So, I’ve read a lot of sci-fi, have a lot more od it to read on my list and I don’t want to get bored of it, so please, give me your recomendations for other stuff I might like!
Here’s stuff I love:
Sci-fi
The books I’ve loved: Hyperion Cantos (D. Simmons) – my favorite series. It was extremely fun, but didn’t come close to being just dumb entertainment. My favorite thing about it was the worldbuilding. The world felt deep and rich. Everything was detailed. Lore, characters, technology, cultures, planets. It all felt GRAND. And yet, at the same time, very up close and personal. Love, love, love it.
The Invincible (S. Lem) – short and sweet, packed with beautiful, lenghty descriptions. Regis III felt like a real place. It had a strong idea and motive for itself, and executed it perfectly.
I remember also liking Solaris a lot, but I’ve read it so long ago that I need to remind myself why exactly.
Non sci-fi
Stoner (J. Williams) – finished it in one long sitting, after which I felt like I’ve lived through a whole other life. Which was surprising, since the book wasn’t that long. I really appreciated the deep dive into professor Stoner’s mind, which felt real. Great character study, showed me how much single decisions (smaller or larger) can affect one’s life.
The Wasp Factory (I. Banks) – it had very weird vibe, was shocking at times and surprisingly… Hilarious? Sometimes, Frank by being so dead serious (no pun intended) about his rituals and killings, also by lacking do much self-awareness felt like a clown in a circus he created. It was amusing to say the least. The book was either repulsing, hilarious or disturbing. It sure was a ride. I also need to mention Frank’s strong, often liberal takes, which were something I found fun to think about. Very interesting in deep book even though it may not look like it sometimes.
So, overall I love strong philosophical concepts, deep worldbuilding and character studies. So far, mostly sci fi books managed to tick all the boxes. I can think of Witcher series as a fantasy example due to its focus on racism etc. but I haven’t found anything that matched it.
However, I don’t like when concept is more important than a story.
I felt that way with many of Ted Chiang’s short stories, where often worlds and characters felt underdeveloped, just to act like puppets in order to just talk about a certain concept.
by Different_Pay4228