Classic Science Fiction Books Everyone Should Read

Some of the grandest stories in sci-fi are found among the pages of the classics. In them, readers will find inventions of yesterday used in wonders unimaginable, giving science fiction and fantasy the proper characters, plot lines, and interesting battles that still touch imaginations far and wide. Some you may have heard or even read in school long ago, while others are so controversial they have somehow fallen out of memory.

No matter the case, the following titles are only a few classic science fiction books everyone should read, because there are innumerable works dedicated to the genre, let me tell you. Stories like Blade Runner and The War of the Worlds are instant possibilities, but the more one looks into the actual science of science fiction books, whether it concerns the distant future or world war, these classics add to the inspiration and spark of the entire genre itself.

Read any of the wondrous concepts packed in these classic science fiction books to see just how powerful a writer can become when testing imagination and humanity.

Philip K. Dick is by far the most respected name in sci-fi literature, next to Jules Verne and Arthur C. Clarke, and none other than Ubik proves this insurmountable claim. The entire premise of the story begs to answer this moving question: Are we really living, or are we already dead?

As among some of the classic science fiction books everyone should read, Ubik tells the trippy story of technological and evolutionary advancement set in the distant future. While the populace has garnered telekinetic powers from these endeavors, they've also crossed into a new realm of understanding, bridging the gap of life and death with cryogenic freezing. Read this amazing story to see the bounds of technology in the eyes of modified sentient beings.

While Vonnegut, like George Orwell, is most well known for his entrancing depiction of political uprising in the face of war (as seen in Slaughterhouse Five), his sci-fi concepts are some of the most brilliant and are often considered classic science fiction books everyone should read.

In The Sirens of Titan, Vonnegut shows us a completely new world of time travel and fifth-dimensional concepts. It's not only engaging as a story, but held deep within is a much broader message about free will, qualities of human understanding, in addition to the intermingling of fear and humor, all of which give it a powerful underbelly of themes. It's found among the classic science fiction books for a reason.

You may have read this way, way back in high school, and if you didn't then I guarantee you know someone who has read it. Ray Bradbury's near future depiction of a world rippled to shreds by censorship and mind-numbing screens of callous entertainment is almost vaguely reminiscent of what we have become today, minus the barrage of burning books. It's also got some of the most amazing quotes about science fiction.

Expertly donning the exact temperature that books will burn at, one of the deepest understandings of this book can be taken from a Reddit post: "The Fireman that Burns Books." It's among the classics of science fiction books for a reason, so if it isn't among the books you've already read, I suggest you do before it bursts into flames.

The 1979 series that was turned into a movie in 2005 is among the classic science fiction books everyone should read, mainly due to the fact of its enormous ingenuity, but also because it's an enjoyable ride, full of hilarity and mismatched depravity.

If you're expecting to finish Hitchhiker without being left in utter, mind-numbing confusion, it's best not to even try. Though it may be among the best classic science fiction books, it's still a strange read. If you're into hilarious hijinks, hypersensitive aliens, and the inevitable destruction of Earth, then it's right up your starway!

While it may be among the classic science fiction books everyone should read, Babel-17 is most well known for being one of the best soft sci-fi books. It tells the story of Rydra Wong, an ex-poet, codebreaker, and plain kick ass character who stumbles upon an unbreakable code given to her by the military.

Of course she unlocks it, only to find the understandings of a language that can program your mind. Sound out of this world? Let me tell you, Babel-17 will keep you on the edge of your seat. Delany is a masterful writer and in this he weaves an intricate story with many tyrannical enemies and an even more brazen protagonist.

Another master in the art of science fiction and fantasy, Isaac Asimov is known for bringing some of the most classic science fiction books to our eyes. As such, it is no surprise that The Gods Themselves is one of them.

Initially three works that were later coalesced into one immersive adventure, The Gods Themselves tells a story of parallel universes, social consequences, energy transfer, and humanity's place in this ever-growing cosmos. It's Asimov's most daring contest and proves of his immense craft more so than any of his other plots, which is saying something.

While Philip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov may be two of the most influential sci-fi writers of their time, Joe Haldeman is actually among the most underrated sci-fi authors, which can be proven in his The Forever War.

As an instant great in the pantheon of classic science fiction books, this one discusses a never-ending interstellar battle. At its heart is a handful of Terran soldiers as they embark on a two-year service into one of the most dangerous and ever-encompassing fights they have ever entered. Filled with humor, dark plotlines and ranging brutalities, The Forever War never lets up and has an ending that will shock you for a long, long time to come.

A major influence over the great Orwell and his 1984, Zamyatin's We is a brilliant depiction of a hive-minded world built around the premise of socialist concepts and labor party ideals.

It's among the classic science fiction books everyone should read, because it's a mind-blowing story told in diary format about a protagonist who only goes by a number in a world that doesn't breathe unless everyone follows suit. It's both eye-opening and terrifying, an all-time best sci-fi work of fiction you don't want to miss.

Probably the strangest title among classic science fiction books everyone should read, The Shadow of the Torturer is Gene Wolfe's answer to fantasy books everywhere: sci-fi always does it better.

Culture as we know it has long since been buried under time, while cities have been torn and destroyed by ignorance, plus the search of a highly secret and ancient technology can all be found within the pages of Torturer, and it's sure to make you scratch your head.

Packed with an intense amount of archaic language, (it is set in the future, after all) the book is without a dictionary. Still, it's a fantastic joyride through time and initiates one of Wolfe's most interesting series ever written.

What's great about First Lensman is that it actually led to many of our modern sci-fi movies, most notably: Star Wars. So, without E. E. Smith and his awesome series, there would be no Jedi Order or galactic Empire, making this one an instant among classic science fiction books.

Much like the Disney-owned family drama of today, Lensman follows an interwoven adventure through both space and time. You follow Simms as he journeys into the cosmos in search of members for a Galactic Patrol unit, who are unmistaken by their Lens-bearing gadgets. As so often is the case, Simms's quest takes him much farther than he ever imagined possible.

Last, but still a great among classic science fiction books, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress takes the cake as Heinlein's most memorable and fully functional novel. Based on the moon, the book tells the story of Earth's lunar penal colony as they rise up against their superiors in what they call a "Rational Anarchist" revolt.

A sentient and hilarious supercomputer, a moon base in disarray, an even more perilous revolution than our own Civil War, and the awesome connotations of what could be when we put capitalism on the moon, Harsh Mistress will keep you spellbound from beginning to end. There's no doubt it's among the classics in sci-fi, but even more constitute it as among the best works of the genre.