The Top 10 Sci-Fi Books I've Ever Read

Here is my list of the 10 best science fiction books that I've ever read, as of July 2024. I am still relatively early into my science fiction reading journey and these are the ones that stuck in my mind the most over the last few years. I have allowed automatic chapters so that you can skip through at your leisure.

I'm fairly new to the YouTube game so forgive any sections that I'm muddling my way through - I'll try to be more coherent and articulate in future videos. What are your top 10 sci-fi books? Let me know in the comments.

[bigalexg]

You had me at the first line "number 10 is..." No filler preamble just get to it! Top ten list starts with number 10! What a concept. Now to listen to the rest of your video.

[turkey]

I appreciate getting straight to the point. No preamble.

[androod]

I'd read hundreds of SF books over forty+ years before reading Hyperion, and it blew me away. It's an absolute masterclass in storytelling. Great list, by the way.

[Dashabeegoo]

Really good list, really well summarized. Excited for more content from him

[JoeNicolosi-li]

This is a wonderful list! A number of your selections are in my top 20, and I've been reading science fiction since the 1950's. Our lists would be even closer if you ever decide to include dystopian literature in your science fiction list. If so, you'd probably end up putting Brave New World, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, A Canticle for Leibowitz, and The Handmaid's Tale somewhere in the top 20-30. Others I highly recommend are The Left Hand of Darkness, The Dispossessed (Ursula Le Guin may just be the greatest science fiction author of all time), Ender's Game, More Than Human, The Stars My Destination, and (more recently) House of Suns, Pushing Ice, The Fifth Season, Wool, Red Rising, Ancillary Justice, and The Road.

[bartsbookspace]

Awesome list! Your top 3 choices fit very nicely with my taste in SF. Hyperion and Fire are spectacular, and Childhood's End blew my mind and is Clark at his best. I read Rendezvous with Rama a long time ago. I loved it (wonder if I still would), but I remember being disappointed in the follow-ups. Great video. 👍

[evanthompson]

Great work on this! Going to read a lot of them

[akiyrjana]

Great video. Nine of the books on your list I know, but behind your back in the bookshelf in the Book of the New Sun. Watch out!

[Blxz]

Some great recommendations here. I could listen to you recommending books all day. I hope you've made more videos like this.

[pastoralgrace]

Eloquent, informative, engaging reviews 👍👍👍

[kokorospirit]

Subbed because I like how you introduce each book synopsis and explain each plot.

[DaBIONICLEFan]

"Ordinary people" she said, "can see only a little bit. They can't change much or go any higher than they are, but you're a genius. You’ll keep going up and up, and see more and more. And each step will reveal worlds you never knew existed".

I really liked Flowers for Algernon too. So many themes explored in a relatively short book.

I've listened to Downward to the Earth on audiobook but need to actually read it to do it justice. I've read The Man in the Maze which I really enjoyed and would recommend it if you haven’t read it already.

As for Neuromancer, I think I got used to the style by the 2/3 mark but loved the language he used. I've enjoyed Gibson's prose in other works and really should re-read Neuromancer. It's stuck with me ever since because of it's sheer inventiveness.

Solid ranking, well presented 👍

[PaperbackVoyager]

Nice vid! Definitely gonna be coming back to this vid for some cool recommendations.

[ral]

Hyperion. It blew me away.. Bravo to Dan Simmons

[robertpaterson]

Agree about Gibson being the best prose stylist in sci-fi. Great reviews all round.

[Eddie_M]

I commented on another youtuber's top 10 sci-fi list asking their thoughts about Gateway, seeing as I never really see it in any of these top 10s. I really loved the premise and the mystery of the Heechee, along with how the book explores a rather unlikeable main character (although that is a point I have seen people list as a negative). Glad to see it on a top 10! :)

[daveac]

Seems this is just your third video - if so well done. I was trying to checkout the books on your shelves whilst listening (great selection by the way) nice to see lots of early SF there :-)

[AngryArgie]

Just came across your channel, really enjoyed this list. Wrote down some books in my TBR. Cheers from Argentina.

[bardgod]

Yep, Hyperion has such a vibe, I think it's one of those books that creates atmosphere... such a good book

[gamingsfinest]

Hyperion is also one of my absolute favorites as well. Based on the qualities you cited for your enjoyment of the work, I think you will really enjoy the sequel. While the entire Cantos is four books, it is really two duologies (or maybe two large volumes: Hyperion+Fall and Endymion+Rise) with fairly concrete demarcations between the first and last two books. Fall of Hyperion is absolutely necessary to round out the overarching story, the arcs of all the characters, the masterfully imaginative science fiction elements, and the greater world building.