What To Read

12 of the Best Sci-Fi Books to Transport You to Other Worlds

Honoring the birth date of Isaac Asimov, who wrote more than 500 sci-fi works, this Monday is National Science Fiction Day. Here are some of the must-reads in the genre ranging from classics to new releases.

Emmanuel Hidalgo-Wohlleben •

Dec 29th, 2022

A contemporary space adventure

The Martian by Andy Weir

You probably already know of the 2015 film with Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain by director Ridley Scott (Blader Runner, Alien). In this story set in the near future, an astronaut becomes stranded on Mars. In an essay included at the end of the print edition of the book, the author discusses how the actual conditions on Mars influenced the story. "Science creates plot! No need for meteor strikes — the surprises, catastrophes, and narrow escapes were coming fast and furious on their own."

A new sci-fi romance

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

This multi-award winning novella follows a pair of rival agents (and star-crossed lovers) known as Red and Blue as they traverse time and space in order to secure a future for their homelands. This unique book, published in 2022, leaps from the thrill of time travel and war to the thrill of romantic connection.

A must-read classic

Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

First translated to English from the original Russian in 1977, this edition of the Soviet-era cult classic includes a forward from legendary sci-fi and fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin. The book follows the aftermath of an extraterrestrial event called the Visitation that simultaneously took place in locations throughout Earth over a two-day period.

An apocalyptic satire

Severance by Ling Ma

Released to widespread acclaim, the 2018 Kirkus Prize for Fiction winner is a satire that follows the journey of a young and aimless office worker navigating her way through an apocalypse.

An icon of '60s counterculture

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

Along with Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke, Heinlein is one of the most influential sci-fi authors of the 20th century. This classic of the genre was included in the Library of Congress's list of "Books That Shaped America," and follows the journey of a human raised by Martians sent to Earth.

A high-concept thriller for fans of Black Mirror

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

Released in early 2022, this sci-fi thriller is now being adapted for the big screen by Parasite director Bong Joon-ho, with Robert Pattison staring as Mickey7. The story is about an "expendable" worker who refuses to allow his clone replacement take his place.

An existential horror story - one of the best of PKD

Ubik by Philip K. Dick

This 1969 novel, named one of the 100 best English-language novels published since 1923 by TIME, takes place in a distant 1992 where psychic powers have become weaponized by corporations. This is a great place to start for readers who are new to PKD.

An epic classic

Dune by Frank Herbert

This epic novel won the Hugo Award and inaugural Nebula Award in 1966, and has received renewed interest since the release of its 2021 film adaptation, which won six Academy Awards.

A classic from one of the "big 3" 20th-century sci-fi masters

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Asimov's iconic short stories won the Hugo Award's "Best All-Time Series" in 1966, beating J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings amongst other legendary collections.

A prescient novel that has never felt more relevant

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

This post-apocalyptic novel from the prolific author and MacArthur "Genius Grant" winner, Octavia Butler, provides a haunting glimpse into a world devastated by environmental and social crises.

A space opera trilogy

Lords of Uncreation by Adrian Tchaikovsky

From one of sci-fi's most popular contemporary author – this May will see the release of the last installment in the Final Architecture novel series, in which humanity is embattled in a galactic war against a race of enormous creatures with the capability to destroy entire planets. (See the first book in the series: Shards of Earth.)

A New York Times Editors' Choice Pick from 2022

Goliath by Tonye Onyebuchi

Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award winner Tonye Onyebuchi has written a kind of primal biblical epic that's flung into the future. In the 2050s, people with means have departed the great cities of the U.S. for the space colonies. As those left behind amidst crumbling infrastructure eke out an existence, their houses are uprooted and sent to space as quaint reminders of the world left behind.