10 great science fiction books for people who don't like science fiction

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  • Опубликовано: 30 янв 2025

Комментарии • 576

  • @davidbrin1
    @davidbrin1 2 года назад +61

    a sweet list, movingly conveyed. We explore together! Thrive & persevere,
    --- David Brin (author of The Postman ;-)

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +10

      Thank you! And more importantly thank you for writing such an incredible book.

    • @juensong
      @juensong 2 года назад +3

      Wah. I’ve been trying to remember the title/ author of startide rising for ages. (‘That one with the dolphins’). Since my kid became a sci-fi devouring teen and i started to re-buy all the paperbacks I read to death in my teens. Then i saw this comment. What fun!

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +2

      @@juensong I've been meaning to read that one for ages!

    • @vilstef6988
      @vilstef6988 2 года назад +1

      @CriminOlly, the first Uplift trilogy is a very worthwhile read. Up there with the Postman, another great one off by Brin is The Practice Effect.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      @@vilstef6988 thank you!

  • @foxedfolios
    @foxedfolios 2 года назад +44

    Nice list. As someone who generally struggles to enjoy sci-fi, I’d recommend John Wyndham’s books under his John Wyndham name, with perhaps The Midwich Cuckoos or The Day of the Triffids as good places to start if coming to him for the first time. He’s one of my favourite genre writers.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +3

      I definitely need to read more Wyndham - I think I've only read Triffids which I thought was excellent

    • @Paul_Bond.
      @Paul_Bond. 2 года назад +5

      Well done you! a fantastic recommendation! anything by John Wyndham is just great.

    • @Robutube1
      @Robutube1 2 года назад +4

      Fully with you - I'm not a sci-fi reader but make an exception for John Wyndham. Always plausible with real world settings. I personally love Trouble With Lichen but your recommendations are great too.

    • @foxedfolios
      @foxedfolios 2 года назад

      @@Robutube1 That is one I still need to read - really looking forward to it now! Thanks! 😊

    • @fidomusic
      @fidomusic 2 года назад +3

      100% agree. I was surprised Wyndham is not on the list. I think Wyndham is a major omission. I used to like science fiction when I was younger, now not so much - prefer crime and mysteries. However, I still love reading John Wyndham, especially The Day of the Triffids, The Kraken Wakes (uncannily prescient), and The Midwich Cuckoos, all of which I've read several times. Also some of the short stories in the collection The Seeds of Time are brilliant. No surprise that Stephen King said he thought Wyndham was the greatest British science fiction writer. Wyndham, like King, has the ability to make the unbelievable believable. In fact I think Wyndham is sometimes better at it. Wyndham's pre-Triffid work is not great, but I would say everything from Triffids onwards is good to great.

  • @kevinjudge8406
    @kevinjudge8406 2 года назад +20

    Great recommendations. I would suggest Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, and The Chrysalids by John Wyndham (Chocky is well worth a read too).

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      Roadside Picnic is great - it was actually one I considered including in the list

    • @embeddedtom
      @embeddedtom 2 года назад +1

      I need to read the book after watching the movie based on it: Stalker.

  • @bookdmb
    @bookdmb 2 года назад +26

    This is an excellent list. Kurt Vonnegut might fit somewhat readily upon it as well (at least certain picks such as Slaughter-House Five or Cat’s Cradle).

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +4

      I did think about including Vonnegut, but it's a while since I've read anything by him so didn't feel I could talk knowledgeably about him

    • @privysorrow5120
      @privysorrow5120 2 года назад +3

      So much good Vonnegut. Maybe not for this list but Player Piano is excellent.

    • @fosterhart2013
      @fosterhart2013 2 года назад +2

      Living in KVs hometown,reading something of his was obligatory . Read them before required,oh such an easy good grade !

    • @J.S.3259
      @J.S.3259 2 года назад +1

      @@privysorrow5120 Galapagos is easily his best novel

    • @peztopher7297
      @peztopher7297 2 года назад +1

      I went on a Vonnegut tear many decades ago. He's very funny but there is a thread of deep melancholy in his books as well. As a teen it got to me after a while and I stopped. 😏

  • @sharonwaddell2548
    @sharonwaddell2548 2 года назад +25

    I’d like to add Never Let Me Go, by Kazua Ishiguru. It’s set in the 1980’s which is a lttle jarring, making you wonder if it actually could have happened. I read Flowers for Algernon ages ago.

    • @authenticpoppy
      @authenticpoppy 2 года назад +5

      Never Let Me Go is such a fantastic book. It quietly holds your hand and leads you down such a horrible path.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +7

      I did consider that one, it really is excellent. My concern with it was that it's hard to talk about as SF without spoiling

    • @tracesprite6078
      @tracesprite6078 2 года назад +3

      Another one by Kazuo Ishiguro is "Klara and the Sun." It's told from the point of view of a robot who is bought as a help for a teenage girl who isn't well.

    • @tracesprite6078
      @tracesprite6078 2 года назад +2

      The movie of "Never Let Me Go" is wonderful, too. I watched it in a cinema and cried out "No!" at the ending. I wonder if similar things are happening in a nation which shall remain nameless right now.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      @@tracesprite6078 I liked that one a lot

  • @ering2467
    @ering2467 2 года назад +22

    1984, War of the Worlds, Fahrenheit 451 (anything by Ray Bradbury). Interesting list. I’m glad most of these are available at the library since I’m 99 books shy of my goal.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +2

      Those are great suggestions, I think SF has a strong tradition of criticising current politics through imagined variations of it

    • @goodyeoman4534
      @goodyeoman4534 2 года назад +1

      1984, sci-fi? More of a political analogy, I'd say. Definitely agree with the HG Wells one, though.

  • @diana777etc
    @diana777etc 2 года назад +9

    I would like to add the Murderbot series. It's about humanity in a future where corporations control some areas of space. I've read reviews where people state they aren't normally readers of science fiction but really enjoyed the series. The audio books are great - there is a perfect match with the narrator Kevin Free - if you can get the audio books they are a treat.
    Murderbot Diaries - written by Martha Wells.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      Great suggestion! I've only read the first of those but I really liked it

    • @vilstef6988
      @vilstef6988 2 года назад +2

      I've read the first three Murderbot novel and find them excellent, and even worth an immediate re-read!

  • @renchinnamunian9693
    @renchinnamunian9693 2 года назад +5

    This is the first time I've seen your channel & I'm looking forward to reading these books. As many before have recommended, I can also throw my 2 cents in for Andy Weir's The Martian & Project Hail Mary. Highly recommend listening to the audiobooks.
    The other one is Blindness by Jose Saramago. It's about what happens when people suddenly start going blind & how other people react & what they do about it.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      Yes definitely agree on both the Weir books. Blindness is one I haven’t read, but have heard great things about.

  • @mikecleary4988
    @mikecleary4988 2 года назад +5

    I’m glad I’ve discovered this channel. Always great to hear suggestions from like minded genre readers. 😀

  • @gerarddonaghy2720
    @gerarddonaghy2720 2 года назад +3

    This is a good list, I think that a lot of the sci fi masterworks are great, including for people who do not usually read sci fi, the criteria you mention, about tracing it back to our humanity and with particular reference to PKD I have usefully heard described as "inner space" sci fi

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      Inner space is a great way to describe it!

  • @jesserodriguez7680
    @jesserodriguez7680 2 года назад +16

    I would add A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. A great read with not a lot of SF tropes in it. Maybe Dhalgren by Delaney...but I'm only half way though it.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      I do want to read both of those - have heard great things about them

    • @denisesudell2538
      @denisesudell2538 2 года назад +4

      A Canticle for Leibowitz is an absolute classic. It has an insightful perspective on history-I actually thought about that book when I was at a museum recently and saw an exhibit about the preservation of texts and artifacts. Plus it has a wonderfully dry sense of humor. Highly recommended.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +2

      @@denisesudell2538 thank you, I have it on my kindle so hopefully I can get to it soon

    • @louisehenderson5798
      @louisehenderson5798 2 года назад +1

      @@denisesudell2538 Also, The Earth Abides, another understated, often overlooked classic.

    • @wesstubbs3472
      @wesstubbs3472 2 года назад +2

      You have to bring a lot to Dhalgren.

  • @facelesswoman6975
    @facelesswoman6975 2 года назад +14

    Flowers for Algernon is one of my favorite books and I'm so happy you included it in the list. If you liked "The Parable of the Sower" I suggest you try some of Octavia Butler's other books, particularly the Patternist series which starts chronologically with "Wild Seed", then "Mind of My Mind" and then "Patternmaster" (the first one she published in the series which is actually my least favorite - I started with "Mind of My Mind" but "Wild Seed" which she wrote after those is chronologically the first in the series and is my favorite in the series.) There are other books that are listed as part of the series - "Clay's Ark" and "Survivor" but these are very separate tangents from the story of the Patternists although "Clays Ark" does provide some background for some events in "Patternmaster". "The Word for World is Forest" by Ursula K. LeGuin is another book I would highly recommend.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +2

      Thank you! I do definitely need to read more Butler, she was so talented,

    • @Robutube1
      @Robutube1 2 года назад +1

      Flowers for Algernon is so beautifully written too.

    • @HemlockRidge
      @HemlockRidge 2 года назад +1

      Flowers for Algernon is actually a Short Story.

    • @Robutube1
      @Robutube1 2 года назад +1

      @@HemlockRidge Started as a short story true, but got expanded to a full sized novel later.

    • @HemlockRidge
      @HemlockRidge 2 года назад +1

      @@Robutube1 And Movies and shows. Over and over.

  • @ralphmarrone3130
    @ralphmarrone3130 Год назад +3

    I would recommend A Rose for Armageddon by Hilbert Schenk. A short book that packs a big emotional wallop.
    Also Engine Summer by John Crowley. One of his best.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  Год назад

      I've not heard of either of those - thanks for the recommendation!

  • @synthiamcbride7194
    @synthiamcbride7194 2 года назад +10

    I recommend reading the books of Ursula K. Le Guin including "The Dispossessed," "The Left Hand of Darkness," and "The Lathe of Heaven."

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +2

      Thank you! I’ve been meaning to read Le Guin for ages

    • @whlewis9164
      @whlewis9164 Год назад +1

      Lathe of Heaven is one of my favorites!

  • @authenticpoppy
    @authenticpoppy 2 года назад +13

    Thanks for reminding me about The Postman! I've been meaning to read that for the longest. I'm in the middle of Gibson's Neuromancer. When published (1984) it would have been hard sci-fi and on the side of unimaginable for a majority of the population. Now? Not so much. It doesn't take much to imagine the oppressive cyberspace he created. He got so much of it right and contributed to our language in so many ways.

    • @joanthompson5606
      @joanthompson5606 2 года назад +3

      I read Mona Lisa Overdrive when it first came out, and had no idea what to expect. It blew me away and has always stayed in my mind. 🤯💥

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +6

      Yeah I read Neuromancer pretty much when it came out and it felt amazingly cool and futuristic. I need to give it another read. I'm proud to say Gibson retweeted me once - a cross stitch pattern of all things!

    • @J.S.3259
      @J.S.3259 2 года назад +2

      I still think Neoromancer is very difficult to plough through. It’s much closer to William Burroughs than sci-fi. I’ve always preferred Idoru and his nonfiction

    • @authenticpoppy
      @authenticpoppy 2 года назад +2

      @@J.S.3259 I'm nearing the end of it now and it's a bit more difficult than the beginning. At this point it feels like Gibson is struggling with what he wants it to be, so I'm going to continue with Sprawl and hope that it finds itself. The ideas are intriguing. Drugs that connect a vast neural network aren't completely out of reach.

    • @anonymousbosch9265
      @anonymousbosch9265 2 года назад

      The Sprawl led me to Altered Carbon which became my favorite when I was in my 20’s

  • @annettemurielle
    @annettemurielle 2 года назад +2

    I've read two of the books you mentioned: The Children of Men and Flowers for Algernon. I loved both and read each several times.
    While I haven't read The Postman I did see the movie Kevin Costner made and starred in based on the novel.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      Hi Murielle, thanks so much for watching and commenting - glad you enjoyed those two

  • @julieannmyers8714
    @julieannmyers8714 2 года назад +15

    My favorite: Margaret Atwood, "Oryx & Crake," and its sequel "The Year of the Flood."

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +3

      I do need to read more Atwood!

    • @ronxlii
      @ronxlii 2 года назад +5

      Oryx and Crake is a great book and a great read.

    • @brooklyndweller
      @brooklyndweller 3 месяца назад

      Agreed.

  • @TheEricthefruitbat
    @TheEricthefruitbat 2 года назад +2

    When you talked about Flowers For Algernon, I thought you might also suggest A Canticle For Leibowitz, a brilliant post-apocalyptic novel.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      So many people have suggested that as a book that should have been on this list. I'm going to read it soon!

  • @backrowbrighton
    @backrowbrighton 2 года назад +20

    As someone who prefers their Sci-Fi Earthbound, I really think this is a good list. 'Parable of the Sower' by Octavia Butler is a truly outstanding work. A classic of late 20th century literature in my extremely humble opinion.

  • @michaelk.vaughan8617
    @michaelk.vaughan8617 2 года назад +4

    You have reminded me that I haven’t read Random Acts of Senseless Violence, which seems insane. Just as soon as I finish reading 100 books I’m going to buy it. Fantastic video!

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      Thanks Michael! And yes you should definitely read it

    • @leoniepipe6910
      @leoniepipe6910 2 года назад +1

      I made a note of that book so I can look out for it. It sounds like America today. I'm not American but have visited America multiple times and am shocked at what it has descended into. Another one I want to read is "The Shrinking Man". I saw the movie and it was brilliant; I never realised it was based on a book.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      @@leoniepipe6910 I haven’t been to the US for 20 years. I do wonder how much it has changed in that time

  • @J.S.3259
    @J.S.3259 2 года назад +4

    I’d recommend some Anthony Burgess, particularly The End of the World News and The Wanting Seed. Kurt Vonnegut’s contributions to sci-fi tend to get overlooked as well, and Galapagos (1986) is probably his funniest and most incisive work

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      I do need to read more Vonnegut - have only read a couple but I enjoyed those a lot

    • @johnradovich8809
      @johnradovich8809 2 года назад +1

      I’ve read most of Burgess but neither of the two above. Thanks for the suggestions.

  • @LaLongueFourchette
    @LaLongueFourchette 2 года назад +2

    I had completely forgot about Flower for Algernon. One of the best books I've read in my recent memory

  • @LukeVilent
    @LukeVilent Год назад +2

    About two decades ago, I've read an essay written by a sci-fi writer, who claimed that sci-fi was once the way to introduce the broad populus to the advantages of the technology. This was its state during the late XIX and the early XX centuries. But by the second half of the XXth century, there was no need for this function any more: technological progress was the state everyone was accustomed to from the moment of birth. And that is when sci-fi has lost its educational function, and was able to return to what it used to be. The myth. The proverb. The reflection of the society.
    Being born in the latter days of ussr, I was surprised once I've learned that sci-fi was considered a low literature in USA, given all of its technological advancements. In USSR, sfi-fi was basically THE literature. Thing is, the only realism allowed in ussr was socialist realism, which is as far from realism as an electric chair from just a chair. So, the only way for the authors to discuss controversial questions about society was to put the whole setting to some other planet. They've had to throw the censors a bone of the Earth now living in the communist utopia, but then had a freer hand to go to the edge. That is the reason why if a XXth century Russian-language book hits the shells in the West, it is almost exclusively a sci-fi. For all the rest was lengthy trash about revolution and communism in the war, written for the author to win the Lenin prize, the only way to get some real money.
    On that note, Ursula K. Le Guin. "The Left Hand of the Darkness" was a life-changer for me.

  • @TechInterpreter
    @TechInterpreter 2 года назад +2

    I would add We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor. Its whole premise is to examine what it is to be human. The audio version has a great reader. It would be an awesome listen on a long trip.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      Ah, I've heard good things about that one!

  • @ec8927
    @ec8927 2 года назад +2

    Anyone read The Left Hand of Darkness? I really enjoyed it and surprised at how old a book it is and how advanced it still is.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      I haven't! I do need to read some LeGuin

  • @vandinem
    @vandinem 2 года назад +4

    Loved this video ... have only read three of these so far, so plenty of good ideas for future reading. A possible addition: "Time and Again" by Jack Finney. A time travel story, but really a book about relationships and human empathy. One of my all time favorites.

  • @disshelvedwithadamwhite8731
    @disshelvedwithadamwhite8731 2 года назад +11

    I’d recommend The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. More about the characters than the sf.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      Not heard of that, I'll check it out!

    • @chutomagh9946
      @chutomagh9946 2 года назад

      Mary Doria Russell's books are terrific but the book I would save from a fire is "A Thread of Grace". It isn't Science Fiction but it is speculative fiction in that it is Russell's answer to the question, why did 90% of Italian Jews survive when in every other Nazi occupied nation 90% died.

  • @ranty_fugue
    @ranty_fugue 2 года назад +3

    Random Acts of Senseless Violence. Wow! Such an under-appreciated book. Criminally. I read it a long time ago, and it has really stuck with me, much more than the genre classics. Probably because of its much more literary focus on the protagonist’s experience. Thank you for mentioning it!

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      Great to meet another fan of it! I think it's a really exceptional book

  • @dawnwinther376
    @dawnwinther376 2 года назад +4

    Looking forward to watch your video tonight! I was never into Sci-Fi novels, didn't like it at all. Then one day, years ago,I picked up one of Isaac Asimov's novels, and l liked, and still like his work so much!

  • @lesleyspear7933
    @lesleyspear7933 2 года назад +17

    I absolutely loved Flowers for Algernon. Such a complex book.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      It is. Truly memorable

    • @AmelieCat24
      @AmelieCat24 2 года назад +1

      Flowers for Algernon made me openly weep 😭 Very few books have that effect on me.

    • @denisesudell2538
      @denisesudell2538 2 года назад +1

      I actually think the shorter version of Flowers for Algernon is more effective. Both versions are worth reading, though.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      @@AmelieCat24 it is incredibly moving

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      @@denisesudell2538 I've only read the longer one, I would like to check out the shorter at some point. I can definitely see how you could keep the core message and impact with less pages

  • @troytradup
    @troytradup 2 года назад +4

    Interesting selection and several that are new to me. I've read The Man Who Fell to Earth and Flowers for Algernon just within the last couple of months and mostly agree with you on the latter and slightly disagree with you on the former. But, hey, in honor of Kurt Vonnegut's 100th birthday: so it goes. Cheers!

    • @authenticpoppy
      @authenticpoppy 2 года назад +3

      Wow. Vonnegut's 100th. Maybe throw in a little Harrison Bergeron to grounded sci-fi mix.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      Cheers, Troy!

  • @BandanaBookmom
    @BandanaBookmom 2 года назад +9

    Love this topic - so neat to hear sci-fi recommendations that aren’t all spaceships and aliens. Children of Men sounds really interesting… The Shrinking Man sounds fascinating! I read Flowers for Algernon long ago - time for a reread of that one. Thanks for increasing my TBR!

    • @ering2467
      @ering2467 2 года назад +4

      I agree. I used to think I wasn’t a fan of science fiction. Now I think I’m just not a fan of books that take place in outer space.

    • @BandanaBookmom
      @BandanaBookmom 2 года назад +2

      @@ering2467 Haha yes! Although I did read Project Hail Mary recently and loved it! Andy Weir does it right! 🚀

    • @ruthfoley2580
      @ruthfoley2580 2 года назад +3

      Children Of Men is wonderful.

    • @BandanaBookmom
      @BandanaBookmom 2 года назад +2

      @@ruthfoley2580 Can’t wait to check it out

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +2

      Always happy to add to people's TBRs! Glad you found it a good list!

  • @johnward5404
    @johnward5404 2 года назад +1

    Thanks again Olly!!! I was in the used book store and noticed how many McCain books there were, notably NOCTURNE… I bought it and then went on Amazon and bought the first of the 87th precinct series… I’ll almost certainly be hooked on those after I finish Blackwater. Cheers!

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      Ah fantastic! Introducing people to McBain is one of my favourite hobbies! Hope you enjoy them!

  • @thomsoncarter3121
    @thomsoncarter3121 2 года назад +1

    Great list, thank you. I really enjoyed "The Postman" and have read a couple of times.

  • @bookssongsandothermagic
    @bookssongsandothermagic 2 года назад +3

    Fantastic video - I’ve just got Children of Men and can’t wait to read it, I really love the film. The Jack Womack book is a book I have almost bought a few times. Love these choices. I have Tevis’ The Hustler to read soon. Aww man, you mentioned The Shrinking Man!!!! Nice! ….and you’ve mentioned my all time joint favourite book, “Flowers for Algernon”. This is such a good video for people who don’t connect those kinds of plots with the science fiction world. Brilliant video.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      The Hustler is so great, I think you'll really liked it!

  • @lisavitale8410
    @lisavitale8410 2 года назад +1

    I’m new to your channel. Nice video. I’ve read Flowers for Algernon many, many moons ago. I thought it was really good at the time. I’ve read a couple of Richard Matheson’s novel, but not the one you mentioned in your video. I have liked what I’ve read by Matheson, so will add The Shrinking Man to my reading wishlist. The novels you listed in your video that sounded the most intriguing to me have to be Random Acts of Senseless Violence by jack Womack and The Fermata by Nicholson Baker.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      Thanks Lisa, glad you enjoyed the video. I hope you enjoy any of the books you read

  • @johnwalsh4857
    @johnwalsh4857 Год назад +2

    another forgotten but excellent writer in the cyberpunk vein is George Alec Effinger very underrated, his when gravity falls trilogy or the Marid Audran trilogy is classic and a different take on cyberpunk.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  Год назад +1

      I've not heard of him - will look him up - thank you!

  • @anotherbibliophilereads
    @anotherbibliophilereads 2 года назад +10

    A solid list. I’ve read six. I was nonplussed by The Children of Men. I would have thrown In Earth Abides by George R Stewart. As a post-apocalyptic novel, it’s rather realistic about what would probably happen to humanity.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      I don't know that one, thanks for the recommendation, Greg

    • @Eidolon1andOnly
      @Eidolon1andOnly 2 года назад +1

      Earth Abides is a great read.

    • @stevenscott2136
      @stevenscott2136 2 года назад +1

      Read that several times as a kid, came back to it a few years ago on Audible, still good.

  • @yvonnehayton6753
    @yvonnehayton6753 2 года назад +1

    As others have said on here I would have included one of my all time favourite books, Never Let Me Go, but I appreciate your explanation as to why you didn't include it. Some of the books you mention seem too close to the present for comfort. However I might give Flowers For Algernon and The Children of Men a go. Thanks for the video.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      Thanks Yvonne! Glad you enjoyed the video. And yes, the way the world is going some of them do feel a bit too close to reality.

  • @paulaj7860
    @paulaj7860 2 года назад +3

    Ollie have you read Spider by Patrick McGrath? It's not science fiction but when you were describing how the language changes in the first book it made me think of this one. Highly, highly recommend Spider. The progression of the story is so moving to me. Loved Flowers for Algernon.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      I have! I thought it was a really great book

  • @timothyirwin8974
    @timothyirwin8974 2 года назад +2

    In junior high we read the Chrysalids by John Wyndham, in high school it was A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller and more recently The Road by Cormac McCarthy all post apocalyptically good reads.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      So many people have suggested the Miller book - I definitely need to read it

    • @timothyirwin8974
      @timothyirwin8974 2 года назад +1

      @@CriminOllyBlog It is just as disturbing as the movie but there is a little more background. Remember he also wrote No Country for Old Men also made into a movie.The bad guy in that movie ending up as a Fremen leader in the last Dune movie.

    • @timothyirwin8974
      @timothyirwin8974 2 года назад +1

      @@CriminOllyBlog Oh the Miller book! I have read it at least twice. It deserves a movie version or a Netflix type series to do it justice

  • @johnPaul-qn3dg
    @johnPaul-qn3dg 2 года назад +1

    Thanks, being looking for some books to use my audible credits to listen while fitbiting, some perfect suggestions here.

  • @johnwalsh4857
    @johnwalsh4857 Год назад +2

    I love Jack womack I read most of his books in the 90s. he was considered a cyberpunk icon back in the day and his cyberpunk is known to be a lot more brutal and dystopian than the other writers. Too bad he stopped writing past 2000. Loved his books and writing style.

  • @rodrigovalerosancho2234
    @rodrigovalerosancho2234 2 года назад +2

    I have read Flowers For Algernon, and The Man Who Fell To Earth (I loved that one in particular). The b/w film version of Shrinking Man is a masterpiece. I have started The Lunar Trilogy, by Jerry Zulawski, written at the very beginning of the XX century, and looks really really promising. His great nephew made a movie about this book in the 80s which I cannot find with English or Spanish subtitles. Great video.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      That Zulawski book sounds very interesting!

    • @rodrigovalerosancho2234
      @rodrigovalerosancho2234 2 года назад +1

      @@CriminOllyBlog , it has been translated to English for the first time not long ago and it is in Amazon. Stanislaw Lem loved this trilogy and it was a big influence in his career. I am about to finish the first part and it is really good.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      @@rodrigovalerosancho2234 interesting! Thank you

  • @CDubya.82
    @CDubya.82 2 года назад +8

    Be it sci fi mixed with psychological thriller....Sphere by Michael Crichton is my favourite book ever. Purely due to its story and how I can reread it multiple times a year and still enjoy it just as much every time.

    • @zachreads
      @zachreads 2 года назад +2

      Same here, although I read it multiple times a decade. Do you have any recs for something similar? I'm always on the lookout. If you also like The Andromeda Strain I recommend Gravity by Tess Garretson.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +2

      I haven't read that for ages, but I do remember it being one of his more interesting ones

  • @EntertheBook
    @EntertheBook 2 года назад +3

    Great list and I am looking forward to getting to Parable of the Sower even more now!

  • @maryanne6569
    @maryanne6569 2 года назад +3

    I loved the 1968 movie “Charly” which is based on flowers of Algernon. All these recommendations are great. Couple I haven’t read so definitely checking them out. Thanks

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      I still haven't seen that, need to check it out. Glad you enjoyed the list!

  • @HemlockRidge
    @HemlockRidge 2 года назад +2

    I love SF and Fantasy. I know what you are saying, but I have a soft spot for Rockets and Ray Guns. Especially the early stuff. Asimov (Met him. NOT a nice person) Bester, Blish (Cities in Flight series is GREAT), Bradbury, Chandler, de Camp (his Conan stuff rivaled Howard), del Rey, Heinlein, Leiber (Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser), Pohl, Simak, Doc Smith (Lensmen), AND Moorcock (The Multiverse. Wow, just wow). AND Zelazny (I wish I was reading the Amber series for the 1st time again)

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      Agree, I have a fondness for that very stereotypical style of SF as well. I have a copy of Cities in Flight somewhere. Need to read it!
      Amazing that you met Asimov, although based on the stories I’ve heard about him you assessment of his character seems very accurate

  • @mikaelagirard
    @mikaelagirard 2 года назад +2

    I adore Philip K. Dick's work. I was wondering if any of his stories would make an appearance. Great list, there's a few I'll definitely have to check out!

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      Thanis Mikaela - glad you enjoyed the list!

  • @sagrammyfour
    @sagrammyfour 2 года назад +6

    Two classics: THE SHIP WHO SANG by Anne McCaffrey and STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND by Robert Heinlein. You will not be disappointed.

  • @telltalebooks
    @telltalebooks 2 года назад +2

    Excellent video! A great list and a couple I'm not familiar with. I'll have to check them out.

  • @chickie3376
    @chickie3376 2 года назад +2

    I saw a movie as a kid in the 80’s called the incredible shrinking woman with Lily Tomlin- I’m pretty sure that movie was based on that book. I’m not a sci-fi reader but some of those books definitely seemed interesting. Please do more videos like this.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      I remember seeing that movie! And yes I think it’s a twist on the story.
      Glad you liked the video!

  • @chrisperry7963
    @chrisperry7963 2 года назад +2

    A great list! I would add in J.G. Ballard's The Drowned World, as it is so well written, and A Canticle for Leibowotz by Walter. M. Miller Jr., a big favorite from my early years.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      Loads of people have mentioned the Miller book - I definitely need to read it!

    • @ralphmarrone3130
      @ralphmarrone3130 Год назад

      A Canticle for Leibowitz is my favorite novel.

  • @gerarddonaghy2720
    @gerarddonaghy2720 2 года назад +2

    I'm a bit idiosyncratic in my reading but I definitely think John Sladek and Frederick Pohl are worth reading, particularly Sladek has a lot of weird themes, the Complete Roderick, about a robot which comes to possess a soul, is just fantastic

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      I’m not sure I’ve read either of them, although of course I’ve heard of them

  • @renderraja4262
    @renderraja4262 2 года назад +1

    Hi Olly, Would love it if you do a top 10 of cosmic horror. Especially modern age cosmic horror. Thank you.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      I might do that at some point - although haven't read too much

  • @stephenshipley1066
    @stephenshipley1066 2 года назад +4

    For introducing the non-sci-fi reader to something very sci-fi: The Time Traveller's Wife. Not an alien, a space ship or a robot in sight. Also a very moving love story.
    Maybe it's worth mentioning just how many Philip K Dick books are the basis of films?

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      I did consider that one for the list actually, I agree it's really great.
      And yes, Hollywood definitely likes using PKD's ideas!

  • @AdrianasWonderland
    @AdrianasWonderland 2 года назад +1

    very helpful video. i want to get more into sci fi books. i have read octavia's short stories but i would love to read something bigger

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      I need to read more of her work for sure. Glad you enjoyed the video!

  • @mjkeith8748
    @mjkeith8748 2 года назад +1

    Crimin -- thanks for putting this together. Love the list and your summaries.

  • @OoLaLaFrenchGirl
    @OoLaLaFrenchGirl 2 года назад +1

    I’ve added several of these to my TBR. Thank you for the great recommendations as always.

  • @StElna
    @StElna 2 года назад +2

    I was gonna mention Children of Men.
    A few that come to mind, that fit your criteria, are:
    Non-Stop by Brian Aldiss
    Recalled to Life by Robert Silverberg
    A Werewolf Among Us by Dean Koontz

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      Thanks for the recommendations, I haven't read any of those!

    • @StElna
      @StElna 2 года назад +1

      Whatever you do, don't read up on Non-Stop, just read it. It has an unbelievable twist that you don't want spoiled for you. And don't look up the original spoiler title.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      @@StElna Noted! thank you

    • @awf6554
      @awf6554 2 года назад

      Yes for Non Stop. Aldis has a way of getting into your head and staying there.

  • @hairylittlewombat
    @hairylittlewombat 2 года назад +2

    Great vid. Thanks, Olly. I've added many of those to my list.

  • @unclebobfoldsmoreplanes5543
    @unclebobfoldsmoreplanes5543 2 года назад +1

    Thank you for mentioning "Flowers for Algernon" I first read the short story in a collection, then read the book when I first found it. I loved it, so much that I had to read, "The Minds of Billy Milligan" as well.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      It's such a great and moving story

    • @giddygrub7176
      @giddygrub7176 Год назад

      Should I read the short story or the novel first?

    • @unclebobfoldsmoreplanes5543
      @unclebobfoldsmoreplanes5543 Год назад +1

      @giddygrub7176 ​ Read them in the published order, read the story, then read the novel, Flowers for Algernon. You can watch the movie as well. After that, read Billy, which is a completely different story about the author's connection with a multiple personality patient.

  • @tgdomnemo5052
    @tgdomnemo5052 2 года назад +1

    ... the end of eternity by Assimov
    basically anything that uses the scifi ideas as a setting that allows you to develope your own thoughts about 'what if' and thus gives you an unbiased perspective on 'what is' ...
    . . . very nicely selected list 👍🏼

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      Thank you, glad you found it interesting. (and sorry it has taken me so long to reply!)

  • @wburris2007
    @wburris2007 2 года назад +1

    The only one on this list that I read was Flowers for Algernon, which I read just last year. I read the short story version for school in the early 70s. I have seen the movies for The Children Of Men, The Man Who Fell to Earth, and The Postman.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      I do really want to read the shorter version of Flowers for Algernon.

  • @StartSmallWithKris
    @StartSmallWithKris 10 месяцев назад

    I saw the Incred. Shrinking Man film and read Flowers of Algernon in my teens and saw the film Charly in my 20s. Charly left a great impression on me that I have not forgotten, much like Johnny Got His Gun. This is a list of many good titles that I have not read so I'm writing these down to remember! TY.

  • @Paul_Bond.
    @Paul_Bond. 2 года назад +4

    A good list, I think The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russel fits the bill, as does, strangely enough The Martian by Andy Weir, I know many non-SF readers that love that book so I would probably throw in his newer one Project Hail Mary which I thought was great. Becky Chambers seems appropriate although after the second book I thought the whole thing became a bit twee. A lot of Ray Bradbury's work is perfect for non-SF readers and let's not forget the late, great Ursula K Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness and the Dispossessed spring to mind. I'm really glad you picked Children of Men and gave credit to the film adaptation, an astonishing film, one of the best SF films in a very long time.

    • @denisesudell2538
      @denisesudell2538 2 года назад +1

      I agree re: Bradbury-his work is really accessible to non-SF fans.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      Yes I do think Weir and Chambers would both definitely appeal to non SF fans!

    • @mosart7025
      @mosart7025 2 года назад +1

      Bradbury is like no one else. His books/stories evoke feelings more than any other writer. Nostalgia, aching, longing for beauty, horror, deep sadness. You can't predict him. And you're left wondering, "What the heck genre is this?"

  • @bradjohnson9486
    @bradjohnson9486 2 года назад +3

    My wife does not read science fiction but she loved and repeatedly recommends Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. (TV series also on HBO Max last year.)

  • @ladyking119
    @ladyking119 2 года назад +1

    this list seems a good fit for me, I don't read much science fiction, so found some off your list I like to try. I read the Martian by Andy Weir, that was good book and a few years back read a YA book called Monument 14 trilogy I enjoyed those books, it was set in the future.
    If I can understand it, then I most likely will enjoy the book

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      The Martian is great fun! Hope you enjoy any off this list if you read them

  • @ruthfoley2580
    @ruthfoley2580 2 года назад +2

    Have you read "Trouble With Lichen" by John Wyndham? It's very understated & pure joy to read.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +2

      I haven't! I really need to read more Wyndham though, have only read Day of the Triffids but I loved that

    • @ruthfoley2580
      @ruthfoley2580 2 года назад +2

      @@CriminOllyBlog Oh my. You have a lot of joy to come. Next should be "The Midwitch Cuckoos".

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      @@ruthfoley2580 I have that one on my kindle I think

    • @danteshydratshirt2360
      @danteshydratshirt2360 2 года назад +1

      oh thats a good choice

  • @everrit
    @everrit 2 года назад +2

    A lot of titles I haven't read but perhaps that's because I've always read Sci- Fi. I have read Flowers for Algenon ( very good,thoughtful and questioning) and numerous Phillipe K Dick titles .

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      If you liked those ones I think you'd like the rest of the list

  • @fiberartsyreads
    @fiberartsyreads 2 года назад +1

    Great list Olly. I’ve only read Parable of the Sower but absolutely loved it. All the others sounds great.

  • @GlasUndMetall
    @GlasUndMetall 2 года назад +2

    I feel another book that falls into this group is "More Than Human" by Theodore Sturgeon. I also enjoyed "The Dreaming Jewels" by the same author, both well worth seeking out.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      I've never read any Sturgeon but I really should

  • @wildcampingharry
    @wildcampingharry 2 года назад +1

    Like many others I’m not a huge fan of science fiction, l have found that if the story doesn’t grip me from the off I lose interest not long into it. That said I do read science fiction on occasions and even own a few. Among the few I would call “favourites” are Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End and Footfall, a collaboration by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.
    With regards to your list the only title I have already read is The Postman and have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve made a note of a few of your suggestions and will give them a try.
    Many thanks from a new subscriber.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      Thanks so much for subscribing and commenting! I read Footfall years ago and remember it being a fun read

  • @tomenrico6199
    @tomenrico6199 2 года назад +2

    You mentioned good movie adaptations for several of the titles, but you missed one. In 1968, Flowers for Algernon was adapted into the movie Charly, starring Cliff Robertson and Claire Bloom. I believe that Cliff Robertson won an Academy Award for his portrayal of the central character. The movie is also very faithful to Daniel Keyes' book.

  • @alanfloyd5473
    @alanfloyd5473 2 года назад +1

    Enjoyed the presentation, the only one that I had read being "Brown Girl in the Ring", which I very much agree with you about. You've given me some great ideas about more areas to explore. I enjoy Philip K .Dick, bur especially his Valis trilogy. Maybe, in thinking of that, you could do a talk about Science Fiction which is problematic for the science fiction world, which, like that one, has not been thought of in the best way by other Sci-Fi authors, but which might nonetheless have a bit of a cult following.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      That's an interesting idea! Thank you and glad you enjoyed the video

  • @robinbeckford
    @robinbeckford 2 года назад +1

    Glad you gave PKD a mention at the end.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      He's definitely one of my favourite SF authors

  • @chiming_
    @chiming_ Год назад

    I loved The Man Who Fell to Earth. Read it a few years ago and I remembered I screamed in my heart as the main character did out loud when that scene happened. But the movie - as I read from the synopsis - was a combination of two books of Tevis.

  • @smithintern-tainment7868
    @smithintern-tainment7868 2 года назад +3

    I couldn’t agree more about science fiction. I’m not a huge fan of the huge space drama-type stuff. But I do love science fiction stories that are human-based that you mentioned at the beginning of the video. The ones that are more about society and stuff are way more interesting in my opinion.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      Agreed - it's so interesting to think about the impacts of technology on society and culture

  • @smilerwithagun
    @smilerwithagun 2 года назад +1

    Great list, will definitely check some of these out.
    You should do a collab with sci-fi afficionado (and fellow briton booktuber) Media Death Cult...
    :)

  • @jojoheartspaypay
    @jojoheartspaypay 2 года назад +3

    Never ever will forget 'Charly' Flowers for Algernon. Read that for school.
    That hurt.

  • @sid1gen
    @sid1gen 8 месяцев назад

    Hello, Olly.
    I would recommend Night of the Trolls, by Keith Laumer. It's a long short story or novella, not a novel, but it introduces the concept of the Bolo, tank of the future that will eventually reach sentience (not on this story, though). It's not really very well written and reads a bit dated, but the ending, the ending gets me even now that I know what happens. I think this is a good introductory title for people who may be ambivalent about sci-fi. Happy readings.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  8 месяцев назад

      Thanks! That does sound like an interesting read

  • @Gotanewcaseofcrabs
    @Gotanewcaseofcrabs 2 года назад +1

    💚Flowers for Algernon💚 I love stories that unfold through a diary or personal logs. This one made me cry. On the topic of Sci-Fi, have you read Blood Music by Greg Bear? I recommend it highly. Thank you for this list, I’ve jotted them down for my TBR. Take care!

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      Thank you! Really glad you enjoyed the list. And no, I’ve never read Greg Bear. I will check that one out. Thanks for watching 😊

    • @dallassukerkin6878
      @dallassukerkin6878 2 года назад +1

      I recall Blood Music and given that I read it thirty years ago that probably means it was good! :D

    • @Gotanewcaseofcrabs
      @Gotanewcaseofcrabs 2 года назад

      @@dallassukerkin6878 I want to read it again, it was so good and such an original idea.

  • @Kritz_Reads
    @Kritz_Reads 2 года назад +1

    Thank you for this video! I'm never interested in the ships and lasers, but these sound like they may be my thing

  • @zachreads
    @zachreads 2 года назад +1

    Great list, I'm moderately surprised to not see any Michael Crichton, HG Wells or Jules Verne. The Martian by Andy Weir might also be a good choice, and for those who generally gravitate towards more emotional stories I'd recommend Klara and the Sun.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +2

      Those would have definitely been valid additions. Klara and the sun is a great suggestion, a really great book

  • @deanwal1962
    @deanwal1962 2 года назад +1

    Fermata I agree with and basically everything that PKD ever did, although I thank A Scanner Darkly needs a special mention. However where were H. G. Wells and Aldous Huxley? Not to mention Vonnegut, Asimov, Arthur C Clarke, Heinlen, Le Guin, Frank Herbert. You also missed out William Gibson, Verne, Douglas Adams for some light relief etc. I could go on and on and on.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      I think A Scanner Darkly is probably my favourite PKD book. I did consider some of the writers you mention for the list (Vonnegut, Huxley, Gibson and Adams, specifically) but the others I think are too "spacey" or either haven't read at all, or not recently enough to confidently include them. Plus you listed more than 10 authors, so that would never have worked for a top 10. :)

  • @iandoherty3752
    @iandoherty3752 2 года назад +5

    Two sci-fi that you need to read, Dune by Frank Herbert and Enders game by Scott Orson Card

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      Agree, both of those are great

    • @timothyirwin8974
      @timothyirwin8974 2 года назад +1

      Enders game is required reading for the U.S. Marines. The books in the series after are also worth reading.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      @@timothyirwin8974 Fascinating, I didn't know that

  • @k-g-7270
    @k-g-7270 2 года назад +6

    What a great list of recommendations, thank you for sharing! Your videos are so enjoyable!
    Another good sci-fi recommendation is The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin. Highly recommended!

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      Thank you, so glad you liked the video!

    • @richardfurness7556
      @richardfurness7556 2 года назад +1

      The Lathe Of Heaven was made into a TV movie in 1980. It's available on RUclips.

  • @thomasrockhoff
    @thomasrockhoff 2 года назад +3

    Anyone have some good sci fi horror recommendations? A lot of great ones in the movies. Would love to hear about some hidden gems for books. (Or fantasy horror for that matter)

    • @joanthompson5606
      @joanthompson5606 2 года назад +1

      There's a novella by Harlan Ellison called A BOY AND HIS DOG that is post-apocalyptic, dystopian and pretty horrific, but very funny at the same time. Totally disturbing! 🤭🤮

    • @denisesudell2538
      @denisesudell2538 2 года назад +1

      James Tiptree, Jr.’s novella The Screwfly Solution is down to earth and absolutely harrowing. Completely believable SF/horror.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      I really need to read some of her books

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      I've seen the film of that, but still haven't gotten round to reading the book

  • @emmahardesty4330
    @emmahardesty4330 Год назад

    Very good, thank you. Of course I already love science fiction, and this is a good boost to read something new.

  • @andrewf9322
    @andrewf9322 2 года назад +1

    'Renegade' by Joel Shepherd - start of a great and ongoing series. Love his pacing

  • @Priscilla_Bettis
    @Priscilla_Bettis 2 года назад +2

    Great list. I'd add Old Man's War by Scalzi.

    • @kenward1310
      @kenward1310 2 года назад +2

      Seconded!

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +2

      I thought that was an interesting one, but I'm not as big a fan of Scalzi as a lot of people

  • @mikellecallahan516
    @mikellecallahan516 4 месяца назад

    Since you like Valley of the Dolls, have you ever read Yargo by Jacqueline Susann? Really good sci-fi rec.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  4 месяца назад +1

      I haven’t yet, but I do have a copy of it (in fact two copies as my sis bought me one from eBay for much turned out to be in French 😂)

  • @nevbarnes1034
    @nevbarnes1034 2 года назад +1

    How about _A Canticle for Leibowitz_ by Walter Miller Jr?

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      I haven't read that one but I really need to!

  • @jensraab2902
    @jensraab2902 2 года назад +2

    Yes, SF as the literature of ideas!
    I always have to think of Bob Shaw's book _Other Days, Other Eyes_ which is a short novel that has several short stories embedded. All of them explore the effects that a new material would have on society. This material is called "slow glass" because it slows down light as it passes. The delay can go from several minutes to several years.
    The physics of this is flimsy but that doesn't matter because the aforementioned exploration of its effects is so fascinating.
    It ranges from pragmatic applications such as 12-hour-delay glass being used as street lights, and year-delayed "windows" showing panoramic sceneries (that are harbored where such vistas exist and can then be installed into hotels, etc.) to ethical repercussions on the judicial system and less desirable uses that allow crimes.
    There is one heart-wrenching, deeply human story ("Light of Other Days", which was the first of the Slow Glass stories) that I can't recommend enough.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +1

      That sounds fascinating, and yes exactly the kind of thing I love about SF. I'll have to check it out

    • @chutomagh9946
      @chutomagh9946 2 года назад +2

      Couldn't agree more. "Light of Other Days" was my first thought when you asked for suggestions.

  • @richardrose2606
    @richardrose2606 2 года назад +6

    The book I would recommend to non-sci-fi readers is Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg. It's a book about a man who is slowly losing his telepathic ability to read minds. Silverberg is a very, very fine writer.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +2

      I've been aware of Silverberg for decades, but I don't think I've ever read him. Thanks for the recommendation!

  • @scp240
    @scp240 2 года назад +1

    I could add A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay, first published in 1920, a very unusual and thought provoking book that I read years ago. One might also consider the work of Stanislaw Lem, the brilliant Polish writer who wrote Solaris and many other books, my favorite being The Futurological Congress, a compelling satire of technocracy quite relevant to our dystopic present. Finally, The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a tour de force of perspectives on family and survival, as a man and his son wander through the devastation following nuclear war. The film was also great. Of your list, I have only read Flowers for Algernon, many years ago, and I do remember it having an impact and worthy of re-reading. Matheson's I am Legend is also a great read, and quite different from the film version.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      Yes, I Am Legend is great, definitely a favourite of mine. I liked The Road a lot too. Thanks for the recommendations and sorry it has taken me so long to reply!

  • @dylanalliata4809
    @dylanalliata4809 2 года назад +1

    Flowers for Algernon has several movie versions The one called Charly (1968) won an Academy Award for Cliff Robertson for Best Actor and well worth watching. Robertson's performance is heartbreaking. I don't care for science fiction but I've read 3 of your picks so I will check out the rest. Good video.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      Thanks Dylan, glad you enjoyed the video. I do need to watch Charly

  • @ImToastAlso
    @ImToastAlso 2 года назад +5

    I would add, “Hail Mary.” I don’t like science fiction at all but this book was so intriguing, life affirming and imaginative that I’ve been recommending it to everyone! You will not regret reading this, can’t remember the author offhand but he also wrote “the Martian.”

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад

      That's Andy Weir, and yes I agree it's a really engrossing book

    • @Eidolon1andOnly
      @Eidolon1andOnly 2 года назад +3

      The title is _Project Hail Mary_ authored by Andy Weir. The book is great, but I highly recommend the audiobook version as it is not only narrated expertly, but the sound engineers do an amazing job capturing Rocky's voice. Really brings new life to the book.

    • @ImToastAlso
      @ImToastAlso 2 года назад +1

      @@Eidolon1andOnly Thank you! I couldn’t remember the name exactly but will definitely get the audio version on your recommendation!

    • @mosart7025
      @mosart7025 2 года назад +1

      @@Eidolon1andOnly Loved it! I recommended it to my sister who started listening to it, and asked, "Hail Mary, full of (Dr.) Grace?" I hadn't even noticed that!

    • @Eidolon1andOnly
      @Eidolon1andOnly 2 года назад +1

      @@mosart7025 Yeah I found that funny too and completely missed it the first time I listened to the story, but once you notice it, you can't help but think how clever Andy Weir was.

  • @sidneyh9592
    @sidneyh9592 2 года назад +9

    Recently joined your channel and I have never commented on a video before but I have to recommend The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. I consider her work brilliant and this is my favorite.

    • @denisesudell2538
      @denisesudell2538 2 года назад +3

      I listened to an audio version of The Doomsday Book here on RUclips within the past year and was astonished at how good it was.

    • @CriminOllyBlog
      @CriminOllyBlog  2 года назад +3

      Thanks for the recommendation! I'll check that one out. And thank you for commenting!

    • @denisesudell2538
      @denisesudell2538 2 года назад +2

      @@CriminOllyBlog Thank you for the lively discussion!

    • @forwalaka
      @forwalaka 2 года назад +2

      Fire Watch by Connie Willis is also great, I cried my eyes out reading it

    • @sleuthst6955
      @sleuthst6955 2 года назад +3

      If you want a great book by Connie Willis that doesn't rip your heart to shreds, I highly recommend "To Say Nothing of the Dog."

  • @sophiaisabelle027
    @sophiaisabelle027 2 года назад +5

    Great recommendations, Olly. We all look forward to seeing more videos like this from you.