The Best Sci Fi Novels Ever

By Mattie MacDonald


Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World in 1931 and is considered one of the first real science fiction novels and a classic work of literature. Set in a dystopian future, the people are manipulated in a variety of psychological ways for the benefit of The World State. The novel shares many similarities with Orwell's 1984 and is considered one of the best best sci fi novels ever written.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is also set in a near-future dystopia. The title refers to the temperature at which paper spontaneously ignites and the firemen in the novel burn books. The plot revolves around fireman Guy Montag who lives a lonely and desolate existence where people never read, enjoy nature or think independently. Montag slowly begins to question the meaning of his life and finally discovers the value of literature and moves boldly to save the books and his own life.

Another classic science fiction novel is Dune by Frank Herbert. Set in a far away planet called Arrakis, the story revolves around a feuding family and their control over a drug called mellange that gives those who take it immortality. The protagonist, Duke Paul Atreide fights the families for his rightful place on the throne.

Phillip L Dick's novel. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep was turned into a cult movie known as Bladerunner. It is a post-apocalyptic story and humans have fled to Mars. While on Mars humans have androids that work for them as slaves. Many of the androids escaped and returned to earth. The book's protagonist, Rick Deckard is a bounty hunter who tracks down and retires these androids. He finds himself on a quest to find eight androids that killed their masters back on mars.

Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars is a must-read for any science fiction fan. It is set in the near future where humans have begun to colonise Mars. Back on Earth, arguments erupt regarding whether to make another Earth via terraforming or to leave the planet as it is.

The famous astro-physicist, Carl Sagan's novel Contact is set in the near future. The protagonist, Ellie Arroway works for SET and discovers radio signals from a planet 25 light years away, indicating that the planet contains intelligent life. The novel explores how humans may react when they make first contact with extra-terrestrial intelligence.

Issac Asimov's Foundation trilogy is set in the far distant future and humans have now colonized the galaxy. However, their empire is about to collapse due to bureaucracy, corruption and political turmoil. Historian Hai Seldon sets about starting a new dawn for humanity by bringing together scientists and scholars to produce a vast encyclopedia.

No science fiction novel list is complete without War of the Worlds by HG Wells. The story is well known; Earth is invaded by Martians operating giant tripod like vehicles using total war to subdue humanity because they covert the Earth's resources. When Orson Wells first read the story on the radio in 1938 many listeners began to panic, thinking that it was actual breaking news!




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