Tag

Science Fiction

245 reviews

Books

Ready Player One

Ernest Cline

I’m the right age, and right amount of nerd, for this to hit the spot.
The Diamond Age

Neal Stephenson

If you’re going to only read one Stephenson book, make it this one. Especially relevant now in the age of LLMs.
- 1995
- Cyberpunk
Dune

Frank Herbert
- 1965
- Space opera
Old Man's War

John Scalzi
- 2005
- Space opera
The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.

Neal Stephenson, Nicole Galland

I’m a sucker for time travel stories, this one works
- 2017
- Time travel
Version Control

Dexter Palmer

Not for everyone, but I enjoyed this more than I expected. Nominally about time travel, but the evolution and permutations of adult friendships resonated with me.
- 2016
- Time travel
Jurassic Park

Michael Crichton

This is one of only two English-language books I had during a year abroad, and the only good one. I read it at least six times.
Sandkings

George R. R. Martin

Great novella, you can find it online to read for free.
Ringworld

Larry Niven

Neat premise, surprisingly still holds up given its age
Accelerando

Charles Stross

Enjoyed this take on future tech and its implications on economic systems.
Spin

Robert Charles Wilson

An interesting premise, well executed
- 2005
- Science Fiction
Anathem

Neal Stephenson

Takes forever to get good, and then it’s great.
The Martian

Andy Weir

Fun nerdy read with enough semi-realistic science to make it plausible.
Redshirts

John Scalzi

If you’ve watched more than a season of Star Trek (any version), then you’ll probably enjoy this
Lock In

John Scalzi
- 2014
- Science Fiction
Project Hail Mary

Andy Weir

Artemis was disappointing, this is closer to the nerdy fun of The Martian
Dark Matter

Blake Crouch
There Is No Antimemetics Division

qntm

The story is (purposefully) a bit disjointed and can be tough to follow, but full marks for originality. This is a good book to go into blind, if you don’t find the title compelling you probably won’t like it anyway.
The Expanse

James S. A. Corey

Space antics with realistic physics. Quality dips midway through, but first few books are great. I haven’t watched the show yet.
- 2021
- Space opera
Remembrance of Earth’s Past

Cixin Liu

Can be a little tricky to keep the Chinese names straight, but some really interesting ideas. Each book is quite different.
- 2010
- Science Fiction
Snow Crash

Neal Stephenson
- 1992
- Cyberpunk
The Uplift War

David Brin
- 1987
- Space opera
Pushing Ice

Alastair Reynolds
- 2005
- Space opera
Revelation Space

Alastair Reynolds
- 2000
- Space opera
House of Suns

Alastair Reynolds
- 2008
- Space opera
The Mercy of Gods

James S. A. Corey

First book in the new series by the authors of The Expanse, shows promise.
- 2024
- Space opera
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

Claire North
- 2014
- Time travel
Replay

Ken Grimwood
- 1987
- Time travel
Split Second

Douglas E. Richards
11/22/63

Stephen King
This Is How You Lose the Time War

Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone
First State of Being

Erin Entrada Kelly

My daughter was assigned this for school, so I read it with her. Easy kids’ intro to time travel.
The Andromeda Strain

Michael Crichton
- 1969
- Science Fiction
Frankenstein

Mary Shelley
Congo

Michael Crichton
The Lost World

Michael Crichton

Not as good as the first, but if you love dinosaurs…
Slaughterhouse-Five

Kurt Vonnegut
Cat's Cradle

Kurt Vonnegut
- 1963
- Science Fiction
The War of the Worlds

H. G. Wells
Exegesis

Astro Teller

Quite ahead of its time for 1997, tells the story of the emergence of an AI through email exchanges.
Stranger in a Strange Land

Robert A. Heinlein
- 1961
- Science Fiction
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

Cory Doctorow
- 2003
- Science Fiction
Oryx and Crake

Margaret Atwood
Hominids

Robert J. Sawyer

A parallel world where Neanderthals won instead of us.
1Q84

Haruki Murakami
- 2009
- Science Fiction
Cloud Atlas

David Mitchell
- 2004
- Science Fiction
Feersum Endjinn

Iain Banks
- 1994
- Science Fiction
Little Brother

Cory Doctorow
Earth Abides

George Rippey Stewart
Seveneves

Neal Stephenson

If you like Stephenson’s other books, you’ll probably like this as well.
- 2015
- Science Fiction
Stories of Your Life and Others

Ted Chiang
The Mote in God's Eye

Larry Niven
Diaspora

Greg Egan
Exhalation

Ted Chiang
Recursion

Blake Crouch
The Kaiju Preservation Society

John Scalzi

Popcorn read that is pretty much what you expect from the title. Enjoyable read, but I’m surprised it was nominated for the Hugo.
- 2022
- Science Fiction
Alien Clay

Adrian Tchaikovsky

Hard sci-fi with some interesting ideas for an alien ecosystem. Pairs well with Parasite Rex
- 2024
- Science Fiction
Shroud

Adrian Tchaikovsky

Another interesting take on alien intelligence and biology by Tchaikovsky
- 2025
- Science Fiction
Roadside Picnic

Arkady Strugatsky, Boris Strugatsky

Subtle allegory about finding meaning in an indifferent universe
- 1971
- Science Fiction
Ender's Saga

Orson Scott Card

The first book is definitely worth reading, the rest are quite different.
- 1996
- Space opera
Red Rising Saga

Pierce Brown

Plot-driven and entertaining, I enjoyed them at the time. There are additional books out now, but haven’t felt the need to continue.
Commonwealth Saga

Peter F. Hamilton

There are five more books in the series that I haven’t gotten around to
1. Pandora's Star
2. Judas Unchained
- 2005
- Space opera
The Interdependency

John Scalzi
- 2020
- Space opera
The Salvation Sequence

Peter F. Hamilton

The best (and only) series about post-scarcity humanity and evangelical space aliens I’ve ever read
- 2018
- Space opera
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Douglas Adams

Required reading for all nerds
Hyperion Cantos

Dan Simmons
1. Hyperion
2. The Fall of Hyperion
- 1990
- Science Fiction
Sword & Citadel

Gene Wolfe

Considered an absolute masterpiece, these were crazy dense and I wasn’t in a time of my life where I had the spare brainpower to fully appreciate.
1. Shadow & Claw
2. Sword & Citadel
Silo

Hugh Howey
1. Wool Omnibus
2. Shift
3. Dust
Daemon

Daniel Suarez

Agentic AI before it was cool.
1. Daemon
2. Freedom
Nexus

Ramez Naam
1. Nexus
2. Crux
3. Apex
Zones of Thought

Vernor Vinge

Haven’t gotten around to book 3 yet
1. A Fire Upon The Deep
2. A Deepness in the Sky
- 1999
- Science Fiction
Xenogenesis

Octavia E. Butler
- 1989
- Science Fiction
Firefall

Peter Watts

Quick series with some interesting ideas (human hive minds, vampires in space).
Bobiverse

Dennis E. Taylor

Bob’s consciousness is uploaded into a spaceship’s, which heads out to explore the universe. Breezy reading, with style reminiscent of The Martian at times.
Children of Time

Adrian Tchaikovsky

The two books are interesting takes on foreign intelligence. The third book is skippable.
Skyward

Brandon Sanderson

Fast-paced, fun young adult sci-fi series. My daughter loved it.
1. Skyward
2. Defending Elysium
3. Starsight
4. Sunreach
5. ReDawn
6. Cytonic
7. Evershore
8. Defiant
Dogs of War

Adrian Tchaikovsky

Final book jumps quite a bit ahead in time, can be skipped
- 2017
- Science Fiction
Neuromancer

William Gibson

Like a lot of highly-influential books, ends up feeling dated and overhyped because its innovative ideas have been copied and improved upon by others.
Ninefox Gambit

Yoon Ha Lee

Some interesting ideas, but a bit of a slog
- 2016
- Space opera
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

Becky Chambers

A bit too cutesy for my taste, but came highly recommended so might still read the others in the series.
- 2015
- Space opera
Timeline

Michael Crichton
The Time Machine

H. G. Wells
The Time Traveler's Wife

Audrey Niffenegger
The Everlasting

Alix E. Harrow

Beautifully-written, but the romance wasn’t for me
Q-in-Law

Peter David
- 1991
- Science Fiction
Terminal Man

Michael Crichton
Childhood's End

Arthur C. Clarke
Starship Troopers

Robert A. Heinlein

Very different vibe than the film
- 1959
- Science Fiction
Eastern Standard Tribe

Cory Doctorow
- 2004
- Science Fiction
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

Jules Verne
Solaris

Stanisław Lem
- 1961
- Science Fiction
Homeland

Cory Doctorow
Rainbows End

Vernor Vinge
Aurora

Kim Stanley Robinson
Armada

Ernest Cline

A forgettable failed attempt to re-capture the spirit of Ready Player One
The Quantum Thief

Hannu Rajaniemi
Artemis

Andy Weir

Loved The Martian, but this felt like it was trying too hard.
Fall; or, Dodge in Hell

Neal Stephenson

Classic Stephenson: Interesting ideas, but drags at times.
- 2019
- Science Fiction
Ready Player Two

Ernest Cline

Nowhere near as good as the first.
Termination Shock

Neal Stephenson

Some interesting ideas, but not my favorite of his
Upgrade

Blake Crouch

Another plot-driven sci-fi popcorn read with a familiar story line
Anomaly

Peter Cawdron
- 2011
- Science Fiction
The Dispossessed

Ursula K. Le Guin

Came highly recommended (and is very well-regarded) but didn’t fully click for me. Interesting ideas and I can imagine it’d hit different in the context of the 1970s.
The Forever War

Joe Haldeman
1. The Forever War #1
2. Forever Peace
- 1997
- Space opera
Culture

Iain Banks

I know a lot of people that love this 10-book series, but I wasn’t a fan of the first, though the second was better
1. Consider Phlebas
2. The Player of Games
- 1987
- Space opera
All Clear

Connie Willis
1. Blackout
2. All Clear
The Philosopher Kings

Jo Walton
Mars Trilogy

Kim Stanley Robinson

Some good ideas, but way too long
Imperial Radch

Ann Leckie
1. Ancillary Justice
2. Ancillary Sword
The Long Winter

A. G. Riddle
- 2019
- Science Fiction
Cheela

Robert L. Forward

The evolution and biology of a vastly different form of life living on a neutron star. Some interesting ideas, but should have been half the length. Written in the 80s and showing it’s age.
1. Dragon's Egg
2. Starquake
The Murderbot Diaries

Martha Wells

Easy reading, but gets repetitive after a while
Seeds

Peter Cawdron
1. Wherever Seeds May Fall
2. Generation of Vipers
- 2022
- Science Fiction
Expeditionary Force

Craig Alanson

There are over 15 books in this series, not ready to dedicate that much time here
1. Columbus Day
2. SpecOps
The Spare Man

Mary Robinette Kowal

Had to force myself to finish this, I don’t know why this was nominated for a Hugo. There are some interesting ideas, but in the end this is a detective story where the main character is an unlikable Space Karen that uses her money to bully everyone around her.
Extinction

Douglas Preston

Interesting premise, but not a fan of the writing style and drags a bit. I enjoyed Hominids more.
- 2024
- Science Fiction

Movies & TV

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Great story and visually stunning
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Poor Things
The Substance

Intense, really well done. But don’t make me watch it again
Companion

Way better than I expected. The premise is far from new, but timely and well executed. Go in completely blind, if possible.
The Assessment

Original story and great performances
Bugonia

As with other Yorgos films, this is not for everyone. Recommend going in blind and sticking with it to the end (my wife did not). Great acting by Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone.
Project Hail Mary

Way less nerdy than the book, which is for the best since it wouldn’t have translated well.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die

Original, frenetic, and fun. Avoid the trailer or reading about it before watching if you can.
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice

Fun watch you shouldn’t think too hard about. Great use of Vince Vaughn.
Dune: Part Two
Nope
Mickey 17

Heard bad things about this, but I liked it.
Biosphere

Points for originality, not at all what I expected. Avoid reading anything about this before watching, if possible.
28 Years Later
Predator: Badlands

A bit cliché at times, but solid action movie.
Hoppers

Enjoyable family watch
They Cloned Tyrone

Fun, original premise
Don't Worry Darling

Better than expected, great cast, but don’t think about it too much because it doesn’t really make sense.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Linoleum

Wasn’t quite sure what was going on with the movie but then it comes together in the end and punches you in the gut.
Prey
Mars Express

I didn’t love the animation style and it detracted from a good, Blade Runner-esque story.
Masters of the Universe

My kids hated this, but it was campy and nostalgic for me
The End of Oak Street

Points for originality and being the best dinosaur movie since the original Jurassic Park.
Omni Loop
The Creator

Story isn’t amazing, but the visuals are
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Deadpool & Wolverine
Venom: The Last Dance
The Adam Project
Thunderbolts*

Clears the very low bar of being the best of the superhero movies I saw this year. I don’t know why I keep trying.
The Running Man

I typically love Edgar Wright films, but not this one.
Pixels

Futurama did it first, shorter, and better, but a decent family watch.
Redux Redux

Some interesting ideas, but ultimately I’m just not super into horror/thrillers so perhaps this was lost on me.
Ash

The visuals and music save this from being a total loss. More horror than Science Fiction, also has very strong video game vibes.
The Mandalorian and Grogu

I would have adored this as a kid, now even my kids barely care about a new Star War
Watchmen

Needless remake.
1. Watchmen: Chapter I
2. Watchmen: Chapter II
Jurassic World Dominion
Black Adam

Dreadful. I like very few superhero movies, but this may be the worst I’ve seen.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Enjoyed the first two, but not this one.
The Marvels
Superman
Captain America: Brave New World

I don’t know why I even bother to watch these, even on a plane I barely slogged through it.
Blue Beetle
The Fantastic 4: First Steps
Jurassic World Rebirth

They just keep on making these, and I keep on watching due to nostalgia and having kids who love dinosaurs. The effects continue to be great, and there’s no lack of acting talent, but the writing is just so poor and repetitive.
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie

Came highly recommended, and I thought I’d like it but it just didn’t connect for me. Perhaps if I’d seen the show beforehand?
The Wrong Girls

If you want a silly stoner comedy, then this completely delivers