Whilst Sci-fi takes readers beyond reality, it is usually themed around everyday life such as society, family, existence, war and technology which leads the reader to question things in their daily lives.
There is no definitive list but the following list provides 17 sci-fi books that should not be missed.
Dune – Frank Herbert
Tomas M Wagner for SFReviews.net wrote that anything created by Herbert in 1965 gave readers the most complex backdrop that covered everything from politics to culture and this is one of the most informative sci-fi books written to date.
Kindle $5.99
Paperback $7.99
Foundation – Isaac Asimov
Brooks Peck suggests that Foundation is one of the sci-fi masterpieces. The author won the Hugo Award in 1965 for the “Best all time series.”
Paperback $7.19
Kindle $4.99
The Foundation trilogy in paperback $16.91
War of the Worlds – H G Wells
Ben East for The Guardian writes that War of the Worlds is a true classic that will make the reader begin to question the way that we as a civilization think about ourselves.
Paperback $6.99
I Robot – Isaac Asimov
This collection of nine outstanding stories will blow you away. The movie starring Will Smith has nothing on the actual book, believe me!
Kindle $5.99
Paperback $11.46
Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card
According to the review on Amazon.com the only way to describe this book would be intense. Two attacks made by aliens have almost destroyed the human race before the government step in and start breeding military specialists and training them in the art of war, a real page turner.
Kindle $7.99
Paperback $6.00
The Entire Ender Quintet $22.88
Pandora’s Star – Peter F Hamilton
Dudley Bose an astronomer watches a star disappear 1,000 light years away and follows it in order to see what is happening.
Paperback $8.99
Hyperion – Dan Simmons
Gerald Jones from the New York Times describes how the author creates a book that covers the last days of a colorful and self destructive galactic civilization that is known as the Hegemony. Probably the most thought provoking part of the entire book would be when Simmons explains that it may be our dreams that make the distinction between us and machines.
Kindle $4.99
Paperback $7.14
Daemon – Daniel Suarez
Publishers weekly describes Daemon as a superb debut novel that would make the ideal gift for those who appreciate the chills, thrills and cyber sense, with a final twist that will leave the reader desperate for more.
Kindle $6.35
Paperback $6.68
Ringworld – Larry Nivel
Two aliens complete with a 200 year old and 20 year old human set out on an adventure to explore the unknown world that is known as Ringworld.
Paperback $6.00
Contact – Carl Sagan
From the author of the hugely successful Cosmos, Contact turns the possibility of the first contact between the extraterrestrial intelligence and mankind into a imaginative reality, says the Publisher’s Weekly.
Hardback $14.76
Paperback $7.19
2001 : A Space Odyssey – Arthur C Clarke
LIFE sums this book up perfectly, “Brain boggling!”
Kindle $6.00
Paperback $6.00
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adam
Readers will be hard pressed to find such a comedic sci-fi book as the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The book is detailed and takes the reader through many thought provoking situations and is a book that you will find you can read over and over again.
Kindle $11.99
Paperback $13.48
Sirens of Titan – Kurt Vonnegut
SFreview.net describes the Sirens of Titan as a book with influences by Douglas Adams which tells the reader that they are not in control.
Kindle $5.99
Paperback $11.57
Leather Bound $150.00
1984 – George Orwell
Aldous Huxley wrote to the author George Orwell and stated that she could not agree more with everything that had been written with regards to 1984, it is sheer genius.
Kindle $5.70
Paperback $6.00
Avogardo Corp – William Hertling
Author Gene Kim describes Avogardo Corp: Singularity is closer than it appears as an alarming tale of how something such as email can subvert an entire organization; a compulsive read that will keep you up way into the night.
Kindle $2.99
Paperback $9.58
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? – Philip K Dick
In accordance with Paul Williams from Rolling Stones Philip Dick is not afraid to delve into areas that other authors shy away from.
Kindle $5.95
Paperback $9.75
Neuromancer – William Gibson
John Mullan from The Guardian describes that this book is more interested in creating a feeling of transformation rather than characters or plot, and the need to use a new vocabulary in order to describe how perception has actually been changed by computers.
Kindle $5.99
Paperback $7.19
These top 17 sci-fi books deserve a place within your personal sci-fi collection and are must reads for fans of this genre. Each title will take you on a journey beyond reality and will make you question far more in your life than ever before. Don’t just take my word for it, and whilst there are hundreds of titles that should grace your shelf these really are must reads!
