Science Fiction Books

The War of the Worlds

H. G. Wells

H.G. Wells coined the term "Martian" for his super-influential 1898 sci-fi classic War of the Worlds, in which England is set upon by spooky "cylinders" from Mars. At first the aliens looked pretty we..

Frankenstein

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, is the classic gothic horror novel by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, who began writing the influential work at the age of 18. It features Dr. Victor Frankenstein,..

Around the World in 80 Days

Jules Verne

Perhaps the inspiration for the show the Amazing Race, Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne is the story of the eccentric Englishman Phileas Fogg and his trusty French valet Passepartout, who, o..

Tarzan of the Apes

Edgar Rice Burroughs

Tarzan of the Apes is Edgar Rice Burroughs' hugely popular 1914 book that spawned two dozen sequels. A child of a white couple who are killed by an ape in the jungles of Africa, Tarzan is raised by a ..

The Invisible Man

H. G. Wells

Certainly a classic book but I have always felt like, in the end, the central character was just too one-dimensional. The absence of any moral reflection has always seemed like an opportunity missed. ..

The Time Machine

H. G. Wells

H.G. Wells is like the Plato of science fiction, and The Time Machine might be his Republic. It's the first of his series of vastly influential books which include War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man..

A Princess of Mars

Edgar Rice Burroughs

Before many of the current genres were cemented, Edgar Rice Burroughs began putting out a seemingly endless blur of sci-fi/fantasy/pulp fiction books, starting with A Princess of Mars. He would later ..

A Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Jules Verne

Journey to the Centre of the Earth is the classic 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne. It features German professor Von Hardwigg who is convinced that there are volcanic tubes going toward the c..