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× The Cyberiad (English translation) by Stanisław Lem. It's the most hilarious science fiction I've read. It hits a special note with me, I actually immediately
by nicopappl 4y ago
× The Cyberiad (English translation) by Stanisław Lem. It's the most hilarious science fiction I've read. It hits a special note with me, I actually immediately started reading it again from the start as soon as I finished it.
× The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber & David Wengrow. An amazing rethinking of archeology, a denunciation of social orthogenesis and an invitation to dream of a better world
Other mentions are long fantasy series, including a complete re-read of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett and Tchaikovsky's Shadow of the Apt (not his best, but frighteningly relevant in 2022. A story about the Eastern "wasp empire" invading the west and all its strategies of propaganda, division and subjugation)
- MattPalmer1086 4y agoSeconded for the Cyberiad. That's probably one of the more accessible Lem books, and it's absolutely hilarious.
- orobinson 4y agoThe Cyberiad is brilliant. If you haven’t read it already I thoroughly recommend Monday Starts on Saturday by the Strugatsky Brothers. It has a kind of similar vibe, hilarious, fantastical yet still sci-fi.
- Eric_WVGG 4y agoI’m also reading Apt, agree that it’s not his best, but he’s one of those guys whose least efforts are still better than nearly everything else on the shelf. And an absolute machine, he writes at a near Steven King pace.
- rwl 4y agoI also read the Dawn of Everything and wanted to recommend it here. The first chapter drew me in immediately: reading the native American critiques of the culture of European settlers was eye-opening. By the end of the book I felt they had beat their message to death a little bit, but the message was a very interesting one.