What Are the Best Sci-Fantasy Reads?

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Casual fans of the science fiction and fantasy genres might not note the differences between them. While they are indeed quite different, discussions of one often include the other, and they are frequently grouped together on "best of" lists across the internet. For the most part, we stick to science fiction here, but because there are so many great books out there that combine elements of both, we thought that this week we'd put out a call for your sci-fantasy favorites!

As usual, we've kick-started this week's poll with some of the sci-fantasy books we here at Discover Sci-Fi love, but we want to hear yours! Don't see your favorite(s) here? Add them! You can do that either here or in our Facebook group. Nominate and vote for as many as you'd like this round; we'll pin you down to one selection next week.


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The Top 10 Most Re-Read Sci-Fi Books!

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"Any book 40 people will read more than once deserves a spot on your TBR list." —Jed Lilly, DSF Reader

We couldn't agree more, Jed! There are countless worthy sci-fi books published every year, more than we could possibly hope to read, so a book has to be pretty damn special for it to compete with the sense of possibility that comes with a shiny new read. We wanted to know: what books are so special they deserve to be read over and over?

We asked, and as always, you delivered. Of the hundreds of books nominated in the first round of voting, these were the ones the members of the Discover Sci-Fi Community reread the most. But which one of these ten was THE most re-read?

Without further ado, based on the combined nominations and votes here on the Discover Sci-Fi blog and the Facebook group, here are the 10 most re-read sci-fi books of all-time! 

10. Ringworld by Larry Niven

“The original Ringworld novel is one of the most enjoyable and influential science fiction books ever written. The book is like those little Russian nesting dolls, with each mystery unfolding only to reveal another. When folks assemble SF top ten lists, this book is often among those selected—SF fans crave a certain sense of wonder in their reading, and this book delivers that by the truckload.” —Alan Brown, tor.com

Alan Brown's words about Larry Niven's Ringworld are echoed by reviewers the world over, both professional and casual alike. There are books on this list that tug at a reader's sense of nostalgia; those that challenge our thinking and grow with us; and some we return to for the pure wonder of them. The latter is where Ringworld really shines, and readers come back to Niven's carefully crafted world again and again to steep in what is truly a feast for the imagination.  

“Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novel, Ringworld remains a favorite among science fiction readers.

Louis Wu, accompanied by a young woman with genes for luck, and a captured kzin – a warlike species resembling 8-foot-tall cats -- are taken on a space ship run by a brilliant 2-headed alien called Nessus. Their destination is the Ringworld, an artificially constructed ring with high walls that hold 3 million times the area of Earth. Its origins are shrouded in mystery.”

Pick up Ringworld here on Amazon

9. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

“My copy of this book is tattered. Pieces of the cover are missing. The spine is broken. The pages are yellow. And I won’t trade it for a newer copy until it falls completely to pieces. I just read this book for the 8th time. I read it in elementary and junior high and high school, once every couple of years, just to remind myself that what made me weird could make me strong. I read it in college when I got married younger than most people and wasn’t living on campus, and was viewed as an odd duck by my classmates. I pushed it into the hands of kids I could see myself in when I became a teacher.” —Celeste, Goodreads Review 

Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game is the first book in what is, overall, an excellent series. For those who love space battles, there is a ton of action, but the book is thought provoking, too, raising questions about ethics and the military; and then, there are the characters in all their fleshed out, flawed, relatable glory. No matter what it was you fell in love with upon first read, the book gives you plenty to go back and enjoy. When was the last time you gave this one a read? 

“Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives.”

Pick up Ender's Game  here on Amazon.

8. Honor Harrington Series by David Weber

"Honor Harrington series is an exciting adventure with well written characters. Every time I reread a book I find a thought, a line, or a character that brings on a new thought for me to ponder. I've reread some of the books a few dozen times and it still happens. Good writers write good books. Bravo! Mr. Weber.”  —Carol DeVoss, DSF Facebook Reader Group

Though On Basilisk Station, the first book in the Honorverse, was published almost 30 years ago, relative to the other authors on this list, David Weber could be considered a newcomer. Still, his books easily hold their own against the classics in a way that DSF reader Carol summed up so perfectly. Weber has tapped into our sense of adventure and given us wonderful characters to boot, things that make the series well worth a reread. 

“Honor Harrington in trouble: Having made him look the fool, she's been exiled to Basilisk Station in disgrace and set up for ruin by a superior who hates her. Her demoralized crew blames her for their ship's humiliating posting to an out-of-the-way picket station. The aborigines of the system's only habitable planet are smoking homicide-inducing hallucinogens. Parliament isn't sure it wants to keep the place; the major local industry is smuggling, the merchant cartels want her head; the star-conquering, so-called "Republic" of Haven is Up to Something; and Honor Harrington has a single, over-age light cruiser with an armament that doesn't work to police the entire star system.”

Get your copy of On Basilisk Station here on Amazon.

7. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

“I was not giving answers. I was trying to shake the reader loose from some preconceptions and induce him to think for himself, along new and fresh lines. In consequence, each reader gets something different out of that book because he himself supplies the answers... It is an invitation to think -- not to believe.” —Robert A. Heinlein

Robert A. Heinlein wrote science fiction that challenged us to question and to reflect, and because of this, it makes perfect sense that his books would find a home on a list of the most reread science fiction: not only does each reader get something different out of the book, but every reader will get something different out of the book at a different time in their life. 

If you’ve read Stranger in a Strange Land, what was your response to it the first time? What about the second? The third? How did your reading of it change through time?

Haven’t read it yet? What are you waiting for?!

“Raised by Martians on Mars, Valentine Michael Smith is a human who has never seen another member of his species. Sent to Earth, he is a stranger who must learn what it is to be a man. But his own beliefs and his powers far exceed the limits of humankind, and as he teaches them about grokking and water-sharing, he also inspires a transformation that will alter Earth’s inhabitants forever…”

Start reading Stranger in a Strange Land here on Amazon.

6. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

“Approaching the book again, with most of a lifetime between these two reading experiences, I was even more appreciative of Heinlein’s accomplishment. While there are naturally some predictions about technology that haven’t come to pass in the intervening years, the setting feels real and lived-in. The characters are still compelling. But the element that really shines is the politics.” —Alan Brown, tor.com

Robert A. Heinlein’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, a book which many consider to be the author’s best work, is the second of three titles on this list and because of this, we can’t help but wonder if perhaps Heinlein is the most reread author in all of science fiction. As with the other two selections, reader’s cite, as tor.com's Alan Brown does, the fact that subsequent reads give the reader an entirely different experience, as inevitably we change as readers as we mature. 

“Widely acknowledged as one of Robert A. Heinlein's greatest works, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress rose from the golden age of science fiction to become an undisputed classic—and a touchstone for the philosophy of personal responsibility and political freedom. A revolution on a lunar penal colony—aided by a self-aware supercomputer—provides the framework for a story of a diverse group of men and women grappling with the ever-changing definitions of humanity, technology, and free will—themes that resonate just as strongly today as they did when the novel was first published.”

Grab The Moon is a Harsh Mistress here on Amazon.

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5. Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein

“…as for re-reads it's hands down Starship Troopers. Heinlein is a master at challenging his readers with ideas outside their comfort zone.” —Mike Smith, DSF Facebook Reader Group

We quoted Heinlein earlier in this post as saying that with his writing, he was inducing the reader to think and reflect. Nothing will do that better than work that, as Mike said, challenges readers. As with other work by Heinlein, and certainly the other two of his titles on this list, the controversial military sci-fi classic Starship Troopers will hit differently at different ages and stages in your life and is definitely worth a read through all of them.

“In Robert A. Heinlein’s 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…”

Get your copy of Starship Troopers here on Amazon.

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

“The chances of finding out what’s really going on in the universe are so remote, the only thing to do is hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied.” —Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

It might be harder to find someone who has read Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy once than it would be to find a reader who has enjoyed it many times. It’s a book (and series) that just begs to be reread. Hilarious and irreverent, it is excellent medicine and the perfect book to keep yourself occupied when nothing makes sense. If you have never read it before, read it now, and then be prepared to read it again and again. 

“Seconds before Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.”

Dive into The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy here on Amazon.

3. Foundation Trilogy by Issac Asimov

Over the years, we have heard from many of you that Issac Asimov’s Foundation Trilogy was the first science fiction you read, or if not that, then then the first you fell in love with. Well, they say you never forget your “first", and in the case of books at least, the experience needn’t be relegated to memory alone; this is a “first” you can revisit as often as you please. With Foundation, it seems many of you have done just that. We can’t say that we blame you. 

“A Thousand year epic, a galactic struggle, a monumental work in the annals of science fiction.

FOUNDATION begins a new chapter in the story of man's future. As the Old Empire crumbles into barbarism throughout the million worlds of the galaxy, Hari Seldon and his band of psychologists must create a new entity, the Foundation-dedicated to art, science, and technology-as the beginning of a new empire.”

Get your copy of Foundation here on Amazon.

2. Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

"Dragonriders of Pern, its like comfort food.” —Kelly Dennis, DSF Facebook Reader Group

Many in this community will have first discovered Anne McCaffrey’s glorious Dragonriders of Pern when they were young. Lots of you reported reading the series for the first time at 12 or 13, so for many the pull to reread this one is rooted in nostalgia; but the appeal doesn’t end there of course, because the truth is, no matter your age, McCaffrey’s evocative world, filled with sentient dragons, is just plain cool, you know? If you haven’t visited in a while, perhaps it’s time to return?

“On a beautiful world called Pern, an ancient way of life is about to come under attack. Lessa is an outcast survivor—her parents murdered, her birthright stolen—a strong young woman who has never stopped dreaming of revenge. But when an ancient threat reemerges, Lessa will rise—upon the back of a great dragon with whom she shares a telepathic bond more intimate than any human connection. Together, dragon and rider will fly, and Pern will be changed forever.”

Start Dragonriders of Pern here on Amazon.

1. Dune by Frank Herbert

“I couldn’t actually tell you when I became a fan of Dune—I’m sure it happened at some point in my preteen years, but I can’t remember being introduced to it, or what I thought of it at first blush. (Other than ‘wow that’s weird and I love weird things!’) Safe to say, it’s been part of my internal makeup for a while, and I am constantly shoving it off onto strangers, regardless of what they might think of genre fiction. I find it’s an excellent series for rereading because it slips away from me all too easily, like the sand of Arrakis shifting beneath my feet.” —Emmet Asher-Perrin, tor.com

As with so many books classified as “genre fiction” Frank Herbert Dune is a highly entertaining read, but the book’s appeal doesn’t end with its entertainment value, and the pure entertainment of it might not even be what draws many readers back, over and over.

"Dune" was such a complete societal and religious treatise to me. And no matter what age I've been when I've re-read it, I always get a different lesson each time - Ziggy, DSF Facebook Reader Group

Ziggy put to words what so many of us feel about Dune, that each and every read reveals something new, or rather, that as we age and our perspectives shift (“like the sand of Arrakis”) we relate to the material in a different way. It’s a beautiful thing, really. 

When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream. 

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.

Grab Dune here on Amazon.

And there we have it. The top 10 most reread sci-fi books! Did your favorite make the list? Anything you feel was missed?

Thank you to every one of you who contributed nominations and turned out to vote for your favorites in this poll and in and all the others we did over the course of the year as well: We couldn't do it without you! 

Want to let us know your thoughts on the list? Feel free to weigh in on the comments here on the blog, or visit us here in our Facebook group and make sure to check out our most recent poll while you're there!

*All book-related copy in this post was pulled from Amazon, Goodreads & Wikipedia, unless otherwise credited.

Time To Decide: What is the Most Re-Read Sci-Fi Book of All Time?

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As much as we love a new read, sometimes the best thing for both the heart and the mind is a date with a well-trodden favorite; the one with the spine so worn it's practically falling off (or maybe it's already long gone.)

Last week, in an effort to uncover the most re-read sci-fi books of all time, we asked you to nominate and vote for your most re-read books. Last week you were able to nominate and vote for as many titles as you wanted, but now...

Now, it's time to decide.

We narrowed down the list of your nominations to the ten most voted for, and now it's time to figure out what the best ones are out of this group!

*As alway this list is made up by combining votes from this blog and our Facebook group.  


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What Are the Most Re-Read Sci-Fi Books?

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“To me, re-reading my favorite books is like spending time with my best friends. I’d never be satisfied to limit myself to just one experience each with my favorite people.”—C.S. Lewis

Though there are hundreds, probably thousands of worthy books we will never have the time to read, at least not in this lifetime, many of us love to revisit old favorites. When asked why, readers often respond with something akin to what Lewis said. How many times have you heard a fellow reader say "it's like visiting an old friend?" How many times have you yourself uttered those words?

Last month, a Discover Sci-Fi reader in our Facebook group created a post asking, "what are your most reread science fiction books?" The post generated a lot of great conversation and the thread contained a list of many re-readable titles, and with a lot of those titles repeated, it got us wondering not only what our most reread books are individually, but what are they collectively? What are THE most reread sci-fi books? We figured a poll was a great way to find out!

We've kick-started this week's poll with some of the books we here at Discover Sci-Fi have read and reread (...and reread!) but if you don't see the ones you personally revisit over and over, please add them to the list. You can do that either here or in our Facebook group. Nominate and vote for as many as you'd like this round; we'll pin you down to one selection next week.

 


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The Top 10 Sci-Fi Books Published in 2020!

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“When the world is running down, you make the best of what’s still around.” —Sting

Good advice, Sting. Forevermore, books will be among the best of what is still around, and while there was and will always be old favorites to enjoy, for those looking for something new, 2020 gave us plenty of great books to add to our arsenal of things to keep us afloat through what was a very tumultuous year. Kierkegaard once said, “if one just keeps on walking, everything will be alright.” That might be so, but we like to think the same could be said of reading.

Last week, in the last poll of 2020, the ten titles nominated for our first round of voting advanced to the second round; today, we find out which one of those ten the Discover sci-fi community thought was the very best. Curious to see which book you guys voted as being the best sci-fi book published in 2020? Read on!

Without further ado, based on the combined nominations and votes here on the Discover Sci-Fi blog and the Facebook group, here are your top choices for the best sci-fi book of 2020!  

10. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

Winner of the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Science Fiction, Christopher Paolini’s To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, was a winner with the Discover Sci-Fi community as well. Paolini’s book is captivating and well-written, and rolling in at around 850 pages, it is the perfect length for those looking to get fully immersed in a story without having to commit to a series. 

During a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, Kira finds an alien relic. At first she's delighted, but elation turns to terror when the ancient dust around her begins to move.

As war erupts among the stars, Kira is launched into a galaxy-spanning odyssey of discovery and transformation. First contact isn't at all what she imagined, and events push her to the very limits of what it means to be human.

While Kira faces her own horrors, Earth and its colonies stand upon the brink of annihilation. Now, Kira might be humanity's greatest and final hope . . .

Pick up To Sleep in a Sea of Stars here on Amazon

9. Layers of Force by Lindsay Buroker

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened” —Dr. Seuss 

Bittersweet, this one! We have loved each and every instalment of Lindsay Buroker’s spectacular Star Kingdom series, and while we are more than a little devastated that it’s over Layers of Force was as exciting and unforgettable a conclusion as we could have hoped for. It's no surprise that this one made it on to the list. And as much as we're going to miss Buroker's Star Kingdom universe, we're excited to see what she's got coming next! How about you?

Even though Professor Casmir Dabrowski has been fighting for months to help the kingdom and humanity as a whole, few people in positions of power have appreciated his unorthodox methods. Now he's a captive of the king and being taken back to his home world without his friends or the crushers he relies upon to protect him. The king believes Casmir is responsible for the prince’s death and plans to have him publicly executed.

But bigger troubles are brewing for the Star Kingdom, and Casmir may once again be needed to find a creative solution to save his people—and reshape the entire future of the Twelve Systems.

First, he’s got to escape and survive. No easy feat for a man stripped of his allies and marked as a rebel and a traitor.

Ready to say goodbye? Pick up Layers of Force here on Amazon.

8. Junkyard Spaceship (Junkyard Pirate Book 3) by Jamie McFarlane

If you are looking for a fun, high-action story, well told, Jamie McFarlane’s Junkyard Spaceship is the ticket! This is the third book in the Junkyard Pirate series featuring the curmudgeonly but heroic vet, Albert Jenkins. Haven’t read this one yet? Start at the beginning with book one, Junkyard Pirate, but if you are all caught up, dive in here! 

When aliens threaten his country, one grumpy old vet will take the fight to the stars.

Albert Jenkins would like nothing more than to putter around his junkyard, selling parts and working on old cars. When an alien spacecraft is shot down by US Air Defense and crash lands on his newly rebuilt home, he’s dragged back into the fight of his life. Lightyears away, a war for the control of Earth looms and humanity’s freedom hangs in the balance. Previously kicked off Earth, the Korgul are back and they are willing to destroy any who stand in their way.

To join the action, AJ lacks just one thing, a spaceship. With only a junkyard full of old parts, he’ll need help to get his plan off the ground. Fortunately, he’s got a plucky, pop culture loving, nano-sized symbiote who’s managed to roll back the damages of eighty years of hard living. With dogged determination he’ll repurpose an old, reclaimed shuttle and build a spaceship so he can join the fight one more time

Get your copy of Junkyard Spaceship here on Amazon.

7. Network Effect by Martha Wells

Those of us who can’t get enough of Martha Wells’s Murderbot Diaries series were in for a treat this year with the release of Network Effect, the first full-length novel in the series. Clearly we were not alone in our excitement as it seems many of you in the Discover Sci-Fi community were taken with it as well! 

While not at all short on conflict or action, these books are humorous and were something of a comfort read in the dark year that was 2020. If you haven’t read the novellas, fear not! You should read them, but you needn’t do so before you read this one, so if you'd like, feel free to jump right in here. 

I’m usually alone in my head, and that’s where 90 plus percent of my problems are.

When Murderbot's human associates (not friends, never friends) are captured and another not-friend from its past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action.

Drastic action it is, then.

Start reading Network Effect here on Amazon.

6. CyberSpace by Matthew Mather

CyberSpace is the long awaited and HIGHLY anticipated follow-up to Matthew Mather’s absolutely chilling techno thriller, CyberStorm. After seven years, it was everything we could have hoped for and definitely worthy of a spot on any top ten list for 2020! 

While CyberStorm works as a standalone, CyberSpace relies on readers having read CyberStorm so if you have read CyberStorm already, feel free to dive right in with CyberSpace! 

After long years apart, Mike Mitchell is reunited with old friends on a fishing trip in New Orleans. He brings his son Luke, now eight years old, while his wife Lauren attends a business meeting in Hong Kong.

Suddenly, worldwide GPS signal goes out. Cell phones stop working. Communications go down. Within hours, almost all international borders are closed as conflict spreads around the globe.

Thousands of planes are stranded in the air as Mike discovers that his wife took an overnight flight from China to Washington that morning. With satellites falling from the sky and rolling blackouts sweeping the nation, Mike must fight his way across the country in a desperate race to save his family.

But this is only the beginning as the shocking truth comes out, in a new generation of warfare that will forever change the world...

Grab CyberSpace here on Amazon.

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ll also get recommendations for new releases and discounted ebooks from our expert editorial team, from bestsellers to hidden gems.

5. Brushfire by Craig Alanson

Craig Alanson managed to outdo himself yet again with Brushfire, the 11th book in Expeditionary Force, a series that seems to get better and better with each instalment. As you might expect from one of Alanson’s books, Brushfire is full of action and plenty of humor—the perfect escape for when the world is getting you down. If you are new to the series, this is not the place to start. Definitely go back and read Columbus Day and all the books in between, but if you are a fan of the series and somehow you missed this release, you should pick it up ASAP! 

Peacetime can be a rough adjustment for the battle-hardened Merry Band of Pirates.

Especially when aliens don’t get the memo that the shooting is over.

Get your copy of Brushfire here on Amazon.

4. The Last Emperox by John Scalzi

Two years. It’s not really that long in the grand scheme of things, but when you’re waiting for the last book in a thrill-ride of a sci-fi trilogy, it can feel like a lifetime. Consuming Fire had us aching for the next instalment, and when it came this spring, it did not disappoint.

The Last Emperox, the final book in John Scalzi’s much lauded The Interdependency series, does sweet justice to what is a truly excellent story. Definitely add this award winner to your list if you haven’t already read it. 

Emperox Grayland II has finally wrested control of her empire from those who oppose her and who deny the reality of this collapse. But “control” is a slippery thing, and even as Grayland strives to save as many of her people form impoverished isolation, the forces opposing her rule will make a final, desperate push to topple her from her throne and power, by any means necessary. Grayland and her thinning list of allies must use every tool at their disposal to save themselves, and all of humanity. And yet it may not be enough.

Will Grayland become the savior of her civilization . . . or the last emperox to wear the crown?

Dive into The Last Emperox here on Amazon.

3. Sons of War by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

It’s no secret that we are huge fans of Nicholas Sansbury Smith, so when we first heard about his newest series, Sons of War we were stoked! While in 2020 the series premise felt uncomfortably realistic, and so not just a little anxiety provoking, we had to keep in mind that it wouldn’t be a Smith novel if we didn't lose sleep because of it (because of the content, or because we couldn't put it down, either way!).

If you have yet to read Sons of War, expect a fresh, unexplored take on the apocalypse that hits close enough to home that it’ll get your heart racing at every turn, and wide awake until you've turned the last page. This one is definitely not to be missed. 

As open warfare erupts across the states, Salvatore fights his way back to LA, where his son has joined the police in the battle for a city spiraling into anarchy. Family is everything, and the Morettis and Salvatores will do what they must to protect their own. But how far will they go to survive in a new economy where the only currency is violence?

The explosive new Sons of War series is a harrowing and realistic depiction of what a second American Civil War and the aftermath might look like, from former Homeland Security Disaster Mitigation Officer and New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sansbury Smith.

Get your copy of Sons of War here on Amazon.

2. Iron Prince by Bryce O'Connor and Luke Chmilenko

Iron Prince, the incredible first entry into Bryce O’Connor and Luke Chmilenko’s new Warformed: Stormweaver Series recently took 2nd place in our round up of the best new series of 2020 and now the Discover Sci-Fi community has voted the first book of the series, Iron Prince, into 2nd place in the top 10 for best sci-fi book of 2020! Have you checked it out yet?

At over 1000 pages, Iron Prince is a hefty book, but the incredible, immersive, storytelling will have you hooked and unable to put it it down until you’ve devoured the whole thing. Haven't read it yet? Move it to the top of your list for 2021! 

Reidon Ward will become a god.

He doesn't know it yet, of course. Reidon was born weak, sickly and small. Afflicted with a painful disease and abandoned by his parents because of it, he has had to fight tooth and nail for every minor advantage life has allowed him.

His perseverance has not gone unnoticed, however, and when the most powerful artificial intelligence in human history takes an interest in him, things began to change quickly. Granted a CAD—a Combat Assistance Device—with awful specs but an infinite potential for growth, Reidon finds himself at the bottom of his class at the Galens Institute, one of the top military academies in the Collective. Along with his best friend, Viviana Arada, Reidon will have to start his long climb through the school rankings, and on to the combat tournament circuits that have become humanity's greatest source of excitement and entertainment.

So begins the rise of a god. So begins the ascent of the Stormweaver.

Start Iron Prince, the first book in the Warformed: Stormweaver Series here on Amazon.

1. Inversion: Riven Worlds Book Two (Amaranthe 15) by G.S. Jennsen

Start a conversation about best world-building in sci-fi, “hidden gems,” or addictive and re-readable storylines, and you’ll hear about G.S. Jennsen’s magnificent Amaranthe series. Jennsen has a gift for connecting readers to her characters; you can’t help but to be fully invested in their struggle to triumph over the seemingly impossible challenges they face. It is no surprise that the newest book in the series, Inversion, was voted by you, the Discover Sci-Fi readers, as the top pick in our poll for best sci-fi book of 2020! 

The stories are gritty, the heroes determined, the readers… hooked. How can you not be? This is a truly EPIC series. If you haven’t picked it up yet, you really must. If you’re mostly caught up but haven’t read Inversion yet, grab it ASAP as you’re going to want to read it before Echo Rift: Riven Worlds Book Three (Amaranthe 16) comes out on the 15th of this month!

In Amaranthe, where exotic alien life, AIs, wormholes, indestructible starships and the promise of immortality rule the day, no feat seems out of reach for humanity. But when the worlds of Aurora Rhapsody and Asterion Noir collide and the Rasu horde descends upon them both, more will be asked of heroes past and future. More will be given and more taken, and when the dust settles the very fabric of Amaranthe will be changed forever.

Grab Inversion: Riven Worlds Book 2 (Amaranthe 16) here on Amazon.

And there we have it. The top 10 sci-fi books of 2020! Did your favorite make the list? Anything you feel was missed?

Thank you to every one of you who contributed nominations and turned out to vote for your favorites in this poll and in and all the others we did over the course of the year as well: We couldn't do it without you! 

Want to let us know your thoughts on the list? Feel free to weigh in on the comments here on the blog, or visit us here in our Facebook group and make sure to check out our most recent poll while you're there!

*All book-related copy in this post was pulled from Amazon, Goodreads & Wikipedia, unless otherwise credited.

Time to Decide: What Was the Best Sci-Fi Book Published in 2020?

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So many great sci-fi books came out in 2020! What was your favorite? This is was the question we posed to the Discover Sci-Fi community last week as the topic of our last poll series of the year. Dozens of fantastic titles were submitted and now...

Now, it's time to decide.

We narrowed down the list of your nominations to the ten most voted for, and now it's time to figure out which one will come out on top!

*As alway this list is made up by combining votes from this blog and our Facebook group.  


Time to Decide: What Was the Best Sci-Fi Book Published in 2020?
Results
 

Megastructures

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We humans can build some big stuff. The Great Wall of China. The Burj Khalifa. The Hoover Dam. But for truly big structures – megastructures, if you will – we must turn to science fiction.

Megastructures in science fiction dwarf anything we’ve built on Earth. We might be able to build some of these theoretical structures in the future. Some might already exist out there in the galaxy, built by alien civilizations.

Let’s take a look at some science fiction megastructures.

ORBITAL RING

An orbital ring is a theoretical, ring-shaped structure that orbits around a central point. The inner surface of the ring provides living area. If the ring is large enough, living space is quite ample, greatly surpassing the surface area of Earth. Cities, forests, fields, lakes—they can all fit on the inner surface of the ring.

Meanwhile, the ring will spin, generating centrifugal force. This will create artificial gravity. The centrifugal force will also negate the need for a “roof.” By spinning, the ring can maintain an atmosphere. The air will “cling” to the ring like water clings to the bottom of a spinning bucket.

Orbital rings were popularized by Larry Niven’s seminal novel Ringworld. Other science fiction authors have included orbital rings in their universes. Banks Orbitals, a smaller version of Ringworlds, feature prominently in the Culture series. Bishop Rings, proposed by Forrest Bishop of the Institute of Atomic-Scale Engineering, are small orbitals with enough living space for millions of people.

O’NEILL CYLINDER

O'Neill Cylinders are theoretical “tube” habitats. Space colonists would live on the inner surface of the cylinder. The entire structure would spin, generating centrifugal force and thereby providing artificial gravity.

The interior of an O’Neill cylinder would be curved. Standing inside one, you would see the horizons curve upward. Far above, you would see colonists on the “roof,” walking upside down. If the cylinder’s radius were large enough, however, you would barely notice the curve. The surface would seem flat. The inside of the cylinder could support fields, gardens, rivers, and cities.

A famous O’Neill cylinder in science fiction is Rama, featured in Arthur C. Clark’s novel Rendezvous with Rama.

TOPOPOLIS

A topopolis is a cross between an Orbital Ring and an O’Neill Cylinder. In a sense, it’s an extremely long O’Neill cylinder which loops around a star. It can even loop around several times, forming a torus knot.

A topopolis would require massive amounts of matter to construct. Its total mass could equal or even eclipse the mass of a planet. But its inner surface area would be far larger than that of a planet, providing enough living space for trillions of humans (or aliens).

A topopolis appears in the 2008 novel Matter by Iain M. Banks. The 2020 novel Heaven’s River by Dennis E. Taylor prominently features a topopolis that is home to sentient, otter-like aliens.

ALDERSON DISK

An Alderson disk (named after its originator, Dan Alderson) is a massive artificial disk circling a star. It looks like a giant record, with the star fitting in the central hole. The disk will orbit the star, absorbing its energy. Living space can exist on either side of the disk.

The disk would stretch across a solar system like a solid ecliptic plane. Such a structure would include more mass than in the star it orbits, requiring matter collected from other solar systems.

An Alderson disk appears in Ian McDonald's novel Empress of the Sun.

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WORMHOLE

A wormhole is a theoretical tunnel connecting two places in spacetime, allowing for faster-than-light travel. Starships could travel down the wormhole, crossing vast distances in short periods of time. In science fiction, wormholes serve a similar function to warp drive, allowing characters to travel through interstellar space.

Wormholes are, in a sense, a highway system between the stars.

DYSON SPHERE

A Dyson sphere is a megastructure designed to capture the full energy output of a star. It is a solid, artificial sphere the size of a solar system, completely enclosing a star. Solar panels (or analogous technology) along the inner surface capture the sun’s released energy.

The inner surface can also provide living space. The surface area will be millions of times larger than any planet offers.

A Dyson sphere would allow a civilization to fully harvest the energy of its star. Normally, only a very small percentage of a star’s solar energy reaches any particular planet. The rest is lost. A Dyson sphere would solve that problem. A sufficiently advanced, spacefaring civilization might construct Dyson spheres to meet its massive energy needs.

A spherical structure around a star was first proposed by Olaf Stapledon in his 1937 novel Star Maker. Freeman Dyson popularized the concept in his 1960 paper "Search for Artificial Stellar Sources of Infrared Radiation." Dyson proposed that alien civilizations might build such spheres, and that in the search for alien life, we should attempt to find them.

A Dyson swarm is an alternate version of a Dyson sphere, involving a large number of smaller structures (e.g. satellites with solar panels) that swarm around a star.

MATRIOSHKA BRAIN

A Matrioshka brain was proposed by Robert J. Bradbury in the anthology Year Million: Science at the Far Edge of Knowledge. The name is based on Matryoshka dolls, also known as Russian nesting dolls.

The Matryoshka is a megastructure on a truly enormous scale. It's comprised of nested Dyson spheres. The innermost sphere surrounds a star, absorbing its energy, which powers a central computer. This inner sphere releases huge amounts of waste heat. An enclosing sphere absorbs the waste energy, using it for its own computational purposes. It releases its own waste heat to the next layer, and so on. Sphere within sphere. The innermost sphere would run at nearly the temperature of the enclosed star, while each enclosing sphere would be a little cooler.

Know any other megastructures? Mention them in the comments!

The Best Sci-Fi Books of 2022: Voting Round!

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Thank you to everyone who nominated their favorite sci-fi books published this year for our year end readers' choice awards! There were dozens of titles nominated by readers across the globe, underscoring what a fantastic year 2021 was for sci-fi fans. We have taken that hulking list and narrowed it down to the books that received the most nominations and we're now ready to move on to the voting round! 

Scroll down to see the nineteen titles moving forward and select your favorite. Next week we'll publish a list of the top ten from this group. Want to discuss the titles nominated? Leave your thoughts in the comments here on wander over to the Discover Sci-Fi facebook group and chime in there!  


Voting now closed. See you for next year's awards!


Time to Vote for Your Top Space Opera Books and Series

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Are you among the legions of space opera fans in the Discover Sci-Fi community? If so, you’re in great company! We are huge fans of space opera! We love it for its epic scale, its awe inspiring focus on interstellar exploration, the high stakes drama, the unforgettable heroic characters, and so much else. With its thrilling adventures, and fantastic settings, space opera is escapism at it’s finest. And who couldn’t use a little of that from time to time? With tales often told over several books, this is also the perfect genre for the voracious readers among us. 

As with military sci-fi, there are almost too many great space operas out there to properly define the best of the genre, but this week, we invite you to join us in trying. 

Five years ago, just as we did with military sci-fi, we polled our community about their favorite space opera series at that time. And after a similarly fierce round of voting this top 10 list of titles prevailed.

Once again, 5 years later, we’re revisiting the question, looking to see how the list may have changed.

As such, we've cataloged twenty of the best space opera books and series in the poll down below, and we’d love for you to vote for your favorites. Vote for as many as you’d like, and if think of any that aren’t on the list but that you feel deserve a mention, please shout it out in the comments.

Ready? Go! 


Top Military Sci-Fi Books

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The Discover Sci-Fi community has thousands upon thousands of military sci-fi fans among its ranks. Military sci-fi is wildly popular, owing in part to its often epic scope, its focus on futuristic technology and breathtaking action, and among much else, its frequently thought-provoking themes. It’s no wonder we’re all drawn to it! There are almost too many great military sci-fi books out there to properly define the best of the genre, but we like a challenge, so we’re going to try. And you, dear readers, are essential to our mission.

Back in 2019 we polled our readers about your favorite military sci-fi series at the time, and after a cut-throat round of voting this top 10 list of titles prevailed.

Now, 5 years later, we turning the question back to you to see how the list may have changed.

So, we've catalogued twenty of the best military science fiction books and series in the poll down below, and we’d love for you to vote for your favorites. Vote for as many as you’d like, and if think of any that aren’t on the list but that you feel deserve a mention, please shout it out in the comments.

Okay, ready? Let’s do this!