The Most Unsettling Sci-fi Books | The Horrors of Science Fiction
Summary
TLDRIn this Halloween special, Quinn delves into spooky science fiction, recommending books that blend horror with cosmic themes. Highlighting Stephen King's 'The Gunslinger' and 'The Skeleton Crew', they explore the Dark Tower series' connection to King's macroverse and the chilling 'The Mist'. Other picks include 'Book of the New Sun' for its eerie atmosphere, 'The Passage' for its unique apocalyptic twist, and Alastair Reynolds' works for cosmic horror. Classic novels like '1984' and 'Frankenstein' are also discussed for their timeless horror relevance, with honorable mentions to 'Hyperion' for its creepy narratives.
Takeaways
- 📜 The video is a Halloween special where the host discusses spooky science fiction books.
- 🧙♂️ The host mentions an ancient family book of magic with prophecies and depictions of demons.
- 🎃 The host's first love was horror, citing H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King as early influences.
- 🔫 'The Gunslinger' by Stephen King is recommended as a semi-standalone novel with elements of cosmic horror.
- 🌌 'The Dark Tower' series is King's magnum opus, connecting his other works in a shared universe.
- 📚 'Book of the New Sun' by Gene Wolfe is a challenging read with a creepy atmosphere set in a distant, feudal-like future.
- 🦠 'The Passage' is an apocalyptic novel involving a government experiment that results in a virus and viral zombies.
- 🌌 Alastair Reynolds' works are highlighted for their cosmic horror elements and the sense of deep time in the universe.
- 💀 'The Skeleton Crew' is a collection of Stephen King's short stories, including 'The Mist,' which involves otherworldly horrors.
- 📡 '1984' by George Orwell is discussed as a cautionary tale that is increasingly relevant with themes of government surveillance and social conditioning.
- 🧬 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley is the first science fiction novel, exploring the horrors of creation and rejection.
Q & A
What is the theme of Quinn ID's Halloween special video?
-The theme of Quinn ID's Halloween special video is to explore and recommend some of their favorite spooky science fiction books for the Halloween season.
Why does Quinn recommend 'The Gunslinger' by Stephen King for Halloween?
-Quinn recommends 'The Gunslinger' because it can be viewed as a semi-standalone novel with elements of science fiction, cosmic horror, and is set in Stephen King's macroverse, making it a good fit for the spooky season.
What is the significance of the number 19 in the book 'The Gunslinger'?
-In 'The Gunslinger', the number 19 is associated with a self-fulfilling prophecy given by the Man in Black to a woman named Ally, hinting at the knowledge of death and the afterlife, which is disturbing and chilling.
How does 'The Book of the New Sun' by Gene Wolfe differ from other books mentioned in the video?
-'The Book of the New Sun' is noted for being a challenging read with a truly disturbing and creepy atmosphere, set in a distant future where mankind has returned to a pseudo-feudal era, and the reader discovers the world alongside the main character.
What makes 'The Passage' different from a typical zombie apocalypse story?
-'The Passage' stands out by showing the beginning of the apocalypse, its progression, and jumping 93 years into the future, with references to even further years ahead, making it more than just a basic zombie apocalypse story.
What elements of Alastair Reynolds' books does Quinn find particularly creepy?
-Quinn finds the elements of deep time, the mysteries of the universe, and the sense of insignificance when compared to the vastness of the cosmos in Alastair Reynolds' books particularly creepy.
Why does Quinn include '1984' in a list of spooky books for Halloween?
-Quinn includes '1984' because the themes of government surveillance, loss of freedoms, and social conditioning are becoming increasingly relevant and thus scarier in the present day.
What is the connection between 'The Mist' and Stephen King's 'macroverse'?
-In 'The Mist', the horrors originate from 'two-dash space', a concept in Stephen King's 'macroverse' where the barriers between realms are thin, allowing creatures from this space to enter and cause chaos.
How does 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley relate to the theme of horror?
-'Frankenstein' relates to the theme of horror by exploring the fear of creation, rejection by one's creator, and the loneliness and cruelty faced by the creature, which is seen as less than human due to its difference.
What makes 'Hyperion' by Dan Simmons an honorable mention in Quinn's Halloween special?
-'Hyperion' is an honorable mention due to its science fiction epic setting, the presence of horrifying elements like the Shrike and the time tombs, and its multiple scary moments that fit the Halloween theme.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to Spooky Sci-Fi Recommendations
The video script begins with the narrator discussing an ancient book of magic from their family, which includes prophecies and depictions of demons. They segue into the main topic of the video, which is a Halloween special focusing on spooky science fiction book recommendations. The narrator, Quinn, introduces the video and mentions their love for both horror and science fiction genres, hinting at the books that will be discussed, including Stephen King's 'The Gunslinger' and its significance as part of the Dark Tower series, which connects many of King's works into a shared universe.
🌙 The Dark Tower's Cosmic Horror
In this paragraph, the focus is on 'The Gunslinger,' the first book in Stephen King's Dark Tower series. The narrator describes the book's plot, which involves the protagonist, Roland, pursuing a man in black across a desert in a world where time is fluid and difficult to measure. The man in black is a recurring character in King's works and poses various traps to deter Roland from his quest to find the Dark Tower, a nexus that connects all things. The summary highlights a particularly eerie part of the book involving a town called Tull, where the man in black has raised the dead and left a woman with a prophecy that could lead to madness.
🌌 Challenging Reads and Cosmic Mysteries
The narrator moves on to recommend 'Book of the New Sun' by Gene Wolfe, a challenging read set in a distant, pseudo-feudal future. The book features a mysterious, dim sun and a world that is not as it once was. The protagonist, who is a torturer by profession, is as clueless as the reader about the larger world, creating a sense of mystery and discovery. The narrator also mentions 'The Passage,' an apocalyptic novel that involves a government experiment gone wrong, creating a virus that leads to an apocalyptic scenario with viral zombies. The book is praised for its long view of history and its tense, scary moments.
🚀 Space Operas and Stephen King's Short Stories
This paragraph discusses Alastair Reynolds' space operas, particularly 'Revelation Space,' which contains horror elements and explores the mysteries of the universe, evoking a sense of cosmic dread. The narrator also recommends 'The Skeleton Crew,' a collection of Stephen King's short stories, highlighting 'The Mist' for its government experiment gone awry and the subsequent unleashing of Lovecraftian horrors. The summary touches on the concept of 'two-dash space' from King's macroverse, where the thin barriers between realms allow for the intrusion of otherworldly creatures.
📖 Classic Dystopian and Horror Novels
The final paragraph covers classic novels with horror and dystopian themes. '1984' by George Orwell is discussed for its relevance to modern concerns about government surveillance and the erosion of freedoms. The narrator finds the book scarier now than when it was written due to the parallels with current societal issues. 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley is highlighted as the first science fiction novel, exploring the horrors of creation, rejection, and the cruelty of existence. The narrator emphasizes the depth of the creature's character and the book's historical significance.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ancient Book of Magic
💡Halloween Special
💡Stephen King
💡The Dark Tower Series
💡Cosmic Horror
💡Spooky Season
💡The Book of the New Sun
💡The Passage
💡Alastair Reynolds
💡1984
💡Frankenstein
Highlights
Introduction to an ancient book of magic with family lineage, spells, demons, and prophecies.
Quinn's Halloween special focusing on spooky science fiction book recommendations.
Stephen King's 'The Gunslinger' as an entry point to his macroverse with elements of science fiction and cosmic horror.
The Dark Tower series as King's magnum opus, connecting his other works in a conjoined universe.
The Gunslinger's narrative of Roland's pursuit of the man in Black and the mysterious Dark Tower.
Disturbing depictions in the town of Tull and the self-fulfilling prophecy involving the number 19.
The genre-blending nature of The Dark Tower series, combining western, horror, and science fiction.
Recommendation of 'Book of the New Sun' by Gene Wolfe for its challenging read and creepy atmosphere.
The Passage as an apocalyptic novel with a unique take on the zombie apocalypse theme.
Alistair Reynolds' space operas for their cosmic horror elements and the sense of deep time.
The Skeleton Crew short story collection, particularly 'The Mist', for its government experiment gone wrong.
1984's relevance and scariness in the context of modern surveillance and loss of freedoms.
Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' as the first science fiction novel with themes of creation, rejection, and humanity.
Honorable mention of 'Hyperion' by Dan Simmons for its scary moments and science fiction epic setting.
Quinn's personal connection to the material, studying the ancient book of magic and planning a Halloween special.
The importance of deciphering and re-reading challenging books like 'Book of the New Sun' to uncover new insights.
The macroverse concept in Stephen King's works and its relation to the creatures in 'The Mist'.
Transcripts
so I was sitting here flipping through
this ancient book of magic that's been
in my family for many generations it's
got spells and depictions of demons and
other stuff and prophecies about how
they're going to come after me but
whatever it doesn't matter that much
anyway I was sitting here studying the
disturbing depictions and I thought to
myself I have not planned a Halloween
special for this year so I thought that
maybe I would take this time to explore
some of my favorite spooky science
fiction books and give you guys some
recommendations for the Halloween season
this is quin ID's Halloween special
number
three
[Music]
[Music]
hi guys it's Quinn here if you
appreciate my content consider hitting
the like button the only way the YouTube
algorithm notices me if you'd like to do
more to keep this channel a float
consider donating through the PayPal
Link in the description or checking out
our patreon thanks guys so much so you
guys know that I love science fiction
but my first love was really horror I
got into Lovecraft as a teenager and I
also picked up the work of Stephen King
as a teenager and Stephen King no matter
what anybody says has some of the best
horror stories ever and plenty of them
have elements of Science Fiction and
Cosmic horror as well we talked about
his book it in my Halloween special last
year but in this video we're going to
talk about another another one of his
books the Gunslinger the Gunslinger is
the first in a series of books that
takes you on a journey through Stephen
King's macroverse Stephen King considers
The Dark Tower series as his magnum
opus the series connects most of his
other works in a conjoined universe so
in this series there is an object known
as The Dark Tower that exists both
physically and
non-physically it is the Nexus that
connects all
things the reason I'm recommending the
Gunslinger and not the entire series is
because the entire series is a huge
investment and to get the full impact of
the entire series you really need to be
familiar with the work of Stephen King
but the Gunslinger itself can be viewed
as a semi Standalone novel although it
does directly connect to the other books
the Gunslinger opens up with the title
character following a man in Black
across the desert he's been following
this man for some vague amount of time
in this particular world time moves
strangely in fact it's almost impossible
to measure Roland is in Pursuit Of The
Dark Tower and he believes that he needs
to reach the man in Black in order to
find it throughout the book while Roland
is in Pursuit Of The Man in Black the
man in Black who also appears in other
Stephen King stories like the stand
leaves various traps in order to tempt
Roland away from his quest
one of the scariest parts of the book in
my opinion is when Roland visits a town
called tol it is a town that the man in
Black has been to as well in this town
the man in Black has raised a man from
the dead and he gives this man a number
night te also in this strange Eerie
little town is a woman named Ally and
the Man in Black leaves her with a kind
of self-fulfilling prophecy he says to
her you want to know about death
I left him a word that word is 19 if you
say it to him his mind will be opened he
will tell you what lies Beyond he will
tell you what he saw the word is 19
knowing will drive you mad but sooner or
later you will ask you won't be able to
help yourself have a nice day Walter o
dim PS the word is 19 you will try to
forget but sooner or later it will come
out of your mouth like
vomit this part is disturbing to me
because someone she knows has been
brought back from the dead from the
other side and all she'd have to do to
know was say the number but it comes
with the price to me this is very love
crafy and it just gives me the chills it
implies that there is an afterlife but
the horror of what actually waits in the
afterlife is is terrifying the land of
19 now the Gunslinger and the entire
Dark Tower series Series has a lot of
very abstract moments it's very surreal
at times because you're dealing with the
Multiverse and the craziness of the
entire Cosmos it's hard to call The Dark
Tower series science fiction even it's
kind of Science Fiction and it's kind of
a western and it's kind of a horror and
it's kind of every genre blurred
together it's genre less so if you want
a book that's definitely got creepy
Cosmic horror Vibes and that's easy to
read and that's a quick read the
Gunslinger is probably the spooky season
book for you the next St on my list book
of the new Sun by Jean wolf now I'm not
going to lie to you guys the book of the
new sun is a challenging read it is a
book that you have to decipher as you
consume it but it has a truly disturbing
and creepy atmosphere it takes place at
some point in the distant distant future
where mankind has kind of returned to
this pseudo feudal era and reading this
book you're just as clueless as the main
character who doesn't really know
anything beyond the very small view of
the world that he's had so you're
discovering the world with him and as
the title implies there's something
wrong with the sun it's dim it's read
the world is not what it once was the
protagonist is literally a torturer and
an executioner that is his job the book
of the new son has a very strong sense
of mystery and I think that is a key
part of what makes it work because I do
think it's written in a way that might
turn some people off but once you
realize how fun it is to decipher and
once you start to uncover the dark
secrets that this world has hidden
within it it gets a lot more fun so if
you're the type of person that likes
challenge in reading and if you're the
type of person that likes to read books
more than once to uncover new things and
you like disturbing mysterious science
fiction worlds then the book of the new
son by Jane Wolf might be the book for
you moving right along next we're going
to talk about the passage the passage is
an apocalyptic novel kind of in the vein
of the stand by step King but it has its
own thing happening basically Tail as
old as time the government is doing
experiments on inmates they're trying to
prolong human life and they end up
creating a virus that kills most people
and turns some people into creatures now
I promise you this is not your basic
zombie apocalypse story there's so much
more to it is how it shows you the
beginning of the apocalypse and how
things happen and then it jumps like 93
years and throughout the book it's also
making references to up to a, years in
the future by the way this book is also
a part of a series that continues on and
on and on I really love science fiction
that deals with the long view of History
it's something that I've always liked
that's why I like Dune that's why I like
foundation and the passage is another
example of something like that but it's
told through this story that involves an
apocalypse and nukes going off and viral
zombies that we're all familiar with but
the way it's written in my opinion sits
it several steps
above most things of a similar nature
also this book is freaking scary there
are some extremely tense moments in this
book so definitely if you are a big
horror fan this is a great horror book
for The Fall
season next on my list is basically
anything by aliser Reynolds alist
Reynolds has
Great Horror elements in His science
fiction books especially Revelation
space I've talked about these books
before on my channel but I've never
really highlighted how creepy they can
be at times and really the creepiness
comes from the fact that he's playing
with the mysteries of the universe and
there are various moments in his books
that evoke this ominous sense of the
cosmos what's really out there alist
Reynold's books often have have this
sense of deep time the universe is very
very old and sometimes when I think
about how old the universe is and how
big the universe is I do kind of get
this
feeling that's almost like anxiety or
fear and I think Alistar Reynold's books
do a good job of evoking that same sense
upon reading compared to the universe we
are so tiny we are so small and it's
good to be reminded that so definitely
check out Alis Reynold's books if you
like space
operas moving right along I bet you
thought I was done talking about Stephen
King so this is actually a collection of
short stories called The Skeleton Crew
and the reason I'm recommending this one
is because of the story The
Mist predictably the horrors in this
particular Story start with another
government project the arrowhead project
so let me explain something about
Stephen King's macroverse think of the
macroverse as a huge bubble within the
macroverse are a bunch of other bubbles
those bubbles are universes but there's
also space between those bubbles and the
greater macroverse that space is called
two dash space it might be pronounced to
dash space but I've never heard anyone
say the word out loud so whatever the
creatures that appear in the Mist after
the arrowhead project accidentally op
some kind of gate seemed to be from two
dash space The Dark Tower series at some
points mentions that the barriers
between certain Realms and two dash
space are thinner these places are
called thinnies
when the barrier is too thin these
worlds become twisted and dark versions
of themselves full of the horrors that
inhabit two Dash space this is what
happens in the Mist so basically in the
Mist the arrowhead project has opened up
a gateway to all sorts of Lovecraft and
Horrors and the story follows a man and
a son who think they're just on a trip
to the grocery store after this big
storm but it turns out that trip is
going to last a lot longer because them
and a bunch of other people in the
grocery store are trapped and there's a
bunch of monsters
outside now the Mist is a great story if
you have not read it it's another quick
creepy one set in a small town that you
can get through rather quickly it's got
sci-fi elements it's got Cosmic horror
elements and it's also got plenty of
contemporary horror elements as well
definitely check this one
out all right next on my list a
classic
1984 everyone talks about this book all
the time but why is it
scary this book is scarier now than I
think it was when it was written because
when it was written it's like hey guys
don't get to the point where we've given
away too many freedoms and now I feel
like we have hit this Landslide where
our freedoms are being gradually taken
away and government surveillance has
become more and more prominent lots of
things in 1984 are becoming true some of
the societal ills present in 1984 were
present in 1949 but a lot more are
present now in my opinion I truly pray
that we never get the ability to read
people's minds because thought crime
could become a very real thing there's a
very specific warning in
1984 it's warning how easy it is to slip
back into
Fascism and how technology can Aid in
that process and how
incredibly difficult it is to get out of
it once we've gotten into it the book
also deals with ideas like social
conditioning which is something that's
particularly Eerie to me when someone is
conditioned to believe something it's
really hard to break that condition
often there are plenty of things that
Society wants you to believe that aren't
true we still live in a world right now
where it's okay technically to disagree
with the powers that be to think
whatever you want to think but how much
longer can we hold on to it if we don't
fight for these rights more so 1984 is a
banger of a book and it's a mustre a lot
of people think it's boring it's not a
boring book I do not agree it's riveting
every time I have the chance of reading
it next up on my list another classic
Mary Shell's Frankenstein Frankenstein
is actually the first science fiction
novel ever written I love Frankenstein I
was actually Frankenstein for Halloween
this year we threw a whole mad scientist
Halloween party Frankenstein is a book
that is about the horror of looking your
creator in the face and seeing something
that is unworthy it is the horror about
being rejected by your Creator and being
forced to face the world alone the
horror of being smacked in the face with
the cruelty of the world and the cruelty
of life and existence
it's about the horror of being seen as
less human or not even human a creature
a monster because you're different
everybody knows the story of
Frankenstein Victor Frankenstein wants
to create life he takes all the most
beautiful dead body parts that he can
find and he zaps it to life but once he
looks this creature in the eye once he
looks at his creation he is disgusted he
rejects what he has created but the
so-called monster is a living conscious
being he thinks profound thoughts he
dreams profound dreams I think a lot of
people have been tricked by the
portrayal of Frankenstein in the
mainstream he's always kind of a dumb
monster Frankenstein is definitely not
dumb in this book this is such a
profound story about what it means to be
alive and conscious and I highly
recommend it if not for the story then
just for the historical value of this
being the first science fiction novel
ever
written and finally without further Ado
honorable mentions Hyperion Dan Simmons
I love Hyperion I've talked about it a
bunch on this channel but I just wanted
to reiterate it here Hyperion has a lot
of scary moments the priest tale is
freaking creepy and I've done a whole
video on the priest tale um on this
channel you can check it out Hyperion is
a science fiction epic set hundreds of
years in our future where we have
advanced to a global hegemony there is a
particular World known as Hyperion where
these objects known as the time tombs
have appeared and there is also a being
named the shrike that has come out of
these time tombs and no one understands
to strike it is extremely powerful and
extremely malevolent Hyperion is one of
those books that is science fiction
ostensively but has plenty of horrifying
elements woven through them and you can
check out my videos that I've done on
the Hyperion series if you want to learn
more about
it all right guys so that has been my
spooky Halloween special thanks so much
for
watching now I'm suddenly feeling the
urge to utter out loud some of these
incantations in a dark room so if you
don't mind me I'll be heading out of
here thanks
guys
[Music]
oh
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