Thursday, January 3, 2013

The Top 100 Sci Fi Novels

Just adding my daily sci fi update!   I would to contribute with my fellow followers my list of the top 10 novels of this millennium.   A list is a very personal item matter and many people will disagree with me that's I welcome people to add their comments in the comment section of the blog!    So to keep things simple, here is my list of the top 100 sci fi books of all time.   They are listed from 1 to 100 starting with the title of the book followed by the author:

  • Brave New World By Aldous Huxley
  • Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury
  • Nineteen Eighty-Four By George Orwell
  • Ender’s Game By Orson Scott Card
  • Stranger in a Strange Land By Robert A. Heinlein
  • Dune By Frank Herbert
  • Childhood’s End By C. Clarke
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey By Arthur C. Clarke
  • Foundation By Isaac Asimov
  • The Time Machine By H.G. Wells

Yes I know, I only included the top 10!  But if you would like to find out more I welcome you to my website (scifibooks.org) to read the full list.   Or if you feel like shopping I would recommend Ebay as I often find better prices then Amazon.

 

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

An Introduction To The World Of Science Fiction Books

Sci fi, also knwown as Science Fiction, is a category of literature that handles scenarios that are imaginative and yet still to some extent logical. Sci Fi has over the years allowed authors to truly explore fantastic and imaginative ideas with complete seriousness.

Sci fi book enthusiasts usually find stories based around futuristic situations where space travel, time travel, parallel galaxies and extra terrestrials beings are all realities. Though these circumstances may seem implausible, authors have tried them as tools to discuss deep grounded ideological questions centred on identity, morality and social organization.  Sci fi has over time matured into various different genres and sub styles, making it somewhat difficult to define exactly.




Some aficionados have defined it as a practical speculation of events as a direct consequence of plausible long-term events. Sometimes the lines can be blurred between fantasy novels and science fiction novels. They key difference between fantasy and sci fi is that fantasy novels deal with the unreal while science fiction concentrates on the almost real.

Utopian and dystopian realms are two popular yet remarkably different sub styles of science fiction. A utopia is basically an ideal world; one of the key components of these places is the lack of hunger, pain or materialistic issues. This is usually the result of advanced technologies.

Dystopia alternatively is the precise opposite, it deals with the future after an eventual breakdown of civilization. It could mean radically oprressive governments or serious social chaos. Post apocalyptical sci fi books are aften associated with dystopian sci fi. Many dystopian sci fi books have been by authors to raise awareness about real and modern threats to our civilization; in particular the possibility of totalitarian and extreme equalitarian communities.

Cutting-edge technologies is one of the most common themes found in sci fi novels. Writers have expanded the possibilities of technology to great extent; resulting in the creation of stories about spaceflight, androids, human cloning, transportation devices, speed of light travel and time travel.

Others even have gone so far as to explore the possibilities of genetic mutation and paranormal capabilities such as thought transference, mind control and psychokinesis becoming part of society. Even though they are far fetched these stories are ultimately extensions of the commonly supported theory of evolution.
 
Soft and social science fiction on the other hand deals more strongly with emotional and character context. These works are far more similar to the cultural sciences of psychology, business, politics and sociology. The futuristic environment is just a tool and device that the authors use to convey the key aspects and themes of their novel such as identity questions and substance addictions. These novels were particularly significant in enriching the literary level of the genre and increasing its esteem in the eyes of the literary world.


The Best Sci fi books are far from being crass mainstream works, which sadly is what people often believe they are. Sci fi novels are often formulated on real factual science. The creators are frequently proffessional scientists and experts in their respective fields. The only evidence needed is the fact that many of their predictions are being used the world over today!