The joke is on me… but if another planet becomes a possible travel destination in our lifetimes, then these are the best sci fi books about space travel.
As always, I will only recommend books I have read and enjoyed myself. I am only human though, so I haven’t read all available sci fi books about space travel. I will update this post regularly when I come across interesting reads.
If you have read any good sci fi books about space travel, please recommend them to me in the comment section below.
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
This series blew my mind: the scope is immense. In book one (The Three-Body Problem) I was charmed by the VR world that reminded me of Ready Player One and the like. Book two (The Dark Forest) felt like a space opera and I can’t think of a book to compare book three (Death’s End) to. And even my descriptions of the first two books don’t do them justice. This series is something else…. intriguing and impressive.
The first book takes some getting used to and I only gave it three stars because the characters aren’t that great. But considered together with books two and three, the Three-Body Problem series (Remembrance of Earth’s Past) is one of my favorites.
Check out book one on Amazon.
Synopsis book 1: The Three-Body Problem
Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision.
2) Red Rising Saga by Pierce Brown
Book one (Red Rising) was like the Hunger Games, book two (Golden Son) was a space opera and book 3 (Morning Star) started like wtf and ended like Game of Thrones. If you like these series, then you’ll like the Red Rising Saga by Pierce Brown.
I haven’t read the two sequels (Iron Gold and Dark Age) yet as I prefer to read all three books at once. When the third book of the second trilogy is published I’ll read all three of them.
Check out book one on Amazon.
Synopsis book 1: Red Rising
“I live for the dream that my children will be born free,” she says. “That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them.”
“I live for you,” I say sadly.
Eo kisses my cheek. “Then you must live for more.”
Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.
Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.
But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.
Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies… even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.
3) Imperial Radch by Ann Leckie
The Imperial Radch trilogy consists of Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Sword, and Ancillary Mercy.
It took me about 50 pages to get into it but the worldbuilding is phenomenal. I finished the whole trilogy in a few days as I couldn’t stop reading (small detail: it was very stormy around my rented wooden cabin in the Lofoten, Norway).
It is science fiction but with Artificial Intelligence coming up in our world, it is not that hard to imagine.
I also read her books Provenance and The Raven Tower (this one is fantasy) but I didn’t enjoy them unfortunately. I found them very boring and not engaging.
Check out book one on Amazon.
Synopsis Book 1: Ancillary Justice
On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest. Once, she was the Justice of Toren – a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy. Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.
4) The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
Perhaps the most original book I’ve read in the past few years. It really impressed me.
The story takes place in the USA, so not on another planet, but when you learn more about what happens inside the library… I won’t spoil it. I highly recommend this book!
(You could argue it is more fantasy than science fiction but let’s discuss the inner workings of the library after you’ve read the book)
Check it out on Amazon.
Synopsis of The Library at Mount Char
A missing God.
A library with the secrets to the universe.
A woman too busy to notice her heart slipping away.
Carolyn’s not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts. After all, she was a normal American herself once.
That was a long time ago, of course. Before her parents died. Before she and the others were taken in by the man they called Father. In the years since then, Carolyn hasn’t had a chance to get out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father’s ancient customs. They’ve studied the books in his Library and learned some of the secrets of his power. And sometimes, they’ve wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God. Now, Father is missing—perhaps even dead—and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation.
As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her, all of them with powers that far exceed her own. But Carolyn has accounted for this. And Carolyn has a plan. The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she’s forgotten to protect the things that make her human.
Populated by an unforgettable cast of characters and propelled by a plot that will shock you again and again, The Library at Mount Char is at once horrifying and hilarious, mind-blowingly alien and heartbreakingly human, sweepingly visionary and nail-bitingly thrilling—and signals the arrival of a major new voice in fantasy.
5) The Frontiers Saga by Ryk Brown
Ryk Brown writes his books at a very impressive speed: more than three books per year. His first The Frontiers Saga consists of 15 books and his second saga (The Rogue Casts) already has 12. And that in only eight years.
I am at book nine of the second saga now and after reading the other 23 books I know for sure that I’m gonna like the new one.
Join Nathan and his crew on their space ship and travel to outer space to deal with other races and former earthlings.
Check out book one now on Amazon.
Synopsis of Book 1: Aurora: CV-01
A world recovering from a devastating plague…
A brutal enemy threatening invasion…
A young man seeking to escape the shadow of his father…
A ship manned by a crew of fresh academy graduates…
A top-secret experimental propulsion system…
A questionable alliance with a mysterious green-eyed woman…
What destiny has in store for the crew of the UES Aurora, is far greater than any of them could ever imagine. And this is only the beginning…
6) Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
By now this book has also become a movie. A very good book and at the same time very easy to read so it is also a good pick for new science fiction fans.
Ender’s Game is book one of the Ender’s Saga. Orson Scott Card also wrote another series parallel to this saga called the Ender’s Shadow. I have yet to read these books.
Check out book one on Amazon.
Synopsis of Ender's Game
Andrew “Ender” Wiggin thinks he is playing computer simulated war games; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. The result of genetic experimentation, Ender may be the military genius Earth desperately needs in a war against an alien enemy seeking to destroy all human life. The only way to find out is to throw Ender into ever harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when it begins. He will grow up fast.
But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway almost as long. Ender’s two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. While Peter was too uncontrollably violent, Valentine very nearly lacks the capability for violence altogether. Neither was found suitable for the military’s purpose. But they are driven by their jealousy of Ender, and by their inbred drive for power. Peter seeks to control the political process, to become a ruler. Valentine’s abilities turn more toward the subtle control of the beliefs of commoner and elite alike, through powerfully convincing essays. Hiding their youth and identities behind the anonymity of the computer networks, these two begin working together to shape the destiny of Earth-an Earth that has no future at all if their brother Ender fails.
7) Vatta's War by Elizabeth Moon
A quintet consisting of:
Did you ever dream of running your own enterprise? In outer space? Then join Kylara Vatta in her struggles to make a name for herself in the universe.
Check out book one on Amazon.
Synopsis of Book 1: Trading in Danger
Kylara Vatta is the only daughter in a family full of sons, and her father’s only child to buck tradition by choosing a military career instead of joining the family business. For Ky, it’s no contest: Even running the prestigious Vatta Transport Ltd. shipping concern can’t hold a candle to shipping out as an officer aboard an interstellar cruiser. It’s adventure, not commerce, that stirs her soul. And despite her family’s misgivings, there can be no doubt that a Vatta in the service will prove a valuable asset. But with a single error in judgment, it all comes crumbling down.
Expelled from the Academy in disgrace–and returning home to her humiliated family, a storm of high-profile media coverage, and the gaping void of her own future–Ky is ready to face the inevitable onslaught of anger, disappointment, even pity. But soon after opportunity’s door slams shut, Ky finds herself with a ticket to ride– and a shot at redemption–as captain of a Vatta Transport ship.
It’s a simple assignment: escorting one of the Vatta fleet’s oldest ships on its final voyage . . . to the scrapyard. But keeping it simple has never been Ky’s style. And even though her father has provided a crew of seasoned veterans to baby-sit the fledgling captain on her maiden milk run, they can’t stop Ky from turning the routine mission into a risky venture–in the name of turning a profit for Vatta Transport, of course.
By snapping up a lucrative delivery contract defaulted on by a rival company, and using part of the proceeds to upgrade her condemned vehicle, Ky aims to prove she’s got more going for her than just her family’s famous name. But business will soon have to take a backseat to bravery, when Ky’s change of plans sails her and the crew straight into the middle of a colonial war. For all her commercial savvy, it’s her military training and born-soldier’s instincts that Ky will need to call on in the face of deadly combat, dangerous mercenaries, and violent mutiny. . . .
8) Linesman by S.K. Dunstall
A blend of science fiction and fantasy at its best: space travel powered by ‘magic’. Imagine possessing all these advanced technologies but still needing humans to take care of the emotional wellbeing of a ship.
This trilogy consists of Linesman, Alliance, and Confluence.
Check out book one on Amazon.
Synopsis of Book 1: Linesman
The lines. No ship can traverse the void without them. Only linesmen can work with them. But only Ean Lambert hears their song. And everyone thinks he’s crazy…
Most slum kids never go far, certainly not becoming a level-ten linesman like Ean. Even if he’s part of a small, and unethical, cartel, and the other linesmen disdain his self-taught methods, he’s certified and working.
Then a mysterious alien ship is discovered at the edges of the galaxy. Each of the major galactic powers is desperate to be the first to uncover the ship’s secrets, but all they’ve learned is that it has the familiar lines of energy—and a defense system that, once triggered, annihilates everything in a 200 kilometer radius.
The vessel threatens any linesman who dares to approach it, except Ean. His unique talents may be the key to understanding this alarming new force—and reconfiguring the relationship between humans and the ships that serve them, forever.
9) Brian K Vaughan - Saga
This is actually a comic but one that is very well drawn, hilarious and creative. A very fun and light read for in between heavier books.
Each book contains eighteen volumes but you can also buy a single volume to try the series out.
Check out book one on Amazon.
Synopsis of Saga Volume 1
When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe.
From bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan, Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults.
10) Ashlee Vance - Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
If you’re done waiting for space travel to be possible for tourism, then do as Elon Musk does and work on making it real.
I admire his drive and I wish I had the same conviction to work towards some bigger goal in life. A very interesting biography and a must-read for inspiration about beating the odds and taking action.
Check it out on Amazon.
Synopsis of Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
In Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, veteran technology journalist Ashlee Vance provides the first inside look into the extraordinary life and times of Silicon Valley’s most audacious entrepreneur. Written with exclusive access to Musk, his family and friends, the book traces the entrepreneur’s journey from a rough upbringing in South Africa to the pinnacle of the global business world. Vance spent over 40 hours in conversation with Musk and interviewed close to 300 people to tell the tumultuous stories of Musk’s world-changing companies: PayPal, Tesla Motors, SpaceX and SolarCity, and to characterize a man who has renewed American industry and sparked new levels of innovation while making plenty of enemies along the way.
Vance uses Musk’s story to explore one of the pressing questions of our time: can the nation of inventors and creators which led the modern world for a century still compete in an age of fierce global competition? He argues that Musk–one of the most unusual and striking figures in American business history–is a contemporary amalgam of legendary inventors and industrialists like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Howard Hughes, and Steve Jobs. More than any other entrepreneur today, Musk has dedicated his energies and his own vast fortune to inventing a future that is as rich and far-reaching as the visionaries of the golden age of science-fiction fantasy.
Book recommendations and travel inspiration
Traveling to outer space requires some patience. If you prefer to read about more realistic travel destinations, then check out my book recommendations for South Korea or Japan.
