I've been enjoying several books like Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny, the Samaria collection by Sharon Shinn and Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky. (Book of the New Sun as well, of course, but I'm not looking for somethkng THAT cryptic now). I was also massively drawn to Ra by Qntm, although it's sci-fi foundations are mostly clear from the beginning.
What else would you suggest in this style? No spoilers please!
by everydayislikefriday
17 Comments
The dragonriders of pern series by Anne mccaffrey
Land fit for heroes trilogy by Richard Morgan (first book is The Steel Remains)
I kind of hate to tell you this book, because the reveal of the science underneath is part of the pleasure of reading it, but you might read >!*The Dervish House*, by Ian McDonald!<. It’s really good!
The Prince of Nothing and The Aspect-Emperor by R Scott Bakker. I can’t really explain how it’s sci-fi without spoilers. I think you get at least part of the reveal in The Prince of Nothing and also deal with some of the creatures that are sci-fi in origin, but the bulk of the stuff that is sci-fi or sci-fi adjacent is in The Aspect-Emperor.
The Steerswoman, by Rosemary Kirstein
Black Easter. A Sci-Fy author wrote fantasy series, but asking the questions and looking at life through literature with the lens of Sci-Fy, just, it’s fantasy
Maybe the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, though arguably maybe it’s the reverse, a sci-fi veneer over a fantasy setting…
…I’ll be That Guy.
Dungeon Crawler Carl. Aliens invade Earth, humans must fight through D and D style dungeon, complete with goblins, player races and classes, spells, magical gear, etc.
Darkover, particularly the first age stories
The Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews.
Next One Piece at thenextonepiece dot substack dot com actually plays in that same “genre disguise” space in a different way. it starts off feeling like a dystopian fantasy, but then it expands into this strategic sci fi + fantasy layered system where multiple characters from different worlds are pulled into one setting. what I liked is how it slowly reveals the rules behind everything while still focusing on really complex character relationships and shifting alliances, it feels very “ohhh this was bigger than I thought” in a good way
you could also try Embassytown by China Mieville. it leans more sci fi overall but it has this alien, almost mythic storytelling feel that scratches that “is this fantasy??” itch in a similar way. it’s weird in the best way, I remember being slightly confused but very hooked, and maybe The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber, which feels like sci fi wearing a very soft, almost spiritual fantasy skin. it’s slower and more emotional, but there’s this quiet sense of unease about what’s actually going on that builds really nicely
The 3rd and 4th books in Dan Simmons ‘Hyperion’ series fits this bill
Jack Vance’s Dying Earth series!
It’s sci fi masquerading as high fantasy, set on a distant future Earth. Super imaginative and adventurous, exploring all sorts of different communities, creatures, situations.. It has a light-hearted tone, the dialogue is often hilarious. It was one of the original inspirations for the creators of D&D.
Based on Brandon Sanderson’s standalone books. I think all his fantasy series are somehow sitting on top of sci-fi.
The Book of Swords series by Fred Saberhagen. I really enjoyed this series when I read it in high school in the 1980s. I actually didn’t know there was a sci-fi aspect as this series feels decidedly old school fantasy, following the journey of various swords forged by the god Vulcan (who is one of many gods). Apparently, if you read the previous series, Empire of the East, written in the 1960s and 70s, it’s more of a sci-fi / fantasy series (which I heard was good as well) that takes place centuries before The Book of Swords.
Note: I did read the follow-up series to The Book of Swords, which was called The Book of Lost Swords, and for some reason I stopped and didn’t finish it. I don’t think I like it as much as the original series.
The Saga of the Pliocene Exile series by Julian May. The first book is The Many-Colored Land. The sci-fi aspect is clear from the beginning though (just by reading the book description), but the series is mostly set in a feudal fantasy-like setting with castles, lords, horses, etc, ruled by human-like alien race. This is still one of my favorite series.
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. It’s labeled a sci-fi fantasy detective mystery series in the vein of Sherlock Holmes & Watson. I’m reading it now, and while it’s set on an alien world, so far, it feels more like weird-lit feudal fantasy because of all the unusual world building. It’s fun if you like mystery genre hybrids.
The Dragons of Babel (Michael Swanwick)
Hyperion Cantos (Dan Simmons)
Djinn City (Saad Z. Hossain)
Otherland (Tad Williams)
The Innkeeper series by Ilona Andrews. First book is Clean Sweep.
The Laundry Files by Charles Stross. First book is Atrocity Archive.
The Merchant Princes series, also by Charles Stross. First book is The Family Trade.
The Keltiad by Patricia Kennealy Morrison. First book is The Copper Crown.