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Welcome to the world of sci-fi!
Within the last few years, there have been quite a few beloved science fiction books that have been turned into tv shows and movies. Dune, Three Body Problem, Mickey 7, and Project Hail Mary to name a few. And while these books have been turned into tv shows and movies for a reason (because they’re damn good), the genre itself can certainly be daunting to get into.
I was personally a victim of Dune, one of the many people who immediately bought the first book after watching the movie. It’s been since 2021 and I am still only 130 pages into it. Mark my words, I will finish it one day!
Dune was one of the first sci-fi books I picked up, and while it still remains unfinished on my bookshelf, I have read countless others since I first tried to get into the genre.
I guess this is my long winded way of saying that it can be easy to get dissuaded when trying to get into a genre that has a high probability to be vastly complex. Such is the nature of things when dealing with topics like space, time travel, or magic systems rooted in the rules of science. But there are definitely way easier books to start your journey into sci-fi with than a tome like Dune, so try checking out these five books I think you’d enjoy based on your favorite genre!
For the reader who likes fantasy…
Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb #1) by Tamsyn Muir
Genres: fantasy, science fiction, LGBT, horror
Page count: 448
“One flesh, one end, bitch.”
Gideon wants nothing more than to leave the Ninth House and the absolute terror that is Harrowhark Nonegesimus in the dust. But nothing is ever simple for Gideon. When her one and only chance at escape is ruined, she is left with no choice but to accompany the Reverend Daughter and bone witch extraordinaire, Harrow, to a deadly trail that will see Harrow ascended to all-powerful lyctorhood and Gideon free of the Ninth House once and for all.
Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, for every necromancer needs a cavalier and Gideon is the best swordsman the Ninth House has got, despite the fact that Gideon was never meant to be one. It would be better if they didn’t hate each other with every fiber of their beings, but they just might be able to set aside this twisted, spiteful thing between them for long enough to achieve greatness. If they don’t die first.
Gideon the Ninth is perfect for fantasy readers looking to venture into sci-fi because it pretty much feels like a fantasy book set in space, or rather a fantasy world that plays by sci-fi rules. Will you understand what’s going on for the majority of the time, absolutely not! But neither does Gideon as she dives headfirst into tests and puzzles meant for the smartest and brightest necromancers of all space and time. It is simply part of its charm and you will love it anyways.
For the reader who likes romantasy…
Winter’s Orbit (Winter’s Orbit #1) by Everina Maxwell
Genres: science fiction, romance, LGBT
Page count: 432
One marriage could save or doom them all.
When Imperial Prince Taam dies just months before the Iskat Empire is set to renew the intergalactic treaties keeping them in power, his suddenly broken marriage threatens to ruin everything. Only one thing can save the alliance and the Iskat Empire’s hold on the system: another marriage to Taam’s widower, Jainan. While Taam’s disreputable cousin Kiem wouldn’t have been the first choice to save such an important alliance, he is the Empire’s only option.
Bound by duty, Jainan and Kiem are wed, but they are an unlikely, mismatched pair that struggle to understand the other. But when secrets are revealed to suggest Taam’s death was anything but an accident, Kiem and Jainan must learn to trust each other if they are to solve the mystery and prevent a war that threatens to destroy the whole system. And maybe fall in love while they’re at it.
Considering arranged marriage is one of the most common tropes in romantasy, Winter’s Orbit is an excellent choice for romantasy fans looking to try a sci-fi book for a change. Since the relationship between Kiem and Jainan is central to the plot of the book, it hits the perfect balance between plot and romance of a good romantasy book.
Winter’s Orbit also appeared in my article 5 Books to Read After Finishing Heated Rivalry, so if that was also something you enjoyed, then all the more reason to check it out!
For the reader who likes dystopian fiction…
Ready Player One (Ready Player One #1) by Ernest Cline
Genres: science fiction, young adult, dystopia
Page count: 480
In the year of 2044, there isn’t much worth living for. The world is a ruined place and Wade Watts doesn’t want to spend a single second in it when the alternative is so much better. Things are different in OASIS, a virtual utopia filled with games and secret puzzles that Wade has spent his life studying and picking apart piece by piece. Because when the world has turned to absolute shit, who wouldn’t be drawn to the fame and fortune promised to anyone who can unlock all the secrets left behind by OASIS’s creator?
But when Wade figures out the first clue to what he and the other players have been desperately searching for, things become a hell of a lot more dangerous. With a target painted on his back, Wade cannot stop until he has achieved the ultimate prize. The deeper he goes into the secret world of OASIS, the more dangerous it gets. And to win, he will not only have to survive the game, but also the threats that lay waiting for him back in the real world.
The race is on and only the best player will survive.
Set in the not so distant future, Ready Player One is perfect for readers looking to step into sci-fi without getting too far away from this world while still getting the sci-fi experience within the virtual reality of OASIS. And a quick fun fact: bestselling sci-fi author Andy Weir loved this book so much that he wrote fanfiction for it that Cline ended up making canon (you can read more about this in my article The Secret Art of Fanfiction: 7 Authors You Didn’t Know Wrote Fanfiction).
For the reader who likes romance…
This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Genres: science fiction, romance, LGBT
Page count: 209
In this time-war-ravaged world, it could only have been fate that Red and Blue’s letters made it to each other. As rival agents both working non-stop to find a way for their factions to secure victory, they shouldn’t be speaking to each other. But it starts with a single letter. And then another. And soon their letters and the bond formed between them are the only things anchoring them as they each weave through space and time.
Love is a complicated thing. Especially when you love your enemy. And the thing about wars is that there can only be one winner. They risk everything by writing to each other, but there are some things worth fighting for, and maybe even some worth dying for.
This Is How You Lose The Time War is a lyrical, poetic story about two rival agents of warring factions falling in love. It is an intricate dance through space and time, anchored in the letters of love and longing sent between Red and Blue. While the mechanics of the world fall under science fiction, the story itself focuses primarily on the letters sent between the two characters, within which we watch them fall in love against all odds, making it the perfect sci-fi book for readers who enjoy romance.
For the reader who likes horror…
Genres: horror, thriller, science fiction
Page count: 561
Luke Ellis is taken in the dead of night. As have all of the kids in The Institute. Kids with special powers of telekinesis and telepathy, now with no families left to miss them. To search for them. To find a way to bring them back. They are stuck here, in this sinister place that wishes only to extort them for the powers they have. It doesn’t feel like things could get worse, except when Luke learns about the others, the ones who graduated to Back Half and have never been seen again.
The rules are simple. If you behave, you’re allowed to survive. If you don’t, then you are punished, and while punishments don’t always mean being sent away to Back Half, it sits there like a thinly veiled threat, hanging over all their heads. As more and more children disappear to Back Half, Luke knows he has to escape before he’s next. If he can find a way, because no one has ever escaped from The Institute.
As the king of horror, a Stephen King novel is the perfect place for fans of horror to start if they are looking to try sci-fi. Just like Ready Player One, The Institute is anchored within the earth we know and love while mixing in elements of science and the supernatural that allows you to get a taste of science fiction without drifting too far into the unknown. And if you know anything about Stephen King, things within The Institute will most certainly be horrific.
