Sci-Fi Books

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The first science fiction book I ever read was the novel Dune, by Frank Herbert. Other sci-fi books quickly followed, however Dune was the landmark novel which I believe set everything into motion for me.

I was spellbound. Hypnotized. Being a child of the 80’s, and a teen of the 90’s I was already accustomed to the classic science fiction tales in movies and on television with: Star Trek, Star Wars, Flash Gordon and other space travel adventures, but reading words on paper for the first time in a book was a wholly different experience. 

I had a sizeable collection of fiction novels: Stephen King, Weiss and Hickman’s Dragonlance series, and was a fan of JRR Tolkien but I had never delved into the realm of science-fiction books.

Seeing the desert planet Arrakis in my mind, the giant sandworms moving across the surface, a place far away from planet Earth, instilled a need in me to devour more books and seek out diverse science fiction writers whom could keep me as entertained at Frank Herbert.

I fell in love with sci-fi, deep space, distant worlds, and parallel universes and desired for nothing more than to create my own space odyssey and sci-fi adventure book. 

A place conjured and created from my imagination where a unique story takes hold.

To exit the night sky, leave the solar system and venture out far beyond the confines of the human race.

The process of writing my sci-fi adventure book took some time, but I finally published my first novel in 2020. Two “Expanded Universe” novellas followed. The Expanded Universe series (what has lovingly been named “the Companion”) provides additional tales and “behind the scenes” content for readers who wish to continue the adventures of the main characters, catch up on historical time-lines, and find out the history of the Exterior and how it came into existence. 

A far away location on the opposite side of the universe where the storyline of this new space opera novel series takes place. takes place.

I continue to work on future installments and additional sequels to move my sci-fi adventure book series forward. The sequel to Vol I of the Guardian War Chronicles, the Atlantis Paradox will be released in fall of 2022.

Below is a list of what I consider the best science-fiction novels available.

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J.S. Morang’s Top Sci-Fi Picks Of All Time: Best Sci-Fi Books | Modern Masterpieces & All-Time Classics

Explore unknowns at home with the finest books ever written! As we drift further into the new year, curiosity has always hungered for something exotic and sci-fiction books are the answers to this question. These are perfect compliments for any occasion.

In 2012, Wired USA readers selected DUNE as their favorite science fiction, a must read. It is among the most successful novels of any period and inspired an incredible universe of books over the course of over three thousand years. In 2021, an entirely different movie was released under director Denis Villeneuve’s direction. Director David Lynch made his rendition of the popular novel, for the big screen, in 1984.

The series takes place over two decades in the distant past, where computers are banned for religious reasons and noble families rule planets. We are focusing in particular on planet Arrakis, whose material is used in all parts of our universe as currencies due to its rarity and mental enhancement powers. 

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If you believe you knew what the Sun was from Steven Soderbergh’s 2002 movie, then the original books will surprise you. The short story, written by Polish writer Stanislaw Lem in 1961, centers on a heavy philosophy, rather than plots.

In the movie – a team of human scientists from a NASA space station try their hands at discovering a mysterious underwater lifeform in the Solar System but have little success – their work consists only of a series of long descriptions whose results paint the bright picture and lack a lucidity. The book shows how futile it is to try to comprehend something else from a person’s perspective.

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Leviathan Wakes The Expanse Series

The solar system is divided into three distinct factions and consists of about 200 years of colonization by humans. The scope of the novel expands gradually as characters from multiple perspectives enter into system-wide mysteries and show progressively more complex aspects of the science fiction world.

The authors originally developed the book from a table-top role-playing game concept that demonstrates detailed world building and exploration of the human remade universe. An enjoyable set of space adventures.

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Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Before mutating to mega media ‘Jurassic World’ Jurassic Park was an interesting, thoughtful and gripping sci-fi classic written by Michael Crichton. The same writer for the equally fantastic, Andromeda Strain and Sphere.

The Crichton story remains a good parable about the danger of genetic engineering, in addition to a somewhat heady exploration of chaos theory. 

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Read Today: Under the Skin by Michel Faber

Under The Skin is about a teleporter from Scotland who travels with drugs to hitchhike to a planet. Despite her death she’s contemplative of the planet’s nature.

We’ve all been familiar with the idea an alien visitor could be the first person on Earth and it can sometimes seem strange. Sometimes, the novel is extremely unsettling and hard to read. But that shouldn’t be a gratuity. Some elements in the book aim to be humorous and touch on current issues concerning the treatment of humans and the Earth.

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The book dropped shortly before the sixth and last season of the “Expanse” TV series. Following the 2019 Tiamat’s Wrath, this explosive climactic volume begins following the sack of the Laconian Empire, a region under tyrannical rule.

The story follows the vigilant crew of the Argus during their mission to protect Earth against an alien invasion.

Among other impressive series releases, are the two-book project The Divide which features an eclectic group of troops led by commanding officer Adequan Rake, who tries to save the crew and humanity against a collapsed universal anomaly. This is basically “The Expanse” meets the dirty dozen where some ragtag Sentinels are fighting for their lives in order to secure the future.

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The Lady Astronaut Series

How can the world get better when space exploration is not merely the choice, but the need to explore the unknown? This is what alternative history fiction author Mary Robinette Kowal explored during her Lady Astronaut series.

The series follows WWII pilot Elma York, who has dreamt about a career in aerospace. Kowal seamlessly combines real-life and fiction creating a story which is hopeful but pragmatically balanced. Lady Astronaut reveals how spaceflight will contribute to society.

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The best new sci-fi books of 2022: Sea of Tranquility

Sea of Tranquility

At the age of ten she slipped out of society. She arrives in Vancouver, BC, entering the Canadian Wilderness. It’s quiet and the violin notes resonate. Celebrated book writer Olive Llewelyn travels to earth to escape from her second home moon colony.

She wrote bestselling books about a man who played the piano in a cargo area in which an airplane landed, and then grew up to the point of death where the forest rose. This intriguing novel immerses readers into an alternate world of possibilities.

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Ann Leckie Provenance

Several young girls try to get their stolen objects found in the series “Provenance” — which is set within the same universe as Ann Leckies award-winning trilogy. It introduces readers to dozens of futuristic characters and their histories as well as their own personal back stories.

The book’s research on multicultural conflicts and the interdependence among various cultures is compelling and intriguing as a result of her previous novels. Besides that, it has an intelligent robot system.

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The Martian Chronicles by Rock Hudson

Famous sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury focuses on a human settlement on the Red Planet in a light-hearted and often disconnected story. 

In The Martian Chronicles, Bradbury painted the Martian landscape and its inhabitants beautifully but is equally effective portraying the psychological danger a human settlement may face. The space story that was in Bradbury’s other classic collection, The Illustrated Man (1951), struck me when I was younger and I dreamed of travelling to the stars.

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The Complete Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Boxset

Do not forget your towel when traveling among the stars – yes, Douglas Adams’ science-fiction novel is celebrating its 43rd birthday in 2023. Hitchhiker’sGuide to the Galaxy was created as a broadcast on Radio 4 and has been adapted to virtually every format since, and is now an essential piece of all the top sci-fi books.

The new edition is devoted exclusively to bonus archives and a new interview with Russell T. Davies. This classic science fiction book should definitely be enjoyed by all lovers of this style.

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Zone One by Colson Whitehead

Pulitzer-winning Colson Whitehead has a passion for Stephen King and Isaac Asimov’s work, and has written several novels. Zone One is centered on a plague and while humans struggle to rebuild civilization, there is division among the people. The zombies, and the living.

The Infected and the Uninfected. 

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The Ruins Box Set by Octavia E Butler

It’s hard to find the greatest sci-fi book in the world without a Science Fiction classic by Octavia Butler. Set in a dystopian Los Angeles, Lauren Olamina struggles with hyperempathy, making her extremely sensitive to other people’s pain.

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H P Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness Volume 1

Fans of H.P. Lovecraft’s unsurpassed sci-fi horror novel will enjoy this magnificent, large-scale adaptation, which shows the rich artistic talent of French illustrator François Baranger.

The tales of a doomed expedition in subzero Antarctica, in which specimen sprinklings of ancient aliens were discovered, are now being followed across frozen landscapes filled with dread. Baranger mastered the challenging task that combines reimagining Lovecraft’s most frightening story, into pure nightmares.

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Hyperion Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons

Winner of 1990 Hugo Award for best novel and part of a two book series. Hyperion is an intensely woven sci-fi fantasy tale based on Canterbury Tale’s stories. Hyperion’s worlds spread across hundreds, if not thousands of planets.

It hosts the Time Tombs and frightening mechanical creatures known as Shrikes. The creatures killeveryone attempting to invade the tomb and sparked a fanatical religious organization which controls pilgrimages to the tombs.

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Frantic, funny, and almost suspiciously perspicacious, Snow Crash grabs you from the opening sequence. Hero Protagonist is an elite hacker and swordsman who is trying to stop the spread of a cult-like viral infection. The program integrates neuroscience, ancient mythology and technology and predicts a number of social networks including Twitter, Facebook, and also predicts the use of crypto. 

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Delta V by Daniel Suarez

A billionaire recruited a cave diver as part of the first attempt at mining a star asteroid. The spacecraft is currently exploring asteroid Yugu and in his book “Delta-V” – a metric of energy used for executing a maneuver – the author explains the exact trajectories used in a spacecraft. Author Danial Suarez brings real-time information to life through precise techniques. Using successfully mined asteroids will yield enormous rewards, but its consequences are likely to be devastating.

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Before Mars The Planetfall Series

Before Mars, a novel by Emma Newman sees a geologist returning from a lengthy trip to an unknown planet. Realizing, that things aren’t what they’re supposed to be. AI on the base can’t be trusted. The psychologist is sinister, and the main figures find anote to themselves they don’t remember writing.

Can she trust the images she sees? Has it really affected their sanity? Before Mars takes place in an eerie, mostly empty world after a corporation takes over ownership.

Vurt by Jeff Noon 1993

Vurt’s feathers are drugs, in reality. That’s what the back cover of this cyberpunk book from 1993 says. Set in a gritty and futuristic Manchester, Vurt’s mission is to find his sister Desdemona.

The girl has found herself shackled within an ethereal feather — known as Curious Yellow. Yeah, feathers. Vurt is devoted solely to virtual reality and isn’t confined to headsets. Instead, places feathers in his mouth to reach different levels of consciousness.

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Shards of Earth The Final Architecture Book 1

Adrian Tchaikovsky was the Arthur Clarke-winning author of “Cinder of Time”. The story took place over 80 years of battling a hostile alien tribe of the Architect.

Idris Telemmier uses DNA to create weapons that had been used to combat telepathy. After his inability to grow old, or sleep after the war ends, Idris lives aboard “Vulture Gods,” an unused salvage ship. 

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The Left Hand of Darkness

She switched genres at the height of her prolific career but this complex novel was a year after the classic fantasy novel, A Wizard of Earthsea was written.

The bulk of the action takes place in the winter. An isolated, equatorial planet that is cold all year round. It is a novel which touched primarily on the idea of androgyny. It is viewed through the eyes of the protagonist Genly, an alien whose life has been a struggle to understand. 

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Metro by Dmitry Glukhovsky

In 2033 the Soviet ragtag remains of Moscow were forced into an underground tunnel system by an apocalyptic nuclear explosion.

There they form independent tribal communities around metro stations, trading goods, and engaging in combat with one another. Hiding in the shadows are frightening mutants, and voices which drive people mad… This is what prompted the highly popular novel to become a video game series.

We list science fiction titles for 2022 including the best anticipated reads of all time. We’re sure there’s something for everyone in your sci-fi book collection that will suit your tastes.

Also, we review sci-fi novels from 2021 for even further inspiration. I need to write some new books. See our list for all the most exciting new fantasy titles on this site. 

It’s a good thing we can make it happen.

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Ice by Anna Kavan

Anna Kavan is best known for her latest sci-fi novel, and offers a claustrophobic haunting. The narrator whose name cannot be given is an elusive young woman chasing a darkly beautiful woman and reminiscing about how the ice had melted away.

She often meets Warden, husband but captor, the young woman always has an eye out. Soon almost everything on the ice will be closed, and there will be no chance that he can catch them.

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Kindred by Octavia E Butler

Though Kindred was written about 40 years back, it is packed with lessons and insights that we can learn from. Dana had to face the horrendous reality of surviving slavery to save her white slaves, while avoiding losing her contemporary identity.

The situation becomes even worse when she accidentally returns with her white wife. The book explores important themes about power, race, and inequality.

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The Simulated Multiverse by Rizwan Virk

MIT Computer Science Professor Rizwan Virk explores the wild notions which create a complex multiverse. Virk provides an incredibly witty dissection of provocative issues such as parallel universes, infinite timelines, quantum computing, alternative simulation – contrived definitions of Space and Time, and the Mandela Effect. Imagine “The Man in the High Castle,” on both the Blue and the Red Pills from the Matrix.

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Aurora 2016

In her new book Aurora, Kim Stanley Robinson presents a detailed interpretation on interstellar voyages. The first Earth trip by humans to another star is enormously ambitious. This novel is about to conclude a 17-day space voyage from an orbiting spacecraft with about 2000 people around a seemingly earth-like moon.

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The Empire Strikes Back: From a certain point of view

Del Rey released a hefty, 576-page Hardcover to celebrate Star Wars 40 years in the making, featuring unsung supporting Star Wars heroes. What is going on inside Cloud City? Okay. Tell me the truth! It features works by famous authors and bestselling artists like John Jackson Miller, Anne Toole, Tracy Deonn, Hank Walker, and many others.

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Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)

At the age of 18, Shelley wrote the classic horror novel Frankenstein. It has become an important ancestor in science fiction as well as the horror genre and tackles huge topics like life and death, immortality and genetic engineering. The novel is an anti-science novel and at its center Dr. Frankenstein shows his folly. He has created this being, and is reluctant in accepting responsibility for his actions.

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Frank Herbert’s Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 1

This stunning graphic novel adaptation is based on Herbert’s son, Brian Herbert and co-writer Kevin John. The two authors have significantly expanded the scope of the original “Dune” through ten prequels and two sequel novels over the last 20 years. For the first time, a premium illustrated edition of this series has been released in a highly decorated format (the first edition).

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The Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish (1666)

The books have probably been considered the first scientific fiction novel ever written. Despite the language of Blazing World, it’s packed with imaginative ideas. Several famous literary figures have used it to inspire them including renowned China Miéville and Alan Moore. 

During a kidnapping of a young girl Cavendish follows the adventure of another human being in his utopia.

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The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester (1957)

This landmark novel starts by proposing we should be teleporting. This epic story focuses largely on the Count of Monti Cristo, of the interstellar world. Firstly published as ‘Tiger!’ it relates to a fictional poem by William Blake in Britain. It follows the untrained and violent Gully Foyle who spends six months locked in outer space. The last survivor of the Nomad spaceship.

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The best sci-fi books of 2021

Dirk is a self-styled private investigator at the holistic detective agency whose job will prove a fundamental connection to everything – linking computers. The plan includes saving humanity. It is the classic book written by Douglas Adams, the author of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” which created endless television, radio and comic book adaptations.

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Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor (2021)

Nnedi Okorafor is the recipient of a Nobel Award and Nebula award. Remote Control follows the story of a young girl, named Fatima. A strange artefact transforms Fatima into the adopted sister of the angel of death.

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Salvation (2018)

Olyix has invaded to harvest people for the Gods. Cities fall victim to their destructive weaponry, as millions flee the planet in search of refuge or fight a conflict which looks unwinnable to them.

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Stephen Mangan on Dirk Gently, by Douglas Adams

Explore an unusual science-fiction read that is unlike the others. Deep Wheel Orcadia is a failed space station struggling to survive in orbit around a gas giant in an age when rapid changes threaten the entire community. In this first encounter, Astrid and Darling come from the same planet. The strange science-fiction setting echoes in this unique story in Orkney Island’s dialect, with a parallel translation in English.

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Foundation by Isaac Asimov (1951)

Asimov was a prolific writer although many of his best works are classic stories, such as Nightfall. Asimov’s prose could be stilted and reflect the attitudes of his time in the portrayals of women characters but left an important mark in their legacy.

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Red Moon (2018)

Red Moon, the latest novel by the legendary Kim Stanley Robinson, is combined with drama to take readers directly into a lunar environment. It takes place 30 years in advance and opens with Fred Fredericks, an American quantum engineer working in Switzerland. The book has shown China as one of the first humans and technological entities on Earth.

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Consider Phlebas by Iain Banks (1987)

In 1987 Iain Banks published his first sci-fi book, Consider Phlebas, after publishing four prestigious fiction works. 

A war raging around the galaxy is fought between two sides. Banks combines these conflicts with something similar to traditional fantasy: the quest to uncover a mystery, on a forbidden world, in a bid to avoid destruction. 

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The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein (1966)

The gripping tale is apparently influenced by Elon Musk and paints a plausible picture of life on orbiting planets. In its portrayal it shows how challenging it is to live in space and that the inventiveness of human solutions to this challenge is remarkable for many. 

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A Scanner Darkly by Philip K Dick (1977)

This curious novel looks more like Sci-Fi than as a hallucinated autobiographic tale detailing struggles with the addictions of the writer. Bob Arctor works undercover with a gang who are addicted to deadly psychoactive drugs and needs to wear a special scramble suit to conceal his face and voice. 

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Star Trek: The Artistry of Dan Curry

The new film from Star Trek is the first of many to have an extensive visual effects series written for the film’s acclaimed creator, aimed at fans. Curry is an award winning author of concept artwork title scenes in many films and his work also includes: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise.

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Artemis (2017)

The Martian is the first novel by the sardonic and resourceful artist, Andy Weir. In his second book he follows Jasmine “Jazz” Bashara, caught up in an unsolvable crime. 

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The Art of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

It doesn’t seem nearly as exciting as an actual Disney vacation, but it gives us an inside look at how they made their newest Star Wars attractions. This 256-page coffee table book is written in the style of a seasoned television show host and theme parks enthusiast, Amy Ratcliffe.

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Neuromancer by William Gibson (1984)

William Gibson’s “Neuromancer” is the best cyberpunk novel starring a hacker –turned junkie–Henry Case. This story is set in a spooky underworld in Japan and features many innovative technologies, from robotics to cryonics.

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Providence (2020)

Max Barry’s “Lexicon” novels deserve to be named among top 10 as one of the best sci-fi novels of all time. Despite the world’s largest pandemic it spins a compelling yarn about a weird race of alien hives who spit out small black holes as defensive weapons.

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What is considered the best sci-fi book?

10 greatest fiction (science) books. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Hyperion by Dan Simmons. The Left Hand of Darkness of Ursula K. Forever War by Joe Halde, The Star is My Destiny by Albert Bester. Foundation Trilogy by Asimov. Gene Wolfe’s New Sun story.

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Is Harry Potter a sci fi book?

Harry Potter books, totaling seven are fantasy, and not science fiction. Magic is an essential ingredient in the popular story, about the boy wizard who lived, but does not fall under the category of science fiction.

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Top ten Science Fiction Book List: Best Selling War of the Worlds by George Wells. The Modern Prometheus by William W. Wollstonecraft Shelley. 1984 by George Orwell. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. The Time Machine and TheInvisible Man by H.G. Wells. 

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What’s an example of science fiction?

Star Trek was a renowned classic in the sci-fi genre. The Twilight Zone is just one of many popular small-screen science fiction shows. The Science fiction theme has always been common for comic books.

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Topics & Questions:

Is Space Opera considered sci-fiction?

Best science fiction books

Is Harry Potter a science fiction book?

What’s an example of science fiction?

Is Ender’s Game a good read?

What’s the best book setting in Los Angeles?

What’s the best book set in New York?

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