13 Sci-Fi Books that Everyone Should Read Once in Their Lives

The best way to travel to another world or planet is by reading s sci-fi novel. With so many classics out there, choosing one to read isn’t always easy. That is why we decided to create a list of the 13 sci-fi books that everyone should read once in their lives. Keep reading to find out which books made our list!

There isn’t another genre like science fiction. Even though it is often times mentioned together with fantasy novels, it is too unique to be combined together. They share a few elements but just within a few pages, you can tell which one is which.

Our fascination with sci-fi is everlasting, from Frankenstein being the first sci-fi novel to be written to modern novels pushing the genre forward. As our understanding of the universe has grown, new ideas and fears have made an appearance in recent literature.

But some ideas like time travel and meeting new life forms will stay around for a long time. These novels cover popular themes that we always seem to gravitate to. You can see the full list below!

13 Sci-Fi Books that Everyone Should Read

• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle  
• The Time Machine by H. G. Wells  
• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
• Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley  
• 1984 by George Orwell
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick  
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
• The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
• Dune by Frank Herbert  
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley  

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

One of my all-time favorite novels and series has to be The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The writing is brilliant and the humor is timeless. The fate of planet Earth is at stake yet Adams has the reader laughing throughout the book. This novel changed the way I saw sci-fi novels and became a lifelong fan of sci-fi novels.

The Time Machine

The concept of time travel by a vehicle moving forward or purposely travel forward or backward in time was first introduced in The Time Machine by H. G. Wells. This was Wells first novel and it has become memorable for its invention of time travel, a term Wells is credited as creating. While this novel does leave a lot to be desired, its influence on the science fiction genre cannot be ignored.

Station Eleven

Emily St. John Mendel’s novel Station Eleven is one of the best dystopian novels ever written. It is about a band of actors and musicians who travel around the Great Lake region in a post-apocalyptic word. But the band runs into trouble when they encounter a self-proclaimed ‘Prophet’ who uses violence to get whatever he desires.

Frankenstein

When talking about must read sci-fi novels, then Frankenstein is a must. Not only because it is the first but because it is a great novel. Even two centuries later, readers still flock to this novel as Mary Shelley makes us wonder who is right; Frankenstein or his monster? And yes, the monster’s name is not Frankenstein but the doctor’s.

Hyperion

A sci-fi novel that you will get immersed in is Hyperion by Dan Simmons. It follows a group of people who travel to Hyperion, and the travelers share their stories of how they were chosen for the pilgrimage. The writing, storytelling, and world building make this one of the best sci-fi books out there.

Conclusion

These are the 13 sci-fi books that everyone should read once in their lives. How many of these novels have you read? What other sci0fi novels are must reads in your opinion? Let us know in the comments below!

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