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Fiction » Science Fiction

Most Recommended Books

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

“World War Z is a novel that bridges the gap between pulp and high literature. It takes a subject matter which we would think of as mainstream geek culture, but it finds universal human themes, develops characters that you care about, and also manages to be culturally critical. It is clearly critical of many of the post-9/11 choices made by the United States and Britain.”

Greg Garrett,

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The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

“The setting of The Left Hand of Darkness is a world where the inhabitants are humans, or very closely related to humans, with the exception that they don’t have a gender most of the time . . . This is a setting that makes us challenge and question some of the things that most of us consider pretty fundamental to our human identity.”

Nicholas Whyte,

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The Road by Cormac McCarthy

“The Road is a very spare novel by Cormac McCarthy. Humanity has been wiped out, for the most part. There’s a man and his son traveling on a road to try to get to where it’s rumored that sprouts of civilization are starting to grow again. It’s a very minimalistic book. It’s very sparse and elegiac, just with those two characters.”

Elliot Ackerman,

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Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

“It shows the ways in which technology, our need for certain creature comforts and consumer culture can be used to manipulate us.”

Catherine Mayer, Politician

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Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver

“One of the things that’s fascinating about Flight Behaviour is that at at least on the surface it offers a counter-example Ghosh’s argument social realism is not fit for purpose when it comes to climate change. After all, here is a novel that is absolutely depicting the social realities of a small community through a fine-grained attention to the detail of individual lives. The only remarkable thing is the arrival of a flock of butterflies whose migration has been disrupted by climate change, and even that might well have been plucked from the pages of a newspaper. And in an odd way it’s precisely this attention to social reality that makes the novel so effective, and so interesting. Because what Kingsolver lets us see is the way small disruptions to natural cycles alter the world, often without us even being fully aware of it, gradually deranging and unsettling individuals and communities.”

James Bradley, Novelist

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Browse book recommendations:

Fiction

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If you are searching for escapism by reading about a universe far, far away, or simply seeking a mind-expanding journey into a different dimension, then science fiction is the genre for you – and we have book recommendations. Our most popular interview in this section is our discussion of the latest shortlist for the Arthur C Clarke Award for Science Fiction with the prize's director Tom Hunter; in it, he explains why some of the best sci fi books are thought experiments that explore the human condition through extraterrestrial or futurist allegory.

Recently, climate fiction or cli-fi has become a focus of literary efforts, as authors extrapolate from our impending climate crisis. Dan Bloom and James Bradley have selected their picks of the best cli fi books.

Famous examples of the genre are covered by Adam Roberts, who offers his top five science fiction classics. And Orson Scott Card and Philip Reeve also offer their top five sci fi book recommendations. If you've never read any science fiction but are keen to tip your toe, Nicholas Whyte of the Hugo Awards, recommends the best science fiction books for beginners.

Other highlights include Roger Luckhurst discussion of the best books on and by HG Wells, the 'Shakespeare of science fiction.'

Books regularly recommended in this genre include World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks, and Ursula K Le Guin's gender-bending classic of interplanetary diplomacy Left Hand of Darkness.

Our sci-fi section is curated by Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn, who talks us through her own thoughts about science fiction novels in this 5-minute clip.

    The Best Apocalyptic Fiction, recommended by Elliot Ackerman

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    The Best Apocalyptic Fiction - The King James Bible

    1

    The King James Bible

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    The Best Apocalyptic Fiction - Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

    2

    Ender’s Game
    by Orson Scott Card

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    The Best Apocalyptic Fiction - The Road by Cormac McCarthy

    3

    The Road
    by Cormac McCarthy

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    The Best Apocalyptic Fiction - Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

    4

    Station Eleven
    by Emily St John Mandel

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    The Best Apocalyptic Fiction - The Butter Battle Book by Dr Seuss

    5

    The Butter Battle Book
    by Dr Seuss

The Best Apocalyptic Fiction, recommended by Elliot Ackerman

“Imagination is a national security imperative,” according to acclaimed novelist, journalist and decorated US Marine Elliot Ackerman. He’s written a novel with retired Admiral Jim Stavridis, about what would happen if the US went to war with China. Here, he talks us through his favourite books of apocalyptic fiction—and the truths they reveal about war, humanity, and literature.

    The Best Science Fiction of 2020, recommended by Tom Hunter

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

    1

    The City in the Middle of the Night
    by Charlie Jane Anders

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley

    2

    The Light Brigade
    by Kameron Hurley

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

    3

    A Memory Called Empire
    by Arkady Martine

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - The Old Drift: A Novel by Namwali Serpell

    4

    The Old Drift: A Novel
    by Namwali Serpell

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky

    5

    Cage of Souls
    by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - The Last Astronaut by David Wellington

    6

    The Last Astronaut
    by David Wellington

The Best Science Fiction of 2020, recommended by Tom Hunter

Sci fi is booming, says Tom Hunter, the director of the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Science Fiction, as he discusses their 2020 shortlist: six novels that embrace classic sci fi narratives, while subverting or reimagining them for a contemporary audience.

    The Best of Speculative Fiction, recommended by Ken Liu

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    The Best of Speculative Fiction - Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

    1

    Riot Baby
    by Tochi Onyebuchi

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    The Best of Speculative Fiction - United States of Japan by Peter Tieryas

    2

    United States of Japan
    by Peter Tieryas

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    The Best of Speculative Fiction - A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker

    3

    A Song for a New Day
    by Sarah Pinsker

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    The Best of Speculative Fiction - Zero Sum Game by S L Huang

    4

    Zero Sum Game
    by S L Huang

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    The Best of Speculative Fiction - This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

    5

    This Is How You Lose the Time War
    by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

The Best of Speculative Fiction, recommended by Ken Liu

Ken Liu, the multi-award winning author of The Paper Menagerie, explains how using elements of fantasy and science fiction can help us examine deep truths about the human condition, as he recommends the best of contemporary speculative fiction.

    The Best Sci Fi Books for Beginners, recommended by Nicholas Whyte

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    The Best Sci Fi Books for Beginners - Dune by Frank Herbert

    1

    Dune
    by Frank Herbert

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    The Best Sci Fi Books for Beginners - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

    2

    The Left Hand of Darkness
    by Ursula Le Guin

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    The Best Sci Fi Books for Beginners - The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin

    3

    The Dispossessed
    by Ursula Le Guin

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    The Best Sci Fi Books for Beginners - Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

    4

    Ancillary Justice
    by Ann Leckie

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    The Best Sci Fi Books for Beginners - Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny

    5

    Lord of Light
    by Roger Zelazny

The Best Sci Fi Books for Beginners, recommended by Nicholas Whyte

Interested in science fiction, but not sure where to begin? Sceptical of spaceships, but never really given them a chance? We asked Nicholas Whyte, administrator of the World Science Fiction Society’s renowned annual Hugo Awards, to recommend five of the best sci fi books that should appeal to readers new to the genre

    Science Fiction Classics, recommended by Adam Roberts

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    Science Fiction Classics - Frankenstein (Book) by Mary Shelley

    1

    Frankenstein (Book)
    by Mary Shelley

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    Science Fiction Classics - The Time Machine by H G Wells

    2

    The Time Machine
    by H G Wells

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    Science Fiction Classics - Childhood’s End by Arthur C Clarke

    3

    Childhood’s End
    by Arthur C Clarke

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    Science Fiction Classics - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

    4

    The Left Hand of Darkness
    by Ursula Le Guin

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    Science Fiction Classics - A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

    5

    A Visit From the Goon Squad
    by Jennifer Egan

Science Fiction Classics, recommended by Adam Roberts

The best sci-fi explores humanity’s anxieties and concerns and is in some sense about the future. But it doesn’t try to predict what’s to come. The literature professor and sci-fi writer recommends five classics of the genre.

    The Best Time Travel Books, recommended by Annalee Newitz

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    The Best Time Travel Books - The Female Man by Joanna Russ

    1

    The Female Man
    by Joanna Russ

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    The Best Time Travel Books - How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu

    2

    How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
    by Charles Yu

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    The Best Time Travel Books - The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold

    3

    The Man Who Folded Himself
    by David Gerrold

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    The Best Time Travel Books - Kindred by Octavia Butler

    4

    Kindred
    by Octavia Butler

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    The Best Time Travel Books - Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

    5

    Doomsday Book
    by Connie Willis

The Best Time Travel Books, recommended by Annalee Newitz

If you could go back, or forward, in time — would you? Science journalist and sci-fi novelist Annalee Newitz recommends some of the best time travel books and talks us through the dangers and delights of the genre, which take us from the Ordovician period through to the present day.

    The Best H G Wells Books, recommended by Roger Luckhurst

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    The Best H G Wells Books - The Time Machine by H G Wells

    1

    The Time Machine
    by H G Wells

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    The Best H G Wells Books - The Island of Doctor Moreau by H G Wells

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    The Island of Doctor Moreau
    by H G Wells

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    The Best H G Wells Books - The War of the Worlds by H G Wells

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    The War of the Worlds
    by H G Wells

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    The Best H G Wells Books - Anticipations of the Reactions of Mechanical and Scientific Progress upon Human Life and Thought by H G Wells

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    Anticipations of the Reactions of Mechanical and Scientific Progress upon Human Life and Thought
    by H G Wells

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    The Best H G Wells Books - Studies in a Dying Culture by Christopher Caudwell

    5

    Studies in a Dying Culture
    by Christopher Caudwell

The Best H G Wells Books, recommended by Roger Luckhurst

Often described as the ‘father of science fiction’, H G Wells was a man of extraordinary charisma and vivid imagination. Yet he suffered terribly from class anxiety and subscribed to political beliefs we now find abhorrent, says the editor and author Roger Luckhurst. He recommends the best books to learn more about the life and work of the British writer H G Wells.

    The Best Sci Fi Books of 2019: The Arthur C Clarke Award Shortlist, recommended by Tom Hunter

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    The Best Sci Fi Books of 2019: The Arthur C Clarke Award Shortlist - Semiosis by Sue Burke

    1

    Semiosis
    by Sue Burke

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    The Best Sci Fi Books of 2019: The Arthur C Clarke Award Shortlist - Revenant Gun by Yoon Ha Lee

    2

    Revenant Gun
    by Yoon Ha Lee

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    The Best Sci Fi Books of 2019: The Arthur C Clarke Award Shortlist - Frankenstein in Baghdad: A Novel by Ahmed Saadawi, translated by Jonathan Wright

    3

    Frankenstein in Baghdad: A Novel
    by Ahmed Saadawi, translated by Jonathan Wright

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    The Best Sci Fi Books of 2019: The Arthur C Clarke Award Shortlist - The Electric State by Simon Stålenhag

    4

    The Electric State
    by Simon Stålenhag

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    The Best Sci Fi Books of 2019: The Arthur C Clarke Award Shortlist - Rosewater by Tade Thompson

    5

    Rosewater
    by Tade Thompson

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    The Best Sci Fi Books of 2019: The Arthur C Clarke Award Shortlist - The Loosening Skin by Aliya Whiteley

    6

    The Loosening Skin
    by Aliya Whiteley

The Best Sci Fi Books of 2019: The Arthur C Clarke Award Shortlist, recommended by Tom Hunter

If you’re hoping to travel to a galaxy far, far away with your next book, these six excellent sci fi novels will help you on your way. Tom Hunter, the director of the Arthur C Clarke Award for science fiction books, discusses the 2019 prize shortlist.

    The best books on Science Fiction, recommended by Orson Scott Card

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    The best books on Science Fiction - Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov

    1

    Foundation Trilogy
    by Isaac Asimov

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    The best books on Science Fiction - The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

    2

    The Martian Chronicles
    by Ray Bradbury

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    The best books on Science Fiction - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A Heinlein

    3

    The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
    by Robert A Heinlein

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    The best books on Science Fiction - Dangerous Visions by Harlan Ellison (editor)

    4

    Dangerous Visions
    by Harlan Ellison (editor)

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    The best books on Science Fiction - The Science Fiction Hall of Fame by Robert Silverberg (editor)

    5

    The Science Fiction Hall of Fame
    by Robert Silverberg (editor)

The best books on Science Fiction, recommended by Orson Scott Card

The sci-fi author tells us how the genre evolved from “gosh-wow” novels of the 1920s into some of the most inventive fiction being written today. He recommends five books sure to get new readers hooked

    P W Singer and August Cole choose the best books on World War III

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    P W Singer and August Cole choose the best books on World War III - Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy

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    Red Storm Rising
    by Tom Clancy

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    P W Singer and August Cole choose the best books on World War III - Team Yankee: A Novel of World War III by Harold Coyle

    2

    Team Yankee: A Novel of World War III
    by Harold Coyle

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    P W Singer and August Cole choose the best books on World War III - On The Beach by Nevil Shute

    3

    On The Beach
    by Nevil Shute

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    P W Singer and August Cole choose the best books on World War III - World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

    4

    World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
    by Max Brooks

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    P W Singer and August Cole choose the best books on World War III - The Postman by David Brin

    5

    The Postman
    by David Brin

P W Singer and August Cole choose the best books on World War III

What will the next global conflict look like? Two of America’s leading defence experts, P W Singer and August Cole, turned to science fiction to explore the prospect of a future war, and how existing technology might be used in one. Here, they choose five novels depicting a fictional World War Three that served as inspiration.

    The Best Cli-Fi Books, recommended by Dan Bloom

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    The Best Cli-Fi Books - Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver

    1

    Flight Behaviour
    by Barbara Kingsolver

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    The Best Cli-Fi Books - Anchor Point by Alice Robinson

    2

    Anchor Point
    by Alice Robinson

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    The Best Cli-Fi Books - We Are Unprepared by Meg Little Reilly

    3

    We Are Unprepared
    by Meg Little Reilly

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    The Best Cli-Fi Books - Polar City Red by Jim Laughter

    4

    Polar City Red
    by Jim Laughter

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    The Best Cli-Fi Books - Please Don't Paint Our Planet Pink! by Gregg Kleiner and Laurel Thompson

    5

    Please Don't Paint Our Planet Pink!
    by Gregg Kleiner and Laurel Thompson

The Best Cli-Fi Books, recommended by Dan Bloom

Fiction that explores issues of climate change is growing at an unprecedented rate today, says the journalist who coined the phrase ‘cli-fi’, Dan Bloom. Here, he picks the five best books of the field, and introduces us to a globally important, underexplored literary genre

    The best books on Zombies, recommended by Greg Garrett

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    The best books on Zombies - I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

    1

    I Am Legend
    by Richard Matheson

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    The best books on Zombies - The Road by Cormac McCarthy

    2

    The Road
    by Cormac McCarthy

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    The best books on Zombies - The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman

    3

    The Walking Dead
    by Robert Kirkman

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    The best books on Zombies - World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

    4

    World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
    by Max Brooks

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    The best books on Zombies - The Miniature Wife: And Other Stories by Manuel Gonzales

    5

    The Miniature Wife: And Other Stories
    by Manuel Gonzales

The best books on Zombies, recommended by Greg Garrett

Zombies have returned with a vengeance in recent years, the secret to their undying popularity lying in their ability to embody many different kinds of menace, from social unrest to pandemics, financial insecurity to international terrorism. Greg Garrett, author of Living with the Living Dead, recommends five books to help you prepare for the zombie apocalypse

    The Best Climate Change Novels, recommended by James Bradley

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    The Best Climate Change Novels - Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

    1

    Annihilation
    by Jeff Vandermeer

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    The Best Climate Change Novels - Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver

    2

    Flight Behaviour
    by Barbara Kingsolver

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    The Best Climate Change Novels - Barkskins by Annie Proulx

    3

    Barkskins
    by Annie Proulx

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    The Best Climate Change Novels - Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson

    4

    Aurora
    by Kim Stanley Robinson

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    The Best Climate Change Novels - The Swan Book by Alexis Wright

    5

    The Swan Book
    by Alexis Wright

The Best Climate Change Novels, recommended by James Bradley

The best fiction allows us to hold ideas in our heads about time and space and causality and connection that are difficult to articulate in other ways, argues the Australian author James Bradley. It helps its readers engage with dangers and possibilities that are at the very edge of imagination

    The best books on Existential Risks, recommended by The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk

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    The best books on Existential Risks - The Last Children by Gudrun Pausewang

    1

    The Last Children
    by Gudrun Pausewang

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    The best books on Existential Risks - A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.

    2

    A Canticle for Leibowitz
    by Walter M. Miller Jr.

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    The best books on Existential Risks - Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

    3

    Cloud Atlas
    by David Mitchell

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    The best books on Existential Risks - Climate Shock: The Economic Consequences of a Hotter Planet by Gernot Wagner & Martin L. Weitzman

    4

    Climate Shock: The Economic Consequences of a Hotter Planet
    by Gernot Wagner & Martin L. Weitzman

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    The best books on Existential Risks - The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu

    5

    The Dark Forest
    by Cixin Liu

The best books on Existential Risks, recommended by The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk

In the rapidly-emerging field of existential risks, researchers study the mitigation of threats that could lead to human extinction or civilisational collapse. We met with four researchers from The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge, to discuss their recommendations of the best books to get a grasp of this dense subject.

    The Best Young Adult Science Fiction Books, recommended by Estelle Francis

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    The Best Young Adult Science Fiction Books - Sphere by Michael Crichton

    1

    Sphere
    by Michael Crichton

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    The Best Young Adult Science Fiction Books - The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

    2

    The Knife of Never Letting Go
    by Patrick Ness

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    The Best Young Adult Science Fiction Books - More Than This by Patrick Ness

    3

    More Than This
    by Patrick Ness

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    The Best Young Adult Science Fiction Books - Cinder by Marissa Meyer

    4

    Cinder
    by Marissa Meyer

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    The Best Young Adult Science Fiction Books - The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

    5

    The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
    by Douglas Adams

The Best Young Adult Science Fiction Books, recommended by Estelle Francis

Young adult science fiction extends far beyond the typical dystopian novels which immediately come to mind. Estelle Francis, a teenage author who recently published her first book, shares her favourite reads on this topic.  

    Best Science Fiction and Fantasy for Young Adults, recommended by Philip Reeve

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    Best Science Fiction and Fantasy for Young Adults - The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien

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    The Lord of the Rings
    by J R R Tolkien

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    Best Science Fiction and Fantasy for Young Adults - Watership Down by Richard Adams

    2

    Watership Down
    by Richard Adams

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    Best Science Fiction and Fantasy for Young Adults - The Stories of Ray Bradbury by Ray Bradbury

    3

    The Stories of Ray Bradbury
    by Ray Bradbury

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    Best Science Fiction and Fantasy for Young Adults - The Space Machine by Christopher Priest

    4

    The Space Machine
    by Christopher Priest

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    Best Science Fiction and Fantasy for Young Adults - Fires' Astonishment by Geraldine McCaughrean

    5

    Fires' Astonishment
    by Geraldine McCaughrean

Best Science Fiction and Fantasy for Young Adults, recommended by Philip Reeve

Award-winning author Philip Reeve talks us through the science fiction and fantasy books that shaped him and his work in profound ways; among indubitable classics are vibrant lesser-known works awaiting our discovery.

    The best books on Alternative Futures, recommended by Catherine Mayer

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    The best books on Alternative Futures - Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

    1

    Brave New World
    by Aldous Huxley

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    The best books on Alternative Futures - Idoru by William Gibson

    2

    Idoru
    by William Gibson

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    The best books on Alternative Futures - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

    3

    The Left Hand of Darkness
    by Ursula Le Guin

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    The best books on Alternative Futures - Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

    4

    Binti
    by Nnedi Okorafor

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    The best books on Alternative Futures - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

    5

    The Handmaid's Tale
    by Margaret Atwood

The best books on Alternative Futures, recommended by Catherine Mayer

Catherine Mayer—author, journalist and president of the Women’s Equality Party—talks to Five Books about her optimism for a more equal future for society by way of her favourite science fiction visionaries and their work.

    The best books on Surrealism and the Brain, recommended by Bradley Voytek

  • Read
    The best books on Surrealism and the Brain - The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

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    The Master and Margarita
    by Mikhail Bulgakov

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    The best books on Surrealism and the Brain - The City & the City by China Miéville

    2

    The City & the City
    by China Miéville

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    The best books on Surrealism and the Brain - World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

    3

    World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
    by Max Brooks

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    The best books on Surrealism and the Brain - The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks

    4

    The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
    by Oliver Sacks

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    The best books on Surrealism and the Brain - Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

    5

    Snow Crash
    by Neal Stephenson

The best books on Surrealism and the Brain, recommended by Bradley Voytek

Neurological disorders lead to far more surreal stories than those we find in science fiction, argues University of California neuroscientist Bradley Voytek.

    The best books on Dystopia and Utopia, recommended by Chan Koonchung

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    The best books on Dystopia and Utopia - Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy

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    Looking Backward
    by Edward Bellamy

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    The best books on Dystopia and Utopia - The Iron Heel by Jack London

    2

    The Iron Heel
    by Jack London

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    The best books on Dystopia and Utopia - Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

    3

    Nineteen Eighty-Four
    by George Orwell

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    The best books on Dystopia and Utopia - Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

    4

    Brave New World
    by Aldous Huxley

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    The best books on Dystopia and Utopia - Swastika Night by Katherine Burdekin

    5

    Swastika Night
    by Katherine Burdekin

The best books on Dystopia and Utopia, recommended by Chan Koonchung

Warnings about the future of society contained in novels such as Nineteen Eighty-Four may seem less important since the fall of the Soviet Union, but they are all too relevant to China today, argues the Chinese writer

    The best books on Robotics, recommended by Daniel H Wilson

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    The best books on Robotics - Second Variety by Philip K Dick

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    Second Variety
    by Philip K Dick

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    The best books on Robotics - Starship Troopers by Robert A Heinlein

    2

    Starship Troopers
    by Robert A Heinlein

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    The best books on Robotics - Machine Learning by Tom M Mitchell

    3

    Machine Learning
    by Tom M Mitchell

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    The best books on Robotics - Wired for War by P W Singer

    4

    Wired for War
    by P W Singer

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    The best books on Robotics - For a Breath I Tarry by Roger Zelazny

    5

    For a Breath I Tarry
    by Roger Zelazny

The best books on Robotics, recommended by Daniel H Wilson

These days robotic technology is developing so fast that sci-fi is having a hard time keeping up, says best-selling author and roboticist, Daniel H Wilson. He picks the best books on robotics.

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