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Is there any better genre than science fiction? Reasonable people may disagree, but the answer is no. Sci-fi novels take us out to the stars or force us to confront our pasts or lock us inside the dark cages of our minds. The best novels in the genre can change your life. Here are the 10 best sci-fi books of all time in chronological order. The best sci-fi books of all times Frankenstein - 1818 Image via Penguin Random House No “best of science fiction” list would be complete without the book that unofficially gave birth to the genre. Some people might not immediately associate the story of Frankenstein with sci-fi, but when you read Mary Shelley’s original novel, all the hallmarks of the genre are already there. Frankenstein, or a Modern Prometheus, is basically the first speculative sci-fi novel all about how far some men are willing to go in order to pursue scientific discovery. It’s as prescient today as it was back in the 19th century. While it might be easy to consider it a horror novel, the original text by Mary Shelley definitely veers more into the scientific and the implication of creating new life from the dead rather than towards shocking horror scenes or gore. Dune - 1965 Image via Penguin Random House When you think of the term sci-fi epic, nothing fits the description better than the original novel by Frank Herbert. This is still a classic for a number of reasons. Dune is not just an action-packed sci-fi epic set on one of the most memorable alien planets in the entire genre. It’s also a dense story about politics, religion, and intergenerational trauma. When his family is betrayed shortly after taking control of the desert planet Arrakis, Paul Atreides rises up against the planet’s imperial oppressors, but just because he saves Dune doesn’t mean Paul is really a hero. While the cinematic adaptations could leave a bit to be desired, think of the ultra-weird David ****** movie or the way too pedantic TV movie adaptation, the original novel still remains as powerful as the day it was published. Anathem - 2008 Image via Harper publishing In today's sci-fi world, the epic is still going strong, and it is often hard to find a stand-alone book that can be enjoyed without having to dive into a 3000+ four-book epic. Anathem by Neal Stephenson is definitely one of them. The young Fraa Erasmas has been living a separate life for decades, locked in a convent that was made to protect certain people, such as scientists and philosophers, from the corrupt world outside. Now, the convent is finally opening its doors, and Erasmas will have to face a new life, along with a planet on the brink of cataclysmic change. This is a book made to challenge readers with the use of a new language and many uniquely creative ideas that will make it hard to put down. If you are looking for something different inside the sci-fi genre, Anathem will more than satisfy you. The Left Hand of Darkness - 1969 Image via Penguin Random House There are few sci-fi authors as beloved as Ursula K. Le Guin. She could expertly shift between genres, and though she’s created some great sci-fi novels, she’s also responsible for the enthralling Earthsea fantasy series. The Left Hand of Darkness tells the story of a human diplomat named Genly Ai, who’s sent to the planet Gethen to convince them to join his planet’s federation. Ai experiences extreme culture shock as the novel explores the utterly alien culture of the Gethen people. Today, The Left Hand of Darkness is even more relevant for how it explored androgyny in science fiction for one of the first times in history. The author explores how sex and gender influence both culture and society. Rendezvous with Rama - 1973 Image via Gateway Publishing Speaking of one of the most influential sci-fi novels ever, Arthur C. Clarke is probably best known for writing 2001: A Space Odyssey, but honestly, any of his novels deserves a spot on this list. I’m particularly fond of Childhood’s End, a deeply haunting first-contact story like no other. Still, Rendezvous with Rama might just be Clarke’s masterpiece. The book is set in the 22nd century and begins as a strange alien object enters the solar system. The crew of the Endeavour go to scout the object out, but they couldn’t be less prepared for what they discover. It is the first book in the long Rama series that would span four books written by Clarks and Gentry Lee. The first book was also adapted into several video games, the most recent one being Sierra Entertainment's 1996 point-and-click adventure Rama, which is every bit as weird as its source material. The Martian - 2011 Image via Ballantine Books Going to Mars is definitely not a distant possibility and a faraway dream like it was described in many sci-fi books from the 60s and 70s. Indeed, the story that Andy Weir traces in The Martian is more down to earth (pun intended) than many others. When Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars, he did not imagine he might also be the first one to die there. After an accident, Mark is alone on an unknown planet, with no way to contact Houston and get himself back. It is a story of both technology and also how human beings react in the face of adversity. The Martian also explores our relationship with space travel and its many dangers and perils. While the novel is much more recent than many others on the list, it is already on the way to becoming a bonafide classic of the genre. Kindred - 1979 Image via Beacon Press Octavia E. Butler’s brilliant novel weaves together the world of 1970s Los Angeles and antebellum Maryland to explore themes of race, power, gender, and love. The book follows a writer named Dana who finds herself shifting through time, stuck between life with her white husband in California and another life on a plantation with her enslaved ancestors. Dana is forced to confront a dark history while trying to find a way to stay locked in the present. Through the juxtaposition of classic sci-fi tropes such as time travel, with more current topics of interracial couples and the way society feels towards different ethnicities, Kindred remains a current and important novel that is sure to spark intelligent discourse and debate. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - 1979 Image via Crown Publishing Group Not every sci-fi novel needs to take itself seriously to tell a great story. Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a tongue-in-cheek romp through a wildly imaginative version of outer space. After Earth is destroyed for the construction of a hyperspace express route, surviving human Arthur Dent is thrust into the universe against his will. The novel’s world is rich with characters and exotic settings, and just about every page will have you laughing until you’re in tears. If you are looking for a fun and light read, then the original book by Adams is a great place to start with. But if you liked his style, we are sure that you would also love its sequels, especially the continuation of Arthur Dent's adventures in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Neuromancer - 1984 Image via Penguin Random House Neuromancer is William Gibson’s debut novel and the book that really kicked off the cyberpunk subgenre. The story is set in a high-tech, low-life future where corporations control just about every aspect of modern life, and cyberspace cowboys are the stars of society’s criminal underbelly. Everything that you might have seen from the classic cyberpunk vision, from The Matrix to the recent Cyberpunk 2077 game, was inspired by Gibson' seminal novel. Neuromancer elevates a typical heist plot into an enchanting tale about the birth of AI and how the past haunts people. Cyberpunk has never been more popular than it is today, but the genre’s also never been better than it was in Neuromancer. Oryx and Crake - 2003 Image via Penguin Random House Margaret Atwood is a masterful writer whose contributions to fiction span multiple genres. Her best-known work, The Handmaid’s Tale, leans into some sci-fi tropes while telling what’s essentially an alternate history story, but Oryx and Crake dive headfirst into heavy sci-fi elements. The book explores an Earth decimated by climate change and other apocalyptic catastrophes, but it’s as touching and human as anything Atwood has ever written. Proof that love can exist even in a place that is now a full bio-wasteland rather than the classic dystopic future. With climate change and catastrophic events now being parts of our daily lives, Atwood's novel resonates louder than ever before. We can only hope that someone is listening. Which sci-fi book should I start with? Sci-fi is a genre that can be a bit intimidating sometimes and even feel slightly dated if you just throw yourself into some classic books from the 50s. If you want to start with a classic that still has maintained intact its original power, we recommend Isaac Asimov's Robot stories and Stanislav Lem's Solaris. While Asimov might feel a bit dated at times, the stories are all quick and to the point and will be a great way to see if you can be passionate about sci-fi. Solaris is also a quick and light read that will still leave you to ponder questions on humankind and their relationship with space and technology. If you find yourself loving them both, then you know you are on the right track. Also, 1984 by George Orwell is also a great way to move your first steps into an unfamiliar genre since, even though at the time many of its concepts were new, with our society rapidly becoming more and more dystopic, you will feel right at home from the first few pages. What are the most influential sci-fi novels of all time? While many of his books haven't aged as well as others in our list, Jules Verne is definitely one of the most influential authors of all time. He began writing sci-fi before the term was even a thing, imagining a future where human beings could travel fast underwater or in space. Edgar Rice Burrows and HG Wells' works are also authors that should definitely be considered highly influential. Again, it would be difficult to recommend something like The War of the Worlds today, and the overall scope of their novels is quite small compared to big universe builders such as Dune. Still, their role in shaping how science fiction became accepted cannot be diminished. Still, despite Verne's influence on early sci-fi cinema and many other authors, it'd be difficult to define any of his books today as cultural touchstones. In that regard, we believe 1984 definitely fits the bill, as inventing the modern concept of the dystopian future and many of its rules and its overall look. Neuromancer by William Gibson is also another novel that would be considered still today highly influential. What's the difference between the sci-fi and fantasy genre? Often, the differences might be fewer than one thinks. In science fiction, often the author tries to apply our current understanding of the world and its technologies in order to predict their potential evolutions, along with its consequences and issues. It rarely goes beyond that. In the fantasy genre, usually, there is no realistic viewpoint that the author uses as a base, since the fantasy genre often goes way beyond our present day, looking at ancient myths and classic roles, along with monsters and heroes that first debuted in the Dungeons & Dragons rulebook. Overall, a good distinction between the two genres is that one is rooted in reality, while the other will often deviate from it and, instead, look somewhere else for its inspiration. But there are still plenty of exceptions to this. The post 10 best sci-fi books of all time appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

One Stardew Valleyplayer discovered the hard way that the NPCs wouldn't tolerate all being dated at once, calling them out for their cheating. Since its release in 2016, this lovable farming and life-sim has quickly become a fan-favorite for players, particularly for its wide-spanning characters and relationships. Players can advance friendships and start intimate partnerships as they wish with most of the people in the game, learning more about them as they go. View the full article

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The Totems inAvowedare one of the best and easiest ways to boost your stats quickly. The Wael’s Totem is the version that can be found and collected throughout Shatterscarp and you can sweep it up with a fair amount of ease depending on the level of your gear. You can get some clues as well, which will help you find it if you don’t want to follow the map below. View the full article

When you cast your mind back to the year 2000, the defining RTS games of the era are likely names such as Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2, or the slightly earlier StarCraft: Brood War. But if you had a PlayStation at the time, you might have been playing classics such as Team Buddies. Originally developed by Psygnosis, if you want to get your hands on an original copy via eBay today, you'll be looking at a price tag of more than $100. But out of nowhere, a listing for a full remaster of Team Buddies has just mysteriously appeared on Steam. Read the rest of the story... View the full article

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Obsidian's latest RPG Avowed just launched this week, and it sounds like its director is already thinking about what's next for the new RPG. Read more View the full article

Today we’re taking a look at the M900 Pro, Delux’s flagship lightweight ergonomic gaming mouse. Featuring an asymmetrical design and lightweight form factor, the M900 Pro should be a great mouse for games with heavy tracking, like Marvel Rivals, Apex Legends, and CoD Warzone, also greatly benefitting from a speed-type mousepad. Did Delux manage to […] Source View the full article

Monster Hunter Wilds is changing the core formula quite a lot. From implementing easier combat features and new weapons to shaking up the world design to accommodate a new, sprawling open world, a lot is changing with this new entry into the beloved Monster Hunter franchise. Of course, this is nothing new, as dedicated fans will know. The Monster Hunter games have slowly been evolving since the first entry, with each new addition attempting to both cater to the hardcore fans and those who want to get into it, but feel too overwhelmed. View the full article

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Grinding Gear Games has revealed several new Path of Exile 2 items that will be introduced as part of the 0.2.0 update. The patch itself is currently on course to reach all versions of Path of Exile 2 in March 2025. View the full article

Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 Season 2 Reloaded is reportedly causing significant issues for PlayStation 5 users, with players taking to social media to report a severe drop in frames per second since the update. The mid-season refresh for Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6was deployed on February 20, bringing plenty of new content to Treyarch Studios' latest shooter. Unfortunately, the update also seems to have brought plenty of new bugs and issues along with it. View the full article

A Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 player has shared a useful tip for finding taverns with rentable beds. Developed by Warhorse Studios, the historical RPG was recently released to widespread acclaim. Set in a highly accurate medieval Bohemia, the game features many storyline elements and quests inspired by real historical events. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 also contains over five hours of cinematic cutscenes that only serve to enrich the authentic medieval experience for many fans and history enthusiasts. View the full article

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Wine 10.2 is the latest development released with new features now available for the Windows compatibility layer, plus they also recently put up vkd3d 1.15. This is a huge part of what makes Proton able to run Windows games on Steam Deck and other Linux platforms. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

Valve have released a fresh update to the special Proton Hotfix to fix up issues on Steam Deck / Linux across Marvel Rivals and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

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The Genshin Impact 5.5 character banners have allegedly leaked, and, with them, a glimpse at what developer HoYoverse may prioritize in terms of gameplay mechanics during the patch. Version 5.5 is still a few weeks from arriving as the action RPG has just entered Version 5.4. The current patch is significantly smaller than its predecessor, focused solely on limited-time events and with no inclusion of new Archon Quests since the main Natlan story arc has concluded. Now, the Version 5.5 beta tests are shifting some of the attention toward the upcoming content, such as Varesa’s Ascension materials in Genshin Impact. View the full article

Nightingale has had a rocky first year. Its gorgeous 'gaslamp fantasy' world invites you to travel across realms and fight all manner of weird and wonderful creatures as you create your dream estate. But its launch was hampered by a lack of direction, clunky tutorials, and restrictive build limits. Since then, however, developer Inflexion Games has been making regular improvements to the survival game including a brand-new campaign and dramatic upgrades to your construction capacity. Now, as it celebrates its one-year anniversary, one of the most-requested Nightingale features is finally here. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Nightingale winter update adds NPC automation and overhauls build mode Work on ambitious survival game Nightingale "will continue" despite dev layoffs Victorian survival game Nightingale is about to get a major building upgrade View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

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The extraction shooter ***** has been more of a poot than an explosion as of late. Creative Assembly's Hyenas laughed its last in late 2023, while Ubisoft's The Division Heartlands had a stake driven through it last year. Upcoming efforts Marathon and ARC Raiders have avoided the chop so far, but the lack of games making it to market, alongside the failures of those like Rainbow Six Extraction, proves this isn't an easy genre to nail. This hasn't deterred Vampire the Masquerade Bloodhunt developer Sharkmob, which is baring its fangs with the post-apocalyptic Exoborne. Having delved into the latest playtest, the studio's vision could not be clearer, and it could just whip up a storm. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Grab a free Steam key for gritty extraction shooter Exoborne's new playtest Upcoming extraction shooter Exoborne gets new playtest, available now Apocalyptic extraction shooter Exoborne opens new playtest signups View the full article

Zombie survival shooter No More Room in Hell 2 shambled onto Steam early access late last year, and proved to have a few more bits missing than its audience could reasonably cope with. Debuting to a 'Mostly Negative' rating on Steam as players cited a litany of flaws, from bugs to performance issues to the experience generally feeling undercooked. However, developer Torn Banner has continually tinkered with the game since then, with this latest addition described as its 'biggest update yet.'.. Read more.View the full article

Marvel Rivals might be one of the biggest games around right now, but the CEO of its developer NetEase reportedly considered cancelling it completely at one point. Read more View the full article