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Sci-fi


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
2001
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
ChildhoodsEnd(1stEd)
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
Collected shorts
The Fountains of Paradise Arthur C. Clarke 332
Fountains copy
Rendevous with Rama Arthur C. Clarke Classic book featuring mankind's encounter with the alien vessel Rama. 274
Rama copy

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
Friday82
Have Space Suit - Will Travel Robert Heinlein boy wins space suit in a lottery, goes to space and has adventures. 256
Have spacesuit
Methuselah's Children Robert Heinlein 183
Methuselahs
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
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress (book)
Orphans of the Sky Robert Heinlein 224
Orphans of the Sky - Front Cover
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
Startroop
Stranger in a Strange Land Robert Heinlein Boy raised by Martians theoretically owns Mars, has strange powers due to his upbringing. Grok that. 528
Stranger-in-a-strange-land2
Time for the Stars Robert Heinlein sup light interstellar travel and consequences, plus mental telegraphy and other odd ideas. 256
Time for the stars

Early and Proto Science Fiction[]

Title Author Description Pages Book Cover
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Verne, Jules 426
20000
A Journey to the Center of the Earth Verne, Jules 256
JourneyToCE cover
A Voyage to Arcturus Lindsay, David 274
JourneytoArcturus
Frankenstein Shelley, Mary 328
Frankenstein
The Invisible Man Wells, H.G. 208
The invisible man
The Island of Dr. Moreau Wells, H.G. 160
Drmoreau
The Last Man Shelley, Mary 352
Shelley Last Man 001
True History Lucian of Samosata 44
Lucian
Micromegas Voltaire 48
Micromegas
The Time Machine Wells, H.G. 104
Time machine
The War of the Worlds Wells, H.G. 138
War-of-the-worlds-hg-wells

Golden Age Science Fiction[]

Title Author Description Pages Book Cover
A Princess of Mars Burroughs, Edgar Rice 160
A princess of mars
The Big Time Leiber, Fritz 152
The big time
The Day of the Triffids Wyndham, John 256
The Day Of The Triffids
The Demolished Man Bester, Alfred 256
DemolishedMan
Dorsai! Dickson, Gordon R. 288
Dorsai
The Martian Chronicles Bradbury, Ray 288
Martian chronicles
Mission of Gravity Clement, Hal good hard science about being on the surface of a 300 gravity world. 203
Mission of gravity
Out of the Silent Planet Lewis, C.S. 160
Out of the silent planet
Slan van Vogt, A.E. 272
Slan
Star Maker Stapledon, Olaf 232
Star maker
Stars My Destination Bester, Alfred 272
Starsmydestination
To Your Scattered Bodies Go Farmer, Philip Jóse 184
To your scattered bodies
Triplanetary Smith, Edward E. 240
Triplanetary
The Voyage of the Space Beagle van Vogt, A.E. 224
VoyageOfTheSpaceBeagle1
Who? Budrys, Algis 158
Who
Who Goes There Campbell Jr., John W. 168
Whogoesthere
The World of Null-A van Vogt, A.E. 272
The world of

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 Fire Upon The Deep
A Time of Changes Silverberg, Robert 304
A Time Of Changes
The Algebraist Banks, Iain M. Guy looks for secret formula to unlock wormhole travel in a varied and imaginitive universe. 434
The Algebraist
Babel-17 Delany, Samuel R. language determines the thoughts and ideas that can be conveyed efficiently. 158
Babel-17
Behold the Man Moorcock, Michael 124
Behold The Man
Beyond Apollo Malzberg, Barry N. 156
Beyond Apollo
Bill, the Galactic Hero Harrison, Harry Anti-War Military Satire and the cafeteria tray problem. 208
Bill The Galactic Hero
Blood Music Bear, Greg Hard science-fiction microbiology about a strange microorganism that a guy creates and willingly infects himself with. 294
Blood Music
Camouflage Haldeman, Joe 304
Camouflage
Consider Phlebas Banks, Iain M. 544
Consider Phleabas
Cryptonomicon Stephenson, Neal 1168
Cryptonomicon
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
Darwins Radio
The Dispossessed Le Guin, Ursula K. 400
The Dispossessed
Doomsday Book Willis, Connie 592
Doomsday Book
Downbelow Station Cherryh, C.J. the Alliance/Union space and a station with resource problems on its associated planet, Downbelow, and its inhabetants. 352
Downbelow Station
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
Dune
Dying Inside Silverberg, Robert 304
Dying Inside
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
Ender's Game
The Faded Sun Trilogy Cherryh, C.J. 784
The Faded Sun
Fire time Anderson, Poul 288
Fire Time
Flowers for Algernon Keyes, Daniel 324
Flowers For Algernon
Footfall Niven, Larry & Pournelle, Jerry 524
Footfall
The Forever War Haldeman, Joe Preachy anti-war vietnam era science fiction about an interesting facet of slower-than-lightspeed intergalactic warfare. 384
The Forever War
The Forge of God Bear, Greg 480
The Forge Of God
Gateway Pohl, Frederik An abandoned alien space station is discovered that contains many capsules that go to random locations in the galaxy. 288
Gateway
Halcyon Drift Stableford, Brian 175
Halcyon Drift
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Adams, Douglas 272
Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy
Hyperion Simmons, Dan A group of people are drawn to a planet, which links them all together. Heavy on the backstory. 481
Hyperion
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream Ellison, Harlan I have no words and I must describe. 20
I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream
Ilium Simmons, Dan 752
Ilium
The Illuminatus! Trilogy Shea, Robert & Wilson, Robert Anton 805
Illuminatus
Kiln People Brin, David 336
Kiln People
The Left Hand of Darkness Le Guin, Ursula K. 320
The Left Hand Of Darkness
Lord Valentine's Castle Silverberg, Robert 528
Lord Valentine's Castle
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
Lord Of Light
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.
Make Room! Make Room!
Man Plus Pohl, Frederik Superhuman project for Mars colonisation. 320
Man Plus
The Man Who Melted Dann, Jack 274
The Man Who Melted
The Man Who Folded Himself Gerrold, David Ever wondered what would happen if you abused the everloving shit out of time travel? 144
The Man Who Folded Himself
The Mote in God's Eye Niven, Larry & Pournelle, Jerry Mankind discovers alien race with an extremely different method of using resources. 592
The Mote In God's Eye
Moving Mars Bear, Greg Something about rebellious students making a big fuss about losing their freedoms or some shit. 448
Moving Mars
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
Old Man's War
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
The Peace War
Rainbow's End Vinge, Vernor Cyber-space avatar worlds clash with a real world developing increasingly deadly bioweapons. 368
Rainbow's End
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
Raft
Red Mars Robinson, Kim Stanley 592
Red Mars
Revelation Space Reynolds, Alastair 576
Revelation Space
Ringworld Niven, Larry Trip to the ringworld. 352
Ringworld
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
Rite Of Passage
River of Gods McDonald, Ian 599
Rivers Of Gods
Singularity Sky Stross, Charles 352
Singularity Sky
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
Slaughterhouse Five
The Snow Queen Vinge, Joan D. 448
The Snow Queen
Solaris Lem, Stanislaw 204
Solaris
The Sparrow Russell, Mary Doria 408
The Sparrow
Spin Wilson, Robert Charles 464
Spin
Sundiver Brin, David Stars + explorers = sundivers. 352
Sundiver
Tau Zero Anderson, Poul 190
Tau Zero
Think Like a Dinosaur and Other Stories Kelley, James Patrick 275
Think Like A Dinosaur
This Immortal / ...And Call Me Conrad Zelazny, Roger 176
This Immortal
Timescape Benford, Gregory 512
Timescape
The Time Ships Baxter, Stephen Time travel. Time machines powered by flubber or kryptonite or something travel into massively distant futures. 544
The Time Ships
The Troika Chapman, Stepan 256
The Troika
Ubik Dick, Philip K. 224
Ubik
Vurt Noon, Jeff 342
Vurt
World of Ptavvs Niven, Larry 192
World Of Ptavvs

Cyberpunk[]

Title Author Description Book Cover
Accelerando Charles Stross 448
Accelerando
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
Altered Carbon
The Diamond Age Neal Stephenson 512
The Diamond Age
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Philip K. Dick the book Blade Runner was made from. 208
Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep
Islands in the Net Bruce Sterling 448
Islands In The Net
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
Neuromancer
Permutation City Greg Egan 384
Permutation City
The Shockwave Rider John Brunner 320
The Shockwave Rider
Snow Crash Neal Stephenson 448
Snow Crash
Software Rudy Rucker 167
Software

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 Canticle For Leibowitz
A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L'Engle 288
A Wrinkle In Time
The Chrysalids John Wyndham 224
The Chrysalids
Cloud Atlas David Mitchell 530
Cloud Atlas
The Deep John Crowley 192
The Deep
Dies the Fire S.M. Stirling 592
Dies The Fire
Dr. Bloodmoney Philip K. Dick 272
Dr Bloodmoney
Dreamsnake Vonda M. McIntyre 288
Dreamsnake
The Dying Earth Jack Vance 157
The Dying Earth
Earth Abides George R. Stewart 320
Earth Abides
The Elfin Ship James Blaylock
The Elfin Ship
I Am Legend Richard Matheson 160
I Am Legend
Lucifer's Hammer Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle A comet strike, and its aftermath in California. 640
Lucifer's Hammer
The Mount Carol Emshwiller 242
The Mount
The Nightland William Hope Hodgson 246
The Night Land
The Planet of the Apes Pierre Boulle 208
The Planet Of The Apes
The Postman David Brin 336
The Postman
Ravage Iain Rob Wright 24
Ravage
Riddley Walker Russell Hoban 272
Riddley Walker
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
The Road
Shadow and Claw Gene Wolfe 528
Shadow And Claw
The Sheep Look Up John Brunner 486
The Sheep Look Up
The Tripods Trilogy John Christopher 486
The Tripods

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
1984
A Scanner Darkly Philip K. Dick 224
A Scanner Darkly
Brave New World Aldous Huxley 288
Brave New World
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
Fahrenheit 451
Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said Philip K. Dick 256
Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said
The Giver Lois Lowry 226
The Giver
The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood 336
The Handmaids Tale
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
Logan's Run
The Man in the High Castle Philip K. Dick 256
The Man in the High Castle
Stand on Zanzibar John Brunner 672
Stand On Zanzibar
We Yevgeny Zamyatin 272
We
Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang Kate Wilhelm 256
Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang
The World Inside Robert Silverberg 233
The World Inside
This Perfect Day Ira Levin 352
This Perfect Day



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