1. Neuromancer - William Gibson
It is William Gibson’s debut novel and the first of the Sprawl series.
When I first read this, it was a lot like listening to opera, where you can’t understand the Italian but the emotions are conveyed nonetheless.
The mood of the novel was conveyed precisely: the disconnection, craving, loneliness and the feeling of the obsolete species.
2. Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson
Neal Stephenson broke the ground with a new age, relentless, riveting new thriller.
This book has all the necessary ingredients to satisfy the soul of a book lover: a hefty helping satire, a strong female character, geeky nerdiness, a startling take on elements, a virtual reality, and enough improbable worldbuilding.
3. Starquake - Robert Forward
This novel by Robert Forward focuses on two crisis: first, a human ship gets damaged and then a starquake strikes that is as catastrophic as it can seem.
It’s prequel, Dragon’s egg and Starquake contain some of the most unusual aliens created by a sci-fi writer.
The first immortal is fascinating. Though there are some aspects I can’t quite agree on, it made people think.
The characters question things around them- of things could be different and why they are the way they are.
The style of writing wasn’t exactly the best, but the thoughts behind it and the plot were pretty nice.
5. The Accidental Time Machine - Joe Haldeman
The accidental time machine is an old-fashioned science fiction.
If you’ve always been a sucker for good ole time travel stories, this one won’t disappoint you- at all.
The plot is simple and there are merely 2-3 characters that are quite entertaining.
The characters in this lovely book by Arthur. C. Clarke is lightly sketched but that doesn’t matter at all because the lunar scenery and the perplexity are the real characters here.
This is a classic of a sci-fi story- something like the man against nature and in the one-sixth gravity.
The prose is full of science poetry.
James’ books aren’t heavy novels that tend more towards entertainment than education.
He’s managed to knit together a very constraining world with an awe-inspiring story.
This book is engrossing. It is a sci-fi world where moral problems are just a little more than you’ll imagine.
Jack Vance braids magic. These tales are a vivid mix of animated imagination and social commentary.
There are themes of decay, decadence, and end-of-time.
The tales follow the Law of Cosmic Equipoise which says that for every action, there’ll be a reaction.
9. The Disappearance - Philip Wylie
This is a timeless book which will make you think really hard.
It will take you in alternate universes- that are believable, and will provide you with unsettling reviews of humanity.
This book is set on the planet ‘Sangre’ which is Spanish for blood. On that planet, exists a society that is so abrasive that it makes look our master/slave system humanitarian.
This book is not for those who have a weak heart.
You might not want to read it if you cannot handle graphic descriptions of violence.
Written by Durva Bhatt
A bibliophile who is fuelled entirely by caffeine, sarcasm, fandoms and random thoughts.