Sci-Fi Books

I’ve read a smattering of Sci-Fi over the years, but I am wanting to read more. I’ve even been slowly collecting more. Here is where I will sort-of rank those that I have read. Both series and standalones will be listed here. There is no specific ordering within each ‘ranking’ category. I’ll add to this list as I complete more.

(If I have reviewed the book/series, I’ll link to it, otherwise if I have done a bookshelf spotlight, I’ll link to that)

Favourite

My all time favourites; series/books I consider masterpieces.

  • Cyteen, C.J. Cherryh
    • I read this back in the 90s and loved it. I bought a copy for myself about 20 years later and will absolutely read again.
  • The Mountain in the Sea, Ray Naylor
    • So much to say about this, but linking my review instead.

Love

As it says on the tin, series/books I loved.

  • Dragonriders of Pern, Anne McCaffrey
    • I first read these in German in 1996 (first 9 or 10). Loved them so much. I have reread them many times through the years and have recently started buying them in English and reading them as translations are always a bit different. I only want to read the first 11 books – I think they are the better ones.
  • Dune, Frank Herbert
    • I loved Dune. Yes it is the first book in a series, but it can also be treated as a standalone. I can’t remember if I consciously made the decision to not continue with the series or if it was circumstance (e.g. waiting for book 2 to be available at the library and then forgetting or getting into one of my periodic reading slumps), as it was back in the 90s that I read it. If I decide to reread it and continue the series, I’ll move this to unrated.

Like a lot

I liked these series/books a lot and would recommend them, but they just weren’t quite as good as the ones I loved.

  • The Lathe of Heaven, Ursula K Le Guin
    • I started reading this in 2013 I think, but didn’t get far in – no fault of the book. I finally reread this at the beginning of 2023 and I very much enjoyed the book. I didn’t quite understand it at the end, which is why this is rated as like a lot rather than love, but I was engrossed and read the book in two days.
  • Ammonite, Nicola Griffith
    • This was an interesting read, of an obsessed anthropologist visiting a planet populated by all-female tribes, who were able to reproduce. A planet that had a circulating virus that kills all men and most women who visit the planet, so the main character is also trying out a vaccine. While there were some weaknesses in the book, I enjoyed it overall, and it did have some very interesting themes and characters.

Like

These are series/books I enjoyed and would (in some cases, have) read again. They are worth reading, but I have enjoyed others more, or think others are stronger.

Like once

Series/books I enjoyed, but have no interest in rereading.

Mediocre

Series/books I stuck with to the bitter end, and maybe it wasn’t worth it.

Abandoned

These are series that I abandoned either in the first book or part way through the series, or standalone that I abandoned part way through, and have no intention of finishing.

Unrated

These are series that I haven’t completed yet, so don’t feel ready to rate them overall. The exception to this are any series that are made up of standalone (or semi-standalone) books, or where I have read up to the point I wish to read.

  • The Tower and The Hive, Anne McCaffrey
    • Twice now (20 years apart) I have read the first two books but not continued. Not through any conscious decision, just through circumstance. One day I will manage to read this series through. I did thoroughly enjoy the first two books in the series.
  • The Amtrack Wars, Patrick Tilley
    • I have read the first 2 or 3 books and enjoyed them. I will need to reread them in order to complete the series, but I do own all of them. These were a recommendation from someone at book club.
  • Vorkosigan Saga, Lois McMaster Bujold
    • I started this series with the two books on Cordelia. I think I have read a couple of books afterwards and I enjoyed them, but not as much as the first two. I think it was because I loved Cordelia so much. I would like to reread those I have read and try some more – but oh to track them down. From memory at the time I could only get them as ebooks, and I think I have since been hit by that annoying periodic “loss” of ebooks. Maybe I’ll start a paperback hunt in 2023.
  • Against the Quiet Endsong, Sascha Stronach
    • So far only one book has been published (The Dawnhounds), but I believe this is to become a trilogy. The first book finished well, and could be left as a standalone, but it also left things open to continue. As The Dawnhounds was a five star read for me, I’ll definitely be continuing this series. As this felt like science fantasy, this series will be on both my Fantasy and Sci-Fi lists. (Update Feb 2023: the publisher has October as the release date for book 2, and has a change in the series name)