The 10 Best Science Fiction Books I've Ever Read

[@_jared]

Neal Stephenson, of course, is the author of Anathem, not Neal Stepson. Let’s just say that proofreading has never been my strength.

[@jamezkpal2361]

No worries, we knew who you meant.

[@radeksparowski7174]

@@jamezkpal2361 yup, he definitely meant Neal Dickinson

[@Carepedoit]

No, no-it was Phillip K Svenson. That’s it.

[@enochroot9438]

I really enjoy Stephenson's work. I would suggest the Baroque Cycle is by far his best work

[@Facetiously.Esoteric]

You review fairly well, you edit well too. You seem intelligent, and you make pleasant to watch videos. My issue is your content. You don't seem very well read for what your channel is. That these are your favorites, which makes me think you read under your intelligence level. Also, you read scifi as a boomer would, and I'm 52 saying this. That you just learned about Banks is a great example of what I mean. All of your books and writers except Stephenson are ancient or dead. You picked amazing books, most I truly enjoy. But there are many, many more scifi books that are better. Only 2 are still actually relevant, socially, and more importantly intellectually. Try Dan Simmons Ilium and Olympos, Alistair Reynolds, Peter F Hamilton, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Becky Chambers, Liu Cixin, NK Jemison, Peter Watts, Martha Wells, Ann Leckie, Andy Weir, James Corey, TC McCarthy's Germline series, I could keep going for a while... And how is Margaret Atwood not on this list? As I posted, you make videos very well that don't keep my attention intellectually. All of those books have been reviewed to death by a million youtubers because they are as mainstream as they come.

[@CainOnGames]

That’s a great list. I’m so glad you included A Canticle For Leibowitz. It was a huge influence on my game Fallout, and I’m always encouraging people to read it.

[@_jared]

It’s no surprise that Fallout is one my favorite video game worlds.

[@CainOnGames]

@@_jared I am happy to hear that. The other designers and I always tried to include some philosophical and social commentary among the radiation, monsters, and plasma guns.

[@TheWarmLettuce]

@@CainOnGames what books/influences did you and/or your team bring into Outer Worlds?

[@HABYKOSHYMATHEW]

Sparrow by mary doria russel, under the pendulum sun bu jeannete ng, and the book of strange new things and hyperion canticle all are great companion read to canticle

[@CainOnGames]

@@TheWarmLettuce Sci fi novels influenced Fallout and fantasy novels influenced Arcanum, but The Outer Worlds was mostly influenced by movies and TV shows. I would list shows like Firefly, Deadwood, Futurama, and The Good Place as TV influences, and movies like Brazil or anything by the Coen brothers as movie influences.

[@bobaloo2012]

I'm in the middle of my annual re-read of Anathem. I've been reading scifi for 60 years and it's in my top 3 of all time. Every time I read it I'm absolutely amazed at what Stephenson was able to do with this book, it boggles my mind that anyone could write so well with such creativity. I did start it and quit the first time after reading about 50 pages, I couldn't stand it. My daughter said "stick with it for 100 pages", I did and was hooked.

[@jowens197]

Man it's so long, impressive you read it every year 😅. I have a copy but have not gotten to it yet.

[@doctor1alex]

What else would you recommend to a newcomer? I recently started with Dune.

[@philtheo]

What are the other two books in your top 3?

[@TheEudaemonicPlague]

I don't know how often I reread it, but it drives me nuts that there isn't more of it...if it were three times as long, I think I'd still read it over and over.

[@TheMisterGriswold]

I have read countless science fiction books over the last 60 years. These are all great, but my favorite is "Hyperion" by Dan Simmons.

[@Sviorr]

I'm so happy to find I'm not the only one) Hyperion is so good it changed the way I think and look on life)

[@preppen78]

Hyperion is better than the Culture series imo. A bit different and while I thought the first book was better than the later ones, the concepts, story and world were much more intriguing than what Consider Phlebas or Player of Games were offering, both being disappointments for me.

[@Sviorr]

@@preppen78 I don't think that later books in Hyperion series are weaker. The first two make you a believer and the last two make you an atheist)))

[@jamesoneil9757]

Me too.

[@justadude8716]

@@Sviorr Interesting point. What made me love the series so much is how the buildup in the first book was given in drops, but it all added up to a waterfall in the end. I'm still amazed at the ending of the first book.

[@jamesdrynan]

Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama is a good read, too.

[@DUFMAN123]

Your videos have inspired into reading Le Guin for the first time. Both Left Hand and Dispossessed were exceptionally good. She's now counted among my favourite authors.

[@DocZom]

The Lathe of Heaven.

[@bazoo513]

Those two, with _Four Ways to Forgiveness,_ (or Five, if _Old Music and the Slave Weomen_ is included) are her best, IMO. Don't miss her shorter works (not only _The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas_ )

[@bazoo513]

@@DocZom I put that into her second tier, along with, for example, _The Word for World is Forest._

[@gregjacob83]

As a nearly 60 year reader of SF I greatly enjoyed your list.(I've read 8 of the 10 you've listed) Like several other comments have mentioned, I'm surprised you did not include The Hyperion series by Dan Simmons. A couple of lesser known great reads that you might want to consider: 'City' and 'Way Station's by Clifford Simak. 'City' is a very simple book consisting of ten separate stories that are all linked together. It touched my heart unlike no other SF book has ever done. If you like Robert Heinlein, 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' is my runaway favorite by him. So worth reading. Ben Bova is another excellent SF author that has written many fantastic books. The 'Red Mars' series is perhaps his best.

[@PerpetualGenerator]

Thank you for the recommendations!

[@KrakenSoundscapes]

Hyperion series is top notch indeed. Always loved the dying earth stuff by Vance as well.

[@ronaldcobb1633]

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by R.A.Heinlein is my favorite. I read it back in the 80's the first time and just recently re-read it.

[@tomlabooks3263]

SO GREAT to see Gene Wolfe in this Top 10 list. He deserves it. And the 5th book (Urth) is quite possibly the very best one of them.

[@TheEudaemonicPlague]

I had the opportunity to meet him in the last few years of his life, but I kept putting off going to Chambanacon...then he died, and last year, the convention died. The Book of the New Sun woke me up as a teenager--until I read it, I thought my vocabulary was impressive. I've heard that many people told him that sort of thing...

[@feanor7080]

Glad to see you mention Wolfe. Book of the New Sun was life changing literature, my best literary discovery of the past 10 years of life as a reader. I’m soon to jump into his Book of the Long Sun series.

[@gregorde]

That's great. I also love the Latro books and wizard/knight.

[@feanor7080]

@@gregorde I’m very keen to read both. Which one would you recommend I read first?

[@gregorde]

@@feanor7080 Latro. But I love Greek mythology, so ymmv.

[@VectorZero]

I got Gene Wolfe's autograph one time in the 80s.. The line for Larry Niven was too long..

[@brookestephen]

Clarke's "Childhood's End" was masterful, as was the grandeur evinced in Niven's "Ringworld." Have you read either?

[@alejandrocolompujol7515]

I have read "Childhood's End" because of your comment, and I have really enjoyed. Thank You :)

[@radicalbyte]

A Fire Upon the Deep is also a strong recommendation, the concept is extremely interesting. For some reason it lives in my head next to Use Of Weapons, keep thinking that it's a Banks book :)

[@AdamSamuel-o5z]

I absolutely love the Remembrance of Earth's Past series, which is why I was shocked when I saw it placed only at the 9th spot. I am very excited to read some of your recommendations!

[@LennethValkyrie]

As soon as you started talking I subscribed, and I looooved that you mentioned Cixin Liu's trilogy. Geez, those books blew my mind! Also, I'm definitely reading all the other books you mention. Thank you so much for sharing, I'll be checking out your other videos 😸🛸

[@thomasmoore7976]

You’re probably the first booktuber I’ve watched that places Dispossessed above Left Hand of Darkness. I’ve never read Le Guin, but recently bought The Dispossessed and am very excited to read it! Cheers!

[@itsme-notyou]

I've only read LHoD from LeGuin and I found it an absolute slog. It's one of the few books I've contemplated abandoning midway. Nothing happens. In researching whether it'd be worth finishing, I found many of LeGuin's online fans saying 1) it gets better at the end, and 2) LHoD is not her best work. I stuck it out and indeed in the final 2 chapters the story finally started to move. It wasn't worth the journey but based on the experienced fans' sentiment I will give another of her books a try.

[@jaustill237]

The Dispossessed is the place to start, for the Hainish Cycle. It was written sixth, but goes first, chronologically. The Word for World is Forest is the other Hainish book that I gave full marks to (might be my favorite) in addition to The Left Hand of Darkness. It's odd that Le Guin got two spots on the list, not because they aren't both great, but because they are from the same series, and all other series were combined for this list.

[@Gladtobemom]

All good picks, I'd put the Caves of Steel, Naked Sun, Robots of Dawn above a couple of those you've picked.

[@fartissimo]

I'm surprised you didn't include the 4 book Hyperion Cantos series by Dan Simmons. I just finished the series and it left me spellbound and enthralled like very few works of literature have. I would put it up there with Lord of the Rings in originality, scope and vision. I absolutely agree with your assessment on Remembrance of Earth's past, however. I LOVED that series and wonder if it could ever be made into a movie

[@dcsam9142]

Hyperion is great! I finished the fall of hyperion last year but haven't started endymion yet

[@rishabhaniket1952]

Hey, is it really great?? I was thinking of buying it but someone said it was more of an Alien type monster sci fi book and I am more into philosophical and idea driven sci fi.

[@dcsam9142]

@rishabhaniket1952 yes! It's like a Canterbury tales book. Each character tells their own story for the main story and how they got to where they are. 100% recommend

[@grzegorzmroz43]

More than 30 years have passed and Hyperion still no.1 SF book for me.

[@DannySabraArt]

Fully agree about The Dark Forest, it inexorably changed how I view all other science fiction, especially first contact type stories, and even more wildly the series impacted my worldview generally. Maybe it’s time for a reread!

[@DannyMexen9]

I read it for the first time this year and I see myself revisiting it.

[@MrCmon113]

I lost interest at some point with the dude's imaginary woman sidestory. Also the aliens seemed to get less and less plausible as the book progressed. But maybe those are just red herrings and it all makes sense in the end? Right now people think they're from literally the next star system and want to settle ours, because of the earth. Doesn't make sense to me why they would need a planet if they can make interstellar craft.

[@YouWinILose]

​@@MrCmon113 Very fair. Liu plays with ideas that appeals to many, hence the high score of Dark Forest. But in terms of character... I think many of us had major problems with Luo Ji and just wanted to get to the ending. The prose works for some, I personally agree that the quality dipped in Dark Forest dramatically.

[@bartpastoor1028]

I did reread the whole series and enjoyed it even more! Quite probable in the future I will again reread it

[@wanidouse]

​​@@MrCmon113 it struck me the same, too. I'm under the impression that it "writes to its audience well" -- by holding back its thesis until the second book and otherwise being written like high quality scifi schlock it selects for readers who are fine with reading schlock and it becomes what they expect. This is why it's so highly reviewed; these people are delightfully surprised when it turns out to be fairly coherent and has something interesting to say, even if most of it is kind of bunk.

[@alexjack6626]

The Book of the New Sun changed my life. It is a spiritual experience going through it.

[@tina_about]

Usually I don't read this genre of books, but from the beginning of the video I realized that I will find here the book with which I start my way into the world of science fiction

[@kohhna]

If you're coming at this more from literature, the Butler and LeGuin books would be a great entry point for the genre. Doesn't go ham with the space-brain / hard physical sciences nerd stuff, but lots of lush well-crafted prose and puts a lot of IRL issues and character work up front.

[@mikehigbee2320]

I loved "The Faded Sun Trilogy" by C. J. Cherryh. It was the first science fiction I ever read. I was totally immersed in a fascinating alien culture. I read it about 40 years ago and have never forgotten it.

[@rheffner3]

Dan Simmons books are the best by far. I have read thousands of Sci Fi books and short stories (the best form of writing). Poul Anderson has also written some of the best ever. But hard to pick just 10. I could pick 100 easily.

[@hermeticum_]

You should consider Stanislaw Lem; his philosophical ideas are fascinating (in particular his thoughts about the impossibility of human communication with alien species); my favourites are Solaris, The Invincible and Golem XIV

[@homoxymoronomatura]

Exactly!

[@lauterunvollkommenheit4344]

I think his best novel is the Return from the Stars.

[@adamcrawford6421]

I agree. Based on this video, I think Lem would be a good recommendation.

[@slowbot68]

golem xiv would be in my top 10

[@kojiattwood]

I also enjoyed Memoirs Found in a Bathtub, has a great opening.

[@mjhzen8313]

Lord of Light (Roger Zelazny). The Day of the Triffids (John Wyndham). Voyage of the Space Beagle (A.E. Van Vogt). Bedlam Planet (John Brunner). Earthman, Come Home (James Blish, part of his "Cities in Flight" series). Et al.

[@FrankMeinderink]

Recommend Vernor Vinge's 'A deepness in the sky' and 'A fire upon the deep'. Fantastic reads full of imaginative ideas and surprises.

[@luizflaviogiordano5365]

I’ve read “The illustrated Man” by Bradbury back in my teen years and boy, I was impressed.

[@lillychamberlain1496]

I read Anathem because of your suggestion. Although it took me three weeks and wasn't the easiest read, I really enjoyed and got a whole lot out of it. Currently reading The Dispossessed and it's already one of my favorites. Your recommendations seem to be particularly useful to me and I'm grateful for them.

[@_jared]

I’m so glad!

[@sgs6991]

The dispossessed is awesome

[@Arkanoid7531]

Neal Stephenson is definitely one of my favourite writers, and until a few years ago, Anathem was his best SF novel. Then came Amalthea, and I found this book really mind-blowing. It's the kind of hard SF style that also characterizes Remembrance of Earth's Past. Absolutely fantastic!

[@susantownsend8397]

I love lists like this and yours in particular. I’m 73 and have been reading/listening to sci-fi since I was around 10. I particularly like that you included the CS Lewis Space Trilogy.

[@WychardNL]

My favourite SciFi book is "The Voyage of The Space Beagle" (1950) by A. E. van Vogt. The great diversity of alien contacts and alien life forms written as a thrilling story is very entertaining. Maybe you find it worth mentioning in a future list.

[@joelbahu9431]

Yes

[@doug2424]

I like aliens on ships and confinement.....

[@BenedictGillespie]

As soon as you started talking I subscribed, and I looooved that you mentioned Cixin Liu's trilogy. Geez, those books blew my mind! Also, I'm definitely reading all the other books you mention. Thank you so much for sharing, I'll be checking out your other videos

[@beethoven2351]

Loved your list! Many of yours are on my top 10 as well. If you haven't read them yet, I highly recommend these: Hyperion by Dan Simmons, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Gateway by Frederik Pohl, House of Suns by Alistair Reynolds, The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven, Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, and the other classic dystopian masterpieces: 1984, Brave New World, and The Road by Cormac McCarthy,

[@user-mc9sg9fw3w]

I second Hyperion. Just finished the last book of the series. It is so good. Dan Simmons is a fantastic writer.

[@_jared]

I love Hyperion and the first two Ender books (haven't read past that). I also really enjoyed Children of Time. 1984, Brave New World, and The Road could all be considered for a bigger list (maybe a top 25)!

[@maze4028]

Speaker for the dead is the best Ender book 👌🏽

[@sigmapath1935]

Frederik Pohl's Gateway has always been one of my favorites that I don't hear mentioned too often. Also Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke.

[@dnoordink]

I love the whole Heechee saga.

[@malikashiqui]

Love Gateway

[@heimdal8]

I would def. add the Foundation trilogy and the Neuromancer trilogy. Not only are they probably the most influential sci-fi books of the last century but they are awesome aswell.

[@fidelogos7098]

Foundation was one of the first sci-fi books I read. While I begrudgingly admit Asimov was not a great writer, he sure was a great inventor of alternate worlds. That alone is enough to keep Foundation in the list of my favorite sci-fi books/series. So many that were writing in that period were light on characterization but heavy on their what-if scenarios that kept me reading way past my bedtime.

[@boboy1000]

I was going to suggest the Foundation series, definitely would be on a lot of lists and probably number one on many.

[@willer3399]

@@fidelogos7098What are your criticisms of Asimov as a writer?

[@YouWinILose]

Excited for Player of Games, which I'm starting really soon! What a fantastic list, and always love the Leibowitz praise! More than a little heartbroken that Dark Forest was a hard to digest work. But there's always more sci-fi, and always something better!

[@derekfancett8218]

As you read more of the Culture series you begin to realise that Banks often set himself an author's challenge. Thus one book is mainly an 'epistolary novel', another has a barely literate protagonist and so on. It can be a bit of a challenge because Banks' 'author's voice' changes almost with every book.

[@kid5Media]

I think you are lumping in some non-culture novels with the Culture series. Which one do you call epistolary and which one has a barely literate protagonist?

[@derekfancett8218]

@@kid5Media The Epistolary novel would have been 'Inversions' and the one with the not very literate protagonist is, of course, 'Feersum Endjinn'. Both are Culture novels where the work of the Culture in shaping 'pre-contact' Worlds is shown. It's been 5 or 6 years since I read any of the novels so I apologise if I'm not going to be able to get into a detailed debate with you. I seem to recall at least one where a lot of the story is told from the perspective of a less-than-pleasant race who have just come into contact with the Culture and so on. He constantly shifts the view of the action to different perspectives; it's rarely a first-person narrative by one of the main protagonists. I think he liked to set himself little challenges when telling a story.

[@dundeedolphin]

​@@derekfancett8218 It has been a long time since I read Banks' culture novels, but my recollection aligns with yours about the multiplicity of voices and styles.

[@williamhubel4643]

Dispossessed is also my #1. Ran me right through. For fantasy my favorite living author is Naomi Novik whose Spinning Silver and Uprooted are unique masterpieces

[@kohhna]

Vinge - A Fire Upon The Deep, Douglas Adams - The Hitch-hikers Guide To The Galaxy series, Zelazny - Lord Of Light, Bob Shaw - Other Days, Other Eyes and Haldeman - The Forever War - just a couple that I owuld put up there with the best of the best, but WMMV

[@AxeManJapan]

I love to see lists like this that have literally none from my top 10. Great summaries and reasoning. Thanks!

[@jerrymccullough3314]

Jared, I enjoyed your list of top ten but being 82 years old and a life time of loving and reading sy-fy, I'm amazed that some of my (not just mine) greats are not in your listing. Some authors I'm listing may seem simplistic but considering when they were written, I think they were great. E.E. "Doc" Smith, Issac Asimov and Gordon Dickson. But each to his own. Jerry

[@gordonburroughs2474]

Great List. I too disliked Consider Phlebas, but may give Player of Games a shot. As for recommendations for great SciFi, my top 10 would include the Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons, Speaker for the Dead by Card, and Great North Road by Peter Hamilton. The last is a mixture of a high tech police procedural/mystery and a first contact story - I was enthralled by the former despite how skeptical I was going into it.

[@jasonsanders8091]

I haven't read too much Sci fi, but "The Wanderer" by Fritz Leiber, which won a Hugo Award in 1965, made a huge impression on me. I liked it as much as "Solaris", which I also love. "The Big Time" is another great Leiber book.

[@angryginger791]

I'm not sure if you read anything by Alastair Reynolds, but I'd highly recommend House of Suns. He's more known for his Revelation Space novels (which are amazing) but House of Suns is an excellent standalone if you want to sample his writing. I also just finished the Children of Time trilogy by Adrian Tchaikovsky and thought it was brilliant.

[@bajpai123451]

House of suns is my all time favorite sci-fi book. Highly recommended

[@bookjack]

I uploaded a video just like this yesterday! We have a lot of overlap. Great to hear another viewpoint

[@chrisjonesfilm]

Genuinely surprised to not see Ender's Game or The Expanse Saga on here

[@ssmytheYT]

Hi Jared. I actually just finished "The Dispossessed" by Ursula K. Le Guin yesterday. I enjoyed your take on it. I do have some book suggestions for Sci-Fi: "A Fire Upon the Deep (Zones of Thought, #1)" by Vernor Vinge - amazing world building, excellent character development, very memorable story, a masterpiece; "Blood Music" by Greg Bear - really fun story that carries you away, has some funny moments, a pleasant read; "We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse, #1)" by Dennis E. Taylor - there are four books in this series and the first three stand really well, I laughed to much reading these, a very fun and wild ride, especially if enjoy nerd pop culture references. If you want a really pensive book that leaves you lingering about the story "Solaris" by Stanisław Lem is excellent, really a thinker. Have a good one! Love the channel.

[@johnstoddart5523]

Modessit’s Forever Hero is a really good read. So is the merchanter series by CJ Cherryh. If you start this series, I’d begin with Merchanters Luck. Downbelow station gets the creds, but I found it a bit of a drag. But Cyteen and Regenesis are marvellous.

[@Titus-as-the-Roman]

#1 "The Gods Themselves", by the Master Isaac Asimov. #2 "Rendezvous with Rama", by another master Arthur C. Clarke. #3 (Tie) "Stranger in a Strange Land"/"Starship Troopers, Another Great Robert Heinlein

[@nelsonstewart5999]

Book of the New Sun is incredible. I highly recommend the "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" series as well!

[@JaredJohnsonRocketMan]

I totally agree. Many sci-fi authors fail to adequately establish the "frame/state of mind" or the internal lives as you say of the protagonists when the plot moves along. A few authors that do this well are Greg Bear, Frank Herbert and Kim Stanley Robinson. I look forward to reading Butler's novels. Thanks Also, I am a huge fan of the Blackwell/Popular Culture and Philosophy series of books! All philosophy fans should check them out.

[@RexfelisLXIX]

Where's the Heinlein?

[@Tyrell_Corp2019]

Good list. Regarding David Lynch: his biggest issue with Dune was that he didn’t have final cut in the contract. It is actually a tragedy that HOURS of that film were discarded on the cutting room floor by editors he had no control over. That said, the producer who butchered it was none of the Dino DeLaurentis. Because of the fall out, DeLaurentis promised Lynch he would have total control for the next film. That next film was: Blue Velvet.

[@multiverser9585]

True. It's always a bad idea to not give a director final cut. The prime example being Orson Welles's lost masterpiece, The Magnificent Ambersons, which by all accounts was butchered by RKO. The Welles cut was destroyed and no print still exists. Some who saw the test screening said it was the greatest American film ever made (read the novel to understand the power). Eyes Wide Shut is another example. What was in Kubrick's 20 - 40 minutes the studio chopped out, deeming it too shocking?

[@UncleSimontoyou]

So glad you included Octavia Butler.

[@MrCushcam]

You should read Alastair Reynolds. 'Revelation Space' and 'House of Suns' are phenomenal books

[@Detonated66]

My absolutely favourite book of all times is Imajica by Clive Barker. This book made me say "This is how fantasy genre should be". Relentless and unstopable, its big size stones you about how many things can be said in so many pages. Amazing book, would love to hear what you think about it

[@epicsardines6440]

I am a young sci fi reader. My favorite is the frontline series by Marko kloos. The first book is called terms of enlistment. Definitely worth a try

[@ReynaSingh]

Great recommendations. Looking forward to part 2

[@Seven-Planets-Sci-Fi-Tuber]

Thank you Jared. Nice list. I suggest reading Ira Levin's much underrated, This Perfect Day.

[@michaeljdauben]

This was a great video. My own top ten is quite different, but I love seeing different views of what other people like. Thanks for your views on these books and giving me some ideas to add to my own TBR list. 😁

[@paulshawley6490]

I'd not seen The Three Body Problem trilogy referred to as RoEP before but I rank it very highly. Some of the others I'd not heard of before. So pleased to see Iain M Banks get a mention - I think the culture series is outstanding, also the standalone, Feersum Endjin. I still rate Dune/Dune Messiah as the pinnacle, not overburdened with science, which I think is responsible for its longevity. I'll check out some of the other books. Thanks.

[@margaretinsydney3856]

This list is wonderful. I've read quite a few of them and I agree absolutely with your judgements! I'd love to read your fantasy and classics lists.😊

[@FIT2BREAD]

If you havent read, I highly recommend: Dhalgren (Samuel R. Delany), Hyperion (Dan Simmons), Sea of Rust (Robert Cargill), Foundation Series (Isaac Asimov), Blindsight (Peter Watts), Speaker for The Dead (Sequel to Enders Game).

[@barryblyth8229]

Hyperion :)

[@gaileverett]

I still don't understand Dhalgren.

[@garyoldham4449]

​@@gaileverett I haven't read it in decades but if I remember correctly... You never know which strange events are actually happening and which ones are part of Dhalgren's perception. You don't even know if he actually is William Dhalgren. He doesn't know. That is the name on his notebook but he doesn't know if he actually wrote it or perhaps he found it. He doesn't remember. He added to someone else's life story? Or maybe it is him. He did write it. He is William Dhalgren and he is adding to his own notebook his bizarre experiences and writing in the margins. Did he experience them or were they hallucinations? He never knows who he is. He never knows what is real and what is the distortion of his mental state. The point is to view through The eyes of someone who is brain-damaged. Things don't make sense to him. Then things would not make sense to you. Like him, you would question what is real and what is part of his mental condition.

[@garyoldham4449]

​@@gaileverett And that is what we all do. We view life through our own ideological distortions and beliefs.

[@charlesfield9286]

I’m new to the channel so this may be old news, but as an old guy who’s read it all I was recently excited to discover “The body problem” series.

[@oleghrozman4172]

I think that "Player of Games" was inspired by Hermann Hesse's "The Glass bead Game".

[@JJ-nu8qi]

It's nice to see a few different books than the standard ones everyone picks.

[@the_artisan]

I just finished reading The Dispossessed the other day, having picked it up on your recommendation. I completely felt the same as you on finishing it and wanted to start it again. I love the way Le Guin writes, and her Earthsea Trilogy was a huge influence on me as a child. In this book I felt like it would have been so easy for her to score some kind of political points but she is too interested in pursuing the real dilemmas faced by the characters.

[@BMB57]

Well said. There's no obvious agenda in the writing even though there is so much potential to be one. She's a master

[@rishabhaniket1952]

I have only picked up Earthesa as an adult and I am gutted I was not given these instead of Harry Potter. Still enjoyable though.

[@UTArch1]

I did not like The Dispossessed at all -- it was a boring political commentary of the failings of mankind.

[@maryfilippou6667]

So glad you began with The Space Trilogy, even if #10. I've been reading on BART past week That hideous strength. I'd like to keep going to Berkeley as now riveting; must get off in Oakland. Very prescient his observation on prenatal education as aim of one group. I was quite amazed at visionary foresight, yet had to debark then!

[@jimdagas5020]

Really glad you made another science fiction video because that's how i learned about your channel. I'm also glad because there seems to be a distinction between literature and science fiction(or just fiction) and I feel many people miss out on some incredible writing,ideas and concepts that fall under the umbrella of sci-fi. So it makes me happy to see a channel like yours which doesn't focus on a specific genre talk about sf

[@wandabissell]

Anathem is my absolute favorite, go back to time and again, novel. It opens like a flower. First you just see the bud of an idea, then it opens further and further, goes from cloistered to urban to global and further, from monastic to near-future urban, and see how linguistics and social structures can develop. Fantastic read if you can get past those first daunting pages.

[@DanielFriendMusic]

I think Childhoods End is probably my favourite Sci Fi book I've ever read. But theres a lot on your list I havent checked out yet so Im excited to try those ones.

[@jonathanrichter4256]

The original Dune was not a trilogy, it was a hexology, and the 3rd book was not God Emperor of Dune, it was Children of Dune where Leto II first starts to absorb the sand trout which ultimately transforms him into the God Emperor.

[@koroba01]

Exactly correct…God Emperor was by far my favorite of all the Dune books, I hope Denis gets his hands on that one.

[@-Gramps]

Thank you for sharing your list of favorites! I’m obviously an OG, & I appreciate some of your ‘vintage’ choices. I must disagree with your choice of Canticle. I tried *very* hard to get through it, bust just couldn’t handle the slow pace. An anthem: fantastic! I haven’t read that Ian Banks title- just placed it on hold!

[@cwhiseant]

I'm a fan of Poul Anderson myself. "The Boat of a Million Years" is a favorite, his Maurai series does a great job of post-apocalyptic world-building IMO, and he ties it into an otherwise unrelated time-travel book with "There will be Time." I agree with you that Book of the New Sun was a great read, and I felt a great concept overall to explore.

[@petermoore9504]

Of all the science fiction I've ever read Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga is top of my list. Just a joy to read and reread. p.s. I had a collection of 5000 or so sci-fi paperbacks that did not survive a leaking garage roof.

[@Bareego]

My parents used to read those C.S. Lewis books to us for bedtime, very interesting stories. He had indeed some odd ideas about religion, and he didn't quite understand how inertia and gravity work in space craft. A great list of books, the only book I would have wanted in there was "The Mote in God's Eye" by Niven/Pournelle

[@fidelogos7098]

The Mote in God's Eye was one of my favorites.

[@Wally_stad]

Great list. I’d be very interested in the classic and fantasy lists as well.

[@Witty_Jackson]

Fantastic video. These are many of my favourites as well. If I were to suggest another author along these lines, if you haven't read them already - Ada Palmer is well worth checking out. It's a wonderful blend of Wolfe, Banks and Le Guin, and her series is full of subtle literary and philosophical references.

[@apeculiarproject3501]

Agree that Jared would like Ada Palmer, but there is nothing subtle about her philosophical and literary references. She names the philosophers and describes their main contributions to human discourse in long asides, in Too Like the Lightning. I don't mean for this to sound negative, I loved that book, and can't wait to read the next. :D

[@Witty_Jackson]

@@apeculiarproject3501 oh I agree that there are non-subtle references too, of course, but there are without a doubt many works of both fiction and non-fiction that are not directly alluded to as well. I hope you enjoy the other books when you get to them!

[@_jared]

She's on my wishlist, but I'm not sure exactly when I'll get around to reading her.

[@kennyj43]

Interesting list. A number of these authors I have not read yet and I look forward to checking them out. Le Guin is the Queen. No Asimov? Hmmm...

[@devenscience8894]

I've added a couple of these onto my to-read list, so thanks. Still, it's amazing how very different our personal lists are.

[@Chapolin242]

Asimov's foundation series should be in this list! Side by side with dune.

[@Facetiously.Esoteric]

I love both series, but that's apples and oranges. Dune is seriously intellectual study on many subjects. The entire foundation series is much more streamlined to specific issues for each story.

[@Chapolin242]

@@Facetiously.Esoteric You're right. My first comment was typed with my emotions not reason. After your reply, I even considered to delete my comment But no, leave it as it is.

[@utubeadsaredworst5121]

Comparing it to Dune makes me want to read Asimov less 😂

[@Chapolin242]

@@utubeadsaredworst5121 why?

[@sufficientmagister9061]

​@@Facetiously.Esoteric Foundation is seriously scientifical on many subjects. The "streamline" of specific issues that are addressed in many events that occur throughout the Foundation universe are quite captivating and intriguing; the hard science present in the Foundation series makes it more realistic and unique. Isaac Asimov was an actual scientist who knew how scientific processes functioned; he was on a much higher intellectual level that Frank Herbert wished he was on (Isaac was an intelligent man who explored many other topics in relation to culture, religion, politics, and existence).

[@EricMcLuen]

Need to read Dispossessed. Have read Lathe of Heaven and amazed ot was written that long ago and is quite relevant today. Have Anathem and looking forward to reading it. Issue is that Stephenson sometimes seems to eneamored with his own writing and gets too cute for his own good.

[@williamgiovinazzo8523]

It is interesting to see the Space Trilogy on this list. I am currently rereading the books after having read them more the 40 years ago. I was surprised that I don't like them nearly as much as I did when I first read them. I found the long descriptions and the pages and pages of nothing happening to be boring. I feel that way about "The Left Hand of Darkness" as well. I felt both writers padded their work A LOT. Loved "Dune" and "A Canticle for Liebowitz." I will have to check out the books on your list that I haven't read. The challenge I face with your channel is the my TBR list keeps getting longer and longer!!!

[@KT-dj4iy]

I'd recommend John Wyndham. Best known are perhaps, _The Midwich Cuckoos, The Chrysalids,_ and of course, _The Day of the Triffids._ His short stories are also good. I remember, from back in high school, _Meteor, Pillar to Post,_ and, _Chronoclasm_ to name but three.

[@CountBrass]

Terrific list. My own would look something like this [in no particular order] David Brin, first Uplift Trilogy: Sundiver; Startide Rising; The Uplift War Arthur C. Clarke, Childhood's End Brian Aldiss, Galaxies Like Grains of Sand Joe Haldeman, The Forever War Isaac Asimov, The Robot Trilogy: The Caves of Steel; The Naked Sun; The Robots of Dawn Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time; A Wind in the Door Robert A. Heinlein, Have Spacesuit, Will Travel; A Time for the Stars; Double Star Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch; Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said Frederick Pohl, Gateway Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

[@paulr1193]

The Forever War. Yes!! 👍

[@surkesh]

Great list, tough to argue with any of these novels. You would probably enjoy blindsight by peter watts. I agree with other commenters that have mentioned china mieville (especially embassytown) and samuel delany. Anything by the strugatsky brothers, stanislaw lem is worth a read in my experience

[@suttonlowe4534]

Great video! I’d love both a top 10 fantasy and classics. Thanks for making compelling videos!

[@IvoLouro]

This is one of the best lists I've seen so far... as it is concerned in science fiction. I should add that if you continue to read the Culture novels you will probably make some changes in your future lists. It is without any doubt the best science fiction series I've read in my life. "Look to Windward", "Use of Weapons" and "Hydrogen Sonanta" are my favourites, although all the others are pretty close.

[@hughcaldwell1034]

Big hell yes for Look To Windward. That, Player of Games, and Surface Detail are probably my top three Culture books.

[@IvoLouro]

@@hughcaldwell1034 Surface Detail is so underated, it's such a good novel, full of ideas and amazing descriptions. I also had an incredible experience with "Inversions".

[@ormdian]

This is a really great list, I'm definitely adding some of these books to my reading list. As a hard Le Guin fan I'm also delighted that two of her novels made it into this list! I too love "The Left hand of Darkness" but I'd say my favourite one is "The Telling". It is a novel that I really learned to love as I grew older and as my love for books grew stronger.

[@derekcooper7865]

Foundation would be one i would add and just for the personal brag I own the original series released in the 1940's Astounding science fiction. They are still quite affordable too if you can get them, worth it.

[@lawrencecoleman4872]

As usual, Clifford Simak's little gem is left out -"City," a tale of a future of dogs, robots, the mutants, and the ants and more importantly, the entity called man. The dogs consider him myth, but the dog scholar Tige makes the case that man not only existed but that he built the dogs' prehensile servants the robots. It's a charming little book with a touch of melancholy.

[@wtk6069]

"City" is a novel that will be a favorite for any dog lover, including me, but it's objectively not Simak's best work. Not because there's anything wrong with "City", but because Simak wrote so many great books. He's a criminally forgotten great in science fiction who wrote over 700 novels, which probably makes him the second most prolific sci-fi writer after Asimov. Check out "Waystation", "Time and Again", "Cemetery World", "Why Call Them Back from Heaven?", and others.

[@winter76]

Jared, thanks for this video, I've read most of them and agree with your assessment. Consider Phlebas is indeed a rough one. I recommend you look at Alastair Reynolds, specifically his book 'House of Suns', I think he really knocked it out of the park with that one. His 'Revelation Space' books are also good, but the first one is a little rough and they quickly get better. They are based on hard sci-fi rules and a bit of Dark Forest shenanigans.

[@kid5Media]

House of Suns is probably my favorite Reynolds and I've read everything by him.

[@nonsuch9301]

I don't know why Consider Phlebas is getting such a rough ride. I enjoy a lot of Iain M Banks novels and Consider Phlebas is one I've re-read several times. I've even enjoyed his non-SF novels that he has authored as Iain Banks , 'The Wasp Factory' has to be one of the most astonishing debut novels I've ever read. If you are struggling with the morality of one of the main characters in Consider Phlebas you won't handle The Wasp Factory at all.

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

Two of your books are unknown to me. With that proviso, your list is very well thought out, excellently explained, and contains books I have much enjoyed. My English master at prep introduced his class to CS Lewis's series during Year 7 (age 12), so my foundation in science fiction is well bedded. My own tastes would put the Dune series first, with Anathem a good single volume runner up. My only disagreement with you would be Cixin's series, which I found a very hard read. In over 70 years, almost never have I not finished a book once started. Cixin's second volume is among that very small pile of unfinished works.

[@StarSystemAndromeda]

I loved Three Body Problem and am struggling with The Dark Forest. I should resume otherwise I may never finish reading it or the trilogy.

[@keverzoid]

Just something I’ve heard, the 1984 Dune film came in at about three and a half hours. The studio made Lynch cut it down to a “normal” movie length and they added the Irulan narration to fill in gaps. It’d be nice to see the Director’s cut of it.

[@malikashiqui]

There is a great viewer cut on KZbin that incorporates all available footage, upgraded to high def

[@keverzoid]

@@malikashiqui I will look for that. Thank you

[@biscuitmeetsgravy]

N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy is pretty excellent, not sure if counts more as sci fi or fantasy, but it was both an engaging read and a nice view on the perspective of the “other” in a society

[@kohhna]

Just started that recently, about a quarter of the way through. Cracking so far.

[@waymire01]

I have read the entire series four times. It's just simply one of the best things I have ever read, and I've been reading for almost 50 years. I would say it is solidly sci-fi for reasons I can't really state without spoilers.

[@jgoemat]

I'm so glad you had Iain M. Banks on your list. I think it's a shame that a lot of people want to begin reading his culture books in the order they are published since Consider Phlebas isn't the best. They are all stand-alone, though there are a few references to events in others and I think just one character that appears in multiple books but is only central to one. Each book has it's own way of telling the story and its own feel. I started when my mom bought me 'Excession' which remains one of my favorites. It is told much more from the point of view of the culture's minds and drones and has a more galactic scale and more action than the others. I also highly recommend the audiobooks as Peter Kenny does an amazing job.

[@jenniferingles5062]

So glad you included The Dispossessed on your list. I read it for the first time in my 20s and absolutely fell in love. When I reread it I always find something new. What is disappointing is how many male sci-fi fans who have not read her work. Glad you are not one of them!

[@stevenschutz4508]

The best thing about your video are the comments. Your followers have offered up tons of titles and authors. I am nearing 70 years old and I believe I have amassed enough suggestions to finish my journey quite pleasantly.

[@ZitoVino]

You got me! Yes your list happened to be the perfect mix of books I have read and really liked and books that I have always wondered about. I need to read the rest of the Gene Wolfe series. The way you described it was what I always thought as well. It was one of those books that I had to be patient with the prose style. But about 100 pages in I really started to enjoy it and it just got better and better from there. Thanks! Liked and subscribed.

[@gregorybalchin3307]

I would like to see both your top ten of fantasy and classic novels. Thanks for the top ten list of sci-fi. I enjoyed it.

[@sofadhana1289]

Ah, for once youtube recommendations works :) my top lists are full of scifi books which have a sense of wonder or immensity in some way. Iain M Banks Culture books like Excession, Greg Egan's Schild's Ladder and Diaspora, some of Peter Watts' works, Eon/Eternity by Greg Bear, Arthur C Clarke's Rama series (as a newbie to the genre anyways)