swap_horiz Startide Rising Alternatives

1

Exhalation

Exhalation is a 2019 collection of science fiction short stories by Ted Chiang that explores profound themes regarding f...

Philosophical Hard SF Short Stories Hugo Winner

9.2 Excellent

2

The Fifth Season

The Fifth Season is a 2015 science fiction novel by N.K. Jemisin, winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel, set on a cont...

Geological Apocalypse Hugo Winner Jemisin

9.2 Excellent

3

A Canticle for Leibowitz

This 1959 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by Walter M. Miller Jr. won a Hugo Award and explores Catholic monastic...

Classic Religion Hugo Winner Post Apocalypse

9.1 Excellent

4

Mirror Dance

Mirror Dance is a 1994 science fiction novel by Lois McMaster Bujold that won the Hugo and Locus Awards for its explorat...

Space Opera Clone Hugo Winner Bujold

8.9 Great

5

The Obelisk Gate

The Obelisk Gate is a 2016 science fiction novel by N.K. Jemisin, second in the Broken Earth trilogy, and winner of the...

Sequel Apocalypse Hugo Winner Jemisin

8.9 Great

6

The Dark Forest

The Dark Forest is a 2008 science fiction novel by Chinese author Liu Cixin, serving as the second volume in the Remembr...

Hard SF Sequel Trilogy Liu Cixin

8.8 Great

7

Children of Time

Children of Time is a 2015 science fiction novel by Adrian Tchaikovsky that won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for its depic...

Space Opera Uplift Tchaikovsky Hugo Winner

8.8 Great

8

Blindsight

Blindsight is a 2006 hard science fiction novel by Peter Watts exploring consciousness, first contact with aliens, and t...

Horror Hard SF First Contact Consciousness

8.7 Great

9

A Deepness in the Sky

A Deepness in the Sky is a 1999 science fiction novel by Vernor Vinge that explores the emergence of an alien civilizati...

Space Opera Hard SF First Contact Vinge

8.7 Great

10

Speaker for the Dead

Speaker for the Dead is a 1986 science fiction novel by Orson Scott Card, serving as the sequel to Ender's Game and winn...

Card Sequel Anthropology Aliens

8.7 Great

11

The Three-Body Problem

The Three-Body Problem is a 2008 science fiction novel by Chinese author Liu Cixin that won the Hugo Award and depicts h...

Hard SF Chinese First Contact Hugo Winner

8.7 Great

12

The Stone Sky

The Stone Sky is a 2017 science fiction novel by N.K. Jemisin concluding the Broken Earth trilogy, and winner of both th...

Sequel Apocalypse Hugo Winner Jemisin

8.7 Great

13

Red Mars

Red Mars is a 1992 hard science fiction novel by Kim Stanley Robinson depicting the colonization and terraforming of Mar...

Hard SF Mars Colonization Hugo Winner

8.6 Great

14

Ringworld

Ringworld is a 1970 science fiction novel by Larry Niven about explorers investigating a massive artificial ring-shaped...

Classic Hard SF Hugo Winner Niven

8.3 Great

15

The Uplift War

This 1987 science fiction novel by David Brin is set in his Uplift universe and won the Hugo Award for Best Novel.

Uplift Hard SF Aliens Hugo Winner

8.3 Great

16

Green Mars

Green Mars is a 1993 hard science fiction novel by Kim Stanley Robinson, the second book in the Mars Trilogy, chroniclin...

Hard SF Sequel Terraforming Hugo Winner

8.2 Great

17

The Fountains of Paradise

The Fountains of Paradise is a 1979 science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke about the construction of a space elevator...

Engineering Hard SF Clarke Hugo Winner

8.0 Great

18

Blue Mars

Blue Mars is a 1996 hard science fiction novel by Kim Stanley Robinson, completing the Mars Trilogy with the long-term t...

Hard SF Sequel Terraforming Hugo Winner

7.9 Good

19

Man Plus

Man Plus is a 1976 science fiction novel by Frederik Pohl that won the Nebula Award and follows a human astronaut cyborg...

Hard SF Mars Hugo Winner Pohl

7.5 Good

20

Darwin's Radio

Written by Greg Bear and published in 1999, this science fiction novel about a retrovirus-driven evolutionary leap won t...

Hard SF Genetics Near Future Bear

7.0 Good