Hunting For Sci-Fi Books In My Airbnb's Huge Library (Surprisingly Good Finds)

[@joshramirez7]

This might be the best size to quality library in existence.

[@JackMyersPhotography]

This was AS much fun as watching any sports-ball event you can name. The excitement grew and grew with each book revelation! A boxing match pales in comparison. This was pure fun watching you ferret out those great old books! I’m a book geek.

[@pixilixy]

I used to bring Zen... with me everytime i went home from uni, train ride through the night in northern sweden. I think i made it into 100 pages. I still have the book. As a librarian i am itching to get in there to sort everything.

[@dawnmoriarty9347]

I want to live there, read and sort them all out too

[@markphillips7538]

It's amazing what books people drag around with them and leave at hostels and International bookstores. I'm a bit south of you in DF in San Cristobal DLC in Chiapas. We get a lot of backpackers and people coming through. I can find some decent surprises in the used bookstores here. When I was in Seoul I bought a suitcase just to haul the books I purchased back.

[@Bookpilled]

I almost wound up in San Cristobal but figured it might pour rain the whole month,.

[@markphillips7538]

SC is a much different pace than DF. In 7 years I've never been able to predict the weather here. Some rainy seasons are brutal and others mild. I'm enjoying the channel BTW. @@Bookpilled

[@PoeticArson]

I adore the vibe of this video. Really loving the channel refresh after the move. Not to say I wasn't enjoying the channel before, but I think the channel will really come into its own over these coming months. Much love, Matt.

[@cundinamarca8]

I am drawn to read Alfred Bester. The find was Virtual Unrealities, short story collection.

[@fortRedBorder--.--]

"Meh" on Kavelier and Clay (Chabon)? It's a great read, as is "Telegraph Avenue", but my personal favorite is "The Yiddish Policemen's Union". To each his own. :)

[@BOBSCOTTONLINE]

FYI - remember the fruit picking basket/pole is in the corner there in case you have the need and can't place where you saw it last 🙂 Thanks for continuing to share your literary and physical travels.

[@MrWeezer55]

Dos Passos is a must. It's remarkable how contemporary his prose reads- shows he had an enormous influence. Catch-22 is a must, a one-hit wonder. John Fowles is fun but ultimately kinda disappointing. Love the jaunty music are very glad you are enjoying your time.

[@georginatoland]

I literally squealed when he pulled out that particular edition of the USA Trilogy. Been on my “to acquire” list for a while. I believe a new edition is getting published this fall. (Yes, I could buy the books separately, but noooooo.)

[@chimrichaldsmd]

This is your English teacher from high school. Apology NOT accepted.

[@elliotwalton6159]

Make him write the test over!

[@chuckbridgeland6181]

Lewis "space trilogy" -- you should be able to find a fee ebook for download. It's out of copyright many places. John D. McDonald, Ballroom in the Sky, was one of his (few) SF novels. I read it when I was young, no firm recollection of the plot. India as world dominant power. Colin Wilson, hmmmm. (Read Space Vampire when in HS. No clear recollection of it.)

[@jtecram]

On the Beach is one of my all time favorites. Remember catching the remake miniseries late at night when I was a teen and having it absolutely mess me up. One of those stories that have stayed with me for decades at this point.

[@georginatoland]

They made us read it in seventh grade. All I remember now is the euthanasia of the dog. So yes, this book stayed with me…but not for any of the reasons my teachers would have wanted. 😂

[@OurRawHeart]

I read Catch-22 during lockdown. Ashamed I hit 46 and had never read it. It is unlike anything I've ever read. Utterly absurd!!!.......And War and Peace is much more readable, and enjoyable, than I ever expected. Another lockdown read.

[@beethoven2351]

If you're interested in trying the crime genre, I highly recommend the John D. MacDonald novels featuring Travis McGee.

[@keithdixon6595]

Great vid, just what you want to find in an Air b&b. A hint about the crime novels ... if you want to find a way into crime, you MUST read Elmore Leonard. He grips from the start, is funny, the characters are interesting and the books are never about 'solving the problem.' Of the ones you found, read Swag first, then Pick up on 52nd Street, and perhaps leave Mr Majestyk till later (it was written after he'd written a script/treatment for a movie, which was made with Charles Bronson). Robert B. Parker is a lot of fun and a quick, easy read - you'll devour them in an afternoon. If you really did find a Ross Macdonald on the bottom shelf, you should definitely go with him early - his books are beautifully written, literate, interesting and well-plotted. He had a PhD in the works of Samuel Coleridge and often used classical references to give depth to his works, while keeping them contemporary and speedy to read. Don't bother with Amis' The Pregnant Wife - not one of his best, imo. Fantastic that you found some Bester stories - I've never seen that collection. I envy you the next few weeks!

[@julieclaudette8323]

I am excited to see that Treasure of Sierra Madre is a book! One of my movies. Thanks for showing it. It's going straight on my to-read list.

[@salty-walt]

Of COURSE the selection is full of Hemingway and Lawrence, it's a travelers book cache, it will be rich in books previous generations used for self examination while in the reveries of foreign isolation. I expect some Kerouac soon, and if there have been younger folks a Master and Margherita (hopefully no "Sophie's World.") WOW! Colin Wilson! Totally *should* be there, but I didn't think it would still be. Great surprise! Thanks for sharing!

[@SciFiScavenger]

Thank goodness you spotted that Dan Brown classic at the end! 100% you english lit teacher will forgive you now. 😂

[@louisblackforester]

Best ending ever !

[@sethball2475]

That was fun to watch. Rocket to the Morgue by Anthony Boucher is an old Mystery novel of special appeal to SF fans - the murder links to the SF community of the time, and the Science Fiction authors Boucher features in the novel are based on real writers. I recently got to poke around in the cellar of a bookstore that is closing, and was lucky enough to find The Case of the The Seven Sneezes by Boucher, in an ancient but healthy paperback edition, so it was funny to see you find Rocket to the Morgue in there. If the MacDonald stuff or the Robert B. Parker novels don’t end up being that tempting, the Boucher is actually a Mystery often sought out and read by Science Fiction fans. The Far Pavilions is actually a barn-burner of an Historical Romance. Recommended.

[@davidaldinger3666]

The Alfred Bester book is wonderful. A true gem. Also you should read the Elmore Leonard books. He wrote truly great characters in these 200 page books. His westerns are some of the best around.

[@Bookpilled]

Reading the Bester now and loving it

[@tectorgorch8698]

Once you start reading B. Traven you'll never stop, and if you wait till you're really in the mood for Zen And The Art oMM -- it will totally move your mind around in interesting and unexpected ways. And it's a fun read.

[@phaedrus2633]

"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". You have to read that. Very interesting, more about taking charge of your life.

[@HuplesCat]

Catch 22 is ace. Great finds. Stunning range and depth. My recommend is Wuthering Heights. I’d never read it. It is brilliant. Totally freaky and violent.

[@mjau65]

Sun Also Rises and Moveable Feast are Hemingway at his best

[@helpfulcommenter]

A Moveable Feast is a great book to read while traveling.

[@bradykelso8682]

The Trumpet Major and David Copperfield Hell yeah. I’m on my way. Read Copperfield! Maybe to Sons and Lovers? You’re killing me. Kristin Lavransdatter is stunning. This made my day. Off to Openheimer-where my head will literally explode. Great video!

[@wrystryder2156]

Love MacDonald. Didn't know he did a sci-fi. Cool finds👍

[@rein2889]

Alfred Bester’s Virtual Unrealities is top tier. A reminder that while William Gibson played an important role he was not the beginning of Cyberpunk.

[@ralphmarrone3130]

As far as I’m concerned Alfred Bester was the best of all the golden age writers.

[@meesalikeu]

@@ralphmarrone3130 you mean he was the bester ... and he was!

[@DavideMana]

The Far Pavilions is actually historical adventure/romance set in colonial India, not high fantasy. It is actually quite good, if you like the genre.

[@OmnivorousReader]

M. M. Kaye ; highly underrated author in my opinion. Her books set in India are great, but her mysteries are too.

[@B0BsBooks]

Better selection than some second hand shops!

[@douglasdea637]

Wow, nice little room. Plenty of good finds with a wide range. Walk in the Woods is good. More people should read Bill Bryson.

[@zachzackzak]

Have you read any DeLillos? He's one of my favorites

[@bradykelso8682]

Yes, I’ve read all volumes of My Struggle. Strange and fascinating. He’s got his own style.

[@unstopitable]

Libra rocks, bro. Give it a try. Really interesting finds. I love coming across books like The Marx Brothers one and On the Beach--things I wanted to read, but didn't know I wanted to read. Sounds like you're having a good time. Thanks for sharing.

[@bretgrandrath2935]

I read SF almost exclusively but i can recommend Catch 22 and the Spenser novels by Parker.. Catch 22 is clever and funny, it almost reads like a time travel story the way it jumps around as if Heller finished the book and then shuffled the chapters. The Spenser books are also funny and clever. Spenser reminds me of the stereotypical SF protagonist loner out to save the world. Parker throws in many unexpected references that make me laugh out loud. I'll go out on a limb and say you are more widely read than i am so you will get more of the literary references. They are not deep books but they are good palate clensers.

[@dimitrikorsakov2570]

Damn, all that crime fiction and no Chandler! I was hoping you'd come across one.

[@BooksForever]

My own cats took heightened interest in this video as soon as your vocal visitor arrived.

[@helpfulcommenter]

This reminds me that I have a vintage copy of The Moving Target by Ross McDonald I am planning to read this summer. Thanks bud

[@lamarhenderson8058]

Far Pavilions is not high fantasy. It's about the British Raj.

[@audio.visuals.atmosphere.]

My Struggle 1 & 2 are actually pretty decent and quick reads, in case you're up for something else than scifi. If not, we're always here to hear you tackle the most obscure gems!

[@MrVvulf]

1:31 I grew up less than 3 miles from Laurie Lee's hometown (village really). He's from Slad, and I lived in Sheepscombe, Gloucestershire. Both are tiny villages, with populations under 400. Most of his works are set there and it's some of the most idyllic countryside in the world. "As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning" is the sequel to "Cider with Rosie", which has had several movie and television interpretations.

[@vdr3846]

Plot Twist- small Mexican man walks in & says “what are you doing in my room?”

[@emosongsandreadalongs]

State of Fear is fantastic. It's fairly over-the-top but has an important message about not just following the crowd and instead looking at the evidence and finding out the truth of things for yourself

[@ejh314]

IMHO, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is one of best books I have ever read. I highly recommend it.

[@MemphiStig]

Two places where I got books recently that surprised me were a church that gives out food boxes and the animal clinic. The church had quite a diverse but small selection, and the clinic was mostly (duh) animal oriented, but I still found a couple of books I was interested in. Nothing special, but you just never know. What a crazy world this is.

[@shannonm.townsend1232]

For crime fiction just read Jim Thompson, it's highly addictive

[@odd-looking-dude]

Dan Brown 😂

[@lootbylauren]

I spied The Feather Thief - if you haven't read it you definitely should. It's a true story about an amateur fly-tyer/musician who robs the British History Museum. I really enjoyed it

[@Parker307]

That book is so great

[@chrisw6164]

Robert B Parker is excellent, Elmore Leonard is too. John D Macdonald is probably up your alley, he’s also done science fiction if I recall correctly.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Re McDonald, you're thinking 'The Girl, The Gold Watch and Everything' probably.

[@ejh314]

Where are you staying? I may have to visit just based on the library.

[@juanmorales9738]

It’s like you entered a mine and struck gold. Ross Macdonald is like a spiritual descendant of Hammett and Chandler. John MacDonald is a fun writer. His main character is Travis McGee. I love Robert B Parker and his P.I. Spenser.

[@christopherwoods5150]

I attended 3 book club meetings in my town. The one that suckered me in was Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, which I'm sure I've read 10 times, and met another nerd that had partook of all the versions I had missed, notably the radio shows, the video game, and the comics. The next month was Zen ...Motorcycle, which wasn't an easy read, but felt very rewarding, and I think I brought some insight. The last one was for Game of Thrones book 1, which I wasn't going to read, but we were well into a few seasons of the show, and I was curious what people were going to say; and I had seen several clips on YT, and tried not to put too much of my foot in my mouth.

[@PFNel]

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is by B. Traven, who is interesting for two reasons: One, he was so mysterious that no one really knew who he was! See the trivia on the imdb entry for the movie. Two, his short story "The Third Guest" was published in Fantastic in 1954 and became the first story from an SF magazine to be included in Best American Short Stories!

[@Bookpilled]

Interesting

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

You and I have read so much of the same stuff it makes me laugh..... the Wilson novel is a minor but interesting one, he signed that very edition for me when I met him back in 95, the Bester collection - read from page 136 to 272 and that's "The Dark Side of the Earth, my favourite SF short story collection of all time, read the others afterward. Dos Passos in great, Brunner used it as the model for 'Stand On Zanzibar'. I met Knaussgard about a decade ago, cool guy, we discussed obscure Scandi lit and he was impressed- I was overawed as he was about 5 inches taller than me and I'm six one, great guy. What larks. Crime? Leonard is in my view fabulously overrated, give me Charles Willeford anyday, Robert B Parker has a great reputation, but none of the crime I saw in this clip jumped out at me.

[@donaldb1]

_Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,_ is a of course a pretty famous example of the counterculture/self-help diy enlightenment sort of book, which I would normally avoid like the plague. But it is a very superior example of the genre. I found it most interesting for the autobiographical element, dealing with the author's experience in the mental health system (in I think the 50s or early 60s, I forget which). The Poul Anderson looks pretty cool.

[@sgtwanderer]

USA Trilogy is an amazing read!!! I never hear anyone mention it but it's an absolute favorite for me.

[@helpfulcommenter]

Most people don't even know the origin of "Badges? We don't need no steenking badges!" and it gets said all the time. But being a man of culture you have great taste in Bogart movies. (Incidentally most people also don't know that line was never actually said that way...... the bandito says "Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges. I don't have to show you any steenking badges!!" Love that movie

[@daveqr]

Recently read the book and it's really good, worth reading. I've become a Traven fan. That line comes from the book.

[@helpfulcommenter]

@@daveqr On reading your reply, I'm reminded that the "misquote" of the line is what actually entered the popular consciousness, because it was in Blazing Saddles. Lol. They were making a reference to the previous classic film. But when most people quote it, what they're actually quoting is Blazing Saddles, misquoting Sierra Madre. And then in the movie UHF, when they get the delivery of animals that includes badgers - "badgers? badgers??? We don't need no STEENKING BADGERS!!!" hahahaaaaa Like a game of telephone.

[@zkinak2107]

Oh cool, I have that same copy of On the Beach!

[@donaldb1]

_Catch-22_ is brilliant. I have nothing more to say about that.

[@patrickoleary9979]

Catch 22--upvote:)

[@rodneyadderton1077]

You found a few hidden gems in there. 'A Moveable Feast' was a good read, I thought. Alot of good feels in there for me. Something about how Hemingway wrote. I enjoy these videos. You and I have a lot in common it seems.

[@57hound]

17x Infinity-great anthology of old SF short stories!

[@smokinmystic7363]

Hi Matt! Fun video. Yes, The Outsider by Colin Wilson is non-fiction. It’s great, I think you’d like it. I think it was his first book, written when he was very young, like 19 or 20🤷‍♂️ Glad your enjoying your travels in Mexico! Be safe!

[@danieljette8007]

I read a SF novel by John D. Macdonald once and it was quite good but I don't remember the title. I still recommand his Travis McGee novels, particularly The Green Ripper if you can find it.

[@shannonm.townsend1232]

John McDonald wrote SF??

[@jeffruebens8355]

I recommend Crichton's first book called A Case of Need, a mystery about abortion that might have helped Roe vs. Wade get passed. When he was doing his internship to become a doctor, with an inside look at doctors. Also John Irving's Cider House Rules for a similar plot at an apple farm + illegal abortion clinic.

[@uncannyvalleywoods]

Awesome!

[@noahmatuszewski8085]

I'm only 3 minutes in, but I hope you go with the Sigrid Undset.

[@thomasp6034]

There's a lot of good books here!! I enjoyed The Human Factor by Graham Greene, it's a spy story but a rather untypical one, where the characters joke about how different their lives are from the works of Ian Fleming. Also raises interesting moral/political questions about "betraying" one's country.

[@bookmeridian]

If you're gonna read Crichton id recommend Sphere, I read it around the time I read Blindsight. Its not as amazing as Blindsight but it is still a solid first contact book.

[@arekkrolak6320]

War and Peace is a quick read, I had a two tomes edition, read one each year

[@tectorgorch8698]

I agree that it's a great page turner and Anna K. is an even better read....

[@OfJaggedRisings]

Are you enjoying g Mexico City? You should do another video on the new area :-)

[@GuitarGears4544]

Read some Fowles-- you won't be sorry. The Magus is a great mixture of fantasy and history. Not in the least like high school homework.

[@TrevorAndersen]

That Hideous Strength can stand alone. It’s also the best of the series. It took me several attempts to get through though. It starts like a manners book and turns into epic fantasy. Really good book though.

[@einarleif]

Knausgaard is definitely worth your time if you find volume 1.

[@francoisjohannson139]

Sigrid Undset won the Nobel Price

[@rein2889]

You might want to hit up Crimenolly with a list of those pulp crime novels to see which are better.

[@vdr3846]

Sun Also Rises is my favorite Hemingway.

[@BioPhoenixReviews]

i love the Michael Crichton books iv read but i will admit State of Fear is not something that interest me. and i laughed at what you said with War and Peace. but im sure its a really good just a huge chonker

[@ballerboyz99]

Catch-22 was my favorite book for about two decades and was only recently supplanted. Its truly beautifully crafted. As someone who read every Crichton book in high school and college, you aren't missing much. Smart dude (MD from Harvard I believe), but not a great writer. He writes with almost the intention that the book will be adapted into an action move. If you must try one of his books, try Congo or Airframe they are much more interesting and less fucking predictable. Honestly though, I think you will hate him. I would LOVE to hear your take on C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. I hated how interesting they were.

[@gsztjnrtgnhjt]

That ending hahaha

[@newyardleysinclair9960]

3:15 has that been translated into German lol

[@phaedrus2633]

"The Far Pavillon" is a history based novel about India and Afghanistan. Kind of dry in places, but a good read.

[@HuplesCat]

On the Beach is a decent read but why not use the mines in Australia? Always annoyed me they didn’t

[@davea136]

You might want to reconsider the Borges. It is a rewarding exercise to take a book in a language you don't know and translate it for yourself, using only a pocket dictionary. But you need to have the set of mind that does not treat it as a job. _A Midsummer Tempest _ is great fun. Like aeting a bag of potato chips. I don't care for Dickens or Hemingway. Nothing disparaging, just don't like them. And I read most of their works trying to figure out why people like them so much. _On The Beach_ haunts me to this day. And the Science Fiction Fireplace is reborn! Hooray!

[@kokorospirit5006]

Not easiest to start reading in Spanish though...

[@elliotwalton6159]

John D. MacDonald is a pulp master.

[@zetectic7968]

Quite a few nuggets in the dusty library & not a lot of dross.

[@bsjeffrey]

i'm reading that hideous strength right now.

[@r0kus]

It's good that the creepy doll was staring at you and not us. I don't think I could have been brave enough to sit through that.

[@sams5963]

The Far Pavilions is historical romance set in India.

[@wmeisel]

People love that Sigrid Undset book. I, myself, have never read it…

[@newyardleysinclair9960]

Are you staying there for a year?

[@qpqp2339]

5:46 EM Forester? Like, Howard's End EM Forester? He wrote sci fi? :O

[@Bookpilled]

The very same

[@billkeon880]

Marx Bros rule…and Catch 22, one of the funniest and best books I’ve ever read

[@rein2889]

Did you see the shout out you got from Jared Henderson on his latest KZbin video on best reads of ‘23 so far?

[@darthelooi8021]

Just read War and Peace, there's no point in waiting for a better moment, cause that will never come, it will always seem too long.

[@onehandslinger1475]

How do you travel with all those books? I tried Catch 22, I got bored and never came back to it.

[@disconnected22]

Proof I grew up in a Thriller/Spy novel house - I could spot Le Carre’s “A Perfect Spy” just from the thumbnail

[@meesalikeu]

first of all, moveable feast is my favorite book of all time hands down. an absolute and super easy read must, its hilarious. i would love to hear your take on it. second -- definitely also read zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance. its about a wayward free spirit type father spending time with his autistic child. its very of its era, with one flaw being that they did not understand autism very well back then in the late 1960s early 1970s and with i think another being a major flaw of this being an absent father who thinks he is doing such a great thing dropping his me generation doing his own thing man stuff for a moment to spend brief time with his kid. but do not let that stop you as it is really written in an interesting and i thought compellingly unique way. i know you read faulkner as i lay dying rather recently so if you recall daryl the carpenter you will get an idea of this guy and so you can see where the autism apple fell off the family tree there. its really a uniquely told classic though and an easy quick read and very well worth it.

[@bradykelso8682]

You haven’t read War and Peace? I’m booking a flight!