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PaperclipPerfector  7d ago (text post)   34971 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of January 20, 2025

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FYI you can now enable both search AND R1 at the same time, making this challenge way more interesting. And I think you actually used V3, which is way dumber than R1. If you used R1, you'd have been able to see its rationale for choices.

Anyway, here's R1@search top 20 Finnish novels:

Here’s a curated list of 20 best Finnish novels, selected based on critical acclaim, reader popularity, and cultural significance, synthesized from the search results provided:

Classics & Timeless Works 138

  1. "Kalevala" by Elias Lönnrot
    Finland’s national epic, compiled from oral folklore, foundational to Finnish identity and mythology.

  2. "The Seven Brothers" (Seitsemän veljestä) by Aleksis Kivi
    A cornerstone of Finnish literature, humorously depicting rural life and rebellion in 19th-century Finland.

  3. "The Unknown Soldier" (Tuntematon sotilas) by Väinö Linna
    A raw, realistic portrayal of Finnish soldiers during WWII, revered as a national classic.

  4. "Under the North Star" (Täällä Pohjantähden alla) by Väinö Linna
    A trilogy tracing a family’s journey through Finland’s social and political upheavals from 1880–1950.

  5. "The Egyptian" (Sinuhe egyptiläinen) by Mika Waltari
    A historical epic set in ancient Egypt, reflecting post-WWII existential themes.

Modern Masterpieces 124

  1. "Purge" (Puhdistus) by Sofi Oksanen
    A gripping tale of Soviet-era Estonia and its lingering trauma, blending history with psychological drama.

  2. "The Year of the Hare" (Jäniksen vuosi) by Arto Paasilinna
    A whimsical adventure of a man and a hare, symbolizing freedom from societal constraints.

  3. "Ice" (Is) by Ulla-Lena Lundberg
    A quietly epic story of a pastor’s family in the Åland Islands, praised for its lyrical prose and depth.

  4. "The Red Book of Farewells" by Pirkko Saisio
    A critically acclaimed autobiographical novel exploring identity, memory, and art.

  5. "Destruction" (Tuomio) by Iida Rauma
    A Finlandia Prize-winning exploration of school violence and societal decay.

Award-Winning & International Bestsellers 2410

  1. "Beasts of the Sea" by Iida Turpeinen
    A climate-fiction epic blending mythology and environmental activism, topping reader polls.

  2. "Fishing for the Little Pike" (Juhannustanssit) by Juhani Karila
    A surreal, darkly comic tale set in rural Finland, hailed as a "Finnish folly."

  3. "The Summer Book" (Sommarboken) by Tove Jansson
    A poetic meditation on life, nature, and intergenerational bonds on a remote Finnish island.

  4. "Trench Road" (Juoksuhaudantie) by Kari Hotakainen
    A Finlandia and Nordic Council Prize-winning novel about obsession and family collapse.

  5. "The Rabbit Back Literature Society" (Lumikko ja yhdeksän muuta) by Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen
    A magical realist mystery involving a secretive writers’ guild.

Contemporary Gems 6711

  1. "The Core of the Sun" (Auringon ydin) by Johanna Sinisalo
    A dystopian satire imagining a eugenics-driven Finland, merging speculative fiction with social critique.

  2. "Memory of Water" (Teemestarin kirja) by Emmi Itäranta
    A climate-fiction novel about water scarcity in a dystopian future, compared to Margaret Atwood’s works.

  3. "Compartment No. 6" (Hytti nro 6) by Rosa Liksom
    A Finlandia Prize-winning journey through post-Soviet landscapes on a Trans-Siberian train.

  4. "Oneiron" by Laura Lindstedt
    An experimental novel about seven women navigating an afterlife void of time, blending poetry and prose.

  5. "The Human Part" (Ihmisen osa) by Kari Hotakainen
    A darkly humorous critique of consumerism and modern alienation.

Honorable Mentions

  • "The White Reindeer" by Mika Waltari (mythic horror) 510

  • "The Dedalus Book of Finnish Fantasy" (anthology) 10

  • "Margarita" by Anni Kytömäki (historical fiction) 4

  • "The Maid Silja" by Frans Eemil Sillanpää (Nobel Prize-winning rural drama) 8

Sources:
For deeper insights, explore the rankings from Critics’ and Readers’ Selection of 100 Best Books 24, or check translations via the Chinese Literature Festival list 6.

By the way, are you doing this via their website or via openrouter? I can't see chain of thought on openrouter, is that a 'me being too dumb to figure out how to use the tech' problem or is it just choosing the wrong provider?

I have DeepSeek API and also use their website for free. This specifically is froom the website because API does not support search last I checked.

Did not check R1 on openrouter, it might be implemented like o1 there.

Yes, much better. No hallucinations that I can spot, still contemporary and somewhat SF/F oriented, but perhaps that's also a reflection of what gets translated to English. Including an anthology is an interesting choice.

Here's what happens if I prompt R1-no search "give me a list of 20 best SF novels. Don't be afraid of getting opinionated and letting your taste bias the results: I do actually need your list, not some blurry jpeg of the web." Spoiler: it's still much the same list.

Okay, the user wants a list of the 20 best SF novels, and they specifically want my opinionated picks, not just a generic list. Let me start by recalling some classics that are often mentioned but also think about which ones I personally find impactful.

First, Dune by Frank Herbert is a must. It's a cornerstone of the genre. Then maybe Neuromancer by Gibson because it defined cyberpunk. The Left Hand of Darkness by Le Guin is another essential, exploring gender themes deeply.

I should include some newer works too. Annihilation by VanderMeer is a recent favorite with its weird, atmospheric style. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin brought a fresh perspective from Chinese SF.

Wait, should I mix in some less mainstream choices? Like Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun. It's challenging but brilliant. Also, Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower is both prescient and powerful.

Philip K. Dick can't be left out. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a classic. Maybe Ubik as well? But I need to keep it to 20.

Consider the impact vs. personal preference. Hyperion by Simmons is a favorite of mine, with its structure inspired by Canterbury Tales. Roadside Picnic by the Strugatsky brothers is a great Soviet-era SF that inspired Stalker.

I should check if I'm covering different sub-genres: cyberpunk, space opera, dystopian, etc. The Dispossessed by Le Guin for political themes, Snow Crash by Stephenson for its frenetic energy.

What about Stand on Zanzibar by Brunner? It's a bit older but predicted a lot about overpopulation and media saturation.

For newer titles, maybe Ancillary Justice by Leckie, which plays with gender and AI. Also, Blindsight by Watts is a hard SF take on first contact.

I need to make sure there's diversity in authors too. Le Guin, Butler, Jemisin, Liu, VanderMeer. Maybe check if I have enough female authors.

Wait, The Fifth Season by Jemisin is fantasy, but it's often cross-listed in SF. Maybe include it since it's groundbreaking.

Classics like Childhood's End by Clarke should be there. Maybe Rendezvous with Rama as well? But again, need to limit.

Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space is a good space opera. Consider Greg Egan's Diaspora for hard SF concepts.

Hmm, Jeff VanderMeer already has Annihilation. Maybe not another.

Let me count: Dune, Neuromancer, Left Hand of Darkness, Book of the New Sun, Hyperion, Do Androids Dream..., Roadside Picnic, Parable of the Sower, The Dispossessed, Snow Crash, The Three-Body Problem, Ancillary Justice, Blindsight, Stand on Zanzibar, The Fifth Season, Ubik, Rendezvous with Rama, The Stars My Destination, The Forever War, Annihilation. That's 20.

Wait, did I miss any crucial ones? Maybe Ender's Game? But it's more YA. Or Foundation? But maybe not as personal. The list seems solid, mixing classics with personal picks and diverse authors. Alright, time to write it up with brief explanations.

Here’s my fiercely opinionated, unapologetically biased list of 20 SF novels that have shaped my love for the genre. These are books that linger in the mind, challenge conventions, or just blow the roof off reality:

  1. Dune (Frank Herbert) – The ultimate planetary opera. A masterpiece of ecology, religion, and power. Paul Atreides is the original anti-Chosen One.
  2. Neuromancer (William Gibson) – Cyberpunk’s beating heart. The prose is a synaptic rush; the vision of cyberspace still feels like prophecy.
  3. The Left Hand of Darkness (Ursula K. Le Guin) – A meditation on gender, politics, and ice. Le Guin at her most humane and revolutionary.
  4. The Book of the New Sun (Gene Wolfe) – A tetralogy that’s equal parts SF, fantasy, and literary labyrinth. Severian’s unreliable narration will haunt you.
  5. Hyperion (Dan Simmons) – A Canterbury Tales riff with time-traveling priests, killer androids, and the Shrike. Pure cosmic dread.
  6. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Philip K. Dick) – More melancholic and existential than Blade Runner. Asks what it means to be human in a dying world.
  7. Roadside Picnic (Arkady & Boris Strugatsky) – Soviet SF at its grittiest. The Zone is the best alien “invasion” story ever: indifferent, inexplicable.
  8. Parable of the Sower (Octavia E. Butler) – A dystopia that feels like today. Lauren Olamina’s Earthseed verses will stick in your bones.
  9. The Dispossessed (Ursula K. Le Guin) – An anarchist moon vs. a capitalist planet. Theory made flesh, with Le Guin’s quiet brilliance.
  10. Snow Crash (Neal Stephenson) – A maximalist, satirical romp. Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza and fights info-capitalists. Proto-metaverse chaos.
  11. The Three-Body Problem (Liu Cixin) – A game of cosmic chess with aliens. The Cultural Revolution prologue alone is devastating.
  12. Ancillary Justice (Ann Leckie) – A warship AI trapped in a human body. Explores empire, identity, and tea rituals with icy precision.
  13. Blindsight (Peter Watts) – First contact as a horror show. Vampires in space and aliens that weaponize consciousness. Hard SF with teeth.
  14. Stand on Zanzibar (John Brunner) – A fragmented, proto-cyberpunk mosaic of overpopulation and corporate doom. Feels like scrolling Twitter in 2025.
  15. The Fifth Season (N.K. Jemisin) – Yes, it’s “fantasy,” but the geophysical apocalypse and broken earth science hit like SF. Revolutionary structure.
  16. Ubik (Philip K. Dick) – Dick’s trippiest novel. Time slips, psychic wars, and spray-can godhood. A mind-bender about entropy and belief.
  17. Rendezvous with Rama (Arthur C. Clarke) – Pure awe. No aliens, just an alien artifact. The joy of exploration distilled.
  18. The Stars My Destination (Alfred Bester) – A revenge tale with teleportation and pyrotechnic prose. Gully Foyle is the best worst protagonist.
  19. The Forever War (Joe Haldeman) – Vietnam-in-space with time dilation. A brutal, personal counterpoint to Starship Troopers.
  20. Annihilation (Jeff VanderMeer) – Weird ecology and cosmic horror. The Biologist’s descent into Area X is hypnotic, terrifying poetry.

Hot Takes Omitted: No Foundation (too dry), no Ender’s Game (aged poorly), and no 2001 (the film outshines the book). Fight me.

This list skews toward philosophical depth, linguistic daring, and existential unease—because SF, at its best, should destabilize as much as dazzle.

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