stack of 3 books plus open book with pen. Title: Top Ten Tuesday

#TopTenTuesday Science Fiction and Life Stories in Literature


Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Here’s how it works: Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic for each Tuesday. If you check this link, you’ll find she’s assigned topics for several future weeks so you can plan ahead. She adds, “create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list . . . Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you!”

Each week Jana posts a Linky on her blog where you can (if you want) share a link to your post and check out other bloggers’ posts.


Today’s topic is books on my wishlist that I’d like to own, including links so that people may gift me said books. But I already have most of the books I want to read. Therefore, I’m not going to go that route.

Instead, I’m going to marvel over the fact that, in about the past 10 years or so, I’ve read more science fiction than I cumulatively had read over the previous half century. The primary reason for this is that my interest in Life Stories in Literature has been developing over the same time period. That interest involves the function of memory and how memory shapes our sense of self over the lifespan. That’s why you’ll find an emphasis on memory in the science fiction novels mentioned here. It’s a fascinating concept to contemplate.

Compiling this list made me realize that there are a couple of books that I have yet to review. The links are to the reviews I have written. Quoted book summaries are from Goodreads.

cover: Dark Matter

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Physics professor Jason Dessen faces the reality of alternate universes—and must decide in which one he wants to live.

The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin

“Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion.”

Recursion by Blake Crouch

A police officer and a scientist investigate the mysterious phenomenon of False Memory Syndrome, “a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived.”

book cover: The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

In a future in which Multiverse travel is possible, a young woman undertakes a search for personal identity and for a place where she can feel she belongs.

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

(Scroll down the linked page to see my review.)

“The first science fiction written by a black woman, Kindred has become a cornerstone of black American literature. This combination of slave memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction is a novel of rich literary complexity.”

Tell Me an Ending by Jo Harkin

“A provocative exploration of secrets, grief, and identity—of the stories we tell ourselves—Tell Me an Ending is a sharp, dark, and devastating novel about the power of memory.”

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

(Scroll down the linked page to see my review.)

“Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all time, Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world’s great antiwar books. Centering on the infamous firebombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim’s odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we fear most.”

Cover: The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart

The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart

“An impossible crime. A detective on the edge of madness. The future of time travel at stake.”

The Blinds by Adam Sternbergh

“Imagine a place populated by criminals-people plucked from their lives, with their memories altered, who’ve been granted new identities and a second chance. Welcome to The Blinds, a dusty town in rural Texas populated by misfits who don’t know if they’ve perpetrated a crime, or just witnessed one. What’s clear to them is that if they leave, they will end up dead.”

Cover: The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

“Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others.”

© 2022 by Mary Daniels Brown

6 thoughts on “#TopTenTuesday Science Fiction and Life Stories in Literature”

    1. Mary Daniels Brown

      Sorry to be so late in replying, Lauren. But I can now tell you that I just ordered Blake Crouch’s latest, Upgrade, from Book of the Month; it’s one of the July selections. And now I’m off to check out your blog! Thanks for reading and commenting.

  1. I love this take on Tuesday’s prompt. I haven’t visited your blog before, so I clicked through on a couple of your reviews and have to say, I like your style. I try to click on a book I’ve already read to compare the reviewer’s thoughts to mine to see if we’re somewhat compatible. I loved Kindred and when I clicked through to several reviews on that page, most of which I’ve read, I see that we do enjoy the sample types of books. I look forward to visiting again and seeing what you’re currently reading!
    visit me at: https://www.bookshelfjourneys.com/post/ttt-books-i-wish-i-owned

    1. Mary Daniels Brown

      I”m sorry to be so late in getting back to you, Terrie. I’ve had a lot of catching-up to do on the blog lately. I’m so glad you commented here with a link to your blog. I agree that we seem to have a lot in common bookwise. Also, I notice Donna is a Seahawks fan. Are you from the Pacific Northwest? Anyway, I look forward to reading more from Bookshelf Journeys.

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