Ranking Every 500+ Page Science Fiction Book I've Read

Star of the Unborn ebook (I haven't tested it, please let me know if it doesn't work):
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00:00 The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
00:58 Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton
01:35 River of Gods by Ian McDonald
02:17 The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks
02:58 Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
03:51 The Boat of a Million Years by Poul Anderson
04:46 Eon by Greg Bear
05:44 Hyperion by Dan Simmons
07:07 Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner
08:15 Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
09:21 Dune by Frank Herbert
10:08 The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
10:57 A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
12:26 Star of the Unborn by Franz Werfel
15:18 A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
17:01 What's worth skipping?

[@AlexRetsam]

We have very different favourites but I've read some real bangers from your recommendations. You've helped me pick up sci-fi after a pretty long break, just with the way you talk about books, so thanks.

[@Bookpilled]

Always makes me happy to hear people say stuff like this. Thanks Alex

[@tonye2458]

I read A Fire Upon the Deep about a year ago, and it’s one of those that has really stuck with me. The greatest thing about books is, each person creates unique mental imagery that can be so incredibly rich. The landscape this book painted in my head will be with me for a long, long time. One of the very best SF reads.

[@davidnicholson6680]

Great list of books. Thanks for actually having opinions, being concise and being thoughtful with your reviews. I love Banks, so yeah... agree to disagree. A Fire Upon the Deep is amazing.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Great video BookPilled! I always love your honest takes on the books you review!

[@freediveandthrive]

"I just don't get the specialness of Banks." ... Man, I was genuinely shocked by this statement 😅

[@arvid_music]

Love your recommendations. Recently got into sci-fi again after not reading for a couple years and ordered a lot of books from your recommendations. Just ordered a German copy of Star of the Unborn which I am really excited for since there aren't that many German sci-fi authors that I know of. Love your videos and style of reviews and their presentation, keep it up.

[@adino20]

More book related channels that get straight to the point with no fluff whatsoever? Please. Why is this the only channel I can find that’s like this?

[@limalepakko6074]

It’s weird how I seem to agree with you on everything, I might have found my favorite book channel

[@waynehill01]

Glad to see Star of the Unborn here. A favorite that I haven't seen in any list. Glad you brought it to light.

[@billiejowhite3638]

You’re 14 & 15 are two of my favorite novels of all time! Player of Games is my fav! I tried to read your fav short book (you seem to only like short books) and couldn’t finish it! We have exact opposite tastes. So everybody don’t listen necessarily… these books he puts down are amazing novels!

[@tumblodryay1189]

I'm a sucker for everything Banks as well, and struggled with Vinge :) Am determined to keep trying with Vinge. Great list btw

[@ZamWeazle]

​@@tumblodryay1189 While i did largely enjoy Fire Upon Deep. I didn't love it i mean as I was reading i just felt like it could have been reading a middling culture novel. It certainly wasnt anywhere as enjoyable as Player Of Games or Look To Windward. It also took a while getting used to Vernor Vinge's writing style but that's me.

[@tumblodryay1189]

​@@ZamWeazle I'm currently re-reading Excession.

[@ZamWeazle]

@@tumblodryay1189 That's another good one. 👍

[@davedanger4414]

I don't know if the title is applying to every book on the list, but Player of Games is definitely NOT 500+ pages lol I just checked my copy and it's not even 400 pages. Am I missing something?

[@iainc.6]

I love both the Vinge books but 'A Deepness In The Sky' was my favourite.

[@unstopitable]

The priest's tale was my favorite, too, in Hyperion. Lot of striking imagery throughout.

[@MrJoycie1]

Shriking imagery

[@unstopitable]

@@MrJoycie1 Good one.

[@BL-mf3jp]

The Detective and priests were the best stories in my personal opinion!

[@unstopitable]

@@BL-mf3jp Simmons can write. No doubt about it. I pretty much love all his work, so I lack objectivity, I guess. I'm sure the novel's been optioned. But no movie yet. Perplexing.

[@glennferrell2902]

Thanks for your thoughts on "A Deepness in the Sky". Was wondering if I should read that. Just got done with 2 of your recommendations "A Fire upon the Deep" (which I loved), and the somewhat more disturbing "Tiger Tiger", which I also loved and was surprised at it's seeming modernity. When reading the first part, as Gully is first stagnantly surviving in the Nomad and then moved to action. I was wondering if this was one of arsenals exploited by the Expanse authors. The later description of Gully's enhancements were so similar to Clarissa Mao's enhancements that there is no doubt that this was one of the Expanse's resources (along with Heinlein's Rolling Stones, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and other early works.) I had read the Demolished Man, perhaps 20 or so years ago, and Bester was as polished and terse a writer as I remembered. Thanks much!

[@8020Alive]

Bookpilled - Since you are new to Science Fiction - hopefully you will expand your reading to A. A. Attanasio - Elizabeth Bear - Neal Asher - Stephen Baxter - David Zindel - John Meaney - Walter Jon Williams - Ian McDonald - Sarah Zettel - James P. Hogan - George Alec Effinger, Greg Egan, Gregory Benford, Gordon R Dickson, William Barton, Jack Mcdevit, Chris Moriarty, John C. Wright, Michael Marshall Smith, Robert Reed, Brian Stableford and CJ Cherryh. And you are likely behind with Adrian Tchaikovsky.

[@8020Alive]

Sorry my English not good.

[@MFDOOOOM]

I feel like Attanasio smokes DMT before writing every book lmao

[@8020Alive]

@@MFDOOOOM - correct 💯

[@Foxaniduable]

Your opinion on banks definitely resonated with me.

[@rickkearn7100]

Damn! This is a great list, BP. You do us a valuable time-saving service with your channel by critiquing so many authors/stories/novels. Can't stress enough what a positive experience it is viewing your posts. Glad to see Mote in your list. Perhaps one of the all-time great collaborations, Pournelle and Niven. Cheers.

[@smb123211]

Actually, if you're a mediocre science fiction reader you've probably read 90% of them. These are the true classics.

[@ithrahmunchswallow468]

I loved Children of Time but now I'm wondering about its inspiration and I'll be picking up rhe spider book. Thanks. I grew up on Poul Anderson and I'm revisiting on audio along with McCaffrey and Le Guin but I'm having a blast with the books you recommended.

[@Amelia.A.T.]

I was able to get a Kindle copy of *Stern der Ungeborenen* from Amazon in German (obviously!), but I didn't see whether it was available in English. It's very good, I agree!

[@craigwbrown]

That Dune review... Your talents are not wasted.

[@Calcprof]

Franz Weefewl was also famous for being maried, for a while to Alma Mahler Gropius Werfel, the wife of Mahler (composer) , Gropius (architect), and Werfel. With many many affairs between marriages.

[@OfficialJab]

I'll definitely try the top two! Far from a turnoff, the idea of Christian scifi (outer space wise) is really interesting. Are there other good ones, of any length?

[@Jenko1_]

I wasn't a fan of revelation space either but the next books just keep getting better and better in my opinion. You can tell it was his first novel, for me it was the character work that was letting it down, only thing kept me going with it was the amazing ideas he explains in it.

[@Alienapoc]

I've read the Hyperion set of books a few times now and judged Hyprion on its own pretty much the same way until I finished the series. After I finished Rise of Endymion and saw how everything came together, Hyperion's less loved tales seemed more important. It's my absolute favorite series now.

[@mckayjesse0]

Interesting list, and interesting takes. I personally enjoyed The Sparrow. And I think Player of Games is a great read, and one my all-time favorites. Although, I completely agree with the top end of your list. Fire Upon the Deep is a masterpiece, and its prequel A Deepness in the Sky is also amazing. I just want to say this to you. DO NOT give up on the Iain M. Banks Culture novels sir! They are very entertaining, and a wonderfully thought out space opera universe. You said you tried Consider Phlebas and gave up, which I understand. It's not one of his best Culture books. Please try Use Of Weapons, Excession, or Inversions. They are all great, in any order you read them in. Anyway, appreciate your review, and keep doing what you do!

[@teamkeogh]

Thank you. A few books that I haven't heard of but am now intrigued. I'll check them out. Very interested in The Star of the Unborn.

[@davlang3783]

I managed to buy that thumbnail version copy of The Mote in God's Eye at a book sale for $1 CAD and I'm looking forward to reading it. I haven't read any of the books you mentioned but now own 4, so i'll get around to them.

[@Higor-bx2my]

Recommend some books from the subgenre diamond (ultra) hard sci fi.

[@peterlacey4773]

I actually agree with you on “Player of Games” and “Consider Phlebas” but “Look to Windward” is one of my favorite books along with “A Fire Upon the Deep” and “Aristoi”

[@OLJeffo]

I happened to read "Look to Windward" first, and enjoyed it deeply. None of Banks' Culture books that I've read subsequently have come close.

[@alexp3462]

I will keep banging the Banks drum, at least until you try Use of Weapons! I can understand not finishing Phlebas though, as that one really is too long (has one of his best endings though, for my money). But a good list, about a third of these I have but need a kick to get started on.

[@JaredJohnsonRocketMan]

In Eon the Naderites was a conservative religious/political group of future humans in The Way. Eon was written in the 80's when Nader was a popular activist and political figure. I actually liked what Bear did there, its one of my favorites. Totally agree on what you said about Red Mars. Another one of my favorites!

[@rabbitscooter]

Gratifying to finally meet someone with similar opinions of some of those over-writers (although personally, I was bored silly by Red Mars, despite a couple of interesting characters.). I also don't get all the acclaim for Banks. He's fine. And his post-scarcity, semi-anarchist utopian "Culture" is interesting enough, but whatever. Just curious, but as someone who has read a wider range of stuff than me, do you find the Brit books particularly violent and focused on death? I keep sensing this trend but haven't read enough to say. Thanks for these reviews!

[@limalepakko6074]

Never knew the was a space spider book other than Children of Time

[@donnywankan6895]

Is Star of the Unborn a rehash of Looking Backward? It sounds very similar.

[@Alchimystic]

Great list. 3 books would be in my top 500+ pages list: House of Suns (which you mentioned), The Children of Time, and Dark Forest. PS: Player of Games is my next book TBR, and i don´t think it has more than 300 pages

[@holydissolution85]

To people who liked " House of Suns " , I just can't help myself ( 😁 ) not to recommend Robert Reed 's ( among finest SF short story writer in the 90s ) novel "Sister Alice " . It's a fix- up novel of 5 stories from the 90s & it's worldbuildling is very similar to HOS. ( posthuman god - like clones arranged in families who dominate the galaxy & war with each other )

[@savell234]

Opinions about books are very personal. Of the 4 on this list that I have read I liked Dune best, The Sparrow next, Pandora's Star next and by far Red Mars the least. I did all of the ones in the series except I haven't been able to stomach the second Mars book yet. Hamilton does get tedious in Judas Unchanged. I did try a re-read of Hamilton, but it was just too shallow to get anything else out of the series. I think all but Dune were ebooks, so I had no idea how long they were. Always enjoy different opinions and getting new ideas about what to read next. Thanx.

[@DefaultModeNetwork]

Agree totally with your take on Fire Upon the Deep. I thought the dogs were an amazingly interesting species.

[@limalepakko6074]

Also I think the weakest part of Hyperion was Kassad’s story, I’m currently reading the second book and I still don’t understand his motivations

[@MirrorReaper1]

Interesting take on Hyperion. It was in your top 15 best sci-fi list, the first list you made, though you now say it's not/won't be. What changed?

[@colinmcnally4743]

His take that it’s uneven is fair. I enjoyed the heck out of it. Also a fair criticism is it’s only half a story. You have to read the sequel for resolution.

[@AcmePotatoPackingPocatello]

Im 71, read Star Mans Son in, ya, 1963, my first Sci-fi. Thre Body Problem is b-o-r-i-n-g. ..drowned world, whipping star & dosadi experiment, silent warrior, mote in gods eye, dune, caves of steel, currents of space, enders game, snow queen, the prefect, chasm city, matter, foundation & empire, are some of my favorites.

[@anonymes2884]

Umm, are you reading these in large print editions ? Cuz I disagree with your opinion fairly often but i'm pretty sure this is the first time i've disagreed with your _page counts_ :). (the edition of 'The Player of Games' I have is 309 pages and I can't find one online that's over 400) ((agreed on 'Dune' though - good book but for me not the masterpiece that it is for some))

[@gloomyvale3671]

Can’t stand bloat in books, I don’t mind scientific analysis like in Solaris with pages of planetary observations, but bloat for bloats sake. No thanks.

[@carlgranados7106]

I SO love Hyperion.

[@mushfiquefahim141]

Are you getting enough sleep? Excellent video!

[@DanExploresBooks]

Finished Hyperion a day or 2 ago after it being a long TBR. I really loved the first half. But wow, I just did not have the same enthusiasm for the last 2 Tales especially and didn't even know what to think of the ending. Would read the priests tale separately again though. Also liked the war one and the scholars one with the child. It felt like exciting concepts that did not pay off by the end. Still looking forward to the next eventually.

[@ralphmarrone3130]

I know I’m in the minority but I didn’t care for Hyperion. I loved the first story but the rest left me cold. And I loathed The Fall of Hyperion. I guess these books are just not for me.

[@DanExploresBooks]

@@ralphmarrone3130 I didn't love it either. Some very amazing parts but as a whole I left quite negative on it.

[@totalassuage]

@@DanExploresBooks exactly, great ideas but very uneven and with some atrocious parts, the first, Hyperion I remember liking, but the end made me physically ill. Ive read the following three books but they were not as good. What I really liked was his Illium, end sort of lacluster but the first two thirds was some of the best scfi Ive ever read.

[@DanExploresBooks]

@@totalassuage that is great to hear. Illium is one I have had on my list for a long time. Dan Simmons is definately a very talented writer. Hyperion just fell flat by the end for me.

[@xavierrenegade]

It's funny you mention the Poet's and Detective's story as being your least favorites, because there were my two favorite tales in Hyperion.

[@andrewliss-noda8211]

I’ve been enjoying your channel, especially for finding works I hadn’t heard of before. I picked up The Forever War from another of your videos and blew through it in a couple days, loved it. I would love to hear your take on Too Like The Lightning by Ada Palmer. It’s the first in a quartet which I consider some of the best I the genre (just ahead of Hyperion…).

[@AvanToor]

My Player of Games is around 300 pages. Regardless of different editions, it didn't feel like a long book to me. Consider Phlebas could have been a bit shorter, I think. And Use of Weapons felt a lot longer than it was and I loved it.

[@JonathanPSchwartz]

The Use of Weapons is Iain Banks best book. You really should read. Surface Detail is also pretty cool.

[@Dealwithit515]

Yeah, Surface Detail is my personal favorite from Banks. Use of Weapons, Look to Windward, and Excession are up there on the list too. I can kind of understand BP not enjoying The Player of Games.

[@SgtWicket]

When I started reading The Mote In Gods Eye my first reaction was that Eric Nylund must have been heavily influenced by it before he wrote the Halo books

[@thedumbdog1964]

Absolutely adore the Halo books by him

[@SgtWicket]

@@thedumbdog1964 you would probably like The Mote in God’s Eye then. The military sci fi is all very similar. Even certain characters in the Fall of Reach feel almost copy-pasted, not in a bad way

[@eddiewhistler7472]

This was great. I am surprised by Player of Games, I am not surprised by Pandora's Star (although it's one of my favorite science fiction novels*), I have had The Sparrow on my shelf to read for years & you're the first person to say they didn't like it (which is interesting).

[@aedrianys]

Hey I love your channel and I'm glad it's growing. I read Neuromancer and loved it... but can't seem to find A Fire Upon the Deep in my language:/

[@blueblood8658]

I live in Germany and I bought Star of the Unborn because of a recommendation from one of your older videos. Will definitely check it out soon :) although it was Werfel's only scifi book, his other books are totally worth checking out. But currently I am reading Dying of the Light by GRRM and I'm loving it

[@steveeverett1736]

I agree with you on Pandoras Star, it was bloated. If the editors or Peter had chopped the Melanie Rawn story, it would have made the book slimmer. His characters stories all could have been reduced by a quarter and still be understood ( I think he caught caught up in all his 'bright sparkly ' details). Judas Unchained (bk 2) was equally long, but everything was being tied together, so it wasn't nearly as boring

[@666lupine666]

I strongly recognize the value of @Bookpilled honest reactions and perspective. So much so that I am now reading "Fire Upon the Deep". Right out the gate I noticed something odd. In the far future have humans given up on some 'primitive' emotions but not others. aka "Sure is too bad we released that anciet evil back there, honey. Seems like all life, light and technology are now doomed. anyway, watch me manually land the shit out of this freighter." huh? am I expected to ignore this?

[@666lupine666]

I was more than a little non-plussed when 'action man' got introduced, cutlass in hand. break me a give. On the other hand, 'the Old One' has begun it greatest crime against humanity... *stealing my bandwith* lol. I'm not kidding. the space aliens are horrified. "no amount of dogecoin is worth this!" I'm not kidding. this is all in the book. am I supposed to be laughing?

[@donaldb1]

One of the things I like about good older science fiction is how much shorter and crisper it could be, before SF went down the fantasy route of long series of massive volumes. However, I do have several of these on my list to reread, sometime, probably, when I find the time, certainly including the Hyperion books, KSR's Mars books, and also Brian Aldiss' Helliconia books. Also, I'd like to put in a word for _Ash_ by Mary Gentle. You might not feel it qualifies because I think in the US it was released as a series of four or five volumes, but in the UK it came out as a single, 1,000 page doorstop. It is mainly historical fantasy, set in a heavily researched medieval Europe, about the female leader of a troop of mercenaries, (and Gentle works very hard to make that seem realistic despite the implausibility, though she also makes the implausibility part of the story). But it also has SF elements, alternate history, and it's a story within a story with speculation about time, reality and the nature of historical truth. I found the story thrilling, but also dealing with complex ideas. As far as I recall, it's very good. But I won't be sure of that until I get back into it...sometime.

[@holydissolution85]

I heard a lot of praise of " Ash : A Secret History " , also, her Orthe series ( Golden Witchbreed etc.. ) It was A. Tchaikowsy who praised them in interview on Moid's channel

[@floeten-olm8396]

I live in Berlin and got a very nice edition of star of the unborn in german for 3€ on a fleemarket 😅

[@rhclark6530]

I love watching your stuff because most of the time i have very similiar reactions to books with occasional polar opposites. Player of Games is a GREAT book! Full of heart. Bank's Culture novels are all way to short. I wish they would never end. I look forward to finding Star of the Unborn.

[@thecryptile]

Your review of Boat of a Million Years encouraged me to read it, I was really impressed with Anderson's solution to the Fermi Paradox.

[@AkumaQiu]

Vinge is Goated with Sauce. No Doubt.

[@totalassuage]

Try reading Banks later books, now you've read the first one and hated it, you've read the second one and found it sort of OK, so just jump forward and read one of his last books and finally see what people are talking about.

[@elliotdance7790]

Very interesting list. I have Red Mars and Zanzibar on the shelf but haven't read yet. Maybe you could do a video about novellas or books under 200. Just read "The Dark Forest" which is over 500 and it was great. Since I started following your recommendations I've read almost 70 books.

[@thgeremilrivera-thorsen9556]

Thanks for another nice video Matt. As always I don't agree with everything - I like Player of Games better than A Fire Upon the Deep - but Gladys super thoughtful and insightful video. I'm curious - have you ever read Ursula Le Guin's 500+ pages book, Always Coming Home? It's one of those that I could imagine you really like it really hate.

[@sdt1sdt]

Hey man, great channel and great episode as always. I just started watching you, and I can't get enough. You probably answered this question a million times, but how long do you read, on average, each day?

[@winc06]

Have to agree with the choice of Kim Stanley Robinson. Wonderful trilogy. Vernor Vinge had to be the best science fiction I have ever read. So disappointed when I could not find more of him to read.

[@Bookpilled]

Vinge did some good stuff but nothing touches FUTD

[@FCastle25]

I recently discovered your channel and I'm enjoying it very much. I'm just getting back into reading after a several-year hiatus. I'm starting with Dune. I've been an avid reader for 40 years with sci-fi as my favorite genre and somehow I've managed to NOT read Dune lol. Looking forward to more of your videos.

[@SciFiScavenger]

You may have saved me a dull read in The Sparrow, a recent acquisition. It was cheap, so no harm, no foul. Great list, even taking into account the Banks Heresy! Funny how PFH is so polarising, I really like his books. They're super schlocky but fun. And heavy. I read AFUTD recently and really enjoyed it. BAD DOGGIES. Chapeau sir, great work.

[@bookspin]

You may still want to give The Sparrow a try. It's not to everyone's taste and has some flaws but it does have quite an intriguing plot and ideas.

[@mitchellstrauss5117]

this was great... I like longer books because of the immersive experience, so this was informative to hear your take... I am about 3/4 of the way through Tchaikovsky's Children of Time which could have been on this list as it is quite long... I am enjoying it, but also pushing through it... I would be curious to hear your take on it... BTW, what's with so many recent Science Fiction books today using "spider-like" beings as the non-human "first contact" counterpart? Hope you're enjoying your global wanderings...

[@kylepinion]

Another great video, man! Not sure if it’s of interest, but as we get closer to spooky season, I would love to hear your thoughts on horror books you enjoy or even a video where you sample some. Happy to throw out any suggestions on that front. Thanks for doing what you do.

[@kylepinion]

(I just realized you have a whole interview on that subject where you get suggestions. Even better!)

[@WordsinTime]

I had a similar reaction to book 1 of Revelation Space (currently reading book 2) where I thought the first 2/3 was decent and the last 1/3 was great. House of Suns is an all-time favourite so I think it’s worth checking out! I own copies of Red Mars and Stand on Zanzibar so I’m looking forward to those.

[@Bookpilled]

I think Red Mars will click with you.

[@chrisw6164]

This will never happen, but I’d love your take on God Emperor of Dune. That would require reading the first three Dune novels however.

[@Bookpilled]

It will eventually happen

[@donaldb1]

I felt God Emperor was the point when it really started getting a bit mad. I know other opinions are available, though.

[@ralphmarrone3130]

God Emperor of Dune is where I gave up. I hated this book.

[@chrisw6164]

@@ralphmarrone3130 Try again. I hated it the first time too. The second time, I accepted that it was my fate to read a science fiction novel about an immortal man who can see all futures and pasts, rules the universe, philosophizes about his situation as well as the galaxy’s, and is slowly turning into a giant worm. The audacity and absurdity of it all never fails to make me smile.

[@Warstub]

@@chrisw6164 As an adult I wouldn't go back to them (I might some day go back to Children of Dune). 30 years ago I was a 14 year old teenager eagerly gobbling these books up - even Chapterhouse Dune; but I have much better books waiting to be read. And in fact, there are some really good online reviewers whose essays about each book are actually far more interesting and enjoyable.

[@Graylik]

Since you like Deepness Sky, I recommend "Children of Time" by Adrian Tchikovski.

[@Bookpilled]

Been on the look for a copy

[@Graylik]

@@Bookpilled Adrian Tchikovski is so creative and imaginative and the types of stories he writes are so different in every book even in the same series. I think he will become one of favourite authors after you read a couple of his books.

[@athiefinthenight6894]

Read Aniara and Lolita pls I'd love to see your review.

[@Imsuper656]

Have you heard of, or read the "Helliconia" series by Brian W. Aldiss (another British author)?

[@Bookpilled]

Yeah, read Helliconia Spring. Should have included it in this list. Would have been in the upper half.

[@Krilin84]

Boat of a million years sounds interesting. Very similar setup to the film "the man from earth" which I liked. Have you seen it and if so how would you say they compare?

[@BobCanRead]

What edition of Player of Games do you have that is 500+ pages?

[@bnjmnwst]

No Battlefield Earth? 😊

[@bfitzger2]

I've read everything on your list (and loved most of them a lot more than you did, evidently), except Star of the Unborn. The cover is familiar to me, but I don't own a copy, and it seems to be hard to find. I'll have to keep an eye out for it when I visit used book stores.

[@tomexico-retiringwithcats7484]

Excellent list. Are you still in Mexico? Ever thought of visiting San Miguel de Allende? Lovely place with tremendous culture.

[@TexasPelican]

Great video, thanks!

[@bnjmnwst]

I'm a conservative, politically, and I loved Red Mars.

[@keithdixon6595]

Yes, the Werfel link works (werfs?), though you have to sign up for a free account to access all of the text. I'm not enamoured of reading it all on my PC, though, and you have to do more work - and presumably pay something - to get to a level where you can download it as an epub or pdf. Reading the first few pages, I don't think I'll bother, though I'm glad to have made its acquaintance. Just a note on Dune - the cover you showed on the screen was the edition I read as a 15 year-old schoolboy in Coventry, UK. The school library had a copy of the paperback in 1967 - amazing, really. I'm halfway through re-reading Stand on Zanzibar and I agree with your assessment, though having read USA many years ago, I don't think it really stands comparison with that masterwork, try as it might.

[@brian9438]

Player of Games is fantastic.

[@willplatt1916]

The Player of Games is not 500+ page book. I think the longest English edition would have it coming in at around 350 but most copies in the UK are 300 pages. Interesting thoughts on the book though, I felt like the story flew by when I read it but I wonder if I'd find that first part less interesting on a reread. Banks is pretty beloved but I do wonder if his particular style can be a bit polarizing, especially for non-British readers.

[@oscar.p3214]

I describe Dune as a true space opera . Frank Herbert has a tendency to right like Phish play … it just keeps going on and on sometimes.

[@thescrewfly]

I read Dune when it was still an 80 pound weakling (okay, it had won a Nebula and a Hugo) and I think it's a really fine piece of work but not a radiant timeless masterpiece. I was suitably peeved to see Herbert succumb to the commercial pressure (as I saw it) to produce more Dune books. The ones I read (up to Chapter House, I think) weren't in any way substandard.... just unnecessary. Maybe I'm just easily underwhelmed.

[@robertschobesberger6300]

perdido street station is missing imho..

[@paulboicourt]

I like the Chevy microphone! Have you read Spin?

[@user-mc9sg9fw3w]

Great list of books!

[@insommmmmm]

nice to see someone who looks as tired as I do all the time haha love your vids you should check out the Three Body Problem series!!

[@Riverwind5]

The sequel to Pandora's Star isn't much better. Been trying to read that for four months now.

[@davidotoole9328]

That Ralph Nador thing will make me laugh more and more the more I think about it from now until the day i die.

[@CYI3ERPUNK]

love that cover to The Mote in Gods Eye , for years ive always felt it seemed massively underrated , agreed that it is absolutely a cinematic story ; with an unlimited budget hopefully we will get to see it portrayed and done justice [ofc it would be massively sad to see it done poorly XD]

[@klumhru]

I suppose if you want to have a take, it may as well be hot. Throwing out Banks for his first book while excusing others for their first outings is particularly toasty. Interesting post, albeit irrelevant as recommendations of good sci-fi, bar Hyperion and perhaps a couple others such as Dune and Red Mars. A fire upon the deep, really and truly?

[@luiznogueira1579]

I'm one of those who doesn't think much of Dune(then again, I don't like The Beatles...) Maybe because I read it while on an almost month-long cruise up the Brazilian coast, so I was usually too exhausted at the end of the day to read more than a few pages. But it was hyped as creating "the most original world" etc., and yet it had a sand planet where people seemed like bedouins, with arab- sounding names and culture. What, Lawrence of Arabia in space, is THAT it?!? And as always with Herbert, just a tad pretentious, imo. Anyway, I don't hate it, but it's not on my Top Ten list... Check out Poul Anderson's Tau Zero. Fascinating stuff.

[@khomo12]

Nice list!👍👍👍🤖📚🚀 Have you read much by Christopher Priest?

[@Bookpilled]

Not yet, high on the list

[@khomo12]

@@Bookpilled Looking forward to your opinion.

[@FlosBlog]

What’s your opinion on Delaney?

[@Bookpilled]

Positive

[@Joe-lb8qn]

Interesting. Ive read nearly all these. Dont agree with your comments on the characterisation in pandoras star but I'm in a minority there i know. One or two books i need to reread, I know i read Eon but have no recollection of if. Ive just got the latest in the revelation space universe to read, Inhibitor Space. Its next on my TBR , currently reading The Technician by Neal Asher, which is, well, its like most Asher books if you know what i mean. Not read Sparrow, river of gods,and unlikely to !

[@zu_alt_fuer2272]

franz werfel was an austrian writer, not german!

[@SoulsJourney]

I choked laughing at your comments on Dune. I DNF'd it. Could not agree more about The Sparrow.

[@eugenemurphy6037]

Revisited my local downtown used bookstore haven't been to in years, really wish I could have brought you with me! Got into a great sci-fi chat with the person working and she even showed me their secret sci-fi collectibles. Thanks for adding some confident options to my TBR! Spotted another Aldiss there too. "Life in the West" a hardcopy. Cheers Bookpilled. Enjoy Mexico!