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This page is meant to cover the basics works and stellar pieces of science fiction literature. While the bulk of Science Fiction is trashy genre-work there are genuine masterpieces. The purpose of this article is to illustrate those masterpieces as best as possible. As always however, this list is imperfect and always growing. If there is anything missing please add to it. If there is a work you think is missing, feel free to add it.<br />
This page is meant to cover the basics works and stellar pieces of science fiction literature. While the bulk of Science Fiction is trashy genre-work there are genuine masterpieces. The purpose of this article is to illustrate those masterpieces as best as possible. As always however, this list is imperfect and always growing. If there is anything missing please add to it.<br />
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===Isaac Asimov===
===Isaac Asimov===
{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
 
! scope="col"|Title
===Arthur C. Clarke===
! scope="col"|Author
 
! scope="col"|Description
{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="sortable wikitable"
! scope="col"|Book Cover
! scope="col" |Title
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Author
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Description
! scope="col" |Pages
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Book Cover
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |2001: A Space Odyssey
| style="text-align: center;" |Arthur C. Clarke
| style="text-align: center;" |It's 2001. I shouldn't have to give an introduction
| style="text-align: center;" |320
|[[File:2001.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Childhood's End
| style="text-align: center;" |Arthur C. Clarke
| style="text-align: center;" |Story regarding the future of mankind after the advent of an alien race appears and offers them a golden era of prosperity.
| style="text-align: center;" |256
|[[File:ChildhoodsEnd(1stEd).jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Collected Short Stories of Arthur C. Clarke
| style="text-align: center;" |Arthur C. Clarke
| style="text-align: center;" |A Collection of nearly every short story Arthur Clarke has ever published tallying at over 100. Includes: The Nine Billions Names of God, The Sentinel, and his flash fiction "God said, 'Cancel Program GENESIS.' The universe ceased to exist."
| style="text-align: center;" |976
|[[File:Collected_shorts.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Fountains of Paradise
| style="text-align: center;" |Arthur C. Clarke
| style="text-align: center;" |
| style="text-align: center;" |332
|[[File:Fountains_copy.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
|Rendevous with Rama
| style="text-align: center;" |Arthur C. Clarke
| style="text-align: center;" |Classic book featuring mankind's encounter with the alien vessel Rama.
| style="text-align: center;" |274
|[[File:Rama_copy.jpg|center|100px]]
|}
 
===Robert Heinlein===
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="sortable wikitable"
! scope="col" |Title
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Author
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Description
! scope="col" |Pages
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Book Cover
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Friday
| style="text-align: center;" |Robert Heinlein
| style="text-align: center;" |The tale of a genetically modified female, designed to be superior physically, and mentally to normal human beings. The story follows her struggles with the prejudice against artificial humans and her attempts to assimilate.
| style="text-align: center;" |368
|[[File:Friday82.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Have Space Suit - Will Travel
| style="text-align: center;" |Robert Heinlein
|boy wins space suit in a lottery, goes to space and has adventures.
| style="text-align: center;" |256
|[[File:Have_spacesuit.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Methuselah's Children
| style="text-align: center;" |Robert Heinlein
|
| style="text-align: center;" |183
|[[File:Methuselahs.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
| style="text-align: center;" |Robert Heinlein
|The moon is a penal colony declaring independence from Earth, with a spontaneously self aware computer to help. Lots of philosophy of government, alternate social organism, alternate marriage arrangements.
| style="text-align: center;" |384
|[[File:The_Moon_Is_A_Harsh_Mistress_(book).jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Orphans of the Sky
| style="text-align: center;" |Robert Heinlein
|
| style="text-align: center;" |224
|[[File:Orphans_of_the_Sky_-_Front_Cover.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Starship Troopers
| style="text-align: center;" |Robert Heinlein
| style="text-align: center;" |One of Heinlein's most famous pieces of science fiction, Starship Troopers follows the eyes of a human soldier going through the ranks in an alien war.
| style="text-align: center;" |263
|[[File:Startroop.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Stranger in a Strange Land
| style="text-align: center;" |Robert Heinlein
|Boy raised by Martians theoretically owns Mars, has strange powers due to his upbringing. Grok that.
| style="text-align: center;" |528
|[[File:Stranger-in-a-strange-land2.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Time for the Stars
| style="text-align: center;" |Robert Heinlein
|sup light interstellar travel and consequences, plus mental telegraphy and other odd ideas.
| style="text-align: center;" |256
|[[File:Time_for_the_stars.jpg|center|100px]]
|}
 
==Early and Proto Science Fiction==
 
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="sortable wikitable"
! scope="col" |Title
! scope="col" |Author
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Description
! scope="col" |Pages
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Book Cover
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
| style="text-align: center;" |Verne, Jules
|
| style="text-align: center;" |426
|[[File:20000.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |A Journey to the Center of the Earth
| style="text-align: center;" |Verne, Jules
|
| style="text-align: center;" |256
|[[File:JourneyToCE_cover.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |A Voyage to Arcturus
| style="text-align: center;" |Lindsay, David
|
| style="text-align: center;" |274
|[[File:JourneytoArcturus.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Frankenstein
| style="text-align: center;" |Shelley, Mary
|
| style="text-align: center;" |328
|[[File:Frankenstein.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Invisible Man
| style="text-align: center;" |Wells, H.G.
|
| style="text-align: center;" |208
|[[File:The_invisible_man.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Island of Dr. Moreau
| style="text-align: center;" |Wells, H.G.
|
| style="text-align: center;" |160
|[[File:Drmoreau.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Last Man
| style="text-align: center;" |Shelley, Mary
|
| style="text-align: center;" |352
|[[File:Shelley_Last_Man_001.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |True History
| style="text-align: center;" |Lucian of Samosata
|
| style="text-align: center;" |44
|[[File:Lucian.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Micromegas
| style="text-align: center;" |Voltaire
|
| style="text-align: center;" |48
|[[File:Micromegas.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Time Machine
| style="text-align: center;" |Wells, H.G.
|
| style="text-align: center;" |104
|[[File:Time_machine.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The War of the Worlds
| style="text-align: center;" |Wells, H.G.
|
| style="text-align: center;" |138
|[[File:War-of-the-worlds-hg-wells.jpg|center|100px]]
|}
 
==Golden Age Science Fiction==
 
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="sortable wikitable"
! scope="col" |Title
! scope="col" |Author
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Description
! scope="col" |Pages
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Book Cover
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |A Princess of Mars
| style="text-align: center;" |Burroughs, Edgar Rice
| style="text-align: center;" |
| style="text-align: center;" |160
| style="text-align: center;" |[[File:A_princess_of_mars.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Big Time
| style="text-align: center;" |Leiber, Fritz
| style="text-align: center;" |
| style="text-align: center;" |152
| style="text-align: center;" |[[File:The_big_time.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Day of the Triffids
| style="text-align: center;" |Wyndham, John
| style="text-align: center;" |
| style="text-align: center;" |256
| style="text-align: center;" |[[File:The_Day_Of_The_Triffids.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Demolished Man
| style="text-align: center;" |Bester, Alfred
| style="text-align: center;" |
| style="text-align: center;" |256
| style="text-align: center;" |[[File:DemolishedMan.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Dorsai!
| style="text-align: center;" |Dickson, Gordon R.
| style="text-align: center;" |
| style="text-align: center;" |288
| style="text-align: center;" |[[File:Dorsai.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Martian Chronicles
| style="text-align: center;" |Bradbury, Ray
| style="text-align: center;" |
| style="text-align: center;" |288
| style="text-align: center;" |[[File:Martian_chronicles.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Mission of Gravity
| style="text-align: center;" |Clement, Hal
| style="text-align: center;" |good hard science about being on the surface of a 300 gravity world.
| style="text-align: center;" |203
| style="text-align: center;" |[[File:Mission_of_gravity.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Out of the Silent Planet
| style="text-align: center;" |Lewis, C.S.
|
| style="text-align: center;" |160
|[[File:Out_of_the_silent_planet.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Slan
| style="text-align: center;" |van Vogt, A.E.
|
| style="text-align: center;" |272
|[[File:Slan.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Star Maker
| style="text-align: center;" |Stapledon, Olaf
|
| style="text-align: center;" |232
|[[File:Star_maker.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Stars My Destination
| style="text-align: center;" |Bester, Alfred
|
| style="text-align: center;" |272
|[[File:Starsmydestination.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |To Your Scattered Bodies Go
| style="text-align: center;" |Farmer, Philip Jóse
|
| style="text-align: center;" |184
|[[File:To_your_scattered_bodies.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|The Caves of Steel
| style="text-align: center;" |Triplanetary
| style="text-align: center;"|Isaac Asimov
| style="text-align: center;" |Smith, Edward E.
| style="text-align: center;"|A Science Fiction / mystery novel set on earth some 3 millennia in the future. The overall plot features the dealings of a detective and his highly intelligent android partner.
|
|[[File:The-caves-of-steel-doubleday-cover.jpg|thumb]]
| style="text-align: center;" |240
|[[File:Triplanetary.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|The Complete Robot
| style="text-align: center;" |The Voyage of the Space Beagle
| style="text-align: center;"|Isaac Asimov
| style="text-align: center;" |van Vogt, A.E.
| style="text-align: center;"|A collection of 31 of Isaac Asimov's short stories, they share a theme of the interaction of humans, robots and morality, and put together tell a larger story of Asimov's fictional history of robotics. Includes the story "Runaway" which outlines Asimov's laws of Robotics.
|
|[[File:The_complete_robot.jpg|thumb]]
| style="text-align: center;" |224
|[[File:VoyageOfTheSpaceBeagle1.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|The Gods Themselves
| style="text-align: center;" |Who?
| style="text-align: center;"|Isaac Asimov
| style="text-align: center;" |Budrys, Algis
|
|
|[[File:TheGodsThemselves(1stEd).jpg|thumb]]
| style="text-align: center;" |158
|[[File:Who.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|The Foundation Trilogy
| style="text-align: center;" |Who Goes There
| style="text-align: center;"|Isaac Asimov
| style="text-align: center;" |Campbell Jr., John W.
|
|
|[[File:Foundation_trilogy.jpg|thumb]]
| style="text-align: center;" |168
|[[File:Whogoesthere.jpg|center|100px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|The Naked Sun
| style="text-align: center;" |The World of Null-A
| style="text-align: center;"|Isaac Asimov
| style="text-align: center;" |van Vogt, A.E.
| style="text-align: center;"|Another Science Fiction/Mystery Novel that features a protagonist who manages to circumvent the laws of robotics in order to have his wife murdered.
|
|[[File:The-naked-sun-doubleday-cover.jpg|thumb]]
| style="text-align: center;" |272
|[[File:The_world_of.jpg|center|100px]]
|}
|}
==Modern Science Fiction==




{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="sortable wikitable"
! scope="col" |Title
! scope="col" |Author
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Description
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Pages
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Book Cover
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |A Fire Upon the Deep
| style="text-align: center;" |Vinge, Vernor
|Three tiers of galactic civilization face a common threat from a malicious, sentient super-AI. Hard to describe. Basically a must read.
| style="text-align: center;" |624
|[[File:A_Fire_Upon_The_Deep.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |A Time of Changes
| style="text-align: center;" |Silverberg, Robert
|
| style="text-align: center;" |304
|[[File:A_Time_Of_Changes.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Algebraist
| style="text-align: center;" |Banks, Iain M.
|Guy looks for secret formula to unlock wormhole travel in a varied and imaginitive universe.
| style="text-align: center;" |434
|[[File:The_Algebraist.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Babel-17
| style="text-align: center;" |Delany, Samuel R.
|language determines the thoughts and ideas that can be conveyed efficiently.
| style="text-align: center;" |158
|[[File:Babel-17.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Behold the Man
| style="text-align: center;" |Moorcock, Michael
|
| style="text-align: center;" |124
|[[File:Behold_The_Man.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Beyond Apollo
| style="text-align: center;" |Malzberg, Barry N.
|
| style="text-align: center;" |156
|[[File:Beyond_Apollo.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Bill, the Galactic Hero
| style="text-align: center;" |Harrison, Harry
|Anti-War Military Satire and the cafeteria tray problem.
| style="text-align: center;" |208
|[[File:Bill_The_Galactic_Hero.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Blood Music
| style="text-align: center;" |Bear, Greg
|Hard science-fiction microbiology about a strange microorganism that a guy creates and willingly infects himself with.
| style="text-align: center;" |294
|[[File:Blood_Music.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Camouflage
| style="text-align: center;" |Haldeman, Joe
|
| style="text-align: center;" |304
|[[File:Camouflage.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Consider Phlebas
| style="text-align: center;" |Banks, Iain M.
|
| style="text-align: center;" |544
|[[File:Consider_Phleabas.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Cryptonomicon
| style="text-align: center;" |Stephenson, Neal
|
| style="text-align: center;" |1168
|[[File:Cryptonomicon.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Darwin's Radio
| style="text-align: center;" |Bear, Greg
|Hard science-fiction. Hard to get into if you don't know anything about molecular biology, but this makes it awesome. Retrovirus based disease changes the genetic code of sex cells in women.
| style="text-align: center;" |544
|[[File:Darwins_Radio.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Dispossessed
| style="text-align: center;" |Le Guin, Ursula K.
|
| style="text-align: center;" |400
|[[File:The_Dispossessed.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Doomsday Book
| style="text-align: center;" |Willis, Connie
|
| style="text-align: center;" |592
|[[File:Doomsday_Book.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Downbelow Station
| style="text-align: center;" |Cherryh, C.J.
|the Alliance/Union space and a station with resource problems on its associated planet, Downbelow, and its inhabetants.
| style="text-align: center;" |352
|[[File:Downbelow_Station.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Dune
| style="text-align: center;" |Herbert, Frank
|Fueding families fight over a precious resource that is only avaliable on a single planet. This resource, spice, is essential to galactic civilisation. Spice must flow. Classic.
| style="text-align: center;" |544
|[[File:Dune.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Dying Inside
| style="text-align: center;" |Silverberg, Robert
|
| style="text-align: center;" |304
|[[File:Dying_Inside.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Ender's Game
| style="text-align: center;" |Card, Orson Scott
|Young boy selected for military service to fight off an invading force of alien ant like creatures. Must read.
| style="text-align: center;" |352
|[[File:Ender's_Game.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Faded Sun Trilogy
| style="text-align: center;" |Cherryh, C.J.
|
| style="text-align: center;" |784
|[[File:The_Faded_Sun.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Fire time
| style="text-align: center;" |Anderson, Poul
|
| style="text-align: center;" |288
|[[File:Fire_Time.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Flowers for Algernon
| style="text-align: center;" |Keyes, Daniel
|
| style="text-align: center;" |324
|[[File:Flowers_For_Algernon.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Footfall
| style="text-align: center;" |Niven, Larry & Pournelle, Jerry
|
| style="text-align: center;" |524
|[[File:Footfall.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Forever War
| style="text-align: center;" |Haldeman, Joe
|Preachy anti-war vietnam era science fiction about an interesting facet of slower-than-lightspeed intergalactic warfare.
| style="text-align: center;" |384
|[[File:The_Forever_War.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Forge of God
| style="text-align: center;" |Bear, Greg
|
| style="text-align: center;" |480
|[[File:The_Forge_Of_God.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Gateway
| style="text-align: center;" |Pohl, Frederik
|An abandoned alien space station is discovered that contains many capsules that go to random locations in the galaxy.
| style="text-align: center;" |288
|[[File:Gateway.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Halcyon Drift
| style="text-align: center;" |Stableford, Brian
|
| style="text-align: center;" |175
|[[File:Halcyon_Drift.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
| style="text-align: center;" |Adams, Douglas
|
| style="text-align: center;" |272
|[[File:Hitchiker's_Guide_To_The_Galaxy.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Hyperion
| style="text-align: center;" |Simmons, Dan
|A group of people are drawn to a planet, which links them all together. Heavy on the backstory.
| style="text-align: center;" |481
|[[File:Hyperion.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream
| style="text-align: center;" |Ellison, Harlan
|I have no words and I must describe.
| style="text-align: center;" |20
|[[File:I_Have_No_Mouth_And_I_Must_Scream.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Ilium
| style="text-align: center;" |Simmons, Dan
|
| style="text-align: center;" |752
|[[File:Ilium.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Illuminatus! Trilogy
| style="text-align: center;" |Shea, Robert & Wilson, Robert Anton
|
| style="text-align: center;" |805
|[[File:Illuminatus.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Kiln People
| style="text-align: center;" |Brin, David
|
| style="text-align: center;" |336
|[[File:Kiln_People.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Left Hand of Darkness
| style="text-align: center;" |Le Guin, Ursula K.
|
| style="text-align: center;" |320
|[[File:The_Left_Hand_Of_Darkness.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Lord Valentine's Castle
| style="text-align: center;" |Silverberg, Robert
|
| style="text-align: center;" |528
|[[File:Lord_Valentine's_Castle.png|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Lord of Light
| style="text-align: center;" |Zelazny, Roger
|A starship breaks down and the on board in stasis passengers are decanted on to the planet below. The crew contends with the planet inhabitants to allow the humans to prevail then sets up Karma machines to control longevity, becoming a pantheon of god like powerful very old humans.


Sam starts the revolution.
| style="text-align: center;" |304
|[[File:Lord_Of_Light.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" |Make Room! Make Room!
| style="vertical-align: top;" |Harry Harrison
| style="vertical-align: top;" |Soylent was neither green nor made of people in this book, which is quite a bit different (better) than the movie it spawned. This story is basically a murder mystery set in an overpopulated world. The tone of the novel paints a slightly goofy (but always sympathetic) portrait of humanity.
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
| style="vertical-align: top;" |[[File:Make_Room!_Make_Room!.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Man Plus
| style="text-align: center;" |Pohl, Frederik
|Superhuman project for Mars colonisation.
| style="text-align: center;" |320
|[[File:Man_Plus.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Man Who Melted
| style="text-align: center;" |Dann, Jack
|
| style="text-align: center;" |274
|[[File:The_Man_Who_Melted.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Man Who Folded Himself
| style="text-align: center;" |Gerrold, David
|Ever wondered what would happen if you abused the everloving shit out of time travel?
| style="text-align: center;" |144
|[[File:The_Man_Who_Folded_Himself.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Mote in God's Eye
| style="text-align: center;" |Niven, Larry & Pournelle, Jerry
|Mankind discovers alien race with an extremely different method of using resources.
| style="text-align: center;" |592
|[[File:The_Mote_In_God's_Eye.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Moving Mars
| style="text-align: center;" |Bear, Greg
|Something about rebellious students making a big fuss about losing their freedoms or some shit.
| style="text-align: center;" |448
|[[File:Moving_Mars.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Old Man's War
| style="text-align: center;" |Scalzi, John
|Earth is a backwater and the only way off is a one-way ticket off-planet with the Colonial Defense Force- the catch is they only take retirement age geezers to serve. The main character, John Perry, takes that deal and faces the consequences.
| style="text-align: center;" |320
|[[File:Old_Man's_War.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Peace War
| style="text-align: center;" |Vinge, Vernor
|Post-war. A war that was ended thanks to the invention of an encapsulating technology, and now the populace lead a life monitored by an anti-technology faction.
| style="text-align: center;" |304
|[[File:The_Peace_War.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Rainbow's End
| style="text-align: center;" |Vinge, Vernor
|Cyber-space avatar worlds clash with a real world developing increasingly deadly bioweapons.
| style="text-align: center;" |368
|[[File:Rainbow's_End.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Raft
| style="text-align: center;" |Baxter, Stephen
|Book 1 in the engaging "Xeelee sequence". A creative world where the laws of the universe are different, and life prevails.
| style="text-align: center;" |264
|[[File:Raft.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Red Mars
| style="text-align: center;" |Robinson, Kim Stanley
|
| style="text-align: center;" |592
|[[File:Red_Mars.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Revelation Space
| style="text-align: center;" |Reynolds, Alastair
|
| style="text-align: center;" |576
|[[File:Revelation_Space.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Ringworld
| style="text-align: center;" |Niven, Larry
|Trip to the ringworld.
| style="text-align: center;" |352
|[[File:Ringworld.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Rite of Passage
| style="text-align: center;" |Panshin, Alexei
|Coming of age on a generational starship. A young girl finds out what her real ambition is. A great read.
| style="text-align: center;" |260
|[[File:Rite_Of_Passage.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |River of Gods
| style="text-align: center;" |McDonald, Ian
|
| style="text-align: center;" |599
|[[File:Rivers_Of_Gods.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Singularity Sky
| style="text-align: center;" |Stross, Charles
|
| style="text-align: center;" |352
|[[File:Singularity_Sky.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Slaughterhouse Five
| style="text-align: center;" |Vonnegut Jr., Kurt
|A soldier with a time-travel problem survives a bombing, is abducted by aliens, and has a fat wife that he doesn't really care about. Makes you think a little about time and free will.
| style="text-align: center;" |288
|[[File:Slaughterhouse_Five.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Snow Queen
| style="text-align: center;" |Vinge, Joan D.
|
| style="text-align: center;" |448
|[[File:The_Snow_Queen.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Solaris
| style="text-align: center;" |Lem, Stanislaw
|
| style="text-align: center;" |204
|[[File:Solaris.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Sparrow
| style="text-align: center;" |Russell, Mary Doria
|
| style="text-align: center;" |408
|[[File:The_Sparrow.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Spin
| style="text-align: center;" |Wilson, Robert Charles
|
| style="text-align: center;" |464
|[[File:Spin.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Sundiver
| style="text-align: center;" |Brin, David
|Stars + explorers = sundivers.
| style="text-align: center;" |352
|[[File:Sundiver.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Tau Zero
| style="text-align: center;" |Anderson, Poul
|
| style="text-align: center;" |190
|[[File:Tau_Zero.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |Think Like a Dinosaur and Other Stories
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |Kelley, James Patrick
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |275
| style="vertical-align: top;" |[[File:Think_Like_A_Dinosaur.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |This Immortal / ...And Call Me Conrad
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |Zelazny, Roger
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |176
| style="vertical-align: top;" |[[File:This_Immortal.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |Timescape
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |Benford, Gregory
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |512
| style="vertical-align: top;" |[[File:Timescape.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |The Time Ships
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |Baxter, Stephen
| style="vertical-align: top;" |Time travel. Time machines powered by flubber or kryptonite or something travel into massively distant futures.
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |544
| style="vertical-align: top;" |[[File:The_Time_Ships.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |The Troika
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |Chapman, Stepan
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |256
| style="vertical-align: top;" |[[File:The_Troika.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |Ubik
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |Dick, Philip K.
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |224
| style="vertical-align: top;" |[[File:Ubik.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |Vurt
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |Noon, Jeff
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |342
| style="vertical-align: top;" |[[File:Vurt.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |World of Ptavvs
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |Niven, Larry
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |192
| style="vertical-align: top;" |[[File:World_Of_Ptavvs.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|}


===Arthur C. Clarke===
==Cyberpunk==
{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
{| class="fandom-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
! scope="col"|Title
! scope="col" |Title
! scope="col"|Author
! scope="col" |Author
! scope="col"|Description
! scope="col" |Description
! scope="col"|Book Cover
!
! scope="col" |Book Cover
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Accelerando
| style="text-align: center;" |Charles Stross
|
|448
|[[File:Accelerando.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Altered Carbon
| style="text-align: center;" |Richard K. Morgan
|Planets are colonized and people's minds are digital. Intelligent soldier-turned-criminal is bailed out of mental prison and sent to Earth to investigate a murder. Of course, there are those who don't like him investigating.
|544
|[[File:Altered_Carbon.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Diamond Age
| style="text-align: center;" |Neal Stephenson
|
|512
|[[File:The_Diamond_Age.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
| style="text-align: center;" |Philip K. Dick
|the book Blade Runner was made from.
|208
|[[File:Do_Androids_Dream_Of_Electric_Sheep.png|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Islands in the Net
| style="text-align: center;" |Bruce Sterling
|
|448
|[[File:Islands_In_The_Net.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|2001: A Space Odyssey
| style="text-align: center;" |Neuromancer
| style="text-align: center;"|Arthur C. Clarke
| style="text-align: center;" |William Gibson
| style="text-align: center;"|
|The beginning of cyberpunk, the invention of the words cyberspace, an many of the memes of the Internet, plus AI and some of the consequences of an insane AI.
|[[File:2001.jpg|thumb]]
|320
|[[File:Neuromancer.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Childhood's End
| style="text-align: center;" |Permutation City
| style="text-align: center;"|Arthur C. Clarke
| style="text-align: center;" |Greg Egan
| style="text-align: center;"|Story regarding the future of mankind after the advent of a "devil-like" alien race appears and offers them a golden era of prosperity.
|
|[[File:ChildhoodsEnd(1stEd).jpg|thumb]]
|384
|[[File:Permutation_City.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|The Collected Short Stories of Arthur C. Clarke
| style="vertical-align: top;" |The Shockwave Rider
| style="text-align: center;"|Arthur C. Clarke
| style="vertical-align: top;" |John Brunner
|A Collection of nearly every short story Arthur Clarke has ever published tallying at over 100. Includes: The Nine Billions Names of God, The Sentinel, and his flash fiction "God said, 'Cancel Program GENESIS.' The universe ceased to exist."
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
|[[File:Collected_shorts.jpg|thumb]]
|320
| style="vertical-align: top;" |[[File:The_Shockwave_Rider.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|The Fountains of Paradise
| style="text-align: center;" |Snow Crash
| style="text-align: center;"|Arthur C. Clarke
| style="text-align: center;" |Neal Stephenson
| style="text-align: center;"|
|
|[[File:Fountains_copy.jpg|thumb]]
|448
|[[File:Snow_Crash.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
|-
|Rendevous with Rama
| style="text-align: center;" |Software
| style="text-align: center;"|Arthur C. Clarke
| style="text-align: center;" |Rudy Rucker
| style="text-align: center;"|Classic book featuring mankind's encounter with the alien vessel Rama.
|
|[[File:Rama_copy.jpg|thumb]]
|167
|[[File:Software.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|}
|}


==Post Apocalyptic==




===Robert Heinlein===
{| class="fandom-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
! scope="col" |Title
! scope="col"|Title
! scope="col" |Author
! scope="col"|Author
! scope="col" |
! scope="col"|Description
Description                                    
! scope="col"|Book Cover
!
! scope="col" |Book Cover
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |A Canticle for Leibowitz
| style="text-align: center;" |Walter M. Miller, Jr.
|
Humanity fucks itself with nukes and decides that knowledge is evil. Order of Catholic monks decides to preserve knowledge until humanity unfucks itself. Contains three shorter stories. One taking place in Dark Ages II, Renaissance II and the build up to WWIV. Also Latin.
|334
|[[File:A_Canticle_For_Leibowitz.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |A Wrinkle in Time
| style="text-align: center;" |Madeleine L'Engle
|
|288
|[[File:A_Wrinkle_In_Time.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Chrysalids
| style="text-align: center;" |John Wyndham
|
|224
|[[File:The_Chrysalids.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Cloud Atlas
| style="text-align: center;" |David Mitchell
|
|530
|[[File:Cloud_Atlas.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Deep
| style="text-align: center;" |John Crowley
|
|192
|[[File:The_Deep.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Dies the Fire
| style="text-align: center;" |S.M. Stirling
|
|592
|[[File:Dies_The_Fire.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Dr. Bloodmoney
| style="text-align: center;" |Philip K. Dick
|
|272
|[[File:Dr_Bloodmoney.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Dreamsnake
| style="text-align: center;" |Vonda M. McIntyre
|
|288
|[[File:Dreamsnake.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Dying Earth
| style="text-align: center;" |Jack Vance
|
|157
|[[File:The_Dying_Earth.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Earth Abides
| style="text-align: center;" |George R. Stewart
|
|320
|[[File:Earth_Abides.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Elfin Ship
| style="text-align: center;" |James Blaylock
|
|
|[[File:The_Elfin_Ship.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |I Am Legend
| style="text-align: center;" |Richard Matheson
|
|160
|[[File:I_Am_Legend.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Friday
| style="text-align: center;" |Lucifer's Hammer
| style="text-align: center;"|Robert Heinlein
| style="text-align: center;" |Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
| style="text-align: center;"|The tale of a genetically modified female, designed to be superior physically, and mentally to normal human beings. The story follows her struggles with the prejudice against artificial humans and her attempts to assimilate.
|A comet strike, and its aftermath in California.
|[[File:Friday82.jpg|thumb]]
|640
|[[File:Lucifer's_Hammer.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Have Space Suit - Will Travel
| style="text-align: center;" |The Mount
| style="text-align: center;"|Robert Heinlein
| style="text-align: center;" |Carol Emshwiller
|
|
|[[File:Have_spacesuit.jpg|thumb]]
|242
|[[File:The_Mount.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Methuselah's Children
| style="text-align: center;" |The Nightland
| style="text-align: center;"|Robert Heinlein
| style="text-align: center;" |William Hope Hodgson
|
|
|[[File:Methuselahs.jpg|thumb]]
|246
|[[File:The_Night_Land.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
| style="text-align: center;" |The Planet of the Apes
| style="text-align: center;"|Robert Heinlein
| style="text-align: center;" |Pierre Boulle
|
|
|[[File:The_Moon_Is_A_Harsh_Mistress_(book).jpg|thumb]]
|208
|[[File:The_Planet_Of_The_Apes.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Orphans of the Sky
| style="text-align: center;" |The Postman
| style="text-align: center;"|Robert Heinlein
| style="text-align: center;" |David Brin
|
|
|[[File:Orphans_of_the_Sky_-_Front_Cover.jpg|thumb]]
|336
|[[File:The_Postman.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Starship Troopers
| style="text-align: center;" |Ravage
| style="text-align: center;"|Robert Heinlein
| style="text-align: center;" |Iain Rob Wright
| style="text-align: center;"|One of Heinlein's most famous pieces of science fiction, Starship Troopers follows the eyes of a human soldier going through the ranks in an alien war.
|
|[[File:Startroop.jpg|thumb]]
|24
|[[File:Ravage.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Stranger in a Strange Land
| style="text-align: center;" |Riddley Walker
| style="text-align: center;"|Robert Heinlein
| style="text-align: center;" |Russell Hoban
|
|
|[[File:Stranger-in-a-strange-land2.jpg|thumb]]
|272
|[[File:Riddley_Walker.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|Time for the Stars
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |The Road
| style="text-align: center;"|Robert Heinlein
| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" |Cormac McCarthy
| style="vertical-align: top;" |A man, foreseeing a freezing winter, and his son traverse a bleak landscape caused by an undescribed disaster. A good gift for your parent.
|324
| style="vertical-align: top;" |[[File:The_Road.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Shadow and Claw
| style="text-align: center;" |Gene Wolfe
|
|
|[[File:Time_for_the_stars.jpg|thumb]]
|528
|[[File:Shadow_And_Claw.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" |The Sheep Look Up
| style="vertical-align: top;" |John Brunner
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
|486
| style="vertical-align: top;" |[[File:The_Sheep_Look_Up.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Tripods Trilogy
| style="text-align: center;" |John Christopher
|
|486
|[[File:The_Tripods.jpeg|thumb|98px]]
|}
|}


==Dystopian==
{| class="fandom-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
! scope="col" |Title
! scope="col" |Author
! scope="col" |Description
!
! scope="col" |Book Cover
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |1984
| style="text-align: center;" |George Orwell
|Where actions, words, and even thoughts are regulated by a small aristocracy, a man begins to rebel against the enforced social norms. Rather long but a classic dystopian novel.
|336
|[[File:1984.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |A Scanner Darkly
| style="text-align: center;" |Philip K. Dick
|
|224
|[[File:A_Scanner_Darkly.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Brave New World
| style="text-align: center;" |Aldous Huxley
|
|288
|[[File:Brave_New_World.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Fahrenheit 451
| style="text-align: center;" |Ray Bradbury
|Firemen don't put out fires anymore, they start them to burn books since all books are now illegal. A few shocking events begin to make a fireman question why he does what he does and why his society is like it is.
|194
|[[File:Fahrenheit_451.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said
| style="text-align: center;" |Philip K. Dick
|
|256
|[[File:Flow_My_Tears,_The_Policeman_Said.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Giver
| style="text-align: center;" |Lois Lowry
|
|226
|[[File:The_Giver.gif|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Handmaid's Tale
| style="text-align: center;" |Margaret Atwood
|
|336
|[[File:The_Handmaids_Tale.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Logan's Run
| style="text-align: center;" |William F. Nolan & George Clayton Johnson
|A twenty-year-old, living in a future-Earth that calls for euthanasia of people at or over twenty-one, hunts down people who, instead, run. Then, when he turns twenty-one, he runs too.
|192
|[[File:Logan's_Run.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The Man in the High Castle
| style="text-align: center;" |Philip K. Dick
|
|256
|[[File:The_Man_in_the_High_Castle.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Stand on Zanzibar
| style="text-align: center;" |John Brunner
|
|672
|[[File:Stand_On_Zanzibar.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |We
| style="text-align: center;" |Yevgeny Zamyatin
|
|272
|[[File:We.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang
| style="text-align: center;" |Kate Wilhelm
|
|256
|[[File:Where_Late_The_Sweet_Birds_Sang.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |The World Inside
| style="text-align: center;" |Robert Silverberg
|
|233
|[[File:The_World_Inside.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |This Perfect Day
| style="text-align: center;" |Ira Levin
|
|352
|[[File:This_Perfect_Day.jpg|thumb|98px]]
|}








[[File:128088780713.jpg|thumb]]
[[File:1275250836000.jpg|thumb]]
[[Category:Recommended Reading]]

Latest revision as of 13:33, 3 March 2024


This page is meant to cover the basics works and stellar pieces of science fiction literature. While the bulk of Science Fiction is trashy genre-work there are genuine masterpieces. The purpose of this article is to illustrate those masterpieces as best as possible. As always however, this list is imperfect and always growing. If there is anything missing please add to it.


The Big Three

Isaac Asimov

Arthur C. Clarke

Title Author Description Pages Book Cover
2001: A Space Odyssey Arthur C. Clarke It's 2001. I shouldn't have to give an introduction 320
Childhood's End Arthur C. Clarke Story regarding the future of mankind after the advent of an alien race appears and offers them a golden era of prosperity. 256
The Collected Short Stories of Arthur C. Clarke Arthur C. Clarke A Collection of nearly every short story Arthur Clarke has ever published tallying at over 100. Includes: The Nine Billions Names of God, The Sentinel, and his flash fiction "God said, 'Cancel Program GENESIS.' The universe ceased to exist." 976
The Fountains of Paradise Arthur C. Clarke 332
Rendevous with Rama Arthur C. Clarke Classic book featuring mankind's encounter with the alien vessel Rama. 274

Robert Heinlein

Title Author Description Pages Book Cover
Friday Robert Heinlein The tale of a genetically modified female, designed to be superior physically, and mentally to normal human beings. The story follows her struggles with the prejudice against artificial humans and her attempts to assimilate. 368
Have Space Suit - Will Travel Robert Heinlein boy wins space suit in a lottery, goes to space and has adventures. 256
Methuselah's Children Robert Heinlein 183
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress Robert Heinlein The moon is a penal colony declaring independence from Earth, with a spontaneously self aware computer to help. Lots of philosophy of government, alternate social organism, alternate marriage arrangements. 384
Orphans of the Sky Robert Heinlein 224
Starship Troopers Robert Heinlein One of Heinlein's most famous pieces of science fiction, Starship Troopers follows the eyes of a human soldier going through the ranks in an alien war. 263
Stranger in a Strange Land Robert Heinlein Boy raised by Martians theoretically owns Mars, has strange powers due to his upbringing. Grok that. 528
Time for the Stars Robert Heinlein sup light interstellar travel and consequences, plus mental telegraphy and other odd ideas. 256

Early and Proto Science Fiction

Title Author Description Pages Book Cover
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Verne, Jules 426
A Journey to the Center of the Earth Verne, Jules 256
A Voyage to Arcturus Lindsay, David 274
Frankenstein Shelley, Mary 328
The Invisible Man Wells, H.G. 208
The Island of Dr. Moreau Wells, H.G. 160
The Last Man Shelley, Mary 352
True History Lucian of Samosata 44
Micromegas Voltaire 48
The Time Machine Wells, H.G. 104
The War of the Worlds Wells, H.G. 138

Golden Age Science Fiction

Title Author Description Pages Book Cover
A Princess of Mars Burroughs, Edgar Rice 160
The Big Time Leiber, Fritz 152
The Day of the Triffids Wyndham, John 256
The Demolished Man Bester, Alfred 256
Dorsai! Dickson, Gordon R. 288
The Martian Chronicles Bradbury, Ray 288
Mission of Gravity Clement, Hal good hard science about being on the surface of a 300 gravity world. 203
Out of the Silent Planet Lewis, C.S. 160
Slan van Vogt, A.E. 272
Star Maker Stapledon, Olaf 232
Stars My Destination Bester, Alfred 272
To Your Scattered Bodies Go Farmer, Philip Jóse 184
Triplanetary Smith, Edward E. 240
The Voyage of the Space Beagle van Vogt, A.E. 224
Who? Budrys, Algis 158
Who Goes There Campbell Jr., John W. 168
The World of Null-A van Vogt, A.E. 272

Modern Science Fiction

Title Author Description Pages Book Cover
A Fire Upon the Deep Vinge, Vernor Three tiers of galactic civilization face a common threat from a malicious, sentient super-AI. Hard to describe. Basically a must read. 624
A Time of Changes Silverberg, Robert 304
The Algebraist Banks, Iain M. Guy looks for secret formula to unlock wormhole travel in a varied and imaginitive universe. 434
Babel-17 Delany, Samuel R. language determines the thoughts and ideas that can be conveyed efficiently. 158
Behold the Man Moorcock, Michael 124
Beyond Apollo Malzberg, Barry N. 156
Bill, the Galactic Hero Harrison, Harry Anti-War Military Satire and the cafeteria tray problem. 208
Blood Music Bear, Greg Hard science-fiction microbiology about a strange microorganism that a guy creates and willingly infects himself with. 294
Camouflage Haldeman, Joe 304
Consider Phlebas Banks, Iain M. 544
Cryptonomicon Stephenson, Neal 1168
Darwin's Radio Bear, Greg Hard science-fiction. Hard to get into if you don't know anything about molecular biology, but this makes it awesome. Retrovirus based disease changes the genetic code of sex cells in women. 544
The Dispossessed Le Guin, Ursula K. 400
Doomsday Book Willis, Connie 592
Downbelow Station Cherryh, C.J. the Alliance/Union space and a station with resource problems on its associated planet, Downbelow, and its inhabetants. 352
Dune Herbert, Frank Fueding families fight over a precious resource that is only avaliable on a single planet. This resource, spice, is essential to galactic civilisation. Spice must flow. Classic. 544
Dying Inside Silverberg, Robert 304
Ender's Game Card, Orson Scott Young boy selected for military service to fight off an invading force of alien ant like creatures. Must read. 352
The Faded Sun Trilogy Cherryh, C.J. 784
Fire time Anderson, Poul 288
Flowers for Algernon Keyes, Daniel 324
Footfall Niven, Larry & Pournelle, Jerry 524
The Forever War Haldeman, Joe Preachy anti-war vietnam era science fiction about an interesting facet of slower-than-lightspeed intergalactic warfare. 384
The Forge of God Bear, Greg 480
Gateway Pohl, Frederik An abandoned alien space station is discovered that contains many capsules that go to random locations in the galaxy. 288
Halcyon Drift Stableford, Brian 175
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Adams, Douglas 272
Hyperion Simmons, Dan A group of people are drawn to a planet, which links them all together. Heavy on the backstory. 481
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream Ellison, Harlan I have no words and I must describe. 20
Ilium Simmons, Dan 752
The Illuminatus! Trilogy Shea, Robert & Wilson, Robert Anton 805
Kiln People Brin, David 336
The Left Hand of Darkness Le Guin, Ursula K. 320
Lord Valentine's Castle Silverberg, Robert 528
Lord of Light Zelazny, Roger A starship breaks down and the on board in stasis passengers are decanted on to the planet below. The crew contends with the planet inhabitants to allow the humans to prevail then sets up Karma machines to control longevity, becoming a pantheon of god like powerful very old humans.

Sam starts the revolution.

304
Make Room! Make Room! Harry Harrison Soylent was neither green nor made of people in this book, which is quite a bit different (better) than the movie it spawned. This story is basically a murder mystery set in an overpopulated world. The tone of the novel paints a slightly goofy (but always sympathetic) portrait of humanity.
Man Plus Pohl, Frederik Superhuman project for Mars colonisation. 320
The Man Who Melted Dann, Jack 274
The Man Who Folded Himself Gerrold, David Ever wondered what would happen if you abused the everloving shit out of time travel? 144
The Mote in God's Eye Niven, Larry & Pournelle, Jerry Mankind discovers alien race with an extremely different method of using resources. 592
Moving Mars Bear, Greg Something about rebellious students making a big fuss about losing their freedoms or some shit. 448
Old Man's War Scalzi, John Earth is a backwater and the only way off is a one-way ticket off-planet with the Colonial Defense Force- the catch is they only take retirement age geezers to serve. The main character, John Perry, takes that deal and faces the consequences. 320
The Peace War Vinge, Vernor Post-war. A war that was ended thanks to the invention of an encapsulating technology, and now the populace lead a life monitored by an anti-technology faction. 304
Rainbow's End Vinge, Vernor Cyber-space avatar worlds clash with a real world developing increasingly deadly bioweapons. 368
Raft Baxter, Stephen Book 1 in the engaging "Xeelee sequence". A creative world where the laws of the universe are different, and life prevails. 264
Red Mars Robinson, Kim Stanley 592
Revelation Space Reynolds, Alastair 576
Ringworld Niven, Larry Trip to the ringworld. 352
Rite of Passage Panshin, Alexei Coming of age on a generational starship. A young girl finds out what her real ambition is. A great read. 260
River of Gods McDonald, Ian 599
Singularity Sky Stross, Charles 352
Slaughterhouse Five Vonnegut Jr., Kurt A soldier with a time-travel problem survives a bombing, is abducted by aliens, and has a fat wife that he doesn't really care about. Makes you think a little about time and free will. 288
The Snow Queen Vinge, Joan D. 448
Solaris Lem, Stanislaw 204
The Sparrow Russell, Mary Doria 408
Spin Wilson, Robert Charles 464
Sundiver Brin, David Stars + explorers = sundivers. 352
Tau Zero Anderson, Poul 190
Think Like a Dinosaur and Other Stories Kelley, James Patrick 275
This Immortal / ...And Call Me Conrad Zelazny, Roger 176
Timescape Benford, Gregory 512
The Time Ships Baxter, Stephen Time travel. Time machines powered by flubber or kryptonite or something travel into massively distant futures. 544
The Troika Chapman, Stepan 256
Ubik Dick, Philip K. 224
Vurt Noon, Jeff 342
World of Ptavvs Niven, Larry 192

Cyberpunk

Title Author Description Book Cover
Accelerando Charles Stross 448
Altered Carbon Richard K. Morgan Planets are colonized and people's minds are digital. Intelligent soldier-turned-criminal is bailed out of mental prison and sent to Earth to investigate a murder. Of course, there are those who don't like him investigating. 544
The Diamond Age Neal Stephenson 512
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Philip K. Dick the book Blade Runner was made from. 208
Islands in the Net Bruce Sterling 448
Neuromancer William Gibson The beginning of cyberpunk, the invention of the words cyberspace, an many of the memes of the Internet, plus AI and some of the consequences of an insane AI. 320
Permutation City Greg Egan 384
The Shockwave Rider John Brunner 320
Snow Crash Neal Stephenson 448
Software Rudy Rucker 167

Post Apocalyptic

Title Author

Description                                    

Book Cover
A Canticle for Leibowitz Walter M. Miller, Jr.

Humanity fucks itself with nukes and decides that knowledge is evil. Order of Catholic monks decides to preserve knowledge until humanity unfucks itself. Contains three shorter stories. One taking place in Dark Ages II, Renaissance II and the build up to WWIV. Also Latin.

334
A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L'Engle 288
The Chrysalids John Wyndham 224
Cloud Atlas David Mitchell 530
The Deep John Crowley 192
Dies the Fire S.M. Stirling 592
Dr. Bloodmoney Philip K. Dick 272
Dreamsnake Vonda M. McIntyre 288
The Dying Earth Jack Vance 157
Earth Abides George R. Stewart 320
The Elfin Ship James Blaylock
I Am Legend Richard Matheson 160
Lucifer's Hammer Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle A comet strike, and its aftermath in California. 640
The Mount Carol Emshwiller 242
The Nightland William Hope Hodgson 246
The Planet of the Apes Pierre Boulle 208
The Postman David Brin 336
Ravage Iain Rob Wright 24
Riddley Walker Russell Hoban 272
The Road Cormac McCarthy A man, foreseeing a freezing winter, and his son traverse a bleak landscape caused by an undescribed disaster. A good gift for your parent. 324
Shadow and Claw Gene Wolfe 528
The Sheep Look Up John Brunner 486
The Tripods Trilogy John Christopher 486

Dystopian

Title Author Description Book Cover
1984 George Orwell Where actions, words, and even thoughts are regulated by a small aristocracy, a man begins to rebel against the enforced social norms. Rather long but a classic dystopian novel. 336
A Scanner Darkly Philip K. Dick 224
Brave New World Aldous Huxley 288
Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury Firemen don't put out fires anymore, they start them to burn books since all books are now illegal. A few shocking events begin to make a fireman question why he does what he does and why his society is like it is. 194
Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said Philip K. Dick 256
The Giver Lois Lowry 226
The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood 336
Logan's Run William F. Nolan & George Clayton Johnson A twenty-year-old, living in a future-Earth that calls for euthanasia of people at or over twenty-one, hunts down people who, instead, run. Then, when he turns twenty-one, he runs too. 192
The Man in the High Castle Philip K. Dick 256
Stand on Zanzibar John Brunner 672
We Yevgeny Zamyatin 272
Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang Kate Wilhelm 256
The World Inside Robert Silverberg 233
This Perfect Day Ira Levin 352