Spring equinox will be here in just a few weeks, and there's no better way to get ready for the seasonal change than to dig into some great science fiction books. io9 wants to help you get in the mood for transformation by offering this list of twenty science fiction novels that could change the way you see the world, and maybe even change your life.
"A stunning survey of the latest evidence for intelligent life on Mars. Mac Tonnies brings a thoughtful, balanced and highly accessible approach to one of the most fascinating enigmas of our time."
--Herbie Brennan, author of Martian Genesis and The Atlantis Enigma
"Tonnies drops all predetermined opinions about Mars, and asks us to do the same."
--Greg Bishop, author of Project Beta
"I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in the search for extra-terrestrial artifacts, and the political intrigues that invariably accompany it."
--David Jinks, author of The Monkey and the Tetrahredron
"Mac Tonnies goes where NASA fears to tread and he goes first class."
--Peter Gersten, former Director of Citizens Against UFO Secrecy
And don't miss...
(Includes my essay "The Ancients Are Watching.")
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6 comments:
Shit list - Cryptonomicon is Neal Stephenson's first non-science fiction novel - they should have listed 'Snow Crash' instead.
As you say, what about Ubik or Palmer Aldrich or Do Androids or Martian Timeslip etc etc sheesh!
What about Heinlen's Stranger in a Strange Land
...I could go on and on :)
Any list that doesn't start with 1984 is a bad list. It's the only science fiction novel I've read where I think about its view of the world every single day...Should have also included the Dangerous Visions anthologies, not technically a novel but still important....
They listed Doctorow's Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, but no PKD? Ridiculous.
As a maker of webcomics myself, offering entertainment for free is no big deal, and nothing particularly new. Also, as Peter Watts pointed out, the free distribution of e-novels is a scam anyway. Who the hell has the endurance to read a whole novel on their computer? You're more likely to run out and buy the novel when your body erupts in pain after a few chapters.
Speaking of Watts, Blindsight would have fit on this list nicely as well. In fact, I'd almost say it's more important than At the Mountains of Madness, in that it gives a more up to date look at why we should be nervous about the things that could come flying out of the depths of space, or the things that may already be in our midst, tolerated because they have a perceived benefit.
What about Childhood's End? What about Star Maker? What about Asmiov's Foundation series? What about Dune?
I agree with all of the above. The list is more about looking "hip" than offering a truly eye-opening window on the future. Not that "A Fire Upon the Deep" is a bad novel by any means, but sheesh.
I'd never heard of the Charles Stross story they listed, which sounds pretty interesting actually. Apparently based on Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiments? I'm there.
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