For some reason, we generally believe that science fiction as a genre remained in the 20th century, unable to withstand competition at the beginning of the century with the fantasy genre that had soared to the top. This is probably what happened within the post-Soviet space. And other branches of science fiction have gained a lot of momentum in the new millennium - urban fantasy, teenage dystopias and zombie romance novels have concentrated the majority of reader attention. But thanks to new authors (Vernor Vinge, Alastair Reynolds, Peter Watts) abroad, SF is alive and well and even becoming more intelligent, artsy and deep than ever. Fortunately, domestic publishing houses are gradually beginning to translate new foreign classics of science fiction. This top will introduce you to the best SF novels already translated and published in Ukraine.

Robert Ibatullin “Rose and Worm” (2015)

Year of publication: 2016
Publisher: Celado
Who will like it: for fans of Robert Wilson's Spin trilogy and fans of Asimov's Foundation
Why you should read: meticulous scientific accuracy of what is happening and the realistically possible, thoughtful future of humanity

The Earth was attacked by an alien race called the Aquilians. After long and fierce battles, humanity managed to recapture their homeland, but the planet is becoming uninhabitable. Meanwhile, the Cosmoflot, created by people on Venus, is successfully mastering the solar system, and the military is preparing the superweapon “Swarm of Fireflies”, which repelled enemy attacks, for war with the already independent earthly colonies. In a brief civil brawl, the Cosmoflot loses, and the former colonies of Earth gain official independence. While people are fighting by hook or by crook for the remnants of power, humanity begins to face a danger a hundred times worse than the attack of the Aquilians and the civil war.

The author of the novel, Robert Ibatullin, is a physicist by training. As he himself admits, beautiful delivery of words is not his strong point, but as for scientific credibility, then in this book all assumptions and facts are proven by the writer’s calculations. Yes, critics criticize the work for its poor language in places, but this deficiency is compensated by the author’s meticulousness in scientific details, as well as by the real, bright and living world of the possible future of the Earth. This is the same classic “hard” science fiction that modern readers have inexplicably buried and refuse to believe in its existence. Read for all non-believers in living and living SF. Take in small portions to avoid scientific overdose.

Peter Watts "False Blindness"

Year of publication: 2006
Translation: 2009
Publisher: AST
Who will like it: fans of Stanislaw Lem, in particular the work "Fiasco"
Why you should read: deep, thoughtful plot, an ideal fantasy world that you want to visit

On one day in 2082, thousands of millions of lights lit up in the sky of our planet. People nicknamed them fireflies, and later discovered alien activity on the edge of the solar system. To reconnaissance of the situation and possible first contact with aliens, people send the Theseus spaceship. Only a completely unusual crew dared to make such a trip - the crew list includes a complete schizophrenic linguist, a vampire and, for some unknown reason, a person without emotions who is here.

The name of Peter Watts has long been thundering among foreign fans of space science fiction. The novel “False Blindness” was published in the West back in 2006. A translation into Russian was published in 2009, and last year the book was republished and the novel found a new life. And yes, Watts writes complexly, twistedly and as deeply as possible. But at the same time, the author chews on his extensive knowledge of the exact sciences and puts into the reader’s mouth the quintessence of an ideal science fiction book, which you want to read to the end even if it’s already dawn outside.

Chris Beckett "In the Darkness of Eden"

Year of publication: 2012
Translation: 2016
Publisher: AST
Who will like it: those who like “The Village” by Kir Bulychev and “Stepchildren of the Universe” by Robert Heinlein
Why you should read: indescribable and cozy atmosphere of old and “Golden” science fiction,

John Krasnosvet is fifteen years old. He and his relatives live on the unknown planet Eden. The fact is that John and his relatives are long-standing descendants of earthlings who were once in this system, founded a base here, left the settlers and never returned. And the heirs of these people are still waiting for the return of their ancestors and, with varying degrees of success, are mastering the unfriendly world called Eden.

Despite the fact that the main character of the book is a teenager, this is a classic sci-fi work that has received many awards, including the Arthur C. Clarke Award. "In the Darkness of Eden" takes the reader back to the time of the "Golden Age" of science fiction, when aliens were always scary six-eyed creatures with teeth on their hands, and telepathic monkeys lurked on unknown planets with acidic vegetation. Despite the seeming banality, Chris Beckett created, based on hundreds of genre clichés, a bright and surprisingly detailed world that you definitely want to visit. And it seems that behind the nearest tree you will definitely meet Alisa Selezneva and her famous team. Recommended for everyone who misses good old science fiction.

Adam Roberts "Glass Jack"

Year of publication: 2006
Translation: 2015
Publisher: AST
Who will like it: for fans of Alfred Bester's works “Tiger! Tiger!" and Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Sign of Four"
Why you should read: strong philosophical overtones, an intricate detective story, an ambiguous and charismatic protagonist

Seven notorious criminals are sent to a distant asteroid - they will serve their sentences and mine ore for eleven years. The prisoners know that as soon as they are left alone, a brutal and bloody power struggle will begin. Six of them look like natural-born killers and dominant males, and the seventh is frail, downtrodden, and also legless. The prisoners think that he will die first, but they do not even suspect that the disabled goon will be the most dangerous person on this damned asteroid.

British writer Adam Roberts is known abroad as a researcher of the history of science fiction, and his collection of articles on this topic received the British Science Fiction Association Award in 2016. And Mr. Roberts is a professor of philology at the University of Cambridge and a lecturer at the University of London.

Therefore, despite the apparent simplicity of the plot with convicts, his novel “Glass Jack” is a complex and often philosophical work, filled with references to the classics of world literature - Shakespeare, Kipling, Dickens, Salinger and others. In addition, this novel, like the collection of articles, also brought Professor Roberst the British Science Fiction Association Prize and the John Campbell Memorial Prize. The novel "Glass Jack" is most likely not suitable for easy and comfortable reading. The book touches on many ethical, philosophical and scientific issues, and also has a detective component. Tell me, isn’t this what an ideal example of a real, intellectual SF novel should be like?

Daniel Suarez "Flow"

Year of publication: 2015
Translation: 2015
Publisher: AST
Who will like it: those who liked “A Billion Years Before the End of the World” by the Strugatsky Brothers
Why you should read: vigorous space action, with cyber-punk elements, the technologies in the book are created on the basis of real-life inventions

John Grady physicist. He and his team came up with a device that bends gravity. It would seem that scientists are waiting for fame, success, money and entry into the annals of history. But on Earth there is a Bureau of Technical Control, which is designed to hide from humanity the truth about the actual technical progress of people. They close Grady's laboratory, and he is offered to work for them and become one of the many chosen ones who control the history of the planet. And when John refuses, he is sent to the highest-class secret prison “Hibernity”, where all the scientists who at one time made incredible discoveries are kept. Now the forced prisoner and his new genius friends must find out the truth about the Technical Control Bureau and tell the world the real state of affairs.

Writer Daniel Suarez is a relative newcomer to the sci-fi scene. However, his third work, Flux, won the Prometheus Award for Best Fantasy Novel in 2015. This is not "hard" sci-fi, rather it is cyberpunk sf. And this is a dizzying action against the backdrop of large-scale conspiracy theories, organically woven into the technologies of the future. And yet, the author thinks through every detail of a realistic continuation of human history, and the technologies in the book are invented on the basis of already existing developments, which makes reading “Flow” interesting for any modern gadget addict and fan of serious science fiction.

Alastair Reynolds "Doomed World"

Year of publication: 2010
Translation: 2016
Publisher: ABC-Atticus
Who will like it: fans of Jan Weiss and the novel “The House of a Thousand Storeys” and fans of Vernor Vinge’s book “Flame on the Deep”
Why you should read: the perfect combination of sci-fi, thriller and space opera

In the distant future, at the end of Earth's history, there is a huge skyscraper called the Blade that stretches through the layers of the atmosphere. Inside, the building is divided into areas, which, in addition to hostility with each other, differ in the level of technological development - somewhere people have access to the latest modern biotechnologies, and in some areas residents use steam engines. On the upper floors, which almost touch space, live angels - posthumans who want to subjugate the entire skyscraper. Quillon works in a morgue in one of the lower districts. Part-time, he is a secret agent of these inhabitants of the Heavenly Floors, and one day he finds out that his owners want to eliminate him, for the unusual information he received and transferred to the “top” turns out to be secret information. He understands that if he does not leave the Blade, the angels will get to him, so Quillon decides to go on a crazy journey across the already dying and deadly planet Earth.

The name Alastair Reynolds is familiar to fans of science fiction and space opera. In addition to his incredible writing talent, Mr. Reynolds has a couple more aces up his sleeve - he is an astrophysicist by training and at one time worked for the European Space Research Center. Therefore, Alastair knows how and what to write about. However, the novel “The Doomed World” is the author’s most unusual work. It's more of a planetary fantasy with elements of action, thriller and space opera. However, the hand of the master reigns here too, so we have before us a novel that can be recommended to absolutely all science fiction lovers. The way and what Alastair Reynolds writes about cannot but please a sensible reader. The book is definitely worth reading.

John Love "Faith"

Year of publication: 2012
Translation: 2015
Publisher: Fiction Book Club
Who will like it: those who like Herman Melville's Moby Dick and the White Whale and Scott Westerfeld's Sequence series
Why you should read: SF with elements of a classical parable and philosophical overtones, the main characters are spaceships

"Vera" is an alien spaceship that helped the human Commonwealth destroy the warlike Shahran Empire. After three hundred years of oblivion, the wonderful alien ship returns, but only now it confronts people. To respond to the super-powerful “Vera”, people create new and super-strong space cruisers of the “outsider” class - their crews are the most dangerous criminals and scumbags in the system, who now need to destroy “Vera” and its masters and prevent humanity from dying again. One of these ships, called the Charles Manson, engages in battle with aliens. He even has a slim chance of winning, but what the cruiser will face next makes Vera’s attack child’s play.

The debut novel by British science fiction writer John Love caused a lot of noise in the circles of fans of the genre. And although the work did not receive any awards, critics and readers noted the first creation of the Englishman and even put him on a par with the modern classics of the genre Reynolds, Watts and Hamilton. The novel “Vera” is a space opera with elements of a parable, where the main characters are not people, but two warring and extraordinary ships “Vera” and “Charles Manson”.

Naturally, these are not all the books of modern science fiction that we would like to talk about. There are still a lot of novels that are already being translated or have been translated into Russian (there is still a lot of trouble with Ukrainian SF book publishing). Most likely, we will talk about them in the following articles, but for now, share your impressions, books you have read and further wishes. What SF caught your attention that we didn't talk about?

Read fiction online on the literary platform Litnet you can work around the clock. The fantasy genre is probably the most diverse of all literary trends. The most famous works of world literature were created in this genre.

Features of books in the genre 2020

On the pages of science fiction novels, combatants converge in brutal battles spaceships, star wars are raging, brave pioneers are looking for a way to new planets or, and star pirates are robbing galactic caravans. All this is fantasy, which you can read online for free or buy an e-book in the fantasy genre. Time travel and robots alternative history, and are waiting for you on the pages of novels and stories, which are convenient to open in the reader of our platform. Or maybe you want to download free books of the fantasy genre? Of course, this function is also available for those who like to read online.

The best science fiction that Russian science fiction writers write for you can be downloaded in various formats.

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Compiling hundreds of the most important science fiction books required much more effort from our editors than similar lists of games, films and TV series. It is not surprising, because books are the basis of all world fiction. As before, the main criterion for us was the significance of a particular work for world and domestic science fiction.

Our list includes only those books and cycles that have become universally recognized pillars fantastic literature or had a significant influence on the development of individual science fiction trends. At the same time, we did not give in to the temptation to attribute the main contribution to science fiction to English-language authors: almost a fifth of our list is occupied by books by Russian masters of words.

So, here are the 100 books that, according to MirF, any self-respecting science fiction fan simply must read!

FORECASTS OF FICTION

Jonathan Swift "Gulliver's Travels"

A novel that paved the way for authors of many science fiction genres - from satire to alternative geography. And what is the cost of detailed construction of worlds! “Gulliver's Travels” cannot be squeezed into just a fantasy shelf - it is a phenomenon of universal human culture. True, most of us are only familiar with the adapted version, which is part of the “golden fund” of children's literature.

Mary Shelley "Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus"

A book by an English lady, the wife of a famous poet, written “for a dare.” Percy Shelley and his friend Byron did not succeed, but the 20-year-old girl wrote one of the most famous “Gothic” novels. But the matter was not limited to just Gothic! The story of the Swiss scientist Victor Frankenstein, who used electricity to revive dead tissue, is considered the first truly science fiction work.

Lewis Carroll "Alice in Wonderland"

A fairy tale for children, invented by an English mathematician, had a huge influence on the development of SF. Satirical absurdism, an abundance of paradoxes, other dimensions - Carroll’s book included many themes that were repeatedly used by science fiction writers of subsequent generations. Carroll's influence on English-speaking culture is especially great - the Alice story is second only to Shakespeare in terms of the number of citations.

Jules Verne "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea"

One of the most famous books of the “founding father” of SF. Of course, several more of his novels can be placed side by side - “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, “From the Earth to the Moon”, “Robur the Conqueror”, but it is “20 thousand ...” that combines scientific and technical predictions that have come true, a fascinating adventurous plot, cognition and a bright character whose name has become a household name. Who doesn't know Captain Nemo and his Nautilus?

Robert Louis Stevenson " Strange story Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde"

The story of two opposite halves of a single personality, at the same time - a moralizing parable about the duality of progress and the responsibility of science to society (this theme was later developed by H. Wells in “The Invisible Man” and “The Island of Doctor Moreau”). Stevenson competently combined elements of science fiction, gothic horror and philosophical novel. The result is a book that spawned a lot of imitations and made the image of Jekyll-Hyde a household name.

Mark Twain "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"

Another classic that combines a satire on the writer’s contemporary society and a brilliant embodiment of several fantastic ideas, later replicated by hundreds of authors. Time travel, alternative history, the idea of ​​a clash of cultures, the dubiousness of progressivism as a way to change an “inert” society - everything fits under one cover.

Bram Stoker "Dracula"

A novel about vampires, which gave rise to an ocean of imitations in literary and cinematic fiction. Irishman Stoker showed the world an example of competent “black PR”. He took the true figure of the Wallachian ruler - an unsympathetic personality, but historically quite ordinary - and created from him a monster with a capital M, whose name in the mass consciousness is placed somewhere between Lucifer and Hitler.

SCIENCE FICTION

H.G. Wells "War of the Worlds"

A classic work that opened several directions in SF. This is the first book about the invasion of Earth by merciless “aliens”. However, Wells went beyond the “war of the worlds” theme. The writer creates an impressive gallery of behavioral patterns of people in extreme conditions the threat of total destruction hanging over them. Before us is actually a prediction of the development of society during the coming world wars.

Isaac Asimov, series “History of the Future”

The first monumental history of the future in world SF, the most striking part of which is considered the Foundation trilogy (Hugo Award for the best science fiction series of all time). Asimov tried to reduce the development of civilization to a set of laws similar to mathematical formulas. The saviors of humanity are not generals and politicians, but scientists - adherents of the science of “psychohistory”. And the entire series spans 20 thousand years!

Robert Heinlein "Starship Troopers"

The novel caused a serious scandal, because many liberals saw in it the propaganda of militarism and even fascism. Heinlein was a convinced libertarian, whose idea of ​​responsibility to society coexisted with his rejection of total state restrictions on personal freedom. “Starship Troopers” is not just a standard “war story” about battles with strangers, but also a reflection of the writer’s ideas about an ideal society where duty is above all.

Alfred Elton Van Vogt "Slan"

The first significant work about biological mutations that threaten humanity with a transition to a new stage of evolution. Naturally, ordinary people are not ready to just be consigned to the dustbin of history, so the mutant slans have a hard time. The situation is complicated by the fact that slans are the fruit of genetic engineering. Will humanity itself give birth to its own gravedigger?

John Wyndham "Day of the Triffids"

The standard of a science fiction “disaster novel.” As a result of a cosmic cataclysm, almost all earthlings became blind and turned into prey for plants that had become predatory. The end of civilization? No, the novel by the British science fiction writer is imbued with faith in the power of the human spirit. They say, “let’s join hands, friends, so as not to perish alone”! The book marked the beginning of a whole wave of similar (though often more pessimistic) stories.

Walter Miller "The Leibowitz Passion"

Classic post-apocalyptic epic. After nuclear war The only stronghold of knowledge and culture remains the church, represented by the Order of St. Leibowitz, founded by the physicist. The book takes place over a thousand years: civilization is gradually reborn, only to perish again... A sincerely religious person, Miller looks with deep pessimism at the ability of religion to bring real salvation to humanity.

Robert Merle "Malville"

The most meticulous chronicle of the existence of an ordinary person in the world after a nuclear war. A group of people, finding themselves in Maleville Castle, survive day after day on the ruins of civilization. Alas, their Robinsonade is absolutely hopeless. No one will fly from the “mainland”, save you, or return what was lost forever. And it’s not in vain that, having won a series of brilliant victories, the main character dies of banal appendicitis. The world is dead - and there is no future...

Isaac Asimov, collection "I, Robot"

Asimov's stories about robots developed the theme raised by Karel Capek in the play R.U.R. - about the relationship between man and artificial intelligence. The Three Laws of Robotics are the ethical basis for the existence of artificial creatures, capable of suppressing the “Frankenstein complex” (the latent desire to destroy one’s Creator). These are not just stories about thinking pieces of iron, but a book about people, their moral struggles and spiritual experiments.

Philip K. Dick "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"

The first example of genuine cyberpunk, which appeared long before the birth of the term itself and the fantastic phenomenon it designated. The acidic, gloomy world of the future, whose inhabitants constantly question the meaning and even the reality of their own existence, are themes that are characteristic of this novel and of Dick’s entire work. And the book served as the basis for Ridley Scott's cult film Blade Runner.

William Gibson "Neuromancer"

The sacred book of cyberpunk, which contains almost all of its iconic signs. Brilliantly depicts a high-tech near future in which power belongs to predatory transnational corporations and cybercrime flourishes. Gibson acted as a true prophet of the digital era that has come today, not only anticipating the problems of development information technology, but also introducing specific computer jargon into wide circulation.

Arthur Clarke "2001: A Space Odyssey"

Based on the old story, Arthur C. Clarke wrote the script for Stanley Kubrick's film - the first true SF epic of world cinema. And the novelization has become a symbol of serious space science fiction. No " star wars", no superheroes with blasters. A realistic story about an expedition to Jupiter, during which machine intelligence reaches its limit, but man is able to go beyond any boundaries of the possible.

Michael Crichton "Jurassic Park"

Crichton is considered the father of the science fiction techno-thriller. “Jurassic Park” is not the first work of this kind, but one of the most famous, largely thanks to the film adaptation by Steven Spielberg. Being essentially a skillful combination of themes and ideas repeatedly worked out in SF - genetic engineering, cloning, the rebellion of artificial creatures - the novel gained millions of fans and many imitations.

PHILOSOPHICAL AND SOCIAL FICTION

H.G. Wells "The Time Machine"

One of the cornerstones of modern SF is the book that pioneered the exploitation of the theme of time travel. Wells also attempted to extend contemporary capitalism into a distant future in which humanity had split into two species. Even more shocking than the strange society of Eloi and Morlocks is the “end of times,” which marks the complete destruction of reason.

Evgeniy Zamyatin “We”

The first great dystopia, which influenced other classics - Huxley and Orwell, not to mention the many science fiction writers who try to critically predict the development of society. The story takes place in a pseudo-utopia, where the role of man is reduced to the position of an insignificant cog. The result is an “ideal” anthill society, in which “one is zero, one is nonsense.”

Aldous Huxley "O Wonderful One" new world»

One of the foundations of literary dystopia. Unlike his contemporaries, who exposed specific political models, Huxley's novel polemicized against idealistic views about the perfection of technocracy. The intellectuals who have seized power will build another version of a concentration camp - albeit a decent-looking one. Alas, our contemporary society confirms Huxley’s correctness.

George Orwell "1984"

Another classic dystopian novel, created under the influence of the dark events of World War II. Perhaps, now in all corners of the world we have heard the terms “Big Brother” and “Newspeak” coined by Orwell. "1984" is a satirical depiction of absolute totalitarianism, no matter what ideology - socialist, capitalist or Nazi - it hides behind.

Ray Bradbury "Fahrenheit 451"

Dystopia, which is based not on political or social, but on cultural ideas. A society is shown where true culture has become a victim of pragmatic rednecks: animal materialism has unconditionally triumphed over romantic idealism. Firemen burning books is another iconic image of modern civilization. Events recent years show that the novel faces the fate not of warning, but of prophecy!

Kurt Vonnegut "Slaughterhouse-Five"

A masterpiece of anti-war fiction (and literature in general). The hero of the book is the author's alter ego Billy Pilgrim, a war veteran who survived the barbaric bombing of Dresden. Abducted by aliens, the hero only with their help will be able to recover from nervous shock and find inner peace. The book's fantastic plot is just a device with which Vonnegut fights the internal demons of his generation.

Robert Heinlein "Stranger in a Strange Land"

The first SF book to become a national bestseller in the United States. This is the story of the “cosmic Mowgli” - the earthly child Michael Valentine Smith, raised by representatives of a fundamentally different mind and becoming the new Messiah. In addition to the obvious artistic merits and the discovery of many topics forbidden for science fiction, the significance of the novel is that it finally turned the public idea of ​​SF as literature for immature minds.

Stanislav Lem "Solaris"

The flagship of philosophical SF. The book by a wonderful Polish writer tells about an unsuccessful contact with a civilization completely alien to us. Lem created one of the most unusual SF worlds - the single mind of the planet-ocean Solaris. And you can take thousands of samples, conduct hundreds of experiments, put forward dozens of theories - the truth will remain “there, beyond the horizon.” Science is simply not capable of unraveling all the mysteries of the Universe - no matter how hard you try...

Ray Bradbury "The Martian Chronicles"

A multifaceted cycle about man's conquest of Mars, where he lives last days a strange and once great civilization. This is a poetic story about the clash of two different cultures, and reflections on the eternal problems and values ​​of our existence. “The Martian Chronicles” is one of the books that clearly demonstrates that science fiction is capable of addressing the most complex problems and can compete on equal terms with “great” literature.

Ursula Le Guin, Hain Cycle

One of the brightest stories of the future, a masterpiece of “soft” SF. Unlike traditional space fiction scenarios, Le Guin's relationship between civilizations is based on a special code of ethics that excludes the use of violence. The works of the cycle tell about contacts between representatives of different psychologies, philosophies and cultures, as well as about their everyday life. The most significant part of the cycle is the novel “The Left Hand of Darkness” (1969).

Orson Scott Card "Ender's Game", "The Voice of Those Who Are Not"

The two novels, followed by a popular but controversial multi-volume series, are true masterpieces, the pinnacle of Card's work. "Ender's Game" is a modernized "war game" with an emphasis on the psychology of growing up as a charismatic teenage leader. And “The Voice...” is, first of all, a story of contact, mutual understanding of fundamentally different cultures. Everyone wants what's best; Why do good intentions turn into tragedy?

Henry Lyon Oldie, The Abyss of Hungry Eyes

The first multi-layered philosophical and mythological work in modern Russian science fiction, “The Abyss of Hungry Eyes” includes various areas of science fiction and fantasy. When creating the universe, the co-authors use a variety of mythological schemes, combining a strong adventurous plot and well-developed characters with a philosophical understanding of the events taking place.

• Goodreads rating: 4.4.
• Awards: International Fiction Award for Fiction (1957), SFinks Book of the Year Award (2000), Prometheus Award for Hall of Fame (2009).

Tolkien's trilogy, adapted by Peter Jackson, stands the test of time and sets the bar for fantasy fiction. The book differs from the film, so it will delight the reader with many interesting details and unexpected turns plot.

The hobbit Frodo and his companions set off on a journey through the fairy-tale universe to destroy the Ring and restore peace on earth. On the way, many dangers await them, which will require great valor and courage from the little hobbits.

• Goodreads rating: 4.2.
• Awards: Hugo Award for Best Novel (1966), Nebula Award for Best Novel (1965), SFinks Award for Book of the Year (2008).

The action takes place in the distant future, where social life and culture revolve around the “spice”, and there is a constant struggle for the extraction and use of this special substance. At first glance, it may seem that this is another story of the struggle between good and evil, nobility and selfish interests. However, the book is more polyphonic.

Herbert managed to create a unique chronicle of the distant future, which explores issues of politics, religion, ecology and technology, rightfully considered the most vivid and original in history.

3. A Song of Ice and Fire, George R.R. Martin

• Goodreads rating: 4.4.
• Awards: Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Award - first two books (2001), Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Award - first three books (2002).

This ranking would be incomplete without the saga of. The book allows you to follow the endless confrontation between the Starks and Lannisters without downloading the next season of the series. Magic, mystery, intrigue, passion, romance and adventure fill its pages and transport the reader to a whole new world.

• Goodreads rating: 4.1
• Awards: Prometheus Award in the Hall of Fame category (1984).

Orwell managed to create the antipode of the great, but not universally recognized dystopia of the 20th century - “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley. The author tries to answer the question, what is worse: an ideal consumer society or an ideal society of ideas? It turns out that there is nothing worse than complete lack of freedom in both the first and second cases.

Orwell predicted the total power of television, widespread surveillance and many other cultural phenomena that we see today. Therefore, the book has not lost its relevance over the years.

• Goodreads rating: 4.
• Awards: Hugo Award for Best Novel (1973), Nebula Award for Best Novel (1972), Locus Award for Best Novel (1973), Dietmar Award for "Foreign Fiction (USA, novel)" (1973).

• Goodreads rating: 4.
• Awards: Hugo Award for Best Novel (1974), Nebula Award for Best Novel (1973), Locus Award for Best Novel (1974), British Science Fiction Association Award in category "Best Novel" (1974).

The case when the novel received as many as seven prestigious science fiction awards (Lifehacker listed the most famous of them) and marked the beginning of a series of books different authors, which explore the relationship of earthlings with other minds.

The action takes place in the near future. An unusually shaped asteroid is moving across the Galaxy towards solar system. A crew of earthlings lands on the surface of an asteroid and begins to collect data, which only complicates the search for an answer to main question: “Who created this huge thing and why?..”

• Goodreads rating: 4.5.
• Awards: Jules Verne Prize in the category “Novel (USSR)” (1979), Golden Graulli Award in the category “Foreign Novel” (1981).

One of the few works of Russian-language science fiction that does not lose, but only gains popularity over time.

“Roadside Picnic” is reflected in world culture. Andrei Tarkovsky based his legendary film “Stalker” on it. Several decades later, the story became the basis of a computer game and became the beginning of a series of books, the action of which takes place in the created fictional world.

After aliens visited the Earth, Zones appeared on it in which completely different laws of existence operate. Society turned out to be unprepared for the “gifts” of aliens and is struggling to adapt to the new reality, following the few Stalkers.

• Goodreads rating: 4.
• Awards: Hugo Award for Best Novel (1987), Nebula Award for Best Novel (1986), Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1987), Academy of Science Award science fiction, fantasy and horror in the category “Best Foreign Book (USA)” (1995).

In the Russian translation, the book is also known under the titles “The Voice of Those Who Are Not” and “The Herald of the Dead.” This novel was a direct continuation of the novel “,” which also won several literary awards and received a great response from science fiction fans.

Earthlings meet another race of advanced beings. The differences between them turn out to be so great that it almost leads to a new conflict of civilizations.

• Goodreads rating: 4.1.
• Awards: Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel (2001), Hugo Award for Best Novel (2002), Nebula Award for Best Novel (2002), Locus Award for Best Novel Best Novel (Fantasy) (2002), Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Award for Best Fantasy (UK/US) (2001).

• Goodreads rating: 4.
• Awards: Governor General of Canada Literary Award in the category "Prose" English" (1985), Los Angeles Times Book Award in the category " Fiction"(1986), Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Novel (1987).

Another book on which the popular film was based. Margaret Atwood constructs a rather convincing panorama of a future that could come as early as tomorrow.

In the new world, women do not have the right to own property, work, love, read or write. They are here for only one thing - to give birth. And if someone is not capable of this, she is left to work in hard labor until her death, which under such conditions occurs earlier than usual. The main character of the book, the maid Fredova, challenges the system, for which she has to pay.

• Goodreads rating: 4.1.
• Awards: New Dimension Magazine Award for Best Book (UK/Sri Lanka) (1968).

An example of how a book is born after the film of the same name - and finds its audience, living its own life. Arthur C. Clarke wrote his science fiction novel based on a script he worked on with Stanley Kubrick. The work is considered to be ahead of its time.

An unknown object has been discovered on the Moon, which is sending a powerful signal to. Scientists were able to find out that the signal goes towards one of Saturn’s moons. The interplanetary spacecraft Discovery is sent there to explore unknown spaces...

• Goodreads rating: 4.2.
• Awards: Prometheus Award in the Best Novel category (2012), Alex Award (2012).

In the near future, when the world is experiencing another economic downturn and resource shortages, you can only feel truly alive in the virtual space where representatives of humanity spend their days. Before death, the creator of this space composes a series of complex puzzles. The one who solves them first will inherit his enormous fortune and power over the whole world. Main character decides to try his hand and begins to look for clues.

Today the writer is working on a sequel, so readers will soon have the opportunity to find out what happened to their favorite characters.

13. “The Left Hand of Darkness”, Ursula Le Guin

• Goodreads rating: 4.
• Awards: Hugo Award for Best Novel (1970), Nebula Award for Best Novel (1969), Nova SF Award for Best Novel (1972), SFinks Award for Best Novel (1972) Book of the Year" (1996).

Not the best famous novel American writer, but big, complex and serious. In it, Le Guin poses and resolves global philosophical and moral questions - this is why fans of intellectual fiction love him.

The book describes the world of the distant planet Winter, to which the main character arrives on a mission of goodwill - uniting many planets into one system. But to do this, he must bridge the gap between his own views and the ideas of a completely alien culture with which he encounters.

• Goodreads rating: 4.7.
• Awards: Hugo Award for Best Novel (1968), Lazar Komarcic Award for Best Foreign Novel (1985).

The writer’s biographers agree that the science fiction writer had a good understanding of Eastern culture. And the novel is proof of this, because on its pages the gods of the Hindu pantheon come to life, interacting with people and demons.

This book is more of a philosophical discussion about existence than a classic science fiction novel. However, the sharp plot holds the reader's attention throughout the entire story.

• Goodreads rating: 4.1.
• Awards: Hugo Award for Best Novel (1976), Nebula Award for Best Novel (1975), Locus Award for Best Novel (1976), Lazar Komarcic Award for Best Novel Best Foreign Novel" (1986).

The author's most famous book, thanks to which his name is well known among science fiction fans today. Haldeman fought in Vietnam, which had a great influence on all of his work and this novel in particular. The novel can be called anti-militarist.

The main character is a soldier space force, who fights treacherous aliens and dreams of returning home. When he finds himself on his native Earth, he realizes that he feels like a stranger here too. It turns out that finding happiness and your place in life in peacetime is even more difficult than in wartime.

• Goodreads rating: 4.1.
• Awards: Italian magazine Nova SF award in the category “Best Novel” (1970).

This science fiction novel brought Bradbury his first success. Thanks to him, the writer received many prestigious awards and gained the love of fans all over the world.

The novel consists of separate chronicle stories in which the author reflects on pressing issues of human existence - both on Earth and throughout the Universe. People dream so much of conquering space, but they don’t think about how they can be overcome by an endless longing for everything human that is left at home...

• Goodreads rating: 4.3.
• Awards: Barry Levin Book of the Year (Revised and Expanded) (1990), Balrog Award for Best Novel (1979), World Fantasy Award for Best Novel (1979).

Despite the fact that other books brought greater fame, this novel received many awards. Agree, there is a compelling reason to pay attention to it.

The population of America is dying out due to the virus, however, even in this situation, the struggle for world domination does not subside. A mysterious man who can subjugate the weak seeks to seize power. Few of those who managed to survive and maintain adequate ideas about good and evil decide to stop the impostor at all costs.

18. Starship Troopers, Robert Heinlein

• Goodreads rating: 4.
• Awards: Hugo Award for Best Novel (1960).

In Russian, this book was also published under other titles: “Star Infantry”, “Star Rangers”, “Space Troopers” and “Soldiers of Space”. Even if you watched the film adaptation, the book is still worth reading. Heinlein focuses on important political and social phenomena, and the plot boasts even more unpredictable twists. At the same time, the novel is considered one of the most controversial works of science fiction: after its release, Heinlein was called a militarist and accused of promoting fascism.

The Earth is attacked by a dangerous enemy, and the Star Marines must confront an intelligent bug civilization that has nothing in common with humans. In such a war, everything is decided by force, because there is simply no time to seek reconciliation.

• Goodreads rating: 4.
• Awards: Nebula Award for Best Novel (1966).

The book will appeal to those who want to take a little break from space science fiction, switching to science fiction with a universal human face. The novel is deeply psychological and makes you think about the questions of love and responsibility that we often ask in everyday life.

33-year-old floor cleaner Charlie Gordon is mentally retarded. Despite this, he has a job, friends and an irresistible desire to socialize. After he takes part in a scientific experiment, his life is turned upside down. Charlie's IQ almost triples, and he begins to think about things that are familiar to him in a completely new way.

20. Books about Harry Potter, JK Rowling

• Goodreads rating: from 4.3.
• Awards: British National Book Award for Children's Book of the Year (1998), Nestle Children's Book Award (1997–1999), Whitbread Award for Children's Book of the Year (1999).

• Goodreads rating: 4.
• Awards: Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Award (1995–1999).

• Goodreads rating: 4.2.
• Awards: Geffen Prize (2003).

The novel describes the relationship between people and the intelligent ocean of the planet Solaris. At the same time, Lem disputes the position of other science fiction writers who believe that contact with extraterrestrial civilizations will bring total happiness to humanity. The heroes of "Solaris" cannot understand the alien mind, feel lonely far from Earth and are afraid of everything new.

The action takes place in the distant future. But the author raises philosophical questions that are relevant to humanity in the present. Perhaps that is why Andrei Tarkovsky made a film of the same name, and the idea of ​​a smart ocean was reflected in the work “Stars are Cold Toys” by Sergei Lukyanenko.

• Goodreads rating: 4.
• Awards: Hugo Award for Best Novel (1964).

Simak became known for his original ideas, carefully crafted plots and ability to speak simply about complex things.

The hero of the novel is from the American wilderness. At first glance, he leads a measured and uninteresting lifestyle. Everything would be fine, but the person is not... This is what attracts the attention of a CIA agent to him.

• Goodreads rating: 4.2.
• Awards: Hugo Award for Best Novel (1990).

This novel by the American writer is often compared to “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer, where the narrative includes several timelines at once, and several characters can be called the main ones.

Many worlds are involved in an interstellar war, and the fate of humanity depends on how it ends. On the planet Hyperion, which occupies a key place in this confrontation, the Tombs of Time begin to open - giant structures that move from the future to the past. Seven pilgrims go to these objects to unravel their mystery and save people.

• Goodreads rating: from 4.
• Awards: Lituanikon Prize (2006).

The cycle can be classified as so-called dark fantasy. The main character, the witcher Geralt, protects people from monsters. The action takes place in a world of many races, peoples, communities, each of which strives to defend its interests at all costs.

Sapkowski draws analogies with our reality and ridicules. The series is not over yet, and, according to the author, the next book should be released very soon.

I read 6 books from this universe on the advice of an anime friend and decided to share my IMHO with respected readers:

The SAO book series, of course, is worthy of all praise, but I, as a person who has read lately there is a sufficient number of LITRPGs and other “hit and miss” series, I cannot help but note the serious disadvantages inherent in both the entire genre of this type of literature and books on SAO in particular.

1. The main character (as in 90% of LITRPGs) is disproportionately cool like Duke Nukem and Chuck Norris combined. From book to book, he practically does not engage in leveling up and farming epic gear, but thanks to his 6th sense and other mystical skills, he single-handedly kills bosses intended for raids (Dragon with metal, hellish Santa, etc.), has sky-high hitpoints and hurricane regen, which allows " death game SAO" calmly confront a dozen red PCs. The only one who "leaked" PVP was our legendary bender - Kirito - this is Allah GM and the creator of the game, a gloomy Japanese genius and part-time main villain.
2. Harem. No. Not like that. A HAREM of female characters whom he saved, protected, freed, helped, etc. The GG wanders in the footsteps of the Black Swordsman Kirito and sighs sadly about the hard lot of women, for the heart of a real samurai is already occupied by the brave Asuna. One of those who “feels my heart clench at the sight of a thin, black-haired boy” is GG’s sister, who, with the wave of the author’s pen, has become a cousin. Fortunately, there is no mass shipping and it doesn’t seem to be expected. Although who knows, lovers of tentacles and hentai....
3. As I already wrote above in paragraph 1, a true hero should not waste time on boring leveling up and farming epics. Indeed, in the VRMMO of the future of the Land of the Rising Sun, it is possible to transfer an already leveled up character not just from the Horde to the Alliance and back, but.... from game to game. Imagine: you are level 90 from the game Vedmak Online, find yourself in Mechwarrior and start cutting on an imbecile robot with 2 swords! Where did robots get their swords? But there were, yes. Only before the GG no one used them at all because they didn’t know how. They were complete noobs, they believed in the gauss gun, they were naive. In approximately the same way, an ordinary Japanese schoolboy in less than a week of real time “bent over” all the top players in the multiplayer shooter Gun Gale Online. Chuck Norris is crying with envy.

In a word, you can read a series of books about SAO if you are not annoyed by the “loud sounds of the button accordion” constantly playing “from the wide open windows” of the plot. Killing time in the subway or somewhere else is the best thing. At least for me personally, SAO was easier to read than the Korean “Moon Sculptor”. But in reality, if I had to choose VRMMO, all other things being equal, I would rather play World of Valdira than SAO.