BEGINNER to EXPERT - 12 Sci-Fi Book Recommendations

[@mikesnyder1788]

I am a big fan of "Dragon's Egg," which I read about forty years ago, and there is one scene that has stuck with me all these years. The cheela "astronaut" has boarded the human ship and determines that interspecies communication is impossible because of the speed differential between the two sentient entities. Then, the cheela "astronaut" detects a cancerous growth in one of the humans and then proceeds to removes it. Just a short scene but I really thought that was a nice touch to describe the speed differential which was what the book was all about.

[@WordsinTime]

That’s a great scene! I loved the ending and the interaction between the humans and the cheela.

[@cristiankinzel9529]

Amazing concept for a video and great recommendations.I'm already feeling this could be a series or at least have a "part 2",

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks Cristian, I’m glad it was helpful!

[@Crizzybooks]

Ubik is one of my all time favorites. So weird and such an experience. Great recs!

[@WordsinTime]

I’m glad you loved it too!

[@TenFan54]

Yes! Watch Contact! 😊

[@WordsinTime]

Will do!

[@lissavanhouten6628]

A good beginner's sci-fi: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.

[@WordsinTime]

Absolutely! I loved Project Hail Mary!

[@corley-ai]

Strongly disliked. So much worse than Martian that it was hard to believe it was the same author.

[@Joe-lb8qn]

@@corley-aiopposite reaction from me I loved it.

[@SexyGandalf89]

​​@@corley-ai Interesting. The Martian is one of my favourites but I enjoyed Hail Mary even more. Artemis was a miss for me, though.

[@delcore123456]

best audiobook ever!!!!

[@DaBIONICLEFan]

Definitely intrigued by 'Spin'! I think I've heard it mentioned on other sf videos at some point and your mention of it here has confirmed its addition to my tbr. Cheers 👍

[@WordsinTime]

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

[@ac-gp3kz]

Highly recommend Spin and the follow up novels Axis and Vortex. The way it all ends is so out there but satisfying.

[@dearashad]

Please read Spin as soon as possible. I’ve always told my children that good scifi has good science and Spin is one of the very best scifi books I’ve ever read. It’s very friendly to normies, holding your hand through some difficult to understand concepts. Very well done.

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

This was an incredible vid! Read the first two but none others, and can’t wait to try some of the intermediate and advanced ones!

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks Benghis! I hope you enjoy!

[@jeraldgooch6438]

I read Dragon’s Egg soon after it came out. Thought it was a fun read. I did not find it that much harder to read than Niven’s Ringworld. Recommend the movie version of Contact. Really enjoyed this video. Thank you!

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks Jerald!

[@Talking_Story]

Amazing list! Love the green screen work!

[@WordsinTime]

Haha thanks John!

[@Paul_McSeol]

Wow. I am NOT an expert yet. But there’s some things to add to my TBR. And the film Contact is very much worth a watch. Thanks so much!

[@WordsinTime]

I’m glad you enjoyed the film!

[@kellymoses8566]

Dragon's Egg takes place on the surface of a neutron star. Stephen Baxter's Flux takes place inside one. The human analogs smell photons and see sound because sound travels faster than light at neutron star densities.

[@WordsinTime]

@@kellymoses8566 I haven’t read Flux yet, I’ll have to check it out.

[@Heir2thesun]

Bro I've been waiting so long for someone to talk about egan. I've been obsessed with his work for so long and I hate that he's so underrated

[@WordsinTime]

Permutation City is one of my all-time favourite books. Egan is incredible!

[@askani21]

I am also completely obsessed with Greg Egan's writing! Right now I'm finishing the Orthogonal trilogy. The world building is fabulous, and the characters are so lovable!

[@guillermogarcialopez256]

Awesome video! Hope you make more like this Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start reading scifi

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks Guillermo, I’m glad it was helpful!

[@TomerArmarnik]

Thank you for this great list, I have read and enjoyed all but three, which are either currently or soon to be on my TBR. Keep up the recommendations.

[@WordsinTime]

Nice, I’m glad you enjoyed them! I hope you like the other three!

[@BenjaminsBookclub]

Ha I just reviewed Diaspora, it was very very out there, but I ended up loving it. It did break my brain a bit, my advice for books like that is to treat the math and science like you would a magic system, you don't need to grasp it 100% to enjoy it, its enough to know the characters did, just like it's not all that important to understand how a wizard conjures a fireball. I also loved Ubik and Blindsight, Dark Matter dissapointed me just abit, I think just because it was overhyped in my head. I need to read Quantum Thief it sounds right up my alley.

[@WordsinTime]

Haha science is a bit like a magic system. I’m glad you enjoyed Ubik and Blindsight. I hope you like The Quantum Thief!

[@alisonfarnell7228]

A few for me to try here, thanks! A fire in the deep was expert level for me, but now I'm reading Babel 17. Eek not a before bed read, too much brain power required. Although perhaps with the weirder books, letting it wash over you rather than trying to fully understand, is a better way to go?

[@WordsinTime]

I haven’t read Babel-17, but I found his novel Nova a bit hard to connect to and that’s supposed to be one of his easier ones haha. And yes, I think that’s a good approach!

[@branonmccain1875]

Great list! I'll need to read a few of those. I'd like to throw in some honorable mentions... Seveneves from Neil is great. Pandoras Star was amazing, and I'm surprised Hamilton nor Reynolds made your list. Both authors are amazing imo. Salvation Sequence was also great. Quantum Magician is also good! Thanks for the vid!

[@WordsinTime]

Those are all great authors! I’ve made some other videos on them and Reynolds especially is one of my favourites!

[@kufujitsu]

Robert Charles Wilson has become one of my go to authors. Two of his books : The Harvest, & Darwinia, were top draw. Looking forward to reading your recommendation, Spin, at some point.

[@WordsinTime]

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

[@brent6940]

Not sure if these are advanced or expert, but two of my all time favorite novels. Far Future, Post human... The Golden Age by John C Wright Aristoi by Walter Jon Williams

[@brent6940]

Sci Fi is sooooo good. Thanks for your fun vid!

[@WordsinTime]

@@brent6940 Walter Jon Williams is on my TBR, I’ll have to look up John C. Wright. Thanks for the recommendations!

[@futureprogress]

Solid list; I've read and enjoyed all of them except for sea of rust, blood music and dragon's egg --- I have purchased all 3 and look forward to reading them, thank you!

[@WordsinTime]

Awesome! Hope you enjoy!

[@pramodhost]

I'm so happy that I found this channel🥰. Thanks for making these wonderful videos. ❤

[@WordsinTime]

You’re welcome! Glad to have you as part of the channel!

[@thecurtis]

Great video!! I've read Dark Matter, Blood Music, and Diaspora. Enjoyed them each very much, but the one that I think will stick with me the longest is Diaspora. I'm now looking forward to reading several of the others on this list! I think I might start with The Quantum Thief.

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks Curtis! I’m glad you enjoyed those three, I hope you like The Quantum Thief as much as I did!

[@Deadlyish]

Nice list. Not sure if I'd agree with Ubik as an intermediate read though, it's one heck of a mind-melting narrative that requires you to really pay attention.

[@WordsinTime]

@@Deadlyish It is trippy! In a good way haha

[@anthonya3524]

"Dawn of G-0-D : The Artificiall Supreme Divinity of HEAV-1" is an excellent book for beginners. It has modern AI elements with deeply philosophical undertones. It is available in Kindle for very cheap. Note the G-0-D has a zero in between G and D.

[@WordsinTime]

@@anthonya3524 Interesting! I’ll look it up.

[@TheBeardedBookBeast]

Great video! I love your passion for these books! Youve had my wanting to check out Quantum Thief for months. I already have Sea of Rust and am excited for that. Im reading Service Model in a couple of weeks! Thanks as always for great content, you rock!

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks for the kind words! Let me know what you think of Service Model when you read it!

[@TheBeardedBookBeast]

@@WordsinTime Will do, I got the special edition from Broken Binding and it just came in!

[@IanPrest]

*Contact* is even more fun if you read it with Carl Sagan's voice in your head the whole time. The movie is decent. Some changes from the book, obviously, and one famously-overacted scene. But worth checking out. I also loved *Blindsight* and *Quantum Thief* . I'll have to check out some of the others on your list.

[@WordsinTime]

Hope you enjoy them!

[@TheBRD0001]

Some of these sound interesting. I will have to check them out. Thanks for the list! I do feel that Ursula k le guin should be on here… maybe intermediate. And several Octavia butler’s sci fi books are solid beginners (parable of talents). And of course Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the ninth. Definitely an advanced or expert sci-fi/ fantasy read. Do you have any lady author recommendations?

[@WordsinTime]

@@TheBRD0001 Sure! Here are some of my favourite sci-fi books from female authors: The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood The Children of Men - P.D. James Frankenstein - Mary Shelley A Memory Called Empire - Arkady Martine Electric Forest - Tanith Lee Dawn - Octavia Butler

[@TheBRD0001]

@ I literally just bought children of men. I will have to move that one up the to-read list. Thank you!

[@WordsinTime]

@@TheBRD0001 Hope you enjoy! It’s a bit slower paced than the film but I loved it!

[@EricKay_Scifi]

For The Quantum Thief, Though I might have been lost on the sentence, I was never lost on the page.

[@WordsinTime]

Love that description!

[@cindywingetbooks]

I know i am late to the party, but fun video! Have you read the prequel to Sea of Rust?

[@WordsinTime]

@@cindywingetbooks I haven’t but I’m intrigued by that era of the story!

[@cindywingetbooks]

@@WordsinTime I haven't yet either. Hopefully we will both get to it soon 😉

[@PedroAmA]

Glad to see Blindsight made the list …. 3BP, contact and Blindsight are my favorite sci fie books

[@WordsinTime]

@@PedroAmA Three great books!

[@askani21]

If you've enjoyed Blindsight, be sure to read its counterpart, Echopraxia! Both novels make up the Firefall duology. Echopraxia was my favorite of the two!

[@BookishChas]

Great recommendations Jonathan! I added several of these to my list. Dark Matter is one of my favorites.

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks Chas, I’m glad you enjoyed Dark Matter. Hope you like the others!

[@PoorPersonsBookReviewer]

I’m gonna buy blood music right now, great video

[@WordsinTime]

Awesome, hope you enjoy!

[@jamiecraven6677]

Thanks for the suggestion, I started reading Dragons Egg and it’s exactly the type of book I like.

[@WordsinTime]

That’s great!

[@dalejones4322]

Glad to hear your thoughts on Diaspora, in particular. It was such a tough read for me. Usually I can skim over hard science things when it's just a sentence or a paragraph here and there. This was something different. There was one page where I had no idea what it was talking about and most of the words I either didn't know the definition of or I had never heard before. That made it a slog. I'm sure, for a very smart person, it's A good book. Too hard for me to enjoy. I wonder if the author was just flexing his brain to show off. I read his short stories book Axiomatic and it was really good. Thanks Jonathan

[@WordsinTime]

Haha I enjoyed Diaspora, but it was tough. I found Permutation City an easier and better read.

[@mhbackman]

Yep. Permutation city is mindbending but palatable. Love Egan!

[@WordsinTime]

@@mhbackman Glad to have you on Team Permutation City haha

[@wallhagens2001]

What a fun way to order your list! I'm gonna work my way through your syllabus. 😊

[@WordsinTime]

Haha hope you enjoy! 🎓

[@darrylgaston7009]

after reading "Blood Music" I bought about 12 Greg Bear Hardbacks LOL, I use to get them off Ebay for dirt cheap prices! Now I got a Kindle and gave maybe 200+ books to the local library.

[@WordsinTime]

@@darrylgaston7009 That’s cool! I recently read Eon and enjoyed that too, but Blood Music is still my favourite of his.

[@seymourtoa]

What do you think about any of Stephen Baxter's novels and short stories?

[@WordsinTime]

@@seymourtoa I’ve only read Ring but I loved it!

[@keithdixon6595]

I like Stephenson and have read Cryptonomicon and Seveneves. I started Snowcrash a few days ago and just couldn't get into it. 😔 I might try again ...

[@WordsinTime]

That’s okay. Snow Crash is supposed to be a bit more tongue in cheek than his other books. I plan to read Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon and Seveneves eventually!

[@Paul_McSeol]

I loved Snow Crash but it’s definitely doing double duty as a satire but also a book that exemplifies the best tropes of cyberpunk. Seveneves was one of those books that made me depressed about humanity.

[@leifkjnny5424]

It was a pretty different experience reading it when it came out... it was simultaneously a lethal parody of, and an ultimate example of, the cyberpunk genre as it stood at the time.

[@stevemodlin6447]

@@WordsinTime Also Reamde is fun although its more cyberpunk than SF

[@ChristopherLamke]

Interesting list. I'm curious as to why there's no Stanislaw Lem or Ursula Le Guinn in the list.

[@WordsinTime]

@@ChristopherLamke There’s too much good sci-fi to include in every list but I have talked about those authors in other videos.

[@Kim_Miller]

I've read none of the beginner level here but have read and reviewed Spin, Ubik, Blindsight, The Quantum Thief, Accelerando. I started to appreciate Accelerando after about a hundred pages when I could see more clearly what Stross was doing with the story and the reader. Here's a part of my review on Hardcover: "He packs every sentence with crazy terminology and new concepts so that many sentences don't make sense, although page by page it's somehow coherent. There's a famous sentence in writing, 'colorless green ideas sleep furiously' which is nonsense as a sentence and filled with self-negations even though it is grammatically correct. That is this book in a nutshell. About two thirds the way through I suddenly thought, "This is one giant piss-take. He's filling the story with all this crazy stuff and all the while sitting there with a smirk thinking, 'See, I'm still doing it to you.' "

[@WordsinTime]

Haha that’s a fair review!

[@nicholasjones3207]

There are PKD novels where it’s easier to keep track of what is going on than Ubik. That said I’m about to read it for the third time. Might go with the three stigmata of palmer eldritch first though.

[@WordsinTime]

Three Stigmata is my second favorite of the six PKD novels I've read so far.

[@joesweeney6262]

So good to see you holding one of favourite author's books ever: Greg Egan's Diaspora. The opening is mind melting. Fans of hard sci fi should also check out Egan's anthology Axiomatic and look up his phenomenal short Tap.

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks for the recommendations! I’m looking forward to reading more Egan!

[@farisj]

Where would remembrance of earth's past be placed?

[@WordsinTime]

Good question. I’d say Advanced. But it has been very successful, so it must be fairly readable to a broad sci-fi audience.

[@lightningbolt4126]

hmmm, where would deaths end lie? Maybe low advanced or high intermediate??

[@WordsinTime]

Good question, I’d say advanced!

[@lightningbolt4126]

@@WordsinTime gotcha, makes sense, Ty. Just finished the book and it was mind boggling. Love your videos ❤️

[@WordsinTime]

@@lightningbolt4126 That’s great! Glad to have you as part of the channel!

[@zoefezius6615]

ah, greg bear, love it... especially queen of angels... but its fasciniating for me that Mars Trilogy and Stand on Zanzibar almost found in no ones lists...

[@WordsinTime]

@@zoefezius6615 Greg Bear is great! I own Red Mars and Stand on Zanzibar but haven’t read them yet, although I have read Shockwave Rider.

[@j85grim4]

I just started Blindsight last night, am about 50 pages in and haven't had any problem following it so far. Does it get harder as it goes or something? I'm a little bit of a science nerd 🤓 so it's been up my ally so far.

[@WordsinTime]

@@j85grim4 There might be some more world building mysteries, but if you’re enjoying it so far then you’re probably going to have a good time with it!

[@j85grim4]

@@WordsinTime Wow that was a fast reply haha. At first, I found it very strange how light hearted the narrator is, especially when he's describing his violent childhood. I was a expecting the book to have a more serious tone and be a lot more difficult than what I have experienced so far.

[@WordsinTime]

@@j85grim4 I think it is a serious book but the narrator is emotionally detached. Will be interested to see what you think by the end!

[@j85grim4]

@@WordsinTime Alright I will. You responded so quickly I am now subscribed.

[@WordsinTime]

@@j85grim4 Haha appreciate it. Welcome to the channel!

[@57ACEM0R7H]

No Revelation Space universe by Alastair Reynolds?

[@WordsinTime]

@@57ACEM0R7H I have another video on Revelation Space. Reynolds is one my favorite authors.

[@TyrantVirus3]

Wasn't aware of most of these. Really appreciate you breaking them up into categories and putting some less popular titles on here. Nothing hurts like getting halfway into a sf book thinking you're going to get your mind blown and then it turns out you're just reading something like Dark Matter 😂

[@WordsinTime]

Haha glad it was helpful!

[@CaffeineAndMylanta]

Cool list! I like how you describe the books without anything remotely approaching a spoiler. Will definitely check some of these out eventually. If I had to make my own list, Beginner: Recursion by Blake Crouch Intermediate: Children of Time Advanced: The Dispossessed by Ursula K LeGuin Expert: uhhh…House of Leaves by MZD (does this count as sci fi?)

[@WordsinTime]

I’m glad you enjoyed the video! Those are some good selections. I haven’t read House of Leaves but have heard good things!

[@SlackerBabel]

Aristoi by Walter Jon Williams would make for a good Advanced selection. Imo it builds on Zelazny's character Sandow from Isle of the Dead, another great read, but that wasn't surprising given that those two writers admired each other.

[@WordsinTime]

@@SlackerBabel Sounds interesting, I’ll check it out!

[@loanthanhbui]

Just getting into Dark Matter so I can watch the TV series afterwards. I can't wait to read Diaspora though, thanks for the recs!

[@WordsinTime]

Awesome, hope you enjoy!

[@JMEPatterson]

Great list - Blind Sight and Diaspora are both favorites of mine. If you can get through these you should try Risen Empire. The Golden Age by John C Wright is in my top three of all time

[@WordsinTime]

Awesome! Thanks for the recommendation!

[@jamesjacobs4209]

Dragons Egg was a fabulous book. Looking at a totally alien world far outside our physics and yet very relatable as you see an race of beings that live and evolve on the surface of a neutron star.

[@WordsinTime]

@@jamesjacobs4209 I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@mbmurphy777]

Dark matter: not a fan. Enjoy it for what it is I guess but I would have low expectations. I have no idea why it is so popular.

[@WordsinTime]

@@mbmurphy777 That’s okay, it might not be for everyone.

[@mondostrat]

Contact is an enjoyable film

[@WordsinTime]

Nice!

[@StarLightDotPhotos]

Spin isn’t available on Audible even though I’ve seen it on there before. I should have gotten it before!

[@WordsinTime]

Hopefully it comes back!

[@StarLightDotPhotos]

@@WordsinTimethe second and third novel are on there so it might just be a temporary glitch.

[@curtjarrell9710]

I need to get PKD onto my TBR later this year. Btw I met Robert L. Forward briefly during my bookselling days when I worked for Waldenbooks. He was very friendly and much smarter than I'll ever be. I read part of Dragon's Egg, but it's above my pay grade.

[@WordsinTime]

That’s cool! I’m glad Robert was friendly when you met him. PKD has lots of good books, I hope you enjoy them!

[@joebartone606]

If you’re looking for a way to get into sci-fi, I recommend Childhood’s End and The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress.

[@WordsinTime]

@@joebartone606 Childhood’s End is one of my all-time favorite books!

[@RedFuryBooks]

I liked this approach! I feel most sci-fi works could be categorized as such to make it easier for the non-hardcore sci-fi fans to pick.

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks! I’m glad it was helpful!

[@thatfuzzypotato1877]

Dark Matter is definitely a fun book! Flux by Stephen Baxter is another one that plays with the concept of life within a neutron star, not his best book but the ending was great!

[@WordsinTime]

@@thatfuzzypotato1877 I’m glad you also enjoyed Dark Matter. I need to read more from Baxter!

[@quitefranklyjosh]

The Contact film is one of my FAVORITES but I have yet to read the book. Definitely think you should check it out!

[@WordsinTime]

That’s great!

[@jamesbittle9789]

The film is excellent, highly recommended.

[@joesweeney6262]

Another wonderful sci fi 'philosophical' writer from Australia to track down is Terry Dowling. His book Rhynosseros was s beautiful, toughing, thoughtful and truly original. I'd rank it as light sci fi or middling, along with Philip K Dick.

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll look it up!

[@johnfitzsimmons126]

Blindsight was very good but a little difficult to push through at some points. The payoff is worth it, but after finishing I just felt... kind of tired. I haven't been able to bring myself to start the sequel.

[@WordsinTime]

@@johnfitzsimmons126 That’s fair. It does require a bit of work.

[@richardostkamp3569]

Dark Matter is on my list - would you recommend reading or watching first? Hey, maybe even do a video on the topic - 3 Body, Station Eleven, Sweet Tooth, Shogun (not sf but just awesome show) - book or tv first?

[@WordsinTime]

I’d say read Dark Matter first. I haven’t read those other three, but thanks for the suggestion!

[@burge2695]

I suck at reading sci fi....3 body problem was good of what i understood...but alot of it went over my head...i can read things like dark matter tho...but I'd like to get better at the harder stuff

[@WordsinTime]

@@burge2695 The more you read the easiest it will likely become. Start with some of the softer stuff and work your way through to some harder stuff.

[@Maxvla]

How about a similar video but for sci-fi series? I tend to prefer long series so the author has plenty of time to develop characters and plot. From the junk food style Undying Mercenaries and Expeditionary Force (fun and doesn't take itself too seriously), to the Ender Saga (beyond Ender's Game, in particular), Honor Harrington, Ark Royal and The Lost Fleet (space opera), The Culture and Foundation (including the robot series and empire series). These are some of my favorite series.

[@WordsinTime]

@@Maxvla Those are good picks! I haven’t read as many series start to finish compared to standalones, but I do plan to make a video on my top series in the future.

[@omniboy-prime]

I'm now reading the Portal, from brandon q morris. I'm past half the book and it's very good so far. Give it a try

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll look it up!

[@omniboy-prime]

@@WordsinTime it's very refreshing for me. The story has some adventure, mistery, exploration and clearly some hard sci fi. Also a lot of action happens underwater, and It does a very good job making the reader feeling that way.

[@kufujitsu]

I've only read a couple of your recommendations, & both books were good : Ubik, which is one of PKD most entertaining SF novels. & Blood Music : I found it very character driven, which is alright, but I wished there were more depictions of it's transformed world, than was actually shown in the book - it also had a chilling ending, which was absolutely perfect.

[@WordsinTime]

I’m glad you enjoyed those two!

[@rsablosky]

Yes! Watch "Contact." To your "expert" list I would add "Vast" by Linda Nagata, a far-future space opera filled with fascinating ideas.

[@WordsinTime]

I haven’t read that one, I’ll have to look it up!

[@thenerdyentrepreneur8093]

Interesting I need to check out some of these

[@WordsinTime]

I hope you enjoy them!

[@jackassplus]

I'd like to add a few, Beginner - Look to Windward by Iain M. Banks. Intermediate, Flux by Stephen Baxter. (really the whole Xeelee series, but Flux is my favorite (so far))

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks for the recommendations! I haven’t read those particular two books but I have enjoyed other books by Banks and Baxter!

[@glenchapman3899]

@@WordsinTime Another great early from Baxter is "Rust" definitely in the advance category though

[@skinnyman2272]

I wouldn't say Stephen Baxter's Xeelee Sequence is intermediate, it's pretty complex due to the nature of the setting, almost every civ with FTL has time travel, plus the scope of the series is too massive and keeping up with the timelines can be pretty hard.

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Brilliant video!

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks Rachel!

[@kellymoses8566]

I really didn't think The Quantum Thief was that hard to understand if you are used to standard sci-fi tropes. It is VERY good.

[@WordsinTime]

@@kellymoses8566 I’m glad you enjoyed it too!

[@PatricioINTP]

I was hoping to hear The Golden Age (aka The Golden Oecumene #1) by John C. Wright with your expert level books. I consider it teeth shattering hard sci-fi, and even reading the description might sound intimidating depending on where you read it from. It sounds like Accelerando in your list (that is, full of technobabble), except our entire solar system is the setting. The protagonist found out he and EVEYRONE ELSE was given amnesia over something he said or did. Him trying to find out what serious crime he did is the main focus of the first book. The primary form of communication is a mix of video phone, virtual reality, and telepathy. A form of AI do most of the work, while everyone else mostly pursue their own projects and artwork. There is only one court, and the entire military is just one guy... in which most people forgot about.

[@WordsinTime]

I’ll have to look it up!

[@PatricioINTP]

@@WordsinTime Just note it was written to be one book, but the publisher wanted to turn it to a trilogy. This caused some issues. The first act (book) fires plot twists in rapid succession and is the best of the three as it has all the world building. The third is just one overlong reveal.

[@TerjeMathisen]

I have read all of your last two categories, just a few of the beginning ones. Does that mark me in some way? 🙂

[@WordsinTime]

Haha you like playing on the hardest difficulty!

[@witoldnowak1986]

could someone recommend more sci fi books of advenced and expert level?

[@WordsinTime]

@@witoldnowak1986 Advanced: William Gibson Expert: Stephen Baxter

[@clsteele]

Loved Sea of Rust (and the prequel Day Zero) they were written really well and super engaging!

[@WordsinTime]

I’m glad you enjoyed them!

[@kellymoses8566]

I consider Permutation City to be a prequal to Diaspora. It is one of the most philosophically mind-bending book ever.

[@WordsinTime]

@@kellymoses8566 It’s so good!

[@Amadeus451]

Chasm City by Alistair Reynolds was amazing but probably a little more on the difficult side. Reynolds is definitely a more plot- focused author though, so don't expect much in the way of deep character development. We're here for big ideas and concepts, not ooey-gooey emotions.

[@WordsinTime]

@@Amadeus451 Chasm City is great, but I agree, the first half was a little confusing.

[@thomr9399]

Great video! It seems to me only that maybe the advanced ones are harder to follow than the expert one? I haven´t read Dragon´s egg yet, but I can´t imagine it being "more difficult" than The Quantum Thief, only more science-oriented :D...So it´s just a matter of definition

[@WordsinTime]

Yes, that’s a good point. Not necessarily more confusing, but even more science.

[@MelodiousThunk]

I loved half of Children of Time and had very little interest in the other half. The half that I loved was the half about the spiders and the other animals on their world. I didn't realise that this is a common enough feeling for it to be a relatable basis for a book recommendation!

[@WordsinTime]

@@MelodiousThunk I liked both, but I also preferred the spider storyline.

[@taylormelton6661]

I love the idea of beginner to expert. I hope you rate more books like this. Gives me good ideas of what to read. I read 3 Body Problem as a beginner and struggled with a lot of technical parts of of the video game and almost DNFd it. I think exploring more basic ideas in fast paced can be a good primer to get to some of the technical. Any recommendations on advanced or expert sci-fi dealing with lamguage? Im a linguist so I think I'd get a lot of that type of technical stuff.

[@WordsinTime]

@@taylormelton6661 I’m glad it was helpful! I think language plays a role in A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. And I haven’t read it yet, but I believe it’s important in Babel-17 by Samuel Delany.

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

_Hellspark_ by Janet Kagan deals glancingly with linguistics, but more directly with various cultures, including one where they are trying to decipher whether the planet's natives even *have* a language. It's not the most sophisticated science fiction, a high schooler could read it without much difficulty, but it's one of my enduring favorites.

[@Momentumunboun]

I think I got through Dark Matter in a day. Loved that book 😃

[@WordsinTime]

Haha it’s a page turner!

[@FrankOdonnell-ej3hd]

You listed several of my favorites. Dragon's Egg actually has a sequel called Starquake but don't know if it'll give you any more satisfaction assuming u haven't already read it. Also the Contact film is pretty good though recall it introduces a religious character don't think was in the book and makes the plot a little too much about the science vs religion conflict which is why I prefer the novel. Just hope if u really like jody foster's character try to keep your appreciation within bounds as some of her past admirers unfortunately have not haha. ⚛😀

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks for the info Frank!

[@Emily12406]

where would Children of Time rank?

[@WordsinTime]

@@Emily12406 I’d say Intermediate. It’s great!

[@Emily12406]

@@WordsinTime I read the first book, and loved it!!!. This was my introduction into Sci-Fi

[@juliebggeek6545]

Contact movie is DEFINITELY worth checking out!!!

[@WordsinTime]

@@juliebggeek6545 That’s good to hear!

[@im36degrees]

contact is a great movie. i read to book first decades ago, and i remember wondering whey they made some of the changes they did in the movie, but to be honest, I don't even remember what they are now. I've read the book once, but have watched the movie probably 9 or 10 times.

[@WordsinTime]

That’s a strong endorsement!

[@Yesica1993]

@@WordsinTime I love both the book and the movie!

[@easytargetYT]

Additional category: Beyond Expert: The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe.

[@WordsinTime]

@@easytargetYT Haha it’s tough one for sure

[@TuftyMcTavish]

👨‍🏫 Exciting curriculum, sir! You’ve set some ambitious homework ahead of your students. I fear I won’t be passing this course with a Degree with Distinction as I suspect I’ll top out at Advanced, despite being a mature student 👨‍🎓

[@WordsinTime]

Haha I believe in you Tufty!

[@bartsbookspace]

Diaspora went way way way over my head. 😂 Awesome video: idea + execution TOP

[@WordsinTime]

Haha me too! Thanks Bart!

[@nightlydrugs6927]

Three Body Problem was the same for me but I looooooved it. So I just read it three times lol.

[@rolanchristofferson9363]

Your videos always get me to run to ABE books and drop some coin.

[@WordsinTime]

Haha we can fight the TBR together!

[@FishOnJJ]

Think I just got a double masters with Terra Ignota by Ada Palmer… But I enjoyed it!

[@WordsinTime]

Haha I have just read the first book so far.

[@bfitzger2]

To use a gaming metaphor, Greg Egan is hard mode.

[@WordsinTime]

Haha this is true.

[@justinecooper9575]

I would add "Stand on Zanzibar" by John Brunner to the Expert Category.

[@WordsinTime]

@@justinecooper9575 I’ve read The Shockwave Rider by Brunner but haven’t read Stand on Zanzibar yet.

[@justinecooper9575]

@@WordsinTime The Shockwave Rider is an excellent read also.

[@travisporco]

yes, blindsight is absolutely brilliant.

[@WordsinTime]

@@travisporco I’m glad you loved it too!

[@robyoder583]

great list all winners. the 1985 contact book is great the movie did not stick to the book . i also believe that they put a movie version of the book out with the same name ( not sure of this )

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks!

[@dandybufo9664]

Radix by A.A Attanasio is high up on my list of esoteric sci fi

[@WordsinTime]

@@dandybufo9664 I’ll look it up!

[@askani21]

Schild's Ladder, by Greg Egan! Read it! 😊 It's highly intellectually stimulating, but the characters are also very touching, warm, and wholesome. It's as mind blowingly surreal as it is deeply rooted in human emotions and interconnectedness.

[@WordsinTime]

@@askani21 Awesome! I love Egan and plan to read more including Schild’s Ladder.

[@johnk6757]

Greg Egan is the goat of "advanced scifi". I keep reading the newest award winning scifi and nothing is on that level conceptually

[@WordsinTime]

@@johnk6757 He’s amazing!

[@bazoo513]

5:47 - I beg to differ. (BTW, yes, the film is OK.) **** SPOILER **** AVERT YOUR EYES! Ahem, OK. So, "classical" first contact story is about contact with "ordinary" aliens, someone like us, but different, if you see what I mean. Here the our protagonist SETI scientist meets what/whom you might consider God(s) or at least creators. Our Universe is an artifact (as I often say, a Cosmogony 101 exercise on some university for mata-beings; OK, perhaps this was a practical PhD thesis.)

[@WordsinTime]

I understand your differentiation. I meant it was classic in terms of the setup, but I agree the way it ends up playing out is different.

[@bazoo513]

@WordsinTime Yes, the setup _was_ the classic first contact, but only from the human side. In, say, Rama we soon reach the actual contact.