This post was inspired by a post over on AbeBooks.com where they listed their top 50 sci-fi reads. I agree with a lot of their recommendations, and they left off a few of my faves.
Tales from the Spaceport Bar is an oldie but a goodie at the top of my list. It’s an anthology, and the title pretty much tells it all. A wide variety of stories from a talented mix of authors. (You’ll have to get this one used in print, but the others are available in e-book.)
That being said, I’ll keep this short and sweet and get to my basics, since the AbeBooks post covers a lot of good ground. Feel free to list your personal sci-fi faves in the comments!
The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison. (First read this in 8th grade, assigned reading. LOVED it!)
The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. (This version has all five books in that series.)
Firelands: A Post-Apocalyptic Tale by Piper Bayard. (One of the most recent ones on this list.)
Ray Bradbury. (Asking me to pick my favorite of his is impossible. I love them all.)
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank. (Read this in high school and scared the piss out of me. I’m from Florida, and it was toward the end of the Cold War. Enough said?)
The Stand by Stephen King. (This is the full version, with restored material.)
Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. (Even better, this version’s FREE.)
I, Robot is my favorite Isaac Asimov book, but again, as with Bradbury, there are SO many.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. (This should be a must-read.)
Refugee: Bio of a Space Tyrant (Book 1) by Piers Anthony. (Another 8th grade reading assignment. What were they thinking? But really shaped my views about space opera.)
On the Beach by Nevil Shute. (I’ve mentioned this book before. It stayed with me and chilled me to the core.)
The Children of Men by PD James. (Another that chilled me in many ways.)
Feel free to chime in with your favorite sci-fi reads (any sub-genre) in the comments!
Now Available:
- Liability (Suncoast Society 33, MMF, BDSM)
- Power of Three (Triple Trouble 8, MFMM, wolf shifters)
- By the Embers Dies the Fire (Triple Trouble 9, MFMM, wolf shifters)
Coming Soon:
- Switchy (Suncoast Society 34, MMF, BDSM)
- Dual Porpoise (Placida Pod 5, MF)
- Rhymes With Orange (Suncoast Society 35, MMMF, BDSM)
I would add everything by Lois McMaster Bujold, and
Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
Dean Koontz was always a favorite of mine.
Sector General stories by James White.
Courtship Rite by Donald Kingsbury was one of my all-time favorite sci-fi stories. This is one that you’ll have to look for at a used book seller.
I love lots of Robert Heinlein’s stuff. I think he would be my favorite. Revolt in 2100, Friday, Methuselah’s Children, and the Number of the Beast are just some of his titles. He also had collections of short stories that were very good. I also love Douglas Adams.