Hugonauts: The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time

We had so much fun revisiting Mid-World for this episode – it’s the first series that brought us together as book nerds twenty years ago, and it’s absolutely just as good as the first day we read it. So thankful it helped tie our friendship together, and laid the foundation for meeting all the rest of you Hugonauts all these years later!  The Dark Tower defies (or bridges) genres, with elements of sci-fi, fantasy, western, horror, and more, all rolled into one legendary package. And Roland Deschain, the Gunslinger, is an incredible main character, and we’ll never forget the rest of the Ka-Tet either. And the ending – we won’t spoil it here, but man do we like thinking about this ending (it’s one of the most polarizing in all of literature). You may be picking up on the fact that we kinda like these books. Join the Hugonauts book club on discord Or you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer video As always, no spoilers until the end when we give a heads up before getting into the full plot discussion. Similar books we recommend:  Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey Book of the New Sun series - Gene Wolfe This episode is sponsored by The Rising and the Fall of Hell by Sean Miller If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode: 00:00 Intro 01:58 Our review (5/5) 03:35 Sponsor – The Rising and the Fall of Hell by Sean Miller 04:09 About Stephen King 07:26 Incredible character writing 08:56 A 20 year series 10:30 Should we be reading on drugs? 12:38 Cody hates Star Wars 15:52 Every genre combined 18:02 Our favorite books in the series 19:39 The King Multiverse 21:10 The Dark Tower movie 22:03 Inspirations from other fiction 27:44 Similar books we recommend 31:27 POST SPOILERS discussion

They run through 15 binge-worthy sci-fi and fantasy reads, from time-loop magic and litRPG progression to rescue‑room thrillers and uploaded-mind space opera. Expect creepy biotech and rogue game AI, hard-science Mars problem-solving, cozy cultivation parodies, and survival fantasy with Mesoamerican flavor. They end by revealing personal top three picks.

Big, galaxy-spanning stories with huge casts and planet-hopping stakes. Multi-POV sagas, ancient timelines, and first-contact mysteries. Inventive alien minds, language experiments, AI-driven empires, and cozy found-family crews. A mix of monumental worldbuilding, political intrigue, and soaring space battles.

Delve into the intriguing world of Neal Stephenson's take on nanotechnology in a future dominated by intelligent machines. The hosts discuss the complexities of visualizing a richly detailed world and how it affects storytelling. They also critique character development and pacing issues, while highlighting moments of brilliance like the 'ractor' concept reminiscent of today's AI. Plus, get recommendations for similar reads that explore tech themes, including a shoutout to Blood Music for a biological twist!

From Sumeria, to Greece, to India, to the depths of the dark ages we explore the stories that have inspired everything that came later with a professor of mythology and medieval literature. This particular professor also happens to be Cody's mom, so this is also a great episode to explore Cody's psyche, for those brave enough to explore a dark and twisted place. Join the Hugonauts book club on discordOr you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer videoIf you want to do some reading, here are our suggestions on the best translations of these myths (and even a couple great graphic novels): Epic of Gilgamesh, trans. Andrew George, Penguin ClassicsThe Odyssey, trans. Robert FaglesThe Odyssey, Gareth Hinds graphic novelThe Iliad, Penguin ClassicsThe Aeneid, trans. Robert Fagles Penguin ClassicsAge of Bronze Series, Eric Shanower (series of graphic novels on Trojan War)Hercules, Fred Van LenteMonkey, trans. Arthur WaleyBeowulf, trans. Seamus HeaneyThe Popul Vuh, trans. Michael Bazzett, Milkweed EditionsThe Nibelungenlied, trans. AT Hatto, PenguinChretien de Troyes, Arthurian Romances, trans. William W. Kibler, PenguinLe Morte D’Arthur, Sir Thomas Malory, Penguin ClassicsTales from the Thousand and One Nights, trans. N.J. Dawood, Penguin ClassicsSindbad and Other Stories from Arabian Nights, trans Husain HaddowySinbad the Sailor, Penguin ClassicsThe Ramayana, Abridged and Translated by Arshia Sattar, Penguin Classics OR any children’s/YA book to get started. There are hundredsIf you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for all the books we talked about: 0:00 - Intro1:45 - The Epic of Gilgamesh6:35 - The Odyssey10:12 - The Iliad12:09 - The Aeneid14:12 - Hercules15:53 - Monkey (Excerpts from Journey to the West)21:00 - Beowulf25:25 - The Popul Vuh28:23 - The Nibelungenlied33:21 - King Arthur Myths (Malory, De Troyes)36:56 - Tales From the Thousand and One Nights41:40 - Sinbad the Sailor45:10 - The Ramayana49:55 - Our Top 3 favorite myths

Whether you like ripping page turners, incredible characters, books that make you laugh out loud, exploring unforgettable new worlds, or literary books that will make you see the world in a new way, there's a great intro to scifi out there for everyone!Join the Hugonauts book club on discord to tell us about your favorite time travel booksOr you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer videoIf you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for all the books we talked about: 00:00 Intro 00:38 Incredible Characters - Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold 3:07 A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers 4:04 Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes 4:52 Unforgettable Worlds - The Expanse by James S.A. Corey 6:58 Hyperion by Dan Simmons 8:24 House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds 9:20 Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky 10:56 The Forever War by Joe Haldeman 12:22 Funny SF - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 13:36 Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson 14:50 Old Man's War by John Scalzi 16:01 Page turners - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 17:43 Dark Matter or Recursion by Blake Crouch 18:52 All Systems Red by Martha Wells 20:01 Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card 21:35 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 22:34 Literary SciFi - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin 24:55 Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 26:26 The Road by Cormac McCarthy 27:49 Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut 28:40 Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein

Dive into a captivating journey through six interconnected stories that push the boundaries of narrative structure. Discover the unforgettable voices crafted by a single author and how they explore themes of power, subjugation, and human resilience across time. Each section immerses readers deeply into distinct eras, revealing both tragic and triumphant arcs. Plus, get recommendations for similar genre-bending reads! Whether you love or hate the characters, their complexities will keep you thinking long after.

Really though we just wanted to do something scary for Halloween - put on a skin-tight leotard. Yes, Brent really did read this sitting next to bubbling pumpkins.

Dive into the fascinating realm of time travel literature, from science-driven tales like 'Tau Zero' to whimsical adventures in 'Night Watch.' Discover how 'The Forever War' explores the alienation of soldiers through relativity, while 'Story of Your Life' intertwines linguistics with time perception. Enjoy looping narratives in 'The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle' and thrilling twists in 'Kindred.' Plus, hear about enchanting children's books and cinematic interpretations that bring time travel to life!

Seen through the eyes of a main character who can't remember anything from life before the prison, you get to explore this strange, grim world from first principles. Its an alien way to explore an alien place, and the mystery just keeps getting deeper all the way through. The ending makes this a stylistically divisive book - you're gonna love it or you're gonna hate it. Join the Hugonauts book club on discordOr you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer videoAs always, no spoilers until the end when we get into the full plot explanation and discussion.Similar books we recommend: The Buried Giant by Kazuo IshiguroThe Handmaid's Tale by Margaret AtwoodThe Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg ElisonThis episode is sponsored by Mindstock by Richard Yonk, available here. If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode:  00:00 Intro01:00 Book setup01:45 Sponsor - Mindstock by Richard Yonck2:17 Our review 4/53:50 Must be dystopia, journal time5:00 Environmental storytelling8:21 Hyper rational main character?11:29 Harpman's family in the holocaust17:15 Shadow of the Colossus18:15 The Buried Giant19:02 The Handmaid's Tale19:46 Book of the Unnamed Midwife20:54 Spoilers section - book summary22:44 Spoilers section - discussion