Any fiction suggestions for a somewhat picky reader? The Expanse lasted me a long while but I’m finishing up the novellas now and need to start looking for something new. Not necessarily in the same genre.
I don’t have a lot of books under my belt as an adult, but some of my favorites have been Stoner by John Williams, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, East of Eden, Catch 22, Flowers for Algernon, and Harry Potter. Kind of all over the place I guess. 😅
I’ve also enjoyed John Williams’ other novels, Piranesi, The Things They Carried, House of Leaves, and Ender’s Game and the sequel.
Some books I didn’t really care for include Hitchhiker’s Guide (although I loved the first half), Lolita, Sharp Objects, Turtles All the Way Down, The Stand, The Road, 1984, and Fahrenheit 451.
I’m always overwhelmed trying to find something new, so thanks for any suggestions!
EDIT: Thank you all! It’ll be a bit daunting exploring all these new books but not nearly as daunting as if I had no guidance, so I really appreciate it!
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, if you want another addition to the Sci-Fi theme.
Can also second some books others have mentioned, like Dune (one of my all-time favorites) and Three Body Problem (for a recent one I liked, although it was a bit “rough” in terms of style and storytelling).
Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Final Architecture trilogy ticks a lot of the same boxes as the Expanse. A blue collar crew of misfits from different factions gets caught in the center of a galaxy-spanning fight for survival.
For sci-fi, one I haven’t seen mentioned here yet is Red Rising.
Kind of an Enders Game meets Hunger Games in the first book, but quickly expands into a solar-system wide war with lots of intrigue, star-wars-like tech, and amazing characters.
Currently on the third book in the Three Body Problem trilogy. Just absolutely mind-blowing. Highly recommended.
This list is just in the order that I thought of them, not in the order I think is best quality wise.
- The Caves of Steel - Isaac Asimov
- The Naked Sun - Isaac Asimov
- The Robots of Dawn - Isaac Asimov
All pretty great robot detective novels. Lots of pondering on Asimov’s 3 laws of robotics and how they would play out. Pretty good.
- I, Robot - Isaac Asimov
Also pretty good, anthology of short robot stories. Similar kinda vibe as the above 3.
- Foundation - Isaac Asimov
- Foundation and Empire - Isaac Asimov
- Second Foundation - Isaac Asimov
- Foundation’s Edge - Isaac Asimov
- Foundation and Earth - Isaac Asimov
What if math could predict the future of civilization. The first 3 are the best… sorta loses the thread a bit in the last 2. Overall pretty good. Mostly doesn’t have any robots like the other Asimov books I listed.
- Ringworld - Larry Niven
A giant ring shaped megastructure around a star, lets go explore. Only the first is any good, some low key sexism in it but bearable. Past the first the sexism ramps up. Nivin like a lot of male sci-fi authors doesn’t know how to write women.
- The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells
A half robot half human security robot hacks its own systems. Very good, my interpretation of the series is its an allegory for the autistic experience. Also Martha Wells can write women so that’s always a big plus.
- The Three-Body Problem - Liu Cixin
- The Dark Forest - Liu Cixin
- Death’s End - Liu Cixin
I see the 3 body problem series recommended a lot in this thread but it has a lot of overt sexism baked into the plot so don’t really recommend. Lots of fun sci-fi concepts tho, gets into some pretty surreal concepts that border on mathematical physics.
- Ender’s Game - Orson Scott Card
Probably already seen the movie, its pretty much the same. The book is pretty good but the author himself kinda sucks, bigtime homophobe. The follow up books are nowhere near as good as the first.
- The Found and the Lost - Ursula K. Le Guin
Every novella by Ursula K. Le Guin. Some of them are not scifi but most of them are, and the ones that are not are still great. I am currently working though this one now. She has a big anthropologist/feminist slant to her writing so highly recommend. Feels very modern when compared to the other sci-fi that was coming out around the same time. I plan on reading her other longer novels after this but I have not gotten there yet.
- Dune - Frank Herbert
Pretty good sci-fi. Has a bit of a “white boy goes and lives with the natives and becomes their savior” vibe that kinda feels a little off to me but I think Herbert had good intentions. It’s an allegory for the middle east and oil extraction. Overall worth a read just to check it off the list.
- The Captain - Will Wight
- The Engineer - Will Wight
The Last Horizon Series, wizards in the future in space. Pretty much feels like a dnd campaign where every one is already lv20. Sci-fi+Magic. It’s not really very deep but its a fun nonetheless.
- The Martian - Andy Weir
- Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
Hard science fiction. If you like competency porn or engineering/science then these are for you. Very nerdy stuff.
- We Are Legion (We Are Bob) - Dennis E. Taylor
- For We Are Many - Dennis E. Taylor
- All These Worlds - Dennis E. Taylor
- Heaven’s River - Dennis E. Taylor
The writing itself is kinda meh but the stories are fun. The kinda stuff an engineer daydreams about, like von neumann probes and mind uploading and stuff like that. Over all fun series but not very deep.
One series I haven’t seen recommended yet is Alastair Reynolds novels. Revelation Space is a wonderful series, and if you want to start with a standalone story House of Suns and Diamond Dogs are great choices.
For lighter reading there’s also the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells.
There’s other older series that may appeal to you: Vatta’s War and Vorkosigan Saga conf to mind.
+1 for Murderbot!
I’m a big fan of modern epic fantasy. I highly recommend Stormlight Archive and The Kingkiller Chronicles. Sanderson and Rothfuss are easy to read and enjoy.
This is like the sixth time I’ve had Stormlight Archives recommended to me by random strangers. Maybe it’s time to look into those.
Stormlight Archives can be daunting to those not familiar with Sanderson’s works, especially since the books are long (1000+ pages) and the first book is setting up a long 10-book series (plus other stuff from a wider universe).
If you’d like something smaller and standalone to try first, check out “Emperor’s Soul” (novella) or Warbreaker (novel).
Sanderson himself recommends ‘Tress of the Emerald Sea’ as a short work to get a feel for his style. I agee.
Brandon Sanderson is awesome. I recommend starting with the mystborn books, but stormlight are good as well. They’re both part of the cosmere, a universe created by Sanderson. Many other books as well.
If you’re looking for something longer, try Brandon Sanderson’s cosmere (start with either Mistborn or Stormlight Archives.)
Or perhaps Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files (hard-boiled detective who also happens to be a wizard.) First few books are a bit weak, but gets much better.
Some other ideas:
Murderbot Diaries, The Locked Tomb, Assasin’s Apprentice, Broken Earth, Kings of the Wyld.
Couple of stand alone books:
The Paper Menagerie (and other stories)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Stardust
Johnathan Strange and Mr Norel
Couple of series:
Discworld (start with guards guards and follow a reading order guide)
The Culture
Malazan Book of the Fallen (be warned this is big and complex, but my fucking god is it rewarding. Especially on a second read through)
Children of Time
Final Architecture
In regards to Ocean at the end of the lane. You could really broaden that out to anything by Neil Gaiman (Ocean, stardust, graveyard book, neverware, good omens, american gods, etc. Etc.)
And if you like Neil’s fairytale-esque stuff, then check out Spinning Silver and Uprooted by Naomi Novik as well.
You could finish the rest of the enders game universe, it’s a really interesting read
The author is problematic if that sort of thing bothers you.
