I’m a retired teacher. No matter how many times I read Flowers for Algernon it makes me cry.

I have complete opposite opinion in regards to Hyperion vs Fall. Hyperion was great, don't get me wrong, loved each of the tales but man oh man The Fall was EVERYTHING for me. Tied everything together, the pilgrims, the war, EVERYTHING was just so much better haha. Great list though.

Here’s my list.
10. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
9. Ender’s Game
8. Stranger in a Strange Land
7. I, Robot
6. A Canticle for Leibovitz
5. The Dosadi Experiment
4. A Deepness in the Sky
3. Foundation
2. Nineteen Eighty-Four
1. Dune

The very first book I read by Kazuo Ishiguro many years ago, I told my wife, "This guy is going to win the Nobel Prize someday." I've read everything he's written and there isn't a clunker in the lot!

My list (without any order, I adore all of these books - some of these are parts of larger series):
To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis
Beggars in Spain - Nancy Kress
Ubik - Philip K. Dick
The Man in the High Castle - Philip K. Dick
The Long Earth – Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
Flashforward - Robert J. Sawyer
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Childhood's End - Arthur C. Clark
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
Dune - Frank Herbert

Your channel is a breath of fresh air, it’s almost impossible to find book recommendations without garbage takes or lists with the most basic recommendations. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen “The Martian” or “hunger games” recommended or just these surface level books, you always have good takes and recommendations that don’t come from a Barnes and Noble new hire

Jack L. Chalker's Midnight at the Wells of Souls series, Frederik Pohl's Heechee Cycle, Niven's Ringworld series, Tau Zero and Avatar by Poul Anderson, The Mote in God's Eye by Niven and Pournelle, and The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson, and the Elric series by Michael Moorcock.

I read Flowers for Algernon as a teenager. It grabbed my heart and didn’t let go. There were times when tears ran uncontrollably down my cheeks. A wonderful, moving book.

I must say, I am mystified that you did not include the extraordinary opus that is the Foundation trilogy. It’s all very subjective, of course, but Foundation is my favorite. (And, just for bragging rights, my copy is signed by Asimov, who I met when he gave a lecture at my grandmother’s synagogue, of all places.)

I appreciate that your list doesn't include all the usual standard choices. It doesn't mean those "standard" picks aren't worthy, or that yours aren't worthy of a top ten, just that it's enjoyable to get a list with a different perspective, and a reminder to go and either read some of these I've missed, or go back and read them again.

Actually the Book of the New Sun was written as a trilogy by Wolfe himself. But like Tolkien he wrote it all together as a single work, did two drafts and then proceeded to do additional drafts for each as he published  them one per year. The original third book ("The Sword of the Autarch") was split into the third and fourth book due to its length. My source is the Castle of the Otter book where Wolfe explains how he wrote it.

1984 is so engrained in culture (big brother...)  that I thought I knew what was about to read (this was perhaps 10 years ago) and then blew my mind regardless. It left my mind spinning for a few weeks. I'd put it higher.

Just finished Ubik at your recommendation and Wow! It's definitely near the top of the list for me. It's just so well done.

The “Flowers for Algernon” short story is a hard sci-fi story with the biggest emotional impact in the shortest span of pages of any book.

I totally agree with Ubik. It's probably my favorite sci-fi book.

One of the most thought provoking books I've read: "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell. Humans reach a planet inhabited with a dominating species and their "pet slaves". But these pets are more intelligent than dogs, even more intelligent than monkeys.

Another great one is "Legacy" by Greg Bear. Humans discover a planet dominated by continents, each one having their own unique ecology. But they soon realize that each continent might be sentient. I won't spoil it, but things go very wrong.

I remember reading Ubik in Valley Forge Park, near Philadelphia, while I was spending a few years in the United States at the beginning of my career. It’s a wonderful memory that I cherish, and indeed, I think it’s probably one of the best science fiction books I’ve ever read.

When I was in 9th grade (this was 1995) my school did the play of Flowers for Algernon. I had nfc what it was. My sister begged me to go because she had a small part in it. The guy who played lead was a senior named Tim. He was absolutely fantastic. I was in tears by the end. It was such a moving and sad story of the like I had never seen. I've never read the book and don't plan to because I know how sad it is. But you talking about it reminded me of something I hadn't thought about in quite some time.

The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester and Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban, two of my favorites and very underrated.

I would say Ender's Game is definitely a favorite of mine in the sci-fi genre.  Another great sci-fi series I reread every few years is the Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell.  That series has some of the best space battles of all time. Foundation is also a fun series for how different the storytelling is and how retro some of the elements in the books feel.

Clara and the Sun is definitely a great choice! Such a beautiful science fiction fairytale. Reminds me of Spielberg's AI

Im enjoying your channel. Im a hard Heinleiner and by extension Varley, but your veiws are refreshing. If you look at lists others have placed here, you see most people tend to love variations on a theme. That is how it should be. Keep it up, perhaps when i finish mine, it will make your reading list.