Reading is a great pastime to lull away the hours with. We already gave you some picks for our favorite fantasy books a while back, so we thought we’d even the playing field!
Here’s some new entries to tickle a slightly different fancy. If you thought our previous book entries were a little too heavy on fantasy, this should be right up your alley!
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The Road – Cormac McCarthy
One of the single bleakest looks at a post apocalyptic world that has ever existed.
Telling the story of an unnamed father and son, we follow them through the grueling world that mankind has created. Nothing lives and everything dies from an unspoken calamity.
There is no bright side, there is no deus ex machina, just suffering, reality and death. Brought to life with McCarthy’s signature prose and style, The Road is not a book soon forgotten.
A Little Hatred – Joe Abercrombie
Okay so this list won’t be entirely non-fantasy… Sorry I just cannot resist, Abercrombie is such an inspired writer!
This book begins his new and ongoing trilogy and dare I say, it might be better than his First Law Trilogy in some respects. Following multiple characters, taking a much more mature approach than Abercrombie’s original works and a breakneck pace.
You’ll find this book just as hard to look away from as he’s written before!
The Enceladus Mission – Brandon Q. Morris
When life is detected on a moon of Saturn by a probe, a mission is hurried through and humanity begins the long journey. As they experience difficulties and doubt, the mission becomes increasingly dangerous.
Morris finds something incredibly surreal in the hard hitting SciFi that he crafts. There’s this underlying threat from both the abnormal and the human characters. Nothing seems real but everything seems too real at the same time. Certainly something to be experienced.
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No Country for Old Men – Cormac McCarthy
There’s a good reason why McCarthy appears on this list twice, and this is one of his best books ever written.
Following the story of three men. One who finds a bag of money, one who is hunting him down and the third who is hunting the hunter. This whole book is effectively one massive slow burn, and it is intense from start to finish.
While the movie is absolutely more well known than the book, it’s honestly worth the read no matter what!
The Revenant – Michael Punke
Yes, this is the book that inspired the Oscar winning film! A tale of revenge and danger set amidst the backdrop of the 19th Century Americas.
The Revenant is an intense tale of survival, family and violence. Filled end to end with memorable quotes, amazing characters and awe inspiring writing!
Revenant is a book that you will not soon forget, and one that you will not want to revisit anytime soon!
We Were Soldiers Once… And Young – Harold G. Moore
Equal parts intense war story and also incredibly harsh reminder of one of the most violent wars in history.
This book doesn’t mince words. Both sides committed atrocities, PTSD was rampant and both sides had their reasons. Reading this book is like getting slapped in the face with reality, and realizing that reality is just as grim as ever.
There is an underlying sense of hope and understanding to this book, but it will keep you up at night. You’ll want to thank the closest veteran you can, regardless of their nationality.
Blindsight – Peter Watts
Science Fiction meets intergalactic horror. Blindsight tells the story of a group of ragtag remnants of humanity that are sent to find an alien.
An alien that is whispering from a distant comet, and the closer we get, the less it seems to want to talk. This book is intense, like listening to an existential crisis and being told that there was no way of knowing what is real.
Honestly, there’s no real way to properly describe Blindsight. It’s cosmic horror done right, and that is a very rare thing.
Jurassic Park – Michael Crichton
You’d be forgiven for not knowing that there’s a book that inspired the blockbuster movies. Furthermore, just be aware that the book is nothing like the movie.
With a much stronger emphasis on horror and science fiction than the suspense and terror of the movies. The books get pretty freaking violent, wildly more intense and significantly more mature.
Take this recommendation with a grain of salt, if you loved the movies you MIGHT love the book!
Carrion Comfort – Dan Simmons
Simply put, this book is scary as all hell.
Holocaust, WWII, neo-gothic horror, science fiction and slow burn thriller are not things that typically go well together. Yet Dan Simmons draws you in and refuses to let go. This book is haunting.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson
Full of intrigue and atmosphere, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a classic work that has been adapted a few times.
Ultimately nothing quite beats the book. With timely themes, a wonderful cast of characters and plenty of twists to keep even the most disinterested reader involved!
In Summary
That’s our list folks! We tried to go a little bit more on the end of SciFi, non-fiction and horror with this particular list. Yes there was still the odd little Fantasy entry here and there but what can you expect, we’re a bunch of nerds here at Scoophash!
How many of these books have you read? What are your favorites? Be sure to let us know in the comments and on social media! Stay tuned here at Scoophash for more updates as they come out!
