For those unfamiliar with the content of Foundation, it's the kind of series where the most gripping parts of the books involve people talking to each other and the action scenes all happen off page, sometimes in different star systems to where the viewpoint characters are. I love the series mind you, but it's not for everyone.

@devinreese1109

5 жыл бұрын

for particular mindset .

@masoodvoon8999

5 жыл бұрын

I like action but if a series development doesn't have as a major theme character self-actualization I feel like it is a waste sometimes. For the foundation what is great about it is a character in both it and the intertwined/prequel robot series is evolution of society itself. And what is even more fascinating is the intricacies of the plot that you are unaware of developed from seemingly simple concepts.

@09RetsamEdalb

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I tried reading it and just couldn't finish the first book because I had no idea what was happening. I didn't really know what the payoff was supposed to be, or what was meant to draw me into the story.

@defundhollywood3259

4 жыл бұрын

I found it hard to get into at first but it's very rewarding if you give it another chance.

@Executor009

4 жыл бұрын

@@09RetsamEdalb The whole description of the future and the machines involved is part of the treat, the machines being almost neglected because they have been automated for so long that no one knows how to repair them it's part of the exploration of a concept. Nowadays with all the participation trophies, how education get lenient by the day, gender or race quotas which we are seeing it's driving us to something similar as the novels depict i often find myself remembering Asimov.

On a closely related topic, if you're interested in classic Sci-Fi movies beyond the 1950s radioactive ants, lizards, people, ... ; of course "2001: A Space Odyssey" looms above all others, but "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (NOT the remake) and "Forbidden Planet" (some striking similarities to Skakespeare's "The Tempest") are outstanding. And the original radio play of "War of the Worlds".

@Hollis_has_questions

3 жыл бұрын

1961’s Jay Simms masterpiece, The Creation of the Humanoids, has terrible production values but one of the greatest scripts in all SpecFic. Don’t leave out Jerome Bixby’s The Man From Earth (2007), but ignore its pseudo-sequel! I’m also partial to humorous SciFi movies like Night of the Comet and What Planet Are You From?

@tonyasullivan1133

2 жыл бұрын

I like John Wyndham day of the triffids

You hit the nail on the head. It hurts my heart for folks to say classic sci-fi is “boring”. (Retort of, “No it’s not! You are!”) Excellent way to manage expectations!

@masoodvoon8999

5 жыл бұрын

I'm hoping he does more on this. Perhaps branch out from fantasy a little bit more on the channel. The Foundation series would never make it in today's media environment but it's still great to read. It amazes me that it seems popular but I never hear personally of people having read it.

I'm from Poland, I was die-hard sci-fi fan back in the '80 and I can tell, after reading Stanislaw Lem, Foundation was literally like kids stories.

Herbert, Arthur Clarke and Asimov. Cant lose.

@stormmarc5706

3 жыл бұрын

Don't you like Philip K Dick?

@Krasko666

3 жыл бұрын

lost with pebble in the sky

@noahlasher9724

3 жыл бұрын

Might I add Bradbury?

Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars cycle is excellent for characterization, politics, plot and very well researched, hardcore bio-ecological speculative science. Truly some of the genre's best, (circa '90's).

@defundhollywood3259

4 жыл бұрын

My mom recommends these all the time and she's read tons of sci-fi, going back to the 70s.

This was a very very helpful video in how to view the genre as well as what to expect and prime oneself with. Old scifi seems so so entwined with philosophy which is definitely interesting in it's own right, but from what you said it isn't synonymous with it's current position and having that awareness going is defo going to help making decisions in what to read for the what if rather than the story

Recently I have been taking quite an interest into Classic Sci-Fi, and this guide to it really helps me on where to start. It is awesome! :)

Read Foundation trilogy last year and yeah... it’s awesome. My first classic sci-fis where Heinlein though, and I think very easy to get into. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Starship Troopers are both excellent.

I often find myself drawn into military sci-fi. Armor by John Steakley, The Forever War by Joe Halderman, and Starship Troopers are a few of my favorites. I also have a soft spot for John Scalzi's Old Man's War even though I'm not a fan of the way he writes dialogue.

@cesarromo1

4 жыл бұрын

Read Ender's Game Series by Orson Scott Card, you will love them.

@adamc777

4 жыл бұрын

"Space Cadet" from Heinlein of "Starship Troopers," very YA but wow what a great book!

Thank you Daniel! I've been meaning to get more into (classic) scifi and this really helps :) (also: can't wait for worldhoppers!)

As someone who is working on my own literary works, your videos are really helping me to see that there are still many people interested in literature. Thanks for the motivation Daniel.

I have to admit that The Foundation series was, and still is at the top of my list for ALL SciFi writing. It's easy to pick up, fascinating from cover to cover, and it makes you think. By the end, you care for the main Character, Hari Seldon, as if he were family. Asimov's way with words was unparalleled, and many have tried to mimic it. The emotions you go through as you read are likewise real and visceral in some cases. Ultimately, it will forever be remembered as probably the best SciFi series ever written.

While i certainly enjoyed the Foundation series, I personally lean towards the Dune franchise for my subjective "pinnacle of classic sci-fi" (And an honorable mention to Flowers for Algernon for being the most impactful.)

@TheEricthefruitbat

Жыл бұрын

My take is that Dune is the greatest Sci-fi novel ever written, but Foundation is a better series.

I often recommend some short story collections, that way they can start to get the notion of 'what iff' and also, you get a range of authors to refine their taste.

Seems like most of your videos are more concise and interesting this year so far. It amazes me people never recognize that every human produced effort has a deep bias in it. I think they don't understand that prejudice and bias are the elements that create us whether we like it or not. I hope you do a video on science fiction sagas as I hope to explore some in the future. I don't mind either the action/plot centered or the idea centered series. Asimov and Jordan are my favorite series for both genres of sci-fi/fantasy thus far.

Great video! I have actually been looking to get into more classic sci fi and this really helped me pull into a better direction. I have gone through a lot of PKD and wanted to try other authors. I have noticed a drastic difference between modern and classic sci-fi novels. It is crazy how certain genres mold over time especially science fiction. I think I am gonna try a few authors you suggested. You seem to have the same taste in books as me so why not. Haha. You post great content. :)

Respect for once again mentioning Bobiverse :) It amazes me how small number of people have heard of it, let alone read it. It really is hard to recommend science fiction to people. I had trouble selling The Martian to the some of my friends who are fantasy fans. Let alone something like Foundation. Speaking of SciFi, have you got chance to take a look at Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson? One of the my favourite hard SciFi series.

@redman0901

4 жыл бұрын

bobverse was excellent, very unique concept which is what I'm looking for now, very few unique concepts these days

For people who watch a lot of TV, I often say that classic sci-fi is basically the written precursor to Black Mirror. The similarities: You can have deep characters but not always, the narrative is more about exploring the effects that a hypothetical scientific or technological discovery would have on humanity, and very often they have bleak endings

Great video and explanation, thank you!

The foundation series is by far the best, i was in constant awe at how inteligent it all was.

I have read Childhoods end after you mentioned it in another video and was not dissapointed! I am adding Arthur C. Clark to my list of favorite authors. Thanks!

I've been wanting you to guide me through classic Sci Fi for months. I am sooo ready. I already own Foundation, so I could start there.

@masoodvoon8999

5 жыл бұрын

Personally I would start with the robot series, including the short story anthologies that precede the foundation universe. The writing style is a little antiquated as far as violence and mature content but the stories progressively build on each other.

@Maverick8t88

5 жыл бұрын

Foundation is great! Personally, I like it better than I, Robot.

@masoodvoon8999

5 жыл бұрын

@@Maverick8t88 yeah I like foundation series better also, but it is enriched by the robot series, which itself is much better if you read all of them to see how they build on each other. Also with the robot series it is easy to be deceived that the twists at the end of the book is all that is included. Some innocent plot details in other books have serious consequences.

Hi!! Have a great weekend!! And happy reading!!📖

Excellent post. One thing that struck me for the first time when you mentioned "The Martian," is the film version's similarity in plot and theme to the 1964 film "Robinson Crusoe on Mars." A man stranded on Mars struggling to survive using his wits and knowledge and discovering new depths of inner strength.

My favorite book of all time is "Star Maker" by Olaf Stapledon. What a trip that book is.

What do you think about space operas? I think the Commonwealth universe by Peter F Hamilton might be my most favorite book series.

How many writers wanted to create 500 page books with lots of character development on a TYPEWRITER. No word processors before 1980. A Fall of Moondust by Arthur C Clarke is a must read to comprehend what Hard SF is and the pre-Moon landing perspective.

Yes, yes, this is all good and well and wonderful. This video moved The Martian higher up on my TBR while piquing my interest in Strangers in a Strange Land. But the real question is, what is that outro music??

Wow I needed this. A few years ago I read The Time Machine and had mixed feelings about it. Then I attempted to read Foundation but was shocked by how.. clinical.. everything was. It was definitely jarring to me as a character driven reader. Now I'm trying to give it a second chance with new expectations in mind, and this video was really helpful.

Fair enough, but if you want character based, would be starting with caves of steel, and it’s 3 following books, then jumping to foundation prequels and the then foundation series themselves. Gives both volume and quality. Loved it

8:52 Is that the not-Nutella jar on the right? It's been so long since we've seen it, I don't even remember exactly what it looks like. :)

For anyone looking to get what classic SCI FI is in the smallest amount of time, read The Last Question by Isaac Asimov. is a very short, short story, it will take 15 to 20 min to read and encapsulates perfectly what classic sci fi, and to my personal opinion is one of the greatest shorts stories ever.

I remember when I first read Stranger in a Strange Land. Blew me away, every assumption I had about societal taboos was twisted to make it desirable. Loved it. Surprised it wasn't banned at the time. But my favourite of the ones you mentioned was Childhood's End. I was a schoolkid and picked it up before getting a bus to take me home. I missed the bus. Walked to the next stop, still reading, missed that bus. Did this all the way until I got home and kept reading. Mind expanding. The universe was not the same after I read it. Later I would have an even greater dose of mind expansion when I read Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon.

ARMOR by john steakley is another good classic from the 80’s. Good one to start on along with your other recommendations. It is character based story and is a rad book.

Well, well, well, where to begin? I suppose, as is often the case, what was omitted from your exposition is more revealing of your point than what you chose to include. By which I'm referring to Frank Herberts classic "Dune". Like it or not, it IS a classic of science fiction and it IS character driven and it IS a foundational "what if" plot driven story. Another such example is Verne's "20,000 Leagues under the Sea" in which the mysterious captain NEMO is explored psychologically through the narrator professor Pierre Aronnax. Other examples include Heinlein's "Podkayne of Mars", "Friday" and of course "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress". To dismiss the very carefully developed characters in these seminal novels does a huge disservice to those authors who were trying to address the criticism that you blithely perpetuate about golden age science fiction lacking fully developed characters within their stories. Then there is the fictional but highly developed character of Lazarus Long. A person that comes alive for many due to his multiple appearances in many of Heinlein's stories. Some critics have even speculated that the personality of Long is an idealized wish fulfilling representation of the authors alter ego. If I am guilty of lacking the proper baseline for determining what, how and who character development is best exemplified by, I might plead "guilty as charged" because the type of whole cloth character's invented by authors like King or Koontz are so long on description and coloring as to leave me despairing if the author will ever get around to telling the story at all. I know that there are many readers and critics that ascribe literary greatness to these overly complex and emotionally conflicted fictional characters but, alas, for me this only serves to provide an easy justification for any illogical actions taken by these highly unlikely improbable examples of humanity. Real people, for the most part, aren't that complicated or hard to figure out and when an author sets up a situation wherein the protagonist does the unexpected, then I feel shortchanged and insulted for my inability to understand the motivation for such inexplicable changes in the characters behavior. So, call me old fashioned, call me out of touch, call me anything but unimpressed by the characters that I have met through the imaginations of my favorite authors. Nuff sed.

Hey Daniel, have you read the "Silo" trilogy? I am interested in your thoughts.

Have you considered making a space opera video, for that subsection of sci-fi/fantasy?

i got into reading late on and when i first went looking for books i knew i liked sci-fi and fantasy. Luckily on my very first visit with intent to a local bookstore I found The Stars My Destination, Cities in Flight and erm... well I am Legend. The first two at least are 100% classics that blew my mind. So well written and wonderful stories! Remember them very well to this day. I am Legend is also very good, but that's a little off topic.

From your description of the bobiverse’s premises it sounds like it took an idea from *Metaplanetary* by Tony Daniel. Specially, they had great Cloud Ships that were a human mind uploaded into a vast ship crewed, where needed, by copies of the original body and mind. (I only wish to live long enough so that I too can do this.)

Do people consider Battlefield Earth: A Saga of The Year 3000 classic or modern science fiction? I have the book and I know Hubbard wrote lots of golden age of science fiction stuff. But this was like released in the early 80's. Could it be considered classic Sci Fi? Or Modern? BTW I read Fahrenheit 451 in High School and loved it. So I'm not that far from reading The Foundation or Dune.

How do you classify Ender's Game? Also... read The Expanse. It's gooood.

@darkdragonblade1157

5 жыл бұрын

Brandon Wilson The Expanse is fantastic

@bmwilsonify

5 жыл бұрын

@@darkdragonblade1157 seriously it is. I'm waiting for him to dip his toes in it and see what he thinks. I've never even heard him mention it though. What's up Daniel!? Let us know! Lol

@divya83

5 жыл бұрын

for me ender's game and ender's shadow fall into classic sci fi. but i also read those books during a time in my life where i was obsessively reading other classic sci fi works.

@charlottestewart1851

5 жыл бұрын

the whole enders saga (can't speak for some of the really weird spinoffs but the first 4 + enders shadow) are definitely classic sci fi

Hey Andrew have you read any books by Octavia E. Butler? She is a science fiction author too.

As a child in the 50s, I started reading Tom Swift books. They were my entry drug leading to Burroughs, Asimov and others.

@uwebech5825

4 жыл бұрын

Same here in the 60s Randy. John Carter of Mars, Doc Smith, and then the Grand Masters took over. Great years...

Highly helpful! BTW, could you recommend something modern which has classic sc-fi elements

I love cyber punk allready red altered carbón trilogy and nueromancer, any recomendacions for cyberpunk reads?

@transient_

4 жыл бұрын

Snowcrash Neal Stephenson

I enjoyed you video. As someone who in the 1970 spent 11th and 12th grade reading SF books under the table in class I feel qualified to make a few comments. I wouldn't lump Ray Bradbury in with the "hard SF" crowd; he wrote the screen play for Moby Dick for God's sake., but the Martian Chronicles are/is wonderful, as are many of this other collections of short stories. While not SF, Something Wicked This Way Comes is a masterpiece. I am not as fond of the Foundation series as I am of Asimov's other work. I think I, Robot would be a good start for someone new to classic SF and the novel the Caves of Steel is a first class example of world building combined with a police procedural. Arthur C Clarke's novels are pretty hard core science based affairs, but in the short stories he lightened up a bit. Tales from the White Hart, The Wind from the Sun, and the Nine Billion Names of God are good collections to start with. Of course, there is and even older body of "classic " science fiction: Julius Verne, H G Well, and my guilty pleasure Edgar Rice Burrows. Forget the John Cater movie; The Princess of Mars is a fun read. So are the Tarzan books, though they are now probably too politically incorrect to read in public.

Ok, first ,Ray Bradbury's R is for rocket,or S is for space, these are collections of some of Bradbury's best stories. Next is a short story collection ,Adventures In Space and Time. This collection contains the original storiesforTHE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, THE THING, INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN . The basic idea for Aliens, THE DARK DESTROYER by AE VanVogt. Also Lewis Padget's THE TWONKY. Next I would start you out with Samuel R DELANY'S NOVA ,a great short novel. It is with some trepidation that I recomend Harlan Ellison, the basis for THE TERMINATOR series and the MATRIX series is to be found in I HAVE NO MOUTH AND I MUST SCREAM,(warning these stories are depressing as hell)There are some really good stories in his other early collections. Ok that's all for now .Remember sci-fi expands your world view, it's all thinking outside the box.

This is very refreshing to hear. I’m a fan of the Golden Age of SciFi. I very much prefer the“What if?” stuff. My favorite author is Clifford D. Simak, predominantly his shorter fiction: The Big Front Yard, “Desertion,” Immigrant, “New Folks’ Home,” “Drop Dead,” and “Skirmish.” Then there’s: Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore’s Vintage Season and Mimsy Were the Borogoves. James Blish’s Midsummer Century and Common Time. Ted Sturgeon’s Baby is Three. Alfred Bester’s The Demolished Man, The Stars My Destination, “Fondly Fahrenheit” and “The Men Who Murdered Mohammed.” Ward Moore’s Greener Than You Think. L. Sprague de Camp’s Lest Darkness Fall. Algis Budrys’s Rogue Moon. Cyril Kornbluth’s “The Little Black Bag,” “The Marching Morons,” Two Dooms, “The Words of Guru” and, with Frederik Pohl, The Space Merchants. Wilmar H. Shiras’s In Hiding. Robert Heinlein’s “By His Bootstraps,” The Door Into Summer and Stranger in a Strange Land. Murray Leinster’s Sideways In Time. Fredric Brown’s “Arena.” Jerome Bixby’s “It’s a Good Life!” (Believe me, if you think the classic Twilight Zone episode starring Billy Mumy is scary, the original story is absolutely terrifying.) Robert Silverberg’s The World Inside. Robert Sheckley’s “Specialist” and “Cost of Living.” Philip K. Dick’s Colony. Damon Knight’s Four In One. Jack Williamson’s With Folded Hands. Jack Vance’s The Moon Moth. T. L. Sherred’s E For Effort. Arthur C. Clarke’s “History Lesson.” Isaac Asimov’s “The Ugly Little Boy.” Brian Aldiss’s “Hothouse.” Alan Dean Foster’s Midworld. Bob Leman’s “Instructions.” John Varley’s “Air Raid,” Millennium and The Phantom of Kansas. Howard Waldrop’s “The Ugly Chickens.” Michael Bishop’s Rogue Tomato and Blooded on Arachne. Octavia Butler’s “Bloodchild.” That’s just off the top of my head. There’s plenty more great SciFi from the Golden Age. I call it Speculative Fiction (SpecFic). There are several novels, but most of them are short stories or novellas I don’t care for Hard SciFi, so there’s not much real science in my favorites. But they’re all chock-full of “What If?” The last six or so authors are technically post-Golden Age, but they’re effing SpecFic awesome, so I include them in my recommended reading list. Remember, this is totally subjective - my Best Of, if you please. Many can be found online, either in pdf or in audiobook format.

@scottuehlinger7887

3 жыл бұрын

Hollis, you have put together an OUTSTANDING List ! I also love Simak.....I have read MANY stories by Every Author you have listed....

@scottuehlinger7887

3 жыл бұрын

BYW, you really should read the Book "Astounding" its a history of the Birth of Science Fiction.....came out a few years ago...

@Hollis_has_questions

3 жыл бұрын

@@scottuehlinger7887 Thanks, Scott. Did I mention that Mr. Simak and I corresponded back in the mid-1980s? I wrote him in December 1985 about The Big Front Yard, what it meant to me. He wrote me back, in February 1986, saying this about my analysis: “Your analysis of the thrust of The Big Front Yard is a welcome surprise to me. I knew, of course, what I was writing about, and I thought I’d spelled it out sufficiently for anyone to understand. But of all the comments that have been made of it, all the words that have been written of it by critics and science fiction historians, you are the first and only one who has put an unerring finger on what I tried so hard to say. Thank God for you. I think that in other stories I may have said or tried to say much the same thing, but less directly and with less emphasis.” I have his letter to me, and a copy of mine to him, to remind me that there was once upon a time something that I was right about. According to Clifford D. Simak, I *got* The Big Front Yard. And that was from its writer. *How cool is THAT?!*

I second Bobiverse - such a great series! Apparently they are working on a book 4!

I love classic sci-fi and classic fantasy books. The Sci-Fi is a bit dated but it does show that some of the stuff we take for granted today was the what if .. of the past. Androids with AI, mobile phones, computers and the internet social equity values etc.

I'm a fan of the camera angle and set up and it's probably just my internet but the camera quality is looking good.

@masoodvoon8999

5 жыл бұрын

Personally I like that Obama, who has followed us around the room, has the H cut off from his poster so you can imagine other words.

Larry Niven. Poul Anderson. Andre Norton. Nuff, said. The best of all time!

So, I take it you don't really care for Space Opera? Even though it's been around since the "classic sci-fi" days, and has, arguably, become much "harder" when it comes to the science in the last thirty years or so. If you haven't already, I would suggest reading The Night's Dawn trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton (the books are MASSIVE), virtually anything by Alistair Reynolds (start with Revelation Space), The Expanse books by James S.A. Corey, virtually anything by Iain M. Banks, the Hyperion series by Dan Simmons (you MUST read this)....

Dhalgrin or Nova both awesome.. Delaney - author. The Mote in God's Eye a first contact novel by Niven.. Ringworld . All Hugo winners , the sifi Oscar.

That first 5 secs 😍

An interesting (and free) sci-fi short story is *The Machine Stops* by E. M. Forster. It was written in 1909 and seems to predict technology like instant messaging, the internet, and computers. Surprising for an author famous for literary classics like ‘Howard’s End’ and ‘A Room with a View’.

Stranger in a Strange Land was trippy as hell. I'm not sure I totally grok it still

Where does Philip K Dick fit into this, is he considered classic sci-fi? I love his books but I'm not a huge reader of sci-fi in general. I think he was a visionary.

I tried to get into the Foundation series, and had to put down because I found it very dry. Maybe because I went into it with the same mindset of fantasy?

@merrittanimation7721

5 жыл бұрын

Possibly. I find the series engaging but can understand why it would found dry to some.

I would highly recommend "Armor" by John Steakley if you have not read it already. I believe it is either classic or midway between classic and modern Sci Fi and it is excellent. It is a single POV standalone that delves into the Psychology of a soldier at war and the after effects as well which I find fascinating. It is also highly entertaining with a decent amount of action throughout the story. It's probably my favorite "classic" Sci Fi book. It is also a decently light read with only a little over 400 pages in the mass market paperback. Enjoy!

Great video! Concerning sci-fi, I've only read Dune by Frank Herbert and The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin (I'm not counting dystopians) and I enjoyed them very much. As for modern sci fi, I really want to read The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu. As for classic sci-fi, I'd love to read sone cyberpunk, but I have a feeling that all that high tech descriptions and lingo will bore me... Also, maybe it's just me, but I hate that song at the end! (other youtubers use it too)

@merrittanimation7721

5 жыл бұрын

The Three Body Problem is very reminiscent of classic sci fi (specifically the works of Arthur C. Clarke) in terms of tone and writing style, so if you like classic sci fi then you should like the Three Body Problem. I haven't read that much cyberpunk (Snow Crash and part of the Neuromancer is what I've gotten through) but I don't remember either of those being to heavy on the tech lingo, or at least to the point of bothering my non-tech savvy self.

@ordowaid.2665

5 жыл бұрын

@@merrittanimation7721 I maybe give cyberpunk a go then! The 2 works you mentioned were actually the ones I was considering reading. How did you like them?

@merrittanimation7721

5 жыл бұрын

​@@ordowaid.2665 I liked Snow Crash but couldn't get through the Neuromancer. The plot and characters were fine, I just didn't like the writing style. The closest I can describe it is it's basically the narrative writing equivalent of the narration on an old detective show, which I couldn't stand.

Have you read Ender’s Game? Or Ender’s shadow? By Orson Scott card

Have to say Enders game is the best of both worlds. Great what/if premise with good character focus.

I'm kind of surprised you didn't mention the idea of soft vs. hard scifi. Because the martian is hard scifi (very not sci fantasy) though a modern scifi style story. Classic scifi tends to be hard scifi, but isn't not one or the other. And plenty old scifi stories aren't hard. John Carter of Mars or Buck Rogers for example. Anyway, good video over all.

I really liked reading Fahrenheit 451 in school. Is I Robot classic scifi? I thought it was an interesting series as well. Although it did eventually get pretty weird. Also, I see you have found something good from the free music section on KZread :D

Have y'all read any Jules Verne? I read some of his more well known books and loved them

@bmwilsonify

5 жыл бұрын

Is he considered classic sci fi? Him and H.G. Wells are like... the OG's, right?

@deathbird6406

5 жыл бұрын

About as classic as it gets imo

@deathbird6406

5 жыл бұрын

Wells is good too, but I don't like his stuff as much as Verne's

@bmwilsonify

5 жыл бұрын

@@deathbird6406 in regards to the term classic, I think there is a literal definition meaning "older," or "original" and then there is the definition which describes a particular era. I think Daniel is referring to the latter, since it has inherent ways of telling a story, ie, the basis of it being the exploration of an idea or even philosophy. Idk if Verne and Wells hit that, but I can't say for sure as I've only read one Wells book (War of the Worlds) and zero Verne. Thoughts?

@deathbird6406

5 жыл бұрын

Maybe Verne, Wells, etc were the classics for people like asimov

I’ve been close to starting foundation

Not dying out from my pen. Hah. You must be referring to the junk on TV. Good stuff here.

Dragon's Egg by Robert E Forward the best hard SF ever written....The Seedling Stars

@transient_

4 жыл бұрын

Remind me, was that about alien civilizations on neutron stars?

I think i've changed my opinion of theme once again. I think i'm all for character driven lessons and themes and the plot being used to teach them these lessons.

Maybe you Daniel or anyone really can help me find my next classic sci fi read. I really like the Foundation series, I’m two books in and I love the world building and the massive scale of it, I also love the politics of it, but I do want to see some action in this book and also having some good characters that feel like they’ve lived a life before you open the book is nice as well. To those of you who have read this, please tell me of books you think I would enjoy and thank you

Curious,.. was it a conscious choice to have an edit at every single sentence (sometimes more)? Once seen, it was hard to un see and take in the content you worked hard to produce

Foundation Trilogy - Yes! Arthur C Clarke - try Rendezvous with Rama, and how can anyone consider themselves a sci-fi reader if they have not read 2001 and 2010. For space opera lovers try the Lensman series or the Skylark series by EE Doc Smith. And what about John Wyndham - Day of the Triffids, The Kraken Wakes, the Midwich Cuckoos, ? That said I find that the writing of some of these authors is poor. They are science nerds with some capacity to explain concepts and 'what-ifs' in readable and understandable prose, but Dickens or Goethe they are not.

I'd agree with you overall but I'd say it might make sense to start with new wave or late pulp era stories instead of the golden age ones. So maybe instead of starting with Ray Bradbury you instead start with Kurt Vonegut or Harlan Ellison. Also, this is only a personal opinion but I wouldn't really recommend any Heinlein works beyond Harsh Mistress and Stranger in a Strange Land, a lot of them tread the same ground and don't explore ideas as well as the Strugatskies, Bradbury or Asimov.

You hit the nail on the head. I’m a hardcore What if? nerd. But I don’t like Asimov’s writing style.

Any heinlein is a good start I think. Moon is a harsh mistress is a great way to see the view of AI from mid-20th century. And it's very entertaining for american history fans, IMO.

Try Lem one of these times :)

I feel speaker for the dead is a good bridge between classic and modern scfi.

While I won't dispute the overall delineation you make, I would say that a number of "classic" novels have outstanding character development. Asimov's "Caves of Steel" and "The Naked Sun" are rich in character, in my opinion. He was capable of being very character driven while still exploring deep concepts. Clarke never spent too much time developing character while Heinlein was a very strong character builder. So, it is dangerous to say that Classic SF is lacking character development though I will gladly agree that it is stronger in concept exploration.

"Three body problem" seems very classic Sci-fi to me.

@brianclark6340

4 жыл бұрын

Such a good series

What are your thoughts on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

@FVIIFrost

5 жыл бұрын

I found Deckard to be far more of a relatable and sympathetic character in the book vs Blade Runner.

@sellmerfudd8652

5 жыл бұрын

I agree, the movie was great but the book was incredible.

@sydneyparker7150

4 жыл бұрын

I made the fatal mistake of reading it before watching Blade Runner and Blade Runner left me so disappointed. The book has such a crushing atmosphere and explores multiple themes much more deeply than they’re explored in the film

How could you not mention Ian M. Banks? He's very good for bridging into older scifi. H.G. Wells has lots of character in his stories as well.

Personally, Deathworld by Harry Harrison and Hospital Station by James White were my favourite book when I was a teenager

16k 🎉🎉🎉

Came her3 expecting to disagree with everything you said, except I pretty much agree with everything. Btw, in my book Star Wars is a "Saga" in a sci-fi setting. At least from the viewpoint of classical sci-fi. Interresting thing with the Foundation books. Have you read the sequals? They are much more modern and character focused, following the same pair of protagonists through two books (in the original trilogy you constantly jump between time-epochs and therefore there's really no clear protagonist).

@Maverick8t88

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah, that shift is pretty cool. Shows Asimov’s versatility as an author. Spoilers I like the way he ties it to the I,Robot series. Very deft weaving of stories

Mann it just looks so intimidating 😭😂

Do Dawn of Wonder. It's amazing

NO mention of Arthur C Clarke? How about Heinlein's "I will fear no evil" "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" "Methuselah's Children" "The Number of the Beast" or Ray Bradbury's "The Martian Chronicles" "The Illustrated Man" Of course there are many others I haven't even mentioned!

@ernstvay5380

4 жыл бұрын

He mentioned Arthur C Clarke Wtf

Like fantasy, Sci Fi has many sub-genres. Hard Sci-Fi focuses on the science, whereas Star Wars is Science Fantasy e.g. has an element of magic i.e the force. There is also military science fiction, space opera, time travel, cyberpunk, etc. etc. Each genre having its own unique attributes.

@j0nhurry459

5 жыл бұрын

Matt Cole would weird west be in the science fiction genre?

It's not classic, it's not that modern, but for me is the best Sci-fi Novels out there: Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Just the first 2 books, Endymion and The Rise of Enymion are just bad.

@MightyPee

5 жыл бұрын

Don't think Endymion and Rise Of Endymion are bad at all, but certainly not as good as their 2 first installments.

@IlijaBossrock

4 жыл бұрын

First two are great, second two are ok.

Jules Verne is sci fiction right?

@kleinjahr

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, probably the first tech oriented scifi. Arguably there was some earlier stuff, such as Cyrano De Bergerac's stories.

Adorable cat detected. Squee protocols initiated. I grew up on Asimov, and he was and is my favorite author of all time, and yes, that includes Robert Jordan. Asimov was always engrossing to me, and mind you I started reading his books when I was a tween and early teen. For people who want to experience Asimov, but are daunted by the idea that he might be a bit dry or too academic, I would recommend the short stories "The Ugly Little Boy" and "The Bicentennial Man". Anyone who says Asimov is 'too dry' has probably never read either of those two stories. I think Asimov is accessible enough for any reader, and no one should be daunted by his work. He does make you think, but he's not talking down to his audience. I think Asimov is great for young readers, I think he encourages young minds to learn how to think, rather than telling them what to think, as so many authors seem to try to do. In addition to Asimov's Foundation novels that you mentioned, I would also recommend "The Caves Of Steel" and "The Naked Sun" featuring Elijah Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw. I loved those novels when I was young. A fascinating glimpse into a scientist's idea of what the future of Earth would be like, from that viewpoint in history. And yeah, Arthur C. Clarke was the man also. Much love for him as well.

The editing style, coupled with your hand gestures, feels very 90’s Power Rangers.

Have you noticed that you keep saying PASSAGE instead of PAST when you talk about Heinlein's The Past Through Tomorrow?

When I think of classic SYFY my mind goes to the SYFY written around the 1950s. To me this era is more classic the the titles you mentioned but that is just my opinion.

John carter of mars and the book of skaith are both more action packed classic sci fi I think

I have a complicated relationship with Stranger in a Strange Land, because it's deeply associated with a non monogamous relationship I had and which marked my life in a way that is hard to match by other experiences I've had. But aside from that, to all the people who've read it: have you also noticed the story is kind of broken in 2 parts and the second half of the book is drastically different from the first half? Is it just me?

@merrittanimation7721

5 жыл бұрын

I noticed that too, but didn't really think about it when until reading this comment.

@eglathren

5 жыл бұрын

@@merrittanimation7721 glad to know that hahaha

Hardcore 'hard' sci that is pretty recent would be Alastair Reynolds.

@kirstencorby8465

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, but I can't stomach him for the exact reason discussed -- his characters are so flat end empty. Just paper cutouts moving through the plot.

Or just tell everyone to read Flowers of Algernon like I do. hahaha

@lobstergal4643

5 жыл бұрын

That book is too sad.

@charlottestewart1851

5 жыл бұрын

i read an excerpt/abridged version i guess in my sophmore year of hs and yes it was very sad. and not really sci fi if i recall?

@devildriverrule111

5 жыл бұрын

@@charlottestewart1851 It is 100% a sci-fi classic.

@testingpro6723

4 жыл бұрын

I cant get that book off of my head. So tragically beautiful.

@TheVpog

4 жыл бұрын

Stfu