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

[@davidbrin1]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

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

[@juensong]

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]

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

[@vilstef6988]

@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]

@@vilstef6988 thank you!

[@foxedfolios]

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]

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

[@Paul_Bond.]

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

[@Robutube1]

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]

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

[@fidomusic]

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.

[@gerarddonaghy2720]

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]

Inner space is a great way to describe it!

[@bookdmb]

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]

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]

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

[@fosterhart2013]

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

[@J.S.3259]

@@privysorrow5120 Galapagos is easily his best novel

[@peztopher7297]

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. 😏

[@ering2467]

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]

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

[@goodyeoman4534]

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

[@kevinjudge8406]

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]

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

[@embeddedtom]

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

[@diana777etc]

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]

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

[@vilstef6988]

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

[@jesserodriguez7680]

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]

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

[@denisesudell2538]

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]

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

[@louisehenderson5798]

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

[@wesstubbs3472]

You have to bring a lot to Dhalgren.

[@sharonwaddell2548]

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]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

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]

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]

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]

@@tracesprite6078 I liked that one a lot

[@niceasssquiddy]

I would also recommend Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thanks, Jacob. I've not read Le Guin but really need to

[@synthiamcbride7194]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

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

[@whlewis9164]

Lathe of Heaven is one of my favorites!

[@julieannmyers8714]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I do need to read more Atwood!

[@ronxlii]

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

[@renchinnamunian9693]

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]

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

[@facelesswoman6975]

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]

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

[@Robutube1]

Flowers for Algernon is so beautifully written too.

[@HemlockRidge]

Flowers for Algernon is actually a Short Story.

[@Robutube1]

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

[@HemlockRidge]

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

[@backrowbrighton]

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.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yes, it really is great!

[@robinr5337]

Yes! Great read.

[@shelleywinters6763]

I hate it

[@tiffanyclark-grove1989]

Recently read Parable of the Sower..good stuff. Octavia butler definitely belongs on any sci-fi list.

[@mikecleary4988]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Cheers Mike, glad you're enjoying it!

[@LaLongueFourchette]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

It really is wonderful

[@authenticpoppy]

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]

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]

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]

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]

@@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]

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

[@annettemurielle]

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]

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

[@lesleyspear7933]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

It is. Truly memorable

[@AmelieCat24]

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

[@denisesudell2538]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

@@AmelieCat24 it is incredibly moving

[@CriminOllyBlog]

@@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

[@anotherbibliophilereads]

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]

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

[@Eidolon1andOnly]

Earth Abides is a great read.

[@stevenscott2136]

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

[@disshelvedwithadamwhite8731]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

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

[@chutomagh9946]

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.

[@dawnwinther376]

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!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Asimov is really great!

[@J.S.3259]

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]

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

[@johnradovich8809]

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

[@BandanaBookmom]

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]

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]

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

[@ruthfoley2580]

Children Of Men is wonderful.

[@BandanaBookmom]

@@ruthfoley2580 Can’t wait to check it out

[@CriminOllyBlog]

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

[@johnwalsh4857]

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.

[@CDubya.82]

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]

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]

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

[@troytradup]

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]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Cheers, Troy!

[@ranty_fugue]

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]

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

[@sagrammyfour]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thanks for the recommendations!

[@TheEricthefruitbat]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

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

[@jojoheartspaypay]

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

[@joanthompson5606]

Same here, I was going to say that too!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah it's such a deeply moving book

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

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]

Thanks Michael! And yes you should definitely read it

[@leoniepipe6910]

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]

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

[@ralphmarrone3130]

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]

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

[@gerarddonaghy2720]

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]

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

[@mikaelagirard]

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]

Thanis Mikaela - glad you enjoyed the list!

[@smithintern-tainment7868]

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]

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

[@richardrose2606]

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]

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

[@vandinem]

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.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I've heard great things about that!

[@stephenshipley1066]

Try The Time Traveller's Wife

[@TechInterpreter]

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]

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

[@lisavitale8410]

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]

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

[@bookssongsandothermagic]

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]

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

[@timothyirwin8974]

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]

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

[@timothyirwin8974]

@@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]

@@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

[@chickie3376]

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]

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

[@Paul_Bond.]

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]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

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

[@mosart7025]

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?"

[@tommysmith5479]

I've just recently finished a trio of Philip K Dick books: A Scanner Darkly, Ubik and Do Androids Dream of Sheep? All three are great. Out of the three, however, the one I found exceptional is Do Androids Dream of Sheep? I can tell you now: don't worry if you've seen Blade Runner because the film is not only inferior to the book it's based on but also heavily deviates from Philip K Dicks story. Yes, it's set in a distopian future; yes, it's a book about robots; but Dick captures the human condition superbly. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yes, I definitely prefer the book to the movie!

[@tommysmith5479]

@@CriminOllyBlog The film, in my opinion, misses the many questions that Dick poses, aside from the obvious "Can robots feel?" The film is a pale shadow compared to the book.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

@@tommysmith5479 yes it’s very much a dumbed down version

[@stephenshipley1066]

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]

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

[@johnward5404]

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]

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

[@EntertheBook]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

It's really great

[@sidneyh9592]

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]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

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

[@denisesudell2538]

@@CriminOllyBlog Thank you for the lively discussion!

[@forwalaka]

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

[@sleuthst6955]

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."

[@iandoherty3752]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Agree, both of those are great

[@timothyirwin8974]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

@@timothyirwin8974 Fascinating, I didn't know that

[@ImToastAlso]

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]

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

[@Eidolon1andOnly]

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]

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

[@mosart7025]

@@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]

@@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.

[@sophiaisabelle01]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you! So glad you liked it

[@majelthesurreal5723]

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.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Glad you found the video useful!

[@chiming_]

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.

[@thomsoncarter3121]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I need to reread it I think!

[@GlasUndMetall]

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]

I've never read any Sturgeon but I really should

[@maryanne6569]

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]

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

[@hairylittlewombat]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Glad it was helpful!

[@telltalebooks]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you!

[@LukeVilent]

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.

[@rodrigovalerosancho2234]

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]

That Zulawski book sounds very interesting!

[@rodrigovalerosancho2234]

@@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]

@@rodrigovalerosancho2234 interesting! Thank you

[@robinbeckford]

Glad you gave PKD a mention at the end.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

He's definitely one of my favourite SF authors

[@paulaj7860]

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]

I have! I thought it was a really great book

[@AdrianasWonderland]

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]

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

[@scp240]

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]

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!

[@chrisperry7963]

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]

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

[@ralphmarrone3130]

A Canticle for Leibowitz is my favorite novel.

[@jamiefkort]

The Survivors aka Space Prison by Tom Godwin is one i've loaned several times (and once it was never returned!) - it's pulp sci-fi, a survival story told over generations - everyone I've given it to has loved it. Gateway By Frederick Pohl and Sirens Of Titan are good lenders for people that aren't familiar with sci-fi. The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin - i think it's incredibly relevant to the world we live in today, and it's one of the best novels i've ever read - it's a masterpiece.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Space Prison sounds like a load of fun! Thanks for the recommendation

[@stevenscott2136]

Is that the one where people are stranded on a high-gravity death world, and have to adapt and prepare before the alien fleet gets to them? I read one like that years ago, and can't remember title or author.

[@yvonnehayton6753]

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]

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.

[@OoLaLaFrenchGirl]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you! Really glad you enjoyed it

[@mjkeith8748]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you! Glad you found it useful

[@heidifogelberg3544]

In your horror recommendations, you mention Tanith Lee's Vivia, which I enthusiastically second. But pretty early in her career, Lee published a pair of fascinating SF novels called Don't Bite The Sun and Drinking Sapphire Wine. They're basically about the concept of denying a person the option of adulthood, I think, and since the first one came out in 1976, it seems like my that Lee was pondering the consequences of the 70s mindset followed to its logical conclusion. I mean, I read them at the time and was given furiously to think ... But probably even more now. I never hear anyone mention them at all, but they're really very good. Well written, engaging, thoughtful, deep without being preachy, and they establish a sense of place and an awareness of character just casually, like one would if one could.

[@wildcampingharry]

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]

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

[@fiberartsyreads]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thanks Crystal!

[@bradjohnson9486]

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.)

[@CriminOllyBlog]

That is a great book, I really liked it

[@unclebobfoldsmoreplanes5543]

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]

It's such a great and moving story

[@giddygrub7176]

Should I read the short story or the novel first?

[@unclebobfoldsmoreplanes5543]

@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.

[@wtk6069]

A Canticle for Leibowitz would be my pick for the best sci-fi work ever, and it's the only sci-fi I would put in the top 5 works of literature overall.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I definitely need to read that - I do have it on my kindle

[@ralphmarrone3130]

A Canticle for Leibowitz is my favorite novel. I’ve read it several times. Time for a reread, I think.

[@johnwalsh4857]

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]

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

[@ToddsBookTube91]

Todd here. I just discovered your channel because Michael K. Vaughn mentioned it. Cheers! Happy Autumn.

[@alanfloyd5473]

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]

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

[@k-g-7270]

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]

Thank you, so glad you liked the video!

[@richardfurness7556]

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

[@HemlockRidge]

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]

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

[@sid1gen]

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]

Thanks! That does sound like an interesting read

[@tgdomnemo5052]

... 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]

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

[@melissag9160]

The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon is a wonderful book that doesn't feel like sci-fi even though it is. I've used it in my college freshmen English courses. Students love it. High on my Top Five list of best contemporary novels.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I’ve never read Moon, but I’ve heard really good things about her work

[@aleidadiaz2261]

Flowers for Algernon broke my 13 year old heart. It’s beautiful.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Agree - it's really heartbreaking

[@dantean]

The problem--for adults, anyway--is in how much sci fi one must wade through to discover prose writing which does not suck. OF COURSE the ideas are what make the genre worth reading at all. I mean, absent THOSE all you'd have left is particularly rudimentary english aimed at 14 year-olds and a dust cover (unless it's an ebook, in which case I'm not sure WHAT that leaves you). I'll certainly consider checking out the titles listed here when I can, but my expectations for finding a Dashiell Hammett, Damon Runyon, or an Evelyn Waugh remain, well, dim. I'll even re-visit some of the Philip K. Dick I've read in the past to see whether or not I'm mistaken, but if literature were only a matter of stacking ideas and writing them down once you've learned all the letters in the alphabet EVERYBODY would be William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, or Graham Greene--my lawyer, his plumber, and the guy who fixes the computers at work when they start acting up.

[@renderraja4262]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

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

[@StElna]

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]

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

[@StElna]

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]

@@StElna Noted! thank you

[@awf6554]

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

[@AllenFreemanMediaGuru]

I recently discovered Ada Hoffmann. I read “The Outside” and found it to be very enjoyable. A sci-fi space opera. A captivating new world. I’m eager to read the other two books in this series: The Fallen and The Infinite.

[@zachreads]

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]

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

[@suzannehorton3146]

I don't read many science fiction novels but in My English Literature class. I read Brave New World. I thought it was wonderful.. I did a book report on this book. I really enjoyed it..

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Justifiably a classic!

[@julieannmyers8714]

"A Canticle for Liebowitz," W. Miller (trilogy) "Lord of Light," R. Zelazny (Hugo Award 1968) "Babel-17," S. Delaney (Hugo nominee 1966) "Nova," S. Delany (Hugo nominee 1968)

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I really need to read some Delaney, and Canticle for Liebowitz. Thank you!

[@awf6554]

Uptick for Lord of Light!

[@johnPaul-qn3dg]

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

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Brilliant! Hope you enjoy them

[@jensraab2902]

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]

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

[@chutomagh9946]

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

[@sghettinona]

Excellent selections. Definitely what I look for in sci-fi.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@karlynnjade]

Children of Men is now high priority on my TBR.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@smilerwithagun]

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... :)

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Glad you enjoyed the list!

[@mitzireadsandwrites]

I think science fiction is often underrated and misunderstood. Like you, I read it for the ideas which gives those books much more staying power. I also think short story writers like Ray Bradbury, Charles Beaumont, and Rod Serling were way ahead of their time. Unfortunately, I don't read enough sci-fi so thanks so much for this list.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Glad you found the list useful, Mitzi! Bradbury is an other I need to explore more deeply. I agree that short fiction suits this kind of SF very well

[@dylanalliata4809]

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]

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