My Top Five Recommendations for Science Fiction Books

Since I was a kid, I was enthralled with sci-fi.  That term dates me -- it's now called "sf."  No fan of science fiction books will ever agree on the top five, but for what it is worth, I'd like to give my personal recommendations.

Although other enthusiasts may not agree with my selection, I'm sure they'd agree that the science fiction books that are my favorites are a great read!

1. Nineteen Eighty-Four (best known as 1984); George Orwell.  This somewhat prophetic book paints a frightening future that features Big Brother, surveillance, heavy-handed censorship (re-languaging, actually, for political purposes), utter removal of individuality, freedom, and privacy. Interestingly, many people have coined the word "Orwellian" when describing today's political climate.
2.  Fahrenheight 451; Ray Bradbury.  This is a must-read about book burning and close mindedness.  Again, seems quite prophetic.
3. The Martian Chronicles; Ray Bradbury.  This is a collection of different stories about the exploration of Mars.  The one that really got me was about the power of thought, and how it affected the truly empathic Martians so that they would morph into whatever a person was thinking about.  All stories are different, with different Martians, and are allegories of what we have historically done to various aboriginal cultures on Earth.
4.  I Robot; Isaac Asimov.  This book of short stories was loosely adapted into a film, and explores the nature of consciousness.  It's an excellent, thought providing read.
5. Slaughterhouse Five; Kurt Vonnegut.  This book is disturbing and explores experimentation on humans and the course of human nature.
6. Dune; Frank Herbert.  This classic borders on fantasy and follows the adventures of a messiah type of character.
7. A Clockwork Orange; Anthony Burgess.  This futuristic crime novel may be more known for the movie than the book.  The story features the consequences of an unorthodox answer to gang behavior.
8. The Time Machine; H. G. Wells.  This is the first time travel novel, and definitely a classic.

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As you can see, I couldn't stop at just five of my favorite science fiction books!  What I love about science fiction is that it addresses the whole spectrum of life:  from consciousness to politics to behaviour and even to God.  I find that my science fiction book collection tends to be more thought provoking to me than other novels on the shelf.

If you are looking for quality science fiction books to read, I would suggest that you grab any works written by  Phillip K. Dick, Arthur C. Clark, Isaac Asimov, Thomas Disch, Poul Anderson, Ray Bradbury and Robert Heinlein—the royalty and pioneers of the world of sf and science fiction books.

"My Top 5 Recommendations for Science Fiction Books" contributed by Harold George