Sci Fi Books with NO Science | Book Recommendations #scifibooks #sciencefiction

I wonder if World War Z by Max Brooks counts as Hard Sci Fi? When combined with Zombie Survival Guide, which is basically a predecessor to World War Z, it feels so real that it was what got me into Hard Sci Fi and i highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys Hard Sci Fi.

The expanse :)))

I like what you call ‘hard’ sci-fi, as I consider ‘soft’ sci-fi as not much more than fantasy taking place in space. Michael Crichton is my favorite author in this sub-genre. I haven’t read any Neil Stephenson, but will put him on my TBR based on your rec. I also enjoy ‘classic’ sci-fi that delves into hard science, such as Arthur C Clark (2001: A Space Odyssey, even though it delves into fantasy, as well) and even Jules Verne and H G Wells. A short novella by E M Forster, The Machine Stops, which was published in 1909, is stunning in the amazing insight he displays into future technology (air travel being obsolete and people living in hive like structures, with the outside environment having been much decimated).

Thanks for the video!

I would 100% recommend We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor. It’s the first book the series know as the bobiverse and it’s one of my personal favorites.

As an avid reader of hard SF, you still had two books that I hadn't read yet to add to my list.

Great video, new follower, and it was nice to see so many books I've read on the list...Loved the Saturn Run and especially SevenEves...but I also saw in the background, Ruins by Scott Smith...perfect example of an outstanding book with a terrible movie adaptation LOL...but will be watching more of your videos!!

AC/DC - Hard As A Rock

A Fall of Moondust by Arthur C Clarke

😄 Promo-SM

The list had both classic well known as well as some lesser ones as the Zodiac to be added to my TBR. I would have added for example some of Greg Egan's books as most of them are heavily based on scientific elements.

A great mix of old favorites, already on my TBR and several new to add to my TBR, thanks!
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BIG LOVE for Seveneves, such a great book. 👍 ❤

The Calculating Stars sounds a lot like the movie Hidden Figures, which I loved. I want to check out Saturn Run and the Becky Chambers novella.

sanford has long been my fav crime writer so surprised when he wrote sf novel but absolutely loved it as u did was proud to be one of first readers of jurassic park and have read every novel crichton wrote even the last two non-sf ones zodiac nice tight early work by stephenson though my fav by him is the diamond age with its gutsy girl fighter heroine the galactic center series by benford is my all-time fave hard sf read ⚛

Those are some great recs, Rachel. I might need to check some of these out. Thanks.

Thanks for covering some outstanding science fiction books. A great round-up! Your definition of hard vs soft sci-fi is spot on to me.

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I loved Saturn Run by John Sandford (like his thrillers too). Another 'hard scifi' I am currently reading and heartily recommend is 'Inherit the Stars' by James P Hogan. It was written in 1978, but has stood the test of time rather well. The scientists in this story make assumptions, test them, discard and reformulate with new data, exactly as real science works

Science fiction is hardly fiction

I don't like those books but I still like listening to you

Hey there hello there

Seveneves and The Martian are two of my favorites!

Hello ms shades, I really enjoyed this video, lots of new books here for me to check out. I have read a ton of Hard SF but mainly classics such as Mission of Gravity, Rendezvous with Rama, Dragons Egg, Ringworld, Red Mars, etc so I look forward sampling some newer additions to the genre, in particular Saturns Run sounds interesting.

It’s not often that I’ve read so many of your suggestion in a video, but you definitely gave me a few books to read in the future. Gonna check out To Be Taught , If Fortunate first…sounds a little like Man Plus by Pohl. If you haven’t read The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi then that’s my suggestion for you.

Love it!! Seveneves—- so many thoughts

I need to finish Saturn Run. I wasn't able to finish it before it was due back at the library.

Great list, awesome recommendations! I've read two Stephenson's yet, Cryptonomicon and Seveneves, and I liked them both. But the third part of Seveneves was really a let-down, compared to how much I loved the first two parts. I want to pick up Anathem next, but Zodiac sounds really interesting too!

Crichton uses a lot of pseudoscience in his books, I wouldn’t add it as hard science

I so wanted Michael Crichton to show up on your list. So many people don’t classify him as a sci-fi writer, but he was.

I thought Seveneves was awesome. I love books that make me think, work for understanding and stretch my imagination. Alastair Reynolds (one of my current favorites!) is another SciFi author that adheres to believable science in his stories. Highly recommended.

I was a bit scared to read Seveneves, both because of it's length and it's in-depth science, but I decided to give it a shot as a little challenge to myself. Much to my surprise, I could not put it down. It was fascinating and gripping and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It also broke a bit of a psychological barrier I had for reading longer books and harder sci-fi, so it opened up whole new book realms for me to discover.

Great collection, love me some sci fi. I would also personally recommend A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge (not sure if it qualifies as hard sci fi or not). It's an older book, but great world building and delving into conceptual space tier movements

Your thoughts about the young science student in all of us was spot on about the Martian!! For me, it was a blast! I think even more was Weir’s most recent book, Hail Mary Project. I felt like a high school physics students trying to physics my way out in that, it was soooo much fun (and hilarious).

Why would a book about climate change upset anyone? Everyone knows what causes it, polar bears having BBQs on the south pole.

All went on my TBR except the last 2. I'm just starting.

Half-way through The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu. Mind expanding ideas!!

How did you know I needed this video today???? ❤

I started this video hoping you would mention “Seven Eves!” It certainly fit your definition of Hard Sci Fi and was one of the books that really stuck with me long after I read it. As you note, the science is interspersed with great character development and very believable human conflict. There is also a scientist in the book who is pretty obviously patterned on a certain famous and high-profile astrophysicist and science popularizer. As always, Stephenson’s prose is top notch, as is his plotting and characterization. I don’t always agree with your picks, but I would very highly recommend “Seven Eves” to anyone who has even a tangential interest in Science Fiction! Thank you for another excellent video!

I was surprised not even a mention of Dr. Issac Asimov most amazing life and literature.

Interesting. As you say, we all have our own definitions of hard sci-fi. I work in science, but more me a good hard sci-fi book will make me want to go and want to read more about the science in the book. Good examples would be Permutation City by Greg Egan or Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I think Arthur C Clarke is the master of hard sci-fi/'sense of wonder' sci-fi.

Aww, my faviourite Sci-Fi subgenre 😍! Thank you for the video and all the recommendations!

Nice video. Thanks! Seveneves is one of my all time favorites, I'm glad you mentioned it. And after watching this I think it's time to read Saturn Run.

I would love to hear your thoughts on The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell!

Yeah Rachel in the house!

Another science fiction recommendation video from Rachel, another trip to the library for me. Time to borrow or reserve Saturn Run. Interesting to see Sanford writing SF. I’d recommend you read Inverted World by Christopher Priest. You might know him from his novel The Prestige which was made into a Christopher Nolan movie starring Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. Would love to hear your thoughts on Inverted World.

Great selections. Cool to see Saturn Run and some of the others also love that u have your own definition for hard scifi vs soft scif