11 of The Best Unorthodox Sci-Fi Books

“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.

Despite the rather rubbish 2013 film, the 1985 novel is a true Sci-Fi classic that is perfect for its YA audience. The book is set in a dystopian future where Earth is preparing for an invasion following 2 previous wars against an alien race called the Formics. Earth’s plan is a Battle School where it trains gifted children into commanders and sub-commanders ready to defeat the Formics. The protagonist, Ender endures a tough time at the school whilst rising to become a top commander uncovering some difficult truths along the way. Ender’s Game is a great Sci-Fi book that also explorers relatable issues its readers will likely be facing such as sibling rivalry, bullying, friendship, and facing difficult decisions. It’s a hugely enjoyable book that everyone should read.

I consider it an excellent sci-fi book for young adults. The main characters are a bunch of very different people who continuously show how even the hardest obstacles can be overcome with proper teamwork. Leviathan Wakes is the first of the eight-book series The Expanse. In every book, they somehow find themselves in the center of the storm and come out even stronger than before. As a bonus, the last book is still in writing, so new fans have time to catch up before the showdown.

A great collection of handpicked science fiction stories from 1929 to 1964 never let you go unamused. So why buy a single book written by an only writer which revolves around just one story? Be wise and pay to get more in one book, which is even accredited by the science fiction writers of America.

Hank Green’s debut novel covers the experience of going viral on social media with an unexpected twist: an alien invasion that one new blogger is tasked with researching. AN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE THING is strange at its best; the book covers an unprecedented phenomenon and accurately describes how today’s world would deal with it. Are we equipped to deal with unexplained extraterrestrial contact? Green’s book hits exactly the right tone with youth, and understands how this wacky intersection of social media + science fiction works. Definitely a must-read for any YouTube fanatics who just know there’s life somewhere else out there.

When the concept of virtual reality first blew up, it seemed almost unreal and other wordly. Marie Lu’s WARCROSS takes VR a step further, with a virtual gaming competition in a *Hunger Games* style. The game in the book, Warcross, is a way of life for tens of millions of players. Users are immediately transported while playing, and the descriptions of the game are so realistic it will instantly make readers want to download something similar. WARCROSS takes readers across dimensions, through love and loss, and into multitudes of themes.

From renowned author James Patterson comes the hit young adult series MAXIMUM RIDE, a story about six unparented kids with the ability to fly. The first book, THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT, dives into a new world with enemies, friends, and the intersection between saving the world and destroying it.

When an asteroid knocks the moon closer to Earth, modern life shifts in more ways than just the physical. During our current pandemic, we’re all too familiar with looting and grocery store hoarding, but LIFE AS WE KNEW IT takes the survivor mindset with a sci-fi twist. As the world everyone knew becomes increasingly more troubled, protagonist Miranda chronicles her experiences in an almost thriller-like way. A definite page turner.

This book by J.N. Chaney makes you think about how life could change with all the different experiments and tests in the world. It is a gripping tale of a possible future for humanity or rather the remnants of humanity. The author explained that Imagine a dead world with a poisonous atmosphere. The last remaining humans have created a new life underground. The women who are chosen as Mother’s raise children until they are seven. The children then have their first birthday, after which they go away to attend school, and they never see their Mothers again. The children have been genetically altered in the hope that they can breathe the poisonous air on the surface. There are many miscarriages, and infant mortality is high, only a few go on to continue their education.

Jeff Seagrave and his crew steal devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light. For quite some time, Jeth has been able to fly under the radar of the government who murdered his parents for treason,for some time. HOwever, when he finds information that both the government and his crime bosses are seeking, Jeath can not escape his past anymore. With romance, mystery, this sci-fi book is a perfect read.

The Giver is a classic book that young adults will actually be happy to read. It tells the story of a boy named Jonas who lives in a perfect world where there is no pain and no war. Yet there are also no choices. When Jonas is twelve he’s selected to be trained by The Giver, the sole being who holds memories of pain and pleasure. Only once Jonas becomes The Receiver does he start to understand his world more deeply.