Episode Lists

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Episode Author Book/Topic Series Rating Length Date External Links
597 The SFBRP Must-Read Science Fiction List Wrap Show – 1:23:24 20260930
596 Iain M Banks The Player of Games Culture #2 5 1:03:56 20260916 W G
595 Robert A Heinlein Double Star 3.5 59:55 20260909 W G
594 Matt Dinniman Dungeon Crawler Carl Dungeon Crawler Carl #1 1.5 1:08:31 20260827 W G
593 Douglas Adams The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy H2G2 #1 2.5 1:05:20 20260823 W G
592 qntm There Is No Antimemetics Division 4 52:32 20260729 W G
591 H G Wells The War of the Worlds 4.5 47:45 20260716 W G
590 Adrian Tchaikovsky Lives of Bitter Rain and Days of Shattered Faith Tyrant Philosophers #2.5 & #3 4 36:34 20260621 W G
589 Robert A Heinlein Have Space Suit – Will Travel 4 1:26:37 20260506 W G
588 Silvia Park Luminous 5 1:15:40 20260501 W G
587 Barbara Truelove Of Monsters and Mainframes 1 57:38 20260409 W G
586 Iain M Banks Inversions Culture #5 5 1:13:19 20260406 W G
585 Shannon Chakraborty The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi Amina al-Sirafi #1 0.1⁠/⁠DNF 35:56 20260403 W G
584 Alastair Reynolds Halcyon Years 2.5 23:17 20260330 W G
583 Claire North Slow Gods 2.5 47:30 20260308 W G
582 Adrian Tchaikovsky Shroud 4.5 59:44 20260221 W G
581 Neal Stephenson Anathem 4.9 1:00:04 20260215 W G
580 Alix E Harrow The Everlasting 1⁠/⁠DNF 1:10:40 20260128 W G
579 Ann Leckie Ancillary Justice Imperial Radch #1 4 47:04 20260106 W G
578 David Brin Startide Rising Uplift Saga #2 2 31:47 20251226 W G
577 E J Swift When There Are Wolves Again 4.5 53:39 20251209 W G
576 Derek Künsken The Quantum Magician Quantum Evolution #1 4.5 35:37 20251127 W G
575 Adrian Tchaikovsky City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds Tyrant Philosophers #1 & #2 4.5 1:18:28 20251116 W G
574 Robert Silverberg A Time of Changes 2.5 32:36 20251102 W G
573 Adrian Tchaikovsky One Day All This Will Be Yours 4 23:10 20251008 W G
572 Nnedi Okorafor Death of the Author 1⁠/⁠DNF 1:14:42 20250913 W G
571 Becky Chambers The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet Wayfarers #1 2.5⁠/⁠DNF 1:16:37 20250901 W G
570 Stanisław Lem Solaris 4.5 46:43 20250720 W G
569 Kaliane Bradley The Ministry of Time 3 1:14:32 20250628 W G
568 Orson Scott Card Speaker for the Dead Ender’s Saga #2 4 1:09:31 20250619 W G
567 Emily Tesh Some Desperate Glory 1.5 1:14:00 20250608 W G
566 J R R Tolkien The Return of the King The Lord of the Rings #3 4.5 1:22:58 20250526 W G
565 J R R Tolkien The Two Towers The Lord of the Rings #2 4.5 1:25:58 20250511 W G
564 J R R Tolkien The Fellowship of the Ring The Lord of the Rings #1 4.5 1:19:17 20250509 W G
563 Tolkien The Silmarillion 5 1:19:02 20250401 W G
562 Adrian Tchaikovsky Alien Clay 4.5 1:05:11 20250310 W G
561 Alastair Reynolds Terminal World 4 59:58 20250304 W G
560 David Zindell Neverness A Requiem for Homo Sapiens 4.5 55:35 20250216 W G
559 George R Stewart Earth Abides 4.5 48:25 20250120 W G
558 Micaiah Johnson Those Beyond the Wall Space Between Worlds #2 0.5⁠/⁠DNF 44:11 20250111 W G
557 Dune: Part Two (2024) Dune #2 – 1:02:38 20241225 W I
556 Frederik Pohl Gateway Heechee Saga #1 3 1:03:35 20241215 W G
555 C J Cherryh Heavy Time Company Wars #4 3.5 47:21 20241207 W G
554 Arkady and Boris Strugatsky Roadside Picnic 4 50:20 20241109 W G
553 Robert A Heinlein Starship Troopers 3.5 1:00:37 20241103 W G
552 Mary Doria Russell The Sparrow The Sparrow #1 4.5 53:14 20241026 W G
551 Joe Haldeman The Forever War Forever War #1 2 1:16:02 20240909 W G
550 The SFBRP Must-Read Science Fiction List – 1:31:00 20240902
549 Ursula K LeGuin The Left Hand of Darkness Hainish Cycle #4 4.5 35:50 20240830 W G
548 Ursula K LeGuin The Eye of the Heron 3 17:32 20240829 W G
547 David Brin Sundiver Uplift Saga #1 2.5 40:27 20240729 W G
546 Adrian Tchaikovsky Service Model 3.5 37:40 20240712 W G
545 Alastair Reynolds Chasm City Revelation Space #0.5 4.5 59:12 20240711 W G
544 Emma Törzs Ink Blood Sister Scribe 2 59:00 20240629 W G
543 Algis Budrys Rogue Moon 1.5 25:52 20240616 W G
542 Alastair Reynolds Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days Revelation Space #1.5 3.5 18:39 20240610 W G
541 Adrian Tchaikovsky The Expert System’s Brother & Champion Expert System #1 & 2 3.75 19:37 20240504 W G
540 Karin Tidbeck Amatka 2.5 1:08:48 20240421 W G
539 Jacqueline Harpman I Who Have Never Known Men 4.5 37:15 20240404 W G
538 Herman Melville Moby-Dick – 1:09:39 20240330 W G
537 Andrew Krivak The Bear 2 49:35 20240319 W G
536 Cormac McCarthy The Road 0.5⁠/⁠DNF 48:49 20240318 W G
535 Alexander C Kane Scum of the Earth 3.5 30:46 20240303 W G
534 Alastair Reynolds Machine Vendetta Prefect Dreyfus Emergency #3 3.5 59:37 20240223 W G
533 Virtual Voice Narration in 2024 – 1:30:39 20240211
532 Ursula K LeGuin Rocannon’s World Hainish Cycle #1 2.5 42:55 20240204 W G
531 M R Carey Infinity Gate Pandominion #1 1.5 55:48 20240114 W G
530 Sandra Newman Julia 1984 4 59:44 20231231 W G
529 Martha Wells System Collapse Murderbot Diaries #7 1 50:41 20231227 W G
528 Ned Beauman Venomous Lumpsucker 4 59:13 20231210 W G
527 Adrian Tchaikovsky Lords of Uncreation Final Architecture #3 3 39:02 20231203 W G
526 R F Kuang Babel 3 1:21:35 20231101 W G
525 Greg Bear Eon The Way #1 1 44:31 20231004 W G
524 Ursula K LeGuin The Unreal and the Real 4 50:39 20231003 W G
523 Adam Roberts The This 3 1:11:02 20230917 W G
522 Adrian Tchaikovsky Eyes of the Void Final Architecture #2 3.5 47:59 20230906 W G
521 Peter F Hamilton The Naked God Night’s Dawn #3 4 1:27:02 20230825 W G
520 Lessons Learned from SFBRP Listening Lessons #1 to #25 – 1:25:05 20230723
519 Simon Jimenez The Spear Cuts Through Water 3.5 57:00 20230715 W G
518 Adrian Tchaikovsky Shards of Earth Final Architecture #1 4 58:50 20230618 W G
517 K J Parker A Practical Guide to Conquering the World Siege #3 3.5 21:26 20230525 W G
516 Ray Nayler The Mountain in the Sea 1⁠/⁠DNF 59:47 20230520 W G
515 Jules Verne Journey to the Center of the Earth 2 1:06:03 20230429 W G
514 Isaac Asimov The Naked Sun Robot #2 3.5 1:11:23 20230422 W G
513 Adrian Tchaikovsky Children of Ruin Children of Time #2 4.5 21:21 20230411 W G
512 Peter F Hamilton The Neutronium Alchemist Night’s Dawn #2 4 1:06:08 20230403 W G
511 Leigh Bardugo Shadow and Bone Grishaverse #1 2 1:04:08 20230317 W G
510 Audrey Niffenegger The Time Traveller’s Wife 1⁠/⁠DNF 51:34 20230219 W G
509 Peter F Hamilton The Reality Dysfunction Night’s Dawn #1 4 50:11 20230214 W G
508 Adrian Tchaikovsky Children of Memory Children of Time #3 2 59:21 20230123 W G
507 Ben Bova Mars Grand Tour #4 0.5 49:44 20230110 W G
506 K J Parker How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It Siege #2 4 20:02 20230109 W G
505 Emily St John Mandel Sea of Tranquility 3 1:25:05 20221231 W G
504 Ursula K LeGuin City of Illusions Hainish Cycle #3 2.5 43:46 20221228 W G
503 Ryka Aoki Light from Uncommon Stars 1.5 48:34 20221219 W G
502 Alastair Reynolds Eversion 4.5 13:02 20221217 W G
501 Brandon Sanderson Rhythm of War Stormlight Archive #4 3.5 1:15:33 20221118 W G
500 Isaac Asimov It’s Such a Beautiful Day – 1:23:42 20221106 W G
499 Stanislaw Lem The Invincible 3 47:15 20221028 W G
498 Rebecca Roanhorse Fevered Star Between Earth and Sky #2 3.5 34:55 20220915 W G
497 Ursula K LeGuin Planet of Exile Hainish Cycle #2 4.25 13:49 20220904 W G
496 Rebecca Roanhorse Black Sun Between Earth and Sky #1 3.5 1:21:13 20220803 W G
495 Martha Wells Network Effect Murderbot Diaries #5 2 1:26:05 20220730 W G
494 Daniel Rigby Isaac Steele and the Forever Man 4 47:42 20220716 W G
493 Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone This Is How You Lose the Time War 1⁠/⁠DNF 18:46 20220708 W G
492 Adrian Tchaikovsky Elder Race 4 14:41 20220625 W G
491 George Alec Effinger A Fire in the Sun Marid Audran #2 4 1:09:55 20220619 W G
490 Becky Chambers A Psalm for the Wild-Built Monk and Robot #1 5⁠/⁠DNF 28:12 20220518 W G
489 Theodore Sturgeon More Than Human 4 44:58 20220516 W G
488 Adam Oyebanji Braking Day 4 1:07:03 20220505 W G
487 Ben Counter Galaxy in Flames Horus Heresy #3 2.5 15:35 20220409 W G
486 Pierre Boulle Planet of the Apes 3.5 23:59 20220402 W G
485 Emily St John Mandel Station Eleven 3 35:05 20220330 W G
484 Robert Silverberg Majipoor Chronicles & Valentine Pontifex Majipoor #2 & 3 3.5 1:03:39 20220320 W G
483 K J Parker Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City Siege #1 3.5 48:02 20220220 W G
482 Lois McMaster Bujold Mirror Dance Vorkosigan Saga #8 1 1:07:23 20220207 W G
481 Samuel R Delany Babel-17 3 1:11:47 20220116 W G
480 S B Divya Machinehood 2.5 1:11:35 20220109 W G
479 James White All Judgment Fled 3 58:48 20211231 W G
478 Yoon Ha Lee Phoenix Extravagant 1⁠/⁠DNF 1:08:16 20211224 W G
477 Janet Kagan Hellspark 1.5⁠/⁠DNF 45:41 20211220 W G
476 Samuel R Delany The Einstein Intersection 4.5 1:02:17 20211219 W G
475 Rosemary Kirstein The Lost Steersman Steerswoman #3 3.5 43:57 20211214 W G
474 Arkady Martine A Desolation Called Peace Teixcalaan #2 4 53:09 20211207 W G
473 Derek Künsken The Quantum War Quantum Evolution #3 2.5 48:16 20211124 W G
472 Alastair Reynolds Inhibitor Phase Revelation Space #4 4 1:06:32 20211121 W G
471 Dune: Part One (2021) Dune #1 – 49:34 20211107 W I
470 Brandon Sanderson Oathbringer Stormlight Archive #3 3.5 1:13:11 20211103 W G
469 Alastair Reynolds Absolution Gap Revelation Space #3 4.75 59:59 20211012 W G
468 Fritz Leiber The Big Time 2 35:12 20211008 W G
467 David Brin The Postman 3.5 56:52 20211003 W G
466 Nathan Lowell Quarter Share Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #1 3 54:28 20210921 W G
465 Susanna Clarke Piranesi 4 1:16:07 20210830 W G
464 Scott Meyer Grand Theft Astro 1.5 1:10:46 20210828 W G
463 Elizabeth Bear Ancestral Night White Space #1 3 44:57 20210819 W G
462 Neal Asher Polity Agent Agent Cormac #4 3.75 1:00:59 20210804 W G
461 For All Mankind – Seasons 1 & 2 – 1:00:10 20210704 W I
460 David Wellington The Last Astronaut 0.5⁠/⁠DNF 1:25:42 20210625 W G
459 Kim Stanley Robinson Pacific Edge Three Californias Triptych #3 4 59:34 20210622 W G
458 Susanna Clarke Piranesi 4 49:56 20210613 W G
457 Ben Bova Venus Grand Tour #18 3.5 1:19:04 20210606 W G
456 Andy Weir Project Hail Mary 2.5 1:16:23 20210528 W G
455 Adrian Tchaikovsky The Doors of Eden 3 1:08:28 20210514 W G
454 Lois McMaster Bujold Brothers in Arms Vorkosigan Saga #5 3 52:56 20210421 W G
453 Rosemary Kirstein The Outskirter’s Secret Steerswoman #2 4 59:55 20210418 W G
452 Rosemary Kirstein The Steerswoman Steerswoman #1 4 43:37 20210406 W G
451 Kate Hope Day In the Quick 0.5 1:32:48 20210405 W G
450 Subgenres and Expectations – 1:40:54 20210403
449 Samuel R Delany Nova 3.5 1:20:16 20210327 W G
448 Kim Stanley Robinson The Wild Shore Three Californias Triptych #1 5 59:53 20210306 W G
447 Micaiah Johnson The Space Between Worlds Space Between Worlds #1 4.5 1:02:21 20210223 W G
446 Ann Leckie The Raven Tower 3.75 1:03:59 20210216 W G
445 Lois McMaster Bujold Borders of Infinity Vorkosigan Saga #5.1 – 5.3 3.5 55:23 20210130 W G
444 Richard Matheson I Am Legend – The Novel vs The Movie 4.5 1:01:12 20210123 W G
443 Megan E O’Keefe Velocity Weapon The Protectorate #1 3.25 58:17 20210117 W G
442 Ben Bova New Earth Grand Tour #21 3 56:12 20210108 W G
441 Christopher Brookmyre Places in the Darkness 2.5 46:07 20210103 W G
440 Graham McNeill False Gods Horus Heresy #2 3.5 53:12 20201228 W G
439 Tenet – 54:45 20201219 W I
438 James P Hogan Inherit the Stars Giants #1 2 1:00:45 20201210 W G
437 Peter F Hamilton The Saints of Salvation Salvation Sequence #3 5 1:16:45 20201120 W G
436 Gareth L Powell Fleet of Knives Embers of War #2 2 1:03:38 20201111 W G
435 Lois McMaster Bujold Ethan of Athos Vorkosigan Saga #3 2 48:02 20201103 W G
434 Ian Tregillis The Mechanical Alchemy Wars #1 4 57:49 20201101 W G
433 Martha Wells Network Effect Murderbot Diaries #5 3.5 51:24 20201018 W G
432 Dan Simmons Hyperion Hyperion Cantos #1 4 1:18:10 20201010 W G
431 Lois McMaster Bujold Cetaganda Vorkosigan Saga #9 3 37:40 20200926 W G
430 Simon Jimenez The Vanished Birds 4 55:56 20200919 W G
429 Dan Abnett Horus Rising Horus Heresy #1 4 1:13:08 20200914 W G
428 How and Why We SFBRP – 1:21:05 20200825
427 Peter F Hamilton Salvation Lost Salvation Sequence #2 4.25 49:05 20200822 W G
426 John Scalzi The Last Emperox Interdependency #3 1 1:23:06 20200724 W G
425 Peter F Hamilton Salvation Salvation Sequence #1 5 1:14:29 20200719 W G
424 Tamsyn Muir Gideon the Ninth The Locked Tomb #1 3 1:05:26 20200706 W G
423 Neal Asher Brass Man Agent Cormac #3 3.75 59:58 20200608 W G
422 Emma Newman Atlas Alone Planetfall #4 4.5 1:32:50 20200510 W G
421 Emma Newman Before Mars Planetfall #3 4.25 1:18:49 20200409 W G
420 Homer and Emily Wilson The Odyssey – 1:19:11 20200327 W G
419 Emma Newman After Atlas Planetfall #2 3.75 1:05:58 20200302 W G
418 Emma Newman Planetfall Planetfall #1 3.5 52:35 20200209 W G
417 Derek Künsken The Quantum Garden Quantum Evolution #2 4.5 40:04 20200202 W G
416 Kameron Hurley The Light Brigade 5 1:08:11 20200112 W G
415 Tade Thompson The Rosewater Insurrection and The Rosewater Redemption Wormwood #2 and 3 4 56:01 20191227 W G
414 Sue Burke Interference Semiosis Duology #2 2.5 46:07 20191205 W G
413 Arkady Martine A Memory Called Empire Teixcalaan #1 4 29:20 20191126 W G
412 Vernor Vinge A Deepness in the Sky Zones of Thought #2 3 1:20:12 20191119 W G
411 The Adventure Zone Amnesty – 1:25:19 20191110 W G
410 Blake Crouch Recursion 2.5 1:17:12 20191031 W G
409 Sue Burke Semiosis Semiosis Duology #1 4 36:38 20191004 W G
408 Michel Faber Under the Skin 4 59:53 20190918 W G
407 Gareth L Powell Embers of War Embers of War #1 3 29:16 20190905 W G
406 Martha Wells Artificial Condition Murderbot Diaries #2 2 10:41 20190826 W G
405 Adrian Tchaikovsky Children of Ruin Children of Time #2 4.5 44:29 20190825 W G
404 Neal Asher The Line of Polity Agent Cormac #2 4 52:04 20190703 W G
403 John Scalzi The Consuming Fire Interdependency #2 3 1:04:48 20190628 W G
402 Sam J Miller Blackfish City 3.25 49:56 20190610 W G
401 Becky Chambers Record of a Spaceborn Few Wayfarers #3 2⁠/⁠DNF 59:39 20190526 W G
400 Living Our Best Science Fiction Lives – 1:18:21 20190519
399 Dennis E Taylor Outland Quantum Earth #1 2.5 1:08:53 20190516 W G
398 Claire North The Sudden Appearance of Hope 4 55:13 20190514 W G
397 Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 3 – Infinity War and Endgame Marvel Cinematic Universe #3 – 1:12:27 20190506 W I
396 Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 3 – Civil War to Captain Marvel Marvel Cinematic Universe #3 – 1:14:21 20190506 W I
395 Stanislaw Lem His Master’s Voice 4 49:01 20190422 W G
394 Kameron Hurley The Light Brigade 5 1:02:12 20190413 W G
393 Julian May The Many-Colored Land Saga of the Pliocene Exile #1 3 51:28 20190407 W G
392 Alastair Reynolds Revenger Revenger #1 3 28:48 20190328 W G
391 Robert Dickinson The Tourist 4.5 58:26 20190314 W G
390 Iain M Banks Against a Dark Background 2.5 50:03 20190303 W G
389 Derek Künsken The Quantum Magician Quantum Evolution #1 4.5 48:43 20190214 W G
388 Richard K Morgan Thin Air 3.5 47:04 20190112 W G
387 The Fast and the Furious Marathon Fast and Furious #1-8 – 1:17:36 20181222 W I
386 Tade Thompson Rosewater Wormwood #1 4 41:10 20181215 W G
385 Mary Robinette Kowal The Calculating Stars Lady Astronaut #1 0.5 1:28:22 20181129 W G
384 Madeleine L’Engle A Wrinkle in Time Time Quintet #1 1.5 1:18:35 20181122 W G
383 C J Cherryh Cyteen 3.5 1:03:44 20181118 W G
382 Kim Stanley Robinson Red Mars Mars Trilogy #1 4.5 1:28:49 20181014 W G
381 Maureen F McHugh China Mountain Zhang 4.5 39:36 20181003 W G
380 Michael J Sullivan Rise of Empire Riyria Revelations #3 & 4 3.5 21:57 20180925 W G
379 Arthur C Clarke 2001: A Space Odyssey – The Novel vs The Movie Space Odyssey #1 4 1:06:57 20180906 W G
378 Scott Hawkins The Library at Mount Char 4.5 33:11 20180826 W G
377 Neal Asher Gridlinked Agent Cormac #1 3.5 29:34 20180821 W G
376 Yoon Ha Lee Revenant Gun Machineries of Empire #3 3 56:02 20180818 W G
375 Clifford D Simak City 3.5 22:15 20180814 W G
374 Patricia A McKillip Harpist in the Wind Riddle-Master #3 4 22:39 20180810 W G
373 Martha Wells All Systems Red Murderbot Diaries #1 3.75 50:02 20180717 W G
372 Neal Asher Prador Moon Polity #1 3 30:18 20180716 W G
371 Peter Watts The Freeze-Frame Revolution Sunflowers 4.5 1:18:25 20180624 W G
370 Greg Egan Diaspora 5 27:19 20180613 W G
369 Patricia A McKillip Heir of Sea and Fire Riddle-Master #2 4 15:48 20180530 W G
368 John Scalzi The Collapsing Empire Interdependency #1 3 29:54 20180529 W G
367 William Gibson Pattern Recognition Blue Ant #1 3 46:10 20180523 W G
366 C J Cherryh Downbelow Station Company Wars #1 2.5 56:42 20180520 W G
365 Joan D Vinge The Snow Queen 2 36:56 20180430 W G
364 Vernor Vinge Marooned in Realtime Across Realtime #2 3 31:32 20180331 W G
363 Patricia A McKillip The Riddle-Master of Hed Riddle-Master #1 4 27:29 20180330 W G
362 Annihilation – The Novel vs The Movie Southern Reach #1 – 53:53 20180315 W I
361 Altered Carbon – The Novel vs The Netflix Show Takeshi Kovacs #1 – 1:23:10 20180227 W I
360 Ada Palmer The Will to Battle Terra Ignota #3 2 20:24 20180221 W G
359 Alastair Reynolds Elysium Fire Prefect Dreyfus Emergency #2 4 40:11 20180205 W G
358 Andy Weir Artemis 3.75 1:05:47 20180122 W G
357 Steven Erikson Memories of Ice Malazan Book of the Fallen #3 4.5 35:36 20180120 W G
356 Neal Asher Orbus Spatterjay #3 3.5 18:28 20180108 W G
355 Peter Clines Paradox Bound 1.5⁠/⁠DNF 25:31 20171229 W G
354 Isaac Asimov The Caves of Steel Robot #1 4.5 55:50 20171221 W G
353 N K Jemisin The Killing Moon Dreamblood #1 3 26:52 20171217 W G
352 Ann Leckie Provenance 1 1:03:36 20171127 W G
351 A Lee Martinez Emperor Mollusk versus The Sinister Brain 3.5 20:10 20171118 W G
350 Equal Gender Representation In Science Fiction Reading Habits – 59:59 20171113
349 Carolyn Ives Gilman Dark Orbit Twenty Planets 3.5 21:00 20171109 W G
348 Annalee Newitz Autonomous 2 1:10:00 20171106 W G
347 R Scott Bakker The Unholy Consult Aspect-Emperor #4 2.5 28:45 20171028 W G
346 Mur Lafferty Six Wakes 3.5 21:35 20171007 W G
345 M R Carey The Girl with all the Gifts The Girl with all the Gifts #1 3 15:20 20170926 W G
344 Ada Palmer Seven Surrenders Terra Ignota #2 4.5 34:35 20170921 W G
343 N K Jemisin The Stone Sky The Broken Earth #3 2 53:15 20170913 W G
342 Ada Palmer Too Like the Lightning Terra Ignota #1 4.5 40:15 20170829 W G
341 The Adventure Zone The Balance Arc – 35:05 20170825 W G
340 Yoon Ha Lee Raven Stratagem Machineries of Empire #2 2.5 45:55 20170821 W G
339 Dan Moren The Caledonian Gambit 4 27:05 20170814 W G
338 Adrian Tchaikovsky Children of Time Children of Time #1 4 26:55 20170719 W G
337 Kameron Hurley The Stars Are Legion 3 28:15 20170703 W G
336 Arrival – 1:33:40 20170615 W I
335 Peter Watts Blindsight Firefall #1 4.25 1:32:55 20170607 W G
334 Stephen King as Richard Bachman The Running Man 4 31:04 20170601 W G
333 Yoon Ha Lee Ninefox Gambit Machineries of Empire #1 4.5 1:29:55 20170515 W G
332 Sylvain Neuvel Sleeping Giants Themis Files #1 1.5 31:50 20170509 W G
331 Neil Gaiman Anansi Boys American Gods #2 3 59:00 20170506 W G
330 Mishell Baker Borderline Arcadia Project #1 2.5 25:00 20170416 W G
329 Fran Wilde Updraft Bone Universe #1 2 38:35 20170410 W G
328 Alastair Reynolds Poseidon’s Wake Poseidon’s Children #3 3.5 38:25 20170403 W G
327 Ken Grimwood Replay 2.5 1:30:20 20170325 W G
326 Margaret Atwood MaddAddam MaddAddam #3 2.5 28:50 20170318 W G
325 Peter F Hamilton A Night Without Stars Commonwealth: Chronicle of the Fallers #2 4 36:15 20170201 W G
324 Charlie Jane Anders All the Birds in the Sky 2.5 1:12:55 20170126 W G
323 Margaret Atwood The Year of the Flood MaddAddam #2 4.5 41:40 20170110 W G
322 Becky Chambers A Closed and Common Orbit Wayfarers #2 2.5 59:05 20170101 W G
321 Rogue One Star Wars #3.5 – 30:53 20161216 W I
319 Dennis E Taylor We Are Legion (We Are Bob) Bobiverse #1 2 40:45 20161209 W G
320 Yoon Ha Lee Ninefox Gambit Machineries of Empire #1 5 40:35 20161209 W G
318 Nnedi Okorafor The Book of Phoenix Who Fears Death #0.1 4 25:25 20161202 W G
317 Marvel Cinematic Universe – Phase 2 Marvel Cinematic Universe – 1:40:10 20161201 W I
316 Marvel Cinematic Universe – Phase 1 Marvel Cinematic Universe – 1:01:45 20161124 W I
315 Yevgeny Zamyatin We 3.5 27:00 20161111 W G
314 Nnedi Okorafor Who Fears Death Who Fears Death #1 4 34:10 20161101 W G
313 N K Jemisin The Obelisk Gate The Broken Earth #2 2 49:05 20160927 W G
312 Keith Roberts Pavane 4.5 58:55 20160904 W G
311 N K Jemisin The Fifth Season The Broken Earth #1 4 38:10 20160822 W G
310 R Scott Bakker The Great Ordeal Aspect-Emperor #3 2.5 35:20 20160809 W G
309 R Scott Bakker The White-Luck Warrior Aspect-Emperor #2 4.5 28:00 20160718 W G
308 R Scott Bakker The Judging Eye Aspect-Emperor #1 3.5 16:00 20160716 W G
307 Helene Wecker The Golem and the Jinni 3.5 25:50 20160624 W G
306 Eric James Stone Unforgettable 3.5 30:05 20160610 W G
305 Becky Chambers The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet Wayfarers #1 2.5 35:55 20160505 W G
304 Mary Doria Russell Children of God Sparrow #2 3 31:15 20160504 W G
303 Alastair Reynolds Redemption Ark Revelation Space #2 4.5 1:20:55 20160419 W G
302 Robert J Sawyer Quantum Night 0.5 1:54:40 20160323 W G
301 Jack Vance The Dying Earth Dying Earth #1 4 26:00 20160314 W G
300 300 SFBRP Episodes – 2:10:50 20160228
299 Ann Leckie Ancillary Mercy Imperial Radch #3 4 32:45 20160220 W G
298 Scott Sigler The Starter Galactic Football League #2 3.5 33:30 20160210 W G
297 Mary Doria Russell The Sparrow Sparrow #1 5 50:30 20160129 W G
296 Peter V Brett The Warded Man Demon Cycle #1 2.5 40:05 20160117 W G
295 Roger Zelazny Nine Princes in Amber The Chronicles of Amber #1 2.5 27:50 20160108 W G
294 Elizabeth Moon Trading in Danger Vatta’s War #1 1.75 51:05 20151231 W G
293 The Mission Impossible Marathon Mission Impossible #1 – 5 – 1:08:15 20151224 W I
292 The Force Awakens Star Wars #7 – 1:49:35 20151218 W I
291 Octavia E Butler Dawn Xenogenesis #1 2.5 21:15 20151216 W G
290 Steven Erikson Deadhouse Gates Malazan Book of the Fallen #2 4 50:05 20151216 W G
289 Ann Leckie Ancillary Sword Imperial Radch #2 3.5 34:55 20151112 W G
288 Claire North The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August 3.5 43:15 20151031 W G
287 Kim Stanley Robinson Aurora 4 1:17:45 20151023 W G
286 The Martian – The Novel vs The Movie – 1:05:40 20151015 W I
285 Tim Powers The Anubis Gates 2.5⁠/⁠DNF 40:15 20151014 W G
284 Michael Crichton Jurassic Park 2 54:55 20151009 W G
283 Adam Roberts Twenty Trillion Leagues Under The Sea 3.5 29:55 20151005 W G
282 Neil Gaiman The Sandman 4.5 48:10 20150916 W G
281 Tad Williams City of Golden Shadow Otherland #1 4.25 1:03:10 20150830 W G
280 Grant Naylor Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers Red Dwarf #1 4.5 44:10 20150822 W G
279 Neal Stephenson Seveneves 1.5⁠/⁠DNF 1:11:35 20150813 W G
278 Jeff VanderMeer Acceptance Southern Reach #3 4 36:40 20150730 W G
277 Jeff VanderMeer Authority Southern Reach #2 4 32:10 20150721 W G
276 Katherine Addison The Goblin Emperor 2 1:00:20 20150625 W G
275 Alastair Reynolds Slow Bullets 3 44:25 20150622 W G
274 James Tiptree Jr Her Smoke Rose Up Forever 5 1:30:10 20150609 W G
273 Ian McDonald Desolation Road -⁠/⁠DNF 29:50 20150608 W G
272 Greg Egan Permutation City Subjective Cosmology #2 3 29:35 20150528 W G
271 Luke Burrage Minding Tomorrow Minding Tomorrow #1 4.5 1:31:30 20150510 W G
270 R Scott Bakker The Thousandfold Thought Prince of Nothing #3 2 33:33 20150410 W G
269 R Scott Bakker The Warrior Prophet Prince of Nothing #2 4.5 33:05 20150401 W G
268 Iain M Banks Culture series read-through wrap-up Culture 5 59:50 20150328 W G
267 James S A Corey Leviathan Wakes Expanse #1 2.75 1:22:20 20150301 W G
266 R Scott Bakker The Darkness That Comes Before Prince of Nothing #1 4.5 46:00 20150226 W G
265 William Hertling Avogadro Corp Singularity #1 2 39:15 20150222 W G
264 Perry Rhodan Enterprise Stardust Perry Rhodan #1 2 59:55 20150218 W G
263 Iain M Banks Look to Windward Culture #7 4.75 1:03:15 20150206 W G
262 Liu Cixin The Three-Body Problem Remembrance of Earth’s Past #1 1.5 56:45 20150130 W G
261 Neal Asher The Voyage of the Sable Keech Spatterjay #2 3 24:55 20150119 W G
260 Iain M Banks The Hydrogen Sonata Culture #10 4.25 1:13:05 20141225 W G
259 Brandon Sanderson Words of Radiance Stormlight Archive #2 3 1:03:15 20141210 W G
258 Nancy Kress Beggars in Spain Sleepless #1 2⁠/⁠DNF 29:55 20141129 W G
257 Interstellar – 48:55 20141126 W I
256 Peter F Hamilton Pandora’s Star and Judas Unchained Commonwealth Saga #1 & 2 4 53:15 20141112 W G
255 Ernest Cline Ready Player One 2.25 1:19:10 20141107 W G
254 Peter F Hamilton The Abyss Beyond Dreams Commonwealth: Chronicle of the Fallers #1 3.5 39:35 20141031 W G
253 Jeff VanderMeer Annihilation Southern Reach #1 4 26:10 20141023 W G
252 The Hugulas – Every novel that won both a Hugo and Nebula – 46:20 20141016
251 Tobias S Buckell Hurricane Fever Arctic Rising #2 2.5 25:30 20141015 W G
250 Listener Suggestions for the Special 250th Episode – 1:42:20 20141010
249 Connie Willis Blackout and All Clear Blackout #1 & 2 -⁠/⁠DNF 13:50 20141008 W G
248 Michael Chabon The Yiddish Policemen’s Union -⁠/⁠DNF 24:15 20141007 W G
247 Isaac Asimov The Gods Themselves 3.5 37:15 20140921 W G
246 Connie Willis Doomsday Book 0.1⁠/⁠DNF 56:25 20140914 W G
245 Peter Watts Echopraxia Firefall #2 4.5 39:05 20140911 W G
244 Orson Scott Card Speaker for the Dead Ender’s Saga #2 4 1:00:00 20140908 W G
243 John Steakley Armor 1.5 40:55 20140903 W G
242 Iain M Banks Surface Detail Culture #9 4.25 1:10:15 20140818 W G
241 Arthur C Clarke The Fountains of Paradise 4 50:00 20140716 W G
240 Lois McMaster Bujold Paladin of Souls World of the Five Gods #3 2 1:05:50 20140708 W G
239 Joe Haldeman Forever Peace Forever War #2 1.5 55:55 20140704 W G
238 David Brin Startide Rising Uplift Saga #2 4 39:35 20140701 W G
237 Larry Niven Ringworld Ringworld #1 2 1:03:21 20140624 W G
236 Guy Gavriel Kay A Song for Arbonne 4 1:07:35 20140606 W G
235 Neil Gaiman American Gods American Gods #1 1.5⁠/⁠DNF 35:45 20140604 W G
234 Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons Watchmen 4 1:21:25 20140524 W G
233 Lois McMaster Bujold The Curse of Chalion World of the Five Gods #2 1 1:18:20 20140522 W G
232 Iain M Banks Matter Culture #8 4 1:00:25 20140521 W G
231 Orson Scott Card Ender’s Game Shadow Alive Movie Ender’s Saga – 1:22:50 20140430 W G
230 Jo Walton Among Others 0.5⁠/⁠DNF 41:30 20140428 W G
229 Vonda N McIntyre Dreamsnake 3.5 35:05 20140428 W G
228 Spoilers – 59:00 20140425
227 Rudy Rucker Software and Wetware Ware Tetralogy #1 & 2 1.5 42:05 20140409 W G
226 Alexander Peachock We Have Seen Better Days 2.75 35:15 20140401 W G
225 Hugh Howey Dust Silo #3 1 42:15 20140329 W G
224 Iain M Banks Inversions Culture #6 5 1:16:20 20140319 W G
223 Robert A Heinlein Have Space Suit – Will Travel 4 1:18:00 20140317 W G
222 Daniel Keyes Flowers for Algernon 4.75 1:24:25 20140304 W G
221 Iain M Banks The State of the Art Culture #4 3.5 1:05:35 20140227 W G
220 Clifford D Simak Way Station 4 30:50 20140220 W G
219 Christopher Priest The Inverted World 3 38:45 20140212 W G
218 Ann Leckie Ancillary Justice Imperial Radch #1 3.5 58:15 20140201 W G
217 Jason M Hough The Plague Forge and the Dire Earth Cycle Dire Earth Cycle #3 4 55:35 20140131 W G
216 Walter M Miller Jr A Canticle for Leibowitz 3.5 1:17:25 20140127 W G
215 Jason M Hough The Exodus Towers Dire Earth Cycle #2 3.5 25:45 20140124 W G
214 Alastair Reynolds On the Steel Breeze Poseidon’s Children #2 3 40:20 20140115 W G
213 Iain M Banks Use of Weapons Culture #3 4.75 1:20:25 20140113 W G
212 Andy Weir The Martian 5 1:08:10 20140108 W G
211 David Mitchell Cloud Atlas 4.5 1:29:35 20131219 W G
210 Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples Saga volume 1 and volume 2 Saga #1 & 2 – 42:10 20131202 W G
209 Iain M Banks Excession Culture #5 3.5 1:13:10 20131126 W G
208 Jason M Hough The Darwin Elevator Dire Earth Cycle #1 3.5 38:50 20131112 W G
207 Scott Lynch Red Seas Under Red Skies Gentleman Bastard #2 2 45:25 20131027 W G
206 Neal Asher The Skinner Spatterjay #1 3.5 49:35 20131015 W G
205 Alastair Reynolds The Prefect Prefect Dreyfus Emergency #1 4.75 1:01:15 20131001 W G
204 Iain M Banks Consider Phlebas Culture #1 3.25 1:04:20 20130922 W G
203 Joe Abercrombie Last Argument of Kings First Law Trilogy #3 3 49:05 20130918 W G
202 Iain M Banks The Player of Games Culture #2 5 1:13:35 20130831 W G
201 Iain M Banks Culture series introduction Culture – 35:20 20130827 W G
200 Top Science Fiction Novels and Series – 1:37:15 20130824
199 Joe Abercrombie Before They Are Hanged First Law Trilogy #2 3 39:25 20130821 W G
197 Lois McMaster Bujold The Vor Game Vorkosigan Saga #6 1.75 1:27:55 20130813 W G
198 Philip K Dick Galactic Pot-Healer 3.5 39:25 20130723 W G
196 Hannu Rajaniemi The Quantum Thief Jean le Flambeur #1 3.5 59:59 20130711 W G
195.5 Independence Day – 27:30 20130628 W I
195 Lois McMaster Bujold The Warrior’s Apprentice Vorkosigan Saga #2 2.75 1:25:15 20130628 W G
194 Alastair Reynolds Pushing Ice 3 37:55 20130618 W G
193 Lois McMaster Bujold Barrayar Vorkosigan Saga #7 3 48:15 20130606 W G
192 Arthur C Clarke Rendezvous with Rama Rama #1 3.5 1:04:05 20130529 W G
191 Hugh Howey Shift Omnibus Silo #2 3 48:40 20130523 W G
190 Steven Erikson Gardens of the Moon Malazan Book of the Fallen #1 3 52:45 20130521 W G
189 Scott Meyer Off To Be The Wizard Magic 2.0 #1 2 48:15 20130501 W G
188 Stanislaw Lem Solaris – The Novel vs The Movies vs The Audio Drama 4.5 1:36:30 20130428 W G
187 Lois McMaster Bujold Shards of Honor Vorkosigan Saga #1 4 51:20 20130421 W G
186 Harry Turtledove Worldwar – In The Balance Worldwar #1 4 1:04:10 20130420 W G
185 Peter F Hamilton Manhattan In Reverse – 34:10 20130419 W G
184 Yahtzee Croshaw Mogworld 3 46:45 20130415 W G
183 John Wyndham The Day of the Triffids 4.5 1:09:03 20130403 W G
182 Lois McMaster Bujold Falling Free Vorkosigan Saga #4 3.5 43:05 20130317 W G
181 J R R Tolkien The Hobbit 4 1:12:10 20130303 W G
180 Philip K Dick The Man in the High Castle 5 1:40:50 20130225 W G
179 Michael J Sullivan Theft of Swords Riyria Revelations #1 & 2 3.5 30:40 20130127 W G
178 Peter F Hamilton Great North Road 4.5 1:00:55 20130111 W G
177 Christopher Priest The Prestige 5 1:04:00 20121229 W G
176 David Brin Kiln People 3.5 44:30 20121226 W G
175 Shlok Vaidya The Rise of Siri 3 46:30 20121218 W G
174 Frank Herbert Dune Dune Saga #1 4.5 1:39:50 20121216 W G
173 Philip K Dick The Simulacra 4 38:35 20121205 W G
172 Iain M Banks The Hydrogen Sonata Culture #10 4 1:15:20 20121121 W G
171 Robert A Heinlein Space Cadet 3.5 51:55 20121018 W G
170 H Beam Piper Little Fuzzy 2.5 30:35 20121012 W G
169 Caitlin Sweet Pattern Scars 4 39:00 20120929 W G
168 Dan Simmons Hyperion Hyperion Cantos #1 4 1:13:20 20120928 W G
167 Gene Wolfe Book of the New Sun series Book of the New Sun #4 & 5 3 51:30 20120826 W G
166 Hugh Howey Wool Omnibus Silo #1 4.5 39:50 20120813 W G
165 Alan Dean Foster Splinter of the Mind’s Eye Star Wars 1.5 34:10 20120808 W G
164 Brandon Sanderson The Alloy of Law Mistborn #4 4 41:55 20120715 W G
163 Andrew Eckhart Last Mage 3.5 34:55 20120712 W G
162 John Scalzi Redshirts 2 1:12:20 20120628 W G
161 Sergey and Marina Dyachenko The Scar 4.9 50:45 20120628 W G
160 Stephen King The Stand 3.5 51:40 20120618 W G
159 Brandon Sanderson The Way of Kings Stormlight Archive #1 3.5 1:32:20 20120507 W G
158 Alastair Reynolds Chasm City Revelation Space #0.5 4 42:45 20120425 W G
157 Lauren Beukes Zoo City 4 43:45 20120419 W G
156 N K Jemisin The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms Inheritance Trilogy #1 2 1:01:25 20120419 W G
155 Alastair Reynolds Blue Remembered Earth Poseidon’s Children #1 3.5 47:55 20120302 W G
154 Ted Chiang Stories of Your Life and Others – 1:03:00 20120222 W G
153 Tobias S Buckell Arctic Rising Arctic Rising #1 3.5 1:26:10 20120212 W G
152 Isaac Asimov The End of Eternity 3.5 1:05:10 20120128 W G
151 Mark Twain A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court 4 53:20 20120128 W G
150 Reading Novels – 1:15:55 20120125
149 Vernor Vinge The Children of the Sky Zones of Thought #3 2 1:07:30 20120114 W G
148 Roger Zelazny Lord of Light 4.5 46:05 20120111 W G
147 David Weber On Basilisk Station Honor Harrington #1 1 1:12:35 20111210 W G
146 Larry Niven Destiny’s Road 2.5 45:15 20111201 W G
145 Peter Watts Behemoth Rifters #3 3.5 25:00 20111126 W G
144 Cory Doctorow Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom 2 46:45 20111113 W G
143 Vernor Vinge A Fire Upon the Deep Zones of Thought #1 4.5 50:40 20111108 W G
142 Robert Charles Wilson Spin Spin #1 4 44:15 20111030 W G
141 Blake Charlton Spellwright Spellwright #1 3 51:05 20111025 W G
140 Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle The Mote in God’s Eye Moties #1 2.5 51:40 20111023 W G
139 Clifford D Simak Why Call Them Back From Heaven? 4 39:40 20110927 W G
138 Gene Wolfe The Sword of the Lictor Book of the New Sun #3 3.5 25:25 20110921 W G
137 Robert Silverberg Lord Valentine’s Castle Majipoor #1 3.5 51:30 20110910 W G
136 R Scott Bakker The White-Luck Warrior Aspect-Emperor #2 4.5 1:05:15 20110825 W G
135 Gordon Bell Total Recall -⁠/⁠DNF 39:40 20110823 W G
134 Science Fiction Book Review Podcast Review Podcast – 1:03:25 20110821
133 Alastair Reynolds Terminal World 4.5 1:03:50 20110721 W G
132 Stanislaw Lem Solaris 4 48:15 20110710 W G
131 R Scott Bakker The Judging Eye Aspect-Emperor #1 4 20:00 20110707 W G
130 P D James The Children of Men 3.5 53:45 20110704 W G
129 Iain M Banks Surface Detail Culture #9 4 54:40 20110619 W G
128 George Alec Effinger When Gravity Fails Marid Audran #1 4 37:35 20110604 W G
127 Richard Matheson I Am Legend 4.9 31:05 20110516 W G
126 Philip K Dick Ubik 3 38:10 20110510 W G
125 Peter Watts Maelstrom Rifters #2 4.5 35:45 20110423 W G
124 Patrick Rothfuss The Wise Man’s Fear Kingkiller Chronicle #2 3.5 43:20 20110409 W G
123 Stephen Donaldson Forbidden Knowledge Gap #2 3 38:25 20110321 W G
122 Pat Frank Alas, Babylon 3.5 37:50 20110314 W G
121 Michael Flynn Eifelheim 2 47:40 20110219 W G
120 Joe Abercrombie The Blade Itself First Law Trilogy #1 2 50:00 20110213 W G
119 Arthur C Clarke The City and The Stars 2.5 57:50 20110206 W G
118 Robert A Heinlein Starship Troopers 3.5 56:00 20110122 W G
117 Ayn Rand Atlas Shrugged -⁠/⁠DNF 1:07:05 20110112 W G
116 Daniel Keyes Flowers for Algernon 5 54:45 20110102 W G
115 Elizabeth Moon The Speed of Dark 3.5 1:02:05 20101225 W G
114 Brandon Sanderson The Final Empire Mistborn #1 3.5 53:50 20101219 W G
113 George Orwell 1984 4.9 1:14:00 20101208 W G
112 Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games Hunger Games #1 4 1:03:25 20101201 W G
111 Stephen Baxter Flood Flood #1 1.5 1:05:00 20101114 W G
110 Kurt Vonnegut Slaughterhouse-Five 5 57:00 20101109 W G
109 Gene Wolfe The Claw of the Conciliator Book of the New Sun #2 2.5 22:35 20101024 W G
108 Peter F Hamilton The Evolutionary Void Void #3 3.5 54:35 20100920 W G
107 Mike Resnick Starship Mutiny Starship #1 1.5 47:35 20100906 W G
106 George R Stewart Earth Abides 4.5 1:53:35 20100901 W G
105 Jack Mcdevitt Deepsix Academy #2 1.5 48:05 20100825 W G
104 Alastair Reynolds House of Suns 4.5 43:55 20100806 W G
103 Scott Lynch The Lies of Locke Lamora Gentleman Bastard #1 3 35:25 20100720 W G
102 Paolo Bacigalupi and Tobias S Buckell The Alchemist and the Executioness 4.5 41:10 20100720 W G
101 Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle Lucifer’s Hammer 3.5 39:25 20100711 W G
100 Science Fiction and Personal Philosophy – 54:40 20100704
099 Patrick Rothfuss The Name of the Wind Kingkiller Chronicle #1 3 42:25 20100701 W G
098 Alfred Bester The Stars My Destination 2.5 1:04:45 20100628 W G
097 Robert A Heinlein The Moon is a Harsh Mistress 4 56:20 20100608 W G
096 John Wyndham The Chrysalids 4.5 42:40 20100603 W G
095 George R R Martin A Game of Thrones A Song of Ice and Fire #1 2.5 50:50 20100529 W G
094 Robert J Sawyer Calculating God 1 1:03:00 20100516 W G
093 Vernor Vinge Rainbows End 4.2 55:55 20100512 W G
092 Robert Sheckley The Status Civilization 3.5 35:00 20100505 W G
091 Peter Watts Starfish Rifters #1 3.5 21:30 20100424 W G
090 Mike Resnick Kirinyaga A Fable of Utopia #1 4 40:20 20100423 W G
089 Dani and Eytan Kollin The Unincorporated Man Unincorporated Man #1 3 45:15 20100410 W G
088 Arkady and Boris Strugatsky Roadside Picnic 4 28:00 20100407 W G
087 Daniel Suarez Daemon Daemon #1 1 51:10 20100326 W G
086 Gene Wolfe The Shadow of the Torturer Book of the New Sun #1 1.5 40:45 20100318 W G
085 Iain Banks Transition 3 37:35 20100301 W G
084 R Scott Bakker The Prince of Nothing series Prince of Nothing 3.5 49:55 20100301 W G
083 China Mieville The City and The City 3.5 33:00 20100301 W G
082 Paolo Bacigalupi The Windup Girl 4 41:10 20100219 W G
081 Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space Revelation Space #1 4.5 53:40 20100206 W G
080 Peter Watts Blindsight Firefall #1 4 40:15 20100127 W G
079 Smoke and more invisible men – 57:40 20100119
078 H G Wells The Invisible Man 3.5 58:25 20100118 W G
077 Scott Sigler The Rookie Galactic Football League #1 4.5 41:50 20100103 W G
076 Luke’s fantasy reads in 2009 – 1:16:35 20091229
075 Neal Stephenson Anathem 4.9 1:19:05 20091217 W G
074 Cory Doctorow Makers 1.5 58:20 20091203 W G
073 Douglas Adams The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy H2G2 #1 3.5 48:30 20091123 W G
072.5 Luke and Jesse in Conversation – 1:44:05 20091120
072 Ursula K LeGuin The Dispossessed Hainish Cycle #6 3.5 48:35 20091111 W G
071 Richard Morgan Market Forces 4 53:40 20091028 W G
070 Greg Egan Schild’s Ladder 4 39:30 20091026 W G
069 Edgar Rice Burroughs A Princess of Mars Barsoom #1 3.5 43:00 20091023 W G
068 Ursula K LeGuin The Left Hand of Darkness Hainish Cycle #4 4.5 43:55 20091013 W G
067 Aldous Huxley Brave New World 2 42:55 20090928 W G
066 John Varley Steel Beach Eight Worlds #2 3.5 57:25 20090923 W G
065 Olaf Stapledon Last and First Men -⁠/⁠DNF 33:45 20090825 W G
064 Ray Bradbury Fahrenheit 451 3.5 39:35 20090806 W G
063 Jules Verne From The Earth To The Moon 4 29:35 20090727 W G
062 Stephen Donaldson The Real Story Gap #1 2 23:30 20090724 W G
061 John Barnes The Sky So Big And Black Century Next Door #4 4.5 31:20 20090719 W G
060 Luke Burrage Minding Tomorrow Minding Tomorrow #1 3.5 29:55 20090714 W G
059 Kim Stanley Robinson The Gold Coast Three Californias Triptych #2 3.5 30:35 20090714 W G
058 Orson Scott Card Ender’s Game Ender’s Saga #1 4.5 40:20 20090702 W G
057 John Scalzi Old Man’s War Old Man’s War #1 3 44:20 20090621 W G
056 A E van Vogt Slan Slan #1 2.5 29:00 20090618 W G
055 Dan Simmons The Fall of Hyperion Hyperion Cantos #2 0.5⁠/⁠DNF 30:50 20090612 W G
054 Cory Doctorow Little Brother 4 43:55 20090518 W G
053 Tobias S Buckell Crystal Rain Xenowealth #1 2 39:25 20090508 W G
052 Charles Stross Halting State Halting State #1 4 40:50 20090504 W G
051 Joe Haldeman The Accidental Time Machine 2.5 33:00 20090502 W G
050 Philip Jose Farmer To Your Scattered Bodies Go 3 42:40 20090425 W G
049.5 answering questions live from the chatroom – 26:40 20090418
049 Dan Simmons Hyperion Hyperion Cantos #1 4 48:20 20090417 W G
048 Charles Stross Accelerando 2.5 37:50 20090413 W G
047 Karl Schroeder Ventus 3.5 41:45 20090406 W G
046 many science fiction series – 53:15 20090328
045 H G Wells The Time Machine 4.3 37:05 20090310 W G
044 Iain M Banks Matter Culture #8 3 46:55 20090224 W G
043 Alastair Reynolds Century Rain 2 45:25 20090221 W G
042 Richard Morgan Altered Carbon Takeshi Kovacs #1 4 40:40 20090218 W G
041 Walter M Miller Jr A Canticle for Leibowitz 3 47:05 20090217 W G
040 Frederik Pohl Gateway Heechee Saga #1 4.2 28:35 20090123 W G
039 Peter F Hamilton The Temporal Void Void #2 3.5 27:50 20090118 W G
038 Looking back at 2008 – 48:55 20090112
037 Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg Nightfall 2 36:10 20090107 W G
036 Robert J Sawyer Hominids Neanderthal Parallax #1 1 51:30 20081227 W G
035 Robert Reed The Well of Stars Marrow #2 2.5 31:15 20081225 W G
034 China Mieville Perdido Street Station Bas-Lag #1 2.5 38:55 20081219 W G
033 Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson Paul of Dune Heroes of Dune #1 0.5 36:05 20081128 W G
032 John Wyndham The Day of the Triffids 4.5 28:10 20081109 W G
031 William Gibson Neuromancer Sprawl Trilogy #1 2.5 34:50 20081102 W G
030 Peter F Hamilton The Dreaming Void Void #1 4 48:40 20081023 W G
029.5 accidental feedback show – 19:40 20081022
029 Neal Stephenson Snow Crash 0.9 43:40 20081010 W G
028 Robert Reed Down the Bright Way 4.2 36:15 20080927 W G
027 John Varley Red Thunder Thunder and Lightning #1 1.5 32:20 20080922 W G
026 Iain M Banks Use of Weapons Culture #3 5 29:25 20080919 W G
025 Richard Morgan Black Man 1.5 39:30 20080906 W G
024 A A Attanasio The Last Legends of Earth Radix #4 2 26:00 20080830 W G
023 Spider Robinson Callahan’s Secret Callahan’s #3 2.5 20:20 20080725 W G
022 John Brunner The Crucible of Time 4 23:00 20080715 W G
021 Buzz Aldrin and John Barnes Encounter With Tiber 2 25:55 20080709 W G
020 Joe Haldeman The Forever War Forever War #1 4 28:45 20080626 W G
019 Alastair Reynolds The Prefect Prefect Dreyfus Emergency #1 4 30:30 20080621 W G
018 Greg Bear Moving Mars Queen of Angels #3 3.5 21:00 20080608 W G
017 Kim Stanley Robinson Antarctica 4 21:50 20080518 W G
016 David Evans Time Station Berlin Time Station #3 0.5 21:10 20080507 W G
015 Vernor Vinge The Peace War Across Realtime #1 4.5 21:15 20080430 W G
014 Robert A Heinlein and Spider Robinson Variable Star 4 23:30 20080425 W G
013 Charles Stross Singularity Sky Eschaton #1 2.5 16:45 20080411 W G
012 Ken MacLeod Learning the World 3 13:40 20080226 W G
011 Frank Herbert Dune Dune Saga #1 4.5 29:30 20080217 W G
010 Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson Hunters of Dune Dune Saga #7 0.5 16:30 20080216 W G
009 Carl Sagan Contact 1 16:40 20080215 W G
008 Robert Reed Marrow Marrow #1 2.5 11:40 20080214 W G
007 Peter F Hamilton Fallen Dragon 4 18:12 20080206 W G
006 Stuart Gordon Fire in the Abyss 4 13:07 20080205 W G
005 Alastair Reynolds Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days Revelation Space #1.5 3.5 13:54 20080105 W G
004 Robert A Heinlein The Door Into Summer 4.2 12:19 20080104 W G
003 Pamela Sargent Venus of Dreams Venus #1 2.5 10:41 20080103 W G
002 Joan D Vinge The Outcasts of Heaven Belt Heaven Chronicles #1 3.5 12:49 20080102 W G
001 Introduction to the SFBRP – 11:47 20080101

For episode #550 of the SFBRP, Luke and Juliane compiled their list of 52 “must-read” science fiction novels that had been reviewed on the SFBRP so far. After 2 years and 41 books read or re-read, they settled on the “final” version of the list, with a handful of novels added and a couple removed.

More about the SFBRP Must-Reads List »

Click table headers to sort.

Published Author Book/Topic Series SFBRP Episodes SFBRP
Rating
Goodreads
Rating
Linked
Topic
External
Links
Introduction to the SFBRP Must-Read List #550 – W G
The final version of the SFBRP Must-Read List #597 – W G
1895 H G Wells The Time Machine #45 4.3 3.89 Deep Future W G
1898 H G Wells The War of the Worlds #591 4.5 3.83 Alien Invasion W G
1948 George Orwell 1984 #113 4.9 4.21 Dystopia W G
1949 George R Stewart Earth Abides #559 #106 4.5 3.94 Post-Apocalypse W G
1951 John Wyndham The Day of the Triffids #183 #32 4.5 4.01 Plants vs Zombies W G
1953 Isaac Asimov The Caves of Steel Robot #1 #354 4.5 4.19 Detective Science Fiction W G
1954 Richard Matheson I Am Legend #127 #444 4.9 4.00 Plants vs Zombies W G
1958 Robert A Heinlein Have Space Suit – Will Travel #589 #223 4 3.92 Engineering Competence Porn W G
1959 Robert A Heinlein Starship Troopers #553 #118 3.5 4.00 Military Science Fiction W G
1961 Stanisław Lem Solaris #570 #132 #188 4.5 3.98 Aliens are Very Alien W G
1962 Philip K Dick The Man in the High Castle #180 5 3.58 Alternate History/Historical W G
1965 Frank Herbert Dune Dune Saga #1 #174 #11 4.5 4.29 Space Opera W G
1966 Daniel Keyes Flowers for Algernon #222 #116 4.75 4.25 Unreliable Narrator W G
1966 Ursula K LeGuin Planet of Exile Hainish Cycle #2 #497 4.25 3.72 SciFi POV vs Fantasy POV W G
1967 Samuel R Delany The Einstein Intersection #476 4.5 3.55 Deep Future W G
1968 Keith Roberts Pavane #312 4.5 3.71 Alternate History/Historical W G
1968 Arthur C Clarke 2001: A Space Odyssey Space Odyssey #1 #379 4 4.18 Uplift and Aliens W G
1969 Ursula K LeGuin The Left Hand of Darkness Hainish Cycle #4 #68 #549 4.5 4.09 Stranger in a Non-Gendered Land W G
1969 Kurt Vonnegut Slaughterhouse-Five #110 5 4.10 Soldier Unstuck in Time W G
1972 Arkady and Boris Strugatsky Roadside Picnic #554 #88 4 4.11 Aliens are Very Alien W G
1984 Kim Stanley Robinson The Wild Shore Three Californias Triptych #1 #448 5 3.74 Post-Apocalypse W G
1985 Orson Scott Card Ender’s Game Ender’s Saga #1 #58 4.5 4.31 Military Science Fiction W G
1986 Orson Scott Card Speaker for the Dead Ender’s Saga #2 #568 #244 4 4.12 Religious Order on Another Planet W G
1988 David Zindell Neverness A Requiem for Homo Sapiens #560 4.5 4.03 Space Opera W G
1988 Iain M Banks The Player of Games Culture #2 #596 #202 5 4.28 Board Game Diplomacy W G
1989 Dan Simmons Hyperion Hyperion Cantos #1 #432 #49 #168 4 4.28 Canterbury Tales with Portals W G
1990 Iain M Banks Use of Weapons Culture #3 #213 #26 4.75 4.16 Military Science Fiction W G
1990 James Tiptree Jr Her Smoke Rose Up Forever #274 5 4.17 Stranger in a Non-Gendered Land W G
1992 Vernor Vinge A Fire Upon the Deep Zones of Thought #1 #143 4.5 4.13 Uplift and Aliens W G
1992 Maureen F McHugh China Mountain Zhang #381 4.5 3.96 Slice of Sci-Fi Life W G
1992 Kim Stanley Robinson Red Mars Mars Trilogy #1 #382 4.5 3.85 Mars W G
1995 Christopher Priest The Prestige #177 5 3.92 Alternate History/Historical W G
1995 Jacqueline Harpman I Who Have Never Known Men #539 4.5 4.03 Post-Apocalypse W G
1996 Tad Williams City of Golden Shadow Otherland #1 #281 4.25 3.93 What year is this? W G
1996 Mary Doria Russell The Sparrow The Sparrow #1 #552 #297 4.5 4.13 Religious Order on Another Planet W G
1997 Greg Egan Diaspora #370 5 4.10 Deep Future W G
1998 Iain M Banks Inversions Culture #5 #586 #224 5 3.96 SciFi POV vs Fantasy POV W G
2000 Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space Revelation Space #1 #81 4.5 3.99 Space Opera W G
2002 Richard Morgan Altered Carbon Takeshi Kovacs #1 #42 #361 4 4.03 Detective Science Fiction W G
2004 David Mitchell Cloud Atlas #211 4.5 4.01 What year is this? W G
2004 Peter F Hamilton Pandora’s Star and Judas Unchained Commonwealth Saga #1 & 2 #256 4 4.22 Alien Invasion W G
2006 Peter Watts Blindsight Firefall #1 #335 #80 4.25 4.00 Aliens are Very Alien W G
2006 Dan Abnett Horus Rising Horus Heresy #1 #429 4 4.26 Military Science Fiction W G
2007 Alastair Reynolds The Prefect Prefect Dreyfus Emergency #1 #205 #19 4.75 4.17 Detective Science Fiction W G
2008 Neal Stephenson Anathem #581 #75 4.9 4.17 Religious Order on Another Planet W G
2011 Hugh Howey Wool Omnibus Silo #1 #166 4.5 4.22 Dystopia W G
2011 Andy Weir The Martian #212 #286 5 4.42 Engineering Competence Porn W G
2013 Ann Leckie Ancillary Justice Imperial Radch #1 #579 #218 4 3.99 Stranger in a Non-Gendered Land W G
2015 Adrian Tchaikovsky Children of Time and Children of Ruin Children of Time #1 #338 #405 #513 4 4.30 Uplift and Aliens W G
2016 Yoon Ha Lee Ninefox Gambit Machineries of Empire #1 #320 #333 5 3.79 Board Game Diplomacy W G
2018 Derek Künsken The Quantum Magician Quantum Evolution #1 #389 #576 4.5 3.98 Space Opera W G
2018 Peter F Hamilton Salvation Salvation Sequence #1 #425 5 4.12 Canterbury Tales with Portals W G
2019 Kameron Hurley The Light Brigade #394 #416 5 3.88 Soldier Unstuck in Time W G
2019 Emma Newman Atlas Alone Planetfall #4 #422 4.5 4.10 Unreliable Narrator W G
2020 Micaiah Johnson The Space Between Worlds Space Between Worlds #1 #447 4.5 3.92 Dystopia W G
2021 Adrian Tchaikovsky Elder Race #492 4 4.08 SciFi POV vs Fantasy POV W G
2022 Alastair Reynolds Eversion #502 4.5 3.95 What year is this? W G
2025 Silvia Park Luminous #588 5 3.62 Robot or Not W G

More about the SFBRP Must-Reads List »

In 2014 Luke made sure he’d read and reviewed every novel that had won both a Hugo and a Nebula Award. Since then a few more novels have become “Hugula Winners” and those have episodes too. This list includes all the Hugo/Nebula winners that have been reviewed on the podcast. Due to the Hugo and Nebula awards using different timeline and eligibility windows, the books are listed with publication years not award years.

Show:

Click table headers to sort.

Award Published Author Book/Topic Series SFBRP Episodes SFBRP
Rating
Goodreads
Rating
External
Links
Hugo+Nebula The Hugulas – Every novel that won both a Hugo and Nebula #252 – W G
Hugo 1940 A E van Vogt Slan Slan #1 #56 2.5 3.69 W G
Hugo 1956 Robert A Heinlein Double Star #595 3.5 3.92 W G
Hugo 1958 Fritz Leiber The Big Time #468 2 3.25 W G
Hugo 1959 Walter M Miller Jr A Canticle for Leibowitz #216 #41 3.5 3.99 W G
Hugo 1959 Robert A Heinlein Starship Troopers #553 #118 3.5 4.00 W G
Hugo 1962 Philip K Dick The Man in the High Castle #180 5 3.58 W G
Hugo 1963 Ray Bradbury Fahrenheit 451 #64 3.5 3.97 W G
Hugo 1963 Clifford D Simak Way Station #220 4 4.03 W G
Hugo+Nebula 1965 Frank Herbert Dune Dune Saga #1 #174 #11 4.5 4.29 W G
Hugo 1966 Robert A Heinlein The Moon is a Harsh Mistress #97 4 4.15 W G
Nebula 1966 Daniel Keyes Flowers for Algernon #222 #116 4.75 4.25 W G
Nebula 1966 Samuel R Delany Babel-17 #481 3 3.72 W G
Hugo 1967 Roger Zelazny Lord of Light #148 4.5 4.05 W G
Nebula 1967 Samuel R Delany The Einstein Intersection #476 4.5 3.55 W G
Hugo+Nebula 1969 Ursula K LeGuin The Left Hand of Darkness Hainish Cycle #4 #549 #68 4.5 4.09 W G
Hugo+Nebula 1970 Larry Niven Ringworld Ringworld #1 #237 2 3.93 W G
Hugo 1971 Philip Jose Farmer To Your Scattered Bodies Go #50 3 3.93 W G
Nebula 1971 Robert Silverberg A Time of Changes #574 2.5 3.68 W G
Hugo+Nebula 1972 Isaac Asimov The Gods Themselves #247 3.5 4.08 W G
Hugo+Nebula 1973 Arthur C Clarke Rendezvous with Rama Rama #1 #192 3.5 4.12 W G
Hugo+Nebula 1974 Ursula K LeGuin The Dispossessed Hainish Cycle #6 #72 3.5 4.26 W G
Hugo+Nebula 1974 Joe Haldeman The Forever War Forever War #1 #551 #20 2 4.14 W G
Hugo+Nebula 1977 Frederik Pohl Gateway Heechee Saga #1 #556 #40 3 4.05 W G
Hugo+Nebula 1978 Vonda N McIntyre Dreamsnake #229 3.5 3.88 W G
Hugo+Nebula 1979 Arthur C Clarke The Fountains of Paradise #241 4 3.95 W G
Hugo 1980 Joan D Vinge The Snow Queen #365 2 3.94 W G
Nebula 1981 Gene Wolfe The Claw of the Conciliator Book of the New Sun #2 #109 2.5 4.00 W G
Hugo 1981 C J Cherryh Downbelow Station Company Wars #1 #366 2.5 3.90 W G
Hugo+Nebula 1983 David Brin Startide Rising Uplift Saga #2 #578 #238 2 4.04 W G
Hugo+Nebula 1984 William Gibson Neuromancer Sprawl Trilogy #1 #31 2.5 3.89 W G
Hugo+Nebula 1985 Orson Scott Card Ender’s Game Ender’s Saga #231 #58 4.5 4.31 W G
Hugo+Nebula 1986 Orson Scott Card Speaker for the Dead Ender’s Saga #2 #568 #244 4 4.12 W G
Nebula 1988 Lois McMaster Bujold Falling Free Vorkosigan Saga #4 #182 3.5 3.84 W G
Hugo 1988 C J Cherryh Cyteen #383 3.5 4.00 W G
Hugo 1989 Dan Simmons Hyperion Hyperion Cantos #1 #432 #168 #49 4 4.28 W G
Hugo 1990 Lois McMaster Bujold The Vor Game Vorkosigan Saga #6 #197 1.75 4.27 W G
Hugo 1991 Lois McMaster Bujold Barrayar Vorkosigan Saga #7 #193 3 4.30 W G
Hugo 1992 Vernor Vinge A Fire Upon the Deep Zones of Thought #1 #143 4.5 4.13 W G
Hugo+Nebula 1992 Connie Willis Doomsday Book #246 0.1 4.03 W G
Nebula 1992 Kim Stanley Robinson Red Mars Mars Trilogy #1 #382 4.5 3.85 W G
Nebula 1993 Greg Bear Moving Mars Queen of Angels #3 #18 3.5 3.85 W G
Hugo 1994 Lois McMaster Bujold Mirror Dance Vorkosigan Saga #8 #482 1 4.32 W G
Hugo+Nebula 1997 Joe Haldeman Forever Peace Forever War #2 #239 1.5 3.75 W G
Hugo 1999 Vernor Vinge A Deepness in the Sky Zones of Thought #2 #412 3 4.32 W G
Hugo+Nebula 2001 Neil Gaiman American Gods American Gods #1 #235 1.5 4.10 W G
Hugo 2002 Robert J Sawyer Hominids Neanderthal Parallax #1 #36 1 3.81 W G
Nebula 2002 Elizabeth Moon The Speed of Dark #115 3.5 3.99 W G
Hugo+Nebula 2003 Lois McMaster Bujold Paladin of Souls World of the Five Gods #3 #240 2 4.19 W G
Hugo 2005 Robert Charles Wilson Spin Spin #1 #142 4 4.04 W G
Hugo 2006 Vernor Vinge Rainbows End #93 4.2 3.77 W G
Hugo 2006 Liu Cixin The Three-Body Problem Remembrance of Earth’s Past #1 #262 1.5 4.08 W G
Hugo+Nebula 2007 Michael Chabon The Yiddish Policemen’s Union #248 – 3.72 W G
Hugo+Nebula 2009 Paolo Bacigalupi The Windup Girl #82 4 3.75 W G
Hugo+Nebula 2010 Connie Willis Blackout and All Clear Blackout #1 & 2 #249 – 3.86 W G
Hugo+Nebula 2011 Jo Walton Among Others #230 0.5 3.72 W G
Hugo 2012 John Scalzi Redshirts #162 2 3.87 W G
Hugo+Nebula 2013 Ann Leckie Ancillary Justice Imperial Radch #1 #579 #218 4 3.99 W G
Nebula 2014 Jeff VanderMeer Annihilation Southern Reach #1 #253 4 3.80 W G
Hugo 2015 N K Jemisin The Fifth Season The Broken Earth #1 #311 4 4.28 W G
Hugo 2016 N K Jemisin The Obelisk Gate The Broken Earth #2 #313 2 4.28 W G
Nebula 2016 Charlie Jane Anders All the Birds in the Sky #324 2.5 3.59 W G
Hugo+Nebula 2017 N K Jemisin The Stone Sky The Broken Earth #3 #343 2 4.32 W G
Hugo+Nebula 2018 Mary Robinette Kowal The Calculating Stars Lady Astronaut #1 #385 0.5 3.95 W G
Hugo 2019 Arkady Martine A Memory Called Empire Teixcalaan #1 #413 4 4.10 W G
Hugo+Nebula 2020 Martha Wells Network Effect Murderbot Diaries #5 #495 #433 2 4.46 W G
Hugo 2021 Arkady Martine A Desolation Called Peace Teixcalaan #2 #474 4 4.29 W G
Nebula 2022 R F Kuang Babel #526 3 4.12 W G
Hugo 2023 Emily Tesh Some Desperate Glory #567 1.5 4.05 W G
Hugo 2025 Alix E Harrow The Everlasting #580 1 4.14 W G

In what order should one read the Iain M. Banks Culture series? Check out our SFBRP Recommended Reading Order of the Culture Series! Scroll down to see how we came up with this reading order, and additional notes on each book.

Click table headers to sort.

Recommended
Order
Published Author Book/Topic SFBRP Episodes SFBRP
Rating
Goodreads
Rating
External
Links
Culture series introduction #201 – W G
1 1988 Iain M Banks The Player of Games #202 #596 5 4.28 W G
2 1987 Iain M Banks Consider Phlebas #204 3.25 3.84 W G
3 1996 Iain M Banks Excession #209 3.5 4.19 W G
4 1990 Iain M Banks Use of Weapons #213 #26 4.75 4.16 W G
5 1989 Iain M Banks The State of the Art #221 3.5 3.82 W G
6 1998 Iain M Banks Inversions #224 #586 5 3.96 W G
7 2008 Iain M Banks Matter #232 #44 4 4.11 W G
8 2010 Iain M Banks Surface Detail #242 #129 4.25 4.27 W G
9 2012 Iain M Banks The Hydrogen Sonata #260 #172 4.25 4.21 W G
10 2000 Iain M Banks Look to Windward #263 4.75 4.23 W G
Culture series read-through wrap-up #268 5 W G

How did we get here?

The obvious reading order is publication order, which is also almost identical to the internal chronological order.

But the problem with this order is that Consider Phlebas, the first novel, is by far the weakest book, and isn’t a good representation of the overall series due to the viewpoint character being an enemy of the Culture and an outsider. I’ve heard from a lot of people who say something similar to “Oh, the Culture series? I tried that but the first book didn’t really grab me so I didn’t continue.”

The other problem is that Bank planned to end the series once, with Look to Windward, but then later picked the series up again… and then died suddenly without writing another natural ending point.

I’ve seen some people suggest the short story collection and novella The State of the Art as a good starting point. However, this frames the Culture in relation to the planet Earth in the 20th century which, while fun, is a limiting perspective to approach the rest of the series. It’s best to get to know the Culture from the inside first, and then see it from a 20th century Earth point of view.

The SFBRP Recommended Reading Order

So when re-reading the entire series for us to review on the podcast, I put together an order that starts with the strongest early book, then moves mostly chronologically. However, it separates a few books by tone (putting some fun books between the heavy books) and groups a few books by theme, like putting The State of the Art with Inversions. It also moves Look to Windward to the end of the series, to its natural place as an ending to the Culture series, and also to go with the “death and afterlife” group.

1. Player of Games. Probably the best introduction to the Culture, laying out the Contact and Special Circumstances factions and what they get up to, which makes up the bulk of the series. It’s also one of the best novels in terms of writing, and it’s not too “heavy”. Viewpoint: normal culture citizen.

2. Consider Phlebas. The war in this book is the main threat threat the Culture experiences at its own level, and not massively overpowered or underpowered compared to their opponents. It’s also the first book chronologically, so it makes sense to go near the start. Warning: almost universally considered the weakest book in the series, so once you get through this it’s trending up in the future! Viewpoint: outside enemy of the Culture.

3. Excession. The best introductions to the Culture ships, one of the most memorable and fun aspects of the series. While there are human-level characters, it’s really all about the ships. It’s also super fun! You need a break after some of the heavier books.

4. Use of Weapons. Really heavy stuff, showing how war isn’t all about ship minds having fun. It has an internal story structure that some readers might find challenging, but it’s worth it. Viewpoint: outsider being used by the Contact and Special Circumstances elements of the Culture.

5. The State of the Art. Once the Culture has been established, it’s good to see where the Earth fits in with it. We also get to see more of Diziet Sma, a character from Use of Weapons. Viewpoint: Culture insider looking at Earth.

6. Inversions. A Culture novel without any viewpoint characters knowing about the Culture. This fits well with State of the Art, as you can imagine what it would be like for someone on Earth to be in the same situation. Warning: this will make ZERO sense if you’ve not read the previous books.

7. Matter. This is probably the most “minor” Culture book in the series, in my opinion. It’s okay, and that’s about it. At least after Inversions it’ll get you back into the swing of spending time with ships and drones.

8. Surface Detail. The first on the list of three “death and afterlife” Culture novels. This shows “man’s” attempt at creating an afterlife.

9. The Hydrogen Sonata. This shows the “science” of a true kind of afterlife on a civilization level, with much talk of subliming, or not subliming, and what life actually means when faced with something better after death.

10. Look to Windward. This is quite out of sequence chronologically and by publishing date, but should be the best way to finish off the series. Most of the action takes place within the Culture, rather than, like most of the novels, outside of it. It completes the “death and afterlife” series in the most satisfying way. It also pairs well with Consider Phlebas, so it’s good to have these two topping (almost) and tailing this list. Viewpoint: an alien visiting the Culture.