If you recently watched Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson’s Fly Me to the Moon, and your curiosity about the vast expanse of space has been ignited, we have a book list for you. Whether you’re a newcomer to the science fiction genre or a seasoned explorer of all things interstellar, we have curated an out of this world list of the best sci-fi books about space. From epic space operas to gripping tales of survival on distant planets, these science fiction novels set amongst the stars will capture your imagination and leave you eager for more planetary exploration.
The Blue, Beautiful World by Karen Lord
When the seas and temperatures rise, the world is changed forever. Humanity is forced to adapt or die off forever. As otherworldly civilizations prepare to make contact, a group of visionaries, including inventor Peter Hendrix, humanitarian celebrity Charyssa, and council member Kanoa, strive to ready humanity for this encounter. Among them is pop star Owen, whose unique talent to unite people could be crucial to getting humanity off Earth and into the stars above. But his uncontrollable abilities may lead him to either transcend his limitations or succumb to his worst fears of dictatorship.
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The Stars Undying by Emery Robin
Princess Altagracia has lost everything. Her throne and the prophetic Pearl have been taken by her twin sister after a civil war. But now she has a chance to take it all back and reclaim her planet when the Empire of Ceiao aims to conquer it. She allies with the empire’s commander, Matheus Ceirran, but must learn his ambitions and unpredictability on their journey. To secure Szayet’s future, Gracia must evolve from a silver-tongued princess to an unpredictable queen, balancing the empire’s demands and the whispers of the Pearl.
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Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Darrow is a Red, the lowest caste in a future color-coded society, who works tirelessly on Mars, believing that he is preparing it for future generations. But when a tragic accident wrecks his world, he discovers that Mars has been livable for generations and that he and his fellow Reds are merely slaves to the ruling colors. Driven by a desire for justice and the memory of his lost love, Darrow infiltrates the elite Institute to challenge the ruling Gold caste, willing to become one of them if it means overthrowing his oppressors.
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The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei
On the brink of Earth’s environmental collapse, eighty elite graduates are sent away on a spaceship, The Phoenix, to secure humanity’s future by populating a distant, livable planet. Midway through their journey, a deadly bomb kills three crew members and derails the ship, making Asuka, the sole witness, and the prime suspect. As tensions rise among the crew, flashbacks reveal Asuka challenging the mission’s path, representing Japan, despite being a half-Japanese girl raised in America, and determined to find the bomber and save the mission.
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The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz
Destry is devoted to terraforming the planet Sask-E, continuing the legacy of her family as part of the Environmental Rescue Team. But her mission becomes jeopardized when she discovers a hidden city inside a volcano, populated by people who shouldn’t be there. As she learns about their history and culture, Destry starts to question her life’s work and faces a decision that will impact Sask-E’s future for generations.
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Do you Dream of Terra-Two by Temi Oh
A hundred years ago, an astronomer discovered an Earth-like planet, Terra-Two, predicting that it would one day host a human utopia. Now, ten astronauts—four seasoned veterans and six teenagers trained for this mission—are leaving everything they know behind to find it. The journey is set to take twenty-three years, during which they must rely solely on each other in close quarters, with no possibilty of rescue if something goes wrong…and everyone knows that something always goes wrong.
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Dune by Frank Herbert
Young Paul Atreides moves with his family to the desert planet Arrakis, the only source of the valuable spice melange. After a devastating betrayal leads to his father’s death, Paul flees into the desert and allies himself with the native Freman, embracing his destiny as their prophesied leader. As he rises to power, Paul seeks to avenge his family and seize control of Arrakis, altering the fate of the galaxy.
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The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu
Amid China’s Cultural Revolution, a covert military project transmits signals into space to communicate with extraterrestrials. A dying alien civilization intercepts the signal and plots an invasion on Earth, resulting in factions emerging on Earth. Some people welcome the aliens to overthrow the corrupt world, while others prepare to resist the alien invasion.
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To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini
During a routine survey on an uncolonized planet, Kira discovers an alien relic. Her feelings of thrill soon turn to horror, however, when the ancient dust around her begins to move. As war breaks out across the galaxy, Kira embarks on a transformative journey, discovering that first contact is far different than anything she could have imagined and learning what humanity truly is. Amid her personal trials, Earth and its colonies face imminent destruction, and Kira emerges as humanity’s last and greatest hope.
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The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Sent to the frozen world of Winter as humanity’s sole ambassador, the protagonist faces a unique challenge: integrating into a society where gender is fluid and prejudice is nonexistent into the wider intergalactic community. This groundbreaking novel explores deep themes of society, psychology, and human emotion through an alien setting.
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Foundation by Isaac Asimov
The Galactic Empire, in its twilight, faces inevitable collapse after millennia of dominance. Only Hari Seldon, inventor of psychohistory, foresees a future of prolonged ignorance and chaos. To safeguard knowledge and humanity’s future, Seldon gathers the Empire’s brightest minds onto a remote planet at the galaxy’s edge, establishing the Foundation—a sanctuary intended to preserve civilization amid the impending dark age lasting thirty thousand years.
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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Ryland Grace is the lone survivor on a critical mission that could save humanity and Earth from extinction, though he currently has no memory of this or even his own name. Awakening after a prolonged sleep, he finds himself millions of miles from home with two dead crewmates and only fragments of his memories. Faced with an enormous scientific challenge and the looming threat of human extinction, Ryland must piece together his mission and solve the mystery alone—or so he believes.
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Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
To prepare for the impending alien attack, government agencies breed child prodigies like Andrew “Ender” Wiggin into soldiers. Ender, a brilliant but isolated boy, excels in military training at Battle School. Alongside his siblings Peter and Valentine, who possess their own unique talents, Ender learns the complexities of leadership and the looming threat of extinction from the alien race known as the Buggers. The fate of Earth hinges on whether Ender can fulfill his role as the ultimate commander in a century-long war.
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The Expanse: Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
Humanity has expanded across the solar system, colonizing Mars, the Moon, and even the Asteroid Belt, yet interstellar travel is still not possible. Jim Holden, serving aboard an ice miner near Saturn, unwittingly discovers a dangerous secret on an abandoned and damaged ship, triggering a chain of events that threatens to ignite a system-wide war. Detective Miller, searching for a missing girl, finds himself entangled with Holden and a conspiracy that spans factions from Earth to the Outer Planets. As they survive political intrigue and corporate interests, their actions aboard that single ship could determine the face of the universe itself.
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