Sci-Fi
I am an avid reader of science fiction, usually having a book on the go at all times. I thought I would write down my favourites so far. I would love for some of these to be replaced in a future update of this list, because that would mean I found something I truly loved. Also, something, something, really difficult to narrow down, blah, blah, blah, the usual sentiments when trying to make list, etc.
7. Replay (1986) by Ken Grimwood
I've read multiple books that have tackled the question of "What would you do if one day you woke up in your past?". That is, one day you wake up as your own younger self, keeping all the memories of your older self. In Replay, we see this happen on a cycle, where the protagonist lives their life over and over again. The book examines the psychological stages a person might go though in this situation, and how that would affect the type of life they'd live. Sure it's fun to be mega rich, but does that lead to loneliness and fleeting personal connections? Is being famous worth it? What happens if you have children that you love and you know you'll die without seeing them grow up? It's a fantastic read that I come back to every few years. And I won't lie I've taken a quick look at the "unlikely" sport results in my past.
6. The Player of Games (1988) by Iain M. Banks
This book takes place in Banks' fascinating Culture series, a disconnected collection of novels taking place in a shared universe. Trust me, if you've ever thought "I would love to live in that universe" with regards to a book or movie, the Culture is the epitome of this. Imagine a post-scarcity interplanetary society that provides practically limitless comforts and experiences to everyone for free. It has overcome nearly all physical limitations on life such as death or disease, and the day-to-day life of its citizens can be anything they want; from living indistinguishable-from-life VR experiences, to transferring your conscienceness to a different body or species, to just partying all the time. I could have selected one of many of Banks' Culture novels for this list, but I decided on The Player of Games because it was my introduction to the Culture. Like most of the books in the series, much of it takes place on the fringes of the Culture, namely its interactions with other civilizations. A Culture citizen uses infinite leisure to become a master of what is essentially futuristic board games. He becomes enlisted by Special Circumstances (the CIA-like organization within the Culture) to "interfere" with a society whose hierarchy is based largely on an extremely complex game. The writing, the ideas, the characterization, and a gentle exposure into the vastness of the Culture makes this a wonderful introduction to first-time readers of Banks' masterpiece series.
5. Speaker for the Dead (1986) by Orson Scott Card
While working at a bookstore in my teens, I witnessed a wide array of people buying Card's Ender's Game. Men, women, young, old, it seemed to strike a chord with everyone. So naturally, I read it and loved it. On the shelf sat other books by Card, including Ender's Shadow (an excellent retelling of the events of Ender's Game from Bean's perspective) and Ender's Game's sequel, Speaker for the Dead. I've read that Card wrote Ender's Game as a prequel before developing his initial intention, Speaker for the Dead. People looking for more of the same will find Speaker a little jarring. It follows Ender as he comes to terms with the xenocide he committed, trying to learn for and speak for the mostly extinguished species. In this role, he begins a spiritual movement of speaking for the dead, which is an honest and deeply personal account of the life of the deceased. He travels to a remote planet on the request for a speaker and becomes deeply involved with inhabitants, quickly becoming entangled between what appears to be a conspiracy among the alien and human inhabitants. This was certainly a book that I spent a lot of time thinking during and after I read it. It's truly Card's masterpiece.
4. Exhalation: Stories (2019) by Ted Chiang
Exhalation is Chiang's second collection of short stories, this time spanning material published from 2005-2019. Many people's introduction to Chiang is the movie Arrival, and intellectual first contact film based on a story from his first collection, Stories of Your Life and Others. Chiang is the opposite of that kind of author that does one thing well and all their books are similar. Each of his stories are wildly different and imaginative. I had no idea what universe I was being plunged into when I started a story, but I always came away satisfied. The highlights for me in this collection were The Merchant and Alchemist's Gate, a cause-and-effect time travel story set in medieval Baghdad, The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling, which explores the effect human memory has on people's lives, and Omphalos, an alternate universe where young Earth creationism is demonstrably true, and a scientist's discovery in humanity's role in God's plan. All of these stories presented ideas I was eager to discuss with others, and I always recommend Chiang to anyone looking for a foray into science fiction without the committment of a full novel (or, as is becoming more common, a full series of novels).
3. Project Hail Mary (2021) by Andy Weir
When I know I am going to read a book (e.g., a new release by one of my favourite authors), I always go in completely blind. I don't read a single word about the book before jumping in. This book rewards readers taking this approach. The book opens with the protagonist having lost his memory and slowly piecing together his solitary life. Having not read anything about the book beforehand, I got to experience this journey in parallel, whereas anyone who read the dustcover would know certain plot points before they are discovered by the protagonist. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy this book on a re-read, where the mystery of discovery became excitement for my favourite parts of happen. Anyway, as you can tell, I am revealing very little about this book because it's such a treat to learn about. Also, this book is particularly well-suited to the audiobook format, so if that's your thing it comes highly recommended. I enjoyed this adventure so much that I don't doubt I'll continue to re-read (or re-listen) to it in the future.
2. Rendezvous with Rama (1973) by Arthur C. Clarke
Although many people consider Childhood's End to be Clarke's magnum opus, I always come back to the slow burn that is Rendezvous with Rama. In short, it is the story of an alien spacecraft passing through our solar system, which appears to be long-dead and/or abandoned. Because of a lack of notice, a crew on a ship that just so happens to be nearby is tasked with exploring it. Rendezvous with Rama explores the effect of definitive proof of alien life on humanity, both at a personal level for those exploring the craft, and at a societal level to those experiencing it second-hand from Earth. Something about this story just feels so real. Of all the human-alien interactions I've read in sci-fi, this one feels the most plausible. If you enjoy the book, check out the BBC radio adaptation. I recently learned that my favourite director, Denis Villeneuve, will be making a film based on the book. Along with Project Hail Mary, I'm not sure I have ever been so excited for an upcoming film.
1. Children of Time (2015) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
So many times while reading this book did I pause and just admire the writing. Tchaikovsky's prose sometimes just makes me smile. It's like the literary equivalent to listening to music and that one note sends shivers down your spine. If there was ever a book I would like to read with a highlighter in hand, ready to immortalize my favourite passages, this would be it. Wonderful writing aside, the plot of this book is awe inspiring. It follows the parallel plots of an interstellar ark starship that is adrift in time and space, and a terraformed planet seeded with intelligent life by long-dead(-ish) humans. As the starship spends generations looking for a new planetary home, we witness the evolution of a new species on the terraformed planet. I was absolutely engrossed in both stories and absolutely loved the obvious research and what-if-isms Tchaikovsky obviously took great care to develop. These intertwined stories revolve around each until a very satisfying conclusion, bringing together both stories and resolution for both. The first time I finished this book was on an airplane, and I just sat there, staring out the window for the rest of flight, pondering what I just read.