@anonymous4244
Just wanted to say, I got hospitalized a couple months back due to a condition and after I finally got out I found your channel and it has totally helped me in trying to find life again after that experience! I hadn’t realized how much I truly love reading, philosophy, journaling and the sorts! Thank you so much for giving genuinely good guidance and suggestions for so many of us!
@acommonlawyer_
Borges and Marquez wrote some of my favorite short stories, The Garden of Forking Paths and A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings, respectively. Would love to see a video on these authors and/or magical realism.
@AnuragSharma-pi4yr
When Jared is talking about having empathy for other conscious entities there is a book series that is terrific in that and it is the favourite Sci-fi of mine and it is Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Also if any of you like Children of Time and it's series there is another work by the same author that you might like The Doors of Eden, it explores the same type of thing in a different way.
@WildWolfGod
I'm absolutely bursting with excitement at all the talk around Sun Eater from multiple channels. Hell, even Daniel Greene is going to be binging the series and cranking out reviews so hopefully it's going to spread the word about the series.
@MsChristineLink
The Earthsea series is absolutely one of my all time favorites!! Loved hearing you speak on them. Great video!
@JamoboBorg
A series that recently grabbed my attention in a similar way is Terra Ignota by Ada Palmer. A fantastic look at a world that feels like it could genuinely be in our future, what brought about those changes and how those changes now shape the present for our protagonists. There are multiple philosophical themes brought about by Sci-fi and Fantasy elements, including what life might look like if you can travel the world in 2 hours, what might gender roles become if we tried to just erase them, how could the world change if a god incarnate actually visited us. On top of all this is the wonderful writing style which is a journal specifically written because the people in power recognise that the events unfolding need to be documented for future posterity. This has allowed Palmer to include characters having lengthy conversations about those topics because they are aware of them and wonder what effect they might have on themselves and on the future.
@veszeljko7645
I am only 2 books into Malazan but I noticed those themes as well, and especially another one that ties into all of them; illusion of control. Lorn in GOTM, Laseen and Coltaine in Deadhouse Gates. The stories we tell ourselves about ourselves becoming the very chains of our perspective and clarity of vision, safely filling the unknowable gaps with comforting, often deceiving conclusions for the sake of sanity and stability. I feel like Erikson accepts the idea of a chaotic universe and observes many different ways humanity copes with that fact, desperately clinging onto some form of imposed order such as Bridgeburner's loyalty to the abstract idea of the Malazan Empire. And I feel like he does it so well, it feels meaty and nuanced and I cannot stop thinking about these books.
@BooksWithBenghisKahn
Very much agree on the philosophical value in Sun Eater, Malazan, and Earthsea—sounds like I definitely need to give Babel-17 a try as someone who’s studied a bit of linguistics!
@lathanclayton1384
Kazuo Ishiguro is very good at exploring ideas about memory and ethics within different genres. I particularly enjoyed his only 'fantasy' "The Buried Giant", it has been very divisive but I found it to be prolific and creative in its exploration of memory of individuals and collective memory of a society
@Jed_Herne
I'm halfway through the 6th Sun Eater book now, and you've perfectly articulated a major reason why I love it so much. The philosophy of the series is incredibly fascinating, and becomes especially so once some of the 'bigger players' are introduced later on. Great analysis, Jared.
@BillMcHale
So, an important point to remember about Card's work is that Ender's Game was originally writtent (and published) as shorter work, maybe a Novella, or shorter... but when he had the idea for Speaker for the Dead, I believe his wife suggested expantding the original work as a prequel. I read the third novel when it first came out but was disappointed in it, and have never given it another look... perferring the first too books which I will reread every decade or so.
@josephgrabowski6594
I've been really enjoying your channel. It's great being introduced to books I've never heard of and hearing how they're meaningful to you.
@jackiemoffitt6780
I would also recommend China Mieville's Bas-Lag novel series. It's kind of a mix between steampunk and cosmic horror with interesting themes around class conflict, stateless societies, multiculturalism as well as mad science and alchemy. Some of the imagery can get pretty twisted tho so be aware.
@panad0r
Ah, just seeing Malazan being covered and given its due ... fantastic. :)
@davidmcclellan4621
I was so happy to see Ender's Game on this this. I find the philosophical component rarely talked about, but I feel as soon as you read the rest of the books in the series, the philosophical side is teased out quite well.
@A_Alves
Great content! Some of my favorite philosophical SF are: God Emperor of Dune (4th Dune novel) - Frank Herbert, Hyperion - Dan Simons, Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell.
@cookiesandbussies1577
Some more recommendations: - vernor vinge’s zones of consciousness series explores the struggles of various forms of intelligent life under the hypothesis that both technology and levels of intelligences have lower upper limits the closer you get to the center of the galaxy. There’s one book in particular that centers on a society where individuals consist of multiple intelligent bodies, so identities shift and absorb each other when those bodies move around. - vernor vinge’s marooned in realtime explores time travel in the only possible sense: that of moving forward in time. - Peter watt’s fireball series explores the concept of intelligence without sentience, and what that could mean in a first contact situation. I’ll definitely be checking out the comment section for more suggestions. Great video!
@pattycookie2011
If you’re a fiction reader seeking a novel that challenges your perspective on human nature and society, Blindness by José Saramago (Nobel Prize in Literature, 1998) is a compelling choice. Set in a nameless city struck by a sudden epidemic of blindness, the novel plunges into a chaotic world where civilization collapses, and the true nature of humanity is revealed. Saramago’s writing explores deep philosophical themes of morality, fear, and the fragility of order, forcing readers to confront uncomfortable truths about human behavior in extreme conditions. The novel’s allegorical style makes it more than just a dystopian story—it is a profound reflection on society, ethics, and the resilience of the human spirit. Ideal for readers who enjoy fiction with a philosophical edge, Blindness offers a thought-provoking journey into the human condition.
@vryc
If you're looking for philosophical fantasy, R.Scott Bakker's "The Prince of Nothing" series is all about free will, predestination, etc. A whole host of philosophical trappings are used to bring about "cants", magical utterances, used to describe the interplay between need & want in human interactions, and how a philosophy of pure truth can be used as a powerful manipulation tool of individuals and to also subjugate entire peoples. Gorgeous prose that depict some very adult scenes of violence and sex. Can be quite profound in its insights at times.
@_jared