Science-fiction is all the rave nowadays, between movies to novels to even cosplay events, sci-fi has exploded into the multibillion dollar genre that it is today.
If you're a fan of War of the Worlds, More Than Human, or The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, then these sci-fi novels are a MUST read!
1. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.
The end of the world is upon us, and Robert Neville is the only man left to witness it.
The entirety of mankind across the globe has been consumed by a vampire virus, turning them into horrific creatures that feed on human life and evade sunlight at all costs. Somehow, Neville is immune to the virus. Now struggling to make sense of the virus and the bleak circumstances he calls his life, he must protect himself from the creatures that constantly hunt him, while attempting to discover a cure for the virus. He must, because there may be nothing human left.
In 2007, a major motion picture of the same name featuring Will Smith is said to have adopted a portion of Matheson's novel, but also develops it's own original plot.
2. The Martian by Andy Weir
Mark Watney is one of the first people to ever set foot on Mars, but he may be the first to die there as well.
When a sudden dust storm strikes the area, which nearly kills him in the process, the rest of his crew is forced to evacuate the planet after failing to locate Watney, leaving him behind. After the storm passes, Watney attempts to signal his crew and Earth, notifying them that he's still alive, but the radio equipment is damaged beyond repair.
Stranded, he finds himself rationing his resources, calculating and recalculating his odds of survival – wondering if he'll starve or freeze to death first. But despite his grim fate, Watney isn't about ready to give up.
On October 2nd, 2015, this novel was made into a major motion picture starring Matt Damon.
3. 2001: A Space Odysseys by Arthur C. Clarke
This story delves deep into the concept of the universe and how a group of explorers embark on the Discovery One on a mission to Saturn. Controlling the Discover One is an artificial-intelligence: HAL 9000, a super computer that manages all functionality of the space craft. But HAL's super-intelligence may be a threat to those onboard. Are robots capable of mutiny?
4. 1984 by George Orwell
It's 1984 in London; the city is overrun with surveillance and watchdogs patrol every the street. Big Brother always has a watchful eye on you and the Thought Police can nearly read your mind. When Winston Smith joins The Brotherhood, a secret revolutionary organization bent on destroying the Party, he and his beloved Julia hazard their life in a match against the powers that be.
Orwell's 1984 has received notable acknowledgment from The New Yorker, saying, “Orwell saw, to his credit, that the act of falsifying reality is only secondarily a way of changing perceptions. It is, above all, a way of asserting power.”
5. The Giver (#1 in the series) by Lois Lowry
The first installment to this four part saga is said to have become one of the most influential novels of this modern age.
The story focuses on Jonas, a twelve-year-old boy, who lives in an all too comforting and mundane world of conformity. It isn't until the day he is given his life assignment as a Receiver of Memory does he understand the small but twisted community he dwells in and the dark secrets that they possess.
Lowry has spanned her brilliance over the course of four thrilling novels, and each one will surely have you scrambling for the sequel.
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