Still Lost: Tales from 2080

by Sam A. Miller

Genres: Science Fiction

265 pages, Paperback

Published February 15, 2026

Reviews

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I initially got the book solely to help support Sam as I've been a follower of his on YouTube and greatly enjoyed his content.

I very much enjoyed this set of stories as well!

Honestly, when you get the words "like cat piss struck by lightning" on the first page, you know there will be much to look forward to. The writing is good, the content is absurd (in the best way).

[Joziah Jauregui · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like this book definitely had a bit of a dark sci-fi outlook on the future that was present throughout each short story. I may be wrong, but that may be where the title of the book comes from: "Still Lost" being that humanity is still as lost as they are in the present day of when the book was released. I could be wrong, but that's the gesture I get.

For me, the darkness and sometimes crudeness was a little bit out of my taste, but I was entertained by the stories contained in the book. I feel 3/5 stars is a bit low, so I would say 6.9/10 would be more of an accurate representation of how I feel about the book.

Of course, I also bought the book to support Sam A. Miller (aka Sam O' Nella), and I want to congratulate him on finishing it out, especially after finishing the last story and understanding the context of it with Sam's real life, I understand that finishing the book and having it published must feel like a big achievement, and I think it is.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd read this again for the first time if I could.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learnt about this from Sam’s announcement video released on 21/02/2026, on his YouTube Channel “Sam O'Nella Academy”. I bought the book immediately; intrigued by the Sci-fi themes based in the not-too-distant future, it sounded right up my alley, I am pleased to say it most certainly was.

From an alien invasion to burgeoning sapience, mental illness to addiction, to ragging on a single guy cracking open shellfish and grass. Sam covers an eclectic series of topics in this collection of short stories. A few nod to each other directly which gave a few moments of “oh hey it’s that guy from ‘Eggs for Roman’” reminds you these are connected by the world in which their set.

In “Being a Nothingness” Sam explored mental illness in a way that brought a new perspective on mental illness to me, that frankly engendered an unexpected amount of self-reflection that I’m still reeling from.
“Eggs for Roman” was a delightful exploration at the callousness of humanity, Jeff was a cool guy though.
“The Prophet” while seemingly Sam’s least favourite, I found to be the most engaging and would be quite happy to see this made into a short film. Very much a nerdier John Wick, which I am here for.

I personally struggled with the odd formatting used through some of the stories. That said Sam has made it clear in the aforementioned video this was a deliberate choice and in certain stories “Eggs for Roman” again is a great example where the formatting felt like exactly the perfect delivery method for the story being told. The same goes for the slang and terminology, the foreword mentions Sam thought about adding a glossary, but the language is clear enough in context that it never becomes confusing and leaving it out was the correct choice.

This is a strong debut, it’s funny with strong ideas, and occasionally uncomfortable in the best way. If you enjoy Sci-fi with a humorous bite, this is worth a read. I look forward to reading it again in a few months and look forward to Sam’s future entries into the literary world, especially if it means we’ll get to learn more about the upcoming Rhoomba Rebellion!

[Sean Christoper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not sure where to begin but let me start by saying I thought this was a fantastic book.

Beat hit home especially hard for me as a person who has a family member who struggles with addiction. While I can’t know what goes on in my loved ones head, reading about others people’s experiences with addiction is always highly informative and deeply moving. I felt Miller explores these ideas in a way that is not self indulgent but just an honest telling of the chaos that can come from addiction.

Other highlights from this book for me personally were Being a Nothingness and Eggs for Roman. Being a Nothingness covers a major issue that I have personally experienced in much of my mid 20’s, which is just a feeling of anxiety that has no rational explanation. I have spent more time than I care to admit exploring this feeling and it always just boils down to “I dunno”. It’s somewhat freeing and alarming at the same time once you realize that your anxiety is rooted in the irrational, and that the only way to overcome it is to do things that make you anxious.

I loved the book Flowers for Algernon and I thought Eggs for Roman was a hilarious parody of that story, while still being a moving story about taking control of your life.

Other parts of Still Lost that I enjoyed was the incorporation of ‘Zoomer’ humor, Miller’s humorous speculation on what the future might be like that is peppered throughout the book, and the story notes for Four Little Words. That story note is one of the realest things ever written, and I died when I read it.

My only gripe with this book is small. I’m not big into sci-fi, so when Miller explored some of the more abstract/advanced sci-fi ideas I felt a bit lost. However, I think that is more on my reading preferences than his writing.

Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this book and I’m so glad that Miller wrote it. As a long time Sam O’Nella fan I can’t express how proud I am of him to do something like this.

[Mikli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sam certainly has a good imagination in his little nogging. I quite enjoyed the setting(s) and most of the stories, but the prose frankly feels a bit amateurish and - forgive me - oftentimes goes a bit hard on the Reddit. Maybe I just don't read enough contemporary literature to not get totally taken out of it by reading a (on the surface) shitpost [one word] that presents as a book. It certainly made me laugh, so that's good, but I don't know if you need to hit every environment description with an epic science zinger. It reminds me a bit of Hitchhiker's guide, where I'm simultaneously the target audience and also someone who rolls my eyes at it. Is that my fault or yours? I don't know. The latter half has a lot less of what I've criticized so I warmed a lot on it. If this dog shit website had proper ratings I'd give it a 5/10 - perfectly adequate humorous paperback. Unfortunately, it doesn't.

[Annabelle Mischke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the stories in this book, though I could have done with more aliens…but ultimately the aliens aren’t the point of it. They’re just hanging out. I liked Miller’s writing style, but I started the book wondering if the voice would be very different between characters, if it would be distinct, and I think that’s honestly my only gripe, and I wouldn’t even really consider it a gripe: it wasn’t. If you don’t like Miller’s writing, you probably won’t like any of these stories. If you like Miller’s YouTube channel, you will probably like his writing. I like his writing a lot, and I hope he continues in the future. I think he has a lot of really meaningful stories to tell.

But I can’t find the species of tarantula that was named after him???? Someone help I need to know ):

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey kids. Can you read? Because I can, and you should read too, but first listen to a stranger’s opinion on a book YOU SHOULD BUY.
I was on a red eye flight surrounded by people who were trying to sleep and there I was being that jerk with his overhead light on reading his book, but I did not care because I truly couldn’t put it down. The satirical comedy that is sprinkled throughout reminds me of Christopher Moore’s work, which is not a compliment I give lightly.
Sam, please dear god keep writing. This truly is excellently written and I greatly look forward to whatever project you have next…

[Topher Fronda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed some stories more than others. Appreciated the humor and I liked when there were references to the other stories. Can’t wait to read your next one, Sam!

[Rhoda Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I especially liked the attention paid to nonhuman characters/entities in various stories