If you’re a science fiction fan looking for your next mind-bending read, look no further than these seven books. From explorations of time and space to examinations of humanity’s future, these books will challenge your imagination and leave you thinking long after you’ve finished the last page.
Read our original list of The Most Mind-Bending Science Fiction Books You’ll Ever Read here.
Blindsight by Peter Watts
A group of augmented humans and an enigmatic vampire probe a mysterious alien artifact that threatens to change the course of human evolution in this hard science fiction novel.
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
In a future Thailand ravaged by climate change and corporate greed, a biologically-engineered “windup girl” struggles to assert her autonomy in a world that sees her as nothing more than a commodity.
Dawn by Octavia Butler
In this post-apocalyptic novel, an alien race rescues the last remnants of humanity from a devastated Earth, but at a terrible cost – genetically altering them to better serve their alien masters.
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
In a fantastical version of New York City, avatars of the city’s boroughs must come together to defend the metropolis from a cosmic threat.
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
In this philosophical novel, a team of Jesuit missionaries travel to a distant planet to make contact with an alien race, only to encounter unexpected tragedy and heartbreak.
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
This classic science fiction novel follows a man named Gully Foyle on a quest for revenge that takes him across the solar system and challenges everything he thought he knew about himself and the universe.
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
This Hugo and Nebula award-winning novella introduces readers to the misanthropic and relatable security android known as “Murderbot,” who must confront their own burgeoning consciousness while protecting a team of human scientists on a dangerous mission.
Read our Reviews for the Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells.
We also recently interviewed Martha Wells here at The Fantasy Review, so check that out too!
