¿No Ursula K. Le Guin? It is one of the first writers to come to mind when thinking about philosophy and sci-fi. She has so many different ideas and concepts merge in her writing.
I would recommend soviet scifi "Roadside Picnic" by Strugatsky brothers . Lem said once that he is envious that he did not write that novel. Book nowadays is famous as foundation of Stalker franchise lore
I'm 71 years old and read A Canticle for Leibowitz when I was in my late teens. It has never been far from my mind even after all these years. Tha weird thing is I've never met anyone that has read it. Thank you, I was so happy to see someone recognize this profound book.
Stephen, same age as you. Have tried Canticle several times. Haven’t gotten far. Not usually a SF reader but will give it another go after seeing your comment. Thanks!
solaris is such a beautiful novel, it really changed me the first time i read it and i just finished the second reread. before even opening this video i told myself, if he doesnt mention Lem, ill be upset. Lem offers such an accessible trove of thought provoking and short novels that sometimes contain some truly haunting prose about life and death. im working my way through his entire catalogue.
Solaris is also just one of a list of Lem's critiques of alien contact stories, which he sees as Cowboys and Indians in Space. Fiasco, Eden and His Master's Voice are more examples of how you could tell an alien contact story that doesn't mimic human history. The most philosophical is His Master's voice. Imagine SETI detecting a highly complex clearly interpretable signal from an untraceable source in space. Lem comes up with an amazing set of questions about what that could mean. Little green men is low on the list. Another very philosophical book is Thus Spake GOLEM.
@@bernardfinucane2061 it is not exactly about an alien CIVILIZATION, but on concepts of life in general. also it is really creepy :) I also agree with you about Thus Spoek GOLEM. One of my favourite books, period. Although not really a novel, more an essay I haven't read Eden, though.
Brave New World - I read it first 40 years ago and its themes (ends vs means, what it is to be human, utilitarianism, how the world should be arranged post-scarcity, and many others) just get more and more relevant.
That's because he was a Fabian socialist who helped plan our current technocracy as did his brother Julian who coined the word transhumanism and promoted it in UNESCO.
“We” is one book that I recommend to nearly everyone. Science fiction is filled with philosophical perspectives as so many deal with societies in flux. Octavio Butler does this quite well within her books.
I’d never heard of Anathem before this video, just finished reading it. One of my favorite all-time reads. The world-building is stunning, and the philosophical schools conflicting were so well done and compelling. Reminded me of a more accessible Three Body Problem. Thanks so much for the recommendation!
I have read a lot of Stephenson, and Anathem is by far my favorite. It should be more well known, but gets overshadowed by some of his other works. All of the other books on this list are great, too, but Anathem might be my personal fav.
I’ve read 3 of his books but not this one. The other the endings were… not great. Great storytelling but can’t finish a book. The Stephen King of SciFi. Does this one have a decent ending?
@@BrandtHambrick That's so interesting! This was my first book from him, haven't read others yet. I actually really liked the ending of Anathem, I highlighted and have revisited some of the closing dialogue because it felt close and resonant to me.
You have to include Olaf Stapledon on a list like this. He was an actual philosopher who wrote beautiful science fiction. StarMaker and last and first men.
@@McampanellaWork That's true, he's not a remarkable stylist. He is however the single most imaginative writer I've encountered, as well being one of the most prescient. Last And First Men is indeed a hard read, long and densely packed, and as you say, his style takes some getting into. I'd recommend Odd John or Sirius to start with him, they're more typically "stories". He also provided a number of impressive tropes for modern science fiction writers, particularly Bruce Sterling.
I'm a big fan of foundation. I bought it on a whim walking through a book store and it really made me think. My background in statistics and data science maybe added a bit to it too as it prompted a lot of thoughts regarding my work as well.
I am so positively surprised that Stanisław Lem and his Solaris were mentioned here as I've never heard of anyone knowing him outside of Poland, where he is basically considered a literally god. Solaris is one of the books you have to read in school in Poland (or at least that used to be the case), but it is (/was) unfortunately introduced waaay too early in my opinion, and kids have no means to either properly understand it or appreciate it, because it is definitely not so captivating when you're a young teen. Reading it again in my 20s was like discovering a treasure. Huge thanks for mentioning this book to the world!
From Australia, I get the impression he’s an author everyone thinks is really niche and they are alone in knowing about, but amongst as fans he’s actually quite well known. I would recommend His Masters Voice, or The Cyberiad or Tales found in a Bathtub for this list over Solaris, but that might just be me.
Most would know him for the the Narnia Chronicles, but I recommend CS Lewis' Space Trilogy in particular That Hideous Strength. Even you don't ascribe to his Christian beliefs, he poses some very thought provoking questions around moral relativism, mind control and freedom. Very reminiscent of 1984, particularly as they were written in a similar time period.
I think if your 8 or 10 year old child wanted to read something that inspired his/her creativity, you could suggest the Narnia Chronicles, and just not mention the religious symbolism. Kid wouldn't be hurt by all that reading. I've read only a small handful of fantasy novels, don't really care for the genre, but CS Lewis really knocks it out of the park. Good stuff.
I had a very different experience. I read Out of the Silent Planet while still at school not long after I had rejected Christianity. I liked it and even wrote a book review on it for my English O-level. The fantasy world-building , the mixing of (very limited) science fiction with mediaeval and mythological astrology and Christianity worked well for me. I didn't like the caricature of the atheist materialist scientist Weston very much (I didn't know at the time it was meant as a parody of H.G. Wells) but I could ignore that. I read Perelandra a year or so(?) later and again, the fantasy was very good. His fantasy Mars, cool and subdued in pastel blues, his fantasy Venus all warmth, abundant with life in pinks and vital reds - great! Unfortunately, the religion became more heavy-handed. Weston was transformed into a clawed demon and a literal mouthpiece for Satan making convoluted, dishonest, theological arguments: Ransome, the protagonist had to fight with his bare hands. I finished the novel and planned to read the final volume, That Hideous Strength but on taking it off the public library shelves and reading the blurb, I decided against it. As far as I remember, being set on Earth back in Oxford University the plot was some evil conspiracy by a cabal of atheistic scientists (no doubt bent on some materialistic wickedness), lead by the ubiquitous Weston which was only going to be defeated by the reappearance of Merlin from the Arthurian Romances and no doubt other mediaeval fantasy and Christian forces of good. I just decided not to bother. The thing is, H.G. Wells was a socialist and gave a lot of thought to the moral implications of scientific progress. The Invisible Man explores the same ground as Frankenstein, asking the question "Just because you can do something, should you try and do it." The Time Machine addresses the dehumanizing consequences of an extreme mechanized society also pushing social stratification to its extremes and The War of the Worlds explores what would happen if a technologically superior civilisation did to us was Europeans had done the the native Tasmanians. Of course, this cuts no ice with C.S. Lewis because H.G. Wells had rejected Christianity.
I might add Roger Zelazny to the list of philosophical authors. All of his protagonists seem philosophically well versed and dialogue, especially about conflicts, often has startling philosophical arguments laid bare to practice. I'm not sure if Zelazny fits sci-fi or fantasy better. I believe the philosophical explorations are his guide, rather than being genre or character driven. His stories and characters often seem sketches, meant only to frame the conflict resolution he wishes to postulate or explore.
Came to your channel for the philosophy, delighted to see you discussing sci fi as well. And then you mention "Canticle for Leibowitz"! I found it so touching, yet I've never met another person interested in even reading it. I really appreciate your approach to discussing all these books; sci fi can be such a wonderful and terrifying canvas for "what if"s that I always find it sad when people dismiss it.
I read "Canticle" too many decades ago. I remember liking it a lot. That it was about monks. Sort of. Really can't help much. I am pretty sure it would be in my top 100 novels, and I've read a few hundred novels over the years.
Just me putting it out there but I can see two reasons why people might not be interested. I'm old and a Brit so this might not apply to younger readers elsewhere. I was interested in science, science fiction and to a lesser extent fantasy from a young age. It became clear to me as I grew up that C.P. Snow's "Two Cultures" still held sway. 'Real' people were supposed to be interested in the arts and humanities: only emotionally-stunted nerds who'll never get boy/girlfriends are interested in science and science fiction. I've taught both maths and science in my second career until retirement and I still meet those who proudly say "I don't do maths" when confronted with anything beyond arithmetic. Same with scientific concepts. Because it's science fiction is enough to drive half the people away. For the rest, I think the popularity of C.S. Lewis's Narnia series (and perhaps 'Out of the Silent Planet' which was on our reading list when I was at school) may be responsible. Great fantasy, sure but there's a lot of Christianity pushing as well. Knowing only that Canticle for Leibowitz is about monks keeping knowledge alive is enough to cause many adults to consequently expect they will be in for a dose of heavy Christian propaganda, especially as it is set post-nuclear apocalypse (See, those wicked atheist scientists are going to destroy civilization.) It is a shame as the novel is a much more subtle reflection on the interplay of science, morality and religion than that.
The Sirens Of Titan is also a really good one! It seems silly at first but then it talks about free will and fate, the meaning of life, and if good ends justify bad means
1984 stopped being a dystopia and became an instruction manual. Great list! I've read Dune, Solaris, Frankenstein and Foundation. I didn't know about Canticle and I'll be reading ASAP.
Blindsight by Peter Watts blew my mind. The concept of consciousness really snuck up on me, being wrapped in a sci-fi horror novel. I highly recommend it.
It's not an easy read, but the presented ideas and the overall mood is something really uniqe. I read it years ago and I still remember the questions raised there.
Canticle for Leibowitz has to be one of the best books Ive ever read. Quite literally Couldn’t put it down. The sheer amount and breadth of background knowledge and themes regarding society and traditions and our interactions with them is astounding.
Frankenstein is one of the best books I've ever read. every time I put the book down it made me think and question things I probably never cared much about before. especially the parts where the creature talks to Frankenstein about his life experience really moved me.
I absolutely agree with your comment. In fact I was thumbing through it just yesterday and thinking about giving it a read again. It will be my third time, but has been a few decades since I last did. This time will be more interesting knowing what I know now all these years later.
Great list. One of the things I love about Solaris is how Lem treats his main character when he first confronts the vision of his ex..it's so mature relative to how others have played with similar ideas. I feel like it's a logical approach in the face of an unusual situation. He doesn't go nuts, he immediately locks his ex in the rocket and tries to launch her. Love it
Please tell me that you are not serious. You are joking right? His dead, ex gf, who has never been on this planet. And so must, HAS TO be a manifestation of the planet itself. And he tries to kill it. This is a mature response...
@OmnivorousDeb I was definitely being sarcastic on the 2nd part. I did find it mature that instead of saying, " oh no a ghost," he calmly tests himself and then tests her... he will of course deal with the conflict he feels later on relative to shooting her off on the rocket...
I'm just getting to the final pages of Solaris and, in my opinion, it is a book all aspiring science fiction writers should read. It manages to be both one of the most clumsily written books I have ever read and one of the most beautifully and intelligently written. A lot of the world-building is shoe-horned in in really jarring ways and the character motivations and dialogue take bizarre swerves that seem inexplicable. On the other hand, the mechanism for covering the history as the story progresses (the character consults scientific reference books) is really smart, and the descriptions of the sentient ocean and the two orbiting suns have given me incredible mental images that I will never forget. And as you said, it surfaces some extremely profound implications through its premise. A great book to read while considering how to write.
For several decades, I taught a Philosophical Ideas in literature course. The books I found the most useful in science fiction were the following: Arthur C. Clarke, Childhood's End Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and The Man in the High Castle Aldous Huxley, Brave New World Isaac Asimov, The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers and The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag David Brin, the first Uplift Trilogy
I can't speak for the print form but Brave New World did not translate well to audio book. The flood of information with no distinction when changing perspective was maddening.
One name that needs to be mentioned: Iain M Banks. His culture series books are deeply pholosophical. He mentions at the end, but this would be among my top picks.
love Banks, trust in Banks. the Hydrogen Sonata asks the tricky question, what if an alien race dropped a Bible that actually gave scientific answers? Banks is like Dr. Suisse in Grimms fairy tales with ultra technology. he inverts the Trekkie prime directive on it's sharp edge into heavy messing into alien civilizations with ultra subtle means. i loved the way he gave more clues to the Excession in the Hydrogen Sonata.
I'm surprised that I haven't seen anyone mention the Book Of The New Sun series by Gene Wolfe. It's honestly some of the best books I've ever read (I think even challenging Anathem and Dune). I definitely feel like it's the kind of thing one can read over and over. Such poetry! It's not easy to describe, but it's certainly something I'd highly recommend reading!
@@thomshrikeI’ve yet to read gene wolfe. I have a few of his books on my shelf that I picked up from a charity shop. Most people I talk to about him tell me to read them asap!
Philosophical sci-fi is my favorite genre. Thanks for the list. I recently read the mountain in the sea by Ray Nayler. Lots of great stuff about language, artificial intelligence, and identity. I would put it alongside cloud atlas, a canticle for Leibowitz, and Foundation in terms of how often I’ve thought about it/brought it up in conversation.
If someone is interested in Solaris, I strongly DO NOT recommend movie adaptation (with G. Clooney). The message from the movie is totally different than in the book. But I strongly recommend the book, because it is philosophical and futuristic piece of a story, but also there's a poetry in it, that's why Lem is so good. But all of books you recommend are great!
Lem also hated the Tarkovsky adaptation of Solaris btw, claiming Tarkovsky had turned the book about “erotic problems in space”. And it is quite different from the book. Nevertheless, it’s a great film.
Neal Stephenson is just very f* awesome. Everything I've read from him is just straight awesome, but "The Diamond Age" is one in my top 5 favorite books ever.
Strongly recommend adding JG Ballard to this list. I’m more familiar with his short stories, but The Drowned World would qualify. He’s a writer who really makes you think about humanity, our relationship to our past, and our relationship to the wider universe.
@@cliffong7559 it's probably the most severely underrated novels of all time. It's beautifully written & genuinely life altering. Yet almost nobody talks about it. Criminal.
yes! i read the Glass Bead Game right after Anathem by a coincidence in the corner library box. i snagged it because it's written as a far future history. it lead me to Gene Wolfe and the excellent Book of the New Sun. i thought someone was playing tricks on me!
I took a screenwriting class on a lark a few years ago (this was just for fun as I already have a PhD in English), and I ended up doing a very loose adaptation of The Glass Bead Game. It's a book I think about a lot. Apparently, someone has created an actual Glass Bead Game IRL. It looks sort of interesting.
Octavia E Butler, if she still needs to be mentioned. She has some very challenging concepts. The aliens in Lillith's Brood novels challenged my ideas of what first contact might be like, but it is her short story Bloodchild that, as a man, I find genuinely challenging.
Care to reveal how the idea of a first contact gets challenged? That would be much appreciated It's one of my favorite subjects (and I'm on the sceptical side, firmly in Lem's camp when it comes to contact :) ) I know I could just google it out, but I don't want to run into some major spoilers.
Hard To Be a God is probably my favourite book of all time, and the philosophical ideas in it are great. It explores an idea of religious fanaticism, and what a world would be like if progression was stunted and if intellect and pursuit of knowledge was punishable by death. Haunting book that stuck with me after reading, but still is not without humor
I love philosophical sci-fi too, and have read Exhalation by Ted Chiang. It's a collection of short stories about people's lives and how new/speculative technology can seep in the crevices of our daily lives and make these tiny but significant changes in the way we live. They're short stories but impactful. Less telling, more showing. The conciseness of the stories will make you ask your own questions and all. I like it because even though they show some sort of dystopia, they always end on a hopeful and redemptive note.
I'm not sure if it would entirely qualify as "philosophical science fiction" but Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons are two of my favorite scifi reads of recent years, and dig into a lot of philosophical and religious ideas.
I'm about halfway through The Fall of Hyperion and I can't help but agree with you. Also I really like Stephen Baxter's "Ring". It's more hard Science Fiction, but definitely has some great philosophical elements.
Look into Edgar Pangborn. He’s not well-known anymore, and a lot of his work is out of print. But he was hugely influential on writers that came after him. Some titles to check out: “Davy,” “The Judgment of Eve,” “Still I Persist in Wondering,” “A Mirror for Observers,” “Good Neighbors and Other Strangers.”
Some books I'd recommend are: The Languages of Pao by Jack Vance, Blindsight by Peter Watts, Embassytown by China Mieville, The Embedding by Ian Watson, Schild's Ladder by Greg Egan, Odd John and Sirius by Olaf Stapleton.
I had to read A Canticle for Leibowitz for a class in college. I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It was unlike anything I’d ever read before, and it was written in such an interesting way. I think I finished it in just a day or two.
I recomend three books of Philip K. Dick: Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, The Penultimate Truth, A Maze of Death. This author is a visionary and mix clasical philosophical content (Plato, Descartes, Kant...) with science fictions like no other. Childhood's End from Arthur C. Clarke is other masterpiece in this context.
"Three Stigmata" is a masterpiece, probably my favourite PKD book. I'd also add "Ubik" and "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" as the classic entries to PKD with plenty of deep philosophical questions. There's nobody like him!
The first Foundation book and Dune both really struck me and convinced me to begin reading again in High School, and especially Foundation still lingers in my mind in the way it looks at humanity, politics, and history. As a history student it really speaks to me in a way I wasn't expecting, because its one of those books where the characters are not so much what we're invested in, but the history of this world, you read the stories like a history told by other people, a sort of objective chronology. Whereas Dune is definitely a lot about character and brings us back to the human perspective.
Iian M Banks is great, later books get better and better, so I would recommend not to stop on book 1. Many phylosophical questions are explored. I would also recommend Hyperion by Dan Simmons as another great example of phylosophical science fiction.
Love banks. Quite a few of my "morals" are from the books. He put into words what I always felt. Gender, identity, humanity without baggage. Death and ritual. Afterlife. We may not exist in the universe that he presented but I hope we do.
jared: you have been a key part in my renewal of reading and love of philosophy, and just wanted to say thanks and keep up the great high quality content (would also love your thoughts on Notes From The Underground)
Agreed ! I just read notes from the underground because jared is such a big fan of dostoevsky but I haven’t been able to borrow crime and punishment from the library yet
Hi Jared, nice video. As for the Culture novels, the most philosophical ones are "The Player of Games", "Use of weapons" and "Inversions" (from what I have read of the Culture Series). Consider Phlebas it took more action than complex themes. btw all Culture novels are WAY different and you can read it separately. Greetings!
I have read science fiction since I was introduced to Asimov, Heinlein, et.al. In the 1950’s. I am now 80 and only today learned that there are some categorized as “philosophical.” Fascinating.
'Cloud Atlas' immediately came to mind (While you were presenting Lem) and still my favorite Mitchell book. Not so big on his 'horology' thread in his other works, but 1000 Autumns was interesting. I guess I need to try Foundation I guess. Haven't tried Asimov for many many years.
I am always so upset that there's still no English translation of "Other Songs" of Jacek Dukaj. This is such a gem you would probably really enjoy. Or "Black Oceans" or "Perfect Imperfection". If there's anything available to you of his work in English I would strongly recommend it. His stories are always well thought through and well written. Each a world in it's own right. And he studied philosophy. You can really feel it in his works.
As far as the Culture novels, wait until you get to Look to Windward. One of the best books I've ever read and definitely touches on some weighty topics.
Mr. Henderson, If I remember correctly, “Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus” was classified a Romance Novel, in critical opposition to Voltaire’s Enlightenment Period. I have not had time to view the entire video, but will do so this evening. Your Channel is one of the great pleasures in evening’s fading light.
Frankenstein holds up and is always relevant. The fear of creating something that will destroy us will be timeless until it becomes timely. I would maybe add Slaughter House 5 by Kurt Vonnegut, especially if you like thinking about the nature of time and some of Shelley's themes.
I'm new to the channel, so I'm not sure if you mentioned already, but if not, you should totally check out Olaf Stapledon's work. He was a philosopher who started to write fiction in order to present his ideas to a wider audience. Star Maker and Sirius are my favorites.
Olaf Stapledon (Star Maker), William Hope Hodgson (Night Land), David Lindsay (Voyage to Arcturus). Those are my holy trilogy of science fiction. I tend to like my science fiction more on the mythological/horror/sublime side, spiritual or psychological stories set against a science fiction backdrop.
3 Body Problem is your new top 1? I enjoy the book and love the author's ideas, but as an actual novel the character and plot development is very lackluster.
The Dark Forest kinda blew my mind. I attribute much of the theme to the siege mentality of the Chinese. Mongols, Europeans, Americans, Japanese, Soviets....someone is always at the gates. I contrast it with the "Go Boldly Where No One Has Gone Before" ethic of the US and Europe. Maybe we shouldn't light a fire in a dark forest lest the monsters show up..
Cheers for the recommendations. I'd suggest a classic like Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, and a more recent excellent trilogy Remembrance of Earth's Past by Liu Cixin
If we're talking truly philosophical sci-fi, there's none that fits the definition more than "A Case of Conscience" by James Blish, the winner of the 1959 Hugo Award. It deals with the ramifications of humans discovering an alien race with no religion but perfect morality.
Regarding Asimov I would also recommend The Robot series, starting with "Positronic Detective". That series is actually directly connected with The Foundation series. Then the must-read short stories collections: "Robot Visions" and "Robot Dreams". They are absolutely brilliant, as they leave you with so many questions which we are now going to face in reality: think AI!
I think Lem's best novel is Return from the Stars with another intriguing topic: what will society and human life in general be like in a hundred years?
Paul Atriedes knew exactly what path he had to walk when he took the water of life. It was the knowledge of what he had to become and do that tortured him. The books are about sacrifice of the self. I like your style and manner, you have a nice voice. And good picks. Dune, Asimov and Anne Rice formed the backbone of my earliest serious reading.
A Canticle For Leibowitz was certainly set in the time after a nuclear holocaust. One of the monks wondered what a Fallout looked like; there were mutated humans everywhere that came from radiation; there were finds in fallout shelters, and so on. One of the most influential books in my life.
I enjoyed your presentation. One short story that left me deeply affected was Arthur C Clarke's 'The Star.' It's a work that I return to time and again because it makes you realise that, well, someone had to write it!
It's been a while since I read the Culture series, but from what I remember, the philosophical themes become more apparent in the later books and they become the overarching questions of the series as a whole. I hope you enjoy your time with the series as much as I did
I recommend Alfred Bester with The Stars My Destination, The Demolished Man and he has an amazing collection of short stories, one in which an adult man gets a chance to get back to his childhood and he's so excited to play the brilliant kid with all his knowledge he acquired as an adult only to find out people don't really listen to kids 😅
Blindsight by Peter Watts is the one Sci-Fi book that actually changed my core philosophical beliefs. It's hard Sci-Fi and can be hard to get into, but once you do, it's very worth it
Greg Bear's "Blood Music" in which a researcher injects himself with the smart cells he had been developing and they evolve to become highly intelligent. A kind of singularity occurs in which life on earth is utterly transformed. And Robert Heinlein's "Double Star" which reads as an adventure novel, but is actually a psychological novel about what a man must give up as he impersonates a kidnapped politician. It's really about the nature of identity.
What a lovely selection of books. Some are at the top of my favourites list. A friend of mine, just recently gave me Solaris - and I am eager to give it a read, but now I"m also interested in this Foundations one and the Chanticle for Lebowitz, as well. Thanks so much Jared for what you're doing. Very helpful to a newbie old guy writer, such as myself. Much to read and so little time !
I suppose Russell Hoban’s Ridley Walker is more speculative fiction than sci fi. Set in a primitive future, the result of a nuclear war. It explores the seductiveness of power in effective poetic and mythic fashion.
