The Fantasy Review’s list of 10 Addictive Classic Science Fiction Books You Won’t Be Able to Put Down.
Nine Princes in Amber (The Chronicles of Amber, #1) by Roger Zelazny
From the blurb:
Exiled to the Shadows for centuries, a man more than mortal awakens in an Earth hospital with no memory of his past—and is surrounded by enemies who hunger for his destruction. For Corwin is of The blood—the rightful successor to the throne of the real world. But to rule, he must conquer impossible realities & demonic assassins… and survive the ruthless machinations of the most insidious malevolence his own family…
Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, #1) by Dan Simmons
From the blurb:
On the world called Hyperion, beyond the reach of galactic law, waits a creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all…
They Walked Like Men by Clifford D. Simak
From the blurb:
After a night out on the town, Parker Graves returns home to life-threatening danger. The science reporter for the local newspaper barely misses a bear trap sitting on his doorstep. Then, the object transforms into what looks like a bowling ball and rolls off into the night all by itself. He begins to obsess over the question—Who put the trap there? And why?…
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
From the blurb:
A lone human ambassador is sent to the icebound planet of Winter, a world without sexual prejudice, where the inhabitants’ gender is fluid. His goal is to facilitate Winter’s inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the strange, intriguing culture he encounters…
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
From the blurb:
Centering on the infamous firebombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim’s odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we fear most.
Man Plus (Man Plus #1) by Frederik Pohl
From the blurb:
In the not-too-distant future, a desperate war for natural resources threatens to bring civilization to a crashing halt. Nuclear warships from around the globe begin positioning themselves as the American government works feverishly to complete a massive project to colonize Mars. Former astronaut Roger Torraway has agreed to be transformed by the latest advances in biological and cybernetic science into something new, a being that can survive the rigors of Mars before it is terraformed…
A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick
From the blurb:
Arctor is a junkie and a drug dealer, both using and selling the mind-altering Substance D. Fred is a law enforcement agent, tasked with bringing Bob down. It sounds like a standard case. The only problem is that Bob and Fred are the same person. Substance D doesn’t just alter the mind, it splits it in two, and neither side knows what the other is doing or that it even exists…
Foundation (Foundation, #1) by Isaac Asimov
From the blurb:
For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future—to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save humankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire—both scientists and scholars—and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation…
Jhereg (Vlad Taltos, #1) by Steven Brust
From the blurb:
There are many ways for a young man with quick wits and a quick sword to advance in the world. Vlad Taltos chose the route of assassin…
Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner
From the blurb:
Genetic engineering is routine, corporations have usurped democracy, technology governs human relationship, and mass-marketed psychosomatic drugs keep billions docile. The systems of the United States are universal in reach and out of control. Every citizen is its victim. . . and its creator…
