This selection is for those who like modern science fiction - books (the best). The list includes only the most famous authors of the genre.

Dan Brown. Origin

Robert Langdon, the protagonist of Dan Brown's fifth book, Origins, is a Harvard professor specializing in religious symbolism. The novel's narrative begins with futurist Edmond Kirsch making a truly landmark discovery about the origins of humanity. At the Guggenheim Museum, Kirsch is going to make a world breakthrough and reveal all the secrets human existence, but he is killed in front of those present... Continue

Ulf Hviti is the main character of Alexander Mazin’s novel “The King on the Hill,” which belongs to the genre of combat fantasy. Intrigue, power, the struggle for life - Ulf, the warrior, the Viking leader, who is excellent with a blade, will have to face all this. Will Ulf be able to survive all the difficulties and emerge victorious in this dangerous game? Further

Who wants to die young? But you can also come to an agreement with Death, and if she believes you, you can take advantage of your second chance at Life, although the body and world will be different. But the troubles don't end there. Intrigues, games, relatives who dream of putting you in a psychiatric clinic - you wouldn’t wish this on your enemy. And then you discover that you have the gift of a necromancer. Where else to hide if not in the Academy of the Dark Lords. But here, too, everything is not so simple - conspiracies and gossip follow you everywhere, and the head of foreign intelligence simply dreams of getting rid of you. And all this time, there is a killer somewhere nearby, and you need to figure him out before he gets to you... Continue

After graduating from school, the witch Alice was supposed to enter the Academy of Magic, but she is sent to the Blood Academy, where vampires do not drink blood for life. Alice has no idea what awaits her within the new walls educational institution. How will the vampires accept her, how will her studies go and will she meet her love? Further

The plot of the science fiction novel was inspired by Daniel Keyes from events in his personal life and the lives of those around him. The seasons in the novel are closely related to the plot. This is a psychological work in which the themes of love and responsibility, kindness, human indifference and depression bordering on suicide are acutely revealed. Further

A nuclear disaster has covered the near future. Humanity is not ready for such tests, is not adapted to life in such conditions. Hiding underground, people panic. The leaders are trying to unite and calm the earthlings, to develop strategic actions, but someone else is claiming power, the one who will lead the Earth to inevitable destruction. Further

The world is on the brink of survival. The virtual game OASIS is the only salvation of humanity in the new conditions of the near future. Full power in the Game is given by an Easter egg, the first clue to which is discovered by Wade Watts. But Wade's team is hampered by an organization determined to neutralize those close to winning. Further

In the 25th century, people have the ability to upload their consciousness into a new body an unlimited number of times. Death as such no longer exists. The only thing that is unpleasant is that after a reboot you find yourself 180 light years away from your previous home. Takeshi Kovacs, once on Earth, receives a task from a billionaire to investigate the murder of his body. Kovacs finds himself in the midst of real danger, conspiracies and intrigues and does not yet know that in this world everything is bought and sold. Further

Major Glukhov, who died in the war, comes to life again, but now in the body of the son of a criminal baron. The space security service implants a symbiont in Glukhov, which is capable of completely changing human consciousness. And now Glukhov has incredible power that can stop even the Gods. The war begins. Further

As a result of genetic research, a human warrior of the 21st century (thirteenth) was artificially created. With the reign of peace on Earth after World War II, the thirteenth were exiled to Mars, as they were considered dangerous to the population. One day, a spaceship and mutilated corpses are discovered in the Pacific Ocean. The police believe that one of the prisoners escaped from Mars. Karl Marsalis, a thirteenth hunter, gets involved in the case. Further

Have you become an involuntary participant in the war and don’t know how to win it? Hoping to find the answer to your question, you enter an anomalous world that seems to not exist. An enemy appears next to you, stronger, more cunning and more experienced than you. How can we now get out of this trap, stay alive and find our way back? Further

Elissa and Melinda are indigos, best friends who support each other in any situation. When Melinda becomes pregnant with an alien's baby and finds herself in mortal danger, Elissa is tasked with saving her friend. A deal with the alien's brother seems to be the only way out of this situation. Further

Adeline dreamed of becoming a doctor, but fate decreed otherwise. Finding herself in the magical world through the most ordinary door, Adeline finds herself in the Academy of the Six Worlds. Everything in this world is new. Endless discoveries, travel between worlds, friends, enemies and the first real love. Further

Merchant Cat puts everything on the line in a dangerous game in which the virtual world and reality are closely intertwined. Moreover, moves made in virtual space influence the course of all life in our world. The interconnection of the worlds is obvious, the results of the game are unpredictable. Further

Witcher Maxim Rudov, calling himself Sakurai Shinji, is trying to survive in the aristocratic world of gossip, intrigue and envy. A world full of dangers constantly presents “surprises” both from enemies and from those whom you considered friends. And only with cunning actions, a logical mind and arrogant behavior can one withstand these fateful blows. Further

When, after the first semester of a special magic course, you find out that a killer has been hunting you since the moment you were born, and the very next day you wake up as a ghost, there is no time for jokes. It’s good that help is provided by a teacher of Dark rituals and spells, but how long will this all last? Further

Do you feel unappreciated? Then you need to become a stranger and go to a magical world, where miracles and magical castles are a common occurrence. It’s just a pity that you won’t surprise anyone with the people you get there, and your only chance to survive will be to work as a servant. But everything can be changed radically, you just need to accidentally find yourself in the wrong place and you get involved in a deadly game of survival. Further

After the tragedy, the consciousness of Nikolai Nesterenko, who knew almost everything about the battles on Tsushima, moves into the head of Vice Admiral Rozhdestvensky. Having realized the results of the battle for his squadron, the vice admiral completely rebuilds the battle strategy, creating a cohesive team of soldiers, ready to do anything to achieve a common goal. All these measures completely changed events Russo-Japanese War. Further

Quasi are high-tech zombies that do not eat people, have a sharp mind, have no emotions and ride bicycles. Policeman Denis and quasi Mikhail are investigating the murder of a virologist. Not to say that such a partnership gives them pleasure, but they have to put up with it, since the salvation of the world depends on them. Further

New Earth. Andrei Novikov, a police major, pursuing the thief in law Vagon, finds himself in another world from where there is no turning back. In the new place, Novikov and Vagon will have to learn to live side by side, which means that danger will lurk for them at every corner. After all, Vagon does not know how to live in peace. What kind of place is this and will the police major and the thief in law be able to cope with all the difficulties that fate will throw at them? Further

It was modern fantasy - books (the best). You can add to the list yourself in the comments if you have favorite works in this genre. 😉

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

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

Robert Ibatullin “Rose and Worm” (2015)

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

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

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

Peter Watts "False Blindness"

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

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

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

Chris Beckett "In the Darkness of Eden"

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

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

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

Adam Roberts "Glass Jack"

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

Seven notorious criminals are sent to a distant asteroid - they will serve their sentences and mine ore for eleven years. The prisoners know that as soon as they are left alone, a brutal and bloody power struggle will begin. Six of them look like natural-born killers and dominant males, and the seventh is frail, downtrodden, and also legless. The convicts think that he will die first, but they have no idea that the disabled goner will turn out to be the most dangerous person on this damned asteroid.

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

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

Daniel Suarez "Flow"

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

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

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

Alastair Reynolds "Doomed World"

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

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

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

John Love "Faith"

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

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

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

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

Everyone who respects himself book lover must have your own personal list "Best Science Fiction Writers". If you don’t have one yet, then we suggest you pay attention to the following authors who are loved, appreciated, and their works are read all over the world.

Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992) - American science fiction writer. Author of about 500 books, both fiction and popular science. Multiple winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards. Some terms from his works, for example, robotics, robotics, positronic, have entered English and other languages.

Best books:“The Gods Themselves,” “Foundation,” “The End of Eternity,” “Bicentennial Man,” the “I, Robot” series of books, “Foundation,” “Lucky Starr” and others.

Alexander Belyaev

Alexander Romanovich Belyaev (1884 - 1942) - Russian science fiction writer, one of the founders of Soviet science fiction literature, wrote more than 70 science fiction books. fantastic works, including 13 novels. He is called the Russian Jules Verne.

Best books: “The Head of Professor Dowell”, “The Island of Lost Ships”, “Amphibian Man”, “Ariel”, “KEC Star”, “The Man Who Found His Face”, “Heavenly Guest” and others.

Ray Bradbury

Ray Douglas Bradbury (1920 – 2012) is an American science fiction writer who wrote more than eight hundred works throughout his life. His stories formed the basis of several film adaptations and theatrical productions.

Best books: “Fahrenheit 451”, “The Martian Chronicles”, “The Illustrated Man”, “Trouble Is Coming”, “Dandelion Wine”, “A Sound of Thunder”, “Dark Carnival”, “Farewell Summer!” and others.

William Gibson

William Gibson (1948-...) - American science fiction writer. Many consider him the father of cyberpunk. After all, it was he who introduced the term “cyberspace” into science fiction, and also because of his novel Neuromancer, which was published in 1984 and sold more than 6 million copies.

Best books: The “Cyberspace” trilogy, “The Bridge Trilogy”, “The Bigend Trilogy”, “The Difference Machine”, the collection of short stories “The Burning of Chrome” and others.

Sergei Lukyanenko

Sergei Vasilyevich Lukyanenko (1968-...) is one of the most widely read Russian science fiction writers. The writer himself defines the genre in which he writes his novels as “Fiction of Hard Action” or “Fiction of the Path”

Best books: series of novels “Watches”, “Borderlands”, “Island of Rus'”, “Seekers of the Sky”, “Line of Dreams”, “Genome”, “Labyrinth of Reflections”, “Lord from Planet Earth” and others.

Larry Niven

Lawrence van Cott Niven (1938 – ...) - American science fiction writer. Repeated winner of the Hugo, Locus, Ditmar and Nebula awards. His work is fantasy, which combines serious science and theoretical speculation. His works often contain elements of detective and adventure.

Best books: series “Ring World”, “Integral Trees”, “Make a Wish”, “Defender”, “Gift from Earth”, Calm in Hell and others.

Clifford Simak

Clifford Donald Simak (1894-1988) is rightfully considered one of the founders of modern American science fiction. IN different time was awarded the Hugo and Nebula, Jupiter, Locus, Bram Stoker awards, as well as the title of Grand Master.

The best books: “The City”, “A Ring Around the Sun”, “The Goblin Reserve”, “The Werewolf Principle”, “All Flesh is Grass”, “What could be simpler than time?”, “Almost like people” and others.

Robert Heinlein

Robert Anson Heinlein (1907-1988) is an American science fiction writer who made an invaluable contribution to the development of the science fiction genre. He is the only one to receive five Hugo Awards and a multiple Nebula winner.

Best books: cycle “The History of the Future”, “Stranger in a Strange Land”, “Starship Troopers”, “Farmer in the Sky”, “The Man Who Sold the Moon”, “Red Planet”, “Double Star”, “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” and others .

Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

Brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky are a famous tandem of writers. Their books are known not only in the CIS, but also far abroad. They also worked individually. The novels of the Strugatsky brothers have rightfully entered the world classics of modern science fiction. Each book by these authors is distinguished by depth and philosophy, which is sometimes lacking in novels of this genre.

Best books:“Roadside Picnic”, “Snail on the Slope”, “Lame Fate”, “Doomed City”, “It’s Hard to Be a God”, “Monday Begins on Saturday”, “A Billion Years Before the End of the World”, “Waves Quench the Wind” and other.

Arthur Clarke

Arthur Charles Clarke (1917 - 2008) - English writer, scientist, futurist and inventor, and, of course, cult science fiction writer. His work includes 22 novels, 3 cycles of novels, stories and film adaptations of his books.

Best books:“Prelude to Space”, “Sands of Mars”, “End of Childhood”, “Songs of a Distant Earth”, “2001: A Space Odyssey” Cycle, “Rama” Cycle, “Odyssey of Time” Cycle and others.

Henry Kuttner

American writer of science fiction and humorous fiction, Henry Kuttner (1915-1958), created works that are now classics. Henry's co-author was his wife Catherine Lucille Moore. Kuttner's books were published under the pseudonyms Lawrence O'Donnell, Lewis Paget, Keith Hammond and Will Hart.

Best books: series of stories “Hogbens”, novel “Dark World”, “Fury. World of darkness. Stories", "This confirms", "Five stories about Gallegher", " Housing issue", "Mutant", "Cerce's Mask" and others.

William Tenn

Science fiction writer Philip Klass published under the pseudonym William Tenn (1920-2010). The world learned about the writer’s talent after the publication of his first story, “Alexander the Bait,” in 1946. During his long writing career, Tenn wrote only 2 novels, preferring short stories. For his services to science fiction, William Tenn has repeatedly received awards, including prestigious Awards Nebula, Locus and Hugo.

Best books: collections of stories “The Baldezhny Criterion”, “Star Carousel”, “Invasion” and others.

Vladimir Mikhailov

Mikhailov Vladimir Dmitrievich (1929-2008) - author of numerous works in the science fiction genre. Vladimir Mikhailov began writing humorous stories, but achieved popularity and recognition thanks to science fiction books. The author himself, dreaming all his life of becoming a great poet, considered science fiction a happy accident.

Best books:“My Brother’s Keeper”, “People of the Land”, “The Constant Krata”, “Option I”, “Special Necessity” and others.

Frank Herbert

American science fiction writer Frank Herbert (1920-1986) is known to the world mainly thanks to the chronicles of Dune. The series of these books brought the author awards in the form of literary prizes Hugo and Nebula. The author's first story was “Looking for Something?”, published in Startling Stories magazine.

Best books:“Dune”, “Dragon at Sea”, “God Makers”, “The Annoyance Experiment”, “Under Pressure”, “Hallstrom’s Hive” and others.

Ivan Efremov

Ivan Antonovich Efremov (1908-1972) - Soviet science fiction writer, paleontologist and thinker. Thanks to his creative potential, Ivan’s knowledge resulted in wonderful works of literature. The minor planet Efremian and the mineral Efremovite are named after the author.

Best books:“Andromeda Nebula”, “The Razor’s Edge”, “Starships”, “Thais of Athens”, “Hour of the Ox” and others.

Paul Anderson

Paul William Anderson (1926-2001) became interested in science fiction back in his student years. Anderson is one of the few writers to have received the title of "Grand Master of Fantasy" Hugo and has been awarded this Award 7 times. The author's debut took place in 1947 with the story "Children of Tomorrow."

Best books:"Time Patrol", "Space Crusaders", "Operation Underworld", " Long road home", "Queen of Winds and Darkness" and others.

Ursula Le Guin

The work of Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (1929-2018) is not limited to the science fiction genre. The writer created many children's works, poems and novels, and was the author of fantasy books and a literary critic. Le Guin wrote her first science fiction story at the age of 11 and continued to delight fans with new works, for many of which Ursula received prestigious awards.

Best books:"A Wizard of Earthsea", "Trilogy", " Left hand Darkness", "Tomb of Atuan", "Deprived", "Planet of Exile" and others.

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Global discoveries and changes in the science fiction genre do not happen often. However, in each period there are works that mark a certain stage in the development of the genre, either attract close attention from critics, or simply win reader recognition. Or both, and the other, and the third combined.

We present the ten most striking and sensational SF novels that appeared in the 21st century - according to the World of Fantasy.

Robert Charles Wilson "Spin" (Spin, 2005)

Main character lives on the Earth of the future, which some super-civilization has surrounded with a barrier known as “Spin”. Moreover, behind the barrier, the course of time has changed: hours pass for earthlings, but millions of years pass in the Universe. And, since the life of the Sun is limited, the current generation of people may be the last. Therefore, humanity is looking for a way to salvation... This is both a large-scale sci-fi epic and a history of human relationships, Arthur Clarke and Robert Heinlein in one bottle. At the same time, the “scientific” nature of the book seems rather dubious at times, but Wilson is a good stylist and psychologist.

Max Brooks "World War Z" (World War Z, 2006)

A novel about the war between humanity and zombies that appeared on the planet due to an unknown virus. This is the story of an absolutely merciless war, when the enemy can become the most close person, turned into a mindless cannibal. And in order to survive, you have to kill without any pity - even small children... A very dark, cruel and frighteningly believable book, a hybrid of a science fiction disaster and a military chronicle.

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Peter Watts "False Blindness" (Blindsight, 2006)

In 2082, humanity collided with aliens. To establish contact, the Theseus ship was sent to the Oort cloud, beyond the orbit of Pluto. However, contact with strangers turned out to be completely different from what people imagined... Peter Watts discarded all the First Contact schemes developed by science fiction writers and created his own version with an emphasis on achievements modern science. The novel is valuable precisely as science fiction: when inventing the world and plot, the author skillfully and knowledgeably uses ideas, concepts and terms from different scientific disciplines- from psychology and linguistics to biochemistry and cybernetics. The result is an inventive “gymnastics for the mind,” although the book lacks literary qualities, so not everyone will like it.

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Andy Weir "The Martian" (2011)

A short-range sci-fi masterpiece about space Robinson Mark Watney - American astronaut, whom his comrades forgot on Mars. Written in a realistic style, and even with humor, the book became a worldwide bestseller and the basis for a popular film by Ridley Scott.

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China Miéville "Embassytown" (Embassytown, 2011)

In the distant future, humanity has colonized the planet Arieka, whose natives speak a unique language - only some specially “changed” human ambassadors understand it... The leader of the “new strange” has composed a novel in the spirit of Ursula Le Guin and with a special “linguistic” flavor. The result is one of the most striking books of modern “humanitarian” SF.

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Neal Stephenson "Anathem" (Anathem, 2008)

The action takes place in a parallel universe on the planet Arb, where scientists, united in a religious order, are isolated in a monastery and protect knowledge from secular authorities. However, due to an alien threat, a group of monks leaves the monastery and sets off on a dangerous journey to save the world... Stevenson wrote a multi-layered work with a lot of references to world philosophy, incorporating themes and motifs from almost all SF of the last half century. In terms of scale and significance, it is somewhere on the level of Hyperion and Solaris.

Paolo Bacigalupi “The Windup Girl” (2009)

An excellently written dystopia in the style of cyberpunk. The paths of the main characters intersect in Thailand, which in the 24th century became one of the most prosperous countries. The author managed to create a living, vibrant world populated by realistic and carefully crafted characters. A world obsessed with ecology and virtually abandoned progress. A world where resources are limited. The world of genetic engineering and total domination of food corporations. In terms of ideas and atmosphere, it’s a kind of “Neuromancer” inside out.

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Ernest Cline Ready Player One (2011)

The year is 2044, an uncomfortable future, whose inhabitants are hiding from real problems in the virtual world of OASIS. Somewhere in the depths of a virtual utopia, its creator hid the key to his gigantic fortune, the search for which is being sought by both individuals and entire corporations. And only connoisseurs of fantastic literature, cinema and video games of the 20th century will be able to find the “treasure”... A fascinating post-cyberpunk - a bestseller, written by a geek for geeks.

A heroine named Brek is a fragment of the “collective mind” of a deceased military starship, living in a human body. She accuses the immortal empress of betrayal and dreams of revenge... The author created an original world, populating it with colorful characters and inventing an inventive plot intrigue with many mysteries.

In general, I am a big fan of science fiction and science fiction as well. At one time I read a lot, now much less due to the invention of the Internet and lack of time. While preparing my next post, I came across this rating. Well, I think I’ll go for a run now, I probably know everything here! Yeah! No matter how it is. I haven’t read half the books, but that’s okay. I’m hearing some authors almost for the first time! Look what it's like! And they are CULT! How are you doing with this list?

Check...

1. Time machine

A novel by H.G. Wells, his first major work of science fiction. Adapted from the 1888 story "The Argonauts of Time" and published in 1895. “The Time Machine” introduced into science fiction the idea of ​​time travel and the time machine used for this, which were later used by many writers and created the direction of chrono-fiction. Moreover, as noted by Yu. I. Kagarlitsky, both in scientific and general worldview terms, Wells “... in a certain sense anticipated Einstein,” who formulated the special theory of relativity ten years after the novel’s release

The book describes the journey of the inventor of a time machine into the future. The basis of the plot is the fascinating adventures of the main character in a world located 800 thousand years later, in describing which the author proceeded from the negative trends in the development of his contemporary capitalist society, which allowed many critics to call the book a warning novel. In addition, the novel describes for the first time many ideas related to time travel, which will not lose their attractiveness for readers and authors of new works for a long time.

2. Stranger in a strange land

A fantastic philosophical novel by Robert Heinlein, awarded the Hugo Award in 1962. It has a “cult” status in the West, being considered the most famous science fiction novel ever written. One of the few works of science fiction included by the Library of Congress in its list of books that shaped America.

The first expedition to Mars disappeared without a trace. Third World War pushed back the second, successful expedition for a long twenty-five years. New researchers established contact with the original Martians and found out that not all of the first expedition perished. And the “Mowgli of the space age” is brought to earth - Michael Valentine Smith, raised by locals intelligent beings. A man by birth and a Martian by upbringing, Michael bursts like a bright star into the familiar everyday life of the Earth. Endowed with the knowledge and skills of an ancient civilization, Smith becomes the messiah, the founder new religion and the first martyr for his faith...

3. Lensman Saga

The Lensman saga is the story of a million-year confrontation between two ancient and powerful races: the evil and cruel Eddorians, who are trying to create a giant empire in space, and the inhabitants of Arrisia, the wise patrons of young civilizations emerging in the galaxy. Over time, the Earth with its mighty space fleet and the Galactic Lensman Patrol will also enter this battle.

The novel instantly became incredibly popular among science fiction fans - it was one of the first major works whose authors risked taking the action beyond Solar System, and since then Smith, along with Edmond Hamilton, has been considered the founder of the “space opera” genre.

4. 2001: A Space Odyssey

“2001: A Space Odyssey” is a literary script for the film of the same name (which, in turn, is based on Clark’s early story “The Sentinel”), which has become a classic of science fiction and is dedicated to the contact of mankind with an extraterrestrial civilization.
2001: A Space Odyssey is regularly included in lists of the "greatest films in cinematic history." It and its sequel, 2010: Odyssey Two, won Hugo Awards in 1969 and 1985 for best science fiction films.
The influence of the film and book on modern culture huge, as is the number of their fans. And although 2001 has already arrived, A Space Odyssey is unlikely to be forgotten. She continues to be our future.

5. 451 degrees Fahrenheit

The dystopian novel by the famous American science fiction writer Ray Bradbury “Fahrenheit 451” has become, in a sense, an icon and guiding star of the genre. It was created on a typewriter, which the writer rented from public library and was first published in parts in the first issues of Playboy magazine.

The epigraph of the novel states that the ignition temperature of paper is 451 °F. The novel describes a society that relies on popular culture and consumer thinking, in which all books that make you think about life are to be burned; possession of books is a crime; and people who are capable of critical thinking find themselves outside the law. The novel's protagonist, Guy Montag, works as a "fireman" (which in the book implies burning books), confident that he is doing his job "for the benefit of mankind." But soon he becomes disillusioned with the ideals of the society of which he is a part, becomes an outcast and joins a small underground group of marginalized people, whose supporters memorize the texts of books in order to save them for posterity.

6. “Foundation” (other names - Academy, Foundation, Foundation, Foundation)

A science fiction classic, it tells the story of the collapse of a great galactic empire and its revival through the Seldon Plan.

In his later novels, Asimov connected the world of Foundation with his other series of works about the Empire and about positronic robots. The combined series, which is also called "Foundation", covers the history of mankind for more than 20,000 years and includes 14 novels and several dozen short stories.

According to rumors, Asimov's novel made a huge impression on Osama bin Laden and even influenced his decision to create the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda. Bin Laden likened himself to Gary Seldon, who controls the future society through pre-planned crises. Moreover, the title of the novel when translated into Arabic sounds like Al Qaida and, thus, could be the reason for the name of bin Laden's organization.

7. Slaughterhouse-Five, or Crusade children (1969)

Autobiographical novel by Kurt Vonnegut about the bombing of Dresden during World War II.

The novel was dedicated to Mary O'Hair (and Dresden taxi driver Gerhard Müller) and was written in a “telegraphic-schizophrenic style,” as Vonnegut himself puts it. The book closely intertwines realism, grotesque, fantasy, elements of madness, cruel satire and bitter irony.
Main character - American soldier Billy Pilgrim, an absurd, timid, apathetic man. The book describes his adventures in the war and the bombing of Dresden, which left an indelible imprint on Pilgrim’s mental state, which had not been very stable since childhood. Vonnegut introduced a fantastic element into the story: the events of the protagonist's life are viewed through the prism of post-traumatic stress disorder - a syndrome characteristic of war veterans, which crippled the hero's perception of reality. As a result, the comical “story about aliens” grows into some harmonious philosophical system.
Aliens from the planet Tralfamadore take Billy Pilgrim to their planet and tell him that time does not actually “flow”, there is no gradual random transition from one event to another - the world and time are given once and for all, everything that has happened and will happen is known . About the death of someone, the Trafalmadorians simply say: “That’s how it is.” It was impossible to say why or why anything happened - that was the “structure of the moment.”

8. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Guide to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The legendary ironic science fiction saga of Douglas Adams.
The novel tells the story of the adventures of the unlucky Englishman Arthur Dent, who, with his friend Ford Prefect (a native of a small planet somewhere near Betelgeuse, who works in the editorial office of the Hitchhiker's Guide) avoids death when the Earth is destroyed by a race of Vogon bureaucrats. Zaphod Beeblebrox, Ford's relative and President of the Galaxy, accidentally saves Dent and Ford from death in outer space. Also on board Zaphod's improbability-powered ship, the Heart of Gold, are the depressed robot Marvin and Trillian, aka Trisha McMillan, whom Arthur once met at a party. She, as Arthur soon realizes, is the only surviving Earthling besides himself. The heroes are looking for the legendary planet Magrathea and trying to find a question that matches the Final Answer.

9. Dune (1965)

Frank Herbert's first novel in the Dune Chronicles saga about the sand planet Arrakis. It was this book that made him famous. Dune won the Hugo and Nebula Awards. Dune is one of the most famous science fiction novels of the 20th century.
This book raises many political, environmental and other important issues. The writer managed to create a full-fledged fantasy world and cross it with a philosophical novel. In this world, the most important substance is spice, which is needed for interstellar travel and on which the existence of civilization depends. This substance is found only on one planet called Arrakis. Arrakis is a desert inhabited by huge sandworms. On this planet live the Fremen tribes, in whose life the main and unconditional value is water.

10. Neuromancer (1984)

A novel by William Gibson, a canonical piece of cyberpunk that won the Nebula Award (1984), the Hugo Award (1985), and the Philip K. K. Prize. This is Gibson's first novel and opens the Cyberspace trilogy. Published in 1984.
This work discusses such concepts as artificial intelligence, a virtual reality, Genetic Engineering, transnational corporations, cyberspace (computer network, matrix) long before these concepts became popular in popular culture.

11. Do androids dream of electric sheep? (1968)

Science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick, written in 1968. Tells the story of "bounty hunter" Rick Deckard, who pursues androids - creatures almost indistinguishable from humans that have been outlawed on Earth. The action takes place in a radiation poisoned and partially abandoned future San Francisco.
Along with The Man in the High Castle, this novel is the most famous work Dick. This is one of the classic science fiction works that explores the ethical issues of creating androids - artificial people.
In 1982, based on the novel, Ridley Scott made the film Blade Runner with Harrison Ford in leading role. The script, which was created by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is quite different from the book.

12. Gate (1977)

A science fiction novel by American writer Frederik Pohl, published in 1977 and received all three major American awards of the genre - Nebula (1977), Hugo (1978) and Locus (1978). The novel opens the Khichi series.
Near Venus, people found an artificial asteroid built by an alien race called the Heechee. Spaceships were discovered on the asteroid. People figured out how to control ships, but they couldn't change their destination. Many volunteers have tested them. Some returned with discoveries that made them rich. But most returned with nothing. And some did not return at all. Flying on a ship was like Russian roulette - you could get lucky, but you could also die.
The main character is a researcher who got lucky. He is tormented by remorse - from the crew that was lucky, he was the only one who returned. And he tries to figure out his life by confessing to a robot psychoanalyst.

13. Ender's Game (1985)

Ender's Game received Nebula and Hugo awards for best novel in 1985 and 1986 - one of the most prestigious literary awards in the field of science fiction.
The novel takes place in 2135. Humanity has survived two invasions by the alien race of buggers, only miraculously surviving, and is preparing for the next invasion. To search for pilots and military leaders capable of bringing victory to Earth, a military school, to which the most talented children are sent early age. Among these children is the title character of the book - Andrew (Ender) Wiggin, the future commander of the International Earth Fleet and humanity's only hope for salvation.

14. 1984 (1949)

In 2009, The Times included 1984 in its list of 60 best books published over the past 60 years, and Newsweek magazine ranked the novel second in its list of the hundred best books of all time.
The title of the novel, its terminology, and even the name of the author subsequently became common nouns and are used to denote a social structure reminiscent of the totalitarian regime described in “1984.” He repeatedly became both a victim of censorship in socialist countries and an object of criticism from left-wing circles in the West.
George Orwell's science fiction novel 1984 tells the story of Winston Smith as he rewrites history to suit partisan interests during the reign of a totalitarian junta. Smith's rebellion leads to dire consequences. As the author predicts, nothing can be more terrible than total lack of freedom...

This work, which was banned in our country until 1991, is called a dystopia of the twentieth century. (hatred, fears, hunger and blood), a warning about totalitarianism. The novel was boycotted in the West due to the similarity between the ruler of the country, Big Brother, and the real heads of state.

15. Brave New World (1932)

One of the most famous dystopian novels. A kind of antipode to Orwell's 1984. No torture chambers - everyone is happy and satisfied. The pages of the novel describe a world of the distant future (the action takes place in London), in which people are grown in special embryonic factories and are divided in advance (by influencing the embryo at various stages of development) into five castes of different mental and physical abilities, which perform different jobs. From “alphas” - strong and beautiful mental workers to “epsilons” - semi-cretins who can only do the simplest physical work. Depending on the caste, babies are raised differently. Thus, with the help of hypnopaedia, each caste develops reverence for the higher caste and contempt for the lower castes. Each caste has a specific color of costume. For example, alphas wear gray, gammas wear green, deltas wear khaki, and epsilons wear black.
In this society there is no place for feelings, and it is considered indecent not to have regular sexual intercourse with different partners (the main slogan is “everyone belongs to everyone else”), but pregnancy is considered a terrible shame. People in this “World State” do not age, although the average life expectancy is 60 years. Regularly to always have good mood, they use the drug “soma”, which has no negative effects (“soma gram – and no drama”). God in this world is Henry Ford, they call him “Our Lord Ford,” and the chronology starts from the creation of the Ford T car, that is, from 1908 AD. e. (in the novel the action takes place in 632 of the “era of stability”, that is, in 2540 AD).
The writer shows the life of people in this world. The main characters are people who cannot fit into society - Bernard Marx (a representative of the upper class, alpha plus), his friend the successful dissident Helmholtz and the savage John from the Indian reservation, who all his life dreamed of getting into beautiful world where everyone is happy.

source http://t0p-10.ru

And according to literary theme, let me remind you what I was like and what I was like The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -