7 must-read science fiction books
BY Emily Powter-Robinson
21st Mar 2023
Adam Roberts is an award-winning science fiction writer, and Professor of Nineteenth-century Literature and Culture at Royal Holloway University of London. He is a firm believer that science fiction is the most imaginative, exciting and expressive form of literature, and that the best writers today – by any sane metric, the best writers working in contemporary literature – are all writing it, from N. K. Jemisin to Kazuo Ishiguro, from M. John Harrison to Margaret Atwood. To learn more from renowned SF writer Adam, join our six-week online Writing Science Fiction course.
What is Science Fiction?
In our Writing Science Fiction course, Adam Roberts writes: ‘We all have a sense of what we mean by "science fiction", even if we may not have worked out a rigorous definition: stories about advanced technology, about starships and time machines, about space aliens and alternate realities. To write a good science fiction story or novel, you have to build your story around one or more cool and eloquent science fiction ideas – some technology or alien life or social structure not found in the real world. These are called "novums" in the science fiction world: a new thing.'
All writers know that it is vital to read widely, so here are seven science fiction books to excite and inspire you.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)
This iconic Gothic story is also an early example of SF, a story about a new technology, the anxieties surrounding it and what it means for humanity. Brian Aldiss calls this the ‘first true science-fiction story’, and it remains a classic account of the unintended consequences of scientific investigation: ‘hubris clobbered by nemesis’.
The War of the Worlds by HG Wells (1898)
The seminal alien invasion story by the prolific ‘father of science fiction’. The War of the Worlds has inspired many author and adaptions – including the infamous 1938 radio broadcast in which Orson Welles narrated a radio play adaption that convinced some members of the audience that a real alien invasion was taking place.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (1985)
The Handmaid's Tale is a classic work of dystopian fiction, often dubbed the ‘feminist 1984’. The story portrays a patriarchal totalitarian future, the vividly imagined (and terrifying) world of Gilead speaks afresh to every new generation of readers.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (1993)
Octavia E. Butler wrote across a variety of science fiction subgenres and themes including time travel (Kindred) and alien worlds (Lilith’s Brood). The Parable of the Sower is a speculative story, like many post-apocalyptic narratives, it comments on social inequality. This novel is also a great example on cli-fi (literature that explores climate change).
The Smoke by Simon Ings (2018)
Nominated for the 2019 Kitschie Awards for best novel, Simon Ings' The Smoke is a near-future story in which the human race has been fractured into three species – each racing to be the first to achieve space travel and reach the stars. Simon explores love, loss and loneliness in an incomprehensible world.
Simon Ings is an author, editor and regular tutor of our flagship Writing Your Novel courses.
You can find out more about Simon's approach to teaching creative writing and discover his top tips for aspiring authors here.
The Crying Machine by Greg Chivers (2019)
A sharp, lyrical thriller of power, religion, and artificial intelligence.
The world has changed, but Jerusalem endures. Overlooked by new superpowers, the Holy City of the future is a haven of spies and smugglers, exiles and extremists…
Greg wrote The Crying Machine while participating in our three-month London-based Writing Your Novel course with Charlotte Mendelson. Read more about Greg’s time studying with us here.
Purgatory Mount by Adam Roberts (2021)
Shortlisted for the 2021 BSFA award for Best Novel, an interstellar craft is decelerating after its century-long voyage. Purgatory Mount combines wry space opera and a fast-paced thriller in equal measure.
Part of this reading list is taken from our six-week online Writing Science Fiction course with teaching videos, notes and writing tasks presented by Adam Roberts.
For more recommendations from CBC tutors and former students, check out our TikTok.
The books linked in this blog can be found on our Bookshop.org shop front. Curtis Brown Creative receive 10% whenever someone buys from our bookshop.org page.