The Book of Strange New Things
A monumental, genre-defying novel over ten years in the making, Michel Faber's The Book of Strange New Things is a masterwork from a writer in full command of his many talents. It begins with Peter, a devoted man of faith, as he is called to the mission of a lifetime, one that takes him galaxies away from his wife, Bea. Peter becomes immersed in the mysteries of an astonishing new environment, overseen by an enigmatic corporation known only as USIC. His work introduces him to a seemingly friendly native population struggling with a dangerous illness and hungry for Peter's teachings--his Bible is their "book of strange new things." But Peter is rattled when Bea's letters from home become increasingly desperate: typhoons and earthquakes are devastating whole countries, and governments are crumbling. Bea's faith, once the guiding light of their lives, begins to falter. Suddenly, a separation measured by an otherworldly distance, and defined both by one newly discovered world and another in a state of collapse, is threatened by an ever-widening gulf that is much less quantifiable. While Peter is reconciling the needs of his congregation with the desires of his strange employer, Bea is struggling for survival. Their trials lay bare a profound meditation on faith, love tested beyond endurance, and our responsibility to those closest to us.
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4recommend
8mentions
4people
2014–2024years
100% recommend
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- "A Canticle For Leibowitz"
"The Sparrow"
"Lord of Light"
"The Immortal"
"Hyperion"
"The Last Question"
"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"
"Stranger in a Strange Land"
"The City and the Stars"
"Childhood's End"
"Anathem"
"Eifelheim"
"A Case of Conscience"
"VALIS" trilogy
"The Book of Strange New Things"
"Behold The Man"
"The God Engines"
"Book of the New Sun"
"The Parable of the Sower"
"The Dosadi Experiment"
"Grass"
"Project Pope"
"Calculating God"
"Factoring Humanity"
"Jesus on Mars"
"Surface Detail
- Not sure about underrated, but if you mean lesser-known, here is some of the most memorable, possibly lesser-known science fiction I've read over the past few years. These are the ones that stick in my brain and continue to generate thought, even though I read them months (or even years) ago:
"Chocky" by John Wyndham
"This is How You Lose the Time War" by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (a new all-time fave for me)
"The Book of Strange new Things: A Novel" by Michel Faber
"The City and the City" by China Miéville
"The Fifth Science" by Exurb1a
"The Initial Fold" series by Nick Adams
"Peacemaker's Code" by Deepak Malhotra (still not sure why this is not more well-known)
"Eifelheim" by Michael Flynn (a most unusual premise and a gob of seemingly inane stuff to get through at about the 2/3 point, but IMHO worth it)
"Providence" by Max Barry (heart pounding)
"Hench" by Natalie Zina Walschots
"Orange World" by Karen Russell (short stories but many qualify as sci-fi, very memorable to me)
And here are some definitely well-known examples that also stick in my head:
"Infernum" by Jayson Adams
"The Fourth Wing" and "Iron Flame" by Rebecca Yarros (more fantasy than sci-fi, but very well done if you can handle two or three extended and explicit sex scenes)
"Rabbits" by Terry Miles (book includes some hidden hints and puzzles that lead you to things outside the book
"We are Legion (We are Bob)" series by Dennis Taylor
- Easily these (so far):
This is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (actually now one of my all-time favorites, without regard to genre. Just amazing)
Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Book of Strange New Things - Michael Faber
Ted Chiang's short story collections (Exhalations and Stories of your life and others)
Daemon - Daniel Suarez
The City and the City - China Miéville
Roadside Picnic - Arkady and Boris Strugatsky (this one still haunts my dreams at times)
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse Book 1) - Dennis Taylor (just finished this series for book club)
Galatea 2.2, The Overstory, Bewilderment, The Gold Bug Variations - 4 different books, all by Richard Powers - what can I say, the man is a genius and a treasure
Eifelheim - Michael Flynn - ok, this book can be a slog at times, but it is very rewarding for those who persevere, and has stuck in my brain for many years
Chocky - John Wyndham - A quiet, delightful surprise
Providence - Max Barry - This book flows like a movie. It will make a great movie. I found myself LITERALLY out of breath a couple of times
Hench: A Novel - Natalie Zina Walschots - Quirky, memorable
The Peacemaker's Code - Deepak Malhotra - Why hasn't this guy written more sci-fi?
Orange World and Other Stories - Karen Russell - OK, maybe not strictly sci-fi, but this book tickles my brain
GUILTY PLEASURE SCI-FI FAVORITE: The Vaz series by Laurence Dahners. I think I've read that series 3 times now.
- I am fortunate to be part of a book club whose members will read almost anything, but who tend to gravitate toward SF. Over the last few years we've read some amazing stuff. Here are some recommendations from my list of favorites, and which I continue to ponder many months after reading:
"This is How You Lose the Time War" by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Without a doubt one of the most amazing and beautifully-written books I've ever read (and I read a lot). Astonishing.
"Children of Time" by Adrian Tchaikovsky. If I had read the book jacket short-description of this book in a book store, I probably would have put it back on the shelf, but I am so glad I didn't do that. Seriously.
"The City and the City" by China Miéville. A difficult beginning. To be honest I had to start this book two or three times before it finally clicked, but when it did... oh man.
"The Book of Strange New Things" by Michel Faber. This is a story that has been done by a couple of other authors (notably Mary Doria Russell in "The Sparrow"). But this book is so delicate, so lovely that I have purchased and given copies to my nerdy-wordy friends more than any other. It sticks in my head and I still think about it in some way almost every week.
"Bewilderment" and "The Overstory" by Richard Powers. OK, to be frank, anything by Richard Powers is worthy of your attention. There are very few authors working today who can construct prose like this man. Perhaps his work is not for everyone, but if your brain works a certain way, you will no doubt fall in love with this guy's writing. He has many books, but for those with a sci-fi slant, also check "Galatea 2.2" and "The Gold Bug Variations"
"Exhalation" and also "Stories of Your Life" by Ted Chiang. Two collections of memorable short stories, including the story that the movie "Arrival" was based on.
"Providence" by Max Barry. Wow. This needs to be made into a movie NOW. This book was so intense at points that I had to stand up and put it down because my heart was racing. A very fun, quick read.
Some sci-fi gems that were scattered in between those listed above include: "Starplex" by Robert J. Sawyer, "The Clockwork Dynasty" by Daniel H. Wilson, "Solar Warden" by Ian Douglas, "Hench" by Natalie Zina Walschots, "The Peacemaker's Code" by Deepak Malhotra, "Hail Mary" by Andy Weir (don't let the naysayers fool you, this is a fun book with a lot of interesting ideas), and the entire "Vaz" series by Laurence Dahners.
- I would heartily recommend "Children of Time" (Children of Time #1) by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Another one that stands out over the last couple of years (for me) is "The Book of Strange New Things" by Michael Faber, which has a mix of hard sci-fi with some very thought provoking philosophy/religion.
- Don't know about year of release, but these are sci-fi books I enjoyed reading this year...
The book of strange new things (Michel Faber). This isn't typical sci-fi, it's hard to describe. It's quite slow paced. I can't really talk about it without spoiling it. I really felt impacted by it though, I think the book has a deeper philosophy that isn't really mentioned but requires thinking about the meaning. I thoroughly recommended it if you are willing to be thoughtful about a book and not just after laser and space battles. Another book by the same author (under the skin) is also good, and has been turned into a very weird film with Scarlet Johansson.
Other good more conventional sci-fi stuff...
Extracted series (R.R. Haywood) Not alone (Craig a. Falconer) Themys files series (sylvain neuvel) We are legion series (Dennis E. Taylor)
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