10 Standalone Sci-Fi Books to Read in 2024

[@matthewhockey3473]

Ted Chiang is phenomenal. His short stories are so good they changed my reading forever after.

[@WordsinTime]

That’s amazing!

[@thomasrockhoff]

I always love a good stand alone. Perfect timing too because some of these will be great to give/ask for at Christmas. Honestly part of the reason I don't read more fantasy is because so often what I get recommended is massive series and that's not always what I'm looking for.

[@WordsinTime]

Yes, epic series can be rewarding but they’re a commitment. Hope you enjoy some of these!

[@RenkotheLibrarian]

This is a great list for a non-series reader like myself! Translated Sci-Fi is an underappreciated "sub-genre," so seeing Murakami and Eschbach is wonderful, and I'll have to add them to my TBR.

[@WordsinTime]

I’m glad it was helpful! I enjoy reading sci-fi from around the world so I’m looking forward to those two!

[@raylowrey2623]

I am on board for several of these books as read-alongs for 2024. Almost everyone of these is on my TBR.

[@WordsinTime]

Awesome! I hope we both enjoy them 📚

[@curtjarrell9710]

I want to read the Ted Chiang collection. Happy reading, Jonathan.

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks Curt! I’m going to try to get to that one early in the year.

[@jkitty542]

One hard sci fi book I will recommend to everyone who will listen is The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect by Roger Williams. It's written as a sort of pseudo sequel to I Robot, but is much darker and really pushes the envelope in it's story telling. The tldr is it's about the Singularity, where a sentient AI takes over the universe, and takes place in the far, far future.

[@WordsinTime]

That sounds pretty interesting, I’ll have to look it up!

[@AlecsStan]

One of the best on Singularity

[@HiveFleetUlfang1]

The Hair Carpet Makers is excellent! Each story adds a new layer to the overall narrative. It's a German folk tale mixed with a philosophical space opera.

[@WordsinTime]

That sounds unique!

[@carlizinea]

Yeeeeah you finally mentioned blood music!!! Its one of my favorites and im excited to see what are your thoughts about it!!!

[@WordsinTime]

Haha awesome! There’s been lots of good responses to Blood Music in the comments. I’m looking forward to it!

[@bookdmb]

Murakami was a seminal author in my formative years and Hard-Boiled Wonderland is a favourite, from an era where Murakami's potential was yet undefined and each manuscript he scribed seemed to exceed its previous. I think of him as an author of emotion above all, a strange blend of naive fatalism and hardworn weariness. His love of music always captivated me, and there's a scene that evokes "A Hard Rain's 'a Gonna Fall" in this novel that still sparks a purity of near-transcendent feeling. As with Dylan himself, Murakami's early works will always be my preferred in the oeuvre. One caveat I would offer is that his works are best approached through the lens of magical realism that applies aspects science fiction. I think the lack of internal consistency in magical realism imbues it with a greater poeticism in contrast to the searching intellectualism of sci-fi. Okay, I've rambled far too long now. Happy reading!

[@WordsinTime]

That’s a great description, I’m looking forward to getting to it! And I’m a fan of Bob Dylan (especially early Bob Dylan) as well!

[@lisacole6037]

I recently finished Blood Music. It's fantastic. Harry August and Flow My Tears are on my tbr. Great list, Jonathan

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks Lisa! I’m hearing lots of praise for Blood Music.

[@dalejones4322]

Wow that is a great list Jonathan. I haven't read one of them but I'll be adding most to my TBR list. Thanks buddy

[@WordsinTime]

I’m glad they sounded interesting, I’m looking forward to reading them!

[@YourQueerGreatAuntie]

The only book on this list which I've read is Hardboiled Wonderland. A couple of friends had told me I'd like Murakami, and this was the first one I picked up. I still have a great emotional memory of inhabiting the two (ish) worlds of the book. Imagery that stays with you like dreams on waking. I listened to it on audiobook (can't read print), and there is one (and only one) moment in the recording where they use sound manipulation to great effect. It includes the sound of a cassette tape rewinding... Looking forward to your 2024 reviews!

[@WordsinTime]

Sounds like an awesome experience Coleen!

[@BookishChas]

Thanks for these recommendations Jonathan! I’m always glad for some standalone sci-fi ideas. I’ve been curious about both Murakami and Chiang.

[@WordsinTime]

Cheers Chas! I’ll let you know my thoughts when I get to them!

[@bookspin]

That's a solid line-up! Stories of Your Life, Hard-Boiled Wonderland, Harry August, End of Eternity, all excellent reads. Norstrilia is in my TBR. Never heard of Mission of Gravity before but it sounds intriguing!

[@WordsinTime]

Nice! That’s good to hear you enjoyed those four!

[@Yesica1993]

I'm pretty much avoiding series forever. (Okay, maybe an exception for 1-3 books long. Maybe.) But standalone recs are on my radar these days. I loved Arrival too. I've been dying to get that short story collection just for that. Your gift edition is gorgeous! And loved your Not!Musical interlude. Gave me a smile, and I needed it this evening.

[@WordsinTime]

Haha I don’t think anyone has ever appreciated my singing before! And yes, Arrival is awesome, so I’m looking forward to Stories of Your Life!

[@splifftachyon4420]

Blood Music is one of my all-time favourite books. Mind you, I read it back in the 80s, so it might be interesting to re-read it now and see if it still holds up for me. Eon and The Forge of God by Bear are both great too. The Chiang and Dick books are both on my bookshelf already and definitely on my TBR. Looking forward to reading 2024!

[@WordsinTime]

I’m glad it made such an impression! Looking forward to it!

[@drakhir]

Yeah, Blood Music is my favourite, followed by the Forge of God. Eon was okay, but i read it recently, whereas the former two i read in the early 90s.

[@PrivateIvan]

I just finally read Norstrilia, and look forward to your comments, I feel lucky that I reread Bester's The Stars Etc. just before reading Norstrilia--Bester's classic really helped me get into the mindset that I feel Cordwainer Smith's opus needs--that zap-pow-propulsiveness & inventiveness that just *can't* stop. I love Mission of Gravity *because* it's so squaresville: Two engineers working together to find a missing piece of equipment! Except..... Ahhhhh, and that's where the glory of this book lies: The environment! Lemme make you jealous: In the mid-1990s, the (I think) Experimental Theater division of New York University put on an adaptation of Flow My Etc. that was WILD. Multimedia weirdness, along with a decent theatrical version of the essential story of the book. Maybe it's out in the InterTubes.... BTW, I prefer stand-alones. Hearing that a new book is the first in a series turns me off, actually. Too many contemporary authors then don't finish their stories--or, in the case of Mira Grant's Into the Drowning Deep, leave it WAY open for a sequel. Blah. I don't mind sequels, but announced series give me a feeling of laziness and uncertainty, and that there is no ending in sight. Thanks for another great video!

[@WordsinTime]

That Flow My Tears show sounds entertaining haha. I have read Bester so I’m looking forward to Norstrilia and Mission of Gravity sounds interesting. Thanks for all the info!

[@wburris2007]

Blood Music, Mission of Gravity, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, were great reads. 1Q84 was a very enjoyable read. Since the writing style and concepts were lite and interesting, it was a quick read.

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks for the info, I’m glad you found those to be great!

[@thecryptile]

Cordwainer Smith is one of the most unique voices SF has ever produced, you will either love him or hate him. I, personally, loved Norstrillia and the Lords of Instrumentality setting.

[@WordsinTime]

That’s great, I hope I join you haha

[@thatfuzzypotato1877]

Eon by Greg Bear was a fun read, though it could drag in places. Still recommend it

[@WordsinTime]

Nice, I’m glad it was worthwhile!

[@darthandy6161]

End of Eternity, Stories of Your Life, and Hard Boiled Wonderland are all top notch. Blood Music and Fifteen Lives are also on my TBR.

[@WordsinTime]

Nice! I’m glad you enjoyed those 3. I’m looking forward to those other 2 as well.

[@LivingDeadEnby]

I've read Blood Music and The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, they were awesome! Both books kept me thinking about them for a long time afterwards. Claire North's book is my favourite read of this year (so far). Almost every book of the rest is on my tbr as well 😄

[@WordsinTime]

That’s great to hear, glad you liked them!

[@AlecsStan]

Fifteen Lives is a beautiful, haunting book.

[@OmnivorousReader]

I read (and owned) Norstrillia years ago. I really liked it and I regreted having got rid of it when I moved away from Melbourn. I am delighted to have got my hands on it again just last week! And look forward to reading it again, maybe next year. Also look forward to hearing what you think of it.

[@WordsinTime]

That’s cool, glad you enjoyed it!

[@bartsbookspace]

I read Blood Music earlier this yr and it was a very good read. I was surprised by how dark the story became. I’ll be curious to hear your thought on it. Strong list. Nostrilia is a book that I’ll want to read at some point next yr.

[@WordsinTime]

I’m glad to hear you enjoyed Blood Music!

[@ycpmike07]

Eon is in my top 10 of all time. Have reread so many times

[@WordsinTime]

Awesome!

[@Joe-lb8qn]

Nice selection will have to check many of these out, the ones I have read would be in my top rated SF books. (End of Eternity, Blood, First 15, Flow). End of Eternity is somewhat dated now but has a solid story so you can read past that. There have been persistent rumours of a film of End of Eternity for what seems like, well, an eternity. ETA realised after looking uo description that I read Mission of Gravity many years ago.

[@WordsinTime]

Nice! I’m glad you enjoyed those! Would be interesting if they made The End of Eternity film.

[@soumyajitmallik5977]

Thanks for the amazing recommendations this year !

[@WordsinTime]

You’re welcome! Thanks so much for the Super Thanks, I’m glad to have you as part of the channel!

[@baconeggburger6826]

Eon is a great read,better than rendezvous with Rama IMO. Norstralia is crazy in the best possible way. Flow my tears…is one of my fave PKD novels.

[@WordsinTime]

Interesting! I’ll have to try Eon next. And I’m glad to hear you enjoyed those too!

[@steveeverett1736]

Mission of Gravity is one of the best worlds built ever, but I would suggest you look for the sequel called Starlight. I have a pb of Mission of Gravity, with the essay at the back how it was created and he joked with Asimov, he would title it Fried Egg in the Sky, as a friendly jab to Asimov's own work 'A Pebble in the Sky'

[@WordsinTime]

Haha that’s a good title

[@jenm8357]

I liked Blood Music, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, and Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said (which is much better than The Man in the High Castle). I plan to read Mission of Gravity and Norstrilia soon because I have them. I will have to check out the other books on your list. Alastair Reynolds has several standalones that I liked such as Pushing Ice, Permafrost, Terminal World, and House of Suns. Some are better than others but I have enjoyed them all. I haven't read Eversion or Century Rain yet but probably will in December.

[@WordsinTime]

Nice, I’m glad you enjoyed those three! I loved House of Suns, and Eversion was great too. I own Pushing Ice but haven’t read it yet. Looking forward to it!

[@aleksandrlukin565]

Nice list! Thanks for the recommendations!

[@WordsinTime]

You’re welcome! If you pick any of these up I hope you enjoy them!

[@thekeywitness]

I enjoyed Blood Music, Hard-boiled Wonderland, and Flow My Tears--all fascinating in their own ways. Norstrilia is on my TBR for next year too; I've previously read The Rediscovery of Man. The rest look interesting. The Carpet Makers is also known as The Hair Carpet Weavers (Penguin Science Fiction).

[@WordsinTime]

I’m glad you enjoyed those! And that’s interesting that it has two titles.

[@best_regards]

I have flow my tears slotted for next year too. I recently read Valis and it was an experience, i only dropped the series because reviews of book 2 said he leans heavily into religion. PKD was one of a kind.

[@WordsinTime]

Nice, I plan to read Valis in the future too.

[@RedFuryBooks]

I hope you love Murakami! I call his brand of Magical realism Magical Surrealism because it's often quite bizarre. But I think you've picked a fantastic entry point.

[@WordsinTime]

Haha nice, I often like things that are surreal so fingers crossed!

[@sailorjbn]

4 1s Im ahead of you J. Im 1/4 into Blood Music & its really good!

[@WordsinTime]

Haha love it! Glad you’re enjoying it!

[@jbrichardson8891]

I read the Rediscovery of Man BY Cordwainer Smith earlier this year so Norstrillia is on my TBR.

[@WordsinTime]

Nice! Looking forward to it!

[@Rogue_VI]

I have a Cordwainer Smith book that is a collection of a number of his novels/novellas. Norstrilia was the last one in the book. All of the stories were fairly weird. Not bad weird, though. He definitely had his own style.

[@WordsinTime]

Haha I’m looking forward to trying it.

[@ebilliot510]

Those all sound really great. I've not read any of them, so I'm going to have add to my TBR stack.

[@WordsinTime]

Glad I can help add to the never ending TBR haha

[@TuftyMcTavish]

Ooo, I’ve read “Blood Music” (decades ago) and “Harry August” (MUCH more recently!) from this set. I only actually own “Eon” by Greg Bear, so I probably read “Blood Music” via my local childhood library - I still recall it even now 🤔 I do much enjoy Claire North’s work, which certainly tend to vary from one book to the next. I don’t read many authors that publish lots of standalones like North tends to.

[@WordsinTime]

That’s interesting, I’m glad you enjoyed them and remember Blood Music years later!

[@TuftyMcTavish]

BTW, I didn’t say that I enjoyed “Blood Music” … just that I recall it 😉

[@WordsinTime]

@@TuftyMcTavish Haha fair point!

[@mondostrat]

Norstilia is a top 10 for me. I like Murakami's style - Hardboiled was the first of his books I read. I think it's a good starting place. I'll be interested to know how you get on with it & whether you think it's SF or not.

[@WordsinTime]

That’s high praise for Norstrilia! And I’m looking forward to trying Murakami.

[@Doktor_Apokalypse]

Flow My Tears The Policeman Said is awesome

[@WordsinTime]

Nice, I’m excited to get to it!

[@Calcprof]

Some real classics here. If you like Mission of Gravity, then read Close to Critical also by Hal C -- this time a planet close to triple point of atmosphere (simultaneous gas, liquid, sold). Murakami is wonderful. Nostrilia is Cordwainder Smith, and incredible. Read his short stories, too. Flow my Tears is on of my favorite P K Dick. Others you might read (in addition to the ones you mention) are Galactic Pot Healer and the quite bizarre (even for PKD) Vallis.

[@WordsinTime]

I’m glad you’re a fan of these! If I enjoy Mission of Gravity I’ll check out Close to Critical next. And those are two of my favourite PKD books, so I’m looking forward to Flow My Tears!

[@Calcprof]

@@WordsinTime Hal Clement was a pseudonym of a high school Physics teacher, who spent a lot of time working out the physics of his word building. I briefly met him once at a Boston SciFi convention, IIRC.

[@WordsinTime]

@@Calcprof That’s awesome that you got to meet him!

[@Doktor_Apokalypse]

Just finished reading Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Nice novel based on the Many Worlds Hypothesis.

[@WordsinTime]

I thought it was great!

[@Tetsujin-28]

Norstrilia: a quick read. The problem I have with older Sci Fi is everyone seems to be upset/mad/frustrated with everyone else. I enjoyed Chthon by Piers Anthony to a higher degree. (Insanity turned up to 14). 1Q84: Not SciFi (...no matter what Moid says) , but it did knock Pillars of the Earth off my #1 spot.

[@WordsinTime]

Interesting! Thanks for the info!

[@DJYoue]

The First 15 Lives of Harry August is the only one of these I've read and I think about it all the time even years later, loved it as a book! One of my favourites. Also, I love Murakami but haven't yet read Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World so I really need to read that soon =D

[@WordsinTime]

I have since read those two and really liked The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August and did not so much like Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World.

[@jerryrichardson2799]

Out of these, I've read _Blood Music._ I've read a number of Cordwainer Smith's stores, but haven't got to _Norstrilia,_ yet. The foregoing is true for Hal Clement and _Mission of Gravity._ Science fiction got crowded out by other reading a long time ago, alas.

[@WordsinTime]

Nice Jerry, I’m looking forward to those!

[@Cosmic-Industry]

I’m so happy to see The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August! It is a very underrated book! It made me reconsider many of the choices I’ve made throughout my life! Stories of Your Life and Exhalation are absolute masterpieces and I agree that they will change your life! I’ve only read 1Q84 by Murakami and I couldn’t put it down!

[@WordsinTime]

That is high praise for those three haha. I’m excited for them!

[@michaeljdauben]

I already had several of these books on my TBR list, but I just added Mission of Gravity and The End of Eternity to my list. 😅

[@WordsinTime]

Nice, I hope you enjoy them! I’ve read some of the books on this list but I haven’t gotten to those two yet. I’m looking forward to them!

[@Arkapravo]

The Carpet Makers is eloquent, the story spans across 80,000 years and tells the tale of a galactic empire, it is a deep study in anthropology and sociology.

[@WordsinTime]

I just finished it about a week ago and LOVED it!

[@timothybolt565]

I've read blood music. It's pretty good. it took a turn that i didn't expect

[@WordsinTime]

Awesome, I’ve been hearing mostly good things!

[@stephenwolnisty4013]

Ted Chiang is fantastic! Also, having read the Rifter's trilogy (that's actually a quadrilogy), I would say that you CAN read Starfish as a standalone novel. Personally, I think it's the strongest out of the series, though I also really enjoyed the sequel, Maelstrom, as well. There was enough of a complete ending offered in Maelstrom that I might suggest reading those two as a duology. If you really enjoy both of them and want more from their world, reading both installments of Behemoth would be the way to go. I found the first Behemoth installment to feel a little out of place due to a major shift in scope between it and Maelstrom. The second installment of Behemoth felt more graphic than the other novels without explanation, but I guess it does tie up most of the loose ends of the series.

[@WordsinTime]

Awesome! Thanks for the info Stephen!

[@YOGO_MUSHI]

Blood music is awesome!!

[@WordsinTime]

I’ve been hearing lots of good things about Blood Music!

[@BAMCIS2841]

I am in for a Blood Music read a long and for a few of the others as well.

[@WordsinTime]

Nice, I keep hearing good things about that one 🤜 🤛

[@ilanahalupovich]

Adding my recommendation to Norstrililla.

[@WordsinTime]

I’m looking forward to reading that one!

[@daveac]

'The End of Eternity' have my 1971 copy on the shelf - bought new (although the story itself written 1959 I believe :-)

[@WordsinTime]

That’s awesome!

[@khomo12]

Very interesting!👍👍👍🤖🚀📚

[@WordsinTime]

Cheers! 🚀 📚

[@FrankOdonnell-ej3hd]

thanks for doing a stand-alone list dislike series last one I read was gregory benford's galactic center it was very good but that was yrs ago the late greg bear was one of my fav sf writers and blood music chilled me to the bone arrival was absolutely beautiful film very original u r right about clement being part of the inspiration for dragon;s egg though haven't actually READ clement yet only muraraki book I plan to read is 1q84 although it is so long it could be a massive undertaking at my age read one of those coming to life again and again books by benford sorry to say wasn't that good agree with mark twain who said he would hate to live his life again nor would he want to live anybody's else's I am an even worse singer than u and don't even like my speaking voice first time heard a recording of it totally freaked me out haha⚛😀

[@WordsinTime]

You’re welcome! Thanks for all the great info, I’m glad you found Blood Music impactful! And yes, hearing yourself talk or sing can be a surprise haha

[@citrinedragon1466]

I read Norstrilia more than 40 years ago... and enjoyed it a lot... Unfortunately, I don't remember much else about it as I was in my fourth year as a scifi reader, plowing through almost anything that sounded interesting. I was raised watching star trek, Dr Who and then Star Wars came later, as did blakes 7.

[@WordsinTime]

I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@engrpe]

I highly recommend Blood Music by Greg Bear

[@WordsinTime]

I’m looking forward to it!

[@JohnG225]

The First Fifteen Lives... was a great read. Really enjoyed that one. Flow my Tears also good. I found Stories of Your Life to be a very mixed bag...some excellent and some a bit 'meh'.

[@WordsinTime]

I’m glad you enjoyed Fifteen Lives and Flow My Tears. Short story collections are often a mix, but hopefully I like most of them.

[@ishtarg8]

I only know of Mission of Gravity from Barlowe’s Guide to Extraterrestrials and his beautiful depiction of the Mesklinites. Maybe it’s time I read the story…

[@WordsinTime]

They sound interesting! Hope you enjoy it!

[@tiggeriffic8581]

I recommend Starfish. Peter Watts is hit and miss for me. This one was a great read and I enjoyed the characters and their interactions in a stressful environment. Did not read the rest of the series though, so can’t comment on those.

[@WordsinTime]

I’m glad you enjoyed it! It sounds intense!

[@blueman1904]

Could you kindly tell us, soft sci-fi readers, which of these books are in that category, please and thank you. BTW, thank you for recommending me to read Kurt Vonnegut's novel and I really enjoyed. Thank you.

[@WordsinTime]

I’m so glad you enjoyed Kurt Vonnegut! I haven’t read these books yet but from my understanding the following should be on the softer side of sci-fi: The Carpet Makers The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August Norstrilia Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

[@blueman1904]

@@WordsinTime Alright.....thank you.

[@hiccupingBuddha]

Starfish was a pretty interesting book, went into the second one and the story picked up and got more interesting. Then Huge Trigger warning for violent SA throughout the 3rd book, if i remember correctly (I dont think its in the 2nd one). Due to that, i would not reread this series.

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks for the info and the heads up!

[@anonymes2884]

Some corkers in there. And i'd never guarantee that a book will change someone's life but I _can_ guarantee that unless you have a physics degree (and maybe even then) you'll almost certainly be googling "principle of least time" shortly after reading "Stories of Your Life" :). (agreed BTW, that's a very pretty edition - mine just has the title in green letters)

[@WordsinTime]

Haha sounds good!

[@Buzzbomb23]

I enjoyed the first fifteen lives of Harry august. Wasn't mind blowing but good.

[@WordsinTime]

Nice, I’m looking forward to it.

[@carollarson4451]

“The Sparrow” and “Children of God” by Mary doria Russell. Please read and discuss.

[@WordsinTime]

The Sparrow is on my TBR. I don’t own a copy but I might get around to reading it next year.

[@ilanahalupovich]

Robert Young The Dandelion Girl for short tone travel.

[@WordsinTime]

I’ll look it up!

[@bfitzger2]

It's a bit disconcerting to see Cordwainer Smith become an "unknown" author - he was one of the most unique science fiction writers of his generation, both for what he wrote, and for his real-world background. He created weird and yet believable worlds in a time when many others were doing cookie-cutter backgrounds for their characters to exist in.

[@WordsinTime]

He sounds unique! I hope I enjoy him as much as you have!

[@ilanahalupovich]

Of you read urban Fantasy give a try to Paul Brandon.

[@WordsinTime]

Only sci-fi at the moment, but one day I’ll try more fantasy!

[@salustianoberrios405]

I wrote a stand-alone Sci-fi book that I think you would love. In fact, if you check it out-and possibly review it-I would be over the moon! 😊

[@WordsinTime]

Congrats on the release of your book! I don’t currently have time in my schedule for additional reads, but feel free to share it in the Share Your Writing section on my Discord server for people to check out!

[@salustianoberrios405]

@@WordsinTime I don’t have a discord. I don’t have any social media. BUT the book is called Growing Children. The author (me) is Salustiano Berrios. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say this: read the blurb, and if you have ever heard of a book dealing with the subject matter mine does, I’ll buy you a virtual beer.

[@WordsinTime]

@@salustianoberrios405 I’ll check out and I can share it in my Discord server for you!

[@salustianoberrios405]

@@WordsinTime that would be super dope, man. Appreciate it! And if you ever check it out, wouldn’t mind if you got back to me with a yay or a nay… ☺️ love the channel, and thanks for your support!!!

[@ryanskeff]

Can I send you a copy of another one for you to check out?

[@WordsinTime]

For time reasons I don’t do reviews on request, but feel free to make a recommendation. If it’s something I really want to read I’ll add it to my wishlist!

[@ryanskeff]

Totally understand! Lost Souls is an adventure scifi that is set in a Ring world that involves futuristic gladiators, genetic manipulation, and the story of a son trying to live up to his father's legacy and right the wrongs of the world.