Looking for a sci-fi/fantasy recommendation while I’m stuck in the hospital for a few days with my Kindle and need something immersive to completely pull me in.
Some favorites:
– Hyperion
– Children of Time
– Project Hail Mary
– House of Suns
– The First Law
– Leviathan Wakes
I really love mysteries and dark plots unfolding over time, ancient civilizations, cosmic horror/weirdness, dark characters, and that “what is actually happening?” feeling. Big bonus if it has great dialogue or deep worldbuilding.
What’s the one book or series you’d recommend based on this?
by Wrong-Fudge-4042
6 Comments
Terror by Dan Simmons. AMC made a series. Book was better as always.
Three Body Problem is my recommendation. There’s a series of four books, to keep you busy for a while.
Hope you feel better soon!
You and I have very similar tastes. I’d absolutely recommend dungeon crawler Carl.
Other recs would be the threshold series and the southern reach for some cosmic horror vibes.
For me what broke my 10 year reading slump was dungeon crawler Carl.
You will not find a better narrator for the audiobook series either.
It’s recommended all over here for a good reason.
It’s a sci-fi book series, it’ll be 10 in total, 8 books are out now. It’s hard to describe in a way that doesn’t sound unhinged but I’ll try.
For the tone of the books, book 1 feels kind of silly, and by book 8 it’s insane action and heavy narrative.
Book 1 also leans heavily on video game jargon but that really falls away quickly, and I know a TON of non-gamers that are as obsessed with it as I am.
My favorite things about the book series is the character development, it’s absolutely incredible. I’ve laughed and also genuinely cried because of how compelling the characters are. The author does a great job of discarding tropes too which I love, and writes honest and complex characters.
It’s often compared to hitchhikers guide meets hunger games meets maze runner meets squid game but it’s definitely of its own thing.
I’d highly recommend the audiobooks, a single voice actor does an incredible range of voices, easily exceeding 30-40 voices across the series.
In short, it’s about an alien corporation that seizes earth to mine its mineral resources, and gives the survivors a chance to regain control of earth by completing a challenge course called the world dungeon. The course is 18 floors and is televised to the galaxy which drives profits for the corporation. The protagonist Carl enters the dungeon with his cat who >! Gains human level intelligence !< and fights alongside him.
It’s a cool mix of sci-fi – aliens taking over earth, and fantasy – the characters use magic, etc.
Ive listened to the series easily 10 times. The fan base is amazing and the author is kind and engaging. It’s very cool.
I also love this persons take on the author and series:
https://www.reddit.com/r/DungeonCrawlerCarl/s/NjyFFPXFHC
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett & Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett both seem to fit what you’re looking for, though The Tainted Cup is more officially fantasy mystery
The Demonata series by Darren Shan
The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
The Demon Princes or The Dying Earth series by Jack Vance
The Secret Books of Paradys or The Flat Earth series by Tanith Lee
Berserk or Death Note manga
Dungeon Crawler Carl audiobooks