Top 10 favorite sci-fi BookTubers
- Carla Ra
- Apr 1
- 6 min read
BookTube is my favorite corner of the internet. Watching passionate people discussing amazing stories helps me find the motivation to keep a healthy reading schedule.
Yes, the amount of books these people read is unrealistic to the majority of the population (me included). Still, I’m glad there exist people out there who can actually work with reading and reviewing books. They can become the gentle guide who leads us, mere mortals, to our next five-star story.
My introduction to BookTube was through Merphy Napier’s channel.
She is super enthusiastic about every single story, good or bad. It’s such a treat to watch her talk about them! However, sci-fi is not Merphy’s primary genre (although she does read and enjoy a few of them). Actually, I don’t think she has a primary genre. You should check her channel anyway.
Today, I will focus on creators mainly associated with our beloved sci-fi genre. Granted, most of them also talk about SF’s siblings, fantasy and horror.
To be clear, this list is not about channels that discuss aspects of science fiction or storytelling, like, for example, Science Fiction with Damien Walter, Overly Sarcastic Productions, or Hello Future Me. I do enjoy those, but this post is dedicated to book reviewers.
Without further ado, from 10th place to 1st, here’s a list of my ten favorite sci-fi BookTubers as of April 2025.
Let’s go.
10 - Books with Emily Fox
Emily Fox was the first BookTuber I found (many moons ago) who overtly said her channel was dedicated to science fiction. I love her style! She is witty and sassy; I vibe with her personality.
The only reason she isn’t higher on this list is because her channel evolved with time, and sci-fi is currently on the back shelf of her priority, although still featured prominently. Like a true mood reader, she naturally hops genres according to her life seasons.
Still a great channel to follow.
9 - SFF180
One of the oldest channels dedicated to science-fiction books, SFF180 has the best thumbnails in all of BookTube. They feature an art of the channel’s mascot, a cat named Winky.
The channel’s host, Thomas Wagner, discusses the tripplets of speculative ficiton: science fiction, fantasy, and horror. His 12 years of reviewing is spread over several playlists with stories for all tastes and likes. SFF180 is the big library of sci-fi BookTube reviews.
Bart’s channel is relatively recent, being created in 2023. And he set the bar too high for those thinking about following this path. A content creator with a natural gift for the business!
He’s articulated and passionate and really enjoys science fiction.
7 - Media Death Cult
There was a time when this would be number one on my list!
Media Death Cult was once the biggest sci-fi community on BookTube. The host, or better yet, cult leader (inside joke) Moid is charming and charismatic, and his reviews are spot on. I loved the spoiler-filled discussions!
Over the years, his channel evolved. Today, he dedicates more time to high-production videos and podcasting. To be honest, I prefer the old style, but these new ones are still great.
He had to pull most of his old reviews from YouTube for reasons beyond my knowledge, but it seems they are making a comeback. So yay!
6 - Bookpilled
Stoic and straightforward, this man can sell a classic story like no one else can. If you are a fan of the classic, obscure books of the golden age of science fiction, this is the place to go.
Of course, he also reads and reviews modern science fiction, but I noticed he is less forgiving with these compared to older ones.
Still, someone worth following!
PS: I realized just now that I don't actually know his name. I'm the worst fan, lol.
5 - Words in Time
If you want charisma and a good vibe take on the genre, this is your channel.
I say this most lovingly: Jonathan is the fluffy yellow labrador of the bunch. Who wouldn’t want to see a labrador talking about sci-fi? He’s such a cute and likable person!
Because of Jonathan, I gave Kurt Vonnegut a try, and I’m thankful for that.
4 - Tori Morrow
Tori’s channel is equally divided between science fiction and fantasy books, which means that, on this list, she is probably the one who would best suit the tastes of people who read both genres. And she is so articulate when reviewing a book! I can hear her talk for hours.
The only reason she isn’t higher on this list (and, I mean, she is in 4th place already!) is because... how can I say it? She has a fantasy-oriented view of science fiction. Do you get what I mean? And I'm into science-oriented views.
However, it’s fascinating watching her analyze science fiction with fantasy lenses. I love listening to her insights.
Rachel from The Shades of Orange is a Canadian BookTuber who is fond of horror stories. Of course, science fiction is also very prominent in her channel.
The way Rachel discusses these stories is quite entrancing. No, really. She spills words out like a machine gun, but softly. If I blink, my non-native brain misses some information. Thus, Rachel is literally the person I pay the most attention to when talking. And it pays off. I love hearing her talk about her favorite stories.
She is sensible, straight to the point, and overall very charming.
I had to flip a coin to see if her channel would be third or second place. It was fate that decided it to be in this position.
My coin made Whitney my second favorite BookTuber for this list. It was one of those instances when you let fate decide, and the result makes so much sense you don’t even regret your method of choosing.
The Secret Sauce of Storycraft is primarily aimed at science-fiction book reviews. And Whitney is such a creative person! She has many ideas for different videos and topics to discuss. It’s always a treat to get a notification from her channel.
This lady is always so positive and energetic in front of the cameras it infects you. She is out there spreading good vibes while discussing sci-fi. What else would you want from a BookTube channel?!
It is true, however, that our tastes do not align. Whitney is a huge fan of military sci-fi, for example, and I’m not. Still, she’s excellent!
Did you know Angela, from the Literature Science Alliance channel, is a physicist with a Ph.D. in biophysics?
I know what you’re thinking, “You only picked her as number one because you also have a Ph.D. in physics. Blah blah.”
And I have to tell you, my friend, you’re right. It’s my list; I can use any criteria I want. ;D
Now, seriously. Angela is a fantastic person and a great reviewer. I mentioned before that the other entries on this list have charismatic hosts; this is also true for Angela. What sets her apart is her personality.
Angela is not there to give an objective review of a book if such a thing even exists. She is there to unapologetically share her personal connection with a story. The way she does it does not translate as fierce or sassy but as assertive and reasonable.
Bonus point: she reads diversely. She does not make an effort to do it; she just does it. Also, she loves the TV show Bones, and we have that in common. Plus, Angela likes to follow awards and discusses them to hype them without hiding the ugly side of this type of event. It's fascinating to me!
I feel like we would be good friends if we met each other. And that’s why the Literature Science Alliance is number one on this list.
###
Who’s your favorite sci-fi BookTuber? Did they make my list? Share your recommendations in the comments!
Also, even though I do not read much fantasy, I follow many fantasy channels. Would it be fun if I make a top favorite fantasy BookTuber list next? Let me know.
See you next post.
Ra.
Carla Ra is a scientist by day, sci-fi writer by night.
You can check out her anthology ARTIFICIAL REBELLION here.
Comments