Adam Savage's Top 5 Science Fiction Books

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ธ.ค. 2024

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  • @tested
    @tested  5 ปีที่แล้ว +125

    ICYMI, here's Adam and Will discussing another favorite book of Adam's: Seveneves: www.tested.com/science/space/536338-seveneves-spoilercast-8112015/

    • @readhistory2023
      @readhistory2023 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Reading the comments I think you were right. Waaaay too many good sci fi books to pick a top 5.

    • @edvickery958
      @edvickery958 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Let me suggest that you read the DNA Cowboys trilogy by Mick Farren (If you can find a copy).
      He wrote 55 books in both fiction and non fiction during his lifetime and is underappreciated.

    • @Diogenes2077
      @Diogenes2077 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I d add 'forever war' J. Hademan, 'the disspossesed' U.K. le Guine, 'dark side of the sun' T. Pratchett and about everything by S. Lem

    • @stephenhobson8456
      @stephenhobson8456 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Just watched that, that was great! Did the discussion about part 3 ever happen?

    • @bwake
      @bwake 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      I strongly disliked the HRC based character and the feeling of impending doom she brought with her.

  • @chrisjohnston4445
    @chrisjohnston4445 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1610

    _Neuromancer_ has one of the best opening lines in SF Literature:
    "The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel."

    • @doomo
      @doomo 4 ปีที่แล้ว +173

      Good.... But not close to the best...John Varley's Steel Beach, from an author who's won numerous Hugs and Nebula's, opening line got me: "In five years, the penis will become obsolete."

    • @amikinart
      @amikinart 4 ปีที่แล้ว +66

      Neil Gaimen later paraphrases this line in Neverwhere: "The sky was the perfect untroubled blue of a television screen, tuned to a dead channel."

    • @bawol-official
      @bawol-official 4 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      Just started reading it for the first time and that line stuck out to me and propelled me to read through half of it in a day.

    • @stormveil
      @stormveil 4 ปีที่แล้ว +72

      Unfortunately, "colour of a dead channel" and 'tuning' are references that don't age well.

    • @stevecarroll7545
      @stevecarroll7545 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@stormveil true.

  • @plexus
    @plexus 4 ปีที่แล้ว +536

    Also, it’s a great sign of a true sci-fi fan when their top 5 list has way more than 5 books on it.

    • @kevinkorenke3569
      @kevinkorenke3569 3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      Also that your top five is basically just a list of #1 entries.

    • @plexus
      @plexus 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@kevinkorenke3569 too true. I couldn’t come up with a top 5 Philip k dick list, let alone a top sci-fi list

    • @LaurenceHuntKenora_Ontario
      @LaurenceHuntKenora_Ontario 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Hahaha.

    • @stevesaturnation
      @stevesaturnation ปีที่แล้ว +3

      My favorite and most relatable part was the “totally reasonable 8” at the end. There are just too many greats and all for different reasons.

    • @KyleOfTheNorth
      @KyleOfTheNorth 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Still no Expanse on it tho :(

  • @roderickobriensr6504
    @roderickobriensr6504 4 ปีที่แล้ว +74

    I found reading all the comments very enjoyable!!! I began reading SF when I was 15 and am now 75. I must have read many many many sci-fi stories. The comments brought back remembrances of having read so many stories. It was also nice to know I was not the only Sci-Fi nerd.

    • @jackbedient
      @jackbedient 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      What’s your top 5?

    • @connorb2112
      @connorb2112 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      In your 60 years of sci-fi, I must know what you consider to be the best?

    • @blackholeentry3489
      @blackholeentry3489 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I started out reading Zane Grey's westerns, then, in about '1953' I read Frederick Brown's, "The Lights in the Sky are Stars." From that point on, nothing but sci/fy could hold my attention....and, looking at fast upcoming 83, still doesn't.

  • @fledermauseimglockenturm7655
    @fledermauseimglockenturm7655 5 ปีที่แล้ว +545

    'The Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy' I first read the four part trilogy 35 years ago after having watched the British TV series. In all those years I don't think a week has gone by that some element within those books hasn't been analogous and relative to the reality of life, the universe and everything.

    • @johnmagnestubsveen8211
      @johnmagnestubsveen8211 5 ปีที่แล้ว +76

      Every time use Google Translate I'm reminded of the following quote from the first book: "Meanwhile, the poor Babel fish, by effectively removing all barriers to communication between different races and cultures, has caused more and bloodier wars than anything else in the history of creation." :-p

    • @diceman199
      @diceman199 5 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      @@johnmagnestubsveen8211 Oops said god, I hadn't thought of that

    • @chrisofnottingham
      @chrisofnottingham 5 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      It is funny how certain aspects of modern everyday life were predicted in things like HHG but when you read it now you forget it was a prediction because they are just so normal.

    • @NapoleonGelignite
      @NapoleonGelignite 5 ปีที่แล้ว +38

      Anyone who wants political power should automatically be disqualified for holding any office. Douglas Adams was a genius.

    • @berulan8463
      @berulan8463 5 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      The 5 books of this trilogy have their own category in my mind (and in my heart), imcomparable - like Monty Python.

  • @procrastinator99
    @procrastinator99 5 ปีที่แล้ว +569

    “Tell me of the waters of your homeworld, Muad’dib.”

    • @matthewcorya7514
      @matthewcorya7514 4 ปีที่แล้ว +41

      procrastinator99 to be that guy she call him Usul

    • @absolutelynobody2321
      @absolutelynobody2321 4 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      Those of arrakis could not comprehend the waters of caladan... Not until the golden path

    • @servo5156
      @servo5156 4 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      usul*

    • @Stop_Gooning
      @Stop_Gooning 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I've only listened to the Dune audiobooks. The spellings of all the made up words would give me a brain aneurysm and I'm a Warhammer 40K fan! TBH 40K borrows SO much from Dune!

    • @procrastinator99
      @procrastinator99 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@matthewcorya7514 Yeah, it's been a little while since I read this........

  • @vilstef6988
    @vilstef6988 2 ปีที่แล้ว +82

    Ursula LeGuin's parents were Anthropologists. They met someone who was essentially an alien. He was a California Indian who was the last of his tribe. Her Mother, Theodora Kroeber wrote a YA and an adult book about him. They are Ishi, Last of his Tribe and Ishi in Two Worlds. The writing is luminous and immersive. Ursula's Mother was a marvelous writer who is not well enough known.

  • @Beamer1969
    @Beamer1969 5 ปีที่แล้ว +464

    How does any top 5 list have less then 20 books in it?

    • @PanzerBuyer
      @PanzerBuyer 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Any of those Graphic Novels?

    • @FrugalShave
      @FrugalShave 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Exactly!

    • @bawesome330
      @bawesome330 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Because; Book Lover;

    • @MravacKid
      @MravacKid 5 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Considering my top 5 would include Dune (6 books, excluding the expanded universe stuff), Foundation (7 books, excluding Robots stuff), Rama (4 books) and Space Oddyssey (4 books), it's inconceivable to have less than 20 books in the top 5 list. :)

    • @michaeltalley51
      @michaeltalley51 5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@MravacKid Yeah, any top sci-fi lists that don't include at least Clarke and one Asimov are invalid.

  • @falconwind00
    @falconwind00 5 ปีที่แล้ว +531

    3 classics not mentioned: Rendezvous with Rama (Arthur C. Clark), The Foundation Series (Isaac Asimov), and Ringworld (Larry Niven).

    • @labschi
      @labschi 5 ปีที่แล้ว +35

      The Foundation Series as well as the Robot Stories...

    • @vilsiran
      @vilsiran 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Now your talking. All really good

    • @robspore5046
      @robspore5046 5 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      The whole "Known Universe " story line is so much fun. Such a freaking good yarn!

    • @seaninness334
      @seaninness334 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I read Rendezvous with Rama a long time ago and liked it as well as Ringworld. But the Foundation books, at least the first one, difficult to get into. This was all in middle school and may be easier now. Any thoughts on talking it up to readers like me?

    • @i_love_rescue_animals
      @i_love_rescue_animals 5 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Ooh, I loved Ringworld!

  • @reecefleming9739
    @reecefleming9739 3 ปีที่แล้ว +196

    So glad you mentioned The 3 Body Problem trilogy. I thought it was an incredible trilogy and a very interesting cultural vantage point. Lots of original ideas...atleast new to me.

    • @godofchaoskhorne5043
      @godofchaoskhorne5043 2 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      What do you mean by "cultural vantage point"... Like everyone excuses the writers horribly written characters as "it's Chinese culture" no it's not.
      The remembrance of humanities past hd some great sci fi concepts. But as books? They were horribly written.
      In fact they were so bad I had to stop reading the second book when his self insert "genius writer" character had a fkn road trip with his imaginary gf. When he wrote book 2 he convinced himsfl he was a genius. But nowadays he admits he isn't a great writer. Doesn't care about characters, story or literature in general. He just likes sci fi and sci fi theories / concepts and the story is a means to talk about sci fi.
      But most importantly. The writer supports the Holocaust that the CCP is currently committing on the Uyghurs

    • @russellstephens3580
      @russellstephens3580 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      ​@@godofchaoskhorne5043 I think this is matches a lot of my feelings on the series. I only read three body problem and liked it well enough, but couldn't be bothered to read more. The ideas contained within are fascinating and it's a book which really stuck with me as a really compelling solution to the fermi paradox, but as a story, I never felt it held up. I haven't gone back to it.
      That said, the translation is truly top notch. Whoever translated it did a great job. Some of the most interesting stuff in the book is in the annotations the translator has given to provide context.

    • @superpowerdragon
      @superpowerdragon ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@godofchaoskhorne5043 your last sentence shows your knowledge in china, go visit china before making such claims

    • @godofchaoskhorne5043
      @godofchaoskhorne5043 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@superpowerdragon ho fk off I know countless innocent Uyghurs who's families are in concentration camps for no reason.
      The CCP is literally forcing Uyghur families to "host" Han Chinese men who on social media abuse Uygur women and children in their own homes using them as slaves treathening yo report and sent them to concentration camps as they've done to the man of the house.
      There are Uyghur professors in the camps who've gotten countless honors from the CCP for their teaching and academic efforts. Who are now being tortured for speaking Uyghur or having a Koran or refusing to eat pork
      People claiming the CCP and MAO were great during the cultural revolution too. China is a horrifically dystopian police state ruled by a quasi communist party dictatorship

    • @superpowerdragon
      @superpowerdragon ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@godofchaoskhorne5043 just show me ONE verifiable evidence, just ONE is enough. I have countless uyghur friends in xinjiang too, and I have been to xinijang, its basically impossible that there are concentration camps without everyone knowing and videos and images on the internet. what? do you think Chinesestill live in the middle ages? there are mobile phones everywhere everyone has a tiktok account in china

  • @DarthHydrae
    @DarthHydrae 5 ปีที่แล้ว +247

    The Hyperion Cantos. Shuch masterpieces. Those have changed my views of Science Fiction and left deep memories!

    • @DarthHydrae
      @DarthHydrae 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@_theoriginalb4handles_Genflag No, sadly. I'll confess I've lost most of my reading habits. It's a shame, I know... I think more and more to throw myself at some book in a near future, I quite miss it, but don't seem to find the time (or, to be honest, motivation)

    • @BastiaanOlij
      @BastiaanOlij 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Such good memories reading hyperion

    • @unrulysimian3897
      @unrulysimian3897 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Mark A. Dodd - Wish Simmons wrote more SF. Loved all 6 of those books.

    • @titmusspaultpaul5
      @titmusspaultpaul5 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Love the 4 books... my all time favorite series (I'm assuming you have read the following 2, Endimion and return to Endimion. They are part of the story).

    • @stevesan
      @stevesan 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      God I loved Hyperion...such fantastical ideas.

  • @MsDemzon
    @MsDemzon 5 ปีที่แล้ว +142

    So, just a insider point on 1Q84: the title is a pun. In Japanese, the number 9 in commonly pronounced kue (kyu in proper romaji). So, the pun is 1984, just in Japanese. Ichi, kyu, hachi, shi.

    • @captaintortuga3191
      @captaintortuga3191 5 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      I've never read it, but wondered the same thing. Side note.... in the same way that the number 13 is considered unlucky in the west and we will skip the 13th floor of buildings etc, the number 4 is considered unlucky in Japan because it is pronounced "shi" which is also the Japanese word for death. They will often avoid the use of the number 4, and even created a different word for 4, "yõn", to be used when it couldn't be avoided. Thus the title would be, "Ichi que hachi yõn".

    • @MsDemzon
      @MsDemzon 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Yup, 四 and 士 do have a same pronunciation. 四 is both yon and shi though. It’s not so much that the new word was used for the character as the superstitious tend to avoid the kun pronunciation.

    • @jaykaufman9782
      @jaykaufman9782 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@captaintortuga3191 The homonym derives from Chinese, and the Chinese also regard 4 as an unlucky number for the same reason. Vietnamese has its own number which sounds like "death" and is thus unlucky: 8

    • @raymondgerlach3148
      @raymondgerlach3148 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Learn something new everyday.

    • @mokelly7377
      @mokelly7377 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@MsDemzon l

  • @rambler209
    @rambler209 4 ปีที่แล้ว +34

    I read The Left Hand of Darkness when I was 16, and I still remember the lessons it taught me as a reader. That was 15 years ago, and it may be one of the more influential books I read in my teens.
    Also, I really love the Heinlein series. The way all of his books interact is always interesting and mind bending.

  • @FalbertForester
    @FalbertForester 5 ปีที่แล้ว +29

    The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein | the Foundation trilogy by Isaac Asimov | Ringworld by David Niven | The Ship Who Sang series by Anne McCaffrey | Hammer's Slammers series by David Drake | Lensman series by E.E. "Doc" Smith | the Chanur series by C.J. Cherryh | the Vorkosigan saga by Lois McMaster Bujold | the Journal Entries series by Elf Sternberg | Neuromancer by William Gibson
    Limiting to a Top 5 is hard! Top 10 will have to do.

    • @belg4mit
      @belg4mit 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Ringworld is by Larry Niven, for anyone looking. The first sequel is quite good, the others not as much. But they all take place in a much larger universe and those books are generally quite good; several other commentors have mentioned them, including "Protector", and I quite enjoyed the newest addition, the "Fleet of Worlds" anthology.

    • @princeofcupspoc9073
      @princeofcupspoc9073 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yay! Heinlein and Smith FTW.

    • @charlesbduke7947
      @charlesbduke7947 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@belg4mit You have to read Protector then read the Ringworld series. Time Enough For Love should be read after you read Methuselah 's Children

    • @abigailslade3824
      @abigailslade3824 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Falbert Forester I literally just finished reading the ship who sang and I enjoyed it.

    • @abigailslade3824
      @abigailslade3824 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Please try saga of the Pliocene exiles by Julian May

  • @purefoldnz3070
    @purefoldnz3070 5 ปีที่แล้ว +302

    An under looked gem is Forever War by Joe Haldeman. If you liked Starship Troopers.

    • @PFWoody488
      @PFWoody488 5 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Absolutely! First book I ever read in one sitting. Blew my mind at 11 yrs old and still love it at 52.

    • @euansmith3699
      @euansmith3699 5 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      That tickles me, as "Forever War" was written as an answer to Starship Trooper; so I guess your statement could have ended, "... Forever War will set you straight." :D

    • @i_love_rescue_animals
      @i_love_rescue_animals 5 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      Forever War was one of my favorite books! It would make an awesome movie!

    • @terratrodder
      @terratrodder 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Loved that book!

    • @MisterRlGHT
      @MisterRlGHT 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      The Forever Peace is worth a look, too -- not a sequel exactly but still similar turf, didn't realize while reading it how many scenes & themes would affect me to this day.

  • @anthonyambrose8783
    @anthonyambrose8783 3 ปีที่แล้ว +124

    I love, love, love that you included Left Hand of Darkness. Such an amazing book at any time but especially when it was written. Ursula for all the recognition she got is truly underated in my opinion.

    • @MrSyntheticSmile
      @MrSyntheticSmile 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Torturous verbose sociology, not science fiction.

    • @MossyMozart
      @MossyMozart 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@MrSyntheticSmile - *NOT AT All!* You are welcome to your opinion, but I'm telling you it is completely off base. Sorry, but it's true.

    • @redcat9436
      @redcat9436 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@MossyMozart Left Hand of Darkness is one of the worst books I've ever read.

  • @Francirius
    @Francirius 5 ปีที่แล้ว +274

    Isaac asimov's foundation...and all the robots stories from mr. Asimov

    • @jimsmith7645
      @jimsmith7645 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Foundation: the first time I was exposed to the Idea of economic warfare.

    • @ZOOTSUITBEATNICK1
      @ZOOTSUITBEATNICK1 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Amen.

    • @pjabrony8280
      @pjabrony8280 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      "The Gods Themselves." Best SF book I've read.

    • @StopFear
      @StopFear 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thanks, no one has ever heard about those.

    • @90xxxxkat
      @90xxxxkat 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Anything by Asimov be it SF, Sfact,or any other description

  • @kenjackson6256
    @kenjackson6256 5 ปีที่แล้ว +32

    The Lazarus Long novels by Robert Heinlein starting with Methuselah's Children
    The Rama trilogy by Arthur C. Clarke
    The Foundation novels by Isaac Asimov
    The Robot novels by Isaac Asimov
    The Lensman series by E.E. Smith
    The John Carter of Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs
    West of Eden series by Harry Harrison

    • @mass4552
      @mass4552 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I see nothing wrong in any of your picks. We think the same language. But I must admit I've only touched on the Rama and the West of Eden series.

    • @kenjackson6256
      @kenjackson6256 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@mass4552 I should have included Frank Herbert's Dune series (but not any by his son), I loved the incredible detail given to Herbert's worlds...

    • @liammurphy2725
      @liammurphy2725 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I still tear up thinking of how beautiful she looked wearing her emeralds and nothing else. And a special tear for "BUCK".

    • @charlesblaicher7589
      @charlesblaicher7589 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I’ve read them all except the West of Eden series. Since we’re simpatico on the rest I’ll have to check them out. Thanks

  • @LunovaLabs
    @LunovaLabs 3 ปีที่แล้ว +159

    The Three-Body Problem trilogy changed my life. Eastern Sci-fi is so different and has so many new ideas!

    • @MaynardsSpaceship
      @MaynardsSpaceship 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      You should check out the ancient Vedic texts of you have never.

    • @bardoface
      @bardoface ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@MaynardsSpaceshipwhy? I have but what’s the point?

    • @bibekneupane4192
      @bibekneupane4192 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      ​@@MaynardsSpaceshipwhat a weirdo??

    • @nasonguy
      @nasonguy ปีที่แล้ว +5

      That trilogy legitimately changed my outlook on society and the future. His views and musings and portrayals of how societies and morals and movements change and revolve and repeat over time were beautiful and eye opening.

    • @cattimekids962
      @cattimekids962 ปีที่แล้ว

      I completely agree. One of my Chinese colleagues recommended them to me and I've read them twice. This trilogy is the only one I've read on his list so it being 8th is surprising. I can't wait for the Netflix release.

  • @jeromelevaiath3274
    @jeromelevaiath3274 4 ปีที่แล้ว +63

    1. Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
    2. Dune (and sequels till Chapterhouse: Dune) Frank Herbert --> stay away from the crap by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
    3. Farmer in the Sky, Robert A. Heinlein
    4. The Chronicles of Corum (1-3) Michael Moorcock

    • @drakawinkle584
      @drakawinkle584 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      That's almost my list. Lol

    • @yodaandthebike5839
      @yodaandthebike5839 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Childhood's End .. one of my Fav's. But no list is complete without including some Isaac Asimov...in particular, the Foundation Trilogy

    • @grell666
      @grell666 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@yodaandthebike5839 Childhood's End still resonates with me after all these years and I only read it once (25 years ago).

    • @aaronb483
      @aaronb483 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Loved Childhoods End

    • @danieldidonato3881
      @danieldidonato3881 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I disagree, I found the Non Herbert books readable, maybe not as good, but ok.

  • @MothKing
    @MothKing 5 ปีที่แล้ว +154

    "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" - Robert Heinlein

  • @damopee
    @damopee 3 ปีที่แล้ว +22

    Just about every Robert Heinlein book from the short (Glory Road, Citizen of the Galaxy, etc) to the big hitters (To Sail Beyond the Sunset, Strange Land, Job) is what got me hooked on Sci-Fi as a small boy. And that start lead me to one of all-time favorites, Peace and War by Joe Haldeman along with Iain M Banks's Culture series. But Adam's initial comment is perfect: "This is a really really tough one - Simply because there are so many to choose from."

  • @shorttimer874
    @shorttimer874 5 ปีที่แล้ว +71

    Haven't read any of these, probably because I'm older. I have way too many favorites, but 5 of them would be:
    Stranger in a Strange Land - Heinlien
    On Basilik Station - Weber
    The Mote in God's Eye - Niven / Pournelle
    Little Fuzzy - Piper
    The Illustrated Man - Bradbury

    • @zombiemann
      @zombiemann 5 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Stranger In a Strange Land should be required reading in school.

    • @belg4mit
      @belg4mit 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      If you've not read it, "Outies" by Pournelle's daughter is an interesting third entry to the Motie universe.

    • @kirgan1000
      @kirgan1000 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I do not say that On Basilik Station - Weber is a bad book, I personaly did enjoy it, and the rest of the books in "honerverse" but in the top 5?

    • @zaraak323i
      @zaraak323i 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      I came here to say that the lack of Heinlien is almost criminal. lol

    • @Verence
      @Verence 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Aa, I’d completely forgotten about the Fuzzy series! Definitely a favorite!

  •  4 ปีที่แล้ว +89

    Probably the best 'First Contact' story ever, "The Mote in God's Eye" by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.

    • @yodaandthebike5839
      @yodaandthebike5839 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Ringworld is my favourite Larry Niven book

    • @lonjohnson5161
      @lonjohnson5161 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@yodaandthebike5839 I am a huge Niven fan and Ringworld is an amazing exploration of something on the edge of possible, but I have to agree with Prowler Cam, Mote is a better book. In my opinion, Niven is always better when paired with another and his work with the late Jerry Pournelle was always top notch.

    • @BradiKal61
      @BradiKal61 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Anything Niven is a good bet

    • @BradiKal61
      @BradiKal61 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@lonjohnson5161
      I never heard Jerry Pournelle had passed!

    • @murdockscott
      @murdockscott 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Just read Protector again and am halfway through World of Ptavvs for possibly the third or fourth read. Niven is one of the authors that really expanded my mind when I was young. I wish more people were familiar with his work.

  • @megawavez
    @megawavez 2 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    Two books that were an absolute thrill to read (and had me re-reading parts just because they were so darn interesting):
    * Hyperion by Dan Simmons
    * A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge

  • @melkins551
    @melkins551 5 ปีที่แล้ว +130

    Rendezvous With Rama, The Invincible, The Foundation Trilogy, Dune, The Martian Chronicles

    • @michaelgrosberg2665
      @michaelgrosberg2665 5 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      more people should read The Invincible. Lem wrote about Drone swarms with emergent behavior and group intelligence back in the 60's.

    • @thetooginator153
      @thetooginator153 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      melkins551 - Excellent choices!

    • @Sayquidnidly
      @Sayquidnidly 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I respect your opinion but to me the foundation series is wildly overrated. If it were to come out in the past 20 years or so I feel like it would have been completely overlooked and met with a luke warm reception. I love anything Neal Stephenson burns will admit that he has difficulty ending his stories. The baroque cycle, snowcrash, and cryptonomicon were wonderful. Reamde, seveneves, and anathem were great but just kinda fizzled out for me.

    • @StopFear
      @StopFear 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thanks, but those are like the books almost everyone read anyway since so many people universally liked them.

    • @jasonuerkvitz3756
      @jasonuerkvitz3756 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      What did you like about The Foundation Trilogy?

  • @davidrobbins4857
    @davidrobbins4857 4 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    Science fiction gained popularity in the pulp magazines of the 30's, 40's, and 50's. I recommend finding anthologies of short stories from the old mags so you can meet the authors who invented the science fiction we know and love.

    • @jefff3886
      @jefff3886 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      An excellent thought. May I direct your attention to this.
      www.goodreads.com/book/show/141860.The_Science_Fiction_Hall_of_Fame?from_search=true&qid=ZGehjpJKgw&rank=3
      There are more in the series, but this one is the first, and in my opinion the best.

    • @TheRealJanKafka
      @TheRealJanKafka 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      " I recommend finding anthologies of short stories from the old mags so you can meet the authors who invented the science fiction we know and love."
      The large bulk of which is unmitigated garbage.

    • @stevetheduck1425
      @stevetheduck1425 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      This. The pulps invented much of the jargon / slang we use today for SF, some of it crossing over from gangster pulp stories. The simple adventures then were hard to distinguish from western (like John Carter, which WAS a western until re-written to set it one Mars, as a romance between a white man and a red woman was too much for the publisher.
      A 'blaster' was any gun used by a gangster, then it was SF.
      The 'an attractor beam' 'warping' two ships together dates from the late 1920s. Though the expression 'to warp ship' is as old as sail and ropes.
      Saying 'An 'M'-class planet' derives from the Lensman books, where other peoples are defined by a series of letters beginning with the type of planet and the atmosphere; 'AAAAAA' of course meaning basic humans.
      Without them, nothing we know today as SF would exist. This was demonstrated in the 1990s by a story in the DS9 series, which may also have acted as an apology for the ideas that series' makers stole.
      If the station had been a hospital, it would have been Whites' 'Sector General' novels being stolen.
      The idea of the exotically-coloured princesses derives from this time as well, when desire for the 'other' races had to be coded. It's still present in Star Wars until today.

  • @itsabughunt6310
    @itsabughunt6310 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +18

    Hail Mary by Andy Weir

  • @HamishBarker
    @HamishBarker 5 ปีที่แล้ว +199

    Heinlein's "the moon is a harsh mistress"!

    • @SauronsLeftNut
      @SauronsLeftNut 5 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      throwing big rocks down a gravity well.

    • @QED_
      @QED_ 5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @Hamish Barker: Heinlein is too talky for current limited attention span generations. I mean, really. Can you imagine Justin Bieber trying to make sense of the discussion about the fallen caryatid in "Stranger in a Strange Land" (?) Inconceivable . . .

    • @HamishBarker
      @HamishBarker 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@QED_ perhaps, but last time I read mistress I thought it was pretty easy going. I believe that it might emerge from scriptwriting hell one day and become a movie. Hopefully without too much butchering. I wonder if the marriage arrangements are part of the reason it has remained unfilled. If so, a shame. Ai and struggles against authority are classic themes. Add in a good moon and some celestial mechanics, what's not to like?

    • @metamorphicorder
      @metamorphicorder 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Tmiahm is a good book.

    • @1111atreides
      @1111atreides 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Jubal Harshaw is the only man I'd leave my Husband for.

  • @tomhauer6528
    @tomhauer6528 5 ปีที่แล้ว +32

    Definitely Dune, Snowcrash, Left Hand of Darkness, Neuromancer. Would add: New Sun series by Gene Wolfe; Eon series by Greg Bear; Brin's Uplift series.

    • @mrbacchus6127
      @mrbacchus6127 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Was searching a mention of Gene Wolfe, finally found it. Guess he's not to popular, but those books were amazing

    • @titmusspaultpaul5
      @titmusspaultpaul5 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Love the Son series .

    • @planetdisco4821
      @planetdisco4821 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Startide rising is superb...

    • @matt0xx76
      @matt0xx76 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      At least the first 3 dune books

  • @charlesbastien4870
    @charlesbastien4870 4 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    Vonnegut wrote Sirens of Titan, Cat's Cradle, and a short story collection Welcome to the Monkey House.
    Asimov wrote a great novella Nightfall.

  • @joshparker411
    @joshparker411 5 ปีที่แล้ว +150

    For fans of Dune, or space opera in general, check out A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge. Truly amazing writing. Best space opera ever.

    • @jefff3886
      @jefff3886 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I read his Hugo-winning "A Deepness in The Sky" a couple of years ago. Good stuff. I just started "A Fire Upon the Deep" a week ago. So far so good, although it's still early in the book and the action hasn't yet gotten underway.

    • @yelisieimurai
      @yelisieimurai 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Not very nice storytelling, but some nice ideas in it. Doggy planet is not so interesting :)

    • @frankreynolds4413
      @frankreynolds4413 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Just bought AFUtD on a whim at a used bookstore yesterday. Love Dune and about 80 pages into AFUtD and I’m loving it as well. LOVE SCI FI

    • @chesscom6199
      @chesscom6199 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      You mentioned dune so now I will have to check it out....

    • @khester7397
      @khester7397 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Hell yeah! Vernor Vinge is fantastic.

  • @boriscat1999
    @boriscat1999 5 ปีที่แล้ว +55

    The premise in David Brin's Uplift trilogy was really compelling to me. It begins with Sundiver, but lots of people start with Startide Rising.

    • @seelx
      @seelx 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Startide Rising is one of my favorite books.

    • @EthelredHardrede-nz8yv
      @EthelredHardrede-nz8yv 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I started with Startide Rising after it won the Hugo. But I prefer Sundiver.
      Now if he would just write another book, even if its not in the Uplift Saga.

    • @etoineschrdlu9382
      @etoineschrdlu9382 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      I began with Brightness Reef. I loved that a large part of the story was about schoolchildren of multiple alien species.

    • @jaysonraphaelmurdock8812
      @jaysonraphaelmurdock8812 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      I started reading Sundiver and lost it somewhere. Need to get another copy.

    • @EthelredHardrede-nz8yv
      @EthelredHardrede-nz8yv 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812
      Libraries often have it. E-book version should be easy to get. Dr. Brin has links on his website.

  • @davy_K
    @davy_K 3 ปีที่แล้ว +67

    Children of Time (Adrian Tchaikovsky) is an astounding novel - gets you thinking about what it means to exist. Three Body Problem series - tough but well worth the effort. Superb. Loved the Asimov Robot short stories and the Susan Calvin stuff. Does I am Legend count? Herbert's world building in Dune is the equal of Tolkein's Middle Earth.

    • @russellstephens3580
      @russellstephens3580 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I absolutely LOVE children of time, I've never sat down to make a top 5 list, but it and player of games by ian m banks are the only two I'm 100% sure get a spot. I recently found out this week there's a sequel (children of ruin) and I can't wait till I have some time to read that. Consensus seems to be that it's the rare breed where the sequel is of a similar quality.
      I also think the lensman series is criminally underrated and so foundational. Both the green lantern core and the Bene Gesserit idea of controlling a bloodline for generations in dune trace their origins back to it.

    • @jmartinez2131
      @jmartinez2131 ปีที่แล้ว

      Dito on the Irobot short stories. They were very funny. I laughed so hard.

    • @jeffsanders7691
      @jeffsanders7691 ปีที่แล้ว

      Love children of time. It’s my number one. Children of ruin was great as well. Had some very suspenseful moments. Not sure if you are into audiobooks but the narrator Mel Hudson was excellent as well.

    • @davy_K
      @davy_K ปีที่แล้ว

      @@jeffsanders7691 Love the idea of audiobooks - but they send me to sleep!!! Something about a voice just sends me off.

    • @jstonehouse
      @jstonehouse ปีที่แล้ว

      I met this chap once. Who’d’a thunk it.

  • @kraftytek
    @kraftytek 5 ปีที่แล้ว +133

    Old Man's War series by John Scalzi is up near the top of my list. I love the humor and the science that is put into those books.

    • @frollard
      @frollard 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      love love loved old man's war. I don't read much as I have difficulty with some dyslexic/adhd problems...but those books kept me glued. Three body problem as mentioned ruined me for all the "foreign" narrative and particularly names.

    • @KolbWorkshop
      @KolbWorkshop 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      i just read the first book and was wondering if the rest of the books were worth it. It sounds like you are suggesting they are....

    • @kraftytek
      @kraftytek 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@KolbWorkshop yea definitely I would recommend "The Ghost Brigades" and "The Last Colony" from the series as well.

    • @frollard
      @frollard 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@KolbWorkshop imho they are all excellent. It gets both wider in scope yet deeper on various parts. Zoe's tale is one of the books repeated from another perspective.

    • @jessmac1893
      @jessmac1893 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Very very very good series. Captures a lot of the feeling of being at war, especially one that feels endless.

  • @scrooge-mcduck
    @scrooge-mcduck 5 ปีที่แล้ว +158

    "The Forever War" by Joe Haldeman altered my mind.

    • @unrulysimian3897
      @unrulysimian3897 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Gregory Dworak - me too.

    • @murdockscott
      @murdockscott 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I love this book.

    • @flyingfortress2842
      @flyingfortress2842 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Definitely one of my favorites as well.

    • @MarcRocket
      @MarcRocket 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Follow it up with Forever Free, it’s even better and finishes up the story.

    • @lamardeal3547
      @lamardeal3547 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I have read this book AT LEAST 25 times since it came out in paperback in 1974. On the one hand, I would love for The Forever War to be made into a movie, or even better, a miniseries. On the other hand I would hate to see someone fubar the thing...

  • @jeremygman2710
    @jeremygman2710 3 ปีที่แล้ว +52

    Fred Pohl’s Heechee saga is also one of the best sci fi series ever.

  • @backpacker3421
    @backpacker3421 5 ปีที่แล้ว +54

    Foundation series. It's an epic among epics, and there are sections that will likely make you want to stop, but it's another work that I think seriously stretched the envelope of science fiction's possibilities.

    • @MusicBent
      @MusicBent 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Christopher Cornette I really remember the time scale the story spans. No book before that I had read had told a story in that scale.

    • @backpacker3421
      @backpacker3421 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@MusicBent I'm not sure any since have either, really. At least none that I've read.

    • @MatthewBunn
      @MatthewBunn 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Read one. After that it is tired old ideas from 80 years ago. Mr. Savage's list had much more to say about the time we live in.

    • @backpacker3421
      @backpacker3421 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@MatthewBunn I suppose it depends on whether you are a fan of the genre or not. The first book was published in 1951, so yes, it is all from 68 years ago. Dune, on this list, was from 1965, 54 years ago. But Dune, and the other books on this list would not likely even be around if it weren't for Asimov and Heinlein and their contemporaries proving, mainly in the 50s, that science fiction could be more than B movies, comic books, and pulp fiction for kids and teens. The Foundation series was a huge part of that.

    • @MatthewBunn
      @MatthewBunn 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@backpacker3421 I'm so glad you explained that too me. I read a bunch of Asimov. Looking back I find repetitive and not very insightful. It was an interesting window to open, but I think a book or so really meets "foundational" knowledge requirements. I am not questioning his importance, but his relevance. One book and you have a pretty good handle on what he has to say.

  • @russcrawford3310
    @russcrawford3310 5 ปีที่แล้ว +106

    Roger Zelazny's _Lord of Light_ ... reads like fantasy but at heart it's science fiction ...

    • @jeanfish7
      @jeanfish7 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      I adored Zalany

    • @builditonce
      @builditonce 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Read it a dozen times. Wished he had done a prequel.

    • @robertaistrope9602
      @robertaistrope9602 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Almost forgot about Zelazny.

    • @johnsands9108
      @johnsands9108 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Nine Princes in Amber

    • @steveford8999
      @steveford8999 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Just re-read the entire Amber series.
      Amazing tour-de-force.

  • @lunchtraytm427
    @lunchtraytm427 3 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    John Varley - Titan, Wizard, Demon
    Hands down one of the best trilogies ever

    • @crakkbone
      @crakkbone 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Finally! Took awhile to find a Varley fan, but I knew I would. Excellent trilogy but The Ophiuchi Hotline is really good too. His short stories are great too!

  • @palantir135
    @palantir135 5 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    1 Dune (series) by Frank Herbert.
    2 The mote in God's eye (and following books) by Larry Niven and Jerrycan Pournelle
    3 Foundation series and Robots series by Isaac Asimov
    4 Rendez-vous with Rama (Rama series) by Arthur C. Clarke
    5 books from Jack Vance
    6 giant's star series by James Patrick Hogan

    • @addsfour3499
      @addsfour3499 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Is there more than 2 books in the mote series? I read 2 and would love to read more

    • @palantir135
      @palantir135 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@addsfour3499 Wikipedia is your friend for these questions. No, just these two but he wrote many other novels. Ringworld series, at least the first few, are a must.

    • @addsfour3499
      @addsfour3499 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@palantir135 Thank you. I got all excited when i saw the “gripping hand” as I didn’t realise it was renamed for my country, so i had already read it. I did read ringworld, but only the first, so i might give the second one a go. Right after I finish the Rama series by Arthur c Clarke

    • @palantir135
      @palantir135 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@addsfour3499 i’m sure you know the diskworld series by Terry Prattchett.
      Nul-A by Van Vogt. First novel is good.
      Babel 17 by Damuel Delaney
      Fantasy series:
      Earthsea by Ursula le Guin
      Shanara by Terry Brooks
      Sword and sorcery series by Fritz Leiber

    • @addsfour3499
      @addsfour3499 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@palantir135 ive got every discworld book and good omens. Dont know the other two but will give them a go. Thanks for the recommendation

  • @IAlwaysWantedToTryThat
    @IAlwaysWantedToTryThat 5 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    Lots of early SciFi books listed here, but there are a number of really good ones published this century as well. Here are a few of my favs with newer ones first:
    1. We Are Legion (We Are Bob) Trilogy by Taylor. (Human consciousness downloaded into space probes, which can replicate to map nearby star systems)
    2. Flowers for Algernon by Keyes. (While not space-related SciFi, this is one of the most well-written, endearing, and emotionally-charged novels of recent memory)
    3. The Martian by Wier. (One of the most engaging and well-written books in recent memory. Part journal, part stream-of-consciousness, about as rooted in realism as modern SF comes)
    4. Beacon 23 by Howey. (Safe lanes of FTL travel are set up between beacons in space, but these tiny "lighthouses" often break and require maintenance. One man's story of his solo 2-year posting)
    5. Tunnel in the Sky by Heinlein. (Coming-of-age book about a group of teens who are sent through a wormhole to an alien world for survival training, only to become stranded. Great for teens+).
    6. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Heinlein. (Moon colony revolts against Earth's overbearance. Led by an AI, the technologically inferior lunar inhabitants struggle for rights)
    7. The Foundation Trilogy by Asimov. (While the premise of being able to predict events centuries into the future via science may be a difficult one to overlook, this series is quintessential in its scope and effects on the genre)
    8. From the Earth to the Moon by Verne. (Any book written in the 1860s that so accurately predicts the first moon mission 100 years later, and which gets a "thank you" from Neil Armstrong mid-mission for setting such an accurate blueprint for the first moon mission, is a must read)

  • @StaticBlaster
    @StaticBlaster 4 ปีที่แล้ว +152

    In my opinion, Hyperion by Dan Simmons is the best novel ever! The Character and plot development is damn near perfect and it's very well paced. The shrike is my favorite character. A very riveting novel. I definitely recommend it.

    • @sirarterian
      @sirarterian 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      agree 100%, politics, love, war, science, religion, tech, etc, all included, great reads for sure

    • @Madsvda
      @Madsvda 3 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      It's a complete jumble of every single sci-fi and literary trope and it does it so well it's criminal how underrated it is
      also it unlike dune is perfect for visual adaptation live action or animated

    • @optimuscries9869
      @optimuscries9869 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      I’m so glad you mentioned Hyperion! I read it in 2020 and I’m currently reading the last book “Rise of Endymion”. When the character Fedmahn Kassad recounts his encounter with the Shrike and the Ousters Hyperion instantly became one of my favorite sci-fi book series.

    • @stubar30
      @stubar30 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      It would be impossible to say now good this book really is, adjectives fail. It prepared me to live a good life in face of adversity, and how to manage the insane challenges life lobs at you.
      The Scholars Tale stands out - just a stunning work

    • @robertjackson5617
      @robertjackson5617 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Yes the first book is brilliant, unlike anything I've read before

  • @MaGneTRONGaming
    @MaGneTRONGaming 5 ปีที่แล้ว +85

    Isaac Asimov, Robot / Foundation series are one of the best books Ive read

    • @matturban9103
      @matturban9103 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Robots!!! I didn't care too much for the Foundation stuff.

    • @raymondgerlach3148
      @raymondgerlach3148 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      They're good. Very good.

    • @dudemeister908
      @dudemeister908 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Was gonna recommend these myself, good shout!

    • @Alastair510
      @Alastair510 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The Robot work posited by Asimov explored morality and control of behaviour of robots long before anyone else contemplated the implications of AI. It is a study in human psychology as much as it is science fiction.

  • @tootallmoose1984
    @tootallmoose1984 5 ปีที่แล้ว +213

    The Culture series by Ian Banks, some of the best writing I've read in any genre. I've only read the first five but they've all been amazing and Use of Weapons has become one of my favorite books of all time.

    • @MostlyPennyCat
      @MostlyPennyCat 5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      If you like Ian m banks try Peter f Hamilton.

    • @anonymes2884
      @anonymes2884 5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      If you like Iain M Banks, try Iain Banks. He published sci-fi with the 'M' and "mainstream" fiction without it and the latter is also brilliant (for the most part) - 'The Crow Road' or 'The Wasp Factory' are maybe a good place to start.

    • @RaidsEpicly
      @RaidsEpicly 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Maybe I'll give the series a run again. Thought the first book was ok but didn't get more than a chapter or two into Use of Weapons. If someone thinks it's THAT good then I feel I need to give it another chance

    • @MostlyPennyCat
      @MostlyPennyCat 5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@RaidsEpicly
      Use of Weapons is probably the best piece of science fiction I've ever read.
      Use of Weapons
      Permutation City
      Lord of Light

    • @eezaak21
      @eezaak21 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@nishita3084 +1 Use of Weapons was an amazing novel. Blew my mind as a teenager and still held up reading as an adult.

  • @richardsteiner8992
    @richardsteiner8992 3 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    One of my favorites is Lord of Light by Rogers Zelazny. I know his Amber series gets a lot of readers and he has a lot of other good stuff, but I consider Lord of Light to be his masterwork.

    • @NightHawk59
      @NightHawk59 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Lord of Light, yes! Creatures of Light and Darkness as well. Though the Amber series deserves the credit it gets.

    • @kocmnkhorror787
      @kocmnkhorror787 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Named my son after the protagonist of Amber, but I re-read Lord of Night at least once every year or two. It never gets old.

    • @Randy-McRanderson
      @Randy-McRanderson 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Bigups Lord of Light, absolute banger!

    • @Flowersinadesert
      @Flowersinadesert ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I really enjoyed that book

  • @jforden78
    @jforden78 5 ปีที่แล้ว +42

    Really enjoying the The Expanse books as well.

  • @arlosdad
    @arlosdad 4 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    Kurt Vonnegut Cat's Cradle, The Sirens of Titan, Slaughterhouse 5. Russell Hoban Riddley Walker

    • @annenominous7220
      @annenominous7220 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      His short story on what we now call Woke Culture is amazing, I cant recall the title of it, but it is so relevant to the world today.

    • @Matthewtron3030
      @Matthewtron3030 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@annenominous7220 "Harrison Bergeron" is the story I suspect you're referring to.

  • @HalNordmann
    @HalNordmann 4 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    I love books from Arthur C. Clarke, as they offer a great blend of real and fictional pieces, and have that optimistic tone I love about that era of sci-fi. I also like Cosmos by Carl Sagan, Weir's Martian, some stuff by the Pournelle/Niven duo or Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement.

    • @PhilHibbs
      @PhilHibbs ปีที่แล้ว

      I never rated Pournelle, I far preferred Niven’s solo work. Protector, especially.

  • @spencerryanmusic
    @spencerryanmusic 5 ปีที่แล้ว +49

    I love seeing Snow Crash get the love it deserves!

    • @realulli
      @realulli 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Snow Crash is great.

    • @Dank_Engine
      @Dank_Engine 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yep. Just a fun ride. Not every book has to be a deep examination of ontological questions.

    • @AvalonBlackOps
      @AvalonBlackOps 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Love the weird Bible stuff he gets into. I love it when a story rewrites history and makes you wonder.

  • @fwcolb
    @fwcolb 5 ปีที่แล้ว +39

    I would add A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr., winner of the 1961 Hugo Award for Best Novel.
    Also, 'Dorsai!' and 'The Spirit of Dorsai, two of several novels' in the Childe Cycle by Gordon R. Dickinson.
    I have made a to-read list of 6 of your 7 picks, since I have read Dune and sequels, but can't remember which Le Guin novels I have read.

    • @johndemeritt3460
      @johndemeritt3460 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Ooooo! Dickson's Dorsai series! Let's not forget Tactics of Mistake. It's what made me want to study military deception.

    • @stevekemble8911
      @stevekemble8911 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      I don't remember if I had a chance to read A Canticle for Leibowitz, but I can absolutely recommend the fifteen part radio serial that was adapted from the book in 1981.

    • @fwcolb
      @fwcolb 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@stevekemble8911 I have read the book three times at least. In my opinion, it's one of the best SF stories ever.

  • @lazaruslazuli6130
    @lazaruslazuli6130 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    Here's my pick of books that have impacted me over the years:
    Heinlein's 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress'
    Kim Stanley Robinson's 'Red Mars/Blue Mars/Green Mars' trilogy
    SM Stirling's Emberverse series that starts with 'Dies the Fire' (15 books -The last books aren't as good as the first five books)
    A. American's Survivalist Series that starts with 'Going Home' (12 books so far)
    Olan Thorensen's Destiny's Crucible Series that starts with 'Cast Under an Alien Sun' (8 books, so far)
    Harry Turtledove's 'Guns of the South'
    Anne McCaffry's 'Dragonriders of Pern' Series (3 books) 'Dragonsong' (3 books)
    Melanie Rawn's 'Dragon Prince' & 'Dragon Star' Series (6 books)
    Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's 'Lucifer's Hammer'
    Larry Niven's 'Ringworld'
    Roger Zelazny 'Chronicles of Amber' (10 books)
    Mary Stewart's Arthurian Saga, series that starts with 'The Crystal Cave' (4 books)
    *Enjoy !

    • @mrmicro22
      @mrmicro22 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I would buy you a drink! Excellent choices. Add 1632 by Eric Flint. And The Destroyermen series.

  • @NicolasRouelle
    @NicolasRouelle 5 ปีที่แล้ว +43

    A C CLark: Rendez-vous with Rama / Dan Simmons: Hyperion / Alastair Reynolds The Inhibitors+Janus / Greg Bear: Eon / Peter F. Hamilton: Pandora's Star

    • @DagobertX2
      @DagobertX2 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I burned so fast through the Hyperion books, finished the first one in a day. Good books.

    • @Subparanon
      @Subparanon 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      You like the old school dont ya? The Clark was a pleasant surprise and I was already a fan. It's a real thinking persons conundrum. Hamilton and Reynolds consumed about a year of my life between them reading their vast collections and it changed the way I think about aliens, and AI. Hyperion is a modern Canterbury Tales.

    • @labschi
      @labschi 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Hyperion and Endymion, yes!

    • @timothymarchant9079
      @timothymarchant9079 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Glad someone mentioned Alastair Reynolds. Some of the best "hard" sci fi i've read.

    • @davidcarmer4476
      @davidcarmer4476 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@timothymarchant9079 So true. Picked up Revelation Space when I was in Liverpool in 2004 and have devoured everything by him since.

  • @petermoore9504
    @petermoore9504 5 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    Lois McMaster Bujold - Vorkosigan series start with "The Warriors Apprentice" of the 4 to 5000 science fiction books I've read over the last 50 years these are a joy to read.

    • @pattheplanter
      @pattheplanter 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      That saves me typing it out, thanks. Every book of the series is a delight. Characters, themes and plots are so well done and fresh.

    • @Bearmauls
      @Bearmauls 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      cannot like this enough

    • @tappajaav
      @tappajaav 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I read Shards of honor recently(and was pleasant surprise as it was blind pick from library shelf), are all the books written by Lois equally good?

    • @petermoore9504
      @petermoore9504 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@tappajaav I think they actually get better as the series goes on. "Barrayar" next then "The Warriors Apprentice" by then you should be completely hooked. Enjoy☺

    • @tappajaav
      @tappajaav 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@petermoore9504 Thanks!

  • @brandongentry1666
    @brandongentry1666 4 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    The Forever War is one of my favorites. Also The Warlock In Spite of Himself - a funny blend of SF and Fantasy.

  • @Cragun.
    @Cragun. 5 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    Protector, 1973, written by Larry Niven. One of my earliest, and favorite Sci Fi books.

    • @sittingstill3578
      @sittingstill3578 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      A Johnson Didn’t a movie with same name just come out?
      Edit: Never mind, I was thinking of Prospect by Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell.

    • @dromeus21
      @dromeus21 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      What a great, and overlooked, novel!

    • @UteChewb
      @UteChewb 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      This is my favourite of Niven's books. [spoiler] I like how you only discover at the end who is really telling the story. And the last words stay with you because they now have layers of meaning. Also it is friggin ingenious: the battle between the Pak ship and Brennan while they whip around the neutron star is so clever. Also my introduction to Belter culture.

    • @wtk6069
      @wtk6069 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      This is a favorite of mine. It's not a "best", but definitely a "favorite".

  • @GrayNeko
    @GrayNeko 4 ปีที่แล้ว +60

    The War of the Worlds, HG Wells. One of the most prescient science fiction books ever written. This is the First World War imagined a decade before it actually began. Absolutely bone chilling to this day.

    • @mydogbrian4814
      @mydogbrian4814 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      - Yes & "Forbidden Planet" & "When Worlds collide" & "After Worlds Collide" for the younger crowds before they become tech. savvy & want more compications.
      - But in today's space faring world.awashed in Sci-Fy, They probably won't have the impact as they originally had in the pe-Sputnik crowed thirsting to escape the chains of gravity & the perceived impossible.

    • @christopherbacon1077
      @christopherbacon1077 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      It was actually about colonialism with us un the role of oppressed natives.

    • @GrayNeko
      @GrayNeko 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@christopherbacon1077 Excellent point, sir! Hadn't thought about it from that perspective. Thank you! ^_^

    • @stevetheduck1425
      @stevetheduck1425 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@GrayNeko It's worth looking up 'The Battle of Dorking', it's on project Gutenberg for free.
      This book started a series of 'England Invaded' stories that climaxed with 'The War of the Worlds'.
      He was thinking about what the British Empire had just finished doing in Tasmania, the island off the coast of Australia.
      It puts H.G. Wells in his period and Milieu, and shows he wasn't prescient, but did demonstrate it's not about where you're from that means you will survive a war.

  • @RayneAngelus
    @RayneAngelus 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    *Thank you* for mentioning Snow Crash! One of my favorites and I feel like not nearly enough people have read it or Stephenson in general.

    • @roblangada4516
      @roblangada4516 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Anathem is very good too.

    • @RayneAngelus
      @RayneAngelus 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@roblangada4516 Yes, it is. Also one of my favorites.

    • @Roondawg_Valhalla
      @Roondawg_Valhalla 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      I’m reading Snow Crashnow. My first Stephenson book , def plan on diving into more of his works.

  • @darleschickens7106
    @darleschickens7106 4 ปีที่แล้ว +64

    Mine has to be “The Chrysalids” by John Wyndham, followed closely by “A Canticle For Leibowitz” by Walter M. Miller. Amazing books!

    • @LO2L68
      @LO2L68 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Absolutely love Canticle for Leibowitz, an often overlooked classic

    • @liammurphy2725
      @liammurphy2725 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      John Wyndham.. well done you for that mention.

    • @ronagoodwell2709
      @ronagoodwell2709 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Try Doris Lessing, Briefing for a Descent into Hell.

    • @francinescott7405
      @francinescott7405 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Ah, the classics. Can't go wrong there.

    • @scottjoseph9578
      @scottjoseph9578 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Canticle, along with Davy by Pangborn and Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban, are the Trilogy of great Post nuclear war novels that stretch hundreds of years after.

  • @quantumfoam42
    @quantumfoam42 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Snow Crash completely blew my mind when I read it as a teenager. Neal Stephenson's ideas about the Metaverse were groundbreaking for the time. This book came out in 1992, before we had anything like virtual reality. His exploration of the man / machine interface and that consequences of that were also truly amazing.
    I'm also a huge fan of The Diamond Age by him, which I feel is one of the best depictions of a post-scarcity nanotechnology-driven society.

    • @the_arcanum
      @the_arcanum 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Jonathan Rogers Then you should read Pat Cadigan's "Synners" from 1991 about the birth of human to machine interface. You might enjoy it.

  • @bwake
    @bwake 4 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    I recommend the “Murderbot Diaries” by Martha Wells.

    • @joergengeerds360
      @joergengeerds360 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      very much agree. Wells did a lot to get AIs and artificial life forms out of the swamp of stupid and fear so many other writers had put them in

    • @liammurphy2725
      @liammurphy2725 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Not read it but it goes on the list. Thank you.

  • @joe.osullivan
    @joe.osullivan 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    My personal list
    1. 2001: A Space Odyssey Saga
    2. Dune
    3. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
    4. Ringworld
    5. 1984
    Honorable Mentions (the eight in my top 5)
    6. War of the Worlds
    7. A Clockwork Orange
    8. Fariegnhiet 451
    Trust me I know this isnt the most original, but sometimes classics are classic for a reason.

    • @RayThackeray
      @RayThackeray 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      This is a VASTLY better list

  • @rikwarren3999
    @rikwarren3999 4 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks. The ships names are insight into Bank's wit. Eg. "Falling outside normal moral restraints" or something like that. The ship's avatars are an extension of this wit and storytelling. Absolutely remarkable writing.

    • @PhilHibbs
      @PhilHibbs ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Excession was my favourite until I read Surface Detail.

    • @tiesergrote
      @tiesergrote ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@PhilHibbs now i got to read surface detail, excession is my favorite

    • @PhilHibbs
      @PhilHibbs ปีที่แล้ว

      @@tiesergrote They are very different so YMMV

    • @tiesergrote
      @tiesergrote ปีที่แล้ว

      sure @@PhilHibbs

    • @edstercw
      @edstercw 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I believe SpaceX use IMBanks spaceship names for their floating landing pads like "A Shortfall Of Gravitas", "Just Read The Instructions" and "Of Course I Still Love You"

  • @horrido666
    @horrido666 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Lucifer's Hammer, The Mote in God's Eye, The Forever War, Starship Troopers and everything Edgar Rice Burroughs ever wrote.

    • @ianbaumel7907
      @ianbaumel7907 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Don't know what's better.... Mote in God's Eye, or The Gripping Hand.

    • @diceyDealer
      @diceyDealer 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - RAH

  • @CrazyChemistPL
    @CrazyChemistPL 5 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Adam, Left Hand of Darkness is but a part of a larger whole, the Hainish Cycle, and from, admittedly limited experience I had with it, I can honestly recommend it. Ursula K. Le Guin was a terrific writer and her works are definitely worth everyones attention, especially since she somehow manages to write novels that are short and concise, yet somehow so amazingly full of details. Rocannon's World for example, which is the first book of the cycle and also Le Guin's debut novel, tells the story of a man who is send on a scouting mission to a planet inhabited by different medieval cultures of people who evolved into what we would most likely consider elves and dwarves.
    Also her famous fantasy cycle, The Earthsea comes greatly recommended.
    Another book I could recommend is The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge along with its continuations. Often overlooked truly epic stories that include concepts of environmental and sociological s-f.

    • @mingjanewu7325
      @mingjanewu7325 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Yes! I love Joan D. Vinge, and I love the Snow Queen universe! I read those books starting in middle school and remember they had such an impact on my thinking about the interconnection between humanity and the environment!

  • @eriktempelman2097
    @eriktempelman2097 4 ปีที่แล้ว +122

    Vernor Vinge deserves more attention: Marooned in Realtime, Rainbows' End, A Fire upon the Deep, all excellent books.

    • @davidpotter8297
      @davidpotter8297 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Rainbows End was good, but pales in comparison to the earlier short story version, Fast Times at Fairmont High.

    • @horscategorie
      @horscategorie 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      A Fire Upon the Deep is an excellent read.

    • @voidedalter
      @voidedalter 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I thought rainbows end was nothing short of masterpiece.
      I wanted a fire upon the deep to give me that same wonder, but after reading I couldn't really see why people held it in such high regard. I mean it's a good book. But it didnt have me up at night thinking about its concepts like rainbows end did.

    • @mimigaamigo7099
      @mimigaamigo7099 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      +1 though my favorite is A Deepness in the Sky.

    • @tappajaav
      @tappajaav 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      In my opinion A Deepness in The Sky beats fire, though both were very good reads.

  • @aureaphilos
    @aureaphilos 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I loved Dune and Left Hand of Darkness, which I read in high school over 45 years ago; Dune had the most lasting imagery for me, and I was so excited by the new movie because it matches my mind's images! The Foundation trilogy also was an important read in my high school years, as was The Crystal Cave. And then there was the Lord of the Rings trilogy; I don't think my friends or parents saw me for two full weeks while I was engrossed by them. So there's my Top 5. :) Great question, Cody, and I agree with Adam that you have a great name for a character, either in a fictional or real world setting!

  • @CallardAndBowser
    @CallardAndBowser 5 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    Dune Series, Ringworld Series, The More than Complete Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, H.G. Wells Time Machine, John Christophers The Tripods Series

  • @nates3927
    @nates3927 5 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    Let's list my favorites since everyone else is doing it
    1. I have no Mouth and I must Scream
    2. The War of the Worlds
    3. The Commissar Cain series
    4. H.P. Lovecraft anything if you consider it Sci Fi
    5. The Land Ironclads
    Bit more obscure books, but I enjoy them

    • @HDEFMAN1
      @HDEFMAN1 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Harlan Ellison's "I have no mouth and must scream" left a lasting impression on me. It is a very haunting tale.

  • @SuperBrieBear
    @SuperBrieBear 3 ปีที่แล้ว +35

    I am currently reading the third book from Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy (The Three Body Problem is book 1) by Cixin Liu. It is phenomenal. I am a very slow reader but I think I am absorbing the book better than if I whizzed through it. I am a little disappointed that I am nearly done with it. Read it slowly and enjoy it.

    • @tsundoku5733
      @tsundoku5733 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I wish we had seen more of Luo Ji (whose name sounds the same as the Chinese word for logic) in the third part. I don't find Liu Cixin always very good at creating convincing characters (Shi Qiang comes across as a comic-book character, for example), but Luo Ji was special.

    • @ElrondHubbard_1
      @ElrondHubbard_1 ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@tsundoku5733 i thought the love story part was pretty outlandish, but overall, the trilogy was quite awesome.

    • @thepirateking.4521
      @thepirateking.4521 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ElrondHubbard_1 and separating xin, tianming was just too cruel. for me the ending didnt sit well

    • @UTArch1
      @UTArch1 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I read the first book and was not impressed. The only thing that really surprised me was that the author was "allowed" to write about the reality/failure of Mao's Cultural Revolution. But then I've only been reading sci-fi for 60 years.

  • @transient_
    @transient_ 4 ปีที่แล้ว +22

    Larry Niven, I like a lot of him for example Ringworld. For that matter, I like all of the stories playing in that setting "Known Space" (IIRC). But also works like "The Mote in God's eye", with Jerry Pournelle.

    • @slavesdetach
      @slavesdetach 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Moties rule!

    • @alanmeeker2179
      @alanmeeker2179 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Gawd - that bit with the spacesuit filled with moties!! Yikes!

    • @slavesdetach
      @slavesdetach 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Haha ya the watchmakers certainly know how to use a head. Will be a shockingly memorable scene when they eventually make the movie, scifi/horror boundary crossed.

    • @markevans9399
      @markevans9399 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@slavesdetach we can but pray they make the movie.

    • @slavesdetach
      @slavesdetach 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Possibly an animated movie. Moties modelled on minions (theme in book is how much the moties crack the crew up). Def would sell.

  • @a.k.274
    @a.k.274 4 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    I love Seveneves
    So many to mention, here are two I don't see mentioned in the comments
    1. Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
    2. Eifelheim by Michael F. Flynn

    • @Kingomonkey
      @Kingomonkey 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Fire upon the deep is awesome, those creatures like raccoons eh?!

    • @tappajaav
      @tappajaav 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Kingomonkey They had name too! Tines =P

    • @jackieking1522
      @jackieking1522 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Damn... how could I forget? "Eifelheim" has to be one of the most brilliant efforts ever. Thanks for the reminder.

  • @grottyboots
    @grottyboots 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    "Snow Crash" blew my mind as a first "cyberpunk" read. And "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick. Perhaps a list of your favorite fantasy books, if you're into them. Cheers!

  • @anonymes2884
    @anonymes2884 5 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    My top 5:
    1. Neuromancer (trilogy), William Gibson
    2. The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester
    3. The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
    4. The Player of Games, Iain M Banks (or Consider Phlebus or Use of Weapons)
    5. Axiomatic, Greg Egan (short story collection - hey, it just says "books" in the question ;)
    6. War of the Worlds, H G Wells
    7. Slaughterhouse 5, Kurt Vonnegut
    8. The Diamond Age, Neal Stephenson (or Snowcrash)
    Only not necessarily in that order and it'll likely change tomorrow ;).

    • @anonymes2884
      @anonymes2884 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@AnthonyBowman That's a shame if newer fans aren't reading him, they're definitely missing out. Gully Foyle as an example is one of the great sci-fi characters IMO.

    • @billjames1953
      @billjames1953 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      War of the worlds, yes, I hadn't added that, but it is a great book and has a lot of historical significance.

    • @CyberdyneSystemsSkynet
      @CyberdyneSystemsSkynet 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I was definitely thinking Sirens of Titan or Cat's Cradle, definitely something by Vonnegut though.

    • @Scoots1994
      @Scoots1994 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Came looking for Bester. Love that book.

  • @Winduct
    @Winduct 5 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    1. Neuromancer
    2. Watchmen
    3. Stories of Your Life and Others
    4. The Stars My Destination
    5. Dune

  • @Kobsidian
    @Kobsidian 3 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    I appreciate that you included Ursula Leguin's "The Left Hand of Darkness" and - even moreso - Doris Lessings "Shikasta" series, because I see it acknowledged so rarely for the absolute top-shelf sci-fi that it is. Of the series, my favorite in the 3rd volume, "The Sirian Experiments", by the way.
    But to add something to your list, let me suggest "Tau Zero", the amazing hard science novel by Poul Anderson that poses the question, "What might happen if a space craft travelling at hyper speed couldn't slow down?" Equally brilliant is Anderson's "Brainwave" in which the question posed is, "Suppose every creature on earth experienced an instantaneous multiplying of its intelligence?
    Poul Anderson's work is among the very best at living up to the promise of speculative fiction: to explore all the possibilities and potentialities of Life and the Universe.

    • @tonebone7449
      @tonebone7449 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I picked up "The Left Hand of Darkness" about 25 years ago, merely because of the coolness of the title. What an amazing book.

    • @tragicslip
      @tragicslip 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      i liked the enemy stars more than tau zero, both are great, same author and similar theme/ subjects

    • @brockjohnson5068
      @brockjohnson5068 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Oh my God, Tau Zero, probably in my top twelve.

  • @charlesbduke7947
    @charlesbduke7947 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    My collection contains about 3000 titles. My first book was Eric Frank Russell's The Junk Yard Planet.I have these series in toto, David Brin's Uplift series,both Herbert's Dune series,David Weber's Honor Harrington series, John Ringo's Gust Front series. All of Robert Heinlein's novels, all of A.E. Von Vogt I can find. Leguin ,and Tiptree the more impressive of the women's writers. Unfortunately 10 years ago I became disabled ,this curtailed my buying of new titles. So I haven't kept up.

  • @slowhand4461
    @slowhand4461 5 ปีที่แล้ว +96

    The Martian Chronicles by Bradbury is a great read. I agree with other commenters that The Foundation trilogy is also an important sci-fi series.

    • @Animuldok
      @Animuldok 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Ray Bradbury was my gateway drug.

    • @johnmdoe-fx5gt
      @johnmdoe-fx5gt 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      I was just about to comment about The Martian Chronicles. Probably my favorite sci-fo book

    • @MatthewBunn
      @MatthewBunn 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Read one of the Asminov books then jump to something more relevant. They're just too darn old.

    • @rmeden1
      @rmeden1 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@MatthewBunn Too old??? Using statistics to predict the future? Using religion to control the population? (especially if you don't consider just religion, but social groups) If anything it's more relevant now...

    • @MatthewBunn
      @MatthewBunn 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@rmeden1 Too old. Compare Snow Crash or Diamond Age to The Foundation. You're trying to look up the future in an Encyclopedia Britannica.

  • @milkwater1204
    @milkwater1204 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Roadside Picnic is brilliant: "Happiness, free, for everyone! And may no one be left behind!"

    • @terfaniabdou5908
      @terfaniabdou5908 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It's the first time I've heard about it, yet after a bit of research the story seemed familiar, and it turns out it was later adopted to be one of my favourite films "stalker" (so tarkovsky wasn't that much of a genius..)

    • @ArsenyMoskvichev
      @ArsenyMoskvichev 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@terfaniabdou5908 Tarkovsky was a genius moviemaker, but yes, there was a shared genius of his and of Strugatsky's brothers behind the movie.
      The script in stalker is substantially different from the original book though.
      As a fun fact, Tarkovsky worked with the authors of "roadside picnic " to make the script, and they later recalled that it was one of the hardest things they've ever done.

    • @SevenOfNineteen
      @SevenOfNineteen 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@terfaniabdou5908 I found three of my favorite authors through Tarkovsky: The Strugatzki Brothers (Roadside Picnic) and Stanislaw Lem (Solaris).

  • @AriKolbeinsson
    @AriKolbeinsson 5 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    If you haven't read Octavia Butler's series Lillith's Brood (Dawn, Adulthood Rites, and Imago) then do so. Very clever!

  • @belg4mit
    @belg4mit 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    The Color of Distance - Amy Thomson
    Dragon's Egg - Robert L. Forward
    Flood - Stephen Baxter
    The Sheep Look Up - John Brunner

    • @apilgrim8715
      @apilgrim8715 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Ahh, the real stuff.

    • @robmaciver5093
      @robmaciver5093 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      "Stand on Zanzibar" by Brunner precedes "Sheep" and is a better book, IMO.

  • @Hawaii_NoKaOi
    @Hawaii_NoKaOi ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Arisen. The 25 books in the bestselling, top-ranked, and fan-favorite ARISEN series have repeatedly been ranked Amazon #1 bestsellers in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction, #1 in Dystopian Science Fiction, #1 in Military Science Fiction, #1 in War Fiction, and #1 in War & Military Action Fiction, as well as Amazon overall Top 100 bestsellers. The series as a whole has sold nearly a million copies. The audiobook editions, performed by the legendary R.C. Bray, have generated $5 million in gross sales.

  • @Audiodump
    @Audiodump 5 ปีที่แล้ว +35

    I'm surprised we didn't get any Asimov or Heinlein or Dick or Clarke or Ellison, considering their huge impact on the genre. I'm also a bit sad to hear Left Hand of Darkness again for Le Guin. Its all I ever seem to hear about her in terms of scifi when she has a lot of other great works. I particularly like "The Lathe of Heaven".
    If people want some suggestions:
    *The Killing Star* by Charles R. Pellegrino (A very different take on a first contact incident)
    *The Lathe of Heaven* by Le Guin (About a man who can change the world with his dreams but desperately wishes he couldn't)
    *Childhood's End* by Clarke (An interesting re-imagining of a "Peaceful Alien Invasion" and the changes that happen afterwards. Quintessential of the pseudo-spiritualism found in many books of the time like Stranger in a Strange Land)
    *The Moon is a Harsh Mistress* by Heinlein (About a sapient AI, a moon colony revolution, mutually assured destruction, and economics)
    *Mote in the Eye of God* by Niven (Humans encounter aliens that have a very strange form of society and hugely divergent evolutionary paths)
    *The Forever War* by by Haldeman (A realistic take on interstellar war in which hundreds of years or more pass between battles and soldiers see the world drastically changed around them.)
    *Roadside Picnic* by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky (An unknowable alien encounter leaves otherworldly "Zones" scattered around the world and the book examines the lives of people connected to the Zone. Inspiration behind the STALKER video game series and, to my mind, far better than the games)
    *Windup Girl* by Paolo Bacigalupi (A VERY different take on what some might consider "Steampunk", a world in which things like genetic engineering is common but there are no fossil fuels, resulting in the use of mechanically coiled high tech springs as a major power source.)
    *MaddAddam Trilogy* by Atwood (Environmentalism via genetic terrorism and other very interesting things)
    *Rendezvous with Rama* by Clarke (Exploring a giant alien craft that is passing through the solar system on its way to a distant star.)
    *Foundation Series* by Asimov (A speculative future of humanity spanning hundreds of thousands of years or more)
    *Gateway* by Pohl (Follows the life of a man aboard an alien space station discovered by humans. There they take preprogrammed shuttles to unknown locations in search of wealth.)
    *The Andromeda Strain* by Crichton (A methodical and intelligent exploration of what happens when a highly deadly pathogen comes to earth from outer space. Good movie too. )

    • @pattgsm
      @pattgsm 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      IKR? Where's "Starship Troopers" or "Stranger In A Strange Land"?

    • @johnkennedy4023
      @johnkennedy4023 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Forever War is the one to read if you want to know the SF genre in one book

    • @johndemeritt3460
      @johndemeritt3460 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Amen to The Forever War! Compare and contrast to Heinlein's Starship Trooper . . . .

    • @pattheplanter
      @pattheplanter 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      "The Lathe of Heaven" is my favourite of hers, too. Love the Churchil reference - "jaw, jaw...".

    • @davidmiller9485
      @davidmiller9485 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      I've not read "The Killing Star". How does it compare to C. J. Cherryh's The Cockoo's Egg? (both are about first contact)

  • @Foxtrot-vg5fl
    @Foxtrot-vg5fl 5 ปีที่แล้ว +142

    The Culture series by Iain M Banks is brilliant.

    • @1spitfirepilot
      @1spitfirepilot 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Lee Harrington yes!

    • @onlineenglish7065
      @onlineenglish7065 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Player of Games. Classic

    • @Snowy123
      @Snowy123 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Lee Harrington use of weapons is the best in the entire series, after use of weapons I felt the other books are just eh

    • @hawk2million
      @hawk2million 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Nah, Excession was gold!

    • @pipe2devnull
      @pipe2devnull 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Snowy123 I haven't read it but really liked Player of Games.

  • @ClayHales
    @ClayHales 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Neal Stephenson is interesting for me. I generally like more plot in my books, or at least more active plots, but I have liked every book I've read. They are slow burns, and almost more about world building than characters and plot, but they just work for me. I don't go out of my way to read his books, but when I come across them, I usually give them a read.

  • @TheRealMythril
    @TheRealMythril 5 ปีที่แล้ว +58

    The Rama Series by A.C.Clarke is possibly one of the best pieces of SciFi ever.

    • @Cragun.
      @Cragun. 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      The first book, that was actually written by Clarke anyway.

    • @UltraEpsilon
      @UltraEpsilon 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Absolutely

    • @damianokane6161
      @damianokane6161 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @animarcus It's by Frederik Pohl and really is an awesome book.

    • @tomf3150
      @tomf3150 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      The Ship Who Sing.

    • @metamorphicorder
      @metamorphicorder 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @Ben Lutz yes, they were really different but indeed really good. I kept hating exactlt how useless the mains were in garden in some situations and i still really cared how things went and i really how consitently Lee wrote the characters. He waxes a little ham fistedly in parts but all in all the books are great. Lee actually wrote two other at least books in the rama universe totally on his own that were also pretty damn good as far as the story goes which explain the baby coming to be in the octospider zoo in garden of rama and rama revealed. There was another advanced entity in that universe rivaling the 'ramans' that had encountered humans. The books are bright messengers and double full moon night.
      They are worth a read though Lee's writing is a little syrupy at times. There is another book he wrote that in set in the same universe that to some degree mentions the rama events but briefly. Additionally there is another collab with Clarke and Lee that i dont think they ever directly said was related to rama but its called Cradle and it has some thematic elements suggesting that Lee may have meant to have a connection or decided to reuse some concepts. Its a strange novel but also not bad.

  • @danbuter
    @danbuter 5 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    I guessed a couple ahead of time :).
    My faves: Dune, Downbelow Station, Neuromancer, the Dorsai series, and A Canticle for Leibowitz.

  • @jonahthejedai4973
    @jonahthejedai4973 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I’m currently reading SeveNeves and it’s absolutely fascinating. The encyclopedic approach to the story is something I can’t wait to explore in other Stephenson novels!

  • @i_love_rescue_animals
    @i_love_rescue_animals 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Neuromancer and The Forever War are two of my all-time favorite Sci-fi books.

  • @petercarlson1882
    @petercarlson1882 3 ปีที่แล้ว +31

    Dune is absolutely amazing, I've read the trilogy more often than can remember, and Left Hand of Darkness is one of my favorite LeGuin books (of which there are several favorites) and have also read several times. Will have to check out the few of these I have not read

    • @rickmorris8290
      @rickmorris8290 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Make your way through God Emperor and the rest are just as good as the first three. Chapterhouse let Herbert’s humanity (and love for his wife) really shine through!

    • @d00mf00d
      @d00mf00d ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@@rickmorris8290make your way? Are you implying God Emperor is a chore? Its the best sci-fi book in the series.

    • @rickmorris8290
      @rickmorris8290 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@d00mf00d it’s the best philosophical book of the series, just not the best read in my opinion. I think this opinion is not that uncommon.

  • @MikeSalsgiver
    @MikeSalsgiver 5 ปีที่แล้ว +58

    I would add Asimov's "Foundation" trilogy, almost anything by Arthur C. Clarke, and I'm very much a fan of Kim Stanley Robinson's "Mars" trilogy. Thanks for your reviews, Adam! Love your work.

    • @magedsyehia
      @magedsyehia 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Mike Salsgiver red Mars was great but green and blue were strange for me lots of dragging and no since , no events. Do you agree or am I missing something ?

    • @liammurphy2725
      @liammurphy2725 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@magedsyehia I think you have to go on Mars time to get the full effect. Yes there are areas where nothing much seems to be going on but something always is.

    • @williamfoy599
      @williamfoy599 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I thought Glide Path by A. Clarke was rather dull.

    • @caramanico1
      @caramanico1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thank GOD somebody mentioned Foundation - THANK YOU!

    • @robfinch3277
      @robfinch3277 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      SIX Foundation books !

  • @joegattis2892
    @joegattis2892 4 ปีที่แล้ว +185

    "Stranger In A Strange Land" by Heinlein, one of the few books I have read several times. It influenced the counter culture movement of the 60's and is one of the most important Sci-Fi books ever written. I grok it.

    • @swordblaster2596
      @swordblaster2596 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      Not quite Heinlein's absolute worst book, but very nearly.

    • @wtk6069
      @wtk6069 4 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      I still chuckled thinking about the droves of hippies who embraced this book and took pilgrimages to Heinlein's house, which he found to be very unwanted attention, so he erected a tall fence.

    • @MarcRocket
      @MarcRocket 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Yup, changed my world view. Fantastic.

    • @jimsmith7645
      @jimsmith7645 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      If nothing else, it put a new word in our vocabulary.

    • @Michael75579
      @Michael75579 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@swordblaster2596 The Number of the Beast was where he completely lost it, or perhaps became powerful enough to stop editors making changes. It would be vastly improved by removing the middle third and making the necessary minor tweaks to the first and last thirds so they fit together smoothly.

  • @anthonyburn1010
    @anthonyburn1010 3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    The Forever War, The Stars My Destination,, two great classics that got me into sci-fi in a serious way.

    • @chrismooney8275
      @chrismooney8275 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Terrific reads. I always felt Bester was a big influence on Philip K Dick and wrote books that laid the foundations for cyberpunk tropes. If you haven’t read the Demolished Man yet, check that out. Real exciting page turner!

    • @alanmeeker2179
      @alanmeeker2179 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@chrismooney8275 Both of those are great books

  • @jommywop
    @jommywop 5 ปีที่แล้ว +37

    5 is difficult. If I could choose my favorite in a series I listed that. Otherwise I listed entire series.
    1. Dune
    2. Player of Games
    3. Signal to Noise/Signal Shattered
    4. Foundation
    5. Enders Game

    • @pdubnine9
      @pdubnine9 19 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Player of Games was my introduction to Iain M Banks thanks to the novel appearing in a random Loot Crate. Highly recommend the Culture series to any Sci-fi fans.

  • @narrowmindedrailworks
    @narrowmindedrailworks 5 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling surely was the seedling for the Steampunk movement and the Clacker workers union

    • @ufoengines
      @ufoengines 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Dig this at 8:18 a digital computer that computes using air . th-cam.com/video/5qgxsJp8MZk/w-d-xo.html If Babbage had this tech the pipe organ guys could have built his computer and Lovelace would have invented COBAL.

  • @nathanielwilder5990
    @nathanielwilder5990 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    A Canticle of Leibowitz by Walter Miller, Gather Darkness by Fritz Lieber, Star Man's Son by Andre Norton, the Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson, Foundation by Asimov.

  • @adlockhungry304
    @adlockhungry304 4 ปีที่แล้ว +70

    Also by LeGuin: The Dispossessed.
    And also, anything by LeGuin

    • @mikesnyder1788
      @mikesnyder1788 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Yes, very good book as was Lathe of Heaven!!!

    • @ruthanngalt7402
      @ruthanngalt7402 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Left Hand of Darkness is great

    • @kit5850
      @kit5850 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      rocannons world!!!!!

    • @joepoore6874
      @joepoore6874 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      As a child she read the Tao Te Ching in her father's library, was a lifelong Taoist, and wrote her own wonderful, graceful version, still available

  • @mitchellsmith4690
    @mitchellsmith4690 4 ปีที่แล้ว +124

    Starship Troopers...changed my life, ended up a retired soldier.

    • @steriopticon2687
      @steriopticon2687 4 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      You get to vote!

    • @robbates3309
      @robbates3309 4 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      That book...definitely a top5 pick. Influenced my world view......movie sucked

    • @larrymurphy8201
      @larrymurphy8201 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@robbates3309 Agreed - on both points!!

    • @steveford8999
      @steveford8999 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Thank you for your service from a Marine Corp Dad.

    • @andrewbanks6922
      @andrewbanks6922 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Have you ever read the book SNOW CRASH? awesome awesome awesome check it out amzn.to/37byV3q By far my favorite!!

  • @sparkeyjames
    @sparkeyjames 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Herbert - Dune the first 3 novels.
    Heinlein - Time enough for love being my favorite.
    Asimov - The original foundation trilogy. Later additions are not that great.
    Niven - The ringworld novels.
    McCaffery - The Dragon riders of Pern (all of them).
    To many others to list.

    • @charliekennedy2545
      @charliekennedy2545 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Later additions were amazing. Hold the most real truth in the series.

    • @brockjohnson5068
      @brockjohnson5068 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Ha Ha - we may be roughly the same age (Early sixties here), because all of those I would have to agree with.

  • @murdockscott
    @murdockscott 4 ปีที่แล้ว +39

    Scrolling through the comments it is gratifying to see so many fellow Larry Niven enthusiasts represented! 😀

    • @dherman58
      @dherman58 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      I like his short stories, I mean, what CAN you say about chocolate covered man hole covers? In "All the Myriad Ways"

    • @bwake
      @bwake 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Dan Herman “The American Dental Association declares they are bad for children’s teeth.”

    • @Briaaanz
      @Briaaanz 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      The late Isaac Asimov's favorite sci fi writer too.

    • @andydouglass1374
      @andydouglass1374 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Larry Niven was the first adult Sci-Fi I read as a boy, and he became one of my favorite authors back then when my parents unearthed their box of Sci-Fi from their hippy days in the late 60's/early 70's. I guess Sci-Fi was pretty popular with the hippies. I recently reread the Heorot/Avalon books that Niven wrote with Jerry Pournelle and Stephen Barnes when I discovered that they had written a third book in the series in 2020. I had taken a break from Sci-Fi for many years, but rereading those books got me right back into it. I was doing some googling and came across an article at The Daily Beast called "The Sci-Fi Roots of the Far Right". I thought I was reading The Onion as the "journalist" postulated that Pournelle and Niven were the roots of far-right extremism. Hippies loved Lucifer's Hammer when it was published because it spoke to their beliefs that self-sufficiency was a righteous path. Now here we are in 2021 and a fairly prominent media outlet is pointing to the fact the self-sufficient rural people are the heroes and survivors in Lucifer's Hammer as evidence that it is a "far-right" manifesto, which leads me to the only plausible conclusion: We are currently in a farcical Sci-Fi simulation.

    • @murdockscott
      @murdockscott 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@andydouglass1374 Yeah, if Niven and Pournelle were secretly trying to convert people into far right thinkers, they failed miserably with me! I will read Lucifers Hammer again, (it’s been decades on that one) but I am thinking that the author of that article was off base on that premise. 🤔😳😀