Top 50 Science Fiction Books on Goodreads

Dune is one of the best books ever.

6

have read only 4 of these , V for Vendetta , Dune , Dark Matters & Martian

I just need to thank GR for giving Science Fiction its own list this time out. I've been thinking it's a shame SF isn't allowed to have its own chair as a genre. I'm much more a fan of it than Fantasy and I'm often disappointed when "greatest" SF/F lists are compiled and they're fantasy heavy. So thanks for this!

For this list, I've read some & want to read others (Okorafor & Le Guin are still on my current summer reading list). I had to add The Martian Chronicles because it's one of those classics that I know I need to get around to reading (it was one of my father's favourites). Glad to see Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven. And while I love Kim Stanley Robinson, I get he's not everyone's thing, so no complaints from me for him not making the list. But I'm eager for his next, Red Moon. Neal Stephenson is another I enjoy so, glad he made the list (Seveneves still fondly crosses my mind).

Some of my favorite reads so far this year have been: Chris Brookmyre's Places in the Darkness, Joe Hart's Obscura, Meg Elison's The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, Alastair Reynolds' The Prefect and two of the Murderbot novellas by Martha Wells.

11 from this list.

It's a genre i've only discovered for myself relatively recently. Lots of the book on this list are most dystopian in nature, not necessarily scifi - but I suppose they fall under the umbrella term if you define them as speculative fiction.

I've read 8, have another 5 on my tbr shelf. PKD reigns supreme as far as pure and inventive scifi goes.

30. I used to read a ton of Sci-Fi, but I can't seem to find anything written in the last 20 years that appeals to me.

14. But then again I pretty much ONLY read sci-fi/fantasy. :)

13 from this list, with a number of others on my "Want to read" shelf.

I've read three. 11/22/63, Dark Matter and Ready Player One. All three I HIGHLY recommend. I can't wait to get into the others on this list!

19

26. Woohoo!

12 from this list

17

17

22, excited to check out the other 28!

I've read 13 and have 5 on my shelves aleady! Looks like I have a long list to add to my TBR!

20 from this list. Personally, I would not categorize Kindred as SF, but it's a great book.

I've been a fan of Ray Bradbury since 6th grade when we had to read his short stories. My favorite of his is called "All Summer In A Day." Heartbreaking but it stayed with me for a long time. Another reason I was addicted to The Twilight Zone! I still have to read Dark Matter and Station Eleven, the perfect time to add to an upcoming readathon!

Dang, most of these I've either read already or are already on my to-read list. I'd say I'm most excited for Station Eleven, though.

I've read 16 of these -- and want to read more!

All. Some I no longer have since I tend to mail them on to my son and give them to others that are likely to like them

I've only read 3. I like sci-fi but it's not a fave genre.

16...so many great ones missing from this list!

21 from this list, and 13 are marked Want-to-read.

I am a serious nerd....19 read and 6 on my "to read" list.

I've read 23 and several more are on my want to read list and I am currently reading "The Three Body Problem". Not sure if we need multiple entries from Robert Heinlein, as he is very much a creature of his time and some of his notions have not aged so well. I am very happy to see Nexus on this list. I am constantly telling people to read it and sometimes feel like I must have read that series in a dream because no one else has ever read it. Fantastic series. Can't recommend Neal Stephenson enough. So happy to see this list and add a few new ones to my "to read" list.

Maybe we could have a list of the best new fiction this year that is purely sci/fi? Maybe just 5 or 10?

4.5-- never finished Kindred.

It would be interesting to further classify each book into its subgenre. Utopia/Dystopia, cyberpunk, space opera...

The Foundation trilogy needs to be included in this list.

Only 6. I'm surprised.

18 and counting. Still have some classics to read, though some are a bit dated IMO. Glad to see Station Eleven, Leviathan Wales and Old Man's War made the list.

I read 17 and 15 are on my TBR.

12 from this list. James P Hogan's Inherit the Stars is a great read, though with all the advancement in technology would be dated now. But a great sci-fi mystery all the same.

17, more than I was expecting, honestly!

11

I haven't rated many books, this is a chance. I went through and marked those I've read and someday I'll rate and comment.

I've read 34 of them. I think I've read a couple of others, but seem to have forgotten to put them in my Access database. I'll check my library for many of the others on the list.

People always have disagreements about any list, and this one isn't perfect; but it's a fine start. Thanks for putting it out there.

Paul wrote: "Dune is one of the best books ever."

It also inspired this song by Iron Maiden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y3o4...

7. Forgot I'd read Dune.

33, and this is not a genre I think of as my favorite...which is historical fiction!

21 and a few still on my Want to Read list. But...really? So many classic greats are missing here.

They have two Robert Hienlien books on the list but the one that should be on there is STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND.

Anissa wrote: "I just need to thank GR for giving Science Fiction its own list this time out. I've been thinking it's a shame SF isn't allowed to have its own chair as a genre. I'm much more a fan of it than Fant..." Bradbury is an interesting case: always on the SF lists, but truly belongs on the Fantasy side. Martian Chronicles is superb. Something Wicked This Way Comes is underrated. Bradbury's short story collections are his forte: The Illustrated Man in particular. Even Martian Chronicles is really a collection of shorts. Farenheit 451 is his most famous book, but far from his best.
"So I'm really not a science fiction writer. If I'm anything at all I'm a writer of fairy tales and modern myths about technology"
- Ray Bradbury

34

15 on the Sci-Fi list

17

18. Wow, much higher than I expected.

Paul wrote: "Dune is one of the best books ever."

please give me a reading order of the DUNE series :(

32

I'm intrigued by Saga in that I've never heard of it. Going to have to go check it out.

17. It's actually many more if you count all the sequels and prequels for some of them (e.g., Dune, Wool, etc.) Several more are already on my TBR. :)

These lists are farcical because they are voted by folks who have read maybe five sci fi books in their life.

"Hey! I read that! I'll vote for it!

Heinlein? Never heard of him? David Brin, William Gibson, John Varley? Who are they? What's a Nebula? Wasn't Hugo a storm?

Ignorance of the genre is no excuse.

25, but some of these are questionable at best!