The Best Science Fiction books

Although I read books of all sorts, the kind that I love the most is science fiction. The problem is that there just aren't that many good science fiction books out there. Most sci-fi writers are crap--that's all there is to it. I spend a good chunk of time every year trying to find good science fiction books, and have decided to put up a list of some of my favorites in order to hopefully save people some time and effort. A lot of these might seem like obvious choices to avid sci-fi readers, but that's only because they're so good that they're now considered classics.

I'm not going to list these in any order of preference, because it's just too hard to do. Instead I'm just listing some of my favorite picks by author--starting with my favorite sci-fi writer of all time: John Varley.

This is the first science fiction book that I read that just blew my mind. I couldn't get over how crazy and cool it was, and I still love it. It's my favorite science fiction book by a long shot, and every single person I've ever lent it to has become a huge fan. It's not for kids, with plenty of sex, violence, and profanity, but the important thing is that the characters are wonderful, the plot is perfectly paced, and John Varley is a phenomenal writer.

The Golden Globe is second to Steel Beach some days, and tied for first other days. I really, really love it, and it has some of the same characters as in Steel Beach. It is pretty different than Steel Beach plot-wise, but what it lacks (slightly) in action, it more than makes up for in wonderful characters and character development. There are so many memorable 'scenes' from this book it's hard to think about without just picking it up to re-read. Truly one of the best sci-fi books ever written.

The John Varley Reader is a great introduction to Varley's writing style for those who are unfamiliar with his work. It compiles many of his best short stories from his entire career, as well as many very interesting memories from Varley about what his life was like while he wrote them, where his ideas came from, and other interesting tidbits. I've gone to the trouble of tracking down all of his short story books seperately, but if you don't want to go to all that trouble, buying the John Varley reader will let you get your feet wet without having to become a collector.

What can be said about Neuromancer that hasn't already been said countless times already? It's possibly the most famous science fiction book of all time, and for good reason. William Gibson basically invented cyberpunk and coined the term 'cyberspace' long before the dawn of the internet age. Ahead of its time like all the best science fiction, this book foresaw many things that are taking place now. A great adventure story with tons of great characters and action. If you haven't read it and you like science fiction, you are seriously short-changing yourself.

There were plenty of novels in-between Neuromancer and this one, of varying quality. But this is the William Gibson book I think of when his name comes up. His writing quality is through the roof in Pattern Recognition, and even though it's far more character-driven than any of his previous books--and sci-fi in general--it is an absolutely stunning book that should be in every sci-fi fan's library. Gibson has really outdone himself with this one; I love it to death.

I know I said that Neuromancer is possibly the most famous sci-fi book of all time, but actually I know that this one is. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep was WAY ahead of its time when published, and still to this day looked at with reverence and pride by the sci-fi community. This book was the basis for the movie Blade Runner, arguably the best sci-fi movie of all time, and definitely one of the most popular. Don't claim to like sci-fi if you haven't read this classic.

For most people, this book is a home run. For me, it's still a classic, but I have a strong dislike for much of the second half of this book's plot. In fact, I found myself often skipping over large portions of pseudo-biblical gibberish while reading this book, and yet it still had so many great characters and memorable 'scenes' that it made it on my list. You have to read it if you like sci-fi; it's a legend of the genre.

I don't run across many people who've heard of this little book by Joshua Ortega, and that's really too bad. It is a little hard to get into the writing style at first, but once you do you'll be rewarded. There are plenty of great things here about capitalism, marketing, consumerism, and technology, but there are also great cars, cool weapons, great action, and good characters.

No science fiction book list is complete without this masterpiece. I think Frank Herbert was an absolute hack of a writer, with little to no talent, but this book was his one-hit wonder. It's so good I could read it twice in a row without losing interest. Unfortunately, all of the sequels are terrible, as are most of Frank Herbert's other books. The good news is: Dune is one of the greatest sci-fi books of all time, and stands on its own without the need to ever read the crap sequels.

Stranger in a Strange Land is definitely a classic sci-fi book. Lots of things from this book have become mainstream phrases. Heinlein is considered by many to be the greatest sci-fi writer of all time, and this is one of his best books. My parents read it before me, then I read it, and my kids will read it too. Due to its huge popuarity, it's one of the science fiction books most likely to be in a non-science fiction lover's library.

This book was made into a movie that some love, and some hate. I love the book AND the movie. It's got sex, violence, alien bugs, plenty of action, and quite a few interesting and memorable 'scenes.' If you're looking for a great fun adventure book with plenty of action, then look no further. This book has been one of my favorites to read every winter--I never get sick of it! 

This is a Heinlein gem that no one really talks about. It's about a group of school kids in a survival class that end up abandoned with no way home from a hostile planet. Part Lord of the Flies, and part cub scout adventure, this book is hard to put down--especially if you're a fan of survival adventures. I find myself reading this book every single winter and I never get tired of it. It's not a big grandiose epic; just a nice comfortable and extremely fun adventure book. Some people may not like the 50s style dialog, but that's when it was written, so it shouldn't be too big of a surprise. I find it endearing, myself.

A buddy of mine recently recommended this to me, and I'm really glad he did. Death is almost entirely a thing of the past in the world of Altered Carbon--instead of dying, people are just 're-sleeved' in new bodies. This has a strong detective element to it, and it's a lot of fun trying to figure out who's who, and what's what since the characters can change names, faces, and identities if they want to. There are two sequels to this book, and both are great. This is a really fun read, and you'll have trouble putting it down.

This is one of my favorite books of all time--not just in the science fiction genre. It focuses on the story of a young boy-genius who is carted off to a prestigious military academy to hopefully one day fight off the alien hordes threatening mankind. The pacing is perfect, the characters wonderfully deep and well-developed, the action exciting, and the surprise ending is great. Normally I hate surprise endings, but this time it really was a pleasure. I've recommended this book a few times, and always heard rave reviews. There are a bunch of sequels to this, but I've only read Ender's Shadow--which is an interesting re-telling of the original story from one of the supporting character's point of view. Really great stuff. Ender's game is a huge find for any science fiction lover.

 That's my list of the best of the best off the top of my head. If and when I think of other books that should make the list, I'll add them. If you guys have any suggestions, shoot! I'm always looking for great new books to read, and I probably missed some that should be on the list as well.