Science Fiction Texts

Science Fiction Texts

Primary and Secondary Resources for all your Science Fiction Needs

Primary Resources

Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels (1726)

Gulliver goes off an adventure through strange islands in this sci-fi classic—one of the earliest ever written—by Swift.

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (1818)

The scientist Victor Frankenstein has no idea what he's gotten himself into when he brings a scary monster to life.

Mary Shelley, The Last Man (1826)

It's an apocalyptic tale about a plague that wipes out all of humanity. Except for one (not so) lucky guy.

Jules Verne, From the Earth to the Moon (1865)

In this early novel by Jules Verne we see the beginnings of sci-fi space travel.

Jules Verne, All Around the Moon (1870)

This sequel to From the Earth to the Moon continues the story of three travellers' adventures to the Moon.

Jules Verne, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1870)

Get ready to hop on to the Nautilus for an amazing voyage under the ocean.

H.G. Wells, The Time Machine (1895)

Ready to go thousands of years into the future? Jump into the Time Machine.

H.G. Wells, The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896)

Doctor Moreau is up to all kinds of sketchy experiments on his island.

H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds (1898)

Watch out: the Martians are coming.

Aldous Huxley, Brave New World (1932)

Everyone is born in a test tube in this futuristic dystopian novel.

George Orwell, 1984 (1949)

Big Brother is watching us. Always.

Ray Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles (1950)

Humans are off to colonize Mars in this classic by Ray Bradbury.

Isaac Asimov, Foundation (1951)

Uh-oh. The Galactic Empire is about to fall to pieces. But Hari Seldon knows how to save it.

Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1953)

If you think we know what a "fireman" is, you have another think coming. Fahrenheit 451 gives a whole new meaning to the word.

Isaac Asimov, "The Last Question" (1956)

Can computers help us avert the end of the world? You'll have to read this story to find out.

Frank Herbert, Dune (1965)

It's one of the bestselling sci-fi novels of all time. And it's all about people fighting over a very lucrative drug that can keep them living on and on and on.

Arthur C. Clark 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

We may know Stanley Kubrick's film by the same title, but it's also a novel by Arthur C. Clark.

Dan Simmons, Hyperion (1989)

It's the tale of space pilgrims looking for the Shrike. What's the Shrike? You'll just have to read it to find out.

Kim Stanley Robinson, Red Mars (1992)

Humans are off to colonize Mars. We just love colonizing Mars, don't we?

Connie Willis, Doomsday Book (1992)

In this Sci-fi novel, characters travel to the past, not the future. Hey, the past is interesting too.

Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game (1994)

Lord of the Flies. Set in the future.

David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas (2004)

Six interlinked stories set in the future and the past. It's sci-fi, and also so much more.

Secondary Resources

Brooks Landon, Science Fiction After 1900: From the Steam Man to the Stars (1999)

A very thorough introduction to Science Fiction as it developed in the 20th century.

Roger Luckhurst, Science Fiction (2005)

Here we'll find critical analyses of major works of Science Fiction. We'll understand those works way better as a result.

Donald M. Hassler and Clyde Wilcox, Eds, Political Science Fiction (1997)

Want to learn all about the relationship between Science Fiction and politics? Start here.

Andrew Millner, Locating Science Fiction (2012)

How does sci-fi relate to other genres like fantasy, romance and the thriller? Millner fills us in in this study of the genre.

Carl Freedman, Critical Theory and Science Fiction (2000)

In this book Freedman uses theory to help us understand Science Fiction better.