Halloween Sci-Fi Horror Fest

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The annual October Horror Fest at the Konkoly house took an unexpected detour for 2020. In years past, the film festival leading up to Halloween has taken a familiar path. We slowly raise our anxiety levels over 31 days with classic slasher films like HALLOWEEN or SCREAM (we steer clear of the gratuitous stuff…no SAW); supernatural creep shows like HEREDITARY, THE CONJURING or THE SHINING; suspense on par with ESCAPE ROOM, US or new INVISIBLE MAN. There’s no list. The movies ideas flow throughout each day, until we settle down on the couch and argue intensely for several minutes. Happens every time!

To avoid the inevitable “debate,” our daughter created a schedule and handed it out in late September. Six movies a week. Some newer releases we haven’t seen, but mostly the “classics.” She even threw the old CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON into the mix. Son of Svengoolie would have been proud…Berwyn! (Chicagoland shoutout!).  

Halfway through October Horror Fest, I quietly negotiated the screening of SPUTNIK, a Russian film that looked promising. The trailer looked good, and l swore to the crew that we could shut it down and switch back to the list if it didn’t meet expectations. I also promised to watch the assigned movie, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID THE SUMMER BEFORE LAST SUMMER BEFORE LAST SUMMER, later that evening. It was worth the sacrifice.

Not only did SPUTNIK live up to expectations, it sparked a shift in Horror Fest. A HORROR SCI-FI splinter list of additional movies to watch in October. My hope is that some of these will make the core OCTOBER HORROR FEST list next year. Not that I need an excuse to watch any of these over and over again.

In no particular order. Click the titles for the IMDB (movie database) page, which tells you exactly where (streaming service) to find these gems.

ALIEN

Somehow, this movie gets better every time I watch it. Its sequel, ALIENS, is another masterpiece. The rest of the sequel franchise is spotty, but the prequel line, starting with PROMETHEUS. As a reader, if you want to dig deep into the world of Alien, I highly recommend the newly published ALIEN TRILOGY.

EVENT HORIZON

A Sci-Fi horror classic. What did the ship Event Horizon bring back from beyond?

SPUTNIK

A Russian film with subtitles. Well done all around, with one twist after another. The 1980’s Soviet Union backdrop is perfectly executed.

THE THING

What can I say about this classic that hasn’t already been said? A thoughtful, tense and downright frightening movie. Plus Kurt Russell in one of his best roles.

A QUIET PLACE

Shhhhhhhh. That’s all I’ll say.

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INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS

The 1956 version kept me checking under the bed for weeks when I saw it as an elementary schooler. The latest version is equally as terrifying.

APOLLO 18

I’m not the biggest fan of “lost footage” movies, but this one had me yelling at the screen…in a good way. Truly one of the most uniquely disturbing films I had seen in a while.

LIFE

This movie alone has convinced me that it’s not a good idea for us to be bringing deep space samples of anything back to earth.

SUNSHINE

A perfectly suspenseful, slow-burn (pun intended) until the shocking end. A must see.

PITCH BLACK

Great race-against-the-clock premise. Vin Diesel. The ultimate “wrong place at the wrong time” horror film.

LIFEFORCE

Space-Energy vampires. Need I say more? This movie is fast paced, fun and quiet frightening. Gets a little crazy at the end, but why not?

Steven Konkoly is the USA Today bestselling author of over twenty novels and novellas.

His canon of THRILLERS includes: the FRACTURED STATE trilogy, a “24-style,” near future conspiracy series set in the southwest United States; the BLACK FLAGGED books, a gritty, no-holds barred covert operations and espionage saga; and the ALEX FLETCHER books, a tense, thriller epic, chronicling the aftermath of an inconceivable attack on the United States. He recently released HOT ZONE, the first book in a thriller series chronicling the events surrounding a bioweapons attack against the United States.

You can contact Steven directly by email or through his blog.

Time to Decide: What Is The Best Sci-Fi Audiobook Of All Time?

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Did you know that audiobooks have been around since the 1930s? The industry has come a long, long way since then! Nowadays, we can get fully casted productions with notable actors voicing our favorite characters, as well as those voiced by one of the audiobook industry's several luminaries. The industry has grown so much it now boasts its own hall of fame and, for the last 25 years, the Audie Awards, to honor the best of the best.

We understand the value of being recognized by the industry, but it's the voice of the listeners we're really interested in, and so last week we asked you to nominate and vote for your favorites.  

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 is the very best!

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


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What Is The Best Sci-Fi Audiobook Of All Time?

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“Well, I've listened to the audiobook, if that counts.' 'It definitely counts,' Tilly said.”
― Anna James, Tilly and the Bookwanderers 

We're kicking this week's poll off with a little wisdom straight from the pages of a children's book, because despite what the odd cynic will tell you, listening to the audiobook totally counts. Is it a different experience? For sure. But reading is reading, no matter the format, and we happen to love them all, including audiobooks!

That said, as any audiobook lover knows, not all are created equal. A spectacular story can be made lacklustre by a narrator that is poorly matched to the material; a great narrator can elevate an average book, and can take even a five-star narrative to the next level. 

With that in mind, this week, we want to hear about your favorite audiobooks and the kick-ass narrators who brought them to life! We've kickstarted the list with some of our favorite audio productions, but as always, this is a democratic process and we are excited to hear your nominations!  Please nominate as many as you'd like here or in our Facebook group and remember that for this opening round, you can vote for as many as you'd like as well! 


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The Top 10 Sci-Fi Books or Series That Haven’t Been Made Into a TV Series or Movie… But Should Be!

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We've seen some landslide wins in the history of these polls, but never like this one! There is no denying that all of these titles would be incredible brought to the screen, but among them, the Discover Sci-Fi community had a very clear favorite. Any guesses as to which one it was? 

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 historical sci-fi books of all time!  

10. The Event by Nathan Hystad

Like many of you, we would love to see Nathan Hystad’s The Event come to life on the screen! And while it would be amazing to take in at the theater, we think it’d be best served as a TV series.

Dean Parker is a normal person doing the impossible during a unique alien invasion, a dog as his sidekick. Formatting the story as a series of weekly episodes as Dean faces adversity at every corner would best capture the essence of the book. The Survivors Series  as a whole could continue on for years, making an epic experience for fans of all ages. 

The series goes from an alien invasion tale on Earth to the corners of the Universe, and features fantastic elements: everything from talking one eyed birds, to giant ancient Deities, and Insectoid allies. Space opera, adventure, and portals... What could be more entertaining than that? 

The only question remaining: Who should be cast as the main characters in The Event?

Dean’s wife is dead. Her last words: When the ships come...wear the necklace.

Then the ships arrived.

Cities all around the world reported strange alien vessels descending. Some saw them as the heralds of a new age; others fired everything they had at them. All were taken as the beams lashed down and drew them into the sky.

Dean was left behind, seemingly the last man on Earth.

A trail of clues left by his dead wife guide Dean on a perilous journey across America and beyond, to learn the truth behind the mysterious ships and save humanity from its doom.

But not everything is as it seems.

Read The Event here on Amazon

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

“From my point of view, Stranger In A Strange Land isn’t just a science-fiction masterpiece. It also happens to be one of my favorite books ever. The story is timeless and resonates more than ever in today’s world. As a fan, I can’t wait to see it come to life as a world-class television event.” —NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Chairman, Bonnie Hammer

We agree. And apparently, so does the Discover Sci-Fi community! From a pool that started with over one hundred nominees, your votes put Robert Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land 9th place on our list. Not too shabby! Like The Moon is a Harsh Mistress—the other Heinlein title on this list—this is a project said to be in development. Having been picked up before, it's also a project that has seen more than one false start. Will it ever come to fruition? Let’s hope so. 

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…

Read Stranger in a Strange Land  here on Amazon.

8. The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison

Who doesn't love a good anti-hero? Futuristic conman James Bolivar diGriz—AKA "Slippery Jim," AKA "The Stainless Steel Rat"—is a compelling character, hilariously written and we have to agree that Harry Harrison’s action packed The Stainless Steel Rat would make a great TV series!

Were it ever to be made, it wouldn’t be the first of Harrison’s books to be translated to screen. His book Make Room! Make Room! Inspired the 1973 sci-fi film Soylent Green. If you haven't seen that classic, queue it up! Haven't read the Stainless Steel Rat books? You don't want to miss those either!  

Slippery Jim DiGriz is the Stainless Steel Rat: the galaxy's greatest interstellar thief and con artist. For novel upon novel, the Rat has outfoxed the forces of conventionality, cutting a stylish swathe through dozens of star systems-and stealing the hearts of thousands of readers.

Read The Stainless Steel Rat  here on Amazon.

7. Blood on the Stars by Jay Allan

If you happen to be a member of Jay Allan's Facebook reader group Jay Allan's Reader Central, you know that one of the questions that comes up a lot is "when is Blood on the Stars going to be made into a television show?!" If you have read this smashing military sci-fi epic, you know why that question comes up so much! The Blood on the Stars series is nearing its end with the 18th and final book—Empire Reborn—coming very soon and once the final curtain is drawn, we're all going to want to experience the series again. What better way than in full, living color?

If you've yet to get on this bandwagon, you're going to want to start with Duel in the Dark, the first book in this thrilling saga! 

A duel, in the deepest darks, a savage fight between two veteran warriors, two captains, two heroes...

Barron is the grandson of the Confederation’s greatest hero, and his name has always carried great privilege, along with crushing responsibility. Now he must prove that he has inherited more than just a name from his famous ancestor.

He must face the enemy, and win the victory.

Read Duel in the Dark, the first book in the Blood on the Stars series, here on Amazon.

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

“No sooner did the rights to The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress reverted back to Robert A. Heinlein's estate than another studio has come along to snatch them up. This time, Fox is bringing some A-List names to the project.” – Katharine Trendacosta
Not for the first time, the rights to our 7th place title, Robert A. Heinlein’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, have been snapped up, and for the last 5 years an adaptation has been rumoured to be in production under the title "Uprising". Will it ever see the light of day? While we’re not holding our breath, we, like many of you, hope this timeless classic will someday make it to the screen. Until then, if you happened to have missed it, you’ve plenty of time to read the book.

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. Omega Force by Joshua Dalzelle

There's lots of love for Joshua Dalzelle's Omega Force Series around these parts, and we were excited to see it land in the top 5 on the list! We thought we'd reach out to Dalzelle to ask what he felt attracted fans to the idea of seeing this particular series translated to the screen, and he shared some thoughts with us:

Omega Force isn't even my most popular series in terms of books sold, but it's always the one that readers ask for a screen adaptation of. Putting science fiction on the big screen in a way that's approachable for a mass market has been something the movie business has struggled with in the past (barring the obvious mega-franchises.) It either comes off as too technical and dry, too cheesy, or too implausible. Omega Force manages to find the right mix of all those elements and the readers have been very vocal about wanting to see it on the big (or small) screen.

It's a formula that's been tried and true when it comes to successful film and TV. Omega Force draws on the themes found in early Spaghetti Westerns and more contemporary examples like The A-Team and the movie, "The Losers." What they have in common is the pitting of a hero, or small group of heroes, against corruption and criminal elements that are harming people and get away with it. The life of the small mercenary crew has a lot of appeal across a broad cross-section of readers while the action and humor of the books bring in those who aren't even sci-fi fans. It's part of the reason a planned six book series is now into book twelve with a planned eight more in the works. It's unfortunate that right now the film and TV industries are struggling mightily in a COVID world and new projects are being shelved, but who knows... maybe one day the Omega Force crew will make it onto the screen. 

New to the series? Definitely, definitely check it out the first book, Omega Rising and you'll want to see that scrappy, ride-or-die crew make it to the screen, too! 

Jason Burke was a man hiding from himself in a small cabin high in the American Rocky Mountains when his simple, quiet life was shattered one night by what he first assumed was an aviation mishap. But when he investigates the crash, what he finds will yank him out of his self-imposed exile and thrust him into a world he could have never imagined.

Get your copy of Omega Rising, book one in the epic Omega Force series  here on Amazon.

4. Ringworld by Larry Niven

Good things come to those who wait? Not to knock the special effects available in the 70s, but we’d much rather see the Kzin from Larry Niven’s epic, Ringworld, brought to life with those at our disposal these days!

Unlike others on this list, our collective dream of seeing this on the screen is a few steps closer to reality: the rights are not only picked up, but a director has been announced as of this May, and while we see no mention of filming having begun (no surprise there, given the circumstances) we feel like just maybe there is reason to believe.

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.

The adventures of Louis and his companions on the Ringworld are unforgettable . . .

Dive into Ringworld  here on Amazon.

3. Honor Harrington by David Weber

Earlier this year David Weber shared that his Honor Harrington Series had been optioned for development by Radar Pictures, who is presently doing a pilot script for the series. This is not the first time a move to develop the series has been made (see this nifty  "Nimitz CGI animation test" made by Evergreen Films) and at this point, anything can happen, but we remain optimistic that one day we will see this project come to life!

From epic space battles to sentient, empathic treecats, and featuring the most respectable and kick-ass heroine, this is a series that has something for every sci-fi fan. If you haven't read this beloved series, start with the first book, On Basilisk Station.

On Basilisk Station is the first book in David Weber's Honor Harrington series, and follows Commander Honor Harrington and Her Majesty’s light cruiser Fearless during their assignment to the Basilisk system. Though Basilisk Station and the planet of Medusa have become a dumping ground for military officers, currently in disfavor, from her home star system of Manticore. Honor is determined to discharge her duty regardless of the circumstances.

Get your copy of On Basilisk Station  here on Amazon.

2. The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

“Dragonriders was both nail biting and inspired. It kept me thinking I figured it all out only to find out there was so much more. Read all of them! The side stories. The shorts. The prequels Everything! It fleshes out more and more." —Discover Sci-Fi Reader, DSF Facebook Group

To anyone who has read the series, the answer as to why Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders series should be brought to theaters is obvious: this is a world you can get completely lost in. What is most surprising is that it hasn't happened yet! 

“Over the years we've had a lot of people interested in putting Pern on the screen. I'd love to see dragons on the big screen but all those cogs haven't fallen into place yet. We've gotten so close in the past. Even with CGI as developed as it is, it would be a really big budget. At the end of the day, I know when Hollywood has been involved they've had this problem with dragons.” —Gigi McCaffrey

As McCaffrey's daughter notes, it would take an enormous budget to do the project justice, but we think it would be worth pulling out all the stops to make it happen. 

On a beautiful world called Pern, an ancient way of life is about to come under attack from a myth that is all too real. 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 to Pern 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 reading Dragonflight, the first book in the Pern series, here on Amazon.

1. Expeditionary Force by Craig Alanson

“Semper Taedium could be our motto: 'Always Boredom'. I'd be happy with that.”—Craig Alanson, SpecOps

If there are any T.V. or Movie execs in our audience, take note because this might be the biggest win in the history of our polls! Among ten outstanding titles, Craig Alanson’s Expeditionary Force handily took the top spot garnering almost 350 more votes than the 2nd place title. No surprise, because fans of Alanson's wildly popular series know that despite the quote above, there is nary a boring moment between the pages of an ExForce book! The series has plenty of action and is funny as hell. It really would do well adapted to screen. 

If you've yet to meet Skippy and Joe, what are you waiting for!? It feels almost inevitable that one day this series will make it to the screen, and you'll want to be in the know before it does! 

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....

Grab Columbus Day, the first book in the Expeditionary Force series,  here on Amazon.


What do you think of our top 10? How many of these brilliant books have you read? Which one will you read next? We'd love to hear from you! Weigh in on the comments here on the blog, or visit us  here in our Facebook group to chime in on the debate, 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.

Which Secondary or Ensemble Sci-Fi Characters Deserve Their Own Spin-off?

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Sometimes the best characters in our favorite books aren't the ones who get top billing; often, they are secondary characters, or those who shine despite time among a large cast. If you are like us and have dreamed of seeing your favorite secondary or ensemble character get their own spin-off book or series, this week's poll is for you!

Add your picks to the poll below, or to the one in our Facebook group. This round, you can nominate and vote for as many characters as you'd like; we'll pin you down to one selection next week.

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


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Time to Decide: Which Sci-Fi Books or Series Haven’t Been Made Into a TV Series or Movie… But Should Be!

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Last week we put out a call for your favorite sci-fi books or series that have yet to be brought to the screen and WOW were you guys ever full of great suggestions! Between the blog and the Discover Sci-Fi Facebook group, there were over 100 titles nominated and hundreds—no, thousands—of votes were cast. This week ten of those titles are advancing to the second round of voting, 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 what the best ones are out of this group!

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


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Which Sci-Fi Books or Series Haven’t Been Made Into a TV Series or Movie… But Should Be!

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“Books and movies are like apples and oranges. They both are fruit, but taste completely different.” ― Stephen King

The release of yet another Dune movie is upon us. 
While many of us will watch and some of us are sure it will be amazing, it's safe to say most of us can probably agree that we've seen enough remakes and reboots. It's time for some fresh material to be translated from page to screen! Because even if the result is incomparable, as King suggests, it's always exciting to see how our favorites will be adapted, and whether the results are good or bad, it's fun to discuss where filmmakers got it right, and where they got it horribly wrong.  

Considering all the great books out there that haven't yet made it to the big (or little) screen, which titles would you most love to see up lit up on the marquee? We've kickstarted the list with some we'd love to see, but as always, this is a democratic process and we are excited to hear your nominations!  Please nominate as many as you'd like here or in our Facebook group and remember that for this opening round, you can vote for as many as you'd like as well! 


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Top Sci-Fi Songs

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We normally talk about books and movies here at Discover Sci-Fi. But today we’d like to bring you something a little different -- science fiction music. Specifically, rock music!

We put together a list of our twelve favorite rock songs with sci-fi themes. So crank up the volume. Let’s geek out and rock out.

12. “Rocket Man” by Elton John

Elton John's 1972 song was inspired by the short story "The Rocket Man" by Ray Bradbury. The song describes an astronaut flying to Mars and missing his family back home. The song is also infamous for William Shatner's disastrous cover at the 5th Saturn Awards Ceremony.

11. “Tonight We Ride” by Unleash the Archers

The music video for “Tonight We Ride” was clearly inspired by Mad Max. It makes us want to watch “Fury Road” again. The tone here is post-apocalyptic or dystopian, making it a little different from the other songs on our list, but we think this song is just too cool to leave out.

10. “Science Fiction Double Feature” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

This song is a loving homage to old sci-fi, referencing many 1950s sci-fi and horror films. The song opens both the Rocky Horror stage production and film. In the film, the song is sung by a disembodied mouth, floating over a black background.

9. “Space Truckin’” by Deep Purple

Released in 1972, “Space Truckin’” tells a simple story about traveling the galaxy, rocking on different planets. The lyrics are perhaps simple, but the song has an addictive beat and has become a rock classic.

The song also has a sad story. It was a favorite of astronaut Kalpana Chawla, who played it regularly aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, and traded emails with the band members from space. Tragically, Chawla and the rest of the crew were killed when the Columbia crashed. To honor her, Deep Purple wrote their song "Contact Lost.”

8. “Flash” by Queen

Written by guitarist Brian May, "Flash" is the theme song of the 1980 film Flash Gordon. Queen wrote the soundtrack to the movie, helping it become a cult favorite with fans of science fiction. Arguably, Queen’s soundtrack is more famous than the movie itself.

7. “Mr. Roboto” by Styx

"Mr. Roboto" by rock band Styx tells of a future where a fascist government has outlawed rock music. The story's protagonist, Kilroy, is a rock star who was placed in a futuristic prison for "rock and roll misfits" by the anti-rock-and-roll group the Majority for Musical Morality. Mr. Roboto, the eponymous robot, works in the prison, doing menial tasks. Kilroy escapes the prison by overpowering Roboto and hiding inside its metal body.

The lyric "Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto" has become a catchphrase.

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6. “Supernova” by Within Temptation

The music video for “Supernova,” by Dutch band Within Temptation, looks like a big-budget science fiction movie. In the video, the band performs the song on a post-apocalyptic landscape while a supernova burns in the sky above.

Their music video for “Raise Your Banner,” from the same album, continues the science fiction theme.

5. Rush – 2112

"2112", a 20-minute-long song by Canadian rockers Rush, tells a dark science fiction tale. The song is set in the city of Megadon in the year 2112. Individualism and creativity are outlawed. A cabal of malevolent priests, who reside in the Temples of Syrinx, control the population. But the true masters are giant computers inside the temple, who command the priests. Music is outlawed in this dark, futuristic world. But one nameless man finds a guitar inside a cave and rediscovers the lost art of music.

4. “Sagan” by Nightwish

Nightwish, a symphonic metal band from Finland, writes many songs about fantasy, poetry, and science. One of their songs, “Sagan,” a tribute to the late Carl Sagan. While primarily known as a scientist, Sagan was also a science fiction author, penning the novel Contact.

3. “The Final Frontier” and “To Tame a Land” by Iron Maiden

For 3rd best sci-fi rock song, we have a tie. Steve Harris, the primary songwriter for Iron Maiden, is a big fantasy and science fiction fan. He wrote an entire album, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, based on an Orson Scott Card fantasy series. He also regularly includes science fiction and fantasy themes in other albums.

One of our favorite sci-fi songs is “The Final Frontier.” The cinematic movie video, which seems inspired by franchises like Alien, features a battle between a human astronaut and Eddie, the band’s demonic mascot.

Another one of our favorite Iron Maiden songs? “To Tame a Land,” which is based on the groundbreaking science fiction novel Dune.

2. “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath

Almost everyone knows the riff to “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath. Most people think the song is about the comic book character. But the song, which was released in 1970, tells an original science fiction story. The song is about a man who time travels into the future and sees the apocalypse. While returning from the future, a magnetic field turns him into metal. He tries to warn the public, but they fear his new appearance. Mocked and shunned from society, Iron Man plans his revenge on mankind. Thus he himself causes the apocalypse he saw in his vision.

1. “Space Oddity” by David Bowie

Inspired by Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, David Bowie wrote and released "Space Oddity" in 1969. The song is about the launch into space of Major Tom, a fictional astronaut, and was released during an exciting time for space exploration. The moon landing occurred only several days after the song was released.


In 2013, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield performed the song while aboard the International Space Station, creating the first music video shot in space.


Space Oddity is a true classic and our favorite sci-fi rock song.

What do you think of our picks? What are your favorite sci-fi rock songs? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Daniel Arenson is a bookworm, proud geek, and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy and science fiction. His novels have sold over a million copies. He's written over sixty novels in multiple series.

He is best known for Earthrise, the story of Earth struggling to rise after a devastating alien invasion. The Earthrise universe is explored in three series: Earthrise The Original Series, Soldiers of Earthrise, and Children of Earthrise.

In addition to Earthrise, Daniel has written the comedic sci-fi trilogy Alien Hunters.

He's also written several epic fantasy series: Kingdoms of Sand, Moth, Requiem.

You can follow Daniel on Facebook, Twitter and his website.

Military Sci-Fi That Nails the Military!

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“The noblest fate that a man can endure is to place his own mortal body between his loved home and the war’s desolation.” — Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers

If you're a military sci-fi fan who especially loves those books that aim to give a realistic sense of military life and action, you're going to want to add these books to your queue. Or—for those well-worn favorites—tee them up for a re-read!

A few of the writers with books featured this week have even served in the military themselves, and as such are combining their writing chops with first-hand experience; all of the authors featured are incredible story tellers, and so you are sure to find something here that will have you utterly enthralled! 

  

Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein

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...

Johnnie Rico never really intended to join up—and definitely not the infantry. But now that he’s in the thick of it, trying to get through combat training harder than anything he could have imagined, he knows everyone in his unit is one bad move away from buying the farm in the interstellar war the Terran Federation is waging against the Arachnids.

Because everyone in the Mobile Infantry fights. And if the training doesn’t kill you, the Bugs are more than ready to finish the job...

Read Starship Troopers here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

In this novel, a landmark of science fiction that began as an MFA thesis for the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and went on to become an award-winning classic—inspiring a play, a graphic novel, and most recently an in-development film—man has taken to the stars, and soldiers fighting the wars of the future return to Earth forever alienated from their home.

Conscripted into service for the United Nations Exploratory Force, a highly trained unit built for revenge, physics student William Mandella fights for his planet light years away against the alien force known as the Taurans. “Mandella’s attempt to survive and remain human in the face of an absurd, almost endless war is harrowing, hilarious, heartbreaking, and true,” says Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Junot Díaz—and because of the relative passage of time when one travels at incredibly high speed, the Earth Mandella returns to after his two-year experience has progressed decades and is foreign to him in disturbing ways.

Based in part on the author’s experiences in Vietnam, The Forever War is regarded as one of the greatest military science fiction novels ever written, capturing the alienation that servicemen and women experience even now upon returning home from battle. It shines a light not only on the culture of the 1970s in which it was written, but also on our potential future. “To say that The Forever War is the best science fiction war novel ever written is to damn it with faint praise. It is . . . as fine and woundingly genuine a war story as any I’ve read” (William Gibson).

Pick up The Forever War here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

Trading in Danger (Vatta's War Book 1) by Elizabeth Moon

Kylara Vatta is the only daughter in a family full of sons, and her father’s only child to buck tradition by choosing a military career instead of joining the family business. For Ky, it’s no contest: Even running the prestigious Vatta Transport Ltd. shipping concern can’t hold a candle to shipping out as an officer aboard an interstellar cruiser. It’s adventure, not commerce, that stirs her soul. And despite her family’s misgivings, there can be no doubt that a Vatta in the service will prove a valuable asset. But with a single error in judgment, it all comes crumbling down.

Expelled from the Academy in disgrace–and returning home to her humiliated family, a storm of high-profile media coverage, and the gaping void of her own future–Ky is ready to face the inevitable onslaught of anger, disappointment, even pity. But soon after opportunity’s door slams shut, Ky finds herself with a ticket to ride– and a shot at redemption–as captain of a Vatta Transport ship.

It’s a simple assignment: escorting one of the Vatta fleet’s oldest ships on its final voyage . . . to the scrapyard. But keeping it simple has never been Ky’s style. And even though her father has provided a crew of seasoned veterans to baby-sit the fledgling captain on her maiden milk run, they can’t stop Ky from turning the routine mission into a risky venture–in the name of turning a profit for Vatta Transport, of course.

By snapping up a lucrative delivery contract defaulted on by a rival company, and using part of the proceeds to upgrade her condemned vehicle, Ky aims to prove she’s got more going for her than just her family’s famous name. But business will soon have to take a backseat to bravery, when Ky’s change of plans sails her and the crew straight into the middle of a colonial war. For all her commercial savvy, it’s her military training and born-soldier’s instincts that Ky will need to call on in the face of deadly combat, dangerous mercenaries, and violent mutiny. .

Get your copy of Trading in Danger  here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

City of Pearl by Karen Traviss

Three separate alien societies have claimson Cavanagh's Star. But the new arrivals -- the gethes from Earth -- now threaten thetenuous balance of a coveted world.

Environmental Hazard Enforcement officer Shan Frankland agreed to lead a mission to Cavanagh's Star, knowing that 150 years would elapse before she could finally return home. But her landing, with a small group of scientists and Marines, has not gone unnoticed by Aras, the planet's designated guardian. An eternally evolving world himself, this sad, powerful being has already obliterated millions of alien interlopers and their great cities to protect the fragile native population. Now Shan and her party -- plus the small colony of fundamentalist humans who preceded them -- could face a similar annihilation . . . or a fate far worse. Because Aras possesses a secret of the blood that would be disastrous if it fell into human hands -- if the gethes survive the impending war their coming has inadvertently hastened.

Read City of Pearl here on Amazon. 

Old Man's War by John Scalzi

John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army.

The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce-and aliens willing to fight for them are common. The universe, it turns out, is a hostile place.

So: we fight. To defend Earth (a target for our new enemies, should we let them get close enough) and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has gone on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.

Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity's resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force, which shields the home planet from too much knowledge of the situation. What's known to everybody is that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You'll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You'll serve your time at the front. And if you survive, you'll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets.

John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine-and what he will become is far stranger.

Grab Old Man's War here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

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The Risen Empire by Scott Westerfeld

The undead Emperor has ruled his mighty interstellar empire of eighty human worlds for sixteen hundred years. Because he can grant a form of eternal life, creating an elite known as the Risen, his power has been absolute. He and his sister, the Child Empress, who is eternally a little girl, are worshiped as living gods. No one can touch them.

Not until the Rix, machine-augmented humans who worship very different gods: AI compound minds of planetary extent. The Rix are cool, relentless fanatics, and their only goal is to propagate such AIs throughout the galaxy. They seek to end, by any means necessary, the Emperor's prolonged tyranny of one and supplant it with an eternal cybernetic dynasty of their own. They begin by taking the Child Empress hostage. Captain Laurent Zai of the Imperial Frigate Lynx is tasked with her rescue.

Separated by light-years, bound by an unlikely love, Zai and pacifist senator Nara Oxham must each in their own way, face the challenge of the Rix, and they each will hold the fate of the empire in their hands. The Risen Empire is the first great space opera of the twenty-first century.

Get your copy of The Risen Empire  here on Amazon. 

Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos

The year is 2108, and the North American Commonwealth is bursting at the seams. For welfare rats like Andrew Grayson, there are only two ways out of the crime-ridden and filthy welfare tenements: You can hope to win the lottery and draw a ticket on a colony ship settling off-world . . . or you can join the service.

With the colony lottery a pipe dream, Andrew chooses to enlist in the armed forces for a shot at real food, a retirement bonus, and maybe a ticket off Earth. But as he starts a career of supposed privilege, he soon learns that the good food and decent health care come at a steep price . . . and that the settled galaxy holds far greater dangers than military bureaucrats or the gangs that rule the slums.

The debut novel from Marko Kloos, Terms of Enlistment is an addition to the great military sci-fi tradition of Robert Heinlein, Joe Haldeman, and John Scalzi.

Dive into Terms of Enlistment here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

Marines (Crimson Worlds Book 1) by Jay Allan

Erik Cain joined the Marines to get off death row. The deal was simple; enlist to fight in space and he would be pardoned for all his crimes.

In the 23rd Century, assault troops go to war wearing AI-assisted, nuclear-powered armor, but it is still warriors and blood that win battles. From one brutal campaign to the next, Erik and his comrades fight an increasingly desperate war over the resource rich colony worlds that have become vital to the economies of Earth's exhausted and despotic Superpowers.

Erik rises through the ranks and becomes a deadly warrior, and he finally finds a home, first with the Marines who fight at his side and later among the colonists - men and women who have dared to leave everything behind to build a new society on the frontier, one where the freedoms and rights lost long ago on Earth are preserved.

But causes can be fleeting and loyalties complex. Amidst the blood and death and sacrifice, Erik begins to wonder. Is he fighting the right war? And who is the real enemy?

Get your copy of Marines here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

Star Shroud by Ken Lozito

They’ve been watching us for hundreds of years.
Now they need our help.
Earth is not safe.

Zack is good at finding things, but when he discovers a global conspiracy, life as he knows it is over. Sometimes the truth doesn’t set you free. It traps you instead.

Kept secret for 60 years, the discovery of an alien signal forces an unlikely team to investigate a mysterious structure discovered in the furthest reaches of the solar system. Join the crew of the Athena, Earth’s most advanced spaceship on the ultimate journey beyond our wildest imagining.

Strap yourself in. The Star Shroud is the first book in this action-packed space opera series. Readers describe them as “a cross between David Weber and John Ringo.” If you like space opera adventure stories with clever heroes, impossible situations, and chilling discoveries, then you’re in for a fun nonstop thrill ride. Read it now!

Start reading Star Shroud  here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

Warship (Black Fleet Trilogy Book 1) by Joshua Dalzelle

2015 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Science Fiction

From Joshua Dalzelle, author of the bestselling "Omega Force” series, comes an all new vision of humanity's future.

In the 25th century humans have conquered space. The advent of faster-than-light travel has opened up hundreds of habitable planets for colonization, and humans have exploited the virtually limitless space and resources for hundreds of years with impunity.

So complacent have they become with the overabundance that armed conflict is a thing of the past, and their machines of war are obsolete and decrepit. What would happen if they were suddenly threatened by a terrifying new enemy? Would humanity fold and surrender, or would they return to their evolutionary roots and meet force with force? One ship—and one captain—will soon be faced with this very choice. Against incredible odds, Jackson Wolfe is determined to save humanity–and in the process, might end up saving himself.

Grab Warship here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

Have you read any of these incredible military sci-fi reads? Which ones will make their way into your (e)bookshelf or into your ears? Have one you feel really nails it that didn't appear on our list? Give it a shout out in the comments here, or over in the Discover Sci-Fi Facebook group! 

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

The Top 10 Historical Sci-Fi Books Of All Time!

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"The purpose of history is to explain the present--to say why the world around us is the way it is. History tells us what is important in our world, and how it came to be". — Michael Crichton, Timeline 

Whether they take us back in time to 2000 B.C, to 14th century France, or to the USA on the brink of WWI; whether they really make us think, or are just pure fun, we can all agree that there is something for every reader on this list, and there is no doubt that which ever you pick up, you'll emerge from the pages understanding the present just a little better. But only one of these truly outstanding books could come out on top. Any guesses as to which one it was?

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 historical sci-fi books of all time!  

10. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

Many of us were surprised to learn that it was only just this month that Octavia E. Butler first made the New York Times Best Seller list for her book The Parable of the Sower. This achievement was one of her life goals, and while we celebrate her success, we’re sorry she never got to see this particular goal come to fruition. 

Butler's book Kindred, the 10th on our list, has yet to make the NYT Best Seller list, but remains a relevant, powerful, and compelling time travel narrative that is notable in the way it explores slavery of the antebellum south. Like The Parable of the Sower, Kindred is an absolute must read so if you haven’t yet, make sure you pick it up!

Dana, a modern black woman, is celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner, is drowning, and Dana has been summoned to save him. Dana is drawn back repeatedly through time to the slave quarters, and each time the stay grows longer, more arduous, and more dangerous until it is uncertain whether or not Dana's life will end, long before it has a chance to begin.

Read Kindred here on Amazon

9. The Destroyermen series by Taylor Anderson

I committed an unforgivable sin in college. I wrote a paper on the Battle of Shiloh—and proceeded to speculate about what might have happened had A. S. Johnson noticed he was bleeding rather badly from a relatively superficial wound. I proposed that the simple application of a tourniquet at the proper time might have altered the course of the battle, possibly the war—ALL OF HISTORY! My professor was horrified, and gave me a “C.” At the same time, however, I got bitten by the “what if” bug. —Taylor Anderson

This June, 12 years after publishing Into the Storm, the first book his epic Destroyermen series, Taylor Anderson's series came to a close with the publication of the 15th and final book, Winds of Wrath. Anderson’s career as a history professor, his expertise in gun making, and experience as a forensic ballistic archaeologist provide a great background for his writing in this sub-genre in which he transports the crew of the USS Walker (among others) back in time and to an alternate earth.

Pressed into service when World War II breaks out in the Pacific, the US Walker—a Great War-era destroyer—finds itself retreating from pursuing Japanese battleships. Its captain, Lieutenant Commander Matthew Patrick Reddy, desperately leads the Walker into a squall, hoping it will give them cover—only to emerge into an alternate world. A world where two species have evolved: the cat-like Lemurians and the reptilian Griks, and they are at war.

With its power and weaponry, the Walker's very existence could alter the balance of power. And for Reddy and his crew, who have the means to turn a primitive war into a genocidal Armageddon, one thing becomes clear. They must determine whose side they're on. Because whichever species they choose is the winner.

Read Into the Storm here on Amazon.

8. Time's Eye by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter

"Quick: you're a writer, and you want to do a story in which Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan meet up in Babylon to go head to head in the mother of all battles. How do you pull it off? How about by shattering time itself? —Thomas M. Wagner, SFReviews

Next up, the legendary Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter shatter time in their brilliant collaboration, Time’s Eye. Time’s Eye is the first book in the three book series, A Time Odyssey, and while fans have often speculated the duo had intended to write more, it would be hard to imagine Baxter continuing the series further without Clarke, who died in 2008. 

In an instant, Earth is carved up in time and reassembled like a huge jigsaw puzzle. Suddenly the world becomes a patchwork of eras, from prehistory to 2037, each with its own indigenous inhabitants. The explanation for this cataclysmic event may lie in the ancient city of Babylon, where two groups of refugees from 2037—three cosmonauts and three U.N. peacekeepers—have detected strange radio signals. The peacekeepers find allies in nineteenth century British troops and in the armies of Alexander the Great. The cosmonauts join forces with the Mongol horde led by Genghis Khan. Both sides set out for Babylon, vowing to win the race for knowledge—as a powerful and mysterious entity watches, waiting.

Get your copy of Time's Eye  here on Amazon.

7. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

"Doomsday Book is a heartbreaking, beautiful, and thoroughly-researched science fiction book about pandemics by Connie Willis. When it was first published almost thirty years ago, it won both the Hugo and the Nebula awards. It’s aged well, and it’s remarkably relevant to today’s real-life pandemic; I’ve found it both cathartic and comforting for me as I shelter in place in my San Francisco home.For Kivrin, preparing an on-site study of one of the deadliest eras in humanity's history was as simple as receiving inoculations against the diseases of the fourteenth century and inventing an alibi for a woman traveling alone. For her instructors in the twenty-first century, it meant painstaking calculations and careful monitoring of the rendezvous location where Kivrin would be received." —Lydia Laurenson, TOR

Were you among the readers who picked up Connie Willis's stunning Doomsday Book  a few months ago when many of us were looking for pandemic literature to help us make sense of this new, collective experience? If you didn't, or if you happened to miss this multi award-winner all together, now might be the time to give it a read. 

But a crisis strangely linking past and future strands Kivrin in a bygone age as her fellows try desperately to rescue her. In a time of superstition and fear, Kivrin—barely of age herself—finds she has become an unlikely angel of hope during one of history's darkest hours.

Read Doomsday Book here on Amazon.

6. The Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove

“The Guns of the South chronicles the redemption of the New South: the novel’s villains are so clearly evil that they allow a slew of controversial Southerners, including Nathan Bedford Forrest, to achieve atonement in opposing them. We can be suspicious of this, so long as we understand the novel’s trade-off: the first Grand Wizard of the KKK appears as kind of an antihero, but in imagining the Confederacy into existence, The Guns of the South ends up discrediting and discarding it more effectively than real history ever did.”  —Renee de Groot, LARB
A scholar holding a PhD in Byzantine history, and an author renowned for his reimagining of history via science fiction, Harry Turtledove has done alt-history accounts of everything from the Byzantine Empire to World War II (featuring alien invasion!) And while it’s hard to make the case for an alt-history in which the South wins (as evidenced by the pushback HBO faced with it’s ill-fated series Confederate), that is exactly what Turtledove does with our sixth place title, The Guns of the South. Here, he reimagines the US Civil War in a way that is unflinching and hard to stomach, but also, as noted in the piece from LA Review of Books quoted above, nuanced in a way that avoids romanticizing what we can all agree would have been an unthinkable alternate outcome.

January 1864--General Robert E. Lee faces defeat. The Army of Northern Virginia is ragged and ill-equipped. Gettysburg has broken the back of the Confederacy and decimated its manpower.

Then, Andries Rhoodie, a strange man with an unplaceable accent, approaches Lee with an extraordinary offer. Rhoodie demonstrates an amazing rifle: Its rate of fire is incredible, its lethal efficiency breathtaking--and Rhoodie guarantees unlimited quantities to the Confederates.

The name of the weapon is the AK-47….

Grab Guns of the South here on Amazon.

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5. The Time Traders by Andre Norton

The Time Traders, a must-read classic by beloved author Andre Norton, was originally written in 1958 and updated in 2000 to “account for real world changes.” Regardless of which publication date we choose to go by, the book—the first in the Time Traders Series—easily qualifies, taking us back as far as 2000 B.C! Note that while the books in the series can be read in any order, the first book is a great place to start! 

The never-ending tension between Russia and the United States has been escalated by a stunning new variable: time travel. While the Americans can roughly utilize the technology, the Russians have learned the secret of space travel—and that makes the US vulnerable. What they need is someone expendable to send through time to obtain the same secret.

Ross Murdock doesn’t consider himself expendable. He’s just a smart guy who made some bad choices that led him to a life of crime. But when he’s given a choice between medical “rehabilitation” and joining the mysterious Operation Retrograde, he decides to go along with the military option and hope for a chance to get away.

And he is going to get away—farther away than he ever imagined . . .

Get your copy of The Time Traders  here on Amazon.

4. 1632 by Eric Flint

In fourth place we have Eric Flint's book 1632! In transporting an entire city back in time and to a different place entirely, writer and historian Eric Flint has added an intriguing element to the classic time travel narrative. While not the first time an author has transported all the inhabitants of a given area to another time or place, the concept remains novel, feels fresh and makes for a fun read! 

It’s worth noting that 1632 is the first in a series of many books, many of which are written in collaboration with other authors. So if you are new to this book and happen to read and love it, know that there are many more to look forward to!

"The Ultimate Y2K Glitch....

1632 In the year 1632 in northern Germany a reasonable person might conclude that things couldn't get much worse. There was no food. Disease was rampant. For over a decade religious war had ravaged the land and the people. Catholic and Protestant armies marched and countermarched across the northern plains, laying waste the cities and slaughtering everywhere. In many rural areas population plummeted toward zero. Only the aristocrats remained relatively unscathed; for the peasants, death was a mercy.

2000 Things are going OK in Grantville, West Virginia. The mines are working, the buck are plentiful (it's deer season) and everybody attending the wedding of Mike Stearn's sister (including the entire membership of the local chapter of the United Mine Workers of America, which Mike leads) is having a good time.

THEN, EVERYTHING CHANGED….

Dive into1632  here on Amazon.

3. Timeline by Michael Crichton

“But in Timeline, I wanted to write a time travel story that took its premise seriously. And I wanted to write a story that dealt with the reality behind our cliched images of knights and courtly love. I wanted to talk about what knighthood was really like.” —Michael Crichton

Wanting to make it as historically accurate as possible, Micheal Crichton conducted an incredible amount research when writing his historical sci-fi thriller Timeline. The result is a historically tight novel that, like many of Crichton's books, is also an incredibly fun read. 

In an Arizona desert, a man wanders in a daze, speaking words that make no sense. Within twenty-four hours he is dead, his body swiftly cremated by his only known associates. Halfway around the world, archaeologists make a shocking discovery at a medieval site. Suddenly they are swept off to the headquarters of a secretive multinational corporation that has developed an astounding technology. Now this group is about to get a chance not to study the past but to enter it. And with history opened up to the present, the dead awakened to the living, these men and women will soon find themselves fighting for their very survival—six hundred years ago.

Get your copy of Timeline  here on Amazon.

2. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain

A man before his time, Mark Twain was writing alternate histories with sci-fi flare before the rest of the authors on this list were born. And, as evidenced by this poll, his work is still considered among the greatest of the sub-genre. Our first runner up is Twain's book A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs's Court . This book has enjoyed considerable reach; as a result, pop culture is filled with references to it, and once you read it, you will see them everywhere!

When Hank Morgan, a practical, no-nonsense Yankee who works in an ammunition factory as a head superintendent gets into a fight with an aggressive employee, little does he know what's in store for him. The bully lays Morgan low with a skull-crushing blow delivered with a crowbar and knocks him out. When Morgan regains consciousness, he finds himself transported back in time, to the sixth century. From here on, the story describes the travails of a hard-boiled, true blue American with strong democratic values who has to deal with medieval feudalism and ancient customs!

Start reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court here on Amazon.

1. Time Enough for Love by Robert A. Heinlein

“TL:DR – Lazarus Long plays Scheherazade, gets his groove back and seduces his mother.” —Chris Nuttall

In the top spot, we have Time Enough for Love by the inimitable Robert A. Heinlein! Like many of Heinlein’s books, Time Enough for Love is a work of philosophy as much as it is a work of science fiction, and at least some of those philosophical musings are made possible thanks to the juxtaposition between the various settings of the novel; the historical one we know versus the imagined future in which Heinlein places Long.

Time Enough for Love follows Lazarus Long through a vast and magnificent timescape of centuries and worlds. Heinlein's longest and most ambitious work, it is the story of a man so in love with Life that he refused to stop living it; and so in love with Time that he became his own ancestor.

Grab Time Enough for Love  here on Amazon.


What do you think of our top 10? How many of these brilliant books have you read? Which one will you read next? We'd love to hear from you! Weigh in on the comments here on the blog, or visit us  here in our Facebook group to chime in on the debate, 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.