Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Hugonauts: The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time
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| Ranking the 2026 Hugo nominees plus the other best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of the year! | 18 Aug 2026 | 00:35:57 | |
We rank all the Hugo nominees, plus tell you about seven more amazing books that deserve to be in contention for the best speculative fiction novels of the year. No spoilers at all in this episode.
If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode:
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| Accelerando absolutely blew our minds with its crazy, realistic science ideas! | 28 Jul 2026 | 00:46:31 | |
Originally published as a series of novellas in Asimov’s Science Fiction before winning the 2006 Locus Award for best novel, Accelerando traces three generations of the Macx family (and one notoriously manipulative AI cat named Aineko) across a high-speed, century-long journey through future history and the looming technological singularity. We unpack the overwhelming density of Stross’s worldbuilding—from cyberpunk edge, BDSM, and KGB-uplifted digital lobsters, to Capitalism 2.0 driven by profit-seeking AI corporations, automated corporate law and self-propagating lawsuits, and personalized advertising that feels eerily prescient today. Discover how Stross redefines the technological singularity through system-wide computing power measured in MIPS, explores consciousness as a predator-prey evolutionary dynamic, and takes us to the edge of the solar system where Matrioshka brains, alien communiqués from brown dwarfs, and beam-riding simulated minds completely rewrite the rules of interstellar travel and resource allocation. Whether you're curious about the Vile Offspring, nested self-referential autonomous corporations, or Jupiter-orbiting electrodynamic tether generators, this episode breaks down why Accelerando is an essential—and utterly chaotic—masterclass in expert speculative fiction. Stick around to the end of the episode for our spoiler-heavy post-show discussion, plus our top similar book recommendations, including William Gibson's Neuromancer, Greg Egan's Diaspora, and Kim Stanley Robinson's Aurora! And make sure to like and subscribe so you don’t miss our next episode, where we’ll be ranking this year's Hugo award nominees and all the best Sci-Fi and Fantasy books of last year! You can read Accelerando free online on Charles Stross' website! As always, no spoilers until the end when we give a heads up before getting into the full plot discussion.
Similar books we recommend:
This episode is sponsored by The Day The Moon Disappeared by Michael Ross If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode:
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| The Best Military Sci-Fi Books of All Time - with a legend of SF! | 07 Jul 2026 | 00:39:46 | |
We cover the legendary classics like Robert A. Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, Joe Haldeman’s The Forever War, and Orson Scott Card's Ender’s Game, while exploring modern masterpieces like John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War, Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice, and the later books of The Expanse series. Whether you are a fan of high-stakes space battles or deep philosophical military themes, this ultimate sci-fi reading list has something for you. We also raid the deeper cuts of the genre, discussing everything from John Steakley’s Armor, L.E. Modesitt Jr.’s The Parafaith War, and Hiroshi Sakurazaka's All You Need Is Kill, to the cult hit Honor Harrington series by David Weber, Joshua Dalzelle's Black Fleet Trilogy, Craig Alanson’s Expeditionary Force, Iain M. Banks' Culture series, and Lois McMaster Bujold’s beloved Vorkosigan Saga. Plus, stick around until the very end of the episode for a massive surprise guest! We had the absolute honor of sitting down with a literal titan of the military science fiction world. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss our upcoming episode on Accelerando by Charles Stross. No spoilers anywhere in this episode.
This episode is sponsored by Thanks For Meeting Me Here by Jill Bronfman All the books we recommend, plus timestamps:
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| Horror & Fantasy we actually loved - 2026 Nebula books! | 16 Jun 2026 | 00:30:07 | |
We are breaking down the entire short-list and ranking, review, and digging into the 2026 Nebula Novel nominees from worst to best. We dive deep into the writing styles, the structure, the highs, the frustratingly bad endings, and reveal exactly who took home the final trophy. Are these books actually masterclasses in modern sci-fi and fantasy, or did the hype train leave the tracks? Here is our definitive 2026 Nebula breakdown: 7. Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
6. Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell
5. Katabasis by R. F. Kuang
4. When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory
3. Sour Cherry by Natalia Theodoridou
1. (TIED) The Incandescent by Emily Tesh
1. (TIED & WINNER) The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
No spoilers anywhere in this episode.
All the books, plus timestamps:
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| The Best of Sci-Fi and Fantasy - YA Books so Good we Loved them as Adults | 26 May 2026 | 00:50:51 | |
In this episode of the Hugonauts we’re breaking down what truly defines great Young Adult fiction and answering the ultimate question: do these books actually hold up when you read them for the first time as an adult? We look at the core guidelines of YA literature—from exploring the human condition through a young protagonist's eyes to (ideally) teaching profound stuff that resonates beyond teenhood. We count down the absolute best YA sci-fi books and YA fantasy recommendations. We dive into legendary dystopian hits like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, masterclass sci-fi like Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and Red Rising by Pierce Brown, and classic fantasy staples like Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, and C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. But we don't just look at the masterpieces. We also separate the true YA novels from books that are actually meant for middle-grade kids (like The Giver, Redwall, and The Phantom Tollbooth). Finally, we tackle the controversial "duds" of the genre. Why are massive bestsellers like The Maze Runner, Divergent, and Scythe so incredibly popular, and why did they fall totally flat for us? Grab your reading list and let's find out which books are actually worth your time! No spoilers anywhere in this episode.
This episode is sponsored by Memoirs of the End by Vincent Rylan All the books we recommend, plus timestamps:
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| The Devils by Joe Abercrombie - Monsters, the Pope, and a hell of a lot of good jokes! | 05 May 2026 | 00:31:13 | |
In this episode we dive into The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. It’s a departure from the grim world of The First Law, leaning into a "monsters vs. monsters" heist set in a supernatural, alternate-history Europe. If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like if the Vatican recruited a werewolf, a vampire, and a deathless soldier to save the world - well, you're in luck. We discuss the shift in tone, the hilarious "refrains" Joe uses for his characters, and whether this new direction lives up to his legendary fantasy status. We break down the entire motley crew—from Jakob’s "righteous" path to the mystery of Baptiste—and comparing the action to Abercrombie’s previous work. Is Viga the new Bloody Nine? Does the humor land as well as the sword-swings? We also feature some of the best takes from our Discord book club, including debating character rethreads, the themes of the book, and who is likely to love the book. Stick around to hear our final scores and why this might be the most "fun" Abercrombie has ever been. And make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss our next episode, where we’ll be pivoting to discuss the best of Young Adult (YA) scifi and fantasy! As always, no spoilers until the end when we give a heads up before getting into the full plot discussion.
Similar books we recommend:
This episode is sponsored by Pilgrims by M.R. Leonard. If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode:
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| There Is No Antimemetics Division - This Book Erases Itself From Your Mind | 21 Apr 2026 | 00:26:15 | |
This is exactly the kind of philosophical sci-fi we love - something new, something fresh, and something that will make you think. We wish the second half had been as good as the premise, but there's still no doubt this is one we'll be thinking about for years to come (and weirdly it already feels like we've been thinking about it for years). If you’ve ever fallen down an SCP Foundation wiki rabbit hole, you know the vibe, but qntm takes it to a whole new level of existential dread. This isn't your typical alien invasion story; it’s a masterclass in cosmic horror where the monster isn't just invisible—it’s un-rememberable. We break down the terrifying logic of antimemes and how qntm manages to build a high-stakes thriller around a conflict that nobody even knows is happening. For fans of weird fiction and high-concept science fiction, this book is essential reading. It sits in that sweet spot between the psychological puzzles of Blindsight, the bureaucratic nightmare of Control, and the drug-fueled confusion of A Scanner Darkly. Whether you’re a long-time follower of SCP Foundation lore or a newcomer looking for the next mind-bending book recommendation, we explore why There Is No Antimemetics Division is a landmark in modern internet-born literature and why its themes of memory loss and the power of ideas resonate so deeply today. If you want to learn more about the real world organization trying to stop memes from destroying the world, check out Cause Amp, Brent's new project to combat disinformation online:
As always, no spoilers until the end when we give a heads up before getting into the full plot discussion.
Similar books we recommend:
If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode:
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| Project Hail Mary - Book vs Movie (plus other sci-fi book to movie recommendations) | 07 Apr 2026 | 00:39:21 | |
If you thought The Martian was intense, let's just go ahead and raise the stakes. We break down the movie version of Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary, comparing the film with the fun technical problem solving of the original novel. We take a close look at how the movie brings the "astrophage" threat and and action to life, more importantly, whether it is possible to have your hair tousled 100% of the time. We dig into which complex scientific explanations were streamlined for Hollywood pacing and which "science-ing the heck out of it" moments remained intact. We also evaluate Ryan Gosling’s performance as the amnesiac-turned-savior, Ryland Grace, comparing his onscreen energy to the internal monologue that made the book a bestseller. Whether you’re a die-hard Rocky fan or a casual viewer who just loves a good space movie, this episode highlights the hits and misses of the transition from page to screen. We wrap up by answering the ultimate questions: is the movie worth watching? Is the book worth reading? Settle on in, enjoy, and fist our bump.
As always, no spoilers until the end when we give a heads up before getting into the full plot discussion. Similar books and movies we recommend:
This episode is sponsored by STARLØK by J.T. Michaelstar: https://www.starløk.com/ If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode:
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| The Dark Tower: Unraveling Stephen King's Mid-World | 17 Mar 2026 | 00:47:42 | |
We had so much fun revisiting Mid-World for this episode – it’s the first series that brought us together as book nerds twenty years ago, and it’s absolutely just as good as the first day we read it. So thankful it helped tie our friendship together, and laid the foundation for meeting all the rest of you Hugonauts all these years later! The Dark Tower defies (or bridges) genres, with elements of sci-fi, fantasy, western, horror, and more, all rolled into one legendary package. And Roland Deschain, the Gunslinger, is an incredible main character, and we’ll never forget the rest of the Ka-Tet either. And the ending – we won’t spoil it here, but man do we like thinking about this ending (it’s one of the most polarizing in all of literature). You may be picking up on the fact that we kinda like these books.
As always, no spoilers until the end when we give a heads up before getting into the full plot discussion. Similar books we recommend:
This episode is sponsored by The Rising and the Fall of Hell by Sean Miller If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode:
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| PAGE TURNERS: 15 binge-worthy Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books! | 24 Feb 2026 | 00:53:15 | |
We’ve got 15 books and series here, so there should be something to love for almost every reader (although we need some traditional fantasy page turners – send us some recommendations in the comments please)! Plus, at the end of the episode we each rank our personal top 3. We intentionally excluded YA and military sci-fi books, although those are often also page-turners - look out for episodes about each of those soon! Brent’s brother, Alex, joined us for this episode, and brought us a whole new batch of books (and frankly a couple new subgenres) to enjoy. LitRPG / progression fantasy just keep getting more popular, and we can see why – the books we’ve picked up have all been so, so fun to read (although it probably helps we’ve been reading Alex’s recommendations so far, the best of the best from the hundreds of LitRPG books he’s read). No spoilers anywhere in this episode.
This episode is sponsored by Quinto’s Challenge by Peter McChesney All the books we recommend, plus timestamps:
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| The Best Space Operas Ever Written - the biggest stories and the best characters! | 03 Feb 2026 | 00:41:51 | |
We've got 18 books and series we highly recommend, so there's something here for all kinds of readers - and at the end of the episode we rank our top 3 to bring you the best of the best. What is space opera? Books with big characters and a bigger world - they usually even come with big 'ol wordcounts. Space opera is often multi-pov, with interstellar travel and the fate of the galaxy at stake. No spoilers anywhere in this episode.
This episode is sponsored by indie sci-fi publisher Lil' Factory All the books we recommend, plus timestamps:
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| Neal Stephenson's Diamond Age - Nanotech, Atom-scale 3D Printers, and a subversive Primer! | 13 Jan 2026 | 00:41:01 | |
This might be the best sci-fi book out there about nanotechnology. But Stephenson has so many good ones that this one isn't his best book - some of the characters lose their way, and it drags in the middle. Oh, and one more good recommendation we forgot while we were recording - check out Blood Music by Greg Bear if you want a biological twist on nanotech!
As always, no spoilers until the end when we get into the full plot explanation and discussion. Similar books we recommend:
This episode is sponsored by Har Megiddon by Ron Bennett. If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode:
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| The Myths that Inspired Fantasy and Sci-Fi | 16 Dec 2025 | 00:53:58 | |
From Sumeria, to Greece, to India, to the depths of the dark ages we explore the stories that have inspired everything that came later with a professor of mythology and medieval literature. This particular professor also happens to be Cody's mom, so this is also a great episode to explore Cody's psyche, for those brave enough to explore a dark and twisted place.
If you want to do some reading, here are our suggestions on the best translations of these myths (and even a couple great graphic novels):
If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for all the books we talked about:
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| Best Starter Science Fiction Books | 25 Nov 2025 | 00:30:24 | |
Whether you like ripping page turners, incredible characters, books that make you laugh out loud, exploring unforgettable new worlds, or literary books that will make you see the world in a new way, there's a great intro to scifi out there for everyone!
If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for all the books we talked about:
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| Cloud Atlas - A genre-bending book we can't stop thinking about! | 04 Nov 2025 | 00:40:10 | |
With six interconnected stories (in a narrative style that broke all kinds of new ground), it's hard not to find at least a few characters you love. And even for those you don't personally love, the voices are unforgettable - it's wild that all these characters with such distinct personalities were created by a single person.
As always, no spoilers until the end when we get into the full plot explanation and discussion. Similar books we recommend:
This episode is sponsored by #1.1 by Allen Dean Maiora If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode:
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| The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe - Full Audiobook | 31 Oct 2025 | 00:11:10 | |
Really though we just wanted to do something scary for Halloween - put on a skin-tight leotard. Yes, Brent really did read this sitting next to bubbling pumpkins. | |||
| The Best Time Travel Books... of all time | 14 Oct 2025 | 00:47:14 | |
There's scientifically plausible time travel, fantasy / sci fi time travel, 'traditional' time travel centered around real history, people trapped in time loops, time travel romance, and we even threw in a couple of great time travel kids books - something here for every reader to love! As we were editing the episode we realized we forgot an incredible, recent time travel book from the list that we'd meant to include - it's one we've mentioned in a previous episode. Drop us a line on discord if you think you know what we forgot (or if you've got a time travel book you love that you think should have been on the list)!
This episode is sponsored by Maya: Seed Takes Root, which you can get here on kickstarter If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for all the books we talked about:
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| I Who Have Never Known Men - Review and Analysis | 23 Sep 2025 | 00:31:38 | |
Seen through the eyes of a main character who can't remember anything from life before the prison, you get to explore this strange, grim world from first principles. Its an alien way to explore an alien place, and the mystery just keeps getting deeper all the way through. The ending makes this a stylistically divisive book - you're gonna love it or you're gonna hate it.
As always, no spoilers until the end when we get into the full plot explanation and discussion. Similar books we recommend:
This episode is sponsored by Mindstock by Richard Yonk, available here. If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode:
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| Interview with Robert Jackson Bennett - Author of The Tainted Cup! | 02 Sep 2025 | 00:32:55 | |
We got to interview Robert fresh from his Hugo win for The Tainted Cup - by far the best SFF book of last year! We couldn't be more excited to talk about it with him and get our burning questions answered - will there be more about the leviathans in the rest of the series?!
Next episode we'll be discussing the classic dystopia I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman - subscribe so you don't miss it. We talked with Robert about:
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| The Culture Series by Iain M. Banks - would utopia make you happy? | 12 Aug 2025 | 00:47:14 | |
The Culture is Iain M. Banks' sci fi masterpiece - a futuristic society where benevolent AI minds provide humans whatever life they choose. Across the nine books you explore the Culture through their interactions, conflicts, and meddling with other space-faring civilizations. When the series is at its best it's full of action and adventure, and once the dust settles you're left with some extremely interesting ideas about what it means to be happy and have agency in a utopian society.
As always, no spoilers until the end when we get into the full plot explanation and discussion.
Similar books we recommend:
This episode is sponsored by Moonrising by Claire Barner, published by Simon and Schuster and available here.
If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode:
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| Ranking the 2025 Hugo nominees plus 4 more of the best sci-fi and fantasy books of the year! | 22 Jul 2025 | 00:32:19 | |
In addition to ranking the six nominees, we also talk about four more amazing books that deserve to be in contention for the best speculative fiction novels of the year.
This episode is sponsored by Doppelgänger: An Orphan, A Prodigy, and a Murder by Chip Walter. A computer scientist awakens in a robotic body—next to his own murdered corpse, with only 72 hours to stop a conspiracy that threatens the human race. William Shatner calls it “quite a ride.” Learn more at chipwalter.com/ If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for all the books we talked about:
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| 2025 Nebula winner and nominees - the best fantasy books of the year? | 01 Jul 2025 | 00:33:11 | |
In addition to ranking all the nominees, we talk about why the entire shortlist this year was all fantasy, no sci-fi. This episode is sponsored by The Boy, the Cube, and the Elf by Brent Golembiewski, which is available in print or kindle edition here
If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for all the books we talked about:
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| The 10 Best Fantasy Books and Series of all time! | 10 Jun 2025 | 00:58:48 | |
As sci-fi lovers who are looking to read more fantasy we could not be more excited to know what's good. Thanks to all y'all Hugonauts who filled out the survey, this list rocks. And a special thank you to Gordon Burroughs for joining us as our resident expert on the books we haven't read, plus for putting the whole survey together in the first place!
If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for all the books / series we talked about:
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| Redshirts by John Scalzi - funny, rule-breaking scifi! | 20 May 2025 | 00:27:24 | |
As always, no spoilers until the end when we do our plot explainer and discussion.
Similar books we recommend:
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| The God's Themselves - Asimov answering the biggest question in the universe! | 29 Apr 2025 | 00:35:08 | |
That said, there are some problems with this book too, which made this a fun one to talk about - Brent liked it a lot more than Cody did. Plus, love em or hate em, Asimov thought up some very alien aliens. As always, no spoilers until the end when we get into the full plot explanation and discussion.
Similar books we recommend:
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| Altered Carbon - Wild tech, visceral action, and an unhinged plot! | 08 Apr 2025 | 00:36:14 | |
If you like gritty cyberpunk settings, a page-turning, action-driven plot, and a lot of visceral explorations of violence and sexuality, this one's for you. If you're looking for deep characters, a carefully crafted plot, or philosophical ideas, this might not be your next read. As always, no spoilers until the end when we get into the full plot explanation and discussion. This episode is sponsored by The Pythagorean by Alexander Morpheigh, which is available in print or kindle edition here.
Similar books we recommend:
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| Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton - An Incredible Space Opera! | 18 Mar 2025 | 00:33:15 | |
Solid characters, amazing worldbuilding, and an epic plot that will keep you interested all the way through (and that's no mean feat in such a long book). If you've been thinking about trying out Peter F. Hamilton this is the right place to start. As always, no spoilers until the end when we get into the full plot explanation and discussion. This episode is sponsored by The Pythagorean by Alexander Morpheigh, which is available in print or kindle edition here.
Similar books we recommend:
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| Interview with Ann Leckie - author of Ancillary Justice! | 25 Feb 2025 | 00:46:34 | |
Ann is also the author of Ancillary Sword, Ancillary Mercy, Translation State, Provenance (all set in her Imperial Radch universe), and the excellent stand-alone fantasy novel The Raven Tower.
We talked with Ann about:
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| The 14 Best First Contact Books | 04 Feb 2025 | 00:43:58 | |
We also each rank our top three first contact books at the end of the episode. This episode is sponsored by The Pythagorean by Alexander Morpheigh, which is available in print or kindle edition here.
All the books in the episode (with YT links to those we've got full episodes on, or search for them in your podcast app):
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| Ministry for the Future - Heatwaves, Super-Storms, and Cutting-Edge Climate Tech! | 14 Jan 2025 | 00:45:04 | |
The book somehow manages to be optimistic at the same time that it realistically portrays horrific climate catastrophes - the opening chapter will stick with you forever. That said, it also suffers from some of KSR's usual writing quirks: weak characters and a pretty loosely defined plot. We talk about it all, the good, the bad, and the terrifyingly hot! As always, no spoilers until the end when we get into the full plot explanation and discussion. This episode is sponsored by The Pythagorean by Alexander Morpheigh, which is available in print or kindle edition here.
Similar books we recommend:
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| A Clockwork Orange - the classic dystopia of crime and punishment! | 24 Dec 2024 | 00:36:54 | |
The book is shocking, disturbing, entertaining, and unbelievably thought provoking all at once - no wonder Stanley Kubrick decided to turn the book into a movie (which is a must-watch classic in its own right). It's also an unforgettable masterwork of language, as the narrator, Alex, and his droogs speak in slang that is somehow entirely novel and comprehensible at the same time. As always, no spoilers until the end when we get into the full plot explanation and discussion. This episode is sponsored by I Am Machine by Lex Van Der Ploeg, which is available in print or kindle edition here.
Similar books we recommend:
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| Neuromancer by William Gibson - an unforgettable world of sleek techno-criminals, AI, and body mods! | 03 Dec 2024 | 00:37:00 | |
Neuromancer is an incredible science fiction classic, a page turner full of gripping action sequences, wild futuristic ideas, and a unique, techno-criminal world populated by wildly imaginative characters. As always, no spoilers until the end when we get into the full plot explanation and discussion. This episode is sponsored by Mythos: The Origin of Gods by A.A., which is available on print, audiobook, or kindle here
Similar books we recommend:
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| The Silo Series by Hugh Howey - Wool, Shift, and Dust | 12 Nov 2024 | 00:40:57 | |
As always, no spoilers until the end when we clearly call it out before getting into the full plot explanation and discussion.
This episode is sponsored by The Song of Immaru: Earth's Door by PJ Dudek, which you can get on print, audiobook, or kindle here. Similar media we recommend:
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| The Best Dystopian Books of All Time | 22 Oct 2024 | 00:55:46 | |
This episode is sponsored by The Dawn series by Ray N. Kuili, which you can get on print, audiobook, or kindle here.
All the books in the episode (with YT links to those we've got full episodes on, or search for them in your podcast app):
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| The Mercy of Gods - Reviewing James S. A. Corey's new book | 01 Oct 2024 | 00:33:13 | |
The Mercy of Gods follows a team of research scientists trying to survive an alien invasion. The Carryx are ruthless - killing 1/8 of the population immediately as they arrive to encourage the survivors to cooperate. Our team, along with many others, are then abducted and brought to a Carryx planet, where they are set loose in an open-air prison populated by hundreds of other alien races. They’re told that if they want to survive they must be useful to the Carryx. Will they resist, or decide to serve the alien overlords? And what does service even mean to aliens who think totally differently?
Similar books we recommend:
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| The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell - A doomed mission to an alien planet! | 10 Sep 2024 | 00:37:24 | |
A radio astronomer discovers a signal coming from Alpha Centauri - strange, beautiful alien voices, singing. While the rest of the world is transfixed by the broadcast, a catholic order, the Jesuits, take action and launch a mission to the planet of Rakhat. But from the outset we know the mission is doomed to tragedy, because a second storyline follows Emilio Sandoz after his return to Earth. The only survivor of the mission, he struggles to heal his wounds and to reconcile his faith with the deaths of his friends, and prepare to tell the world the truth of what happened on Rakhat.
Similar books we recommend:
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| Starship Troopers: the deeply Philosophical classic of Military Sci-Fi! | 20 Aug 2024 | 00:43:14 | |
In the 23rd century Johnny Rico enlists in the Mobile Infantry, the heart of the human military. As he nears completion of an intensely rigorous training program to learn how to fight and use his power armor, war breaks out between humanity and the bugs. The bugs are aliens with a hive mind, who attack and destroy Buenos Aires, and Johnny and his friends must strive to survive and defend humanity through the brutal war. It's also full of deeply interesting (and controversial) ideas about duty, service, crime and punishment, and so much more. If you like military sci-fi this is a must-read, and if you are into philosophical SF you are going to be pleasantly surprised how much it will stick with you and make you think.
Similar books we recommend:
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| 12 Books - the best of last year! Ranking the Hugos plus Six More | 30 Jul 2024 | 00:43:03 | |
We rank the nominees for the 2024 Hugo award, plus 6 more from last year!
The books:
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| 7 Amazing, Short Sci-Fi Books for when you need a quick read! | 09 Jul 2024 | 00:20:30 | |
Over the years we've built up a pretty big backlog of short novels that we really liked but hadn't had a chance to cover on the show - so today we're bursting that dam.
The seven books we recommend in this ep:
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| Embassytown - Aliens who are truly alien and a wild, techno-organic world! | 18 Jun 2024 | 00:36:55 | |
There is only one human settlement on the planet of Arieka. There, in Embassytown, a young woman named Avice grows up in a strange world between worlds, where all that is human and all that is alien collide without ever really coming together. That's not much of a summary, but this is a book that really benefits from going in mostly blind, so we made sure to keep things really clean in the pre-spoilers section too.
Similar books we recommend:
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| Your top 20 sci-fi books - listener survey results! | 28 May 2024 | 00:36:52 | |
If you want to see the complete survey results, including all the top books, favorite authors, and short stories come find them on the discord. Video version of this episode available on YouTube. | |||
| 2024 Nebula nominees - 3 great books on this short list! | 07 May 2024 | 00:32:29 | |
The 2024 Nebula awards are coming up, so we read and ranked all the books for ya. And we've got good news, this was a great year for fantasy and sci-fi!
The short listed books:
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| Metro 2033 - The book that inspired the hugely popular video games! | 16 Apr 2024 | 00:38:09 | |
The year is 2033. The world has been reduced to rubble. Humanity is nearly extinct. The survivors live in the Moscow Metro - the biggest air-raid shelter ever built. It is humanity's last refuge. Stations have become mini-statelets, their people uniting around ideas, religions, water-filters - or the simple need to repulse an enemy incursion. VDNKh is the northernmost inhabited station on its line. It was one of the Metro's best stations and still remains secure. But now a new and terrible threat has appeared. Artyom, a young man living in VDNKh, is given the task of penetrating to the heart of the Metro, to the legendary Polis, to alert everyone to the awful danger and to get help. He holds the future of his native station in his hands, the whole Metro - and maybe the whole of humanity.
This is a unique book! So instead of our normal book recs, we recommend some similar video games:
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| The Martian - Poop, Taters, and Tenacity | 26 Mar 2024 | 00:27:55 | |
Six days ago astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone. But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
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| Roadside Picnic - the book that inspired Stalker and Metro 2033! | 05 Mar 2024 | 00:43:44 | |
Red Schuhart is a stalker, one of the young rebels who venture illegally into the Zone, one of six areas on Earth that have been profoundly changed by the visitation of aliens to Earth. But when he and his friend Kirill go into the Zone together to pick up a “full empty,” something goes wrong. And despite the danger, the news he gets from his girlfriend upon his return makes it inevitable that he’ll keep going back to the Zone, again and again, until he finds the answers he's been looking for.
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| The Expanse - Full series review! | 13 Feb 2024 | 00:50:37 | |
Space ships whip across the solar system, ice haulers burn in from the gas giants, stolen Martian corvettes sneak behind enemy lines, and very human characters tie it all together and make the incredible journey worth the ride. Miraculously all 9 books (plus a collection of short stories) are fun, well-done adventures that will keep you turning the pages and racing to find out what happens next. Seriously, if you haven’t read the Expanse yet, it’s time for a treat that goes down easy.
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| We - The book banned by the Soviets that inspired 1984! | 23 Jan 2024 | 00:36:53 | |
In the One State of the great Benefactor, there are no individuals, only numbers. Life is an ongoing process of mathematical precision, a perfectly balanced equation. Primitive passions and instincts have been subdued. Even nature has been defeated, banished behind the Green Wall. But one frontier remains: outer space. Now, with the creation of the spaceship Integral, that frontier -- and whatever alien species are to be found there -- will be subjugated to the beneficent yoke of reason. Unless D-503 can find a space within himself - that disease the ancients called a soul.
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| Beyond Lies the Wub by Philip K. Dick - complete short story audiobook! | 02 Jan 2024 | 00:16:05 | |
A starship is taking off from Mars, and just before it does one of the crewman arrives with a strange new creature. What will the Wub bring to those on board, and the headstrong captain who can't stop thinking with his stomach? PS We by Yevgeny Zamyatin is still coming soon, but Brent had a family emergency, so Cody stepped up to bring y'all this gem in the meantime. | |||
| The Mountain in the Sea - Octopuses, AI, and the struggle to communicate! | 12 Dec 2023 | 00:28:50 | |
Rumors are swirling about a species of super-intelligent octopus living off the coast of Vietnam. As corporations and other non-state actors begin to investigate, it becomes clear that we are not alone in the universe - alien life has evolved right here on earth. DIANIMA, a giant tech company known for its machine learning prowess, buys the islands to study the octopuses and try to monopolize their unique brains for profit. They send Evrim, the world’s first true android / AI, and Dr. Ha Nguyen, a brilliant marine biologist, to study the octopuses, and Altantsetseg, a battle-hardened drone operator, to defend the islands from rapacious automated fishing vessels. Can they learn to communicate with the octopuses? Or will this new intelligent life be destroyed by global corporations run amok?
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| The Top 15 Sci-Fi Books of All Time! | 21 Nov 2023 | 00:37:05 | |
Ranking our top 15 sci fi books of all time:
If you think something deserves to be on the list, drop us a line on Discord!
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