The 10 best science fiction book series of all time – Destructoid

Science fiction is the most versatile genre of all, because you can tell a love story, a political thriller, or even the memoirs of a monster that eats people’s faces, and then tell readers that the whole thing takes place in a place where everyone has laser guns, and you can already label it “science fiction.”

The wide variety of topics that await you in the sci-fi genre ensures that you will never be bored. And the number of great sci-fi series is so high that you will never run out of mind-blowing things to read. Here are the best to start with.

Dune Trilogy (Frank Herbert)

If you want something similar to the sci-fi version of Lord of the ringsthen Frank Herbert is the right person for you. dune. The comparison works not only because of the expansive universe created specifically to withstand the weight of the stories, but also because of the incredible influence of both works in their respective genres.

If Lord of the rings is responsible for the modern fantasy genre, then dune is responsible for every space opera, which means we probably only war of stars, Star Trek And Mass effect therefore. You should read duneeven if you’ve already seen the two new films, as they further develop the plot and address themes that are sorely missing from the David Lynch and Denis Villeneuve adaptations.

You can continue reading after the third book in the series, Dune Messiahwhich will be adapted next in Dune Part 3but do so at your own risk, because that’s when things start to get out of hand.

Sprawl trilogy (the one with Neuromancer by William Gibson)

If you want Cyberpunk2077You have the Sprawl trilogy to thank for that. Neuromancerthe first novel in the series, is more or less the birth point of the entire genre, which represents the beautiful idea that the use of technology to undermine evil governments or devilish normal companies are very cool.

I only had one problem when I originally tried to get into this trilogy and that was dealing with all the jargon of the universe, which was of course completely new to me at the time. If you already have a sufficiently solid knowledge Cyberpunk linguistics and have never visited the birthplace of this language, then it is my great pleasure to inform you that the Spread remains probably the best piece Cyberpunk media ever made.

Ender Series

Orson Scott Card’s greatest work is the Ender series, although he is now better known for his controversial views. Ender’s Game tells the story of Ender, a child prodigy whose abilities are harnessed by a futuristic human military complex to fight off a supposed alien threat. It’s a brilliant book that, aside from some unnecessarily insensitive language, offers a great critique of the American military complex, which I’ll get into more detail below in spoiler land.

We learn that despite Ender’s superior strategic skills, he is actually deployed not to protect humanity from a heinous enemy, but to completely wipe out a marginally hostile alien race. It’s a nice twist that works even better today than it did when the books came out, and one the author could learn a lot from.

The Culture (Iain M Banks)

Are you tired of dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic landscapes in sci-fi? Then you should check out Iain M Banks’ The culture series a chance. It proves to be a great alternative to the grim world usually seen in the genre, instead inviting readers to learn about a post-utopian society where even the worst possible problems tend to have at least somewhat funny solutions.

Unfortunately, Banks died before he could complete the series or announce the conclusion, but that won’t hurt your reading experience as each book tells its own story and isn’t just part of an MCU-like monstrosity with multiple storylines. Banks’ series could have flourished even further had he lived longer, but what he ultimately gave us in life is more than enough to The culture a place in the list of the best science fiction series in existence.

Foundation (Asimov)

If you’re looking for the sophisticated science fiction that has defined the genre to this day, then Asimov’s Foundation series is for you. If you’re interested in science fiction where the cool ships take a back seat to the sociological analysis of humanity as a potential conqueror of galaxies, then this series is for you.

While the Apple-produced TV series adaptation deserves more acclaim than it gets, it’s still the best way to experience the series in which Asimov offered a look at the rise and fall of man-made galactic empires long before we even reached the moon.

Zoey Ashe series (Jason Pargin)

One thing I miss in dystopian stories is laughter. I guess it makes sense that you have a hard time tickling your sense of humor when you Neuromancer, the sky looks like a tube TV tuned to a dead channel, but that only gives more points to the sci-fi dystopias that manage to do that, right?

If you’re looking for science fiction that creates images in your mind that are both shocking and hilarious, then Jason Pargin’s Zoey Ashe series is for you.

The Expanse (James SA Corey, Tyler Corey Franck)

If someone tries to get you to watch The wide TV series, they will probably describe them as game of Thrones in space. Although I am skeptical about adaptations, I must admit that political intrigue bleeds from every pore The wide In a TV adaptation, you will notice the astonishing similarities very early on.

And now the bad news: The wide ended before the final three books in the series could be covered. That’s a shame, because we’re talking about one of the few series that people loved from beginning to (abruptly) end. The good news, though, is that the book series is there for you, tells the whole story, and, guess what, doesn’t disappoint at the end either. Get this book if you want a sci-fi story that combines ruthless political machinations, class warfare, sentient viruses, ghosts(?), and aliens, all without making you feel like it’s too much to ask.

The Hyperion Cantos (Dan Simmons)

I am relatively new to the Hyperion Cantos series and only learned of its existence through the cool video above, which tells you about the Shrike, the scariest creature in this world – and actually a contender for the title of scariest creature in all fictional worlds.

So let’s try to prevent this series from flying under the radar of potential fans by making them aware of a very interesting fact.

If you have watched any science fiction series about space lately, you have probably felt Mass Effects Influence on them, especially when it comes to the latest versions of Star Trek. This isn’t talked about much, but I can’t help but think that Mass Effect, especially the first game, took a non-negligible amount of inspiration from Hyperion Cantos. There’s the mysterious, unstoppable alien threat, all the inter-species politics, the unique transportation method (and its counterpart), and even all the sexy shenanigans. If you want more of the sweetly dormant (or dead) Mass Effect series, or something that’s just great sci-fi in general, give it a try. The Hyperion Cantos a shot.

Binti Trilogy (Nnedi Okorafor)

If you are looking for a story similar to the one about the kid who gets accepted into the magic school, but with a sci-fi twist, then Binti might be for you. It tells the story of a girl who gets accepted into the best university in the galaxy and has to deal with all the difficulties that come from dealing with very different life forms than you would expect. Binti is not the deepest science fiction novel in the galaxy, but it is a good starting point for anyone interested in the genre.

Silo Trilogy (Hugh Howey)

Many probably know about silo as this hot new sci-fi/mystery TV series that somehow didn’t even get too annoying after the first season. The good news is that if the series follows the book trilogy it’s based on, it will stay exciting until the end.

silo is a great read if you are interested in post-apocalyptic worlds, especially nowadays, as the setting is likely to be influenced by the Stand out series of games, and is a great way to spend your time while you wait for Stand out Season 2.