Science fiction novels are often mislabelled as hard to read or the domain of the scientifically minded. Readers tend to avoid them for fear of difficulty. This is simply not the case. Science fiction is a broad term for a very large genre of novels which contains some great literature.
There are many sub-genres in science fiction and there really is something for everyone.
Apocalyptic, Post-Apocalyptic and Dystopian Novels
This genre focuses on the world as we know it, as it is ending or after it has ended. This genre explores how humanity would cope if we were hit with a large scale crisis and what 'could happen' in the future.
- Nineteen-Eighty Four – George Orwell
- The Road – Cormac McCarthy
- The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
- Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
- The Handmaid's Tale – Margaret Atwood
- Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro
Alien Novels
These novels are probably what most people think of when they think of science fiction. There are many novels which deal with alien invasions or making contact with other beings. Not all of these are in the same vein as the b-grade alien movies we are used to seeing, there is some really great literature in this sub-genre.
- Stranger in a Strange Land – Robert A. Heinlein
- K-Pax – Gene Brewer
- War of the Worlds – H.G. Wells
Classic Science Fiction Novels
The science fiction genre has great literature and some novels have been labelled classics. These are a must read if you wish to see what makes a great science fiction novel.
- Dune – Frank Herbert
- Foundation - Isaac Asimov
- A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? – Phillip K. Dick
- Gateway – Frederick Pohl
- A Journey to the Centre of the Earth – Jules Verne
Cyberpunk Novels
Cyberpunk is a blend of the words, cybernetics and punk. This genre of literature often focuses on a future earth which is high-tech but with a very bleak outlook. The characters in these novels are often hackers who have issues with artificial intelligence and megacorporations. These worlds can be seen as post-industrial dystopias, where technology has resulted in problems for the human race.
- Neuromancer – William Gibson
- Count Zero – William Gibson
Humourous Science Fiction Novels
A light, easy to read sub-genre of science fiction, are humourous science fiction novels. These novels are a non-serious take on the science fiction genre.
- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
- The Eyre Affair – Jasper Fforde
Military Science Fiction Novels
Military science fiction novels deal with combat in futuristic locations. This could be on another planet, in space or on our future earth. The bad guys in these novels range from aliens, machines and future humans, who have evolved or have been genetically or artifcially modified in some way. The weaponry in this genre is high-tech and lethal. Some authors use this sub-genre to put forth their ideas which are anti-war.
- Starship Troopers – Robert A. Heinlein
- Star Corps – Ian Douglas
- Trading in Danger – Elizabeth Moon
Space Opera Novels
Space Opera refers to the sub-genre of science fiction that involve good guys and bad guys fighting it out, like in a western film. Not concerned with technical accuracy, space operas tend to ignore the pieces that don't fit together or could not work, in order to tell an entertaining, action-packed, melodramatic and often fanciful story.
- On Basilisk Station – David Webber
- The Forever Wars – Joe Haldman
- The Reality Disfunction – Peter F. Hamilton
- Singularity Sky – Charles Stross
Time Travel Novels
Time travel is sub-genre of science fiction which deals with the ability to travel both backwards and forwards in time.
- The Time Traveler's Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
- The Time Machine – H.G. Wells
- That Hideous Strength – C.S. Lewis
- A Sound of Thunder – Ray Bradbury
- The End of Eternity – Isaac Asimov
There are science fiction novels to suit a range of different interests. Branch out next time you are looking for a new read, and try a science fiction novel, you may find it isn't as intimidating as you first thought.
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Further reading about the science fiction genre
Curtis, Claire P. Postapocalyptic Fiction and the Social Contract: We'll Not Go Home Again. United States: Lexington Books, 2010.
Paik, Peter Y. From Utopia to Apocalypse: Science Fiction and the Politics of Catastrophe, United States: University of Minnesota Press, 2010.
Prucher, Jeff. The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction, United States: Oxford University Press Inc, 2009.
Rachel Ives - Rachel Ives is a writer from Sydney, Australia. She holds a bachelor degree in communications (journalism), a post graduate degree in ...
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