"Fantasy is an exploration of imaginationa nd creativity, sci-fi is an exploration of possiblities and potential." Wow, nicely put :D I'm happy I've read a lot of those, even tough Sci-fi is very much not my first genre of choice. You definately bumped Neuromancer up my list. Why no Murder Bot tough?
Hey, the movies primary shortcoming was that it wasn't as good as the book. On its own, I enjoyed it very much, and HGttG is in my top-10 books of all time and one I reread regularly
Also a good blending of genre would be Gideon the Ninth. Wanna get into scifi, but you're scared to leave your safe place in fantasy? Gideon will help you. She won't like that she's helping you. But she'll get you there.
War of the worlds is mind boggling when you put yourself in that time period. I didn't when i was in High school and i couldn't understand why it was good... then I read it like 2 years ago after listening to the radio broadcast with my headphones on (I almost peed my pants and had to take them off at one point cus I was legit freaked out), THEN read it. Ohhhhhhhh just brilliant. There's a reason he's one of the grandfathers of SF.
@@clementbaril1167 yeah, Around the World in 80 Days is more like Wells’ work because most of Verne’s other works are actually based on hard science. Like you could build a giant canon to shoot you to the moon if you wanted to. Wells’ work is more theoretical. Like Wells explores what would it be like to travel through time without explaining how the time machine was built. If Verne wrote The Time Machine, he would have explained how the machine was built.
@@clementbaril1167 He did. Begum’s Fortune was definitely science fiction in showing chemical warfare, and Paris in the Twentieth Century is part of the trinity on prediction science fiction, the other two being 1984 and Brave New World. Funny story, Verne’s Paris was banned by the editor because the predictions were too absurd.
If you are diving into those kind of classics, "With the Night Mail" by Rudyard Kipling, yes, that one. The follow up is a bit odd, both republished with the fake magazine adverts he created to be published along side the stories. That the 2nd book was already retro futuristic at the time of publishing means it's kinda proto steam punk/Miyazaki universe.
Red Rising is AWESOME! I cannot recommend a series more. For me, it reaches Shakespeare levels of tragic and epic. I'm so glad to se Daniel endorsing it...
New follower. I like many of your recommendations. I'm 62 and a life long fan of SciFi and Fantasy. The Past Through Tomorrow never leaves my nightstand. I was pleased to see it prominent on your desk. I did a quick TH-cam search with your name and both Anne McCaffrey and Stephen R Donaldson to see what you had to say about them and no luck. Finally please don't hate me... my nephew absolutely loved WoT but I couldn't get past the first 2 books. Maybe the writing is so good that the author actually makes me hate the characters but I couldn't get past that, in my opinion, the women only new what was the right thing to do or the men but they couldn't seem to work together. Maybe I'll give it another go but....
I would encourage it, for sure. One of, if not the best thing I've ever read. Thinking about it again, I'm going to ask the friend I loaned it to to return it so I can give it another read.
Canticle of Leibowitz? Absolute taste. One of my favorites. Looking forward to rereading it soon. Another scifi I loved is Snow Crash, bit it's wild. Definitely not the easiest to read though.
The second read through of the first red rising book will make you feel different. Understanding the character dynamics and relationships let's you enjoy it all better
I'm reading Project Hail Mary right now and it's incredible. The Martian put Weir on my radar, Project Hail Mary is putting him squarely on my short list of favorite authors.
Dude I'll say it again. Thank you for your channel. An Eminem reference and referring to big books as thicc bois while discussing books I like. I literally only have 2 book related channels for me.
Ok I realise my comments have about as much impact as a fart in a hurricane but please do yourself a favor and pick up Saga of the Exiles by Julian May then Intervention and the Galactic Milieu trilogy. You'll be missing out otherwise. Probably better off with good condition second hand copies from back in the day. The recent reprints have so many errors I suspect they were proof read by an android phones auto correct function. Please take my earnestness with a pinch of salt (sort of)
Just had to say thanks for the recommendation on Red Rising! It has been a long time since I’ve read any sci-fi books (or books at all 😅) and I’m rarely enjoying that series so far. I had to come and rewatch this video to get another recommendation while I wait for the next book in the Red Rising series.
I'm going to recommend Leguin's short stories! She plays a lot with psychological science fiction and gender and stuff like that. A fisherman of the inland sea, birthday of the world, and the compass rose have some of my favourite stories. It's softer science fiction than some, but it's definitely science fiction and not fantasy in space
@@thechitranshkamleshworks3584 Ursala K. Leguin! For short stories, I'd suggest one of the collections I mentioned. For novels, I've mostly read her fantasy stuff, but left hand of darkness is one of the first she wrote
I love how you wiped the thinking off your desk!!! I am not religious either, and, also, find religious/faith based scifi and fantasy just as interesting as nonreligious... i like that you added a YA book here too, i think, sometimes, YA is a good start for any genre... And, OMG, so glad to see Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy on this video, for some reason... i love this book, soooooo much... i use quotes, from this book, to answer my children's questions sometimes, lol... I am excited to start Red Rising, a friend suggested it highly... Love, love, love the old scifi, and, enjoying where the genre is going now...
I haven't read a lot of Sci Fi so far, but what I did read, I loved. Also I am completely obsessed with the Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. So long and thanks for all the fish
I was really hesitant to get into sci-fi because I don't like the aesthetics of the shows and the themes (like, i dont care about space), and read a couple sci-fis here and there, and tho I enjoyed them, I never got into the genre. Until I found Ted Chiang's short stories. Those were a game-changer for me. Since then I tried out mainly sci-fi by not English-based authors (Harmony by Itoh Project, Electric States by Simon Stälenhag, Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu) and some by lady authors (Becky Chambers and Margaret Atwood) and boy I am sold.
hyperion is def NOT for new entries... just so much going on at once that is very different from most genre. But once you've read some and gotten a taste for the MASSIVE range of tropes you can use, then it's fantastic. I'm getting ready to read fall of hyperion this week.
My favorite sci-fi book of all time is Ender’s Game. The rest of the series is very different, but it does a great job of exploring what would actually happen if the “aliens” were justified and misunderstood.
I started reading Sci-Fi this year. I decided to go with granddaddy of Sci-Fi and go with Foundation world, read the OG trilogy and the sequel duology and now making my way through the prequel duology.
I was so happy to see The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy on this list. I haven't really gotten started with any of the more epic stuff, but The Hitchhikers Guide is definitely a good read 😊 just the first few sentences sets the tone of a really fun but also clever book that I personally found a great introduction to the sci-fi genre😊
A quote from the beginning of the second book: "The story so far: In the beginning the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded a bad move."
OMG! So happy to see A Cantilce for Liebowitz at the top of someone else's list! One of my all time favorites, both for it's grasp on the sweep of history and for it's fine focus on human nature. Not exactly a lighthearted read, though.
Yes on canticle! Way underrated. I am a reformed reverend, so sometimes I think that I loved it because of that, but thánk you for the case you make for that novel
Popping in for a more intermediate-level recommendation with The Player of Games from Iain M Banks. The Culture series as a whole is more of an advanced-level read, but this one is probably the best entry point. It helps that you can read the books in any order. Bonus amazing spaceship names, I'm partial to Serious Callers Only.
I’m new to reading books outside of school. So sci fi is where I’m starting since I love sci fi movies and just every thing different from modern reality. So I’m just almost entirely new and this really helped
THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS?!! I’ve been wanting to expand the genres I read, i since then realized I literally no sci fi novels. I really didn’t know where to start
I started with a few Star Wars legends books, then Asimov and now I'm hooked on Warhammer 40k and the Horus Heresy. Edit: The Metro Trilogy is fantastic especially if you are a fan of the games. It's a great starting point as well (the second is slow bit the others are amazing)
THANK YOU. I used to add books to my Goodreads TBR so often and I haven’t added a book in so long. I just added A Canticle for Leibowitz and Hitchhiker’s Guide to my list.
My first sci-fi book was dune. I proceeded to binge the entire series in like 3 months and then went to three body problem and then the expanse. I’ve loved them all so much
When people want to get into sci-fi, I usually ask them if they want it more on the science side of science fiction or more on the fiction side. If they respond with the former, I usually point them towards the Revelation Space books or The Expanse. If the latter, I usually point them towards Iain M Banks' Culture series or the series of novellas that comprise the Xeelee Sequence.
Yes for "Canticle"! I have always thought of it as my favourite book even though I haven't read it for a long time. I just re-read it for the first time in about fifteen years and it held up. It's also funny.
I remember reading it way back in high school. I didn't know it was actually three stories put together, so I got quite a shock about a third of the way through the book!
I think you should read Thunderhead if you haven’t. It goes deeper into the themes you may have been wanting in Scythe, it explores the world, characters and minds of the antagonist really well and the way the AI is brought in is insanely great.
You think? It's certainly good, but there are a lot of "nerd culture" references, particularly from the 90's. Maybe it would be a good intro for somebody who's been watching TVs/movies but not reading.
I enjoyed Canticle for Leibovitz when I read it for my grade 11 English ISU. Would recommend. Also I actually liked red rising from the beginning. My only problem with the trilogy is that the uprising succeeds in the end because I liked the society as it was.
Stars Wars EU got me started reading Sci Fi lit and fed interest in digging deeper. Sometimes something that familiar is a good way for new readers to see there is so much more out there.
I'm about to finish Childhood's End by Arthur C Clarke as one of my first scifi books. I strongly recommend it to anyone watching (I also believe it was The Goblin's second review on this channel, check it out for very young Goblin)
Really sold me with the Mary Shelley argument. Frankenstein is one of my favorite books, so I really ought to give the genre a bit more attention. Thanks for the video!
@@Rogillar The Commonwealth Saga has a lot of intricate politics and detailed world building. It also has a lot of simultaneous plot lines, large-scale grand strategy, and big events. Plus the writing style is similar in the sense that that they both have a lot of detail and are more verbose than average, but in a way that I enjoy. Plotting is also similar in that both are a bit slowly paced, but reward you well for the wait.
Pandora's Star is great, I feel like most people that have read it will recommend it, but not enough people have read it because it's like 900 pages long and only half a story. 😅
Hyperion! It was for me :D I know it is maybe not the easiest first pick, but man it pays off! I just fall in love with it and it opened the door to the whole genre for me.
I don't usually go for sci-fi, but I got recommended Ender's Game and I found it a great entry point. The audiobook especially is on point! Hyperion is also an excellent read 👌
My intro to sci-fi was dune followed by ender's game then the dispossesed. For an introduction to the genre though, I would actually suggest Hyperion. It's a fairly easy read, well written and the story will definitely have something for everybody and you get exposed to the different "forms" of sci-fi from space opera to cyberpunk.
I just bought yesterday The gods themselves, from Asimov, who said it is his best novel, so for my first sci-fi book it should be nice. And then the trilogy of Foundation would be next
The thing about "The Gods Themselves" is that part of it is written very effectively from an alien point of view, which is something Asimov didn't usually do.
I would also add Le Guin's Hainish Cycle as probably pretty good for beginners. They don't even have to be read in order, which can be a plus for people getting into the genre.
Or anything by Peter F Hamilton...ive not read a book by him i haven't liked though i think Joshua Calvert from the Nights Dawn books is his best character and one of my favourite science fiction characters
Ursula Le Guin and her hannish cycle might be a good starting point into sci-fi if you are more familiar with fantasy. As she is a master at writing both, her hannish cycle works great as a transitional piece and each story gets more and more sci-fi.
@@DanielGreeneReviews Don't get me wrong, Orson Scott Card is a fucking abysmal human being, but I think the book is pretty decent for a specific demographic (10-15).
Ender's Game was largely my gateway into loving sci-fi. Still my favourite individual novel (I know people hate the author - this book in particular I don't find to be influenced by his personal views). Red Rising is certainly my favourite sci-fi series though! Can't recommend that one enough! As for sci-fi short stories - Ted Chiang's "Stories of Your Life" collection is stellar! The film "Arrival" was based on the titular story but all of them are incredibly thought-provoking and so well written.
people always say Frankenstein is the first Sci-fi, and while I haven't read it yet, the Somnium by Johannes Kepler is considered Sci-fi which was long before Frankie was written
Is it not more Frankenstein is the first modern sci-fi novel, the same way LOTR is considered the first modern epic fantasy? There are plenty of things before both of them, but they were the first books recognisable as those genres as we now know them.
@@poodlemuffin Going by that criteria, I would say Verne or Wells fits better. Frankenstein is pretty firmly in the Gothic tradition, and its direct influence for a long time was more on Gothic horror than sci-fi. It's not like Tolkien where you had so many people trying to replicate him exactly that it was recognizably a new genre. Whereas Verne and especially Wells wrote narratives pretty similar to the pulp sci-fi that would become modern science fiction.
I’ve always enjoyed the Long Earth series, part written by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. Great premise, writing and world building, a pretty easy read to get into.
Though I agree that the Culture books are a great read, most of them would not necessarily be for someone new to sci-if, with I think the exception being “Player of Games”
But I think it's actually more fun as a palate cleanser than an intro! There is so much there that feels self-referential to the genre (in a good way) which I don't think a newbie would fully appreciate... 🤔
"Fantasy is an exploration of imaginationa nd creativity, sci-fi is an exploration of possiblities and potential." Wow, nicely put :D
I'm happy I've read a lot of those, even tough Sci-fi is very much not my first genre of choice. You definately bumped Neuromancer up my list. Why no Murder Bot tough?
And then there are sci-fantasies and DUNE.
Much as I love Murderbot - as everyone does - it's a fantastic series, but it doesn't follow that it's a fantastic introduction to science fiction.
@@Matt42MSG It's short ;)
@@Naweemshuvo I think he already stated his distastes on Dune in other videos. He's also considers it "Fantasy"
You need a "no books were harmed during filming" disclaimer.
…but they were. I don’t lie
@@DanielGreeneReviews MONSTER!!!
@@DanielGreeneReviews Is there a dragon fang emoji?
@@DanielGreeneReviews *GASP!*
Many books were spanked
You’re welcome
Daniel reminds me of my over the top and really enthuastic literature teacher.
Ikr! It's fantastic!
Have to agree, Hitchhikers is do good that even with the movie falling far short it's still great
Highly recommend the radio dramatisation from the 1970s, it's brilliant
@@nojerama788 agreed. It's the original in fact. There's a TV series too, and a text adventure game.
Hey, the movies primary shortcoming was that it wasn't as good as the book. On its own, I enjoyed it very much, and HGttG is in my top-10 books of all time and one I reread regularly
Watch the BBC series..all I'm saying.
The movie is actually one of my favorite adaptations.
Also a good blending of genre would be Gideon the Ninth. Wanna get into scifi, but you're scared to leave your safe place in fantasy? Gideon will help you. She won't like that she's helping you. But she'll get you there.
Same with Pier Anthony's Double Exposure book.
or Richard K Morgan's A Land Fit for Heroes series
H.G Wells was so far ahead of his time, he wrote an Alien Invasion story in Victorian England.
Read that one for the first time last year and I actually enjoyed it a lot.
War of the worlds is mind boggling when you put yourself in that time period. I didn't when i was in High school and i couldn't understand why it was good... then I read it like 2 years ago after listening to the radio broadcast with my headphones on (I almost peed my pants and had to take them off at one point cus I was legit freaked out), THEN read it. Ohhhhhhhh just brilliant. There's a reason he's one of the grandfathers of SF.
The illustrated version is awesome as well.
Yeah Frankenstein, and all of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne’s canon should be read as they laid the groundwork for almost all of Sci-fi
Dont know how Jules Verne is all sci-fi groundwork with Around the world in 80 days. But sure he laid some groundwork
@@clementbaril1167 yeah, Around the World in 80 Days is more like Wells’ work because most of Verne’s other works are actually based on hard science. Like you could build a giant canon to shoot you to the moon if you wanted to. Wells’ work is more theoretical. Like Wells explores what would it be like to travel through time without explaining how the time machine was built. If Verne wrote The Time Machine, he would have explained how the machine was built.
@@clementbaril1167 He did. Begum’s Fortune was definitely science fiction in showing chemical warfare, and Paris in the Twentieth Century is part of the trinity on prediction science fiction, the other two being 1984 and Brave New World. Funny story, Verne’s Paris was banned by the editor because the predictions were too absurd.
If you are diving into those kind of classics, "With the Night Mail" by Rudyard Kipling, yes, that one. The follow up is a bit odd, both republished with the fake magazine adverts he created to be published along side the stories. That the 2nd book was already retro futuristic at the time of publishing means it's kinda proto steam punk/Miyazaki universe.
As a scifi genre lover and ESL, Jules Verne's works are a must but they are advanced 😭 it takes time for me to read his books, but it's worth it.
Is it more logic oriented? "I don't know I'm just saying things". Lol the best Daniel Greene opinion about Daniel Greene.
I've been reading sci-fi for 20 years and I just found out about red rising a month ago. Very good world building
I swear Red Rising didn't exist before a few months ago, it seemed to suddenly explode in popularity at the end of 2020.
"Sounds sciencey enough to be true."
I like seeing Scythe here! It might not be the best Sci-Fi book ever but it's a great choice for this; definitely one of the better entry points
Red Rising is AWESOME! I cannot recommend a series more. For me, it reaches Shakespeare levels of tragic and epic. I'm so glad to se Daniel endorsing it...
Hitch-hikers Guide was my intro to sci-fi and I will always have a great deal of affection for it because of that
I just read Dune and I was shocked so hard so many times. The plot twists - the rereading and foreshadowing you noticed - it was insanely good.
"it's a book relax"
*Library of Alexandria has entered the chat*
the way I wheezed into my taco 💀
What is Library of Alexandria
New follower. I like many of your recommendations. I'm 62 and a life long fan of SciFi and Fantasy. The Past Through Tomorrow never leaves my nightstand. I was pleased to see it prominent on your desk. I did a quick TH-cam search with your name and both Anne McCaffrey and Stephen R Donaldson to see what you had to say about them and no luck. Finally please don't hate me... my nephew absolutely loved WoT but I couldn't get past the first 2 books. Maybe the writing is so good that the author actually makes me hate the characters but I couldn't get past that, in my opinion, the women only new what was the right thing to do or the men but they couldn't seem to work together. Maybe I'll give it another go but....
Your description of Hitchhikers was giving me real Terry Pratchett in space vibes and I think now I have to read it
I would encourage it, for sure. One of, if not the best thing I've ever read. Thinking about it again, I'm going to ask the friend I loaned it to to return it so I can give it another read.
I love your ending lines about fantasy and science fiction. I hope to quote it one day to my friends to drag them in to sci-fiiii
Canticle of Leibowitz? Absolute taste. One of my favorites. Looking forward to rereading it soon.
Another scifi I loved is Snow Crash, bit it's wild. Definitely not the easiest to read though.
The second read through of the first red rising book will make you feel different. Understanding the character dynamics and relationships let's you enjoy it all better
1- Canticle for Leibowitz 1:15
2- Scythe 3:40
3- Neuromancer 5:00
4- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 6:25
5- Red rising 7:50
1. Flatland (Edwin Abbott)
2. The Star Diaries (Stanislaw Lem)
3. Stand on Zanzibar (John Brunner)
A man coming out of a book cover and saying that that book is really good is the best recommendation I have ever seen
I'm reading Project Hail Mary right now and it's incredible. The Martian put Weir on my radar, Project Hail Mary is putting him squarely on my short list of favorite authors.
I like Hail Mary better than The Martian. What a ride.
I'm 80 percent into Project Hail Mary right now and AAAAAHHHH
@@lostcharge Rocky!!
@@Gator5000e i would throw myself in front of a bullet for rocky
Rockkkyyyyyyyy
That introduction was art. Also would love a video on more “chunky” sci-fi.
Please do a follow-up with starting with Classic Sci Fi!!!! Canticle for Leibowitz is amazing! Great pick to start
Dude I'll say it again. Thank you for your channel. An Eminem reference and referring to big books as thicc bois while discussing books I like. I literally only have 2 book related channels for me.
No Goblin, I actually hate Science.
Bill Nye killed my father. I hate science.
@@dylanthechillinvillain2488 Consider the following.
Ok I realise my comments have about as much impact as a fart in a hurricane but please do yourself a favor and pick up Saga of the Exiles by Julian May then Intervention and the Galactic Milieu trilogy. You'll be missing out otherwise. Probably better off with good condition second hand copies from back in the day. The recent reprints have so many errors I suspect they were proof read by an android phones auto correct function. Please take my earnestness with a pinch of salt (sort of)
@@gerald112b I will do so thank you, but not now. First I need to finish wheel of time and catch up with Stormlight archives
But do you like to violence? >:)
0:20 Daniel's descent into cat.
*ascent
Just had to say thanks for the recommendation on Red Rising! It has been a long time since I’ve read any sci-fi books (or books at all 😅) and I’m rarely enjoying that series so far. I had to come and rewatch this video to get another recommendation while I wait for the next book in the Red Rising series.
I'm going to recommend Leguin's short stories! She plays a lot with psychological science fiction and gender and stuff like that. A fisherman of the inland sea, birthday of the world, and the compass rose have some of my favourite stories. It's softer science fiction than some, but it's definitely science fiction and not fantasy in space
She is my favorite for over all worldbuilding. I want to live in her worlds.
What's her name?? And how to start with her??
@@thechitranshkamleshworks3584 Ursala K. Leguin! For short stories, I'd suggest one of the collections I mentioned. For novels, I've mostly read her fantasy stuff, but left hand of darkness is one of the first she wrote
Changing Planes is probably my favourite short story collection
I love how you wiped the thinking off your desk!!! I am not religious either, and, also, find religious/faith based scifi and fantasy just as interesting as nonreligious... i like that you added a YA book here too, i think, sometimes, YA is a good start for any genre...
And, OMG, so glad to see Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy on this video, for some reason... i love this book, soooooo much... i use quotes, from this book, to answer my children's questions sometimes, lol...
I am excited to start Red Rising, a friend suggested it highly...
Love, love, love the old scifi, and, enjoying where the genre is going now...
Old Mans War is what helped me get into the genre! Fun and quick read!
I haven't read a lot of Sci Fi so far, but what I did read, I loved. Also I am completely obsessed with the Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy.
So long and thanks for all the fish
I live for Asimov’s works. Currently reading through Foundation and the Naked Sun. So good!
I was really hesitant to get into sci-fi because I don't like the aesthetics of the shows and the themes (like, i dont care about space), and read a couple sci-fis here and there, and tho I enjoyed them, I never got into the genre.
Until I found Ted Chiang's short stories. Those were a game-changer for me. Since then I tried out mainly sci-fi by not English-based authors (Harmony by Itoh Project, Electric States by Simon Stälenhag, Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu) and some by lady authors (Becky Chambers and Margaret Atwood) and boy I am sold.
Hyperion 1 and 2 were my introductions to sci-fi. Hard to understand, but the payoff was well worth it.
Just starting this series for the first time!
hyperion is def NOT for new entries... just so much going on at once that is very different from most genre. But once you've read some and gotten a taste for the MASSIVE range of tropes you can use, then it's fantastic. I'm getting ready to read fall of hyperion this week.
Hyperion was also my introduction to SF (at the age 16) but I'd never considered it hard🤔.
Amazing book tho.
Goblin: Golden Son and Morning Star is grim dark.
Me: Laughs in Dark Age.
I started with Rendezvous with Rama at age eleven. Kind of odd to start with a hard sci-fi as a kid, but I loved it and it's still one of my favorites
fantastic book, just stay away from the sequels...
@@gb-qk5eh as a kid I looked for them, but couldn't find them. Now I could easily purchase them, but I know better
Librarians everywhere are clutching their pearls at you swiping books off your desk.
My favorite sci-fi book of all time is Ender’s Game. The rest of the series is very different, but it does a great job of exploring what would actually happen if the “aliens” were justified and misunderstood.
So true! Have been searching for something similar for years and never found.
I started reading Sci-Fi this year. I decided to go with granddaddy of Sci-Fi and go with Foundation world, read the OG trilogy and the sequel duology and now making my way through the prequel duology.
Fahrenheit 451, Never Let Me Go, Left Hand of Darkness.
I'm planning to get into Alastair Reynolds and Becky Chambers.
I was so happy to see The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy on this list. I haven't really gotten started with any of the more epic stuff, but The Hitchhikers Guide is definitely a good read 😊 just the first few sentences sets the tone of a really fun but also clever book that I personally found a great introduction to the sci-fi genre😊
A quote from the beginning of the second book:
"The story so far:
In the beginning the universe was created.
This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded a bad move."
OMG! So happy to see A Cantilce for Liebowitz at the top of someone else's list! One of my all time favorites, both for it's grasp on the sweep of history and for it's fine focus on human nature. Not exactly a lighthearted read, though.
Yes on canticle! Way underrated. I am a reformed reverend, so sometimes I think that I loved it because of that, but thánk you for the case you make for that novel
"It's a book, relax!"
NEVER!
🤣
"If you're wondering how he eats and breathes, and other Science facts, just say to yourself "It's just a show, I really should just relax."
Fun trivia: Douglas Adams is the naked man playing the piano on the beach, a clip often inserted between skits on Monty Python's Flying Circus.
Popping in for a more intermediate-level recommendation with The Player of Games from Iain M Banks. The Culture series as a whole is more of an advanced-level read, but this one is probably the best entry point. It helps that you can read the books in any order.
Bonus amazing spaceship names, I'm partial to Serious Callers Only.
I’m new to reading books outside of school. So sci fi is where I’m starting since I love sci fi movies and just every thing different from modern reality. So I’m just almost entirely new and this really helped
I would recommend Heinlein's "juvenile" novels, a precursor of modern YA. My favorite has always been Have Spacesuit, Will Travel.
That's a good one, my favorite would be Citizen of the Galaxy or The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
Great recommendations Daniel. A Canticle for Leibowitz is fantastic, and more people need to read it!
Favorite line from a booktoober "It's a book Relax."
THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS?!! I’ve been wanting to expand the genres I read, i since then realized I literally no sci fi novels. I really didn’t know where to start
I started with a few Star Wars legends books, then Asimov and now I'm hooked on Warhammer 40k and the Horus Heresy.
Edit: The Metro Trilogy is fantastic especially if you are a fan of the games. It's a great starting point as well (the second is slow bit the others are amazing)
I also started Sci Fi with Warhammer 40k and it was a good choice.
THANK YOU. I used to add books to my Goodreads TBR so often and I haven’t added a book in so long. I just added A Canticle for Leibowitz and Hitchhiker’s Guide to my list.
You should check out Ren: The Girl With the Mark. It's a fanmade fantasy series here on youtube, and considering its small budget it is really good.
My first sci-fi book was dune. I proceeded to binge the entire series in like 3 months and then went to three body problem and then the expanse. I’ve loved them all so much
I would've recommended Becky Chambers. Her writing reminds me of Hitchhikers Guide.
She does have that feel. It was the first thing I notice when I read her first book.
When people want to get into sci-fi, I usually ask them if they want it more on the science side of science fiction or more on the fiction side. If they respond with the former, I usually point them towards the Revelation Space books or The Expanse. If the latter, I usually point them towards Iain M Banks' Culture series or the series of novellas that comprise the Xeelee Sequence.
Thank you👍👍
Just point them towards my channel next time
@@MediaDeathCult your channel is the best!
Yes for "Canticle"! I have always thought of it as my favourite book even though I haven't read it for a long time. I just re-read it for the first time in about fifteen years and it held up. It's also funny.
I remember reading it way back in high school. I didn't know it was actually three stories put together, so I got quite a shock about a third of the way through the book!
As a long sci-fi lover, these recommendations were really thoughtful, thank you!
I think you should read Thunderhead if you haven’t. It goes deeper into the themes you may have been wanting in Scythe, it explores the world, characters and minds of the antagonist really well and the way the AI is brought in is insanely great.
IMO
Scythe:Most Enjoyable
Thunderhead: Best
The Toll: Most shocking Moment (stadium scene)
Very nice list, I enjoyed that. I read Canticle for Leibowitz about 18 years ago. I need to reread it one of these days.
Martian was my first sci- fi, and honestly it still feels as great as it did back in the day...
Dune is the first book I read as a adult and it's not just a great book it also teaches how to use your own fear to your advantage.
I would argue that Fire Upon the Deep may be the best intro to hard Sci Fi
Now that's a good comment.
Or Revelation space or one of the standalones from Reynolds.
@@mSarimaa house of suns is insane
The short story collections from the various post war scifi magazines are a treasure trove of one offs and proto versions of later novels.
Bobiverse is a great entry as it's so fun. That was first foray into the genre and I would definitely start there again if I was to do over
You think? It's certainly good, but there are a lot of "nerd culture" references, particularly from the 90's. Maybe it would be a good intro for somebody who's been watching TVs/movies but not reading.
Read Frankenstein twice, the level of symbolism you can take from that book is insane. Always one of my favorites.
Hears: "It is grim DARK!".
Well you see, Warhammer exists.
Omg. Thank you for posting EVERY single day. That IS content. ❤
I enjoyed Canticle for Leibovitz when I read it for my grade 11 English ISU. Would recommend.
Also I actually liked red rising from the beginning. My only problem with the trilogy is that the uprising succeeds in the end because I liked the society as it was.
Thank you so much for this. I’ve had a hard time getting into sci fi but I love fantasy so I think I’ve got a solid tbr now.
The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons blew my brain out the back of my skull when I first read it, especially the first one Hyperion.
Stars Wars EU got me started reading Sci Fi lit and fed interest in digging deeper. Sometimes something that familiar is a good way for new readers to see there is so much more out there.
I'm about to finish Childhood's End by Arthur C Clarke as one of my first scifi books. I strongly recommend it to anyone watching (I also believe it was The Goblin's second review on this channel, check it out for very young Goblin)
Really sold me with the Mary Shelley argument. Frankenstein is one of my favorite books, so I really ought to give the genre a bit more attention. Thanks for the video!
The Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers. Great entryway especially those who aren't thrilled with the darker/nihilistic storylines.
Our family has been reading Children of Time and we love it! Super suspenseful.
Personally, I would recommend Pandora's Star to anyone who loved WoT.
If you don't mind but what are the similarities between the two? As having only read part of WoT I am very curious
@@Rogillar The Commonwealth Saga has a lot of intricate politics and detailed world building. It also has a lot of simultaneous plot lines, large-scale grand strategy, and big events. Plus the writing style is similar in the sense that that they both have a lot of detail and are more verbose than average, but in a way that I enjoy. Plotting is also similar in that both are a bit slowly paced, but reward you well for the wait.
I loved Pandora’s Star.
Pandora's Star is great, I feel like most people that have read it will recommend it, but not enough people have read it because it's like 900 pages long and only half a story. 😅
Hyperion! It was for me :D I know it is maybe not the easiest first pick, but man it pays off! I just fall in love with it and it opened the door to the whole genre for me.
I don't usually go for sci-fi, but I got recommended Ender's Game and I found it a great entry point. The audiobook especially is on point! Hyperion is also an excellent read 👌
Give me the Iron Gold review!!!!!! The more I re read Red Rising the more it creeps closer to the Stormlight Archive for my favorite series ever.
I highly recommend the "lilliths brood" trilogy by Octavia e butler
Just finished Project Hail Mary and absolutely loved it. Now I’m half way through Golden Son and really enjoying that as well.
I say start with the Expanse. It's not too heady.
My intro to sci-fi was dune followed by ender's game then the dispossesed. For an introduction to the genre though, I would actually suggest Hyperion. It's a fairly easy read, well written and the story will definitely have something for everybody and you get exposed to the different "forms" of sci-fi from space opera to cyberpunk.
I just bought yesterday The gods themselves, from Asimov, who said it is his best novel, so for my first sci-fi book it should be nice.
And then the trilogy of Foundation would be next
I would highly recommend Nightfall for a great standalone Asimov
Foundation’s Edge is the 4th and best Foundation novel.
Amazon just dropped copies of Asimov's Robot Dreams and Robot Visions that collect a lot his robot stoires
The gods themselves is absolutely wonderful! I hope you enjoy it
The thing about "The Gods Themselves" is that part of it is written very effectively from an alien point of view, which is something Asimov didn't usually do.
I would also add Le Guin's Hainish Cycle as probably pretty good for beginners. They don't even have to be read in order, which can be a plus for people getting into the genre.
Daniel, If you liked Red Riseing, you should defiantly check out Peter F. Hamilton's "Night's Dawn trilogy" it's a epic mind bender.
Or anything by Peter F Hamilton...ive not read a book by him i haven't liked though i think Joshua Calvert from the Nights Dawn books is his best character and one of my favourite science fiction characters
@@wildfire160 also true.. but that was the one i remembered off the top of my head :)
Don't really read scify but thanks to your rec i started the expanse and it is so great!! Thank you for the recommendation 😊
Hyperion: my first sci fi novel which lead me into the wonderful world of fantasy
Ursula Le Guin and her hannish cycle might be a good starting point into sci-fi if you are more familiar with fantasy. As she is a master at writing both, her hannish cycle works great as a transitional piece and each story gets more and more sci-fi.
And yes I'm aware this is me suggesting Le Guin example 1000 but someone has to recommend her.
I know you dislike it Daniel, but Ender's Game could be great for some people
That was definitely a big one for me getting into sci-fi.
Yep...indeed. Ender's Game. One of the great sci-fi books of the 80s.
Yup! I loved Enders Game when I read it
Booo hissss boooo
@@DanielGreeneReviews Don't get me wrong, Orson Scott Card is a fucking abysmal human being, but I think the book is pretty decent for a specific demographic (10-15).
Ender's Game was largely my gateway into loving sci-fi. Still my favourite individual novel (I know people hate the author - this book in particular I don't find to be influenced by his personal views).
Red Rising is certainly my favourite sci-fi series though! Can't recommend that one enough!
As for sci-fi short stories - Ted Chiang's "Stories of Your Life" collection is stellar! The film "Arrival" was based on the titular story but all of them are incredibly thought-provoking and so well written.
people always say Frankenstein is the first Sci-fi, and while I haven't read it yet, the Somnium by Johannes Kepler is considered Sci-fi which was long before Frankie was written
I think its actually that Frankenstein is the first Sci-Fi novel, not that it was the first Sci-Fi story.
Margaret Cavendish's The Blazing World is also a good contender.
There are even elements of the sci-fi in the Bible in the book of Ezekiel.
Is it not more Frankenstein is the first modern sci-fi novel, the same way LOTR is considered the first modern epic fantasy? There are plenty of things before both of them, but they were the first books recognisable as those genres as we now know them.
@@poodlemuffin Going by that criteria, I would say Verne or Wells fits better. Frankenstein is pretty firmly in the Gothic tradition, and its direct influence for a long time was more on Gothic horror than sci-fi. It's not like Tolkien where you had so many people trying to replicate him exactly that it was recognizably a new genre. Whereas Verne and especially Wells wrote narratives pretty similar to the pulp sci-fi that would become modern science fiction.
I’ve always enjoyed the Long Earth series, part written by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. Great premise, writing and world building, a pretty easy read to get into.
Daniel, are you familiar with Iain M. Banks' The Culture books? It's a modern classic of British sci-fi which I am just getting in to and am loving it
Are you perhaps a Media Death Cult member?
@@Zetamen7 I am 😂
Though I agree that the Culture books are a great read, most of them would not necessarily be for someone new to sci-if, with I think the exception being “Player of Games”
i absolutely LOVED red rising. Ive read through them a handful of times now.
I would say the Bobiverse books are great for beginners in sci-fi
Very true!
But I think it's actually more fun as a palate cleanser than an intro! There is so much there that feels self-referential to the genre (in a good way) which I don't think a newbie would fully appreciate... 🤔
This was going to be my suggestion. They've got a touch of Douglas Adams levity, but do their own thing in a modern way. Very quick reads.