Science Fiction is the most versatile genre in existence because you can tell a love story, a political thriller, or even the memoirs of a monster that eats people’s faces, then tell readers that it’s set in a place where everyone has laser guns, and you can slap the Sci-Fi tag on it.
The huge variety of themes waiting for you in the Sci-Fi genre is enough to make sure you’ll never get bored, and the amount of great Sci-Fi series is so high that you’ll never run out of mind blowing things to read. Here’s the best to get you started.
Dune trilogy (Frank Herbert)
If you want something akin to the sci-fi version of Lord Of The Rings, look no further than Frank Herbert’s Dune. The comparison works not only because of the sprawling universe created just to withstand the weight of the tales but also because of both of these works’ incredible influence in their respective genre.
If Lord of the Rings is responsible for the modern fantasy genre, then Dune is responsible for every space opera, meaning that we likely only have Star Wars, Star Trek and Mass Effect because of it. You should read Dune, even if you’ve already seen the two new movies, as they flesh out the plot further and feature themes that are sorely missing from the adaptations of both David Lynch and Denis Villeneuve.
You can keep on reading after the third book in the series, Dune Messiah, which is next to be adapted into Dune Part 3, but do so at your own peril, as that’s when things begin to get off the rails.
Sprawl trilogy (the one with Neuromancer, by William Gibson)
If you like Cyberpunk 2077, you have the Sprawl trilogy to thank. Neuromancer, the first novel in the series, is more or less the birthing point of the whole genre that espouses the beautiful notion that using tech to undermine evil governments or evil regular corporations is very cool.
I only had one problem when originally trying to get into this trilogy, and that was dealing with all the in-universe lingo that, naturally, was completely new to me at the time. If you already have a solid enough knowledge of Cyberpunk linguistics and have never visited the birthplace of it all, then it’s with great pleasure that I tell you that the Sprawl remains arguably the best piece of Cyberpunk media ever made.
Ender series
Orson Scott Card’s greatest work is the Ender series, even though he’s more well-known today for his controversial views. Ender’s Game tells the story of Ender, a wiz kid whose prowess is used by a futuristic human military complex to fight off a supposed alien threat. It’s a brilliant book that, aside from some unnecessarily insensitive language, offers a great critique of the American military complex, which I’ll get further into below in spoiler land.
We do learn that, despite his superior strategy skills, Ender is actually being used not to protect humanity from a vile enemy but to obliterate the entirety of an only incidentally hostile alien race. This is a beautiful twist that works even better today than it did when the books came out, and one that its author could learn some lessons from.
The Culture (Iain M Banks)
Tired of dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic landscapes in Sci-Fi? Then consider giving Iain M Banks’ The Culture series a try. It proves as a great alternative to the dour world usually seen in the genre by instead inviting readers to learn of a post-utopic society where even the worst possible problems tend to have at least somewhat funny resolutions.
Banks sadly died before concluding or announcing the conclusion of the series, but that won’t hurt your reading experience as each book tells a separate story and isn’t a mere part of an MCU-like multi-plot monstrosity. Banks’ series could’ve flourished even further had he lived longer, but what he ended up giving us in life is more than enough to grant The Culture a spot in the list of best Sci-Fi series in existence.
Foundation (Asimov)
If you’re looking for hard Sci-Fi that defined the genre up until, well, right now, then Asimov’s Foundation series is what you’re looking for. If you care about Sci-Fi where the cool ships take a backseat to the sociological analysis of the human race as a possible conqueror of galaxies, then this one is for you.
Though the Apple-made TV series adaptation deserves more recognition than it gets, this is still the best way to experience this series in which Asimov peered into the rise and fall of human-made galactic empires long before we’d even reached the moon.
Zoey Ashe series (Jason Pargin)
One thing I tend to find lacking in dystopian tales is the laughter. I guess it makes sense you’d have a hard time getting your funny bone tickled when paraphrasing Neuromancer, the sky looks like a CRT TV turned to a dead channel, but that only scores more points for the Sci-Fi dystopias that pull it off, right?
If you’re looking for Sci-Fi that manages to print images in your mind that are somehow harrowing and hilarious at the same time, then Jason Pargin’s Zoey Ashe series is what you’re looking for.
The Expanse (James S. A. Corey, Tyler Corey Franck)
When someone tries to get you to watch The Expanse TV series, chances are they’ll describe it as Game Of Thrones in space. Though I’m iffy in regards to adaptations, I must admit that political intrigue bleeding out of all pores of The Expanse’s TV adaptation will make you see the awesome resemblances very early on.
Now, for the bad news: The Expanse has ended before it could cover the last three books in the series. That sucks, as we’re talking about one of the few series that people loved from start to (abrupt) finish. The good news, however, is that the book series is there for you to pick up, tells the entire story, and, guess what, doesn’t let you down at the end, either. Get this one if you want a Sci-Fi tale that combines cutthroat political shenanigans, class struggle, sentient viruses, ghosts(?), and aliens, and that does all that without feeling like it’s biting way more than it can chew.
The Hyperion Cantos (Dan Simmons)
I’m relatively new to the Hyperion Cantos series and only ever learned about its existence because of the cool video above that tells you about The Shrike, the scariest creature in that world — and a contender for the scariest in all fictional worlds, really.
So, let’s try to prevent this series from flying below the radar of possible fans by alerting them to a very interesting fact.
If you’ve been watching any recent space-faring Sci-Fi shows, it’s likely that you’ve felt Mass Effect’s influence on them, especially if we’re talking about the most recent iterations of Star Trek. This isn’t talked about much, but I can’t help but feel like Mass Effect, especially the first game, got a non-negligible amount of inspiration from Hyperion Cantos. There’s the mysterious unstoppable alien threat, all the inter-species politics, the unique method of transportation (and its foil), and even all the sexy shenanigans. If you want more of the dearly dormant (or dead) Mass Effect series or something that’s just great Sci-Fi in general, give The Hyperion Cantos a shot.
Binti Trilogy (Nnedi Okorafor)
If you’re looking for a story with a flavor similar to that one about the kid who gets accepted into the wizard school but with a Sci-Fi twist, then Binti might be the one for you. It tells the story of a girl who gets accepted into the best University in the galaxy and has to deal with all the troubles stemming from dealing with very different life forms than one would expect. Binti isn’t the deepest Sci-Fi in the galaxy, but it’s a good starting point for anyone of any age who might be interested in giving the genre a try.
Silo Trilogy (Hugh Howey)
Many likely know of Silo as that hot new Sci-Fi/Mystery TV series that somehow didn’t begin to suck even before the first season was over. The good news is that if the series is to follow the book trilogy it’s based on, it’ll stay a thrilling ride until the end.
Silo is a great read if you’re into post-apocalyptic worlds, especially nowadays, as its setting was likely inspired by the Fallout series of games, and is a great way to spend your time while you wait for Fallout season 2.
