this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2025
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Edit: thank you for sharing your suggestions, everyone. I’ll try to check out the ones I haven’t read. Hopefully the responses in this thread were helpful for you too. <3

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[–] thisbenzingring@lemmy.sdf.org 46 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

it was the first book I ever read, and I decided to do it on my own. I was 16 and it was the greatest thing I had done for myself up to that point. It was such a big thing for me. I had never read a book front to back before, let alone deciding to do it on my own.

And so I checked that book out at the library. Went home and started to read the first couple chapters. Got some tomato soup and a grilled cheese and then next thing I know its 2AM and I read that whole book in almost one sitting!!!

The freedom it gave my mind was a gift I can never reply. Douglass Adams is and always will be one of my favorite humans for what he gave me in that story.

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 10 points 4 days ago

I agree. I've introduced it to a number of people and I find it's a bit of a litmus test for me. If they come back with "that's just stupid" I know they're missing a sense of play that comes with messing with the rules of life.

We lost DA far too early, but he left us a wonderful gift.

[–] cloudless@piefed.social 26 points 4 days ago (2 children)

1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell.

[–] thisbenzingring@lemmy.sdf.org 10 points 4 days ago (1 children)

When I was young and exposed to these stories, they had a different meaning

but as I have gotten older, wow those books sure do hit a bullseye but not always for what meaning popular culture puts on them

1984 to me is not about the government as much as it is about political ideas and opinions. Big Brother only punished the Winston because he broke the rules while being an insider. If he ran away to the proles, he would have been free but nope, he was theirs and they were going to punish him for his deviancy. They prepared for it even.

An in my opinion, those MAGA dupes are Winston of our age.

Animal Farm is similar but even more on point of our nature allowing these pigs to rule us with "all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others"

Its good we call cops PIGS, because they are.

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 11 points 4 days ago

Add Brave New World by Aldous Huxley to the list. I think he actually managed to get closer to where we were heading before Trump. Things took a right turn though.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I loved 1984, but when I was younger, I always found Orwell's treatise on language that takes up a big chunk in the middle to be dull and far-fetched.

Boy was I wrong...

[–] otacon239@lemmy.world 20 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Hatchet.

It taight me that you never have to give up. Even when all looks completely lost, keeping your head on a swivel and keeping yourself goal oriented, you can get yourself through almost anything.

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[–] BeardedGingerWonder@feddit.uk 16 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Can I say the entire Discworld series? Sure they're funny fantasy stories, but I reckon Pterry's view on humanity formed a lot of how I think about the world.

Also Dark Money by Jane Mayer.

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[–] Paige@piefed.ca 13 points 4 days ago

The Selfish Gene.
As soon as the concept clicked halfway through the book my days as an evangelical were over.
It was interesting to me to hear years later that Wall Street types found it influential, because the thing I found most compelling was the explanation of why altruism and social generosity were rational traits.

[–] positiveWHAT@lemmy.world 10 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Consider Phlebas

I had been reading, mainly fantasy up until that point because of 2 less understandable sci-fi books. The feel of realism and cynisism, mixed with optimistic philosophy. I'm not a very visual reader, but that book made some awe-inspiring scenes in my head. It's just the very peak of 80s sci-fi

[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 4 points 4 days ago

Still one of my favourites that I have read several times. The pace is relentless.

The Player of Games is my second favourite Culture novel.

[–] eezeebee@lemmy.ca 10 points 4 days ago

1984 and Brave New World

[–] Widdershins@lemmy.world 10 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Grew up seeing it on the bookshelf and thought it was a horror book. Like Texas Chainsaw Massacre in book form.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I'd say it contains some existential horror...

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[–] thezeesystem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Enders game a it was the only novel I had finished in my life. Took me 3 years but disabilities like ADHD is horrible for me. I can read pretty well but any books like novels just can't do it. Also with aphantasia it gets even worse.

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[–] Beaker@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 4 days ago

The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guinn

[–] toomanypancakes@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago (1 children)

House of Leaves. I don't know if I want to read it again, but that book was a cool experience.

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[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 8 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Survivor by Chuck "Fight Club" Palahniuk.

After Fight Club I went on a spree of reading this guys work. Survivor was the last of his written before the Fight Club movie made it big. It was also released a couple of years before 9/11 which killed its chance of being made into a movie.

I think it highlights how being passive in the world isn't enough to avoid doing bad things. You have to make your own choices to avoid a bad result. Interesting story structure and has some dark comedic moments too.

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[–] tenchiken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Time enough for love - Heinlein

Nor crystal tears - Foster

A world out of time - Niven

Ringworld - Niven

Sassinak - McCaffrey

The Martian - Weir

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[–] DirigibleProtein@aussie.zone 7 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (4 children)

in no particular order:

  • Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
  • Swallows and Amazons
  • How to Lose Friends and Infuriate People
  • The Wizard of Earthsea
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[–] TheMinions@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson.

The main character’s reflection on his past and continuation of growth really resonates with me.

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[–] SorryImLate@piefed.social 7 points 4 days ago

Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. The first book I read was "Guards, Guards" and it's still one of my favourites. I own the series and every few years I read through it again.

[–] Steamymoomilk@sh.itjust.works 7 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

How to seize the means of computation By cory Doctorow.

Great author love all of his books. Love his its free to read any of his books on craphound. But i ended up buying physical copys because i just needed to own them.

The book talks about how things were with betamax and VHS. And how modern day tech is crap and how to fix it!

Its diffently the most influential books ive read.

[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

These two changed my whole perspective on American history and the public school system, as I learned a lot of information that had been deliberately withheld from me.

  • Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
  • A People's History of the United States

As for fiction:

  • The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (Beautiful and a little sad)
  • The Tapestry Series by Henry Neff (Just a wonderful series to read)
  • Night Shift by Stephen King (Read it way too young, in elementary school)
  • The Bible (in a bad way, God is an asshole)
  • Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (A trip through my childhood, basically)
  • Incidents Around the House (A scary book that touches on all our worst fears as kid)
  • The Witches by Roald Dahl (Just a great kids horror book)
[–] Camzing@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago

Manufacturing Consent. Chomsky.

[–] anachrohack@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Gave me fresh perspective on the state of America

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[–] Brkdncr@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago

Everybody Poops

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami

[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 5 points 3 days ago

This was a short story, but I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream left me in a depressive state for a few days. Based purely on the feelings I got involved I wouldn't recommend it. It's not necessarily bad though. It's just... Intense I guess.

[–] abbotsbury@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago

2001: A Space Odyssey touched me in that special place between science, religion, and spirituality.

It was always hungry, and now it was starving. When the first faint glow of dawn crept into the cave, Moon-Watcher saw that his father had died in the night. He did not know that the Old One was his father, for such a relationship was utterly beyond his understanding, but as he looked at the emaciated body he felt dim disquiet that was the ancestor of sadness

 

In their explorations, they encountered life in many forms, and watched the workings of evolution on a thousand worlds. They saw how often the first faint sparks of intelligence flickered and died in the cosmic night. And because, in all the galaxy, they had found nothing more precious than Mind, they encouraged its dawning everywhere. They became farmers in the fields of stars; they sowed, and sometimes they reaped. And sometimes, dispassionately, they had to weed.

[–] davidgro@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago

"What Is a Laser?"

When I saw that book in the elementary school library it was a revelation: There are books explaining the cool mysterious stuff like that! And written for kids to understand!

I think that one book is a big part of what sent me on the path to geekdom.

It wasn't technically my first nonfiction science book, which would be "Our Friend the Atom" but I wasn't old enough to actually read that when I had it (probably got destroyed before I could). I liked the pictures though.

[–] anomoly_@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

[–] tiredofsametab@fedia.io 5 points 3 days ago

Dragons of Autumn Twilight was one that set me on quite the Dragonlance collection and reading journey

[–] theyllneverfindmehere@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm and Sam Hughes.

[–] m_f@discuss.online 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Neat, looks like the author got a publishing deal and has a new version of it coming out later this year:

https://qntm.org/antimemetics

Here's the author's blurb about it, if it piques anyone else's interest that hasn't read it yet:

An antimeme is an idea with self-censoring properties; an idea which, by its intrinsic nature, discourages or prevents people from spreading it.

Antimemes are real. Think of any piece of information which you wouldn't share with anybody, like passwords, taboos and dirty secrets. Or any piece of information which would be difficult to share even if you tried: complex equations, very boring passages of text, large blocks of random numbers, and dreams...

But anomalous antimemes are another matter entirely. How do you contain something you can't record or remember? How do you fight a war against an enemy with effortless, perfect camouflage, when you can never even know that you're at war?

Welcome to the Antimemetics Division.

No, this is not your first day.

Thank you for putting the blurb. I was in a waiting room and I got called as I posted. I hope someone enjoys this book as much as I do.

[–] y0kai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 4 days ago

Played bloody knuckles with hard copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire once in grade school, and still have a lil mark from it.

[–] ThePyroPython@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago

Atomic Habits.

As someone who is likely on the spectrum, it was like someone gifted me a user guide for life where other self-help books have either leaned a lot on the emotions of things or tried to cram all sorts of philosophy down my throat.

Lot's of common sense ideas around how to turn what, where, and who you want to be into actually achievable goals and genuinely helped me figure out who I want to be for myself and not for other people.

I wouldn't say it has any groundbreaking or radical ideas in it, but the structure and presentation of the simple ideas really helped me work out some life things for myself.

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 4 days ago
[–] Vanilla_PuddinFudge@infosec.pub 4 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer

It isn't just sci-fi, there's a lot of coming to terms with your limited amount of human influence on your environment and life, that there unknowns that will always be unknown, and that's ok, we're no different than the gains of sand by the lighthouse, as subject to nature as the grass, or birds.

There are also clones of people that have to come to terms with their identity as to what they are, even if they themselves don't fully understand it, and can't.

The universe is bigger than you, and your scope is limited, but that's ok. Find wherever you fit and try to find purpose in the chaos.

[–] wolframhydroxide@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 days ago (5 children)
  • A Canticle for Leibowitz
  • Cloud Atlas
  • 1984
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"The Arsonist in the Office" by Pete Havel

Helped me recognize that the incredibly toxic job I was in was not sustainable.

"It's Your Ship" by D. Michael Abrashoff

Excellent book on leadership. Should be required reading for anyone who manages people.

"Psychopath Free" by Jackson MacKenzie

Most people probably have no idea what it's like to be in a relationship with someone who has a personality disorder. It can be absolute hell. It certainly was for me. This book provided some good insights but also helped me feel less alone.

There are other books but those are three big ones for me.

[–] Lizardking13@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago

The Lord of The Rings. This book changed reading for me. I always enjoyed fantastical themes, but this one really got me. Then, I found out there was more. More background, more world building, more why.

I've never turned back. I re read it occasionally and I've read much of Tolkien's other works. Next on the list is to begin working through The History of Middle Earth. I will be starting this in the fall. It may take me quite some time to get through.

[–] truite@jlai.lu 4 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)
  • The Gray House, Maryam Petrosyan. It's the story of a house, which is a disabled children and teenagers institution. It's weird, hard, and incredible. It's not a book for children, nor a young adult one – I mean, you can read it if you're a young adult or a late teen, but don't skip this book only because the characters are teenagers. I will reread this one.
  • Woman on the Edge of Time, Marge Piercy. I read it recently because it was translated in french in 2022, but it's a book from 1976. It's a SF novel, and one of the few fictions which speaks against psychiatry. It's a feminist utopia, but the first pages are pretty hard.
[–] TheLeadenSea@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

His Dark Materials

Singularity Sky (and its sequel, Iron Sunrise)

Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality (a fanfiction novel that is far better than the original series)

What If (and What If 2, by Randall Munroe)

The Planiverse

The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Society After an Apocalypse

Sophie's World

Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy

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[–] TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

Something Happened, the other, far lesser-known work by Catch-22 author Joseph Heller. It's too apples-to-oranges to throw around "better", but I already love Catch-22 and still prefer Something Happened. It's considerably longer, but in my opinion, it's criminally overlooked.

[–] 13igTyme@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

It's more of a short story in a book filled with time traveling short stories.

I'm trying to find what it's called, but I still have the book. After reading it, I had a brief period of time where I was questioning my own freewill and choices.

Basically it starts with a time machine being in a warehouse and scientists all around. The person inside is doing everything backwards and they are attempting to communicate with paper, often getting answers before there is a question. It's a good read and I won't spoil the end.

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