TOP 10 Sci-Fi Books: Choosing Tips, Reviews, Pros and Cons

Science fiction is a mystery genre. Here you can find everything: the most amazing discoveries of scientists, alien invasions, a new history of human development, global catastrophes and space travel.

The main feature of this genre is that what is happening in the book can and should be explained. Such works are not always about the future, but quite often. It’s just that it’s more convenient to talk about the changes in the world. Most importantly, no magic and miracles. It's not for nothing that fiction is scientific.

TOP 10 Science Fiction Books

In this rating will be mainly representatives of the so-called "hard" science fiction. That is, dedicated specifically to the development of science. Since the rating of works, not authors, some writers got here twice.

So, the best science fiction books are:

Cycle "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov

The books of this cycle are often translated as "Academy" and "Fund".

The novels take place in the future, where humanity created the Galactic Empire.

In the first novel of the cycle, the reader learns about a science called psychohistory. It was created by the scientist Gary Seldon. With the help of psychohistory, it is possible to mathematically predict the development of an entire society. Seldon realized that the Galactic Empire was in decline, it was impossible to stop this process. But there are also pluses. Calculations show that after the long Dark Ages, the Second Galactic Empire will emerge.

The scientist finds a way to shorten the intermediate stage and overcome emerging crises. The group of people who was just called the "Foundation" helps all of humanity in this.

For all the seriousness of what is happening, the book is written in simple language. The reader does not have to wade through the terminology of the future and grasp complex descriptions.

The Academy is a kind of philosophical, political and psychological treatise. The author very competently shows the possible scenarios for the development of events, operating over huge periods of time. It is not for nothing that Asimov is considered the father, the classic of the classics and the greatest master of science fiction.

Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein

The earth was attacked by aliens. And this is not our usual image of a person from another planet. A race of gigantic, merciless and intelligent insects attacked. Cities are destroyed, people are dying. It is necessary to confront the enemy.

The main character of the novel is Juan Rico, a paratrooper of the Earth Federation. He enters the service almost by accident, but then finds his calling in it.

In the world created by Heinlein, becoming a full-fledged citizen, you can get the right to vote only after completing military service. And the whole novel as a whole is devoted to the army and the war.

The work often evokes ambiguous emotions in readers. They expect him to be a militant, but instead find a lot of reflections on the meaning of war. They wait for action, death, battles, and get a story about the army from the inside.

A book for those who want to see the story of a boy who became a man during military service.

Luckily for his readers, Heinlein has no bad stories. This novel is fascinating and interesting, with a fantastic and at the same time adventurous plot, much more serious than it seems.The author raises a number of both social and some philosophical questions.

Cycle "A Space Odyssey" by Arthur Clarke

The book was published after the release of the famous film by Stanley Kubrick. That rare case when the script for the tape was written together by Kubrick and Clark. And both works deserve attention.

The story of a mysterious "black monolith" - an object that first appeared on Earth in prehistoric times in Africa and influenced the development of all mankind. A mysterious monolith appeared on the moon. As soon as the rays of the sun hit him, he sent a signal towards the satellite of Saturn called Iapetus. Researchers go on an expedition to find out what is happening there.

This is a story about the dangers of scientific progress and amazing space travel.

Interestingly, there are many predictions in the book, and some of them really came true. Arthur Clarke predicted a number of space discoveries and the emergence of new technologies.

Absolutely not obsolete work. I think, even if in a hundred years, they will make up the Top 10 best science fiction books and “The Odyssey” will definitely get there.

War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

The story of the invasion of the Martians, told from the perspective of an unnamed resident of England in the late 19th century. Humanity is powerless and incapable of resisting aliens. They are represented in this work by the highest race, intellectually superior to humans. The author describes the aliens as large, grayish creatures with tentacles. The Martians have no arms, no legs, and their heads are frighteningly huge. Their appearance is associated with the evolution of aliens. All their extra organs and limbs have simply atrophied over the years.

England is plunging into chaos, our entire planet is threatened with colonization. Will people be able to escape?

To the modern reader, the topic may seem hackneyed and familiar, but do not forget that the book was written more than 100 years ago!

Small in volume, but full of events and ideas, a science fiction novel about the invasion of the sacred English land by invaders from Mars. The book is not at all outdated in concept without a single extra episode. Recommend. This is a classic not only of science fiction, but also of world literature.

Collection of short stories "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov got into this rating twice for a reason. If "Foundation" is a serious and large-scale work, then here is a collection of unobtrusive and light stories in front of the reader. All of them are united by one theme - stories from the life of robots.

It was in this collection that Asimov formulated the famous Three Laws of Robotics. These are the rules of behavior, the internal restrictions of robots, designed to protect people. Later, many writers and screenwriters used these laws in their works.

The collection "I, Robot" will be pleasant to open after a hard day to cheer yourself up.

The book impressed me to the core! This is a fascinating, interesting and solid piece. It contains both ironic and morally touching stories. These stories very successfully combine fantasy with the real problems of humanity. I am delighted with this book!

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip Dick

In the future of Philip Dick, humanity after a nuclear war moves to other planets, and the Earth has become an almost abandoned desert. The immigrants are subordinate to androids, outwardly very similar to people. For them, one of the few ways to escape lifelong slavery is to escape to our home planet.

Such escaped androids are hunted down and destroyed by bounty hunters. Rick Deckard, the protagonist of this story, is just one of them. He receives an order to destroy several escaped slaves. You can find out what came of this from the book.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - this is a story - a reflection on how similar androids are to humans, on the humanity of machines and the insensibility of humans.

The author explores the fine line between the fundamental differences between the artificial and the natural - sensual and emotional versus cold reason and sound logic. The book, no doubt, is worth its time and effort of thought, for the essence of the issues is reflected (or will be) in our life ...

The Hain Cycle by Ursula Le Guin

The planet Hine is the political center of the League of Worlds, an association of many civilizations. The Hain Cycle is a collection of stories and stories that are not related to each other by events and characters, only by the community of worlds in which events take place.

Ursula Le Guin is not writing about alien attacks, scientific progress, robots, and planetary colonization. Her books are about people and their relationships, about humanity, love and understanding. Her heroes carry a great responsibility on their shoulders and are often forced to make difficult choices in order to defend their ideals.

The stories of the cycle are fluid, kind and poetic. They are created for readers who like to reflect on the book, enjoy the beauty of the story.

The Hain cycle is a genuine humanism. Despite all the rich set of worlds, cultures and social contradictions, the same idea runs like a red thread. This idea is mutual understanding.

The Hain Cycle is a masterpiece. Of course, reading is not the easiest, but necessary.

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

The story of how millionaire John Hammond on an island near Costa Rica decides to create a unique park inhabited by prehistoric creatures. He finds a way to recreate dinosaur DNA and invest a lot of effort and money in the implementation of his idea.

It was this book that formed the basis of Steven Spielberg's famous film Jurassic Park. The plot of the book is much deeper than film adaptation. Here, the history of the emergence of the park, the complexity of its work, a description of the scientific ideas that helped create this frightening reserve are revealed to the readers.

This book is not so much about dinosaurs as it is about humanity threatening its own existence. Our planet will live, but will we be on it?

A unique work, in which not just a story about how dinosaurs, recreated with the help of genetic engineering, devour people, but about how a millionaire "made fun" of nature. I advise all fans of stories about dinosaurs and just people who like interesting fantastic works.

"Solaris" by Stanislav Lem

The reader finds himself in the distant future. Humanity has discovered a satellite of the star - the planet Solaris. It turned out that it is almost completely covered by the thinking ocean. And this is the only living being on the planet.

A group of scientists is trying to establish contact with him. The story is told from the perspective of one of them, Dr. Chris Kelvin. In a research laboratory above the surface of the ocean, scientists are trying to understand a mysterious creature, and it studies them in its own way.

This novel cannot be accurately described; it is a philosophical story about people with their fears, faith, loneliness and desire for knowledge. She's scary but beautiful.

The book caused a real delight! I would like to note that it is written very realistically, you completely immerse yourself in it, imagine yourself in the place of the heroes, in some places there are even eerie moments ... The psychological aspects of the actions of the heroes are interestingly revealed, I want to immediately think, "What would I have done in their place?"

"Roadside Picnic" by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

This is one of the most popular works of the Strugatsky brothers.

The story that there are six Visiting Zones on Earth. Each of them is an anomalous area that has been visited by aliens and people cannot live there. Scientists do not know anything for sure about these mysterious places.

One of these sites is located near the fictional town of Harmont. The perimeter of the zone is guarded by the military, you cannot enter there, and it is dangerous.

The main character of the work is a local resident, Redrick Schuhart, who makes his money by sneaking into a closed area and finding artifacts there. And then he sells it to the residents.

But this is not an adventure story, but a philosophical one. A work of those that need to be read several times, gradually finding new in it and understanding more and more.

Not just fiction, but FANTASTIC! A tough, masculine, laconic book about Good and Evil, about Choice, about Friendship and Love. About the fact that being human is not easy, but necessary. The fact that no matter how much evil and destruction you bring to the world, no matter what pit you are in in life, at the moment of choosing a cherished desire at the cost of your life, the first thing that comes to mind: Happiness for free! For one and all! And so that no one leaves offended!

Tips for choosing science fiction books

Science fiction is a genre that includes many very different works. In order not to get confused and choose something interesting for yourself, you can rely on a few tips:

1. If you want to read about the development of society, changes in the minds of people, you should turn to social science fiction. Its most popular offshoot are dystopian books. They usually open a future in which the state completely controls society. The methods may vary, but people must always obey.

But social fiction is not always depressing, it can be both humorous and kind.

1. If you want adventure stories, friendship, courage and discovery, there is Jules Verne and Conan Doyle and their classic fiction. There will also be scientific discoveries and assumptions, but the modern reader will find the books a little naive. This is understandable, because stories have been written for a long time, many discoveries have already been made, and some of the events of the books seem impossible even now.
2. If you want to know what would have happened if events had gone differently in the past, you should open books on alternative history.What if Alexander the Great is not dead? What if Germany won World War II? What if John F. Kennedy, Napoleon, Emelyan Pugachev survived? Authors of books on alternative history try to answer these questions, to show readers a world that did not appear, a turning point that influenced the life of one or many states.
3. If you want to see humanity during and after the apocalypse, then there are wonderful books about this. It remains only to decide which catastrophe the reader considers more real. Alien invasion, the creation of a new virus, another ice age, nuclear war, the appearance of zombies - all this can be found in books about the apocalypse.