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56 of the Best Science Fiction Books and Novels of All Time

Evelyn Maguire writes: "From its time-honored beginnings with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to modern blockbusters such as Ready Player One, the science fiction genre has continued to reflect on complex ideas and advancements of our society. In this list of the best sci fi books and novels, we've rounded up the titles that have made the greatest impact, not only within the science fiction genre, but to the world of literature as a whole. Whether you're looking for a thrilling space-age adventure, a terrifying imagining of the future of robotics, or an introspective look at what it truly means to be human — this list of the best sci fi books of all time contains titles everyone should read. Publishers' descriptions included."
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The Time Machine (H.G. Wells)
The Time Machine
1
H.G. Wells
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
2
Douglas Adams
Dune (Frank Herbert)
Dune
3
Frank Herbert
Ready Player One (Ernest Cline)
Ready Player One
4
Ernest Cline
The Martian (Andy Weir)
The Martian
5
Andy Weir
1984 (George Orwell)
1984
6
George Orwell
Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)
Frankenstein
7
Mary Shelley
Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
Brave New World
8
Aldous Huxley
2001: A Space Odyssey (Arthur C. Clarke)
2001: A Space Odyssey
9
Arthur C. Clarke
How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe (Charles Yu)
How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
10
Charles Yu
Ingathering (Zenna Henderson)
Ingathering
11
Zenna Henderson
Cyteen (CJ Cherryh)
Cyteen
12
CJ Cherryh
A Clockwork Orange (Anthony Burgess)
A Clockwork Orange
13
Anthony Burgess
Children of Time (Adrian Tchaikovsky)
Children of Time
14
Adrian Tchaikovsky
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Philip K. Dick)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
15
Philip K. Dick
Binti (Nnedi Okorafor)
Binti
16
Nnedi Okorafor
Hyperion (Dan Simmons)
Hyperion
17
Dan Simmons
Red Mars (Kim Stanley Robinson)
Red Mars
18
Kim Stanley Robinson
Uglies (Scott Westerfeld)
Uglies
19
Scott Westerfeld
The Giver (Lois Lowry)
The Giver
20
Lois Lowry
Dhalgren (Samuel R. Delany)
Dhalgren
21
Samuel R. Delany
Foundation (Iaac Asimov)
Foundation
22
Iaac Asimov
The Left Hand of Darkness (Ursula K. Le Guin)
The Left Hand of Darkness
23
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card)
Ender's Game
24
Orson Scott Card
Red Rising (Pierce Brown)
Red Rising
25
Pierce Brown
Stranger in a Strange Land (Robert A. Heinlein)
Stranger in a Strange Land
26
Robert A. Heinlein
Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)
Fahrenheit 451
27
Ray Bradbury
A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'engle)
A Wrinkle in Time
28
Madeleine L'engle
The Book of the New Sun (Gene Wolfe)
The Book of the New Sun
29
Gene Wolfe
The Man in the High Castle (Philip K. Dick)
The Man in the High Castle
30
Philip K. Dick
A Fire Upon the Deep (Vernor Vinge)
A Fire Upon the Deep
31
Vernor Vinge
I Robot (Isaac Asimov)
I Robot
32
Isaac Asimov
Slaughterhouse-Five (Kurt Vonnegut Jr.)
Slaughterhouse-Five
33
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
34
Jules Verne
Jurassic Park (Michael Crichton)
Jurassic Park
35
Michael Crichton
The Memory Police (Yoko Ogawa)
The Memory Police
36
Yoko Ogawa
Oryx and Crake (Margaret Atwood)
Oryx and Crake
37
Margaret Atwood
Ringworld (Larry Niven)
Ringworld
38
Larry Niven
Neuromancer (William Gibson)
Neuromancer
39
William Gibson
The Man Who Fell to Earth (Walter Tevis)
The Man Who Fell to Earth
40
Walter Tevis
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