; but don't feel like you failed if you quit within 50 pages or so. It really never gets any better than its first few pages. Compare "Wuthering Heights" written a decade later, and which I loved so much I instantly began rereading immediately upon first completion. Also compare "Dead Souls" by Google, hehe, no, it was written by Gogol, and it was also written contemporaneously, and also much better.
I'm 50+ and read it for the first time just recently! LOVED it! Even though I had consciously tried to get the Hollywood ideas out of my mind, I still wasn't quite prepared for how it was. It was so beautiful and sad and moving.
@@pcast01 That's good because as I was looking for it in a bookshop, the only one available was one big brick of both the first and second book in one. I'm sorted then.
Flowers for algernon is soo good, the writing style shifts with his level of intelligence, the commentary on scientific bodies, ethics of experiment subject's, acedmics, Freudian psychology / repression, so much more! The way just about everyone treats him on both extremes of the intelligence spectrum "Intelligence and education that hasn't been tempered by human affection isn't worth a damn" As i read more literature it becomes more and more layered with subtext, yet its acessible by most readers. I love that book
Sad when he realizes he will soon be blissfully ignorant of just how far he falls after the experimental treatment fails... But you must ask the question, would he have been better off if they just left him alone, as he was reasonably happy in his original state?
my top ten: 1. Philip K. Dick - Ubik 2. John Wyndham - The Day Of The Triffids 3. Walter M. Miller - Canticle for Leibobwitz 4. Brian W. Aldiss - Hothouse 5. Kate Wilhelm - Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang 6. Harry Harrison - Make Room ! Make Room ! 7. Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451 8. Joe Haldeman - Forever War 9. Frederik Pohl /Cyril M. Kornbluth: The Space Merchants 10. Karel Capek - War with the Newts
The book version of World War Z actually doesn't have much in common with the film. I very much prefer the book version, which is like a faux documentary of how various societies around the world would handle a zombie outbreak and I loved getting to see the different responses. Not necessarily the best sci-fi ever but easily my favorite take on zombies and humanity. Also definitely recommend trying I Am Legend, it does some interesting theme related things beyond just being post-apocalyptic (though the main character isn't necessarily super likeable). This is another one where the film isn't all that close to the book and I wish it had been a closer adaptation.
The Children of Men is a masterpiece of cinema. Alfonso Curon really came into his own. I think it's awesome that you can see his talent building in HP3, too. They're both brilliant.
War of the Worlds is good! It’s one of the few books I’ve read more than once. Makes me think of the music that spooked me as a kid (loved being spooked). Frankenstein is another book I’ve read more than once, so interesting how it’s so different from the popular imagination of the story. It’s got depth to it.
I've read foundation trilogy, end of eternity, the gods themselves and I robot, but absolutely favorite Asimov's work is caves of steel for me, followed by other novels in the series, naked sun and others
Another enjoyable video. I would definitely read Redshirts. It's a quick read, and although the premise is Star Trek - esque it boldly goes where no Captains Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway etc. have gone before. It's a bit more than a parody and although it's not earth-shattering (or should that be earth-Shatnering?) it does explore some intriguing concepts.
@@WordsinTime For something a bit 'left field', Christopher Priest's The Space Machine is a meld of The Time Machine and The War Of The Worlds written in the style of H.G. Wells. It's a bit of a homage but also humerous and entertaining. It's an early Priest and very different from his later novels.
Back in the early 60s, Keyes published a novella which he later expanded to the novel Flowers for Algernon. Look for the novella, which is nothing but the diary entries, so it is much more intense. I have read it many times, and each time I have been brought to tears. In fact, to this day, just thinking about it makes me tear up.
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller Jr. is not only my favorite sci-fi novel, but my favorite novel of all time. It needs to be read, taught, and studied as often as 1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451. It's as important as any of those titles for understanding Western history.
I met Vonnegut. I should stop there because nothing I say will top that. I'd put Cat's Cradle on my top sci-fi book list. My favorite is The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein. Dune has always left me cold. I liked Children of Men better as a movie than the book.
In regards to King, the Stand is a great book, and you should read it before the Dark Tower. I'm not a fan of the Dark Tower, aside from the first book and maybe the 4th or 5th, but if you are going to put yourself through that, you should read the Stand beforehand. King likes to cross-pollinate characters in his books, and DT is a veritable rogue's gallery for him.
@@WordsinTime Nice! They are both long, and I would definitely read the Stand first. I read 11/22/63 last year (I think). It is good, but I was exhausted afterwards and needed a break from heavy books, lol. I'm sure you get recommendations constantly, but other King I would check out are Salem's Lot (my favorite), Pet Sematary (also amazing), the Dead Zone, Cujo (there is a lot more going on in this than you would expect, and there is some serious commentary about the plight of women in our past), and Revival (I don't see this talked about much, but holy hell does it go places you don't expect). If the Stand is considered sci-fi, I would throw Dead Zone and Revival into that categorization as well.
Thanks for the recommendations! I have read The Left Hand of Darkness but need to try The Disposessed, and I’ve read the original Foundation trilogy but need to read the Robot books!
The End of Eternity is a different kind of time travel novel and is one of my favorites. It is actually the first full length sci fi novel I read. I was probably 15 or 16. The book is about a government organization, Eternity, which is in charge of optimizing the best future outcomes. A bit dated but very interesting and entertaining.
The B&W version of I Am Legend, The Last Man On Earth, should be available to watch for free since it was never really copyrighted. Stars Vincent Price!
The creator of a work has the copyright whether or not it's registered. Registering it just gives you some legal protections you wouldn't otherwise have.
Read I Am Legend. It is not a vampire book and if you have a chance watch the movie with Vincent Price. Also read Hitchhiker, The film does not do it justice. If you have a chance to watch the BBC tv series do it. I think it is far better than the movie.
I really enjoyed “The Stand” by Steven King, but, like all his books, it all falls apart toward the end and just gets weird. But it introduced me to the apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic genre so I’ll always be grateful.
I enjoyed "The Stand" until about halfway when one of the likeable characters is killed off. I hated the appearance of the "Walking Dude," and felt this was a fatal flaw of the novel. Later, I found out that King wrote half of it and couldn't think of how to continue it so he put it aside temporarily. It explains why there's such a shift in quality.
Finally! more or less unbiased list. I always wonder why Crichton and Vonnegut are omitted in such lists, and here they both are ranked pretty high (although I prefer Sirens of Titan to Slaughterhouse 5). Definitely read Watchers. It has both a great science and characters in it. I was really moved by the book. And if I can advise, don't reread your child-years favorites. I've made this mistake with The Hobbit, A Princess of Mars, and several other books. Every age has to have its own books. Let the good memories remain. After all, because your new experience, every previously read book will in essence be a different one. And this new book has a great probability to disappoint, so why take risks?
That’s an interesting perspective! I don’t do a lot of re-reads so perhaps I have been lucky in that regard. And thanks for the info on Watchers. I’ll have to check it out!
@@WordsinTime I've just realized that Sonic the Hedgehog movie has basically the same plot as Watchers but with far less complex characters. The penultimate scene in the movie (the last one featuring the protagonists) is an absolute analog of the final scene in the book.
To sleep in a sea of stars! Definitely worth a read. Some people find the plot to be repetitive or cyclical, but I found it a necessary cycle and the ending is wonderful.
The title of the book is linked to a very interesting idea in the book which is fully hijacked in the movie and it still drives me crazy to this day. Almost like making Titanic with … no boat.
I am Legend is pretty much perfect. The ending is one of the best there is. Don’t watch the film, it entirely missed the point of the book. Great list!
Hot take- HG Wells was the first sci-fi author and his predecessors were proto-sci-fi, the same way you might call The Stooges proto-punk or Black Sabbath proto-metal.
That’s a good way of looking at it James! Often the artists at the forefront of a movement are the most enjoyable because they are creating rather than copying.
World War Z is more a documentary of a zombie war, told from the point of view of a journalist interviewing survivors and getting their stories. Max Brooks (Mel Brooks son, might have heard of dad) is a smart writer, and it is well thought out. The audiobook has a different actor for each interviewee, including Alan Alda... great audiobook, great book. The movie bears almost no relationship to the book.
Just curious, you didn't read Project Hail Mary yet? I've just finished reading it and it was fantastic. I'm sure lot of physics and math went over my head but i still enjoyed it very much.
Oh, I adore CONTACT! I love both the movie and the book. I do have some frustrations with some plot points as well as general messages being put forward. But I love Sagan's writing. (Though I loathe his anti-theism.) I also love Jodie Foster as an actress. So I admit I could be biased here. I also listened to the audiobook read by Jodie Foster, which was like the best of both worlds.
I expected to see a Larry Niven or a Keith Laumer (either Retief or Bolo) book...It's tough if you have to include all the "classics" because they take up a lot of space in the list. With more modern technology perhaps there is more to explore? I enjoyed your video.
If you like dystopia try Ira Levin This Perfect Day. For Military SF the best is Child Cycle by Gordon Dickson. The Spirit of Dorsai is usually my favorite. Martian Chronicles (AKA the Silver Locust) is why I decided to read SF.
I find it a little bit weird that Gene Wolfe, Alastair Reynolds, Iain M. Banks, and Jack Vance are not on the list. I'm not their biggest fan (and I don't think I've ever read a Vance book), but they are quite popular authors.
I suggest you read the original 1818 text of Frankenstein rather than the 1831 revised version. I used to use this in a philosophy of education course that I taught as a small group assignment (along with three other works).
I liked the movie The Children of Men. (Though I can't remember much about it right now.) I think it was only years later that I heard it was a book. I also vaguely remember people saying they were very different. But I'm not sure on that. I could have it mixed up with something else. Thanks for the reminder. I would like to read it at some point.
I love the way that Dune is written. Unusual and yet.. Excellent. Easley My favorite book series.. I consider the first 3 books as a whole.. My mother love Steven King.. His stile and thematics are not exactly sci-fi (maybe sci-fentasy) and have sexual stuff in them. But at the same time.. She don't like Koontz's stuff. I don't have some of the books of this list. They are just not translated to my language. Yes, I can read english but takes too much afford and takes the fun of reading the book.
My Sci-fi list Hyperion Spin Ender's Game Blindsight The Martian Dune Frankenstein The Fire upon the deep Solaris Neuromancer War of the worlds Children of Time The Three body problem Left hand of darkness Dispossessed Hail Mary Leviathan Wakes Red Rising The Mote in God's Eyes
Redshirts is quite a lot of fun, even for people not too deeply involved in Star Trek like me. Hunger Games as novels is alright but it does not necessarily add a lot to the movies. Solaris is pretty unique in its tone which may just be due to the translations I've read but it is well worth reading in that weird 70s sf way that mixes spirituality with tech. The Martian Chronicles are a lot of fun, very different in tone from the other one. All of Verne is worth a reread as an adult just to see how books not targeted at children when they got released ended up in that place in our days. This was a very weird list indeed and while I struggle with making lists in general I know I disagree violently with this one.
A great list, but very heavily tilted towards the classic dystopian novel. However, it's a crime that no Robert Heinlein and only one Arthur C Clarke novel is in the top 40.
I'd say that all of these lists are subjective. I have a collection of 810 sf books. I'm not bragging as it has taken, so far, 41 years to collect with most coming from flea markets, charity shops, etc. There are so many excellent authors and books that almost never get a mention. Mick Farren, Alan Dean Foster, Neal Asher, Jack McDevitt, Aldiss, Blish, Charles Stross, Harry Harrison, Brian Stableford and Jack Williamson to name but a tiny few. AD Foster's "The End of the Matter" and "The i Inside" , Jack Williamson's "The Humanoids" and Mick Farren's "The Song of Phaid the Gambler" are all near the top of MY list. I'm sure there are a lot of readers out there who also have 'top' lists that aren't even close to the internet lists. I suspect that there are folks out there who have all of the 'essential reads' shown in these lists but don't actually like the actual books, they own them because they think they 'should' own them to be taken seriously by other collectors (I know people with similar record collections LOL). My advice to anyone new(ish) to sf book collecting is this: if you think you might like it - buy it and read it and make up your own mind. If you come across a book you like then look up the author on Wikipaedia and check out their bibliography. All of this of course comes with the caveat that it is only my humble opinion 😀 ps. I don't have a copy of Dune - because I read it and didn't like it (so there! LOL)
The Stand - I had sorta kinda been working myself up to read this one. I'm not a fan of books about plagues/pandemics. I also don't read horror. But years ago, I had an online friend who'd often say this was her favorite book. She was always singing its praises. From my understanding, this one seemed not so heavy on the horror aspects, so I wanted to at least give it a try. But after the last 2 1/2 years? NO WAY.
@@scottslotterbeck3796 I read that King had serious trouble figuring out how to continue the book after he got halfway. He put it aside temporarily and it explains why there's such a shift in quality. I especially hated how he resorted to the "Walking Dude."
I seem to recall enjoying Dragonflight when I read it years ago (in my teens). I tried it again this year, and couldn't finish it. I don't know why. I don't remember anything about my first reading, but it didn't seem like the same book. Maybe I'm remembering the second and third books of the series. For Crichton books, it has to be The Andromeda Strain.
Ender's Game for me would also be much higher. I didn't try to predict the ending as I read so it did catch me off guard and had the impact he intended. I have Red Dwarf, but its on my TBR. I loved Hitchhiker's Guide, and Andy Weir can include humor in Sci Fi so well. If I like Red Dwarf I'll toss Red Shirts onto my TBR. The Martian is also one of my favorites. And Project Hail Mary was also excellent. I listened to that one on audiobook and went into it knowing NOTHING and it made for such a perfect experience. World War Z has a very unique style. I normally hate short stories, but this one was very unique. It's absolutely NOTHING like the movie. It's essentially a reporter who goes around collecting people's stories of how they survived the initial event, the immediate following, and the current state of things. I am very surprised by how much I liked this book because of my usual distaste for short stories (which is why I'm hesitant about Hyperion) The Stand is in my top 3 favorite Steven King books. Now working in the medical field it appealed to my fascination with medicine but man King really knows how to weave a large cast and make them all unique enough you don't keep forgetting who is who, you don't go "ugh not this one" when it changes POV. It's a brilliant book. It's very longwinded, so I would advise an abridged version though I did love the original monster of a book. It's essentially 2 books in 1 though. Jurassic Park: Oh man I have read everything by Crichton and LOVED this book. And the movie has been a favorite of mine since my insane parents took me to see it in the cinema when I was 5. It's different enough from the movie to keep you on the edge of your seat, and includes a lot more science and dives deeper into the shadiness of the business side of things. Great read. Hitchiker's Guide: One of the few books that have made me literally bust out laughing. It has a very unique sense of humor though, if you don't enjoy the first 2-3 chapters then it won't be for you. For me its one of my favorites. Flowers for Algernon: I haven't read this in 20 years but I remember loving this book and it hitting like a brick. Farenheit 451: I personally hated this book. The "romance" in it creeped me the hell out as a teenager, and it came across as "old man yells at cloud" once I learned that he did NOT intend for it to be about censorship and book burning slippery slope, that it was just about "kids these days don't read cuz the damn TV!" really ruined it for me. Kinda wished I never learned authorial intent on this one because it fully ruined it for me. War of the Worlds: I enjoyed this one, it's a classic for a reason. Though I've heard the mass hysteria thing was false? While I enjoyed it, its pretty low on my list. Dune: I actually expected this one to be #1. I personally greatly disliked this book. The world building was phenominal and I was SO absorbed for the beginning. Once the inciting incident happened it felt like Paul became a sociopath (which I get is explored in the sequels but disengaged me from the book) Jessica suddenly turned into a helpless waif. My favorite parts were gettign to see the Baron be a cunning bastard. I just wish he was a tad less cartoony. I can understand its impact on the genre, and why people love it. But the latter half of the book completely lost me (except for the Baron bits. Those were fun) Pardon this essay in the comments section, Just wanted to comment as I watched on the books I've read.
Thanks for all the awesome info! Ender’s Game, The Martian, and Project Hail Mary are some of my favourites too. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed Hitchhiker’s so much, I’m looking forward to it. World War Z sounds very different from the film. And yes, I believe the War of the Worlds hysteria may have been exaggerated haha
🚀 So I counted up those I've read or at least own, and my scores are in! ✅ Read: 10 🛒 Owned but Unread: 7 🧟♂️ I rated “World War Z” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and noted, “This is a nicely paced and nuanced telling of a zombie world war.” 🤷 I tend to swerve YA in most cases too. I’m too old for that! 🤔 I noticed that I was less well read as you went higher in the rankings.
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DARK TOWER IN 2023 BABY LETS GOOOOOOO (I just read it this year and have reviews of all of them, I really really enjoyed the series. Make sure you read 'Salem's Lot before you get to Dark Tower 5, otherwise, don't worry about any "requirements" for having read King. The Dark Tower is just as fine a starting spot as any, although The Gunslinger is a bit "Flew right over my head" on an initial first-time read.) EDIT: I remember getting most of the way through Journey to the Center of the Earth back in middle school and loving what it was doing, but just finding it a bit slow. But at the time I was also MUCH more liable to DNF (usually not consciously, just kinda...stopping reading in the middle of stuff a lot lmao). Similar story with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, except the reason I never finished that was because it was a library check out and I only got halfway through before the end of the school year and I had to return it. However, the translation I had of that one was INCREDIBLE. I still have very very fond memory 20K Leagues, and can't wait to get back to it and actually finish it lol 2nd EDIT: Frankenstein at #1 is an unexpected pick, but I won't argue with that. I read that in February and absolutely adored it. It seems those who don't click with it quite as hard I did more or less loathe it compared to me, but I really really loved my experience with that one.
The numbers are immaterial FWIW (follow the link to the original article and they say "...we will not be giving a definitive ranking among the 100.") which in fairness makes "The Hunger Games" being several places ahead of "Neuromancer" feel much less baffling :). 'Frankenstein' IS great though IMO and at least merits a place _somewhere_ in a list of 100 great sci-fi novels (especially when "historical significance" is one of the criteria).
@@WordsinTime Yes, "I Robot" is an absolute delight and is definitely in my top five SF books. My wife and I watched the Will Smith movie the other night and, while I like Will Smith, my heart sank when I saw what the writers had done to this wonderful novel (actually, stitched together novel). And thanks I enjoyed your comments!
Solaris is such an interesting book, but I am not sure I would consider it for a top-sci fi list to be honest. Really changed my perspective on aliens, but really lacking in the plot area haha.
Re the last 10 minutes - too many classics that haven't aged well enough to be ranked so high (other than the fact that they were influential), with the exception of 1984 which I think about very often. Totally agree with it being in the top 10. I prefer modern SciFi and can think of several books that should have made the top 40 and weren't even mentioned (Vinge didn't make it in this list at all, which makes the whole list suspect in my mind). Sadly, I haven't read Frankenstein yet with all the love it is received. Not sure if I should try since usually classical is hard for me to consume.
Hyperion really seems too low on that list. While I haven't read the vast majority of these, I still think it should be in the top 15 at the very least.
I really enjoyed Dune but I’ll be honest and say although Herbert has said that he did it intentionally, I personally didn’t enjoy the final 1/3 of the book being so rushed. He said that he did it because (Genuinely) he wanted to book to be like intercourse, with a rushed climax. But to me, and it could be my own modern sensibilities it just didn’t feel so rewarding after such a nice long, well explained and drawn out introduction and middle only to rush the ending.
A very interesting list! I personally have trouble placing some of these books at sci-fi. As for the rankings, Dune is my personal #1 and Ender's Game is WAY TOO LOW. Canticle for Leibowitz was far too high. When are you doing your personal top 40? :)
Cordwiner Smith writes some excellent bio ethics type Sci-fi and you chould check out the series Retief of the CDT series if you like some satire and comedy with your Sci-fi...Ketih Laumer was a low level Diplomat during the Cold War and uses his experiances to satarize diplomats in the future of interglactic diplomacy. Retief, a low level, but very canny and able junior Diplomat constantly saves Earth's diplomatic fat from the fire despite bumbling bosses and the evil plans of the Grocci, a Soviet analog Alien species.
Maybe i am quite old, but i have read the top 9 of the list and 17 of the first 20, only pending Vonnegut's (i just bought the illustrated edition) and Clarke's (i've seen the movie of course but book is TBR) along with the sea of stars (i though is the same writer of Eragon's saga and i didn't like it, it's too simple and childlike). I do believe there are some missing great books in the list, e.g. Three bodies saga by Cixin Liu, The new sun saga by Gene Wolfe, Stars my destination by Alfred Bester and City by Clifford Simak. And yes Jules Verne and H.G. Wells worth the re-reading, they are the pillars of scifi. 20,000 leagues under the sea is the best of Verne and one of my favorite books of all-time; War of the worlds, The time machine, The invisible man, Dr Moreau's island, each of those set the foundations of modern science fiction.
I feel good that I’ve read a decent chunk of these, but there are many I need to read. I really need to get to Vonnegut. But this list had no Leiber, so I mean…😉
There are a lot of authors that probably should have been on the list that I didn't see. For instance, only 6 of the 38 SFWA "Grand Masters" were represented. But, after all, this was a list of greatest books, not greatest authors, and so it includes a fair amount of one-hit wonders and writers who aren't primarily thought of as science fiction writers.
I wonder did you read the description of the list? Not every numbered list is a ranking. Quoted from the description: "While this is a list of the 100 best science fiction books, we will not be giving a definitive ranking among the 100. Each of these books is great for different reasons. It would be near impossible to make a call on one of these books being better than the next."
I read that but seeing as the list was numbered and big names such as Dune and Foundation were at the top of the list, my interpretation was that it was a ranking (just not an objective or definitive one), but perhaps they are not in any order.
hey i just finished the first Firefall, 'Blindsight' and enjoyed it hugely. it reminded me quite a bit of 'Solaris' in that is was an exploration of alien (and by extension human) consciousness. the ocean may or may not be sentient, that kind of thing. is it a coincidence that Watts is a marine biologist? anyway, i'm looking forward to Echopraxia. Solaris would be way up higher on my list along with Hyperion, but there is never an account for taste.
Hello Mr Words in Time There are that many great books in Science Fiction, its difficult to read all the best ones. I have been reading SF for 50years and I am only scratching the surface. I have read many of the classics by Clarke, Asimov, Wells, etc fir sure but there are tons of great books I have not yet read. The best Asimov novel is THE GODS THEMSELVES and the best by Clarke is RENDEVOUS WITH RAMA but the ones here in this top 40 by these masters are all excellent. There are so many great SF authors not featured in this top 40 such as Larry Niven, Clifford Simak, Robert Silverberg, Philip farmer, Frederick Pohl, Robert Heinlein, Brian Aldiss, Piers Anthony, Ben Bova. All the works by these authors are well worth checking out. My top 10 would be something like RENDEVOUS WITH RAMA THE GOD THEMSELVES DUNE TO YOUR SCATTERED BODIES GO 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY FOUNDATION THE MOTE IN GODS EYE MISSION OF GRAVITY RED MARS LEVIATHAN WAKES
Hi Paul, thanks for sharing! I am a huge Arthur C. Clarke and Clifford D. Simak fan. I own The Gods Themselves and Dying Inside by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg and hope to read them soon!
Left Hand of Darkness took me two reads to fully appreciate it. The first time I read it, it seemed a bit of a slog. Can't remember why I decided to read it again, but I did, and really enjoyed the book the second time. Loved the world building.
Like you, I visited it twice. I had heard so much about it that I decided to give it a try and was underwhelmed. A few years later, I decided to give it another go, and this time I couldn't get past the first chapter.
re the 2nd ten minutes - I am looking forward to Solaris. The movie made no sense to me, but it does sound like it might be a good read. I had a hard time getting through the Martian Chronicles, but it has a really cool idea linking the stories together.
Solaris is kind of a challenging book IMHO, because the whole theme is the impossibility of true communication with very alien beings (represented by the ocean). But it stays with you, and I found reading it a second time very helpful.
Interesting choices for jules Verne novels for the list. I would have ranked From the Earth to the Moon higher than those two but maybe that's just nostalgia from me. I did enjoy Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas and Journey to the Center of the Earth too. Just don't remember them as clearly (maybe I'm in need of a re-reading of Verne's novels).
I agree with you so much on all the books that we have both read, except for A Canticle for Leibowitz, which I thought was brilliant, and infuriating, and utterly depressing. So, with that in mind, and knowing that you have read and enjoyed The Hitchhiker's Guide: Yes, definitely read I am Legend. You can give the movies a pass though, except the one starring Vincent Price. I don't read or like much YA, but Hunger Games is the original dystopian YA and I thought it was really good. But I thoroughly disliked the epilogue and like to pretend the book ended before it. As for A Wrinkle in Time, I didn't read it as a child either. But I read it to my child when he was around ten. He liked it a lot more than I did. So much in fact that we had to read the second book too, which he still liked but not enough that I had to endure a third book. The first one was ok though. I'd say read it with a child, not for yourself.
Canticle - I was intrigued by the first part and expected that to continue. And then... it seemed to turn into an entirely different story. What the heck? This is one of those books where I may have benefited from learning a bit more about it, especially the structure, before diving in. 2001 (book) changed my life with one line. You know the one: "My God, it's [SPOILERS]!" The first time I watched the movie I just wanted to die. It felt like it would never ever ever ever end. I felt like my brain was doing the running thing on that spinning wheel. LOL! Again, this is a situation where I should have sought out more info and learned the book and film are very different in style. Once I calmed down, I eventually did come to appreciate and even love the film. Slaughterhouse 5 - I've seen this book in stores my whole life. But I somehow never picked it up to read the blurb because you're the first one who ever told me 1) what it was about and 2) that it was anything to do with scifi. I'm not in a life situation where I can handle dark themes right now. But it's definitely on my radar for, "at some point."
Part 1 of Canticle was my favourite and it kind of lost me after that. Yes, that moment in 2001 is amazing! SH5 is heavy, but if you’re ever in the mood for it, I hope you enjoy it!
SH5 is not nearly as heavy as it might seem, its mostly dark umor, but the message of it is acceptance of life as it happens to you and the hope that brings. I actually reread it recently when I was very depressed and it totaly turned me aroound and made me feel better about life.
To sleep in a sea of stars is on my tbr, enders game agree one of the best, red rising and hunger games, i would not have included in this list. Good but not among the best for me
Fair enough Drew! I haven’t read Hunger Games but Red Rising was a solid 4 star read for me. I enjoyed it, but not an all-time favourite like Ender’s Game!
For the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, There's a lot of books.. I did a bit of research, and The one that was shown in this video, I couldn't find what comes next.. Can anyone help me with the reading titles and order please?
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979) The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (1980) Life, the Universe and Everything (1982) So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (1984) Mostly Harmless (1992) And Another Thing... (2009)
Not a single Robert Silverberg novel? Nightwings was stunning, and heartbreaking. Clarke's Childhood's End deserved to be on the list, as did Fountains of Paradise, and of course, Rendezvous with Rama! Le Guin is an absolute must, and The Dispossessed is as good, or better, than The Left Hand if Darkness. All if Le Guins stories are worth reading, including The Lathe of Heaven.
@@WordsinTime I heartily recommend his Majipoor novels. I started with the collection of short stories called The Majipoor Chronicles. Brilliant story teller.
The first Hunger Games movie annoyed me because of a complete lack of potential due to a lack of trust in the source material and the demographic it was aimed at. Personally it felt like a straight to TV movie with its effects. I have no doubt that The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will have a bigger budget and better effects, something the original movie deserved. I don’t always subscribe to the book always being better than the film, but in this case it is most definitely true. If you enjoyed the movie you should love the book(s)
Oof. Hard disagree on them including To Sleep In a Sea of Stars. I finished it, but I really wish I had DNF'D. It fell very flat for me. So much so that I was just angry at it by the time I finished. I really don't know how anyone could slog through that thing and enjoy it... I guess I'm glad some would like it, but it does not belong on a list like this in my opinion. Edit: I enjoyed your thoughts about Frankenstein being the best and the first and how that could be a bit sad. It's been awhile since I've read it, so I can't remember if I would agree with the first place ranking. It's definitely good, but also very different than modern sci-fi.
Contact is amazing, Sagan's prose is perfect. I say that as an author. Sagan's book is in my top 5. The Stand, by King, is slow and ponderous. The book is too long. I don't think you'll like it. One must digest a lot of words to get somewhere in the story.
Watching now; this had better have A Fire Upon the Deep in here ........ OK now I'm getting worried .... OK now I'm 😡 Also, the massive RIverworld series, though it gets a bit tortuous and could easily be half the length, is often missed off these lists. But missing A Fire is close to criminal. If you havent read it you are doing yourself a disservice.
Its a strange list to be honest. I've seen others mention that the original list isn't supposed to be a hard ranking but if thats the case then they should've made it alphabetical order. Because the order of these, and the omissions of some others is baffling. I mean, I really enjoyed Dragonflight when I read it, but I can't say I would've put it near my top30 I will say though, that I am intrigued about going back and reading Frankenstein.
What? No Robert Heinlein, but books by King and Koontz. They are both kind of hacks although their books would be OK further down. I read the article which claims that the order is not a ranking when it obviously is. A lot of well known classics at the top and many what appear to be pretty new books that I've never heard of near the bottom. Heinlein comes in around #50 with The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
@@WordsinTime It was inspired by the Rush album "Grace Under pressure" so I read...and Kevin Anderson later worked with Neil Peart on the "Clockwork Angels" book....Kevin Anderson is quite prolific! 🖖
Nice, I really enjoyed both of those as well. I’m not sure if you’re looking for something in particular but Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke is one of my favourite classic sci-fi books and The Martian by Andy Weir is one of my favourite modern sci-fi books.
Neuromancer - I feel exactly the same as you do 😊, but I really think it deserves it’s place as being one of the most ground-breaking and influential sci-fi books Ender’s Game - I have to be honest, I enjoyed Speaker for the dead better, but Ender’s game is extraordinary as well Left hand of darkness - Again, felt exactly the same. I really appreciate the book and Ursula’s writing, but it’s not really my style. Try Dispossessed if not already, I found it better than Left hand - it’s about a society where communism actually works Hitchhiker’s guide - the movie is a total injustice to the book! You didn’t read Solaris yet!!! You have to. Extraordinary book. One of my favourites Sci-Fis You liked 1984? You should definitely try Us by Evgheni Zamiatin - Some say that it was the inspiration for 1984 and Brave new world, and I don’t blame them. It’s extraordinary! Dune - one of the best reads, although very disappointed by the sequels Frankenstein - aaaaaahhh! I started to read it just because it was a classic that everybody was talking about. I was thinking that there will be nothing to surprise me and boy, how wrong I was! It’s a book that can still hit hard after so many years of its release! READ IT!!!!
Thanks for sharing! I have since read Hitchhiker’s, Solaris, Frankenstein, and We. I enjoyed them all especially Solaris and Frankenstein. I’ll have to try The Dispossessed at some point.
Watched this in 10 minute chunks. Re the 1st 10 mins: I thought Redshirts was terrible. I haven't picked up any other Scalzi because it read so terribly, especially the dialogue (overuse of he said, she said, I said and a failed attempt at 2nd person or something like that). Honestly don't know how it could have made it on their list. Hyperion was amazing but mainly for the magical writing - I can't remember the story at all, but Simmons sure can string words together. Watchers is great, especially if you love dogs, but some may find the other characters a little predictable and eye-rolling.
I didn’t care for Redshirts that much either; however Old Man’s War by Scalzi was very good if you like a military sci-fi. He may not be the best writer but I definitely recommend this one over Redshirts.
@@codym6376 thanks. I might have to try old man's war then. I've been wondering how it could get so much hype after reading redshirts. That's encouraging.
(UPDATE) I have since read:
- Frankenstein and it became an all-time favourite
- Solaris and it became an all-time favourite
- Hitchhiker's Guide and very much enjoyed it
- The Children of Men and found it incredibly impactful
- Contact and really enjoyed the ideas
- I, Robot and enjoyed the ideas
- The Martian Chronicles and liked many of the stories
Have you read Starship Troopers?
@@DailyLifeSolution Not yet, but I should get to it eventually!
@@WordsinTime Thanks!
Dune - I tried reading this years ago and failed so hard. I couldn't follow what was happening and gave up not too far in. Quinn from the channel Quinn's Ideas finally pushed me to try again. He's such a fan and I'm such a fan of his channel. It was killing me that he had so much Dune related content that I couldn't watch! So I finally dove in a few weeks/months ago. It was still slow going. But I pushed through and the more I read, the more I understood. I got to the end and realized, ah, now I see more clearly what was happening at the beginning. So a few days after finishing, I decided to read the first few pages, now with the full knowledge of what was going on. I couldn't stop. I ended up reading through the entire book a second time. That has never happened to me before! I re-read all the time, but never right after finishing a book the first time.
I'm with you, in that I was fascinated by the worldbuilding, while the characters were somewhat secondary. (Not nearly as much as I feel with Arthur C. Clarke. They did interest me and I wish we'd learned more about some of them.) But, yeah, you really do feel like you are experiencing that planet and learning about cultures so different than our own.
I’m glad you found Dune rewarding in the end. It is quite the dense read!
Dune was great, but the sequels I couldn't get through.
I prefer the Sci-fi channel version of the books to the campy version with Sting and Brad Dourif and Kyle Mclaughlin.
I can't even talk about it. I was so excited to read Dune Messiah. Let's just say if it had been my own book instead of a library one, I would have thrown it across the floor in frustration!@@scottslotterbeck3796
I just finished the Hyperion Cantos and I loved every one of them! I also think the other books are even better than the original. My favorite is probably the Fall of Hyperion. I can attest that the Watchers is a great read! I read that book years ago and still remember how good it was. That being said I have been watching a lot of your videos and am liking all your content. Thanks for creating some good content!
Thanks for the kind words Paul! I’m glad you enjoyed the Hyperion Cantos, The Fall of Hyperion is also my favourite! I’ll have to check out The Watchers!
Never read these books. I'll put it in my list.
I didn't read Frankenstein until I was 70 years old, and I think it is unfortunate that the story is known mostly only through the films. The book is a lot different, and well worth reading, and I think it does warrant a high spot on the list.
That’s great to hear Frederic! I recently picked up a copy and plan to read it soon!
I recently picked this up actually. I tried it years ago and couldnt. Hoping in my 30s now I might have a different appreciation for it
Yes, diff than all of the movies it inspired, but a bit lacking. Great job for it having been written so long ago, 1819 or, the second edition, which I read last year, 1830. Was expecting it to deliver more of a punch, and this because of all the YT hype for it lately. Glad I gave it a try, quit with about 30 pages to go. If a reader has a lot of books that need to be read, go ahead and give "Frankenstein" a go; but don't feel like you failed if you quit within 50 pages or so. It really never gets any better than its first few pages. Compare "Wuthering Heights" written a decade later, and which I loved so much I instantly began rereading immediately upon first completion. Also compare "Dead Souls" by Google, hehe, no, it was written by Gogol, and it was also written contemporaneously, and also much better.
I read it while still in High school...the history of the writers is as interesting as the story itself.
I'm 50+ and read it for the first time just recently! LOVED it! Even though I had consciously tried to get the Hollywood ideas out of my mind, I still wasn't quite prepared for how it was. It was so beautiful and sad and moving.
Frankenstein is one of my favorite books. War of the Worlds is enjoyable if you can remind yourself of just how old it is.
Nice James! I’m looking forward to Frankenstein!
You should definitely read I am Legend. It's an intense read with a really good ending.
I need to read Hyperion soon!
I’m glad you liked it, I’ll have to check it out! Let me know your thoughts on Hyperion!
Hyperion is sooo good. If you do read it plan on reading the 2nd book because you won't be able to wait. They were supposed to be 1 big book.
@@pcast01 That's good because as I was looking for it in a bookshop, the only one available was one big brick of both the first and second book in one. I'm sorted then.
@@LivingDeadEnby Nice!
I honestly didn't know it was a book before now tbh. I enjoyed the 2007 movie adaptation though.
Flowers for algernon is soo good, the writing style shifts with his level of intelligence, the commentary on scientific bodies, ethics of experiment subject's, acedmics, Freudian psychology / repression, so much more!
The way just about everyone treats him on both extremes of the intelligence spectrum
"Intelligence and education that hasn't been tempered by human affection isn't worth a damn"
As i read more literature it becomes more and more layered with subtext, yet its acessible by most readers. I love that book
Lots of great points here, so many reasons to love this special book!
Sad when he realizes he will soon be blissfully ignorant of just how far he falls after the experimental treatment fails...
But you must ask the question, would he have been better off if they just left him alone, as he was reasonably happy in his original state?
The movie "Charly" with Cliff Robertson was also a quite good adaptation of this book.
Loved this video! I tend to enjoy any dissection of a top list, and I enjoyed yours even when you hadn't read the book in question
Thanks for the kind words, glad you enjoyed it!
You must read the Heechee Saga of Frederick Pohl. The first book is ,,Gateway''. This is a very good book!😄
I have read Gateway but not the rest of the series. I’m glad you liked it!
my top ten:
1. Philip K. Dick - Ubik
2. John Wyndham - The Day Of The Triffids
3. Walter M. Miller - Canticle for Leibobwitz
4. Brian W. Aldiss - Hothouse
5. Kate Wilhelm - Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang
6. Harry Harrison - Make Room ! Make Room !
7. Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451
8. Joe Haldeman - Forever War
9. Frederik Pohl /Cyril M. Kornbluth: The Space Merchants
10. Karel Capek - War with the Newts
Awesome list! Some of my favourites as well as some I need to check out!
The book version of World War Z actually doesn't have much in common with the film. I very much prefer the book version, which is like a faux documentary of how various societies around the world would handle a zombie outbreak and I loved getting to see the different responses. Not necessarily the best sci-fi ever but easily my favorite take on zombies and humanity. Also definitely recommend trying I Am Legend, it does some interesting theme related things beyond just being post-apocalyptic (though the main character isn't necessarily super likeable). This is another one where the film isn't all that close to the book and I wish it had been a closer adaptation.
Thanks for the info! I’ve been getting some good feedback on those two, so I might have to pick them up!
The book was good, the movie was a major let down. I am Legend was really good- well worth the read.
The Children of Men is a masterpiece of cinema. Alfonso Curon really came into his own. I think it's awesome that you can see his talent building in HP3, too. They're both brilliant.
Totally agree! Love Cuaron!
This is a rare case where i much prefer the movie to the book.
War of the Worlds is good! It’s one of the few books I’ve read more than once. Makes me think of the music that spooked me as a kid (loved being spooked). Frankenstein is another book I’ve read more than once, so interesting how it’s so different from the popular imagination of the story. It’s got depth to it.
That’s great to hear! I’ll have to add them to my list!
I've read foundation trilogy, end of eternity, the gods themselves and I robot, but absolutely favorite Asimov's work is caves of steel for me, followed by other novels in the series, naked sun and others
That’s awesome, thanks for the info! I’ll have to add Caves of Steel to my list!
I'm quite surprised by the books on this list which you haven't read! But good recommendations for the ones you have read.
I recently purchased Frankenstein, The Martian Chronicles, Solaris, Hitchhiker’s Guide and Contact. Looking forward to them!
Another enjoyable video. I would definitely read Redshirts. It's a quick read, and although the premise is Star Trek - esque it boldly goes where no Captains Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway etc. have gone before. It's a bit more than a parody and although it's not earth-shattering (or should that be earth-Shatnering?) it does explore some intriguing concepts.
Haha I’m up for some Shatner-esque sci-fi!
@@WordsinTime For something a bit 'left field', Christopher Priest's The Space Machine is a meld of The Time Machine and The War Of The Worlds written in the style of H.G. Wells. It's a bit of a homage but also humerous and entertaining. It's an early Priest and very different from his later novels.
@@callmeal4183 I’ve been meaning to check out Priest, but I’m not familiar with that one. Thanks for the recommendation!
Flowers for Algernon was so good. I read it once 25 years ago and still remember it.
I’m glad it had such an impact on you too!
It is unforgettable.
Back in the early 60s, Keyes published a novella which he later expanded to the novel Flowers for Algernon. Look for the novella, which is nothing but the diary entries, so it is much more intense. I have read it many times, and each time I have been brought to tears. In fact, to this day, just thinking about it makes me tear up.
@@MrZviswerd I’m glad you loved it as well! I’ll have to check out the novella!
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller Jr. is not only my favorite sci-fi novel, but my favorite novel of all time. It needs to be read, taught, and studied as often as 1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451. It's as important as any of those titles for understanding Western history.
I’m glad you connected with it!
I met Vonnegut. I should stop there because nothing I say will top that. I'd put Cat's Cradle on my top sci-fi book list. My favorite is The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein. Dune has always left me cold. I liked Children of Men better as a movie than the book.
That’s amazing that you got to meet Vonnegut! Cat’s Cradle would be right at the top of my list!
In regards to King, the Stand is a great book, and you should read it before the Dark Tower. I'm not a fan of the Dark Tower, aside from the first book and maybe the 4th or 5th, but if you are going to put yourself through that, you should read the Stand beforehand. King likes to cross-pollinate characters in his books, and DT is a veritable rogue's gallery for him.
Thanks for the info! The Stand and 11/22/63 are at the top of my list for Stephen King!
@@WordsinTime Nice! They are both long, and I would definitely read the Stand first. I read 11/22/63 last year (I think). It is good, but I was exhausted afterwards and needed a break from heavy books, lol.
I'm sure you get recommendations constantly, but other King I would check out are Salem's Lot (my favorite), Pet Sematary (also amazing), the Dead Zone, Cujo (there is a lot more going on in this than you would expect, and there is some serious commentary about the plight of women in our past), and Revival (I don't see this talked about much, but holy hell does it go places you don't expect). If the Stand is considered sci-fi, I would throw Dead Zone and Revival into that categorization as well.
@@kylegraywolf Awesome, thanks for the recommendations! I am focusing on sci-fi so I will start with those!
@@WordsinTime You are welcome, hope you enjoy them!
The Watchers by Dean Koontz was excellent. Highly recommend. Not his regular genre but he did it well.
That’s good to hear, I’ll add it to my list. Thanks!
Le Guin: The Dispossessed. My personal fav.
Asimov: Caves of Steel, if you like that one, try the sequel Naked Sun.
Thanks for the recommendations! I have read The Left Hand of Darkness but need to try The Disposessed, and I’ve read the original Foundation trilogy but need to read the Robot books!
Deus Irae - Roger Zelazny & PK Dick
The Man Who Folded Himself - David Gerrold
Norstrilia - Cordwainer Smith
Slan - A.E. Van Vogt
Norstrilia is on my TBR and I’ll have to check out the others. Thanks!
The End of Eternity is a different kind of time travel novel and is one of my favorites. It is actually the first full length sci fi novel I read. I was probably 15 or 16. The book is about a government organization, Eternity, which is in charge of optimizing the best future outcomes. A bit dated but very interesting and entertaining.
Thanks for the info, it sounds awesome!
The B&W version of I Am Legend, The Last Man On Earth, should be available to watch for free since it was never really copyrighted. Stars Vincent Price!
Interesting! I’ll look it up!
The creator of a work has the copyright whether or not it's registered. Registering it just gives you some legal protections you wouldn't otherwise have.
Read I Am Legend. It is not a vampire book and if you have a chance watch the movie with Vincent Price. Also read Hitchhiker, The film does not do it justice. If you have a chance to watch the BBC tv series do it. I think it is far better than the movie.
Thanks for the info, I’ll check it out!
Even better is the original radio series of HHGTTG. Your imagination does so much better than any mere vision that someone else has created.
@@nevilleenglish Unfortunately I have not heard the radio version. do you know if it can be found anywhere?
Great video! I loved seeing all the classics in the top haha
Haha thanks Mckenzie! Lots of classics to try!
I really enjoyed “The Stand” by Steven King, but, like all his books, it all falls apart toward the end and just gets weird. But it introduced me to the apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic genre so I’ll always be grateful.
It sounds pretty out there. I’m also interested in reading 11/22/63!
I enjoyed "The Stand" until about halfway when one of the likeable characters is killed off. I hated the appearance of the "Walking Dude," and felt this was a fatal flaw of the novel. Later, I found out that King wrote half of it and couldn't think of how to continue it so he put it aside temporarily. It explains why there's such a shift in quality.
Finally! more or less unbiased list. I always wonder why Crichton and Vonnegut are omitted in such lists, and here they both are ranked pretty high (although I prefer Sirens of Titan to Slaughterhouse 5).
Definitely read Watchers. It has both a great science and characters in it. I was really moved by the book.
And if I can advise, don't reread your child-years favorites. I've made this mistake with The Hobbit, A Princess of Mars, and several other books. Every age has to have its own books. Let the good memories remain. After all, because your new experience, every previously read book will in essence be a different one. And this new book has a great probability to disappoint, so why take risks?
That’s an interesting perspective! I don’t do a lot of re-reads so perhaps I have been lucky in that regard. And thanks for the info on Watchers. I’ll have to check it out!
@@WordsinTime I've just realized that Sonic the Hedgehog movie has basically the same plot as Watchers but with far less complex characters. The penultimate scene in the movie (the last one featuring the protagonists) is an absolute analog of the final scene in the book.
I was a complete nonreader when I was a child. Dragon Rider was the book I read an early teen that transformed me into an avid reader.
That’s awesome! 🐉
To sleep in a sea of stars! Definitely worth a read. Some people find the plot to be repetitive or cyclical, but I found it a necessary cycle and the ending is wonderful.
That’s great to hear Grant, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I am legend is well worth a read- it is quite short so something to fit in easily when you want a break from a series
Thanks Andrea, I’ll have to check it out!
The title of the book is linked to a very interesting idea in the book which is fully hijacked in the movie and it still drives me crazy to this day. Almost like making Titanic with … no boat.
I am Legend is pretty much perfect. The ending is one of the best there is. Don’t watch the film, it entirely missed the point of the book. Great list!
That’s great to hear, I’ll look forward to reading it!
,,Jurassic Park'' was a good book. I read this book in 2019
I’m looking forward to reading it next month!
All of Michael Crichton's books are worth it. The film adaptation of The Andromeda Strain is in my Top Five SF films of all time. Still holds up.
The first movie did the books justice I think.
Hot take- HG Wells was the first sci-fi author and his predecessors were proto-sci-fi, the same way you might call The Stooges proto-punk or Black Sabbath proto-metal.
That’s a good way of looking at it James! Often the artists at the forefront of a movement are the most enjoyable because they are creating rather than copying.
Black Sabbath IS metal
@@Sporian55 we should have a fist fight to settle it
World War Z is more a documentary of a zombie war, told from the point of view of a journalist interviewing survivors and getting their stories. Max Brooks (Mel Brooks son, might have heard of dad) is a smart writer, and it is well thought out. The audiobook has a different actor for each interviewee, including Alan Alda... great audiobook, great book. The movie bears almost no relationship to the book.
That sounds interesting! Thanks for all the great info!
Just curious, you didn't read Project Hail Mary yet? I've just finished reading it and it was fantastic. I'm sure lot of physics and math went over my head but i still enjoyed it very much.
Yes, Project Hail Mary is a 10/10 for me! It would be on my list for sure!
Oh, I adore CONTACT! I love both the movie and the book. I do have some frustrations with some plot points as well as general messages being put forward. But I love Sagan's writing. (Though I loathe his anti-theism.) I also love Jodie Foster as an actress. So I admit I could be biased here. I also listened to the audiobook read by Jodie Foster, which was like the best of both worlds.
Nice, I’m looking forward to getting to that one!
The stand is probably one of my favorite books of all time definitely in my top 5 standalones
I’m currently up to the 4th book in The Dark Tower. The Stand and 11/22/63 are two King books I want to read next!
I expected to see a Larry Niven or a Keith Laumer (either Retief or Bolo) book...It's tough if you have to include all the "classics" because they take up a lot of space in the list. With more modern technology perhaps there is more to explore? I enjoyed your video.
Yes, I would have guessed The Mote on God’s Eye might be there. I’m glad you enjoyed. Welcome to the channel!
If you like dystopia try Ira Levin This Perfect Day. For Military SF the best is Child Cycle by Gordon Dickson. The Spirit of Dorsai is usually my favorite. Martian Chronicles (AKA the Silver Locust) is why I decided to read SF.
Thanks for the recommendations!
Neuromancer at 39 is criminal!!!
One of the most influential sci-fi books!
I find it a little bit weird that Gene Wolfe, Alastair Reynolds, Iain M. Banks, and Jack Vance are not on the list. I'm not their biggest fan (and I don't think I've ever read a Vance book), but they are quite popular authors.
Alastair Reynolds would definitely be near the top of my own list!
Anne McCaffrey is one of my faves! She is sadly missed! Check out the Crystal Singer and Freedom's Landing series.
I’m glad you’re a fan, I’ll check those out!
I suggest you read the original 1818 text of Frankenstein rather than the 1831 revised version. I used to use this in a philosophy of education course that I taught as a small group assignment (along with three other works).
Thanks for the info, I plan on reading the original 1818 version early next year!
I liked the movie The Children of Men. (Though I can't remember much about it right now.) I think it was only years later that I heard it was a book. I also vaguely remember people saying they were very different. But I'm not sure on that. I could have it mixed up with something else. Thanks for the reminder. I would like to read it at some point.
As a fan of the film I’m intrigued by it too. I’ll let you know when I pick it up!
I love the way that Dune is written. Unusual and yet.. Excellent. Easley My favorite book series.. I consider the first 3 books as a whole..
My mother love Steven King.. His stile and thematics are not exactly sci-fi (maybe sci-fentasy) and have sexual stuff in them. But at the same time.. She don't like Koontz's stuff.
I don't have some of the books of this list. They are just not translated to my language. Yes, I can read english but takes too much afford and takes the fun of reading the book.
I’m glad you loved Dune, the writing is definitely unique! I am looking forward to reading more Stephen King!
My Sci-fi list
Hyperion
Spin
Ender's Game
Blindsight
The Martian
Dune
Frankenstein
The Fire upon the deep
Solaris
Neuromancer
War of the worlds
Children of Time
The Three body problem
Left hand of darkness
Dispossessed
Hail Mary
Leviathan Wakes
Red Rising
The Mote in God's Eyes
Awesome list! About half of these would be on my list too. I really want to read Blindsight and Solaris soon!
Redshirts is quite a lot of fun, even for people not too deeply involved in Star Trek like me. Hunger Games as novels is alright but it does not necessarily add a lot to the movies. Solaris is pretty unique in its tone which may just be due to the translations I've read but it is well worth reading in that weird 70s sf way that mixes spirituality with tech. The Martian Chronicles are a lot of fun, very different in tone from the other one. All of Verne is worth a reread as an adult just to see how books not targeted at children when they got released ended up in that place in our days. This was a very weird list indeed and while I struggle with making lists in general I know I disagree violently with this one.
Thanks for all the great info, I look forward to getting to those books!
Solaris as the original film was stunning. Simply one of the best SF films of all time.
A great list, but very heavily tilted towards the classic dystopian novel. However, it's a crime that no Robert Heinlein and only one Arthur C Clarke novel is in the top 40.
Clarke is one of my favourites writers!
I'd say that all of these lists are subjective. I have a collection of 810 sf books. I'm not bragging as it has taken, so far, 41 years to collect with most coming from flea markets, charity shops, etc. There are so many excellent authors and books that almost never get a mention. Mick Farren, Alan Dean Foster, Neal Asher, Jack McDevitt, Aldiss, Blish, Charles Stross, Harry Harrison, Brian Stableford and Jack Williamson to name but a tiny few. AD Foster's "The End of the Matter" and "The i Inside" , Jack Williamson's "The Humanoids" and Mick Farren's "The Song of Phaid the Gambler" are all near the top of MY list. I'm sure there are a lot of readers out there who also have 'top' lists that aren't even close to the internet lists. I suspect that there are folks out there who have all of the 'essential reads' shown in these lists but don't actually like the actual books, they own them because they think they 'should' own them to be taken seriously by other collectors (I know people with similar record collections LOL). My advice to anyone new(ish) to sf book collecting is this: if you think you might like it - buy it and read it and make up your own mind. If you come across a book you like then look up the author on Wikipaedia and check out their bibliography. All of this of course comes with the caveat that it is only my humble opinion 😀 ps. I don't have a copy of Dune - because I read it and didn't like it (so there! LOL)
Yes, very subjective! 810 sci-fi books is an amazing collection! Charles Stross is on my TBR, I will check out the other authors you recommended!
The Stand - I had sorta kinda been working myself up to read this one. I'm not a fan of books about plagues/pandemics. I also don't read horror. But years ago, I had an online friend who'd often say this was her favorite book. She was always singing its praises. From my understanding, this one seemed not so heavy on the horror aspects, so I wanted to at least give it a try. But after the last 2 1/2 years? NO WAY.
Haha I have a friend that read it in March two years ago and that was quite a choice. I will get to it eventually!
The first 2/3 of The stand was great, but the last? I couldn't finish it.
@@scottslotterbeck3796 I read that King had serious trouble figuring out how to continue the book after he got halfway. He put it aside temporarily and it explains why there's such a shift in quality. I especially hated how he resorted to the "Walking Dude."
See Dragonflight is Sci-Fi! Made it almost to the top 25! Great video Jonathan, also looking forward to JP next month
Haha right you are Dan. Looking forward to Jurassic Park!
I seem to recall enjoying Dragonflight when I read it years ago (in my teens). I tried it again this year, and couldn't finish it. I don't know why. I don't remember anything about my first reading, but it didn't seem like the same book. Maybe I'm remembering the second and third books of the series.
For Crichton books, it has to be The Andromeda Strain.
I recently read Dragonflight and it had one interesting concept but overall it wasn’t for me. I’ll look forward to reading Andromeda Strain!
Ender's Game for me would also be much higher. I didn't try to predict the ending as I read so it did catch me off guard and had the impact he intended.
I have Red Dwarf, but its on my TBR. I loved Hitchhiker's Guide, and Andy Weir can include humor in Sci Fi so well. If I like Red Dwarf I'll toss Red Shirts onto my TBR.
The Martian is also one of my favorites. And Project Hail Mary was also excellent. I listened to that one on audiobook and went into it knowing NOTHING and it made for such a perfect experience.
World War Z has a very unique style. I normally hate short stories, but this one was very unique. It's absolutely NOTHING like the movie. It's essentially a reporter who goes around collecting people's stories of how they survived the initial event, the immediate following, and the current state of things. I am very surprised by how much I liked this book because of my usual distaste for short stories (which is why I'm hesitant about Hyperion)
The Stand is in my top 3 favorite Steven King books. Now working in the medical field it appealed to my fascination with medicine but man King really knows how to weave a large cast and make them all unique enough you don't keep forgetting who is who, you don't go "ugh not this one" when it changes POV. It's a brilliant book. It's very longwinded, so I would advise an abridged version though I did love the original monster of a book. It's essentially 2 books in 1 though.
Jurassic Park: Oh man I have read everything by Crichton and LOVED this book. And the movie has been a favorite of mine since my insane parents took me to see it in the cinema when I was 5. It's different enough from the movie to keep you on the edge of your seat, and includes a lot more science and dives deeper into the shadiness of the business side of things. Great read.
Hitchiker's Guide: One of the few books that have made me literally bust out laughing. It has a very unique sense of humor though, if you don't enjoy the first 2-3 chapters then it won't be for you. For me its one of my favorites.
Flowers for Algernon: I haven't read this in 20 years but I remember loving this book and it hitting like a brick.
Farenheit 451: I personally hated this book. The "romance" in it creeped me the hell out as a teenager, and it came across as "old man yells at cloud" once I learned that he did NOT intend for it to be about censorship and book burning slippery slope, that it was just about "kids these days don't read cuz the damn TV!" really ruined it for me. Kinda wished I never learned authorial intent on this one because it fully ruined it for me.
War of the Worlds: I enjoyed this one, it's a classic for a reason. Though I've heard the mass hysteria thing was false? While I enjoyed it, its pretty low on my list.
Dune: I actually expected this one to be #1. I personally greatly disliked this book. The world building was phenominal and I was SO absorbed for the beginning. Once the inciting incident happened it felt like Paul became a sociopath (which I get is explored in the sequels but disengaged me from the book) Jessica suddenly turned into a helpless waif. My favorite parts were gettign to see the Baron be a cunning bastard. I just wish he was a tad less cartoony. I can understand its impact on the genre, and why people love it. But the latter half of the book completely lost me (except for the Baron bits. Those were fun)
Pardon this essay in the comments section, Just wanted to comment as I watched on the books I've read.
Thanks for all the awesome info! Ender’s Game, The Martian, and Project Hail Mary are some of my favourites too. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed Hitchhiker’s so much, I’m looking forward to it. World War Z sounds very different from the film. And yes, I believe the War of the Worlds hysteria may have been exaggerated haha
🚀 So I counted up those I've read or at least own, and my scores are in!
✅ Read: 10
🛒 Owned but Unread: 7
🧟♂️ I rated “World War Z” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and noted, “This is a nicely paced and nuanced telling of a zombie world war.”
🤷 I tend to swerve YA in most cases too. I’m too old for that!
🤔 I noticed that I was less well read as you went higher in the rankings.
I’m glad you enjoyed World War Z! I have read over half of them but still have a some catching up to do!
Baffled by the To Sleep in a Sea of Stars being polarizing because I can't imagine feeling strongly about it. It was fine.
Haha fair enough. It’s not high on my TBR but I’ll try it eventually.
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DARK TOWER IN 2023 BABY LETS GOOOOOOO
(I just read it this year and have reviews of all of them, I really really enjoyed the series. Make sure you read 'Salem's Lot before you get to Dark Tower 5, otherwise, don't worry about any "requirements" for having read King. The Dark Tower is just as fine a starting spot as any, although The Gunslinger is a bit "Flew right over my head" on an initial first-time read.)
EDIT:
I remember getting most of the way through Journey to the Center of the Earth back in middle school and loving what it was doing, but just finding it a bit slow. But at the time I was also MUCH more liable to DNF (usually not consciously, just kinda...stopping reading in the middle of stuff a lot lmao).
Similar story with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, except the reason I never finished that was because it was a library check out and I only got halfway through before the end of the school year and I had to return it. However, the translation I had of that one was INCREDIBLE. I still have very very fond memory 20K Leagues, and can't wait to get back to it and actually finish it lol
2nd EDIT:
Frankenstein at #1 is an unexpected pick, but I won't argue with that. I read that in February and absolutely adored it. It seems those who don't click with it quite as hard I did more or less loathe it compared to me, but I really really loved my experience with that one.
Thanks for all the great info! I’m excited for The Dark Tower and will keep you posted on my progress haha. Looking forward to Frankenstein as well!
The numbers are immaterial FWIW (follow the link to the original article and they say "...we will not be giving a definitive ranking among the 100.") which in fairness makes "The Hunger Games" being several places ahead of "Neuromancer" feel much less baffling :).
'Frankenstein' IS great though IMO and at least merits a place _somewhere_ in a list of 100 great sci-fi novels (especially when "historical significance" is one of the criteria).
You should definitely read I, Robot! The best story in the book is the 3rd one, called "Reason".
It is definitely on my TBR for 2023. I’ll look forward to that one!
@@WordsinTime Yes, "I Robot" is an absolute delight and is definitely in my top five SF books. My wife and I watched the Will Smith movie the other night and, while I like Will Smith, my heart sank when I saw what the writers had done to this wonderful novel (actually, stitched together novel). And thanks I enjoyed your comments!
@@mikesnyder1788 Thanks for the info! I have a copy of the book and look forward to getting to it soon!
Solaris is such an interesting book, but I am not sure I would consider it for a top-sci fi list to be honest. Really changed my perspective on aliens, but really lacking in the plot area haha.
It seems like a book that really focuses on the ideas. I’ll be interested to see if it works for me!
Re the last 10 minutes - too many classics that haven't aged well enough to be ranked so high (other than the fact that they were influential), with the exception of 1984 which I think about very often. Totally agree with it being in the top 10. I prefer modern SciFi and can think of several books that should have made the top 40 and weren't even mentioned (Vinge didn't make it in this list at all, which makes the whole list suspect in my mind). Sadly, I haven't read Frankenstein yet with all the love it is received. Not sure if I should try since usually classical is hard for me to consume.
I would have a bit more of a mix of modern with the classical myself. I’ll be interested to see how I react to Frankenstein!
Recommend the Audiobooks for the Hunger Games. Narrated by Tatiana Maslany of Orphan Black fame. So good
That’s cool! Thanks for letting by me know!
Hyperion really seems too low on that list. While I haven't read the vast majority of these, I still think it should be in the top 15 at the very least.
Hyperion would be high for me too Patrick!
Listen to the World War Z as an audiobook! It's very different from the movie, and the format is best for an audiobook
Nice Rachel, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I really enjoyed Dune but I’ll be honest and say although Herbert has said that he did it intentionally, I personally didn’t enjoy the final 1/3 of the book being so rushed. He said that he did it because (Genuinely) he wanted to book to be like intercourse, with a rushed climax. But to me, and it could be my own modern sensibilities it just didn’t feel so rewarding after such a nice long, well explained and drawn out introduction and middle only to rush the ending.
That’s an interesting perspective! I liked the progression in the last 1/3 but that’s because I found the first 2/3 a little slow.
A very interesting list! I personally have trouble placing some of these books at sci-fi. As for the rankings, Dune is my personal #1 and Ender's Game is WAY TOO LOW. Canticle for Leibowitz was far too high. When are you doing your personal top 40? :)
Oh, and I'd reverse the Asimov picks!
Haha I love Ender’s Game too! I’m not sure when I’ll do my own list, but I want to make it a great video!
Cordwiner Smith writes some excellent bio ethics type Sci-fi and you chould check out the series Retief of the CDT series if you like some satire and comedy with your Sci-fi...Ketih Laumer was a low level Diplomat during the Cold War and uses his experiances to satarize diplomats in the future of interglactic diplomacy. Retief, a low level, but very canny and able junior Diplomat constantly saves Earth's diplomatic fat from the fire despite bumbling bosses and the evil plans of the Grocci, a Soviet analog Alien species.
Thanks for the recommendations! I recently picked up Norstrilia by Cordwainer Smith.
great video! BUT the hitch hikers guide to the galaxy was a phenomenal movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Haha I’m glad you liked it. Perhaps I will try it again one day.
Maybe i am quite old, but i have read the top 9 of the list and 17 of the first 20, only pending Vonnegut's (i just bought the illustrated edition) and Clarke's (i've seen the movie of course but book is TBR) along with the sea of stars (i though is the same writer of Eragon's saga and i didn't like it, it's too simple and childlike). I do believe there are some missing great books in the list, e.g. Three bodies saga by Cixin Liu, The new sun saga by Gene Wolfe, Stars my destination by Alfred Bester and City by Clifford Simak. And yes Jules Verne and H.G. Wells worth the re-reading, they are the pillars of scifi. 20,000 leagues under the sea is the best of Verne and one of my favorite books of all-time; War of the worlds, The time machine, The invisible man, Dr Moreau's island, each of those set the foundations of modern science fiction.
Nice! Liu, Wolfe, Bester, and Simak are all great additions!
I feel good that I’ve read a decent chunk of these, but there are many I need to read. I really need to get to Vonnegut. But this list had no Leiber, so I mean…😉
There are a lot of authors that probably should have been on the list that I didn't see. For instance, only 6 of the 38 SFWA "Grand Masters" were represented. But, after all, this was a list of greatest books, not greatest authors, and so it includes a fair amount of one-hit wonders and writers who aren't primarily thought of as science fiction writers.
Haha yes, you have to read Vonnegut!
@@Steve_Stowers That’s a good point Steve!
Slaughterhouse Five is an absolute must read. What the British did to Dresden was a war crime.
I wonder did you read the description of the list? Not every numbered list is a ranking. Quoted from the description:
"While this is a list of the 100 best science fiction books, we will not be giving a definitive ranking among the 100. Each of these books is great for different reasons. It would be near impossible to make a call on one of these books being better than the next."
Thank you. In light of this, I really think he needs to go back and do the other 60 books on the list!
I read that but seeing as the list was numbered and big names such as Dune and Foundation were at the top of the list, my interpretation was that it was a ranking (just not an objective or definitive one), but perhaps they are not in any order.
So if there's no definitive ranking, the makers of this list wouldn't object if you reversed the order of these books?
hey i just finished the first Firefall, 'Blindsight' and enjoyed it hugely. it reminded me quite a bit of 'Solaris' in that is was an exploration of alien (and by extension human) consciousness. the ocean may or may not be sentient, that kind of thing. is it a coincidence that Watts is a marine biologist? anyway, i'm looking forward to Echopraxia. Solaris would be way up higher on my list along with Hyperion, but there is never an account for taste.
Blindsight and Solaris are on my TBR for 2023. Looking forward to them! And Hyperion would be high on my list as well!
Hello Mr Words in Time
There are that many great books in Science Fiction, its difficult to read all the best ones. I have been reading SF for 50years and I am only scratching the surface. I have read many of the classics by Clarke, Asimov, Wells, etc fir sure but there are tons of great books I have not yet read. The best Asimov novel is THE GODS THEMSELVES and the best by Clarke is RENDEVOUS WITH RAMA but the ones here in this top 40 by these masters are all excellent.
There are so many great SF authors not featured in this top 40 such as Larry Niven, Clifford Simak, Robert Silverberg, Philip farmer, Frederick Pohl, Robert Heinlein, Brian Aldiss, Piers Anthony, Ben Bova. All the works by these authors are well worth checking out.
My top 10 would be something like
RENDEVOUS WITH RAMA
THE GOD THEMSELVES
DUNE
TO YOUR SCATTERED BODIES GO
2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY
FOUNDATION
THE MOTE IN GODS EYE
MISSION OF GRAVITY
RED MARS
LEVIATHAN WAKES
Hi Paul, thanks for sharing! I am a huge Arthur C. Clarke and Clifford D. Simak fan. I own The Gods Themselves and Dying Inside by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg and hope to read them soon!
Clockwork Orange is one I couldn't get into because of the slang that is so pervasive from the very start
I ended up liking the slang but it can be tough to get into.
Left Hand of Darkness took me two reads to fully appreciate it. The first time I read it, it seemed a bit of a slog. Can't remember why I decided to read it again, but I did, and really enjoyed the book the second time. Loved the world building.
I’m glad you loved it the second time around!
Like you, I visited it twice. I had heard so much about it that I decided to give it a try and was underwhelmed. A few years later, I decided to give it another go, and this time I couldn't get past the first chapter.
I keep a spare copy of the Left Hand of Darkness around to give to anybody who claims they don't like science fiction.
I can’t vouch for Watchers, but I do really like all of the Dean Koontz novels I’ve read so far. 8:53
Nice, I’m glad you enjoyed them!
re the 2nd ten minutes - I am looking forward to Solaris. The movie made no sense to me, but it does sound like it might be a good read. I had a hard time getting through the Martian Chronicles, but it has a really cool idea linking the stories together.
Nice! Solaris is pretty high on my list, looking forward to it!
Solaris is kind of a challenging book IMHO, because the whole theme is the impossibility of true communication with very alien beings (represented by the ocean). But it stays with you, and I found reading it a second time very helpful.
Interesting choices for jules Verne novels for the list. I would have ranked From the Earth to the Moon higher than those two but maybe that's just nostalgia from me.
I did enjoy Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas and Journey to the Center of the Earth too. Just don't remember them as clearly (maybe I'm in need of a re-reading of Verne's novels).
I might need to re-read them as well!
Greig Beck is covering the Jules Verne type genre atm
I agree with you so much on all the books that we have both read, except for A Canticle for Leibowitz, which I thought was brilliant, and infuriating, and utterly depressing. So, with that in mind, and knowing that you have read and enjoyed The Hitchhiker's Guide:
Yes, definitely read I am Legend. You can give the movies a pass though, except the one starring Vincent Price.
I don't read or like much YA, but Hunger Games is the original dystopian YA and I thought it was really good. But I thoroughly disliked the epilogue and like to pretend the book ended before it.
As for A Wrinkle in Time, I didn't read it as a child either. But I read it to my child when he was around ten. He liked it a lot more than I did. So much in fact that we had to read the second book too, which he still liked but not enough that I had to endure a third book. The first one was ok though. I'd say read it with a child, not for yourself.
Thanks for the info! I will have to try I Am Legend at some point!
The Stand is AMAZING! It's on my top 5!
That’s awesome Jef! It sounds amazing, I will definitely have to read it!
Great video , keep going
I follow you from iraq 🇮🇶
I’m glad you enjoyed!
Frankenstein is a good read- engaging prose and interesting story, particularly the characterisation. It is emotional and will make you sad in parts.
That’s awesome to hear, coincidentally I am actually starting Frankenstein today!
Canticle - I was intrigued by the first part and expected that to continue. And then... it seemed to turn into an entirely different story. What the heck? This is one of those books where I may have benefited from learning a bit more about it, especially the structure, before diving in.
2001 (book) changed my life with one line. You know the one: "My God, it's [SPOILERS]!" The first time I watched the movie I just wanted to die. It felt like it would never ever ever ever end. I felt like my brain was doing the running thing on that spinning wheel. LOL! Again, this is a situation where I should have sought out more info and learned the book and film are very different in style. Once I calmed down, I eventually did come to appreciate and even love the film.
Slaughterhouse 5 - I've seen this book in stores my whole life. But I somehow never picked it up to read the blurb because you're the first one who ever told me 1) what it was about and 2) that it was anything to do with scifi. I'm not in a life situation where I can handle dark themes right now. But it's definitely on my radar for, "at some point."
Part 1 of Canticle was my favourite and it kind of lost me after that. Yes, that moment in 2001 is amazing! SH5 is heavy, but if you’re ever in the mood for it, I hope you enjoy it!
SH5 is not nearly as heavy as it might seem, its mostly dark umor, but the message of it is acceptance of life as it happens to you and the hope that brings. I actually reread it recently when I was very depressed and it totaly turned me aroound and made me feel better about life.
To sleep in a sea of stars is on my tbr, enders game agree one of the best, red rising and hunger games, i would not have included in this list. Good but not among the best for me
Fair enough Drew! I haven’t read Hunger Games but Red Rising was a solid 4 star read for me. I enjoyed it, but not an all-time favourite like Ender’s Game!
Orson Scott Card is a very talented writer.
For the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, There's a lot of books.. I did a bit of research, and The one that was shown in this video, I couldn't find what comes next.. Can anyone help me with the reading titles and order please?
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979)
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (1980)
Life, the Universe and Everything (1982)
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (1984)
Mostly Harmless (1992)
And Another Thing... (2009)
@@WordsinTime I appreciate the help. Thank you kindly sir, have a slice on me. 😄🍕
Not a single Robert Silverberg novel? Nightwings was stunning, and heartbreaking. Clarke's Childhood's End deserved to be on the list, as did Fountains of Paradise, and of course, Rendezvous with Rama! Le Guin is an absolute must, and The Dispossessed is as good, or better, than The Left Hand if Darkness. All if Le Guins stories are worth reading, including The Lathe of Heaven.
I need to read more Silverberg. Childhood’s End made the list but was not in the top 40. It would be very high for me!
@@WordsinTime I heartily recommend his Majipoor novels. I started with the collection of short stories called The Majipoor Chronicles. Brilliant story teller.
The first Hunger Games movie annoyed me because of a complete lack of potential due to a lack of trust in the source material and the demographic it was aimed at. Personally it felt like a straight to TV movie with its effects. I have no doubt that The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will have a bigger budget and better effects, something the original movie deserved. I don’t always subscribe to the book always being better than the film, but in this case it is most definitely true. If you enjoyed the movie you should love the book(s)
I wouldn’t say I loved the movie but I liked it. I’ll try the book at some point!
Oof. Hard disagree on them including To Sleep In a Sea of Stars. I finished it, but I really wish I had DNF'D. It fell very flat for me. So much so that I was just angry at it by the time I finished. I really don't know how anyone could slog through that thing and enjoy it...
I guess I'm glad some would like it, but it does not belong on a list like this in my opinion.
Edit: I enjoyed your thoughts about Frankenstein being the best and the first and how that could be a bit sad. It's been awhile since I've read it, so I can't remember if I would agree with the first place ranking. It's definitely good, but also very different than modern sci-fi.
I’ve heard very mixed reactions on To Sleep in a Sea of Stars but I’m glad you enjoyed Frankenstein!
@@WordsinTime yeah maybe Paolini and I just aren't a good match. I never read his Inheritance Cycle series and after TSIASOS I will never. Haha
Being this is a Sci-fi list, The Institute by Stephen King should be on this list in place of The Stand which I would put more in the Horror genre.
I haven’t read those but I am currently up to the 4th book in The Dark Tower!
I’ve been thoroughly enjoying your lists and have added many of them to my Audible wishlist. Loooooved House Of Suns. 👍🏼✨
@@CeVo100 That’s great! I’m glad you loved it too!
Contact is amazing, Sagan's prose is perfect. I say that as an author. Sagan's book is in my top 5. The Stand, by King, is slow and ponderous. The book is too long. I don't think you'll like it. One must digest a lot of words to get somewhere in the story.
@@rachelthompson9324 I have subsequently read Contact and really enjoyed it. I gave it an 8.5/10.
Enders game at 38. Thats crazy
It’s top 10 for me!
Watching now; this had better have A Fire Upon the Deep in here ........ OK now I'm getting worried .... OK now I'm 😡
Also, the massive RIverworld series, though it gets a bit tortuous and could easily be half the length, is often missed off these lists. But missing A Fire is close to criminal. If you havent read it you are doing yourself a disservice.
I have read A Fire Upon the Deep! I need to get around to reading A Deepness in the Sky!
Its a strange list to be honest. I've seen others mention that the original list isn't supposed to be a hard ranking but if thats the case then they should've made it alphabetical order. Because the order of these, and the omissions of some others is baffling.
I mean, I really enjoyed Dragonflight when I read it, but I can't say I would've put it near my top30
I will say though, that I am intrigued about going back and reading Frankenstein.
I’m intrigued by Frankenstein as well Gearoid. Looking forward to getting to it soon!
What? No Robert Heinlein, but books by King and Koontz. They are both kind of hacks although their books would be OK further down. I read the article which claims that the order is not a ranking when it obviously is. A lot of well known classics at the top and many what appear to be pretty new books that I've never heard of near the bottom. Heinlein comes in around #50 with The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
Yes, it was a little confusing.
A sci fi book that I thought was excellent: "Resurrection, Inc" by Kevin Anderson....ohhhh and enjoyed the review, thanks!
I’ll check it out, thanks!
@@WordsinTime It was inspired by the Rush album "Grace Under pressure" so I read...and Kevin Anderson later worked with Neil Peart on the "Clockwork Angels" book....Kevin Anderson is quite prolific! 🖖
12:12 cotcact is not an easy read and quite frankly....it is one of the very few examples of books were the movie was better
I have since picked up a copy but not read it yet. Thanks for the heads up!
Just read Do Androids Dream of electric sheep and loved it, now read endors game love it so far, not sure what to read next thooo
Nice, I really enjoyed both of those as well. I’m not sure if you’re looking for something in particular but Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke is one of my favourite classic sci-fi books and The Martian by Andy Weir is one of my favourite modern sci-fi books.
@@WordsinTime Thanks, I’m gonna look up childhoods end. The title is intriguing
Neuromancer - I feel exactly the same as you do 😊, but I really think it deserves it’s place as being one of the most ground-breaking and influential sci-fi books
Ender’s Game - I have to be honest, I enjoyed Speaker for the dead better, but Ender’s game is extraordinary as well
Left hand of darkness - Again, felt exactly the same. I really appreciate the book and Ursula’s writing, but it’s not really my style. Try Dispossessed if not already, I found it better than Left hand - it’s about a society where communism actually works
Hitchhiker’s guide - the movie is a total injustice to the book!
You didn’t read Solaris yet!!! You have to. Extraordinary book. One of my favourites Sci-Fis
You liked 1984? You should definitely try Us by Evgheni Zamiatin - Some say that it was the inspiration for 1984 and Brave new world, and I don’t blame them. It’s extraordinary!
Dune - one of the best reads, although very disappointed by the sequels
Frankenstein - aaaaaahhh! I started to read it just because it was a classic that everybody was talking about. I was thinking that there will be nothing to surprise me and boy, how wrong I was! It’s a book that can still hit hard after so many years of its release! READ IT!!!!
Thanks for sharing! I have since read Hitchhiker’s, Solaris, Frankenstein, and We. I enjoyed them all especially Solaris and Frankenstein. I’ll have to try The Dispossessed at some point.
Contact was a great film, and a better book. It is a crime against humanity that Sagan never wrote another sci-fi.
I recently read it and really enjoyed it!
Watched this in 10 minute chunks. Re the 1st 10 mins: I thought Redshirts was terrible. I haven't picked up any other Scalzi because it read so terribly, especially the dialogue (overuse of he said, she said, I said and a failed attempt at 2nd person or something like that). Honestly don't know how it could have made it on their list. Hyperion was amazing but mainly for the magical writing - I can't remember the story at all, but Simmons sure can string words together. Watchers is great, especially if you love dogs, but some may find the other characters a little predictable and eye-rolling.
Thanks for the info! I loved Simmons’ writing in Hyperion as well. I will check out Watchers!
I didn’t care for Redshirts that much either; however Old Man’s War by Scalzi was very good if you like a military sci-fi. He may not be the best writer but I definitely recommend this one over Redshirts.
@@codym6376 thanks. I might have to try old man's war then. I've been wondering how it could get so much hype after reading redshirts. That's encouraging.