10 SCARY Sci-Fi Book Recommendations
Summary
TLDRIn this thrilling Booktube collaboration, Jonathan is joined by Rachel from Shades of Orange to explore the chilling intersection of horror and science fiction. They delve into a diverse selection of scary sci-fi books, discussing titles like 'Hyperion' by Dan Simmons and 'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood, which range from cosmic horror to dystopian nightmares. The conversation also touches on lesser-known gems, providing a comprehensive guide for readers seeking a literary adrenaline rush.
Takeaways
- 📚 The video is a collaboration between Jonathan and Rachel discussing scary science fiction books.
- 👻 Rachel admits to having a love for both science fiction and the dark, creepy, and disturbing elements often found in horror.
- 🎢 Jonathan differentiates between different kinds of 'scary', noting that what frightens one person may not affect another in the same way.
- 🕰 The first book recommendation is 'Hyperion' by Dan Simmons, which features a terrifying creature called the Shrike and explores themes of body horror and AI technology.
- 🌊 Rachel's first recommendation is 'Starfish' by Peter Watts, a claustrophobic sci-fi horror set in an underwater rig with morally complex characters.
- 👽 'Roadside Picnic' by the Strugatsky brothers is suggested for its eerie and mysterious zones left behind by aliens, creating a sense of suspense and existential dread.
- 📖 'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood is recommended as a dystopian novel that feels increasingly possible and relevant in today's society, causing fear through its plausibility.
- 📡 '1984' by George Orwell is highlighted for its portrayal of a totalitarian government with constant surveillance, making it a classic dystopian tale that remains chillingly relevant.
- 🤯 'Full Immersion' by Gemma Moore is a sci-fi horror novel that deals with postpartum depression and virtual reality, offering an emotionally raw and unsettling narrative.
- 🌌 'Pandora's Star' by Peter F. Hamilton is noted for having a particularly shocking chapter amidst a grand space opera setting involving the disappearance of a star and alien encounters.
- 🚢 'Ship of Fools' by Richard Paul Russo is a space horror novel that subverts expectations, focusing on suspense and an unsettling atmosphere aboard a seemingly abandoned ship.
Q & A
What is the main topic of discussion in the video?
-The main topic of discussion in the video is scary science fiction books, with a focus on recommendations from Jonathan and Rachel.
What is the relationship between Jonathan and Rachel in the context of the video?
-Jonathan and Rachel are both booktubers who collaborate in this video to discuss and recommend scary science fiction books to their audience.
How does Jonathan describe the book 'Hyperion' by Dan Simmons?
-Jonathan describes 'Hyperion' as a series with seven pilgrims traveling to the planet Hyperion, featuring the terrifying Shrike and elements of body horror and AI technology.
What is the premise of 'Starfish' by Peter Watts?
-'Starfish' takes place on an underwater rig where the crew members are not the most desirable individuals in society, creating a claustrophobic and suspenseful atmosphere.
Why does Rachel recommend 'Roadside Picnic' by Katie and Boris Chugatsky?
-Rachel recommends 'Roadside Picnic' for its eerie and tense mystery surrounding alien visitation sites and the existential questions it raises about humanity's significance.
What is the dystopian setting of 'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood?
-In 'The Handmaid's Tale', a dystopian future is depicted where women who can conceive are treated as property and used for surrogacy by the wealthy.
How does Jonathan describe the feeling of reading '1984' by George Orwell?
-Jonathan describes '1984' as a book that makes the reader feel the oppression of a totalitarian government with constant surveillance and severe consequences for disobedience.
What is the unique aspect of 'Full Immersion' by Gemma Moore that Rachel finds compelling?
-The unique aspect of 'Full Immersion' is the author's personal experience with postpartum depression, which she incorporates into the story, making it emotionally raw and authentic.
What is the main theme of 'Ship of Fools' by Richard Paul Russo?
-'Ship of Fools' is a space horror novel that explores themes of purposelessness and religious fanaticism aboard a ship wandering aimlessly in space.
What makes 'Tender Is the Flesh' by Agustina Bazterrica stand out as a horror recommendation?
-'Tender Is the Flesh' stands out for its disturbing premise of a future where humans are used as a special type of meat, challenging readers' comfort levels and beliefs.
What is the general consensus on the 'The Three-Body Problem' series by Liu Cixin?
-The general consensus is that 'The Three-Body Problem' series is a hard science fiction that raises existential and philosophical questions about humanity's place in the universe.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to Scary Sci-Fi Book Discussion
In this introductory paragraph, Jonathan and Rachel from the booktube channel 'shades of orange' set the stage for a discussion on scary science fiction books. Jonathan expresses his excitement about the crossover between sci-fi and horror, acknowledging his own preference for the dark and disturbing. Rachel, despite initially claiming to dislike scary content, admits her enthusiasm for the topic, highlighting the subjective nature of what constitutes 'scary'. They agree to focus on sci-fi elements to make the content more accessible to a general audience. Jonathan begins with a recommendation of 'Hyperion' by Dan Simmons, noting its scary aspects involving a mysterious creature called the Shrike and themes of body horror and AI technology.
🌊 Starfish by Peter Watts: Underwater Horror
Rachel recommends 'Starfish' by Peter Watts, a sci-fi horror novel set on an underwater rig. She describes the setting as a place for society's outcasts, which adds to the story's dark atmosphere. The claustrophobic and deep-sea environment is portrayed as inherently scary, with the characters facing not only the dangers of the ocean but also the psychological strain of working in such a hostile environment. The book is part of a trilogy and is described as atmospheric and disturbing, though not overly terrifying.
👽 Roadside Picnic: Mysterious Alien Visitation
Jonathan's second recommendation is 'Roadside Picnic' by the Strugatsky brothers. The book explores the aftermath of an alien visitation to Earth, where mysterious and dangerous zones have been left behind. People venture into these zones, despite the risks, in search of alien artifacts. The story is not a traditional horror but has an eerie and tense atmosphere, with an undercurrent of existential dread about humanity's place in the universe.
🚨 The Handmaid's Tale: Dystopian Fears
Rachel discusses 'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood, a dystopian novel set in a future where women are treated as property and used for surrogacy due to a decline in fertility rates. The story follows the life of 'Offred', highlighting the oppressive regime and the surveillance state. Rachel emphasizes the book's relevance and its chilling plausibility, noting how Atwood's speculative fiction is rooted in real-world possibilities.
📡 1984: Totalitarian Dystopia
Jonathan's third recommendation is George Orwell's '1984', a classic dystopian novel that explores the theme of totalitarian government and constant surveillance. The story is known for its portrayal of a society where thought control and the manipulation of reality are the norm. Jonathan finds the book particularly scary due to its high stakes and the severe consequences of dissent.
🤔 Full Immersion: Virtual Reality and Postpartum Depression
Rachel recommends 'Full Immersion' by Gemma Moore, a book that combines elements of sci-fi and horror with the author's personal experience of postpartum depression. The story involves a woman who enters a virtual reality therapy to cope with her condition. The book is noted for its emotional rawness and the exploration of the blurred lines between reality and virtual experiences.
🌌 Pandora's Star: Space Opera with a Horrific Twist
Jonathan's fourth recommendation, 'Pandora's Star' by Peter F. Hamilton, is a space opera set in a future with advanced technology like wormholes. The story involves the mysterious disappearance of a star and the subsequent encounter with aliens. While not primarily a horror novel, it contains a particularly shocking and horrific moment that left a strong impression on Jonathan.
🛸 Ship of Fools: Space Horror with a Twist
Rachel's next pick is 'Ship of Fools' by Richard Paul Russo, a space horror novel that subverts typical tropes of the genre. The story follows a crew on a ship that has lost its purpose and has been taken over by a religious group. The suspense builds as they explore an abandoned ship, with the narrative playing with the reader's expectations and creating an unsettling atmosphere.
🌌 The Three-Body Problem: Cosmic Horror and Philosophy
Jonathan's final recommendation is 'The Three-Body Problem' by Liu Cixin, the first book in the 'Remembrance of Earth's Past' trilogy. The novel is a hard sci-fi story that raises existential questions about humanity's place in the universe. Set against the backdrop of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, it involves strange occurrences affecting scientists and a secret mission sending messages into space.
🥩 Tender Is the Flesh: Dystopian Cannibalism
Rachel concludes with a daring recommendation, 'Tender Is the Flesh', a dystopian novel where animal consumption is forbidden, leading to the government-sanctioned use of human meat. The story is told from the perspective of a man working in a production facility who is given a living human specimen to raise. The book is described as deeply unsettling and thought-provoking, challenging the reader's comfort zones and ethical considerations.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Scary Sci-Fi
💡Body Horror
💡Dystopian
💡Existential Crisis
💡Virtual Reality
💡Postpartum Depression
💡Space Opera
💡Cosmic Horror
💡Suspense
💡Special Meat
Highlights
Introduction to the collaboration between Jonathan and Rachel discussing scary sci-fi books.
Rachel's confession of her love for scary things, despite not enjoying horror movies.
Jonathan's intention to focus on sci-fi elements that are scary to make the content accessible to a broader audience.
The importance of understanding that what is scary is subjective and varies from person to person.
Recommendation of 'Hyperion' by Dan Simmons, highlighting its scary aspects involving time tombs and the creature Shrike.
Discussion on 'Starfish' by Peter Watts, focusing on the claustrophobic and atmospheric horror of an underwater rig.
Jonathan's mention of 'Roadside Picnic' by the Strugatsky brothers, noting its eerie and mysterious zones left by aliens.
Rachel's choice of 'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood, emphasizing its dystopian and terrifyingly possible future.
Jonathan's pick of '1984' by George Orwell, discussing its oppressive and totalitarian themes that feel relevant today.
Recommendation of 'Full Immersion' by Gemma Moore, blending sci-fi with the raw emotion of postpartum depression.
Jonathan's mention of 'Pandora's Star' by Peter F. Hamilton, with a particular focus on a shocking chapter involving alien capture.
Rachel's choice of 'Ship of Fools' by Richard Paul Russo, a space horror with a unique take on the genre's tropes.
Jonathan's final recommendation of 'The Three-Body Problem' by Liu Cixin, praising its blend of hard sci-fi with existential questions.
Rachel's daring final pick, 'Tender Is the Flesh', a dystopian novel that challenges readers with its disturbing premise of human consumption.
The hosts' mutual appreciation for the discussion and their respective channels, encouraging viewers to explore more sci-fi content.
Transcripts
if you're interested in scary sci-fi
books you're in the right place hello
booktube I'm Jonathan and today I'm
joined by the amazing Rachel from shades
of orange Rachel do you like scary books
scary movies scary video games not at
all no I'm kidding I love scary things
so I was so excited when you invited me
on for this topic because as anyone who
follows my channel knows I not only love
science fiction but I also have to but I
also happen to have this strange love
for the dark and creepy the dark and
disturbing a lot of horror books and so
it actually crosses over really nicely
I'm going to try to be fair in this
video and focus more on science fiction
that's scary so that it's a bit more
accessible to those of you I assume
you're a regular audience may not
necessarily read a lot of horror and so
I definitely want to make sure that this
is safe a safe space for everyone but I
enjoy being scared it's fun what about
yourself like do you watch this scary
movie I don't watch many horror movies I
don't I don't I don't mind the
adrenaline like I can do roller coasters
but you know I'm I do much better with a
bungee jump than a jump scare I'm
I get very easily scared so some of my
recommendations probably gonna be more
scary conceptually as opposed to
actually terrifying I think Rachel's
recommendations might be a little bit
hairy on the on the scary meter that's a
good point because you I even asked you
before we got started being like okay
well what do you mean by scary like
what's what's the plan here what's our
prompt and I wanted to make sure that I
was going in the right direction and not
going off of the feeding path but I
actually really love that you're going
to be talking about different kinds of
scary because that's something that
while I do read a lot of Horror
there is such a difference when it comes
to what one person will think is scary
versus another it's very personal it's
very subjective so maybe before we even
get into this let me give a huge
disclaimer that if you have read one of
these books we're talking about and you
say well that's not scary it's not scary
for you it might be scary for someone
else so keep that all in mind uh because
that's something I run into a lot is
that someone will say well this book
didn't scare me and well maybe certain
things scare you that don't scare me and
vice versa so I think this will be a lot
of fun to talk about
absolutely well let's dive into some
scary sci-fi books we're going to give
five recommendations each I'll kick us
off with one that you're probably
familiar with it's one of my favorite
series one that gets a lot of love from
the Sci-Fi community and that is
hyperion by Dan Simmons so a lot of
people talk about this book they
recommend it but I don't necessarily
hear a lot of people always talk about
how scary it is I thought it was pretty
scary so Hyperion we have seven pilgrims
traveling to the planet of Hyperion to
visit the time tombs which are moving
backwards in time and are guarded by the
mysterious shrike and the shrike
definitely one of the scariest aspects
of this of this book of this series The
strikes massive covered in spiky Thorns
red eyes they got forearms even though
the covers only depict him with two arms
the first three books anyway this guy
terrifying
laws of space time physics don't apply
to the shrike the shrike can kill you in
an instant the strike can impale you on
the tree of thorn tree of pain
I found this like more upsetting than I
was than I was prepared for and the
series also has a lot of stuff to do
with like body horror with the cruciform
and then also like the threat of AI
technology with the technicore and
things like this so I think if you are
into horror if you are into some scary
things not the whole book of Hyperion
not the whole series but there are going
to be moments that I think are going to
gonna scratch that horror itch for you
that sounds so good I still need to read
Hyperion but no one has ever told me
that it has those scary elements so I
would have moved it way off the TBR if
someone had pitched that to me sooner
because that sounds really fun it sounds
cool like there's this like creature in
there and I don't know yeah I love
everyone's like it's the Canterbury
Tales and someone sort of said it's a
horror book or it's scary they would
have gone to read a lot sooner
I've seen that in every review but it's
like which is cup I mean how many people
have actually read the Canterbury Tales
like how to watch
maybe smarter more literary people than
me but anyway yes Canterbury Tales meet
sci-fi meets horror that's we'll say
that that's the pitch yeah well I'm sold
on that
so should I go next yes what is your
first recommendation all right I had to
narrow it down I had more than five but
the first one I want to go with is
starfish by Peter watt have you read
this one
I know I haven't I haven't read any
Peter Watts but blindsight is on the TBR
ah you know that's one of my favorites
so I could have gone with that one but I
felt like starfish it better fit the
prompt even though both of them could be
classified as sci-fi horror So within
the story it all takes place in this
underwater rig and the idea is that it's
deep in the ocean and it's just not a
very desirable place to work so I love
this setup because it's all about the
idea that
nice people don't go there to work on
the rigs pretty much you either have to
be this like low life of society you
have to be someone who's been abused or
has been abuser yourself or just had a
terrible terrible life because otherwise
you find a better job and so that's a
whole setup for the story which I think
frames it really interestingly because
you don't have the character surrounded
by nice people and they themselves are
not nice and then I like to recommend
this book as something scary just
because you can imagine underwater deep
in the ocean it's so claustrophobic you
just can feel the ocean and the pressure
just crushing on the characters the idea
that if something goes wrong out when
they're working on the rig they're in
the same safety mechanisms in place and
I just found the book scary as anything
I often say actually I'm a terrible
swimmer so anything involving the ocean
is scary enough but I think even for
those of you that hopefully have a
better sense of swimming and a you know
are a bit more adapt in the water that
it's still terrifying when you get that
far down because again so much can go
wrong and it's kind of like a mystery
like you're like oh who to trust and all
that and I don't want to spoil much of
it I'm someone who often likes to just
give more of a feeling about a book than
like a really long synopsis because the
book itself is fairly short it's the
first in the series and first in Trilogy
specifically and you just kind of want
to experience it for yourself but yeah
claustrophobic atmospheric really messed
up but not too scary I promise you
actually would enjoy it I swear I
promise
I like the the kind of feeling of being
under the water because I'm not
certified but I've gone scuba diving a
couple of times and it's really fun but
when you're when you're a newbie they
only let you go down like 20 feet 30
feet and it's like okay if something
were to go wrong you know I could
probably swim up to the surface would be
okay but you know if you're hundreds of
thousands of feet deep especially as as
you described not surrounded by the best
people uh that might be a rather
claustrophobic and uncomfortable feeling
so
uh yeah I'm gonna be reading Blindside
in April so I might if I might have to
add this one because that seems to be
the main what's book that I hear
recommended but I might have to add this
one to the TBR as well that sounds kind
of creepy yeah if you love Blindside I
definitely think it's the next one to go
awesome
well for my second scary sci-fi book I'm
gonna go with one that I read recently
and that is roadside picnic by Katie and
Boris chugatsky and this one it's
definitely not out and out horror but
there is
aliens have come then visited Earth and
there are these sites which people go
into kind of off the books they're not
supposed to go in there to explore and
find things and there's this kind of
mystery of why did the aliens come was
it for sinister reasons were they just
passing by do they not even care about
humans
but the science the zones that you can
go into they're very mysterious they're
very dangerous it kind of has this Eerie
tense mystery about them and it feels a
little bit like I think this was
possibly an influence on Annihilation I
haven't read the book but I watched the
movie and it kind of reminded me and as
I was going through the zone you know I
I was I was kind of on the edge of my
seat wanting to find out what was going
to happen next what kind of weird thing
was going to go down in the zone next
and that also kind of existential crisis
that the aliens cause was a little bit
scary as well are we insignificant by
comparison you know are they going to
destroy us like do they would they not
even notice us that's just how like
insignificant we are as humans so yeah
that kind of edge of the seat and then
back of the Mind
scare as well I got from roadside picnic
oh that's interesting and the other one
on my TBR
then be a video of Shame for me all the
Sci-Fi I need to read but I'm sharing
good good
um but yeah that sounds really
interesting and I like again that you
make the point of like something being
scary there's different layers of that
and that's almost like intellectually
scary I would say yeah I love that
awesome so my next pick is a little bit
of an obvious one I promise I'll have
some more under hyped ones as well but
when I think scary science fiction my
mind immediately goes to dystopians so I
could have done a lot of different ones
but the one I want to go with is the
handmaid's tale by Margaret Atwood I am
Canadian so I joke but it's part of my
obligation to keep my citizenship is to
constantly be recommending Margaret
Atwood every single time I can and she
of course is known in circles of saying
that she doesn't write science fiction
that is literary fiction and speculative
fiction it's science fiction
don't tell don't tell her that and so of
course I think everyone knows the
stories they'll kind of be very brief
that is said in a dystopian future where
women have become less fertile in
general and so the women who are able to
conceive and have children are treated
as property by those that are more rich
and they use them as kind of for
surrogacy and so we follow a woman who
is known as of Fred because she is
simply Fred's property and it's her
responsibility to Bear the children that
will be owned or the children of him and
his wife and
yeah it's a terrifying book I read it
years ago when I was a teenager myself
because again that's what you do in high
school is you read Margaret Atwood but
then I read it again very recently the
Canadian syllabus exactly you just
basically read it again and again and I
read it again quite recently in light of
everything going on in the United States
with some of the legal things I don't
want to get too political here but I
think everyone knows what I'm talking
about and it's just frightening how
accurate she was with some of the
predictions she made how it sounds like
the most far-fetched plot you could
imagine and then when you're actually
reading in the details she puts in
you're like oh oh oh and it just that
book is scary because it feels possible
and that's the reason that Margaret
Atwood always says that her books aren't
science fiction they're speculative
fiction is that she really posts the
fact that everything that she writes is
possible and often has roots and things
that are already happening in the world
today so that's her argument for it but
regardless the book is absolutely
terrifying I think it's gotten more
terrifying as I've gotten older and more
savvier and more aware of what's
happening in the world and it completely
holds up so if you haven't read Margaret
Atwood that's a great place to start
I didn't I didn't take the Margaret
Atwood masterclass but I got all the
YouTube ads for it and she's like I only
include things in my books that have
happened somewhere in the world
throughout history so when people are
accused of being far-fetched so I can
say look this is where it happened
um I haven't read the handmaid's tale
but I have read oryx and Craig which is
also in that kind of dystopia world and
that was yeah that was pretty
confronting that was a bit of a tough
read at times some kind of scary ideas
scary moments and yeah uh yeah I think
I think she does that that rather well
and yeah definitely need to handmaid's
tale big big kind of dystopian book that
I need to check off the list yeah you
have to be in the mood for her
dystopians and post-apocalyptic stories
like with Orcs and Craig's I appreciate
it but I remember reading it and just
being like this is not the right time it
was in the last few years and I was like
I'll come back to this book again later
it's a rough one for sure
definitely well I
I'll continue that theme I'll go with
the dystopian dystopian theme because uh
dystopians they're scary and I think so
I made a video recently on some
dystopian Classics and of the ones that
I talked about the one that I think was
the scariest for me was 1984. yeah so a
lot of people probably read 1984 uh but
I've been thinking about this one ever
since I've read it it's obviously
well known for its kind of like literary
merits like it's historical importance
it's kind of uh reflection of the time
but also projecting into the future but
I think this was like the best written
of the dystopian Classics in terms of
making you feel that oppression that
that totalia totalitarian government
where their surveillance is constant you
can't do anything without being seen you
can't not only do things you're not
supposed to say things you're not
supposed to you can't even think things
that you're not supposed to and the
consequences are very severe uh in terms
of the the violence the torture the
manipulation this is the book which of
this dystopian Classics which I felt
like had the highest Stakes it's like if
I got caught doing the wrong thing I
would not want it to be in the universe
of 1984. so if you like dystopian books
and you haven't read 1984 for some
reason I think it lives up to the hype I
think it's definitely a must read I
completely agree with that's one again I
read in high school between the Margaret
Atwood books and I think it's everyone
should read it because everyone goes
around saying oh it's 1984 or big
brother is watching and all that and I
do think people need to know where those
references are coming from and I think
it completely held up I'm not always the
biggest fan of Classics in the past I
can struggle with them but that one is
just solid it just it you know it rings
through today just as much as it did
when it was written
awesome
what is your third recommendation all
right going for something a little bit
more underhyped hopefully one that a lot
of your viewers haven't heard of or read
and that is full immersion by Gemma
Moore and this is a sci-fi horror book
but I don't think it's too scary it's
scary but it's it's I think it's
approachable and this story is written
by a woman who is actually bringing a
lot of herself into the story uh the
story itself follows a woman who has
just given birth and is dealing with
postpartum depression and so she decides
to take on this virtual reality therapy
to try to work through this and this
book is so
um authentic because the author really
brings her own experience her own
postpartum depression that she was
dealing with and she wrote this book
through that so that's part of what I
find makes this book so scary is the
fact that it feels incredibly
emotionally raw the author just lays
herself out on the page and is very open
about the dark thoughts that she has and
it's a tough book to read but it's
excellent and then of course we get into
the actual science fiction Elements
which are probably what your viewers are
more interested in so again we have the
virtual reality and we as the reader get
to see her within the reality and the
question of like is this actually real
is this happening but then we also get
the framework of getting to see what is
happening outside of that so those are
actually putting on this experiment and
this book read to me so much like the
movie I hope you've watched it
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
the one with Jim Carrey yes and so it's
definitely his own but you can tell that
it's inspired by that and so it has
those off-kilter creepy Vibes where
again you don't really know what to
believe and it's just about you know
if something is in your mind is it real
or you know does there does it actually
have
is it actually tangible it's so hard to
describe but it's just a brilliant book
I love that movie and so anything that
reminds me of that is just equally
brilliant and like I said it just has
layers to the story and I think I found
it scary again because especially as a
mother myself having those darker
thoughts and going through a lot of that
myself and just really be able to look
back and again just not being able to
trust your own mind and I don't know
it's it's it hits me on a whole lot of
levels so that's one I definitely
recommend it's a newer release it came
out in 2022 so hopefully it's a new
recommendation for a lot of people
very interesting there's a couple of uh
things that you mentioned there which
stood out to me one was that the person
the author was writing from their own
experience obviously great writers I
think can create uh imaginary scenarios
based on uh research or other things but
there does some seem to be something
about a personal experience coming
through like often I've read a book
without knowing much about the author
and I was like oh the description of
this was really powerful and then I read
up on the author and
you know they they went to war
themselves or you know they they had
like you know depression or suicide in
their family or something you know
there's it's it's directly affected and
then and that's put directly on the page
I think you know just kind of adds to
the power of of what they're talking
about and the second thing was that that
feeling of not knowing what's real or
not real which I think is a great aspect
of a number of sci-fi novels it's
something that I really like about some
uh Philip K dick novels that sense of
surreal weird what's real not what's not
real what is it are you influenced by
drugs or technology are you just crazy
or is everybody else crazy uh so I yeah
I love that kind of kind of weird aspect
coming through in in my sci-fi books
yeah it's one of my favorite sci-fi
horror tropes it's exactly it's like can
you trust your own mind and it works in
so many movies and books and it's one
that I've seen over and over again but I
never get tired of it it's so good
awesome well for my next recommendation
I'm gonna go with one that is not
particularly scary overall but there was
one chapter that left me absolutely
Shook and that is Pandora's Star by
Peter F Hamilton
so this is book one of a duology Pandora
star for a few hundred years in the
future where technology like wormholes
have been invented and off in the
distance a star disappears
think okay that's a bit weird let's go
check this out you know what's going on
there what does that mean for Humanity
and this isn't too much of a spoiler
because at the start of the book you
find out that that aliens exist and at
some point
a person is captured
and anytime you get captured if I would
if I were to get captured I wouldn't be
too psyched about that but I think you
would have sort of an understanding of
what humans are capable of you're like
okay I've seen this in a movie here's
none of it's good for me but here here's
sort of a potential range of things that
could go down
but you you get captured in space who
knows what's gonna happen to you and
it it absolutely blew my mind yeah I was
I was stunned for hours after reading
that chapter so
not really horrifying in in general more
just like a general big Grand Space
Opera but with one really really cool
horrific moment
oh now well it's only my TBR surprise
surprise and I'm going to be reading the
whole book waiting for that part but if
you can make such a good point that I
think some of the scariest scenes I've
read in books aren't necessarily in
books that are overall scary but I think
again a really talented author can make
a really interesting isolated scary
moment and often perhaps those are some
of the scariest because they're not
expected if I pick up a horror book I
expected the author to be trying to
scare me the whole time if I pick up
something else that I don't think is
labeled as horror or sci-fi horror or
something like that I'm more likely to
be bothered by something because I kind
of let my guard down if that makes sense
gotcha well
I'll be interested to hear your
reactions to this one yeah I'll send you
my horrified thoughts when it comes up
uh awesome what do you have for us next
Rachel next
I go with Ship of Fools by Richard Paul
Russo and this is another science
fiction horror book and I think it's a
little bit more off the beaten path I
believe it has a different
um title and cover in the UK so maybe
you wanted to look that up uh but
basically this follows a ship that have
lost their purpose in space they are on
a ship and they no longer know what
their mission is they are just wandering
around quite aimlessly the ship has been
taken over by this religious group I
believe they're Catholic and you just
have these religious figures that are
trying to give them meaning and so
that's the setup for the book and then
it turns into more of a space horror
when they come across this supposedly
abandoned ship and they managed to go
inside of it and look around and of
course I'm just gonna say things go from
there as you would expect in a space
horror book but I will say that probably
a lot of people watching this have seen
a lot of the really classic like Alien
movies and other space horror that is
out there and this one is different it
definitely plays with the tropes but it
doesn't quite go where you expect
and I think what I like so much about
this book is the fact that it more plays
with suspense and it's more about
creating that atmosphere right from the
beginning again there's something
unsettling about this crew they don't
know what they're doing or why they're
there and it's just it feels slightly
wrong the entire time you're reading it
and that's not in as farther away at all
it's just simply how you feel when
you're reading it you're like this isn't
right and so I like it because again it
sounds like a very classic trophy space
horror but it's so unique and you just
have to experience it for yourself it's
one that I love and of course when
you're actually going into the ship and
trying to figure out what's going to be
there and all of that anticipation again
this book is all about the build and
you're just waiting for it because again
it plays with the tropes they're like
all right give me you know I know what's
coming give it to me and it it's Unique
I know that sound and that is not a good
sound exactly oh it's so fun so I think
I would actually love to see you read
that one I could see you having
interesting reaction to it
oh interesting I'm definitely definitely
adding all of these to the TBR and when
I'm feeling brave enough
oh I'll give it a go
uh awesome well for my let me see for my
fifth and final scary sci-fi book one of
my favorite series one that I always
enjoy talking about and that is the
three body problem the first book in the
remembrance of Earth's past Trilogy by
XI Shin Liu and this one is kind of
Cosmic Cara it's kind of it created a
lot of existential questions for me kind
of really questioning my understanding
of physics of mathematics of space the
universe
humans are kind of place within the
universe
uh for those that don't know the quick
premise is that
kind of set against the cultural
backdrop of the Chinese Revolution weird
things start happening to prominent
scientists and that could be connected
to this secret mission that is sending
messages out into space
and
this book is is a this series is a hard
Sci-Fi series but I think it also really
balances things nicely with interesting
philosophical questions so it's not just
a scientific exercise it's like a
scientific exercise that has like
real thought-provoking mind-bending uh I
kind of just need to like hold my knees
and just kind of rock back and forth
while I think about this series for a
while kind of Vibes yeah
is that one you've read Rachel I have
I've read the first book but shamefully
I still need to finish out the trilogy
which everyone says the second book is
even better
I think that the sequels were kind of
bigger and better in terms of the ideas
that's what everyone says they're like
they say like the first book is just set
up and so I don't know what my problem
is I want to continue on story my life
you know and then I get distracted by
some other book yeah but that's
interesting I admit and that's where
again I definitely see that like you
know scariness is like very unique to a
person that it's not one I would have
thought of but I don't mean it in a bad
way I'm just like oh I hadn't thought
about that as a scary book I thought it
was super interesting
yeah oh I love that yeah I'll be I'll be
Keen to see see your thoughts uh when
you get to the sequels it's yeah it's
it'll it'll make your brain bleed that's
what I've heard and I kind of feel like
it's one where I read the first book but
I didn't really know what I was getting
myself into everyone gives us a short
synopsis and so I feel like it's almost
one where I need to see where the series
goes and then go back to the beginning
and once I'm back there then I'll
actually know what's going on hopefully
or my brain will be bleeding by then
yeah
yeah maybe that's a scary part of this
book
now I get it
yeah I think it'll be one that I I'd
like to do a reread for I think I think
I'd pick up a lot on the uh a second
time around
uh so there we go coming to our fifth
and final recommendation Rachel what do
you have for us okay well I feel like
I'm almost cheating
on brand and go a little bit left field
is one I almost don't recommend to you
Jonathan but I want to lean a little bit
more into the horror side and so my
final pick is another dystopian but this
one is pretty intense and that's called
Tender Is the Flesh and this is set in
an ambiguous future where the animal
meet in this world has become impossible
to consume it's basically dangerous it's
infected by something and so rather than
becoming vegetarian or vegan like you
know normal people would do instead the
government allows the production of
special meat which I don't know if you
need to worry about your channel
monetization I've given up on YouTube
it's used to me but basically you can
imagine they commission that certain
humans are able to be used as special
meat and for production and so the story
is told from the production I'm sorry
Jonathan you're probably dying over
there very good I like it you're just
like oh why did I ever let her on
um but basically the story is told from
the perspective of a man who works in
the one of the production factories and
he understandably is isn't always
feeling great about his job and you know
it starts to have some feelings and
mixed feelings about everything that's
happening
and then this becomes more complicated
when one of his co-workers I believe
gives him a special meat specimen that's
still alive to raise in his house and so
he has this young woman special mate
that he goes to live with him this book
is definitely one of the most mark this
book is definitely one of the most
messed up and disgusting books I've read
but it also really made me think it
actually made me question why I eat meat
it made me think about becoming a
vegetarian or vegan and as someone who's
a pretty die-hard carnivore that says a
lot so this one I'll be honest is a
little bit of left field it's a little
bit of a kind of fun cheeky end one
because if you want a scary sci-fi
horror book this is it it may not be for
everyone and I completely respect anyone
who chooses to pass on this one I think
everything else we recommended is great
but for Jonathan when you asked me to be
on here I was like oh I wonder if I can
get away with recommending this book and
so I did it so if you're going to really
really want to lean into it if you
really want to be scared I pretty much
dare anyone to read this book and not
feel uncomfortable at certain points
because it will make you feel things and
not in a good way
I like it I it's perfect for this video
I think it's a great recommendation it's
the kind of thing where like without any
context if you just came up to me like
oh hey Jonathan check out this book it's
called Tender Is the flesh no way I can
tell already like hey hey oh there's
this 8 30 screening of this great movie
Jonathan you love it Tender Is the flesh
it's a romance it's beautiful you'll
love it I'll catch you next time I'll
I'll with Toy Story five I'll see you
there pal
um
but no I think this is a great premise
eating people uh
it's yeah it sounds like it sounds kind
of like silly and weird and gross and
fun but also kind of thought provoking
at the same time uh which is kind of fun
and I'm sure there's some weird
sci-fi stuff in there as well so yeah if
you clicked on this on this video I
think and wanting some scary books and
you're like ah these don't sound scary
enough then maybe this is the one to
kind of turn it up or not
uh awesome I was gonna say well it's
good I left that to last because where
do you go from there right yeah
apparently be eating people yeah uh
awesome well that was a lot of fun
everybody go check out Rachel's Channel
shades of orange if you like sci-fi
horror all kinds of good stuff and
yeah
I don't really have anything else Rachel
that's good I think I left you
speechless and for anyone who's checking
out your video from my channel if you're
new to subscribe to me please go and
actually click subscribe down below I
love Jonathan's Channel I'm actually
shouting him out I think next week but I
pre-filmed that which is the only reason
I'm not talking about this video and
that one but definitely it was a lot of
fun to do this and like I said hopefully
you didn't regret it too much by the end
but when it comes to talking scary
sci-fi I was pretty honored that you've
thought of me because this is kind of my
favorite thing so this was so much fun
to do thanks again Jonathan yes this is
a lot of fun Rachel did a better job of
plugging my own channel than I do anyway
listen to Rachel click all the buttons
you can find more sci-fi contents over
there foreign
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