So You Want to Read Science Fiction

Science fiction literature has captured readers’ attention for hundreds of years. Who doesn’t imagine what happens up in the stars, or if life might exist beyond our planet? Sci-fi stories, in many ways, are attempts to answer those questions, but they turn attention to our own world as well. Authors have used stories about alien civilizations, starship crews, and the post-apocalyptic earth to tackle themes of colonialism, totalitarianism, and climate change.

Over its long and storied history, sci-fi literature has had no lack of titles that have filled readers with wonder and introspection about our place in the cosmos. From Frankenstein to Murderbot, here are 11 books that are great places to start if you want to read sci-fi.

Classic sci-fi: “Dune” by Frank Herbert

Published at the end of the “Golden Age of Sci-Fi,” Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel “Dune” is one of the most iconic examples of Western classic sci-fi literature. The novel follows Paul Atreides, the heir to a feudal house on a far-off planet, who is drawn into political turmoil on a desert planet known for its valuable spice. The best part of “Dune” is its expansive, richly-imagined universe, built to perfectly suit the novel’s environmentalist themes. And if you’re interested in more, Herbert wrote five more books in the “Dune” universe — although, in my opinion, the first one remains the best.

Space opera: “A Memory Called Empire” by Arkady Martine

Space opera is a sci-fi subgenre that emphasizes grand scale and interplanetary politics, with technological realism taking a backseat to fantastical worldbuilding. Arkady Martine’s 2019 novel “A Memory Called Empire,” the first in the Teixcalaan duology, is a modern example of space opera and a skillful exploration into the seductive allure of empire. The novel follows Mahit Dzmare, an ambassador from a small space station, who has been sent to the center of the powerful Teixcalaanli Empire to investigate a murder. Martine’s duology also introduces one of the coolest sci-fi gadgets I’ve ever read about — the imago-machine, a device that implants the memories of a deceased person into the brain of a new “host.”

Dystopian fiction: “Chain-Gang All-Stars” by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

The subgenre of dystopian fiction is set in a future where the world has been plunged into disarray, usually either from a natural disaster or government oppression. Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s 2023 novel “Chain-Gang All-Stars,” a National Book Award finalist, takes place in a future United States where prisoners have the chance to fight to the death in a televised gladiator ring in exchange for their freedom. Adjei-Brenyah uses this novel’s dystopian setting to make a resounding indictment of systemic racism and the American carceral state, supplementing the book with footnotes that list real statistics to show how such a future is chillingly close to our modern day.

Alien contact: “The Left Hand of Darkness” by Ursula K. Le Guin

The idea of contact with aliens has inspired fiction authors since H.G. Wells’s “The War of the Worlds” in the 1800s. Ursula K. Le Guin’s 1969 novel “The Left Hand of Darkness” is a stellar example of this subgenre. It follows Genly Ai, a man from earth who is sent as an envoy to a planet of beings called the Ekumen. What makes this novel stand out among similar titles is how it stands in conversation with gender. The Ekumen are genderless and have no fixed sex, and Le Guin crafts their society to reflect that. Heart-wrenching and beautifully written, “The Left Hand of Darkness” is a must-read for any sci-fi fan.

Cozy sci-fi: “Light from Uncommon Stars” by Ryka Aoki

Sometimes you want a sci-fi story that just feels like a hug. Ryka Aoki’s “Light from Uncommon Stars,” published in 2020, is a cozy standalone novel about virtuosic violinists, Faustian bargains, and an alien family who runs a doughnut shop. Following violin prodigy Katrina Nguyen and her teacher who made a deal with the Devil, “Light from Uncommon Stars” is a novel that centers trans and Asian experiences through its several intertwining storylines, and the story results in happy endings for all.

Sci-fi horror: “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley came up with the idea for “Frankenstein” when she was 19, after being challenged to a ghost story competition while spending an unusually cloudy summer at a Swiss lake villa with her sister, her husband, and two friends. This is the most metal origin story ever for a novel that arguably created the genre of science fiction. “Frankenstein” is a meditation on the consequences of science, a reflection of Shelley’s experience with motherhood, and much more.

Literary sci-fi: “The Memory Police” by Yoko Ogawa

Sometimes books straddle the line between literary realism and sci-fi. If you’re used to the style and pace of literary fiction, Yoko Ogawa’s “The Memory Police” is a good place to venture into sci-fi. Published in Japanese in 1994 and translated into English by Stephen Snyder in 2019, the novel is set on a dystopian island under the control of the Memory Police, who regularly “disappear” objects from the island, causing most — but not all — of the inhabitants to quickly forget about their existence. This is a slow-moving, quietly unsettling novel from the perspective of a narrator who can’t trust her own memory.

Climate fiction: “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia E. Butler

Climate change is scary. Reading climate fiction can make it seem even scarier! Octavia E. Butler’s “Parable of the Sower” — and its sequel, “Parable of the Talents” — imagines a future where the United States has been ravaged by climate change, wealth inequality, and an authoritarian presidency. (And the scariest part? The book takes place in 2024.) The novel follows Lauren Olamina, a girl who can physically feel the pain of people around her, as she amasses a group of people to establish a safe community and, eventually, spread her Earthseed religion. “Parable of the Sower” is bleak and often brutal, so heed content warnings before reading. But through dark circumstances, Butler’s work always holds a spark of hope.

Science fantasy: “Gideon the Ninth” by Tamsyn Muir

How does one explain “Gideon the Ninth”? The first novel in Tamsyn Muir’s The Locked Tomb series, “Gideon the Ninth” is a genre-defying blend of sci-fi, fantasy, and even mystery elements. The book follows Gideon Nav, a lesbian sword enthusiast and servant to teenage necromancer Harrowhark Nonagesimus, as they travel to a gothic mansion on a far-future earth to complete trials and become their God’s right hand. There’s genuinely nothing else like it, and Gideon’s irreverent — and often hilarious — narration will get you emotionally invested from the first page.

Bite-sized sci-fi: “All Systems Red” by Martha Wells

Martha Wells’s Murderbot series, which follows a rogue security robot with a dry sense of humor and an extensive interest in soapy TV serials, is widely beloved. “All Systems Red,” the first installment of the series, introduces the reader to the titular Murderbot as he accompanies a crew of scientists to a planet that turns out to be more dangerous than it seems. At only 160 pages, “All Systems Red” is perfect for a quick read. The six other books in the series, most of which are similarly short reads, are also worth picking up if you liked the first.

YA sci-fi: “Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything” by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Young adult literature is a thriving genre with plenty of notable sci-fi titles added each year. Raquel Vasquez Gilliland’s “Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything,” published in 2019, is an underrated gem. The novel follows Sia Martinez, a high schooler whose mother has been deported from the United States. She believes that her mother is dead — until an alien spaceship crashes in front of her car, carrying her mother inside. This is a genre-bending, completely unpredictable, and deeply emotional story that will touch teenage and adult readers alike.

—Staff writer Samantha H. Chung can be reached at samantha.chung@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @samhchung.