Science fiction Russian authors are non-professionals. The most famous science fiction writers

Science fiction is a genre in literature, the basis of which is the presence in the work of an idea or factor that is impossible in the real world. The multitude of often completely different genres and subgenres, in which everyone will find something for themselves, provides science fiction with a wide range of readers. It is precisely this great diversity that makes it extremely difficult to choose the most outstanding among such a number of famous authors.
This list includes: Isaac Asimov, H.G. Wells, Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, Dan Simmons, JK Rowling, George Orwell and Aldous Huxley.

The tenth position on the list is occupied by Herbert Wells, who earlier than physicists added the fourth dimension to the three-dimensional structure of the world - time, described a war with the use of chemical warfare agents long before real historical events, and described in general terms the principle of operation of the atomic bomb. Many of his ideas were adopted by subsequent generations of authors (anti-gravity, war with hostile aliens, invisibility) and had a significant impact on the appearance of science fiction as a whole.

In ninth place is the author of the term “robot” and the creator of the three laws of robotics, Isaac Asimov. It is also worth noting that in his works, Asimov did everything possible to rehabilitate artificially created creatures, in particular robots, before public opinion, since before him, artificial intelligence in science fiction works usually acted as a monster that is trying to destroy humanity. In many works by other writers written after the Round Dance, robots sometimes and without mentioning the three laws of robotics often obey similar rules.

Number eight on the list, by way of exception, is occupied by two writers at once - George Orwell and Aldous Huxley. Despite the directly diametrically opposed dystopian worlds, both authors in their most famous books talked about the same thing - about how ugly state systems look for the world we are used to, in which a consumer society or a rigid totalitarian system will be taken to the extreme.

The writer, who foresaw the emergence of many such devices familiar to us and populated the red planet with aborigines and earthling colonists in his novel, which stretched over several dozen books, takes seventh place in the rating. Headphones - “Shells” already exist, plasma panels can be seen in the television wall, and television shows are becoming more and more like what Guy Montag’s wife watched in the well-known novel “Fahrenheit 451”, completely disconnected from reality.

The American writer, nicknamed “The King of Horror,” who breathed a second wind into the horror genre, occupies sixth position in the ranking. King’s work is also interesting because on the pages of some of his books one can see in some way a reflection of the author’s struggle with drug and alcohol addiction, and in this struggle he succeeds - the novel “Necessary Things” was written by a mind already free from drug or alcohol intoxication.

5. Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

Recognized classics of modern science fiction Arkady Natanovich and Boris Natanovich Strugatsky occupy the fifth position on the list. A distinctive feature of their work is that most of their characters from the worlds of the future have the features of our contemporaries, and not the overly idealized behavior of utopian works or the base-animal aspirations of cyberpunk novels.

Many books by the Strugatskys were filmed with varying degrees of success, and many of the stories served as the basis for the creation of video games. The world of one of the most successful Ukrainian-made first-person shooters – the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. although not officially connected in any way with the work of these two science fiction writers, many components are clearly drawn from the novel “Roadside Picnic” and the story “The Forgotten Experiment.”

A distinctive feature of the author is the ability to write equally interesting and exciting in almost completely different genres. This can be seen in the example of the tetralogy “The Songs of Hyperion”, where narratives that are completely different in style harmoniously complement each other and gradually shed light on the motives of the characters’ actions. Each of the six stories told by pilgrims on the way to the Tombs of Time can well be considered an independent work.

In third place in the ranking is a British writer who has a huge influence on the younger generation of science fiction readers, the influence of JK Rowling’s work on interest in reading science fiction works and attracting attention to literature in general. The popularity of her series of Harry Potter novels among children and adults, as well as the sums collected by the film adaptations of books and the publishing of video games based on the seven novels in the series, make it possible not to pay much attention to some clearly insufficiently thought-out aspects of the world of wizards. The commercial success of the novels is simply incredible - eleven million copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows were sold in just 24 hours, making it the fastest-selling book in history.

The second position in the list is awarded to one of the most famous science fiction writers, whose work predetermined the direction of development of the genre for decades to come and had a huge influence on the work of subsequent generations of science fiction writers - Robert Anson Heinlein.

The pages of his books touch on many current philosophical and social topics: individualism, libertarianism, the responsibility of man to society and society to man, the imperfection of political and social systems, the role of science, religion and family in the life of an individual and humanity as a whole, the reasons for the formation and development of dictatorships and many others. Every reader will be able to find something for himself in Heinlein’s work, because the works he created can vary greatly, depending on the period of the writer’s work.

The creator of the fictional world of Arda, John Tolkien, takes a well-deserved first place. It is difficult to name another fantasy world that could compete with Middle-earth in popularity and appeal to the widest circle of admirers. Based on Tolkien’s books, ideas, and artificial languages, a subculture that is quite popular in our time has developed. Perhaps no other science fiction writer has so many devoted followers and admirers.

Science fiction is books about imaginary worlds. This genre forces writers and readers to look beyond their own universe and most often deals with issues of morality, war, or family values.

The best science fiction also provides insight into the consequences of innovation, demonstrating the endless possibilities of what can happen when we push the boundaries of science. We bring to your attention a list of the best such books from the Reddit site. Do you agree with the opinions of site users? You can leave your answers in the comments.

Rise from the dust

The novel Rise from the Ashes describes a fairly simple idea: what would happen if everyone who ever lived on Earth was resurrected? Farmer's masterpiece, the opening of the River World series, chronicles the interactions and adventures of both fictional characters and major historical figures.

Torture master

"The Torture Master" is the first novel in Wolfe's "Book of the New Sun" series, telling the story of Severyan, an apprentice of the Executioners' Guild. Severyan is sent into exile for the betrayal he committed when he helped his beloved woman commit suicide. Thus begins his journey, during which he seeks answers to questions about reality and common sense.

Anathem

Author - Neal Stephenson

Stevenson's novel Anathem is about a society that herds intellectuals into monasteries to focus solely on research in the name of science. However, the boundaries between monasteries and secular society are gradually blurring during an unforeseen crisis that can affect everyone.

Space Apocalypse

When wealthy archaeologist and scientist Dan Sylveste discovers in the year 2251 that an ancient civilization on the planet Resurgem has been mysteriously destroyed, he fears that humanity will suffer the same fate.

In Space Apocalypse, there are several parallel narrative threads, some taking place years or even decades before others.

Left hand of darkness

Considered one of the first major novels of so-called women's science fiction, The Left Hand of Darkness follows a man's attempts to convince a race of genderless aliens to join an intergalactic alliance.

Le Guin's depiction of the Gethenians and their perpetually cold planet Gethen, which means "Winter," is a view of the world devoid of ordinary human duality.

I am a robot

Perhaps fans of Will Smith will be interested in learning about the original source: it was Asimov who wrote ten short stories about the futuristic relationship between robots and people.

The central place in the novel “I, Robot” is occupied by the three laws of robotics formulated by Asimov - a set of rules for ensuring safety in his fictional reality, which the writer repeatedly uses in his other novels.

Sirens of Titan

Vonnegut's most famous work may be Slaughterhouse-Five, but a close second would be The Sirens of Titan: There is an alien on Titan who, by chance, makes decisions about all events on planet Earth, from war to the establishment of moral principles, and becoming, in the end, almost the purpose of human existence.

Contact

Years after his appearance on America's television screens on the PBS program Cosmos, Sagan published Contact, a novel in which Earth receives several messages from extraterrestrial beings.

Many of the messages are written in the international language of mathematics, allowing humans to communicate and ultimately interact with alien life.

Red Mars

In the first novel from the “Mars” series, humanity is just beginning to explore the Red Planet - Mars is subject to terraforming for subsequent colonization.

The entire trilogy covers a period of several centuries. The focus is on several dozen deeply developed characters. The book attempts to answer questions about the scientific, sociological and possibly ethical implications of human exploration of Mars.

Pandora's Star

In a world where hundreds of planets are connected by a series of wormholes, astronomer Dudley Bowes discovers the disappearance of a pair of stars thousands of light years from Earth. Research into this phenomenon is beginning.

The book also describes certain “guardians of individuality” - a cult that sabotaged Bowes’ mission and manipulated an entity called Starflyer.

Midge in the apple of the Lord

In the year 3016, the Second Empire of Man covers hundreds of star systems. This became possible thanks to the invention of the Alderson Drive technology, which allows one to overcome gigantic distances at speeds exceeding the speed of light. So far, humanity has never encountered a race of other intelligent beings.

And suddenly an alien race was discovered near the distant star Mot. People welcome the so-called Moties, but the Moties hide a dark secret that has haunted their civilization for millions of years.

Leibowitz Passion

600 years have passed since the nuclear disaster. A monk from the Order of St. Leibowitz discovers the technology of the great saint, which could be the key to the salvation of humanity - the abandonment of bomb shelters and the basis for the atomic bomb.

The book tells how humanity emerges again from the Dark Ages, but then again faces the horrors of nuclear war.

kurtosis

Two millennia ago, a black star called Excession mysteriously appeared on the edge of space. The star was older than the universe and mysteriously disappeared.

Now she has returned, and diplomat Bir Genar-Hofen must uncover the mystery of the lost sun while his race is at war with a dangerous alien civilization.

Starship Troopers

Author - Robert Heinlein

Starship Troopers follows Juan Rico as he decides to join Earth's military to fight an alien enemy. The book talks about the rigorous training of soldiers in a military camp, as well as the psychological state of conscripts and fleet commanders.

One of the first great science fiction novels, Starship Troopers inspired many other writers to write military science fiction novels. For example, Heinlein's motifs can be seen in Joe Haldeman's novel Infinity War.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Author - Philip K Dick

Based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The cult film “Blade Runner” was shot. In 2021, after millions of people died during the world war, entire species of living beings were doomed to extinction. So all that's left is to create artificial copies of endangered species: horses, birds, cats, sheep... and humans.

Androids are so natural that they are almost impossible to distinguish from real people. But bounty hunter Rich Deckards is trying to do just that - hunt down the androids and then kill them.

Ring World

Ringworld is the story of a 200-year-old man, Louis Wu, who sets out on an expedition to explore an unfamiliar world with his 20-year-old colleague Teela Brown and two aliens.

The book tells about their adventures in the Ring World - a huge mysterious artifact about 966 million km long, orbiting a star, about how people try to uncover the secrets of this world - and escape.

2001: A Space Odyssey

Author - Arthur Clarke

The best scientists on Earth are collaborating in research with the ultra-modern computer “HAL 9000”, but the machine, made in the image and likeness of the human brain, turns out to be capable of guilt, neurosis... and even murder.

Endless War

Written by a Vietnam War veteran as an allegory for the Vietnam War, Infinity War tells the story of soldier William Mandella, who is forced to join the army and leave Earth to fight the mysterious alien race of the Thorans.

But due to time distortions, the soldiers’ journey takes ten subjective years, while on Earth it takes as many as 700 years. And Mandella ends up returning to a completely different planet.

Avalanche

Hiro the Protagonist may seem like just a pizza delivery guy in a futuristic Los Angeles, but in the Metaverse he is a renowned hacker and samurai warrior.

When a new drug known as Avalanche begins killing his hacker friends in the Metaverse, Hiro must figure out where the dangerous drug came from.

Neuromancer

Case, a former hacker and cyber thief, has lost the ability to enter cyberspace. But one day his abilities return to him as a result of a miraculous coincidence. He is hired by a mysterious man named Armitage, but as the mission progresses, Case discovers that someone - or something - continues to pull the strings.

Neuromancer was the first novel to win three major science fiction awards: the Hugo, the Nebula, and the Philip K. Dick Award.

Hyperion

The Hugo Award-winning novel is the first book in a series about seven travelers who travel to an alien planet to find a mysterious monster called the Shrike and save humanity from certain destruction.

There are rumors that if you stay alive after meeting the Shrike, one wish will be granted. The galaxy is on the eve of war and Armageddon, and the seven pilgrims are humanity's last hope.

Base

Foundation is set in a future so far in the future that humans have forgotten Earth and now live throughout the galaxy.

Everything seems to be fine, but scientist Harry Seldon predicts that the Empire is about to collapse, and humanity will roll back about 30 thousand years ago, into new dark ages. He comes up with a scheme to store knowledge of the human race in an encyclopedia to once again create an empire.
over a number of generations.

Ender `s game

Andrew "Ender" Wiggin believes he was chosen to train to fight an alien race. He is trained to manage a fleet using a computer game that simulates military operations. In fact, this boy is the military genius of the Earth, and it is he who will have to fight the “bugs”.

In the first book of the Ender's Game series, Ender is only six years old, and we can learn about his early years of education.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

In the first book of the series, Arthur Dent learns from his friend Ford Prefect, a secret employee of the company that produces the interstellar guide to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, that the Earth is about to be destroyed.

The friends escape on an alien spaceship, and the book chronicles their strange journeys across the universe. The novel is also filled with quotes from the guidebook itself, for example, “A towel is perhaps the most valuable thing for a hitchhiker.”

Dune

No list like this would be complete without mentioning Frank Herbert's Dune, which is essentially to science fiction what The Lord of the Rings is to fantasy.

Herbert created a story about the politics, history, religion and ecological systems of a feudal interstellar empire. Trapped on the desert planet Arrakis, Paul Atreides turns into a mysterious religious figure - Muad'Dib. He intends to avenge the murder of his father, for which he unleashes a revolution, during which he ascends to the imperial throne.

451 degrees Fahrenheit

The dystopian novel tells the story of the life of a fireman whose goal is not to put out fires, but to start them. Guy Montag stands guard over the creation of an ideal world without reading matter, where, in the opinion of the state, unnecessary contradictory information for modern man is written.

Burning books for evening reading, religious textbooks, and textbooks turns into a kind of cleansing ritual. A man found behind a book is deprived of his own home by a stream of flame. Deprived of emotions, feelings and experiences, the population of this world rushes home to an interactive TV broadcasting empty TV programs. These people see the point only in buying another unnecessary thing.

The main character, as the story develops, meets more and more people who resort to various methods of confronting power. Gradually, Guy Montag himself begins to collect the surviving precious books.

1984

The Ministry of Truth is one of the main supervisory bodies that manages book publishing. Here workers carefully work on falsification and distortion of real events. Newspapers only write what people would like to read. The main emphasis is on correcting propaganda articles. Even children slander their own parents due to ideological inconsistency.

The protagonist of the novel, Winston Smith, is engaged in juggling historical facts, rewriting old news, and correcting literature according to the current course. Now it is impossible to dispute that at some points in history things were somehow different - there is no evidence. Wintson himself only pretends to be a supporter of the Party, but deep down in his heart he hates and is skeptical about everything.

The main character begins to keep a diary in which he expresses all his emotions, despite the fact that this could lead to hard labor or even death. Winston soon realizes that he is not the only employee in the ministry whose views oppose the current government, and who is also accustomed to wearing the mask of a respectable citizen, satisfied with his position.

11/22/63

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy is the most high-profile, mysterious and controversial event of the last century. It is still not known for certain who had a hand in this tragedy, and there are only theories that have remained unproven.

The author of the book offers his version of what happened and takes English teacher Jacob Epping on a journey into the world. The main character has a difficult mission - rescuing the 35th President of the United States of America.

Al Templeton insists on meeting with Jake, in which he shares information about a hidden time portal in the underground room. Al invites the main character to complete this matter, since he himself is dying. There are several limitations to being a time traveler. The main condition remains that, regardless of being in the past, a couple of minutes pass in the present.

The protagonist of the novel receives as an “inheritance” an armful of money from that time, false documents, as well as winning bookmaker bets. Jacob needs to find out who was really behind the Kennedy assassination and how it was all set up.

Currently, so many science fiction books have been written that it is impossible to read them all in one human lifetime. Even if you devote all your time to this, a person still lives too short to master the entire cumulative volume of such works.

Due to the large selection, avid readers often dig through the literary “garbage” and cannot choose a worthy thing to read. Meanwhile, at the moment, not just a lot of science fiction books have been written, but a lot of good, simply excellent science fiction books. Some of them became not only recognized masterpieces in their genre, but also influenced the development of literature as a whole.

American science fiction writers of the 20th century were at the origins of the genre. Along with their British colleagues, they practically created science fiction, made it mass and super popular. Some of them were included in the list of “masters of science fiction.” And if you count yourself among the fans of reading in general and the genre we are considering in particular, then be sure to get acquainted with these writers and their best works.

Dan Simmons

Dan Simmons (date of birth - 04/04/1948) is a modern American science fiction writer who does not give preference to any one literary direction. From his pen came books in the genres of fantasy, classic science fiction, horror, thriller, historical novel and action-packed detective story. But first of all, Dan Simmons is known as the author of one of the best space operas - the tetralogy “The Song of Hyperion”.

Here are his most significant works:

"Songs of Hyperion":

"Hyperion" (1989).
"The Fall of Hyperion" (1990).
"Endymion" (1996).
"Endymion Rising" (1997).

Also included in this cycle is the short story “The Orphans of the Spiral,” published in 1990.

“Darwin's Razor” (2000) is an action-packed detective story, flavored with a fair amount of black humor. A book about the confrontation between a famous car accident expert and the Russian mafia.

“Terror” (2007) - in this work two genres are organically intertwined - a historical novel and a mystical thriller with elements of horror. The plot was based on a true story about the tragic expedition of the ships "Terror" and "Erebos", but the author added to the plot, in addition to the quite plausible struggle of the crew with the Arctic cold and lack of food, also an attack on people by a huge monster. In March 2018, the series based on the novel “The Terror” began airing.

Trilogy "Night":

"Summer of Night" (1991).
"Children of the Night" (1992).
"Winter Ghosts" (2002).

The first and third books are connected by plot and common characters. All works belong to the horror genre.

Octavia Butler

This writer has become an iconic figure in African-American culture. Her work is a wonderful blend of science fiction, historical fiction, African American literature, and feminist ideas. She is one of the few female science fiction writers who have received worldwide recognition. Octavia Butler (06/22/1947 - 02/24/2006) is the winner of many awards, including two Hugos and two Nebulas. Her debut novel became the most famous and recognized of all works - this is "Kin" (1979). It's about a black woman who, while rescuing a white man, travels back in time and has to learn first-hand what it's like to be a slave. Interestingly, the book was rejected several times due to the fact that it raised a topic that was usually hushed up. But today this work is included in the compulsory reading program in almost all US colleges.

Here are some more of Octavia Butler's best works:

1. “Fledgling” (2005).

2. Cycle “Xenogenesis”:

"Dawn" (1987).
“Rituals of Adulthood (1988).
"Imago" (1989).

3. Cycle “Parables”:

"Parable of the Sower" (1993).
"The Parable of the Talents" (1998).

Octavia Butler also wrote five works, united under the name Patternist.

If we remember all the masters of science fiction, we cannot fail to mention Kurt Vonnegut. "Cat's Cradle" is the author's most famous novel, which brought him worldwide popularity. The plot of the work is based on the fact that scientists managed to invent a new, previously unknown substance - ice 9. Just one crystal of modified water turns an entire reservoir into a block of ice, and any leak threatens to turn into a global catastrophe.

The writer’s work organically combines science fiction with elements of the grotesque and parable. Vonnegut considered himself a humanist and therefore, in many of his works, he touched on the theme of the responsibility of the world of science for the latest discoveries and their impact on the planet.

In addition to Cat's Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut (11.11.1922-11.04.2007) wrote many novels and short stories, among which the following can be highlighted:

"Sirens of Titan" (1959).
“Mechanical Piano” (1952) - in Russian translation “Utopia”.
“Slaughterhouse No. 5” (1969) is the author’s second most important novel, which reflects his military background.
“Time Crash” (1997) is a work that left a noticeable mark on American literature.

The books of Isaac Asimov occupy an honorable place in the golden fund of world literature. “I, Robot” (1950), “Bicentennial Man (1957), “Robots of the Dawn” are not just stories and novels, they are the best examples of socio-fiction prose. They have long been considered cult, and hundreds of other writers use such concepts as “laws of robotics” and “Asimov’s robots.”

The books of Isaac Asimov (01/02/1920-04/06/1992) do not immediately drag you in - the narrative is leisurely, detailed, and the reader is gradually immersed completely in the book. But after the “buildup” a complete merger occurs.

In addition to the novels mentioned, Isaac Asimov's books are definitely worth reading:

"Foundation" (1951) or "Academy" is an unfinished series of novels that other science fiction authors continued to write.
A series of fantasy detective novels and stories about police officer Elijah Bailey and the humanoid robot Daniel Olivo (this also includes "Robots of the Dawn").
"The Gods Themselves" (1972).

Asimov's most notable contribution to world literature is his understanding of the problem of confrontation between artificial intelligence and man. Some scientists predict that the conclusions drawn by the author will help avoid many mistakes in the future.

Stephen King

It is difficult to find a more famous, popular, read and filmed American science fiction writer than Stephen King. Some critics rate his literary talent rather low, considering him the author of second-rate horror novels. Not bad, but not significant for literature as a whole.

However, it cannot be denied that Stephen King is number one on the list of American science fiction writers today. He became a phenomenon in the writing world. Stephen King is super popular and very prolific, so he delights fans with new releases every year. And his novels are distinguished by their detailed character development, so that the reader perceives them as living people. And although the books contain many unpleasant “physiological” details, they are quite forgivable.

Stephen King is the winner of many literary awards (“Stoker's Burmese”, “World Fantasy Award”, “For Contribution to World Science Fiction”, etc.). Among his works the best are considered:

The Dark Tower series (1982-2012) - eight novels connected by a single plot. A cult item, an object of veneration for many fans around the world. References to this work are found in many of the author’s novels. Filmed, but extremely unsuccessfully.
"The Shining" (1977). A novel about an ancient hotel with bloodthirsty ghosts, in which the caretaker’s family, cut off from the rest of the world, winters. The work has been filmed several times.
“It” (1985) - a two-volume book about a scary clown monster who kills children. Filmed twice.
Dreamcatcher (2001) is a science fiction novel about an alien invasion.
"The Green Mile" (1996).
"Under the Dome" (2009).
"The Stand" (1978) - A superflu virus has nearly wiped out the human race, and a handful of survivors must fight back against the forces of evil.

In addition to novels, the writer wrote many short stories and published several collections of his own.

Clifford Simak

Clifford Simak is the greatest American science fiction writer. A distinctive feature of his works is his belief in reason, in the good nature of people or non-humans, a call for the unification of humanity and cooperation between all intelligent beings. His best works are considered:

“The City” (1953) - intelligent dogs and robots live on the earth of the future. Only ancient legends remain about people. The writer received the International Science Fiction Prize for this novel.
“Photos of the Battle of Marathon” is the author’s collection of stories.
“Live by Supreme Grace” - the novel describes the games of the supermind to create a better civilization by selecting candidates from different times and worlds.
"Goblin Sanctuary" is an amazing mixture of fantasy and science fiction, in which there was a place for ghosts, Neanderthals, space travel and a mysterious artifact.
“What could be simpler than time” (1961) - in the future, a person can only send his mind to other planets. But one of the travelers returned changed.

Robert Heinlein is one of the most famous American science fiction writers, who largely determined the “face” of modern science fiction. He was repeatedly awarded the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards. And he is the only author who has received the Hugo Award 5 times for novels and twice more for other literary works.

The best books by Robert Hanlein:

The series “The World as a Myth” is a tetralogy about multiverses.
Starship Troopers (1959) is a parody novel about a militarized society. Moreover, the parody is so subtle that it was not immediately recognized, and for quite a long time the author was accused of promoting ideas about a “police state.”
"Stepchildren of the Universe" (1963).
“Tunnel in the Sky” (1955) is a work about cadets stuck on an alien planet with no way to return home.
"Double Star" (1956).
"Time Enough for Love (1973).

Robert Sheckley is a maestro of small form in fantasy literature. From his pen came several hundred original stories that surprise not only with unexpected plot twists, but also with an abyss of black humor and satire. Reading at least a few of them is the primary task of any science fiction fan. They can be found in one of 13 author's collections.

But besides short stories, Robert Sheckley also wrote several novels. The most famous among them are: Immortality, Inc. (1958) and Mind Swap (1965).

Philip K. Dick

Philip K. Dick (12/16/1928-03/02/1982) is an American science fiction writer, whose books gained much greater popularity only after the death of the writer. This happened largely thanks to the cult film “Blade Runner” (a sequel to the film has already been released). The film is based on the author’s novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” (1968). In addition to him, Philip K. Dick is a must-read:

Transmigration (1981).
"A Scanner Darkly" (1977).
“Let Your Tears Fall” (1970).
"Doctor Death, or How We Lived After the Bomb" (1963).

Frank Herbert

(08.11.1920-11.02.1986) wrote many books. But they know and love him primarily for “The Dune Chronicles” - a collection of six original books that combine a science fiction plot and many philosophical ideas.

He died before finishing his story. But his son Brian Herbert, as a co-author, completed the cycle, writing two more novels. The basis was the writer's drafts.

In addition, The Chronicles of Dune spawned about two dozen sequels from different authors.

William Gibson

(date of birth - 03/17/1948) - famous American science fiction writer. His popularity was brought to him by the book “Neuromancer” (1984), which at that time became a revelation in the world of literature and opened the genre of cyberpunk to readers. Many of the author’s works describe the influence of computers on human life. Despite the fact that the era of computerization was just emerging, William Gibson was already operating with such concepts as “cyberspace”, “virtual reality” and “hackers”. The best novels by the author:

Cyberspace is a trilogy that includes Neuromancer.
"The Bridge Trilogy" (1993-1999).
"Bigend Trilogy" (2003-2010).

Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury is a science fiction writer who is especially loved in our country. It is customary to associate him with science fiction, although the writer wrote many poems, plays and fairy tales. The author's most famous work is the story "Fahrenheit 451". This is a dystopia in which the author showed a world without books, without spirituality, without individuality - and therefore the reader is not at all surprised by the natural outcome.

Also, Ray Bradbury (02/22/1920-06/05/2012) is a must-read:

“The Martian Chronicles” (1950) - a series of stories about the colonization of the red planet.
“Dandelion Wine” (1957) is a story with autobiographical elements.
“The Illustrated Man” (1951) is the author’s collection of 18 stories.
"Trouble Is Coming" (1962). You can also find the title “Something terrible is coming.”
“And There Came Thunder” (1952) is a work about a hunter who, going on a safari into the past, accidentally kills a butterfly, thereby changing the present.

Harry Harrison

Harry Harrison (03/12/1925-08/15/2012) is considered one of the great American science fiction writers based on the totality of his merits. He is not so famous, although his works are popular all over the world. Not as famous as Stephen King or Ray Bradbury. But at the same time, Harry Harrison wrote what can be called classic science fiction. Moreover, all works are written with a fair amount of humor.

The writer wrote about two hundred stories and 35 novels, the best of which are:

The Steel Rat series (1985-2010) - 11 novels about the adventures of the best thief and swindler in the Galaxy.
The Bill - Hero of the Galaxy series (1965-1992) - eight satirical novels and a story about how to become an excellent soldier.
“World of Death” series (1960-2001) - 9 works, some of them written in collaboration with other writers.

Alan Dean Foster

Alan Dean Foster is that rare science fiction writer who writes in different genres, and at the same time you can read absolutely all his works. There are no weak things, but if you choose the best of the best, then it’s worth reading:

The Adventures of Flinx series (1983 -2017). In Russia there are only the first six books; the remaining nine have not been translated or published.
"The Wizard with the Guitar" (1983-2004) - nine novels that are one of the best fantasy sagas. All books in this series are read in one sitting.
The series “Chelanxian Federation” - 15 works, half of them have been translated into Russian.

Books by American science fiction writers from this list are known and loved all over the world. And although many of the authors mentioned have already written their last books, they are remembered for their works.

Science fiction is books about imaginary worlds. This genre forces writers and readers to look beyond their own universe and most often deals with issues of morality, war, or family values.

1. Rise from the dust

2. Torture master

3. Anathem

4. Space Apocalypse

In Space Apocalypse, there are several parallel narrative threads, some taking place years or even decades before others.

5. Left hand of darkness

Le Guin's depiction of the Gethenians and their perpetually cold planet Gethen, which means "Winter," is a view of the world devoid of ordinary human duality.

6. I, robot

Perhaps fans of Will Smith will be interested in learning about the original source: it was Asimov who wrote ten short stories about the futuristic relationship between robots and people.

7. Sirens of Titan

8. Contact

Years after his appearance on America's television screens on the PBS program Cosmos, Sagan published Contact, a novel in which Earth receives several messages from extraterrestrial beings.

Many of the messages are written in the international language of mathematics, allowing humans to communicate and ultimately interact with alien life.

9. Red Mars

In the first novel from the “Mars” series, humanity is just beginning to explore the Red Planet - Mars is subject to terraforming for subsequent colonization.

10. Pandora's Star

The book also describes certain “guardians of individuality” - a cult that sabotaged Bowes’ mission and manipulated an entity called Starflyer.

11. Midge in the apple of the Lord

And suddenly an alien race was discovered near the distant star Mot. People welcome the so-called Moties, but the Moties hide a dark secret that has haunted their civilization for millions of years.

12. Passion according to Leibovitz

The book tells how humanity emerges again from the Dark Ages, but then again faces the horrors of nuclear war.

13. Excession

Two millennia ago, a black star called Excession mysteriously appeared on the edge of space. The star was older than the universe and mysteriously disappeared.

Now she has returned, and diplomat Bir Genar-Hofen must uncover the mystery of the lost sun while his race is at war with a dangerous alien civilization.

14. Starship Troopers

15. Do androids dream of electric sheep?

Androids are so natural that they are almost impossible to distinguish from real people. But bounty hunter Rich Deckards is trying to do just that - hunt down the androids and then kill them.

16. Ring World

Ringworld is the story of a 200-year-old man, Louis Wu, who sets out on an expedition to explore an unfamiliar world with his 20-year-old colleague Teela Brown and two aliens.

17. 2001: A Space Odyssey

18. Endless War

But due to time distortions, the soldiers’ journey takes ten subjective years, while on Earth it takes as many as 700 years. And Mandella ends up returning to a completely different planet.

19. Avalanche

Hiro the Protagonist may seem like just a pizza delivery guy in a futuristic Los Angeles, but in the Metaverse he is a renowned hacker and samurai warrior.

When a new drug known as Avalanche begins killing his hacker friends in the Metaverse, Hiro must figure out where the dangerous drug came from.

20. Neuromancer

Neuromancer was the first novel to win three major science fiction awards: the Hugo, the Nebula, and the Philip K. Dick Award.

21. Hyperion

There are rumors that if you stay alive after meeting the Shrike, one wish will be granted. The galaxy is on the eve of war and Armageddon, and the seven pilgrims are humanity's last hope.

22. Base

Foundation is set in a future so far in the future that humans have forgotten Earth and now live throughout the galaxy.

23. Ender's Game

In the first book of the Ender's Game series, Ender is only six years old, and we can learn about his early years of education.

24. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

25. Dune

No list like this would be complete without mentioning Frank Herbert's Dune, which is essentially to science fiction what The Lord of the Rings is to fantasy.

Of course, not only science fiction, but literature in general. He is distinguished by deep psychologism and poignancy.

Ray Bradbury is best known for his dark and philosophical series of stories “The Martian Chronicles”, as well as the post-apocalyptic story “Fahrenheit 451”.

Isaac Asimov

Clifford Simak

Clifford Simak is one of the founders of modern American science fiction. Author of such iconic works as “The City”, “A Ring Around the Sun”, “The Goblin Sanctuary”, “The Werewolf Principle”.

Stanislav Lem

Stanislaw Lem is a Polish science fiction writer, futurist and philosopher. Lemme's books have been translated into more than 40 languages. There are many film adaptations of his works, among which the most famous is the brilliant “Solaris” by Andrei Tarkovsky.

Robert Heinlein

Robert Anson Heinlein is the only writer to receive as many as five Hugo Awards and a multiple Nebula winner. Heinlein is the author of the cult “Stranger in a Stranger”, as well as the excellent “teenage series”, which set the standards for science fiction (“Star Beast”, “Martian Podkein”, “If there is a spacesuit, there will be travel” and others).

Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

The brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky are iconic Soviet brothers who worked mainly in tandem (although each of them also published independent stories), who became classics of modern science fiction not only in Russia, but throughout the world. However, the depth and philosophy of their best works (“Roadside Picnic”, “Snail on the Slope”, “Lame Fate”, “Doomed City” and others) go far beyond the scope of fantasy as a genre.

Kir Bulychev

Kir Bulychev is an author, known primarily as the author of a children's and teenage fantasy series about the adventures of a girl from the future, Alisa Selezneva ("One Hundred Years Ahead", "The Girl from the Earth" and others). However, Bulychev also has other works that are distinguished by their invariably easy language and excellent sense of humor - for example, the cycle of stories “The Martian Potion” about the inhabitants of the fictional city of the great Guslyar.

Sergei Lukyanenko

Lukyanenko’s best works include his early works - “Knights of the Forty Islands”, “The Boy and the Darkness”.

Sergei Lukyanenko is perhaps the most famous today