science fiction space travel

100 COOL SCI-FI & SPACE MOVIES

1. Dune: Part One

2. Annihilation

4. The Martian

5. Edge of Tomorrow

6. Ex Machina

7. Guardians of the Galaxy

8. Interstellar

10. Europa Report

11. Gravity

12. Oblivion

13. The Machine

14. Chronicle

16. Men in Black³

17. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

18. Source Code

19. Inception

20. Tron: Legacy

21. District 9

23. Mr. Nobody

24. Pandorum

25. Star Trek

More to explore, recently viewed.

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Ftl: the 10 best versions of space travel in sci-fi movies & shows, ranked.

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As avid viewers of science-fiction films and television series, the fictional practice of space travel fascinates us. Seeing how different sci-fi universes handle faster-than-light travel is endlessly entertaining.

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What is so great about this particular aspect of sci-fi is how different franchises will handle it. They'll call FTL travel by different names, use varying pieces of technology to utilize it, and be totally unique in how they make it appear. For today, we're going to go over the best sci-fi methods of FTL travel. Read on if you want to find out which movies and series handled it the best.

Gravity Drive/Artificial Black Hole - Event Horizon

Younger viewers might not recall the film  Event Horizon . It was a thrilling sci-fi romp that involved demonic horrors leaking onto a ship thanks to some FTL travel gone wrong. The ship is using an experimental gravity drive meant to reduce the time it takes to travel through space by creating an artificial black hole for portal purposes. Unfortunately for the crew of the ship, this little hole in space-time leads directly to hell. And we mean that quite literally. This mode of FTL travel gets bonus points for being directly involved in the film's plot complications.

Boom Tube/Mother Box - Justice League

Call it what you will, this device is just one of those insane FTL inventions made to masquerade as teleportation. A Boom Tube is used to create openings across space and time that people, vehicles, and armies can use to traverse great distances.

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And by great distances, we mean the space between universes. DC Comics struck gold with this idea because how else were the denizens of Apokolips and New Genesis supposed to terrorize Earth? Boom Tube technology featured heavily in the DC film  Justice League , and if the film gets a sequel, you can bet it will involve more Mother Boxes.

FTL Jumps - Battlestar Galactica

Though  Battlestar Galactica didn't have a snazzy name for their faster-than-light travel (they just called them "FTL jumps," really), this mode of transportation boosted itself up on this list thanks to the random chance it uses. For those of you who haven't seen the hit sci-fi show, just know that luck has more to do with "jumps" than coordinates. And for those of you who have seen the show, we will never listen to the song "All Along the Watchtower" in the same way ever again.

Shock - Dead Space

Granted,  Dead Space started as a video game, but it has an animated film, too, so we thought we'd include it here anyways. Plus, its FTL travel is delightfully named. In  Dead Space , space ships travel using ShockPoint drives. This means that when a ship is about to travel faster than the speed of light, crew members will frequently say, "We're about to shock out."

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That's a colloquial way of stating that the ship is about to enter ShockSpace, which functions as a sort of space that  isn't space. It's like a bubble in space and time. For the simple pleasure of saying "shock out," we had to include  Dead Space's method of FTL travel on this list.

Jumps - Guardians Of The Galaxy

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has its own method of FTL travel, but we wouldn't have included it if it hadn't been for the insane scene in  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 . Yondu, Rocket, Kraglin, and Groot make 700 "jumps" through space-time in order to reach the rest of the team on Ego's planet in time. That many jumps takes a hilarious toll on their bodies, distorting them in funny, bubbly ways. It might be a spot of juvenile humor, but hey, if FTL travel can make you laugh, we count that as a win.

Slipspace - Halo

Like with  Dead Space ,  Halo is primarily a video game, but since it has some live-action features and specials within its franchise, we thought we'd sneak it on here anyway.  Halo's method of FTL travel is called Slipspace.

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Using Shaw-Fujikawa Drives (a fictional drive named after a fictional person in the  Halo universe), space ships will enter Slipspace at one point, and then exit it after having traveled vast distances. Random jumps into Slipspace can be made, but watch out. You could find yourself next to a Halo ring if you try it.

Black Holes - Interstellar

Black holes are terrifying things when you stop to think about it, but in Christopher Nolan's mind-bending film  Interstellar , human astronauts use them to travel faster than the speed of light. Though the movie's black-hole travel is not named anything fancy, it earned a high spot on this list thanks to its unconventional depiction in the film. Plus, the amount of thought that goes into comprehending the differences in time for those in the black hole and those left on Earth is gargantuan. In fact, it's an integral part of the film.

Lightspeed/Hyperspace - Star Wars

No one who thinks of FTL travel in film can help but remember the streaks of stars whizzing past the Millennium Falcon as it made the jump to hyperspace. It is perhaps the most iconic form of FTL travel, especially in terms of visuals. Plus, the colloquial term "lightspeed" just sounds perfect for describing the mode of transportation. No other film has made FTL travel sound so cool and catchy as  Star Wars . Instead of the gut-wrenching terror you would feel if you actually hurtled through space at the speed of light, all you feel is a thrill of excitement.

Warp - Star Trek

While it might attract the ire of  Star Wars fans everywhere,  Star Trek's warp speed had to be higher on the list at the very least because it was made years before the first  Star Wars film. Any Trekkie worth their salt knows the importance of the warp engine to travel on the final frontier. You can't go where no man's gone before traveling on impulse engines alone, right? If you want to have a truly interstellar voyage, you've got to go warp.

Infinite Improbability - The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy

The zaniest, unlikeliest, and, therefore, best mode of FTL travel has to go to  The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy's Infinite Improbability Drive. This strange device of propulsion was made to travel to  every single point in the universe before depositing the lucky ship it was housed in exactly where it wanted to go. This happens in the mere nothing of less than a second. Not much is known as to  how it does this, but, suffice it to say, improbabilities have a lot to do with it. And when it comes to ranking FTL travel in a science-fiction world, the acknowledgement of how improbable the whole venture is makes Infinite Improbability the coolest means of transportation.

NEXT: Top 10 Cutest Sci-Fi Creatures, Ranked

50 Must-Read Books Set In Space

Jenn Northington

Jenn Northington has worked in the publishing industry wearing various hats since 2004, including bookseller and events director, and is currently Director of Editorial Operations at Riot New Media Group. You can hear her on the SFF Yeah! podcast nerding out about sci-fi and fantasy. When she’s not working, she’s most likely gardening, running, or (obviously) reading. Find her on Tumblr at jennIRL and Instagram at iamjennIRL .

View All posts by Jenn Northington

I grew up watching the various Star Trek s and Star Wars ; I saw Apollo 13 in the theaters. Space, that final frontier, has always been one of my favorite frontiers to explore. And there are a ton of writers who apparently just want to make me happy, because there are many, many—seriously, so many!—excellent books set in space just waiting to be read! While there are many great nonfiction books about actual space, I’ve always leaned more towards fictional Spaaaaaaaaaace, if you will. What might be out there? (Aside from The Truth, obviously.) And so my criteria for putting together this list was simple: a work of science fiction or fantasy set at least partly in outer space, or on a planet other than Earth that required space travel to get to. Here are 50 speculative works that play with Spaaaaaaaaaace in all its mystifying, occasionally terrifying, really freaking huge glory, in alphabetical order.

Note: descriptions in quotations are taken from publisher materials.

After the Flare (Nigerians in Space #2) by Deji Olukotun

I know this is #2 in a series—just trust me!

“After a solar flare upended the world order, Kwesi Brackett’s life disintegrated. His wife took up with a millionaire in the heavily armed Silicon territories and his daughter’s university, Yale, relocated to the Caribbean. After being laid off by NASA, Brackett finds himself in Africa, as one of the head engineers for the newly formed Nigerian Space Program. Suddenly, the NSP’s goal of getting astronauts into space is more important than ever. With most of Europe, Asia, and North America knocked off-line, thousands of satellites about to plummet to Earth, and the political minefield that is the rescue of an international group of astronauts trapped on the international station, time is of the essence.

“The deranged and violent militant group Boko Haram is steadily approaching, and the last surviving members of the Fulani tribe, an ancient matriarchal nomadic society, have found refuge in the abandoned caves of the Saon people. Accessible only by sonic vibrations, the sophisticated cave system contains messages from the past in a series of astrolabes, powerful amulets whose destructive force is harnessed by the Fulani tribeswomen.

“Nigeria’s past and present are threatening to collide in a battle over its own future.”

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

This series has Murderbot in its name but do not be fooled. This is cozy, character-driven sci-fi at its finest.

“In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

“But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

“On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid — a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

“But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.”

Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch #1) by Ann Leckie

“On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest. Once, she was the Justice of Toren—a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy. Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.”

Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi

Looking for a queer female lead who is also a woman of color, is a brilliant mechanic, and must deal with a chronic illness while helping save her sister and the crew of the spaceship she’s stowed away on? Please look no further!

“Alana Quick is the best damned sky surgeon in Heliodor City, but repairing starship engines barely pays the bills. When the desperate crew of a cargo vessel stops by her shipyard looking for her spiritually advanced sister Nova, Alana stows away. Maybe her boldness will land her a long-term gig on the crew. But the Tangled Axon proves to be more than star-watching and plasma coils. The chief engineer thinks he’s a wolf. The pilot fades in and out of existence. The captain is all blond hair, boots, and ego…and Alana can’t keep her eyes off her. But there’s little time for romance: Nova’s in danger and someone will do anything—even destroying planets—to get their hands on her.”

Binti (Binti #1) by Nnedi Okorafor

“Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.

“Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti’s stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.

“If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself—but first she has to make it there, alive.”

The Collapsing Empire (The Interdependency #1) by John Scalzi

“Our universe is ruled by physics and faster than light travel is not possible—until the discovery of The Flow, an extra-dimensional field we can access at certain points in space-time that transport us to other worlds, around other stars.

“Humanity flows away from Earth, into space, and in time forgets our home world and creates a new empire, the Interdependency, whose ethos requires that no one human outpost can survive without the others. It’s a hedge against interstellar war—and a system of control for the rulers of the empire.

“The Flow is eternal—but it is not static. Just as a river changes course, The Flow changes as well, cutting off worlds from the rest of humanity. When it’s discovered that The Flow is moving, possibly cutting off all human worlds from faster than light travel forever, three individuals—a scientist, a starship captain and the Empress of the Interdependency—are in a race against time to discover what, if anything, can be salvaged from an interstellar empire on the brink of collapse.”

Consider Phlebas (Culture #1) by Iain Banks

If you’ve never read Iain Banks and enjoy Star Trek , Battlestar Galactica , and/or The Expanse , I cannot recommend highly enough that you start here.

“The war raged across the galaxy. Billions had died, billions more were doomed. Moons, planets, the very stars themselves, faced destruction, cold-blooded, brutal, and worse, random. The Idirans fought for their Faith; the Culture for its moral right to exist. Principles were at stake. There could be no surrender.

“Within the cosmic conflict, an individual crusade. Deep within a fabled labyrinth on a barren world, a Planet of the Dead proscribed to mortals, lay a fugitive Mind. Both the Culture and the Idirans sought it. It was the fate of Horza, the Changer, and his motley crew of unpredictable mercenaries, human and machine, actually to find it, and with it their own destruction.”

Dark Mirror (Star Trek: The Next Generation) by Diane Duane

This was the first (and, if I’m honest, only) Star Trek  franchise novel I’ve read, and Duane has convinced me that I need to read more.

“One hundred years ago, four crew members of the U.S.S. Enterprise crossed the dimensional barrier and found just such an empire. A mirror image of their own universe, populated by nightmare duplicates of their shipmates. Barely able to escape with their lives, they returned thankful that the accident that brought them there could not be duplicated. Or so they thought.

“But now the scientists of that empire have found a doorway into our universe. Thier plan: to destroy from within, to replace one of our starships with one of theirs. Their victims: the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701-D.”

Dawn (Lilith’s Brood #1) by Octavia Butler

“Lilith Iyapo has just lost her husband and son when atomic fire consumes Earth—the last stage of the planet’s final war. Hundreds of years later Lilith awakes, deep in the hold of a massive alien spacecraft piloted by the Oankali—who arrived just in time to save humanity from extinction. They have kept Lilith and other survivors asleep for centuries, as they learned whatever they could about Earth. Now it is time for Lilith to lead them back to her home world, but life among the Oankali on the newly resettled planet will be nothing like it was before.

“The Oankali survive by genetically merging with primitive civilizations—whether their new hosts like it or not. For the first time since the nuclear holocaust, Earth will be inhabited. Grass will grow, animals will run, and people will learn to survive the planet’s untamed wilderness. But their children will not be human. Not exactly.”

Descender, Vol. 1: Tin Stars by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen

Do you love graphic novels AND getting your heart stomped on? Here’s one for you.

“Young Robot boy TIM-21 and his companions struggle to stay alive in a universe where all androids have been outlawed and bounty hunters lurk on every planet. Written by award-winning creator, Jeff Lemire, Descender is a rip-roaring and heart-felt cosmic odyssey. Lemire pits humanity against machine, and world against world, to create a sprawling epic. ”

Dune by Frank Herbert

There’s no way I could skip listing a book that I reread multiple times as a teenager, and that one day I will finally get around to rereading as an adult.

“Set in the far future amidst a sprawling feudal interstellar empire where planetary dynasties are controlled by noble houses that owe an allegiance to the imperial House Corrino, Dune tells the story of young Paul Atreides (the heir apparent to Duke Leto Atreides and heir of House Atreides) as he and his family accept control of the desert planet Arrakis, the only source of the ‘spice’ melange, the most important and valuable substance in the cosmos. The story explores the complex, multi-layered interactions of politics, religion, ecology, technology, and human emotion as the forces of the empire confront each other for control of Arrakis.”

Embassytown by China Mieville

China Mieville’s brain is one of the strangest on the planet, and in this one he’s given us aliens that don’t understand lies—and so much more.

“In the far future, humans have colonized a distant planet, home to the enigmatic Ariekei, sentient beings famed for a language unique in the universe, one that only a few altered human ambassadors can speak.

“Avice Benner Cho, a human colonist, has returned to Embassytown after years of deep-space adventure. She cannot speak the Ariekei tongue, but she is an indelible part of it, having long ago been made a figure of speech, a living simile in their language.

“When distant political machinations deliver a new ambassador to Arieka, the fragile equilibrium between humans and aliens is violently upset. Catastrophe looms, and Avice is torn between competing loyalties—to a husband she no longer loves, to a system she no longer trusts, and to her place in a language she cannot speak yet speaks through her.”

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

I like to pitch this one as “space princess on the run from assassins,” but if you need more here’s the actual description.

“The only surviving heir to an ancient Kalusian dynasty, Rhee has spent her life training to destroy the people who killed her family. Now, on the eve of her coronation, the time has finally come for Rhee to claim her throne—and her revenge.

“Alyosha is a Wraetan who has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. Despite his popularity, Aly struggles with anti-Wraetan prejudices and the pressure of being perfect in the public eye.

“Their paths collide with one brutal act of violence: Rhee is attacked, barely escaping with her life. Aly is blamed for her presumed murder.

“The princess and her accused killer are forced to go into hiding—even as a war between planets is waged in Rhee’s name. But soon, Rhee and Aly discover that the assassination attempt is just one part of a sinister plot. Bound together by an evil that only they can stop, the two fugitives must join forces to save the galaxy.”

Exo (Exo #1) by Fonda Lee

“It’s been a century of peace since Earth became a colony of an alien race with far reaches into the galaxy. Some die-hard extremists still oppose alien rule on Earth, but Donovan Reyes isn’t one of them. His dad holds the prestigious position of Prime Liaison in the collaborationist government, and Donovan’s high social standing along with his exocel (a remarkable alien technology fused to his body) guarantee him a bright future in the security forces. That is, until a routine patrol goes awry and Donovan’s abducted by the human revolutionary group Sapience, determined to end alien control.

“When Sapience realizes whose son Donovan is, they think they’ve found the ultimate bargaining chip . But the Prime Liaison doesn’t negotiate with terrorists, not even for his own son. Left in the hands of terrorists who have more uses for him dead than alive, the fate of Earth rests on Donovan’s survival. Because if Sapience kills him, it could spark another intergalactic war. And Earth didn’t win the last one…”

Feed by M.T. Anderson

“For Titus and his friends, it started out like any ordinary trip to the moon—a chance to party during spring break and play with some stupid low-grav at the Ricochet Lounge. But that was before the crazy hacker caused all their feeds to malfunction, sending them to the hospital to lie around with nothing inside their heads for days. And it was before Titus met Violet, a beautiful, brainy teenage girl who has decided to fight the feed and its omnipresent ability to categorize human thoughts and desires. Following in the footsteps of George Orwell, Anthony Burgess, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr., M. T. Anderson has created a not-so-brave new world—and a smart, savage satire that has captivated readers with its view of an imagined future that veers unnervingly close to the here and now.”

Fortune’s Pawn (Paradox #1) by Rachel Bach

“Devi Morris isn’t your average mercenary. She has plans. Big ones. And a ton of ambition. It’s a combination that’s going to get her killed one day—but not just yet.

“That is, until she just gets a job on a tiny trade ship with a nasty reputation for surprises. The Glorious Fool isn’t misnamed: it likes to get into trouble, so much so that one year of security work under its captain is equal to five years everywhere else. With odds like that, Devi knows she’s found the perfect way to get the jump on the next part of her Plan. But the Fool doesn’t give up its secrets without a fight, and one year on this ship might be more than even Devi can handle.”

Galactic Empires , edited by Neil Clarke

Want a smorgasborg of stories exploring different variations on interstellar empires, written by SF/F luminaries such as Aliette de Bodard, Ann Leckie, Yoon Ha Lee, Naomi Novik, and more? You’re welcome!

The Galaxy Game by Karen Lord

Particularly for folks looking for an inclusive Ender’s Game –esque novel!

“For years, Rafi Delarua saw his family suffer under his father’s unethical use of psionic power. Now the government has Rafi under close watch, but, hating their crude attempts to analyse his brain, he escapes to the planet Punartam, where his abilities are the norm, not the exception. Punartam is also the centre for his favourite sport, wallrunning – and thanks to his best friend, he has found a way to train with the elite. But Rafi soon realises he’s playing quite a different game, for the galaxy is changing; unrest is spreading and the Zhinuvian cartels are plotting, making the stars a far more dangerous place to aim. There may yet be one solution – involving interstellar travel, galactic power and the love of a beautiful game.”

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

On a personal note, I celebrate Towel Day every year (May 25; mark your calendars!) and will rewatch the 2005 movie at the slightest prompting. In fact, perhaps I should go do that now…

“Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.

“Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker’s Guide (“A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have”) and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox—the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod’s girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; and Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot.”

Hunger Makes the Wolf (Hob #1) by Alex Wells

Already torn through Becky Chambers’s books and need something else with found family and space hijinks? Tada!

“The strange planet known as Tanegawa’s World is owned by TransRifts Inc, the company with the absolute monopoly on interstellar travel. Hob landed there ten years ago, a penniless orphan left behind by a rift ship. She was taken in by Nick Ravani and quickly became a member of his mercenary biker troop, the Ghost Wolves.

“Ten years later, she discovers the body of Nick’s brother out in the dunes. Worse, his daughter is missing, taken by shady beings called the Weathermen. But there are greater mysteries to be discovered – both about Hob and the strange planet she calls home.”

Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan

“Everyone in the universe knows his name. Everyone in the universe fears him. But no one realizes that notorious outlaw Ia Cocha is a seventeen-year-old girl.

“A criminal mastermind and unrivaled pilot, Ia has spent her life terrorizing the Olympus Commonwealth, the imperialist nation that destroyed her home. When the Commonwealth captures her and her true identity is exposed, they see Ia’s age and talent as an opportunity: by forcing her to serve them, they will prove that no one is beyond their control.

“Soon, Ia is trapped at the Commonwealth’s military academy, desperately plotting her escape. But new acquaintances—including Brinn, a seemingly average student with a closely-held secret, and their charming Flight Master, Knives—cause Ia to question her own alliances. Can she find a way to escape the Commonwealth’s clutches before these bonds deepen?”

The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1) by Patrick Ness

“Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him—something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn’t she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd’s gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.”

Last Shot: A Han and Lando Novel by Daniel José Older

Listen, there are A LOT of Star Wars books out there. Take it as read that you should read this one and many others!

“Then: It’s one of the galaxy’s most dangerous secrets: a mysterious transmitter with unknown power and a reward for its discovery that most could only dream of claiming. But those who fly the Millennium Falcon throughout its infamous history aren’t your average scoundrels. Not once, but twice, the crew of the Falcon tries to claim the elusive prize — first, Lando Calrissian and the droid L3-37 at the dawn of an ambitious career, and later, a young and hungry Han Solo with the help of his copilot, Chewbacca. But the device’s creator, the volatile criminal Fyzen Gor, isn’t interested in sharing. And Gor knows how to hold a grudge…

“Now: It’s been ten years since the rebel hero Han Solo last encountered Fyzen Gor. After mounting a successful rebellion against the Empire and starting a family with an Alderaanian princess, Han hasn’t given much thought to the mad inventor. But when Lando turns up at Han’s doorstep in the middle of the night, it’s Fyzen’s assassins that he’s running from. And without Han’s help, Lando — and all life on Cloud City — will be annihilated.

“With the assistance of a young hotshot pilot, an Ewok slicer prodigy, the woman who might be the love of Lando’s life, and Han’s best and furriest friend, the two most notorious scoundrels in the New Republic are working together once more. They’ll have to journey across the stars — and into the past — before Gor uses the device’s power to reshape the galaxy.”

Leviathan Wakes (Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey

“Humanity has colonized the solar system – Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond – but the stars are still out of our reach.

“Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, the Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for – and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.”

Lightless (Lightless #1) by C.A. Higgins

“Serving aboard the Ananke, an experimental military spacecraft launched by the ruthless organization that rules Earth and its solar system, computer scientist Althea has established an intense emotional bond—not with any of her crewmates, but with the ship’s electronic systems, which speak more deeply to her analytical mind than human feelings do. But when a pair of fugitive terrorists gain access to the Ananke, Althea must draw upon her heart and soul for the strength to defend her beloved ship.

“While one of the saboteurs remains at large somewhere on board, his captured partner—the enigmatic Ivan—may prove to be more dangerous. The perversely fascinating criminal whose silver tongue is his most effective weapon has long evaded the authorities’ most relentless surveillance—and kept the truth about his methods and motives well hidden.

“As the ship’s systems begin to malfunction and the claustrophobic atmosphere is increasingly poisoned by distrust and suspicion, it falls to Althea to penetrate the prisoner’s layers of intrigue and deception before all is lost. But when the true nature of Ivan’s mission is exposed, it will change Althea forever—if it doesn’t kill her first.

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers

“Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.

“Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.”

The Martian by Andy Weir

“Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

“Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

“After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

“Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.

“But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?”

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

“The Martian Chronicles tells the story of humanity’s repeated attempts to colonize the red planet. The first men were few. Most succumbed to a disease they called the Great Loneliness when they saw their home planet dwindle to the size of a fist. They felt they had never been born. Those few that survived found no welcome on Mars. The shape-changing Martians thought they were native lunatics and duly locked them up.

“But more rockets arrived from Earth, and more, piercing the hallucinations projected by the Martians. People brought their old prejudices with them—and their desires and fantasies, tainted dreams. These were soon inhabited by the strange native beings, with their caged flowers and birds of flame.”

Medusa Uploaded (The Medusa Cycle #1) by Emily Devenport

“The Executives control Oichi’s senses, her voice, her life. Until the day they kill her.

“An executive clan gives the order to shoot Oichi out of an airlock on suspicion of being an insurgent. A sentient AI, a Medusa unit, rescues Oichi and begins to teach her the truth—the Executives are not who they think they are. Oichi, officially dead and now bonded to the Medusa unit, sees a chance to make a better life for everyone on board.

“As she sets things right one assassination at a time, Oichi becomes the very insurgent the Executives feared, and in the process uncovers the shocking truth behind the generation starship that is their home.”

Ninefox Gambit (The Machineries of Empire #1) by Yoon Ha Lee

This trilogy is not only mind-blowingly good, it’s also complete! All three books are out right now; go forth.

“Captain Kel Cheris of the hexarchate is disgraced for using unconventional methods in a battle against heretics. Kel Command gives her the opportunity to redeem herself by retaking the Fortress of Scattered Needles, a star fortress that has recently been captured by heretics. Cheris’s career isn’t the only thing at stake. If the fortress falls, the hexarchate itself might be next.

“Cheris’s best hope is to ally with the undead tactician Shuos Jedao. The good news is that Jedao has never lost a battle, and he may be the only one who can figure out how to successfully besiege the fortress.

“The bad news is that Jedao went mad in his first life and massacred two armies, one of them his own. As the siege wears on, Cheris must decide how far she can trust Jedao—because she might be his next victim.”

Old Man’s War (Old Man’s War #1) by John Scalzi

I know I already recommended a Scalzi series; you should consider both of them. They’re very different!

“John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife’s grave. Then he joined the army.

“The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce—and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So: we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.

“Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity’s resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force. Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don’t want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You’ll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You’ll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you’ll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets.

“John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine—and what he will become is far stranger.”

On a Red Station, Drifting (The Universe of Xuya) by Aliette de Bodard

Don’t have time for a epically long, long-running space opera? These novellas are SO GOOD!

“For generations Prosper Station has thrived under the guidance of its Honoured Ancestress: born of a human womb, the station’s artificial intelligence has offered guidance and protection to its human relatives.

“But war has come to the Dai Viet Empire. Prosper’s brightest minds have been called away to defend the Emperor; and a flood of disorientated refugees strain the station’s resources. As deprivations cause the station’s ordinary life to unravel, uncovering old grudges and tearing apart the decimated family, Station Mistress Quyen and the Honoured Ancestress struggle to keep their relatives united and safe.

“What Quyen does not know is that the Honoured Ancestress herself is faltering, her mind eaten away by a disease that seems to have no cure; and that the future of the station itself might hang in the balance…”

Planetfall (Planetfall #1) by Emma Newman

“Renata Ghali believed in Lee Suh-Mi’s vision of a world far beyond Earth, calling to humanity. A planet promising to reveal the truth about our place in the cosmos, untainted by overpopulation, pollution, and war. Ren believed in that vision enough to give up everything to follow Suh-Mi into the unknown.

“More than twenty-two years have passed since Ren and the rest of the faithful braved the starry abyss and established a colony at the base of an enigmatic alien structure where Suh-Mi has since resided, alone. All that time, Ren has worked hard as the colony’s 3-D printer engineer, creating the tools necessary for human survival in an alien environment, and harboring a devastating secret.

“The truth Ren has concealed since planetfall can no longer be hidden. And its revelation might tear the colony apart…”

Provenance by Ann Leckie

While there are ties between Provenance and the Imperial Radch series, Provenance stands beautifully on its own—and is a great introduction to Leckie’s work!

“A power-driven young woman has just one chance to secure the status she craves and regain priceless lost artifacts prized by her people. She must free their thief from a prison planet from which no one has ever returned.

“Ingray and her charge will return to her home world to find their planet in political turmoil, at the heart of an escalating interstellar conflict. Together, they must make a new plan to salvage Ingray’s future, her family, and her world, before they are lost to her for good.”

Space Opera by Cat Valente

“A century ago, the Sentience Wars tore the galaxy apart and nearly ended the entire concept of intelligent space-faring life. In the aftermath, a curious tradition was invented—something to cheer up everyone who was left and bring the shattered worlds together in the spirit of peace, unity, and understanding.

“Once every cycle, the civilizations gather for the Metagalactic Grand Prix—part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past. Instead of competing in orbital combat, the powerful species that survived face off in a competition of song, dance, or whatever can be physically performed in an intergalactic talent show. The stakes are high for this new game, and everyone is forced to compete.

“This year, though, humankind has discovered the enormous universe. And while they expected to discover a grand drama of diplomacy, gunships, wormholes, and stoic councils of aliens, they have instead found glitter, lipstick and electric guitars. Mankind will not get to fight for its destiny—they must sing.

“A one-hit-wonder band of human musicians, dancers and roadies from London—Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeroes—have been chosen to represent Earth on the greatest stage in the galaxy. And the fate of their species lies in their ability to rock.”

Saga, Vol. 1 (Saga #1) by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Do you need me to tell you to read Saga ? You probably don’t, but I will anyway!

“When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe.

“From bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan, Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults.”

Salvage by Alexandra Duncan

“Ava, a teenage girl living aboard the male-dominated, conservative deep space merchant ship Parastrata, faces betrayal, banishment, and death. Taking her fate into her own hands, she flees to the Gyre, a floating continent of garbage and scrap in the Pacific Ocean.”

Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty

“It was not common to awaken in a cloning vat streaked with drying blood.

“At least, Maria Arena had never experienced it. She had no memory of how she died. That was also new; before, when she had awakened as a new clone, her first memory was of how she died.

“Maria’s vat was in the front of six vats, each one holding the clone of a crew member of the starship Dormire, each clone waiting for its previous incarnation to die so it could awaken. And Maria wasn’t the only one to die recently…”

The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett

“All Jamie Allenby ever wanted was space. Even though she wasn’t forced to emigrate from Earth, she willingly left the overpopulated, claustrophobic planet. And when a long relationship devolved into silence and suffocating sadness, she found work on a frontier world on the edges of civilization. Then the virus hit…

“Now Jamie finds herself dreadfully alone, with all that’s left of the dead. Until a garbled message from Earth gives her hope that someone from her past might still be alive.

“Soon Jamie finds other survivors, and their ragtag group will travel through the vast reaches of space, drawn to the promise of a new beginning on Earth. But their dream will pit them against those desperately clinging to the old ways. And Jamie’s own journey home will help her close the distance between who she has become and who she is meant to be…”

Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfar

“Orphaned as a boy, raised in the Czech countryside by his doting grandparents, Jakub Procházka has risen from small-time scientist to become the country’s first astronaut. When a dangerous solo mission to Venus offers him both the chance at heroism he’s dreamt of, and a way to atone for his father’s sins as a Communist informer, he ventures boldly into the vast unknown. But in so doing, he leaves behind his devoted wife, Lenka, whose love, he realizes too late, he has sacrificed on the altar of his ambitions.

“Alone in Deep Space, Jakub discovers a possibly imaginary giant alien spider, who becomes his unlikely companion. Over philosophical conversations about the nature of love, life and death, and the deliciousness of bacon, the pair form an intense and emotional bond. Will it be enough to see Jakub through a clash with secret Russian rivals and return him safely to Earth for a second chance with Lenka?”

A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna

“In a universe of capricious gods, dark moons, and kingdoms built on the backs of spaceships, a cursed queen sends her infant daughter away, a jealous uncle steals the throne of Kali from his nephew, and an exiled prince vows to take his crown back.

“Raised alone and far away from her home on Kali, Esmae longs to return to her family. When the King of Wychstar offers to gift the unbeatable, sentient warship Titania to a warrior that can win his competition, she sees her way home: she’ll enter the competition, reveal her true identity to the world, and help her famous brother win back the crown of Kali.

“It’s a great plan. Until it falls apart.”

The Sparrow (The Sparrow #1) by Mary Doria Russell

“In 2019, humanity finally finds proof of extraterrestrial life when a listening post in Puerto Rico picks up exquisite singing from a planet that will come to be known as Rakhat. While United Nations diplomats endlessly debate a possible first contact mission, the Society of Jesus quietly organizes an eight-person scientific expedition of its own. What the Jesuits find is a world so beyond comprehension that it will lead them to question what it means to be ‘human’.”

The Stars are Legion by Kameron Hurley

“Somewhere on the outer rim of the universe, a mass of decaying world-ships known as the Legion is traveling in the seams between the stars. For generations, a war for control of the Legion has been waged, with no clear resolution. As worlds continue to die, a desperate plan is put into motion.

“Zan wakes with no memory, prisoner of a people who say they are her family. She is told she is their salvation—the only person capable of boarding the Mokshi, a world-ship with the power to leave the Legion. But Zan’s new family is not the only one desperate to gain control of the prized ship. Zan finds that she must choose sides in a genocidal campaign that will take her from the edges of the Legion’s gravity well to the very belly of the world.

“Zan will soon learn that she carries the seeds of the Legion’s destruction—and its possible salvation. But can she and her ragtag band of followers survive the horrors of the Legion and its people long enough to deliver it?”

The Stars Change by Mary Anne Mohanraj

“On a South Asian-settled university planet, tensions are rising, and as they reach the brink of interstellar war, life (and sex) continues. Humans, aliens, and modified humans gather at the University of All Worlds in search of knowledge…and self-knowledge…but the first bomb has fallen and the fate of this multicultural, multispecies mecca is in question. Some people will seek solace in physical contact, some will look for spiritual answers, while others will find their strength in community, family, and love. Some will rush home to make love to their wife. Or wives. Or husbands. Or indeterminate gender human and/or alien partners. Others will be forced to decide where they stand—what is worth fighting for, or maybe even worth dying for.”

The Telling (The Hainish Cycle #9) by Ursula Le Guin

Listen. You could start The Hainish Cycle with The Dispossessed , which is #1, or even The Left Hand of Darkness , which is #6. But The Telling is my favorite, and it’s going to be a movie soon, and this is my list, so there.

“Once a culturally rich world, the planet Aka has been utterly transformed by technology. Records of the past have been destroyed, and citizens are strictly monitored. But an official observer from Earth named Sutty has learned of a group of outcasts who live in the wilderness. They still believe in the ancient ways and still practice its lost religion—the Telling.

“Intrigued by their beliefs, Sutty joins them on a sacred pilgrimage into the mountains…and into the dangerous terrain of her own heart, mind, and soul.”

Tracked (Tracked #1) by Jenny Martin

This series was pitched to me as a teen Fast and Furious set in space, and they were not lying.

“On corporately controlled Castra, rally racing is a high-stakes game that seventeen-year-old Phoebe Van Zant knows all too well. Phee’s legendary racer father disappeared mysteriously, but that hasn’t stopped her from speeding headlong into trouble. When she and her best friend, Bear, attract the attention of Charles Benroyal, they are blackmailed into racing for Benroyal Corp, a company that represents everything Phee detests. Worse, Phee risks losing Bear as she falls for Cash, her charming new teammate. But when she discovers that Benroyal is controlling more than a corporation, Phee realizes she has a much bigger role in Castra’s future than she could ever have imagined. It’s up to Phee to take Benroyal down. But even with the help of her team, can a street-rat destroy an empire?”

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

“Odd-mannered, obsessive, withdrawn, Aster has little to offer folks in the way of rebuttal when they call her ogre and freak. She’s used to the names; she only wishes there was more truth to them. If she were truly a monster, as they accuse, she’d be powerful enough to tear down the walls around her until nothing remained of her world, save for stories told around the cookfire.

“Aster lives in the low-deck slums of the HSS Matilda, a space vessel organized much like the antebellum South. For generations, the Matilda has ferried the last of humanity to a mythical Promised Land. On its way, the ship’s leaders have imposed harsh moral restrictions and deep indignities on dark-skinned sharecroppers like Aster, who they consider to be less than human.

“When the autopsy of Matilda’s sovereign reveals a surprising link between his death and her mother’s suicide some quarter-century before, Aster retraces her mother’s footsteps. Embroiled in a grudge with a brutal overseer and sowing the seeds of civil war, Aster learns there may be a way off the ship if she’s willing to fight for it.”

Warchild (Warchild #1) by Karin Lowachee

“The merchant ship Mukudori encompasses the whole of eight-year-old Jos’s world, until a notorious pirate destroys the ship, slaughters the adults, and enslaves the children. Thus begins a desperate odyssey of terror and escape that takes Jos beyond known space to the home of the strits, Earth’s alien enemies.

“To survive, the boy must become a living weapon and a master spy. But no training will protect Jos in a war where every hope might be a deadly lie, and every friendship might hide a lethal betrayal. And all the while he will face the most grueling trial of his life…becoming his own man.”

Waypoint Kangaroo (Kangaroo #1) by Curtis Chen

“Kangaroo isn’t your typical spy. Sure, he has extensive agency training, access to bleeding-edge technology, and a ready supply of clever (to him) quips and retorts. But what sets him apart is ‘the pocket.’ It’s a portal that opens into an empty, seemingly infinite, parallel universe, and Kangaroo is the only person in the world who can use it. But he’s pretty sure the agency only keeps him around to exploit his superpower.

“After he bungles yet another mission, Kangaroo gets sent away on a mandatory ‘vacation’: an interplanetary cruise to Mars. While he tries to make the most of his exile, two passengers are found dead, and Kangaroo has to risk blowing his cover. It turns out he isn’t the only spy on the ship–and he’s just starting to unravel a massive conspiracy which threatens the entire Solar System.

“Now, Kangaroo has to stop a disaster which would shatter the delicate peace that’s existed between Earth and Mars ever since the brutal Martian Independence War. A new interplanetary conflict would be devastating for both sides. Millions of lives are at stake.

“Weren’t vacations supposed to be relaxing?”

The Wrong Stars (Axiom #1) by Tim Pratt

“The shady crew of the White Raven run freight and salvage at the fringes of our solar system. They discover the wreck of a centuries-old exploration vessel floating light years away from its intended destination and revive its sole occupant, who wakes with news of First Alien Contact. When the crew break it to her that humanity has alien allies already, she reveals that these are very different extra-terrestrials… and the gifts they bestowed on her could kill all humanity, or take it out to the most distant stars.”

Whew! If you’ve made it this far, I need to know: what’s your favorite space novel that didn’t make my list? Explode my TBR, please and thank you!

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Best sci-fi books: modern masterpieces & all-time classics

Here’s a scintillating selection of the best sci-fi books, with modern hits and sci-fi classics for you to enjoy.

• New sci-fi books
• Modern sci-fi books
• Classic sci-fi books

Explore the unknown from the comfort of your home, with the best sci-fi books of all time.

As we drift ever further into a fresh new year, it’s only natural for curious minds to hunger for something far-out and exotic and science fiction literature is the answer. It’s the perfect accompaniment to the occasion, whether it’s finding the perfect transportive book or discovering a rare gem to cozy up with during these cold, dark days.

Sci-fi comes in a wealth of varieties and flavors, and that’s what makes the genre so enticing for readers of all persuasions, from gung-ho military sci-fi, dire dystopian sagas, and revealing concept art editions, to old-fashioned space operas and terrifying extraterrestrial encounters.

If you're interested in checking out more of the science that inspires some of these amazing sci-fi tales, then check out our best space and astronomy books guide.

To cover more ground, we've split our guide into three categories: newly released sci-fi books (within the last year), modern sci-fi books, and classic sci-fi books. Now, sit back and enjoy our collection of the best sci-fi books out there.

Best new sci-fi books

1. the simulated multiverse.

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• Author: Rizwan Virk
• Publisher: Bayview Books (2021)

MIT computer scientist, Silicon Valley video game guru, and bestselling author Rizwan Virk (“The Simulation Hypothesis”) explores the wild notion of a complex multiverse that has generated legions of believers over the past decade. 

Here Virk offers up mind-scrambling dissections of provocative topics like parallel universes, infinite timelines, quantum computing, alternate simulated realities, contorted definitions of space and time, and the Mandela Effect (a phenomenon in which the minority of the population recalls memories of past events different from the consensus). Think “The Man in the High Castle” high on both the blue and red pill from “ The Matrix .” It’s a fascinating explanation of our world that might shake the foundations of your digital reality, but does so in a totally digestible style.

2. The Art of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

• Author: Amy Ratcliffe
• Publisher: Abrams (2021)

This isn’t nearly as exciting as an actual trip to Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World, but it costs far less and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the theme parks’ newest Star Wars lands. Written by pop culture expert and theme park aficionado, Amy Ratcliffe, this deluxe 256-page coffee table book displays the incredible portfolio of pre-visualization art that inspired the creation of the fictional world of Galaxy’s Edge and its bustling Black Spire Outpost on the Outer Rim planet of Batuu. 

“We looked back on work that happened over five years ago in some cases, but everyone recalled their thought processes and their excitement about working in the Star Wars galaxy,” Ratcliffe told Space.com. “I think readers will not only get an idea of the immense amount of work that went into developing such an ambitious land, but they’ll also see how much care and thoughtfulness went into it.” 

Walt Disney Imagineering’s trademark creative method comes alive using a constellation of vivid concept artworks, sketches, attraction blueprints, photos, and exclusive interviews with the talented team of Imagineers who helped construct the illusion of a life-size Star Wars trading destination.

• Buy “The Art of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” now on Amazon

3. Providence

• Author: Max Berry
• Publisher: G. P. Putnam’s Sons (2020)

Quietly released during the height of the global pandemic panic, Max Barry’s (“Lexicon”) novel deserves a spot on our list as it’s one of the best sci-fi novels of the decade. It spins a compelling yarn about a weird race of hive-like, amorphous aliens that spit miniature black holes as defensive weapons and the AI-driven battleship called the Providence Five and its small four-person crew sent to deep space to annihilate them. 

Seven years after a tragic first contact event that left several astronauts dead, this hyper-aware spaceship gradually travels inside enemy territory where it becomes paranoid ala HAL-9000 in “2001: A Space Odyssey,” resulting in some frightening encounters transmitted back to Earth to a captivated global audience. Fans of The Expanse will devour this book before another plasma round explodes!

• Buy “Providence” now on Amazon

4. Leviathan Falls

• Author:  James S. A. Corey
• Publisher: Orbit (2021)

As wise minds once said, all good things must end, and so it is with the best-selling series of military sci-fi novels “The Expanse”. On Nov. 30, the ninth and final book of Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham’s (writing as James S. A. Corey) immensely popular saga landed on Earth. The book dropped just before the sixth and last season of Amazon Prime’s “The Expanse” TV series began airing in December (psst... if you like this TV show, you might like some other of the best sci-fi TV shows based on books ). Following 2019’s “Tiamat’s Wrath,” this climactic volume picks up after the Laconian Empire falls and 1,300 systems are free of the tyrannical rule of Winston Duarte.

In this intense grand finale, Elvi Okoye commands a last-ditch quest to the Adro system to learn more about the enigmatic alien presence known as the gate builders and what long-lost nemesis ended their cosmic construction projects. Back aboard the Rocinante, Captain James Holden and his intrepid colleagues attempt to peaceably reunite Mankind out of the innumerable calamities that have come before.

“We’re going to pay off the promises we’ve been making in the first eight books and complete the story,” Abraham told Space.com. “That’s all we can really promise. And it is the last one. We’re not leaving it open for sequels and prequels and side stories. We wanted to tell one complete story and have a satisfying finish and hopefully that’s what we’re delivering.”

• Buy “Leviathan Falls” now on Amazon

5. Shards of Earth

• Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky 

Adrian Tchaikovsky is the Arthur C. Clarke award-winning author of “Children of Time” and if you’ve never read his tight, rhythmic prose, you’re in for a real treat.

The storyline is set in the aftermath of an 80-year war against angry aliens called the Architects. Idris Telemmier is a genetically-modified soldier once used as a telepathic weapon in the decades-long battle. With the inability to grow older or sleep since the conflict ceased, Idris now exists aboard a salvage spaceship named Vulture God. Humans created these intimidating soldiers who could connect mentally with the enemy when the Earth died.

A half-century later, Idris and his team have happened upon some discarded object that’s clearly of the Architects’ design. Does this signal the aggressive race’s resurgence in this part of the galaxy? Chased by criminals, fanatics, and politicians while custodians of a rare alien item, Idris zooms through the heavens trying to evade his pursuers while seeking the ultimate truth.

• Buy “Shards of Earth” now on Amazon

6. At the Mountains of Madness: Volumes 1 and 2

• Author: H. P. Lovecraft
• Illustrator: François Baranger
• Publisher: Design Studio Press (2020/21)

Fans of H. P. Lovecraft’s unforgettable sci-fi horror novella will savor this impressive oversized hardback adaptation showcasing the absorbing art of French illustrator François Baranger. The recounting of a doomed Miskatonic University expedition to sub-zero Antarctica where specimens of an ancient alien species are discovered in a crumbling stone city is now accompanied by frozen landscapes of otherworldly dread.

Baranger is well known for his work as an internationally-recognized concept designer for popular movies and video games, and here he’s achieved the difficult task of reimagining one of Lovecraft’s most terrifying tales into pure nightmare material. Volume 2 was just released on December 22 to complete the set!

• Buy “At the Mountains of Madness: Volume 1” now on Amazon
• Buy “At the Mountains of Madness: Volume 2” now on Amazon

7. Frank Herbert’s Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 1

• Author: Frank Herbert
• Adapted by: Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
• Illustrators: Bill Sienkiewicz (cover), Raúl Allén, and Patricia Martín
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (2020)

With the success of director Denis Villeneuve’s epic rendition of the seminal 1965 sci-fi novel last year, you might want to check out this stunning graphic novel rendition adapted by Herbert’s son, Brian Herbert, and collaborator Kevin J. Anderson. This pair of writers has vastly expanded the scale and scope of the original “Dune” with over a dozen prequel and sequel novels over the last 22 years. This is the first time the masterwork has been offered in a premium illustrated format (the debut release of a trilogy), now richly adorned with artwork by artists Raúl Allén and Patricia Martín, and an epic cover by Eisner Award-winning illustrator Bill Sienkiewicz. 

“His vast library did not include very many comics or graphic novels, but in his newspaper career he was not only a feature writer but also a professional photographer,” Herbert told Space.com , speaking about his father’s cinematic eye. “He used to tell me that he wrote scenes in his novels – and especially in “Dune” – with a camera in mind, as if he were looking at each scene through the lens of a camera.”

• Buy “Frank Herbert’s Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 1” now on Amazon

8. The Empire Strikes Back: From a Certain Point of View

• Authors and artists: Tom Angleberger, Sarwat Chadda, S. A. Chakraborty, Mike Chen, Adam Christopher, Katie Cook, Zoraida Córdova, Delilah S. Dawson, Tracy Deonn, Seth Dickinson, Alexander Freed, Jason Fry, Hank Green, Christie Golden, Rob Hart, Lydia Kang, Michael Kogge, R. F. Kuang, C. B. Lee, Mackenzi Lee, John Jackson Miller, Michael Moreci, Daniel José Older, Mark Oshiro, Amy Ratcliffe, Beth Revis, Lilliam Rivera, Cavan Scott, Emily Skrutskie, Karen Strong, Anne Toole, Catherynne M. Valente, Austin Walker, Martha Wells, Django Wexler, Kiersten White, Gary Whitta, Brittany N. Williams, Charles Yu, and Jim Zub
• Publisher: Del Rey (2020)

To help celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Del Rey released a stout, 576-page hardcover stuffed with 40 short stories featuring unsung supporting Star Wars heroes, villains, droids, and aliens from the 1980 film. Ever wondered what it’s like caring for tauntauns on the icy world of Hoth? Or about the goings on in the dark depths of Cloud City? Well, now you can find out!

This entertaining anthology showcases contributions by bestselling authors and well-known artists like Austin Walker, Hank Green, Tracy Deonn, Delilah Dawson, Alexander Freed, John Jackson Miller, Anne Toole, and many more. Participating writers generously donated compensations for their tales and proceeds will be given to First Book, a nonprofit providing learning materials to educators and organizations serving kids in need.

• Buy “The Empire Strikes Back: From a Certain Point of View” now on Amazon

9. Star Trek: The Artistry of Dan Curry

• Authors: Dan Curry and Ben Robinson
• Publisher: Titan Books (2020)

For Star Trek junkies and tech-heads wanting to delve deep into the sensational special effects and worldbuilding of the Star Trek franchise, there’s no bolder release than this lavish volume written by seven-time Emmy Award-winning visual effects supervisor and director, Dan Curry. For three decades, Curry has contributed concept art, title sequences, matte paintings, spaceship design, and practical weapons to numerous series and spin offs including The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. Written by Curry and Ben Robinson, this is a 204-page treasure packed with rare sketches, concept art, behind-the-scenes stills, and never-seen storyboards celebrating the accomplishments of one of Star Trek’s most acclaimed artisans.

“The illusions that created the universe of Star Trek were the result of many gifted and dedicated artists,” Curry told Space.com. “There was no single hero of its visual effects. I was very fortunate to design and create a lot of things that became part of the Star Trek franchise. I feel it was a decent legacy to leave behind when I ultimately move into the non-biological phase of existence.”

• Buy “Star Trek: The Artistry of Dan Curry” now on Amazon

10. The Last Watch

• Authors: J. S. Dewes
• Publisher: Tor Books (2021)

Here’s a rousing space adventure by author J. S. Dewes that chronicles the vigilant crew of the Argus as they perform guard duty against an extraterrestrial threat at the far limits of the universe. This impressive series debut is part of a two-book project called “The Divide” and boasts a motley collection of soldiers led by commander Adequin Rake, who endeavors to protect her crew and humanity from a collapsing cosmic anomaly.

It’s basically “The Expanse” meets “The Dirty Dozen” where a rag-tag group of Sentinels must pull together to save themselves and ensure a viable future. An excellent example of military sci-fi pumped up with pathos, memorable characters, and a relentless juggernaut of a plot. Its sequel, “The Exiled Fleet,” arrived this past August so you won’t have to wait for the follow up!

• Buy “The Last Watch” (The Divide Series, 1) now on Amazon
• Buy “The Exiled Fleet” (The Divide Series, 2) now on Amazon

Best modern sci-fi books

• Authors: Daniel Suarez
• Publisher: Dutton (2019)

In "Delta-v," an unpredictable billionaire recruits an adventurous cave diver to join the first-ever effort to mine an asteroid. The crew's target is asteroid Ryugu, which in real life Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft has been exploring since June 2018. 

From the use of actual trajectories in space and scientific accuracy, to the title itself, Delta-v — the engineering term for exactly how much energy is expended performing a maneuver or reaching a target — Suarez pulls true-to-life details into describing the exciting and perilous mission. The reward for successful asteroid mining is incredible, but the cost could be devastating.

2. The Lady Astronaut series - The Calculating Stars/The Fated Sky/The Relentless Moon 

• Author: Mary Robinette Kowal
• Publisher: Tor Books (2018-2020)

What if space exploration wasn't a choice but a necessity, driven by the knowledge that Earth would soon become uninhabitable and powered by international coalitions built after a catastrophic meteorite impact? That's the alternative history novelist Mary Robinette Kowal explores in her Lady Astronaut series. 

The books follow mathematician and World War II pilot Elma York, who dreams of becoming an astronaut herself. Kowal intricately melds real history with her fictional plot to create a series that is simultaneously hopeful and pragmatic. The Lady Astronaut offers a powerful vision of how spaceflight could be a positive force in society.

3. Red Moon

• Author: Kim Stanley Robinson
• Publisher: Orbit (2018)

Red Moon, the latest novel from legendary science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson, blends realism and drama in a way that instantly transports the reader to the lunar surface. The book, which takes place 30 years into the future, opens on the journeys of Fred Fredericks, an American quantum engineer working for a Swiss company, and Ta Shu, a poet, feng shui expert and celebrity travel reporter to the moon where they are traveling to work. In the world of the book, China has become the first political and technological entity to inhabit the moon in a serious, long-term way.

At first, as a reader, you may find yourself adjusting to the character's clumsy movements in lunar gravity and anticipating what life on the moon might really be like, but the story takes a shocking turn and life on the moon turns out to be much different from what you may have expected. "Red Moon" does an incredible job immersing the reader in a captivating alien, yet still familiar, world while at the same time staying grounded in a reality that we could truly one day face.

4. Before Mars

• Author: Emma Newman
• Publisher: Ace (2018)

Emma Newman's latest book set in her "Planetfall" universe, "Before Mars," sees a geologist arriving at a small Mars base after a lengthy journey only to realize that things aren't as they seem. The base's AI is untrustworthy, the psychologist seems sinister, and the main characters finds a note to herself she has no memory of writing. In a world of perfectly immersive virtual reality, can she trust what she sees? Or did the long trip take a toll on her sanity? "Before Mars" takes place on an eerie, largely empty Mars after a giant corporation buys the rights to the planet.

It's a thrilling read but — like Newman's other "Planetfall" books — also a deep dive into the protagonist's psychology as she grapples with what she discovers on the Red Planet. "Before Mars" and the other books in the same universe (" Planetfall " and " After Atlas ") can be read in any order, but Space.com highly recommends giving them all a look.

• Author: Andy Weir
• Publisher: Crown (2017)

In " The Martian " (Crown, 2014) first-time author Andy Weir gave voice to the sardonic, resourceful botanist Mark Watney as he struggled for survival stranded on Mars. In his second novel, "Artemis," he follows Jazz Bashara, a porter (and smuggler) on the moon who's drawn into a crime caper. 

Weir brings a similar meticulous detail to his descriptions of the moon as the ultimate tourist destination as he did to Watney's misadventures on Mars, but his characterization of Jazz doesn't play to his writing strengths like Watney's log entries did. Still, "Artemis" is an entertaining romp through a really intriguing future moon base, with plenty of one-sixth-gravity action and memorable twists. It's well worth the read. Plus, there's an audiobook version  read by Rosario Dawson .

6. Provenance

• Author: Ann Leckie
• Publisher: Orbit (2017)

A young woman plots to find stolen artifacts in "Provenance," which takes place in the same universe as author Ann Leckie's award-winning  "Ancillary" trilogy  of books — but introduces readers to a new selection of future human cultures with a more straightforward and less high-concept adventure story. 

Don't let that fool you, though: The book's exploration of multiculture, multispecies conflict (with aliens called the Geck) works just as much intriguing worldbuilding into the mix as her previous books. Plus, there are mind-controlled robots, stolen alien ships and a society with three genders.

7. Leviathan Wakes - The Expanse series

• Author: James S.A. Corey
• Publisher: Orbit (2011)

200 years in the future, humanity has colonized the solar system and is split among three factions on the brink of conflict: Earth, Mars and the Asteroid Belt, which includes the spinning Ceres asteroid colony. As multiple viewpoint characters are ensnared in a system-wide mystery, the story's scope slowly broadens to reveal the full complexity of the novels' science fiction world. The books, co-written by Dan Abraham and Ty Franck, originally stemmed from a  tabletop roleplaying game idea , and it shows through the detailed worldbuilding and exploration of a solar system remade in humanity's image. Plus, it's a fun, tightly-plotted set of spacefaring adventure stories.

The series is slated for nine books, and they've appeared steadily one per year from 2011-2015 for a total of five so far (plus some tie-in novellas). They're also the basis for Syfy's TV show "The Expanse," recently renewed for a 13-episode second season. Book six, "Babylon's Ashes," is slated for release December 2016.

See  here  and  here  for Q&As with the series' authors describing the book's inception and the TV show's development (plus, the coolest sci-fi in the series).

• Publisher: Orbit (2015)

After numerous novels and short stories probing humanity's trials in the near future, far future and distant past, science fiction master Kim Stanley Robinson offers his own highly detailed spin on the challenge of interstellar travel in his new book "Aurora" (Orbit, 2015).

Humanity's first trip to another star is incredibly ambitious, impeccably planned and executed on a grand scale in "Aurora." The novel begins near the end of a 170-year mission aboard a spaceship carrying roughly 2,000 humans to the seemingly Earth-like moon of a planet orbiting a nearby star, Tau Ceti.

Told largely from the perspective of the ship's computer, "Aurora" emphasizes the fragile unity of all the living and nonliving parts aboard the starship as it hurtles through space. As the story of the landing unfolds, the narrative doesn't shy away from the science or the incredible complexity of a 2,000-person, multigenerational ship. The spacecraft is portrayed as one organism that can have conflicting interests or fall out of balance but that ultimately has to work in concert to reach its destination intact.

Best classic sci-fi books

1. the martian chronicles.

• Author: Ray Bradbury
• Publisher: Doubleday (1951)

In case you haven't heard of him, Ray Bradbury is an  icon of science fiction writing . In "The Martian Chronicles," Bradbury explores the gradual human settlement of the Red Planet, through a series of lightly connected stories. Bradbury paints the Martian landscape and its inhabitants with master strokes, but equally strong is his portrayal of the psychological dangers that await the human settlers who arrive there. 

This, as well as the space-themed stories in Bradbury's other classic collection "The Illustrated Man," struck a chord with me when I was young and dreamed about traveling to the stars. Reading his work today, it is amazing to see that although Bradbury writes from a time when human space travel hadn't yet begun (the book was first published in 1950), the issues and questions his stories raise are still relevant as humanity takes its first steps into that great frontier.

2. Ender's Game

• Author: Orson Scott Card
• Publisher: Tor Books (1985)

This classic science fiction novel by Orson Scott Card should be ever-present on any space fan's bookshelf. Card's novel follows the life of Ender Wiggin as he learns to fight the Formics, a horrifying alien race that almost killed off all humans when they attacked years and years ago. 

Wiggin learns the art of space war aboard a military space station built to help train young people to fight the cosmic invaders. Basically, this book is a coming-of-age tale that makes you want to fly to space and also forces you to think about some serious social issues presented in its pages. (The book is the first in a quintet, and inspired a much larger body of work that takes place in the same universe.)

3. The Martian

• Publisher: Random House (2014)

"The Martian," by Andy Weir, is a truly great science fiction book that's heavy on the science. Weir tells the story of Mark Watney, a fictional NASA astronaut stranded on Mars, and his difficult mission to save himself from potential doom in the harsh Red Planet environment. Watney seems to have everything against him, yet Weir deftly explains not only what Watney's survival needs are but also how he goes about trying to make them work. "The Martian" also was made into a movie, which was released in 2015. The film stars Matt Damon as Watney and is directed by space movie veteran Ridley Scott.

• Publisher: Chilton Books (1965)

In "Dune," Frank Herbert imagines a vast, intricate future universe ruled by an emperor who sets the Atreides and Harkonnen families warring over the desert planet Arrakis, also known as Dune. The arid world holds the only source of the spice mélange, necessary for space travel. Spread across star systems, "Dune" teems with wild characters: human computers (Mentats), tribal fighters (Fremen), mind-controlling "witches" (Bene Gesserit Sisterhood) and humans ranging from the corrupt Baron Harkonnen to Paul "Muad'Dib" Atreides, whose journey from a sheltered childhood anchors the story. 

Early on, the Baron says, "Observe the plans within plans within plans," summing up the adversaries' wary analyses of each faction's complex motivations. This cerebral second-guessing balances with epic action throughout the book, centering on the perhaps best-known feature of the Duniverse: the monstrous spice-producing sandworms. The best-selling novel raised science fiction literature to greater sophistication by including themes of technology, science, politics, religion and ecology, although the burgeoning Dune franchise remains less popular than Star Wars (which borrowed heavily from "Dune").

5. Hyperion - Hyperion Cantos Series

• Author: Dan Simmons
• Publisher: Doubleday (1989)

Part space epic, part "Canterbury Tales," "Hyperion" tells the story of seven pilgrims who travel across the universe to meet their fate, and the unspeakably evil Shrike, who guards the Time Tombs on the planet Hyperion. 

On the way, each pilgrim tells his or her own tale, and each world is so exquisitely created that it's hard to believe it all came from the mind of one author. The tale of the scholar whose daughter ages backward after her visit to the Tombs, and his quest to save her as she returns to childhood, is my favorite — it's heartbreaking and terrifying at the same time.

• Author: Frederik Pohl
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (1977)

"Gateway" is the first science fiction book I ever read, because my father, a longtime sci-fi junkie, had loved it. It's an intense read that explores why we make the choices we do, and how we deal with the consequences of those choices in the black vacuum of space. In "Gateway," those with the money to leave the dying Earth can hitch a ride on a starship that will either make them wealthy beyond their wildest dreams or lead them to a grim and possibly violent death. Or, like our hero, you could wind up in the grip of a massive black hole and have to make difficult decisions that lead you to the couch of an electronic shrink.

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Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.

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10 Exciting Sci-Fi Books That Explore Deep Space

Stellar stories that boldly go where no human has gone before. 

As stated by Captain James T. Kirk, space is the final frontier. And it makes for some excellent science fiction.

Whether an author wants to explore alien planets, examine colonization, create dystopias and utopias, or simply dive into the terror of the unknown, space offers the perfect setting for it all. Here are ten sci-fi books that explore the perils of deep space in exciting, horrifying, and entertaining ways.

Startide Rising

By David Brin

After recovering artifacts and a preserved alien body from a cluster of spaceships, the Terran spaceship Streaker crashes on the unknown water planet of Kithrup. 

Alien armadas chase them down, forcing the small crew of humans, uplifted dolphins, and one uplifted chimpanzee to fight to protect their secret. The cluster of vessels holds the key to the Progenitors, the First Race who uplifted every other species.

The award-winning second book in the Uplift Cycle , Startide Rising gives us an incredible array of aliens, humans, and uplifted species throughout the book. It can be read as a standalone novel , but the rest of the books give a much broader understanding into the political structure and background of the universe.

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By Poul Anderson

The spacecraft Lenora Christine sets out to travel 30 light years towards a new planet the crew intends to colonize. Because the ship will travel close to the speed of light, time dilation occurs, slowing time down so the crew experiences the journey in only five years. But when they travel through an interstellar dust cloud, everything changes. As Lenora speeds up, the distance between ship-time and space-time widens.

Tau Zero takes place almost entirely on the spacecraft, as the crew hurtle ever-faster through space. Anderson's novel focuses on the experience of the physics of the universe itself, in both a Big Crunch and a new Big Bang. This offers a new, and wildly interesting, perspective on deep space travel. 

Hugo Award-winning author James Blish called this deep space drama "t he ultimate hard science fiction novel ."

By Samuel R. Delany

It’s 3172, and politics in the galaxy are still complicated. Ilyrion is one of the most powerful energy sources in the universe, and is necessary to terraform new planets. Captain Lorq Von Ray believes he can collect the most Illyrion by doing the one thing no one has ever dared: flying through the heart of an imploding star.

RELATED: 17 Samuel R. Delany Quotes: Wise Words from the Sci-Fi Grand Master

There’s a lot to love in Nova . We get to visit different worlds as the crew races to a newly-imploded star to collect the Illyrium. There’s revenge, secrets, and lies. And of course, the crew has no idea that Von Ray intends on taking them into the star, rather than collecting the element around it.

The Dispossessed

By Ursula K. Le Guin

When physicist Shevek tries to understand General Temporal Theory, his theories end up threatening the structure and beliefs of the entire planet he lives on, Anarres. Shevek heads for the mother planet, Urras, to use his theory to change the nature of society at large and work towards actual peace.

RELATED: 9 Essential Ursula K. Le Guin Books

A book that is just as political and philosophical as it is full of science, The Dispossessed is stunning in its range. Through these planets set in a distant galaxy, we experience the similarities of our cultures while being surprised by the alien nature of the environments. 

Shevek’s theory ends up playing a critical role in the rest of the Hainish Cycle, even though this was the fifth book published in the series. 

The Luminous Dead

By Caitlin Starling

Caver Gyre Price lies to get on a foreign planet, expecting an easy gig mapping mineral deposits. But she isn’t the only one with secrets on the expedition. 

As Gyre descends into the cave, mysteriously missing supplies and unexpected changes in navigation throw her off-balance. Lost and disoriented, Gyre finds herself alone in alien terrain. And maybe it’s paranoia, but she can’t shake the feeling that something is following her.

The Luminous Dead takes us into the psyche of what it would be like to be trapped and alone on a strange planet. It’s tense, feeding on the claustrophobia of being stuck underground. But really, it’s the vulnerability of relying on someone else that really adds to the alien atmosphere. Especially when that someone can’t be trusted at all.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

By Douglas Adams

Arthur Dent is saved seconds before Earth is destroyed to make way for a galactic freeway. His friend, who has been pretending to be an out-of-work actor, is really the author of the eponymous Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy . 

The pair use the guide to travel all over space. Throughout, Arthur can only try and enjoy himself, remembering the guide’s best piece of advice: Don’t Panic .

RELATED: 42 Ways to Celebrate Towel Day

Get ready for an imaginative, hilarious, and zany journey through the galaxy in this delightful series from Douglas Adams . Throughout the series, we travel all over the galaxy, including The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (also the title of the second book). These are hilarious reads, filled with fun characters, nonstop hijinks, and some surprisingly heartwarming moments.

Binti: The Complete Trilogy

By Nnedi Okorafor

A young Himba girl, Binti is the first of her people to be offered a place at Oomza University. Despite her family’s concerns, her abilities make her a prime candidate. 

In the first novella, Binti , the titular character travels to Oomza University. Surrounded by strangers who don’t observe her customs, she begins her interstellar journey only to be attacked by the alien Medusae. They slaughter everyone on the ship, leaving her the sole survivor. Now, five days from landing, Binti has to figure out how to save the planet the ship is hurtling towards. 

What began as three novellas has been compiled into one complete omnibus, with stunning results. Filled with flawed but compelling characters, Binti stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page. 

Binti deals with issues like being looked down on due to culture, and the difficulty in maintaining a strong sense of self and connecting with people who are different than you. She also deals with PTSD and trauma in the bonus new short story, "Binti: Sacred Fire".

RELATED: Nommo Award-Winning Books: 6 Superlative African Speculative Fiction Reads

Escaping Exodus

By Nicky Drayden

Seske Kaleigh has been raised to inherit command of a biological starship, carved from the insides of a space beast.

Seske's clan is hard at work harvesting the bones for buildings, and rerouting the circulatory system to accommodate mass transit. It’s a cycle the clan has followed for centuries: Carve the beast into a barely-living shell, use its resources until it dies, then cull a new beast and start over every 10 years. But Seske and the woman she loves make a discovery that changes everything.

Escaping Exodus is a violent, often grotesque examination of power and the terrors of exploiting resources to extreme levels. It’s heart-breaking on so many levels, highlighting the cruelty, carelessness, and privilege humanity often embraces.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

By Christopher Paolini

When Kira Navárez discovers an alien relic on an uncolonized planet, she accidentally initiates terrifying first contact. 

As war erupts across the galaxy, Kira is transformed. When Earth and its colonies face complete destruction, she may end up being humanity’s only hope.

Every detail of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars immerses readers in a galactic future. There are advanced aliens, rogue space crews, terraforming planets, colonization efforts, and more, all set in a fast-paced book that somehow manages to capture the vast emptiness of space while filling it entirely. It’s an epic space adventure that sci-fi fans won’t want to miss.

RELATED: Generation Ship Books That Take You on a Journey

Project Hail Mary

By Andy Weir

Ryland Grace wakes up the lone survivor on a ship that was meant to be humanity’s last hope. But Ryland doesn't remember the purpose of the mission; he only knows he's alone, in space, with nothing but corpses for company. 

As Ryland's memories return, he realizes he has to figure out how to stop an extinction-level event all by himself. It seems impossible until he finds an unexpected ally, and hope.

Fans of Andy Weir will once again be enthralled with his easy narration mixed with impressive science . As he did in The Martian , Weir creates a captivating story centered around one man desperate to survive space. Project Hail Mary is a thrilling and informative ride that will leave readers satisfied in the end.

RELATED: 10 Space-tacular Books Like The Martian

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An unofficial list of the most influential science fiction works ever

On a Monday evening last September, a NASA spacecraft intentionally blasted into an asteroid in deep space. The goal was planetary defense — protecting our planet from the kind of wayward rock that could end civilization as we know it. The unprecedented moment seemed surreal, with a camera from the craft sending footage back to Earth of a large asteroid getting bigger and bigger until — pow! — impact. It was both incredible and credible — equal parts jaw-dropping and successful in its proof of concept.

Who could have imagined such a thing?

Well, science fiction writers did.

“Crashing big things into celestial objects goes all the way back to the 1930s stories of Edmond ‘World Wrecker’ Hamilton,” Lisa Yaszek, regents professor of science fiction studies at Georgia Tech, wrote in a text message. “In ‘Thundering Worlds,’ we throw Mercury at an invading alien army to save the rest of the solar system.”

Space exploration is in a renaissance , as the private space industry takes on a growing presence in the United States, and as the space agencies of several countries have joined NASA in setting their sights on the moon and other deep-space goals. But like stars that sent their light long before Earth could see it, science fiction creators helped inspire this wave of interest decades ago.

“We may envision the outcome we want to achieve through the imagination and inspiration of our team members, or we may be inspired by concepts found in the art,” said NASA’s Barbara Brown, director of exploration research and technology programs. “And then science, engineering and math drive the rest.”

Space moguls like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Paul Allen have credited their interest in the final frontier to several written and filmed works. And that doesn’t include the NASA visionaries who love sci-fi.

The New Space Age

“I’ve got a wall of autographs from Star Wars actors and actresses, and this year I got an autograph from William Shatner,” said Tracy Gill, deputy manager for lander ground operations in NASA’s Human Landing System Program. “I go to Comic-Con. I’m down in deep.”

Mark Wiese, manager for NASA’s Deep Space Logistics project, grew up with “The Jetsons” and now spends his mornings watching “The Expanse” while working out on his rowing machine.

“Beyond creating a climate where innovative thinking is acceptable,” said Chris McKitterick, who directs the Ad Astra Center for Science Fiction and the Speculative Imagination at the University of Kansas, “science fiction has influenced countless scientists, engineers and technologists to make real the things depicted in science fiction narratives.”

Based on a canvassing of experts ranging from the Kennedy Space Center to academia, here is a brief tour of the sci-fi works that were most influential in helping to pave a real-life path to the stars:

‘Star Trek’

It’s hard to imagine space — or even the future itself — without thinking of “Star Trek.” The original 1960s series inspired early designs for everything from desktop computers to cellphones to Zoom. Bezos even fashioned Amazon’s Alexa based on the shipboard computer of the Starship Enterprise and named one of his holding companies “Zefram LLC” after the “Star Trek” character who invented the warp drive.

Ronald D. Moore, a screenwriter and producer who worked on “ Star Trek: The Next Generation ” beginning in 1988, took a tour of the SpaceX craft and couldn’t help but see the influence of the iconic series. “You get used to certain ideas for what a spaceship looks like, and it’s hard not to be impressed by the things you’ve seen,” said Moore, who is the creator of the Apple space series “For All Mankind.” “There are a lot of ways you can lay out controls, but they had chosen a black and white, high contrast, sleek design that could have been on any Hollywood set in the last 40 years.”

But there are more layers of influence. Moore, who said he watched the original “Star Trek” series five days a week growing up in the 1970s, was moved by the noble optimism of the series. “It was one of the very few scientific shows that says the future is going to turn out okay,” he said. “We are going to solve poverty and racism and disease. I’m inspired by the hope these problems are temporary setbacks.”

Robert Heinlein’s writings

Heinlein was a revolution unto himself. He relied on science and engineering to imagine brave new worlds, he overlaid timeless human traits into a futuristic setting, and he came up with protagonists Yaszek refers to as “creative capitalists,” who leveraged private industry and navigated government oversight to chase space glory. Sound familiar?

Inside the rockets that NASA and SpaceX plan to send to the moon

In “ The Man Who Sold the Moon ,” central character D.D. Harriman “creates a coalition of corporations, governments, and media to create the first viable space company,” Yaszek wrote in an email, “and, not coincidentally, to secure the moon as his own private resource, free of government interference.” Heinlein also contributed to the screenplay of the 1950 film “ Destination Moon ,” which imagined a manned trip to the lunar surface — less than 20 years before the real thing happened.

Heinlein’s attention to not only space travel, but also the cooperation between the public and private sectors, lived on long after him. He devoted a portion of his estate to creating the Heinlein Prize for accomplishments in commercial space — won by Musk and Bezos.

Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series

Asimov’s famous Foundation trilogy , written in the 1940s, centers on a mathematician who figures out a way to stave off the fall of a decaying empire. Part of Asimov’s legacy — and the genre’s legacy — is not just imagining a landscape somewhere out there, but also putting humans in a setting where they can potentially solve future problems. It’s a call to action that spoke to Musk and Bezos. Asimov had so much impact on Musk that he put a copy of the series into a Tesla roadster that was sent into orbit.

Asimov and Heinlein are considered by many to be among the “Big Three” of science fiction writing, along with Sir Arthur C. Clarke, who co-wrote the screenplay for “ 2001: A Space Odyssey ,” which was based on Clarke’s novel.

‘The Martian’

Andy Weir’s tale of an astronaut stranded on Mars, which he first published on his own website, takes a unique place in sci-fi history. “ The Martian ” not only spawned a movie starring Matt Damon, it also boosted interest in NASA and ignited a new wonder about visiting the Red Planet. It was a new twist on an old story: A daring sci-fi plotline nourishes ideas about what we can do in real life. NASA’s Gill said he is asked about the film whenever he visits schools.

“They tried to grow their own food, which is something we’re working on,” Gill said. “It would be considered sci-fi, but it’s really something that we’re going for.”

The connection between science fiction and real-life spaceflight has cut both ways. Moore fondly recalls when he was working on the “ Battlestar Galactica ” series and NASA reached out. One of their astronauts wanted to call … from the space station. He was a fan of the show. “It blew my mind,” Moore said. “He was watching fake space on his laptop while real space is outside his window.” That astronaut, Garrett Reisman, became a key contributor to “ For All Mankind ,” which imagines an alternate space history in which the Soviet Union beats the United States to the moon.

A woman on the moon: Why has one small step taken so long?

As space exploration has found new reverence, so has sci-fi itself. Fighting orbital threats is now a real-life exercise, and eye-rolling has given way to respect. “It’s always been viewed as kid stuff or not taken seriously,” Moore said. “It’s always had a second-class status. Sci-fi and fantasy always get pushed to the margins. I’ve seen in the last 20 years they’ve gotten more acclaim, more critical response.”

They’ve also become more diverse. Voices like those of Mary Robinette Kowal — author of the award-winning alt-history novel “ Calculating Stars ” — and Ted Chiang have grown the sci-fi oeuvre over the past several years. And just as space travel ambitions have spread to other countries, a number of international authors have emerged among science fiction’s elite. For example, Chinese novelist Liu Cixin’s “ The Three-Body Problem ” has sold more than 8 million copies, is being adapted into a Netflix series and drew President Barack Obama’s praise after he read it during his time in the White House. “The scope of it was immense,” Obama said in 2017 .

Indeed, it seems the possibilities for space and sci-fi are now as limitless as ever. As Asimov himself said, “Science fiction writers and readers didn’t put a man on the moon all by themselves, but they created a climate of opinion in which the goal of putting a man on the moon became acceptable.”

Every morning that I wake up and realize that, yes, the Trump administration is still in power and this hasn't all been some kind of cruel nightmare, I can't help but wonder: When are we moving to Mars already? While life on another planet is still only a fictional possibility rather than a realistic one, these new science fiction books about space travel will let you pretend like moving to space is an option.

One of the best things about the science fiction genre is its capacity for complexity, creativity, and imagination. From action-packed space operas to dystopian alternate futures to robot fiction, sci-fi has the power to transport readers to another time, another place, and another world entirely. It's the kind of genre that lets you unplug from the real world and instead enter a wholly new, fully-fleshed out universe where the only limitation is that of your own imagination.

To me, the best kinds of science fiction books are the ones that bring readers aboard a ship and into the deep, vast expanse of space. They're brimming with adventure, overflowing with action, but, most importantly, full of endless possibility. They may not be an actual ticket to the outer planets of the solar system, but they're a pretty good next-best thing. When you're flying through space, hopping from galaxy to galaxy at light speed, its easy to forget about the problems right here on the home planet. At least, for a little while.

If you need a break from your Earthly worries, check out one of these nine new science fiction novels about space travel. Who knows, maybe there's a planet out there

1 'The Collapsing Empire' by John Scalzi

You're going to want to buckle up, because John Scalzi's latest space opera is a truly thrilling intergalactic ride. In The Collapsing Empire , humanity has abandoned Earth in favor of the vast expanse of space, thanks in part to the discovery of an extra-dimensional field called The Flow that makes traveling around to other planets and stars possible. But when The Flow is revealed to be far more complicated than it seems, it's up to a rag-tag team of heroes to keep humanity together across time and space.

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2 'Radiate' by C.A. Higgins

Hit the skies again in the third installment of C.A. Higgins's The Lightless Trilogy, a suspenseful and exciting sci-fi adventure. In Radiate , Althea and Ananke, now a sentient artificial intelligence with the power of a god, travel the galaxy in search of the advanced space ship's "father," Mathew, the man responsible for creating the code that gave her life. Meanwhile, Matthew is on a journey of his own, but soon enough, their paths will collide in one brilliant burst of light. A beautiful and bold story about what it means to be alive, Radiate will take you to the corners of space you've never even dreamed of going and beyond.

3 'The Stars Are Legion' by Kameron Hurley

Take an journey to the outer rim of the universe with award-winning author Kameron Hurley's The Stars Are Legion , an epic space adventure starring one unforgettable heroine. In a sci-fi reality where humanity is pushed off of the dying planets and onto a fleet of decaying world-ships known as the Legion, one girl has the power of salvation: she can board one of the ships capable of breaking away from all the rest. But When Zan is forced to pick sides in the war for control and survival, she must decide who she can trust, and who she can believe in. An electrifying work of science fiction, The Stars Are Legion will pull you out of this world and drop among the stars.

4 'Infinity Engine' by Neal Asher

The final installment of the Transformation series, Neal Asher's Infinity Engine is another out-of-this-world adventure staring the unforgettable rogue AI, Penny Royal. The power struggle for control over Factory Station 101, the war factory that produced Penny Royal, continues to heat up in this third novel, and aliens, humans, and AI's are all attempting to come out on top. Things get even more complicated when an ancient alien with unknown motivations boards the ship, throwing the already tense situation into further upheaval. An action-packed conclusion to a thrilling series, Infinity Engine will take you to the edge of a black hole and back, but don't be surprised if you leave a part of yourself behind.

5 'Vanguard' by Jack Campbell

Return to the world of of Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet novels in his latest installment, Vanguard . A prequel to the author's beloved bestselling series and the first in the Genesis Fleet series, this newest book chronicles the founding of the Alliance, including the lives and sacrifices of the men and women who gave up everything to create it. An imaginative and in-depth novel that spans time and space, Vanguard will make you want to explore the vast possibilities the universe has to offer.

6 'Defy the Stars' by Claudia Gray

Starring a bad ass heroine so inspiring you'll want to sign up to fight in the interstellar war in her name, Defy the Stars is an imaginative and exciting journey through space. When Noemi, a teen soldier, finds herself stranded on an abandoned enemy spaceship following a disastrous battle, she soon learns she is not alone. Abel, a complex AI with complex human-like emotions, is there waiting in the darkness to kill her, but his programming instead forces him to serve her instead. With his reluctant help, will Noemi be able to save the universe, or will Abel's humanity stop her from winning the war? You'll have to take a journey to the stars to find out.

7 'The Wanderers' by Meg Howrey

If you've dreamed of being an astronaut but never quite made it to NASA, Meg Howrey's latest novel is the next best thing. In The Wanderers , three brilliant individuals train for the mission of a lifetime as they prepare to be the first humans on Mars. But as their seventeen month stimulation begins to feel too real, the astronauts begin to realize that the complications they face on Earth won't stay behind when they're launched into the sky. While this book may take place on this planet, it's story is so out of this world, it will make you feel like you're living among the stars.

8 'Empress of a Thousand Skies' by Rhoda Belleza

A sweeping novel that is as beautiful as it is diverse, Rhoda Belleza's Empress of a Thousand Skies plucks readers off of Earth and drops them among the stars for a dazzling adventure unlike any other. On the Eve on her coronation, Rhee can taste the power and, more importantly, revenge she's been waiting her whole life training to achieve, but a deadly attack changes everything. When Aly, a war refugee and famous star of the DroneVision show, is blamed for the princess's murder, he must team up with the girl he's accused of killing to uncover the truth behind the violence that threatens the safety of the entire galaxy. A phenomenally stunning debut, Empress of a Thousand Skies kicks off what is sure to be an outstanding series that is out of this world.

9 'Mars One' by Jonathan Maberry

Prepare for the mission of a lifetime alongside Tristan and his family, the first humans tasked with colonizing another planet, in Jonathan Maberry's YA space adventure, Mars One . Trained since the age of 12 to be the first mission to leave Earth and settle among the stars, Tristan is now 16 and the time has come to leave his home planet and say goodbye to everything he loves, including Izzy. But when the world learns there is another ship already en route to Mars, a terrorist group steps in and begins to threaten the project and the future of Tristan and his family. Is taking the trip to space really worth it, or is Earth the only place they can stay safe? You'll have to read Mars One an find out for yourself.

Space Travel

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Best Sci-Fi Space Adventure Books to Travel the Universe with

• August 11, 2021

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Ready for some sci-fi space adventure books?

For this list, I’ve picked books that take place in space ships (or take place in them for the most part), where the protagonist travels the universe. 

Other than that, the genres are quite diverse. 

Think action sci-fi, thriller sci-fi, and romance sci-fi. But all in a space ship, on an adventure.

Scroll down to see my best picks for the sci-fi space adventure books to travel the universe with. 

Sci-Fi Books with Space Adventures

Light chaser by peter f. hamilton and gareth l. powell.

Genre:  Adult Sci-Fi Space Opera Pubdate:  24th of August Publisher:  Tordotcom

Amahle is a Light Chaster, an explorer who travels the universe alone (except for her onboard AI), trading trinkets for life stories. When she listens to the stories, she hears the same voice talking directly to her from different times and on different worlds. She realizes something terrible is happening, and she is the only one who can do anything about it. And it will cost everything to put it right.

This is a nice novella, that’s fast and easy to read.

I have to admit, the first chapter was really confusing. I’m not sure why they chose to do it that way. If they’d started with the second chapter, I think it would’ve read better.

That said, it’s quite an imaginative story, with a very deep message about life and growth. The few different worlds we visit are all unique in their own way and we can see how others live through Amahle.

I do feel it’s actually a large story to have condensed into a novella, and I can’t help but wonder if it might’ve worked better as a novel. That way, the authors could’ve built more tension and slowly increased the sense of danger.

But if you want to read something easy, fast, and entertaining and visit a few different worlds, then this is a great book.

Stowaway by John David Anderson

Genre:  Middle-Grade Adventure Sci-Fi Publisher:  Walden Pond Press

Scientists discover a rare and mysterious mineral buried in the Earth’s crust. It’s not long before aliens show up offering a promise of protection, some fabulous new technology, and entry into their intergalactic coalition—all in exchange for this precious resource. It’s so precious, the other alien forces are willing to start a war over it, which soon makes its way to earth.

Leo knows this all too well: his mother was killed in one such attack, and his father, a Coalition scientist, decides it’s best for them to leave Earth behind. On this expedition their ship is attacked, Leo’s father is kidnapped, and Leo and his brother remain stranded in the middle of space. Their only chance is for Leo to stow away on a strange ship of mercenary space pirates and beg the captain to help him find his father. But the road is dangerous, and pirates only look out for themselves. Who can Leo trust?

Ashfall Legacy by Pittacus Lore

Genre:  YA Adventure Sci-Fi Pubdate:  17th of August Publisher:  HarperCollins

Syd Chambers knows there’s life on other planets—he’s descended from it. His father was from a world called Denza and has been missing—presumed dead—for years. Then Syd discovers a device his father left behind, showing not only that he’s alive, but where he is. And so, Syd sets out on a mission. Along the way, however, he discovers a deadly secret that could destroy Denza, Earth, and the universe.

The Orpheus Plot by Christopher Swiedler

Genre: Middle-Grade Sci-Fi Adventure Publisher:  HarperCollins

Lucas Adebayo grew up on a small ship in the asteroid belt with the dream of joining the Navy. Though they never accepted a Belter before, his skill secures him a place on the training ship: the Orpheus. Lucas struggles to find his place on the ship. As a Belter, he’s an outsider among his peers, and he doesn’t fit in at home anymore, either. Things get worse when he’s caught between his past and his future when a Belter rebellion puts everyone’s lives at risk.

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

Genre:  YA Sci-Fi Romance, LGBTQ Publisher:  Katherine Tegen Books

When the distress signal of the first settler on Titan is tripped, none of the countries on Earth can afford a rescue mission on their own. And so, two sworn enemies are put in the same spaceship: Ambrose and Kodiak. However, when Ambrose wakes up on the ship, he’s got no memory of the launch, and there’s evidence that strangers have been on board. In the meantime, Kodiak has barricaded himself away. Nothing will stop Ambrose from making the mission succeed, though; not when he’s rescuing his own sister. Ambrose and Kodiak need to work together and learn to trust each other to survive the ship’s secrets.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers

Genre: Adult Sci-Fi Adventure, LGBTQ Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Rosemary Harper doesn’t have high expectations when she joins the crew of Wayfarer. The patched-up ship has definitely seen better days, but it offers a bed, a chance to explore the galaxy, and some distance from her past. Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. But when they get offered the job of a lifetime, things are about to get extremely dangerous. While tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is certainly lucrative, risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. Rosemary has to learn how to love and trust, and realize that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe

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Ascension (Tangled Axon #1) by Jacqueline Koyanagi

Genre:  Sci-Fi Adventure Romance, LGBTQ Publisher:  Masque Books

Alana Quick is an amazing sky surgeon, but repairing starship engines barely pays the bills. So, when a crew stops by her shipyard looking for her spiritually advanced sister Nova, Alana stows away, hoping to get a long-term gig on the crew. But it proves to be more challenging than she thought. Let alone that she can’t keep her eyes off the beautiful captain. There’s little time for romance, however. Nova is in danger.

A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe (The Salvagers #1) by Alex White

Genre: Adult Sci-Fi Adventure Thriller Publisher: Orbit

In another life, Boots Elsworth was a famous treasure hunter. However, now she’s washed up, making a meager living faking salvage legends and selling them to the highest bidder. Until she stumbles on something that might be the real story of the Harrow, a famous warship, capable of untold destruction.

Nilah Brio is the top driver in the Pan Galactic Racing Federation and the darling of the racing worlds until she’s framed for the murder of a fellow racer. On the hunt to clear her name, Nilah has only one lead: the killer is also hunting a woman named boots.

Both women board a smuggler’s ship that will take them on a quest for fame, riches, and justice.

The Epsilon Queen (Travellers Book 1) by Paul Kidd, Doc Rat Jenner (Illustrator)

Genre: Adult Sci-Fi Adventure Romance, LGBTQ Publisher: Self-published

According to some reviews I read, pretty much every character in this book is queer. So, if you’re fed up with reading stories that features only (or mostly) straight characters, you might want to give this book a whirl.

Five hundred years ago, The Epsilon Queen lifted into the Warp—the greatest space liner ever built. Carrying one hundred thousand refugees, she departed on her greatest voyage, and simply disappeared.

Today, the mystery still endures. Patricia Bretonard—pilot, fencer, and mistress of a great many freckles—has the mystery flung into her lap. A historical researcher by the name of Jemima McLeoud is hot on the trail of the Epsilon Queen. With a ship, they set out on an adventure to uncover the great, romantic mysteries of space.

Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey

Genre: Adult Sci-Fi Adventure Mystery Publisher: Orbit

Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon the Scopuli, a derelict ship, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. Someone is willing to kill for that secret, on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew.

Detective Miller is looking for one girl in a system of billions, a seemingly impossible task. But her parents have money, and money talks. The trail leads him to the Scopuli and Holden, and he realizes the girl may be the key to everything.

Holden and Miller must threat the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations—and the odds are stacked against them.

Sentient by Jeff Lemire, Gabriel Hernández Walta (Illustrator), Steve Wands (Letterer)

Genre: YA Sci-Fi Adventure Graphic Novel Publisher: TKO Studios

When an attack kills all the adults on a colony ship, VALERIE, the onboard AI, has to help the ship’s children survive the perils of space. Can Valerie rise up to this task?

Those were the sci-fi space adventure books

I hope you found some nice additions to your reading list among these sci-fi space adventure books.

Have you read any of these? What did you think?

Also, if you want to add to the space adventure books in this list, feel free to put it in the comments & I’ll be sure to add the book (with credit to you, of course).

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The Best Sci Fi Books

Find a great science fiction book, 25 best deep space science fiction books.

Sure, all kinds of weirdness and wonder may exist within our solar system, but the feeling of actually traveling out among the stars is something special.

Have Spacesuit—Will Travel is for kids, but it’s still a fun book.

First prize in the Skyway Soap slogan contest was an all-expenses-paid trip to the Moon. The consolation prize was an authentic space suit, and when scientifically-minded high school senior Kip Russell won it, he knew for certain he would use it one day to make a sojourn of his own to the stars. But “one day” comes sooner than he thinks when he tries on the suit in his backyard—and finds himself worlds away, a prisoner aboard a space pirate’s ship, and heading straight for what could be his final destination…

The Terran exploration vessel Streaker has crashed in the uncharted water world of Kithrup, bearing one of the most important discoveries in galactic history. Below, a handful of her human and dolphin crew battles an armed rebellion and the whole hostile planet to safeguard her secret—the fate of the Progenitors, the fabled First Race who seeded wisdom throughout the stars.

Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards, Startide Rising is the second book in the Uplift series (there’s a total of six), but popular opinion has it that the first book, Sundiver , can safely be skipped.

John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife’s grave. Then he joined the army.

The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce―and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.

Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity’s resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force. Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don’t want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You’ll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You’ll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you’ll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets.

John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect, because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine―and what he will become is far stranger.

“[A]stonishingly proficient first novel reads like an original work by the late grand master [Heinlein].” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The Skolian Empire rules a third of the civilized galaxy through its mastery of faster-than-light communication. But war with the rival empire of the Traders seems imminent, a war that can only lead to slavery for the Skolians or the destruction of both sides. Destructive skirmishes have already occurred. A desperate attempt must be made to avert total disaster.

“[T]houghtful, engaging characters and an intriguing vision of the future.” — Publishers Weekly

A charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, lead a scientific mission entrusted with a profound task: to make first contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life. The mission begins in faith, hope, and beauty, but a series of small misunderstandings brings it to a catastrophic end.

“A startling, engrossing, and moral work of fiction.” — The New York Times Book Review

In an alternate universe, scientists, philosophers, and mathematicians live in seclusion behind ancient monastery walls. That is, until they are called back into the world to deal with a crisis of astronomical proportions.

Readers of Stephenson’s earlier works will not be surprised by this take on Anathem :

“[L]ong stretches of dazzling entertainment occasionally interrupted by pages of numbing colloquy.” —Publishers Weekly

colloquy: a high-level, serious discussion (I had to look it up.)

It’s 2600 AD and humans are doing great. We’ve colonized the galaxy and improved lives with genetic engineering. Even the giant sentient spaceships are getting rich.

Then, of course, someone screws it all up. On a primitive colony planet, a renegade criminal’s chance encounter with an utterly alien entity opens a portal to a dimension, allowing strange creatures to enter our universe. Those strange creatures were called “The Reality Dysfunction” by an extinct race. And that Dysfunction is out among us.

It’s also 1,200 pages long. So buckle up for a long ride.

“Elements of space opera, Straubesque horror and adrenaline-laced action make this a demanding, rewarding read.” — Publishers Weekly

In the 22nd century, humankind has colonized the solar system. Starflight is possible but hugely expensive, so humankind’s efforts are focussed on Isis, the one nearby Earth-like world. Isis is rich with complex DNA-based plant and animal life. And every molecule of this life is spectacularly toxic to human beings. The entire planet is a permanent Level Four Hot Zone.

Despite that, Isis is the most interesting discovery of the millennium: a parallel biology with lessons to teach us about our own nature. It’s also the hardest of hardship posts, the loneliest place in the universe.

Zoe Fisher was born to explore Isis. Literally. Cloned and genetically engineered by a faction within the hothouse politics of Earth, Zoe is optimized to face Isis’s terrors. Now, at last, Zoe has arrived on Isis. But there are secrets implanted within her that not even she suspects. And the planet itself has secrets that will change our understanding of life in the universe.

“Wilson’s most tightly constructed pure adventure tale to date.”— Locus

A brilliant young scientist rises to power on Cyteen, haunted by the knowledge that her predecessor and genetic duplicate died at the hands of one of her trusted advisors.

“A psychological novel, a murder mystery and an examination of power on a grand scale, encompassing light years and outsize lifetimes.” — Locus

As Alex Benedict investigates a mysterious project his uncle had been working on at the time of his death, he’s drawn deep into the history of a war between human civilization and a neighboring alien civilization. He uncovers secrets that challenge the foundation of the current human government.

A Talent for War is a good example of science fiction mystery. In fact, it’s probably best described as a mystery in a far-future setting. If you’re looking for a wild, spaceship-exploding adventure, this isn’t it. However, if you’re intrigued by what mysteries may appear in ten thousand years and enjoy getting into characters’ heads, give this book a try.

Some critics claim this is not McDevitt’s best novel. It is, however, arguably his most famous, and sets the stage for several well-regarded sequels.

Few science fiction books can claim to use the same structure as The Canterbury Tales and still be kick-ass sci-fi, but Hyperion pulls it off.

On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all. On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives. Each carries a desperate hope—and a terrible secret. And one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands.

Centuries ago, space settlers and soldiers fled to the stars from the sentient AI war machines that engulfed Earth. They colonized Eurydice, a planet whose rocks contain traces of its own war machines—some of which still guard a vast, enigmatic artifact on a remote tundra. When an expedition raids this strange artifact, the Eurydiceans discover that they weren’t the last survivors of humanity after all. Their leisured lifestyle is about to be disrupted by new arrivals for whom Eurydice is a prize worth fighting over. And the long-dormant war machines are awakening.

“Amid the somewhat strident politics there are some outrageously funny patches in this over-packed space opera.” — Publishers Weekly

Gateway deals with first contact with alien technology (not actual aliens), and it’s a lot of fun. In fact, there’s a really wonderful tension in stories about screwing around with alien technology you don’t understand, and Pohl uses that to full effect. The characters are vulnerable, the scope is cinematic, and it’s just a hoot.

Hard science fiction with a hell of an idea: what would happen if your light-speed engine malfunctioned and instead of slowing down, you just went faster and faster? Tau Zero does a masterful job of dealing with the consequences of near-light-speed, and the reaction of the humans trapped in the ship.

Given that the suns of Draco stretch almost sixteen light years from end to end, it stands to reason that the cost of transportation is the most important factor of the 32nd century. And since Illyrion is the element most needed for space travel, Lorq von Ray is plenty willing to fly through the core of a recently imploded sun in order to obtain seven tons of it. The potential for profit is so great that Lorq has little difficulty cobbling together an alluring crew that includes a gypsy musician and a moon-obsessed scholar interested in the ancient art of writing a novel. What the crew doesn’t know, though, is that Lorq’s quest is actually fueled by a private revenge so consuming that he’ll stop at nothing to achieve it.

“Samuel R. Delany is the most interesting author of science fiction writing in English today.” — New York Times Book Review

This book isn’t technically deep space, since it takes place in our solar system, but so much of it happens in space (and it’s so fun) that it’s worth bending the rules for it.

Humanity has colonized the solar system—Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond—but the stars are still out of our reach.

Jim Holden is an officer on an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, The Scopuli , they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for—and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew.

Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money, and money talks. When the trail leads him to The Scopuli and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.

Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations, and the odds are definitely against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.

(James S.A. Corey is the pen name used by collaborators Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck.)

Thousands of years hence, many races inhabit a universe where a mind’s potential is determined by its location in space, from superintelligent entities in the Transcend, to the limited minds of the Unthinking Depths, where only simple creatures and technology can function. Nobody knows what strange force partitioned space into these “regions of thought,” but when the warring Straumli realm use an ancient Transcendent artifact as a weapon, they unwittingly unleash an awesome power that destroys thousands of worlds and enslaves all natural and artificial intelligence.

Fleeing the threat, a family of scientists, including two children, are taken captive by the Tines, an alien race with a harsh medieval culture, and used as pawns in a ruthless power struggle. A rescue mission, composed not entirely of humans, must rescue the children—and a secret that may save the rest of interstellar civilization.

“Vinge offers heart-pounding, mind-expanding science fiction at its best.” — Publishers Weekly

In the year 3016, the Second Empire of Man spans hundreds of star systems, thanks to the faster-than-light Alderson Drive. No other intelligent beings have ever been encountered, not until a light sail probe enters a human system carrying a dead alien. The probe is traced to the Mote, an isolated star in a thick dust cloud, and an expedition is dispatched.

Robert A. Heinlein, who gave the authors extensive advice on the novel, described the story as “possibly the finest science fiction novel I have ever read.”

Revelation Space is a sprawling, hard-SF tale with enough original ideas for three thick novels. Seriously, it’s overflowing with the stuff. And it’s written by a guy with a PhD in astronomy, so all the science feels solid.

It’s got aliens, artificial intelligence, megastructures, colonized planets, ancient mysteries, cyborgs, big-ass spaceships, intrigue, betrayal, and murder. Reads don’t get much more satisfying than this.

The Dispossessed is a utopian science fiction novel set in the same fictional universe as that of The Left Hand of Darkness .

Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take action. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls of hatred that have isolated his planet of anarchists from the rest of the civilized universe. To do this dangerous task will mean giving up his family and possibly his life. Shevek must make the unprecedented journey to the utopian mother planet, Anarres, to challenge the complex structures of life and living, and ignite the fires of change.

“Le Guin’s book, written in her solid, no-nonsense prose, is so persuasive that it ought to put a stop to the writing of prescriptive Utopias for at least 10 years.” — The New York Times

This is one of the funniest books written in the English language. It begins with the destruction of Earth, and things go downhill from there.

Do not read this book around other people, because you will annoy them by laughing so much.

The Stars My Destination anticipated many of the staples of the later cyberpunk movement. For instance, the megacorporations as powerful as governments, and a dark overall vision of the future and the cybernetic enhancement of the body.

Marooned in outer space after an attack on his ship, Nomad , Gulliver Foyle lives to obsessively pursue the crew of a rescue vessel that had intended to leave him to die.

“Science fiction has only produced a few works of actual genius, and this is one of them.” — Joe Haldeman, author of The Forever War

Author Stanislaw Lem has the best aliens, mostly because he makes them completely and profoundly, well, alien. Communication with them is often impossible, and the humans that attempt to interact with them are well intentioned but unsuccessful. Lem’s humans are some of the best in science fiction, as well: they screw up, are late, fail to see the whole picture, act irrationally, and even the brightest of them can be swayed by vanity and pride.

It’s possible to argue that Stanislaw Lem is the best science fiction writer ever, and Solaris is his most famous book.

When Kris Kelvin arrives at the planet Solaris to study the ocean that covers its surface, he finds a painful, hitherto unconscious memory embodied in the living physical likeness of a long-dead lover. Others examining the planet, Kelvin learns, are plagued with their own repressed and newly corporeal memories. The Solaris ocean may be a massive brain that creates these incarnate memories, though its purpose in doing so is unknown, forcing the scientists to shift the focus of their quest and wonder if they can truly understand the universe without first understanding what lies within their hearts.

I’m a huge fan of Banks and his Culture novels, so there’s no way one of them wouldn’t show up on this list.

The man known as Cheradenine Zakalwe was one of Special Circumstances’ foremost agents, changing the destiny of planets to suit the Culture through intrigue, dirty tricks and military action.

The woman known as Diziet Sma had plucked him from obscurity and pushed him towards his present eminence, but despite all their dealings, she did not know him as well as she thought.

Dune is the best-selling science fiction novel of all time, and has spawned a huge franchise (I think we’re past “series” at this point). Dune ’s sandworms remain one of the most fascinating alien species in science fiction literature.

Many of the human characters in Dune are altered in different ways, though the changes sometimes border on mystical instead of technological.

Oddly enough, no one’s been able to tell Dune visually (no, I’m not counting Lynch’s Dune . He tried, but it wasn’t good).

Whoever can crack the Dune visuals and create a film or show that fans embrace will make shocking amounts of money. In the meantime, enjoy Dune and God Emperor of Dune (the others are iffy). The other books by Frank’s son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson lack the depth of the original Dune , but are all entertaining reads.

20 thoughts on “ 25 Best Deep Space Science Fiction Books ”

Lynches Dune is awful. It didn’t help that a) Lynch hated sci fi and b) never read more than the first half dozen pages of Dune. I think the three part mini series with Alec Baldwin, Saskia Reeves, William Hurt etc. was an excellent attempt and also was faithful to the storyline.

Then there is always Jodorowsky’s Dune, …….. dissolves into mirth …….

I second that. What did you think of the mini-series Dan?

I haven’t seen it yet. Is it worth a look?

I think so: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL5FRUPP8PU

Thanks! I’ll check it out.

Too bad that Spielberg fella hasn’t gave it a try.

Thanks for list! I’ve always thought of Catherine Asaro as Barbara Cartland in space. I’ll have to take another look.

I have read over half of your offerings, and will endeavor to check out the others. Thanks much for an informative list!

Thanks for the list. And a huge thanks for including “The Stars My Destination”. Of course we all have the one, very special novel that touched us deeply, has been good for several rereads and we still ponder on today. This one is mine.

What no Larry Nivea Ringworld ??

Gateway is one of my all-time favorite sf books! I’ve been meaning to read the Vinge, I somehow managed to read both the sequel and prequel over the years before I realized they were all connected.

I have had The Mote In Gods Eye in my hand at the book store I don’t know how many times. Next time I’m getting it!

Great Sky River by Gregory Beneford is one of my favorites and it seems to be almost completely unnoticed by other Readers. Humanity has, figuratively, flown too close to the sun and brought unwanted attention to itself. We have gone from a star-farering civilization to nomadic tribes living like pests on and among alien artifacts, barely scraping out an existence. It’s wonderful and harrowing and oh so human. Give it a try. You won’t be disappointedm

I love The Reality Dysfunction. You note that it’s 1200 pages long but neglected to mention it’s only the first part of a trilogy of equally long books. Well worth the 3600 page read though. Space Opera at it’s best.

All the books are good but I read an Indian comedy and adventurous space fiction novel named Oops the Mighty gurgle, by RamG Vallath. I suggest the developer to read it and confirm whether it is worthy to be placed in this list.

I quite agree that Gregory Fred Pohl’s GATEWAY series and Gregory Benford’s GREAT SKY RIVER sequence should be included, as should Stephen Baxter’s stunning novels of the Xeelee, notably THE RING, Robert Reed’s MARROW, Charles Sheffield’s TOMORROW AND TOMORROW, Jack Vance’s four TSCHAI novels and five DEMON PRINCES novels, John Varley’s OPHIUCHI HOTLINE, Philip Jose Farmer’s TO YOUR SCATTERED BODIES GO, Clifford Simak’s TIME AND AGAIN, Bob Shaw’s ORBITSVILLE, NORSTRILIA by Cordwainer Smith, Moorcock’s DANCERS AT THE END OF TIME (three novels), TAU ZERO by Poul Anderson, DYDEETOWN WORLD by F Paul Wilson, CITIES IN FLIGHT by James Blish (four novels), HOTHOUSE by Brian Aldiss, to mention but a few.

I am looking for a book from 1973 or 1974. Probably ‘74 but I don’t think ‘75. I only remember a couple of vague things about it but I really want to read it again. You probably hate these kind of requests. I got it from the library and I remember it said it won some kind of award if that helps. The only thing I remember is that a human space traveler is stranded alone on another planet somehow and the inhabitants are going to execute him because they don’t trust him and there is a female who has befriended him. He is on the execution scaffold or judgement scaffold and a dove type of bird trying to escape a predator bird flies into his chest desperately trying to get away and he punches the predator bird away and the dove is safe and flies away. From then on the people see that he is compassionate and don’t kill him and that is all I remember. I hope somebody knows this book. Been trying to find it for a long time. Thanks.

A few of my favorites: Peter Watts – Freeze-frame revolution, Marina J. Lostetter – Noumenon, Emily Devenport – Medusa Uploaded, S. K. Dunstall – Linesman.

I have only read one Dune. The original. The rest sounds meh. Indeed, nobody has captured the might of Shai-hulud well. But the latest Dune flick came close. Also, this lady called Becky Chambers is doing some good work so far. Her emotion-rich sci-fi is good. Then this guy of the Martian. Ha, Oh yeah. Project Hail Mary nailed it.

Dune happens to be one of the most widely read scifi novels and its appeal only keeps getting better with time. This list of scifi novels is very detailed and definitely helpful.

Emotion rich scifi is hard to come across, and Becky Chambers stands out as formidable force.

You may also like: They Loved in 2075, an intense romance science fiction.

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• Locations and Hours

Science Fiction Film and Television

• Reference Sources
• Selected General Books
• Afrofuturism
• Alien Invasions
• Body Horror
• Comedy and Satire
• Filmmaking Craft
• Major Universes/Story Worlds
• Science Fiction Against the Margins (Pacific Standard Time)
• Space Travel and Exploration
• Special Effects/Visual Effects
• Time Travel
• Special Collections and Archives
• UCLA Film & Television Archive

Introduction

This page focuses on general works related to the representation of space travel and exploration. For specific writing on Star Trek  and  Star Wars  among others, please visit the page on Major Universes/Story Worlds .  

Selected Resources

• Selected Books
• Selected Films & TV
• Selected Dissertations
• Articles & Online Resources

• 2001: A Space Odyssey (dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
• Aniara (dir. Hugo Lilja and Pella Kågerman, 2018)
• Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)
• Contact (dir. Robert Zemeckis, 1997)
• Cowboy Bebop (1998-1999)
• Dark Matter (2015-2017)
• The Expanse (2015-2022)
• Firefly (2002-2003)
• Forbidden Planet (dir. Fred M. Wilcox, 1956)
• Gravity (dir. Alfonso Cuarón, 2013)
• Interstellar (dir. Christopher Nolan, 2014)
• The Martian (dir. Ridley Scott, 2015)
• Moon (dir. Duncan Jones, 2009)
• Silent Running (dir. Douglas Trumbull, 1972)
• Sunshine (dir. Danny Boyle, 2007)
• Alien encounters and the alien/human dichotomy in Stanley Kubrick's “2001: A Space Odyssey” and Andrei Tarkovsky's “Solaris”
• Outer space as liminal space: Folklore and liminality on “Doctor Who” and “Battlestar Galactica”
• Visions of a Future God: Religion in the Science Fiction Film. Kubrick's “2001: A Space Odyssey”

Selected Films

• Aelita (1924)
• Solaris (1972)
• Dark Star (1974)
• Memories (1995)
• Afronauts (2014)
• High Life (2018)

Aelita (dir. Yakov Protazanov, 1924)

"Exhausted by the post-revolutionary life, engineer Los builds a spaceship to travel to Mars. A tragic accident forces him to urgently make use of his invention. On Mars he falls in love with Queen Aelita, while the Red Army man who came with him raises a proletarian uprising. The revolution destroys the Martian civilization."

UCLA students, staff, and faculty access through  Kanopy . Log into the campus VPN or proxy server to view video.

Solaris (dir. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1972)

"Ground control has been receiving mysterious transmissions from the three remaining residents of the Solaris space station. When cosmonaut and psychologist Kris Kelvin is dispatched to investigate, he experiences the same strange phenomena that afflict the Solaris crew, sending him on a voyage into the darkest recesses of his consciousness."

Dark Star (dir. John Carpenter, 1974)

"Low-budget story of four astronauts in deep space, whose mission is to destroy unstable planets in star systems which are to be colonised. The late Commander Powell is stored in deep freeze, where he is still able to offer advice. As their mission nears completion, they must cope with a runaway alien which resembles a beach-ball, faulty computer systems, and a "smart bomb" who thinks it is God."

Memories (dir. Katsuhiro Otomo, Kôji Morimoto, and Tensai Okamura

"Three visionary sci-fi short stories by Katsuhiro Otomo, the creator of Akira, are brought to life by the top animation studios in Japan. Featuring a script by Satoshi Kon and direction by Otomo himself."

Afronauts (dir. Nuotama Bodomo, 2014)

"16th July 1969: America prepares to launch Apollo 11. Thousands of kilometers away, a ragtag group of Zambian exiles is trying to beat America to the Moon."

High Life (dir. Claire Denis, 2018)

"Monte (Robert Pattinson) and his baby daughter are the last survivors of a damned and dangerous mission to the outer reaches of the solar system. The crew of death-row inmates led by a doctor (Juliette Binoche) with sinister motives has vanished. As the mystery of what happened onboard the ship is unraveled, father and daughter must rely on each other to survive as they hurtle toward the oblivion of a black hole."

• << Previous: Science Fiction Against the Margins (Pacific Standard Time)
• Next: Special Effects/Visual Effects >>
• Last Updated: Aug 22, 2024 3:43 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.ucla.edu/sciencefiction

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The Best Fiction Books » Science Fiction

Space travel and science fiction books, recommended by christopher mason.

The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds by Christopher Mason

Space travel may be the stuff of science fiction but some of it is getting closer and closer to becoming reality. What's more, we have a duty to pursue it, says Christopher Mason , Professor of Genomics, Physiology, and Biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine and author of The Next 500 Years , a blueprint of how to set about leaving our solar system. Here, he recommends his favourite science fiction about space travel, and an essential philosophy book.

Interview by Sophie Roell , Editor

The Martian by Andy Weir

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson

Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov

The Metaphysics of Morals by Immanuel Kant

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A Heinlein

1 The Martian by Andy Weir

2 seveneves by neal stephenson, 3 foundation trilogy by isaac asimov, 4 the metaphysics of morals by immanuel kant, 5 the moon is a harsh mistress by robert a heinlein.

Y ou’re interested in the kind of space travel—living on the moon, visiting Mars, leaving our solar system—that’s very much the stuff of science fiction , but in your view it’s something we actually have to do; it’s a categorical imperative. Why?

I think it’s only a question of when, not if, we leave the solar system. There are companies and groups trying to make it happen as fast as possible. Many people have written about what they hope will happen in thousands of years or even hundreds of thousands or millions of years. I wrote my book about the next 500 years. It is science fiction, because it’s in the future, but it will be listed in nonfiction because everything in it is based on what we know today in science . Every chapter is written based on datasets that we use or have generated in our own lab, or on scientific principles that we know function today to enable adaptations to live on other planets and potentially other solar systems. That’s the technical part.

The duty part comes from the cosmological fact that suns come and go but, as far as we know, life does not. To our knowledge, this is still the first and only planet that has complex life or any life. It’s also the only planet that has a conscious life. A key factor that only humans have­, as far as we know, is awareness of extinction. Extinction means not just having one thing die, or 10 things die, but the loss of species or many species or even a planetary-scale extinction. If you do nothing, you have abrogated the duty that your awareness affords. We’re the only ones that understand it—we’re even causing it a little bit. That’s another problem, but it’s a different problem. But it means we’re the only ones that can prevent it by moving life to another planet or expanding to another planet.

“The best science fiction is heavy on science and light on fiction”

If we don’t do it, life as we know it, and potentially the only life that exists in the universe, will all eventually end. I think that would be sad because I think life is great. I like humans, I think we’re worth preserving. But, also, besides gravity, life is the only other thing that counteracts entropy and organizes atoms in the universe. Life also has other bonus features, it’s a unique entity in the universe that can create poetry and music and all these other wonderful, beautiful things. It’s a rare thing and I don’t think we should just assume it’s okay to let it all die.

Some of it’s just about survival. Whatever your moral imperatives are, whatever your moral priorities, you have to exist to have them. If you have anything that you like, or that you want to be preserved, you must exist first. It’s a logical syllogism. If you say, ‘I want music to survive as long as possible’ or art or it could even be an assault rifle, maybe you really like guns. Whatever it is that you really like, for it to survive, eventually we’ll have to take it to another solar system.

When did you come to this conclusion? Was it when you were quite young?

I think probably the age of 14 or 15. I remember doing a Model United Nations in high school. It’s when your class gets to be the United Nations, and every child gets a country. it gives you the chance to learn about a country. It’s a cool way to teach geography and different cultures to a class of high school students. We did a version of it and I got Panama. Everyone can draft resolutions and you learn about procedures—how countries come together and propose resolutions about stopping or starting a war or trade disputes. I drafted a resolution called ‘the preservation of humans.’ I proposed that because not all member states could have their own space programs—they’re very expensive—one thing every country could have is a landing strip for a space shuttle. That way, instead of always having to land in one spot, they could land in many places around the Earth. My idea was that it was pretty low cost to have a nice place for a spacecraft to land. So, I proposed this as a resolution, and it didn’t go over so well. There was a fake crisis, Russia was going to invade Afghanistan, and everyone was like, ‘Why are we even talking about this?’ It was too far away.

But I’ve had the same thoughts since I was a kid because it’s a very simple series of steps in your head. I do this in the beginning of the book, I call it the ‘entropy goggles.’ If you could just imagine the room in front of you 100 years in the future, or 500 years, or 10,000 years. It’s extraordinary how fast everything decays, and you just take it to the farthest level of a billion years, and then there’s nothing left.

Isn’t the biggest challenge to space travel the fact the human body can’t survive? It’s not about the transport system to another solar system, as much as it is about the human body not doing so well. And am I right that that’s what you’re focused on in your professional life?

It’s the work I’m closest to . They’re both challenges, for sure. In the book, I don’t presume that we have any antimatter-based propulsion or even fusion propulsion. I hope I’m wrong, maybe we’ll have better propulsion. But if we don’t solve that problem, the only way around it is to assume that multiple generations will have to live and die on one spacecraft on the way to a new planet. What I wanted to point out is that it’s possible to do that over the next few 100 years—to establish and perfect the technology that would let that be a reality.

There’s so much that’s changed in the last 20 years or so. In 1995, there was only one exoplanet known and there were about 45,000 genes. Now, there are more exoplanets, and we have 60,000 genes, with more being discovered. I call them the twin engines of discovery, we’re discovering new genes and genetic functions, and also discovering new planets on which we could maybe have those genes function.

Your book made me feel quite good about the future. I thought, ‘Well, finding the ultimate way to stop cancer can’t be that far off when we have this much knowledge’.

In terms of the books that you’re recommending for us today, about space travel, you’ve chosen mainly works of science fiction. As a scientist, what role does science fiction play in science, would you say?

The best science fiction is heavy on science and light on fiction. It’s good fiction but it’s driven by extensive, rigorous, and well-anchored science. For example, The Martian , which I chose as one of the books. We were starting the twin study when that came out. Everyone around NASA headquarters was reading it. The book started as chapters that were released for free and everyone was effusive in their praise for the accuracy of the technical details and the acumen of the writer to get everything just right. Even though it’s fiction, everything’s based on technology and methods that exist. It required no new technology that we don’t have right now. I based my book on the same concept: based on everything we know today, what could I reasonably project we’d be able to do in the next 500 years?

Do you want to quickly explain what the twin study is, because it’s quite central to your work? These are two brothers, identical twins, and one spent a lot of time in space.

Scott Kelly spent a year in space. A lot of the logistics was about collecting samples from space and doing every kind of molecular profiling we can, because we don’t know what happens to the body after a year of being in space, at least at a molecular level. We knew that it was possible to survive because the Russians did it first. But only three cosmonauts had gone past a year. It was the first ever NASA mission that was that long. We embedded so many metrics and medical measurements that we could get an unparalleled view of what happened in the body. Scott was really a pioneer in giving blood, sweat and tears to the study and much more—stool and skin and all sorts of samples.

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It was a little bit frightening, because you can see how much his body really did not like being in space that long. Once he got to space, it was okay, it was really coming back from space that was very difficult on his body. His ankles swelled up to the size of basketballs. All these molecular markers called cytokines or inflammation markers, were spiking. There was an eerie similarity when we started looking at COVID-19 patients. We could see some of the same spikes of the body’s pro and anti-inflammatory systems battling each other. For Scott it was bad for a few days and then it went back to normal again, whereas for COVID patients some of these just persist for days or months. And they don’t go away.

But what we learned is that the body is plastic. All these things might be painful and difficult, but the body is extraordinarily adaptive. He did get DNA damage that we could measure. We could see fragments of DNA and loss of bone in his urine. We could see gene expression changes and the immune system really underwent a lot of stress. But his body managed to adapt. Writ large, it was surprisingly adaptive towards spaceflight.

Were there any positives?

Some of his aging signatures got better in space. His telomeres got longer so, in some ways, he did get genetically younger in space. His ‘clonal hematopoiesis’ also got better in space, which is how many clones in your blood are carrying mutations. Some of his epigenetic age, the metrics of aging, looked stable. So, all things considered, not too bad.

And his twin is also an astronaut. Has he been to space ?

Mark Kelly has been to space, about 54 days total across a few missions. Scott Kelly has been up there about 525 days, if I recall, so about 10 times longer. Imagine being at a cocktail party and telling someone both of your sons are astronauts. No one would believe you, but it’s true.

Getting back to the space travel science fiction books, you were saying the science in The Martian was pretty accurate. At what point in the future could something like The Martian happen?

Actually, very soon. It’s planned to happen in about 12 to 13 years, sending a crew there. Now the first crew will be there for a very short term. What is depicted in The Martian is probably in a matter of 10 or 20 years. I don’t think it’s 50 to 100 years, because the plan is to have people there, potentially, by the end of this decade. Elon Musk would like it to be tomorrow. I think that’s a bit ambitious, it’s more likely the early 2030s.

“I think it’s only a question of when, not if, we leave the solar system”

It’s not just the United States, it’s also private enterprise, it’s multiple other countries. Unlike the space race of the 60s, when there were two big players, now we have five or six pretty big players and some private players. There’s almost an order of magnitude bigger of a space race today than what we had 50 years ago.

Who are the big players? You mentioned China a few times in your book.

Whenever you get a grant from NASA you have to sign a document that promises that none of the funds will be used for anyone that is in China, that works for someone in China or that has any relation to anyone in China. There’s a clear wall of separation, a firewall between anything happening in NASA and anything in the Chinese space agency. I understand, politically, why that’s the case. But scientifically, I think it’s a wasted opportunity, because they’re expanding very rapidly. They developed cotton plants that can grow on the moon, and they have multiple missions.

I couldn’t believe that.

It’s amazing. They’re ramping up their space program, akin to what the US was doing in the 60s. It could really be an extraordinary time to work with them. There’s even a term for this at the State Department: ‘science diplomacy’. If you get scientists together, they’re generally trying to solve the mysteries of the universe and work together. And it is one way you to bridge the gap between cultures and politics. But politics usually gets in the way, after a while.

China is ramping up, Russia is still doing a lot in space. Israel had their spacecraft that crashed on the moon, India has a space program that’s ramping up, the UAE has one. There are obviously the Japanese and European space agencies that are have been going for a while and are still ongoing. We’re now approaching more than 10 different agencies. There’s even one for Australia. They’ve never flown anything, but they do have a new space agency they’ve just started. It’s an exciting time because there’s never been more.

Where do you think it’s coming from?

It’s a good question, what’s driving them. Maybe every country is a little bit different. A lot of the scientists and staff who work at NASA, or in my lab, just have an innate sense of curiosity. There’s a very human characteristic of exploration that is driving a lot of it.

Politically, though, some of it is probably driven by the prestige and saying: ‘We are a spacefaring country.’ It also gives you access to satellites that control communication systems, there’s questions of defense. A lot of these geopolitical machinations are also at play.

In my case, I have this sense of duty towards humanity that I feel I must fulfil for my limited time on this planet.

I think you’re probably quite unusual in worrying about the end of life in our solar system.

We’ve got about a billion years. We’ve got some time, but it’s not infinite. To me, a billion seems really short in the grand scheme of things. It’s just not that far away. I’ll be dead for the vast majority of it, but the problem won’t go away. It’s the laziest thing a human being can do is to say, ‘Well, I’ll be dead. I’ll just leave this problem to someone coming after me.’ Why would you do such thing?

It does put our worries about climate change into a different perspective.

I’ve started to look up what the last 500 million years of Earth’s history looks like in terms of its temperature. If you look at the last 50 million years, it’s interesting to see how much it’s fluctuated. It’s actually strikingly stable. It’s always within about 40 degrees, over everything that’s happened. Now, there were some times before then where the Earth was all magma and was much hotter or colder. And there’ll be a time about a billion years from now where it starts to get much hotter and there’s not much we can do about it unless we literally move the earth. (There’s a movie about that called Wandering Earth , actually). But I was pleasantly surprised. I thought it would have been much more varied over the past. Now, whenever there are big swings, mass extinctions have occurred.

Again, we’re the only ones that know this is the case. And we’re the only ones that can do anything about it.

So finishing up with The Martian , can you summarize why it’s so good?

Let’s move on to the next work of science fiction about space travel you’ve recommended, which is Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. This looks like an epic, some 800 pages. Is it very gripping? Tell me why I need to read it.

This book highlights how humans can adapt to what would seem to be an impossible survival circumstance. I’m not giving anything away, because it’s in the first two pages, but the moon is shattered and is eventually going to land on the Earth with a huge barrage of asteroids. In the first third of the book, everyone’s trying to figure out how to survive. Some people go to space, some people go deep underground. It really highlights the fragility of our planet. It’s something I think about a lot, with almost everything I look at. I’m not really a depressive person. You think I’d be really sad all the time but I view it as enabling and a good reminder to work faster.

Because even though we’ve been talking about the distant future some calamity could happen before that we can’t predict.

Now we’re at Foundation by Isaac Asimov. Is this a trilogy?

There’s a whole series. The first one is Foundation . It’s a very beautifully written book imagining that humans were so broadly successful in the universe that they’re in multiple galaxies and working at an interplanetary scale. There is even a capital city where the entire planet is one big city. It has seven or eight other planets that are agricultural, just bringing food to the other planet, because it was so big. Some people would live and die and never see the sun their whole lives because the city is so deep, but they didn’t see it as bad. That’s just how they live here. So it’s interesting imaginings of humans at that scale.

The second thing I found really striking about that book is that the protagonist in the book is something called a psychohistorian. He has studied history so well that he can try and predict what will happen next. He knows that strife and war are coming, and that the big Galactic Empire is going to crumble, and there’s no way to stop it. All he can do is limit the amount of time there will be this dark period, where people are scattered throughout the galaxy, with massive deaths and loss of technology and quality of life. And he realizes the thing that is needed to decrease the amount of suffering during that period is to preserve information, that the reason people fall into these big traps is because they don’t know how to build things. They don’t know the technology that drives survival in many cases.

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So his obsession is not so much to stop the end of the Galactic Empire, but just to reduce the length that it would be in this dark period and preserve information.

These are all such interesting concepts—just about thinking at a galactic scale, and what the world look would look like if you could. It introduced to me, at an early age, to the idea that maybe it’s possible.

Asimov was the first book I ever read where I got curious about the author. I was like, ‘Who is this guy? What brain could come up with this?’ I started to read him and it’s the first time I learned what the word humanist means. Until I read about Asimov I didn’t know what a humanist was, I was a kid in high school and I thought, ‘Wow. That’s really interesting. I think I’m a humanist.’ But he had died by then. He died in 1992 and I started reading his books in ’93, or ’94. I was palpably sad that I had just missed meeting him. I don’t know what I would have said to him except, ‘I like your book.’

Apart from space travel, are you a huge reader of science fiction?

I usually like nonfiction better. Most fiction I dislike because it’s too fictional. That’s why I like The Martian , because even though it’s fiction, it’s very anchored in fact. If it’s very scientifically-based fiction, then I’ll be happy. But if it’s too fiction-y, I just have to be in the right mood for it, I guess.

Asimov isn’t too fiction-y then?

Okay, now we’re at the one philosophy book on your list, which is the Metaphysics of Morals by Immanuel Kant . How does he relate to space travel?

This is the categorical imperative that you alluded to at the beginning. In my book, I try to create a synthesis between a variety of ethical frameworks. I wanted to put something in front of all of them, something that’s antecedent to any one of them.

There’s utilitarianism, which is the greatest good for the greatest number. How do we know what’s right or wrong? If we just make the most people happy, then that should be about right. There are problems with that, which you can read about. But that’s one option.

“All moral questions become exquisitely clear through the lens of one billion years in the future”

Another one is like when you were a kid, and you stole a candy bar, and your parents would say to you, ‘What if everyone stole a candy bar? Then there wouldn’t be any candy bars.’ That’s the simplest precept of, if you do something wrong, imagine in your head what it would be like if everyone did that thing you’re about to do. And then imagine what the world would look like. That’s the crux of the categorical imperative: take any action you’re about to take and imagine it was an axiom, a rule for all of humanity, and then imagine what the world would look like. It’s not perfect, but it does a pretty good job of thinking though whether this would be good or bad for the world. It’s a version of the golden rule, treat others as you would like to be treated.

Finally let’s talk about the last book on your space travel reading list which is another work of science fiction, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress . Tell me more.

This is one is the most science fiction-y of all my choices. In the book, people who live on the moon are called Loonies. Their bodies have adapted to the lack of gravity and they have lighter bones. It’s basically a penal colony, because once you spend too long there, you can’t go back to Earth. This is also comes up in a book series called The Expanse . If you’re out in the asteroids too long, the gravity’s too hard on the body, and you can’t really survive. I just like the idea of the adaptation in the biology of humans to different gravities and things like that which I’m sure would happen if people were growing up or living on the moon or on Mars.

In the book, it actually becomes an advantage. At some point, the moon wants to have its own independent government. It’s very much a colony, with minerals being extracted, et cetera. They can’t survive and they rebel. Then, when the Earth army sends people to attack the moon, they don’t know how to handle the 1/6 gravity, so they all get slaughtered.

I also liked the book because it’s interesting about the need for autonomy and the recognition that people want to form their own governments. It’s something we should be aware of from the get-go. It’s happened again and again throughout human history and I don’t know why anyone would think it won’t happen this time. We should plan, in advance, for the moon to have its own government.

Have any of Scott Kelly’s adaptations become permanent? Or did everything go back to normal?

Most things went back to normal, but some are still changing. We’re still taking blood samples from him routinely. We won’t know how much it’s a function of his spaceflight until we get more astronaut studies.

For his clonal hematopoiesis, he had fewer visible mutations in his blood in space, but when he got back to Earth they were higher than before the mission. Was that just normal? Or was that because of radiation or stress? We don’t know. The immune signature seems like it mostly recovered, but did it prime the immune system in any other way? Will he be more or less likely to get infections? We just don’t know, at this point. Overall I’d say that of the genes that were changing in flight, 93% of them came back to normal, but 7% didn’t. We’re still keeping an eye on him.

Didn’t he become two inches taller because of the lack of gravity?

Yes, it was a boost but it didn’t last. As soon as he got back to Earth he got smooshed down again.

Chris, thanks so much for speaking to me and for worrying about the distant future. It’s been so interesting to me because it’s not something I’ve ever thought about. I’ve always thought spending money on space travel was a waste, when we have so many problems here on Earth still to sort out—but you’ve convinced me it is important.

I want people to come away with a sense that this is something that they can do and that they can care about. It’s your birthright, as a human being with a consciousness , to think as far ahead as you want. Usually, there is no reason to think that far ahead and you don’t have to. But it is an extraordinary exercise. You can think in a more cogent capacity about what you want to accomplish, not just as a person, but as a species.

In an ecosystem, you have producers, consumers and decomposers. I try to make the case in the book that we also need guardians who will keep all of it going. Because if you don’t have anyone keeping track, all of this will go away, which I just find sad. People talk about AI and that maybe machines will come and take us over I think it’s possible. What if the machines became self-aware and maybe became guardians? What if they had a sense of duty towards life as well as inorganic life? That’s my hope, anyway. I don’t know. It depends who programmed the machines. We’ll find out. It’s a bit far in the future, but we’ll see.

May 17, 2021

Five Books aims to keep its book recommendations and interviews up to date. If you are the interviewee and would like to update your choice of books (or even just what you say about them) please email us at [email protected]

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Christopher Mason

Christopher E. Mason is a geneticist and computational biologist who has been a Principal Investigator and Co-investigator of seven NASA missions and projects. He is Professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, with affiliate appointments at the Meyer Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Information Society Project (ISP) at Yale Law School, and the Consortium for Space Genetics at Harvard Medical School.

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These Sci-Fi Visions for Interstellar Travel Just Might Work

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In a month or two, NASA will launch its massive Space Launch System rocket from the Kennedy Space Center. While the spacecraft atop it will travel around the moon—the farthest from Earth a crew-capable craft will have ever gone—the rocket will also deploy a bunch of little CubeSats , including one called NEA Scout that will be propelled by a solar sail toward a nearby asteroid.

That project has come to fruition thanks to Les Johnson, head of that mission’s technology team at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. It’s a milestone for Johnson, who has been working on solar sails and other advanced propulsion systems for years.

Outside his day job at NASA, Johnson also writes nonfiction and science fiction books for popular audiences, many of which envision future interstellar voyages. His latest, A Traveler’s Guide to the Stars , explores the kinds of propulsion systems that could one day make these deep-space expeditions a reality.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

WIRED: What inspired you to study space propulsion systems?

Johnson: Star Trek , if you go way back. I’ve been a science fiction fan and an advocate for space exploration and space travel since I was in elementary school. I was 7 years old when I watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. I was asleep probably, and I was in footie pajamas, and my parents woke me up to come watch this. And later, my older sister allowed me to stay up with her late to watch Star Trek reruns, and Lost in Space , so I was kind of hooked.

I decided at that age that I wanted to study physics and be a scientist. I always had bad vision and had been a scrawny kid, so I knew I wouldn’t be an astronaut—but I wanted to work for NASA. 

One of the first projects I was assigned was to work on something called a space tether. Those are long wires that are deployed on spacecraft, and they can be used for scientific measurements. But there was a secondary effect in test flights: You could actually get propulsion in low Earth orbit using these wires, without electricity orfuel. So I got really excited: “Hey, this is a way to travel through space, at least in Earth orbit, where you may not ever run out of gas.” 

So that’s what got me interested in advanced propulsion. From there it spread out to solar sails, and to nuclear propulsion. As a result of that, I got involved with some groups outside of NASA, people thinking about how we might go to the stars. They’d ask me, “What’s a viable method to go to Proxima Centauri?” So things kind of snowballed from there.

How does a solar sail work?

It’s not the solar wind—that’s an unfortunate naming problem. A solar sail is propelled only by light. Light is made up of photons, and those photons don’t have mass. But they do have momentum, like a molecule of air in the wind. And just like a sailboat on a lake or the ocean, when the wind blows against the sail, some of the momentum of the air particles is absorbed by the sail, which causes it to recoil, which is pushing on the sail. And through the mast, it pulls the boat with it. 

Out in space, as photons of light reflect from the sail, the light gives up a little of its energy and momentum, and that momentum goes into the motion of the sail and it pushes it.

How far from the sun can you go while still getting a significant amount of energy from it?

This is why solar sails are really cool, and this is why I like them for interstellar travel. Let’s go out the Earth’s distance from the sun, 1 AU, 93 million miles. When you unfurl a sail of any size, say it’s 100 square meters, the sunlight falling on it pushes on it. As you move away from the sun, the intensity of sunlight falls off pretty rapidly, and so does the thrust. But if you deploy a sail closer to the sun, the thrust level goes up dramatically. 

If you have a light enough sail, you can get a really big acceleration. If you get well inside the orbit of Mercury and you have a sail that only weighs 1 or 2 grams per square meter—which is about 20 times better than we can do today—and you have a sail that’s like a square kilometer, if you add a laser to boost it, you can get enough thrust to go out of the solar system at a significant fraction of the speed of light, like 10 percent. It’s unbelievable. That’s where you can get a trip that will get you to Alpha Centauri in hundreds of years, as opposed to thousands or tens of thousands with chemical rockets.

When I first saw these numbers, I thought, “That’s great, but we have no material that can stand those loads that’s that lightweight. That material is ‘unobtainium.’” That was pure science fiction. Then in 2004, graphene was found. The discoverers of that got a Nobel Prize for it in 2010. That’s a single layer of carbon. It has all the thermal and mechanical properties you need to build this huge sail; you just have to put something on it to make it reflective, like a layer of aluminum. And suddenly, this looks possible. 

We don’t know how to engineer anything that big yet . But we’ve gone from a material that doesn’t exist to one that does exist in the last two decades. And if you augment that with a high-power laser, like the folks at the Breakthrough Starshot want to do, it’s like a lot more suns falling on it, which means you can accelerate it to much higher speeds, potentially up to 5, 10, 20 percent the speed of light. And all of this without violating the laws of physics. The only laws you’re violating are known engineering. Nobody knows how to build these things, but we will! We’ll figure it out.

How did you get involved with the NEA Scout’s solar sail?

I have been working on solar sails since the early 2000s. It was one technology of many, in a portfolio of advanced propulsion that I was working on at my day job at NASA. It involved electric propulsion, nuclear propulsion, sail propulsion, some chemical work, and solar sails were a part of that. That was about the time little CubeSats were being flown, small, bread-loaf-sized spacecraft that a lot of universities now fly in low Earth orbit. NASA was trying to figure out, “Hey, can we do useful things with these? Does anybody have a payload?” We said, “We have some solar sail hardware. Let’s test a sail deployment in Earth orbit.” 

So in 2010, we flew a 10-square-meter sail called Nanosail-D . And that was successful. Then the Space Launch System was starting to move forward, and someone at NASA said, “This rocket’s going into deep space. It will have extra payload capability, we can take some of these CubeSats.” So I led a team and we wrote the proposal for NEA Scout using a scaled-up version of the Nanosail-D.

Tell me about some speculative propulsions you’ve explored, such as pulsed fusion and antimatter.

Oh, it’s all cool! I could talk for hours! I’ll start with the things I think are possible within the known laws of physics. I don’t want to be arrogant here: Scientists throughout history have made the mistake of saying, “Oh, that’s impossible,” and then 50 years later somebody proves them wrong.

There are a few ways to get to the stars. One is sails—light sails, solar sails. Chemical rockets just don’t have the energy density to do it. Nuclear-thermal rockets basically use a small version of the reactor that produces electrical power in a power station near you. You miniaturize it and put it on a rocket and use fuel, and it’s superheated by the nuclear reactor. That’s an improvement in performance over a chemical rocket, and it’s something I think we ought to be doing for the exploration of our solar system, but it won’t take you to the stars. You can’t carry enough fuel in the mass you have available to make it work.

Its descendant, fusion, which people are working on to try to have a cleaner source of power on Earth, is: Instead of splitting atoms, you’re combining them, like the way the sun produces energy. You’re squeezing hydrogen atoms so tightly until they become helium, and then they give off energy. If you can do that in a controlled reaction, you get a lot more energy out than you put in. You could use that as a propulsion system to build a rocket. It would have to be a really big rocket, because you’d have to carry a lot of fuel: Think of a rocket bigger than the Empire State Building. But it would work. You could get to the nearest few stars, like maybe Proxima Centauri, but not Ross 248, which is 10 light-years away.

One of my favorites after that is antimatter. People hear that and think, “That’s out of Star Trek .” Which it was. But it’s real. In high-energy reactions, like at the CERN collider in Europe and other particle accelerators, when we smash atoms together at high speed, lots of things break apart and fly off. But a curious thing people discovered is that there are things that look like a proton, have the mass of a proton, but have a negative charge. And then they discovered these lighter-weight things that look like electrons, but they have a positive charge. So scientists have taken these antiprotons, combined them with positrons, and made anti-hydrogen. That’s in small quantities, because when these anti-particles encounter their normal matter counterparts, they undergo—in physics terms—annihilation. That mass gets turned into energy. They explode and give off gamma rays, all kinds of secondary particles—it’s a very energetic explosion. A tablespoon of antimatter would basically destroy a city—that’s how much energy is packed into antimatter. 

You could take a lot of this antimatter, store it in a perfect vacuum, and then as you need it for your reaction mass to propel your spaceship, you have a stream of it that goes in and annihilates with normal matter and you use that energy. We don’t know how to do that, but nature says it’s possible. Now, I don’t think I want to build this on Earth, because you’re going to need tons of antimatter. If you lost control of it, that would be a disaster. 

Buried in there is another pretty interesting idea that is not as good as antimatter or fusion, but it’s really close. That’s something called a fission pulse. You may have heard of Project Orion. That was a really cool project in the Cold War, in the late ’50s and into the ’60s, where some scientists including the late Freeman Dyson said, “Maybe instead of using a rocket to put a spacecraft into space, what would happen if we used a series of controlled explosions under a big steel plate?”

It’s like, if you put a rock on top of a firecracker, the rock gets launched, right? Imagine a series of explosions under a steel plate. It’ll start getting off the ground—“Boom, boom, boom!”—to higher and higher speeds as you keep detonating these explosions. You could potentially get this plate or whatever’s on it—a spacecraft—moving to really high speeds. These scientists figured out, if you have a spacecraft the size of an aircraft carrier and you put extremely large plates under it, that are big enough to shield it from the radiation from the bomb going off, and you started exploding atomic bombs every three seconds under it, you could get tremendous speeds and you could use this to send a spacecraft, with a trip time of a few hundred years, to the nearest star. Of course you destroy the ecosystem while you’re launching it. But in theory, yeah, that ought to work!

According to a figure in your book, it looks like it’s hard to strike a balance to achieve both efficiency and thrust—and to also not have something cost a gazillion dollars.

Unfortunately, if we’re talking about building something at the scale to send a reasonably sized spacecraft to the nearest star, it’s going to be—with today’s capabilities—a really expensive endeavor. But over time, the capability evolves.

That curve you’re talking about limits rockets. It applies to any rockets that have fuel on board: chemical rockets, electric rockets, nuclear-thermal, fusion, and even antimatter. You’ve got the mass of your spacecraft, and to get it moving, it requires a certain amount of fuel at a certain thrust level. To keep it going faster, you have to load more fuel on it, which increases the weight, which means you need more fuel to move it initially. Eventually it gets to a point where you get diminishing returns.

That’s why I like sails, where the energy is not on the ship; it comes from somewhere else, so you don’t have to worry about that efficiency curve getting you. That’s a beautiful way to get around that problem.

For very long interstellar trips—things that are farther than the closest star—continuous fusion, antimatter, and sails are the only thing that will let you get there. But the better the thrust performance, the worse the efficiency it has, with every system we’ve looked at.

What motivated you to write this book, A Traveler’s Guide to the Stars ?

I go back to what motivated me to study science: It was our achievements in space, going to the moon. It was the dreamers, science fiction writers, and television shows, and this notion that in this big universe, as we look out and we discover exoplanets and we find that some of these exoplanets live in regions around their star where there might be liquid water, there might be a place where life could go and exist. 

I am a believer that life is good and that it’s a morally good thing to try to preserve and protect and spread life. We as a species, as humans, should strive to use space resources to make life better on Earth and expand our presence in the solar system, and eventually start sending our children to spread life into the rest of the universe, which sure looks like it’s a cold, dead universe. If it is, then let’s go fill it up with people who have hopes, dreams, aspirations, to create art and be human.

How long will it take humanity to design and send a robotic probe to another star system?

Part of that’s going to be a function of how hard we try. If we keep going on the path we’re going—which isn’t a bad path, but it’s taking longer than we thought it would to get the costs of launch down—I think it’ll be 300 years.

But if someone were to come along and say, “Here’s a blank check. Let’s go figure this out,” we could do it probably in less than 100 years. It’s a challenge limited by engineering knowledge, but interest, enthusiasm, and funding could accelerate it. 

Now if it’s the public purse, politicians have to balance that with all the other things: health care, police. I’m just thankful our society places a value on science and exploration at any level. So it’s a balance of priorities.

What might a crewed space journey to another star system look like?

Let’s assume we’re not going to fundamentally change our own biology through genetic engineering, that 100 years from now, people are still people as we’d recognize them today, but maybe living longer, maybe with better health care. I think it would be a voyage of hundreds of years, in a ship where there would be generations that are born and die, before you ever reach the nearest star. It would be a concept like in the movie Passengers , but not with suspended animation, because I’m really skeptical of that. 

Now if we have breakthroughs in medical research that allow us to engineer ourselves to be adapted to spaceflight, perhaps engineer ourselves to be like bears, where we could go into hibernation, and then you combine that with rocket science and propulsion science, a voyage of hundreds of years might still be the case, but wouldn’t necessarily be generations. It might open the possibility of the people who get on the ship being the ones who get off the ship. But that’s two levels of revolutionary breakthroughs.

What are your thoughts about sending robots versus people into space? That seems to be the eternal debate—with the moon, asteroids, and Mars?

It’s going to be both. I think that’s what history has shown. Before we sent people into space, we sent Sputnik and Explorer 1 and other robotic spacecraft. Before we went to the moon, there were the Surveyor missions that we sent, and the Soviets sent spacecraft, and then we sent people. For decades we’ve been sending robotic spacecraft to Mars. I think we will send people to Mars. I’m hoping that will be in my lifetime.

When I look at that debate, I think it’s a false dichotomy. And I’ve got a story in the book: I went to a meeting probably eight to 10 years ago on new strategies for exploring Mars. There was a debate going on there, with panelists on stage, about whether we should send people to Mars. Is it really worth it? There was this reserved chair in the first row that was empty. And then in walks Buzz Aldrin. Buzz, the second man to walk on the moon, makes his entrance, and sits down. And he’s there for like five minutes. He stands up, and raises his hand. He looked at all of us and said, “OK, let’s suppose we had a way to do this tomorrow. How many of you would sign up for a one-way trip to Mars?” I was stunned. I want to go as a tourist, but I want to go back home. But it was over half the people, and a lot of them who raised their hands were those who had been arguing we should only send robots. But as soon as they were given the thought, “Oh, we could send people—then of course I’d go.” That moment crystallized in my head that if the capability exists, we’re going to do both. It will first be the robots, then we’ll send people.

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What Science Fiction Gets Wrong About Space Travel

Geoff Brumfiel

Emily Kwong

Brit Hanson

This artist concept shows NASA Dawn spacecraft arriving at the dwarf planet Ceres. Dawn travels through space using a technology called ion propulsion, with ions glowing with blue light are accelerated out of an engine, giving the spacecraft thrust. NASA/JPL-Caltech hide caption

This artist concept shows NASA Dawn spacecraft arriving at the dwarf planet Ceres. Dawn travels through space using a technology called ion propulsion, with ions glowing with blue light are accelerated out of an engine, giving the spacecraft thrust.

Contrary to sci-fi depictions in shows like Iron Man and Star Wars, getting from point A to point B in space is a tough engineering problem. NPR Science Correspondent Geoff Brumfiel, with help from scientist Naia Butler-Craig , explains how space propulsion actually works, and why some new technologies might be needed to get humans to Mars and beyond. Follow Geoff Brumfiel and Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong on Twitter. Email the show at [email protected] .

This episode was produced by Brit Hanson, fact-checked by Indi Khera and edited by Gisele Grayson.

• science fiction

The idea that characters can fly from planet to planet, or star to star, defying current science and technology, is central to science fiction. Although some of these ideas predated the space age, after the 1950s, fictional depictions of space travel needed to suggest conceivable ways to cross interstellar distances to seem plausible. Some authors suggested faster-than-light drives, hyper drives, jump drives, worm holes, and black holes.

Scientific understanding of light speed as an absolute natural limit derives from Albert Einstein’s publications on special relativity in 1905, confirmed by his work on general relativity in 1916. In classical physics, speed has no limits. But relativistic theory shows that mass increases with acceleration until mass becomes infinite at light speed. Yet author E. E. “Doc” Smith imagined spaceships traveling faster than the speed of light in his “Skylark of Space” stories. Smith’s cover story appeared in the same issue of Amazing Stories in 1928 that included Philip Francis Nowlan’s first short story about Anthony (later “Buck”) Rogers.

Within a couple of decades, the fictional idea of faster-than-light travel made intuitive sense to a public familiar with recent supersonic flights. In 1947, Chuck Yeager broke the speed of sound aboard the Bell X-1 Glamorous Glennis . Writers extrapolated supersonic speeds into the idea of spacecraft traveling at multiples of the speed of light. Frank Hampson’s British comic Dan Dare offered one of the earliest uses of faster-than-light travel. In 1955, he introduced interstellar travel in “The Man from Nowhere” trilogy. The technology was inherently alien, however, and faster-than-light travel was not featured regularly afterward. Forbidden Planet (1956) was the first film to depict a fictional faster-than-light spaceship created by humans. From the exterior, the C-57D ship was an undifferentiated flying saucer. After a loudspeaker announcement, however, the crew stood in “DC stations” that held them immobile while the ship slowed. By the mid-1960s, however, as both the United States and the Soviet Union made regular human spaceflights, science fiction audiences became more intuitively aware of the time that it took to travel in space.

The U.S.S. Enterprise created for Star Trek (NBC, 1966-69) represented a major leap forward. Walters “Matt” Jefferies, a WWII flight engineer and private pilot, used “aircraft logic” to design a vehicle with components that visually communicated their purpose. With the two engine nacelles, Jefferies effectively invented warp drives, fictional engines that could propel the ship at multiples of the speed of light. As seen in Star Trek: First Contact (1996), the first flight of Zephram Cochran’s warp-capable Phoenix demonstrated the mark of a culture that was ready to participate in interstellar civilization. Jefferies’ design raised the bar for imagined vehicles. After Star Trek, undifferentiated flying saucers and flame-spewing pointed rockets largely disappeared from fictional depictions. Instead, imagined propulsion that bent space-time or traversed alternate dimensions become more prevalent.

Rather than just having the vehicles fly faster, some science fiction suggested traveling through or outside of normal four-dimensional space (including time), either by jumping within ordinary space, utilizing hyperspace, or exploiting natural or artificial shortcuts through space. Beginning in the 1940s, Isaac Asimov included jump drives in the short stories that later became his Foundation (1951) series of novels. Because fictional jump drives turn long flights into direct hops, allowing ships to disappear from one place and reappear in another, they facilitate storytelling without interrupting it. The reimagined Battlestar Galactica (2003) uses the same kind of travel but calls the mechanisms “FTL drives.”

A production model of the Millennium Falcon was on display at the Museum in 1998-99 as a part of the "Star Wars: The Magic of Myth".

The Star Wars universe postulates a hyperdrive, a computer-guided system that allows spacecraft to enter hyperspace at faster-than-light speeds and navigate to a successful exit at a distant destination. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) reveals that the extensive navigational maps and rapid calculating ability of the Millennium Falcon ’s hyperdrive computer are actually the downloaded memories of L3-37, a spirited and female-identified droid pilot.

The two-season program Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (NBC, 1979-1981) showed interstellar travel being accomplished using stargates. Four lights arranged in a diamond in space showed that the stargate had opened, offering access to hyperspace. A similar concept had a more physical presence in J. Michael Straczynski’s Babylon 5 (Syndicated & TNT, 1993-1998). In that show, external “jumpgates” shown using computer-generated imaging provided a physical infrastructure for generating stable vortices to hyperspace.

The idea of artificial space-time vortices as conduits drew power from speculation published in technical and popular literature. Speculation about wormholes must be distinguished, however, from black holes, which are real astronomical phenomena. Stories involving black holes often include time dilation. Einstein’s theories—including special and general relativity—explain that a person travelling near a massive gravitational field experiences time more slowly. The plot of director Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar (2014) employed time differences for dramatic purposes and also represented a giant leap in visual effects. To create the effect of the rapidly spinning black hole, theoretical astrophysicist Kip Thorne assisted the Interstellar production team. The resulting black hole appeared as a three-dimensional, spherical, hole in spacetime, drawing in all of the light around it. When the Event Horizon Telescope project imaged a real black hole in 2019, that image demonstrated how close to reality Interstellar ’s fictional imagination had come.

This explanation of the various aspects of a black hole shows the recent three-dimensional visualization.

Although writers have been imagining travel to space-based destinations for hundreds of years, the use of faster-than-light travel as a narrative device remains relatively young. As the sound barrier disappeared and the space age dawned, writers began imagining ways for interstellar travelers to cross the immensity of space. More important, audiences came to expect plausible explanations of faster-than-light travel to consider the stories credible.

Dr. Margaret A. Weitekamp is the Chair of the Museum’s Space History Department and author of “Ahead, Warp Factor Three, Mr. Sulu”: Imagining Interstellar Faster-Than-Light Travel in Space Science Fiction.” The Journal of Popular Culture 52 (2019), 1036-57.

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