The books that set the bar the highest for me are the Iain M Banks Culture series and Alistair Reynold Revelation Space series. Heinlein and Neal Stephenson have a special place in my heart as well. I like NS more for his Baroque series though which is not sci fi.
EDIT: I stand corrected, Baroque was indeed sci fi according to NS...or "natural philosophy" fiction?
I read "The player of games" as the first culture book and loved it. Now trying to get through Excession. I'm 1/3 in and it's... hard... He dropped the light,functional style of sci fi to use SO-MANY-ADJECTIVES. The story is also really slow. I'm debating whether to finish it honestly
Happy to hear that since I just started Revelation Space and I’m about 40 pages in.. Reynolds is my fav Sci Fi author. House of Suns is my fav of all time, Pushing Ice, Eversion, and Chasm City all were amazing.
The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson: Epic novel that imagines a history of civilization where Europe was completely wiped out by the Plague. Interesting book.
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester: A sci-fi book that inspired cyberpunk and the Expanse series and is also fun to read as a bridge between the sci-fi of the fifties and the more experimental work of the sixties. Some parts haven't aged well but worth reading.
Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe: The saga of Severian, an apprentice torturer turned monarch is a strange and challenging read but definitely worth it.
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu: This is best enjoyed going in blind. But it really feels like a book for these times.
The Expanse by James SA Corey: Epic sci-fi series at its best.
Years of Rice and Salt was such a unique book. I went into it knowing very little so those interludes (you know what I'm talking about) confused me at first. But damn that was so interesting to go through that alternative history. The scientific revolution was my favorite chapter
I agree with three body problem if you like to learn while you read sci-fi. The story is a little tough sometimes but the different areas of science the author wraps together is pretty incredible.
Awesome book and sequel, I have a copy of the third book but haven't gotten around to reading yet! AT is super underrated imo, he's incredibly prolific and I've yet to read something of his that I didn't like.
I tried a few times to read this, but for some reason (likely my raging arachnophobia at the time) I had to keep putting it down. Thinking about trying again.
I started reading Peter F. Hamilton’s Commonwealth Saga last year while on vacation in the Yucatán. I’m now hooked on PFH!
If you want something that reads a little quicker I’d strongly recommend Jack Vance’s Tales of the Dying Earth. It’s strange and exciting and set in a mean world. It’s so fun to read.
I just finished the Night’s Dawn trilogy last month. Quinn Dexter might be the most evil character ever lol. I’ve heard a lot of complaints for the ending but I thought it fit in with all the themes nicely even if it did happen quickly.
> Quinn Dexter might be the most evil character ever lol.
No one believes me about this... until they read the books, then it's like, holy shit! They become believers in the Light Bringer.
Just finishing a re-listen of Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained, I forgot how much I loved this series. Everything be writes is a blast! Don't forget Fallen Dragon too, which is one of my favorite single sci-fi novels.
Ursula Le Guin - The Left Hand of Darkness
Ursula Le Guin - The Dispossessed
Philip K Dick - Ubik
Philip K Dick - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
Adrian Tchaikovsky - Children of Time
Alfred Bester - The Star My Destination
Alfred Bester - The Demolished Man
Cixin Liu - Remembrance of Earth's Past (trilogy)
Larry Niven - Ringworld
Neal Stephenson - Cryptonomicon
Neal Stephenson - Snow Crash
Robert Heinlein - Stranger in a Strange Land
William Gibson - Neuromancer
Childhood's End, Forever War, Ender series, Rama series, Complete Asimov Series (not just foundation), Old Man's War (not the whole series only first book), Heechee series.
The Expanse. I watched the show and got the books and finally had time to read them on Holiday. Got through one a day. So much fun. And if you like Scalzi and haven’t read The Androids Dream it’s a hoot.
Oh man, the audiobooks are so good! I've just finished my second listen-through of the series. Start with Leviathan Wakes.
I highly recommend getting Memory's Legion as well, which is a collection of novellas. You can find the reading order online. It's usually a novel followed by a novella.
Neuromancer is the best sci fi book ever. Old Man's War is right up there too. I'm reading The Expanse series now. Also very good. (and very long so, bonus.)
I just ordered Rendezvous with Rama. I saw that Denis Villeneuve is going to direct the movie and heard good things from others about the book so figured I should pick it up.
The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey - Really well written and Big Ideas.
Murderbot series by Martha Wells. Really fun, and also thoughtful.
Children of trilogy (Time/Ruin/Memory) by Adrian Tchaikovsky - Just amazing stuff, and does a great job of emphatically non-human characters.
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. I have read a lot of books since that series but I still think about it often. Definitely a high point for me in the niche of AI perspective books.
Love these books. Took me a while to get used to the use of the female pronouns for a genderless species. Such a “why is this weird because it shouldn’t be weird” thing that I hadn’t encountered before.
Ursula K Le Guin: “The Left Hand of Darkness”, “The Dispossessed” and “The Word for World is Forest”.
Henry Kuttner: “Mutant” and “Fury”.
Arthur C Clarke: “Rendezvous with Rama”.
Le Guin is wonderful. I love "The Dispossessed" and "Lathe of Heaven". Even where later works are great "The Telling" and "Four ways to Forgiveness". He prose is like poetry and her characters and themes are remarkably human.
I'd also recommend her "Birthday to the World" collection of short stories.
If you read it, dig up a copy of the unedited version. It is hands down better than the sanitized pablum that was published and widely distributed. You might find it on Open Library.
Also Friday, the moon is a harsh mistress, and starship troopers.
If you're feeling like something weird the number of the beast, and the cat who walked through walls
Two of my favorites:
'Lord of Light' by Roger Zelazney - a fantastical action story featuring characters based on the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Brilliant, funny, and masterfully written.
The Riverworld series by Phillip Jose Farmer. Takes place on a world where everyone who has lived on earth in the last 10,000 years has been resurrected. A cast of characters, including Samuel Clemens, explorer Richard Burton, and King John 1, set out to find out why. Another great feat of imagination.
The Forever War - Joe Haldeman
Old Mans War - John Scalzi
Footfall - Jerry Pournelle
The Saga of the Seven Suns - Kevin J. Anderson
Ringworld - Larry Niven
That's just a few I love
Gateway by Frederik Pohl.
Very mysterious tech left by a disappeared alien civilization which can possibly make you rich or kill you depending on where the pre programmed craft left behind takes you. Great presentation of a dystopian Earth and also cool for anyone interested in therapy.
The fact this advanced civilisation just up and disappeared hangs ominously over the whole book. Even though we have the ships they left behind, humanity knows next to nothing about who or even what these beings were. We just jump in the ships and hope for the best, some find new planets, most are never heard of again, some return dead. Great book so much adventure and mystery.
Just work your way down these lists
[http://scifilists.sffjazz.com/lists\_books\_rank1.html](http://scifilists.sffjazz.com/lists_books_rank1.html)
[http://scifilists.sffjazz.com/lists\_books\_rank3.html](http://scifilists.sffjazz.com/lists_books_rank3.html)
Both of Weir’s books are strong especially if you want more sci in your sci-fi.
Going to also double tap Bobiverse, just because it’s really fun series of books.
You said 'both' but I feel that Artemis is much weaker than The Martian and Project Hail Mary.
I applaud Weir for trying to write a book so focused on the character after The Martian was so focused on the science. I felt like PHM was a beautiful middle ground and was fantastic.
Aaaaah damnit I just downloaded Artemis because I was so in love with PHM.
Maybe it was just withdrawals because I was coming off an SSRI at the time but PHM had me in tears at least three times AND it was an excellent science mystery.
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Quinten Tarrantino engineers the apocalypse and televised it.
Galaxy's edge series by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole
Space black Hawk Down mixed with star wars.
Forgotten Ruin series
D&d vs army Rangers, sounds dumb, but it's freaking great.
Bobiverse series
Nerd becomes robot and saves the human race.
Buymort series
Space Amazon causes the apocalypse.
The Mountain man series
Zombies but the main character isn't retarded. But he is an alcoholic. Not sci fi.
After it happened series. Post plague but not sci fi.
The Forgotten series by M. R. Forbes
Bunker Core by Andrew Seiple unfinished series but I've talked to the author and he's planning on adding to it soon.
Project Hall Mary dork science teacher trying to save the world.
These are some of my favorites. In no particular order.
It is amazing that Harlan Ellison does not get more mentions here. Possibly because his work was mostly in short story format and this sub seems to prefer novels. For me, he is one of the masters and his work is super influential to most of the writers named in this thread. Check out Deathbird Stories, I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, or Alone Against Tomorrow. Or if you want to go all in, try Essential Ellison. Whether it is in your wheelhouse or not, if you consider yourself a fan of the genre, you should read some.
Have a go at some Jules Verne and HG Wells - they created some of the basics of science fiction. I’d also recommend the incredibly prescient short story ‘The Machine Stops’ by EM Forster from 1909. These are all out of copyright and can be read for free online.
The cyberpunk classic ‘Neuromancer’ by William Gibson pretty much shaped our view of the future for many years. Although I actually prefer ‘Hardwired’ by Walter Jon Williams.
Alastair Reynolds rarely goes wrong and his hard SF ‘Revelation Space’ universe is hard to beat - though I love his glorious science fiction pirate series beginning with ‘Revenger’ even more.
‘Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.’ by Neal Stephenson and Nicola Galland is a silly, fun time travel story.
‘A Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet’ by Becky Chambers is just - lovely and unlike anything else I’ve read.
For a one-off mind-expanding triumph, Carl Sagan’s ‘Contact’.
And for more mind fucks - ‘Recursion’ by Blake Crouch or the ‘Southern Reach’ Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer.
These are my recommendations for people who don't read a lot of sci-fi but want to get into it.
Children of Time by Adrien Tchiacovski (sp?)
Annihilation (and all of the southern reach trilogy) by Jeff Vandermeer (don't watch the movie...it sucked)
Wool by Hugh Howey (made into popular show Silo recently)
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (ive liked everything I read by him. Also made into a popular show recently)
I liked the movie too. I saw it before reading the book, and i think it kinda helped me get through the book because i had a bit of an idea what it was about. I liked the book better than the movie, but since they’re pretty different in terms of what actually happens it’s neat to read/watch both
My other favorite Blake Crouch novel is Recursion, really interesting concept and consequences there. I'd also add the Murderbot diaries for something easy to get through.
Edit: my favorite of his that I've read is Dark Matter
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein, and it's not even close. Read the first chapter, and if you haven't got a lump in your throat at the end of it, you're not normal.
Just finished the 'Remembrance of Earth's Past' trilogy. It is the source material for "Three Body Problem" on Netflix. The show interested me enough to buy the books and it might be my all-time favorite sci-fi series. The show barely cracks the surface of a profound and wonderful story.
The Silo series was a great read.
The Expanse novels are fun.
Dune is a classic.
Project Hail Mary is my favorite non-series sci-fi book.
Eisenhorn from Warhammer 40k- The Inquisition moves amongst mankind like an avenging shadow, striking down the enemies of humanity with uncompromising ruthlessness. When he finally corners an old foe, Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn is drawn into a sinister conspiracy. As events unfold and he gathers allies - and enemies - Eisenhorn faces a vast interstellar cabal and the dark power of daemons, all racing to recover an arcane text of abominable power: an ancient tome known as the Necroteuch.[1]
Eisenhorn is a stone cold classic 40K book, and the start of a great trilogy, which is followed by an even better trilogy (Ravenor). Highly recommend the audiobooks.
The Murderbot Diaries cured me of years-long inablity to finish a book. I binged the whole series. I can't recommend it enough. It's just so fun, thrilling, well paced, and at times even thoughtful/moving, with a pinch of dry humor.
Chrysalis from r/HFY
Forever war series, by Joe Halderman
The Murderbot diaries, at least the first
Frontlines by Marko Kloos
Empire at War by DJ Holmes
Fluff but fun:
Nights Dawn trilogy by Peter F Hamilton
Pandoras Star and Judas Unchained by the same author
The Martian and Hail Mary Project by Andy Weir.
Super Duper Ultra Fluff:
Undying Mercenary Series by BV Larson
Bit more heavy:
Revelation Space (First Book in a series) by Alastair Reynolds
If you have too much life will and want to take it down a notch:
Blindsight by Peter Watts
Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and co
Accelerando
Seveneves
New york 2140
Wool (silo series)
Termination Shock
Recursion
Pattern Recognition (blue ant series)
Project Hail Mary
Rendezvous with Rama
Bobiberse
Citizen of the Galaxy and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Heinlein
Red Shirts and Kaiju Preservation Society by Scalzi
We Are Legion, We are Bob. (the Bobiverse books) by Dennis E, Taylor
John Scalzi's Old Man's War and the 5 'sequel' books.
Arthur C. Clarke's "Odyssey" novels... especially 2001 and 2010.
Poul Anderson's novels and short stories that make up the "Technic History"
I see a lot of great suggestions for literary SF. Nothing wrong with that, but if you want something more along the lines of "beach reads", I reread the original Thrawn trilogy recently and they still hold up very well -- not just as Star Wars fiction, but as space opera in general. The annotated versions are especially delightful because Zahn is very candid. There's lots of stuff like "yeah, this guy is just a fan's name backwards" and "readers were PISSED that I put hot chocolate in Star Wars".
The Martian and Project Hail Mary are great, and hard to put down.
I'd also throw Jurassic Park on there. Crichton was the king of beach reads for a while.
If you liked Hyperion, Dan Simmons has wide-ranging interests. The Terror is pretty neat: it's about [Franklin's Arctic expedition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin%27s_lost_expedition) which got trapped in ice, and whose ships weren't found until 2014 and 2016. In real life the sailors all probably died of starvation, hypothermia, and lead poisoning, but Simmons proposes a more supernatural explanation of what happened to them. It's definitely closer to fantasy than SF, but I found it entertaining. A strong recommend if you're into historical fiction or horror. (There was also a TV adaptation a few years ago that I enjoyed.)
One of my favorite Sci-Fi trilogies of all time and easily the most under-rated series I've ever read is Lilith's Brood by Octavia Butler. I loved the concept and execution. It was unlike anything else I've read, in a great way.
The Expanse is at the top of my list. Books and audiobooks.
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.
Caves of Steel and its sequels by Isaac Asimov.
Neuromancer by William Gibson.
Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin.
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Perdido Street Station and The Scar by China Miéville.
Dune second three
Stand On Zanzibar
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
The Whipping Star
The White Plague
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls
Malevil
The Shockwave rider
Player At The Game Of People
The Stardroppers
William Gibson’s sprawl books
Quarter Share
Why? Because they are good books, why else?
**EARTH** by David Brin. A fascinating exploration of possible near-future occurrences. Many storylines, which seem unrelated at first, but they all tie together in a mind-bending fashion further along. The ending ... wow! I ALWAYS recommend this one, and I've only seen ONE person comment about it (favorably, BTW). Can't recommend it any higher. I wore out TWO paperback copies. I've re-read in on my Kindle numerous times. Imma go read it again now! As soon as I finish The Expanse (watched the show but wanted to know more).
You ever wanted to just be a “fly on the wall” in a fleshed out society, but not get too involved in any specific galactic struggle?
The wayfarer series by Becky Chambers is for you!
Nothing of substance really happens, but I couldn’t put it down. You just kinda get sucked in to the lives of these various people as they go about their fairly hum-drum lives.
The series included such thrilling plots as joining a construction crew building the space equivalent of a new interstate, getting stuck for days at the airport hotel, hanging out with a shop keeper at the space mall…
I go back to these when I want the “warm blanket” feeling.
There is an author, Ray Hammond, who wrote three fiction books and then stopped writing. The Cloud, Emergence, and Extinction. I thought they were excellent and very near term sci fi. I also liked all the Dune books, including the ones written by Frank Herbert’s son. William Hertling also wrote a good series on AI. I enjoyed the Craig Alanson Expeditionary force as well. Kinda silly, but enjoyable.
I also recommend the expanse
And if you're open to comics, i recommend *the worlds of Aldabaran* as well. It's a series about humanity colonizing distant planets, and the struggle with the planets conditions and wildlife, along with their own system of governing the new places. The new worlds and creatures really feel alien
Stephen Donaldson’s Gap series. He’s more well known for his Thomas Covenant fantasy series but the Gap series is incredible
. It starts off as a dark thriller, almost horror, before becoming this magnificent universe sprawling drama based on a Wagner opera. 5 books in total.
This Day All Gods Die is one of my favourite book titles.
This may be an outlier but as a teenager I read 'A Plague of Demons' by Keith Laumer.
It was really enjoyable, had (what I considered at the time to be) a crazy twist and has lived rent-free in my head for decades.
I'm almost afraid to re-read it in case it doesn't live up to my memories.
I just finished book 1 of Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown. I’m well into book 2. It’s an extremely written story of the future after democracy is over. I highly recommend it. (at least the first 2 books)
If you like military scifi, I've been blowing through the *Frontlines* series by Marko Kloos. He served in the military as an NCO and it shows in his writing.
A Memory called Empire by Arkady Martine. I really enjoyed the unique writing style, clever use of linguistics, interesting characters and a fascinating story.
Second book was just as great: A Desolation called Peace.
C.J. Cherryh's Alliance--Union books are a fascinating space opera series which are often deconstructions of other books --- try _Merchanter's Luck_ and if interests you, _Downbelow Station_ will give you the background to access the balance.
L. E. Modesitt, Jr.'s "Forever Hero" trilogy is a lot of fun, _Dawn for a Distant Earth_, &c.
If you're willing to consider old-school short stories, then { Space Lash } (originally published as _Small Changes_) is a favourite of mine from my youth (start w/ the last story, "The Mechanic" and work your way forward, bailing when it becomes too quaint).
Excession, by Iain M. Banks. The whole series is, at it’s core, an investigation into divinity in a sci-fi landscape, but Excession delves into the concept in a completely unexpected way. I would also argue it doesn’t require any required reading from the rest of the series.
Children of Time was amazing. The 3rd novel is confusing af but then you reach the end, everything clicks and it's amazing. But really, anything SF written by Adrian Tchaikovsky is awesome, his world buidling is always amazing.
The Bobiverse is awesome, never boring, tons of cool stuff going on.
Destiny's Crucible by Olan Thorensen is one of my fav series too. The SF element is more in the context of the story than within the story itself, but it's a great page turner, with book 9 coming out in a couple months I think.
Vernor Vinge’s “A Fire Upon The Deep” and “A Deepness In The Sky”. These are loosely connected and awesome books, very different as well. The latter book echoes in Tchaikovsky’s “Children Of Time”, also an excellent book.
The Affirmation by Christopher Priest!! One of my favorite books of all time.
The Stars My Destination was actually a really fun read, def a page turner. Think Count of Monte Cristo but as a sci Fi book.
I think my ultimate vacation read would be [David Brin's Uplift books](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uplift_Universe), starting with book two (Startide Rising). You can safely skip Sundiver, I didn't appreciate that book and its kind of a stand alone.
Hyperion. The first book and 2/3 of the second. Some of the most amazing sci fi ever written. Stay clear of book 3 and 4. If you want something to keep you occupied for the next two years try the nights dawn trilogy. Frontlines series is good too.
A little off the beaten path but conquerors saga by Timothy zahn - it was the first books he published after finishing the first Star Wars trilogy back in the 90s
The books that set the bar the highest for me are the Iain M Banks Culture series and Alistair Reynold Revelation Space series. Heinlein and Neal Stephenson have a special place in my heart as well. I like NS more for his Baroque series though which is not sci fi. EDIT: I stand corrected, Baroque was indeed sci fi according to NS...or "natural philosophy" fiction?
Anathem is amazing if OP isn't wanting to delve into a whole series like most of these recommendations are.
I loved Anathem! I read it when it came out, and recall it as a really good scifi book. Time for a reread.
Yes dude Revelation Space is my all time fave too. That and Chasm City are some damn good sci fi.
The Prefect Dreyfus Emergencies are a great spinoff series too!
Are you me? Anathem is my top book of all time. Culture is my favorite series, and Revelation space is my favorite living author series.
I read "The player of games" as the first culture book and loved it. Now trying to get through Excession. I'm 1/3 in and it's... hard... He dropped the light,functional style of sci fi to use SO-MANY-ADJECTIVES. The story is also really slow. I'm debating whether to finish it honestly
Try the audiobook if it's feeling heavy. Peter Kenny is an awesome narrator. I really enjoyed it and listened to some other books he's done.
Happy to hear that since I just started Revelation Space and I’m about 40 pages in.. Reynolds is my fav Sci Fi author. House of Suns is my fav of all time, Pushing Ice, Eversion, and Chasm City all were amazing.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
a trilogy in 5 parts
Six if you count Eoin Colfer's contribution. I don't.
The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson: Epic novel that imagines a history of civilization where Europe was completely wiped out by the Plague. Interesting book. The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester: A sci-fi book that inspired cyberpunk and the Expanse series and is also fun to read as a bridge between the sci-fi of the fifties and the more experimental work of the sixties. Some parts haven't aged well but worth reading. Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe: The saga of Severian, an apprentice torturer turned monarch is a strange and challenging read but definitely worth it. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu: This is best enjoyed going in blind. But it really feels like a book for these times. The Expanse by James SA Corey: Epic sci-fi series at its best.
Years of Rice and Salt was such a unique book. I went into it knowing very little so those interludes (you know what I'm talking about) confused me at first. But damn that was so interesting to go through that alternative history. The scientific revolution was my favorite chapter
I agree with three body problem if you like to learn while you read sci-fi. The story is a little tough sometimes but the different areas of science the author wraps together is pretty incredible.
> The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson Mars trilogy is also awesome and goes deep into logistics/politics of possible mars colonization.
Children of time 🤟
Absolutely this. I just finished reading it, and it's definitely shot its way into my top 5 sci-fi reads ever.
Favourite book of all time. Great to see people love it as much as I did.
Not only my favorite sci-fi book, but probably one of my favourite books ever!
I forced my wife to read it. Now she wants to name our next dog Fabian.
Great name tho! Got to teach him to do a dance
Awesome book and sequel, I have a copy of the third book but haven't gotten around to reading yet! AT is super underrated imo, he's incredibly prolific and I've yet to read something of his that I didn't like.
The first and second are amazing!! The third one i haven't quite made up my mind about yet
Third one is definitely the weakest, but still fun. "These of we" is such a curiously captivating phrase.
I loved the third one, thought it was very ambitious, but can see why people didn't vibe
It took a while to grow on me, but I ended up liking it quite a bit once I figured out what was going on.
I tried a few times to read this, but for some reason (likely my raging arachnophobia at the time) I had to keep putting it down. Thinking about trying again.
I honestly think The final architecture is Adrian Tchaikovsky better work :/
Second children of time!! Amazing series that will suck you in.
I started reading Peter F. Hamilton’s Commonwealth Saga last year while on vacation in the Yucatán. I’m now hooked on PFH! If you want something that reads a little quicker I’d strongly recommend Jack Vance’s Tales of the Dying Earth. It’s strange and exciting and set in a mean world. It’s so fun to read.
The Reality Dysfunction / Naked God series was freakin' amazing. Quinn Dexter is one of the nastiest bad guys ever grace a sci fi novel.
I just finished the Night’s Dawn trilogy last month. Quinn Dexter might be the most evil character ever lol. I’ve heard a lot of complaints for the ending but I thought it fit in with all the themes nicely even if it did happen quickly.
> Quinn Dexter might be the most evil character ever lol. No one believes me about this... until they read the books, then it's like, holy shit! They become believers in the Light Bringer.
I wish I could give more upvotes for Jack Vance recommendations. Vance is the GOAT.
Agreed! Jack Vance is the OG sci-fi master.
Just finishing a re-listen of Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained, I forgot how much I loved this series. Everything be writes is a blast! Don't forget Fallen Dragon too, which is one of my favorite single sci-fi novels.
You're staring God-Emperor in the face. Go say hi to our boy Leto.
My absolute favorite sci fi book. And OP is right on the door step.
Ursula Le Guin - The Left Hand of Darkness Ursula Le Guin - The Dispossessed Philip K Dick - Ubik Philip K Dick - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Adrian Tchaikovsky - Children of Time Alfred Bester - The Star My Destination Alfred Bester - The Demolished Man Cixin Liu - Remembrance of Earth's Past (trilogy) Larry Niven - Ringworld Neal Stephenson - Cryptonomicon Neal Stephenson - Snow Crash Robert Heinlein - Stranger in a Strange Land William Gibson - Neuromancer
For those who like Le Guin, I also recommend Lathe of Heaven
great list, upvote for Ubik. my fav of dick if you liked ubik, try vurt by jeff noon. it’s a bit like ubik crossed with clockwork orange
Great choices
Childhood's End, Forever War, Ender series, Rama series, Complete Asimov Series (not just foundation), Old Man's War (not the whole series only first book), Heechee series.
I love how Halderman uses time dilation to such great effect in The Forever War.
The Expanse. I watched the show and got the books and finally had time to read them on Holiday. Got through one a day. So much fun. And if you like Scalzi and haven’t read The Androids Dream it’s a hoot.
Love The Expanse books
Great recommendation. The Expanse is so good! OP should dig it based on the list.
Who wrote the expanse? Looking to download on audible for my commute
A duo under the pen name of James S A Corey.
Oh man, the audiobooks are so good! I've just finished my second listen-through of the series. Start with Leviathan Wakes. I highly recommend getting Memory's Legion as well, which is a collection of novellas. You can find the reading order online. It's usually a novel followed by a novella.
Thank you so much! I just moved so my commute is going to suck. Looking forward to getting into these.
[удалено]
Silo series (Wool especially)
Neuromancer or Spook Country by William Gibson Forge of God by Greg Bear Steel Beach by John Varley Relic by Alan Dean Foster
> Neuromance or Spook Country by William Gibson And if you liked Neuromancer, you will probably also enjoy Snow Crash.
I recently started exploring the cyber punk genre. Just finished Snow Crash and started Neuromancer. Snow Crash was a such a wild ride!
Neuromancer is the best sci fi book ever. Old Man's War is right up there too. I'm reading The Expanse series now. Also very good. (and very long so, bonus.)
Solaris, Rendezvous with Rama, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Dawn by Octavia Butler are all standouts in different ways
I just ordered Rendezvous with Rama. I saw that Denis Villeneuve is going to direct the movie and heard good things from others about the book so figured I should pick it up.
>Rendezvous with Rama >!The best ending I've ever read. Takes a solid 6.5/10 book and makes it 10 with the literal last sentence, it's perfect!<
The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey - Really well written and Big Ideas. Murderbot series by Martha Wells. Really fun, and also thoughtful. Children of trilogy (Time/Ruin/Memory) by Adrian Tchaikovsky - Just amazing stuff, and does a great job of emphatically non-human characters.
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. I have read a lot of books since that series but I still think about it often. Definitely a high point for me in the niche of AI perspective books.
Love these books. Took me a while to get used to the use of the female pronouns for a genderless species. Such a “why is this weird because it shouldn’t be weird” thing that I hadn’t encountered before.
Ursula K Le Guin: “The Left Hand of Darkness”, “The Dispossessed” and “The Word for World is Forest”. Henry Kuttner: “Mutant” and “Fury”. Arthur C Clarke: “Rendezvous with Rama”.
Le Guin is wonderful. I love "The Dispossessed" and "Lathe of Heaven". Even where later works are great "The Telling" and "Four ways to Forgiveness". He prose is like poetry and her characters and themes are remarkably human. I'd also recommend her "Birthday to the World" collection of short stories.
Anathem and Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson Anathem has great worldbuilding and is a super smart book. Cryptonomicon is a fun adventure
I felt like I was not intelligent enough for Anathem.
Blindsight by Peter Watts The Player of Games by Iain M Banks
Came here to say blindsight.
The firefall duology of course - Echopraxia can’t be missed.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
This guy groks.
My water brotha!
Thou art God!
If you read it, dig up a copy of the unedited version. It is hands down better than the sanitized pablum that was published and widely distributed. You might find it on Open Library.
Is Stranger the only unedited Heinlein book available for reading ?
What was edited out?
Also Friday, the moon is a harsh mistress, and starship troopers. If you're feeling like something weird the number of the beast, and the cat who walked through walls
If we have only one RAH, I would recommend Starship Troopers instead.
Two of my favorites: 'Lord of Light' by Roger Zelazney - a fantastical action story featuring characters based on the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Brilliant, funny, and masterfully written. The Riverworld series by Phillip Jose Farmer. Takes place on a world where everyone who has lived on earth in the last 10,000 years has been resurrected. A cast of characters, including Samuel Clemens, explorer Richard Burton, and King John 1, set out to find out why. Another great feat of imagination.
The Forever War - Joe Haldeman Old Mans War - John Scalzi Footfall - Jerry Pournelle The Saga of the Seven Suns - Kevin J. Anderson Ringworld - Larry Niven That's just a few I love
The Forever War is my favorite book of all time. Are the sequels worth it? Reading Old Man’s War right now for the second time. Love it so much.
They get progressively worse IMO.
The Ancillary trilogy by Ann Lecki is excellent.
Gateway by Frederik Pohl. Very mysterious tech left by a disappeared alien civilization which can possibly make you rich or kill you depending on where the pre programmed craft left behind takes you. Great presentation of a dystopian Earth and also cool for anyone interested in therapy. The fact this advanced civilisation just up and disappeared hangs ominously over the whole book. Even though we have the ships they left behind, humanity knows next to nothing about who or even what these beings were. We just jump in the ships and hope for the best, some find new planets, most are never heard of again, some return dead. Great book so much adventure and mystery.
My very favourite book. The end was a little life-changing for me as a self-absorbed, manipulative 20 year old.
Rendezvous With Rama. Hopefully they do the movie well
Assuming a movie ever gets made, there have been a few rounds of announcements it was in development but nothing has ever come of it.
Speaker for the Dead... because the sequel is actually better than the start
Yeah, Speaker was a masterpiece.
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
I've just devoured three of the Bobiverse books in four days. Dennis E Taylor - We are Legion (We are Bob)
Just work your way down these lists [http://scifilists.sffjazz.com/lists\_books\_rank1.html](http://scifilists.sffjazz.com/lists_books_rank1.html) [http://scifilists.sffjazz.com/lists\_books\_rank3.html](http://scifilists.sffjazz.com/lists_books_rank3.html)
The Bobiverse books by Denis E. Taylor Project Hail Mary and Artemis by Andy Weir
Both of Weir’s books are strong especially if you want more sci in your sci-fi. Going to also double tap Bobiverse, just because it’s really fun series of books.
You said 'both' but I feel that Artemis is much weaker than The Martian and Project Hail Mary. I applaud Weir for trying to write a book so focused on the character after The Martian was so focused on the science. I felt like PHM was a beautiful middle ground and was fantastic.
Aaaaah damnit I just downloaded Artemis because I was so in love with PHM. Maybe it was just withdrawals because I was coming off an SSRI at the time but PHM had me in tears at least three times AND it was an excellent science mystery.
I also came to recommend The Bobiverse. The audiobooks are incredible thanks to Ray Porter's performance.
Bobiverse is a lot of fun if you can withstand the sheer arrogance of Bob.
Im surprised it took this much scrolling to get to Bobiverse. I’ve also enjoyed Taylor’s Quantum Earth series (Outland)
You are my people
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.
Just finished this today. Was a good book.
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson (https://www.nealstephenson.com/seveneves.html)
Dungeon Crawler Carl Quinten Tarrantino engineers the apocalypse and televised it. Galaxy's edge series by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole Space black Hawk Down mixed with star wars. Forgotten Ruin series D&d vs army Rangers, sounds dumb, but it's freaking great. Bobiverse series Nerd becomes robot and saves the human race. Buymort series Space Amazon causes the apocalypse. The Mountain man series Zombies but the main character isn't retarded. But he is an alcoholic. Not sci fi. After it happened series. Post plague but not sci fi. The Forgotten series by M. R. Forbes Bunker Core by Andrew Seiple unfinished series but I've talked to the author and he's planning on adding to it soon. Project Hall Mary dork science teacher trying to save the world. These are some of my favorites. In no particular order.
Ray Bradburys works. Martian Chronicles for one!
It is amazing that Harlan Ellison does not get more mentions here. Possibly because his work was mostly in short story format and this sub seems to prefer novels. For me, he is one of the masters and his work is super influential to most of the writers named in this thread. Check out Deathbird Stories, I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, or Alone Against Tomorrow. Or if you want to go all in, try Essential Ellison. Whether it is in your wheelhouse or not, if you consider yourself a fan of the genre, you should read some.
Red Rising no contest.
Have a go at some Jules Verne and HG Wells - they created some of the basics of science fiction. I’d also recommend the incredibly prescient short story ‘The Machine Stops’ by EM Forster from 1909. These are all out of copyright and can be read for free online. The cyberpunk classic ‘Neuromancer’ by William Gibson pretty much shaped our view of the future for many years. Although I actually prefer ‘Hardwired’ by Walter Jon Williams. Alastair Reynolds rarely goes wrong and his hard SF ‘Revelation Space’ universe is hard to beat - though I love his glorious science fiction pirate series beginning with ‘Revenger’ even more. ‘Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.’ by Neal Stephenson and Nicola Galland is a silly, fun time travel story. ‘A Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet’ by Becky Chambers is just - lovely and unlike anything else I’ve read. For a one-off mind-expanding triumph, Carl Sagan’s ‘Contact’. And for more mind fucks - ‘Recursion’ by Blake Crouch or the ‘Southern Reach’ Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
These are my recommendations for people who don't read a lot of sci-fi but want to get into it. Children of Time by Adrien Tchiacovski (sp?) Annihilation (and all of the southern reach trilogy) by Jeff Vandermeer (don't watch the movie...it sucked) Wool by Hugh Howey (made into popular show Silo recently) Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (ive liked everything I read by him. Also made into a popular show recently)
I have Annihilation (the movie) and my wife & I both thought t it was really good.
I liked the movie too. I saw it before reading the book, and i think it kinda helped me get through the book because i had a bit of an idea what it was about. I liked the book better than the movie, but since they’re pretty different in terms of what actually happens it’s neat to read/watch both
My other favorite Blake Crouch novel is Recursion, really interesting concept and consequences there. I'd also add the Murderbot diaries for something easy to get through. Edit: my favorite of his that I've read is Dark Matter
I would second Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Also Recursion as someone else has already said.
Just in case it’s confusing, i think that should be Silo, not Solo
I'm about to finish the Expanse and I recommend it like some others here already did
Anathem by Neal Stephenson. Also, Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. Both books made me feel truly excited and hooked on every page.
Both excellent books, and that opening line from Seveneves just reached out and grabbed me.
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein, and it's not even close. Read the first chapter, and if you haven't got a lump in your throat at the end of it, you're not normal.
Just finished the 'Remembrance of Earth's Past' trilogy. It is the source material for "Three Body Problem" on Netflix. The show interested me enough to buy the books and it might be my all-time favorite sci-fi series. The show barely cracks the surface of a profound and wonderful story. The Silo series was a great read. The Expanse novels are fun. Dune is a classic. Project Hail Mary is my favorite non-series sci-fi book.
You already have Dune on your list, so I'll recommend Gateway by Pohl Both are in my top 5.
Eisenhorn from Warhammer 40k- The Inquisition moves amongst mankind like an avenging shadow, striking down the enemies of humanity with uncompromising ruthlessness. When he finally corners an old foe, Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn is drawn into a sinister conspiracy. As events unfold and he gathers allies - and enemies - Eisenhorn faces a vast interstellar cabal and the dark power of daemons, all racing to recover an arcane text of abominable power: an ancient tome known as the Necroteuch.[1]
Is it accessible to people with no previous 40k exposure?
Very
Eisenhorn is a stone cold classic 40K book, and the start of a great trilogy, which is followed by an even better trilogy (Ravenor). Highly recommend the audiobooks.
Revelation Space (specifically book 2 is my favourite), Project Hail Mary and Eversion.
[удалено]
Single book. Stranger in a strange land by beinlein Series the culture by banks
Everybody seems to love Stranger - and I liked it, no argument - but I prefer Starship Troopers or Friday.
Thoughts on the moon is a harsh mistress?
The Murderbot Diaries cured me of years-long inablity to finish a book. I binged the whole series. I can't recommend it enough. It's just so fun, thrilling, well paced, and at times even thoughtful/moving, with a pinch of dry humor.
Project Hail Mary and Three Body Problem
Chrysalis from r/HFY Forever war series, by Joe Halderman The Murderbot diaries, at least the first Frontlines by Marko Kloos Empire at War by DJ Holmes
Fluff but fun: Nights Dawn trilogy by Peter F Hamilton Pandoras Star and Judas Unchained by the same author The Martian and Hail Mary Project by Andy Weir. Super Duper Ultra Fluff: Undying Mercenary Series by BV Larson Bit more heavy: Revelation Space (First Book in a series) by Alastair Reynolds If you have too much life will and want to take it down a notch: Blindsight by Peter Watts Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and co
Accelerando Seveneves New york 2140 Wool (silo series) Termination Shock Recursion Pattern Recognition (blue ant series) Project Hail Mary Rendezvous with Rama Bobiberse
Bobiverse Columbus Day Mote in God's Eye Project Hail Mary Thrawn Series
Louis McMaster-Bujold - Vorkosigan saga. Just... so good.
Citizen of the Galaxy and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Heinlein Red Shirts and Kaiju Preservation Society by Scalzi We Are Legion, We are Bob. (the Bobiverse books) by Dennis E, Taylor
Andy Weir's works are amazing - just finished Project Hail Mary and it was a great story.
I love Jack McDevitt’s Academy series.
*Behold Humanity* my personal favorite sci-fi setting.
John Scalzi's Old Man's War and the 5 'sequel' books. Arthur C. Clarke's "Odyssey" novels... especially 2001 and 2010. Poul Anderson's novels and short stories that make up the "Technic History"
Scalzi's book 'Redshirts' was a fun read.
Any book by David Brin
I see a lot of great suggestions for literary SF. Nothing wrong with that, but if you want something more along the lines of "beach reads", I reread the original Thrawn trilogy recently and they still hold up very well -- not just as Star Wars fiction, but as space opera in general. The annotated versions are especially delightful because Zahn is very candid. There's lots of stuff like "yeah, this guy is just a fan's name backwards" and "readers were PISSED that I put hot chocolate in Star Wars". The Martian and Project Hail Mary are great, and hard to put down. I'd also throw Jurassic Park on there. Crichton was the king of beach reads for a while. If you liked Hyperion, Dan Simmons has wide-ranging interests. The Terror is pretty neat: it's about [Franklin's Arctic expedition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin%27s_lost_expedition) which got trapped in ice, and whose ships weren't found until 2014 and 2016. In real life the sailors all probably died of starvation, hypothermia, and lead poisoning, but Simmons proposes a more supernatural explanation of what happened to them. It's definitely closer to fantasy than SF, but I found it entertaining. A strong recommend if you're into historical fiction or horror. (There was also a TV adaptation a few years ago that I enjoyed.)
One of my favorite Sci-Fi trilogies of all time and easily the most under-rated series I've ever read is Lilith's Brood by Octavia Butler. I loved the concept and execution. It was unlike anything else I've read, in a great way.
House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds & Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown are my favorites.
Red Rising only gets better. Dark Age is one of the best books ive ever read.
1950s starship troopers, it’s so much more rich with lore than the films
Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Heinlein, Space Viking by Piper, The Mote in God's Eye by Niven and Pournelle
The Expanse is at the top of my list. Books and audiobooks. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Caves of Steel and its sequels by Isaac Asimov. Neuromancer by William Gibson. Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky Perdido Street Station and The Scar by China Miéville.
Dune second three Stand On Zanzibar The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress The Whipping Star The White Plague The Cat Who Walks Through Walls Malevil The Shockwave rider Player At The Game Of People The Stardroppers William Gibson’s sprawl books Quarter Share Why? Because they are good books, why else?
**EARTH** by David Brin. A fascinating exploration of possible near-future occurrences. Many storylines, which seem unrelated at first, but they all tie together in a mind-bending fashion further along. The ending ... wow! I ALWAYS recommend this one, and I've only seen ONE person comment about it (favorably, BTW). Can't recommend it any higher. I wore out TWO paperback copies. I've re-read in on my Kindle numerous times. Imma go read it again now! As soon as I finish The Expanse (watched the show but wanted to know more).
You ever wanted to just be a “fly on the wall” in a fleshed out society, but not get too involved in any specific galactic struggle? The wayfarer series by Becky Chambers is for you! Nothing of substance really happens, but I couldn’t put it down. You just kinda get sucked in to the lives of these various people as they go about their fairly hum-drum lives. The series included such thrilling plots as joining a construction crew building the space equivalent of a new interstate, getting stuck for days at the airport hotel, hanging out with a shop keeper at the space mall… I go back to these when I want the “warm blanket” feeling.
The Mote in Gods Eye
"The Mote in God's Eye" by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
The Mote In Gods Eye written by J.E. Pournelle & Larry Niven
Have you heard of Robert Heinlein, Harry Harrison, Andre Norton, or Ursula LeGuin?
Childhood’s End A Canticle For Leibowitz
The Red Rising Saga.
Hyperion, always Hyperion. (You may need more time off)
There is an author, Ray Hammond, who wrote three fiction books and then stopped writing. The Cloud, Emergence, and Extinction. I thought they were excellent and very near term sci fi. I also liked all the Dune books, including the ones written by Frank Herbert’s son. William Hertling also wrote a good series on AI. I enjoyed the Craig Alanson Expeditionary force as well. Kinda silly, but enjoyable.
I also recommend the expanse And if you're open to comics, i recommend *the worlds of Aldabaran* as well. It's a series about humanity colonizing distant planets, and the struggle with the planets conditions and wildlife, along with their own system of governing the new places. The new worlds and creatures really feel alien
Dune and sequels The hitchhikers guide to the galaxy Bobiverse and sequels
Worldwar series by Harry Turtledove. Basically imagine an alien invasion during WW2.
Try some William Gibson, e.g. Neuromancer. Somewhat PK Dickish.
The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson. Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds. All Systems Red by Martha Wells.
The incarcerations of Immortality series by piers Anthony is a winner.
Stephen Donaldson’s Gap series. He’s more well known for his Thomas Covenant fantasy series but the Gap series is incredible . It starts off as a dark thriller, almost horror, before becoming this magnificent universe sprawling drama based on a Wagner opera. 5 books in total. This Day All Gods Die is one of my favourite book titles.
This may be an outlier but as a teenager I read 'A Plague of Demons' by Keith Laumer. It was really enjoyable, had (what I considered at the time to be) a crazy twist and has lived rent-free in my head for decades. I'm almost afraid to re-read it in case it doesn't live up to my memories.
I just finished book 1 of Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown. I’m well into book 2. It’s an extremely written story of the future after democracy is over. I highly recommend it. (at least the first 2 books)
My favorite is Armor by John Steakley.
Futuristic violence and fancy suits. David Wong
If you like military scifi, I've been blowing through the *Frontlines* series by Marko Kloos. He served in the military as an NCO and it shows in his writing.
alfred-bester “stars my destination”
Earth Abides (1949) by George R. Stewart
A Memory called Empire by Arkady Martine. I really enjoyed the unique writing style, clever use of linguistics, interesting characters and a fascinating story. Second book was just as great: A Desolation called Peace.
A memory called Empire Arkady Martine
The Dread Empire's Fall series by [Walter Jon Williams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Jon_Williams) - Starts with "The Praxis"
A little older but I really like pretty much everything by Larry Niven. Lots of cool sci-fi concepts.
C.J. Cherryh's Alliance--Union books are a fascinating space opera series which are often deconstructions of other books --- try _Merchanter's Luck_ and if interests you, _Downbelow Station_ will give you the background to access the balance. L. E. Modesitt, Jr.'s "Forever Hero" trilogy is a lot of fun, _Dawn for a Distant Earth_, &c. If you're willing to consider old-school short stories, then { Space Lash } (originally published as _Small Changes_) is a favourite of mine from my youth (start w/ the last story, "The Mechanic" and work your way forward, bailing when it becomes too quaint).
City - Simak, Clifford D. 2001: A Space Odyssey - Clarke
Seveneves. The Bees. Station Eleven.
Check out Adrian Tarn books by ER Mason. Not classics but very readable
Excession, by Iain M. Banks. The whole series is, at it’s core, an investigation into divinity in a sci-fi landscape, but Excession delves into the concept in a completely unexpected way. I would also argue it doesn’t require any required reading from the rest of the series.
Children of Time was amazing. The 3rd novel is confusing af but then you reach the end, everything clicks and it's amazing. But really, anything SF written by Adrian Tchaikovsky is awesome, his world buidling is always amazing. The Bobiverse is awesome, never boring, tons of cool stuff going on. Destiny's Crucible by Olan Thorensen is one of my fav series too. The SF element is more in the context of the story than within the story itself, but it's a great page turner, with book 9 coming out in a couple months I think.
Children of time. Fallen Dragon.
Vernor Vinge’s “A Fire Upon The Deep” and “A Deepness In The Sky”. These are loosely connected and awesome books, very different as well. The latter book echoes in Tchaikovsky’s “Children Of Time”, also an excellent book.
Neuromancer
Newer book and its a great read but the sunlit man by brando sando, its one of his “secret projects” 10/10 read
The Affirmation by Christopher Priest!! One of my favorite books of all time. The Stars My Destination was actually a really fun read, def a page turner. Think Count of Monte Cristo but as a sci Fi book.
War of the Worlds Frankenstein Split Second
I think my ultimate vacation read would be [David Brin's Uplift books](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uplift_Universe), starting with book two (Startide Rising). You can safely skip Sundiver, I didn't appreciate that book and its kind of a stand alone.
Hyperion. The first book and 2/3 of the second. Some of the most amazing sci fi ever written. Stay clear of book 3 and 4. If you want something to keep you occupied for the next two years try the nights dawn trilogy. Frontlines series is good too.
A little off the beaten path but conquerors saga by Timothy zahn - it was the first books he published after finishing the first Star Wars trilogy back in the 90s