Ten Science Fiction Novels Every Author Should Read
Whether or not sci-fi is the genre you write in, every author should read these ten sci-fi novels. Reading outside your genre is a brilliant way to get new ideas and to see what works, and to see what doesn’t.
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
This 1985 work is a military science fiction novel set in the middle-distant future. Humankind is at war with an alien race colloquially knows as “the buggers”, who have already invaded twice. In preparation for a third assault, the united military forces of Earth recruit children to be trained as elite officers. One such child is the novel’s protagonist, ten year old Andrew “Ender” Wiggin.
Ender Wiggin is a powerful and compelling protagonist. His uncanny tactical skills lead him to be taken advantage of by the military, who show frequent and repetitive lack of empathy towards these children. The novel is, at its core, a damning indictment of war and the unorthodox tactics used by those in charge to fight it. Card brings to light questions regarding our perceptions of both authority and reality, and the novel has been critically acclaimed since its release.
Read this novel to explore presentations of the concepts power and justice, and to understand the different ways in which authors can present two sides of a conflict.
The Martian by Mark Weir
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Although perhaps a bit of a cliché suggestion, Shelley’s 1818 novel deserves the vastness of its reputation. Hailed by critics for hundreds of years, the novel follows failed scientist Victor Frankenstein in both his journey to create new life, and the consequences that come afterwards.
This novel is widely considered to be the first true science fiction novel. The events of the novel come to pass not through magic, but through science. Shelley’s introduction of fictional science
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Beloved by dads the world over, this 1979 novel actually started out as a radio series on the BBC in the UK.