They say life is stranger than fiction, but that still isn’t on the level of science fiction. From utopian to dystopian, robots to AI, aliens to sentient beings, science fiction makes any far-fetches reality seem like a place we could just pop into. See which universe you land in and what species speaks to you when you read any of the options in this list of the best sci-fi books.
Sci-fi books with a horror element
Under the Skin by Michel Faber
If you wonder about every hitchhiker you have ever passed, Under the Skin from Michel Faber needs to be your next read. Isserley picks up hitchhikers while trying to find out if anyone would report if they went missing. You’ll have to pick up this journey through the Scottish Highlands to know what she does with the information.
Blood Music by Greg Bear
Since the Cold War, we have all had a fear of nuclear warfare at some point. Greg Bear took this fear and applied it to genetic engineering in his book Blood Music. When Vergil Ulam injects himself with his life’s work after he’s been told it’s too dangerous to continue with, he unknowingly starts a reaction the world isn’t ready for.
The Rediscovery Man by Cordwainer Smith
If you would love reading a collection of stories from different points of view about what humanity may look like thousands of years from now, The Rediscovery of Man by Cordwainer Smith will intrigue you. The 33 works from Smith include old favorites and ones never before in print, so you can explore the Instrumentality of Mankind universe and what happens to the sterile utopia across a chronological storyline.
Sci-fi books with aliens
If you want your sci-fi books with a side of alien invasion, these are your picks.
Embassytown by China Mieville
When humans have to colonize another planet run by sentient beings, the Areikei, Avice Benner Cho becomes important to the survival of the human race. Embassytown explores the duality between humans and aliens and between where your allegiance would lie if you were a part of both worlds.
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
Would you visit a planet that manifests painful memories of your past? Kris Kelvin discovers the ocean on the planet Solaris might be more than what it appears to be. Stanislaw Lem takes you on a deep dive into what truly lies in a person’s heart in Solaris.
The Sparrow by Maria Doria Russell
Having religion and science fiction collide is a unique move Maria Doria Russel made in The Sparrow. When linguist and Jesuit priest Emilio Sandoz is chosen as leader of a mission for initial contact with extraterrestrial beings, hopeful negotiations go horribly wrong.
Sci-fi books with a side of mystery
The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson
If travel between universes is something you’ve always wanted to be possible, The Space Between from Micaiah Johnson will fulfill your every dream. The only catch is you cannot travel to any universe where your alternate self is still alive. For Cara, her other selves seem to die constantly, giving her a unique existence across worlds. When one other remaining versions mysteriously dies, find out what the ripple effect costs her.
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
When the Teixcalaanli Empire’s ambassador dies, the successor to the mining Station uncovers that it might not have been an accident. In A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine, follow Mahit as she tries to unravel the truth without bringing ruin down around everyone.
Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty
Mur Lafferty sets a murder mystery in outer space in Station Eternity. When a detective can’t cut it on Earth, Mallory Viridian tries to start over on a neighboring alien space station. When other humans start to visit the space station and then die, Mallory needs to solve the murders before the whole place is killed off.
The best classic sci-fi books you should read again
You probably read these in school or for fun when you were younger, but they deserve a spot on your bookshelf and a second read.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
For a more lighthearted read, Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time follows Meg, her younger brother Charles, and her friend Calvin as they find out what happened to her father, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. See if they succeed or if the forces that kidnapped her father take them, too.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams created a playground of time and space adventures to bring us The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. From gangs of aliens, the Earth needing to be demolished to make way for a space highway, and a talking fish helper, pretty much every sci-fi topic gets covered. If you like it, get the rest of the series.
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
In The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, a Victorian time traveler leaves his machine for the first time in the year 802,700. When he finds things are seemingly perfect, he wants to take his knowledge back to his own time, but can’t when his invention has been stolen.
Contact by Carl Sagan
Astronomer Carl Sagan used his love of all things outer space to give us Contact, a story about a team of scientists determined to find out where a signal from beyond our solar system came from.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Even if you’ve seen the movie adaptation, you need to read A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess at least once. Readers will see a rebellion centered on the English youth, as told by teenager Alex. When the criminals come out after dark, what kind of future or freedom is there?
The best sci-fi books have a mix of a few elements in them. Whether you like a touch of horror, mystery, or the go-to alien theme, there is sure to be a pick in this list for you.
