What are some of your favorite science fiction books and why? If you had to pick only a few. As of writing this post my favorites are the following.

  • The Quantum Magician
  • Three Body Problem
  • Children of Time

I tend to like in-depth explanations of the fictional science that exists in-universe as well as a good mystery.

  • @sjmulder
    3•2 years ago

    I haven’t read Quantum Magician but certainly agreed on the Three Body Problem and Children of Time. Fantastic books.

    Some others I really like:

    • This Is How You Lose the Time War - short, poetic. Love it.
    • Red Mars trilogy and really anything by Kim Stanley Robinson. Oh also in particular The Years of Rice and Salt
    • Diaspora by Greg Egan and also much of his other stuff
    • Player of Games and Use of Weapons from Ian Banks’ Culture series. Haven’t read all of them yet.
    • Ancillary Justice
    • Ongar
      4•2 years ago

      I don’t see many people recommending Ancillary Justice, but really enjoyed the series. I thought it was a pretty light read as far as Sci-fi goes, but it ticked all the right boxes for me.

      • EamonnMR
        4•2 years ago

        I wouldn’t call AJ a light read, just because you spend so much time wrapping your brain around what the narrator is doing and the cultures are so deliberately weird. All the more rewarding for it though imo.

        • Ongar
          1•2 years ago

          well compared to some of the really dense classic sci-fi I considered it a light read lol.

      • @sjmulder
        3•2 years ago

        “Ticking all the boxes” describes Ancillary Justice well for me, it has a bunch of interesting thing and the fit together and play out well. I also found it interesting to see how quickly the gender neutral thing felt natural.

        The sequel however felt like a syndicated tv crime drama. Haven’t gotten myself to read the third yet.

        • Ongar
          1•2 years ago

          I know that I read all the books and enjoyed them but its been years. The first one was the best in my opinion though.