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50 Essential Science Fiction Books

List compiled by Richard Davies for AbeBooks.
"This was a virtually impossible task. Put together a list of 50 must-read science fiction books and don't make anyone angry. Science fiction is the most discussed and argued over genre in literature but it actually goes way beyond books and into film, TV, video games and even toys." -Richard Davies
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Journey to the Center of the Earth (Jules Verne)
Journey to the Center of the Earth
1
Jules Verne
The War of the Worlds (H.G. Wells)
The War of the Worlds
2
H.G. Wells
Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
Brave New World
3
Aldous Huxley
When Worlds Collide (Edwin Balmer & Philip Wylie (1933))
When Worlds Collide
4
Edwin Balmer & Philip Wylie (1933)
Odd John (O. Stapledon)
Odd John
5
O. Stapledon
1984 (George Orwell)
1984
6
George Orwell
Earth Abides
Earth Abides
7
Foundation (Isaac Asimov)
Foundation
8
Isaac Asimov
The Illustrated Man (Ray Bradbury)
The Illustrated Man
9
Ray Bradbury
The Demolished Man
The Demolished Man
10
Ring Around the Sun, Clifford D. Simak (1953)
Ring Around the Sun, Clifford D. Simak (1953)
11
Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement (1954)
Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement (1954)
12
The Long Tomorrow, Leigh Brackett (1955)
The Long Tomorrow, Leigh Brackett (1955)
13
The Chrysalids (John Wyndham)
The Chrysalids
14
John Wyndham
The Death of Grass, John Christopher (1956)
The Death of Grass, John Christopher (1956)
15
Starship Troopers (Robert A. Heinlein)
Starship Troopers
16
Robert A. Heinlein
The Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (1959)
The Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (1959)
17
Alas, Babylon
Alas, Babylon
18
A Canticle for Leibowitz (Walter M. Miller, Jr.)
A Canticle for Leibowitz
19
Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Venus Plus X, Theodore Sturgeon (1960)
Venus Plus X, Theodore Sturgeon (1960)
20
Solaris (Stanislaw Lem)
Solaris
21
Stanislaw Lem
The Drowned World, J. G. Ballard (1962)
The Drowned World, J. G. Ballard (1962)
22
Hothouse, Brian W. Aldiss (1962)
Hothouse, Brian W. Aldiss (1962)
23
A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'engle)
A Wrinkle in Time
24
Madeleine L'engle
Dune (Frank Herbert)
Dune
25
Frank Herbert
Make Room! Make Room!, Harry Harrison (1966)
Make Room! Make Room!, Harry Harrison (1966)
26
Logan's Run (William F Nolan)
Logan's Run
27
William F Nolan
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick (1968)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick (1968)
28
The Left Hand of Darkness (Ursula K. Le Guin)
The Left Hand of Darkness
29
Ursula K. Le Guin
Behold the Man (Michael Moorcock)
Behold the Man
30
Michael Moorcock
Ringworld (Larry Niven)
Ringworld
31
Larry Niven
Rendezvous With Rama (Arthur C. Clarke)
Rendezvous With Rama
32
Arthur C. Clarke
Roadside Picnic
Roadside Picnic
33
The Female Man (Joanna Russ)
The Female Man
34
Joanna Russ
Man Plus
Man Plus
35
The Stand (Stephen King)
The Stand
36
Stephen King
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
37
Nor Crystal Tears (Alan Dean Foster)
Nor Crystal Tears
38
Alan Dean Foster
Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card)
Ender's Game
39
Orson Scott Card
Consider Phlebas
Consider Phlebas
40
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