This list is for YA and middle grade science fiction published in the 20th century.

No fantasy! Science fiction only, encompassing futuristic, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, and space themed stories. Books on this list must be published for the YA and middle grade market.
1

by
3.97 avg rating — 1,269,573 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
2

by
4.12 avg rating — 2,758,172 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
3

by
4.31 avg rating — 1,458,570 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
4

by
4.17 avg rating — 184,325 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
5

by
4.20 avg rating — 3,022 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
6

by
3.95 avg rating — 4,166 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
7

by
3.99 avg rating — 131,381 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
8

by
4.29 avg rating — 702 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
9

by
4.34 avg rating — 5,271 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
10

by
3.79 avg rating — 5,431 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
11

by
3.82 avg rating — 206,375 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
12

by
3.91 avg rating — 3,639 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
13

by
3.93 avg rating — 31,151 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
14

by
3.94 avg rating — 636 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
15

by
4.07 avg rating — 111,127 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
16

by
3.95 avg rating — 14,556 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
17

by
4.71 avg rating — 38 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
18

by
3.85 avg rating — 1,789 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
19

by
3.67 avg rating — 9,466 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
20

by
3.86 avg rating — 5,414 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
20

by
3.91 avg rating — 10,176 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
22

by
3.93 avg rating — 104,770 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
23

by
4.31 avg rating — 2,682 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
24

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2,213 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
25

by
3.89 avg rating — 7,732 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
26

by
4.11 avg rating — 2,784 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
27

by
4.04 avg rating — 4,192 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
28

by
3.96 avg rating — 1,516 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
29

by
3.83 avg rating — 976 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
30

by
3.93 avg rating — 15,937 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
31

by
4.02 avg rating — 10,787 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
32

by
3.99 avg rating — 130,328 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
33

by
3.66 avg rating — 180 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
34

by
3.87 avg rating — 16,329 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
35

by
3.81 avg rating — 4,812 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
35

by
3.87 avg rating — 1,398 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
37

by
3.68 avg rating — 17,565 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
38

by
3.87 avg rating — 12,524 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
39

by
4.03 avg rating — 2,593 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
40

by
4.08 avg rating — 8,966 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
41

by
3.52 avg rating — 23 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
42

by
3.82 avg rating — 3,743 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
43

by
3.80 avg rating — 5 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
43

by
3.81 avg rating — 60,002 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
45

by
3.79 avg rating — 11,698 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
46

by
4.05 avg rating — 9,876 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
47

by
3.69 avg rating — 1,748 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
48

by
4.02 avg rating — 505 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
49

by
4.08 avg rating — 204 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
49

by
4.31 avg rating — 263,356 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
51

by
4.22 avg rating — 4,551 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
52

by
4.12 avg rating — 439 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
53

by
3.75 avg rating — 816 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
54

by
3.78 avg rating — 23,638 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
55

by
4.22 avg rating — 54 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
56

by
4.14 avg rating — 456 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
56

by
4.17 avg rating — 276 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
58

by
3.05 avg rating — 75 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
59

by
3.27 avg rating — 49 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
60

by
4.45 avg rating — 38 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
61

by
3.98 avg rating — 558 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.16 avg rating — 97 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
63

by
4.35 avg rating — 1,045 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
64

by
3.93 avg rating — 1,093 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
64

by
3.43 avg rating — 2,250 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
66

by
3.97 avg rating — 912 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
67

by
3.91 avg rating — 13,571 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
67

by
3.82 avg rating — 892 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
69

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 36 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
69

by
3.91 avg rating — 1,708 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
71

by
4.04 avg rating — 206 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
72

by
3.69 avg rating — 321 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
73

by
3.29 avg rating — 102 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
73

by
4.12 avg rating — 100 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
75

by
3.97 avg rating — 225 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
75

by
3.82 avg rating — 775 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
77

by
3.33 avg rating — 3 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
78

by
3.79 avg rating — 611 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
79

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 11 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
80

by
3.85 avg rating — 2,256 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
81

by
3.79 avg rating — 5,665 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
82

by
4.02 avg rating — 2,620 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
83

by
4.11 avg rating — 9 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
84

by
3.85 avg rating — 102 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
85

by
3.76 avg rating — 34 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
86

by
3.71 avg rating — 3,725 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
87

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 14 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
88

by
4.22 avg rating — 101 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
89

by
3.83 avg rating — 628 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
89

by
3.67 avg rating — 2,353 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
91

by
3.67 avg rating — 1,986 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
91

by
4.06 avg rating — 67 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
91

by
3.67 avg rating — 1,978 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
94

by
3.67 avg rating — 168 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
95

by
3.93 avg rating — 14 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
96

by
3.72 avg rating — 1,740 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
96

by
3.72 avg rating — 1,638 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
98

by
4.16 avg rating — 45 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
99

by
4.26 avg rating — 23 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
100

by
4.15 avg rating — 2,186 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
11 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Rainbowheart 2037 books
155 friends
Jennifer 3496 books
993 friends
Jacob 1546 books
27 friends
Jan 5081 books
128 friends
SamSpayedPI 2054 books
30 friends
Elizabeth 5333 books
86 friends
Jill 2511 books
909 friends
Adele 2897 books
67 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-27 of 27 (27 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by SamSpayedPI (new)

SamSpayedPI How'd you miss A Wrinkle in Time, Rainbowheart?


message 2: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart That was a pretty big oversight!

The list is looking good, but I'm sure there are lots more to add. I deleted Messenger and Son by Lois Lowry because they are 21st century, not 20th.


message 3: by Rosa (last edited Dec 16, 2021 07:23PM) (new)

Rosa SamSpayedPI wrote: "How'd you miss A Wrinkle in Time, Rainbowheart?"

That book seems like a fusion to me.

So we're counting 2000 as part of the twentieth century? Technically it is, but…


message 4: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart I'm a little iffy on that, personally. I consider 1999 the end, but Google says otherwise? I'd say leave 2000 in, but 2001 and later should obviously be cut.


message 5: by Bargle (last edited Jan 06, 2022 03:30AM) (new)

Bargle Rainbowheart wrote: "I'd say leave 2000 in, but 2001 and later should obviously be cut."

Agreed.


message 6: by Capn (new)

Capn Hey Rainbowheart,
I think this is a re-issue of stories from the 90s or earlier: Death of a Dinosaur. Not sure...


message 7: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart I do believe you are right! Worldcat says it was first published as Death of a Lizard in 1990. I updated the GR page to reflect that.


message 8: by Capn (last edited Jul 24, 2022 02:45PM) (new)

Capn Urgh, I've cannibalized all the votes I can. Here's another for someone else to add. :)

The Space People

And:
The Mask
The Robot People
The Mirror Planet
Strange Things Happen in the Woods
The Robot Birthday
Wanna Buy an Alien?
The Cloverdale Switch
The Followers
(I'm going through Eve Bunting's lesser known sci-fi books, so there will be more to come..)


message 9: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart Thanks! We need to recruit more voters, lol. I've invited everyone I have on my friend list. ;)


message 10: by Capn (last edited Jul 30, 2022 05:59AM) (new)


message 11: by Capn (last edited Sep 19, 2022 02:04AM) (new)

Capn Found another classic that ought to be here, from 1965:
Alice: The Girl From Earth
translated from the prolific Russian author, the late Kir Bulychev


and also The Legend Of Lost Earth, 1977, Hope Campbell.


message 12: by Amy (Other Amy) (new)

Amy (Other Amy) I added those.


message 13: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart Thank you, Amy, for all the additions!


message 14: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart I removed The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away, which is from 2019.


message 15: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart I'm out of votes, so if anyone has room to add these, it would be appreciated!

Starluck
The Exchange Student
Nick and the Glimmung


message 16: by Amy (Other Amy) (new)

Amy (Other Amy) I added them :-)


message 17: by Capn (new)

Capn Thank you!


message 18: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart Awesome, thanks, Amy!


message 19: by Jessica (new)

Jessica Mr. Wuffles is a wordless picture book.

What about Sweetwater by Laurence Yep? Takes place on a colony on another planet.


message 20: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart Thanks for the heads up! I removed Mr. Wuffles.

Sweetwater, yep, definitely can be added in!


message 21: by Capn (new)

Capn Mr. Wuffles! fits in well on a list such as "Children's Picture Books with Aliens!": https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
(just FYI, if someone's looking for a similar list, but for a younger audience). ;)

Similarly, there's "Great Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Monster Picture Books": https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...


message 22: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart Few more to add, if anyone has room!

Collidescope
Stinker from Space
Escape from Splatterbang


message 23: by Amy (Other Amy) (new)

Amy (Other Amy) I had room. Added :)


message 24: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart Thank you, Amy!


message 26: by Capn (last edited Apr 05, 2023 08:54AM) (new)

Capn and Alien Game :)

and From the Thorenson Dykes - that's a crashed UFO on the cover, isn't it?! (Written by the same dude who brought you "Guess How Much I Love You?", of all things!)


message 27: by Cheryl (new)

Cheryl I just have to say, my favorite back in the day was The Forgotten Door. Even though it's short & relatively simple, and even though I was a good reader, I did read this over & over.


back to top



Related News

At the beginning of each calendar month, Goodreads’ editorial team assembles a list of the hottest and most popular new books hitting shelves,...

Anyone can add books to this list.