As expected, humanity fractures into two groups: those who, for one, welcome their new alien overlords and wish to help them take over the world they view as corrupt, and those who wish to fight against the invasion. An alien civilization that thinks Earth sounds like a fantastic place to invade and turn into a new home. A secretive military project (as always, it’s a trope for a reason) have been sending signals into space, only for them to be picked up by an alien civilization on the brink of destruction.

The first book written by a Chinese author to win a Hugo, it’s set in an alternate history timeline starting with the Maoist Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. That’s what science fiction is meant to do, and is therefore often political (even in the “good old days”) and I’ve collected the best 20 science fiction books that I think fit the bill.Ĭixin Liu is one of China’s top-rated science fiction writers, and this book makes it clear why. It set the stage for so many other science fiction franchises, including Star Wars, by pushing boundaries of what was considered acceptable, and went further to inspire others in other arenas, like Nichelle Nichols inspiring other Black women (like Whoopi Goldberg) to become actors and making it easier for women and minorities to join NASA. I mean, look at the influences from one of the most science fiction franchises on TV: Star Trek. So many science fiction books go beyond their own genre and cause ripples in adjoining genres like horror, etc. So many science fiction falls into the definition of “best” that I’m using.īecause that’s what science fiction is meant to do: push the envelope, show what things could be if we continue down the path we’re on, and make you question what’s possible. I will inevitably miss a book that you think belongs on this list. There are also only 20 books on this list, meaning it is not conclusive, as I am one person. The best science fiction books of all time - at least the ones on this list - are the ones that remain highly rated, are incredibly popular, or have made some sort of mark on the science fiction genre or its various sub-genres, even mainstream culture as a whole. In this context, best does not secretly mean my favorite science fiction that I’m calling best because I’m the one writing the article. Before we get started, let me define “best” for you real fast.

Tvtropes deus ex human revolution