Anything written by Adam Roberts is woefully underrated. I've read two of his: On, and Stone, both incredibly clever, inventive, and unexpected. Highly recommended.
In Conquest Born by C.S. Friedman is way underrated. It's about two sprawling interstellar empires engaged in a 10,000-year war. I love both of the main characters. Some bill it as space opera. I just call it greatness. Her second novel (not a sequel but a stand alone), The Madness Season, is also very good and quite underrated.
Loved "Inherit". There are so many but a few that are rarely mentioned (but deserve to be honored): Queen of Spades = Greg Bear (his best), Accelerando (Stross), Brother Termite (ANthony), Blind Sight (Watts) and Solis (Attananis)
I found your video and watched because you mentioned Inherit the Stars. This was the *first* SF book I read, and in fact, the first book I read that was not assigned reading or a comic book. The works of James P. Hogan have shaped the direction of my life since then, including his non-fiction books. Yes, his characters tended to be underdeveloped (it was his first book!) but his SF ideas were creative, well justified with extrapolation from then-current theory, and extremely thought provoking!
Thank you so much for your recommendations! Also, thank you for providing a picture of each book for us to look and check the covers. I love that !!! Many many TH-camrs hold books in their hands and try to talk with their hands at the same time…it is super frustrating because we who watch the videos love to see all the details in the books covers….I don’t understand why people don’t pay attention to this….anyway….love your videos!! Great background!!! …and cheers 🍻
Great video, my friend, the quality of your content can rival that of a 100k+ channel, really welldone, thanks for all of these recomendations. Have you ever read Solaris by Stanislaw Lem? It's considered a classic but I'd say it's a bit obscure and underrated here in North America. It's also by far my favorite book of all time
Some of the writing is lacking, but the imagination is so wonderful it doesn't matter. The detail and alien character development is fantastic. And the setting is great.
I'm always on the lookout for more sci fi and most videos on youtube either deal with the "classics" or novels to start with. This video is exactly what I hope people would do more - I haven't heard of any of the books listed here and am looking forward to reading them. Thank you!
Hi Kyle, good premise, great list. I have actually read "Inherit The Stars" (plus books 2 & 3) and "Saturn" (I have read maybe 15 books from Ben Bova's from Grand Tour series and enjoyed them all - I rank them 3-4 stars on my Good reads profile, all easy and enjoyable reads). I will check out the ones I have not read from your list and maybe add them to my TBR, especially FORTUNES PAWN, I really enjoy a strong female protagonist - so missing from much classic SF of which I have read a ton of in the last 50 years. 😁
Great video, man! I just finished reading Saturn for the second time a few minutes ago and decided to look up some videos on it and ran across this. Ben Bova is my favorite sci-fi author of all time and I just absolutely love his novels. Saturn is definitely one of his best ones. I've never heard of Inherit the Stars, but it sounds amazing. I'm going to have to pick that up. I really enjoyed Retrograde by Cawdron. I've only listened to the audiobook and haven't read the actual book, though. I'd recommend checking out Red Hope by John Dreese if you are looking for another underrated Mars novel. I really enjoyed that one.
I like to read and enjoy science fiction books also. I also like to listen to audio books on you tube. I love short stories, of any genre, including sci-fi. My fave sci -fi writers are Stephen King, Ursula K Le Guin, Philip K Dick, HG Wells, Dan O'Bannon, Tim Schooch, Joey Vimsante, Jules Verne, Arthur C Clarke, Bob Gale, and George Orwell.
Great video. I found a book series years ago that got me interested in reading sci-fi it was the Star Wolves series by Gunner Thorinson. I went from that to Star Trek, Star Wars, Dragon Riders of Pern was my crossover between fantasy and sci fi. I've been hooked on sci-fi and fantasy ever since now I am a writer writing both sci-fi and fantasy.
I've only just started watching this video and you've already sold me on the first book you talk about. You're right too, sci-fi doesn't get much attention on BookTube, it's a shame.
Dying Inside by Silverberg has only 5,586 ratings. Surprised so few people know about it, given how well-known the author is, and that this is probably his best book.
You ever read The Ice People by Rene Barjavel? Got the same kind of premise of finding people that they carbon date and they predate the known existence of humans. Though I feel like it could have been better but I really loved it. They assume that humans are just much older so the idea of humans coming from elsewhere probably would suit me more. Also Ben Bova is fantastic, a true household name in our home. Glad to hear his name on booktube.
@@isaacasimov1375 with all due respect, poppycock. I read quite a lot of Asimov's books before tackling the foundation. And I am sute I am not alone in that.
You HAVE to read at least the 2 sequels to Inherit the Stars, I'd absolutely argue the notion they're not as good, I believe the opposite. They have all the same hard sci fi aspects that make the first great but with (imo) more interesting events added. The Gentle Giants of Ganymede may be my favorite novel I've ever read in my life, seriously it is INCREDIBLE
This video is great! All the books sound fantastic. Saw it's been a while since you made a video but I'm subbing to you in the hopes you'll make more videos sometime 😊👏
I'm sorry you went with Blue Moon and mentioned it's your favorite wheat beers. This makes me question everything you've said. lol. Recommendations: Wiehenstephaner, Paulaner, Franziskaner, Bell's Oberon (summer seasonal), or Allagash White. Get out there, there are plenty of great wheat beers. (thanks for the book recommendations)
Gavin G. Smith - Age of Scorpio-Quantum Mythology-Beauty of Destruction Criminally underrated series, easily on par with masters like Iain M. Banks, Stephen Baxter, Dan Simmons, Alastair Reynolds, Asimov, Clarke and every other scifi and non-scifi writer one could ever name.
This list gave me some nooks to read! Great video. Another book I'd suggest is "tge speed of dark" - I rather liked it. It focuses on autistic characters and a "cure" that they have to decide if it is something they want.
Loved it and subbed! Please keep these up - now I have to go catch up on you videos since 2020… For folks who like hard Sci-fi (especially if the space opera variety) I think Vast by Linda Nagata (a mere 646 ratings!) is criminally underrated. It is the third book I a trilogy, but honestly I liked it the best and it stands alone reasonably well. Lots of fun to be had.
While praised and very highly rated at the time of it's release, Heinlein's "Stranger in A Strange Land" has fallen in popularity and is woefully underrated by the current generation of sci-fi readers. Although steeped in the world that existed in the 60s (more than slightly misogynist) it's themes of religion, otherness, and cultism reverberate quite loudly today. Perhaps you could consider it for a future review. GROK (Kudos for including Ben Bova is your first outing)
My list of underrated scifi would include the Gaea series by John Varley as well as his Thunder series. Cities in flight by James Blish. The Uplift series by David Brin. But for all time most underrated novels I would have to nominate "The Postman" also by David Brin. It is hands down the best post-apocalyptic yarn I've ever read.
Life During Wartime - Lucius Shephard - Brilliant book set in the "present" but involving so much more. And dense prose that doesn't read like dense prose. Just psychadelic and beautiful. 1232 reviews. One of my few 5 stars.
Suggestions for underrated, unknown SF books: Warchild by Karen Lowachee Outback Stars by Sandra McDonald Both are the first in a trilogy. Neither are available in audio, that's how under-read they are.
The Paradox series is great - I recommend it all the time. Based on that series. A couple other books with low ratings that you might check out. Perilous Waif (Alice Long Book 1), by E. Williams Brown The Venus Cloud Experiment, by Patricia E. Rather Derelict: Halcyone Space, by LJ Cohen
You realize Kyle, That most people, most, dont know what their doing. Sometimes you just have to step off that cliff. And get that shit..done. Cheers! Jeff
SF died 'bout 30 yrs ago......bcame like politics/music .....populist ...if appeals to6/15 yrs olds , being sooo many millions of people within that range , doesn't need to be so good to amass huge numbers in sales.....kind like Michael Jackson's music/disco!!
I'll raise my glass to Inherit the Stars. Great book.
I'm just really pleased to find a video of underrated sci fi novels where I'd genuinely never heard of them - and I've read alot. Excellent stuff.
Thank you SO MUCH for introducing me to Inherit the Stars. I'm listening to it on Audible and thoroughly enjoying it!
Anything written by Adam Roberts is woefully underrated. I've read two of his: On, and Stone, both incredibly clever, inventive, and unexpected. Highly recommended.
In Conquest Born by C.S. Friedman is way underrated. It's about two sprawling interstellar empires engaged in a 10,000-year war. I love both of the main characters. Some bill it as space opera. I just call it greatness. Her second novel (not a sequel but a stand alone), The Madness Season, is also very good and quite underrated.
C.S. Friedman and C.J. Cherryh are both amazing authors and are almost never mentioned compared to their contemporaries.
Loved "Inherit". There are so many but a few that are rarely mentioned (but deserve to be honored): Queen of Spades = Greg Bear (his best), Accelerando (Stross), Brother Termite (ANthony), Blind Sight (Watts) and Solis (Attananis)
I found your video and watched because you mentioned Inherit the Stars. This was the *first* SF book I read, and in fact, the first book I read that was not assigned reading or a comic book. The works of James P. Hogan have shaped the direction of my life since then, including his non-fiction books. Yes, his characters tended to be underdeveloped (it was his first book!) but his SF ideas were creative, well justified with extrapolation from then-current theory, and extremely thought provoking!
Yes, *SF.* Not “sci-fi.”
Thank you so much for your recommendations! Also, thank you for providing a picture of each book for us to look and check the covers. I love that !!! Many many TH-camrs hold books in their hands and try to talk with their hands at the same time…it is super frustrating because we who watch the videos love to see all the details in the books covers….I don’t understand why people don’t pay attention to this….anyway….love your videos!! Great background!!! …and cheers 🍻
There were a number of sequels to Inherit the Stars and well worth reading since he explains more of the story. Thoroughly enjoyed them all.
Inherit the Stars was Hogan's 1st book! I think his first 6 books are some of the best hard Science Fiction books written.
Great video, my friend, the quality of your content can rival that of a 100k+ channel, really welldone, thanks for all of these recomendations. Have you ever read Solaris by Stanislaw Lem? It's considered a classic but I'd say it's a bit obscure and underrated here in North America. It's also by far my favorite book of all time
Good review, Inherit the Stars has been on my radar for some time so I will chase up, nice that you mentioned some of the olde authors as well
The best hard SF book of all......Dragon's Egg by Robert L forward.....I'm talkin' HARD SF!!
Fantastic book. Thanks for reminding me of it.
Some of the writing is lacking, but the imagination is so wonderful it doesn't matter. The detail and alien character development is fantastic. And the setting is great.
Also the sequel, STARQUAKE.
So they send convicts to saturn....
Me: so it's Space Australia
As long as they don't name their computer Michael.
I'm always on the lookout for more sci fi and most videos on youtube either deal with the "classics" or novels to start with. This video is exactly what I hope people would do more - I haven't heard of any of the books listed here and am looking forward to reading them. Thank you!
Hi Kyle, good premise, great list. I have actually read "Inherit The Stars" (plus books 2 & 3) and "Saturn" (I have read maybe 15 books from Ben Bova's from Grand Tour series and enjoyed them all - I rank them 3-4 stars on my Good reads profile, all easy and enjoyable reads). I will check out the ones I have not read from your list and maybe add them to my TBR, especially FORTUNES PAWN, I really enjoy a strong female protagonist - so missing from much classic SF of which I have read a ton of in the last 50 years. 😁
Neat wordplay on the title.
Inherit the Stars. Great read.
Great video, man! I just finished reading Saturn for the second time a few minutes ago and decided to look up some videos on it and ran across this. Ben Bova is my favorite sci-fi author of all time and I just absolutely love his novels. Saturn is definitely one of his best ones. I've never heard of Inherit the Stars, but it sounds amazing. I'm going to have to pick that up. I really enjoyed Retrograde by Cawdron. I've only listened to the audiobook and haven't read the actual book, though. I'd recommend checking out Red Hope by John Dreese if you are looking for another underrated Mars novel. I really enjoyed that one.
Gotta read Venus by Ben bova. I loved it
I thought Saturn was just OK. I seem to recall liking Moonrise and Moonwar better.
I like to read and enjoy science fiction books also. I also like to listen to audio books on you tube. I love short stories, of any genre, including sci-fi. My fave sci -fi writers are Stephen King, Ursula K Le Guin, Philip K Dick, HG Wells, Dan O'Bannon, Tim Schooch, Joey Vimsante, Jules Verne, Arthur C Clarke, Bob Gale, and George Orwell.
Great video. I found a book series years ago that got me interested in reading sci-fi it was the Star Wolves series by Gunner Thorinson. I went from that to Star Trek, Star Wars, Dragon Riders of Pern was my crossover between fantasy and sci fi. I've been hooked on sci-fi and fantasy ever since now I am a writer writing both sci-fi and fantasy.
Very nice video! This channel needs more recognition
I've only just started watching this video and you've already sold me on the first book you talk about. You're right too, sci-fi doesn't get much attention on BookTube, it's a shame.
Dying Inside by Silverberg has only 5,586 ratings. Surprised so few people know about it, given how well-known the author is, and that this is probably his best book.
I read Dying Inside a long time ago, great book. I was a huge Silverberg fan. A few of my favorites are Up The Line and The Book of Skulls.
Nightwings by Robert Silverberg is another great one.
Read the "Trilogy." Inherit the Stars; The Gentle Giants of Ganymede; Giants' Star; Entoverse; Mission to Minerva. Loved them.
The Zen Gun by Barrington J Bayley is my favourite underrated science fiction book. Nightwings by Robert Silverberg gets an honorary mention.
Nice first video! I will have to check these out.
You ever read The Ice People by Rene Barjavel? Got the same kind of premise of finding people that they carbon date and they predate the known existence of humans. Though I feel like it could have been better but I really loved it. They assume that humans are just much older so the idea of humans coming from elsewhere probably would suit me more. Also Ben Bova is fantastic, a true household name in our home. Glad to hear his name on booktube.
Most of isaac asimovs books are so underrated
You mean your books, sir?
The caves of steel is still my favorite I think it was the first fiction book of Asimovs I read back in 1975 probably
How on earth can you call Asimov's books "underrated"...?
I meant my other books The only book people know of mine is the foundation
@@isaacasimov1375 with all due respect, poppycock. I read quite a lot of Asimov's books before tackling the foundation. And I am sute I am not alone in that.
I would read every book you recommended, great list! Subscribing, I hope you keep it up!
I read Inherit the Stars when it came out and loved it. Fantastic novel.
Giant Star series by James Patrick Hogan; at least the first three/four books.
Impressive video quality. Thanks for the recommendations
One SciFi that I liked quite a bit is "Urn Burial" by Robert Westall, © 1987. The author originally wrote it as a short story with the same title which I read first. Then a few years later he expanded it into a novel and I quickly read that when it came out. Robert Westall was not known for SciFi but for War stories aimed at young adults. I don't know but "Urn Burial" might be his sole SciFi novel. It is what some people label as a "Soft Core SciFi" where the characters and their relationships are the central focus and the science and technology are important but a backdrop to the story.
You HAVE to read at least the 2 sequels to Inherit the Stars, I'd absolutely argue the notion they're not as good, I believe the opposite. They have all the same hard sci fi aspects that make the first great but with (imo) more interesting events added. The Gentle Giants of Ganymede may be my favorite novel I've ever read in my life, seriously it is INCREDIBLE
Inherit the Stars does have sequels if I remember correctly. Terrific book.
This video is great! All the books sound fantastic. Saw it's been a while since you made a video but I'm subbing to you in the hopes you'll make more videos sometime 😊👏
Inherit the Stars is included for free with an Audible membership right now for those who like audiobooks!
Actually the whole trilogy is free right now on audible. NICE
I'm sorry you went with Blue Moon and mentioned it's your favorite wheat beers. This makes me question everything you've said. lol.
Recommendations: Wiehenstephaner, Paulaner, Franziskaner, Bell's Oberon (summer seasonal), or Allagash White. Get out there, there are plenty of great wheat beers.
(thanks for the book recommendations)
Gavin G. Smith - Age of Scorpio-Quantum Mythology-Beauty of Destruction
Criminally underrated series, easily on par with masters like Iain M. Banks, Stephen Baxter, Dan Simmons, Alastair Reynolds, Asimov, Clarke and every other scifi and non-scifi writer one could ever name.
Great vid, I will definitely be reading a couple of these books in the near future.
Inherit the Stars, James P Hogan......REAL SF!!
Loooove fortunes pawn! One of my favs! Great video!
Gotta say... *anything* by J. P. Hogan is 100% awesome. Wish he wrote more!
I was at a wholesale store recently, and they had gotten a stock of retrograde, it was about 10-15 books listed for $4 a book. I bought 2.
David Brin and his "Uplifting " series is really good
Jack Glass and Retrograde: sold. Straight to my Byzans WTR
This list gave me some nooks to read! Great video.
Another book I'd suggest is "tge speed of dark" - I rather liked it. It focuses on autistic characters and a "cure" that they have to decide if it is something they want.
The Sub-Human series by David Simpson! Loved them!
Loved it and subbed! Please keep these up - now I have to go catch up on you videos since 2020… For folks who like hard Sci-fi (especially if the space opera variety) I think Vast by Linda Nagata (a mere 646 ratings!) is criminally underrated. It is the third book I a trilogy, but honestly I liked it the best and it stands alone reasonably well. Lots of fun to be had.
While praised and very highly rated at the time of it's release, Heinlein's "Stranger in A Strange Land" has fallen in popularity and is woefully underrated by the current generation of sci-fi readers. Although steeped in the world that existed in the 60s (more than slightly misogynist) it's themes of religion, otherness, and cultism reverberate quite loudly today. Perhaps you could consider it for a future review. GROK
(Kudos for including Ben Bova is your first outing)
Thank you for your suggestions. Some of them really grabbed my attention.
I recommend Ra by Qntm.
My list of underrated scifi would include the Gaea series by John Varley as well as his Thunder series. Cities in flight by James Blish. The Uplift series by David Brin. But for all time most underrated novels I would have to nominate "The Postman" also by David Brin. It is hands down the best post-apocalyptic yarn I've ever read.
Life During Wartime - Lucius Shephard - Brilliant book set in the "present" but involving so much more. And dense prose that doesn't read like dense prose. Just psychadelic and beautiful. 1232 reviews. One of my few 5 stars.
What is Dahak’s opinion of Inherit the Stars?
Jack glass cover should have won best book cover
Beautiful!
The seedling stars by James Blish....again.....pure hard science....
Inherit the Stars sounds good, love that cover art too
Vurt by Jeff Noon. Masterpiece.
Suggestions for underrated, unknown SF books:
Warchild by Karen Lowachee
Outback Stars by Sandra McDonald
Both are the first in a trilogy. Neither are available in audio, that's how under-read they are.
Try lifeprobe and Procyons promise by Michael McCullom
The Paradox series is great - I recommend it all the time.
Based on that series. A couple other books with low ratings that you might check out.
Perilous Waif (Alice Long Book 1), by E. Williams Brown
The Venus Cloud Experiment, by Patricia E. Rather
Derelict: Halcyone Space, by LJ Cohen
Like your program-great way to find good books!
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. A satirical novella by the English schoolmaster Edwin Abbott Abbott 1884
Jack Glass sounds super interesting! I'm going to check it out! I subbed!
Ever read Friday by Heinlein? I'm wondering how it holds up, sexist wise.
5 starts is a good rank, it is better than 4 stars and much better than 3 starts, then again it is less than 6 stars and much less than 7 stars
About the "Saturn" ship, so its like Arthur C Clark's "Rama" series? ;)
Thanks for the tips.
Cheers.
Check out Media Death Cult
He is also a sci fi guy
You realize Kyle,
That most people, most,
dont know what their doing.
Sometimes you just have to step off that cliff. And get that shit..done.
Cheers! Jeff
Well done! Thanks for the video
Unhappenings by Edward Aubry. By far the best sci fi book I have ever read
Neverness + trilogy requiem for homosapiens by
David zindell
No human-eating aliens? You need at least one Kyle.
great video thank you!
I am looking for a sci book coming in a couple weeks have you here of it "Adam and Eve from Darkness into the light"
Excellent
Are these Amazon ratings? Google ratings? Goodreads ratings?
I'm gonna join ya! Good stuff!
Do a show on books that have less than 10 ratings
If you can give five stars to a book that - in your words - has no character development, I don't think I need to hear any more.
Kyle fantastic 👏glad i found you
Subscriber 354! 🥳
obvious omission by not including the koran
Fortune's Pawn is just stealing from the Expanse. There is way too many books coming out just like this one.
Ben Bova; hmmmmmm. Bought his book Voyages II in 1988, just read this week. First two thirds-interesting, last third-garbage. Never buy another one.
Please don’t use the term “sci-fi.” It’s SO condescending and we are not children.
I found Retrograde on Kindle Unlimited. Cool!
SF died 'bout 30 yrs ago......bcame like politics/music .....populist ...if appeals to6/15 yrs olds , being sooo many millions of people within that range , doesn't need to be so good to amass huge numbers in sales.....kind like Michael Jackson's music/disco!!
Good Stuff..🇬🇧
im thinking of doing a books bongs and munchies channel thoughts?