11 of Our Favorite Sci-Fi Books – 2021 Edition

“His legs and wrists were manacled and his body was held in tension between those four points. He could not move to stretch or adjust position. The cold hard floor beneath him was unforgiving. The wood behind him was rough and splintered. This room was hell’s antechamber.” After a vanishing assailant attacks Jonathan Fenton’s beloved wife, Jon naively embarks on a quest for revenge. A quest that takes him to the very reaches of reality – and beyond. He begins to discover the incredible story of his origin and his particular significance to the people of his world and others.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

Memoirs Found in a Bathtub is an interesting science fiction book that explores the paranoia and effects of an absolute security state has on individuals. It’s a good book to read if you want to “see things” from a different perspective.

If you’re a die-hard fan of emotional, fast-paced stories, you will enjoy reading this book by J.W. Lynne. The book is all about mystery, cinematic, and thrilling, that any person will love.

The Songs Of Distant earth is, quite simply, a genre defining book. This book is so much fun to read. It ticks pretty much every sci-fi trope you could imagine. The reason this book is so fascinating though is that it emerged at a time when Science Fiction was pretty much non-existent. It’s like reading the origin story of a whole Genre! Aliens, distant planets, mystery and suspense are all masterfully packed into a short read that is such a pleasure. Impossible to put down.

This haunting sci-fi book has grown in popularity over the years and is now a masterpiece within the science fiction world. It’s a feminist exploration of trauma and violence with warnings regarding climate change among a wide variety of highly relevant topics for today’s fast-paced, vocal society. It’s a wholly mysterious and enticing read.

Set in an overpopulated New York, the book explores food shortages and infrastructure in decay. The futuristic Soylent Green movie is based on the book as well. I believe that the questions posed within the book are still valid, especially if you consider that the spread of the Coronavirus currently puts the food supply in question.

One of the most moving and psychologically complex sci-fi mystery books, Before Mars, tells a story of Anna Kubrin, a well-known artist who battles the postpartum depression. Receiving an invitation to Mars as an escape proposal, Annie has a chance to become a resident geologist and free her mind at last. Arriving on the Red Planet, she realizes that this carefree life is very far from what she has expected. There are numerous twists and imagery that make Newman’s novel so powerful – the painting that warns Anna about possible danger, the dialogues with the psychiatrist, and her deeply personal reflections. All these elements add a sense of mystery to every page. Still, the main reason why this book stands out from the other science-fiction drama stories is Newman’s style. Each chapter contains masterful descriptions of the protagonist’s thought process that makes the book so logical and interconnected with the events. Before Mars is a story of conspiracy, self-denial, and inner searching. Combining clear narration with the well-written characters, the book sets an example of a story where science and fiction work together to create a one-of-a-kind futuristic mystery.

Sphere is a classic sci-fi book written in 1987 by Michael Crichton which would make it’s way to the big screen in 1998, in the popular movie starring Samuel L Jackson. The story is a psychological thriller, with an unpredictable ending that keeps readers on edge through the whole book. The story follows a team of scientists that investigate an alien ship buried deep in the ocean. Within the ship, the scientists are faced with the unimaginable, an alien intelligence taking over their thoughts and emotions, pitting them against each other. Sphere is still a great read, and a must-have book for all fans of science fiction and psy-thrillers. To this day it’s still considered one of the masterpieces of early science fiction literature.

The Code is a well written, thought provoking book about what happens if an AI suffers from mental illness. This book will appeal to SciFi fans as well as people interested in the topic of mental health. I found the characters to be very engaging, and I was rooting for them to save the world-and themselves in the process.

This is the first part of a series of four books, which has a biological mystery around it. The book starts with a boy named Thomas waking up with no memory. He finds himself around a group of young boys who also have no clue why they are there. All of them are surviving on their own. As Thomas gets to know his new surroundings, he finds that all of them are surrounded by a maze. Thomas along with his new found friends tries to understand the situation and find their way out. This book along with the other books in the series are a must read for any sci-fi enthusiast. It is hard to put down once you start it. The books have been turned into a series of movies.