With the sheer variety of literary genres, it's almost surprising that so many book lovers get stuck reading only one type of book. Some serious readers even go so far as to read only novels that have won a slew of prizes or are considered classics and they won't think about reading a 'light' genre such as sci-fi. Little do they know that many of the award-winning classics they prefer are also some of the best science fiction books in history.
Science fiction, more often called sci-fi, encompasses many different subgenres. They may focus on technological innovations, on societal structures or both. Monsters, aliens, outer space, cyberspace, time travel, mad scientists and post-apocalyptic societies are just some themes you may find in the genre. What makes sci-fi so enjoyable to read is that the authors come up with highly imaginative ideas, some of which even became a reality long after the works were published.
Sci-fi has a long history, with authors as far back as the 2nd century already beginning to explore it. Many later sci-fi experts say that the genre really started early in the 17th century with the publication of Johannes Kepler's novel 'Somnium'. Some of the classics from the 18th and early 19th century were really sci-fi too, including Jonathan Swift's timeless adventure story 'Gulliver's Travels' and Mary Shelley's dark novel 'Frankenstein'.
The Industrial Revolution and the innovation that came with it became inspiration for many a writer. Two of the most influential were H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. They're often regarded as the 'fathers of science fiction'. Wells explored themes such as time travel and alien invasion while Verne imagined fantastic journeys into the depths of Earth.
Among the most famous and most acclaimed sci-fi writers are Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. Some of the works of George Orwell and Aldous Huxley can be regarded as sci-fi too, such as 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' and 'Brave New World'. The latter, which centered around cloning, is an example of a novel where an idea that seemed far-fetched at the time later became a scientific reality.
Many writers who aren't normally known for sci-fi have written classics in the genre. Mark Twain did it with 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court', featuring time travel. Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote some sci-fi poems. Among the Nobel Prize laureates who explored sci-fi themes are British writer Doris Lessing, Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges and Portuguese writer Jose Saramago.
Many sci-fi novels have been made into movies. They include several film versions of 'Frankenstein', 'Planet of the Apes' and the works of Jules Verne. Other classics include 'The Andromeda Strain', the 'Jurassic Park' series, 'A Clockwork Orange', '2001: A Space Odyssey', 'Dune' and 'A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe'.
To find great sci-fi novels, you can ask at your local library or bookstore. Even better is to check online booksellers. In this way you can read the reviews first, because like in any other genre, there are great works but also ones that are terrible.
Science fiction, more often called sci-fi, encompasses many different subgenres. They may focus on technological innovations, on societal structures or both. Monsters, aliens, outer space, cyberspace, time travel, mad scientists and post-apocalyptic societies are just some themes you may find in the genre. What makes sci-fi so enjoyable to read is that the authors come up with highly imaginative ideas, some of which even became a reality long after the works were published.
Sci-fi has a long history, with authors as far back as the 2nd century already beginning to explore it. Many later sci-fi experts say that the genre really started early in the 17th century with the publication of Johannes Kepler's novel 'Somnium'. Some of the classics from the 18th and early 19th century were really sci-fi too, including Jonathan Swift's timeless adventure story 'Gulliver's Travels' and Mary Shelley's dark novel 'Frankenstein'.
The Industrial Revolution and the innovation that came with it became inspiration for many a writer. Two of the most influential were H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. They're often regarded as the 'fathers of science fiction'. Wells explored themes such as time travel and alien invasion while Verne imagined fantastic journeys into the depths of Earth.
Among the most famous and most acclaimed sci-fi writers are Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. Some of the works of George Orwell and Aldous Huxley can be regarded as sci-fi too, such as 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' and 'Brave New World'. The latter, which centered around cloning, is an example of a novel where an idea that seemed far-fetched at the time later became a scientific reality.
Many writers who aren't normally known for sci-fi have written classics in the genre. Mark Twain did it with 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court', featuring time travel. Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote some sci-fi poems. Among the Nobel Prize laureates who explored sci-fi themes are British writer Doris Lessing, Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges and Portuguese writer Jose Saramago.
Many sci-fi novels have been made into movies. They include several film versions of 'Frankenstein', 'Planet of the Apes' and the works of Jules Verne. Other classics include 'The Andromeda Strain', the 'Jurassic Park' series, 'A Clockwork Orange', '2001: A Space Odyssey', 'Dune' and 'A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe'.
To find great sci-fi novels, you can ask at your local library or bookstore. Even better is to check online booksellers. In this way you can read the reviews first, because like in any other genre, there are great works but also ones that are terrible.
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