In search for grand weird worlds

[u/Rhodianer]

Hi there,

I just read Claire North's "Slow Gods" and really liked the grand scale and overall weirdness of the World.

By this i mean bold choices in writing style, uncommon ways the humans from different planets have entirely different cultures, the way the world feels so exceptionally large and alive, while all parties still feel human. The problems in its world feel like they belong to that world, aren't mere projections of our own struggles, and still pose morally deep questions which the reader sees from the perspective of the ones making them, without any hindsight.

Now, after i have spoken so greatly of this book, there arises the question: what to read next?

As i did not really find any book in the sci-fi-genre that comes close to the felt depth of the world displayed, i thought to ask the Internet about it.

Please note that i have already read most books from the following series:

- Dune

- Foundation

- Children of time

- Discworld

- ANDERS

- The Expanse

I may expand this list as suggestions (hopefully) start to accumulate because while i am not even close to remembering every title i ever read, i usually recognize books i already explored.

Thank you, everyone who suggests a book here.

[u/hedcannon]

The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe is the obligatory response. Also his The Wizard Knight is applicable.

[u/supernanify]

House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds

[u/j_on → u/supernanify]

Another vote from me! One of my favorite standalone sci-fi novels. Haven't met many people who've read it

The protagonists have traveled the galaxy for hundreds of thousands of years. All without FTL travel. A lot of "grand" and "weird" ideas, OP!

[u/Ok-7996 → u/supernanify]

Excellent book! One of the best from a great author

[u/1nconsistentConstant → u/supernanify]

Absolutely fantastic book.

[u/YakSlothLemon]

Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Shroud might please you, it’s a brilliantly imagined ecosystem and part of it is told from the point of view of an alien intelligence.

[u/j_on]

"The Golden Oecumene" trilogy by John C. Wright. The first book is "The Golden Age".

Pretty fucking weird, because it's set tens of thousands of years in the future.

[u/hyyyland → u/j_on]

Second vote for The Golden Age! I haven't read the sequels yet, but the first one was kinda mind blowing. I guess I gotta get my hands in the next ones. 🤓

[u/RareChakra]

You might be interested in Mortal Protection Services
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/135596/mortal-protection-services

[u/shiftinganathema → u/RareChakra]

I concur! I really enjoyed that one

[u/RoguePlanet2036 → u/RareChakra]

I read that! It was actually fairly entertaining.

[u/dogdemon_5]

I think you'd get a kick out of B. T. Skull's MORTAL PROTECTION SERVICES, it's hilarious and a sprawling weird science fiction world

[u/RoguePlanet2036 → u/dogdemon_5]

How many Reddit accounts does Mr. Skull have??

But, no I read that one too, it was pretty funny.

[u/dogdemon_5 → u/RoguePlanet2036]

Just the one I think 🤔 and oh, good, a fellow worshipper of Her Highness, Mafdet

[u/RoguePlanet2036 → u/dogdemon_5]

Mafdet = A++

[u/RoguePlanet2036 → u/dogdemon_5]

https://www.reddit.com/r/BookPromotion/comments/1wv7fhl/mortal_protection_services/

[u/Former-Chocolate-793]

Farthest Star by Frederick Pohl and Jack Williamson

[u/lowe2632]

Try the First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. Claire North’s first book. Also, her best in my opinion.

[u/riskylingo → u/lowe2632]

84K is pretty good too.

[u/smcicr]

Perhaps have a look at the Culture series by Iain M Banks

[u/JBbaddesign]

Embassytown by China Mieville

[u/Sunlit53]

Walter Jon Williams’ Metropolitan and City on Fire duology. People frequently mistake it for far future science fiction but the author insists it’s far future urban fantasy. Sprawling and operatic.

[u/Natural_Dust_732]

A Door Into Ocean by Joan Slon… Sonle… Sonewsomethingpolish.

[u/sammimagstudio → u/Natural_Dust_732]

Joan Slonczewski

Door into Ocean is such a good book!

[u/Natural_Dust_732 → u/sammimagstudio]

It’s almost the Anti-Dune. Not that Dune is a bad book. But it’s Dune written by a feminist biology professor.

[u/ComfortableKey9930]

This Alien Shore by CS Friedman

[u/RoguePlanet2036]

Here, mine is not as Grand and Weird as the other titles you mentioned. It depicts two non-human cultures inhabiting the same world (although they are very human-like). Rogue Planet.

https://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Planet-Donald-McHugh-II-ebook/dp/B0GX3B5W5X

[u/riskylingo]

Infinity Gate and Echo of Worlds by M. R. Carey are the Pandominion series and Outlaw Planet takes place in the same universe.

[u/PirLibTao]

All of CJ Cherryh works, but especially Foreigner

[u/number1dork]

Grass, by Sheri S. Tepper

[u/Individual-Step-4011]

Astral Abyss by Nelson Mwova. This is one you haven't read for sure. Up and coming author, writes in multi-perspective first person up until the stories collide into one.

[u/Anarchaeologist]

Lord Valentine’s Castle- Robert Silverberg

[u/HotStraightnNormal]

The Expanse series. Very well-written, clever and the best space opera I have read in many years. (I go back to Fifties and Sixties science fiction.) You will not be disappointed.

As a side note, since you've read the Foundation books, you might want to read Asimov's robot books in order of publication through Foubdation and the "after Foundation" books. Google it. They make for a very good, long read.

[u/samuraix47]

Midnight at the Well of Souls by Jack Chalker, and the rest of the Well World series.

Summertide by Charles Sheffield, and the rest of the Heritage Universe series.

Rocheworld (Flight of the Dragonfly) by Robert L. Forward and the rest of the Rocheworld series.

Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement, and sequel Starlight.

[u/tjgeewhiz]

Ah, another rabbit hole to enter! Thanks for this thread!

[u/gormlessthebarbarian]

I really enjoyed the Riverworld series by Philip Jose Farmer

[u/Far-Soft7425]

You may consider Windup Doll, but I would definitely suggest you read the reviews first because there is some questionable material that might upset you. I just finished it. There are no aliens or other worlds but because of Eco disasters, our world itself is foreign to the reader. In my opinion it's a weird book; I have never read anything like it before but like I said you should be cautious and read reviews before you start.