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The best science-fiction books of all time
From space operas to postapocalyptic thrillers, these otherworldly gems will transport you
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Science fiction’s greatest books peer into the future and ask readers to imagine life beyond our own — for both better and worse. These are essential works by visionary authors.
‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’ by Philip K. Dick (1968)
Set in 2021, after a World War that wiped out millions, Philip K. Dick’s darkly prescient novel inspired the blockbuster film “Blade Runner.” It follows bounty hunter Rick Deckard as he hunts rogue androids hiding among Earth’s humans. “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” is a “weighty foray” into what makes us human and will “linger with you for a long time,” said Esquire. ($18, Penguin Random House, Amazon)
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Orson Scott Card’s “Ender” series, a gateway into the genre, has captivated many burgeoning science-fiction fans. The first book, “Ender’s Game,” is a “high-stakes, militaristic twist on sci-fi,” said Reader’s Digest. The series will appeal to those who “enjoy reading historical fiction and novels about war.” ($20, Macmillan, Amazon)
‘Parable of the Sower’ by Octavia E. Butler (1993)
Octavia E. Butler’s “Parable of the Sower” follows teenage prophet Lauren Oya Olamina as she navigates creating a new religion in an eerily familiar, postapocalyptic California of 2024. This first half of a duology feels like a “plea to America, echoing through time and begging us to remember principles we are all weaker for having forgotten,” said The New York Times. ($24, Seven Stories Press, Amazon)
‘The Three-Body Problem’ by Cixin Liu (2006)
Cixin Liu’s Hugo Award-winning “Remembrance of Earth’s Past” trilogy starts with “The Three-Body Problem,” a thrilling tale of extraterrestrial contact set against China’s Cultural Revolution. The book marks the rise of an author who has “become every bit as canonical” as other famous novelists of the genre, said Esquire. ($19, Macmillan, Amazon)
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Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.
