Podcast
Hugonauts: The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time
Hosted by Brent Gaisford, Cody Troyer · EN
Explore the best of sci-fi with Brent and Cody. Each episode dives into a single book or series in the sci-fi cannon. Author interviews, reviews and analysis, and related book recommendations. Happy reading y'all!
15episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie - Monsters, the Pope, and a hell of a lot of good jokes!
2w ago00:31:13Tap to summarizeIn this episode we dive into The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. It’s a departure from the grim world of The First Law, leaning into a "monsters vs. monsters" heist set in a supernatural, alternate-history Europe. If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like if the Vatican recruited a werewolf, a vampire, and a deathless soldier to save the world - well, you're in luck. We discuss the shift in tone, the hilarious "refrains" Joe uses for his characters, and whether this new direction lives up to his legendary fantasy status. We break down the entire motley crew—from Jakob’s "righteous" path to the mystery of Baptiste—and comparing the action to Abercrombie’s previous work. Is Viga the new Bloody Nine? Does the humor land as well as the sword-swings? We also feature some of the best takes from our Discord book club, including debating character rethreads, the themes of the book, and who is likely to love the book. Stick around to hear our final scores and why this might be the most "fun" Abercrombie has ever been. And make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss our next episode, where we’ll be pivoting to discuss the best of Young Adult (YA) scifi and fantasy! As always, no spoilers until the end when we give a heads up before getting into the full plot discussion. Join the Hugonauts book club on discord Or you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer video Similar books we recommend: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie Night Watch by Terry Pratchett This episode is sponsored by Pilgrims by M.R. Leonard. If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode: 00:00 Intro 01:17 Our review (4/5) 04:15 Sponsor - Pilgrims by M.R. Leonard 04:48 Incredibly entertaining fight scenes 07:53 Genuinely funny writing 12:34 Religion, power, and worldbuilding 14:32 The League of Extraordinary Gentleman 15:10 The First Law Trilogy 16:03 Night Watch 17:10 POST SPOILERS book summary 18:49 POST SPOILERS the characters 24:21 POST SPOILERS redemption?
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There Is No Antimemetics Division - This Book Erases Itself From Your Mind
Apr 2100:26:15Tap to summarizeThis is exactly the kind of philosophical sci-fi we love - something new, something fresh, and something that will make you think. We wish the second half had been as good as the premise, but there's still no doubt this is one we'll be thinking about for years to come (and weirdly it already feels like we've been thinking about it for years). If you’ve ever fallen down an SCP Foundation wiki rabbit hole, you know the vibe, but qntm takes it to a whole new level of existential dread. This isn't your typical alien invasion story; it’s a masterclass in cosmic horror where the monster isn't just invisible—it’s un-rememberable. We break down the terrifying logic of antimemes and how qntm manages to build a high-stakes thriller around a conflict that nobody even knows is happening. For fans of weird fiction and high-concept science fiction, this book is essential reading. It sits in that sweet spot between the psychological puzzles of Blindsight, the bureaucratic nightmare of Control, and the drug-fueled confusion of A Scanner Darkly. Whether you’re a long-time follower of SCP Foundation lore or a newcomer looking for the next mind-bending book recommendation, we explore why There Is No Antimemetics Division is a landmark in modern internet-born literature and why its themes of memory loss and the power of ideas resonate so deeply today. If you want to learn more about the real world organization trying to stop memes from destroying the world, check out Cause Amp, Brent's new project to combat disinformation online: https://causeamp.org/ to learn more and get the browser extension Send Brent an email to learn more or volunteer: info@causeamp.org As always, no spoilers until the end when we give a heads up before getting into the full plot discussion. Join the Hugonauts book club on discord Or you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer video Similar books we recommend: Control (the video game) A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick The King in Yellow by Robert Chambers If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode: 00:00 Intro 00:30 Our review (4.25/5) 01:30 No spoilers plot setup 02:20 A genuinely exciting new big idea 03:41 SCP Foundation 5:46 Memes vs Antimemes 8:02 Cause Amp - the real world Antimemetics Division 11:38 Control (the game) 12:44 A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick 13:33 The King in Yellow by Robert W Chambers 15:26 POST SPOILERS discussion
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Project Hail Mary - Book vs Movie (plus other sci-fi book to movie recommendations)
Apr 700:39:21Tap to summarizeIf you thought The Martian was intense, let's just go ahead and raise the stakes. We break down the movie version of Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary, comparing the film with the fun technical problem solving of the original novel. We take a close look at how the movie brings the "astrophage" threat and and action to life, more importantly, whether it is possible to have your hair tousled 100% of the time. We dig into which complex scientific explanations were streamlined for Hollywood pacing and which "science-ing the heck out of it" moments remained intact. We also evaluate Ryan Gosling’s performance as the amnesiac-turned-savior, Ryland Grace, comparing his onscreen energy to the internal monologue that made the book a bestseller. Whether you’re a die-hard Rocky fan or a casual viewer who just loves a good space movie, this episode highlights the hits and misses of the transition from page to screen. We wrap up by answering the ultimate questions: is the movie worth watching? Is the book worth reading? Settle on in, enjoy, and fist our bump. Join the Hugonauts book club on discord Or you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer video As always, no spoilers until the end when we give a heads up before getting into the full plot discussion. Similar books and movies we recommend: The Martian (book and movie) Story of Your Life (novela) and Arrival (movie) 2001 (book and movie) Solaris (book and movie) Roadside Picnic (book) and Stalker (the movie) Children of Men (book and movie) Edge of Tomorrow (movie) and All you Need is Kill (book) War of the Worlds (book and movie) Dune (we love eyebrows) This episode is sponsored by STARLØK by J.T. Michaelstar: https://www.starløk.com/ If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode: 00:00 Intro and review 02:26 Sponsor – STARLØK by J.T. Michaelstar 03:04 Differences in the movie 8:13 Jokes vs cheesiness 10:15 How long can you look at Ryan Gosling? 12:16 Ever-tousled hair 16:27 Read or watch first? 17:53 The Martian 18:33 Story of Your Life & Arrival 19:46 2001 20:56 Solaris 22:03 Roadside Picnic & Stalker 23:54 Children of Men 25:30 All You Need is Kill & Edge of Tomorrow 26:38 War of the Worlds 28:16 Annihilation 28:56 Dune (we love eyebrows) 30:11 POST SPOILERS discussion
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The Dark Tower: Unraveling Stephen King's Mid-World
Mar 1700:47:42Tap to summarizeWe had so much fun revisiting Mid-World for this episode – it’s the first series that brought us together as book nerds twenty years ago, and it’s absolutely just as good as the first day we read it. So thankful it helped tie our friendship together, and laid the foundation for meeting all the rest of you Hugonauts all these years later! The Dark Tower defies (or bridges) genres, with elements of sci-fi, fantasy, western, horror, and more, all rolled into one legendary package. And Roland Deschain, the Gunslinger, is an incredible main character, and we’ll never forget the rest of the Ka-Tet either. And the ending – we won’t spoil it here, but man do we like thinking about this ending (it’s one of the most polarizing in all of literature). You may be picking up on the fact that we kinda like these books. Join the Hugonauts book club on discord Or you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer video As always, no spoilers until the end when we give a heads up before getting into the full plot discussion. Similar books we recommend: Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey Book of the New Sun series - Gene Wolfe This episode is sponsored by The Rising and the Fall of Hell by Sean Miller If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode: 00:00 Intro 01:58 Our review (5/5) 03:35 Sponsor – The Rising and the Fall of Hell by Sean Miller 04:09 About Stephen King 07:26 Incredible character writing 08:56 A 20 year series 10:30 Should we be reading on drugs? 12:38 Cody hates Star Wars 15:52 Every genre combined 18:02 Our favorite books in the series 19:39 The King Multiverse 21:10 The Dark Tower movie 22:03 Inspirations from other fiction 27:44 Similar books we recommend 31:27 POST SPOILERS discussion
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PAGE TURNERS: 15 binge-worthy Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books!
Feb 2400:53:15Tap to summarizeWe’ve got 15 books and series here, so there should be something to love for almost every reader (although we need some traditional fantasy page turners – send us some recommendations in the comments please)! Plus, at the end of the episode we each rank our personal top 3. We intentionally excluded YA and military sci-fi books, although those are often also page-turners - look out for episodes about each of those soon! Brent’s brother, Alex, joined us for this episode, and brought us a whole new batch of books (and frankly a couple new subgenres) to enjoy. LitRPG / progression fantasy just keep getting more popular, and we can see why – the books we’ve picked up have all been so, so fun to read (although it probably helps we’ve been reading Alex’s recommendations so far, the best of the best from the hundreds of LitRPG books he’s read). No spoilers anywhere in this episode. Join the Hugonauts book club on discord Or you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer video This episode is sponsored by Quinto’s Challenge by Peter McChesney All the books we recommend, plus timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:48 Sponsor – Quinto’s Challenge by Peter McChesney 03:26 Silo by Hugh Howey 5:06 Mother of Learning by Domagoj Kurmaic 7:19 Murderbot by Martha Wells 9:10 Beware of Chicken by Casualfarmer 12:26 Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton 14:49 Mark of the Fool by J.M. Clarke 18:18 Project Hail Mary and The Martian by Andy Weir 19:40 Iron Prince by Bryce O'Connor 22:33 Dark Matter by Blake Crouch 24:04 He Who Fights With Monsters by Shirtaloon 28:47 Daemon by Daniel Suarez 31:07 The Perfect Run by Maxime J. Durand 33:39 The Bobiverse by Dennis E. Taylor 36:24 Eight by Samer Rabadi 38:37 Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman 46:18 Rankings: Top 3 page turners
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The Best Space Operas Ever Written - the biggest stories and the best characters!
Feb 300:41:51Tap to summarizeWe've got 18 books and series we highly recommend, so there's something here for all kinds of readers - and at the end of the episode we rank our top 3 to bring you the best of the best. What is space opera? Books with big characters and a bigger world - they usually even come with big 'ol wordcounts. Space opera is often multi-pov, with interstellar travel and the fate of the galaxy at stake. No spoilers anywhere in this episode.Join the Hugonauts book club on discordOr you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer videoThis episode is sponsored by indie sci-fi publisher Lil' FactoryAll the books we recommend, plus timestamps:00:00 Intro 00:36 Sponsor - Lil' Factory 1:24 What is a space opera? 2:58 The Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold 4:45 The Expanse - James S.A. Corey 6:38 Hyperion - Dan Simmons 9:51 House of Suns - Alistair Reynolds 11:32 Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky 13:11 Fire Upon the Deep - Vernor Vinge 15:04 The Culture - Iain M. Banks 17:17 Peter F. Hamilton's whole discography 20:19 Embassytown - China Mieville 21:45 A Memory Called Empire - Arkady Martine 23:34 Dune - Are you happy now? 24:47 Ancillary Justice - Ann Leckie 26:34 Downbelow Station - C.J. Cherryh 26:05 The Mote in God's Eye - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle 29:24 Startide Rising - David Brin 31:16 The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet - Becky Chambers 33:01 Foundation - Isaac Asimov 35:22 Rankings: 3rd best Space Opera 37:27 Rankings: 2nd best Space Opera 38:50 Rankings: 1st best Space Opera
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Neal Stephenson's Diamond Age - Nanotech, Atom-scale 3D Printers, and a subversive Primer!
Jan 1300:41:01Tap to summarizeThis might be the best sci-fi book out there about nanotechnology. But Stephenson has so many good ones that this one isn't his best book - some of the characters lose their way, and it drags in the middle. Oh, and one more good recommendation we forgot while we were recording - check out Blood Music by Greg Bear if you want a biological twist on nanotech!Join the Hugonauts book club on discordOr you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer videoAs always, no spoilers until the end when we get into the full plot explanation and discussion.Similar books we recommend: Snow Crash by Neal StephensonNeuromancer by William GibsonCory DoctorowPrey by Michael CrichtonThis episode is sponsored by Har Megiddon by Ron Bennett.If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode: 00:00 Intro00:47 Book setup1:49 Sponsor - Har Megiddon2:22 Our review 3.25/53:53 Great sections - and stinkers4:47 Incredible technology7:33 Hard to visualize?9:38 Dances with Wolves10:17 Labor saving devices13:59 Neal's infodumps19:25 Book structure25:47 Sponsor - Har Megiddon26:08 Similar books we recommend28:40 Spoilers section - book summary31:30 Spoilers section - discussion
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The Myths that Inspired Fantasy and Sci-Fi
Dec 1600:53:58Tap to summarizeFrom Sumeria, to Greece, to India, to the depths of the dark ages we explore the stories that have inspired everything that came later with a professor of mythology and medieval literature. This particular professor also happens to be Cody's mom, so this is also a great episode to explore Cody's psyche, for those brave enough to explore a dark and twisted place. Join the Hugonauts book club on discordOr you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer videoIf you want to do some reading, here are our suggestions on the best translations of these myths (and even a couple great graphic novels): Epic of Gilgamesh, trans. Andrew George, Penguin ClassicsThe Odyssey, trans. Robert FaglesThe Odyssey, Gareth Hinds graphic novelThe Iliad, Penguin ClassicsThe Aeneid, trans. Robert Fagles Penguin ClassicsAge of Bronze Series, Eric Shanower (series of graphic novels on Trojan War)Hercules, Fred Van LenteMonkey, trans. Arthur WaleyBeowulf, trans. Seamus HeaneyThe Popul Vuh, trans. Michael Bazzett, Milkweed EditionsThe Nibelungenlied, trans. AT Hatto, PenguinChretien de Troyes, Arthurian Romances, trans. William W. Kibler, PenguinLe Morte D’Arthur, Sir Thomas Malory, Penguin ClassicsTales from the Thousand and One Nights, trans. N.J. Dawood, Penguin ClassicsSindbad and Other Stories from Arabian Nights, trans Husain HaddowySinbad the Sailor, Penguin ClassicsThe Ramayana, Abridged and Translated by Arshia Sattar, Penguin Classics OR any children’s/YA book to get started. There are hundredsIf you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for all the books we talked about: 0:00 - Intro1:45 - The Epic of Gilgamesh6:35 - The Odyssey10:12 - The Iliad12:09 - The Aeneid14:12 - Hercules15:53 - Monkey (Excerpts from Journey to the West)21:00 - Beowulf25:25 - The Popul Vuh28:23 - The Nibelungenlied33:21 - King Arthur Myths (Malory, De Troyes)36:56 - Tales From the Thousand and One Nights41:40 - Sinbad the Sailor45:10 - The Ramayana49:55 - Our Top 3 favorite myths
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Best Starter Science Fiction Books
Nov 2500:30:24Tap to summarizeWhether you like ripping page turners, incredible characters, books that make you laugh out loud, exploring unforgettable new worlds, or literary books that will make you see the world in a new way, there's a great intro to scifi out there for everyone!Join the Hugonauts book club on discord to tell us about your favorite time travel booksOr you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer videoIf you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for all the books we talked about: 00:00 Intro 00:38 Incredible Characters - Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold 3:07 A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers 4:04 Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes 4:52 Unforgettable Worlds - The Expanse by James S.A. Corey 6:58 Hyperion by Dan Simmons 8:24 House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds 9:20 Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky 10:56 The Forever War by Joe Haldeman 12:22 Funny SF - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 13:36 Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson 14:50 Old Man's War by John Scalzi 16:01 Page turners - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 17:43 Dark Matter or Recursion by Blake Crouch 18:52 All Systems Red by Martha Wells 20:01 Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card 21:35 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 22:34 Literary SciFi - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin 24:55 Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 26:26 The Road by Cormac McCarthy 27:49 Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut 28:40 Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
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Cloud Atlas - A genre-bending book we can't stop thinking about!
Nov 400:40:10Tap to summarizeWith six interconnected stories (in a narrative style that broke all kinds of new ground), it's hard not to find at least a few characters you love. And even for those you don't personally love, the voices are unforgettable - it's wild that all these characters with such distinct personalities were created by a single person.Join the Hugonauts book club on discordOr you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer videoAs always, no spoilers until the end when we get into the full plot explanation and discussion.Similar books we recommend: Cryptonomicon by Neal StephensonCloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony DoerrSea of Tranquility by Emily St. John MandelThis episode is sponsored by #1.1 by Allen Dean MaioraIf you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode: 00:00 Intro01:10 Book setup2:17 Our review 4.5/53:56 The unique structure7:08 The incredible voices10:44 Power and subjugation12:58 Our favorites of the stories23:17 Sponsor - #1.1 by Allen Dean Maiora23:40 Similar books we recommend26:06 Spoilers section - book summary34:18 Spoilers section - discussion
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