You are Here
Sci-Fi Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Books Of Science Fiction Genre

5 min read

As always, Top Ten Tuesday meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is: “Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Books of X Genre“. I decided to go with…science fiction! Because I think that in my blog I haven’t really reviewed or given any attention to this wonderful genre. In no particular order:

1. The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

“The Answer to the Great Question… Of Life, the Universe and Everything… Is… Forty-two,’ said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

2. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

The Three Laws of Robotics:
1: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; 2: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law;
3: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law;
The Zeroth Law: A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.”

3. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

Description: “It’s America in 1962. Slavery is legal once again. The few Jews who still survive hide under assumed names. In San Francisco, the I Ching is as common as the Yellow Pages. All because some twenty years earlier the United States lost a war—and is now occupied by Nazi Germany and Japan.”

4. The Martian by Andy Weir

Description:

A mission to Mars. A freak accident. One man’s struggle to survive.
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

“Yes, of course duct tape works in a near-vacuum. Duct tape works anywhere. Duct tape is magic and should be worshiped.”
― Andy Weir, The Martian

5. Jurassic Park by Michael Chricton

Description: A billionaire has created a technique to clone dinosaurs. From the DNA that his crack team of scientists extract, he is able to grow the dinosaurs in his laboratories and lock them away on an island behind electric fences, creating a sort of theme park. He asks a group of scientists from several different fields to come and view the park, but something goes terribly wrong when a worker on the island turns traitor and shuts down the power.

“God creates dinosaurs, God kills dinosaurs, God creates man, man kills God, man brings back dinosaurs.”
― Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park

6. Blindness by José Saramago

Description: “In an unnamed city in an unnamed country, a man sitting in his car waiting for a traffic light to change is suddenly struck blind. But instead of being plunged into darkness, this man sees everything white. A Good Samaritan offers to drive him home (and later steals his car); his wife takes him by taxi to a nearby eye clinic where they are ushered past other patients into the doctor’s office. Within a day the man’s wife, the taxi driver, the doctor and his patients, and the car thief have all succumbed to blindness. As the epidemic spreads, the government panics and begins quarantining victims in an abandoned mental asylum–guarded by soldiers with orders to shoot anyone who tries to escape.”

7. Wool by Hugh Howey (Silo #1)

Decription: In a ruined and hostile landscape, in a future few have been unlucky enough to survive, a community exists in a giant underground silo. To live, you must follow the rules. But some don’t. These are the dangerous ones; these are the people who dare to hope and dream, and who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple and deadly. They are allowed outside.

8. Dune by Frank Herbert

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
― Frank Herbert, Dune

9. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

“What I’m not sure about, is if our lives have been so different from the lives of the people we save. We all complete. Maybe none of us really understand what we’ve lived through, or feel we’ve had enough time.”
― Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go

10. Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve (The Hungry City Chronicles #1)

For all you steampunk lovers out there, this book is just a must read! Basically cities eating cities.

Description: “It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea.”
The great traction city London has been skulking in the hills to avoid the bigger, faster, hungrier cities loose in the Great Hunting Ground. But now, the sinister plans of Lord Mayor Mangus Crome can finally unfold.

And so so so many other books but I’ll play by the rules and keep it in just ten.
Pictures from Goodreads.

What are your favorite science fiction books? Happy TTT!

Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin

Related Posts

78 thoughts on “Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Books Of Science Fiction Genre”

  2. Ooh I can’t believe I’ve never heard of The Man in the High Castle before! I’m 100% adding that to my TBR. The Martian is totally forever going to be my favourite sci-fi!

    1. I love science fiction for the same reason I love fantasy, you discover what kind of a imaginations people have :D Book is very enjoyable too, also it has some funny parts that weren’t in the movie adaptation!

  6. When I saw your post, before actually clicking on it, I tried to guess the titles. It turns out I guessed the following right: Dune and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy! Ha, I’ve completely forgotten that Never Let Me Go is sci-fi, given the Ishiguro’s peculiar approach to the story.
    Blindness has long been on my TBR list! I really need to read it. Same for The Man in the High Castle and I,Robot, two books that many people talk a lot about. Asimov’s book to be honest sounds very promising.

    1. Ha! A mind reader! Though you need more practice, you only got 20% right … we have to do this more often.
      I’m quite sure you’d enjoy reading Saramago. His style reminds me of Huxley, Orwell and Kafka. Man in the High Castle and I Robot are definitely science fiction classics, very worth reading.

    1. I love science fiction for the same reason I love fantasy, you discover what kind of a imaginations people have :D Book is very enjoyable too, also it has some funny parts that weren’t in the movie adaptation!

  10. I’ve only read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; isn’t it just hilarious?! Wool has been recommend to me once before, so I think it’s high time I put it on my TBR. I have read some other books by Phillip Reeve, and I’ve loved them, just trying to find time to get around to the others! Great list! You just grew my TBR.

    1. Hilarious indeed! I’m sorry Douglas Adams passed away before I even read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for the first time o.o Wool is very entertaining. I only have read Buster Bayliss series by Reeve, Mortal Engines Quartet is just so much better. Hope you’ll like it! Hahaha that always seems to happen with TTT.

  11. When I saw your post, before actually clicking on it, I tried to guess the titles. It turns out I guessed the following right: Dune and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy! Ha, I’ve completely forgotten that Never Let Me Go is sci-fi, given the Ishiguro’s peculiar approach to the story.
    Blindness has long been on my TBR list! I really need to read it. Same for The Man in the High Castle and I,Robot, two books that many people talk a lot about. Asimov’s book to be honest sounds very promising.

    1. Ha! A mind reader! Though you need more practice, you only got 20% right … we have to do this more often.
      I’m quite sure you’d enjoy reading Saramago. His style reminds me of Huxley, Orwell and Kafka. Man in the High Castle and I Robot are definitely science fiction classics, very worth reading.

  12. I’m not a science fiction reader at all, but it was nice to read your list. It gave me some good ideas for when I’m ready to take a break from my normal contemporary reads. Sometimes it’s nice to have other go-to picks. Thanks for sharing!
    My TTT.

    1. Break free girl! :D No I think it’s important to read what you like otherwise there’s not much point. I usually stick with fantasy and science fiction myself. Thank you for reading, glad you found some books you’d like to read one day!

  14. So many of my favourite authors are on this list! I grew up addicted to Isaac Asimov, I loved the Robots of Dawn series. And of course Michael Crichton has long been one of my go-to authors – The Andromeda Strain is another favourite of mine from him. And Dune! So many great books!

    1. Robots of Dawn is one of my most favorite science fiction series! I was addicted to Crichton when I was younger, I think my favorite ones by him are Next and Micro. So many great books, so little time! :o

  16. I’ve only read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; isn’t it just hilarious?! Wool has been recommend to me once before, so I think it’s high time I put it on my TBR. I have read some other books by Phillip Reeve, and I’ve loved them, just trying to find time to get around to the others! Great list! You just grew my TBR.

    1. Hilarious indeed! I’m sorry Douglas Adams passed away before I even read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for the first time o.o Wool is very entertaining. I only have read Buster Bayliss series by Reeve, Mortal Engines Quartet is just so much better. Hope you’ll like it! Hahaha that always seems to happen with TTT.

  17. I’m not a science fiction reader at all, but it was nice to read your list. It gave me some good ideas for when I’m ready to take a break from my normal contemporary reads. Sometimes it’s nice to have other go-to picks. Thanks for sharing!
    My TTT.

    1. Break free girl! :D No I think it’s important to read what you like otherwise there’s not much point. I usually stick with fantasy and science fiction myself. Thank you for reading, glad you found some books you’d like to read one day!

  18. So many of my favourite authors are on this list! I grew up addicted to Isaac Asimov, I loved the Robots of Dawn series. And of course Michael Crichton has long been one of my go-to authors – The Andromeda Strain is another favourite of mine from him. And Dune! So many great books!

    1. Robots of Dawn is one of my most favorite science fiction series! I was addicted to Crichton when I was younger, I think my favorite ones by him are Next and Micro. So many great books, so little time! :o

  19. I haven’t read any of these! I grew up on high fantasy and never really made the switch over to science fiction until recently. I LOVED Illuminae and it’s encouraged me to try some more YA sci fi. Maybe some day I’ll be brave enough to try to read through this list? I have seen the Martian movie – phenomenal! Thanks for sharing!

    1. Oh lucky you growing up on high fantasy! That’s the best genre I know! :D I think you’d like Mortal Engines Quartet, it has more fantasy elements I think :) Movie was very entertaining! Thank you for reading! :)

  21. I’ve read Wool and though I never continued on with the series, I really liked that first book! It’s quite a unique setting.

    And Never Let Me Go is just upsetting to me. Like I love the story, but it depresses me. 🙈

    1. It was unique setting indeed! Haha oh I have a problem with not finishing series, no matter if I actually like them or not. It is a depressing book, like are many other books of Ishiguro. Haha but I had to have it on my list.

  23. I haven’t read any of these! I grew up on high fantasy and never really made the switch over to science fiction until recently. I LOVED Illuminae and it’s encouraged me to try some more YA sci fi. Maybe some day I’ll be brave enough to try to read through this list? I have seen the Martian movie – phenomenal! Thanks for sharing!

    1. Oh lucky you growing up on high fantasy! That’s the best genre I know! :D I think you’d like Mortal Engines Quartet, it has more fantasy elements I think :) Movie was very entertaining! Thank you for reading! :)

  25. I’ve read Wool and though I never continued on with the series, I really liked that first book! It’s quite a unique setting.

    And Never Let Me Go is just upsetting to me. Like I love the story, but it depresses me. 🙈

    1. It was unique setting indeed! Haha oh I have a problem with not finishing series, no matter if I actually like them or not. It is a depressing book, like are many other books of Ishiguro. Haha but I had to have it on my list.

  28. I’ve read most of these, except The Martian and Mortal Engines. Oh, and Jurassic Park, but, because of the films, I feel like I’ve already read it. :) The Martian has been recommended everywhere so it was definitely on my radar, but Mortal Engines wasn’t. I’ll have to check it out. It sounds great!

    1. I tend to think that books are always better than movie adaptations, however I think all the films turned Jurassic Park into a legend! :D Mortal Engines is older book series but one of my most favorite scifi/fantasy series so I would definitely recommend it! :)

  30. I’ve read most of these, except The Martian and Mortal Engines. Oh, and Jurassic Park, but, because of the films, I feel like I’ve already read it. :) The Martian has been recommended everywhere so it was definitely on my radar, but Mortal Engines wasn’t. I’ll have to check it out. It sounds great!

    1. I tend to think that books are always better than movie adaptations, however I think all the films turned Jurassic Park into a legend! :D Mortal Engines is older book series but one of my most favorite scifi/fantasy series so I would definitely recommend it! :)

  33. Some great choices! Almost anything by Asimov ticks my box. I don’t see ‘The Man in the High Castle’ strictly as science fiction, but that doesn’t really matter. I’ve seen the Martian movie but haven’t read the book. Heinlein’s ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ is good, and Ursula le Guin.

    1. You just made a very valid point! I guess it is more of alternative history…but I did receive Hugo Award…we can count it in. Few will notice.
      Ursula Le Guin is fantastic! Have to read Heinlein.

  34. Some great choices! Almost anything by Asimov ticks my box. I don’t see ‘The Man in the High Castle’ strictly as science fiction, but that doesn’t really matter. I’ve seen the Martian movie but haven’t read the book. Heinlein’s ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ is good, and Ursula le Guin.

    1. You just made a very valid point! I guess it is more of alternative history…but I did receive Hugo Award…we can count it in. Few will notice.
      Ursula Le Guin is fantastic! Have to read Heinlein.

Leave a Reply