Every time I read one of the the great sci-fi classics, I'm always astonished at how forward thinking some of these authors were. Many of them had an almost prescient ability to glimpse the future and recreate it on the page, larger than life
It's truly incredible how many sci-fi novels of the 50's, 60's, and 70's don't just hold up today, but are still some of the best books around.
If you love sci-fi as much as I do, I'm willing to bet you've read a few of these. But if you haven't, you're in for a treat.
In no particular order, here are five of my all time favorite classic sci-fi novels:
Dune by Frank Herbert
(4.17 out of 5 stars on GoodReads)
When people ask me my favorite book of all time, Dune is always the first one that comes to mind. Originally published in 1965 and often cited as the bestselling sci-fi book of all time, Frank Herbert was a master storyteller decades ahead of his time.
Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, the young heir to a family set to take control of the Arrakis, the most important planet in the galaxy. In the sprawling intergalactic world of Dune, Arrakis is the sole of source of a highly coveted life-extending drug called Melange. Dune is an expansive, mind-bending look at politics, technology, religion, spirituality, and so many more deep themes. It's also the first of 6 novels in a series published by Frank Herbert, with 2 additional books published by his son, Brian Herbert, after he passed away.
It's hard to express how much I love this book. If you haven't read it before, I'm jealous that you get to enjoy it for the first time. It's that good.
Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
(4.04 out of 5 stars on GoodReads)
Like many of you, I originally read Flowers for Algernon in school when I was young, which is problematic. Because there is no way I appreciated the depth and beauty of this incredible book when I was a kid. On a whim, I reread it recently and was blown away at the range of emotions I experienced.
Flowers for Algernon tells the story of Charlie Gordon, a mentally disabled young man who undergoes a groundbreaking surgery to increase his intelligence. We follow Charlie as he tries to unravel his past and discover himself for the first time. It is one of the most moving books I have ever read. Even if you read it when you were young, I encourage you to pick up a copy and give it another go. You wont be disappointed.
The Ultimate Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
(4.37 out of 5 stars on GoodReads)
Okay so technically, this isn't technically. This is the anthology of all 5 of the books in the Hitchhiker's series. But I had to go with the anthology because it's just too good to miss. Not only is it one of my all time favorite sci-fi classics, but it's also one of the funniest books I've ever read in my entire life.
The series starts out with book 1, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, where we meet Arthur Dent seconds before an unknowing Earth is scheduled to be demolished to make room for a galactic highway. At the last moment, he's rescued by Ford Prefect, a researcher for the infamous Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy; a guide book for a universe larger than Arthur could ever have imagined. Together they set off on an adventure that spans the entire 5 books.
You can not go wrong with this one. It is one of the most enjoyable books I've ever read. And oh yeah, don't forget your towel!
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
(4.10 out of 5 stars on GoodReads)
Isaac Asimov was one of the most prolific writers, not just of his generation, but of all time. He wrote more than 500 novels and 90000 letters and postcards. And of his entire body of work, Foundation was his most famous novel.
Foundation starts at the beginning of the end of the Galactic Empire, a political system that has ruled the galaxy for more than 12,000 years. Though no one knows the end is near, except for one man named Hari Seldon. Seldon is a master and pioneer in the field of psychohistory, the analysis of group behavior on such a complex and large scale that it can accurately predict the future. Facing the end of civilization, Seldon sets into motion a series of events to protect the future of the human race.
The Foundation series spans countless planets across thousands of years. The world Asimov has built, and the depth of ideas, are breathtaking. I can't recommend Foundation, as well as all of the sequels, enough.
Ubik by Philip K. Dick
(4.10 out of 5 stars on GoodReads)
Of all the classic sci-fi luminaries, Philip K Dick is my favorite author. He was my foot in the door into the genre and I was constantly amazed at his ability to see into the future. He wrote in the 60's yet any one of his books could have been published today. I've also read just about everything the man has ever written and had a hard time settling on one novel to recommend, but at the end of the day, Ubik is one of my favorites.
It takes place in an imagined future where commercial spaceflight and psychic phenomenon are commonplace. Ubik centers around the Runciter Corporation, a group of psychic professionals who have the ability to nullify the power of psychic agents bent on corporate espionage. But after a mission goes wrong, the group is cast into a strange and devolving version of their world.
It's a hard one to explain but I recommend it highly. And it's the good starting point into the world of Philip K Dick if you've never read him before.
