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.
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.
288
The Complete Robot
Isaac Asimov
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 "Runaround" which outlines Asimov's laws of Robotics.
496
The Gods Themselves
Isaac Asimov
The main plotline is a project by aliens who inhabit a parallel universe (the para-Universe) with different physical laws from this one. By exchanging matter with Earth, they seek to exploit these differences in physical laws. The exchange of matter provides an alternative source of energy in their dying Universe. However, the exchange of physical laws will have consequences.
304
The Foundation Trilogy
Isaac Asimov
Orignally published as a series of novelettes, the foundation trilogy is regarded by many as a itself a key foundation of science fiction. Asimov published another three stories in set in this universe. Before finally wrapping together the timelines of these stories with those of his robots stories.
678
The Naked Sun
Isaac Asimov
Another Science Fiction/Mystery Novel that features a protagonist who manages to circumvent the laws of robotics in order to have his wife murdered.
288
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 a "devil-like" 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
256
Methuselah's Children
Robert Heinlein
183
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Robert Heinlein
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
528
Time for the Stars
Robert Heinlein
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, George R.
288
The Martian Chronicles
Bradbury, Ray
288
Mission of Gravity
Clement, Hal
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 civilisation face a common threat from a malicious, sentient super-AI. Hard to describe. Basically a must read. Sequels not that great.
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.
158
Behold the Man
Moorcock, Michael
124
Beyond Apollo
Malzberg, Barry N.
156
Bill, the Galactic Hero
Harrison, Harry
Anti-War Military Satire
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.
352
Dune
Hebert, 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
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
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, Alistair
576
Ringworld
Niven, Larry
Trip to the ringworld.
352
Rite of Passage
Panshin, Alexei
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
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.
The Diamond Age
Neal Stephenson
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
Philip K. Dick
Islands in the Net
Bruce Sterling
Neuromancer
William Gibson
Permutation City
Greg Egan
The Shockwave Rider
John Brunner
Snow Crash
Neal Stephenson
Software
Rudy Rucker
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.
A Wrinkle in Time
Madeleine L'Engle
The Chrysalids
John Wyndam
Cloud Atlas
David Mitchell
The Deep
John Crowley
Dies the Fire
S.M. Sterline
Dr. Bloodmoney
Philip K. Dick
Dreamsnake
Vonda M. McIntyre
The Dying Earth
Jack Vance
Earth Abides
George R. Stewart
The Elfin Ship
James Blaylock
I Am Legend
Richard Matheson
Lucifer's Hammer
Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
The Mount
Carol Emshwiller
The Nightland
William Hope Hodgson
The Planet of the Apes
Pierre Boulle
The Postman
David Brin
Ravage
Rene Barjavel
Riddley Walker
Russell Hoban
The Road
Cormac McCarthy
Shadow and Claw
Gene Wolfe
The Sheep Look Up
John Brunner
The Tripods Trilogy
Samuel Youd
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.
A Scanner Darkly
Philip K. Dick
Brave New World
Aldous Huxley
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.
Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said
Philip K. Dick
The Giver
Lois Lowry
The Handmaid's Tale
Margaret Atwood
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.
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