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The Top 10 Stand-alone Sci-Fi Books From 2010 to Today!

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There will always be room in our hearts for both series and stand-alone books, but there is no denying that the latter is harder to find these days, and so, this poll was born. Via democratic process, we've made an effort to guide you toward some of the best stand-alone science fiction of recent years, and seriously: pick any book off this list and you will not be disappointed. Of various length, style, sub-genre and commitment to the realities of science, these are all excellent in their own way, and if you miss one, you are missing out!  

But as great as they all are, we wanted to know which one was the very best... Curious to see which one the community decided is an absolute must read? Read on! As always, these top ten lists are not meant to be all-inclusive or definitive, but give a great finger on the pulse of our communities interests and favorites. Want to see who missed out? Here's the original nomination list from the blog.

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 stand-alone sci-fi books published since 2010! 

10. Recursion by Blake Crouch

It is no surprise to see Blake Crouch’s Recursion—winner of the 2019 Goodreads Readers Choice Award for science fiction—on this list! While many of you said you preferred Dark Matter over Recursion (and voted in that direction as well), there is no denying that Crouch—who has written several stand-alone books over the last 10 years (mostly thrillers)—has mastered the art of the the mind-bender, taking his readers on an intense and thrilling sci-fi journey which he cleverly wraps up in less than 400 pages. Delicious. 

At first, it looks like a disease. An epidemic that spreads through no known means, driving its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived. But the force that’s sweeping the world is no pathogen. It’s just the first shock wave, unleashed by a stunning discovery—and what’s in jeopardy is not our minds but the very fabric of time itself.

Read Recursion  here on Amazon

9. The Others by Jeremy Robinson

The Others was one of two books by Jeremy Robinson originally nominated for this top 10 list. It beat out the other selection by Robinson, Infinite, by just a few votes to land in our final poll and, inevitably, 9th place on our final list. The Others is a short, eerie, fast paced read that immediately grabs you. If you happened to miss this one, it's definitely one to add to your TBR! 

UFOs and alien abductions remain one of the most hotly debated and mysterious subjects of the twenty-first century. In the decades since 1960, with reports of strange encounters on the rise, thirteen million people have gone missing worldwide and never been found. The Others takes a fast-paced, unique, and moving look at the phenomenon that has fuelled Jeremy Robinson’s imagination since several sightings, strange happenings, and visits with renowned UFO investigator, and family friend, Raymond Fowler.

Read The Others here on Amazon.

8. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

“I don’t know who in their right mind would want to read Station Eleven during a pandemic.” —Emily St. John Mandel

Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven was an instant hit with both critics and fans when it was released 2014. Many read and loved it then, and in light of the current pandemic, many were drawn to reread it this year, finding… comfort? Not likely, but perhaps a relevancy that was impossible to feel only six years (and a lifetime) ago. 

Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end.

Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves The Traveling Symphony, and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive. But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band’s existence. And as the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed.

Get your copy of Station Eleven here on Amazon.

7. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

“From first line to beautiful denouement, Claire North's The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is a gripping read that is often quietly profound, emotionally affecting and intellectually dizzying.” —Eric Brown, The Guardian 

Did this one happen to escape your notice? As a multi-award winning novel, it’s not exactly a “hidden gem,” but we suspect Claire North’s The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, might not have been as widely read as some of our other selections. In The Guardian, Eric Brown further described North’s 2014 release as  “a subtle study of friendship, love and the fluid complexity of existence,” which sounds downright comforting, right about now, don't you think? If you haven’t read it yet, take this as your cue to pick it up! 

Harry August is on his deathbed. Again.

No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes.

Until now.

As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. "I nearly missed you, Doctor August," she says. "I need to send a message."

This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow.

Read The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August here on Amazon.

6. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

“'Dark Matter?' It's a whole bag of barbecue chips, man. And it's just sitting there waiting for you to devour in one sitting.” —Jason Sheehan, NPR

Series are great! We love ‘em! But sometimes? Sometimes we want something short and zippy; something with great characters, and both a plot and pace that drives us to read the whole thing in one sitting, leaving us deeply satisfied when we do. A great, short, stand-alone can do that, and that quote up there, if nothing else, should tell you that this is exactly what Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter does. Reach for this 2016 stand-alone sci-fi thriller next time you have a free afternoon and a desire to be wildly entertained.

“Are you happy with your life?”

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.

Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. 

Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”

Grab Dark Matter here on Amazon.

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5. Under Darkness by Jasper T Scott

Published in 2018, Under Darkness is one of a handful of excellent stand-alone books written by best-selling author Jasper T. Scott. Under Darkness resonates well with stand-alone readers the same way that the original Independence Day resonated with viewers. It’s a story about an alien invasion that focuses on the characters. There’s a pervasive mystery of why the invaders are here woven throughout, and a chilling sense of horror surrounds the aliens themselves. Multiple viewpoints are developed, both civilian and military, and the setting is the picturesque island of Kauai. The book perfectly captures both the physical setting and the cultural nuances of the locals, making it an authentic read. You really feel like you are there on a tropical island, being hunted by alien invaders. The why of their arrival is eventually answered, and all of the plot threads are resolved without leaving anything hanging at the end. It’s no wonder readers love this book!

Bill Steele is in the trenches, trying to survive in the competitive world of luxury vacation resorts on the island of Kauai. Today is a particularly bad day; the water main burst and his guests are demanding refunds and promising bad reviews. In the middle of this, a dark shadow falls over the island. It’s not a lunar eclipse, because Bill can clearly see the crescent moon shimmering on the water. This is something else.

Get your copy of Under Darkness  here on Amazon.

4. Seveneves by Neal Stephenson

“SEVENEVES is a very old project; I first started thinking about it when I was working at Blue Origin, probably circa 2004… The basic elements of the world were fixed a long time ago, and for at least eight years I have been roving around pitching it to various people in various media: television, movies, games, and various "transmedia" combinations. In the autumn of 2013, however I decided to just sit down and write it as a novel: the one thing I know I can get done.” —Neal Stephenson

The word "epic" gets tossed around a lot these days, but when it comes to Neal Stephenson's Seveneves, it is far from misplaced. Seveneves is a truly epic stand-alone novel, both in scope and in length. No doubt, there is something to be said for a short, fast-paced book you can burn through in one sitting, but if you want to go deep, to get lost for a while without committing to a series, look no further than this book, which was almost a decade in the making. 

What would happen if the world were ending?

A catastrophic event renders the earth a ticking time bomb. In a feverish race against the inevitable, nations around the globe band together to devise an ambitious plan to ensure the survival of humanity far beyond our atmosphere, in outer space.

Dive into Seveneves  here on Amazon.

3. 11/22/63 by Stephen King

Stephen King has said that the concept for 11/22/63 was formed forty years before he actually wrote and published it in 2011. Wisely, perhaps, as he claims that back then, he lacked the willingness to do the research required to do the story justice, so instead let the idea marinate for a while. By the time he came back to it, not only was he ready to commit to the research needed to support the story, but he had over 50 books under his belt and had better honed his talents. 

At just shy of 1000 pages, the book is a commitment. Obviously less of a commitment than a series, but a commitment, none the less. A wonderful length, really, giving the reader a chance to settle in for the ride, and the writer an opportunity to really explore the plot and characters and unhurriedly infuse the story with a sense of richness. As discerning readers, this is what we’re looking for in a good stand-alone: something that can go the distance in a single work.

On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? Stephen King’s heart-stoppingly dramatic new novel is about a man who travels back in time to prevent the JFK assassination—a thousand page tour de force.

Get your copy of 11/22/63  here on Amazon.

2. Redshirts by John Scalzi

Many of you have read John Scalzi's debut novel, Old Man’s War, as well as the rest of the books that completed the series. It’s probably safe to say that to date, the series remains his best known work. While not as well known, Scalzi’s clever, fun, funny, multi-award-winning, and wildly entertaining stand-alone Redshirts is definitely worthy of attention!  It’s short, it’s fast-paced, it’s the perfect afternoon read. If you've missed it, be sure to grab it! You won't be disappointed.

Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It's a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship's Xenobiology laboratory.

Life couldn't be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces, (2) the ship's captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations, and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.

Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues' understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.

Start reading Redshirts here on Amazon.

1. The Martian by Andy Weir

More than a few of you mentioned that among the nominees, The Martian was the only book you’d read! This will always be a bit of a hazard with these polls, that the books finding their way to a wider audience will inevitably stand a better chance at winning; but regardless of how the odds might have been stacked in its favor, there is no denying that Andy Weir’s The Martian—a multi-award-winner described by many casual reviewers as being the “perfect novel”—is an incredible book. Not every book gets the audience it deserves, but in the case of The Martian, it’s safe to say it has. On the off chance that you missed this modern classic, make sure you make the time to give it a read.

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

Grab The Martian  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.

The Top 8 (+1!) Books or Series Employing Parallel Universes

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“Time could bifurcate, like a pair of trousers. You could end up in the wrong leg, living a life that was actually happening in the other leg, talking to people who weren't in your leg, walking into walls that weren't there any more. Life could be horrible in the wrong trouser of Time." —Terry Pratchett . 

Well, we have a winner! Haha! Perhaps not the one we expected, and while you guys direct the outcomes with your nominations and votes, we think many of you will be head-scratchingly surprised by the results here as well.

The unexpected.

Isn't that one of the things that keeps whatever universe we're conscious in exciting? Is your curiosity sufficiently piqued? Want to know why we are so perplexed by the results? Why our "Top 10" is a "Top 8 + Bonus Read?" Read on! 

As always, these top ten lists are not meant to be all-inclusive or definitive, but give a great finger on the pulse of our community's interests and favorites. Want to see who missed out? Here's the original nomination list from the blog.

And now, without further ado, based on the combined nominations and votes here on the Discover Sci-Fi blog and the Facebook Reader group, here are your top choices for the best books or series employing parallel universes... 

8. The Crossroads of Time by Andre Norton

We were surprised this short, adventure driven novel didn’t get more love! Andre Norton's The Crossroads of Time landed on the list with just a handful of votes; perhaps that simply means many of you haven't had a chance yet to enjoy it.

In an odd twist on the theme of time travel, Norton has her characters traveling across time, rather than forward or backward. The dates do not change as the men travel from one timeline to another, but the histories of those worlds differ from each other. Tacitly postulating a kind of two-dimensional time, Norton anticipated Hugh Everett III's many-worlds interpretation of the quantum theory by one year. She called it the "possibility worlds" theory of history.

When Blake Walker foiled a murder attempt on one of his neighbors he somehow found himself drafted into a frantic chase for a dangerous criminal - through the almost infinite levels of alternate Earths. It was a chase that would take him through level upon level of unknown dangers in search of a ruthless genius who had found our Earth the perfect place to begin his series of conquests. If Walker succeeded, he would save Earth. If he failed, his homeworld could be enslaved, and he could be trapped on an alien Earth!

Start The Crossroads of time here on Amazon

7. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

“And you may tell yourself
This is not my beautiful house!
And you may tell yourself
This is not my beautiful wife!"

In 7th place, we have a more contemporary selection: Dark Matter, by Blake Crouch. In Crouch's mind-bending science fiction thriller Dark Matter, Jason Dessen is living the lyrics of the famous Talking Heads song. I mean, sure, parallel universes wasn’t really what they were on about, they weren’t talking about waking up in and finding that, literally, your house was not your house, your wife was not your wife, and so on. Still, we think of him now when we hear that song…

Jason Dessen is walking home through the chilly Chicago streets one night, looking forward to a quiet evening in front of the fireplace with his wife, Daniela, and their son, Charlie—when his reality shatters.

It starts with a man in a mask kidnapping him at gunpoint, for reasons Jason can’t begin to fathom—what would anyone want with an ordinary physics professor?—and grows even more terrifying from there, as Jason’s abductor injects him with some unknown drug and watches while he loses consciousness.

When Jason awakes, he’s in a lab, strapped to a gurney—and a man he’s never seen before is cheerily telling him “welcome back!”

Jason soon learns that in this world he’s woken up to, his house is not his house. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born.

And someone is hunting him.

Read Dark Matter here on Amazon.

6. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks

Of all the books that lean toward fantasy on this list, the title landing in 6th place leans the hardest. Perhaps a little too hard to be properly included in a list celebrating science fiction works, and while we generally attempt to ferret out all pure fantasy titles, this one slipped through but is, nevertheless, a splendid example of a book employing parallel universes.

The Sword of Shannara is an epic fantasy novel by American writer Terry Brooks. It is the first book of the Original Shannara Trilogy, followed by The Elfstones of Shannara and The Wishsong of Shannara.

Living in peaceful Shady Vale, Shea Ohmsford knew little of the troubles that plagued the rest of the world. Then the giant, forbidding Allanon revealed that the supposedly dead Warlock Lord was plotting to destroy the world. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness was the Sword of Shannara, which could only be used by a true heir of Shannara--Shea being the last of the bloodline, upon whom all hope rested. Soon a Skull Bearer, dread minion of Evil, flew into the Vale, seeking to destroy Shea. To save the Vale, Shea fled, drawing the Skull Bearer after him.

Get your copy of The Sword of Shannara  here on Amazon.

TIE! 5A. Apprentice Adept by Piers Anthony

And here we have the first of our selections which tied for 5th place! Once again, if hard sci-fi is more your jam, this is another great book that might have gone unnoticed by you.

The Apprentice Adept series by English American author Piers Anthony takes place on Phaze and Proton, two worlds occupying the same space in two different dimensional planes. Phaze is a lush planet of magic, where Proton is a barren mining planet of science. As the series opens, each person born on Phaze and Proton has an alternate self living on the other world. But if a person on either world lacks a duplicate (for instance if a Proton citizen immigrated there from another planet, or a counterpart from the opposite frame died), he can cross to the other through an energy "curtain" that circumscribes each frame.

On the technological, decadent world of Proton, someone was trying to destroy Stile, serf and master Gamesman. His only escape lay in Phaze, a world totally ruled by magic. Soon he learned that his alternate self had already been murdered, and that he was next. On Proton, his fate depended on winning the great Games. On Phaze, he must master magic to survive. And if he used any magic at all, his friends were determined to kill him at once!

Get your copy of Split Infinity, book one in the Apprentice Adept series,  here on Amazon.

TIE! 5B. The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan 

Sharing 5th spot is the EPIC sci-fi fantasy series, The Wheel of Time. While some members questioned the inclusion of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series to this poll, we feel that—unlike other questionable nominations that found their way onto the list—this one is in keeping with the theme of the poll. Of course, if you have strong opinions either way, we'd love to hear more from you in the comments here or in our facebook group! 

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.

Grab the first book in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series, The Eye of the World, here on Amazon.

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4. The World of Tiers by Philip José Farmer

Coming in at number 4 on our list is The World of Tiers, a series of science fiction novels by American writer Philip José Farmer. Farmer is known for his incredible world-building, and this series is no exception!

The World of Tiers novels are set within a series of artificially-constructed universes, created and ruled by decadent beings who are genetically identical to humans, but regard themselves as superior, who are the inheritors of an advanced technology they no longer understand.

When Robert Wolff found a strange horn in an empty house, he held the key to a different universe. To blow that horn would open up a door through space-time and permit entry to a cosmos whose dimensions and laws were not those our starry galaxy knows.

Get your copy of Volume One of Philip José Farmer's The World of Tiers  here on Amazon.

3. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson

If you’re a sci-fi purist, you may have missed reading this award-winning series, another which blends science fiction and fantasy. That said, clearly enough of you have read it that it made and placed high on the final list; for those of you who haven’t though, maybe the stamp of approval from your fellow sci-fi fans is the push you need to consider diving in?

Lord Foul’s Bane, the first book of Stephen R. Donaldson's series, follows Thomas Covenant on a journey through another land, one in which he wakes following an accident where he is hit by a police car. Believing that he is unconscious from his collision with the police car, and therefore experiencing a fantastical dream or delusion, Covenant refuses to accept the reality of the Land. Appalled and indignant at the expectations the people of the Land have for him as their new-found saviour, he gives himself the title of "Unbeliever."

Yet the Land tempted him. He had been sick; now he seemed better than ever before. Through no fault of his own, he had been outcast, unclean, a pariah. Now he was regarded as a reincarnation of the Land's greatest hero--Berek Halfhand--armed with the mystic power of White Gold. That power alone could protect the Lords of the Land from the ancient evil of Despiser, Lord Foul. Only...Covenant had no idea of how the power could be used!

Pick up your copy of Lord Foul's Bane here on Amazon.

2. The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King 

Many fans cite this deeply immersive series as being their favorite work by the author, Stephen King, so we definitely expected to see this one here. How about you? The main story takes place in a world somewhat similar to the Old West but in an alternate timeframe or parallel universe.

In the first book of this brilliant series, The Gunslinger, Stephen King introduces readers to one of his most enigmatic heroes, Roland of Gilead, The Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which frighteningly mirrors our own, Roland pursues The Man in Black, encounters an alluring woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the Kid from Earth called Jake. Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, The Gunslinger leaves readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter

Get your copy of The Gunslinger, the first book in this iconic series, here on Amazon.

1. The Number of the Beast by Robert A. Heinlein

The subtitle says it all: "A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes." How could this, written by a sci-fi master no less, NOT have made the cut? Based on the votes this title landed in second place, but considering the criteria and adjusting for that, this excellent selection easily takes the place it deserves: Number 1! 

The Number of the Beast, by legendary author Robert A Heinlein follows the adventures of Zeb, Deety, Hilda, and Jake when they are ambushed by the alien “Black Hats” and barely escape with their lives on a specially configured vehicle (the Gay Deceiver) that can travel along various planes of existence, allowing them to visit parallel universes.

Heinlein had already wrote a “parallel” novel about the four characters and parallel universes in 1977. He effectively wrote two parallel novels about parallel universes. The novels share the same start, but as soon as the Gay Deceiver is used to transport them to a parallel universe, each book takes the readers to a totally different parallel world.

When two male and two female supremely sensual, unspeakably cerebral humans find themselves under attack from aliens who want their awesome quantum breakthrough, they take to the skies -- and zoom into the cosmos on a rocket roller coaster ride of adventure and danger, ecstasy and peril.

The novel lies somewhere between parody and homage in its deliberate use of the style of the 1930s' pulp novels. How can you NOT read this?

Read Heinlein's legendary, pulp fiction inspired The Number of the Beast, here on Amazon.

BONUS Selection: Foundation by Isaac Asimov

“How does the Foundation series qualify?” 

“A very good series, but no indication that it was in a parallel universe.”

“Can't vote because Foundation is not a parallel universe!” 

Indeed.

The statements above are just some of the many comments some of you added to the thread about this poll in the Discover Sci-Fi Facebook Group. And rightfully so!

We concede that despite pulling in the most votes in the opening poll and landing in top spot here in the final account, Isaac Asimov's Foundation doesn’t fit the criteria.

We take full responsibility for letting this slide into the final round of voting, but we are curious to hear from those who did nominate and vote for this selection, and we hope you will chime in in the comments: what made you select Foundation for this particular best of poll?

Maybe all that means is that it is time for a refresher. When was the last time you read this award-winning and, one might say, “foundational” work of science fiction? Decades ago? <gasp> Never? Parallel universes or not, perhaps it’s time to take a read. (or re-read).

For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future -- to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save mankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire -- both scientists and scholars -- and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the Galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for a future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation.

Get your copy of the sci-fi classic, Foundation  here on Amazon.

With infinite possibilities, is there ever a real conclusion?

What do you think of that list? Do you agree, or do you feel as though your best-loved parallel universe narrative should have placed higher on the list? What do YOU think of Foundation showing up here? Are you a hard sci-fi lover shaking your head at all the sci-fi fantasy selections? We want to hear from you! Feel free to join us here in our Facebook group to chime in on the debate, and then check out our most recent poll while you're there. Don't have Facebook? Feel free to add to the comments below

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

The Top 10 Best Utopian Books/Series in Science Fiction

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“Your utopia is my dystopia." —Gordon Jack 

A few weeks ago, we asked you to think about the best utopian science fiction books and series.

Now we're asking: Does such a thing even exist? 

This is a question many put forward in response to the various titles that were nominated and considered because, as we noted, many stories centring on utopian themes pose this very same question. And, what we see over and over again is that, indeed, what is a utopian existence for one, is inevitably someone else's dystopian nightmare. 

While we'd love to believe that someday, somehow, a utopian world can be found, in literature the tension required to carry a story that is of interest often ends up finding itself in the juxtaposition between the perfect world and what we have to give up in order to achieve it; that or an examination of who still suffers.

As always, these top ten lists are not meant to be all-inclusive or definitive, but give a great finger on the pulse of our communities interests and favorites. Want to see who missed out? Here's the original nomination list from the blog.

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 utopian sci-fi books/series.

10. Those Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin

We were thrilled to see this brilliant work nominated and pleased that it garnered enough votes to make the final cut. We’re going to go out on a limb and say that the fact it placed tenth in the final poll may be an indication that it hasn’t been read as widely within in our community as some of the other (excellent) selections. It's a very short read, something you could likely finish over your morning coffee. Perhaps it’s time to pick it up?

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas is a 1973 work of short philosophical fiction by American writer Ursula K. Le Guin.

With deliberately both vague and vivid descriptions, the narrator depicts a summer festival in the utopian city of Omelas, whose prosperity depends on the perpetual misery of a single child. The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas was nominated for the Locus Award for Best Short Fiction in 1974 and won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1974.

Get The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas here on Amazon

9. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

Ninth on our list is another selection from Ursula K. Le Guin! The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia is a 1974 utopian science fiction novel set in the fictional universe of the seven novels of the Hainish Cycle, about anarchy and other societal structures, like capitalism and hierarchy.

Over the course of this poll, we’ve heard many a debate about why one title or another doesn’t meet the criteria for exploring the theme of utopias. The Dispossessed, it seems, is beyond reproach in that regard. A true masterpiece, the book that “started as a very bad short story, which I didn’t try to finish, but couldn’t quite let go” was, by Le Guin’s account, the result of a lot of soul-searching and deep thought about “war, peace, politics, how we govern one another and ourselves, the value of failure, and the strength of what is weak” which helped her land on a clear vision of what she wanted to explore with this book: “an anarchist utopia.” It is a wholly original and compelling book.

If you haven’t read this multi award-winning classic yet, take this as your cue to do so. 

Read the classic,The Dispossessed  here on Amazon.

8. To the Stars by Harry Harrison

Perhaps better known for his Stainless Steel Rat Series, author Harry Harrison’s To The Stars Trilogy opens with Homeworld, which presents a dystopian world some centuries in the future. Like other books on this list, this dystopia is initially presented as a utopia, with an elite class enjoying a life of privilege that comes at great cost.

Jan Kulozik was one of Earth's privileged elite. A brilliant young electronics engineer, he enjoyed all the blessings of a 23rd-century civilization that survived the global collapse and conquered the stars, unaware of the millions who slaved or starved to maintain his way of life.

Then Jan met Sara, a beautiful agent of the rebel underground dedicated to smashing Earth's rigid caste system. Through her he discovered the truth behind the lies he'd been taught. His every move watched by state surveillance, Jan risked his position and his life to restore humanity's heritage.

Get your copy of Homeworld, the first book in the To the Stars Trilogy  here on Amazon.

7. The Earthseed Series by Octavia E. Butler

Our seventh place selection, the Earthseed Series, by sci-fi luminary Octavia E. Butler, takes place in (what is now) the very near future, in the United States, which—in the book— has fallen into collapse. The series was meant to be a trilogy, but Butler died before finishing the third book.

Billed as a dystopian novel, the book deals heavily with utopian themes. The first book in the series, Parable of the Sower, takes place in In 2025 where, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future.

Lauren Olamina, is the daughter of a Baptist minister who serves their walled-in neighborhood. Because of her mother's addiction to a prescription drug, Olamina suffers from hyperempathy, which causes her to share pain or perceived pain with any living creature she sees. When her community is attacked, burned, and looted, seventeen-year-old Olamina barely escapes with her life. She travels, at great danger, into northern California in search of a haven where she and others can build the first Earthseed community.

Pick up the Earthseed Series here on Amazon.

6. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

In sixth place, we have Brave New World, a dystopian novel by English author Aldous Huxley, written in 1931 and published in 1932. A dystopian novel.

Did we say it already?

Perspective is everything.

“Brave New World is either a perfect-world utopia or its nasty opposite, a dystopia, depending on your point of view: its inhabitants are beautiful, secure and free from diseases and worries, though in a way we like to think we would find unacceptable." —Margaret Atwood, The Guardian, 2007

Brave New World  is a searching vision of an unequal, technologically-advanced future where humans are genetically bred, socially indoctrinated, and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively uphold an authoritarian ruling order--all at the cost of our freedom, full humanity, and perhaps also our souls. It asks us to consider whether a “perfect” world is possible, or even desirable. It ask us to consider if a utopia is worth the cost.

Huxley followed this book with a reassessment in essay form, Brave New World Revisited (1958), and with his final novel, Island (1962), the utopian counterpart. They are both definitely worth checking out if you've already read Brave New World, and if you haven't, as always, we've got you.

Get Brave New World, 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. Logan's Run by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson

We’ve reached the top five! Coming in fifth place is Logan’s Run, the bestselling dystopian novel that inspired the 1970s science-fiction classic starring Michael York, Jenny Agutter, and Richard Jordan. The book, co-written by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson is yet one more that explores the idea that “your utopia is my dystopia,” by presenting a utopian future society on the surface, revealed as a dystopia where the population and the consumption of resources are maintained in equilibrium by killing everyone who reaches the age of thirty. An ageist dystopia, masquerading as a utopia. Nevertheless, an excellent read exploring utopian societies and their price.

It's the 23rd Century and at age 21... your life is over! Logan-6 has been trained to kill; born and bred from conception to be the best of the best. But his time is short and before his life ends he's got one final mission: Find and destroy Sanctuary, a fabled haven for those that chose to defy the system. But when Logan meets and falls in love with Jessica, he begins to question the very system he swore to protect and soon they're both running for their lives. When Last Day comes, will you lie down and die... or run!

Grab your copy of Logan's Run here on Amazon.

4. The Culture Series by Iain M. Banks

The Culture Series is a science fiction series written by Scottish author Iain M. Banks, one he has said will ultimately “form the largest part of [his] life’s work.” So much has been written about the series and the way it explores utopian themes, including some fascinating interviews with the author—such as the one previously quoted—in which he discusses, among other things, why he feels it’s unlikely we humans will ever succeed in establishing a utopia.

The stories in the Culture Series centre on the Culture, a utopian, post-scarcity space society of humanoids, aliens, and advanced artificial intelligences living in socialist habitats spread across the Milky Way galaxy. The main theme of the novels is the dilemmas that an idealistic hyperpower faces in dealing with civilizations that do not share its ideals, and whose behaviour it sometimes finds repulsive.

The series currently stands at ten books written over more than 25 years. While the books work as standalones, the first book, Consider Phlebas, is a great place to start as it gives a different perspective from the other books and provides a great foundation for understanding the world Banks has created.

The war raged across the galaxy. Billions had died, billions more were doomed. Moons, planets, the very stars themselves, faced destruction, cold-blooded, brutal, and worse, random. The Idirans fought for their Faith; the Culture for its moral right to exist. Principles were at stake. There could be no surrender.

Get your copy of Consider Phlebas  here on Amazon.

3. Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein

The top three! In third place, is Starship Troopers  by sci-fi giant Robert A. Heinlein. As with other selections on the list, the setting of our third place title has been described as dystopian, but it is presented by Heinlein as utopian; its leaders are shown as good and wise, and the population as free and prosperous.

Do a Google search for “misunderstood science fiction book,” and you’ll find plenty of discussion on this one. Is it a criticism of democracy? A celebration of the military? Satire? Of course, some of the confusion comes not from the novel itself, but with how it was adapted to the screen, but it’s fair to say that regardless, this classic gives us plenty to think (and talk) about.

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.

2. Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke

“No utopia can ever give satisfaction to everyone, all the time. As their material conditions improve, men raise their sights and become discontented with power and possessions that once would have seemed beyond their wildest dreams. And even when the external world has granted all it can, there still remain the searchings of the mind and the longings of the heart.”—Arthur C. Clarke, Childhood's End

We were not surprised to see this incredible entry near the top of the list. Childhood's End is a true classic written in 1953 by the British author Arthur C. Clarke. The story follows the peaceful alien invasion of Earth by the mysterious Overlords, whose arrival begins decades of apparent utopia under indirect alien rule, at the cost of human identity and culture. If you’ve missed this classic, consider this your invitation to pick it up! You won’t be disappointed.

The Overlords appeared suddenly over every city - intellectually, technologically, and militarily superior to humankind. Benevolent, they made few demands: unify earth, eliminate poverty, and end war. With little rebellion, humankind agreed, and a golden age began.

But at what cost? With the advent of peace, man ceases to strive for creative greatness, and a malaise settles over the human race. To those who resist, it becomes evident that the Overlords have an agenda of their own. As civilization approaches the crossroads, will the Overlords spell the end for humankind . . . or the beginning?

Start Childhood's End, here on Amazon.

1. The Lazurus Long Series by Robert A. Heinlein

We've reached the top! The number one entry in our poll—the Lazarus Long Series by Robert A. Heinlein—won by a hearty margin. 

“At the time I wrote Methuselah’s Children I was still politically quite naive and still had hopes that various libertarian notions could be put over by political processes…”—Robert A. Heinlein

Lazarus Long is a fictional character featured in a number of science fiction novels by Robert A. Heinlein. The first book in which he appears is Heinlein’s Methuselah’s Children and given it won the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award for "Best Classic Libertarian Sci-Fi Novel” in 1997, you can safely assume it explores the virtues of Libertarianism. Given the series’ first place standing in a poll on books exploring utopian themes in science fiction, is it safe to say that many among us feel a society that maximizes political freedom and autonomy is a utopian one? Or, at the very least, that the notion is an enticing one?

No one may seize or harm the person or property of another, or invade his privacy, or force him to do his bidding. Americans are fiercely proud of their re-won liberties and the blood it cost them: nothing could make them forswear those truths they hold self-evident. Nothing except the promise of immortality...

Lazarus Long, member of a select group bred for generations to live far beyond normal human lifespans, helps his kind escape persecution after word leaks out and angry crowds accuse them of withholding the “secret” of longevity. Lazarus and his companions set out on an interstellar journey and face many trials and strange cultures, like a futuristic Odysseus and his crew, before returning to Earth.

Start the journey with Methuselah's Children  here on Amazon.

"Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection, the lovers, the dreamers and me..." 

Frogs singing their hearts out about a utopian dream? Definitely the stuff of science fiction, right?  We all can dream, but as Margaret Atwood pointed out in the Guardian article we quoted earlier, "Utopia" is sometimes said to mean "no place", from the Greek ou-topos; others derive it from eu, as in "eugenics", in which case it would mean "healthy place" or "good place". Sir Thomas More, in his own 16th-century Utopia, may have been punning: "utopia is the good place that doesn't exist…"

But whether or not a utopian society could ever be possible is beside the point, and we think it's safe to say, at the very least, it's something none of us will ever live to see. However, we sure hope science fiction authors continue to explore the possibility in their work, even if it doesn't look quite as rosy as we'd like because one thing these books offer that their purely dystopian counterparts don't always manage, is a little bit of hope.

What do you think of the books on our final list, and do you think it's possible for a author to write a compelling, yet purely utopian work? One that captures readers without the tension of a dystopian threat being introduced at some point? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Visit us here in our Facebook group to chime in on the debate, and then check out our most recent poll while you're there. Don't have Facebook? Feel free to add to the comments below.

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

Toughest Sci-Fi Warriors

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Space is full of aliens, pirates, and evil imperial fleets. You gotta be tough to survive out there. Thankfully, science fiction is full of tough warriors. Let’s take a look at ten of our favorites.

10. Ender (Ender’s Game)

Ender Wiggin is a child soldier in the ground-breaking novel Ender’s Game. When alien bugs attack Earth, select children are trained to lead fleets in battle. Ender proves himself a maverick, a tactical genius who can lead Earth to victory. He might only be a kid, but his brilliance in battle earns him a spot in our top ten.

Get Ender's Game here on Amazon

9. Starbuck (Battlestar Galactica)

Kara Thrace, known as Starbuck, is a fighter pilot serving aboard the Battlestar Galactica. She curses, smokes cigars, laughs too loud, and likes to punch her superior officers. But beneath her tough exterior, she’s compassionate and deeply cares about her loved ones. Starbuck helped humanity survive after the devastating Cylon attack. Without her battle prowess, humanity would likely have gone extinct. She’s definitely one tough warrior.

Watch Battlestar Galactica now here on Amazon Prime Video.

8. Captain Kirk (Star Trek)

Kirk isn’t only a capable starship captain. He’s also an accomplished brawler, and he never shies away from a fight. Whenever the chance arises, he beams down to a planet to fight his enemies hand to hand. Perhaps his most memorable fight was against the infamous Gorn.

Watch Star Trek now here on Amazon Prime Video.

7. Jayne Cobb (Firefly)

Jayne is a hulking, gruff mercenary serving aboard the Serenity. He helps the crew on their various smuggling missions and heists, usually by providing the muscle. He best friend seems to be Vera, his beloved rifle. Despite his tough-guy persona, Jayne loves wearing an adorable beanie hat, which his mother knitted for him.

Watch Firefly now here on Amazon Prime Video.

6. Commander Adama (Battlestar Galactica)

Bill Adama is the laconic commander of the Battlestar Galactica. His stony exterior belies his kind, compassionate nature. He truly cares about his soldiers, seeing them as his children. In times of battle, he is calm, competent, and willing to make the necessary sacrifices. With his decades of experience, Adama inspires loyalty from his troops, who affectionately refer to him as “the old man.” Adama’s leadership helped humanity survive the devastating Cylon attack.

Watch Battlestar Galactica now here on Amazon Prime Video.

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5. Admiral Ackbar (Star Wars)

Admiral Ackbar is only a secondary character in the Star Wars saga but an important one. He was one of the high commanders of the rebel alliance, leading fleets into battle. During his many years of service, Ackbar was regarded as a brilliant tactician and courageous officer. He famously commanded the rebel fleet during the Battle of Endor. Despite inadvertently flying into a trap, Akbar eventually led the fleet to victory.

Watch Star Wars now here on Amazon Prime Video.

4. Addy (Earthrise)

Addison “Addy” Linden is a heroic warrior from the Earthrise series. Following a devastating alien invasion of Earth, Addy joins the army as a humble private. She fights in many battles, rises through the ranks, and becomes a war heroine and leader. Addy is loud, foul-mouthed, and covered in tattoos. She loves beer, hot dogs, and good old-fashioned hockey fights. Despite her coarse exterior, on the inside Addy is deeply compassionate and loyal to her friends. Her leadership, courage, and determination give Earth a fighting chance against the alien menace.

Get your copy of Earth Alone, the first book in the Earthrise series, here on Amazon.

3. Juan Rico (Starship Troopers)

Juan Rico is a young soldier from Robert Heinlein’s seminal novel Starship Troopers. Earth is battling a race of alien bugs. Juan enlists, goes through gruelling bootcamp, and learns how to operate a mech suit—a powerful robotic exoskeleton. He eventually becomes an officer and heroically leads his platoon to victories on the battlefield. He is the archetypical space marine, inspiring many heroes in the genre of military science fiction.

Get your copy of Starship Troopers here on Amazon.

2. The Terminator

The Terminator is nearly unstoppable. Bullets, fire, explosions—he can survive almost anything. He just keeps going until his mission is fulfilled. If he’s your enemy, you’re in deep trouble. If he’s your ally, he’ll protect you until the very end. The Terminator is definitely one of the toughest characters in the genre.

Watch The Terminator now here on Amazon Prime Video.

1. Ripley (Alien)

Topping our list is Ripley from the Alien franchise. When an unknown creature infiltrates the starship Nostromo, Ripley manages to survive while the alien kills everyone else, one by one. On the colony LV-426, which has been overrun with aliens, Ripley proves herself a valiant warrior. She battles an alien infestation, faces off against the alien queen, and even saves the orphan Newt, the colony’s sole survivor. When it comes to pure grit, Ripley is impossible to beat. We give her the crown of toughest sci-fi warrior.

Watch Alien now here on Amazon Prime Video.

What do you think? Do you agree with our list? Who do you think is the toughest warrior in science fiction? 

Sound off the in the comments below, or chime in with your 2¢ in the Discover Sci-Fi Reader Group on Facebook. 

Daniel Arenson

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.

The Top 10 Furry Friends in Science Fiction

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“All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed.
For after all, he was only human. He wasn't a dog.”
― Charles M. Schulz

Whether they are dogs, dragons or otherwise, the animal companions of science fiction display admirable dedication to and enviable bonds with their people. You nominated dozens such furry and not so furry friends; you've voted for your favorites and now, based on your votes here and in our facebook group, we've arrived at our top 10! 

As always, these top ten lists are not meant to be all-inclusive or definitive, but give a great finger on the pulse of our communities interests and favorites. Want to see who missed out? Here's the original nomination list from the blog.

Without further ado, based on the combined nominations and votes here on the Discover Sci-Fi blog and the in Facebook group, here are your top choices for the best furry friends of science fiction.

10. Sergeant Stumpy, the heroic dog from Earthrise by Daniel Arenson

Sergeant Stumpy is a heroic dog who helps the heroes of Earthrise fight the scum, the evil aliens from deep space.

A Boston terrier, Stumpy is discovered in the mines of a distant world, the lone survivor of an alien assault. When marines arrive to clear the mines of aliens, they find Stumpy hiding in the dark. He joins the team and helps them throughout the battle. The soldiers name him stumpy because his tail was bitten off, leaving only a stump.

Fans of the series will be interested to know that Sergeant Stumpy was inspired by Sergeant Stubby, a heroic war dog from WW1, who fought in seventeen battles with the American army. Very cool. 

Marco Emery was born into the war. After his mother is killed, he joins the Human Defense Force, Earth's ragtag army. Emery must survive basic training, become a soldier, and finally face the aliens in battle.

Against the alien onslaught, Earth stands alone. But we will fight. We will rise. We will win.

Start Earth Alone, the first book in the epic Earthrise Series, here on Amazon

9. Speaker-to-Animals from Larry Niven's Known Space Universe

"You are going to be in such deep s#!t when the Kzin find out you have listed them as 'pets.'"

While we didn't exactly say "pets," we see what this Discover Sci-Fi reader is saying!

The Kzinti (singular Kzin) are a fictional, very warlike and bloodthirsty race of cat-like aliens in Larry Niven's Known Space series. Introduced in 1966 in Niven's story The Warriors (originally in Worlds of If ), a Kzin character, Speaker-to-Animals (later known as Chmeee), subsequently played a major role in Niven's Hugo and Nebula award-winning Ringworld  and Ringworld Engineers, giving considerably more background of the Kzinti and their interactions with human civilizations.

Ringworld is no stranger to these polls, having landed on many of our previous top 10 lists, so we know many of you have already picked up this award winning classic. If you haven't though, you should definitely add it to your TBR! 

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 . . .

Read the Hugo and Nebula winning classic, Ringworld,  here on Amazon.

8. Miles, the Siberian Husky sidekick in Hell Divers by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

In eighth place, we have the absolute loyalist of friends: Miles, from Nicholas Sansbury Smith's bestselling and utterly binge-worthy Hell Divers series.

Hell Diver Xavier "X" Rodriguez is stranded on the poisoned surface when he stumbles upon an old ITC facility. Inside the bunker he discovers cryo chambers with thousands of animals. Alone, and scared, X decides to unfreeze a Siberian Husky that he names Miles. From that day on Miles treks across the surface with X by his side and helps on the quest to find the airship X once called home. With countless threats facing them, Miles uses his keen sense of smell and instinct to help guide X across the country to a new home, proving there is nothing better than the friendship between man and a loyal dog.

Have you had a chance to "dive" into the series yet? Hell Divers has got to be one of the most original and exciting post apocalyptic series going these days. If you haven't read it, you absolutely need to check it out!

More than two centuries after World War III poisoned the planet, the final bastion of humanity lives on massive airships circling the globe in search of a habitable area to call home. Aging and outdated, most of the ships plummeted back to Earth long ago. The only thing keeping the two surviving lifeboats in the sky are Hell Divers - men and women who risk their lives by skydiving to the surface to scavenge for parts the ships desperately need.

When one of the remaining airships is damaged in an electrical storm, a Hell Diver team is deployed to a hostile zone called Hades. But there's something down there far worse than the mutated creatures discovered on dives in the past - something that threatens the fragile future of humanity.

Get your copy of Hell Divers, the first book in the Hell Divers series,  here on Amazon.

7. Blood, from A Boy and His Dog by Harlan Ellison

Our seventh place entry has such a wholesome sounding title! Ahhh... A Boy and His Dog. Based on the title, you would be forgiven for thinking A Boy and His Dog is a heartwarming adventure tale, something akin to Farley Mowat's The Dog Who Wouldn't Be, but it is not. While not wholesome in the least, it might warm your heart, and regardless, is a GREAT book. If you haven't already read this thought provoking and unforgettable Nebula award winner it's about time you get it!

A Boy and His Dog, by author Harlan Ellison, tells the story of an amoral 15 year old boy, Vic, and his telepathic dog, Blood, who work together as a team to survive in the post-apocalyptic world after a nuclear war.

Vic was born in and scavenges throughout the wasteland of the former southwestern United States. Vic is most concerned with food and fornication; having lost both of his parents, he has no formal education and does not understand ethics or morality. He is accompanied by a well-read, misanthropic, telepathic dog named Blood, who helps him locate women, in return for food. Blood cannot forage for himself, due to the same genetic engineering that granted him telepathy. The two steal for a living, evading roverpaks and mutants.

A piece of shocking, dystopic science fiction, A Boy and His Dog questions the boundaries and nature of love while crafting a vision of a dark future guaranteed to leave chills.

Get A Boy and His Dog here on Amazon.

6. Einstein, the golden retriever from Watchers by Dean R. Koontz

If you have read Dean R. Koontz's novels, you will know he often features dogs as significant characters. Given the popularity of his work, it was no surprise to see at least one of the furry friends he's written over the years make its way into our top 10. Our sixth place entry is Einstein, the genetically altered golden retriever from (and featured prominently on the cover of) Koontz's Watchers. Crafted in 1987, Watchers one of the books credited with establishing Koontz as a bestselling author. Have you read this one?

From a top secret government laboratory come two genetically altered life forms. One is a magnificent dog of astonishing intelligence. The other, a hybrid monster of a brutally violent nature. And both are on the loose…Bestselling author Dean Koontz presents his most terrifying, dramatic and moving novel: The explosive story of a man and a woman, caught in a relentless storm of mankind’s darkest creation.

Grab Watchers here on Amazon.

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If you're enjoying this top 10 list, why not join the DSF community for more awesome content? You'll get to be notified whenever a new top 10 list, or any other articles of interest goes up on our site. It's free to sign up and you'

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

5. Pip, the flying, empathic snake from Humanx Commonwealth by Alan Dean Foster

We have arrived at the top five! In fifth place is Pip, the flying empathic snake from Alan Dean Foster's wildly expansive Humanx Commonwealth. For the Love of Mother-Not is not the first book published in the series, but it is the first chronologically and so an excellent place to start for those new to the universe. 

They called him Flinx...

He was just a freckle-faced, redheaded kid with green eyes and a strangely compelling stare when Mother Mastiff first saw him on the auctioneer's block. One hundred credits and he was hers.

For years the old woman was his only family. She loved him, fed him, taught him everything she knew - even let him keep the deadly flying snake he called Pip.

Then Mother Mastiff mysteriously disappeared and Flinx took Pip to tail her kidnappers. Across the forests and swamps of the winged world called Moth, their only weapons were Pip's venom...and Flinx's unusual Talents.

Get your copy of For the Love of Mother-Not here on Amazon.

4. Little fuzzy, from Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper

In forth place, we have Little Fuzzy from... Little Fuzzy! Little Fuzzy is named—as noted—for one of the book's main characters, Little Fuzzy, a tiny, golden-furred humanoid discovered by Jack Holloway, the human protagonist of the story. The book is a true sci-fi classic, written in 1962 by H. Beam Piper, and nominated for the 1963 Hugo Award for Best Novel. The story revolves around determining whether a small furry species discovered on the planet Zarathustra is sapient, and features a mild libertarianism that emphasizes sincerity and honesty.  

The chartered Zarathustra Company had it all their way. Their charter was for a Class III uninhabited planet, which Zarathustra was, and it meant they owned the planet lock stock and barrel. They exploited it, developed it and reaped the huge profits from it without interference from the Colonial Government. Then Jack Holloway, a sunstone prospector, appeared on the scene with his family of Fuzzies and the passionate conviction that they were not cute animals but little people.

Get your copy of Little Fuzzy  here on Amazon.

3. Pixel, the cat from The Cat Who Walks Through Walls by Robert A. Heinlein

In a solid third place showing, we have Pixel, the cat with "cattitude for days," (as pointed out by one DSF facebook group member) from Robert A. Heinlein's The Cat Who Walks Through Walls. As you might have guessed, the title of the book refers directly to Pixel, who has an inexplicable tendency to be wherever the narrator happens to be. In one scene Pixel does, in fact, walk through a wall, and it is explained that Pixel is too young to know that such behavior is impossible. The book features a few recurring characters, favorites from other Heinlein books, such as Lazarus Long and Jubal Harshaw, among others.

Dr. Richard Ames is an ex-military man, a sometime writer, and unfortunate victim of mistaken identity. When a stranger attempting to deliver a cryptic message is shot dead at his dinner table, Ames is thrown headfirst into danger, intrigue, and other dimensions where Lazarus Long still thrives, where Jubal Harshaw lives surrounded by beautiful women, and where a daring plot to rescue the sentient computer called Mike could change the direction of all human history.

Get your copy of The Cat Who Walks Through Walls  here on Amazon.

2. Pern Dragons, from the Dragonriders of Pern series, by Anne McCaffrey

Anne McCaffery's Dragonriders of Pern is frequently nominated and consistently places near the top of our top 10 lists, and it was no surprise to see the dragons of the series take second place in this poll because the series is amazing and—come on—who doesn't love dragons!

The Dragons of Pern are a fictional race created by Anne McCaffrey as an integral part of the science fiction world depicted in her Dragonriders of Pern novels. Pernese dragons are similar to traditional European dragons in the fact that they can breathe fire and resemble great lizards or dinosaurs with wings, but the resemblance ends there. Unlike most dragons in previous Western literature, Pernese dragons are entirely friendly to humanity.

This unforgettable and award winning series is beloved by readers and critics alike. If somehow you’ve missed it, consider this your invitation to dive in!

The first book, Dragonflight, introduces Lessa, a young woman recruited to establish a telepathic bond with a queen dragon at its hatching, thus becoming a dragonrider, and the leader of a Weyr community on the fictional planet Pern.

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 the series with Dragonflight, here on Amazon.

1. Nimitz, Treecat in Honor Harrington Series by David Weber

Treecats, from David Weber’s Honorverse, are empaths who are able form intense bonds with humans, which are usually only broken in death. Fan favorite, Nimitz, who landed first in our poll, is one such Treecat. Nimitz bonded to Weber’s heroine, Honor Harrington when she was 12 T-years old.

For the uninitiated, The Honorverse is a NYT best-selling military science fiction series centered on the space navy career of the principal protagonist Honor Harrington. You can see Nimitz perched on Harrington's shoulder on the cover of On Basilisk Station, the first book in the series, which follows Commander Honor Harrington and Her Majesty’s light cruiser Fearless during their assignment to the Basilisk system. 

When their duty leads them to discover events that would lead to an invasion of Medusa, they have no choice but to act.

Read On Basilisk Station  here on Amazon.

Anyone itching to bring home a new animal companion after reading that?

Maybe not a Kzin, but a Siberian Husky or a good 'ole rescue mutt might be nice. Alas, not all of us can bring home animals, no matter how loyal or empathic, and no matter how much we long to do so. For us, reading and dreaming about one of these will have to do, and we are forever grateful to the authors who bring these characters to life, allowing us to do just that.

Did your favorite make our list? Did it get the place it deserved? We love hearing your thoughts on who did and didn't make the list, so if you are compelled, feel free to join us here in our Facebook group to chime in and be sure to check out our most recent poll while you're there. Don't have Facebook? Feel free to add to the comments below.

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

The Top 10 Sci-Fi Books Of 2020 (so far)

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“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home." —Anna Quindlen

In our current world of limited travel, books are one way we can continue to experience whole other worlds: the possible, the not-yet-possible, and the completely fantastic. What a gift. This year has gifted us with many incredible new reads and along with them, worlds to slip into. Some of these worlds are familiar—as with the highly anticipated continuation of series set in universes we already love—some are completely new and novel. In a perfect world, there would be time to read them all, but if your time is limited, it's nice to know which ones are worth spending that time on, and you needn't look any further than your fellow Discover Sci-Fi readers for help with that. We asked, you answered, and based on your votes both here and in the Discover Sci-Fi facebook group, we present the top 10 books published in 2020 (so far!) determined by you!

As always, these top ten lists are not meant to be all-inclusive or definitive, but give a great finger on the pulse of our community's interests and favorites. Want to see who missed out? Here's the original nomination list from the blog.

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 books of 2020 so far! 

10. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games #0) by Suzanne Collins

Given how highly anticipated The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was, we’re surprised by its 10th place standing on the list!

Fans exploded with excitement when the prequel to Suzanne Collins' wildly successful Hunger Games trilogy was announced last year, many marking their calendars for the 2020 release date. The newest addition to the series, released May—ten years after the last book in the original trilogy—centres on Coriolanus Snow, the brutal nemesis of beloved heroine Katniss Everdeen. Was he always the villainous monster we came to know and loathe through the trilogy, or did something make him that way? This is the year we find out.  

"It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined - every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute . . . and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes."

Read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes  here on Amazon.

9. Final Days by Nathan Hystad and Jasper T Scott

This year two of our favorite writers, each accomplished authors in their own rights, came together to write an absolutely killer new series and the first book, which launched June, is already a huge hit both with sci-fi readers and with readers of other genres as well.

Final Days by Jasper Scott and Nathan Hystad captures the essence of both a near-future thriller and a sci-fi adventure. This genre-straddling makes it appeal to a much wider audience than the average science fiction novel. And the characters, being that they come from what is essentially present-day Earth, are all highly relatable.

Adding to its appeal, the sequels to Final Days take the reader on a richly-imagined journey beyond Earth. The book and the series itself meet all the criteria for escapist fiction without touching too closely on current events, making it ideal reading at a time when more than ever people are looking to take their minds off the pressures and stresses of real life.

No matter where your reading tastes land, this is a must read!

"The countdown to the end of the world has begun. 

A mysterious convergence of natural disasters threatens to destroy life as we know it, and people across the United States are going missing. With no one left to investigate, Special Agent Kendra Baker takes the case, trying to solve the disappearances before she’s out of time."

Read Final Days, the first book in the Final Days Trilogy  here on Amazon.

8. The Last Emperox (The Interdependency #3) by John Scalzi

Maybe better known for his military sci-fi epic, Old Man's War series, Hugo Award winning author John Scalzi's most recent series, The Interdependency Series, is another fast-paced, page turner and as much as fans have been looking forward to this year's release of the third and final book, we're pretty sure many will be sad that it is over! 

"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?"

Get your copy of The Last Emperox here on Amazon

7. Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries #5) by Martha Wells

"I would vote for Network Effect by Martha Wells several times if I could, loved the whole series and it was wonderful to finally get a full length novel, I don't think I've enjoyed any sci fi as much since Iain Banks Culture series or maybe even further back with Dune.”  —Discover Sci-Fi Reader, DSF Facebook Group 

Martha Wells published All Systems Red, the first book in her Murderbot Diaries series, back in 2017 (which feels like a lifetime ago), and in 2018 it won multiple awards: A Hugo, a Nebula, an Alex, a Locus...

Critically acclaimed and beloved by fans, the only complaint about the first book, and those that followed, was that they were too short. This most recent instalment, published May, is the first full length novel and as with those before it, Wells has wowed fans with her dry humor, her incredible character development, and her ability to craft a tight, complex and layered narrative. While you should definitely read all the books in the series, this one works as a standalone so if haven't started yet, you needn't wait to pick it up!

"You know that feeling when you’re at work, and you’ve had enough of people, and then the boss walks in with yet another job that needs to be done right this second or the world will end, but all you want to do is go home and binge your favorite shows? And you're a sentient murder machine programmed for destruction? Congratulations, you're Murderbot.

Come for the pew-pew space battles, stay for the most relatable A.I. you’ll read this century."

Continue the adventure with Network Effect  here on Amazon.

6. Freefall (Expeditionary Force: Mavericks #2) by Craig Alanson

Craig Alanson's Expeditionary Force shows up on these polls a lot. Don't call him prolific—he is just doing his job—but he puts out a number of books a year and each one is met with well earned fanfare.

Freefall, the first of Alanson's books to be released this year, came out in June and was a huge hit with fans. The book is the second in the Mavericks series, which is a spinoff from Expeditionary Force. If you haven't read Exforce yet, don't let that stop you from picking up this new series. Reading the parent series may give you some background that will enhance your enjoyment of the spinoff, but Mavericks does work as a standalone as well.

"The Alien Legion has a new mission, and this time, they are working for the enemy. Also against the enemy. Like every operation that Emily Perkins plans, it’s complicated. But plans require good intel, and when the plan falls apart, the Mavericks are in Freefall…"

Grab Freefall here on Amazon.

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5. Descent Into Darkness (Blood on the Stars Book 17) by Jay Allan

There is no hunger like that of Jay Allan's fans for a new book by the author and it's something for which Allan has said, time and again, he is very grateful!

Jay Allan's fans have been known to stay up late into the evening the night of a book release, grab the book immediately, and polish it off in a day. Blood on the Stars might just be his most popular series yet and so book 17, Descent Into Darkness—the penultimate book in the series—was destined to be one of the most hotly anticipated books of 2020. The set up for the grand finale! 

Victory or Death.

An experimental virus or a desperate battle…which is the way to go, the route offering the best chance of victory against the enemy?  Tyler Barron and his wife, Andi Lafarge, find themselves on different sides, as the universe screams toward the stunning conclusion of the Blood on the Stars series in the next book, Empire Reborn.

Get your copy of Descent Into Darkness, book 17 in the epic Blood on the Stars series here on Amazon.

4. Sons of War by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

Nicholas Sansbury Smith has been turning out one expansive, original, and totally gripping sci-fi series after another. Our 4th spot title is from his newest series, Sons of War, which launched just this year and Smith says it’s his favourite to date! Considering his body of work so far, we think this says a lot. We caught up with Smith to ask what he felt might have stood out to fans about this title and he shared some thoughts with us:

“Sons of War is a post-apocalyptic story about how the end of the world becomes an opportunity for some people. Told from two viewpoints, a Marine and his family, and an organized crime boss, SOW is meant to give readers a unique perspective. Often in my stories I like to show the good and bad of survival in these scenarios, and how some good people turn evil, and some evil people transform into better humans. We never know how we would react in the apocalypse, and that's part of what's fascinating, I think, about these stories.”

It’s true: you really never know how you are going to react to something until the day is upon you and we agree that the tension of that makes for a fascinating story! 

"All empires eventually fall...
The United States is no exception...
And out of the embers, a lawless new empire will rise…

Across the world, the United States recalls troops to combat civil unrest after the biggest economic meltdown in history. Marine Sergeant Ronaldo Salvatore's platoon comes home to a powder keg that could ignite a civil war.

While some see the coming collapse as the end, others see opportunity. Fleeing Naples after rival crime lords decimated his family, Don Antonio Moretti settles in Los Angeles to rebuild his criminal empire. But he is far from alone in his ambitions--the cartel and rival gangs all want the same turf, and they will sacrifice their own soldiers and the blood of innocents to get it."

Start The Sons of War series with Sons of War  here on Amazon.

3. Insurgent (First Colony #10) by Ken Lozito

We have heard from many fans who feel that Ken Lozito's EPIC First Colony series just gets better with every book, so it was no surprise that book 10, released April, placed so high up on our list. Insurgent delivers on fan's expectations, with a fast-paced story that also allows for continued world building and a greater understanding of the characters you know and love. 

"As Connor secretly searches for the enemy homeworld, he launches clandestine military operations to liberate other worlds in hopes of gaining allies before the enemy can find the last human colony.

The humans cannot hope to compete with the enemy’s vast empire, but with the discovery of a new ally, Connor believes their luck has finally changed.

Instead, when new allies clash with the old, Connor finds himself caught in the middle. Connor will have to choose whether doing what’s necessary to ensure the colony survives is worth compromising his loyalty to allies close to home, but the price could ultimately tear the colony apart."

Get your copy of Insurgent, book 10 in the First Colony Series,  here on Amazon.

2. Boneshaker (Terran Scout Fleet #2) by Joshua Dalzelle

Joshua Dalzelle has earned a loyal following thanks in large part to his wildly entertaining Omega Force series; an incredibly fun, high action space opera currently at 11 books. Our 2nd place entry, Boneshaker, is the second book in Dalzelle's Terran Scout Fleet series. We had an opportunity to ask Dalzelle to share his thoughts on the success of this new book and he was happy to give us some insight:

"Boneshaker is the second book in the Terran Scout Series, a companion series to my popular Omega Force series. I think the books have a built-in audience from the Omega Force series and that’s helped quite a bit when it comes to the book gaining visibility and readers. It has a lot of the same things that appeal to those readers, capturing the humor, action, and heart of its parent-series without being a carbon copy.
What I like about writing this series is bringing a more traditional military sci-fi story into the evolved (and quite large) Omega Force universe. It’s a chance to explore it all over again from a fresh perspective, but this time from the POV of a small, elite forward recon unit instead of a wide-eyed civilian who was abducted from his home. The books have been incredibly fun to write so I’m delighted they’ve been so well-received by the readers."

If you have read either of these two series, you know how much fun they are to read so it's no surprise that they are so fun to write!   

"The Talon's captain has gone rogue and is operating within a fleet of ships bent on open rebellion against the quadrant's only remaining superpower. If that ship is discovered within the rebel fleet, Earth will bear the brunt of the ConFed's reprisal. Jacob's team is in a race against time to locate the missing ship and her rogue captain so that a Navy strike force can swoop in and reclaim her… or destroy her."

Start reading Boneshaker, book 2 in the Terran Scout Fleet Series, here on Amazon.

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

“Voting for Inversion, GS Jennsen. It's part of an awesome series. Strong character development, creative technology, intriguing plot, and exciting space battles.” —DSF Facebook Group Member

We agree!  Jennsen’s mastery of her craft has earned a loyal and passionate fanbase, and they turned out to support Inversion in record numbers, casting nearly a third of over 1000 votes for the entry. We reached out to Jennsen to ask what she thought it was about this story that resonated with readers and she had this to share:

"Inversion resonates with readers because it grounds the classic “triumph over impossible odds” story arc in the personal struggles of a cast of characters those readers have come to care deeply about. The book opens with our heroes facing some of the most dire circumstances they’ve ever encountered (which is saying something). Trapped underground beneath a city besieged by powerful aliens. Held captive in an enemy prison and thought dead by the world. Killed in action only to be resurrected in a new body using risky and unproven technology. 
It’s dark, it’s ugly, it’s desperate. But no one is willing to give up and accept their fate. Instead they climb to their feet, brush the dirt off and, together and alone, fight and claw their way back to freedom, to safety, to victory. And because the readers were there alongside the characters as they fought those battles, they feel like they earned the triumph as much as the characters did."

If you haven’t started the series yet, these results should tell you: you are missing something really special! 

"Nothing has prepared humanity for an enemy on the scale of the Rasu. Now, after a devastating defeat no one saw coming, the dream of victory has become a battle for survival."

Continue the adventure with Inversion  here on Amazon.

So many books so little time, but if you haven't read them yet, we assure you the 10 on this list are worth carving out that time for! What do you think? Did your favorite of the year (so far!) miss the cut? 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.

The Top 10 Sci-Fi Book Covers

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“A book cover is a distillation, a haiku, if you will, of the story." —Chip Kidd

Book covers are important. One that does its job effectively "gives the first impression of what you are about to get into" (Chip Kidd, 2012 Ted Talk). Further, it makes you actually want to get into it; to go beyond the cover. These ten compelling covers do just that. Which one did our community chose as being the best? Read on to find out!

As always, these top ten lists are not meant to be all-inclusive or definitive, but give a great finger on the pulse of our communities interests and favorites. Want to see who missed out? Here's the original nomination list from the blog.

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 sci-fi books with the best cover art of all time!

10. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt edition

“I voted The Handmaid's Tale. The artwork tells an entire story by itself.” - DSF Reader, Discover Sci-Fi Facebook group

When we think of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid’s Tale, the first the first cover that springs to mind is Fred Marcellino’s iconic 1986 illustration for Houghton Mifflin. It was said of Marcellino that he could "in one image, translate the whole feeling and style of a book.” As noted by the Discover Sci-Fi reader quoted above, that is exactly what he has done with his cover of Atwood’s classic.

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now . . .

Read The Handmaid's Tale here on Amazon

9. Shockwave by Lindsay Buroker

When Lindsay Buroker needed a cover for her book Shockwave, she turned to artist Jeff Brown. His goal? Turn out a "cool cover of a not-too-slick spaceship" as Buroker's heros are flying around in a hundred-year-old freighter with more than a few dents and dings! A challenge perhaps, but clearly he was up to the task!

We asked Buroker if she could tell us a bit about Brown's process and what their collaboration looks like and she had this to share:

"Since the same spaceship is a part of each book in the series, Jeff makes a model that he can position in different ways for the different art on each cover. If you check out the entire series, it’s doing everything from investigating an ice moon to flying low past an enemy base on a planet to participating in a big battle at a space station. 
I usually give a few details from an actual scene from the book, but I also give Jeff a lot of leeway. I’ve found that it’s better to say things like 'ice moon' and 'whatever you think looks cool' than worry too much about nitty gritty accuracy or some vision in my head. These guys are all way better at design than I am." 

Twice nominated for the Goodreads Readers’ Choice awards, Lindsay Buroker has made a career of delighting fantasy and science fiction fans with fun, fast-paced adventures filled with characters you wish could come to your weekend barbecues. If you haven't yet checked out her books, Shockwave is a rollickingly good time, and a great place to start! 

Forced to flee the work he loves and the only home he’s ever known, Casmir catches the first ship into space, where he hopes to buy time to figure out who wants him dead and why. If he can’t, he’ll never be able to return home.

But he soon finds himself entangled with bounty hunters, mercenaries, and pirates, including the most feared criminal in the Star Kingdom: Captain Tenebris Rache.

Rache could snap his spine with one cybernetically enhanced finger, but he may be the only person with the answer Casmir desperately needs:

What in his genes is worth killing for?

Read Shockwave, Book One in the Star Kingdom Series here on Amazon.

8. Nightfall One by Isaac Asimov, 1974 Panther Edition

This intriguing cover for the 1974 edition of Isaac Asimov's collection of short stories was designed by Ken Sequin, a designer who created covers for many sci-fi heavyweights through the years. 

Nightfall One is the first half of a collection of Isaac Asimov's science fiction, short stories. Each story has been selected by the author himself, and each has an introduction specifically written for this collection by Dr. Asimov.

Regular blog readers will know that Asimov's books are no stranger to these polls; but more often than not, it's his Foundation books that are being featured, so it was nice to see this one make the cut, even if it is for the cover and not the (equally worthy) content. If you're a fan of his work but have missed this volume, we'd bet you'll find it worth picking up!  

Get your copy of Nightfall One here on Amazon.

7. Descent Into Darkness by Jay Allan, 2020 release

"My most recent series, Blood on the Stars, has covers by Tom Edwards, and the most recent one, Descent into Darkness, is one of the best ones he has done. I really like the cover, as I do the other ones he has done for the series." —Jay Allan

Jay Allan has been working with the wildly talented Tom Edwards for a few years now, and his covers are so beloved among fans, that in his facebook reader group, readers have been known to request that the covers be turned into posters so that they can be proudly displayed in their homes. We can't say we blame them! 

Descent Into Darkness is the penultimate book of the Blood on the Stars series, leading up to the smashing conclusion, Empire Reborn. This is definitely a series you want to read in order, so if you are new to the series, you're going to want to start with book 1, Duel in the Dark.  If you start now, you might catch up before the final book comes out! But if you're all caught up and ready to read on... 

Continue the adventure with Descent Into Darkness here on Amazon.

6. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, 50th Anniversary edition illustrated by Ralph Steadman

Landing just outside the top 5, we are a little surprised this special cover didn’t get a little more love, but with Frazetta and Whelan in the game, the competition was pretty stiff.

In 2005, British Cartoonist Ralph Steadman illustrated a 50th anniversary edition of Ray Bradbury's dystopian classic Fahrenheit 451. Only 451 copies were printed and each of them was signed by both Steadman and Bradbury. A gorgeous and very special edition, indeed! If you happened to miss picking one up, you can occasionally find a copy secondhand for around $450 USD!

For the rest of us, while we can appreciate the beauty of the edition, the kindle version or even the classic paperback will do just fine. Whatever your format preference, this is not a book you will want to miss.

Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.” But when he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known.

Grab the dystopian classic Fahrenheit 451 here on Amazon.

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5. Alien: The Official Movie Novelization by Alan Dean Foster

Why mess with a good thing?

When a cover was needed for Alan Dean Foster's Novelization of Alien, publishers turned to Phillip Gips, who had created the poster for the movie that inspired the work. It was striking, memorable and fans already loved it. 

Alan Dean Foster has done many movie tie-ins, and like his others, this one, based on the screenplay by Dan O’Bannon, did not disappoint. Whether or not you’ve seen the movie, this book is worth a read.

The crew of the spaceship Nostromo wake from cryogenic sleep to distress signals from an unknown planet. One is attacked when they investigate a derelict alien craft. Safely on their way back to Sol, none foresee the real horror about to begin.

Get your copy of Alien  here on Amazon.

4. Marines by Jay Allan, 2020 re-release

Though better known for his Blood on the Stars series, it was almost eight years ago, Jay Allan published his first book, Marines. The original publication didn't have the cover you see here. Seven years and several books later, Allan decided that while he liked the original cover, his first book—and those that followed in the series—deserved some TLC and commissioned Tom Edwards, the designer he'd been collaborating with for his Blood on the Stars series, to rework all nine covers of the original series. I think we can all agree, the result is outstanding. Are you a fan of Allan's BotS series? Have you read Crimson Worlds? If not, we highly recommend you check it out!

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 men 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.

As Erik rises through the ranks 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.

Amidst the blood and death and sacrifice, Erik begins to wonder. Is he fighting the right war? Who is the real enemy?

Start the Crimson Worlds series with Marines  here on Amazon.

3. Dune by Frank Herbert, 2018 edition

Some readers mentioned in the comments of the poll in our Facebook group that they favored the original cover of Frank Herbert's classic Dune. Understandable, but we can’t deny the appeal of the nominated version, designed by Jim Tierney. Tierney has done updated covers for the series from Dune  through Chapterhouse and if you like this one, you may want to check the rest out. They are all equally stunning!

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. If you haven’t read it yet, now is the time! It is about to be brought to the big screen—yet again—and you’ll definitely want to read it before checking out Hollywood’s newest attempt to do justice to Herbert’s vision. (Fingers crossed!) 

Get your copy of Dune  here on Amazon.

2. Ace Books edition of Edgar Rice Burroughs' with Frank Frazetta covers

Frank Frazetta is one of the most renowned illustrators of the 20th century. His style is distinctive—truly iconic. His legacy is not just in the illustrations he penned, but in the influence he has had over the illustrators who have come after him. A fascinating character, he was also the subject of a 2003 documentary called "Painting with Fire.” 

With such an incredible body of work, it is hard to pick just one of his covers to represent. Here we’ve chosen to highlight the cover for A Princess of Mars, the first in Burroughs' Barsoom Series. We chose this as the series leans more sci-fi than some of this other notable series, and is credited with inspiring of sci-fi giants such as Jack Vance, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert A. Heinlein, and John Norman.

Have you read it? A Princess of Mars tells the story of John Carter, a Civil War veteran who inexplicably finds himself held prisoner on the planet Mars by the Green Men of Thark. With Dejah Thoris, the princess of another clan on Mars, John Carter must fight for their freedom and save the entire planet from destruction as the life-sustaining Atmosphere Factory slowly grinds to a halt. 

Start reading A Princess of Mars here on Amazon.

1. The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey, cover art by Michael Whelan

With almost twice as many votes as the next runner up, The White Dragon took the number one spot by a landslide! Though Science Fiction Hall of Famer Michael Whelan, the illustrator behind this cover of Anne McCaffrey's The White Dragon has illustrated covers for some of the most famous sci-fi and fiction writers The White Dragon has the distinction of being the first book featuring one of Whelan’s covers to make the NYT Best Sellers list.

Written seven years after the second book, The White Dragon completes the original Dragonriders trilogy in the Dragonriders of Pern series. If you are new to the series, you should definitely start with the first book, Dragonflight, but for those of you who have read the series and are up for a re-read, The White Dragon is as good a place as any to dive back in!

Jaxom, a rebellious young aristocrat, and Ruth, his white dragon, fly into another time to retrieve the queen's stolen egg, thereby averting a dragonrider war, and find their planet threatened once again by a Threadfall.

Continue the adventure with The White Dragon  here on Amazon.


What do you think of our top 10? And how much does the cover art influence you when it comes to checking out a book? 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.

The Top 10 Best Friendships in Science Fiction

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“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down." —Oprah Winfrey. 

Leave it to Oprah to accurately and succinctly get at the heart of what makes a true friend. The friendships you submitted as examples of the very best in science fiction ran the gamut, but what is true for all of them is this: no matter circumstance or the risk—be it to their person or to their pride—they show up for one another. Still, only one can take top spot. Curious to find out who? Read on to find out! 

As always, these top ten lists are not meant to be all-inclusive or definitive, but give a great finger on the pulse of our communities interests and favorites. Want to see who missed out? Here's the original nomination list from the blog.

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 friendships found in the pages of science fiction.

10. Alex and Julien from The Silver Ships

When asked in a reddit AMA about the inspiration for Julien, the SADE of his Silver Ships series, author S.H. Jucha had this to say, "Julien is the 'stalwart man' even though he's a SADE (self-aware digital entity). He's the kind of friend each and everyone of us wishes they had ... always with us and dependable through thick and thin, but his trust has to be earned." Knowing that Julien was written to be, above all else, a loyal and reliable friends, it is no surprise that this pair made the top 10; yet, the fact that they only just made it suggests that just maybe there are a fair number of you in our community who are unacquainted with the series. If you are one of those folks, be sure to put The Silver Ships on your TBR list!

An explorer-tug captain, Alex Racine detects a damaged alien craft drifting into the system. Recognizing a once in a lifetime opportunity to make first contact, Alex pulls off a daring maneuver to latch on to the derelict.

Alex discovers the ship was attacked by an unknown craft, the first of its kind ever encountered. The mysterious silver ship's attack was both instant and deadly.

What enfolds is a story of the descendants of two Earth colony ships, with very different histories, meeting 700 years after their founding and uniting to defend humanity from the silver ships.

Start The Silver Ships here on Amazon

9. Kim and Casmir from the Star Kingdom Series

Fans of Lindsay Buroker know she often puts some romance in her series, but she told us that when she started plotting out the first Star Kingdom book Casmir and Kim came to mind, that she knew right away that they would be roommates and best friends, and that things would stay that way. 

We readers aren't treated to a lot of male-female buddy relationships in fiction, and so to come across one like the Kim and Casmir's makes for a refreshing change! Their world (universe) goes crazy and their lives change forever, but they can always lean on each other. They don’t always agree with each other’s choices, but they’ve got each other’s backs, and we think everyone can agree that we all need friends like that.

What if being a hero was encoded in your genes?

And nobody told you?

Casmir Dabrowski would laugh if someone asked him that. After all, he had to build a robot to protect himself from bullies when he was in school.

Fortunately, life is a little better these days. He's an accomplished robotics engineer, a respected professor, and he almost never gets picked on in the lunchroom. But he's positive heroics are for other people.

Until robot assassins stride onto campus and try to kill him.


Read Shockwave, Book One in the Star Kingdom Series here on Amazon.

8. Alex, Amos, Jim and Naomi from The Expanse

While most of the friendships nominated were between two, we were not surprised to see a few ensemble selections, and we were especially unsurprised to see the crew of the Rocinate on the list. This team has been through it all, and it’s only served to deepen their bonds.

The first book in the revolutionary New York Times bestselling Expanse series by James S.A. Corey, is a modern masterwork of science fiction. Leviathan Wakes introduces Captain James Holden, his crew, and Detective Miller as they unravel a horrifying solar system wide conspiracy that begins with a single missing girl. Now a Prime Original series.

Get your copy of Leviathan Wakes here on Amazon.

7. The crew of The Phoenix from Omega Force

Courageous, loyal, stalwart, and implacable. These are terms that describe the men and women that have served in elite fighting units since the beginning of warfare. They are not, however, terms that apply to Omega Force.  

The Omega boys are a collection of borderline sociopaths that, while trying to mostly do the right thing, would just has happily knife each other as they would the enemy. This has actually happened twice over suspected cheating at cards. The mercenary crew operates under a loose mandate to help those that can't help themselves… and if they can turn a quick buck by killing some scumbag that had it coming? All the better. They are a team forged in the fire of common purpose, individuals so completely different from each other they would have never been friends otherwise. But after fighting and bleeding together for years, they've formed an unbreakable bond. If you come at one of them, just know that they would all die protecting each other.

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.

Start the adventure with Omega Rising here on Amazon.

6. Elijah Baley and Daneel from the Robot Series

What began as an unlikely friendship, became one for the literal ages when thousands of years after Baley’s death Daneel is asked about the now mythic figure of Baley (whose existence is now questioned), and he states that Baley was greater than any myth claimed him to be.

Daneel is introduced in Issac Asimov's book The Caves of Steel, where he is tasked to assist Elijah Baley in the investigation of the murder of his creator, Roj Nemennuh Sarton. Initially, Baley is suspicious of Daneel and constructs two separate theories in which the Robot is responsible for the murder. After both theories are disproven, Baley begins to feel a friendship with Daneel. At the same time, watching Baley gives Daneel a more nuanced view of justice, coming to understand that it is better to convert evil to good than to simply destroy evil.

Baley's and Daneel's friendship grows with each novel, ultimately leading to Daneel being the first of only two robots to ever set foot on a Settler world when Elijah Baley specifically asks to see him on his deathbed.

A millennium into the future two advancements have altered the course of human history: the colonization of the galaxy and the creation of the positronic brain. Isaac Asimov’s Robot novels chronicle the unlikely partnership between a New York City detective and a humanoid robot who must learn to work together.

Grab the first book in Issac Asimov's Robot Series, The Caves of Steel, here on Amazon.

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5. Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Publisher’s Weekly described Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as “a whimsical odyssey” and we couldn’t agree more! At the center of it, are friends Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect, an unlikely pair perhaps, but one which readers through the years have become incredibly fond of.

Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? For all the answers, stick your thumb to the stars!

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.

Together, this dynamic pair began a journey through space aided by a galaxy full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox—the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian (formerly Tricia McMillan), Zaphod’s girlfriend, whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; and Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he’s bought over the years.

Get your copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy here on Amazon.

4. Honor Harrington and Nimitz from the Honorverse

The bond of a treecat to a human might be one of the most intense described in science fiction, and one that is, in most cases, only broken through death. Nimitz and Honor Harrington shared just such a bond, forged when she was 12 T-years old, and maintained through her distinguished life and career; through her most trying and triumphant times, Nimitz was by her side.

You see Nimitz perched on Honor’s shoulder on the cover of the first book of David Weber's bestselling Honor Harrington series, On Basilisk Station, and upon cracking the cover, you are immediately introduced to him in a scene that gives you a sense of exactly how important these characters are to each other and how instrumental the friendship is to the story.

The book finds Honor Harrington 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.

But the people out to get her have made one mistake.

They've made her mad!

Get your copy of On Basilisk Station here on Amazon.

3. Han and Chewbacca from Star Wars

These two go together like peanut butter and jelly. Seriously. Can you even think of one without thinking of the other? And when it comes to a willingness to put everything on the line for the other without question, is there really any competition? Apparently so! While the fan favorite twosome landed in the top three they fell a whopping 100 votes short of 1st place. Still a pair worth celebrating and definitely one worth reading about!

With so many Star Wars books out there, it can be hard to know where to start, but if you really want to get an idea of Han and Chewbacca and what makes their relationship one worth aspiring to, we suggest you start with The Han Solo Adventures by Brian Daley.

Han Solo trusts no one, and does no favors. But when the best illegal ship rebuilder in the galaxy disappears, Han and Chewbacca agree to go after him—after all, the Millennium Falcon needs some very special repairs. Their search pits them against powerful and ruthless enemies out to destroy them, and finally leads them to an airless speck of desolate asteroid—the Authority prison planet known as Stars’ End.

Get your copy of The Han Solo Adventures  here on Amazon.

2. Joe and Skippy from Expeditionary Force

The comments section of our poll was alive with Ex-force fans in favor of a more unconventional paring here, but as one fan wisely pointed out, the relationship between Joe and his <ahem> shower, well, “that’s not friendship, that’s love.” Hat tip to the conversation though, because the joke itself originated with Skippy the Magnificent, infamous AI with a biting sense humor—the kind best reserved for enemies, or for the very best of friends. If you like your military sci-fi action packed and your friendship with a side of hard-hitting humor,  Craig Alanson's WILDLY popular Expeditionary Force is definitely the series for you!

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

Start the series with book 1, Columbus Day, here on Amazon.

1. Kirk and Spock from Star Trek

Is it fair to say that what most people understand about the relationship between Captain Kirk and the Vulcan, Lieutenant Commander Spock, comes from the T.V series or from the Star Trek movies? While the iconic friendship was canonized on screen and only later made into a book series, we felt the friendship was well worth inclusion on this list, fully supporting the nomination and not too surprised to see it shoot to the top of the list, landing in first place! 

The first books were novelizations of the episodes; later, original novels were published, the first of which was Spock Must Die! written by James Blish in 1970. Whether you are feeling nostalgic for an old favorite or <gasp> haven't read it yet, now is as good a time as any to take a read! 

When a freak transporter malfunction during a Klingon attack creates an an imposter Spock, Captain Kirk must discover how to save his friend from the machinations of his exact replica

Read Spock Must Die!  here on Amazon.

The best friends are yet to come?

One thing that jumped out at us about the selections on this list is how representative they are of science fiction, past and present. Starting with The Caves of Steel, published back in the 50s, there is a friendship from almost every decade represented. What does that mean for the future? Among other things, it means that years from now, as new books come out, this list could look very different. We are almost certain that some of these favorites will remain, but who knows? Maybe the best is yet to come. For now, visit us  here in our Facebook group to chime in on the debate, and then check out our most recent poll while you're there. Don't have Facebook? Feel free to add to the comments below.

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

The Top 10 Most Terrifying Alien Invaders in Science Fiction

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"They either come here to find some resource they don't have on their own planet, or they want to use us for some unauthorized breeding experiment." —Seth Shostak 

Here, the esteemed astronomer Seth Shostak was speaking about how alien invasions are portrayed in movies (and by extension, in books), and he was quick to suggest that in reality, a scenario where they would come to devastate our planet and kill or enslave us is far less likely. Still, peaceful encounters seldom make for good stories, do they? Give us something to fear, we're hooked. Give us a threat from beyond our solar system (and our wildest imaginations?), even better. Last week we asked you to vote on the top 10 most terrifying alien invaders in science fiction, and the results are in! Read on to find out what species came out on top.

As always, these top ten lists are not meant to be all-inclusive or definitive, but give a finger on the pulse of our communities interests and favorites. Want to see who missed out? Here's the original nomination list from the blog.

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 most terrifying alien invaders of science fiction.

9. The Fithp from Footfall by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven

Yes folks, this week our top ten is beginning with ninth as we have a tie! First up, ninth place, we have the alien Fithp from Footfall by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven.

The Fithp resemble baby elephants with multiple prehensile trunks. Sounds kinda cute, right? And as one Discover Sci-Fi Facebook member pointed out, “The Fithp couldn't even take over a single planet while owning the high orbitals. So probably not that worthy of terror.” It might cause one to wonder how they made our list at all. Is it that we are inherently fearful of species with a greater command of technology than we have (ie: anything that could find us before we could find them)? Or, maybe that they rebuked the human’s attempt at peaceful contact, something we mightn’t have expected from a species resembling the peaceful elephant? Perhaps it speaks more to the fact of how deeply the book has worked its way into our hearts than of any legitimate fear the Fithp might stir up. Food for thought!

Regardless of the whether the Fithp are truly terror inducing or not, Footfall, the book in which they appear—and one which is considered by many readers to be the best alien invasion novel to date—is certainly a classic worth reading.

An alien craft is approaching Earth. Attempts to communicate go unanswered. The welcoming committee of Americans and Russians at a space station is blasted, its occupants killed or captured. Soon the entire Earth, with special emphasis on the United States, is bombarded by asteroids, destroying dams, highways, and infrastructure. The message to humans: total surrender or death to all. A giant rock, the “footfall”, is launched towards Earth, causing even more damage. The aliens land, determined to conquer or utterly eliminate the human race. Understanding a truly “alien” culture and learning how to confront such an overwhelming power make Footfall stand out as an exciting and truly original novel.

Experience the science fiction classic, Footfall  here on Amazon.

9. The Buggers from Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game

Next, in our tie for ninth place, we have The Formics, commonly known as Buggers. The Buggers are a fictional ant-like alien species from the Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card. The Formic species consists of hive-minded colonies directed by queens. In Ender's Game, Graff described them as being an insect that "could have evolved on earth, if things had gone a different way a billion years ago," and that their evolutionary ancestors could have looked similar to Earth's ants. 

Anyone who knows anything about ants knows that while they may be essential to our ecosystem, they can do one hell of a lot of damage even in their present day, earthly forms.  Just imagine, for a moment, the kind of damage a much larger, advanced species of them equipped with spaceships and firepower might be able to do! Terrifying, for sure!

The Formics attacked Earth 50 years before the novel begins, attempted to colonise the planet and were barely fought off by a New Zealand soldier known as Mazer Rackham. The first book in the series, Ender's Game, largely stems from the human quest to defend themselves from this species.

Is Ender the general Earth needs? 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 the world survives, that is.

Read Ender's Game, the first book in the Ender Quintet here on Amazon.

8. The Scum from Daniel Arenson's Earthrise

Pictured: A proud HDF private holding a baby scum. (Source: Human Defense Force archives, photo #B1539, July 2144.)

In eight place on our list are The Scum, the genuinely terrifying alien antagonists from Daniel Arenson's bestselling Earthrise Series. If you've yet to become acquainted, get ready!  

The giant centipedes came from deep space. They came to destroy us. The scientists call them the Scolopendra Titania. Talk about a mouthful! Everyone else just calls them the scum.

They're nasty bugs. As long as alligators. Lined with claws. Fiercely smart too. And did we mention bloodthirsty?

Thankfully, our boys and girls in the Human Defense Force protect us. The scum thought they could kill us all. We'll give 'em hell!

Fifty years ago, bloodthirsty aliens devastated the Earth. Most of humanity perished. We fell into darkness.

But now we rise from the ashes. Now we fight back.

Marco Emery was born into the war. After his mother is killed, he joins the Human Defense Force, Earth's ragtag army. Emery must survive basic training, become a soldier, and finally face the aliens in battle.

Against the alien onslaught, Earth stands alone. But we will fight. We will rise. We will win.

Join Marco Emery in the battle for earth in Earthrise Book 1, Earth Alone here on Amazon.

7. The Daleks from Doctor Who

"Exterminate! Exterminate!"

In seventh place on our list is The Daleks. The Daleks, are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, and later immortalized in books.

They don't look nearly as menacing as some of the alien species on our list, but it is hard not to be terrified of something so completely emotionless.  Not to mention, they came around at a time when we, as a society were generally pretty scared of robots, our collective early imaginings of which the Daleks could be said to closely resemble.

If you aren't familiar with the series, or if you are, but haven't read the books, you might not know where to start reading about these heartless and terrible creatures, hellbent on destroying us. We'd suggest Doctor Who: War of the Daleks by John Peel as the place to dive in! 

The Doctor is repairing the TARDIS systems once again when it is swept up by a garbage ship roving through space, the Quetzel.

When another ship approaches and takes the Quetzel by force, the Doctor discovers that he and Sam are not the only unwitting travellers on board - there is a strangely familiar survival pod in the hold. Delani, the captain of the second ship, orders the pod to be opened. The Doctor is powerless to intervene as Davros is awakened once again.

But this is no out-and-out rescue of Davros. Delani and his crew are Thals, the sworn enemies of the Daleks. They intend to use Davros as a means to wipe out the Daleks, finally ridding the universe of the most aggressive, deadly race ever to exist. But the Doctor is still worried. For there is a signal beacon inside the pod, and even now a Dalek ship is closing in...

Start the adventure with Doctor Who: War of the Daleks here on Amazon.

6. The Overlords from Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End

They come in peace... don't they?

Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke follows the peaceful alien invasion of Earth by the mysterious Overlords, whose arrival begins decades of apparent utopia under indirect alien rule, at the cost of human identity and culture. 

Clarke's idea for the book began with his short story "Guardian Angel" which he expanded into a novel in 1952. Childhood's End sold out its first printing, received good reviews and became Clarke's first successful novel. The book is often regarded by both readers and critics as Clarke's best novel and is described as "a classic of alien literature."

In the near future, enormous silver spaceships appear without warning over mankind’s largest cities. They belong to the Overlords, an alien race far superior to humanity in technological development. Their purpose is to dominate Earth. Their demands, however, are surprisingly benevolent: end war, poverty, and cruelty. Their presence, rather than signalling the end of humanity, ushers in a golden age . . . or so it seems.

Without conflict, human culture and progress stagnate. As the years pass, it becomes clear that the Overlords have a hidden agenda for the evolution of the human race that may not be as benevolent as it seems.

Grab your copy of the classic Childhood's End, here on Amazon.

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5. The Posleen from John Ringo’s The Legacy of the Aldenata

We have reached the top 5!  In fifth place is the Posleen from The Legacy of the Aldenata, also known as the Posleen War Series, the fictional universe of one of John Ringo's military science fiction series.  

The Posleen are a race of genetically-engineered reptilian centaurs with crocodile-like heads. They were supposedly designed by the long lost race—the Aldenata—to be the ultimate warriors. The Posleen invasion is shaped by their (over)engineered physiology - Posleen are omnivores and capable of sustaining themselves by eating a wide variety of organisms (including humans). They must eat almost constantly or starve. Inevitably, they exhaust the resources of every environment they inhabit, resulting in a phenomenon they call orna'adar - planetwide conflicts that always end in nuclear holocaust, with the survivors fleeing in starships to repeat the process on new worlds, leaving lifeless radioactive desert planets in their wake.

The first book in the series is the epic, A Hymn Before Battle. With Earth in the path of the rapacious Posleen, the Galactic Federation offers help to the backward humans -- for a price. You can protect yourself from your enemies, but God save you from your allies!

Find the first book in the series, A Hymn Before Battle here on Amazon.

4. The Thing from Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr.

In a respectable fourth spot on our list of terrifying aliens is The Thing from “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campbell.  “The Thing” from Campbell’s novella made such an impression on filmmakers that it was brought to the screen in the 1951 film “The Thing From Another World” and then again in 1982 with John Carpenter’s cult classic “The Thing”, which is likely where most of us became acquainted with this particular alien.  This year we will be treated to yet another movie remake. Something to look forward to!

"Who Goes There?" is the John W. Campbell classic about an antarctic research camp that discovers and thaws the ancient, frozen body of a crash-landed alien. The creature revives with terrifying results, shape-shifting to assume the exact form of animal and man, alike. Paranoia ensues as a band of frightened men work to discern friend from foe, and destroy the menace before it challenges all of humanity! The story is hailed as "one of the finest science fiction novellas ever written" by the SF Writers of America! 

Revisit the classic, Who Goes There? here on Amazon.

3. The Slugs from Robert A. Heinlein's The Puppet Masters

Want to be completely terrified? Just imagine gigantic slugs that can control your mind. That should do it and that is exactly what science fiction master Robert A. Heinlein imagined with “The Slugs” from his science fiction classic, The Puppet Masters.

First came the news that a flying saucer had landed in Iowa. Then came the announcement that the whole thing was a hoax. End of story. Case closed.

Except that two agents of the most secret intelligence agency in the U.S. government were on the scene and disappeared without reporting in. And four more agents who were sent in also disappeared. So the head of the agency and his two top agents went in and managed to get out with their discovery: an invasion is underway by slug-like aliens who can touch a human and completely control his or her mind. What the humans know, they know. What the slugs want, no matter what, the human will do. And most of Iowa is already under their control.

Pick up your copy of The Puppet Masters  here on Amazon.

2. The Weeping Angels from Doctor Who

How long can YOU go without blinking?

The Weeping Angels are a race of predatory creatures, resembling stone statues. In their usual form, Weeping Angels resemble silent human-sized stone statues in the form of winged angels. Generally, their facial features are bland and serene and their proportions human-normal. However, as they close in on more aware victims they transform to a more horrific, bestial, and demonic aspect with wide-open mouths, vampiric teeth, and clawed hand.

According to the Doctor, the Weeping Angels "are as old as the universe (or very nearly), but no one quite knows where they come from." He also describes them as "the deadliest, most powerful, most malevolent life-form evolution has ever produced." Weeping Angels are unusual as predators in that they neither kill nor directly parasitize their prey. Their usual mode of feeding is to make use of time paradoxes – with a single touch, a Weeping Angel can send a person into the past to a point before his/her own birth, and can then feed off the "potential energy" of the years which that victim would have lived in the present.

Are you a fan of the TV series who isn't sure where to start with the books, or new to the Doctor Who universe all together? If that is you and you'd like to become acquainted with these terrible creatures (from the safety of your favorite reading chair) look no further than Jonathan Morris's Touched by an Angel.

In 2003, Rebecca Whitaker died in a road accident. Her husband Mark is still grieving. He receives a battered envelope, posted eight years ago, containing a set of instructions with a simple message: "You can save her."

As Mark is given the chance to save Rebecca, it’s up to the Doctor, Amy and Rory to save the whole world. Because this time the Weeping Angels are using Mark himself as a weapon to change history. Will the doctor stop Mark or will the angels feast?

Get Doctor Who: Touched by an Angel here on Amazon.

1. The Borg from Star Trek

For the second poll in a row, the Star Trek franchise sweeps the voting to take the top spot! Overwhelmingly, you voted for The Borg as the most terrifying alien invaders.

What does it mean to be human? Is it our relative autonomy? Free will? What would it mean to have that stripped of you, your body co-opted? Does the thought terrify you? It should. But resistance is futile…

The Borg are cybernetic organisms, linked in a hive mind called "the Collective." The Borg co-opt the technology and knowledge of other alien species to the Collective through the process of "assimilation": forcibly transforming individual beings into "drones" by injecting nanoprobes into their bodies and surgically augmenting them with cybernetic components. The Borg's ultimate goal is "achieving perfection.”

As when dealing with any character born of a TV series that was only later made into books, it can be hard for book lovers to know where to start, but we’ve got you! While The Destiny Trilogy by David Mack doesn’t represent the first appearance of the Borg in books, it does feature the Borg heavily and is one you can jump right into without prior experience with the franchise.

Book one, Gods of Night, begins half a decade after the Dominion War and more than a year after the rise and fall of Praetor Shinzon, the galaxy's greatest scourge returns to wreak havoc upon the Federation -- and this time its goal is nothing less than total annihilation.

Start the Star Trek Destiny Trilogy  here on Amazon.

What nightmares have we yet to encounter?

As another commenter in the DSF Facebook group mentioned, "any alien species that comes to conquer and destroy us may well be beyond our wildest imagination."

Until then we will happily rely on the brilliant creativity of the authors of science fiction who, in the absence of present day alien threat, give us plenty to fear through their books. So what will they dream up next? That remains to be seen, and whatever it is, it may knock one of these invaders right out of our top 10.  As always, these lists are a snapshot of a moment in time in our community and while we are almost certain that some of these favorites will remain, who knows? Maybe the best is yet to come. For now, visit us  here in our Facebook group to chime in on the debate, and then check out our most recent poll while you're there. Don't have Facebook? Feel free to add to the comments below.

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

The Top 10 Sci-Fi Quotes of All Time

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What a close call!

Eric Hoffer said "action is a unifier," Jacques Cousteau said the great unifier was the sea.  While both of these may be true, we have found that a great quote is also a powerful unifier, and united you were in deciding your favorites!  While the top spot was ultimately decided by a margin of only one vote, those top two choices blew the others out of the water.  Curious to see which ones came out on top?  Read on!

As always, these top ten lists are not meant to be all-inclusive or definitive, but give a great finger on the pulse of our communities interests and favorites. Want to see who missed out? Here's the original nomination list from the blog.

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 quotes from science fiction books.

10. “It is I, Skippy... The Magnificent!” – Craig Alanson, Expeditionary Force

Skippy the Magnificent, or simply Skippy, is an advanced artificial intelligence created by the Elders millions of years prior to the series' beginning. Skippy really brings the "I" in AI and is known for having a quick and biting sense of humor which has earned him a legion of fans.  Skippy is central to Alanson's wildly popular military sci-fi series Expeditionary Force.

Start the Ex-Force series with book 1, Columbus Day here on Amazon

9. "Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so." – Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

It should be no surprise that this quotable classic made the top 10! You'll never read funnier science fiction; Douglas Adam is a master of intelligent satire, barbed wit, and comedic dialogue.  The Hitchhiker's Guide is rich in comedic detail and thought-provoking situations and stands up to multiple reads. Required reading for science fiction fans, this book (and its follow-ups) is also sure to please fans of Monty Python, Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, and British sitcoms.

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

8. “He who controls the spice controls the universe.” – Frank Herbert, Dune

This endlessly memed quote can be dropped into all manner of conversations so it's no wonder it's a favorite.  The uninitiated among you may be wondering "what is 'the spice'" (and where can I get some!) Read on...

Set in the distant future amidst a feudal interstellar society in which various noble houses control planetary fiefs, Frank Herbert’s Dune tells the story of young Paul Atreides, whose family accepts the stewardship of the planet Arrakis. While the planet is an inhospitable and sparsely populated desert wasteland, it is the only source of melange, or "the spice", a drug that extends life and enhances mental abilities. As melange can only be produced on Arrakis, control of the planet is a coveted and dangerous undertaking. The story explores the multi-layered interactions of politics, religion, ecology, technology, and human emotion, as the factions of the empire confront each other in a struggle for the control of Arrakis and its spice. From thus comes this infamous quote repeated by sci-fi fans the world over.

Get your copy of Dune here on Amazon.

7. "Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right." – Isaac Asimov, Foundation

The aptly named Foundation is a science fiction novel by American writer Isaac Asimov.  Aptly named as it has been the gateway for so many to the world of science fiction, and not only that, but its influence can be seen in so many works that have come after.  

Foundation is a cycle of five interrelated short stories, first published as a single book in 1951. Collectively they tell the early story of the Foundation, an institute founded by psychohistorian Hari Seldon to preserve the best of galactic civilization after the collapse of the Galactic Empire.

Find Foundation here on Amazon.

6. “Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” ― Isaac Asimov, Foundation

Leave it to Asimov to deliver the truth with brevity, artistry and precision.  Among one of the most powerful works in science fiction is the quotable masterpiece Foundation and Empire by American writer Isaac Asimov. Originally published by Gnome Press in 1952, it is the second book in the Foundation Series, and the fourth in the in-universe chronology. 

Continue the series with Foundation & Empire here on Amazon.

5. "A generation which ignores history has no past — and no future." – Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love

A deep and weighty quote by one of the masters of the genre takes the fifth spot in our poll. Time Enough for Love by New York Times bestselling author Robert A. Heinlein 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.

Get your copy of Time Enough for Love here on Amazon.

4. "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain." – Frank Herbert, Dune

A book deemed quote-worthy enough to make the list twice—this time eking closer to the top spot—is  Frank Herbert’s classic masterpiece, Dune.  Dune  is a triumph of the imagination and one of the bestselling science fiction novels of all time; definitely a book you'll want to read (and quote!) again and again.  

Dune explores the multi-layered interactions of politics, religion, ecology, technology, and human emotion, as the factions of the empire confront each other in a struggle for the control of Arrakis and its spice.

Get your copy of Dune here on Amazon.

3. "TANSTAAFL: There ain't no such thing as a free lunch." – Robert Heinlein, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

While the origin of the adage is unclear, there is no doubt it was popularized by Heinlein's magnificent work The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress . 

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.

Get your copy of A Moon Is a Harsh Mistress here on Amazon.

2. "Joe you are very much not going to like this ..... HOLD MY BEER" – Craig Alanson, Expeditionary Force

Your favorite AI, Skippy the Magnificent, made our list twice, this second quote just barely missing the top spot.  Skippy keeps the laughs coming as he keeps US Army Specialist Joe Bishop on his toes—and as Alanson keeps readers on the edge of their seats—in the wildly entertaining military sci-fi epic, Expeditionary Force.

Start the series with book 1, Columbus Day, here on Amazon.

1. "In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move." – Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

And finally, in first place—by the narrowest of margins—comes another quote from Douglas Adam's satirical novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It follows the adventures of Arthur Dent, a hapless Englishman, following the destruction of the Earth by the Vogons, a race of unpleasant and bureaucratic aliens, to make way for an intergalactic bypass.

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

"Seasons change feelings change..."

In keeping with the theme of our post, we close with a quote; not from science fiction, no, but some wise words nonetheless from the 1980s pop trio, Exposé. There is no doubt that the quotes that came out on top this poll will have staying power—some having passed from page to popular use decades ago and still firmly entrenched in our culture present day—but seasons and feelings, well, they do change and a year from now or maybe ten, this list could look very different.  For now, visit us  here in our Facebook group to chime in on the debate, and then check out our most recent poll while you're there. Don't have Facebook? Feel free to add to the comments below.

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