We have serious appreciation for authors who start off strong with the opening book in a series and then raise the bar with the next book(s). Lucky for us, there are a lot of them! 

Last week, we asked for your nominations for sci-fi sequels that were remarkably better than the first book in the series. In that first round of voting, 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.  

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. —Arthur C. Clarke 

Little did we know how challenging it would be to come up with a consensus on what books contain elements of both science fiction and fantasy!

While some elements of sci-fi and of fantasy are pretty straight forward—aliens, sci-fi; elves, fantasy (for example)—some elements are trickier. Time travel? Generally in the realm of sci-fi,  except when it occurs in a decidedly non-science-y way as in Stephen R. Donaldson's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.

Between the blog and the Facebook group, almost 100 of you voted for this selection, placing it near the top in the opening poll, but being solidly fantasy, we didn't advance it. But "the time travel," some may argue.  We felt that considering the time travel happens as a result of the titular character getting smoked by a police car rather than by some feat of science, the time travel too, was an element of fantasy rather than sci-fi. 

We attempted to cull the nominations for the top ten titles that best met the criteria, and this past week, those are the ones you voted on. Still lots of valid debate as to whether those titles met the criteria too; regardless, we have arrived at our top 10! Curious to know which ONE of those was deemed the very best by the Discover Sci-Fi Community?

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. Magic, Inc. by Robert A. Heinlein

Heinlein’s books are regularly nominated to our polls, but this is the first time his science fantasy novella Magic, Inc  has gotten the nod. It was originally published in 1940 under the title "The Devil Makes the Law” and was re-released with another novella in the book Waldo & Magic, Inc. in 1950.

Under the guise of an agency for magicians, Magic, Inc. systematically squeezed out the small independent magicians. Then one businessman stood firm. But one man stands firm. And with the help of an Oxford—educated African shaman and a little old lady adept at black magic, he is willing to take on the demons of Hell to resolve the problem—once and for all!

Pick up Waldo & Magic, Inc. here on Amazon

9. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman 

Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials is an expansive series that, while written with a younger audience in mind, has captivated adults as well. Start with The Golden Compass if you are new to the series. 

Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal—including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world.

Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want.

But what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other...

Pick up His Dark Materials  here on Amazon.

8. The Darkover series by Marion Zimmer Bradley

In the comments here and in conversations over in the Discover Sci-Fi Facebook group, this is one of just a few titles nominated that didn’t provoke a lot of disagreement (save the suggestion that it fit only “if you squint hard enough”). 

Marion Zimmer Bradley spoke about the approach she took to writing the Darkover series as “…re-combining old and familiar elements for a fairly routine piece of science-fantasy.” Calling it a “routine piece” doesn’t make it sound very special, but nevertheless, with this approach, she established a huge fanbase and the books remain popular today.

If you’re new to the series, in terms of order, you can take a few different approaches to reading them, but the author suggested reading them in publication order, so why not start with The Planet Savers? Originally published in 1968, it is a slim volume and the first Darkover book published. 

Darkover was experiencing a flare-up of Trailmen's fever, an episodic disease that would decimate the entire human population of Darkover, from the Comyn to the Terrans. The Medical Branch at Terran HQ had the start of a cure, but in order to finish it, they needed Trailmen to come out of their homes in the trees in the Hellers Mountains and donate blood. Only one man on Darkover stood any chance of persuading the Trailmen to help, but he occupied the same body as the doctor capable of doing the medical side of the work, and he was the personality the doctor had utterly suppressed. Even with hypnosis, only one of them could be active at a time, and the solution would need both of them.

Get your copy of The Planet Savers here on Amazon.

7. The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke

“Between science fiction and fantasy the line is often blurry. That line is hard and fast when an SF story is firmly grounded in known science. But when a writer ventures far into the future, speculating about the emergence of technologies that bear no recognizable relationship to what is known today about how the universe is organized, it’s difficult to regard the product as anything other than fantasy.” —Mal Warwick 

Do you think this is a slippery slope? It may well be, but it’s the reasoning we used to let the admittedly contentious reader nominated The City and the Stars slide into final round of voting. It would seem that Clarke himself might agree, given the quote at the top of this post—the third of his Three Laws—which more or less echos Warwick’s statement.

Far in the future, Earth’s oceans have evaporated and humanity has all but vanished. The inhabitants of Diaspar believe their domed city is all that remains of an empire that had once conquered the stars. Inside the dome, the citizens live in technological splendor, free from the distractions of aging and disease. Everything is controlled precisely, just as the city’s designers had intended.

But a boy named Alvin, unlike his fellow humans, shows an insatiable—and dangerous—curiosity about the world outside the dome. His questions will send him on a quest to discover the truth about the city and humanity’s history—as well as its future.

Start reading The City and the Stars here on Amazon.

6. Riverworld by Philip Jose Farmer

“Yes, we've gone through the looking-glass here. But it's a rational world we're in, however crazy the above scenario may sound. Our search with Burton is more than a fantasy or science fiction search for the wizard behind the scenes. It becomes a metaphysical search as well, a search for meaning in any of our lives.” —Eric McMillan

Philip Jose Farmer’s Riverworld series allowed him to play with a number of themes as well as a combination of science fiction and fantasy elements. The first book, To Your Scattered Bodies Go, finds the main character awake (after being killed) by the shore of a river. Perhaps more stunning than his own apparent reincarnation, was that of every other being that had ever lived.

Imagine that every human who ever lived, from the earliest Neanderthals to the present, is resurrected after death on the banks of an astonishing and seemingly endless river on an unknown world. They are miraculously provided with food, but with not a clue to the possible meaning of this strange afterlife. And so billions of people from history, and before, must start living again.

Some set sail on the great river questing for the meaning of their resurrection, and to find and confront their mysterious benefactors. On this long journey, we meet Sir Richard Francis Burton, Mark Twain, Odysseus, Cyrano de Bergerac, and many others, most of whom embark upon searches of their own in this huge afterlife.

Grab Riverworld here on Amazon.

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5. The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson

The Eye of the World is the first book in what is a truly epic series. The Eye of the World came out in 1990 and was written by Robert Jordan.  After Jordon died, Brandon Sanderson picked up the torch, writing books twelve through fourteen working from Jordon's notes. 

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

When The Two Rivers is attacked by Trollocs-a savage tribe of half-men, half-beasts- five villagers flee that night into a world they barely imagined, with new dangers waiting in the shadows and in the light.

Get your copy of The Eye of the World here on Amazon.

4. Glory Road by Robert A. Heinlein

Robert A. Heinlein is, of course, one of the masters of the science fiction genre and Glory Road represents a departure of sorts. While science fiction elements exist in the story, Heinlein leans harder into fantasy with this one. 

“Glory Road is a science fantasy novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (July – September 1963) and published in hardcover the same year. It was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1964.

"ARE YOU A COWARD? This is not for you. We badly need a brave man. He must be 23 to 25 years old, in perfect health, at least six feet tall, weigh about 190 pounds, fluent English, with some French, proficient in all weapons, some knowledge of engineering and mathematics essential, willing to travel, no family or emotional ties, indomitably courageous and handsome of face and figure. Permanent employment, very high pay, glorious adventure, great danger. You must apply in person, rue Dante, Nice, 2me étage, apt. D."

Dive into Glory Road here on Amazon.

3. Honor Harrington by David Weber

David Weber’s Honor Harrington series has shown up on more of our polls than we can count! But one featuring sci-fantasy books? The deciding element here may be telepathy. As with time travel, some authors attempt to offer scientific reasons for telepathic abilities and some don’t. Is this the line we draw as to whether telepathy is a science fiction element or a fantasy element in a given work? We’d love to hear what you think! If you missed out on this one and need to read it before weighing in, start with On Basilisk Station. 

“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.

2. Dune by Frank Herbert

“Even Frank Herbert’s classic science fiction novel Dune could be considered science fantasy. Space travel in Dune is not reliant on some super-advanced technology like an FTL drive. Instead, it’s made possible by a spice called melange, which enables navigators to fold space and makes some takers prescient. Those addicted to it develop completely-blue eyes — a shift not really explained in any scientific way."—Robo♥beat

Many of you protested the inclusion of Frank Herbert's Dune in both the initial and final poll, and we get it! Dune is rarely discussed as fantasy and is touted by some as one of the most influential sci-fi books ever. We think Robo♥beat's logic holds though. What about you? 

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.

Start Dune here on Amazon.

1. Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

"In later interviews with press and fans, Anne McCaffrey would bristle at any attempt to classify her Dragonriders of Pern series as fantasy. Her dragons, she pointed out, were genetically engineered animals ridden by descendants of space explorers, not magical elves. —Mari Ness, tor.com

The above quote is taken from an excellent breakdown on tor.com of the fantasy roots of Anne McCaffrey’s esteemed Dragonriders of Pern series. The later books in the series are indisputably sci-fi, but looking at the series as a whole, it’s impossible not to acknowledge the fantasy elements of the first book, Dragonflight.

To the nobles who live in Benden Weyr, Lessa is nothing but a ragged kitchen girl. For most of her life she has survived by serving those who betrayed her father and took over his lands. Now the time has come for Lessa to shed her disguise—and take back her stolen birthright.

But everything changes when she meets a queen dragon. The bond they share will be deep and last forever. It will protect them when, for the first time in centuries, Lessa’s world is threatened by Thread, an evil substance that falls like rain and destroys everything it touches. Dragons and their Riders once protected the planet from Thread, but there are very few of them left these days. Now brave Lessa must risk her life, and the life of her beloved dragon, to save her beautiful world. 

Grab Dragonflight here on Amazon.

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

“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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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.

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