This is my first year reading(19m) and i really enjoy "concept" focused books that relay on the actually premis and different "plot mechanisms" rather than character development and prose.
I either tend to not pick up on alot of the nuances and complexitys of character development, or it just dosent really Intrest me (the one exception ive seen out of 30 books was flowers for algernon, also the only book thats made me cry)
So far i usually enjoy sci fi an fantasy bc they seem to align with what im looking for more often
Idk what other information would be helpful so here's my top 10 fiction (out of 25, 5 were non-fiction)
Flowers for Algernon – Daniel Keyes
Project Hail Mary – Andy Weir
Blood Over Bright haven – M.L Wang
Babel, or the Necessity of Violence – R. F. Kuang
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
The Martian – Andy Weir
A short Stay in Hell – Steven L. Peck
Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell
Piranesi – Susanna Clarke
Dark matter – Blake Crouch
by AntidoteAlt
3 Comments
Try the Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinnimann.
Companions to 1984 include Brave New World, Animal Farm, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Fahrenheit 451.
You’ve got a clear taste—high-concept, mind-bending, premise-driven fiction where the *idea* is the engine. No fluff, no meandering character introspection. Just a sharp hook and a world that makes you think.
Here’s a list built exactly for that:
**1.** ***The Library at Mount Char*** **by Scott Hawkins**
Unhinged and unforgettable. A cryptic, cosmic puzzle disguised as urban fantasy. Think: gods, librarians, and a plot that keeps outpacing you.
**2.** ***Version Control*** **by Dexter Palmer**
A slow-burn time-travel book that sneaks up on you. Smart, layered, and concept-heavy without getting lost in itself.
**3.** ***Permutation City*** **by Greg Egan**
Hard sci-fi about consciousness, identity, and simulated realities. Heavy on the idea. Light on fluff.
**4.** ***The Gone World*** **by Tom Sweterlitsch**
Time travel + murder mystery + apocalyptic dread. Feels like *True Detective* with a quantum twist.
**5.** ***Blindsight*** **by Peter Watts**
First contact with aliens. But it’s *dark*, cerebral, and questions what consciousness even is. Sci-fi for thinkers.
**6.** ***Anathem*** **by Neal Stephenson**
Takes a minute to get into, but once you’re in, it’s philosophy, math, alternate realities, and monastic sci-fi. Insanely ambitious.
**7.** ***Foucault’s Pendulum*** **by Umberto Eco**
If you liked the *idea* density of Babel but want something even more insane with conspiracy, semiotics, and historical puzzle-boxes.
Also, keep going. 30 books in your first year is no joke. Your taste will evolve, but this core love for *concept*? That’s your compass. Keep following it.