Science Fiction reading

I’ve always enjoyed reading science fiction. But I go through phases of reading more or less of it. It hasn’t always been the primary genre that I’ve read. And I have never been reasonably systematic about the types of science fiction I’ve covered. I do not have any favorite sub-genres per se. I’ve read some of the classics (Asimov, Adams, etc.) but there are also massive gaps in my reading of the classics. I’ve opportunistically read some of the newer stuff that gets hyped (The Three-Body Problem, The Martian, Ready Player One, some Vernor Vinge, etc.). While I’ve generally been aware of the main highly-rated authors and have some sense of what their writing is supposed to be like, there is just way too much interesting sounding science fiction I’ve hardly touched.

This is my attempt at remedying this and bridging the gaps in my appreciation of science fiction. I want to be slightly systematic in the novels/authors/series I read, but it is not going to be any kind of comprehensive ‘survey’ of the science fiction universe. I do have my biases about the kinds of things I enjoy reading and find interesting and that will be reflected here - life is sadly too short to read everything that is supposedly good and interesting writing. It also includes more ‘newer’ stuff mainly because I’ve read some of the older stuff.

The order below is roughly the order in which I intend to read these novels/authors. If you do find some glaring omissions in what I’m reading, please do leave me a message. I’d love to hear from you.

Completed

The Broken Earth Trilogy N. K. Jemisin The Broken Earth Trilogy ★★★★★
Project Hail Mary Andy Weir Project Hail Mary ★★★★
Stories of Your Life and Others Ted Chiang Stories of Your Life and Others ★★★★
Exhalation: Stories Ted Chiang Exhalation: Stories ★★★★
Wayfarers Series Becky Chambers Wayfarers Series ★★★★
The Lifecycle of Software Objects Ted Chiang The Lifecycle of Software Objects ★★★

Higher priority

Feersum Endjinn Iain M. Banks Feersum Endjinn
The Algebraist Iain M. Banks The Algebraist
The Culture Series Iain M. Banks The Culture Series
Chosen Spirits Samit Basu Chosen Spirits
Evolution Stephen Baxter Evolution
Phase Space Stephen Baxter Phase Space
Diaspora Greg Egan Diaspora
Permutation City Greg Egan Permutation City
Blue Ant Trilogy William Gibson Blue Ant Trilogy
Sprawl Trilogy William Gibson Sprawl Trilogy
Fine Structure Sam Hughes Fine Structure
Ra Sam Hughes Ra
The Imperial Radch Trilogy Ann Leckie The Imperial Radch Trilogy
Broken Stars Ken Liu Broken Stars
Invisible Planets Ken Liu Invisible Planets
Supernova Era Cixin Liu Supernova Era
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories Ken Liu The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories
Remembrance of Earth's Past: The Three-Body Trilogy Cixin Liu Remembrance of Earth's Past: The Three-Body Trilogy
The Nexus Trilogy Ramez Naam The Nexus Trilogy
Binti Nnedi Okorafor Binti
Calculating God Robert J. Sawyer Calculating God
Hyperion Cantos Dan Simmons Hyperion Cantos
Last and First Men / Star Maker Olaf Stapledon Last and First Men / Star Maker
Anathem Neal Stephenson Anathem
Cryptonomicon Neal Stephenson Cryptonomicon
Seveneves Neal Stephenson Seveneves
Snow Crash Neal Stephenson Snow Crash
The Baroque Cycle Neal Stephenson The Baroque Cycle
The Diamond Age Neal Stephenson The Diamond Age
Accelerando Charles Stross Accelerando
Glasshouse Charles Stross Glasshouse
Iron Sunrise Charles Stross Iron Sunrise
Singularity Sky Charles Stross Singularity Sky
The Bobiverse Series Dennis E. Taylor The Bobiverse Series
Rainbows End Vernor Vinge Rainbows End
Zones of Thought Trilogy Vernor Vinge Zones of Thought Trilogy
Blindsight Peter Watts Blindsight

Lower priority

Foundation Series Isaac Asimov Foundation Series
The Handmaid's Tale series Margaret Atwood The Handmaid's Tale series
The MaddAddam Trilogy Margaret Atwood The MaddAddam Trilogy
The Stars My Destination Alfred Bester The Stars My Destination
Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury Fahrenheit 451
I Remember the Future Michael Burstein I Remember the Future
2001: A Space Odyssey Arthur C. Clarke 2001: A Space Odyssey
Childhood's End Arthur C. Clarke Childhood's End
Rendezvous with Rama Arthur C. Clarke Rendezvous with Rama
Citizen of the Galaxy Robert A. Heinlein Citizen of the Galaxy
Stranger in a Strange Land Robert A. Heinlein Stranger in a Strange Land
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress Robert A. Heinlein The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Dune Saga Frank Herbert Dune Saga
The Pandora Sequence Frank Herbert and Bill Ransom The Pandora Sequence
The Calculating Stars Mary Robinette Kowal The Calculating Stars
The Dispossessed Ursula K. Le Guin The Dispossessed
The Left Hand of Darkness Ursula K. Le Guin The Left Hand of Darkness
The Machineries of Empire Trilogy Yoon Ha Lee The Machineries of Empire Trilogy
Takeshi Kovoacs series Richard K. Morgan Takeshi Kovoacs series
Version Control Dexter Palmer Version Control
Mars Trilogy Kim Stanley Robinson Mars Trilogy
Earth Abides George R. Stewart Earth Abides
Daemon series Daniel Suarez Daemon series


The Windup Girl Paolo Bacigalupi The Windup Girl
Destiny's Children Series Stephen Baxter Destiny's Children Series
Vacuum Diagrams Stephen Baxter Vacuum Diagrams
Ender's Game Orson Scott Card Ender's Game
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay Michael Chabon The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Yiddish Policemen's Union Michael Chabon The Yiddish Policemen's Union
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Susanna Clarke Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
The Expanse Series James S. A. Corey The Expanse Series
Babel-17 Samuel R. Delany Babel-17
Dhalgren Samuel R. Delany Dhalgren
Nova Samuel R. Delany Nova
A Scanner Darkly Philip K. Dick A Scanner Darkly
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Philip K. Dick Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said Philip K. Dick Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said
The Man in the High Castle Philip K. Dick The Man in the High Castle
Ubik Philip K. Dick Ubik
Hieroglyph Ed Finn, Kathryn Cramer Hieroglyph
The Machine Stops E. M. Forster The Machine Stops
When H.A.R.L.I.E. Was One David Gerrold When H.A.R.L.I.E. Was One
Solaris Stanislaw Lem Solaris
River of Gods Ian McDonald River of Gods
Embassytown China Mieville Embassytown
The City & the City China Mieville The City & the City
Inverted Frontier series Linda Nagata Inverted Frontier series
Ringworld Larry Niven Ringworld
Terra Ignota Series Ada Palmer Terra Ignota Series
Waste Tide Chen Qiufan Waste Tide
The Inhibitor Trilogy in the Revelation Space Universe Alastair Reynolds The Inhibitor Trilogy in the Revelation Space Universe
2312 Kim Stanley Robinson 2312
Southern Reach Trilogy Jeff VanderMeer Southern Reach Trilogy
Around the World in Eighty Days Jules Verne Around the World in Eighty Days
Journey to the Center of the Earth Jules Verne Journey to the Center of the Earth
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Jules Verne Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Cat's Cradle Kurt Vonnegut Cat's Cradle
Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut Slaughterhouse-Five
The Invisible Man H. G. Wells The Invisible Man
The Island of Doctor Moreau H. G. Wells The Island of Doctor Moreau
The Time Machine H. G. Wells The Time Machine
The War of the Worlds H. G. Wells The War of the Worlds
The Book of the Long Sun series Gene Wolfe The Book of the Long Sun series
The Book of the New Sun series Gene Wolfe The Book of the New Sun series
Lord of Light Roger Zelazny Lord of Light
This Immortal Roger Zelazny This Immortal

All book cover images are from Goodreads unless specified otherwise.