Hard Science Fiction

Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both. It is characterized by rigorous attention to accurate detail in the natural sciences, especially physics, astrophysics, and chemistry, or on accurately depicting worlds that more advanced technology may make possible. Hard science fiction is driven more by ideas than characterization. Plausible science and technology are central to the plot.

Exodus (Archimedes Engine #1)
Machine Vendetta (Prefect Dreyfus Emergency, #3)
Valuable Humans in Transit and Other Stories
Critical Mass (Delta-v, #2)
Theft of Fire (Orbital Space #1)
The Human (Rise of the Jain, #3)
Lake of Darkness
Jack Four
Galaxias
Weaponized
Cold Eyes
The  Quantum War (The Quantum Evolution, #3)
The Disturbance (The Disturbance, #1)
The House of Styx (Venus Ascendant, #1)
Observer
The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1)
The Martian
Project Hail Mary
The Dark Forest (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #2)
Blindsight (Firefall, #1)
Death's End (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #3)
Red Mars (Mars Trilogy, #1)
Revelation Space (Revelation Space, #1)
Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, #1)
Seveneves
Rendezvous with Rama (Rama, #1)
Project Hail Mary by Andy WeirSiouca Remembers by James MurdoMemory's Legion by James S.A. CoreySowing the Dragon's Teeth by Jonathan E. HernandezThe Saints of Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton
Space Opera Magnificentus!
59 books — 31 voters
The Three-Body Problem by Liu CixinDune by Frank Herbert1984 by George OrwellThe Martian by Andy WeirFoundation by Isaac Asimov
Best Intelligent Sci-Fi
270 books — 248 voters

Terraformer by Scott McElhaneyRed Mars by Kim Stanley RobinsonGreen Mars by Kim Stanley RobinsonDominion by Scott McElhaneyBlue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
Synthetic Ecologies
18 books — 24 voters
The Martian by Andy WeirRendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. ClarkeThe Three-Body Problem by Liu CixinFoundation by Isaac AsimovDune by Frank Herbert
Ultimate Hard Science Fiction
113 books — 163 voters

The Martian by Andy WeirThe Forever War by Joe HaldemanLeviathan Wakes by James S.A. CoreyAltered Carbon by Richard K. MorganRendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
Hard SF reading group
83 books — 55 voters


David Alan Woods
The silence was absolute. It was so quiet in the laboratory; you could have heard a cell divide.
David Alan Woods, Brid: Fight or Flight

Clyde DeSouza
No, Krish . . . we’re not playing God. We’re only attempting to set things right.
Clyde DeSouza, Maya

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Tags contributing to this page include: hard-science-fiction, hard-sci-fi, hard-scifi, hard-sf, hardsciencefiction, science-fiction-hard, and sf-hard