The Most Iconic Speculative Fiction Books of the 21st Century
October 31, 2024 3:29 PM Subscribe
I'm not sure Hild should count as SSF, but it is excellent.
posted by antiwiggle at 3:42 PM on October 31, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by antiwiggle at 3:42 PM on October 31, 2024 [2 favorites]
What weird omissions OOC?
posted by rossmeissl at 3:46 PM on October 31, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by rossmeissl at 3:46 PM on October 31, 2024 [1 favorite]
What weird omissions
One Piece from the comics/manga/graphic novels section, surely. Inuyasha was formative to me but One Piece was as formative for at least as many people and is like, still around. I haven't even read One Piece and that came instantly to mind. And XXXHolic over, say, Fruits Basket? I mean, I appreciate the Clamp love but methinks this is a "works that were formative to the authors" list than "works that are broadly iconic." Interesting psychological piece from that angle. Sorta tracks, somehow, with a number of the author names that I recognized who participated.
Was Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg spec fic? I only got about halfway through before the searing heterosexuality got to me (I personally love that trans guys can write eye-wateringly hetero romances about trans guys in this day and age but I had to put it down) but I had only read it as a historical fiction with a frame. If there's like, weird time travel shenanigans in the second half maybe I'll give it another shot...
posted by brook horse at 4:32 PM on October 31, 2024
One Piece from the comics/manga/graphic novels section, surely. Inuyasha was formative to me but One Piece was as formative for at least as many people and is like, still around. I haven't even read One Piece and that came instantly to mind. And XXXHolic over, say, Fruits Basket? I mean, I appreciate the Clamp love but methinks this is a "works that were formative to the authors" list than "works that are broadly iconic." Interesting psychological piece from that angle. Sorta tracks, somehow, with a number of the author names that I recognized who participated.
Was Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg spec fic? I only got about halfway through before the searing heterosexuality got to me (I personally love that trans guys can write eye-wateringly hetero romances about trans guys in this day and age but I had to put it down) but I had only read it as a historical fiction with a frame. If there's like, weird time travel shenanigans in the second half maybe I'll give it another shot...
posted by brook horse at 4:32 PM on October 31, 2024
All lists are bad // this is a good bunch of lists. Appreciate the “your favorite authors’ favorite author” section
posted by q*ben at 4:41 PM on October 31, 2024
posted by q*ben at 4:41 PM on October 31, 2024
Iconic is an interesting choice of word to use...
I've read most of the novels on the list and I don't actually have a problem with any of them. Some, I'm not so sure on but that's okay because I'm not an expert in the field, I'm just a person who likes to read.
I was glad to see Lavie Tidhar on the hidden gems list but surprised not find China Mieville anywhere.
posted by ashbury at 5:36 PM on October 31, 2024
I've read most of the novels on the list and I don't actually have a problem with any of them. Some, I'm not so sure on but that's okay because I'm not an expert in the field, I'm just a person who likes to read.
I was glad to see Lavie Tidhar on the hidden gems list but surprised not find China Mieville anywhere.
posted by ashbury at 5:36 PM on October 31, 2024
Thanks for this post. I prefer speculative fiction over traditional sci-fi and had recently been looking for newsletters, lists etc... this comes at a good time.
posted by Laura in Canada at 6:00 PM on October 31, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by Laura in Canada at 6:00 PM on October 31, 2024 [1 favorite]
I'm sorry, but a book simply cannot be both iconic and overlooked. They are mutually exclusive.
A bunch that I like on here, several I haven't read. The only quibble I have is that I really didn't like 3 Body Problem. It certainly is iconic, though. Seems like everybody read it. Here, you can get mad at me: does it get better? I put it down 2/3 of the way through because I found it pedantic and kind of dumb. Lest you think me a cretin, I really did like his book Ball Lightning, which is apparently set in the same universe but is just a much better story in every way that I can see. I read that one first and was very excited for 3.Body. Alas.
posted by Smedly, Butlerian jihadi at 6:06 PM on October 31, 2024 [8 favorites]
A bunch that I like on here, several I haven't read. The only quibble I have is that I really didn't like 3 Body Problem. It certainly is iconic, though. Seems like everybody read it. Here, you can get mad at me: does it get better? I put it down 2/3 of the way through because I found it pedantic and kind of dumb. Lest you think me a cretin, I really did like his book Ball Lightning, which is apparently set in the same universe but is just a much better story in every way that I can see. I read that one first and was very excited for 3.Body. Alas.
posted by Smedly, Butlerian jihadi at 6:06 PM on October 31, 2024 [8 favorites]
^^ It never gets better. It's terrible. I'm told by reliable people that it's actually worse in Chinese.
posted by outgrown_hobnail at 7:22 PM on October 31, 2024 [8 favorites]
posted by outgrown_hobnail at 7:22 PM on October 31, 2024 [8 favorites]
Many great recommendations! I'd like to add Becky Chambers to the list.
posted by lumosh at 7:49 PM on October 31, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by lumosh at 7:49 PM on October 31, 2024 [1 favorite]
Wait there is a Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell tv series? Wow, how did I miss that?!
As for the list, both Susanna Clarke and Ted Chiang published two works in the 21st century, and all four are on the list, so I guess it can't be all bad. Also, sometimes I forget about Piranesi and then I see a reference to it and I get this weird feeling like I am being filled with warm seawater or something. Wow, that book.
posted by Literaryhero at 8:23 PM on October 31, 2024 [2 favorites]
As for the list, both Susanna Clarke and Ted Chiang published two works in the 21st century, and all four are on the list, so I guess it can't be all bad. Also, sometimes I forget about Piranesi and then I see a reference to it and I get this weird feeling like I am being filled with warm seawater or something. Wow, that book.
posted by Literaryhero at 8:23 PM on October 31, 2024 [2 favorites]
“If this collection were nothing more than the story “Hell Is the Absence of the Others,” it would still merit inclusion on my list.” —Tochi Onyebuchi, Goliath
And now that I look at it, they got the story name wrong. It is 'Hell is the Absence of God.' AI written, indeed.
posted by Literaryhero at 8:34 PM on October 31, 2024
And now that I look at it, they got the story name wrong. It is 'Hell is the Absence of God.' AI written, indeed.
posted by Literaryhero at 8:34 PM on October 31, 2024
Miéville may not be on a list primarily made up of submissions by others in the field because Miéville had a bit of a scandal a decade or so back due to accusations of emotional abuse by his former romantic partner. (I'm being careful about how I word this because I don't want to touch off a debate about it or derail the thread, just trying to provide some information. He is perhaps not as beloved in the SFF scene as he was before those allegations came to light, and I don't think he has published as steadily or as successfully in recent years as he had before his former partner spoke up about their breakup. It's possible that others in the field are just more interested in authors like Novik and Jemisin and Clarke and Muir and Chiang these days.)
posted by verbminx at 9:44 PM on October 31, 2024
posted by verbminx at 9:44 PM on October 31, 2024
Perhaps "weird omissions" wasn't quite the right term. I guess it comes down to what the list is supposed to be, and "a bunch of books and authors that a bunch of authors like, with certain limitations that are porous when we want them to be" isn't a great list name. Some of the bestselling authors of speculative fiction aren't on here for what I think are fair to call "genre formation" reasons (Diana Gabaldon, Nora Roberts, etc.), and others aren't there because they aren't many writers' favorites yet and won't be for another decade or so (Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, etc.). There's also the problem of some of the globally iconic SF writers of the last 25 years not being on there because they've pissed too many people off for personal or professional reasons, or their most notable series got started in the 1990s. Lists would all be a wash, though, if they were only "the bestselling authors" or "the authors everyone recognizes, and, as I say, it was nice to see a few names I didn't recognize.
I'm sorry, but a book simply cannot be both iconic and overlooked. They are mutually exclusive.
Quite. I thought about that for a while, then decided with great generosity of spirit that the list-makers and voters were trying to manifest iconic-ness.
posted by cupcakeninja at 4:39 AM on November 1, 2024
I'm sorry, but a book simply cannot be both iconic and overlooked. They are mutually exclusive.
Quite. I thought about that for a while, then decided with great generosity of spirit that the list-makers and voters were trying to manifest iconic-ness.
posted by cupcakeninja at 4:39 AM on November 1, 2024
In the translated works list, I'm surprised to see
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, translated by Suika and Pengie (Editor).
It's surprising that somehow, among all the wonderful Chinese web fictions, this one somehow became the breakout hit internationally. (When I read it I thought it was solid but contained too much horror for my taste.) I wonder how much of its influence comes from its TV series adaptation. Such adaptions based on MM romance novels have since been banned, one of the reasons why the MM romance/dan mei genre has declined in output and quality in recent years.
(By the way it's never been officially confirmed, but most people believe the author 墨香铜臭 was sent to jail for 'illegal gains from book publishing', and that's why she hasn't serialized any new works in the last several years. I hope that she has been receiving all the overseas royalties that are due to her.)
posted by of strange foe at 6:48 AM on November 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, translated by Suika and Pengie (Editor).
It's surprising that somehow, among all the wonderful Chinese web fictions, this one somehow became the breakout hit internationally. (When I read it I thought it was solid but contained too much horror for my taste.) I wonder how much of its influence comes from its TV series adaptation. Such adaptions based on MM romance novels have since been banned, one of the reasons why the MM romance/dan mei genre has declined in output and quality in recent years.
(By the way it's never been officially confirmed, but most people believe the author 墨香铜臭 was sent to jail for 'illegal gains from book publishing', and that's why she hasn't serialized any new works in the last several years. I hope that she has been receiving all the overseas royalties that are due to her.)
posted by of strange foe at 6:48 AM on November 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
It's a list of books we would livejournal-rec each other in the 2000s (several of the authors who were polled are former LJers and several of the recommended authors are as well). Yes, even the books published in the last few years. Therefore I like it.
posted by subdee at 8:31 AM on November 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by subdee at 8:31 AM on November 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
Amazingly because I’m an old, I’ve actually read 13 of the books on the main list. I liked most of them but two had terrible sequelitis: Read second three body book, bored senseless, bad writing, stopped. Read second annihilation book, terrible, seemed like a different author, stopped. I’ll definitely check out the other 12. Thanks for this!
posted by caviar2d2 at 9:18 AM on November 1, 2024
posted by caviar2d2 at 9:18 AM on November 1, 2024
Yeah it's an interesting list, and I really can't disagree. But it does show how different a book can affect different people. Of the "iconic" list, I've read 13 out of 32 (plus another 8 of the honorable mentions), and here's how I would classify them:
Absolutely life-changing: Cloud Atlas, Piranesi, This Is How You Lose the Time War, Station Eleven
Loved a whole bunch: All Systems Red, Hunger Games, Annihilation, Saga (haven't read the whole thing)
Loved, but maybe not as much as some: Fifth Season, Ancillary Justice
Liked, definitely appreciated the craft, but didn't love: Jonathan Strange, Babel, Memory Called Empire
Of the honorable mentions, I would have elevated House of Leaves, The Library at Mount Char, and Light from Uncommon Stars above some of the books on the iconic list.
Looking back at my own list now, it looks like I find intricate world-building to be impressive but tedious. YMMV.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 9:56 AM on November 1, 2024 [2 favorites]
Absolutely life-changing: Cloud Atlas, Piranesi, This Is How You Lose the Time War, Station Eleven
Loved a whole bunch: All Systems Red, Hunger Games, Annihilation, Saga (haven't read the whole thing)
Loved, but maybe not as much as some: Fifth Season, Ancillary Justice
Liked, definitely appreciated the craft, but didn't love: Jonathan Strange, Babel, Memory Called Empire
Of the honorable mentions, I would have elevated House of Leaves, The Library at Mount Char, and Light from Uncommon Stars above some of the books on the iconic list.
Looking back at my own list now, it looks like I find intricate world-building to be impressive but tedious. YMMV.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 9:56 AM on November 1, 2024 [2 favorites]
Banks wrote at least 5 great sci-fi novels before he passed in the early 21st century. Frankly he'd wipe the floor with what I've read of the 'Ancillary' stuff (& 'Hunger Games' ?) Just IMHO of course. Seems weird to skip Gibsons 'Blue Ant' and 'Jackpot' series too. Still, the list does have a lot of good stuff to dig into... Maybe the younger crowd is just into different stuff than me (or maybe there is a category/tier of author who just doesn't need additional exposure?) Also no 'Expanse' novels, which I've never read but did enjoy the TV series for a few series and I've been reliably informed that the books are good.
I do need to catch-up on my N.K. Jemisin after finishing the 'Broken Earth' stuff and going back to the 'Inheritence' series.
Also seconding that Becky Chambers should be on there.
I've also been enjoying Tasha Suris 'Burning Empire' series.
posted by phigmov at 3:33 PM on November 1, 2024
I do need to catch-up on my N.K. Jemisin after finishing the 'Broken Earth' stuff and going back to the 'Inheritence' series.
Also seconding that Becky Chambers should be on there.
I've also been enjoying Tasha Suris 'Burning Empire' series.
posted by phigmov at 3:33 PM on November 1, 2024
OK, just rereading the post and spotted 'may have been overlooked'... fair call...
posted by phigmov at 3:39 PM on November 1, 2024
posted by phigmov at 3:39 PM on November 1, 2024
terrible sequelitis: read the second three body book, bored senseless, bad writing, stopped.
I think that's a translation issue, because I had the same issue with The Dark Forest (eventually gave up and read a Wikipedia summary instead lol), but the third book was very fun and readable, with good prose again. Ken Liu translated the first and third books while Joel Martinsen translated second one.
posted by subdee at 11:57 PM on November 1, 2024
I think that's a translation issue, because I had the same issue with The Dark Forest (eventually gave up and read a Wikipedia summary instead lol), but the third book was very fun and readable, with good prose again. Ken Liu translated the first and third books while Joel Martinsen translated second one.
posted by subdee at 11:57 PM on November 1, 2024
I never finished Death's End, in part because it's seemingly overly grandiose space opera. I enjoyed The Three Body Problem, but mostly because of it being translated from Chinese, and exploring Chinese themes.
Of his trilogy, The Dark Forest is by far the best, containing the larger plot points and "speculative fiction" elements. I'd classify The Three Body Problem and Death's End more as "quantum fantasy" than hard sci-fi. You could read The Dark Forest, but skip the others, but The Dark Forest has a must worse translation.
The Killing Star sounds promissing, but not yet read it.
posted by jeffburdges at 12:26 AM on November 2, 2024
Of his trilogy, The Dark Forest is by far the best, containing the larger plot points and "speculative fiction" elements. I'd classify The Three Body Problem and Death's End more as "quantum fantasy" than hard sci-fi. You could read The Dark Forest, but skip the others, but The Dark Forest has a must worse translation.
The Killing Star sounds promissing, but not yet read it.
posted by jeffburdges at 12:26 AM on November 2, 2024
They haven't made the mistake which many listiclers make, which is to only put one book in by a favoured author in some kind of can't-decide fudge. That would have been so easy to do with the two Ted Chiang compilations, for example. But they seem to have stuck to their intentions and included multiple books by an author where the quality of the books justifies it. I was particularly pleased to see both Susanna Clark books separately praised.
posted by vincebowdren at 1:47 AM on November 2, 2024
posted by vincebowdren at 1:47 AM on November 2, 2024
I've mentioned Bulk Food by Peter Watts & Laurie Channer here before.
There are amusing story ideas if one expands its premise towards less intelligent animals than whales: Humans develop AI that communicate with dogs and cats, only to discover that dogs are fascists and cats are psycopaths. lol
posted by jeffburdges at 4:26 PM on November 2, 2024
There are amusing story ideas if one expands its premise towards less intelligent animals than whales: Humans develop AI that communicate with dogs and cats, only to discover that dogs are fascists and cats are psycopaths. lol
posted by jeffburdges at 4:26 PM on November 2, 2024
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posted by cupcakeninja at 3:34 PM on October 31, 2024