Kaffe · a free reading list
Books like Project Hail Mary
Problem-solving in space, real science and a lot of heart.
The Martian by Andy Weir
The same author's first hit: an astronaut stranded on Mars, solving one problem at a time.
+ Sharp, funny and thrilling, with ingenious survival problems and just enough geekery.
− The jokey tone can undercut tension, and it feels set in the present day. (summed up from Kirkus Reviews)We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor
An engineer's mind is uploaded into a self-replicating probe. Funny, nerdy and optimistic.
+ An entertaining premise with enjoyable explorations of space tech and astrophysics.
− Juvenile execution: cheesy dialogue, too many pop-culture references, no character growth and no subtlety or surprises. (summed up from Yevgeniy Brikman)Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Humans and an evolving alien species, written with real biology and a hopeful ending.
+ Old-school SF on an epic time scale, with likeable, memorable aliens and a genuinely exciting final quarter.
− Builds slowly at first, and not one for arachnophobes. (summed up from SFFWorld)The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
A warm found-family crew and friendly aliens. Lighter on science, big on heart.
+ A quietly profound, humane and cosy space opera full of optimism and warm relationships.
− Some found it merely pleasant. (summed up from Wikipedia (reception))Contact by Carl Sagan
A scientist decodes a signal from space. First contact handled with real science.
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