Our Top Sci-Fi Literary Picks

Hannah Atkins

9 years ago

I’ve been fortunate to read some fantastic science fiction in recent months – and while fantasy seems to be getting a lot of attention in the literary world as of late, I thought it would be great to put together a collection of the TYF staff’s favourite sci-fi books. (Graphic novels and comics included!) So without further ado, here are our top picks. Feel free to share your own in the comments – these are personal favourites, not necessarily critical or commercial best-sellers!

Saga – Written by Brian K. Vaughn; Illustrated by Fiona Staples

I didn’t start reading comics or graphic novels until about a year ago, so I was a bit hesitant when picking up Saga. It seemed like an ambitious choice for a newbie like me. But it ended up being one of my best bookish decisions ever because Saga is a space epic like no other.

I really mean like no other. Saga is, first off, weird. There is some stuff in there that will shock and confuse you, but mostly in amusing ways as opposed to being truly disturbing. (In other words, it’s not for kids.)

However, beyond its unique, flabbergasting and creative world, Saga is a transcendent story about love and family, while touching on war, politics and racism. With gorgeous art, Saga lives up to its name, delivering operatically on story, characters and setting in every single issue.

[Gabrielle Bondi]

Strong Female Protagonist – Brennan Lee Mulligan & Molly Ostertag

This book was such a great read that it got me to start reading superhero comics. I’ve always thought that superhero comics were a bit cheesy and over-dramatic. However, Brennan Lee Mulligan and Molly Ostertag crafted such a great story that I’d began to follow the web comic long after reading the graphic novel. The novel follows superhero Alison Green as she tries to live the life of a normal human being after realizing that she can’t save the world from every evil that threatens to destabilize it. She is literally a “strong female protagonist” and quite relatable as she tries to live a normal life (like going to college, studying for exams and having friends) while still trying to manage as a superhero. The other characters in this novel also show that superhero characters don’t have to be black or white. They have colourful personalities that make you love and hate them at the same time.

[Leigh-Ann Brodber]

The Giver – Lois Lowry

So I’m not the biggest sci-fan fan and perhaps my pick is probably one of the top books chosen by schools that gets circulated a lot – but I still love it anyway. I’ve always had this love for books that are set in a utopian society but The Giver provided a twist. The book uncovers this society that on surface level looks perfect but, in reality, it’s more messed up than any Thanksgiving family party you’ve been to. The urge to fight against the ordered society and finding your individuality is what rings true to me. Lois Lowry has a way with words that goes beyond the fact that The Giver won countless awards; there are so many reasons why the book continues to be read today.

[Camille Ann Espiritu]

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet – Becky Chambers

This book is a new favorite of mine – it’s wonderfully progressive, utterly subversive and all-around an absolute delight to read. The plot is fairly straightforward – our female protagonist joins a motley space crew who are about to undertake a journey of a lifetime. But the joy really is in the journey, not the destination; as friendships are formed, bonds are broken, cultures clash and the threat of war looms over them all. Both absolutely hilarious and staggeringly profound, nine strangers must learn to live with one another, and lean on one another, in order to survive. I can’t recommend this one highly enough.

[Hannah Atkins]

Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury

Remember those books in middle school you were assigned to read? Some you hated, some you forgot the moment you put the book down. However, in rare cases, there was that one special story that actually managed to stick with you through the years. Fahrenheit 451 was such an instance for me. Most of my classmates ended up hating the novel – then again, they appeared to just hate reading in general – but I fell in love with the dystopian-future book almost instantaneously.

Not only did the book predict things such as flat screen televisions and iPods, which in itself struck me, but I’ve always gravitated toward the narratives about the main characters “waking up” to the world around them. Guy Montag burns books for a living, in a future where firefighters are assigned to suppress knowledge from books by destroying homes “contaminated” with them. Yet, he begins to question his entire existence through a chance encounter with a friendly neighborhood child and a secret he’s been harboring comes to light. Most of you have probably already read it, but in some strange instance you haven’t, I highly recommend you give it a read. Even if it doesn’t stick with you the same way it did with me, I guarantee it’ll at least make you think about the world we live in today.

[Donald Strohman]

FANGIRL_15 – Aimee Roseland

We’ve all fantasized, at one point, about being in a relationship with one of the characters in one of our favorite novels. Chloe actually gets this opportunity when she gets sucked into the world of her favorite book called The Dark Riders. While Chloe has some serious self-esteem issues that she should probably talk to a therapist about, I slightly envied the opportunity she got to be among her favorite characters. I’d love the chance to speak to the characters in many of Sarah Dessen’s novels. I was engrossed in the novel and what the outcome would be but as I got closer to the end of the book, things got really really weird. Chloe realizes that she’s been the apple of a certain demon’s eye and that she’s more a part of The Dark Riders novel than she thought. Regardless of the ending, I loved every minute of this novel and have put it on my Read Again list.

[Leigh-Ann Brodber]

Illuminae – Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

This book was one of the hit YAs of 2015, and it’s no surprise as to why. The incredibly creative format, combined with the epistolary storytelling, led to a reading experience to remember. A planet has been attacked, survivors are fleeing on two ships, plague has just broken out, and most pressingly of all, an AI seems to have a mind of its own – quite literally – and is starting to make decisions with no regard to the human overlords. Illuminae is an action-packed, emotional rollercoaster that’s highly entertaining and highlights the nature of courage under fire, and the lengths one will go in pursuit of the truth.

[Hannah Atkins]