Childhood's end started my journey into science fiction. Amazing book.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
That’s awesome! It really captures the imagination!
@pnutbutrncrackers
Күн бұрын
I liked it, but hoped to love it.
@kirihara120
2 жыл бұрын
Even coming from a physics background, Death’s End blew my mind. There are so many creative, unique solutions to common sci-fi problems. The scale of the story is just so immense. I also think it’s the best written book in the trilogy. Liu’s character work is much better in this volume, something that’s always been the weakest part of the story.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
I agree, the scope of the concepts was mind boggling and there were a few nice character moments as well.
@lilmoe4364
Жыл бұрын
Is this the kind of book one can just pick up and read, or should one read the first two books in the trilogy first? Thanks
@kirihara120
Жыл бұрын
@@lilmoe4364 you’ll have to read the trilogy in order
@Draxtor
Жыл бұрын
As a reader I feel empathy for depressed SciFi writers after finishing the Three Body trilogy. Where can they go now? 😅 (I am on my third reread and Deaths End is indeed the best)
@paulsickels4205
Жыл бұрын
@@lilmoe4364 no you can't
@encyclopath
2 жыл бұрын
Childhood’s End irrevocably changed me. It’s been over 20 years now, and I’m still affected by it.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
That’s amazing Alex, it’s also one of my all-time favourites. I only read it 2 years ago but I think about it all the time!
@encyclopath
2 жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime That probably won’t ever go away :) Btw, SyFy Channel had a fairly decent 3 part miniseries adaptation of the book a while ago. It was reasonably faithful to the book, which is impressive considering the highly abstract concepts involved. I don’t think it was that popular for the same reason, so you may never have heard of it. It’s worth watching if you’ve already read the book, if you can somewhere to watch it
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
@@encyclopath Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll check it out!
@tfmajka13
Жыл бұрын
I first read Childhood's End 35 years ago and I still think about it regularly.
@lorigilbert795
Жыл бұрын
Anne Leckie's "Ancillary " series was truly mind blowing. Some similarities with the first book shown here, and so rich in invention.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
I enjoyed the first book and need to get around to finishing the series at some point!
@alexdevisscher6784
Жыл бұрын
The first book is the best in the series.
@Yesica1993
2 жыл бұрын
One book that totally blew my mind (another Arthur C. Clarke) was 2001: A Space Odyssey. I still remember reading it for the first time and getting to that one line, "My God, it's ____." (I don't want to spoil it for anyone!) It's been decades since I first read it and though I can't remember any details of where I was or how old I was or anything, I remember the feeling of my heart skipping a beat and just kinda freaking out when I read that part. It's one of those moments you wish you could erase from your mind so you could experience for the first time, all over again.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
I totally agree with you on 2001! There were a couple of similar moments in the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy that shook me to my core!
@WaywardWhiteWalker
2 жыл бұрын
The idea was to read the book then see the movie but the movie came out first and there was a rift between Clark and Kubrik. The book and movie have different endings, but Clark went with the move ending for his next book 2010. I try and try to get people to read the book (it's easy to read and short) and then watch the movie with me, but to no avail. The last book in the series, 3001, is terrible. As much as I like 2001, I dislike 3001. The only cool thing is they find Peter's body in space. Clark is a hard science kinda writer, but not in this one. Another movie like that is "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". If you read the book it makes the movie even better. Rare event in this world.
@vansdan.
2 жыл бұрын
I love the book and the movie but the movie ended so terribly. The book is sooo much better!
@paulh2981
Жыл бұрын
You do an excellent job of telling me why I might like a book without giving in to excessive plot summary. Bravo!
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
That’s much appreciated Paul, I’m glad I was able to share my love for these books in a non-spoiler way. I hope you enjoy them too!
@EmpressNoriko
2 жыл бұрын
Great to see Robert Charles Wilson getting some attention. I’ve read several of his including Spin and they are fantastic. Blind Lake really stuck with me. Probably read it 20+ years ago and I still think of it. I still need to read books 2 & 3 of The Three Body Problem. House of Suns and Ubik have both been on my TBR for a while. I’m in the middle of a HUMONGOUS move so I haven’t been reading complex sci-fi lately as I’m absolutely exhausted by the end of the day. I keep finding books I want to both read and reread as we move our vast collection.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
I don’t hear Robert Charles Wilson talked about regularly but Spin is awesome! I need to add Blind Lake to my TBR. If you liked The Three-Body Problem I think you will enjoy The Dark Forest and Death’s End, although they are somewhat complex so you might want to read them after you finish your move. Best of luck with it!
@EmyN
Жыл бұрын
Brilliant video! Thank you
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for kind word Emily, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
@garagegeek4863
Жыл бұрын
Loved Ubik. I’ve read all but House of Sun - just got it in audio from the library. Thank you for this fun video.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy House of Suns as much as I did!
@k3nye
Жыл бұрын
So awesome to see someone who loved Childhood's End as much as me! I had to read it for a high school literature class, and almost 20 years later I still think about it, and have reread it multiple times!
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
That’s awesome Kenny! It was such an impactful books, one I will definitely re-read!
@gearoidosullivan356
2 жыл бұрын
Because of how long ago it is since I started reading sci-fi, its hard for me to remember which ones really blew my mind. Except for one, which made me a fan in the first place. I remember picking up an anthology of short stories by Isaac Asimov, and reading Nightfall. Such as a simple premise, but it literally made me think of how we perceive the world around us , and how hard it was to imagine a different reality. Early Clarke books were great for some science and engineering concepts that were way ahead of their time. But the first of the classic authors that blew my mind was Alfred Bester, especially The Stars My Destination. Such a timeless writing style, and the amount of ideas he just casually throws out there in such a short book is astonishing. And another odd one, is Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon. It was published in 1937, and so I expected it to be rather quaint, but it is a very strange beast. Its so long since I read it, that I can't remember the details but I do remember being in awe of the scale of it.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the recommendations Gearoid! I have read The Stars My Destination and remember being impressed by the ideas. The concept of jaunting was really cool. I will check out Nightfall and Star Maker!
@gearoidosullivan356
2 жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime When it comes to Nightfall I'd say just read the short story. I think there was a later version expanded out to be novel length, but I don't see the point.
@jamesnorth6372
Жыл бұрын
The Stars my Destination is one of my favorite books and my brother's all time favorite! Gully is such a great antihero and example of a man driven by one singular purpose. The ending is also absolutely bonkers. I think that's the first book I've read that did interesting things with the actual lines/words of the story to add to what was being conveyed. Also the anti-jaunting jail he goes to was a very cool idea. Also can't fail to mention the self track laying space train! Damn I honestly need to re-read it.
@lancetschirhart7676
Ай бұрын
I’ve read both versions of Nightfall. As far as what the “point” of having a novel version was, I’m not really sure, but I thought the novelette was really good, just like you, and I wished I could dive into that great story and those intense scenes at the end more, and more deeply. And I preferred the novel, personally.
@robsmitleiden
2 жыл бұрын
One book that blew my mind when I read it for the first time was Eon by Greg Bear. But Cixin Liu's trilogy is the most mind blowing SF I have ever read. This author singlehandedly revived the Big Concept SF genre, I'm so totally in awe of these books !
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
It’s great to hear that was your reaction to Eon. I haven’t read it yet, but it’s on my list. I love other modern sci-fi authors, but Cixin Liu has a style all of his own!
@douglasdea637
2 жыл бұрын
Indeed. I have Eon and might start it withing a month or two.
@bartsbookspace
Жыл бұрын
I loved the first two books of Remembrance of Earth’s Past; hearing you say that Cixin Liu upped the ante with the final installment has me super excited. I love the fact that I haven’t the slightest idea what’s going to happen! 💥 😆
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
I will look forward to your reactions! It’s nuts!
@BookishChas
2 жыл бұрын
All of these sound really good. I’ve never even heard of Ubik. Rememberance of Earth’s Past is on my list to read for sure.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Chas! If you don’t mind the concepts being the focus rather than the characters, you might enjoy Remembrance of Earth’s Past!
@meesalikeu
Жыл бұрын
OH BOY HAVE YOU GOT A WORLD OF PDK TO CHECK OUT. HE IS NOT FOR EVERYONE THOUGH YOU MAY NOT LIKE HIS STYLE BUT WELL WORTH A DIVE TO SEE FOR YOURSELF.
@peztopher7297
Жыл бұрын
Somehow I knew you were going to cover Childhood's End. It really is a unique book. You're never really sure how to think of the aliens. And yes, the ending is sad and comforting at the same time.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
I’m glad you connected with it as well! I was so intrigued by the aliens!
@geeceediam4566
Жыл бұрын
I have been reading SciFi since I was 11 and at 76 thought that I had covered all of the great books by the great authors of the Golden Age of SciFi. And yet, I have heard about Clarke's Childhood's End in the last couple of weeks by several of the BookTubers and got the Kindle edition and don't know how I missed it in the last 65 years. Keep up the great work! I am still processing how I felt about the ending.;
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
@@geeceediam4566 That is awesome that you have enjoyed sci-fi for so long and you’re still finding new great books to read!
@peztopher7297
Жыл бұрын
@@geeceediam4566 Yes, the ending was difficult. But I thought it was interesting that all along the story doesn't go the way you might think at the outset. It was clever and intriguing.
@TallGuyReads
2 жыл бұрын
Awesome video man!! Yes I totally agree! Deaths End totally blew my mind! Still in awe of everything that was covered in that book lol I’ve been meaning to check out Alastair Reynolds and House of Suns sounds like a great one to pick up! Great list man!
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Alex! I’ve only read 2 books by Alastair Reynolds but I think House of Suns is a great place to start. I’ve got Eversion and Pushing Ice on the TBR and then I’ll jump into Revelation Space.
@dweezytaughtme
Жыл бұрын
Still haven’t been able to stop thinking about Death’s End which I finished at that start of the year. Childhood’s End is on my list.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Me too, Death’s End is crazy! I hope you enjoy Childhood’s End as much as I did!
@SirAnanab
7 ай бұрын
You recommending House of Suns really is spot on. I subverted all my expectations. It wasn't easy getting into it and I was almost ready to put it down when it started becoming intense and had me at the edge of my seat just like you say till the end. Also I thought that the main character's love relationship was kinda dull as per his writing for quite some time but I was near tears at the end. Powerful stuff.
@WordsinTime
7 ай бұрын
I’m so glad you connected with it as well!
@kovenant7
9 ай бұрын
Definetly going to be starting Ubik. Sounds like an in depth philosophical work that takes one outside of their perception of reality. From the outset a new approach to reform systemattic theology can really be taken on in a new light especially John Brown's single volume systemattic theology. Seems simular to what reform Presbyterian circles mention concerning a theoretical conception of reality.
@WordsinTime
9 ай бұрын
Well said! I hope you find it as entertaining and thought-provoking as I did!
@ericepperson8409
Жыл бұрын
If you want really mind bending Sci-Fi I'd recommend Wind Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi, NineFox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee, Palimpsest (novela) by Charles Stross, and Fifth Season by NK Jemisin. The whole genre of speculative fiction has really entered a fantastic place in the last decade where the ideas and premises of the stories are so much more creative and imaginative, while the writing is rich and varied with many voices.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
That’s awesome Eric! I’ve read The Fifth Season and will have to check out the others, thanks for the recommendations!
@brunoe1891
8 ай бұрын
LoL Such an arrogant and condescending way to recomend books. None of these works you mention would be "mind beending" without the classics that preceed them, those first language and fiction explorers of sci fi who remain timeless. From Asimov to PKD, M J Harrison, Ursula Le Guin and Jack Vance.
@Twirlip2
Ай бұрын
I read "Ninefox Gambit" last year, and was deeply impressed. In my notes afterwards, I wrote: "By his use of poetic and mysterious terms for military horrors, the author seems to have dug claws deep into my brain, and this book is with me at odd moments throughout the day even when I'm not thinking about it. I don't think any book has ever affected me like this before. [...] I didn't realise it was the start of a series! [...] But it certainly felt that way, almost as if the entire adventure were one long set-up. I look forward (with trepidation!) to reading more. From Amazon's web page for the book: "Yoon’s hobbies include composing music, art, and destroying the reader." I love it! Perfectly apposite. You have been warned."
@ericepperson8409
Ай бұрын
@@Twirlip2 The start of the book just throws you into the deep end of the premise of the entire universe and DARES you to keep up. It's a gambit to make your reader work so hard from the first sentence, but it instantly hooked me. That this book particularly, and the series as a whole isn't more widely recognized is a shame IMO
@stews9
2 жыл бұрын
Great choices. Childhood's End floored me ages ago, when I was a kid. I discovered Clarke, Asimov, and then Ellison. Whoa.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
I’m glad it had an impact on you too Gene! I am a fan of Clarke and Asimov as well. I’ll have to check out Ellison!
@clydemorgan1439
Жыл бұрын
Childhoods End is one of my favorite sci-fi books. I belong to a book club where we play round robin on who gets to choose the next book of any subject, and last summer I choose Childhoods End, all the other readers loved it and we had great discussions about it.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
That’s awesome Clyde, I’m glad your book club enjoyed it as well! One of my friends recently read it and didn’t like the ending. He is now an ex-friend. Just kidding haha.
@thekeywitness
Жыл бұрын
Loved Ubik. If you like that you’ll probably like PKD’s Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch as well as Alfred Bester’s work.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
I’m glad you also loved Ubik Kristopher! I’ll have to read Three Stigmata as well! I somewhat liked The Demolished Man, and I liked The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester quite a lot.
@nangaleema
2 жыл бұрын
I love the energy and info in your videos. I really enjoy them! Keep up the great work!!
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for the kind words! Welcome to the channel!
@TreeBeardBookReviews
2 жыл бұрын
Wow this was awesome Jonathan. Sorry to hear you were under the weather but glad to see you are on the mend. I think the sci-fi book that blew my mind was Jurassic Park and how creative Crichton was with how extinct dna was extracted to clone dinosaurs.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Dan! I’m slowly getting better haha. I’m looking forward to reading Sphere, which is on my rough schedule for November, and then I’ll read Jurassic Park next year!
@Sharkman1963
Жыл бұрын
Everything I've read from Alastair Reynolds has been gold. I've read every story in the Revelation Space universe in order as well as many of his standalone novels and every one of them becomes my favorite story the minute I pick the story up. He's a remarkable writer.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
That’s awesome Bob, he’s one of my favourites as well! I’ve read 3 standalones now and will be starting Revelation Space next year!
@Sharkman1963
Жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime When you do read Revelation Space, do yourself a favor and look up the list of short stories, novellas and novels on Wiki, and read them in internal timeline chronological order. That's what I did and it really helped immerse me into the universe completely.
@AcmePotatoPackingPocatello
Жыл бұрын
The Prefect , Chasm City, and Revelation Space were my favorite by Allister Reynolds Whipping Star, Dosadi Experiment by Frank Herbert Hellstroms Hive by Herbert Matter and Hegemony by Iain Banks Enders Game by Card Mote in God's Eye by Pournelle Rendezvous with Rama Flash by Modesitt Hero series by Modesitt Shockwave Rider by Brunner Postman by Brin Lost Fleet by Cambell Velocity series by O' Keefe Foundation Trilogy & the Robot series by Azimov Midshipmans Hope series by Fentuch
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
This is an awesome list! I’m a fan of Reynolds, Herbert, Banks, Card, Clarke, and Asimov. I’ll have to check out some of the others!
@AcmePotatoPackingPocatello
Жыл бұрын
@Words in Time Lost Fleet is Primetime FLASH by Modesitt is a future Lee Childs "Reacher" ...friggen interesting But O'KEEFE Velocity series ....what a great, great story.
@jennifermears7245
7 ай бұрын
Speaker For The Dead has remained with me as one of the mindblowing stories. Really unexpected!
@WordsinTime
7 ай бұрын
I’m glad you enjoyed it! It was unexpectedly different from Ender’s Game.
@zaartac
Жыл бұрын
'Ubik' and 'Childhood's End' are two of my all time favorites. Never heard of the other three authors but will be checking them out for sure.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Awesome Tony, I’m glad you loved those 2 as well! Let me know if you read any of the others. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
@praguestepchild
Жыл бұрын
Tried House of Suns per your recommendation and was really floored, thanks will be trying the others (already read Childhood's End many years back), and more Reynolds for sure.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! So many cool ideas packed into one book!
@praguestepchild
Жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime Yes, but I was more impressed by his overall presentation, his plotting and characterization. I guess this would be characterized as a hard sf space opera but I think it's on another level than than Vernor Vinge at his best.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
@@praguestepchild Yes, it was a really exciting story and I enjoyed Campion, Purslane and Hesperus as characters!
@thebrysmith3
Жыл бұрын
Ooo.! I have House Of Suns on my Kindle! Got side tracked from reading it a while back. Definitely need to get back into it.....after I finish The Three Body Problem, that is.😊
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Nice Bryan! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
@willp2877
2 жыл бұрын
I've been REALLY wanting to read the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy - like, frothing at the mouth - but i told myself i have to finish the Revelation Space trilogy first. Redemption Ark has been really good so far. Feels a lot more focused than book one. Have you read that trilogy?
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
I’ve only read House of Suns and Chasm City by Reynolds. I plan on reading Eversion and Pushing Ice then starting Revelation Space. Let me know your thoughts when you finish the trilogy!
@raggeragnar
Жыл бұрын
Speaking of blowing minds , being born -65 , I grew up in the classic marvel and Dc superhero comics era. By chance , I stumbled across one of my sons books on the living room table , ten years ago ; Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson. Read the back and just HAD to start reading. Ka-boom !!! Mind blown. Hahaha , a 48 year old man reads a book that overthrows his childhood. My oh my.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Haha that’s awesome
@TuftyMcTavish
2 жыл бұрын
My entry for this category would probably be Stephen Baxter's “Ring.”
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the recommendation Tufty, I’ll have to check that one out!
@lancetschirhart7676
Ай бұрын
0:32 hell yeah, I got my eye on those two short ones xD
@WordsinTime
Ай бұрын
@@lancetschirhart7676 Hope you enjoy them!
@lancetschirhart7676
Ай бұрын
@@WordsinTime turns out I’ve read those :(. I’ve got a thing for books that aren’t much of a time commitment….wonder if you’ve made a video like that before
@WordsinTime
Ай бұрын
@@lancetschirhart7676 I think I’ve made 2 videos on books that are under 300 pages. An older one by myself and a slightly newer one with a guest.
@RedFuryBooks
2 жыл бұрын
Childhood's End is on my TBR for Mostly Sci-Fi September, along with Rendezvous with Rama. Thanks for the list!
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Awesome! Let me know if you enjoy them!
@RedFuryBooks
2 жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime will do!
@douglasdea637
2 жыл бұрын
The mind-blowing series I recommend is David Brin's Uplift trilogy. The first, Sundiver, is the weakest of the three and merely serves to establish the universe and core ideas. The second, Startide Rising is the best and really pushes the ideas forward (it won two major awards.) The third, Uplift War, is good but not great. There is a second Uplift series which is alright with the third book being one of the strangest things I've ever read or even encountered.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the recommendation Douglas! I own Startide Rising and should get it to it later this year or early next year. Looking forward to it!
@oliverholland8801
2 жыл бұрын
Great video, hopefully you feel better!!!
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Haha thanks! Nothing a good book can't cure!
@SidBarnhoorn
Жыл бұрын
Wonderful list! I'm reading 3BP now! Also, I do not know Alastair's work so I dove into it online and am considering buying House of Suns and perhaps also Chasm City and Pushing Ice. They sound very interesting!
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Thanks! I hope you like The Three-Body Problem! I liked Chasm City and loved House of Suns. I own Pushing Ice but haven’t read it yet. And I also really liked Eversion. I hope you enjoy Reynolds as much as I do!
@SidBarnhoorn
Жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime I ordered House of Suns, among a few others! Looking forward to it. :)
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
@@SidBarnhoorn Awesome! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
@VinyZikss
Жыл бұрын
Honestly, I want to read The Dark Forest (and Death's End) book because although I like the first book the plot is sooo slow at times and the writing style is not that appealing to me, but the ideas are very interesting
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
I feel like the pacing is a little faster in book 2 than book 1 but yes, overall the books focus on the ideas.
@LenoxSpartanFitness
2 жыл бұрын
Arthur C Clark must have an uncanny ability to blow minds. I think if 2001 as being pretty jaw dropping. Childhoods End had me on the edge of my seat. I can appreciate him not leaving many loose ends. I’m currently reading Spin and enjoying it. It’s an intriguing read. I’ve not read any PKD but would like to soon. Great list!
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Yes, Clarke is masterful! I’m looking forward to reading The City and the Stars next. I’m glad you’re enjoying Spin, let me know your thoughts when you finish. I need to read more PKD as well, I have DADOES? and A Scanner Darkly on my list.
@LenoxSpartanFitness
2 жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime great! What would you recommend as a good, juicy start to PKD?
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
@@LenoxSpartanFitness So far I have only read The Man in the High Castle and Ubik but of those two I definitely preferred Ubik. It got me excited to read more of his books.
@meesalikeu
Жыл бұрын
THIS WAS REALLY GREAT -- NEVER HEARD OF THE FIRST TWO AND VERY GOOD TAKES ON THE OTHERS. I HAVE READ ALL KINDS OF AC CLARKE BUT NOT CHILDHOODS END FOR SOME REASON NOW I WANT TO GET CRACKIN ON IT HA. ALSO SUNS AND SPIN TOO OF COURSE. THX!
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
You’re very welcome! I hope you enjoy!
@dimitrispapadimitriou5622
Жыл бұрын
Great choices, all of them. Other equally great novels: "Solaris" by S. Lem, "Timelike Infinity" , "Ring" and " Raft" by S. Baxter, "Ringworld" by L. Niven, "The Left Hand of Darkness " by U. Le Guin, "The three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch" by P. K. Dick, "2001" by A. Clarke, " Bug Jack Barron" and "The Agents of Chaos " by N. Spinrad, " Star Maker" by O. Stapledon...
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for all the recommendations! I recently bought Solaris and Ring. I’m a big fan of PKD and Clarke. I’ll have to check out all the others!
@giggitygoo5623
Жыл бұрын
Death's End is the sort of raw sci-fi that I didn't know I needed until I read it. I believe true Sci-fi should be about mind blowing ideas, not character development.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Agreed! I enjoy character development but mind blowing ideas are why I read sci-fi!
@DanielSolis
5 ай бұрын
Just reread House of Suns and it's still so good. That ending still haunts me.
@WordsinTime
5 ай бұрын
I’m glad you loved it too!
@Nimeni-ct4ed
Жыл бұрын
I don't know exactly why, but one of the books that kind of blew my mind was The beetle in the anthill by Strugatsky brothers. Not a read for everyone as it is mostly a psychological book and slow paced, but it was a book that I was thinking of long after I finished.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
I’ve read Roadside Picnic and I enjoyed it. I’ll have to check out The Beetle in the Anthill!
@gustavobarron2948
Жыл бұрын
haha yeah can`t stop thinking about Death`s End ... even a year later after I've finished
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Me too! It’s nuts haha
@azizberk
2 жыл бұрын
Man Death's End!!! The last 150 pages contain 3 books worth of material, plus those stuff can get into your nightmares!!! Thumbs up (Y)
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Yes! This book had so many ideas that had me questioning everything haha. Brain officially melted haha
@joshsmith6995
Жыл бұрын
Thank you for this, I'm on deployment and I've been looking for new audio books.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Thank you for your service Josh, I hope you enjoy these books!
@muttineni03
2 жыл бұрын
Think it'll get House of Suns, I've never read Alistair Reynolds before so this might be a good place to start, i hope it's not too hard for me to understand, great video!
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
I think House of Suns is a great place to start. It was my first Reynolds book and I got into it quite quickly. Hope you enjoy!
@AcmePotatoPackingPocatello
Жыл бұрын
The Prefect ...is my personal favorite by Reynolds.
@davistalhone9482
Жыл бұрын
I discovered a series you have to check out called the 224-Verse by Jason Russell. Would love to hear your take in a future vid. Really enjoyed it.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll look it up!
@Yesica1993
2 жыл бұрын
Hm, I may have to try House of Suns. I need something to get me out of this world right now! And, as always, I do love me some Childhood's End. Thanks for bringing it back to my attention. I'd read it years ago and then you mentioning it a while back made me want to read it again last (?) year. It may end up being a comfort read. You're right, it's weird how it's kinda scary but it's one you want to keep going back to. I hope you get to feeling 100% soon. I'm an amateur singer and I always hated when I'd get sick and my voice would stay messed up for weeks, even long after I was feeling fine.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Let me know if you read House of Suns, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! It must be tough taking care of your voice as a singer. I was able to push through this video, not as easy to do with a song!
@Yesica1993
2 жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime Don't ever try whispering. That makes things worse. I didn't know that until I started taking voice lessons. Just FYI!
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
@@Yesica1993 That’s good to know, thanks!
@thatfuzzypotato1877
Жыл бұрын
Specific concepts in thr Manifold Trilogy by Baxter blew my mind. But if you like character driven stories this trilogy is not for you. Ring as well, that book blew my brain. Flux was very "okay" up until the very end. The ending was fantastic! (I know I gush about this author in every comment, sorry) I'm on The Dark Forest now, and my copy of the 3rd book just arrived. I love this story so far! Some of Crichton's books can make you go "oh wow!" Like Sphere and Andromeda Strain.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
I loved Ring so I’m looking forward to reading more Baxter. I hope you enjoy the rest of The Remembrance of Earth’s Past, I’ll be interested to hear your reactions. I own Sphere but haven’t read it yet, so I’m looking forward to that one!
@sampenny4586
Жыл бұрын
Excellent reviews. I'm picky with what I watch but you had PKD and he is my favourite author so I tuned in. Have read all these books except for Death's End, I've read Three Body Problem and the other 2 are on my Kindle. Agree with thoughts they are all mind blowing books.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much Sam! I’m glad you also enjoyed these books! I have since read more books by PKD and Ubik is still my favourite but I have enjoyed them all!
@dinocollins720
2 жыл бұрын
great video adding to my tbr!!!
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Dino! I’m glad you enjoyed the video and that I could contribute to the never ending battle with the TBR haha
@dinocollins720
2 жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime haha that's right and right now I'm definitely being defeated haha
@Mark-qs7mt
Жыл бұрын
If you’re interested in identity, consciousness, free will, artificial intelligence, neurology and game theory as well as evolution and biology then Blindsight by Peter Watts is amazing.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
This is an amazing pitch Mark! Blindsight is at the top of my TBR for 2023!
@tomschinaman6568
Жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime So glad someone recommended Blindsight. An awesome mind-blowing read (it also has...space vampires!).
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
@@tomschinaman6568 I’m excited to read Blindsight!
@MatthewJohnson-cy7pu
Жыл бұрын
Seedling Stars James Blish..... Incredible story of seeding the cosmos with genetically modified humans....Chapter "Surface Tension" is the story of microscopic humans living in a pond building their first spaceship- to get to the next pond.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
That sounds cool! I need to read some James Blish!
@Nachtschicht1
Жыл бұрын
Very interesting books you cover in your video. I read none of them yet, but the last three are more or less on my "to read" list for some time now. "House of Suns" and "Spin" are new for me, but especially the first sounds intriguing. Some of my favorites are: Hyperion. More like a collection of short stories, but they really hit hard. An absolute must read. The murderbot diaries. An artificial being, made as an obedient security-unit with outstanding abilities, develops its own free will. Somehow like a coming-of-age story from the viewpoint of a cyborg. Lots of action and fun to read. The Bobiverse trilogy. (although there are more than 3 books now) A very funny story about a nerd from our time becomes an immortal artificial intelligence with the ability to duplicate himself and his (their) journey to the stars.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Let me know what you think of them if you read them! I also really like Hyperion and Bobiverse, but I haven’t read Murderbot yet. Thanks for the recommendation!
@bongolong
Жыл бұрын
Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany was a game-changer for me.
@bongolong
Жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime he is correct!!
@LucSchots
Жыл бұрын
The Dark Forest is a chilling concept
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Yes, it shook me!
@kevkuhn45
2 жыл бұрын
I kinda like the new term you invented - "mind bendeling"! Awesome video! How have I missed "House of Suns"?
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Haha thanks! House of Suns is incredible, I hope you enjoy it too!
@andreaslermen2008
2 жыл бұрын
Philipp K. Dick died far to young. He had so many strange ideas. Death's End was the hardest to read book of the three, but like you said, it's the way he explains how the universe in his books work, the sheer complexity of physics. I read Childhood's End two weeks ago. It's one of the Clark books I completly overlooked. I figured out very fast, how the overlords probably look like, but I loved how he played with this cliche. And that it isn't clear for a long time, what the plan is. If you like a way of "social" challenging SF books, I can recommend three books from Norman Spinrad. He wrote them between 1969 and 1972. "The Men in the Jungle", "Bug Jack Barrow" and "The Iron Dream". Nothing for the faint of heart.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Philip K. Dick was definitely very creative, I’m looking forward to reading more of his books. Every time I thought I knew where Childhood’s End was going, Clarke took it in an even more ambitious direction. I’m not familiar with Spinrad so I will look him up. Thanks for the recommendation!
@dimitrispapadimitriou5622
Жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime Also from Spinrad: The Agents of Chaos
@waltwestbrook6651
Жыл бұрын
I just read 10 Billion Days and 100 Billion Nights by Mitsuse (supposedly the greatest Japanese SF novel ever). Are you familiar? It has Plato, Siddhartha and Jesus in it, so you can imagine how strange it is. Thanks for the video.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
I haven’t read it but it sounds interesting, I’ll check it out!
@reidmock2165
7 ай бұрын
I recommend Vacuum Diagrams by Stephen Baxter, it's a good entry into the Xeelee Sequence, yet it can also stand alone as well. Second rec: Diaspora by Greg Egan
@WordsinTime
7 ай бұрын
I have since read Ring by Stephen Baxter and Diaspora. Both great books!
@reidmock2165
7 ай бұрын
@@WordsinTime In hindsight, I believe it was your video on Permutation City ("The BEST Science Fiction Book YOU HAVEN'T READ") which encouraged me to get back into Greg Egan's writing. Therefore you're indirectly responsible for encouraging me to read Diaspora, which I'm grateful for!
@WordsinTime
7 ай бұрын
@@reidmock2165 Haha awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed Egan as well!
@CD287-
2 жыл бұрын
Childhood's End is one i intend to pick up - i might start there
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
It’s a great one for getting into classic sci-fi!
@CD287-
2 жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime oh no, the dreaded word "classic" 🤣
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
@@CD287- Haha if you don’t like Childhood’s End then I can’t help you with classics because that’s about as good as it gets!
@hbeachley
Жыл бұрын
Haha. I commented about “Three Body Problem” on your video about most challenging sci-fi.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Haha, it’s a crazy series!
@muskyoxes
Жыл бұрын
I'm trying to learn Chinese on a whim to read Cixin in the original. I'll probably be reading the 25th anniversary edition when i get there
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
It would be interesting to see how it reads differently between the original Chinese and the English translation!
@djo-dji6018
Жыл бұрын
7:50 First book mindblowing, second exponentially better, third even more mind blowing. I appreciate enthusiasm, but that's just not possible.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Haha that series does the impossible
@kynikoi8024
2 жыл бұрын
There was a book I don't remember author or title but he premise was humanity was at war with this ever evolving interdimensional entity, that could slow down time in order to like hyper evolve, at one point they were like a colony of rats and then like a space dragon. The main character was some thing of a detective if i remember correctly but it was really all over the place and if any one knew wtf i was talking about that would be great.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Woah, that sounds awesome!
@RayBlake
Жыл бұрын
Blindsight by Peter Watts?
@davidbrin1
Жыл бұрын
Kewl list of excellent books! -- David (chopped liver ;-) Brin
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Hahaha my wife is a fan of that expression “What am I, chopped liver?” I recently bought Startide Rising and plan to read it soon!
@heidi6281
7 ай бұрын
I read Childhood’s End only a few weeks after finishing the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. It occurred to me that Jordan must have loved/been influenced by Clarke no doubt!!!
@WordsinTime
7 ай бұрын
That’s interesting! I haven’t heard those two compared before.
@heidi6281
7 ай бұрын
@@WordsinTime I may be the only one who sees the connection!🤪
@Patrick.__
2 жыл бұрын
Alright, I will read House of Suns.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Awesome! Welcome to the team haha
@antb533
2 жыл бұрын
Some of greg egan early books were for me totally wow.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
I haven’t read anything from Egan yet but I own Permutation City and I’m looking forward to reading it soon. It sounds crazy!
@raiseer
11 ай бұрын
I hope multiple comments on the same year-old video still helps the algorhythm :) Anyway. I just finished House of Suns. And first of: I liked this book very much. It is an interesting story with interesting concepts and it is absolutely SciFi in the sense, that you could not tell the same story in a non-SciFi setting. BUT :) you have to power-through the first ~100 pages - which are absolutely aweful. Very gimmicky, intentionally written in a way that you have no idea what is going on, who is talking/thinking or who is in the room even. I was about to just throw this book away. Fortunately, after a while you get it and from then on (as long as you can appreciate or at least stomach the ridiculous gigantism) it becomes more and more interesting and the second half is an absolute page turner. I can imagine re-reading this book in 5 or 10 years :) There are some major parts of the story that go absolutely nowhere and could have been cut out of the book completely without affecting the story in any way (I won't say more because people might read this comment) - and the book is missing an epilogue, but other than that, very enjoyable. So thank you for the recommendation. If you don't know what parts I meant above, shift the following words on your keyboard one key to the right for every letter: "niesz" and "nirgwe"
@WordsinTime
11 ай бұрын
Haha thanks for coming back! I’m glad you enjoyed House of Suns even if you had to power through the opening. Personally, I enjoyed the weirdness, but agree there is a bit of a shift back towards Reynold’s more typical style of space opera after the opening.
@DustinBajer
2 жыл бұрын
The Hyperion Cantos
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Yes! It’s my favourite completed series!
@TunaFreeDolphinMeat
Жыл бұрын
To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Phillip Jose Farmer
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
I own a copy but haven’t read it yet. I’m looking forward to it!
@asaholloway9139
Жыл бұрын
children of time is the best book ive ever read
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
That’s awesome, it’s one of my favourites too!
@arekkrolak6320
Жыл бұрын
If all the stars disappeared we would be screwed. No more solar power :)
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Indeed, not good for humans haha
@HankBukowski
2 жыл бұрын
Love PKD. Thank you.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Awesome! I have since read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and enjoyed that too. Looking forward to A Scanner Darkly next!
@HankBukowski
2 жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime I would suggest adding Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said to the list.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
@@HankBukowski Thanks Joe! I’ll add that to the TBR as well!
@kennoldfield5890
Жыл бұрын
I cut my teeth in SciFi when a 200 page book was the norm. As much as I enjoy the longer formats and the trilogies and sagas, I do miss a good one night read.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
I also love a tight sci-fi book packed with ideas. That definitely seems to be more common with classics!
@kennoldfield5890
Жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime Have you read The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin? The Broken Earth Series. Strong female protagonists.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
@@kennoldfield5890 I read the first book and was mixed on it. I see why people like it but I didn’t connect as strongly with it. A series with good female protagonists that I enjoyed was the Teixcalaan duology by Arkady Martine.
@lacamila666
Жыл бұрын
New subscriber here :) Great video, I've only read remembrance of earth's past trilogy and I loved the scifi part but the characters! ugh! specially the way he writes female characters frustrated me a lot, it makes me wonder if he has ever met a woman hah. I still enjoyed the books and recieved the brain massage of trying to understand the huge scale of everything but that made the other thing even more frustrating haha. I added the rest of your list to my TBR, thanks.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Welcome to the channel! I loved the series but I agree the characters were a weaker aspect. I hope you enjoy the other books on the list!
@deckiedeckie
2 жыл бұрын
Dragon's Egg.....should read Dragon's Egg!
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Haha I have! I would recommend it for fans of hard sci-fi!
@WaywardWhiteWalker
2 жыл бұрын
Can you make a "Books with Great Movies" video?
@WaywardWhiteWalker
2 жыл бұрын
More like "Books that make Movies Better", something like that
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the suggestion! I will have a think about a take on this kind of video!
@WaywardWhiteWalker
2 жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime That's cool. Glad you've taken to the suggestion. You've got two good ones to get you going.
@raiseer
Жыл бұрын
I bought Childhood's End and House of the Suns after watching this video. I just finished Childhood's End and honestly don't get why its in here and also in many "best/favourite SF books" lists. What don't I get there? The first third is quite interesting, though copied so many times in other books and movies, that it's nothing new in our time. The rest of the book is neither interesting nor thought-provoking. It's just "fantastical things happening". If you like "2001: A Space Oddyssey", than you might like this book also. Since it's practically the same idea, only executed VERY differently. But I don't see it being special in any way. Though since I seem to be alone with that impression, there must be something I don't get. Any thoughts?
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it that much. I really enjoyed the ideas of genetic premonition of the overlords and our consciousness being uplifted and amalgamated with the overmind.
@raiseer
Жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime Ah, ok. So it's not that I don't get it, but just "not my cup of tea" :) I liked his "Rendesvous with Rama" trilogy. They probably could have been trimmed a bit, but otherwise quite interesting.
@General_reader
11 ай бұрын
How can anyone possibly keep up with the books that are coming out let alone catch up on everything that came before!
@WordsinTime
11 ай бұрын
Haha too many good sci-fi books not enough time!
@peterolbrisch8970
Жыл бұрын
I had to give this video a like based on the title alone, for as a young person such ss you yo have the uncommon restraint to not use the word "literally" before blew my mind, in which case we would have been peeling bits of your brain matter off of the walls.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
I literally appreciate your comment Peter, it figuratively made my heart explode.
@peterolbrisch8970
Жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime Thanks for your reply and have a great day, figuratively!
@myoldchannel0690
Жыл бұрын
Death's End was SO GOOD but it kinda ruined me. Now other mind blows feel trivial by comparison.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Haha yes it tore apart so many preconceptions
@RichardBarclay
2 жыл бұрын
Looks like I'm reading Spin, the only book here I haven't read.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Awesome! Let me know your thoughts after you read it!
@ilselauwers6009
Жыл бұрын
A fire upon the deep , Children of time ….
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
A Fire Upon the Deep has some cool concepts and Children of Time is one of my all-time favourites!
@trashcangoblin420
Жыл бұрын
some really fried politics in Cixin Liu's stuff (like that entire thing about men in the future becoming feminine and feeble - um. some wild unsubtle queerphobia in there). That being said, putting some of that chaos to the side, I really enjoyed some of the wild places the book went and how it resolved.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
I agree that not all the social stuff worked for me either, but the sci-fi ideas were mind boggling!
@trashcangoblin420
Жыл бұрын
@@WordsinTime the multidimensional space stuff omg.
@TimothyCollins
Жыл бұрын
You see, I wasn't as impressed by the Three Body problem. I am glad I read it but the problem was it started out as science fiction and then flips to science fantasy about halfway through and that flip threw me off. I like both genres but they aren't really compatible IMHO.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
I enjoyed the sequels more than the first book, but I can see why it might not work for everyone!
@TurkishSupremacy
Жыл бұрын
Hm... intersting. For me personally, I found the third novel of the Rememberance to be the weakest. Still great, though.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
I’m glad you enjoyed it overall! I liked the 2nd the most but had a great time reading all of them.
@noeditbookreviews
2 жыл бұрын
Man I've been meaning to read Death's End. I loved the first two books. I haven't read 3 yet because some scum bag youtuber spoiled it with no warning.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Sorry to hear about the spoiler. I think the strength of Death’s End is the concepts more so than the plot so I think you might still get a lot of it. Hope you enjoy!
@HalJalikakik
Жыл бұрын
House of Suns will disappoint you. Reynolds abandoned the ENTIRE Count Mordax storyline. I wouldn't complain so vociferously except that he devoted significant pages to this plot line and punted without resolution. I wonder if an editor told him the book needed trimming or if Reynolds can't close. I was really enjoying the read as I got a couple hundred pages in and I question your review if you suggest House of Suns is the "best" book with this obvious omission. I actually thought when Purslane was put in abeyance towards the end in the game we were going to get to complete the Mordax plot with a confrontation. Nothing. This book needs a re-write BADLY. I concede no book is perfect. All contain flaws or at least possible revisions to make them better. Asking a reader to invest in a plot line throughout a book just to flaccidly jettison it is BAD writing.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
House of Suns didn’t tie up everything, but overall I found it very satisfying. However, I can understand your issues with it.
@thirdmonkeyent_llc
Жыл бұрын
House of Suns was my first Alastair Reynolds book I read. Kind of hard to follow that one. Lol.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Haha same! It doesn’t get much better!
@alexkaspraksucks
2 жыл бұрын
Have you read Diaspora by Greg Egan? I don’t think my brain has melted quite as hard as with this one.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
I haven’t read anything by Greg Egan yet but I’ve heard great things so I definitely need to add him to my TBR!
@keanchan888
Жыл бұрын
I TOTALLY agree with your review of Liu's Remembrance of Earth's Past. Had the exact same thoughts. 3 body blew my mind, the dark forest was an exciting great read that is probably my favourite among the 3. But Death's End was way beyond anything I've ever read.. I took a while to recover from it that I didnt' feel the same as compared to the other 2. Splendid review
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Thanks Kean, I’m glad you enjoyed them too! They blew me away and I still think about them all the time!
@TheBookWormhole
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah Childhood’s end left me saying “wow” once it was done and while I love most scifi I read, that’s not a reaction I often have. Ubik has been on my tbr for some time but I’m adding house of suns as well
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed Childhood’s End like I did! I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Ubik and House of Suns!
@tor4472
Ай бұрын
House of Suns was pretty disappointing, characters actions made little sense and the ending was very anticlimatic
@splifftachyon4420
2 жыл бұрын
I used to work in a bookstore and Spin was one of my staff picks. I sold many a copy of that book and many of those people who bought it came back to tell me how much they loved it. If you like Spin, there is a book with a similar premise called Quarantine by Greg Egan. It's more a cyberpunk novel, but takes the idea of a vast enclosed bubble suddenly surrounding the Earth, put there by unknowns, in completely different directions from Spin.
@WordsinTime
2 жыл бұрын
Ooohhh that sounds cool! Thanks for the recommendation!
@rosslangerak8361
Жыл бұрын
My own list: A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge. Use Of Weapons, by Iain M Banks. Hardwired, by Walter Jon Williams. Startide Rising, by David Brin. The Vang: The Military Form, by Christopher Rowley. If you are a prolific reader of science fiction, you may have read all of these. If you haven't, read them now.
@WordsinTime
Жыл бұрын
Awesome list! I have read A Fire Upon the Deep and Use of Weapons. I own Startide Rising but haven’t read it yet. I will check out Hardwired and The Vang!
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