3.92 avg rating — 2,161 ratings

"Famous adventure tale that practically launched the genre in 1864."

3.83 avg rating — 348,975 ratings

"The Martians come to England. A famous example of invasion literature from 1898."

3.99 avg rating — 2,071,295 ratings

"Set in 2540, this novel imagines a radically different future. So good, it's taught in schools."

3.93 avg rating — 2,394 ratings

"Earth must be evacuated because another planet is on a collision course. "

3.69 avg rating — 1,703 ratings

"A superhuman novel where supernormal abilities lead to conflict."

4.20 avg rating — 5,437,808 ratings

"Social sci-fi from the era of Soviet growth where a nasty political system defines the plot."

3.94 avg rating — 34,028 ratings

"Written shortly after Hiroshima, this post-apocalyptic novel imagines the rebuilding process."

4.17 avg rating — 594,948 ratings

"The original novel in a pioneering series. An immense plot that I cannot sum up in a sentence."

4.13 avg rating — 107,648 ratings

"18 masterful and highly imaginative short stories from one of the genre's masters."

3.96 avg rating — 33,863 ratings

"First Hugo winner. A science fiction detective novel featuring telepathy."

3.81 avg rating — 2,218 ratings

"Clever invasion novel from the 1950s where aliens introduce devices to disrupt Earth's economy."

3.90 avg rating — 7,615 ratings

"A world-building novel on a planet with variable surface gravity. Insect-like locals, human explorers."

3.68 avg rating — 2,815 ratings

"Following a nuclear war, religious sects create an anti-technology society."

3.93 avg rating — 62,010 ratings

"Set way in the future in a fundamentalist society. Telepathy makes people different."

3.89 avg rating — 11,018 ratings

"A virus kills off all strains of grasses & causes a famine. England descends into anarchy."

4.01 avg rating — 245,969 ratings

"Fine example of military science fiction from the late 1950s. A war against bugs."

4.15 avg rating — 157,594 ratings

"Douglas Adams described it as a "tour de force" – a novel set amid a Martian invasion of Earth."

4.09 avg rating — 48,486 ratings

"Frank imagines the effects of nuclear war on a small town in Florida."

3.99 avg rating — 119,176 ratings

"Post-apocalyptic science fiction where monks are trying to preserve vital books and humanity."

3.71 avg rating — 2,106 ratings

"20th century Charlie Johns wakes in a future filled with overpopulation, bigotry, and no gender."

3.98 avg rating — 130,217 ratings

"Humans study a planet while the planet studies them. A novel about miscommunication."

3.47 avg rating — 20,698 ratings

"The ice-caps melt and the world floods. Set in 2145, the protagonist has adapted rather well."

3.62 avg rating — 6,267 ratings

"An ecological-themed novel set in the far future with fantasy elements."

3.97 avg rating — 1,282,657 ratings

"Children's fiction, with fantasy elements, where a government scientist goes missing."

4.29 avg rating — 1,621,791 ratings

"This novel has sold 12 million copies so can't be bad. Spice before the Spice Girls."

3.71 avg rating — 9,660 ratings

"Set in 1999, a novel about over-population. Basis for the movie, Soylent Green."

3.64 avg rating — 12,902 ratings

"Age-themed science fiction. Everyone is killed off at 21 but there are "runners.""

4.09 avg rating — 511,247 ratings

"A bounty hunter tracks down escaped androids in a post-apocalyptic future."

4.10 avg rating — 219,473 ratings

"Le Guin is prolific and a must-read for everyone. This book details an imagined universe."

3.76 avg rating — 8,248 ratings

"A time travel story where a man goes from 1970 back to AD 28 to meet Jesus."

4.12 avg rating — 183,760 ratings

"A classic set in the 22nd century, an alien starship enters the solar system. "

4.20 avg rating — 893 ratings

"Roadside Picnic is a classic alien-encounter story from Russia's most important sci-fi writers."

3.46 avg rating — 8,999 ratings

"A novel following the lives of four women in parallel worlds. Feminist sci-fi."

3.75 avg rating — 8,716 ratings

"Cyborg (where man & machine combine) science fiction as humans attempt to colonise Mars."

4.35 avg rating — 833,309 ratings

"Apocalyptic novel where a virus kills off most people and it is nightmarish for survivors. "

4.22 avg rating — 2,011,493 ratings

"A radio series. Adams introduced a huge and much-needed dose of humor into the genre."

4.07 avg rating — 3,217 ratings

"Imagines the Humanx Commonwealth where humans exist alongside aliens."

4.31 avg rating — 1,471,526 ratings

"Violent futuristic sci-fi where the Earth is threatened by an ant-like species."

3.85 avg rating — 100,383 ratings

"Pure space opera. First in the Culture series, this novel features a sprawling space war between species."

3.84 avg rating — 23,036 ratings

"Quaddies are genetically modified humans used as slaves. They become obsolete and face a grim end."

3.86 avg rating — 88,556 ratings

"First in a readable trilogy imagining the colonisation of Mars."

3.97 avg rating — 640 ratings

"Biopunk short story collection – a spin-off from cyberpunk featuring biotechnology."

4.23 avg rating — 116,853 ratings

"Historical science fiction adored by Geeks for its technology themes."

3.84 avg rating — 707,582 ratings

"A novel based on cosmetic surgery for teenagers. Modern science fiction on a modern issue."

3.92 avg rating — 53,140 ratings

"Modern cyberpunk in post-9/11 era. Teenage hackers battle Homeland Security over civil rights."

4.44 avg rating — 966 ratings

"Post-modern plot in a graphic novel. A sci-fi writer & his girlfriend are the last humans on Earth."

3.90 avg rating — 34,560 ratings

"Set in a small town on a distant planet, this 2011 novel depicts interaction between aliens & humans."

3.94 avg rating — 128,730 ratings

"From the golden era of the early 1970s. Set in 2850 in a radically different universe."

4.23 avg rating — 223,547 ratings

"Scalzi’s debut saw humans fighting aliens Heinlein-style except old people pull the trigger."