Top 5 Science Fiction Books I Have Read so Far

In the fall of 2023, I challenged myself to read 100 science fiction books.  These are the best science fiction books I have read since I started this challenge. 

 1. Blindsight by Peter Watts 

What if consciousness is an evolutionary flaw?  

    A crew of augmented humans, a biological vampire, and an AI in a not-so-distant future travel to the edge of the solar system to meet a mysterious alien intelligence called the Rorschach. The book asks questions about intelligence, consciousness, and the future of humanity. The book is hard science fiction and dense with scientific ideas and jargon. The characters are all augmented or evolved in various ways, each exploring different aspects of what it is to be human. The story is told from the point of view of Siri, a man who had half of his brain taken out as a child and who feels more like a machine. The ideas and story come together perfectly at the end, each of the characters reach their arcs, and questions raised linger long after reading the book. I enjoyed it so much that I read it twice. 

2. Blood Music by Greg Bear 

What if nanotechnology evolves beyond human control? 

    A rogue scientist, Vergil Ulam, injects himself with intelligent, sentient biological nanobots. (Grey Goo) The book explores the consequences of scientific ambition and of consciousness and evolution. First. think about something microscopic like a virus, and how it reproduces and evolves faster than humans. Imagine if they were sentient and intelligent. Then imagine what would happen if you injected them into your body. The novel begins as a Frankenstein inspired body horror story. The novel continues to evolve as the microscopic creatures, called noocytes evolve. Their evolution affects humanity and reality. As the story moves along, it becomes more abstract and philosophical. I couldn't put the book down and was continually surprised. It is dated at times as major scene takes place at the World Trade Center. It was technical, dense, yet inspiring. I still think about the ideas in the book.

3. A Fire Upon the Deep  by Vernor Vinge

What if intelligence is limited by galactic location and a god-like super intelligence escaped threatening the galaxy? 

    In the far future, a human ship unleashes an ancient evil intelligence called the Blight. A group of surviving humans, with their alien allies, work together to try to stop it before it is too late.

Zones of Thought

    This is an impactful space opera that takes place in the Zones of Thought. Intelligence depends on location in the one of the four concentric circles that divide the Milky Way Galaxy. The galactic center is called the Unthinking Depths where only minimal intelligence can exist. A ship that goes here will be stranded as technology is impossible here. The next circle is called The Slow Zone where Earth exists with our limits of technology. The next circle is the Beyond where Star Trek and Star Wars technology is possible. Humans a long time ago found their way into The Beyond. The outer most circle is The Transcend where God-like aliens live and where humans try to reach. Humans unleash the Blight near the border of the Transcend and escape, crashing on a planet near the bottom of The Beyond. 

    The world building is what makes this book rate so high. It's not just the Zones of Thought, but the different worlds we visit along the way. The ideas Vinge has for the aliens are creative and written in a way that slowly reveals what the biology and culture of the aliens. I can't even describe them because it would spoil the best part of the book. The book is great because of the adventure. This still makes it one of the greatest space operas despite its flaws of a weak ending and underdeveloped characters. 

4. City by Clifford Simak

What if humanity disappeared and dogs ruled the Earth? 

    In the far future, sentient dogs inherit the Earth. They try to figure out if humans were myths and what happened to them. They do this by discussing stories that follow a human family throughout the centuries. They also interview the robot Jenkins who was alive when humans ruled the Earth. We slowly learn about life in the Dog world and wonder if Earth is better off under their domain.

    City is a fix up novel of several short stories framed by the notes of the dog researchers. It is considered pastoral science fiction. It is cozier, slower, and more intimate. It explores ideas of societal decay and isolation. Humans leave the cities because of fear of nuclear war. Some humans are hostile towards the changes and some embrace it. Social isolation affects humans and future evolution. There is a chapter that has one of the best depictions of social anxiety I have ever read.  I don't think this book would have affected me the same way ten years ago before the COVID lockdowns. It was written in the 1950's but is still relevant to today. It started lighthearted but became darker in tone towards the end. 

5. A Case of Conscience by James Blish

Can a perfect society exist without God? 

    A Jesuit priest is studying life on the planet Lithia and can find no flaws in the alien society. Is it divine or the Devil's illusion created to shake the faith of believers. The questions of faith and the nature of evil mixed with amazing world building make this an important book in the science fiction genre. I like how questions aren't easily answered allowing the reader to make conclusions. The second half is weaker than the first half but the shocking ending makes up for it.