“The Three-Body Problem” by Liu Cixin – Cosmic Underdogs
Liu Cixin his quickly risen to the higher echelons of science-fiction prominence after penning the “Remembrance of Earth’s Past” trilogy, the first book of which is The Three-Body Problem, which has also been made into a television show not long ago. In short, it begins a saga lasting about four hundred years (more or less), detailing humanity’s terrifying first contact, its implications, and the starkly contrasted reality it presents for our civilization as a whole.
“2001: A Space Odyssey” by Arthur C. Clarke – The Unseen Guiding Hand
Arthur C. Clarke has done more than most to popularize science and make it accessible to laymen lacking advanced education in the field, and few of his works exemplify it as well as 2001: A Space Odyssey. The classic novel, which was also turned into a celebrated movie, follows a small crew as they venture from Earth to lapetus, one of Saturn’s moons with peculiar properties. Unbeknownst to everyone apart from the cutting-edge on-board AI, the mission has a secret designation, implying potential consequences far above and beyond what most can imagine.
“The Infernal Machine” by Steven Johnson – Explosive Echoes
Short Summary Steven Johnson has shown himself quite apt at offering his readers detailed and nuanced insight into specific fragments of our history, a feat he accomplished yet again with his 2024 book titled The Infernal Machine. Briefly-said, in this book he chronicles the rise of modern detectives, the kind who use information rather than brute force to achieve their goals, as well as the Anarchist movement, which is what ultimately led to their appearance.
“Prey” by Michael Crichton – The Emergent Swarm
Short Summary Michael Crichton has entrenched himself in the science-fiction genre as well as any author could hope to, and while he has gifted us with many enthralling and thought-provoking works over the years, few have stayed with me the way Prey has. In this story published back in 2002, he follows a small group of scientists desperately attempting to reign a plague in… a plague which consists of nanobot swarms, evolving more and more rapidly with each passing hour.
“Smiley’s People” by John le Carre – End of the Oldest Line
John le Carre has not only entertained us, but shaped our collective view of espionage through his innumerable novels, but I believe few have caught the readers’ imaginations as well as those of the Karla Trilogy. In Smiley’s People, the final chapter, we follow a retired George Smiley who finds himself summoned to identify the remains of an old spy he used to manage. Trying to piece together his secrets, Smiley finds himself on a final collision course with his old nemesis, Karla himself.
