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Best Science Fiction I've Read

My favorite science fiction novels, spanning classic and modern.

  1. 1
    Cover of Ender's Game

    Ender's Game

    by Orson Scott Card

    A great book. The big reveal still lands even when you know it's coming.

    A
  2. 2
    Cover of Dune

    Dune

    by Frank Herbert

    The classic for a reason. Very solid.

    A-
  3. 3
    Cover of Cryptonomicon

    Cryptonomicon

    by Neal Stephenson

    Ridiculously long but still great. Stephenson foresaw cryptocurrency decades before Bitcoin.

    A-
  4. 4
    Cover of The Doomsday Book

    The Doomsday Book

    by Connie Willis

    A little slow in the middle, but the ending is earned.

    A-
  5. 5
    Cover of Old Man's War

    Old Man's War

    by John Scalzi

    Scalzi at his best. A clean, propulsive sci-fi novel.

    A-
  6. 6
    Cover of Armor

    Armor

    by John Steakley

    The plot is solid. A great story even if the writing is rough in places.

    B+
  7. 7
    Cover of Starship Troopers

    Starship Troopers

    by Robert Heinlein

    The ideas are more interesting than the plot, but it's worth reading for Heinlein's philosophy and the origin of battle armor.

    B+
  8. 8
    Cover of Service Model

    Service Model

    by Adrian Tchaikovsky

    Fun and original. A robot mystery with more depth than it sounds.

    B+
  9. 9
    Cover of Project Hail Mary

    Project Hail Mary

    by Andy Weir

    The protagonist can solve anything, but it's still pretty fun.

    B+
  10. 10
    Cover of The Forever War

    The Forever War

    by Joe Haldeman

    Deservedly won the Hugo. Good novel about the military industrial complex and space travel.

    B+
  11. 11
    Cover of 1984

    1984

    by George Orwell

    Orwell's dystopia still resonates. One of the most important novels ever written.

    A-
  12. 12
    Cover of Starship Grifters

    Starship Grifters

    by Robert Kroese

    As good as Hitchhiker's Guide. Funny, fast, and genuinely original.

    A-
  13. 13
    Cover of The Martian

    The Martian

    by Andy Weir

    Weir's engineering problem-solving is as compelling as any thriller plot.

    A-
  14. 14
    Cover of Legionnaire

    Legionnaire

    by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole

    Galaxy's Edge delivers old-school mil-sci-fi that feels fresh. A great start to the series.

    A-
  15. 15
    Cover of Rendezvous with Rama

    Rendezvous with Rama

    by Arthur C. Clarke

    Clarke at his most awe-inspiring. The sense of wonder is unmatched.

    A-
  16. 16
    Cover of The Chaplain's War

    The Chaplain's War

    by Brad R. Torgersen

    Underrated gem. The chaplain's perspective on war and faith is genuinely moving.

    A-
  17. 17
    Cover of To Say Nothing of the Dog

    To Say Nothing of the Dog

    by Connie Willis

    The best time-travel comedy ever written. Connie Willis at her most delightful.

    A-
  18. 18
    Cover of The Man Who Sold the Moon

    The Man Who Sold the Moon

    by Robert Heinlein

    Heinlein's classic collection. The title story is still the best vision of early space entrepreneurship.

    A-
  19. 19
    Cover of Red Rising

    Red Rising

    by Pierce Brown

    Starts as Hunger Games, becomes something much grander. Brown has a gift for action.

    B+
  20. 20
    Cover of Children of Time

    Children of Time

    by Adrian Tchaikovsky

    The most original first-contact scenario I've read. The spider civilization is brilliantly conceived.

    B+
  21. 21
    Cover of Lucifer's Hammer

    Lucifer's Hammer

    by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

    Niven and Pournelle at their peak. The survival story after the comet strike is relentless.

    B+
  22. 22
    Cover of Shards of Honor

    Shards of Honor

    by Lois McMaster Bujold

    A bit sentimental, but very good. Bujold's romance elements work because the characters are strong.

    B+
  23. 23
    Cover of The Mechanical

    The Mechanical

    by Ian Tregillis

    Steampunk done right. The Clakker alchemy system is genuinely inventive.

    B+
  24. 24
    Cover of Planetside

    Planetside

    by Michael Mammay

    Unconventional mil-sci-fi: an investigation, not just a war. Mammay subverts the genre cleverly.

    B+
  25. 25
    Cover of The Powers of Earth

    The Powers of Earth

    by Travis Corcoran

    Hard sci-fi with a political edge. The lunar setting feels more real than most.

    B+
  26. 26
    Cover of The Speaker for the Dead

    The Speaker for the Dead

    by Orson Scott Card

    A profound and moving companion to Ender's Game that redefines the series.

    B+
  27. 27
    Cover of System Collapse

    System Collapse

    by Martha Wells

    Murderbot at its tense, sardonic best. The series keeps getting better.

    B+
  28. 28
    Cover of Terms of Enlistment

    Terms of Enlistment

    by Marko Kloos

    The best modern military sci-fi series opener — grounded and compelling.

    B+
  29. 29
    Cover of The Ghost Brigades

    The Ghost Brigades

    by John Scalzi

    Old Man's War sequel deepens the world in unexpected and satisfying ways.

    B+
  30. 30
    Cover of Skyward

    Skyward

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Sanderson brings his worldbuilding chops to sci-fi with great results.

    B+
  31. 31
    Cover of Velocity Weapon

    Velocity Weapon

    by Megan O'Keefe

    A twisty, inventive space opera that keeps you guessing throughout.

    B+
  32. 32
    Cover of The Last Watch

    The Last Watch

    by J.S. Dewes

    A fresh take on military sci-fi — the physics-based magic system is genuinely clever.

    B+
  33. 33
    Cover of Dust

    Dust

    by Hugh Howey

    The final Silo book sticks the landing beautifully.

    B+
  34. 34
    Cover of March Upcountry

    March Upcountry

    by David Weber and John Ringo

    Weber and Ringo nail the stranded-military premise from the first chapter.

    B+
  35. 35
    Cover of Phule's Company

    Phule's Company

    by Robert Asprin

    Asprin's satirical take on military sci-fi is charming and wickedly funny.

    B+
  36. 36
    Cover of Star Wars: Heir to the Empire

    Star Wars: Heir to the Empire

    by Timothy Zahn

    The gold standard of Star Wars EU fiction. Thrawn is a legendary villain.

    B+
  37. 37
    Cover of Double Star

    Double Star

    by Robert Heinlein

    Classic Heinlein political intrigue — lean, clever, and thoroughly entertaining.

    B+
  38. 38
    Cover of Orphans of the Sky

    Orphans of the Sky

    by Robert Heinlein

    A short but unforgettable generation-ship story that still feels fresh.

    B+
  39. 39
    Cover of Warship

    Warship

    by Joshua Dalzelle

    Hard military sci-fi done right — the space combat is tactically satisfying.

    B+
  40. 40
    Cover of The Misfit Soldier

    The Misfit Soldier

    by Michael Mammay

    A fun inversion of the military sci-fi formula with a genuinely likeable lead.

    B+
  41. 41
    Cover of Spaceside

    Spaceside

    by Michael Mammay

    The Planetside sequel delivers more morally complex military drama.

    B+
  42. 42
    Cover of The Postman

    The Postman

    by David Brin

    Underrated Brin — a hopeful post-apocalyptic story with real emotional weight.

    B+
  43. 43
    Cover of Aftershocks

    Aftershocks

    by Marko Kloos

    Kloos starts a new series with the same quality that made Frontlines great.

    B+
  44. 44
    Cover of The Rising

    The Rising

    by Ian Tregillis

    Tregillis's Alchemy Wars series kicks off with a gripping premise and great prose.

    B+
  45. 45
    Cover of Aye Robot

    Aye Robot

    by Robert Kroese

    A hilarious sci-fi mystery that nails both the comedy and the whodunit.

    B+
  46. 46
    Cover of The B-Team

    The B-Team

    by John Scalzi

    A fun Scalzi romp that expands the Old Man's War universe in unexpected directions.

    B+
  47. 47
    Cover of Lost Planet Homicide

    Lost Planet Homicide

    by Larry Correia

    Correia brings his noir instincts to sci-fi — sharp, funny, and action-packed.

    B+
  48. 48
    Cover of The Dervish House

    The Dervish House

    by Ian McDonald

    McDonald's near-future Istanbul is one of the most vividly realized settings in SF.

    B+
  49. 49
    Cover of Causes of Separation

    Causes of Separation

    by Travis Corcoran

    An ambitious hard-SF libertarian novel with real philosophical depth.

    B+
  50. 50
    Cover of The Ghosts of Zenith

    The Ghosts of Zenith

    by Larry Correia

    Correia's space fantasy blend keeps the Monster Hunter energy in a new setting.

    B+
  51. 51
    Cover of Clementine

    Clementine

    by Cherie Priest

    Cherie Priest's steampunk alternate history delivers intrigue and action in equal measure.

    B+
  52. 52
    Cover of Zero G

    Zero G

    by Dan Wells

    Dan Wells at his most inventive — zero-gravity mystery with a sharp hook.

    B+
  53. 53
    Cover of The North Star

    The North Star

    by Killian Carter

    A tightly plotted military SF thriller with a satisfying payoff.

    B+
  54. 54
    Cover of Alpha Protocol

    Alpha Protocol

    by Duncan Hamilton

    Duncan Hamilton proves he can write compelling SF as well as fantasy.

    B+
  55. 55
    Cover of Isaac Steele and the Forever Man

    Isaac Steele and the Forever Man

    by Daniel Rigby

    A fun, fast-paced adventure with a charismatic lead and a clever premise.

    B+