From classics like Frankenstein to modern masterpieces like Project Hail Mary, there are plenty of books out there that pretty much any die-hard fan of the science fiction genre has read. Throughout the years, however, there have also been plenty of exceptional sci-fi books which have somehow slipped under most bookworms’ radars. But underappreciated though they may be, these absolute gems of speculative fiction storytelling should still be considered essential reading.

Anyone looking for a few great books to add to their “sci-fi titles to read” list ought to check out these gems, both old and new. Hugely imaginative, emotionally and intellectually compelling, and all-around masterclasses in how to write a great sci-fi story, these books may not often receive nearly as much praise as they deserve, but they absolutely should.

‘The Last Man’ (1826)

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Considering that it was her Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, which she began writing at the tender age of 18, that practically birthed science fiction, Mary Shelley‘s importance to the history of the genre truly can’t be overstated. It’s such a paragon of sci-fi storytelling, however, that it tends to overshadow the rest of Shelley’s bibliography. One of her most underrated works came eight years after Frankenstein: The Last Man, a post-apocalyptic novel following the sole survivor of a global bubonic plague pandemic.

It’s one of the most perfect sci-fi books that nobody remembers, a must-read for anyone who found Frankenstein and Shelley’s writing style even the slightest bit intriguing. It’s a pioneering work of dystopian sci-fi and a surprisingly scathing critique of imperialism, and though critics at the time misunderstood and largely overlooked it, modern readers and scholars have come to appreciate its brilliance.

‘Perdido Street Station’ (2000)

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The 20th century saw the publication of the vast majority of history’s greatest sci-fi books, and what a great way to close off the era 2000 was, since it saw the publication of masterpieces like British writer China Miéville‘s Perdido Street Station. The first installment in the New Crobuzon trilogy, this dystopian novel follows an eccentric scientist’s quest to help an alien, which ends up unleashing a city-devouring nightmare.

It’s one of the best soft sci-fi books of all time, its stylish blend of sci-fi and horror elements coming together flawlessly to craft one of the most delightfully bizarre sci-fi books the 2000s ever saw. Though it won several awards (including a prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award), its surrealist “weird fiction” sensibilities and dense prose have kept it as a relatively niche cult classic for 26 years. It’s about time that began to change.

‘Grass’ (1989)

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The first novel in Sheri S. Tepper‘s Arbai trilogy, Grass is an eco-feminist and climate-fiction extravaganza about the titular planet, a green-covered utopia that’s the only known world in the universe immune to a terminal plague that’s slowly ravaging humanity’s interstellar empire. Considering that the book was a critical success nominated for both the Hugo and Locus Awards in 1990, it’s all the more of a tragedy how it has fallen into relative obscurity.

But lesser-known though it may be, Grass is still a masterfully confrontational and provocative novel that isn’t afraid to be critical of patriarchal power structures, organized religion, and particularly ecological destruction. It’s perfect for those who prefer cli-fi authors who don’t mince their words, as well as for those who enjoy breathtakingly beautiful worldbuilding and deeply layered thematic work.

‘Neverness’ (1988)

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Arthurian legend has always been a big point of inspiration for many a speculative fiction author, but it’s usually fantasy books that it inspires. David Zindell‘s Neverness, on the other hand, is one of the best sci-fi books inspired by Arthurian tales, particularly Sir Thomas Malory‘s 15th-century Middle English work Le Morte d’Arthur. In this futuristic space epic, a young pilot embarks on a universe-trotting quest to unlock the secrets of human evolution.

Wonderfully ambitious and full of expansive worldbuilding, Neverness is one of those forgotten sci-fi books that have aged beautifully. Zindell’s poetic, almost lyrical prose complements the lush worldbuilding and the grand philosophical scope of the story perfectly. Indeed, all in all, Neverness is one of those epic space operas that deserve to be as highly praised as cornerstones of the genre like Dune and Hyperion.

‘The Gone-Away World’ (2008)

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The Gone-Away World is one of the most impressive sci-fi debut novels that the 21st century has thus far seen, introducing the world to the now highly-regarded British novelist Nick Harkaway, son of the legendary John le Carré. In this post-apocalyptic satire, two childhood friends must save the world when a huge pipeline carrying a reality-preserving substance catches fire.

There’s something here for everyone. Harkaway, proving that talent flows through his family’s veins, balances romance, mystery, and sci-fi thriller elements like an absolute pro, delivering a reading experience as delectably diverse as it is surprisingly funny. But as humorous as it can be, The Gone-Away World can also be powerfully moving and existential, exploring themes like nuclear paranoia and the end of the world with a sheer philosophical depth the genre doesn’t often see.

‘Engine Summer’ (1979)

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The 1970s were among the best decades of all time for science fiction literature, and at least as far as this particular genre goes, John Crowley‘s Engine Summer is one of the best books of the ’70s. A rewrite of Crowley’s unpublished first novel, Learning to Live With It, Engine Summer is a post-apocalyptic coming-of-age tale about Rush That Speaks, a young man who leaves his peaceful community to explore what’s left of human civilization.

Crowley perfectly blends beautifully poetic, slow-burning prose with an optimistic view of the world that rejects the grimness that tends to plague most post-apocalyptic stories, making this a must-read for fans of the likes of Star Trek. Those who love post-apocalyptic sci-fi but are tired of despair-filled dystopias should love Engine Summer, a masterfully plotted gem whose quiet and contemplative tone is as refreshing as it is bittersweet.

‘The Carpet Makers’ (1995)

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German author Andreas Eschbach‘s The Carpet Makers, also published as The Hair Carpet Weavers, was originally successful in the German-speaking world alone. It wouldn’t be until its French translation was published in 1998 that it would begin to garner international appeal, and its English translation in 2005 made it far more widely available. Even to this day, however, this tale about a galactic empire where generations of men on low-tech planets spend their lives weaving carpets for the God-Emperor still doesn’t receive the love it deserves.

The hugely inventive premise alone should be enough to make The Carpet Makers a modern classic; but as if that weren’t enough, there’s also the quiet elegance of Eschbach’s prose, the narrative’s thematic depth, and the unique structure that makes the story flow like a multi-vignette literary puzzle. Smart, tragic, and thought-provoking, it’s a brilliant existentialist exploration of humanity’s need for a feeling of purpose.

‘Blindsight’ (2006)

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Canadian author Peter Watts‘ Blindsight, nominated for the Hugo and Locus Awards, is a relatively well-known novel within the community of die-hard hard science fiction fans. Outside of that niche, however, it typically doesn’t receive nearly as much recognition—even though it deserves it. In it, a first-contact mission brings into question whether human consciousness and sentience are actually evolutionary advantages.

The result of such a philosophically fascinating premise is one of the best sci-fi books of the 2000s, one that forces the reader to grapple with their own humanity in ways that few other sci-fi masterpieces ever could. Blindsight is a complete revolution of the first contact subgenre, its hard science elements exquisitely rigorous and its plotting perfectly balanced with the profoundly layered thematic work.

‘The Invincible’ (1964)

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Polish writer Stanisław Lem is best-known for the philosophical sci-fi masterpiece Solaris, but there are other seriously amazing books in his bibliography, the most underappreciated of which is the hard sci-fi gem The Invincible. A true pioneer in introducing elements like microbots and artificial swarm intelligence to science fiction, The Invincible follows the crew of a space cruiser as they land on a desolate planet to investigate the mysterious disappearance of their sister ship.

Nanotech and the other hard sci-fi elements that The Invincible was one of the first-ever novels to deal with may not feel all that novel by modern standards, but the book itself still feels surprisingly fresh and groundbreaking today. For fans of hard sci-fi that’s truly and passionately focused on its scientific elements, this should prove to be an irresistible reading experience, one infused with some of the most fascinating thematic work any sci-fi book from the ’60s ever saw.

‘Hard to Be a God’ (1964)

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Years after adapting Lem’s Solaris for the big screen, Soviet auteur Andrei Tarkovsky adapted Soviet duo Arkady and Boris Strugatsky‘s Roadside Picnic in Stalker. With the years’ passage, that novella has come to be the one that the writers are best-known for. There’s a certain other incredible masterpiece in their bibliography, however, which deserves to be infinitely more mainstream: Hard to Be a God, where an undercover operative from a futuristic Earth is sent to observe the events of a feudal alien planet without ever interfering.

With this premise as their scaffolding, the Strugatskys potently critique totalitarianism and explore the fragility of human culture in all sorts of thought-provoking ways. The tone is pitch-black to the point of being harrowing at times, as Hard to Be a God explores the psychological toll of the prime directive of non-interference with a level of chilling depth the genre rarely sees. It’s one of the heaviest sci-fi books ever, but essential reading nonetheless.

Igby Rigney opened up about how “confusing” the process of filming The Shards was — especially when the cast was shooting multiple different takes of the same scene.

“[Creator] Ryan [Murphy] was really fun in the way that he directed us where he would have us do multiple takes multiple ways,” Rigney, 23, exclusively told Us ahead of the season 1 finale on Wednesday, September 9.

The actor, who plays Brett, never knew which version would make the final cut.

“We were never clued in on which take he was going to use. And then I’m sure some of those takes got combined to make it extra confusing,” Rigney continued. “But getting to have the narration sometimes was a little challenging on set though.”

He added: “Because everybody around me is having fun, and I’m staring deeply into the middle distance thinking about this big, long paragraph I have, but I’m not saying it out loud.”

The Shards is a TV adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis‘ fictionalized memoir about his high school years. The 2023 release was Ellis’ first in 13 years and has a disclaimer stating that all the major players in The Shards are fictional — apart from the narrator.

Executive producer Brad Simpson offered more insight into the creative approach when it came to teasing the show’s biggest mysteries.

“It’s interesting to see what made it and which takes Ryan chose from. Because it was just a way to get different performances out of people,” Simpson noted. “So he would do that and he would tell every director coming in that when he filmed them. He would go, ‘OK, now play the take like you’re hiding something or like you’re the killer.’ It was just to see what they did.”

Simpson considered the concept useful, saying, “It was to get different responses from them. And then that stew was put together in the cutting room, and I think Ryan just used the takes that made sense. It wasn’t even with an objective toward tipping your hat. He really would do a lot of performance takes with the cast.”

The screenwriter praised Murphy for the approach.

“I’ve been on other Ryan shows where he’s just going for something very specific. But he had a lot more fun and leeway on this show where he wanted the actors to play things in different ways — and the show gets more and more bizarre as it goes on.”

Simpson compared the vision to prolific producer David Lynch and his hit campy series Twin Peaks.

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“These characters fall into this world that is, like, so alien to high school. They’re high school students by day and being hunted by a killer by night. But it was a lot of fun. The cast had a lot of fun,” he shared with Us.”Once we were in the groove of those last couple episodes, it just got more and more twisted on set and more and more fun. We were really going toward this crescendo.”

He concluded: “The cast really felt instant nostalgia for the season because it is the first big thing for a lot of them. The first TV series for a lot of them, and they all got along so well. … Ryan used to love sitting around and asking them who they thought the killer was.”

The Shards airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on FX.

Nicola Peltz Beckham scored a major career milestone at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival as she received the prestigious Rising Star Award at the 25th Kinéo Awards ceremony.

The 31-year-old actress was recognized for her upcoming performance in the indie ballet drama “Prima,” in which she stars alongside Oscar-winning screen icon Faye Dunaway.

Peltz has also been the subject of online body-shaming comments after it was revealed that she had to lose weight for her role in the film.

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As earlier reported by The Blast, Nicola Peltz Beckham was earmarked to receive the Rising Star Award at the 25th Kinéo Awards on September 5. She finally received the honor over the weekend alongside co-star Faye Dunaway, who took home a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Peltz turned heads in a purple Balenciaga dress for the red carpet event in the company of her husband, Brooklyn Beckham, before slipping into a vintage black Armani Privé dress for the main ceremony, per PEOPLE.

Dunaway, for her part, stunned in a black Ralph Lauren gown with a sheer cape on the red carpet, where she posed with filmmakers and brothers Alessandro and Luca Morelli. For the main event, she changed into a beige Umit Benan suit.

Peltz and Brooklyn couldn’t keep their hands off each other as they packed on the PDA during the night out.

Nicola Peltz And Faye Dunaway Gush Over Each Other

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The film “Prima” follows Margo (Peltz), a dedicated ballerina raised by her disciplinarian and “guardian of the art” grandmother (Dunaway), whose disciplined life unravels during a major power struggle at her ballet company.

At the press conference for the ceremony, held on Friday, September 4, both actresses heaped praise on each other while greeting the crowd.

“I am so excited to be here, and I am so excited to be sitting here next to the iconic Faye Dunaway,” Peltz said, as seen in a video captured at the event.

“I’m very happy to be here with this lady who I can see is going to have a very, very big career,” Dunaway said of her co-star. “I think she’s so talented and I adore her.”

Nicola Peltz Praises Brooklyn Beckham For His Support

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For the event, the former photographer kept things simple in a white shirt, black trousers, and black shoes. He showed his gentlemanly side as he helped Peltz onto a small podium where she received the award.

In her speech, the “Transformers: Age of Extinction” actress thanked the audience for the “immense honor” and praised her husband for his unwavering support.

“My family is my everything. My mum, dad, (brothers) Diesel and Brad, and Brooklyn, thank you. You always believe in me. To have your support is the reason I can reach the stars in the first place,” she said.

“Thank you so much for this immense honor. To receive an award at the Venice Film Festival is something I will carry with me for the rest of my career,” she added.

She also gave a shout-out to her co-star, saying, “Faye, you have always been an inspiration to me and learning with you has been incredible.”

Nicola Peltz Underwent Physical Transformation For ‘Prima’

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Peltz seemingly had to sacrifice a lot to play her role in the upcoming movie.

Back in January, at the height of her husband’s public altercation with his parents, David and Victoria Beckham, she shared photos of the couple looking cozy and very much in love.

However, netizens made pointed remarks about her leaner frame before a source confirmed to PEOPLE that she had actually lost weight to play Margo in the film.

“She’s undergone a physical transformation and intense workout regimen for her role in Prima, where she portrays a prima ballerina,” the source explained.

Brooklyn Beckham Hits Back At Troll Over Nicola Peltz’s Body

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Meanwhile, Brooklyn has firmly warned off trolls who won’t stop talking about his wife’s body.

He shared a cooking video on Instagram of himself making a cottage pie in August, and while Peltz didn’t feature in the clip, one commenter still referenced her body.

“Do you comment on everyone who is concerned about your wife and how sickly she looks? She puts herself out there. Feed her,” they wrote, per PEOPLE.

Brooklyn fired back, “Don’t ever talk about my wife. She’s absolutely beautiful, and you should never comment on a woman’s body. It’s disgraceful.”

At any stage, growth bottlenecks are a serious concern for businesses. Whether trying to emerge from the bootstrapping startup phase or attempting to scale a larger enterprise, an executive’s ability to identify and resolve bottlenecks is critical to sustained growth.

While most executives naturally focus on bottlenecks in areas such as marketing, logistics, and project management, Han Butler, president and co-founder of contact center solutions provider ROI CX Solutions, argues that many are overlooking another critical area: customer support. As he explains, failing to make customer support a priority in a business’s early stages can cause lasting harm to its growth strategy.

The Importance of Customer Trust

“Quality customer support is a foundational element to gaining — and keeping — consumer trust,” Butler explains. “Most of the time, when someone is making the effort to reach out to you, it’s because they have a problem or question that they can’t resolve on their own. Your customer support team’s ability to provide an effective solution can be the difference between making them a loyal customer for life, or driving them to a competitor.”

As reported by Customer Experience Dive, almost nine in 10 bank customers feel that the customer experience is equally or more important than the products or services their bank offers. Additionally, 53% of bad customer experiences will cause a customer to cut their spending.

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For many customers, being able to get dependable help from a real person is the biggest driver of trust. One recent survey found this type of human support as the second-leading trust driver for businesses, only trailing consistent products and services.

Without quality customer support to build a foundation of trust, businesses will struggle to retain existing customers. Even worse, negative word of mouth stemming from poor customer support can make it harder to attract new customers.

The Hidden Costs of Unresolved Feedback

The potential of losing existing customers because of poor customer support should be enough for most executives to prioritize that part of the business. But as Butler explains, some of the biggest threats to long-term growth are even harder to spot. “When done right, customer support can be one of your most valuable resources for collecting data,” he notes.

“Support tickets can reveal common pain points with your product or service, telling you what needs to be improved to deliver better outcomes for your customers. But if you don’t have the right systems in place to capture that information, you’re going to lose critical insights into how you can make your offering more appealing.”

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Just how impactful can such feedback be? In 2009, Domino’s Pizza revamped its pizza recipe after collecting significant criticism of its previous pizza recipe. Launched with an advertising campaign that highlighted how the company was listening to customer complaints, the move helped Domino’s double its profits in the quarter after the new recipe was introduced.

In this case, carefully listening to customer feedback led to a complete overhaul of the company’s core product, resulting in significant growth. But without these customer-focused initiatives, Domino’s might never have made the change. When businesses fail to account for customer support, they can similarly miss out on critical pain points that could help them scale profits far more dramatically than if they continued to do things the same way as before.

Scaling Customer Support the Right Way

“When it comes to scaling customer support, it’s essential that you look at the operational metrics that are tied to effective customer support,” Butler says. “How long is your first response time? How often does a customer have their issue resolved during the first contact? Alternatively, do you have a high rate of calls where an agent needs to escalate to a manager? Some of these issues could indicate you don’t have enough headcount to provide effective customer support, but others may be a sign you have underlying training or infrastructure problems.”

Because of this, Butler advises that executives take a closer look at their customer support metrics so they can take a more holistic approach to the issue. Outsourcing customer support to an experienced third-party can be beneficial, especially during scaling initiatives that require more flexibility. But such headcount initiatives need to be paired with the right framework that will enable support reps — whether internal or external — to succeed.

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“Much of the time, customer support issues exist because the business doesn’t have clear structures or knowledge bases in place to support their agents,” he explains. “Developing a comprehensive knowledge base paired with an AI assistant can help representatives quickly find accurate answers. Smarter call routing can get the right calls to the right agents. Clear decision boundaries also ensure that service reps can solve problems in an appropriate, compliant manner or know when to escalate. If you have fragmented systems or poor standard operating procedures, throwing more reps at the problem won’t solve anything.”

By pairing foundational systems with increased headcount, business leaders can effectively tackle both issues.

Transforming Customer Support Into a Strength

As Butler’s insights reveal, failing to prioritize customer support can have lasting repercussions on a business’s growth efforts — even if other potential bottlenecks have been addressed.

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On the other hand, by making support a priority and implementing business-specific strategies to improve it, businesses can strengthen their reputation with customers and lay a foundation for sustainable growth.