With the sheer variety of literary genres, it's almost surprising that so many book lovers get stuck reading only one type of book. Some serious readers even go so far as to read only novels that have won a slew of prizes or are considered classics and they won't think about reading a 'light' genre such as sci-fi. Little do they know that many of the award-winning classics they prefer are also some of the best science fiction books in history.
The science fiction is normally simply called sci-fi. It encompasses a vast range of ideas and themes. Whether you want to read about aliens and outer space, time travel, cyberspace, scientists gone mad or 'what if' scenarios, you'll find something in the genre. What these books have in common is that they put forward ideas that are almost beyond imagination and where technology is often a central part of the theme.
Ancient works from as early as the 2nd century started exploring themes that could be classified as sci-fi. A work from the first half of the 17th century, 'Somnium' by Johannes Kepler, is often cited as the first truly sci-fi novel. Other early works in this imaginative genre include the classic 'Gulliver's Travels' by 18th-century writer Jonathan Swift and 'Frankenstein' by 19th-century author Mary Shelley.
Sci-fi gained popularity later in the 19th century, especially since technological advances paved the way for new ideas. One of the most influential authors from this period was H. G. Wells, who focused on technology such as a time machine and was one of the first to write about an attack by aliens. Jules Verne's great adventure novels, especially those that took readers down volcanoes or deep underneath the sea, also had a profound influence on later writers.
Among the most famous and most acclaimed sci-fi writers are Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. Some of the works of George Orwell and Aldous Huxley can be regarded as sci-fi too, such as 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' and 'Brave New World'. The latter, which centered around cloning, is an example of a novel where an idea that seemed far-fetched at the time later became a scientific reality.
Many writers who aren't normally known for sci-fi have written classics in the genre. Mark Twain did it with 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court', featuring time travel. Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote some sci-fi poems. Among the Nobel Prize laureates who explored sci-fi themes are British writer Doris Lessing, Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges and Portuguese writer Jose Saramago.
If you're not sure where to start with sci-fi, you can always look towards Hollywood. The works of both Verne and Wells have repeatedly been made into movies and there are countless celluloid versions of 'Frankenstein' too. '2001: A Space Odyssey', 'Planet of the Apes', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Dune' and 'Jurassic Park' were all based on popular sci-fi novels. 'A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe' was based on the book that kicked off the subgenre known as comical sci-fi.
The sci-fi section of your local bookstore or library will have great novels to try. You'll also find some works in the 'Classics' section. If you don't know where to start, it's also useful to search online and read the reviews of novels that might appeal to you.
The science fiction is normally simply called sci-fi. It encompasses a vast range of ideas and themes. Whether you want to read about aliens and outer space, time travel, cyberspace, scientists gone mad or 'what if' scenarios, you'll find something in the genre. What these books have in common is that they put forward ideas that are almost beyond imagination and where technology is often a central part of the theme.
Ancient works from as early as the 2nd century started exploring themes that could be classified as sci-fi. A work from the first half of the 17th century, 'Somnium' by Johannes Kepler, is often cited as the first truly sci-fi novel. Other early works in this imaginative genre include the classic 'Gulliver's Travels' by 18th-century writer Jonathan Swift and 'Frankenstein' by 19th-century author Mary Shelley.
Sci-fi gained popularity later in the 19th century, especially since technological advances paved the way for new ideas. One of the most influential authors from this period was H. G. Wells, who focused on technology such as a time machine and was one of the first to write about an attack by aliens. Jules Verne's great adventure novels, especially those that took readers down volcanoes or deep underneath the sea, also had a profound influence on later writers.
Among the most famous and most acclaimed sci-fi writers are Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. Some of the works of George Orwell and Aldous Huxley can be regarded as sci-fi too, such as 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' and 'Brave New World'. The latter, which centered around cloning, is an example of a novel where an idea that seemed far-fetched at the time later became a scientific reality.
Many writers who aren't normally known for sci-fi have written classics in the genre. Mark Twain did it with 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court', featuring time travel. Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote some sci-fi poems. Among the Nobel Prize laureates who explored sci-fi themes are British writer Doris Lessing, Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges and Portuguese writer Jose Saramago.
If you're not sure where to start with sci-fi, you can always look towards Hollywood. The works of both Verne and Wells have repeatedly been made into movies and there are countless celluloid versions of 'Frankenstein' too. '2001: A Space Odyssey', 'Planet of the Apes', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Dune' and 'Jurassic Park' were all based on popular sci-fi novels. 'A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe' was based on the book that kicked off the subgenre known as comical sci-fi.
The sci-fi section of your local bookstore or library will have great novels to try. You'll also find some works in the 'Classics' section. If you don't know where to start, it's also useful to search online and read the reviews of novels that might appeal to you.
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