Science Fiction

A fun and fast-paced hard-boiled cyberpunk noir, almost impossible to put down. - @helderroem

My favorite of Murakami's. Great mix of quirky, mundane, and fascinating ideas. Short read too. - @desandro

A lovely balm for the weary science fiction reader about a post-collapse utopian society and the friendship between a human and a robot.

This book is fantastic not for the novelty of non-technological teleportation, but because of the main character. What happens when someone who has been ignored by society finds himself in a position of power? This book reminds me a tiny bit of Ender's Game - imagine what would happen if Mazer Rackham, another tattooed Maori hero, wanted more than to be a military genius. I loved it. I quote the poem to myself all the time, and have set a variant of it as my twitter bio for years now. - @RichardLitt

This book had me looking up more words than any book had me do for a long time. A mildly interesting story, with cunning turns and twists, in a very interesting world. What surprised me most was that the book already foresaw cryptocurrencies, 3d-printers and fleets of UAV's while already being 20+ years old. - @fritzvd

One of the funniest series I have ever read. I laugh to myself and think about this all of the time. Changed how I view the galaxy and lost pens irreversibly. I also celebrate International Towel Day every year now.

A charming, fast-paced space adventure following the Stone family as they journey through the solar system, offering a delightful mix of humor, family dynamics, and interplanetary escapades.

My first Arthur C. Clarke Sci-fi book that introduced me to the world of Arthur C. Clarke. The book deals with the utopian society where the aliens are human beings from the old earth.

This was pretty good; it's pretty obvious what it is about, and it reads predictably, but the ending is strong enough to make the entire book worth reading. - @RichardLitt

A heartbreaking coming of age novel with a speculative, mysterious twist. Definitely a character-driven story. - @sunrein

The alternate history worldbuilding is the draw here, and the scale and depth of it is impressive. - @neontapir

A quick, fun mashup of two if my favorite genres.

A bit of a lighthearted series, it's a great drama

What amazes me most about Ted Chiang’s stories is their richness—the level of detail which the author managed to weave into the stories without having them turn into fluff. Artfully executed, uniformly good through excellent—which is by no means par for the course in single-author collections! Reminds me the most of Greg Egan’s Axiomatic collection, except Chiang manages to keep his characters optimistic. - @mihailim

You will never think about ants the same way again. - @uraimo

I think of these stories often; The Death of Dr. Island won a Nebula and offers a startling view into the rehabilitation and justice system we currently deal with and what we might have. The Doctor of Death Island is the same - I often think of him taking off the book cover, "like Mephistopholes". It takes an amazing talent to make three beautiful short stories out of permutations on a title. Also, Feather Tigers made me view the jungles in South East Asia a bit differently than I would have, and I think about Nashwonk a lot more than I should. I highly suggest this book. - @RichardLitt

The all-too-near-future novella Unauthorized Bread embodies what cyberpunk should be all about: high tech, low life. Radicalized and The Masque of the Red Death delve deep into some dark corners of society, while Model Minority is a pretty interesting take on Superman and racism. The book had me turning pages late into the night. - @nahkampf

(1995) _by Greg Egan [4.2] Hard-as-nails science fiction, but wonderfully fresh and imaginative (especially if you haven't had a chance to read anything written by Greg Egan before.) The stories have aged surprisingly well — which only underlines Egan’s penchant for sounding out the shape of the future. - @mihailim

(1952) _by Clifford D. Simak [4.1] You will never think about ants the same way again. - @uraimo

(1950) _by Isaac Asimov [4.1]

(2011) _by Peter F. Hamilton [3.9]

(1972) _by Arthur C. Clarke [4.1] I can't praise this book enough. The Nine Billion Names of God is brilliantly done; well written, executed, and frisson-inducing. If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth is also a stark reminder that we only have one planet. One of the most memorable Science Fiction stories I have ever read. - @RichardLitt

(2019) _by Cory Doctorow [4.03] The all-too-near-future novella Unauthorized Bread embodies what cyberpunk should be all about: high tech, low life. Radicalized and The Masque of the Red Death delve deep into some dark corners of society, while Model Minority is a pretty interesting take on Superman and racism. The book had me turning pages late into the night. - @nahkampf

(2002) _by Ted Chiang [4.4] What amazes me most about Ted Chiang’s stories is their richness—the level of detail which the author managed to weave into the stories without having them turn into fluff. Artfully executed, uniformly good through excellent—which is by no means par for the course in single-author collections! Reminds me the most of Greg Egan’s Axiomatic collection, except Chiang manages to keep his characters optimistic. - @mihailim

(1951) _by Ray Bradbury [4.1]

(1980) _by Gene Wolfe [4.1] I think of these stories often; The Death of Dr. Island won a Nebula and offers a startling view into the rehabilitation and justice system we currently deal with and what we might have. The Doctor of Death Island is the same - I often think of him taking off the book cover, "like Mephistopholes". It takes an amazing talent to make three beautiful short stories out of permutations on a title. Also, Feather Tigers made me view the jungles in South East Asia a bit differently than I would have, and I think about Nashwonk a lot more than I should. I highly suggest this book. - @RichardLitt

Thought-provoking movie that explores what it means to be human. Deep, suspenseful, and at times claustrophobic. Acting is to perfection. Visual effects are so well done and natural you don't even notice them. Truly the best sci-fi movie I've watched in years.

(2013-2015) by Jonathan Luna, Sarah Vaughn [4.11] Categories: ai drama sci-fi Alex + Ada is a thought provoking and moving exploration of what it means to be alive, and what rights can and should be afforded to non-human sentient beings. It's a short and effective near-future look at the obligations we have to both each other and to the intelligent life we create. - @thejessleigh

(2005) by Grant Morrison [3.95] Categories: hard-science-fiction sci-fi society One of the most emotional stories I ever read. We3 is a very visceral and incredibly well drawn tale of freedom. - @matheusteixeira

(2014) by Rick Remender [3.93] Categories: space-opera sci-fi Black Science is one of those stories where you explain it to people at a really high level and gradually get more excited as you do so. It's essentially what happens if Rick & Morty had a less skilled and lucky Rick. Grant McKay goes through some really dark experiences, and the multiverse around him feels nothing for his plight. It's a story to read and revisit. - @EricPonvelle

(1981) by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Mœbius [4.2] Categories: sci-fi dystopian surrealist space-opera Highly imaginative, hilarious, sprawling epic graphic novel — a collaboration between two giants of weird storytelling. Jodorowsky is an auteur of avant-garde film, and Mœbius is a legendary cartoonist; together their work has been a huge influence on such classic films as Alien, Tron, and Star Wars. The story is all kinds of preposterous, a dazzling display of surrealist science fiction, and the illustrations render it way-larger-than-life on the page. This single-volume collection of the complete series is well-worth the read. - @bschlagel

(2003-2008) by Brian K. Vaughan [4.33] Categories: dystopian sci-fi Y: The Last Man is graphic novel series unlike any other I have read. The "last man" struggles with trying to learn why every other man on earth is dead and how did he survive. Adding to his own internal struggle, the women on earth are divided between wanting to ensure humanity lives on, and those who believe they should be the last generation of humans on earth. - @derekneuland

(2013-2015) by Jonathan Luna, Sarah Vaughn [4.11] Categories: ai drama sci-fi Alex + Ada is a thought provoking and moving exploration of what it means to be alive, and what rights can and should be afforded to non-human sentient beings. It's a short and effective near-future look at the obligations we have to both each other and to the intelligent life we create.

(1975) by Moebius [4.06] Categories: hard-science-fiction sci-fi cyberpunk One of the most influential french sci-fi comics. It inspired a lot of what became Heavy Metal Magazine. Moebius in this onirical tale uses no words to this graphical prose.

(2014) by Rick Remender [3.93] Categories: space-opera sci-fi Black Science is one of those stories where you explain it to people at a really high level and gradually get more excited as you do so. It's essentially what happens if Rick & Morty had a less skilled and lucky Rick. Grant McKay goes through some really dark experiences, and the multiverse around him feels nothing for his plight. It's a story to read and revisit.

(2002-2004) by Warren Ellis [4.05] Categories: hard-science-fiction sci-fi Global Frequency is a very livid, strong, and fast-paced adventure/action-packed sci-fi. Each of the twelve issues is kinda independent and all of them are bursting with life.

(2014-) by Brian K. Vaughan [4.56] Categories: fantasy sci-fi space-opera Saga is a comic that is an elevator pitch proof. It's impossible to describe it in a sentence. All I can say is that it's a beautifully written and drawn story about love and family, in a very interesting space opera-like world. It's kinda like Star Wars, but not at all. While in Star Wars the heroes are in a huge journey to end the war, in Saga they just want to be left alone to live with their family.

(1981) by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Mœbius [4.2] Categories: sci-fi dystopian surrealist space-opera Highly imaginative, hilarious, sprawling epic graphic novel — a collaboration between two giants of weird storytelling. Jodorowsky is an auteur of avant-garde film, and Mœbius is a legendary cartoonist; together their work has been a huge influence on such classic films as Alien, Tron, and Star Wars. The story is all kinds of preposterous, a dazzling display of surrealist science fiction, and the illustrations render it way-larger-than-life on the page. This single-volume collection of the complete series is well-worth the read.

(2015-) by Jonathan Hickman [3.9] Categories: hard-science-fiction sci-fi Mind boggling, crazy high concepts based on historical events.

(1998) by Warren Ellis [4.23] Categories: hard-science-fiction sci-fi cyberpunk One of the most anarchistic comics I ever read. Transmetropolitan has no mercy for anyone. Strong polical and social commentary in a world that is not that far from ours.

(2005) by Grant Morrison [3.95] Categories: hard-science-fiction sci-fi society One of the most emotional stories I ever read. We3 is a very visceral and incredibly well drawn tale of freedom.

(2003-2008) by Brian K. Vaughan [4.33] Categories: dystopian sci-fi Y: The Last Man is graphic novel series unlike any other I have read. The "last man" struggles with trying to learn why every other man on earth is dead and how did he survive. Adding to his own internal struggle, the women on earth are divided between wanting to ensure humanity lives on, and those who believe they should be the last generation of humans on earth.

Accelerando is an excellent exploration of Posthumanism. It's my go to recommendation for people wanting to read about that stuff. - @erbridge

It's also worth mentioning that the ebook is available for free in a variety of formats on Stross's website. - @AlexKeyes

This intense linguistic thriller will change the way you think about language. - @helderroem

Now more than a century old, has that unique writing style you can only find in adventure classics. - @uraimo

Like Accelerando, this series is an excellent exploration of posthumanism. It also has themes of space exploration, references to various other series, and is all around a great amount of fun to read. It's also free if you have kindle unlimited. - @AlexKeyes

This book is interesting for its view of what a golden age of mankind would look like, and what would the shortcomings of that be. It also has a very interesting take on mass psychology - I don't want to give away too much, but the Overlords are a nifty bunch. This is a good early Clarke, and has two of his favorite themes; the first that remote work will be possible with technology, and the second that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. - @RichardLitt

This is a long book, but absolutely fantastic. It redefined for me the scale at which science fiction was possible, especially given the human elements are very fleshed out (as opposed to other massive space epics, like Olaf Stapledon's 'Last and First Men'). A brilliant look at the future, going off of only two small changes - what if we had drugs to defeat death, and cities could fly. - @RichardLitt

Based on Sagan's own studies as an astrophysicist and philosopher, Contact provides a possible glimpse of the world's reaction to extraterrestrial life - @augustopedro

An interesting take on the possibility of the multiverse, Schrödinger's cat, and how every choice, big or small, has led to this exact moment. - @thedeany

What a weird, funny and lovely little book. - @RichardLitt

I think what is most fascinating about Dune isn't that it is so commonly read, but the ubiquity with which it is referenced. Once you read this, you start seeing Dune quotes everywhere. Dune is monumental in scope, and the cautionary tone in which it was written - this is what happens when you put faith in a single person trained scientifically - almost completely backfires in an amazing story of heroism, revenge, and reconciliation. A book worth reading multiple times. Of course, it is also a series - the first stands alone, and I haven't read beyond the first two. There almost isn't a need. Dune alone is that good. - @RichardLitt

A series comprised (as of 2019) of eight full-length novels with a total of nine entries planned. Several shorts not relevant to the main plot also exist. Notable for this series is the attention to detail regarding the actual physics involved in space travel and the challenges of daily life outside a friendly biosphere. The narrative, which is told from the changing perspectives of a cast of diverse characters, offers a healthy mix of humor and suspension, making it an entertaining read. - @jpkempf

The books are real page turners with its mix of high politics, space battles, ancient mysteries, day-to-day grit and cultural differences, and the world Expanse starts out with really changes over the course of the books. You may find book four (Cibola Burn) a bit slow, but keep at it, subsequent books really pay dividends. - @nahkampf

This book will teach you to stretch your imagination and see things in a different way. - @elssar

This book is often given to high school students, but stands up well as an adult read. I think the best part about it is what Charlie does once he starts being intelligent; he suddenly likes art and making things and scientific theory. I think the altruism and openness of that time shows that the experiment, such as it was, didn't change everything. It's fun to think about. Also, this book made me cry the first time I read it. I was 25. - @RichardLitt

Isaac Asimov's original "Foundation Trilogy" is a mesmerizing voyage into the realm of science fiction, presenting a grand game of 4D chess spread over centuries, propelled by the innovative concept of 'psychohistory'. Its thought-provoking exploration of power, control, and inevitability underscores its status as a seminal piece in the pantheon of sci-fi literature. - @edoardodanna

Archetypal tale of mad science with the theme of 'how far can Science go' that arguably spawned the modern genre of Science Fiction. - @katamaritaco

This is an incredible book. Absolutely incredible. The first section, about a son of a scientist, is a great example of Wolfe's ability to make the future sound like the Victorian past, and to add decay to what, to our eyes, seems incredibly futuristic. The story about the traveler and the aborigines on Saint Croix is something I think about a lot - "old men think long thoughts", in particular, is a thought that I love, especially given its context. Gene Wolfe also uses the epistolary novel technique incredibly well in the third story. But the best part is how you come to realize that each of these stories is intertwined with the others, subtly. Amazing storytelling. - @RichardLitt

This is a pretty good book. Like later Gene Wolfe books, it reads a bit dry, and the main character is sometimes one sided. But the context and the fleshed out world entirely make up for it, as does Gene Wolfe's standard of never mentioning an important detail more than once as a foreshadowing. - @RichardLitt

This book has a few beautiful passages. It deals mainly with the ethics of using alien species for nationalistic purposes, and for that alone was an interesting read. Like a lot of science fiction, I found it a bit hard to empathize with any particular characters, but it's a short read and worth it anyway. The politics are a bit dated. - @RichardLitt

This was like if Hermann Hesse decided he was tired of writing Steppenwolf and Siddhartha and wanted to do something interesting for a change. What a weird book. - @RichardLitt

This book has a banger name. The story of a conman wizard who's not really a wizard, forced to travel to another planet in order to exorcize the demons of a ruined sister planet. John Jakes is more well known for his historical fiction, so it's interesting to read his take on a different genre. - @just-an-e

Actually four books by two authors. Based on the TV series of the same name, but the books should be consumed instead. Very high quality over the top deep space trouble with anti-hero Lister and his crew. - @montao

Although each part can be read independently, the whole trilogy has a consistent story line which happens in a very huge time-space context and the first just a beginning. The later two are especially much more hardcore and dramatical, however, gloomy as well. While the first one got the Hugo Award, I'd like to say that it really worth a try for the whole trilogy, don't miss the later two. - @cp4

This book is filled with a quiet suspense that is almost palpable; in that, it does an extraordinary job of showing how humans respond to alien encounters. The otherworldliness of Rama isn't always interesting, but the reaction of the reader to it is. - @RichardLitt

Twitter user: One of the best books I have ever read.

A classic work of science fiction by renowned Polish novelist and satirist Stanisław Lem.

I had been putting off reading this book for years, after reading Ender's Game and not knowing wanting to belittle it with a bad sequel (like I thought Ender's Shadow had been). I regret that immensely, having now read this book; it is deep, insightful, and brilliantly written. - @RichardLitt

One night in October when he was ten years old, Tyler Dupree stood in his back yard and watched the stars go out. They all flared into brilliance at once, then disappeared, replaced by a flat, empty black barrier. He and his best friends, Jason and Diane Lawton, had seen what became known as the Big Blackout. It would shape their lives. Life on Earth is about to get much, much stranger.

This book was written about 2010, and what the world would be like when the world is over populated. It is still very pertinent today, especially given the style of writing, which seems to have too much information packed in than needed. 'Muckers', the idea of people who go crazy without reason due to overcrowdedness, are a really interesting concept given the rise in anti-terrorist rhetoric in recent years. - @RichardLitt

If you're going to read one Science Fiction book to get a broader perspective on what it means to be human and the size of space and time, read this one. It blew me away. - @RichardLitt

This is one of Arthur C. Clarke's novels that is less about space and more about humanity, and the oceans. Clarke lived for a large part of his later life in Sri Lanka, and always loved the sea; in this book, that sentiment really comes out. I love it for that. It also has a nice view of ocean management, which is rare for books set in the future. - @RichardLitt

This is an incredible book. Absolutely incredible. The first section, about a son of a scientist, is a great example of Wolfe's ability to make the future sound like the Victorian past, and to add decay to what, to our eyes, seems incredibly futuristic. The story about the traveler and the aborigines on Saint Croix is something I think about a lot - "old men think long thoughts", in particular, is a thought that I love, especially given its context. Gene Wolfe also uses the epistolary novel technique incredibly well in the third story. But the best part is how you come to realize that each of these stories is intertwined with the others, subtly. Amazing storytelling. - @RichardLitt

An awesome book. Intriguing ,funny and moving. Never mind the negative reviews...I would have given it a 6th star if I could. - @naz2001

This is more of a read about what happens when you are outside the law than anything else. Fascinating, and kind of reads like Sherlock Holmes at times. - @RichardLitt

Ursula Le Guin is an amazing writer, and this is one of her seminal works. It explores sexuality and humanity in ways that I didn't know were possible. I loved it. - @RichardLitt

Funny, touching, and full of unexpected details. - @lgierth

The Murderbot Diaries is a series of novellas, each one around 150 pages starring a human-like android who keeps getting sucked back into adventure after adventure, though it just wants to be left alone, away from humanity and small talk and watch tv series. If you enjoy Ann Leckie's Imperial Raadch series or Iain M. Banks' Culture novels, this series of novellas might be for you. They are light, fun to read but yet still engaging enough to get your synapses fired up. - @oschrenk

Neal Asher has written almost 20 books (if you include short story compilations) set within the universe of the Polity, an interstellar human civilization ruled by (mostly) benevolent AIs, all overseen by the most powerful AI of all: Earth Central. There are several distinct series within the larger Polity collection, as well as several standalone novels and short story collections. The Ian Cormac series follows a human agent of Earth Central as he investigates threats towards the Polity. The Spatterjay series explores the hostile world of Spatterjay and the lives of its hoopers: humans infected by an alien virus that grants its hosts functional immortality, immense strength, and incredible durability, but not without a cost. The Transformations series focuses on a rogue AI named Penny Royal capable of granting almost any wish, but its help is always a double-edged sword. His most recent series, Rise of the Jain, is about the re-emergence of an ancient and incredibly powerful alien race that disappeared after seeding the galaxy with technological seeds designed to destroy any intelligent civilization that came across one. All of Asher's Polity novels are chock full of amazing technology, vibrant characters, picture-painting prose, and themes that explore the nature and limits of humanity. I was tempted to put this series under the Hard Sci-Fi category, as Asher introduces very few technologies that can't be extrapolated from existing tech, but a few things (e.g. FTL travel) and the distance in the future in which the series is set convinced me it should probably not be included in the "hard" category. - @isochronous

This space opera novel reminds me of a series of Star Trek episodes, if Roddenberry's final frontier had been a Machiavellian rather than a utopian vision of the future. Unlike the crew of Trek's Enterprise, the Beagle crew engage in power struggles between its civilian and military leaders. The plot of the third section is very reminiscent of the Alien movie. - @neontapir

This is always fun; it's a classic, and it is fun remembering what science fiction was like before there were tropes. - @RichardLitt

Very interesting exploration of what happens when aliens arrive on earth, after the planet has been ravaged by war, with their own ideas of a path forward. Humans must learn to coexist with the Oankali, genetic colonizers of the cosmos, and confront what this means for their future — deciding whether to give up an essential part of their identity in order to survive. I enjoyed the first book the most, for the worldbuilding and the way it introduces the Oankali and key concepts, but the series has a satisfying arc so I think it's worth reading all three books. - @bschlagel

Steakley puts his readers inside the mind of an armored soldier who lives in constant fear of being torn apart by the enemy he was sent to fight. The book plays brilliantly on our innate fear of bugs and describes the visceral terror of fighting a nearly unstoppable enemy. - @phmullins

This novel starts as a simple rescue by a cadet that led to the entire universe fighting an epic battle they have no hope of winning. What makes this novel awesome is the build up to the final epic battle. It starts as a small team of ragtags who were framed for a crime and later find out that the least of their worry is the intergalactic military but rather an incomprehensible galaxy ending force whose sole existence is to added all living things to its hive. - @sammy4gh

The Expeditionary Force is a sprawling science-fiction saga that blends military sci-fi, space opera, and irreverent humor into a fast-paced, character-driven adventure. Centered on U.S. Army Sergeant Joe Bishop and his unlikely partnership with an all-powerful, arrogant artificial intelligence nicknamed Skippy the Magnificent, the series takes readers from a sudden alien invasion of Earth into the depths of interstellar politics and warfare. While it is corny at times, and there's definitely some deus ex machina going on, the 19 Books, short novel Trouble on Paradise, the Audio Only Homefront and the two books in the Mavericks Series create an absolutely gripping story for which I drop everything to listen to the next installment when it releases. The Audio book series spoken by R.C. Bray is just masterfully done as well. @Anuril

Conan the Barbarian in space. - @alex-keyes