Top 10 Sci Fi Series And Stand-alones I Want To Read 

Looking for your next sci-fi read? Check out my top 10 list of sci-fi series and stand-alones that I can't wait to dive into! These books are sure to transport you to new worlds and keep you hooked from start to finish. Which are on your TBR list? Which would you recommend?

Great list! I’ve read a bunch of these…but haven’t finished many of the series. Apparently I’m a starter but not a finisher. 😅 I much prefer stand-alones. Smaller commitment. And I don’t hesitate to bail on a series if I’m not feeling it anymore. So I admire anyone who completes a series…of any length!

I might try a few of these as audio books. I like to listen while I walk or run. SF can be hard to follow though so maybe I’ll do hard copy too so it sticks with me. Thanks for the pointers to some great series!

Such a great list Nikhil! Hyperion Cantos is amazing so far. I only have Rise of Endymion to read. Hyperion is my 2nd favorite sci-fi book of all time. Dune is my first, and Dune Messiah is almost just as good. I need to finish the series.

I gotta check out that Thrawn series!

Oh, wow, I didn't realize Children of Time had sequels! I did like the first one, though he has a style of writing that is not always my preferred style. It's like getting a drone aerial view, whereas I wanted to be on the ground, experiencing things in more detail and a bit more slowly. I'll have to check the library for the other ones to see how they are.

interesting, I've heard good things about Red Rising, I'm gong to read it, thanks.

I do love Arthur C. Clarke's writing. Just know that he's more about the worlds and the Big Ideas than he is about characters/character development. The first Hyperion book was extraordinary. I want to say I read Fall of Hyperion, but I think my brain was not in the place for it, so I don't recall much. I have not read the Endymion ones. But yes, that first one is unforgettable.

Nice list. You should check out a series called The Gap Cycle - Stephen R Donaldson It's a loose retelling of Wagner's Ring cycle.

Great video! I definitely want to read more sci-fi, and in particular sci-fi horror this year. I started dipping my toes into the genre last year and loved the books I read- mostly classics. I really need to read Hyperion, primarily because I have read so many great horror novels by the author. A Canticle for Leibowitz, sounds awesome, love post-apocalyptic novels. I really need to re-read Dune, which I tried to read way to young. I recommend Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, purely based on glowing reviews on booktube. I plan to read this later in the year.

I went on a buying spree last year when I discovered I enjoyed reading science fiction so I have about half of these on my bookshelf. My friend and I buddy read Hyperion this year and you are in for a treat, the writing is absolutely masterful and the book triggered so many different emotions. It's a very dense book but is so rewarding. Another great video, I really enjoyed it.

Hm, Sphere sounds intriguing. I can't believe I've never read any Crichton. Not even Jurassic Park! I love Childhood's End. It's short, I think I read it (or re-read it) in a day. Don't look up information on it, you don't want spoilers!

Since the books are on your list, I’m wondering, have you watched The Expanse tv series?

I was with you until Sphere lol. I was not a fan of that book, but I also greatly disliked Jurassic Park, so you may not want to take me seriously! 😂 Childhood's End is amazing and not very long. I'd recommend reading that sooner rather than later! This is a great list (except Sphere)!

Personally, after book 3 of the expanse it’s downhill I know I’m the minority, but Proto molecule is in the forefront of the first three books only. Such wasted potential.

great vid Nikhil, great picks . im i nthe same position i got red rising and children o ntime on my tbr. Hyperion is peak SF opera. regarding the expanse, i'e already read it (also the novellas) and, even though i did my first read though, imo i think those novellas really expand (hehe) the series, and "fill some gaps" (that doesnt it mean that you cant read the main series only) but those novelles really improve some details (and not only mention that some novellas are 5 stars imo), i thought if was tedious but no and if you are really hooked you want to get more. so i said read the expanse in publication order, i read it that way. and becasue each novellas was realeasd between each main series it fits perfevtly, so there is no spoiler. but at the end of the day if your pick. (one disclamer is that, although im selling you to read the novellas, the only novella that is NOT worth your time is "Gods of Risk", it is really bad and you can skip it; it does not really expand the saga or give you important info.) here is the publication order if you are interested in making the journey in publciation order : The Expanse #1: Leviathan Wakes (June 2, 2011) The Butcher of Anderson Station: An Expanse Short Story (Oct 17, 2011) The Expanse #2: Caliban's War (June 26, 2012) Gods of Risk: An Expanse Novella (Sept 15, 2012) Drive: An Expanse short Story (Nov 27, 2012) The Expanse #3: Abaddon's Gate (June 4, 2013) The Churn: An Expanse Novella (April 29, 2014) The Expanse #4: Cibola Burn (June 5, 2014) The Expanse #5: Nemesis Games (June 2, 2015) The Vital Abyss: An Expanse Novella (Oct 15, 2015) The Expanse #6: Babylon's Ashes (Dec 6, 2016) Strange Dogs: An Expanse Novella (July 18, 2017) The Expanse #7: Persepolis Rising (Dec 5, 2017) The Expanse #8: Tiamat's Wrath (Mar 26, 2019) "The Last Flight of the Cassandra" (bonus short story in The Expanse Roleplaying Game; May 14, 2019) Auberon: An Expanse Novella (Nov 12, 2019) The Expanse #9: Leviathan Falls (Nov 30, 2021) The Sins of our Fathers: An Expanse Novella (Mar 15, 2022) [take it from the wiki] also i see a common topic in the list, the subgenre of first topic, at least on 2 spots. i think you would like the sparrow by mary doria russell , 2001 and solaris by stanislaw lem.