My Ten Favorite Books!

My Ten Favorite Speculative Fiction Books!
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[@DanielGreeneReviews]

Big thank you to Squarespace for sponsoring today's video. Be sure to checkout www.squarespace.com/danielgreene

[@krr-li1ru]

Could you please give a review of the book "Unveiling the Science Behind Your Dreams: A Fascinating Journey into the Depths of the Mind"?

[@BobsonDugnutt-nm6sc]

Octavia E. Butler turned me off with Fledgling. That was creepy as hell, and not in a good way.

[@skullsquad900]

Considering how much you like Stephen King and "The Road," I'd love to hear your thoughts on "Swan Song"

[@therandominfochannel6619]

Daniel, I know you get what must feel like millions of recommendations, but if you haven't seen the movie Threads, I cannot recommend it enough. It's a British TV movie from the 80s about a very sudden nuclear attack and everyone's attempt to survive the aftermath. If you like The Road and Children of Men you will probably like Threads.

[@OverlySarcasticProductions]

"I'd like to read and review some historical fiction" *Heavy Venetian Breathing -B

[@karlwilker579]

You all should start a book/media podcast called Red, Blue, and Greene.

[@manoghnagangavelapalem6623]

@@karlwilker579 OH my gawddd, yessss!!

[@nitsanraviddaos4797]

​@karlwilker579 There's an RGB joke to be made here, but I ain't gonna be the one who makes it.

[@miketerzakis1022]

OSP AND GOBLIN LORD MY WORLDS ARE COLLIDING

[@karlwilker579]

@@miketerzakis1022 Hello Future Me, Daniel Greene, OSP, and Murphy Napier are all friends.

[@thefriesofLockeLamora]

Sigh. Opens TBR shelf...

[@per-c8229]

I felt that in my soul

[@thefriesofLockeLamora]

​@@per-c8229 it's an inevitability

[@dumbsocrates]

Yup. Dropped 5 Audible credits during this video. Luckily, the first four Sun Eater books are free. 🎉

[@Turbo_Waitress]

I have missed these top list videos. I enjoy Daniel’s unbridled excitement for things.

[@MichaelCoxMTG]

I know negative content brings in the views, but I agree that my favorite thing is watching people gush about what they love.

[@dianaayt]

40 min for a top 10? 4 minutes for each? I LOVE IT

[@TheTrueRandomGamer]

10. The Road 9. Parable of the Sower 8. Going Postal 7. Jade Legacy 6. Best Served Cold 5. The Sword of Kaigen 4. Pet Sematary 3. Demon in White 2. This is How You Lose the Time War 1. A Memory of Light Honorable Mention: A Storm of Swords I know he said favorite, not best, but some of these still make me raise an eyebrow.

[@Bt-cq6te]

im surprised it isnt 10 wheel of time books with the remaining 4 as honorable mentions

[@TheNerdLounge]

None of these surprise me as a long time viewer of the channel. Daniel raves about all these books

[@TheNerdLounge]

@@slothrob he literally explained at the start that he was calling it “Speculative Fiction” instead of Sci-Fantasy…. He’s not using the legitimate definition.

[@drakhir]

@@slothrob If you watch the first minute, you'll find out ;)

[@thebookist1651]

I am surprised no Cosmere

[@wisconsinengines]

Accidentally clicked on this as soon as the notification popped up without seeing what it was but i guess I'm hype now

[@spencers6263]

Take a shot every time Daniel says “speculative fiction” Edit: he even says this in his own video after watching the whole thing 💀

[@Veles_Ra]

I don't have that much alcohol in my house

[@elderboucher5849]

Never heard the term speculative fiction before clicking on this video and its already been worn out for me

[@Toe_Jamson]

Speculative fiction rolls off the tongue so much better than Sci-Fantasy.

[@gizzardgizzard3583]

I still like sci-fantasy because it bothers snobs and keeps them away

[@silverx_1848]

No it does not 😂

[@michaelmcgee335]

Not necessarily the same thing.

[@connorjames8807]

SFF is so easier to type tho 😬

[@BadNeighbor762]

Sci-Fi sounds better then Spec-Fic

[@Bepeuthebookworm]

I really loved this list, bravo branching out the group of books you can talk about, I can't wait to see how that changes the mix of books you review and discuss!!!

[@LogDod]

Edgar Wright directing a Terry Pratchet adaptation would be peak

[@Chrfenne]

Absolutely. But may I counter with Edgar Wrights: The Lies of Locke Lamora 😮

[@anneroosv]

I will always love long videos where Daniel just talks about books. I need all of them. Thank you!

[@joereece3386]

Seeing your videos and your passion about fantasy / sci-fi is so touching and contagious; every video excites to read more and to finally get down and write. I’m struggling to actually start the process, probably out for the usual hesitant fears, but once I do I feel this channel will have been a major and consistent motivator for me ❤

[@robertoleary5470]

Honestly would love some speculative fiction that were not apocalyptic but rather has positive its outlook. Feel like people (or rather myself) needs positivity for the future l. Would particularly like European or Irish books

[@insertname2035]

European or Irish? Aren't they the same

[@robertoleary5470]

@@insertname2035 well yes but if nothing can be found on the island would settle for something from the continent

[@ReinReads]

A Psalm for the Wild-Built & A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers should scratch that itch. To Be Taught, If Fortunate and Wayfarer series as good for that if you’re looking for more SciFi.

[@robertoleary5470]

@@ReinReads thanks

[@Spretzjnjikhow]

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid is a strangely heartwarming and optimistic consideration of what a world-order where borders lose their meaning would look like, can recommend.

[@Mindnbodyexp]

Towers of Midnight for me. I will forever lament no expansion on the land of Snakes and Foxes.

[@davidgalloway8179]

Enjoyed the post. Would like to see in future a list on favourite series cause that can drastically change peoples top ten lists.

[@rapha_spi]

The Memory of Light part actually gave me goosebumps

[@rhonwenbaker2448]

tears be welling back 😢 But also... "... Egwyne got the ending they deserved" 🤭 That's right, Daniel, yes, she did 🤣

[@n88466]

Great list, has definitely added a few books to my TBR. Would love to see a top 10 fav authors video along with your recommendations for books of theirs to start with. Even if we all know what number 1 is going to be 😂

[@harrisonbodrie9708]

Great video! Your channel got me into Abercrombie and while I love the 2nd trilogy the best overall. BSC is my first stand alone and it was perfect. The pacing the sheer brutality of shivers. Made me really appreciate the 2nd trilogy even more in retrospect.

[@Jrdn357]

I'm honestly shocked that a Stormlight book didn't make this list. I knew WoT was gonna be number 1 and thought Words of Radiance or maybe The Way of Kings would be number 3 or 4. Stormlight is the only series that has rivaled WoT for me, especially the first two books. The story and world and characters are just so fucking perfect. I'm surprised that you could rank one series as number 1 but not rank the other at all, lmao. I feel like when Stormlight is completed it might take the top spot from WoT, for me. Just the fact that its first two books alone make it one of the greatest series I've ever read is insane.

[@mythun6735]

Oathbringer is my number 1 book of all time. I know a lot of people vote WoR as being the best of the 4 so far, but regardless I'm just thoroughly shocked that no Stormlight at all, and not even any solo Sanderson work is on here.

[@Jrdn357]

@@mythun6735 I totally understand Oathbringer being your favourite, it is many people’s favourite because it contains several of the greatest MOMENTS in the series thus far within it. But in my opinion, and Sanderson agrees on this, WoR is his best book. Oathbringer has the best moments by far other than “Honour Is Dead”, but overall it has a lot more problems than WoR, specifically with pacing. WoR is almost a perfect book. Everything is balanced perfectly, the plot, characters, world, etc. and it is absolutely perfectly paced. I don’t think it could be paced any better, and despite it’s length, almost none of it could be cut. Oathbringer on the other had has some issues pacing-wise, especially in part 4 and to a lesser extent part 1. Those parts of the story are a bit of a slog I actually had trouble getting through the first time (part 4 was way worse for me than part 1 though). But yeah, I totally understand why so many people think of Oathbringer as the best in the series, cause all the coolest shit happens in it. But it does have some flaws that hold it back from being as good as book 2 for me. WoR is as close to perfect as a book can get, in my opinion.

[@JJMB27]

I like Sanderson as an author and his complete work is excellent, but no individual book of him would make into my top 10. The single books are not as good as the experience that emerges from them.

[@Jrdn357]

@@JJMB27 I dunno, the first two books of Stormlight, even alone, are almost perfect. I don't think I've ever read a book that was so perfectly paced as those two are, except for A Storm of Swords.

[@JJMB27]

@@Jrdn357 I disagree but totally understand your feelings. Those were great books. It's just that there is a point where they are all great books and it's all about personal preference.

[@javil1648]

Having A Court of Thorn and Roses as number one came as a surprise.

[@JesseRad]

I'm currently reading Knife of Dreams. I've been reading the Wheel of Time for over 20 years and still haven't made it to the end, but I'm determined! So, yes, it makes me very happy to hear how much you enjoyed the ending. I can't wait to reach it. I'm sure I'll get goosebumps too.

[@jellevanbreugel325]

damn bro, 20 years? talk about a slow read! Enjoy the ride!!!

[@JesseRad]

@@jellevanbreugel325 I read it up to book 10, took a long break, then re-read it up to book 10. After a good recap of the lore, I've now finally moved forward. I'm going to make it! 😁

[@rhonwenbaker2448]

You're in for an amazing ride. Have fun!

[@magtheultra1037]

Same here, have read it ro book 8. Was exhausted😂. 15 years pass. Want to read it again - but hell, 15 books....

[@JesseRad]

@@magtheultra1037 There's a channel on KZbin named something like Wheel of Time Lore. It does a great job summarizing the books to help jog the memory of it's been a while. Try it out and join the ride! 😀

[@nathanhall9345]

Man. This is How You Lose the Time War is one I bounced right off. But how you talk about it, and sandwiching it between Suneater and Wheel of Time...I may have to give it another shot.

[@GladiatorDude17]

Intruiged that Stormlight didn't make the list, but a great list nonetheless

[@kaybraywarriner7431]

Daniel! Hello! Long time fan, probably first time commenter- LOVED this list, but I would be SUPERHYPED to hear a list of your 10 fave speculative books that don’t fit in Fantasy or Sci-Fi. What do you think??

[@beLIEver31415]

Great video (as always). Just picked up the Greenbone Illumicrate editions from EBay because they are just too perfect and I've been eyeing them for a long time and you holding them just pushed it over the edge HAHA :D

[@Jdp547]

Thank you for sharing. Your taste is my taste and 3 of those books are in my top 10/top 1. So I know our tastes align and I will subscribe.

[@sadee4175]

As soon as you mentioned horror I was like "Oh I bet this is Pet Semetary " because oh my god that book. It may not have my favorite ending... but that build up is so chilling...

[@scotedler3984]

My new thing is the urban fantasy and I didn’t even start with the Dresden files. But wow Dresden is great! I also found Realm of False Gods really good with great action and pace

[@heatherbocks]

I lean more towards speculative fiction than high fantasy, so I’m loving this!

[@stevencooney3347]

It’s all subjective of course but Storm of Swords should be on the absolute Mount Rushmore if we’re really talking about considering each entry to a series individually. That book is perfect and was the source material for BOTH of the two best seasons of GoT (3&4). Somehow, the book is better than that two season arc, which was genuinely the best two season TV run ever.

[@debthompson5454]

Good list!! Finished "The Road" this morning. WOW

[@SuperPuddingcat]

@SuperPuddingcat 17 minutes ago I highly recommend watching the movie. If you had trouble really imagining the utter desolation of post-apocalyptic life described by McCarthy, this movie will make you recoil in horror but you also cant stop watching. To this day when I think of Viggo Mortensen I don’t see Aragon, I see the emaciated form of “the man”. Absolutely stellar performance by Mortensen.

[@amyschmelzer6445]

The “what if” is one of my favorite aspects of speculative fiction. I don’t read a lot of what fantasy readers and scifi readers usually call fantasy and scifi. I like the stuff that’s more along the edges.

[@barbararowley6077]

My top 10 can, and does, change from moment to moment, but I’d say at present it’s (in no particular order); China Mieville’s The City & The City; Ursula K LeGuin’s Left Hand of Darkness; Iain M Banks’ Consider Phelbas; Iain M Banks’ Feersum Endjinn; Connie Willis’ To Say Nothing of the Dog; Jeff Van der Meer’s Annihilation; Susannah Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell; Terry Pratchett’s Feet of Clay; Diana Wynne Jones’ Dogsbody and Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere.

[@jeff8835]

Hey Daniel, i just thought i'd comment here to say that you've helped me form a basic approach to fantasy series on this June 16, 2024, along with a few other channels, there is a high possibility that all i'll ever read for the rest of my life is this stuff, i crave immersion, of losing myself in other worlds, and really feeling the character dynamics. I don't at the outset want to be too participatory in the fan culture, but that might change as i might become more compelled to let that enhance the experience, but for now i just want to mark the occasion by initially commenting to those who've planted the seed and promise many enriching insights during my journey. Thank you!!

[@chestersnap]

"Horror story targeting grief" - immediately knew it was Pet Semetary. That book is brutal. Also, Stephen King just spoils his own books in the text sometimes. And it really works in this case because it's immediately after a happy moment he's all like "in two weeks this toddler will be dead" which immediately sucks all of the joy King hopes you never experience again. And then the next chapter is again somewhat happy but is again undercut by another reminder of this child's death. Happiness is an illusion. There is nothing but grief and obsession. Everything you love will come to an end

[@Saphire1111]

Where can I find which books are behind him on the book shelf? I reconize the books I have read, but want to know the ones I have have not read yet!

[@ericakriner3205]

Daniel I want you to know I FINALLY read Kindred because of this video and LOVED IT. Horrifying and heartfelt and heartbreaking in equal measure. I can’t wait to go read more of Octavia Butler’s work. ❤️

[@birgertales]

Great list & some I've even never heard about 😃💙📚 I'll definitely try out Dungeon Crawler Carl sometime down the road, you've peaked my interest for the series by reminding me about it again 😜 Looking at it through the lense of a dark fantasy author, my first hunch is that it could perhaps be considered as a dark fantasy with humor? Or a scifi-fantasy with dark fantasy elements? What's your conclusion regarding this? :)

[@arthurmarshall6825]

I did not like "This is how you lose the time war" but this is the first recommendation for it I've seen that mentions the romance which probably would have help me. I read it because I saw so many recommendations saying how great it was, but none of them mentions romance. So when the romance pop up when I was expecting the story to go in a different direction, it killed my interest immediate. I went back to finish it since I was so close to the end. Good ending but I was already soured to the whole thing.

[@EvelyntMild]

I never would have thought to compare Discworld to Edgar Wright, but so apt!

[@varenoftatooine2393]

It fits surprisingly well

[@RyanMireles]

Great list! Added a few books to my reading list based off of this. On the note of self published authors have you checked out The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba yet, or do you plan on checking it out in the future. Imo its one of the best self published epic fantasy stories being written right now. Great series even if it takes a bit to get really good as her writing/prose is pretty rough at first (but improved very quickly)

[@RevengeoftheEnts]

Thank you for making this term more widely known! People ask me what I like and I say “speculative fiction” and every time I have to explain.

[@georgebarrone]

are you releasing a paperback version of neon ghosts anytime soon / non kindle ebook?

[@UrsinsJerk]

another great video bro. i dont follow many youtubers,.. i follow you. never regret watching your videos

[@DragonRebornn]

As a UPS Driver and a fellow Goblin, I appreciate your words good sir about the parcel system in the US.

[@ASaund-qb6wy]

Yeah the Martin books were very good, no reflection on the show at all TBH and yes, A Storm of Swords was AMAZING.

[@raezersharp]

Honestly, Daniel's channel is one of the few book channels that I can always find wonderful recs. Love to see the content getting diverse and broad over the years ❤

[@brandon-ivancastillo9601]

OH MY GODDD yess i am currently on storm of swords and it is INCREDIBLE and might be my fave so far!

[@overtonwindowshopper]

Haven’t read The Road in years but excited to do a reread now! Blood Meridian will forever be my favorite McCarthy, I think it’s among the best books ever written

[@jasonthedave6140]

I've read a few of those and will be adding others to my TBR. I couple that I'd have on my top 10 weeks be Dune (Herbert) and Hyperion (Simmons).

[@spookykid4]

Love the disheveled goblin. Respectfully, what does speculative fiction actually say/mean? It’s very ominous/ambiguous.

[@Tripple1ZRO]

Great Video!

[@brodymercer8166]

Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer & Shogun by James Clavell are two of the best historical fiction books I've ever read and I fully recommend them to everyone.

[@kategrossi8717]

I have a different taste than you but here we go! Awesome vid as per usual

[@tunafarrell2067]

Watching something like this, unsurprisingly, makes one think of their own top 10 books. I've been pulling a lot of my books out of storage and re-reading them and have discovered that some of my old favorites have not aged well and I can no longer count them among my favorite books (I'm looking at you Alan Dean Foster).

[@barbararowley6077]

I still love Sentenced To Prism and am upset I can’t remember who I lent it to so I can hound them for it back!

[@tunafarrell2067]

@@barbararowley6077 I liked all of his books, and haven't re-read that one recently, but it was the "Damned" trilogy that I felt didn't hold up when I re-read it about a year ago.

[@dajtoad1]

I’ve only read his Pip and Flinx books. From memory, those were ok?

[@tunafarrell2067]

@@dajtoad1 Not sure, I can only comment on the few books I've pulled out of storage and reread. The Icerigger trilogy was okay, but I haven't gotten to any of the others yet.

[@dajtoad1]

@@tunafarrell2067 Hmm. Not read that one. It is a sad fact that books by many authors do not age well, but I don't remember ADF having the type of issues that can mar other works (eg racism, non-con, homophobia etc). Have to admit that my re-reads have not been all that recent, though. Just checked the reviews of the one you mentioned and it does sound like a bit of a fail.

[@RubenRodriguez-co9jx]

Good job getting me to instantly buy at least two books on this list.

[@giants8585]

Storm of Swords will probably always be my favorite book.

[@brandonschmidt53]

Just got my neon ghosts....looks so good

[@coolguy69verycool]

Best Served Cold seems weird to start with since you'll meet Caul Shivers without context but maybe it would become a hype moment when you see him again in the First Law adaptation.

[@CHiCguitar]

There's nothing better to me than when a magic system is explained with science. It mirrors our development as a species and our understanding of the world. What once would be seen as magic is now something you learn in school as a 5 year old. It's incredible.

[@joeconwayr]

Read th Aubrey/Maturin series and the Kingsbridge series. Amazing.

[@SenorTallon]

I came to the comments to say this! Daniel has mentioned his love for the relationship between the protagonists of The Gentleman Bastard series, and in my mind the relationship between Aubrey and Maturin is the greatest friendship in fiction, haha.

[@mostlyvoid.partiallystars]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1677">27:57</a> it’s a salute haha. Even in gymnastics 😂

[@isn0t42]

I read Pet Cemetery at a fairly tender age, and I used to be scared of sleeping in the same room with the book.

[@evandickinson6393]

Historical Fiction rec: Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. It's a historical fiction account of the King Arthur myth, and it's very very good!

[@yinanzhang3324]

Warlord is truly the greatest

[@mariareadsssf]

I am so glad to see Octavia E. Butler on your list. For me it is hard to choose between "Parable of the Sower" and "Parable of Talents" as my favorite speculative work. Another favorite is the whole of "The Dandelion Dynasty" by Ken Liu. Engeneering, law, langyage, historical vicious cycles... Now I am going to mention a short translated work that not many readers know about: "Tainaron. Mail From Another City" by Leena Krohn. This is Weird Fiction on the surface, but a commentary on humanity underneath. P. S. I am excited for everyone to discover M. L. Wang's new standalone, "Blood Over Bright Haven" now that it will be traditionaly published.

[@tkinsey3]

Total agreement on Pet Sematary. So many horror books depend on jump scares or plot twists, and that book has basically none of that. It's clear within like 50 pages what is happening and what will happen. And as the reader you are essentially just sitting there begging the character not to do what you know you would also do. The ending is just absolutely, unapologetically brutal.

[@d20Rethgaal]

I dropped the ball on on the ASOIAF book ordering and so I shall stay silent NO LONGER! What is with the differing heights on the Malazan books? 😭😭😭 (apologies if addressed before, I clearly missed that video)

[@Andrew-ss7jd]

I think the're custom overcovers made by his partner, so probably just normal Malazan books underneath which aren't uniform in size. Also, no Malazan on this list and not even an honourable mention makes me very sad 😓

[@snehaaiyer7279]

Loved your list! Venn diagrams ftw 🙌❤

[@bs56644]

Anybody know where those Malazan covers are from?

[@Murcatto-hu1ym]

Do the Suneater books get better after the first one? As it was huge slog to get through with a main character I didn't care about and hardly any interesting side characters.

[@andrewvakoc2306]

friking yes! the first one is deffinetly the weakest for me but 3-4 are some of the best-written books I've ever read.

[@limarbernardo]

As of right now, my list looks like 1. The Brothers Karamazov 2. Don Quixote 3. Crime and Punishment 4. Blood Meridian 5. House of Leaves 6. 1984 7. No Longer Human 8. Meditations 9. Siddhartha 10. The alchemist I might remove or change the order due to books I haven't read yet. i.e. war and peace, moby-dick etc.

[@lucasmonk4258]

Can someone please tell me where to find the WoT special edition that's on Daniel's shelf?

[@DavidScotton]

It looks like KZbin hid my other comment, probably because there was a link in it. But it's a one of a kind work of art made by another KZbinr.

[@sarahhansen8004]

I did not see #2 coming, and am so glad! I know it’s already popular, but I hope more ppl pick it up now. It IS genius, I loved the experience of reading. Can’t wait to reread.

[@FranzBinder20]

Is there a reason for not adding timestamped chapters to such list videos?

[@anotherpawn]

Probably not good for engagement. Like a lot of people will just skip to the start of each chapter to see his pick, then click off,

[@danpgrady]

Ironically, the developers of The Last of Us have cited "The Road" as one of it's biggest inspirations.

[@lthecatt9667]

Not full novels, but I would definitely recommend the Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concerns. Edited by Dave Eggers, it is a quarterly literary magazine containing speculative short stories. They have been going since the late 1990s, and have employed some amazing authors such as David Foster Wallace and Stephen King

[@calmkat9032]

Daniel is always there for me when my watch later dips below 300 books. Also, I just got to book 9 of WoT after starting this journey 8 months ago, with a hiatus starting 6 months ago. I have no idea why people call this the slog. Maybe 10 will be rough, and 7 and 8 were maybe not as dense as I'd like, but this series feels like it's finally started! By some miracle, I FINALLY understand why you like Ninaeve so much (best ending to one of these so far, beating out book 3). And the romance! The character arcs! It's all finally happening! I'm so happy it's taking off even before Brandon started it, and given that you speak so highly of Knife of Dreams, I'm sure I'll have fond memories of Robert Jordan. Someone told me before my hiatus, "when you come back, you'll miss Robert Jordan's prose." I absolutely did not believe them, but after the fast pace of my life and my inability to sit and enjoy something (I've since been practicing Mindfulness), these books actually give me peace in a way no other fiction book ever has. I'm excited to see how Rand can finally grow as a character in a way that isn't "now he suffers more", and how the others will blossom as this series matures.

[@calmkat9032]

Also, I have recognized that Jordan's prose is so good, that I have a crush on Elayne, despite not actually having seen a picture of her. I have never been able to hold book characters in my mind's eye as well as this cast.

[@calmkat9032]

Update: Book 10 was actually ok! I get what people mean since there's no ending, but stuff definitely happens. It seems like everyone except Min and Rand got massive progress in their personal journeys, especially Elayne. Also, the trope of "what were the other characters doing while the last book happened" is not well-liked, though I personally loved it in Arrested Development season 4. But anyway, I'm super excited, since I have nothing but good stuff ahead of me! Except some people said getting used to Sanderson in book 12 is hard, but I don't think that applies to me.

[@account-gp4sn]

* One of my favorite books, Blood Meridian, does a perfect job of blending historical fiction, horror, fantasy, and even sci-fi.. and it's simply categorized as a "Western".... and for anybody who wants to know McCarthy's best book overall: it's Suttree.... The Road is his most easily readable book but NO way his best one!

[@grykraghhansen3334]

I haven't read that much yet (feel like I'm just staring down the abyss of the Donning-Kruger effect lol), but on my list would definitely be, in no particular order: Tress of the Emerald Sea Feet of Clay from Discworld, I have found it to just stay with me 20.000 Leagues Under the Sea by my beloved Jules Verne, which really started my love if sci-fi The Way of Kings Circe by Madeline Miller, the inhumanity of the pov character and how that shows in the writing just really fascinates me

[@redgyrados2000]

This is How You Lose the Time War is interesting for me because I really like this book, but somehow it didn't quite stay with me the way it seems to have done for a lot of other readers. Still an amazing book though!

[@bubbii]

The Road is my favourite book of all time. I absolutely love it

[@smittenforfiction]

Some of my favourite speculative fiction: The Long Walk by Richard Bachman, The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Martian, The Weight of Feathers by Anna Marie McLemore, The Wayward Children series, Monstrilio, And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott, everything by Mona Awad, Babel, and The Drift by C.J. Tudor.

[@imranjaved7096]

Daniel when are you going to read the Bound and the Broken series by Ryan Cahill??

[@lemondrops69]

Hi Daniel, have you heard of Walter Moers? He's a german (fantasy) writer and I think his world Zamonien (dont know if its maybe Zamonia in english lol) and the books that take place within it are one of the best fantasy novels that exist period. So highly recommend to check it out! It's original, humoruos and really special (at times reminds me of the disc world in a sense). Check out 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear first maybe. I don't know how the english translation captures the playfulness and humour 100% but I reckon it's still so worth it. Furthermore, Moers illustrates his books by himself and the illustrations are so good and funny as well! I think you'd really enjoy it. Greetings from germany :)

[@georgeharris6851]

I think a lot of it depends upon when you started reading speculative fiction. I grew up reading it in the 1970's, so Anne McCaffreyxs Dragonriders of Pern is my favorite series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo and White Dragon was a NYT best seller. Dragonflight is still my favorite.

[@Cinephilemo]

Im surprised it wasnt The Wisdom of Crowds but Best served cold that you put as your first law book.

[@FBDMatt]

You can read it by itself without knowing the rest of the books which is nice. And it's such a great story. There's a reason they're making a motion picture movie of it.

[@Cinephilemo]

@@FBDMatt yeah absolutely. Its just daniel did say he doesn’t care if its gonna be a book in the middle of a series or at the end or anything like that. And in the past he kinda made it clear the wisdom of crowds was his favourite first law book but i guess things change

[@lydiamulligan8277]

dude, Terry Pratchett for Edgar Wright fans!! Such a spot on comparison!

[@robertpatenaude]

Good list! Glad to hear that WoT is still in the top spot! Will always be greatful to Brandon for finishing that series. I would pick TEOTW as my favourite as it started the journey. And that cover will always be how I picture Moraine and Lan. Be well, stay safe!

[@UrsinsJerk]

Memory of Light is my Fav as well.. so many emotions wrung out of me ;)

[@tescomealdeals]

One of my favourites as of late has been The Egghead Republic by Arno Schmidt, very (and let me emphasise, VERY) weird and a little tricky to track down nowadays but also just about the most unique thing I've ever read

[@gman7774]

Of the books on this list that I've read. The only two I didn't personally care for were The Road and How You Loose the Time War. They just didn't do much for me. Maybe I was expecting too much or they just weren't for me. I don't know anyone else who doesn't love them though so I guess I'm weird lol. Loved the rest though.

[@CheeseCake4Not]

I would say you owe your old school library a book donation :D

[@revanchistvakarian575]

Maybe "speculative fiction" could be shortened to "spec fic"? Anyway, thank you for sharing - never heard of This Is How You Lose the Time War, but you best believe I just put in a hold for that on Libby!

[@teddennison344]

If you read the Pern series, the books start out Fantasy, but by the end of the series all the fantasy stuff is explained as science. If a book can RETRTOACTIVELY have its genre changed by later books, the two genres are not really separate.

[@user-go5zj3of5l]

love going postal

[@bjslater4199]

That NK Jemisin doesn't make the list is surprising, I would put The Fifth Season as one of the best books this decade if not longer. Also I'd put Guy Gavriel Kay on there, I've yet to come across a book I didn't enjoy, A Brightness Long Ago is probably my favorite.

[@merlinmeurer5339]

Top 3 for me are: 3=Lord of the Rings, just because of what it did to me when i read it 20 years ago, making me appriciate fantasy. 2=Snuff by Terry Pratchett, because it just has such amazing characters and themes, Tears of the Mushrooms story was literally the first time i cried tears of joy during reading. 1=A slow regard of silent things, that book just hit me, i cant even describe why.

[@tracyrose4178]

Bought Sword of Kaigen because of you. Yes, the beginning was weak, particularly being full of unfamiliar terms. But it wasn't too hard to get to the good stuff. Honestly, I loved it and I'm glad you recommended it. Mistress of the Emptire by Raymond E. Feist and Jenny Wurts is in my top 10. Memory of Light made it worth reading through the slow and boring part of Wheel of Time.

[@BobbyBrown90210]

Daniel are you a fan of Elfquest?