10 Essential Modern Sci-fi Books

[@WillowTalksBooks]

Read about even more great sci-fi books in my full article: booksandbao.com/best-sci-fi-books-ever-written-classic-modern/

[@oliviaoliviaoliviaaa]

Annihiliation is the book that got me into science fiction and back into reading. Whenever I am in a slump I can turn to it and know I’ll want to continue reading after. I added most of these books to be tbr so thank you! I’m going to binge your other videos now. ❤

[@OmnivorousReader]

I came to Annihilation cold, had not heard about it, had not seen it. Mind was Blown! OK, you sold me. Ancillary Justice has been ordered.

[@beckyphillips2955]

I'm researching sci-fibooks to buy for my partner's birthday and you've just convinced me I need to give sci-fi a go!! All these books sound incredible and right up my street, thank you :)

[@MobiusTrip73]

Absolutely loved this. Your tone of delivery and your style of description make for very easy listening and digestion, genuinely making me want to read the majority of these books

[@cassilightning]

Thanks so much for these recommendation videos! They’re such a help with getting back into reading properly, the hardest part is always finding new authors to love

[@last_flower.]

I'm reading In Ascension now, it is truly impressive. I am planning to read more of classic and modern sci-fi, there are so many outstanding genre defying books out there that can truly enrich anyone's vision of the modern world

[@thewitchef]

Man I'm not a frequent sci-fi reader but now I want to read all of these

[@Resident_Nightlord]

One of my personal favorites (dont judge me) is Battlefield Earth. A very long sci fi book with, in the authors own words, as much stuff crammed into it as possible. Space western, cyberpunk, mystery, crime drama, all of that. The author even said he just wanted to have fun with it. Only its slightly misogynistic as it was written in the 80s. But if you can look past that and not allow it to affect the reading experience, its a very fun and entertaining book. Kind of messed up at times too.

[@ProfessorOzone]

FINALLY! I've watched about 8 videos looking for something new to read, since moving through sample reading is so slow going, and this is the first video I've watched that actually had books written AFTER the year 2000. I don't know if they will pan out, but thank you for not providing me with yet another video discussing Dune, Foundation, Ender's Game and so on. Looking forward to checking them out. Big thumbs up!

[@selmaarnaut-madrigal667]

wow the way you described that first book, instant sub and on my tbr now! you have a beautiful way with words!

[@soylaconejo]

As always, Chef's kiss book recommendations

[@gracefulh3545]

Thank you for all of the recommendations!! I’m looking forward to reading a few of these and checking out more of your videos!!

[@omalleysmith9100]

I am new to this genre, and I trust your opinions more than anyone else on "Booktube". "In Ascension" sure seems to be picking up a LOT of rave reviews - this book will be my top priority. Thanks!

[@paulterl4563]

Subbed. I just want to add that Ancyllary is a trilogy ( that I am currently reading, I am at the second book) , after Justice there is Sword, and the 3rd is Mercy. And I should had add that every subject is referred to as female. The trilogy is even printed as a single big book. bybye

[@everrit]

Thanks for an interesting and informative list. I loved Ancillary Justice so much i moved heaven and earth to get and read Sword and Mercy, i was not disappointed.

[@hannahblackwellbooks]

Omg I just read How High We Go In The Dark and it was so sad but I gave it 5 stars. I loved it so freaking much.

[@marybrady9521]

This is just what I was looking for. Thank you for these fabulous recommendations!!

[@onkookietime]

I love sci-fi but for some reason I always feel out of the loop on what sci-fi I should read next so I end up not reading that many, thanks for this video!

[@rachel1021]

After reading Marisa Crane's novel I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself, I kind of feel like I don't want to read science fiction. That book bummed me out so badly. 😅 But at the the same time, many of these books sound interesting. And I have a library copy of Ancillary Justice that I'm very much looking forward to reading. 😊

[@luanavianagomes]

Just found your channel through this video, and I am so glad I did, because we sure have similar tastes when it comes to scifi. All books you mentioned I know/read or had already on my TBR, and you definitely convinced me to prioritize some.🥰

[@readingwarlock]

Ahh love this list of recos! 💖 Got super excited when I saw the thumbnail that I immediately pressed play. Also thought this might be a good chance to share my own reco, Borne by Jeff Vandermeer 😁 it now sits alongside Frankenstein as my all-time fave novel (depending on the day it could be one or the other 😅). Both of them made me think about personhood, parenthood and humanity. I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts if you ever decide to pick it up! 😊

[@wintrywhiff]

such a nice video, i have added so many books to my tbr! thank you! also, i know i am not a patron so maybe you will not take this recommendation, but i would really love to hear you talk about books about grief or heartbreak. i'm struggling to find books that are not selfhelp but that do tackle the void that a person left when they leave. sending you good vibes and excited for your next work x

[@WillowTalksBooks]

That’s an interesting topic to focus on! I’ll have a think :)

[@bookjack]

I've read most of the books you assumed I had. Feeling called out 😅 Thanks for the recs though. Definitely added a few new titles to my TBR

[@sandeesandwich2180]

The Hierarchies kept going to places I wasn't expecting it to go. Not sure how much I liked it, but it certainly has stuck in my brain.

[@rodriguezseanr]

Thanks for these recommendations. You have inspired me to read some modern sci-fi!

[@krisprepolec5616]

Have you read Greenwood by Michael Christie? It is not precisely a Sci-Fi novel, but it has time jumps in the same fashion of Sea of Tranquility, but it focuses on members of the same family in different generations, and their relationships with trees. It is so Canadian. It was part of this year’s Canada Reads competition.

[@stephenholloway9395]

Brilliant reviews, especially in Ascension which is amazing, martin macinnes other books are amazing as well, i loved how high we go in the dark, amazing twist!! On your recommendations i am taking ancillary justice and tranquility on holiday ti Greece 👍🙏

[@edwarddeklerk7559]

My favourite and essential sci-fi books are varied and many. But top essential sci-fi book is "Your Home Cooking: Glorbodax's 6th Edition.". I especially liked the expose on how to cook a meefkrom without a shpoingle and ensuring it remains moist (tricky!). |Not such a big fan of the foreword by Schlingmeister Bafoonene, but it is what it is. 5 Worms out of 7 books.

[@MacKenzieM24]

Wow wow wow! What a great video! I haven’t read any of these books, most of them have been added to my TBR now. The way you reviewed each of them made me so very interested. I can’t wait to read In Ascension now. You’re a great and very engaging book reviewer. I can’t wait to dig into more of your videos.

[@lisacole6037]

You've got some of my favourites on your list. Even better, you have a few I've never heard of so I've now got some new books to check out. Thank you for that! 🙂 And, I enjoyed listening to your thoughts on these books.

[@forest_green]

Thank you for this list! I've tried to read Ancillary Justice and A Memory Called Empire so many times, but true to what you said, i get way too confused to keep going, but I'll give them both more time. How High We Go in the Dark was a devastating read and i loved it. I'll have to come back to it. If you liked it, maybe you'd like Tiger Flu, by Larissa Lai. It was a WEIRD story, and it has the bleakness, pandemic anxiety, and misery you might be looking for.

[@lisacole6037]

Tiger Flu is an interesting read.

[@zdavisgenki243]

Hi Willow, I had no intention of commenting, but I sorted comments by most recent, which was a very big mistake. I felt very sad and shocked seeing some of the hate comments on this video (most of them just mad about your identity rather than the quality of the video, which is very high of course). I just wanted to tell you that I enjoyed the video very much and that I hope you can just ignore those nasty people. You seem like a great person, and I hope you're having a great day whenever you read this! :)

[@WillowTalksBooks]

Thank you so much. If it makes you feel better, I didn’t remember getting that much hate on this video so I had a look just now and wow! You’re right! The algorithm hid them from me because it can tell when they’re offensive, but I went digging and saw some nasty stuff!

[@baskinthestory]

In Ascension sounds incredible - added to the TBR. Thank you for bringing it to my attention, looking forward to picking it up

[@wewillrust]

Ahh one of my all time favourite genres, thanks so much!

[@tariniagarwal5252]

'An absolutely remarkable thing' duology is an incredible modern sci-fi ! I would really really love to see what you think about it, and how you review it!! 💖💖

[@celiamaldonado7616]

I have a love/hate relationship with your descriptions, love the way you describe the stories, hate that I love them so much I need to get them and go broke. I don't even like sci-fi and already added three books I'm getting next week.

[@WillowTalksBooks]

😇

[@celiamaldonado7616]

@@WillowTalksBooks a menace to my wallet 🤧 btw I heard you talking about magical realism and Latin American authors, have you read Isabel Allende or García Marquez? Greetings from Guatemala

[@michellesmelancholia]

Fantastic list as always! I just bought In Ascension and I am sooo excited!

[@nemo5288]

I’m in the mood for modern sci fi and so this video was perfect in its timing. Plus I love your recommendations because you push me as a reader 🤍

[@davidheath5429]

Amazingly, my library does not have Ancillary Justice but has subsequent books in the series. This happens for many other series. Great set of reviews, thanks. I have read the book by Emily St Mandel and, regrettably, I found the twist at the end a big disappointing let-down------ or perhaps I did not understand it!? Keep up the good work!

[@MichaelSchultzSF]

Such great recommendations. Thanks so much!

[@jimsbooksreadingandstuff]

They sound fabulous. Annihilation particularly sounds intriguing.

[@jimbo80085]

u made me so excited to read again. thank u

[@ninakocjancic9346]

Annihilation, memory called empire and ancillary justice are some of my favourite books. Im definitely thinking of picking up the terra-2 now. Have you tried Sparrow or Semiosis yet?

[@jeeranko3359]

Couldn't agree more with your list, even tho I haven't read all of these books. But some are on my TBR, so there's that. Last year I read Blindsight by Peter Watts and was really impressed by it. It was scary and relatable, and I had to google some dates afterwards, just to be sure. Also Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is one of the best books I read this year, a magnificent piece of literature.

[@TheFran2555]

How High We Go In The Dark broke me but is so good

[@legendarion5011]

Loved it ! Thanks very much, I didn't know most of them 😊

[@craigexsted6530]

Wow my gratitude towards you and your advise on reading Sci fi Thank you , immensely appreciated ! Best of Luck n Love to you

[@danielmathers4595]

Awesome! Thanks for the list.

[@aj_paperback1246]

What a fabulous video Willow. Thankyou. So I'm now heading to the bookstore. I've read Temi Oh and it didn't completely work for me, but I will read her again. Annihilation was bonkers. I read it and watched the film. I tried to read the second book, but got completely lost. I would love to hear your take on it once you read it. I have How High we go in the Dark, Ancillary Justice and A Memory Called Empire - All unread. As I trust your judgement, I will add THe Hierarchies, In Ascension and Time War to my shelves. Do I need to read anything before I read Sea of Tranquility - THe Glass Hotel ?????? Thankyou so much for sharing your thoughts with us. Happy reading and goth girling

[@allanjstark]

I lately discovered Dan Simmons. For me he becomes a Master of Scifi/Spaceopera. Hyperion is so complex. It simply blowed my mind

[@teatablereads]

Reading A Memory Called Empire this month! 🥰

[@Nixx0912]

That's like most of my reading least, except for "Anihilation", already done.

[@janethansen9612]

In Ascension was awesome. I am still thinking about it. Have you read The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins? I just finished it and I think my brain exploded.

[@WillowTalksBooks]

I’ve never heard of it so I’ll have to check it out! Thanks :)

[@lisacole6037]

I have and I loved it.

[@salmamun]

If you have not read Peter F Hamilton's sci-fi series, you should read it. Your list of contemporary sci-fi books will surely change.

[@WillowTalksBooks]

I mean, it changes every time I read a previously unread book so, uh, yeah, it would surely change

[@TheFran2555]

I read Ancilary Justice 2 times already, one when the translation finally launch on my country and after in english

[@idkyou4733]

Ahh how do you read so many books?? I always want to read the books you recommend but I always feel like I don’t have enough time with School :/ (and I’m slightly addicted to my phone 🥴)

[@WillowTalksBooks]

It’s literally my job to read, and then write or make videos about the books I read lol

[@Nixx0912]

As I just finished "Ymir" I was wondering did you read anything by Rich Larson? I really enjoyed the world building, he leaves a lot to readers imagination giving you pieces of information and letting you work it out on your own. I think you haven't mentioned reading Rivers Salomon " An unkindness of ghosts"? It's brutal, on one hand I want to read it again in English to understand it better (my understanding of written English is still better then French) but on the other I'm afraid. If you're triggered by sexual violence that's the trigger warning.

[@MriInterocitor]

This is no knock on the quality of Ancillary Justice, but scenes of drone making hit me directly in a mental health gaping wound. So, content note for whom large-scale destruction of identity can be an issue. Warhammer 40K’s servitors come close, but there’s more of an expectation that we’ll be horrified by their makers. Wow, it sounds like In Ascension COULD pander more to my interests…but it’d be hard. (I’ve always loved deep sea biology, my great uncle wrote the definitive book in Sonora Desert wildlife, Dad designed ranging systems for missions beyond the moon.) In my queue before the video is done.

[@Higor-bx2my]

Recommend some books from the subgenre diamond (ultra) hard sci fi.

[@WillowTalksBooks]

KZbin is wild

[@vi3889]

These all sound so brilliant. But where do I start 😶‍🌫️

[@WillowTalksBooks]

Haha well the most exciting one is probably This is How You Lose the Time War. The big award-winner is Ancillary justice. And my personal fave is In Ascension :)

[@vi3889]

​@Books and Bao thank you! Getting started with This is How You Lose the Time War.❤

[@TheFran2555]

Omg my tbr just get longer ❤

[@tariniagarwal5252]

It's by Hank green

[@shuwei9420]

How High We Go in the Dark is I N C R E D I B L E! But I must absolutely stress to anyone interested in reading it how important it is to be in a good headspace before reading it, even if the trigger warnings are okay with you.

[@EPalsson]

Bought In Ascension because of your recommendation. Couldn't even get through it. The writing style drove me nuts. - Long winded. So much detail that it's difficult to tell what is relevant to the story. - Extremely long, complex sentences that sometimes don't even make sense. At first I thought this must be a (poor) translation to English. Impossible to skim sections that were less interesting. - Analytical treatment of emotion and experience. I didn't feel invested in any of the characters. Sci-fi is my favorite genre but this novel was a real bust for me. Not complaining, just wanted to express another opinion.

[@WillowTalksBooks]

Woah. Usually when someone has a different experience with a book, I can understand and appreciate their criticisms. Not this time. Kinda wild.

[@EPalsson]

@@WillowTalksBooks Interesting response. Why could you not appreciate my criticisms? Did I not explain clearly enough why the writing style didn't work for me? Is it unacceptable to express disappointment in one of your favorite sci-fi books? Or what? Writer here, patreon supporter and human being. Entitled to my opinion. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@Joe-lb8qn]

Of the ones ive read .... Annihilation - i hated the book and film equally 😂 Ancillary Justice -loved it haven't read the sequels though Memory called Empire .. OMG not sure which i dislike most this dull book or Annihilation ... ok its Annihilation.

[@WillowTalksBooks]

Ok

[@gmotionedc5412]

Who is this?

[@WillowTalksBooks]

Jenna Fischer

[@deckiedeckie]

SF has literally vanished!!

[@WillowTalksBooks]

If dumb people are staying out of sci-fi, all the better. Keep out 💜

[@markhnk]

Some very good recommendations, but I think How High we go in the Dark is one of the most overrated books of last year. I think it neither works as as a short story collections nor as a novel, all the characters feel the same (I couldn't tell the narrators of the individual stories apart) and the "bleakness" felt more like stereotypical science-fictional bleakness-porn (hey, look how are dark things can get, and how high we can go as people to fight that bleakness, and still die). Modern trauma-porn bullshit in a cliché end of the world setting a la Interstellar. I'm sorry, I just hate this book.

[@WillowTalksBooks]

Shame

[@cloudyyy_0.0]

Im returning back to reading because i suddenly got writers block

[@deckiedeckie]

Go on to SF.....OK?.......leave queer talk out of it!!

[@WillowTalksBooks]

Tell me you’re the dumbest person in every room you ever walk into without telling me

[@bookofdust]

Willow, don’t you mean Contemporary SciFi more than Modern, these titles are from recent years, not the Modernist Literature period?

[@WillowTalksBooks]

Sure