I just finished the book yesterday. I rank it #1 on my all-time SciFi list. I would say A Fire Upon the Deep is #2 and Dune #3.

I had the same exact thought the moment I finished it.

After a week of reflection, I think it was a slight overreaction -- the book is still very very good but i dont think #1 for me.

But something about the way the story took shape and culminated in the final third of the book was so engaging, and so satisfying. I think I stayed up until 4 or 5AM the night I finished the last 200 pages.

Really? A Fire Upon the Deep and Dune are masterpieces, yes, but The Dark Forest although good isn't in the same league IMO.

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Tangent: Have you read Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun? It's less famous than the books above, but (IMO) it's in the same rarefied company as Dune and J.R.R. Tolkien's work.

I definitely think The Dark Forest ranks up there with those.

I haven't even heard of Wolfe's book. Will check it out, thanks.

Let's send them a ping. What could go wrong?

Fantastic Sci-Fi book series, btw.

Full name is A Remembrance of Earth's Past.

I bet the sophons are already on their way