What’s your pick for top time travel tales of all time?

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THE DEBATE IS ON!

This week we want your votes and submissions for the top time travel tales (book/series) of all time.

The concept of time travel by mechanical means was popularized in H. G. Wells' 1895 story, The Time Machine.[ In general, time travel stories focus on the consequences of traveling into the past or the future. The central premise for these stories oftentimes involves changing history, either intentionally or by accident, and the ways by which altering the past changes the future and creates an altered present or future for the time traveler when they return home. Some stories focus solely on the paradoxes and alternate timelines that come with time travel, rather than time traveling itself. They often provide some sort of social commentary, as time travel provides a “necessary distancing effect” that allows science fiction to address contemporary issues in metaphorical ways.

Weigh in on the poll below (feel free to add your own suggestions) and then duke it out in the comments!

What is the best time travel book/series of all time?
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What’s your pick for top military sci-fi book/series of all time?

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THE DEBATE IS ON!

This week we want your votes and submissions for the top military sci-fi book/series of all time.

Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction that features the use of science fiction technology, mainly weapons, for military purposes and usually principal characters that are members of a military organization involved in military activity; occurring sometimes in outer space or on a different planet or planets.

Weigh in on the poll below (feel free to add your own suggestions) and then duke it out in the comments!

What is the best military sci-fi book/series of all time?
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Time to decide: What’s your pick for top military sci-fi book/series of all time?

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THE DEBATE IS ON!

Last week we started one of our most cut-throat debates EVER asking you to submit your votes for the top military sci-fi book/series of all time.

Hundreds of you voted on over 50 books/series that were submitted to the debate.

Want to see the full list you guys put up to the vote? Click here to check it out and see who didn't make the cut.

*The results were decided by you based on votes tallied up between our Facebook group and on our blog.

What is the best military sci-fi book/series of all time?
Results

Who’s the most EPIC villain in a sci-fi book or series?

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THE DEBATE IS ON!

This week we want your votes and submissions for the most EPIC villain/group of villains, in a sci-fi book or series.

Every great sci-fi book needs to have a villain. The more evil the better. Often entire armies enrage us with their decimation of innocent people. From the most well-written, to the most devious, whatever you decide makes a villain great, we want to know who comes out on top of your list!

Weigh in on the poll below (feel free to add your own suggestions) and then duke it out in the comments!

Who is the most EPIC villain/group of villains, in a sci-fi book or series?
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The top 10 best movies adapted from sci-fi books of all time.

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Did you know that there is an official Discover Sci-Fi Facebook group?

Fuelled by the opinions of hundreds of sci-fi fans like yourself, each week we spark a new debate where you guys battle it out over which books rank at the top of best ever lists.

Ordered from 10 to 1 below based on your votes in the group and on this blog, this week we've got your top 10 selections for the best movie adaptation of a sci-fi book or series.

Click on the links to pick up the books that inspired each of the movies to add to your collection, and then add your comments at the bottom of this post (or in our Facebook group) to let us know if you agree (or not!).

*The results were decided by you based on votes tallied up between our Facebook group and on our blog.

10. Planet of the Apes (1968) by Pierre Boulle

Rounding out the top 10 list is Planet of the Apes, the original 1968 film version, based on the sci-fi novel by Pierre Boulle.

First published more than fifty years ago, Pierre Boulle’s chilling novel launched one of the greatest science fiction sagas in motion picture history.

The novel tells the tale of three human explorers from Earth who visit a planet orbiting the star Betelgeuse, in which great apes are the dominant intelligent and civilized species, whereas humans are reduced to a savage animal-like state.

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9. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

At number 9, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a 2005 British-American science fiction comedy film directed by Garth Jennings, based upon previous works in the media franchise of the same name, created by Douglas Adams. 

After several years of setbacks and renewed efforts to start production and a quarter of a century after the first book was published, the big-screen adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was finally shot.

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8. The Time Machine (1960) by H.G. Wells

The Time Machine (also known promotionally as H. G. Wells' The Time Machine) is a 1960 American science fiction film in Metrocolor from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced and directed by George Pal, that stars Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, and Alan Young. The film was based on the 1895 novella of the same name by H. G. Wells that was influential on the development of science fiction.

The Time Machine received an Oscar for its time-lapse photographic effects, which show the world changing rapidly as the time traveler journeys into the future.

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7. Contact by Carl Sagan

Coming in at number 7, Contact is a 1997 American science fiction drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis. It is a film adaptation of Carl Sagan‘s 1985 novel of the same name; Sagan and his wife Ann Druyan wrote the story outline for the film.

The film won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and received multiple awards and nominations at the Saturn Awards.

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6. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game is a 2013 American military science fiction action film based on Orson Scott Card‘s 1985 novel of the same name. Written and directed by Gavin Hood, the film stars Asa Butterfield as Andrew “Ender” Wiggin (who also came in at #7 in our list of most iconic sci-fi characters), an unusually gifted child who is sent to an advanced military academy in outer space to prepare for a future alien invasion.

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5. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

War of the Worlds is the second H.G. Wells book-turned-movie to appear on this list. It also came in at #6 on our top 10 list of best post-apocalyptic books of all time.

It has been adapted twice for the big screen, most recently in 2005 in a version directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Josh Friedman and David Koepp, and starring Tom Cruise.

In the film, an American dock worker is forced to look after his children, from whom he lives separately, as he struggles to protect them and reunite them with their mother when extraterrestrials invade the Earth and devastate cities with towering war machines.

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4. The Martian by Andy Weir

Coming in at #4, The Martian is a 2015 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon. The Martian, a novel by Andy Weir, served as the screenplay adapted by Drew Goddard. The film depicts an astronaut's lone struggle to survive on Mars after being left behind, and efforts to rescue him.

The film went over incredibly well with sci-fi fans worldwide, grossing over $630 million worldwide, and earning several awards, including the Hugo Award for Best Long Form Dramatic Presentation, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.

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3. Dune by Frank Herbert

Dune is a 1984 American epic science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch and based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan as young nobleman Paul Atreides – the character who also got your votes as the #3 most EPIC sci-fi character of all time.

A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction. Unfortunately, despite it's popularity, most sci-fi fans would argue that the film adaptation did a poor job of representing the novel.

With a new version coming out in 2020, fans are eagerly anticipating this updated version, which hopefully rings more true to the original book.

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2. 2001: A Space Odyssey from The Sentinel by Arthur C Clarke

At number 2 comes 2001: A Space Odyssey, a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. The screenplay was written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, and was inspired by Clarke's short story “The Sentinel“.

The film, which follows a voyage to Jupiter with the sentient computer HAL* after the discovery of a mysterious black monolith affecting human evolution, deals with themes of existentialism, human evolution, technology, artificial intelligence, and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. The film is noted for its scientifically accurate depiction of spaceflight, pioneering special effects, and ambiguous imagery.

*HAL-9000 placed in the number 2 slot in our list of top 10 most EPIC sci-fi characters of all time.

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1. Blade Runner from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick

Blade Runner is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott. It is a loose adaptation of Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968).

The film has influenced many science fiction films, video games, anime, and television series. It brought the work of Philip K. Dick to the attention of Hollywood, and several later big-budget films were based on his work. Seven versions of Blade Runner exist as a result of controversial changes requested by studio executives. A director's cut was released in 1992 after a strong response to test screenings of a workprint. This, in conjunction with the film's popularity as a video rental, made it one of the earliest movies to be released on DVD. 

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Well, what do you think of that list? Do you agree, or do you feel as though your most-loved movie adaptation is missing/didn't place as you think it deserved? Feel free to join us here in our Facebook group to chime in on the debate, and then check out our most recent poll while you're there. Don't have Facebook? Feel free to add to the comments below.

*All book-related copy in this post was pulled from Amazon & Wikipedia.

The top 10 best military sci-fi books/series of all time.

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Did you know that there is an official Discover Sci-Fi Facebook group?

Fuelled by the opinions of thousands of sci-fi fans like yourself, each week we spark a new debate where you guys battle it out over which books rank at the top of best ever lists.

Ordered from 10 to 1 below based on your votes in the group and on this blog, this week we've got your top 10 selections for the best military sci-fi book/series of all time.

Click on the links to pick up each of these top picks to add to your collection, and then add your comments at the bottom of this post (or in our Facebook group) to let us know if you agree (or not!).

Want to see who didn't make the cut? Click here to view the original poll that inspired this list.

*The results were decided by you based on votes tallied up between our Facebook group and on our blog.

10. Hell Divers by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

Rounding out the top 10 list is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Hell Divers series by Nicholas Sansbury Smith. In Hell Divers, Smith unleashes post-apocalyptic science-fiction with the pacing of a thriller. He achieves his world-building succinctly, and moves from thrills to chills without the story becoming a mere catalogue of violence, along with tender moments that round out the characters. Hell Divers offers genre fans everything they could ask for, from fresh takes on the post-apocalypse to social commentary reminiscent of Snowpiercer, and plenty of action. The book's swift, tight plotting will also appeal to thriller fans, with a cliffhanger ending that leaves readers suspended mid-air for the rest of a promised trilogy.

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9. The Ember War Series by Richard Fox

At number 9, The Ember War by Richard Fox is a 9 book series that can be described as “Battlestar Galactica meets Mass Effect.” It is a story of first contact with galactic empires, some with our best interests at heart, others that see us as an infestation to be wiped out. Epic space battles, heroes and villains you'll never forget and just the right amount of humor to make you bust out laughing while you're reading in public.

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8. Bobiverse by Dennis E. Taylor

Bobiverse by Dennis E. Taylor is the story of Robert “Bob” Johansson, who, after becoming financially independent by selling his software company, decides to spend some of his money by contracting to have his head cryogenically frozen by CryoEterna Inc. upon his death. The idea is that his head would be preserved until later, when technology permitted a body to be grown and his thawed head attached to it – thus resuming life. The next day he is unexpectedly killed in an automobile accident, and his contract is activated. He wakes up 117 years later and finds that he has been harvested from his frozen disembodied head and installed in a computer matrix as an artificial intelligence. The world has significantly changed.

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7. The Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell

Coming in at number 7, is The Lost Fleet by “Jack Campbell,” which is the pseudonym for John G. Hemry, a retired Naval officer (and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis). As Jack Campbell, he writes The Lost Fleet series of military science fiction novels.

From book 1… Captain John “Black Jack” Geary’s legendary exploits are known to every schoolchild. Revered for his heroic “last stand” in the early days of the war, he was presumed dead. But a century later, Geary miraculously returns from survival hibernation and reluctantly takes command of the Alliance Fleet as it faces annihilation by the Syndic.

Appalled by the hero-worship around him, Geary is nevertheless a man who will do his duty. And he knows that bringing the stolen Syndic hypernet key safely home is the Alliance’s one chance to win the war. But to do that, Geary will have to live up to the impossibly heroic “Black Jack” legend..

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6. Old Man's War by John Scalzi

In your #6 pick, Scalzi's blending of wry humor and futuristic warfare recalls Joe Haldeman's classic, The Forever War (1974), and strikes the right fan–pleasing chords to probably garner major sf award nominations.

In Old Man's War…with his wife dead and buried, and life nearly over at 75, John Perry takes the only logical course of action left him: he joins the army. Now better known as the Colonial Defense Force (CDF), Perry's service-of-choice has extended its reach into interstellar space to pave the way for human colonization of other planets while fending off marauding aliens. The CDF has a trick up its sleeve that makes enlistment especially enticing for seniors: the promise of restoring youth. After bonding with a group of fellow recruits who dub their clique the Old Farts, Perry finds himself in a new body crafted from his original DNA and upgraded for battle, including fast-clotting “smartblood” and a brain-implanted personal computer. All too quickly the Old Farts are separated, and Perry fights for his life on various alien-infested battlegrounds.

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5. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel. This futuristic tale involves aliens, political discourse on the Internet, sophisticated computer games, and an orbiting battle station. Yet the reason it rings true for so many is that it is first and foremost a tale of humanity; a tale of a boy struggling to grow up into someone he can respect while living in an environment stripped of choices. Ender's Game is a must-read book for science fiction lovers, and a key conversion read for their friends who “don't read science fiction.”

*Ender's Game placed at #6 on our list of best sci-fi film adaptations.

*Andrew “Ender” Wiggin placed at #7 on our list of most epic sci-fi characters.

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4. Dune by Frank Herbert

At #4 is fan-favorite Dune by Frank Herbert – a book that's shown up in almost all of the top 10 lists we publish. A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction.

*Dune came in at #3 on our list of best sci-fi film adaptations.

*The book's protaganist Paul Atreides came in at #3 on our list of most epic sci-fi characters.

*The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood and Baron Vladimir Harkonnen both placed on our list of most epic villains of all time.

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3. Galaxy's Edge Series by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole

Galaxy's Edge is a co-written project by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole. Each book in the Galaxy's Edge series is an essential piece of an interconnected whole. Fight alongside Lieutenant Chhun and Victory Company through the deserts of Kublar in Legionnaire. Join the roguish Captain Keel and notorious bounty hunter Tyrus Rechs as they chase the same target in Galactic Outlaws. Continue to Kill Team to see how all these characters find their place on the galactic stage together, along with Legion Commander Keller, Dark Ops, and the mysterious secret agent X… then brace for a civil war initiated by the enigmatic Goth Sullus in Attack of Shadows.And that's only the beginning.

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2. Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein

At number 2 comes the cult classic Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein. This controversial Hugo Award-winning bestseller, a recruit of the future goes through the toughest boot camp in the Universe—and into battle against mankind’s most alarming enemy…

“A classic…If you want a great military adventure, this one is for you.”—All SciFi

*Starship Troopers also placed in our top 10 list of best sci-fi books of all time. Click here to check out the full list.

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1. The ExForce Series by Craig Alanson

Craig Alanson is a New York Times best-selling author of the (currently) 7 book Expeditionary Force (ExForce) series. His first audiobook Columbus Day, ExForce book 1, was one of five finalists for Audiobook Of The Year 2018.

And his fans came out in droves in support of his massively successful military sci-fi series, rocketing it to the very top of this exciting debate!

From book 1… We were fighting on the wrong side, of a war we couldn't win. And that was the good news.

The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon come ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There go the good old days, when humans only got killed by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits.

When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved. The UN Expeditionary Force hitched a ride on Kristang ships to fight the Ruhar, wherever our new allies thought we could be useful. So, I went from fighting with the US Army in Nigeria, to fighting in space. It was lies, all of it. We shouldn't even be fighting the Ruhar, they aren't our enemy, our allies are.

I'd better start at the beginning….

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Well, what do you think of that list? Do you agree, or do you feel as though your most-loved military sci-fi book/series is missing/didn't place as you think it deserved? Feel free to join us here in our Facebook group to chime in on the debate, and then check out our most recent poll while you're there. Don't have Facebook? Feel free to add to the comments below.

*All book-related copy in this post was pulled from Amazon & Wikipedia.

The top 10 most EPIC villains from a sci-fi book/series of all time.

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Did you know that there is an official Discover Sci-Fi Facebook group?

Fuelled by the opinions of hundreds of sci-fi fans like yourself, each week we spark a new debate where you guys battle it out over which books rank at the top of best ever lists.

Ordered from 10 to 1 below based on your votes in the group and on this blog, this week we've got your top 10 selections for the most EPIC villain/group of villains, in a sci-fi book or series.

Click on the links to pick up the books antagonized by each of these epic villains to add to your collection, and then add your comments at the bottom of this post (or in our Facebook group) to let us know if you agree (or not!).

*The results were decided by you based on votes tallied up between our Facebook group and on our blog.

10. The Puppeteers from Larry Niven's “Worlds” series

Rounding out the top 10 list are the Pierson's Puppeteers, often known just as Puppeteers, who are a fictional alien race from American author Larry Niven's  Known Space books. The race first appeared in Niven’s novella, Neutron Star.

A technologically advanced race of three-legged, twin-necked herbivores descended from herd animals, and noted for their so-called cowardice. Their commercial empire directly and indirectly controls events throughout Known Space and beyond, and Puppeteer plots are behind many of the larger events in Known Space. The name “Puppeteer” is purportedly derived from the twin “heads” (not enclosing brains) which perform as both mouths and hands, which strongly resemble sock puppets. The Puppeteer voice range is far greater than the human one, but for speaking to humans they adopt the tone of a very seductive female. It is also suggested that the “Puppeteer” name may derive from their social tendency to be very manipulative. The species were also depicted in Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials.

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9. The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood from the “Dune” series by Frank Herbert

Coming in at number 9, in Frank Herbert's 1965 novel Dune, the Bene Gesserit are a secretive matriarchal order who have achieved superhuman abilities through physical and mental conditioning and the use of the drug melange. Under the guise of humbly “serving” the Empire, the Sisterhood is in fact a major power in the universe, using its many areas of influence to subtly guide humanity along the path of its own plan for humanity's future.

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8. Gavin Stark from the “Crimson Worlds” series by Jay Allan

Gavin Stark is the main antagonist in Jay Allan's expansive Crimson Worlds books. The former head of Alliance Intelligence, and the bitter nemesis of the Marine Corps, he makes his bid for power over the universe. The manufactured clone soldiers of his Shadow Legions have seized control of dozens of colony worlds, imposing his brutal rule over millions of colonists. His plan is no less than to subjugate all mankind under his iron fist.

Will mankind live under the iron boot of Gavin Stark and his clone descendants forever? Or will the series's antagonist Erik Cain and his team of Marines defeat him once and for all? You'll have to dive into the series to find out…

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7. Khan from the “Star Trek” franchise

Coming in at number 7, Khan Noonien Singh, commonly shortened to Khan, is a fictional character in the Star Trek science fiction franchise. Although the Star Trek books were written after the TV show came out, they are loved by sci-fi fans everywhere.

The character once controlled more than a quarter of the Earth during the Eugenics Wars of the 1990s. After being revived from suspended animation in 2267 by the crew of the Starship Enterprise, Khan attempts to capture the starship, but is thwarted by James T. Kirk and exiled on Ceti Alpha V to create a new society with his people. In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, set fifteen years after “Space Seed”, Khan escapes his exile and sets out to exact revenge upon Kirk.

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6. Scorpius in “Farscape”

Scorpius, is the half-Sebacean, half-Scarran Peacekeeper, and the primary antagonist of the Farscape series of TV shows, books and comics. He relentlessly pursues John Crichton for the secrets of wormhole technology locked in John Crichton's unconscious mind to create a wormhole weapon.

He is the product of an experiment by the Scarrans – his Sebacean mother was raped by a Scarran to see if there would be any benefit in a hybrid. Raised by Scarrans, he has come to hate them, to reject his Scarran side, and to live for revenge against them.

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5. The Boskone from the “Lensman” series by E.E. Smith

The Boskone or Boskonia is a criminal organization in the Lensman series of Sci-Fi novels by writer E.E Smith.

Boskone is one of the two superpowers in the Lensverse, and is opposed to Civilization. Having been created possibly even billions of years ago, when the Eddorians first entered our universe, it is much older than Civilization. Due to the nature of the Eddorians and the system they created, it is both extremely hierarchical and utterly ruthless: the concept of “the end justifies the means” is taken to extremes, as Galactic Patrol notes: “Anything – literally anything at all that produced the desired result was commendable; to fail was the only crime. The successful named their own rewards; those who failed were disciplined with an impersonal, rigid severity exactly proportional to the magnitude of their failures.

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4. The Mule in Isaac Asimov's “Foundation Trilogy”

Coming in at #4, The Mule is a fictional character from Isaac Asimov's Foundation series*. One of the greatest conquerors the galaxy has ever seen, he is a mentalic who has the ability to reach into the minds of others and “adjust” their emotions, individually or en masse, using this capability to conscript individuals to his cause. Not direct mind-control per se, it is a subtle influence of the subconscious; individuals under the Mule's influence behave otherwise normally – logic, memories, and personality intact. This gives the Mule the capacity to disrupt Hari Seldon's** plan by invalidating Seldon's assumption that no single individual could have a measurable effect on galactic socio-historical trends on their own, due to the plan relying on the predictability of the actions of very large numbers of people.

*The Foundation series placed at #1 on our list of top 10 sci-fi books of all time. Click here to view the complete list.

**Hari Seldon came in at #1 on our list of top 10 most EPIC sci-fi characters. Click here to view the complete list.

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3. The Borg from the “Star Trek” franchise

At #3, the Borg are a fictional alien group that appear as recurring antagonists in the Star Trek franchise. The Borg are cybernetic organisms, linked in a hive mind called “the Collective”. The Borg co-opt the technology and knowledge of other alien species to the Collective through the process of “assimilation”: forcibly transforming individual beings into “drones” by injecting nanoprobes into their bodies and surgically augmenting them with cybernetic components. The Borg's ultimate goal is “achieving perfection”.

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2. Darth Vader from the “Star Wars” franchise

At number 2 comes Darth Vader, the primary antagonist in the Star Wars franchise. Star Wars creator George Lucas has collectively referred to the first six episodic films of the franchise as “the tragedy of Darth Vader.”

The first Star Wars novel was published in 1976. In the decades since, dozens of books set in the galaxy far, far away have been released.

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1. Baron Vladimir Harkonnen from the “Dune” series by Frank Herbert

Coming in at #1 is the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, a fictional character from the Dune franchise created by Frank Herbert.

The Baronial leader of House Harkonnen, he rules from his ancestral homeworld of Giedi Prime, exercising a tyrannical rule of exploitation and sadism over the lives of the slaves unfortunate enough to end up in the service of his House. A long-standing rival of House Atreides, the Baron is determined to bring about their end, with particular emphasis on seeing Duke Leto Atreides' humiliating defeat.

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Well, what do you think of that list? Do you agree, or do you feel as though your most-loved (feared?) villain is missing/didn't place as you think it deserved? Feel free to join us here in our Facebook group to chime in on the debate, and then check out our most recent poll while you're there. Don't have Facebook? Feel free to add to the comments below.

*All book-related copy in this post was pulled from Amazon & Wikipedia.