Science Fiction and Fantasy (SFF) are my favourite genres in fiction.
This page is my list of the best science fiction books I have read – series and standalone.
Some of the books listed are absolute masterpieces in science fiction. And some like the many Military / Lost fleet series are pure entertainment. This is not an exhaustive list of everything I have read in science fiction, I have only included books I enjoyed reading ‘when I read them.’
Hope the list helps you pick up your next read. Enjoy!
SCIENCE FICTION – SERIES
The Culture series by Iain M. Banks
The Culture is a fictional interstellar post-scarcity civilization created by the Scottish writer Iain M. Banks. The Culture series consists of a series of ten novels set in this universe.
Each book has a different story (space opera like Star Wars, not much hard science), characters and though each could be read independently, I suggest following the sequence to make better sense of some of the universe/civilization-building elements.
The series is what I imagine a space-faring human civilization will hopefully evolve into – a benevolent culture encouraging all humans to work towards realizing their potential, made up of different species co-existing on Galaxy spanning star systems and their planets, but also in artificially created Orbitals and run by all-knowing artificial intelligence Minds, Drones and General Systems Vehicles (space ships with funny and memorable names like Of Course I Still Love You or Funny, It Worked Last Time, All Through With This Niceness And Negotiation Stuff) the size of entire worlds, and that can evacuate planets should the need arise. And, of course, Special Circumstances, the shadowy agency of Culture that “had always been the Contact section’s moral espionage weapon, the very cutting edge of the Culture’s interfering diplomatic policy, the elite of the elite, in a society which abhorred elitism.”
The series is a fascinating read – with good character building, poignant stories and an experimentation with the narrative structure. You may enjoy it even if you haven’t read Science Fiction before.
The series starts with the novel Consider Phlebas whose name is inspired by T.S. Eliot’s poem ‘The Wasteland.’
Books in the Culture series
- Consider Phelbas
- The Player of Games
- Use of Weapons
- The State of the Art
- Excession
- Inversions
- Look to Windward
- Matter
- Surface Detail
- The Hydrogen Sonata
The Remembrance of Earth’s Past series by Cixin Liu
More popularly known as The Three Body Problem series, this series is excellent hard science fiction and particularly interesting given the ambitions of humanity to become a space-faring society.
The series consisting of a single storyline that kicks off with an astrophysicist broadcasting radio waves from Earth that are detected by an alien civilization on a planet, Trisolaris, that is doomed, being in an unstable orbit in a three star system (hence the title The Three Body Problem). The book then takes us through Trisolaran’s plans to invade Earth to survive, Earth’s actions to understand and deal with the threat, the articulation of Cosmic Sociology axioms leading to The Dark Forest theory and with the final book Death’s End giving a ‘big picture’ overview of the series spread over seven eras across many centuries.
One of most brilliant pieces of fiction and hard science fiction I have read so far. The book, however, doesn’t provide comfort for humanity as a space-faring civilization.
It makes me wish that Fermi’s Paradox (the question ‘Where is everybody?’) has only one answer – ‘There’s no one else’.
Books in The Remembrance of Earth’s Past series
- The Three Body Problem
- The Dark Forest
- Death’s End
Dune series by Frank Herbert
The Dune saga, set in the distant future, and taking place over millennia, explores complex themes, such as the long-term survival of the human species, human evolution, planetary science and ecology, and the intersection of religion, politics, economics and power in a future where humanity has long since developed interstellar travel and settled many thousands of worlds.
The first book Dune is brilliant and the whole series is widely considered to be among the classics of the genre.
Books in the Dune series
- Dune
- Dune Messiah
- Children of Dune
- God Emperor of Dune
- Heretics of Dune
- Chapterhouse: Dune
Foundation series by Isaac Asimov
The Foundation is the series that introduced me to a science fiction series with an ambitious Galaxy-spanning scope and all the complexity involved in telling a story in such setting. I have read and re-read this series multiple times over the last couple of decades.
The series started as a trilogy: Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation. Asimov later added two sequels: Foundation’s Edge and Foundation and Earth, and two prequels: Prelude to Foundation, Forward the Foundation. The additions made reference to events in Asimov’s Robot and Empire series, indicating that they were also set in the same fictional universe.
In the waning days of a future Galactic Empire, Hari Seldon, a mathematician develops the theory of psychohistory that used statistical rules of mass action to predict the future of a large population, like that in a Galaxy. Seldon foresees the fall of the Empire, that encompasses the entire Galaxy, and a dark age spanning 30,000 years. While the inertia of events was too big to prevent the fall of the Empire, Seldon devised a plan to reduce the dark age to a mere 1,000 years before another stable arrangement took place of the doomed Empire.
That in a nutshell is the story of the series with a number of interesting characters and plot lines that keeps you engaged throughout the seven novel series.
Equally interesting and brilliant is Asimov’s Robot series that I will add to this list soon.
Books in the Foundation series
- Prelude to Foundation
- Forward the Foundation
- Foundation
- Foundation and Empire
- Second Foundation
- Foundation’s Edge
- Foundation and Earth
Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson
The Mars trilogy is a series of science fiction novels by Kim Stanley Robinson that chronicles the settlement and terra-forming of Mars through the personal viewpoints of a wide variety of characters spanning almost two centuries.
The story covers the journey from Earth of the hundred people chosen to establish a settlement on Mars, their early days building and maintaining the first settlement ‘Underhill‘ while exploring Mars. The novels cover the terrain of Mars in exquisite detail that I had not imagined before. Google and have a look at the map of Mars while reading, it will make the story even more interesting. (just Google for a Mars map, Mars is not on Google maps yet!)
The initial settlers, their trials and tribulations, and their debates and actions around terra-forming Mars and the human stories involved in all these aspects as the society on Mars grows, becomes independent of Earth and the resulting tensions all make for a very interesting read.
Mars is the expected next stop of human space exploration, and these books are a brilliant articulation of how that could pan out, and the lessons and care we need to exercise around various aspects.
I didn’t become aware of this series till 2019 but having read it I can confidently say that its much better than The Martian by Andy Weir (which is also an excellent novel).
Books in the Mars series
- Red Mars
- Green Mars
- Blue Mars
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: A Trilogy in Four Parts by Douglas Adams
I am sure you have heard of this. It is the only one with a lot of humour and more importantly it has answers to all your questions around life, the universe and everything. And the answer will leave you stumped!
Read it.
Books in the The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
- The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
- Life, the Universe and Everything
- So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
- Mostly Harmless
Ender Quartet by Orson Scott Card
The series is set in a future where mankind is facing annihilation by an aggressive alien society, an insect-like race known formally as ‘Formics’, but more colloquially as ‘Buggers’. The series protagonist, Andrew ‘Ender’ Wiggin, is one of the child soldiers trained at Battle School (and eventually Command School) to be the future leaders for the protection of Earth.
I enjoyed this novel and the philosophical questions it raises after victory is achieved. The movie by the same title is based on this novel.
Books in the Ender Quartet are
- Ender’s Game
- Speaker for the Dead
- Xenocide
- Children of the Mind
Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons
The Hyperion Cantos is a series of science fiction novels by Dan Simmons. The title was originally used for the first pair of books in the series, Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion, and later came to refer to the overall story-line, including Endymion and The Rise of Endymion.
The whole galaxy is at war, and in this setting seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion to meet Shrike, part God part killing machine that transcends space and time, seeking answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives and secrets of the universe itself.
Time for a confession – the book has everything (AI, Time travel, Aliens, space battles) a science fiction reader would love, but I didn’t enjoy reading it as much considering it is a classic in the genre. I may attempt a re-read to find out what I missed.
Books in the Hyperion Cantos are
- Hyperion
- Fall of Hyperion
- Endymion
- The Rise of Endymion
Imperial Radch Trilogy by Ann Leckie
Ancillary Justice is the debut science fiction novel by the American writer Ann Leckie and the first in her Imperial Radch space opera trilogy. The novel follows Breq – who is both the sole survivor of a starship destroyed by treachery, and the vessel of that ship’s artificial consciousness – as she seeks revenge against the ruler of her civilization.
Some very interesting concepts in these award winning novels.
Books in the Imperial Radch series
- Ancillary Justice
- Ancillary Sword
- Ancillary Mercy
The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey
The Expanse is a series of science fiction novels by James S. A. Corey, the joint pen name of authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. There is an Amazon Prime TV show based on these novels.
The books are set in the portion of the solar system that is target for human exploration in the coming decades (Moon, Mars, asteroid belt) and covers the story of a ice miner and a detective in search of a rich girl, and all this ends up being at the centre of politics and war between Earth government and the Outer Planets with private corporations and revolutionaries added to the mix.
The tensions it captures between different players in the space exploration and settlement game are not far-fetched and may turn out to be all too real when the time comes.
Books in the Expanse series
- Leviathan Wakes
- Caliban’s War
- Abaddon’s Gate
- Cibola Burn
- Nemesis Games
- Babylon’s Ashes
- Persepolis Rising
- Tiamat’s Wrath
Other Notable Series
I have also enjoyed reading the following series of novels.
Old Man’s War series by John Scalzi
The story starts with “John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife’s grave. Then he joined the army.” and that’s what got me hooked immediately.
Far from Earth battles rage for capturing planetary real estate and the Colonial Defense Force only wants old men as soldiers to serve two years and then retire on any of the planets won as war spoils. Don’t know if I would take the deal. But the books are worth reading.
Books in the Old Man’s War series
- Old Man’s War
- The Ghost Brigades
- The Last Colony
- Zoe’s Tale
- The Human Division
- The End of all Things
All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. A self-aware SecUnit has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself as ‘Murderbot.’ Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.
Basically these are adventures of an human cyborg with a conscience. The entire series is an excellent read.
Books in the Murderbot Diaries series
- All Systems Red
- Artificial Condition
- Rogue Protocol
- Exit Strategy
Another novel Network Effect in this series is expected to be out in 2020.
Beacon 23 by Hugh Howey
For centuries, men and women have manned lighthouses to ensure the safe passage of ships. It is a lonely job, and a thankless one for the most part. Until something goes wrong. Until a ship is in distress.
In the 23rd century, this job has moved into outer space. A network of beacons allows ships to travel across the Milky Way at many times the speed of light. These beacons are built to be robust. They never break down. They never fail.
At least, they aren’t supposed to.
That’s the official blurb of the five book series. These are shorts and generate an above average return on your time invested in reading them.
The Wayward Pines Trilogy by Blake Crouch
An interesting trilogy covering an interesting premise. I believe there’s also a TV show now. Anything more would be spoiler.
Books in the Wayward Pines series
- Pines
- Wayward
- The Last Town
Luna series by Ian McDonald
Moon is colonized by Earth and ruled by ‘Five Dragons’ – corporations that run everything on Moon. Everyone needs to earn their per diem allocation of food, water, and even air that we take for granted on our beautiful Earth. Helium-3 is abundant on Moon and feeds the fusion power plants on Earth and so a strategic commodity at the centre of politics and mafia-style business battles.
I enjoyed reading this series.
Books in the Luna series
- Luna: New Moon
- Luna: Wolf Moon
- Luna: Moon Rising
Red Rising series by Pierce Brown
Set on Mars, the humanity is divided into Reds – the lowest caste mining underground and rarely if ever see the light of the day on the surface. This society is ruled by Golds. This story is of Darrow, a helldiver, who has everything taken from him and his journey of revenge.
I am yet to read the latest novel in the series, but the books so far have retained my interest.
Books in the Red Rising series
- Red Rising
- Golden Son
- Morning Star
- Iron Gold
- Dark Age
Undying Mercenaries Series by B V Larson
The twelve outings of James McGill are jolly good fun. Each book is set in different world as you have realized by now and exposes James McGill to a new set of challenges to overcome to save humanity.
Humanity is not at the centre of action, as it is usually depicted in most books in this genre, but it is an uncivilized forgotten backwater on the edges of the Galaxy and has to sell labour, in the form of mercenaries for hire, to earn Galactic credits. Fun!
Books in the Undying Mercenaries series
- Steel World
- Tech World
- Dust World
- Machine World
- Death World
- Home World
- Rogue World
- Blood World
- Dark World
- Storm World
- Armor World
- Clone World
- Glass World
The Synchronicity War series by Dietmar Arthur Wehr
This book covers sub genres – space opera, military science fiction, space fleet, galactic empire, invasion by an xenophobic alien race, colonization, first contact, hard science, adventure. What more can one ask for in a series. Also on Kindle Unlimited. Ticks most of the boxes for a science fiction fan.
The series consists of four books – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
The Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell
The Human alliance has been at war with Syndic for a hundred years and losing. Its latest attempt resulted in a fleet crippled and lost behind enemy lines. Hope resides on the hero – Captain John “Black Jack” Geary – a man who has emerged from a century-long hibernation.
For some unknown reason, that may be of interest to psychology professionals, books on this scenario, a lost space fleet stranded behind enemy lines, hooked my attention for quite a while. I haven’t listed all the series I have read on this scenario, but I think there’s more than enough listed on this page 🙂
Books in the Lost Fleet series
- Dauntless
- Fearless
- Courageous
- Valiant
- Relentless
- Victorious
- Dreadnaught (this is the beginning of the Beyond the Frontier series)
- Invincible
- Guardian
- Leviathan
- Steadfast
Frontlines series by Marko Kloos
This series is military science fiction sub genre.
The year is 2108, and the North American Commonwealth is bursting at the seams. Welfare rats like the protagonist, Andrew Grayson, has two ways out of the 2,000 calorie per day food quota and the welfare based system on Earth – a lottery or join military service to help colonize space and relieve population pressure on Earth. Enjoyable.
Books in the Frontlines series
- Terms of Enlistment
- Lines of Depature
- Angles of Attack
- Chains of Command
- Fields of Fire
- Points of Impact
The Legend of Zero series by Sara King
First Contact didn’t go as expected. Now they own us. Earth has been conquered by a massive galactic empire, and its war machine needs soldiers. In a cruel twist of fate, fourteen-year-old Joe Dobbs accidentally ends up on a ship carrying Earth’s children to an alien training planet. To make it out alive, he must survive an apathetic bureaucracy that sees humans as little more than spare rations. Meat with guns. Or, if they’re really unlucky, servants.
Books in The Legend of Zero series
- Forging Zero
- Zero Recall
- Zero’s Return
- The Scientist, the Rat, and the Assassin
- The Moldy Dead
- The Many Misadventures of Flea, Agent of Chaos
Sara King has also written another series – Outer Bounds that comprises of two novels so far.
Odyssey One series by Evan Currie
Another military science-fiction series the hero being the Captain of a space ship who needs to motivate his crew through multiple challenges involved in space. Give it a try if you like military science fiction.
Books in the Odyssey One series
- Into the Black
- The Heart of Matter
- Homeworld
- Out of the Black
There are further books in the series which I haven’t managed to read so far.
Lost Starship series by Vaughn Heppner
Another long series and another ‘lost spaceship’ concept.
The Slaver Wars and The Lost Fleet series by Raymond L. Weil
And another one of the long series but this one continues into still another series. Enjoyed it for some time before moving on.
War Eternal series by M. R. Forbes
There are six or seven books in this series. Captain Mitchell “Ares” Williams is a Space Marine and the hero of the Battle for Liberty, whose Shot Heard ‘Round the Universe’ saved the planet from a nearly unstoppable war machine. Mission is to find the Goliath or humankind will be destroyed. Want to know more, read the book. They are on Kindle Unlimited. It’s an interesting series.
SCIENCE FICTION – STANDALONE
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
Seveneves is a hard science fiction novel what deals with an apocalyptic ‘what-if’ scenario on Earth if the Moon disintegrates and the re-establishment of a space based society after overcoming a severe genetic bottleneck.
The novel is fast paced and covers the human reaction to the disintegration of Moon, the expansion of the International Space Station to become an Ark, the expedition to a comet to mine water to prevent the Ark from falling to an Earth on fire, the Hard Rain and number of different tragedies that result in only eight women surviving with only seven of them of child-bearing age (hence the title of the novel Seveneves).
This is one of novels on Bill Gates’ reading list.
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
The story is set in an interstellar war against an unknowable and unconquerable alien enemy. But his greatest test of soldiers is when they return home. Relativity means that for every few months’ tour of duty centuries have passed on Earth, isolating the combatants ever more from the world for whose future they are fighting.
This is a series. However, I have read only the first novel hence listing it as a standalone novel.
The Martian by Andy Weir
One of my favourite science fiction books. The problem solving attitude the protagonist displays while stranded alone on a planet is amazing. Loved the movie too, thought they cut out a pretty significant event from the story.
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
A vast majority (95 or even 99%) science-fiction depicts aliens in a shape and form understandable to humans. Solaris challenges this anthropomorhpic view of alien life forms through a tale of ‘contact.’
On Solaris, alien life takes form of a single planet wide ocean that doesn’t seem to understand, or even cares about humans. Or does it?
Read this brilliant novel. It is also quite short.
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
This 900+ page tome to themes of power, information, cryptography and war in the twentieth century. An attempt to secretly salvage a sunken Nazi submarine brings to light a conspiracy and an unbreakable Nazi code Arethusa.
This is quite a thriller. But be warned it does take a while to get through.
Artemis by Andy Weir
The setting of this book is the Moon. Didn’t enjoy as much as The Martian.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Read this one primarily to find out what the fuss was about. It is a good story.
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