Best Science Fiction I've Read
My favorite science fiction novels, spanning classic and modern.
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3

Cryptonomicon
Ridiculously long but still great. Stephenson foresaw cryptocurrency decades before Bitcoin.
A- -
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Starship Troopers
The ideas are more interesting than the plot, but it's worth reading for Heinlein's philosophy and the origin of battle armor.
B+ -
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The Forever War
Deservedly won the Hugo. Good novel about the military industrial complex and space travel.
B+ -
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Legionnaire
Galaxy's Edge delivers old-school mil-sci-fi that feels fresh. A great start to the series.
A- -
15

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The Chaplain's War
Underrated gem. The chaplain's perspective on war and faith is genuinely moving.
A- -
17

To Say Nothing of the Dog
The best time-travel comedy ever written. Connie Willis at her most delightful.
A- -
18

The Man Who Sold the Moon
Heinlein's classic collection. The title story is still the best vision of early space entrepreneurship.
A- -
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Children of Time
The most original first-contact scenario I've read. The spider civilization is brilliantly conceived.
B+ -
21

Lucifer's Hammer
Niven and Pournelle at their peak. The survival story after the comet strike is relentless.
B+ -
22

Shards of Honor
A bit sentimental, but very good. Bujold's romance elements work because the characters are strong.
B+ -
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Planetside
Unconventional mil-sci-fi: an investigation, not just a war. Mammay subverts the genre cleverly.
B+ -
25

The Powers of Earth
Hard sci-fi with a political edge. The lunar setting feels more real than most.
B+ -
26

The Speaker for the Dead
A profound and moving companion to Ender's Game that redefines the series.
B+ -
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The Last Watch
A fresh take on military sci-fi — the physics-based magic system is genuinely clever.
B+ -
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Star Wars: Heir to the Empire
The gold standard of Star Wars EU fiction. Thrawn is a legendary villain.
B+ -
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The Misfit Soldier
A fun inversion of the military sci-fi formula with a genuinely likeable lead.
B+ -
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Lost Planet Homicide
Correia brings his noir instincts to sci-fi — sharp, funny, and action-packed.
B+ -
48

The Dervish House
McDonald's near-future Istanbul is one of the most vividly realized settings in SF.
B+ -
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The Ghosts of Zenith
Correia's space fantasy blend keeps the Monster Hunter energy in a new setting.
B+ -
51

Clementine
Cherie Priest's steampunk alternate history delivers intrigue and action in equal measure.
B+ -
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Isaac Steele and the Forever Man
A fun, fast-paced adventure with a charismatic lead and a clever premise.
B+