I've read about half of this list, and would recommend the following as well worth reading: 'Pavanne' by Keith Roberts. 'The Fifth Head of Cerberus and 'The Book of the New Sun' by Gene Wolfe; 'The Hellicinia Trilogy' by Brian Aldiss. 'Grass' by Sheri Tepper
Erik thank you so much for making this. My lazy ass saw the list on Goodreads but I couldn't commit to actually going through all the descriptions. So watching your video with the summaries while I eat my dinner was perfection 😁
Have you read the rest of the series? I thought the first started really strongly but by the end I was just so confused by what was happening... so much so that I’m not sure if it’s worth continuing on in the series.
@@greymyers4087 definitely stick with it. I'd suggest getting right through all three books back to back so you don't forget about characters and events that thread through all three. Then let the ideas percolate and bounce around in your mind, then reread them all again maybe a year later. I found I read them faster the second time, and since I already had the plot outline and larger themes in my mind, I was able to catch more of the subtleties, connections, and ideas I may have missed on the first read. They're for sure books that you get more out of on each subsequent reading.
Thanks for the comprehensive list and commentary. Have only read 22 of them so will try to source the others and get reading. I loved Oryx and Crake and have thought about it off and on for years.
I haven’t read Artemis yet but I can confidently recommend Andy Weir’s newest book Project Hail Mary. It’s about a man who wakes up alone on a shit with no memories, and how he has to piece together his mission and himself has one of humanity’s’ last hopes. It is similar to the Martian but I feel his writing has definitely improved, and doesn’t have any of those icky bits you mentioned. It really managed to cut straight to my heart on both the grand and deeply personal level so I can’t recommend enough. Also the audiobook is an INCREDIBLE experience due to the special sound design for parts of the story! All in all incredible and there’s already a movie in the works 👀
Let's just say that "Artemis" feels more like a debut novel than "The Martian"... PS : Not novels, but four Novella/Short stories that you should read if you haven't already : "Sandkings" by George RR Martin, "I have no mouth but I must scream" by Harlan Ellison, "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" by Lewis Padgett, and "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut
Other books that have a time travel element, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August (2014) by Claire North (my favourite book read this year) and The Saga of Pliocene Exile by Julian May (first published in the early 1980s) are two of my favourites.
I’ve read about 65 of these. The list tends towards more recent works. My list would include a few more older books, such as River World by Philip Jose Farmer, or something by Roger Zelazney, maybe This Immortal.
The biggest misses for me on this list were "Manifold Time" by Stephen Baxter, "The Yiddish Policeman's Union" by Michael Chabon, and "1Q84" by Haruki Murakami.
Love “best of” lists! I’m enthusiastic about sci-fi, but it turns out I’m not as well read in the genre as I’d thought. Ive read only about half on that list. Andromeda Strain was the first sci-fi I read back in middle school, and more recently I read The Three Body Problem which was challenging but very much worth the time. Currently reading “Among Others” by Jo Walton; the novel is fantasy set in the late 1970s, but the narrator is obsessed with sci-fi novels and sooo many are mentioned, most of which are on this Goodreads list.
I would have said I didn’t enjoy Science Fiction but listening to this there were some I have read and enjoyed and others I would like to read, so maybe I do like Science Fiction??? Great video and such a lot of effort put into it.
The thing about sci-fi and other niche genres is that, where general literature aims at making beautiful prose, good sci-fi focus on storytelling and technical accuracy. Great sci-fi excels in both, but it’s not the norm. Dune is a fine example. Also books by Atwood and Le Guin. The three great dystopian novels are 1984, Brave New World and We. Animal Farm is certainly not sci-fi but people label it so because it’s Orwell.
This just had to pop up and remind me I need to film a review of Dune. I love it, but it means I’d have to re read it, it’s been way too long since I last opened it... great video btw The 100 list is good it’s missing two sequels... dark Forrest is a superior sequel to Three Body Problem. Enders Gane is great, but the sequel Speaker for the Dead is the best of that series...in my opinion
Thanks for the video. I’m guessing by “popular” they meant most sold on Amazon? I’d like to see a more diverse list that has slept on Sci-Fi. So that we can discover new names. How is N. K. missing?
I love the broken earth trilogy. Easily on my top 10 of the last few years. But Jemisin writes fantasy, not sci fi, so makes sense she is not on this list
I've read some of the books on this list and most of the are still to be read. I was glad Contact, Rendezvous with Rama, and Flowers for Algernon (the only book to make me cry) was on there. I would like to expand that for Contact as well as trying to decode and alien message, it also looks on the both sides of the science vs religion debate The only book I would add to that list is Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
I've read 41 on this list, the majority in the top half. It's a shame they've included so many dystopian and spec fiction titles, but it all depends how you classify them, so I won't get worked up about it. Funnily enough I've just re-read Dune - and although it's now slightly dated - it's the Moby Dick of SF - hugely influential, so highly recommended. I also loved and recommend Flowers for Algernon - it makes me cry every time I read it. Neuromancer & Snow Crash are fab near futures that have superb worldbuilding (Stephenson writes better than Gibson, but he has such wonderful, influential ideas) , Childhood's End (classic 1st contact novel). The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is my favourite Heinlein (the best of Heinlein is excellent, hated Starship Troopers even in the 1980s when I read it). I'm sure you'd love The Sparrow - very philosophical. Jeff Vandermeer's Southern Reach Trilogy - Annihilation etc are wonderful and mind-boggling. Artemis was pants compared with The Martian. Lastly - yes to Iain Banks's Culture novels - Consider Phlebas is excellent, The Player of Games is my fave. Surprised that no more Wyndhams on the list - Chrysalids is amazing, and Chocky too. I'll stop now!
That's awesome, Annabel. Thanks so much. I trust your opinion. I guess one of the biggest challenges with sci-fi is about how skilfully the author builds these new worlds without getting bogged down in the detail. Really looking forward to reading Dune now as well as several others. Definitely won't bother with Artemis... or Starship Troopers. 😄📚
I've read all the Becky Chambers and loved them all (see Shiny New Books). The sequels are more thoughtful, less pure adventure. Not as much pure 'fun' as the first, but wonderful too.
Dystopian is definitely part of SF, it's always been a sub-genre, just like alternative history (e.g. Philip Roth's The Plot Against America). The Science Fiction anthologies I grew up with always featured various stories like that. Back then, my mom used to tease me for reading "such trash" - Bradbury, Orwell, and many others that are part of everyone's school syllabus and college reading today. Of course, in order not to lose face, they could only be canonized by literary folks deciding to simply re-brand them as "speculative" or "magical realism" and then suddenly the exact same story is suddenly literature and okay for adults to read. My recommendations for you personally because I know your taste from watching so so many of your videos: - "The Unkindness of Ghosts" by Rivers Solomon - it has beautiful prose, unique narrative voices for each character, focuses on slavery, and it's very literary and also has tons of really good representation (not checking diversity boxes, but the real thing) - Ted Chiang - China Mieville - A Memory Called Empire - a diplomat is sent from a small outpost that wants to remain independent to a large interstellar empire inspired by Aztec aesthetics, where she also needs to solve the murder of her predecessor before the same happens to her. Against her will, she falls in love with the empire's rich culture which is heavily focused on poetry. Nominated for this year's Hugo! - Ninefox Gambit - it has a super weird and cool world, is based on quantum math but still very understandable, very interesting characters, LGBT rep - Ursula K. Le Guin's "Left Hand of Darkness" and "The Dispossessed", maybe also "The Word For World Is Forest" - Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice - Martha Well's Murderbot series (you'll love Telenovela-addicted Murderbot, everyone does) - I think you've probably already read these, but just in case you haven't: Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven and Glass Hotel; David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas - for fun in between the heavy stuff: Scalzi's Old Man's War, and C. L. Polk's Witchmark (fantasy, not SF, but still) and Bujold's entire Vorkosigan series, which just gets better and better with each book and manages to be super fun while also not shying away at all from thematizing the most serious issues (it has very lovable characters). Finally, please don't listen to anyone telling you that SF had a "golden age", trying to get you to read those old clunkers. They were mostly a bit pulpy, pretty misogynistic and not character-focused in the slightest, but focused almost entirely on innovative ideas. That's nice if you're a young male engineering student in the 60s who hates all that touchy-feely stuff. It's not what's going to be enjoyable reading for someone in 2020 with a very literary taste who loves subtle characterization. Hope this helps!
24 but there are some serious omissions here. Olaf Stapledon's "First And Last Man", China Mieville "Embassytown", Ian Watson "The Embedding", Christopher Priest "The Affirmation", Fred Hoyle "The Black Cloud", Samuel Delany "Babel 17"... I'm not a fan, but John M Harrison is highly thought of in the "Space Opera" genre.
@@EricKarlAnderson I think of all the ons listed, "Solaris" by Stanislau Lem is my favourite. Made into at least 2 if not 3 films, ne starring Clooney!
I've read 62 of the 100 (so far). Some suggestions for the list: The Naked Sun (Asimov); The Risen Empire (Westerfeld); Forever Peace (Haldeman); Gateway (Pohl); Dreamsnake (McIntyre); Lord of Light (Zelazny); Dangerous Visions and Again Dangerous Visions (Ellison); Barrayar (Bujold); Best of the Nebulas (Bova); The Science Fiction Hall of Fame (Silverberg); More Than Human (Sturgeon); The Lathe of Heaven (Le Guin); The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (Dick); The Diamond Age (Stephenson); Startide Rising (Brin); A Fire Upon the Deep (Vinge); The Shadow of the Torturer (Wolfe); The Windup Girl (Bacigalupi); Revelation Space (Reynolds); To Your Scattered Bodies Go (Farmer); The Player of Games (Banks); The Stars My Destination (Bester); Speaker for the Dead (Card).
You have quite a list there, but I wanted to suggest Doris Lessings" novel, Shikasta. It's epistolary and profound with Lessings' thinking at the time regarding Sufiism. A fascinating book and science fiction on a grand scale.
Yes! I've always been curious about Lessing's sci-fi. And I'm even more drawn to it as it's written in the form of letters. I love that style. Thank you!
I've read 48. It's a pretty good list, but no list is exhaustive. I would probably have added the Uplift novels by David Brin, The Stars My Destination (Alfred Bester), and Ender's Game (or was that on there and I missed it?). I look forward to scanning the comments to see what everyone else would have added!
I read 54 of the top 100, and my favorite was Hyperion, like Canterbury Tales in structure, a fantastic complex journey. Ender's Game was good but the second book in the series Speaker for the Dead was much more interesting. Enjoy
I’ve always considered dystopian to be sci-fi horror. This list is fun to browse through, makes me wanna read more classic sci-fi. Always worried I won’t like them.
I associate you solely with contemporary literature. It is nice to see you branch out into genre fiction. Especially sci-fi. I'm just getting into it myself. Read Robert A Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. It is accused of being sexist but to me it's just the odd character plus someone calls a girl "Little Lady," at one stage and the girl is not at all happy, so Robert A did see both sides.
It seems this rating is heavily English base SciFi books, but there are very good European, or former Eastern block, or even Asian/ African literature that is not so well known. Try Serge Brussolo for example (Ira Melanox or Fever)
This is an interesting list. I've read 16 of them, but mainly those I consider dystopian or alternative history fiction. I loved The Sparrow and Parable of the Sower. The sequels to both are very good. I'm planning to read Oryx and Crake and Flowers for Algernon soon.
I read a lot of science fiction and my favorites on this list are the left hand of darkness by LeGuin, stories of your life and others by Chiang, slaughter house 5 by Vonnegut, and annihilation by VanderMeer. I would recommend revelation space by Reynolds and the player of games by Iain Banks. For something a little different I would recommend the quantum thief by Rajaniemi and Friday black by Adjei-Brenyah.
I read the Parable of Talents, The Farm, Kindred, and The Handmaid’s Tale. I have not read very much Sci-Fi. I guess there are ton more things to explore.
It's true that this is kind of an odd list haha, weird to see Red Rising (scifi YA) and Handmaid's Tale listed together. Maybe they should have added fantasy books and simply called it speculative fiction. I'm not really into space/interplanetary settings, but the book I'm most looking forward to reading from this list is This Is How You Lose The Time War! Lots of my friends have raved about it, esp the prose, and I've read a couple of Amal El-Mohtar's short stories and really enjoyed them. I also just picked up Severance from the library, hope I like it! My favourite super specific scifi subgenre is "mysterious alien zone on earth", e.g. the classic Roadside Picnic by the Strugatsky brothers (and its movie Stalker). I enjoyed the Annihilation movie and I *really* liked Tade Thompson's Rosewater, which is set in Nigeria.
I've read thirty of them, mostly the older ones. I really dispute what they consider science fiction. When I think of the genre, authors like Hal Clement and Alfred Bester come to mind. Many of the books on this list are better classified as fantasy. Of course, these are popular choices, not necessarily the choices of a connoisseur.
I have read about half of this list. They always leave off David Zindell, The Broken God is one of my Faves. Micheal Marshall Smith with Only Forward, Spares and One of Us should be on here as well great books.
I've read 10 🤗 BTW, book 2 of A long Walk to a Small Angry Planet, A Closed and Common Orbit is as good as book 1. I didn't enjoy book 3 as much as the first two.
Wow! I have read most of these books. Cannot believe it. Dune is my favorite but I feel you benefit the most by reading all six books in the series. Almost as good and a writer often overlooked is Octavia Butler. Patternmaster or Parable of the Sower. Kindred not so much. My #2 5 star reads are Asimov's Foundation series. Enders game is better if the trilogy is read but Scott Card is a lovely writer.
I've not read any of the books on this list. Possibly that means I am not a fan of this genre of fiction? Some did sound quite good though. I prefer fantasy and would love to see a list of the top one hundred fantasy books of all time. I have always wanted to read Dune but its so thick I always pick it up and put it down again. Enjoyed your video very interesting as always.
Very entertaining list. It’s interesting that genre boundaries are in reality so permeable and there’s huge crossover between Sci Fi / Fantasy / Dystopian . I wouldn’t say I’m a Sci Fi reader particularly (like you) and was surprised by how many of these I have actually read! - especially the older ones - I think it was probably through my dad; he was a major Sci fi fan so I most likely read them because they were around the house. I don’t want to put you off Dune - I’m definitely an outlier ... but I completely hated it! I read the book after seeing the original movie (I didn’t like that either but I thought the book would be better). Absolutely won’t be going to the new movie, lol.
Yes, that's so true. I think genre doesn't really matter but I guess it can be a good rough guide sometimes. And that almost makes me more curious to read Dune now - I could very well hate it too which would be interesting! 😄
Very useful list and good resumes. I agree with you on the classification of Orwell and others, like in my view; Vonnegut's novels or even Mary Shelley's Frankestein. The latter is in the Horror genre to me and not so interesting. Even if it is about an bio-android of some sorts. Now on to reading the comments that contain so many good suggestions.
I’m with you. This seems a pretty expansive definition of sci-fi, but 🤷♀️. I listened to the audiobook of War of the Worlds not too long ago and loved it. That and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (which is also fantastic on audio) are firm favorites. I can’t say that much besides the real classics on this list really catch my eye. But definitely, definitely read The Stand. It’s King’s best in my opinion and a tv version couldn’t possibly do justice to being trapped in the Lincoln Tunnel in the dark with who knows what. One of my favorite books ever. And definitely not sci-fi. 😂
only 21 read from this list. I really love Ted Chiang's stories - I think my favourite might be The Life Cycle of Software Objects. I still think Dune is my all-time favourite sci-fi novel. I also like N. K.Jemisin -I haven't read The City we Became yet but I am looking forward to it. And I wonder if Logan's Run still holds up? I remember really liking it but I was very young then.
N.K. Jemesin is simply amazing. The City We Became was so enjoyable for me, but it bothered some people for it's "stereotyping"...when I think it was simply illustrating how New Yorkers pridefully view themselves as products of their boroughs.
As far as more "popular", yes, the list is OK. I haven't read all of books but I'll agree, as a Sci Fi nerd, that a lot of them also apply in a "best sci fi" list as well. All of my favorites are here. Still, while I could see maybe an argument as to why Blindness can be considered sci fi, there's no way Animal Farm is sci fi, that's just wrong. And Ready Player One is one hell of a problematic novel that I don't recommend and I hate that it's so popular. I'd have liked to see more eastern, latinoamerican or african authors on the list, but it's about what's popular on goodreads. In any case, there are some great books in that list that you should read if you have the time. Dune is fantastic and I hope you like it. Ursula K Leguin and Octavia Butler are a must, and HG Wells is really easy to read :)
Impressive list - I've read a little over half of them. I would like to recommend another classic - Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp. It's a time travel story about a historian who tries to prevent the fall of the Roman Empire.
I would stay far away from the book Starship Troopers. The film is very clearly satire, but the book simply reads as straightforward fascist agitprop. His other books are hit or miss but when it's good it's VERY good, especially The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress. I would also avoid the work of Arthur C. Clarke, as much as I love his ideas and imagination, his writing is just not particularly strong. Octavia E. Butler and Ursula K. Le Guin are in my view the best writers in science fiction. All of their books are amazing. Love all your videos, stay safe :)
Ohhh a lot of those just don’t seem like science fiction...but I must think more about it because maybe they are in some sense. Not sure tho. I love Orwell’s books. The most shocking to me was The Road to Wigan Pier...at least the first part. I will never, ever forget it. A lot of the books mentioned start off..’this is book about a man who...’..or have a male protagonist... I hadn’t thought of that before but it would be brilliant if a lot more of these sort of books ( call the sci fi or whatever) were about women protagonists too.
Unfortunately most "popular' lists are prejudiced against books that are no longer readily available, and in favor of more recently published and easily available material.
😂 I sat down with some tea that I quickly abandoned for tablet & pen. I've read 52(most in 1st half of the list) For me Artemis was not worth the time & the Long Earth was long winded and just the beginning of 4 more books. The list does take a broad view of Sci-fi. If you're going to include Animal Farm, why not Fifteen Dogs by Andre' Alexis or The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Hwang Sun-mi ? But it's not my list. If it were I would add a couple oldies: Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination; Clifford D Simak's Way Station. And something by Nancy Kress, take your pick. also ... Too like the Lightning by Ada Palmer, A Calculated Life by Anne Charnock, The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, The Flicker Men by Ted Kosmatka ... oh boy. I should stop. Just one more, my latest favorite Tell The Machine Goodnight by Katie Williams. thank you for pulling me out of quarantine & into this wonderful space of science fiction. I hope you find stories that you love !
Halfway through this video and I agree that a lot of these titles are questionable scifi. I've read most of them and I wouldn't suggest spending your time reading the older titles (wells, asimov) when there are others I think you'd enjoy more. A book that I'm surprised didn't crack the top of the list is Dan Simmons' Hyperion (published in 2 volumes). It's hard sci fi but has many ties to classic literature (Keats is a main character twice over as he gets reincarnated in AI) and the title of course from a poem of his. Also, the annihilation trilogy by vandermeer, I've read it through twice. Don't let the movie put you off. My favourite Bradbury is the Martian chronicles. A series of vignettes from the time humans land on Mars, to complete colonization. There's a story there for everyone, some funny, some sad, action and romance. Spaceman of Bohemia is also a great sci fi/contemporary lit crossover. And as if this recommendation list wasn't long enough, I'd highly recommend mark z danielewski's House of Leaves, a staple of experimental fiction.
@@dylanmcmahon4902 I loved the terror, read it ages ago feels like, but then I tried Drood, and it was impossible for me. Had to give it up halfway through, and I had the hardcover which was a door stopper. The abominable is on my shelf, but after Drood I'm hesitant, have you read it/would you recommend it?
@@andrewchavez-kline3086 have not read The Abominable yet, I agree that The Drood is not worth it. Not sure if you've read it but Carrion Comfort is also excellent by him
Most popular? By sales or critical analysis? Relied too heavily on 2000’s novels. Certainly many ‘older’ but excellent novels missed. Many ideas of recent sf novels based on authors published in 30’s - 70’s. Not “new ideas” but borrowed ones.
Read 43, started about 10 more but quit. You should compare The Dispossessed by Ursula K Le Guin to Voyage from Yesteryear by James P Hogan. Both are about socio-economic dichotomies. Hogan knew technology better than Le Guin tho she was a better writer. Daemon & Freedom by Daniel Suarez habe more techno-economic significance than the majority of SF.
Wow love this!❤️ It took me 9 months to write my first book it's now out on Amazon its called (Nova The Quest Of Dreams) feel free to check it out I am looking for feedback pretty much..lol 👽📖💚😍
Uh... sorry to be negative, but this list is a good example of how Amazon is using Goodreads to advertise their cash cows, with thinly veiled advertisements. This list is both terrible (Handmaid's tale, Animal farm, Blindness as sci-fi? Wft? And those are just the ones that come to mind, and that I know, who knows about the ones I'm not familiar with), and overcrowded by the most popular authors. The point is very obviously just to advertise certain, already popular books, and to just sell even more copies. Which is understandable from their perspective, as merchants, but completely pointless from the consumer's/reader's perspective. Popularity is in no way indicative of how interesting or good these books are. And some of them (that I have read) are pretty terrible. But popular. This is a very low bar when it comes to original content for GR, but I am not surprised, because the rest of their aggressively advertised lists were similarly terrible. And it is just getting worse. This is a new low.
Oh dear. I didn't mean to feed into a corporate machine! I just wanted inspiration for a starting point to begin reading sci-fi and have a conversation with readers who have read a lot of sci-fi to get their advice. It's just a list I happened upon but if you know of other better lists of recommended sci-fi I'd be glad to hear about them.
@@EricKarlAnderson Your intentions are fine, don't worry I got that. :) What I would suggest instead of generic lists like this, that have no focus, is to start off with a couple of the ones you mentioned that you are already interested in, and then look for similar books, based on those, depending on what aspect you liked. For ex. Dune is great, and it's one of my favorites, but it is very heavy on the political intrigue. So if you are not into that, then that is not the book for you. Does not mean that there is no sci-fi you would not enjoy. As for lists, I would recommend some booktube channels instead: booksandpieces is one of my favourites. She has a playlist with videos in which explains the different genres within sci-fi, and gives recommendations for them. Might be worth checking that out before anything else. And Kalanadi, who reads quite a lot, so plenty of reccomendations, both new releases as well as classic sci-fi. She has a playlist with other sci-fi focused booktubers that can also be useful to find further (and different) sources. And if I would recommend you one sci-fi book then I would say just read Rendezvous with Rama. Possibly one of the most original sci-fis I've ever read. It is a bit more on the classic side (note lack of female characters), but it is still very interesting.
@@juditkovacse That's really interesting and helpful. Thank you! I didn't know about or follow any sci-fi orientated book tubers so good to have those resources. I'll see how I get on with Dune and really intrigued by Rendezvous with Rama now and what other books those might lead me to. Exciting! 📚
@@EricKarlAnderson look up @Merphy Napier. She has a huge following because she is great, articulate and smart. She just did a quick book recommendation video the other day. She's also an author.
Oh my God, some Sci-fi cult classics such as "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin, or "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley were not included at all. Yet we have some repackaged piles of glorified rubbish instead. For example, "Ready Player One" is highly rated on Goodreads but it's, in fact, a terrible book (in my humble opinion!). Or "Dark Matter" by Blake Crouch - the same convoluted rubbish without any literary merits . Unfortunately, there are a lot of books like that. That's why connoseurs of literally fiction look with suspicion at any genre literature (including sci-fi). It's mostly bad literature - big on action, but short on character development and artistic style. As for me, a good sci-fi novel must always go beyond the narrowly defined sci-fi formula. It should incorporate all the excitement, action scenes, and basic plots typical of the sci-fi genre as well as the most recognizable elements of literary fiction. One such novel is ”Swan Song” by Robert R. McCammon which is highly regarded by fans of post-apocalyptic sci-fi. In fact, it's one of the most exciting novels I've read in my life. Even though this book meets all the requirements for being included on the list of the 100 most popular sci-fi books on Goodreads, it actually didn't happen. Why is that ? Swan Song is currently rated with 4.28 out of 5 stars by 54, 861 people which is certainly higher than a lot of other books presented in this video. For example, not only does Robert R. McCammon's "Swan Song" beat Christina Dalcher's dystopian novel "Vox" in ratings (McCammon: 4.28 stars vs Dalcher: 3.56 stars) but also in the total number of people who rated these books ( McCammon:..54,861 people vs Dalcher: 49,977 people). Yet Christina Dalcher is included in the list, but Robert R. McCammon isn't. Now, what kind of message does Christina Dalchern convey to her readers ? Can we guess: let's protect family values? Nope! Let's protect positive customs and traditions of America ? Nope!...In fact, Christina Dalcher is openly waging a war against Christianity and all traditional values which have, contrary to her opinion, made America envy of the entire world. Her preaching is not done through allegory or metaphors, but clear, and explicit language. Therefore, instead of a work of literature we actually have a political pamphlet masquerading as fiction. So, what's the conclusion here? Well, it's quite obvious that this Goodreads ranking is based on lies and distortions. These books were not selected by the computer algorithm based on the actual evidence - readers' ratings or popularity. In fact, it is a committee of paid Goodreads employees who ultimately decide which books will be selected. Their decisions are based on their emotions, personal biases and political views rather than the actual evidence. No doubt, Robert R. McCammon's books tend to instill important moral values. They transcend not only place, and time but also genre labeling. Therefore, they obviously don't fit well with today's outrage culture and the cancel movement aided and abetted by the Silicon Valley tyrants.That's why Jeff Bezos and his Goodreads censors sitting at council of literary inquisitors (remember: Goodreads is owned by Amazon) will always favor social justice warriors and feminazi (such as Christina Dalcher, Margaret Atwood, etc.) or members of ”discriminated” minorities over Robert R. McCammon and similar writers. And yes, in these challenging times George Orwel's famous sentence "all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others", resonates with us as never before. As for Erik Carl Anderson's video presentation, it's informative, professional and very well done (as usual). Great work, brother !
![The 15 Best Sci-Fi Books I've Ever Read [Updated]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pP0XnfC1jVM/mqdefault.jpg)
absolutely brilliant list and comments!! just what I was looking for !!
I've read about half of this list, and would recommend the following as well worth reading:
'Pavanne' by Keith Roberts.
'The Fifth Head of Cerberus and 'The Book of the New Sun' by Gene Wolfe;
'The Hellicinia Trilogy' by Brian Aldiss.
'Grass' by Sheri Tepper
Erik thank you so much for making this. My lazy ass saw the list on Goodreads but I couldn't commit to actually going through all the descriptions. So watching your video with the summaries while I eat my dinner was perfection 😁
I've read 22 of those. Annihilation is not everyone's taste but I thought it's so original and masterful, I'd definitely recommend
Have you read the rest of the series? I thought the first started really strongly but by the end I was just so confused by what was happening... so much so that I’m not sure if it’s worth continuing on in the series.
@@greymyers4087 definitely stick with it. I'd suggest getting right through all three books back to back so you don't forget about characters and events that thread through all three. Then let the ideas percolate and bounce around in your mind, then reread them all again maybe a year later. I found I read them faster the second time, and since I already had the plot outline and larger themes in my mind, I was able to catch more of the subtleties, connections, and ideas I may have missed on the first read.
They're for sure books that you get more out of on each subsequent reading.
Thanks for the comprehensive list and commentary. Have only read 22 of them so will try to source the others and get reading. I loved Oryx and Crake and have thought about it off and on for years.
Good job! Lots of tea I guess. I couldn’t speak for that long without loosing my voice 😄Always great content. Thank you!
My voice was quite tired by the end! Always lots of tea! 😄📚
I haven’t read Artemis yet but I can confidently recommend Andy Weir’s newest book Project Hail Mary. It’s about a man who wakes up alone on a shit with no memories, and how he has to piece together his mission and himself has one of humanity’s’ last hopes. It is similar to the Martian but I feel his writing has definitely improved, and doesn’t have any of those icky bits you mentioned. It really managed to cut straight to my heart on both the grand and deeply personal level so I can’t recommend enough. Also the audiobook is an INCREDIBLE experience due to the special sound design for parts of the story! All in all incredible and there’s already a movie in the works 👀
Hail Mary and Martian were far better than Artemis
Love you recommendations. I just started dipping my toes into Sci-fi again. Excellent! Amazon here I go!
Old mans war. Soo fun and cool
Let's just say that "Artemis" feels more like a debut novel than "The Martian"...
PS : Not novels, but four Novella/Short stories that you should read if you haven't already :
"Sandkings" by George RR Martin,
"I have no mouth but I must scream" by Harlan Ellison,
"Mimsy Were the Borogoves" by Lewis Padgett, and
"Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut
Haha, so probably best to avoid reading any more Weir. And thanks so much for those suggestions! I've noted them down. 📚
You're welcome 😀
Sandkings is amazing....another great GRRM is A SONG FOR LYA. loved GRRM way before Game of Thrones
Other books that have a time travel element, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August (2014) by Claire North (my favourite book read this year) and The Saga of Pliocene Exile by Julian May (first published in the early 1980s) are two of my favourites.
I’ve read about 65 of these. The list tends towards more recent works. My list would include a few more older books, such as River World by Philip Jose Farmer, or something by Roger Zelazney, maybe This Immortal.
impressive video Eric Karl Anderson. I killed that thumbs up on your video. Keep on up the good work.
The biggest misses for me on this list were "Manifold Time" by Stephen Baxter, "The Yiddish Policeman's Union" by Michael Chabon, and "1Q84" by Haruki Murakami.
I also thought 1Q84 would show up on this list.
This was great fun to watch! Lots to add to my TBR. I really enjoy your 'list' videos! 😊
Thanks! 📚
@@EricKarlAnderson Update! I bought Neuromancer today when I was at Spitalfields Market. Looking forward to giving it a go.
Love “best of” lists! I’m enthusiastic about sci-fi, but it turns out I’m not as well read in the genre as I’d thought. Ive read only about half on that list. Andromeda Strain was the first sci-fi I read back in middle school, and more recently I read The Three Body Problem which was challenging but very much worth the time. Currently reading “Among Others” by Jo Walton; the novel is fantasy set in the late 1970s, but the narrator is obsessed with sci-fi novels and sooo many are mentioned, most of which are on this Goodreads list.
I would have said I didn’t enjoy Science Fiction but listening to this there were some I have read and enjoyed and others I would like to read, so maybe I do like Science Fiction??? Great video and such a lot of effort put into it.
Ha, yeah I got the same feeling looking over the list which is why I thought it's worth talking about.
The thing about sci-fi and other niche genres is that, where general literature aims at making beautiful prose, good sci-fi focus on storytelling and technical accuracy. Great sci-fi excels in both, but it’s not the norm. Dune is a fine example. Also books by Atwood and Le Guin. The three great dystopian novels are 1984, Brave New World and We. Animal Farm is certainly not sci-fi but people label it so because it’s Orwell.
This just had to pop up and remind me I need to film a review of Dune. I love it, but it means I’d have to re read it, it’s been way too long since I last opened it... great video btw
The 100 list is good it’s missing two sequels... dark Forrest is a superior sequel to Three Body Problem. Enders Gane is great, but the sequel Speaker for the Dead is the best of that series...in my opinion
I have read 17 of these books and I have five others on my bookshelves that I still have to get to. My favorite is The Time Machine.
Thanks for the video. I’m guessing by “popular” they meant most sold on Amazon? I’d like to see a more diverse list that has slept on Sci-Fi. So that we can discover new names.
How is N. K. missing?
JEMISIN should have been on the list. The Broken Earth trilogy is awesome.
I love the broken earth trilogy. Easily on my top 10 of the last few years. But Jemisin writes fantasy, not sci fi, so makes sense she is not on this list
@@arlenelewis1908 she writes fantasy not sci fi, but I agree about the broken earth trilogy, it is fantastic
I've read some of the books on this list and most of the are still to be read. I was glad Contact, Rendezvous with Rama, and Flowers for Algernon (the only book to make me cry) was on there.
I would like to expand that for Contact as well as trying to decode and alien message, it also looks on the both sides of the science vs religion debate
The only book I would add to that list is Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
I've read 41 on this list, the majority in the top half. It's a shame they've included so many dystopian and spec fiction titles, but it all depends how you classify them, so I won't get worked up about it. Funnily enough I've just re-read Dune - and although it's now slightly dated - it's the Moby Dick of SF - hugely influential, so highly recommended. I also loved and recommend Flowers for Algernon - it makes me cry every time I read it. Neuromancer & Snow Crash are fab near futures that have superb worldbuilding (Stephenson writes better than Gibson, but he has such wonderful, influential ideas) , Childhood's End (classic 1st contact novel). The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is my favourite Heinlein (the best of Heinlein is excellent, hated Starship Troopers even in the 1980s when I read it). I'm sure you'd love The Sparrow - very philosophical. Jeff Vandermeer's Southern Reach Trilogy - Annihilation etc are wonderful and mind-boggling. Artemis was pants compared with The Martian. Lastly - yes to Iain Banks's Culture novels - Consider Phlebas is excellent, The Player of Games is my fave. Surprised that no more Wyndhams on the list - Chrysalids is amazing, and Chocky too. I'll stop now!
That's awesome, Annabel. Thanks so much. I trust your opinion. I guess one of the biggest challenges with sci-fi is about how skilfully the author builds these new worlds without getting bogged down in the detail. Really looking forward to reading Dune now as well as several others. Definitely won't bother with Artemis... or Starship Troopers. 😄📚
I've read all the Becky Chambers and loved them all (see Shiny New Books). The sequels are more thoughtful, less pure adventure. Not as much pure 'fun' as the first, but wonderful too.
Dystopian is definitely part of SF, it's always been a sub-genre, just like alternative history (e.g. Philip Roth's The Plot Against America). The Science Fiction anthologies I grew up with always featured various stories like that. Back then, my mom used to tease me for reading "such trash" - Bradbury, Orwell, and many others that are part of everyone's school syllabus and college reading today. Of course, in order not to lose face, they could only be canonized by literary folks deciding to simply re-brand them as "speculative" or "magical realism" and then suddenly the exact same story is suddenly literature and okay for adults to read.
My recommendations for you personally because I know your taste from watching so so many of your videos:
- "The Unkindness of Ghosts" by Rivers Solomon - it has beautiful prose, unique narrative voices for each character, focuses on slavery, and it's very literary and also has tons of really good representation (not checking diversity boxes, but the real thing)
- Ted Chiang
- China Mieville
- A Memory Called Empire - a diplomat is sent from a small outpost that wants to remain independent to a large interstellar empire inspired by Aztec aesthetics, where she also needs to solve the murder of her predecessor before the same happens to her. Against her will, she falls in love with the empire's rich culture which is heavily focused on poetry. Nominated for this year's Hugo!
- Ninefox Gambit - it has a super weird and cool world, is based on quantum math but still very understandable, very interesting characters, LGBT rep
- Ursula K. Le Guin's "Left Hand of Darkness" and "The Dispossessed", maybe also "The Word For World Is Forest"
- Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice
- Martha Well's Murderbot series (you'll love Telenovela-addicted Murderbot, everyone does)
- I think you've probably already read these, but just in case you haven't: Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven and Glass Hotel; David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas
- for fun in between the heavy stuff: Scalzi's Old Man's War, and C. L. Polk's Witchmark (fantasy, not SF, but still) and Bujold's entire Vorkosigan series, which just gets better and better with each book and manages to be super fun while also not shying away at all from thematizing the most serious issues (it has very lovable characters).
Finally, please don't listen to anyone telling you that SF had a "golden age", trying to get you to read those old clunkers. They were mostly a bit pulpy, pretty misogynistic and not character-focused in the slightest, but focused almost entirely on innovative ideas. That's nice if you're a young male engineering student in the 60s who hates all that touchy-feely stuff. It's not what's going to be enjoyable reading for someone in 2020 with a very literary taste who loves subtle characterization.
Hope this helps!
24 but there are some serious omissions here. Olaf Stapledon's "First And Last Man", China Mieville "Embassytown", Ian Watson "The Embedding", Christopher Priest "The Affirmation", Fred Hoyle "The Black Cloud", Samuel Delany "Babel 17"... I'm not a fan, but John M Harrison is highly thought of in the "Space Opera" genre.
Thank you for the additions! 📚📚📚
@@EricKarlAnderson I think of all the ons listed, "Solaris" by Stanislau Lem is my favourite. Made into at least 2 if not 3 films, ne starring Clooney!
I definitely want to read The Handmaid's Tale and Dark Matter! I read Recursion recently and really enjoyed it! :)
Great! 📚
I've read 62 of the 100 (so far). Some suggestions for the list: The Naked Sun (Asimov); The Risen Empire (Westerfeld); Forever Peace (Haldeman); Gateway (Pohl); Dreamsnake (McIntyre); Lord of Light (Zelazny); Dangerous Visions and Again Dangerous Visions (Ellison); Barrayar (Bujold); Best of the Nebulas (Bova); The Science Fiction Hall of Fame (Silverberg); More Than Human (Sturgeon); The Lathe of Heaven (Le Guin); The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (Dick); The Diamond Age (Stephenson); Startide Rising (Brin); A Fire Upon the Deep (Vinge); The Shadow of the Torturer (Wolfe); The Windup Girl (Bacigalupi); Revelation Space (Reynolds); To Your Scattered Bodies Go (Farmer); The Player of Games (Banks); The Stars My Destination (Bester); Speaker for the Dead (Card).
Plus NK Jemisin's Broken earth
You have quite a list there, but I wanted to suggest Doris Lessings" novel, Shikasta. It's epistolary and profound with Lessings' thinking at the time regarding Sufiism. A fascinating book and science fiction on a grand scale.
Yes! I've always been curious about Lessing's sci-fi. And I'm even more drawn to it as it's written in the form of letters. I love that style. Thank you!
I've read 48. It's a pretty good list, but no list is exhaustive. I would probably have added the Uplift novels by David Brin, The Stars My Destination (Alfred Bester), and Ender's Game (or was that on there and I missed it?). I look forward to scanning the comments to see what everyone else would have added!
I read 54 of the top 100, and my favorite was Hyperion, like Canterbury Tales in structure, a fantastic complex journey. Ender's Game was good but the second book in the series Speaker for the Dead was much more interesting. Enjoy
I agree - Speaker for the Dead is an AMAZING book.
Long after I'm dead, my upcoming novel, Book of Answers, will be on such a list.
If you want to read H.G. Wells, I recommend starting with War of the Wolds, then The Time Machine.
I think you described Never Let Me Go based on the plot twist? It's been a while since I read it so I'm unsure.
Correct.
I am a sci fi reader, but I have only read 27, DNF’d 3, and I own most of the rest, but have not gotten around to them yet. So many books...
I’ve always considered dystopian to be sci-fi horror. This list is fun to browse through, makes me wanna read more classic sci-fi. Always worried I won’t like them.
That’s the first time that someone didn’t say they loved “The Martian”. Interesting
I associate you solely with contemporary literature. It is nice to see you branch out into genre fiction. Especially sci-fi. I'm just getting into it myself. Read Robert A Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. It is accused of being sexist but to me it's just the odd character plus someone calls a girl "Little Lady," at one stage and the girl is not at all happy, so Robert A did see both sides.
It seems this rating is heavily English base SciFi books, but there are very good European, or former Eastern block, or even Asian/ African literature that is not so well known. Try Serge Brussolo for example (Ira Melanox or Fever)
This is an interesting list. I've read 16 of them, but mainly those I consider dystopian or alternative history fiction. I loved The Sparrow and Parable of the Sower. The sequels to both are very good. I'm planning to read Oryx and Crake and Flowers for Algernon soon.
I read a lot of science fiction and my favorites on this list are the left hand of darkness by LeGuin, stories of your life and others by Chiang, slaughter house 5 by Vonnegut, and annihilation by VanderMeer. I would recommend revelation space by Reynolds and the player of games by Iain Banks. For something a little different I would recommend the quantum thief by Rajaniemi and Friday black by Adjei-Brenyah.
Slaughterhouse 5 is unique, autobiography, time travel, morality tale, plus I've time tripped myself.
I read the Parable of Talents, The Farm, Kindred, and The Handmaid’s Tale. I have not read very much Sci-Fi. I guess there are ton more things to explore.
It's true that this is kind of an odd list haha, weird to see Red Rising (scifi YA) and Handmaid's Tale listed together. Maybe they should have added fantasy books and simply called it speculative fiction. I'm not really into space/interplanetary settings, but the book I'm most looking forward to reading from this list is This Is How You Lose The Time War! Lots of my friends have raved about it, esp the prose, and I've read a couple of Amal El-Mohtar's short stories and really enjoyed them. I also just picked up Severance from the library, hope I like it!
My favourite super specific scifi subgenre is "mysterious alien zone on earth", e.g. the classic Roadside Picnic by the Strugatsky brothers (and its movie Stalker). I enjoyed the Annihilation movie and I *really* liked Tade Thompson's Rosewater, which is set in Nigeria.
I've read thirty of them, mostly the older ones. I really dispute what they consider science fiction. When I think of the genre, authors like Hal Clement and Alfred Bester come to mind. Many of the books on this list are better classified as fantasy. Of course, these are popular choices, not necessarily the choices of a connoisseur.
I have read about half of this list. They always leave off David Zindell, The Broken God is one of my Faves. Micheal Marshall Smith with Only Forward, Spares and One of Us should be on here as well great books.
I've read 10 🤗
BTW, book 2 of A long Walk to a Small Angry Planet, A Closed and Common Orbit is as good as book 1. I didn't enjoy book 3 as much as the first two.
Wow! I have read most of these books. Cannot believe it. Dune is my favorite but I feel you benefit the most by reading all six books in the series. Almost as good and a writer often overlooked is Octavia Butler. Patternmaster or Parable of the Sower. Kindred not so much. My #2 5 star reads are Asimov's Foundation series. Enders game is better if the trilogy is read but Scott Card is a lovely writer.
I've not read any of the books on this list. Possibly that means I am not a fan of this genre of fiction? Some did sound quite good though. I prefer fantasy and would love to see a list of the top one hundred fantasy books of all time. I have always wanted to read Dune but its so thick I always pick it up and put it down again. Enjoyed your video very interesting as always.
Very entertaining list. It’s interesting that genre boundaries are in reality so permeable and there’s huge crossover between Sci Fi / Fantasy / Dystopian . I wouldn’t say I’m a Sci Fi reader particularly (like you) and was surprised by how many of these I have actually read! - especially the older ones - I think it was probably through my dad; he was a major Sci fi fan so I most likely read them because they were around the house. I don’t want to put you off Dune - I’m definitely an outlier ... but I completely hated it! I read the book after seeing the original movie (I didn’t like that either but I thought the book would be better). Absolutely won’t be going to the new movie, lol.
Yes, that's so true. I think genre doesn't really matter but I guess it can be a good rough guide sometimes. And that almost makes me more curious to read Dune now - I could very well hate it too which would be interesting! 😄
Very useful list and good resumes. I agree with you on the classification of Orwell and others, like in my view; Vonnegut's novels or even Mary Shelley's Frankestein. The latter is in the Horror genre to me and not so interesting. Even if it is about an bio-android of some sorts.
Now on to reading the comments that contain so many good suggestions.
Can you suggest me some Ishiguro’s novels? I have read Never let me go.
My favourite book by him is The Unconsoled but it's quite wild in that the story follows a dream-like logic. All his books are quality though.
Eric Karl Anderson Okay, thanks for your suggestion 😀
I’m with you. This seems a pretty expansive definition of sci-fi, but 🤷♀️. I listened to the audiobook of War of the Worlds not too long ago and loved it. That and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (which is also fantastic on audio) are firm favorites. I can’t say that much besides the real classics on this list really catch my eye. But definitely, definitely read The Stand. It’s King’s best in my opinion and a tv version couldn’t possibly do justice to being trapped in the Lincoln Tunnel in the dark with who knows what. One of my favorite books ever. And definitely not sci-fi. 😂
only 21 read from this list. I really love Ted Chiang's stories - I think my favourite might be The Life Cycle of Software Objects. I still think Dune is my all-time favourite sci-fi novel. I also like N. K.Jemisin -I haven't read The City we Became yet but I am looking forward to it. And I wonder if Logan's Run still holds up? I remember really liking it but I was very young then.
N.K. Jemesin is simply amazing. The City We Became was so enjoyable for me, but it bothered some people for it's "stereotyping"...when I think it was simply illustrating how New Yorkers pridefully view themselves as products of their boroughs.
As far as more "popular", yes, the list is OK. I haven't read all of books but I'll agree, as a Sci Fi nerd, that a lot of them also apply in a "best sci fi" list as well. All of my favorites are here. Still, while I could see maybe an argument as to why Blindness can be considered sci fi, there's no way Animal Farm is sci fi, that's just wrong. And Ready Player One is one hell of a problematic novel that I don't recommend and I hate that it's so popular. I'd have liked to see more eastern, latinoamerican or african authors on the list, but it's about what's popular on goodreads. In any case, there are some great books in that list that you should read if you have the time. Dune is fantastic and I hope you like it. Ursula K Leguin and Octavia Butler are a must, and HG Wells is really easy to read :)
Impressive list - I've read a little over half of them. I would like to recommend another classic - Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp. It's a time travel story about a historian who tries to prevent the fall of the Roman Empire.
I read 29, not bad for someone who is not particularly into sci fi (and i have at least four or five more at home that i didn't read yet)
I would stay far away from the book Starship Troopers. The film is very clearly satire, but the book simply reads as straightforward fascist agitprop. His other books are hit or miss but when it's good it's VERY good, especially The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress.
I would also avoid the work of Arthur C. Clarke, as much as I love his ideas and imagination, his writing is just not particularly strong.
Octavia E. Butler and Ursula K. Le Guin are in my view the best writers in science fiction. All of their books are amazing.
Love all your videos, stay safe :)
If you're interested in tge idea of starship troopers just read Old Mans war. It's way better
Ohhh a lot of those just don’t seem like science fiction...but I must think more about it because maybe they are in some sense. Not sure tho.
I love Orwell’s books. The most shocking to me was The Road to Wigan Pier...at least the first part. I will never, ever forget it.
A lot of the books mentioned start off..’this is book about a man who...’..or have a male protagonist... I hadn’t thought of that before but it would be brilliant if a lot more of these sort of books ( call the sci fi or whatever) were about women protagonists too.
Unfortunately most "popular' lists are prejudiced against books that are no longer readily available, and in favor of more recently published and easily available material.
1984 is maybe not dystopian but rather anti-utopian, however I saw youtubers use these terms interchangeably before
No Dragon's Egg by Robert L Forwad?.......No Seedlin Stars byJames Blish?.
😂 I sat down with some tea that I quickly abandoned for tablet & pen. I've read 52(most in 1st half of the list) For me Artemis was not worth the time & the Long Earth was long winded and just the beginning of 4 more books. The list does take a broad view of Sci-fi. If you're going to include Animal Farm, why not Fifteen Dogs by Andre' Alexis or The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Hwang Sun-mi ?
But it's not my list. If it were I would add a couple oldies: Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination; Clifford D Simak's Way Station. And something by Nancy Kress, take your pick. also ... Too like the Lightning by Ada Palmer, A Calculated Life by Anne Charnock, The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, The Flicker Men by Ted Kosmatka ... oh boy. I should stop. Just one more, my latest favorite Tell The Machine Goodnight by Katie Williams.
thank you for pulling me out of quarantine & into this wonderful space of science fiction. I hope you find stories that you love !
Halfway through this video and I agree that a lot of these titles are questionable scifi. I've read most of them and I wouldn't suggest spending your time reading the older titles (wells, asimov) when there are others I think you'd enjoy more.
A book that I'm surprised didn't crack the top of the list is Dan Simmons' Hyperion (published in 2 volumes). It's hard sci fi but has many ties to classic literature (Keats is a main character twice over as he gets reincarnated in AI) and the title of course from a poem of his.
Also, the annihilation trilogy by vandermeer, I've read it through twice. Don't let the movie put you off.
My favourite Bradbury is the Martian chronicles. A series of vignettes from the time humans land on Mars, to complete colonization. There's a story there for everyone, some funny, some sad, action and romance.
Spaceman of Bohemia is also a great sci fi/contemporary lit crossover.
And as if this recommendation list wasn't long enough, I'd highly recommend mark z danielewski's House of Leaves, a staple of experimental fiction.
I want to second the Hyperion books, Simmons is an excellent writer and those might be his best work.
@@dylanmcmahon4902 I loved the terror, read it ages ago feels like, but then I tried Drood, and it was impossible for me. Had to give it up halfway through, and I had the hardcover which was a door stopper.
The abominable is on my shelf, but after Drood I'm hesitant, have you read it/would you recommend it?
@@andrewchavez-kline3086 have not read The Abominable yet, I agree that The Drood is not worth it. Not sure if you've read it but Carrion Comfort is also excellent by him
Most popular? By sales or critical analysis? Relied too heavily on 2000’s novels. Certainly many ‘older’ but excellent novels missed. Many ideas of recent sf novels based on authors published in 30’s - 70’s. Not “new ideas” but borrowed ones.
No Alastair Reynolds?
Dark matter was great.
Read 43, started about 10 more but quit.
You should compare The Dispossessed by Ursula K Le Guin to Voyage from Yesteryear by James P Hogan. Both are about socio-economic dichotomies. Hogan knew technology better than Le Guin tho she was a better writer.
Daemon & Freedom by Daniel Suarez habe more techno-economic significance than the majority of SF.
Hard to be a god by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky / r Samuel R. Delany's Dhalgren / High Rise by J.G Ballard /
Fantasy done SF a lot of damage.....invading its ground.....
Wow love this!❤️ It took me 9 months to write my first book it's now out on Amazon its called (Nova The Quest Of Dreams) feel free to check it out I am looking for feedback pretty much..lol 👽📖💚😍
The Martian/The Road...both suck.....Sf sometimes is not Sf..... but fantasy w/o...magic
Uh... sorry to be negative, but this list is a good example of how Amazon is using Goodreads to advertise their cash cows, with thinly veiled advertisements. This list is both terrible (Handmaid's tale, Animal farm, Blindness as sci-fi? Wft? And those are just the ones that come to mind, and that I know, who knows about the ones I'm not familiar with), and overcrowded by the most popular authors. The point is very obviously just to advertise certain, already popular books, and to just sell even more copies. Which is understandable from their perspective, as merchants, but completely pointless from the consumer's/reader's perspective. Popularity is in no way indicative of how interesting or good these books are. And some of them (that I have read) are pretty terrible. But popular. This is a very low bar when it comes to original content for GR, but I am not surprised, because the rest of their aggressively advertised lists were similarly terrible. And it is just getting worse. This is a new low.
Oh dear. I didn't mean to feed into a corporate machine! I just wanted inspiration for a starting point to begin reading sci-fi and have a conversation with readers who have read a lot of sci-fi to get their advice. It's just a list I happened upon but if you know of other better lists of recommended sci-fi I'd be glad to hear about them.
@@EricKarlAnderson Your intentions are fine, don't worry I got that. :)
What I would suggest instead of generic lists like this, that have no focus, is to start off with a couple of the ones you mentioned that you are already interested in, and then look for similar books, based on those, depending on what aspect you liked. For ex. Dune is great, and it's one of my favorites, but it is very heavy on the political intrigue. So if you are not into that, then that is not the book for you. Does not mean that there is no sci-fi you would not enjoy.
As for lists, I would recommend some booktube channels instead:
booksandpieces is one of my favourites. She has a playlist with videos in which explains the different genres within sci-fi, and gives recommendations for them. Might be worth checking that out before anything else.
And Kalanadi, who reads quite a lot, so plenty of reccomendations, both new releases as well as classic sci-fi. She has a playlist with other sci-fi focused booktubers that can also be useful to find further (and different) sources.
And if I would recommend you one sci-fi book then I would say just read Rendezvous with Rama. Possibly one of the most original sci-fis I've ever read. It is a bit more on the classic side (note lack of female characters), but it is still very interesting.
@@juditkovacse That's really interesting and helpful. Thank you! I didn't know about or follow any sci-fi orientated book tubers so good to have those resources. I'll see how I get on with Dune and really intrigued by Rendezvous with Rama now and what other books those might lead me to. Exciting! 📚
@@EricKarlAnderson look up @Merphy Napier. She has a huge following because she is great, articulate and smart. She just did a quick book recommendation video the other day. She's also an author.
Oh my God, some Sci-fi cult classics such as "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin, or "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley were not included at all. Yet we have some repackaged piles of glorified rubbish instead. For example, "Ready Player One" is highly rated on Goodreads but it's, in fact, a terrible book (in my humble opinion!). Or "Dark Matter" by Blake Crouch - the same convoluted rubbish without any literary merits . Unfortunately, there are a lot of books like that. That's why connoseurs of literally fiction look with suspicion at any genre literature (including sci-fi). It's mostly bad literature - big on action, but short on character development and artistic style. As for me, a good sci-fi novel must always go beyond the narrowly defined sci-fi formula. It should incorporate all the excitement, action scenes, and basic plots typical of the sci-fi genre as well as the most recognizable elements of literary fiction. One such novel is ”Swan Song” by Robert R. McCammon which is highly regarded by fans of post-apocalyptic sci-fi. In fact, it's one of the most exciting novels I've read in my life.
Even though this book meets all the requirements for being included on the list of the 100 most popular sci-fi books on Goodreads, it actually didn't happen. Why is that ?
Swan Song is currently rated with 4.28 out of 5 stars by 54, 861 people which is certainly higher than a lot of other books presented in this video. For example, not only does Robert R. McCammon's "Swan Song" beat Christina Dalcher's dystopian novel "Vox" in ratings (McCammon: 4.28 stars vs Dalcher: 3.56 stars) but also in the total number of people who rated these books ( McCammon:..54,861 people vs Dalcher: 49,977 people). Yet Christina Dalcher is included in the list, but Robert R. McCammon isn't. Now, what kind of message does Christina Dalchern convey to her readers ? Can we guess: let's protect family values? Nope! Let's protect positive customs and traditions of America ? Nope!...In fact, Christina Dalcher is openly waging a war against Christianity and all traditional values which have, contrary to her opinion, made America envy of the entire world. Her preaching is not done through allegory or metaphors, but clear, and explicit language. Therefore, instead of a work of literature we actually have a political pamphlet masquerading as fiction.
So, what's the conclusion here? Well, it's quite obvious that this Goodreads ranking is based on lies and distortions. These books were not selected by the computer algorithm based on the actual evidence - readers' ratings or popularity. In fact, it is a committee of paid Goodreads employees who ultimately decide which books will be selected. Their decisions are based on their emotions, personal biases and political views rather than the actual evidence.
No doubt, Robert R. McCammon's books tend to instill important moral values. They transcend not only place, and time but also genre labeling. Therefore, they obviously don't fit well with today's outrage culture and the cancel movement aided and abetted by the Silicon Valley tyrants.That's why Jeff Bezos and his Goodreads censors sitting at council of literary inquisitors (remember: Goodreads is owned by Amazon) will always favor social justice warriors and feminazi (such as Christina Dalcher, Margaret Atwood, etc.) or members of ”discriminated” minorities over Robert R. McCammon and similar writers. And yes, in these challenging times George Orwel's famous sentence "all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others", resonates with us as never before.
As for Erik Carl Anderson's video presentation, it's informative, professional and very well done (as usual). Great work, brother !