Which of These 4 Classic Sci-Fi Books is the BEST?

[@paulcooper3611]

I read Norstrillia back in the 60s. I had only read an obscure collection of Cordwainer Smith's short stories before that. The book kind of slid past me but, oddly enough, pieces of it always stuck with me. It wasn't until some years later that I learned about the author and what he was trying to do. Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger was the son of an American lawyer working overseas. Paul grew up in China, as well as other countries and was fluent in Chinese. His godfather was Sun-Yat-sen, the father of Chinese nationalism. In WW II he worked in Army Intelligence, specializing in China. He was involved in the organization of the CIA, and wrote Psychological Warfare, still one of foundational books on espionage. For relaxation he wrote science fiction under the name Cordwainer Smith. One of the reasons his stories seem strange is that he mixed elements of Chinese structure and story-telling into a very American genre. That is why he includes songs, sayings, detached viewpoints, and repetition into his work. They are part of Chinese story-telling. Some of those thing jar us because they are unfamiliar. They come clear upon rereading and keeping the Chinese elements in mind. Norstrillia clicked for me the second time I read it, a decade later. I was amused to find you comparing him to Philip K. Dick. My experience with fans is that those who consider Dick a master writer don't care for Smith and visa versa. And that's fine. The two authors face in diametrically different directions.

[@WordsinTime]

@@paulcooper3611 Interesting! Thanks for the info!

[@TheLeniverse]

I read Non-Stop as a teen, and it was one of the first SF books I read that wasn't written by Jules Verne 😂 I think I liked it, but shortly afterwards I read Tiger Tiger (The Stars My Destination) by Alfred Bester, and that just blew everything else away.

[@WordsinTime]

@@TheLeniverse That’s a great one too!

[@chromabotia]

"The Stars my Destination" by Alfred Bester is epic story telling. For most of the novel the plot is moving at a dead run. Imagination wise Bester is one of the top practitioners of the Golden Age of SF.

[@OurRawHeart]

Aldiss is great. Hothouse is a must read. Love the descriptions of the planet. I think Matt rates it highly over on his channel.

[@WordsinTime]

I’ve heard good things about Hothouse.

[@Yesica1993]

Thanks for often highlighting older books. I'm burned out on "trendy" stuff.

[@WordsinTime]

@@Yesica1993 I try to read a mix of all kinds of sci-fi!

[@Yesica1993]

@@WordsinTime Sounds good to me!

[@rolanddeschain6089]

Try other genres.

[@chromabotia]

Well said, regarding older SF Books...

[@Yesica1993]

@@rolanddeschain6089 I read various genres. What's that got to do with anything?

[@MrClark46902]

Eon is one of my favorite books. I've read it first in the early 90s and at least 15 times since then.

[@WordsinTime]

Woah, that’s awesome.

[@DevonExplorer]

Some great suggestions there; two (Eon and Non-Stop) I've had on the back burner for ages but will go ahead and get them now. The others also sound really good so I'll give those a go too. I'm definitely a hard sci nut, The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle being a favourite.

[@WordsinTime]

I recently purchased The Black Cloud so I look forward to getting to that one.

[@DevonExplorer]

@@WordsinTime Brilliant! It's a bit dated and very British, lol, but it's really enjoyable. :)

[@bookjack]

I like the vs. format. Great reviews as always

[@WordsinTime]

@@bookjack Thanks Jack!

[@Paul_McSeol]

Eon sounds really cool. The only Greg Bear I’ve read were his few Halo novels. Thanks!

[@WordsinTime]

@@Paul_McSeol Hope you enjoy!

[@tmage23]

Forge of God and Anvil of Stars also by the author are a fantastic duology. Highly recommend them.

[@sofadhana1289]

Eon, Eternity and Legacy are one of my favourite series.

[@jamesbittle9789]

I read my first Greg Bear a few months ago. Heads is a weird one.

[@Johanna_reads]

Excellent video , but I have to tease you and what you said about songs! 😂 My favorite book of last year was Guy Gavriel Kay’s A Song for Arbonne, and song was so important in propelling the story forward. I did love the italicized lyrics. To be fair, I did immersion read it with the narrator who had an excellent voice! ❤️ For another example, I loved Zelazny’s Lord of Light, which had a song that I only read visually and loved! 😁

[@WordsinTime]

Haha I will have to find someone to sing these songs to me!

[@chromabotia]

Roger Zelazny's "Lord of Light" rightly was awarded a Hugo. Zelazany's writing is so good, I would place his writing craft as tops in any fiction genre. He is so good that his prose sometimes seems poetical and vise versa. Loved the "Amber Series" and "Doorways in the Sand" and many others!

[@Johanna_reads]

@@chromabotia It’s brilliant! Made my top 10 last year. I need to read more from him!

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

Thanks for putting Non-Stop on my radar!

[@WordsinTime]

It’s pretty cool!

[@Calcprof]

Another famous Hal Clement novel, Close to Critical is fascinating from a science viewpoint. Close to the critical point of water. Ice, water, steam. Nostrilia is incredible. Read his (Paul Linebarger = Cordwainder Smith) collected short stories. They all kind of fit together in a truly surreal universe.

[@WordsinTime]

@@Calcprof Thanks for the recommendations!

[@richardbrown8966]

James Blish wrote Black Easter and The Day After Judgement, not Brian Aldiss.

[@Calcprof]

@@richardbrown8966 Yes. Thank you. Comment corrected. I still like them, though.

[@bendybruce]

Despite the fact book reviews are necessarily seated in one persons opinion, I really do have to give you credit for how objective your reviews are and how you justify your opinions. If a listener does not necessarily agree they can at least see why you hold the view that you do and I think that demonstrates a level of maturity some book tubers unfortunately lack. At the end of the day the review should be about the books not the reviewer and you really do a great job of that. Just some random comments and thoughts. With regards to Greg Beer I also enjoyed Eon and Blood Magic. However I have struggled mightily with his prose in some of his other books which I can't even name, probably because I gave up on them quite quickly. I think like many great sci-fi authors his strengths lie more in his clever ideas than his talent as a writer. I'm curious if you have read much from Greg Egan? I don't think science fiction gets much harder than his work. While I've enjoyed every book of his I have read I'm always left feeling the story ended too quickly and I would have loved deeper characterization. I think it's just another example of what the writer is trying to achieve so this is not really a criticism so much as it is an observation that says more about me than it does about the book. Anyway keep up the great work, I enjoy your channel. I've actually been working on my own science fiction novel for the last 4 years now and it's getting pretty close to completion. Who knows one day you might even get to review it, Something I would feel quite comfortable with given your style and approach.

[@WordsinTime]

@@bendybruce Thanks for the kind words! I try to review books in a way where people may still be inclined to read something even if I didn’t enjoy it or vice versa and help the audience to decide whether the book might suit them. I have read two Greg Egan books. I gave Diaspora a 7.5/10 and Permutation City a 10/10. I loved it! And best of luck with your book!

[@bendybruce]

@@WordsinTime Not going to name names but there is a relatively popular sci-fi book reviewer who recently covered the three body problem. I was really disappointed in the way he chose to review it. It almost felt to me as if he had decided to punish everyone who had the audacity to like the book by Weaponising his review. Generally I think he's a fantastic reviewer but I think it just goes to show everyone can fall victim to their own ego under the right circumstances. Personally I hope that was a one off but it certainly serves as an excellent cautionary tale of how not to review a book.

[@Yesica1993]

Your first point is one of the reasons I love his channel!

[@bendybruce]

@@Yesica1993 Yes he's very good isn't he. I just hope it doesn't go to his head lol

[@Yesica1993]

@@bendybruce Ha ha!

[@fleabynight]

Thanks for sharing. I would read Non-Stop by Aldiss for sure. His Trilogy Helliconia Spring, Summer & Winter were fantastic. I think they get better from 1st to last in the series.

[@WordsinTime]

@@fleabynight That’s good to hear!

[@Kim_Miller]

A nice bunch. I've got Eon on my TBR and recently read Norstrilia. My initial comment on that book was that it's a 'phantasmagoria of absurdity'. It was likeable because there was so much silliness built in as Smith gave the 'ocker' temperament a swipe. And contrary to my usual practice, I read all the songs all the way through. My initial annoyance burned off pretty quickly when I saw that he was packing some story points into them. 3.5 stars from me.

[@WordsinTime]

@@Kim_Miller Blimey haha 🇦🇺

[@lightbearer313]

Your ratings are fair, and your analyses of the novels in this video and others is good. Of these four novels, Non-Stop is my favourite.

[@WordsinTime]

@@lightbearer313 I’m glad you also enjoyed Non-Stop!

[@kufujitsu]

If you liked the world-building elements of Non-Stop, then you should give Aldiss' Hothouse a go as well. It's a fix-up novel of short stories, which are mostly SF, along with fantastical elements thrown in here & there - Aldiss does a pretty seamless job of pulling it all together. It was one of the books that put me onto SF in the first place.

[@WordsinTime]

@@kufujitsu Thanks for the info on Hothouse!

[@lisagulick4144]

I loved _Mission of Gravity._ Glad to see someone giving it a fresh look. If you want to see some _alien_ aliens, try C.J. Cherryh's _Chanur_ series, or the _Faded Sun_ trilogy. And you simply cannot go wrong with Cordwainer Smith. Rod is not very interesting, but that's because he's mainly an observer. When he gets to Old Earth, that's when most of the story happens. Oh, and the songs can be set to old American folk songs; most of them are obvious, but probably not to a British person.

[@WordsinTime]

@@lisagulick4144 Thanks for the info!

[@TowerBooks3192]

I wish I saw this yesterday. Already got Man Plus, Jem, Gateway, by Pohl physically since for some reason they ain't available digitally in Australia. I also got that merchant novel by Pohl and Cornbluth as well. I will place all 4 of this on the top of my list and I have been eyeing a few of them already since I also just got Hothouse and Helliconia trilogy by aldis and rediscovery of man by cordwainer smith.

[@WordsinTime]

@@TowerBooks3192 Nice! I’ve heard good things about Hothouse.

[@BookishChas]

Great video Jonathan! Eon sounds like a book I should check out.

[@WordsinTime]

@@BookishChas It has some pretty cool ideas!

[@dqan7372]

School work is one of the few things in life I was good at, plus I do like to get immersed in a world, so I'm tempted to start with the short fiction of Cordwainer Smith. My library's edition of The Rediscovery of Man seems to be twice the length of the paperback, so I hope it's large print. :)

[@WordsinTime]

Haha hope you enjoy!

[@DJYoue]

Loving the reviews as always, haven't read any of these ones so have added a couple to my TBR! As fast as I read you keep adding more books to my list, keep it up! (Also, will you do a sci-horror list for Halloween? Have you done that before? Should I just look on your channel page?)

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks! I don’t read a lot of horror but in October I might do something horror adjacent with sci-fi books that are dark, bleak, dystopian etc.

[@chromabotia]

Try "Needle" by Hal Clemont. De gustibus non est disputandum, having said that, I just never clicked with Cordwainer Smith. Brian W. Aldiss always provides good reading. Having a bent for hard SF I found, "Eon" by Greg Bear to have that deep sense of mystery and wonder that I really like and the narrative was satisfactory. Pro tip, "Tau Zero" by Poul Anderson, a hard SF novel on the grandest scale.

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks for the recommendation. And I enjoyed Tau Zero!

[@TuftyMcTavish]

🧐 I’ve been reading way too much at the soft end of the scale, and you have set in my mind that I need to explore the harder end more often.

[@WordsinTime]

Haha hope you enjoy!

[@DaBIONICLEFan]

Great that you liked Non-Stop. I don't think I've yet read a book that does that kind of reveal at the end better than Aldiss does. Orphans of the Sky by Heinlein does something a little similar but not as well in my opinion. I recently re-read Hothouse, another Aldiss book, which is full of the worldbuilding elements you mentioned but is quite light on plot. It's more an adventure story that shows off Aldiss' incredible imagination. Lots of cool creatures and he even shows how they all interact with each other to create a believable ecosystem. I imagine it's something he returns to in greater depth in his Helliconia trilogy (which will likely be my next Aldiss read).

[@WordsinTime]

Nice! Hothouse sounds interesting.

[@xraydelta100]

Thanks for doing these videos. Really helps.

[@WordsinTime]

You’re welcome, I’m glad they’re helpful!

[@bazoo513]

0:20 - (Edit: as you will see, I jumped into the comment section the moment you mentioned _Inverted World,_ not waiting for the end of the segment. 🤦‍♂ I will let it stand, anyway 😀) _Mission of Gravity_ reminds me more of _Dragon's Egg_ and _Starquake_ by Robert L. Forward. If you haven't, read those by all means. (There is also _Rocheworld_ tetralogy, not _that_ strong, but still entertaining.) _Inverted World_ is more about the society of the perpetually moving city than the city itself.

[@WordsinTime]

@@bazoo513 Haha yes, I agree with the Dragon’s Egg comparison.

[@spencerburke]

Aldiss is a fine writer. I really enjoy his novels. Yes, use of language is a big part of it. Have a read of 'Greybeard', if you can. It's basically the original 'humanity cannot have children' conceit that was lifted by Children of Men and The Handmaid's Tale. Plot is fairly minimal, but some great atmospherics... If that's a word : )

[@WordsinTime]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[@JaredJohnsonRocketMan]

I love Eon!! I highly encourage you to read Eternity! Eon/Eternity is one story arc, so the ending of Eon will make more sense by reading Eternity. I love the world Greg Bear created. He also co-created one of the most profound concepts in sci-fi, the Final Mind. I feel Eon/Eternity has more to do with Space Odyssey than Rama. RIP Greg Bear, may we meet at the Final Mind.

[@WordsinTime]

@@JaredJohnsonRocketMan I’m glad you enjoyed those two!

[@thecryptile]

Mission of Gravity is a classic. I will never forget Barlennan and his plucky crew of alien adventurers.

[@WordsinTime]

@@thecryptile It was groundbreaking for sure.

[@joemueller781]

5:23 "Who's that writin'? John the Revelator! Who's that writin'? John the Revelator! Writer of the book of the seven seals!"

[@WordsinTime]

@@joemueller781 And a one and a two and a one, two, three, four 🎶

[@khomo12]

Good vid!👍👍👍🤖🚀🐲 I'm still to read brian aldiss. When it comes to eon...I flew through the first half of the book. But towards the end he lost me completely😔 blood music is on my tbr📚 Let's hope it's better.🤞 norstrilia is going on my tbr📚

[@WordsinTime]

@@khomo12 Thanks! I felt similarly about Eon. I enjoyed Blood Music more, hopefully you do too!

[@fernbedek6302]

The most song I've put in a book was, like, one verse for a character that was a singer.

[@WordsinTime]

@@fernbedek6302 Haha that’s fine! 🎶

[@Yesica1993]

5:21 Does anyone ever actually enjoy songs in books? Like, why do authors think that we will enjoy this? * Prof. Tolkien has entered the chat * Ha! Yeah, I have a love/hate relationship with that too.

[@WordsinTime]

Haha Tolkien loves a song

[@stormbourbon8379]

I'm watching this before I go to bed and I'm just sleepy enough to think out loud "Smith? I thought it was Cordwainer Bird?" LOL

[@WordsinTime]

@@stormbourbon8379 Haha

[@jwi1085]

Classic sci fi? one of these was written in my lifetime, I'm not sure if I'm offended or angry, but definitely feeling officially old, thanks😂😡

[@WordsinTime]

@@jwi1085 My apologies haha

[@Yesica1993]

I know, right? Well, I guess WE are classics! (Hey, it sounds better than "old", right?)

[@TenFan54]

2 were written in my lifetime so.....😂🤣

[@jwi1085]

@@TenFan54 I'm only one year away from that...

[@Scottlp2]

I had the same reaction to Eon: beginning was good, ending less so. I don’t remember anything off about his prose.

[@WordsinTime]

@@Scottlp2 The premise and the intrigue in the first half were great.

[@mondostrat]

Not surprised team soft SF wins - I am surprised Nostrilla isn't ranked higher. It's top ten all time for me.

[@WordsinTime]

I liked it. And I’m glad you connected with it so much!

[@Zivilin]

I don't mind songs in books. 🤷

[@WordsinTime]

Haha glad you like them!

[@agent47tobiasrieper85]

Could you please recommend short sci-fi novels, novels and stories With space operas, action, thriller, mystery, time travel and plot twists ? I am trying to find a book that intrigues and hooks me to read and finish the book which are easy and moderate reads for non avid book readers With no film or tv adaptations

[@WordsinTime]

The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov is a short time travel novel that I enjoyed.

[@stormbourbon8379]

I made basically the same request to my science fiction reading (voraciously since childhood) husband, and he gave me "A Hole in Space", a collection of short stories by Larry Niven. I was reluctant at first, because I'm not into harder stuff and it's always put me off trying Niven, but I really enjoyed it.

[@Rogue_VI]

Cordwainer Smith is pretty weird. I definitely like some of his stuff. It's been a VERY long time since I read Eon, but I remember liking it. I think the concept was really cool.

[@WordsinTime]

@@Rogue_VI Haha Norstrilia was pretty weird. And there were some great ideas in Eon.

[@NevsBookChannel]

Songs in books - lol😂

[@WordsinTime]

@@NevsBookChannel Get em outta here!

[@bbarnhouse9022]

I usually skip "songs" and "poems" embedded in novels. I also skim/skip dream sequences that seem to have no significant bearing on the plot line.

[@WordsinTime]

That’s fair haha

[@Twirlip2]

I quite liked the bits of dolphin verse in David Brin's "Startide Rising": they weren't too long, and they seemed to fit into the narrative.

[@kniknayme9865]

No songs. No poems . please.

[@WordsinTime]

@@kniknayme9865 Agreed haha

[@jawkojawko7094]

Songs in books suck lmao

[@WordsinTime]

@@jawkojawko7094 Haha they never seem to work for me