Sci Fi: Do You Read It?

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Do you read science fiction? What is science fiction, anyway? And why am I writing a post about science fiction?

Well, our friends at Global English Editing have developed an infographic about the best 16 science fiction books of all time in honor of National Science Day, which was on January 2. Well, we missed National Science Day, but it is still January. I will provide the link to their infographic later in this post.

I was surprised to see that I had read at least 5 of their top 16 science fiction books. When I think of science fiction, I think of Isaac Asmov”s books, which I do remember reading as a kid — and of course Dune, which is the most popular sci fi book of all time. And I read that one. 

There is a little fuzziness around what constitutes science fiction. First, there is hard science fiction versus soft science fiction. Hard science fiction deals with real science and scientific facts. Not being a science person, those books are difficult for me to read. I know this only because I recently tried to read one, written by a friend of mine, and I got totally lost. Soft science fiction books deal more with social and philosophical issues. Some of those books, I wouldn’t really consider sci fi, but some people do.

Science fiction is NOT fantasy, which is a really popular genre right now, especially for young adult books. Sci fi deals more with real life and society as it is, although it does talk about time travel, the future, and aliens. Fantasy more often takes place  in an entirely different world.

I would think that dystopian novels belong to a different genre than science fiction, but some of them are included in various science fiction lists. For example, Orwell’s 1984 is included on most science fiction lists. I would not have thought of 1984 if you asked me to think about science fiction, although I love the book. I even saw The Handmaid’s Tale on one sci fi list.

I don’t remember any of Vonnegut’s books, although I loved them all and read them when everyone was reading Vonnegut. But I wouldn’t put those in the sci fi category either, although some of them are included in sci fi lists. 

But I have read and enjoyed (if you can call it enjoyed) 1984, Fahrenheit 451, A Clockwork Orange, Hunger Games, and Vonnegut. Would I call them sci fi? If you asked me about reading sci fi, I would say, “Yes, I read sci fi when I was a kid: Dune, Asimov books, and of course L. Ron Hubbard’s Dianetics, which I guess is not considered one of his science fiction books.

More recently, I read The Martian and  A Wrinkle in Time (because I had never read it).

I wouldn’t think to put apocalyptic books in the science fiction category either, but it makes sense that they are. I guess when I think of science fiction, I think of aliens!

Here is the link for more information about science fiction books, and one of the  lists of Best Science Fiction Books.

So, now I will ask you again. Do you read science fiction? I have read more than I thought. Here are the books that appear on most of the lists of bet science fiction books:

1984 – Orwell *
World War Z – Brooks
Brave New World – Huxley *
A Canticle for Leibowitz – Miller
The Martin – Weir *
Dune – Herbert *
Foundation – Asimov
Frankenstein – Shelley
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Adams
Jurassic Park – Crichton
The Martian Chronicles – Bradbury
Watchers – Koontz
Slaughterhouse-Five – Vonnegut *
The Stand – King
Ender’s Game – Card
Stranger in a Strange Land – Heinlein *
The War of the Worlds – Wells
2001: A Space Odyssey – Clarke
A Wrinkle in Time – L’Engle *
The Hunger Games – Collins *
Journey to the Center of the Earth – Verne
The Time Machine – Wells
I, Robot – Asimov
Ringworld – Niven

I put an asterisk next to the ones I KNOW I have read, but it is hard to believe I haven’t read Frankenstein or something by Verne or Wells. And I saw the movies 2001 and Jurassic Park, but I don’t remember if I read the books. 

Some lists contain these other titles, which I have read: A Clockwork Orange, Contact (Sagan), Cat’s Cradle , and Ready Player One. One list even had these books, which I have read, and are either more fantastical or dystopic: Lord of the Rings, Animal Farm, The Handmaid’s Tale, and The Giver. 

I didn’t think I liked science fiction, but I guess maybe I do — but the soft kind. In fact, writing this post made me want to go read some of the ones I haven’t read, or maybe have just forgotten that I have read. But I already have a whole pile of books to read before they are due at the library!