Finally, you have read the Anubis Gates. Excellent no.1 recommendation. I must re-visit my copy now. I have wondered if this is one of those books where the reader would benefit (and be advised to) read some 'background? In this case the romantic movement, Shelly, Wollstonecraft and Byron. Perhaps a future episode about such books?
I happened to read Typee at the start of the year and loved it as well. I will add The Scarlet Pimpernell to my TBR for next year, as well as the mentioned series by Howard Andrew Jones!
Thanks, Michael! I'm in the same situation you were in re "Anubis Gates"! An old friend gave me a copy years ago, and I only read the first couple of pages before I put it down, intending to read more, but getting caught up in a lot of philosophy I had to read, then, forgetting about the book as others came out! I'm going to look for that copy and dig into it! Take care!
Really surprised to hear the title of an old Audie Murphy movie on your list. Posse from Hell was one of my favorite Westerns as a boy. I'll have to dig up that novel now as I never read the source material.
Yes! The Anubis Gates, let's go!!! So very happy to see this book being talked about. Not sure if Roger had a hand in this choice as the subject matter seems to be quite close to him...hmmmm....
Baroness Orczy was a very prolific author. Her other works are well worth a read and are also free, being out of copyright. She was one of my father's favourite authors, so I got to know her at an early age. By the way, your pronunciation was perfect.....Or-tsey. 😊
@w.adammandelbaum1805 . Definitely Or-tsey. It was common when she was alive for people to enquire how both her first and last name were pronounced, so her advice on correct pronunciation is well recorded. However, people found it so difficult to manage her first name that she used the English version (Emma) in her later life.
Great List Michael! So many different genres. I will be sure to look out for The Macabre Reader. The Anubis Gates sounds good, thanks for putting it on my radar. Hope you have a fantastic festive season!
Great list. I read Typee during the lockdown -- pandemic, not criminal -- and Melville is my no. 1 guy. Right now, I'm reading Proust, so neener neener.
As usual, you always recommend or talk about books that have already disappeared from most people's radar on Booktube. Always great to discover something out of the ordinary, especially for those like me who love a good old pulp fiction, be it horror, adventure or sci-fi.
I'm sure on board with this round-up. The Anubis Gates is my favourite book. The Broken Sword is in my personal Top 10 Fantasy books. I also loved Ring Around the Sun, Mythago Wood, and The Scarlet Pimpernel. One day, you will crack Eugene Sue...but I imagine Varney got to be wrapped up first. We'll see. The future is coming...
The first SF novel I ever read (as a young boy) was by Simak - They Walked Like Men. Great stuff. Have you read Way Station yet? A smaller story than City but very good. But I can’t recommend Simak’s sequel to Ring Around the Sun: Ring Around the Bathtub. A stain on his career. Have a nice Christmas, Michael…
I’ve read the Anubis Gate! It was pitched to me as an original steampunk novels, and I think that kinda clouded my reading of it. Once I realized it wasn’t steampunk, I really enjoyed it. It is a little convoluted, though, and I actually wished it was a bit longer to really explore the wild set pieces in more depth.
Thank you for the video. I suppose top 10 lists help draw in views, but i wanted to suggest a video segment and see if your interested. A lot of top 10 lists just have some the same books on different channels. But that leaves a lot of good books that arent considered good enough to make top 10 lists, but are still good and could be recommended. These books that dont make top 10 lists and are good are ones i am very interested in. I would like to suggest, if you are interested and have time, perhaps you could do a segment like ‘10 good fantasy or scifi books I enjoyed’ or ‘10 fantasy books i would recommend’ or ‘10 sci fi books from the 70s or 80s’ or ‘Another 10 fantasy books i enjoyed’. There seems to be alot to mine title and coverage wise in different combinations. I dont come across anyone else on youtube doing this. I just keep watching top 10 videos hoping to see new books i havent seen that are good. Honestly i would be very interesting in books from the 70s and 80s too. You could keep the ‘10’ as an attention getter. You are very well read and it seems like you would know alot of good books to recommend, that would almost never appear on a top 10 list. I know you do recommend other books, but im just suggesting an alternative way to consider presenting them. I am reading the conan books from robert howard based on your recommendation and enjoying them. Here are some books that i really enjoyed and think are good but i have never seen on top 10 lists or anyone recommend. I read some of these books based on word of mouth recommendations. The Misenchanted Sword Her Majestys Wizard Dirk Gentlys Holistic Detective Agency For Love of Mother Not Howls Moving Castle Anyways, thanks for sharing your knowledge, and i enjoy your videos and sense of humor. Happy holidays!
When I reread "City" after something like 30 years I thought--this is a beautiful, beautiful story, why did I stop reading Simak? Then I read "Fellowship of the Talisman" which was ... not great. That said, both "Way Station " and "Time and Again " are excellent sf novels, worth your attention.
The best books I read in 2024 was The Three-Body Problem trilogy by Cixin Liu. I also liked Blackwater. Right now I'm reading Wuthering Heights, which I haven't read since high school. My taste is eclectic - it makes life more interesting,
Thank you for your top 10. However, I think Tim Powers best novel is DECLARE. I could not put it down whereas I put ANUBIS GATES down and never was enthused enough to pick it up again. But, DECLARE was a completely different story. I recommend reading this and then reading THE COMPANY by Robert Littell. Great stuff.
I haven't read Posse From Hell, but I read Huffaker's The Cowboy and the Cossack which is really good. I'd recommend it. Zelazny went from being really big in the SF genre to not as well known as he should be. Which is a shame since he was very talented and influential. The Anubis Gates was the first Powers I've read and probably still my favorite.
I got a little worried when you mentioned that your #10 was the best science fiction, but fantasy is awesome. I've not read any of these. Best wishes for 2025!
Yes! All men want to be Hanuvar and all the women fall in love with him, and I am talking about the reader! I am a few chapters into Shadow of the Smoking Mountain now and “ H” is one of my favorite characters of all time!
"Mythago Wood" is excellent, but I don't think it can really be categorised as fantasy, despite it's appearance and emphasis. It's premise is extrapolated by the concepts of ancestral memories and inner space, that are science fictional. If it's fantasy, then I think it's been brought into science fiction. It seems difficult to define.
There is something to be said for finally getting to a book that has been on one’s shelves for decades. My favorite read of 2024 was also a book that I have had for decades, since around 1970. It was _Island in the Sky_ by Ernest K. Gann. It’s a 1944 novel about a World War II cargo plane that is forced off course by severe weather and crash lands on a frozen lake in the Quebec arctic. The tale is about the crew’s struggle for survival and the frustrating search conducted by five air crews hampered by fading radio contact, volatile weather, and inconsistent compasses so close to magnetic north.
I will have to retry The Scarlet Pimpernel, but the narration, which is supposedly by a man, sounds more like a woman. The Baroness did not master the male 'voice' in her writing. Perhaps it evens out later.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
Roger looks particularly aware and "on point" this morning! Thank goodness you included a couple of his books!!
Great list Michael! And awesome to see Amber made it on there! I need to get out my own top 10 list. And I suspect we’ll have a few overlaps!
Dude I've been watching your videos for awhile. You've got the style, you've got the recs, you've just got it generally.
Is it contagious?
@@stretmediq I wish, but nope, it's just something you're born with. 😎
Nifty list Michael! I may be the only one, but I would like to see your top ten comic collections for this year
I second that!
I just finished the last of the Amber books last week and it is VERY worth your time to finish reading that series!
The film version of Posse From Hell stars actor Audie Murphy. It is worth seeing. I think you would enjoy it.
Finally, you have read the Anubis Gates. Excellent no.1 recommendation. I must re-visit my copy now. I have wondered if this is one of those books where the reader would benefit (and be advised to) read some 'background? In this case the romantic movement, Shelly, Wollstonecraft and Byron. Perhaps a future episode about such books?
This is the most unique top 10 of 2024 I will watch this month! Added "Ring Around the Sun" to my KU library.
I happened to read Typee at the start of the year and loved it as well. I will add The Scarlet Pimpernell to my TBR for next year, as well as the mentioned series by Howard Andrew Jones!
Thanks, Michael! I'm in the same situation you were in re "Anubis Gates"! An old friend gave me a copy years ago, and I only read the first couple of pages before I put it down, intending to read more, but getting caught up in a lot of philosophy I had to read, then, forgetting about the book as others came out! I'm going to look for that copy and dig into it! Take care!
Really surprised to hear the title of an old Audie Murphy movie on your list. Posse from Hell was one of my favorite Westerns as a boy. I'll have to dig up that novel now as I never read the source material.
A splendid list, I'm sure I shall take a closer look at some of these recommendations in the new year! 🥰
Yes! The Anubis Gates, let's go!!! So very happy to see this book being talked about. Not sure if Roger had a hand in this choice as the subject matter seems to be quite close to him...hmmmm....
Baroness Orczy was a very prolific author. Her other works are well worth a read and are also free, being out of copyright. She was one of my father's favourite authors, so I got to know her at an early age. By the way, your pronunciation was perfect.....Or-tsey. 😊
Or is it or-chee?
@w.adammandelbaum1805 . Definitely Or-tsey. It was common when she was alive for people to enquire how both her first and last name were pronounced, so her advice on correct pronunciation is well recorded. However, people found it so difficult to manage her first name that she used the English version (Emma) in her later life.
Ten awesome books and you didn't even need to buy anything new to get there -- awesome! Happy holidays, Michael!
Great List Michael! So many different genres. I will be sure to look out for The Macabre Reader. The Anubis Gates sounds good, thanks for putting it on my radar. Hope you have a fantastic festive season!
Great list. I read Typee during the lockdown -- pandemic, not criminal -- and Melville is my no. 1 guy. Right now, I'm reading Proust, so neener neener.
Typee is a surprisingly good book. I remember reading the Books of Amber in high school then rereading them in the 00s.
Adding some of these to my TBR list.
Roger will never steer you wrong in recommendations.
I picked up The Anubis Gates a couple of months back. I should be getting around to it in February or March, and now I'm really excited.
Roget was the Scarlett Pimpernel? I wonder what other mysterious historical figures he was? Jack the Ripper maybe?
As usual, you always recommend or talk about books that have already disappeared from most people's radar on Booktube. Always great to discover something out of the ordinary, especially for those like me who love a good old pulp fiction, be it horror, adventure or sci-fi.
I'm sure on board with this round-up. The Anubis Gates is my favourite book. The Broken Sword is in my personal Top 10 Fantasy books. I also loved Ring Around the Sun, Mythago Wood, and The Scarlet Pimpernel.
One day, you will crack Eugene Sue...but I imagine Varney got to be wrapped up first. We'll see. The future is coming...
The Anubis Gates is a great adventure story, and in common with the best adventure stories, it's a lot of fun!
Mythago Wood, Anubis Gates....both in top 10. Spot on for sure! Bull's eye!
The first SF novel I ever read (as a young boy) was by Simak - They Walked Like Men. Great stuff. Have you read Way Station yet? A smaller story than City but very good.
But I can’t recommend Simak’s sequel to Ring Around the Sun: Ring Around the Bathtub. A stain on his career.
Have a nice Christmas, Michael…
I don't knowy any of them but will check them in the future!
Every year, Roger moves a little closer to the camera...
😂
I’ve read the Anubis Gate! It was pitched to me as an original steampunk novels, and I think that kinda clouded my reading of it. Once I realized it wasn’t steampunk, I really enjoyed it. It is a little convoluted, though, and I actually wished it was a bit longer to really explore the wild set pieces in more depth.
Interesting group of books. 😀
Woohoo 🥳 for fantasy!
Thank you for the video. I suppose top 10 lists help draw in views, but i wanted to suggest a video segment and see if your interested. A lot of top 10 lists just have some the same books on different channels. But that leaves a lot of good books that arent considered good enough to make top 10 lists, but are still good and could be recommended. These books that dont make top 10 lists and are good are ones i am very interested in.
I would like to suggest, if you are interested and have time, perhaps you could do a segment like
‘10 good fantasy or scifi books I enjoyed’ or ‘10 fantasy books i would recommend’ or ‘10 sci fi books from the 70s or 80s’ or ‘Another 10 fantasy books i enjoyed’. There seems to be alot to mine title and coverage wise in different combinations. I dont come across anyone else on youtube doing this. I just keep watching top 10 videos hoping to see new books i havent seen that are good. Honestly i would be very interesting in books from the 70s and 80s too.
You could keep the ‘10’ as an attention getter.
You are very well read and it seems like you would know alot of good books to recommend, that would almost never appear on a top 10 list. I know you do recommend other books, but im just suggesting an alternative way to consider presenting them. I am reading the conan books from robert howard based on your recommendation and enjoying them.
Here are some books that i really enjoyed and think are good but i have never seen on top 10 lists or anyone recommend. I read some of these books based on word of mouth recommendations.
The Misenchanted Sword
Her Majestys Wizard
Dirk Gentlys Holistic Detective Agency
For Love of Mother Not
Howls Moving Castle
Anyways, thanks for sharing your knowledge, and i enjoy your videos and sense of humor. Happy holidays!
The Anubis Gates!! Let’s goooooooooo!!!
An interesting top 10 and a surprise winner.
Looking at the cover, is the Scarlet Pimpernel related to Roger by any chance?
That jumped right out at me as well. 💀
Thanks!
When I reread "City" after something like 30 years I thought--this is a beautiful, beautiful story, why did I stop reading Simak? Then I read "Fellowship of the Talisman" which was ... not great.
That said, both "Way Station " and "Time and Again " are excellent sf novels, worth your attention.
The best books I read in 2024 was The Three-Body Problem trilogy by Cixin Liu. I also liked Blackwater. Right now I'm reading Wuthering Heights, which I haven't read since high school. My taste is eclectic - it makes life more interesting,
Dark Forest is in my top 10, but unfortunately I had a lot of problems with the last book from the trilogy.
My husband absolutely loved Mythago Wood but found the sequel slow-going.
Thank you for your top 10. However, I think Tim Powers best novel is DECLARE. I could not put it down whereas I put ANUBIS GATES down and never was enthused enough to pick it up again. But, DECLARE was a completely different story. I recommend reading this and then reading THE COMPANY by Robert Littell. Great stuff.
I haven't read Posse From Hell, but I read Huffaker's The Cowboy and the Cossack which is really good. I'd recommend it.
Zelazny went from being really big in the SF genre to not as well known as he should be. Which is a shame since he was very talented and influential.
The Anubis Gates was the first Powers I've read and probably still my favorite.
I got a little worried when you mentioned that your #10 was the best science fiction, but fantasy is awesome. I've not read any of these. Best wishes for 2025!
I have the Anubis gates on my very long wishlist because of you haha.
Yes! All men want to be Hanuvar and all the women fall in love with him, and I am talking about the reader! I am a few chapters into Shadow of the Smoking Mountain now and “ H” is one of my favorite characters of all time!
Ohh blast, Dracula pop up book was not on the list!
I was a little sad about that too as I bought it for him. 😢 I think Roger may have been outvoted.
You should read more Tim Powers
Zelazny!
"Mythago Wood" is excellent, but I don't think it can really be categorised as fantasy, despite it's appearance and emphasis. It's premise is extrapolated by the concepts of ancestral memories and inner space, that are science fictional. If it's fantasy, then I think it's been brought into science fiction. It seems difficult to define.
😊
There is something to be said for finally getting to a book that has been on one’s shelves for decades. My favorite read of 2024 was also a book that I have had for decades, since around 1970. It was _Island in the Sky_ by Ernest K. Gann. It’s a 1944 novel about a World War II cargo plane that is forced off course by severe weather and crash lands on a frozen lake in the Quebec arctic. The tale is about the crew’s struggle for survival and the frustrating search conducted by five air crews hampered by fading radio contact, volatile weather, and inconsistent compasses so close to magnetic north.
I loved the movie!!!
Hello Michael Hello. Call me Ishmael . Excellent Video. Did you read any other books in additional languages other than English? Thanks
The iconic "Call me Ishmael"
I used to say that to the other kids in High School, to their bewilderment.
These days the top fantasy book is the constitution.
I will have to retry The Scarlet Pimpernel, but the narration, which is supposedly by a man, sounds more like a woman. The Baroness did not master the male 'voice' in her writing. Perhaps it evens out later.