Recommendations based on The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929-1964by Robert Silverberg

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Second Foundation

    by Isaac Asimov
    A quest to find the mysterious force controlling the fate of the galaxy.

    Part I is about The Mule 's search for the elusive Second Foundation, with the intent of destroying it. The executive council of the Second Foundation is aware of The Mule's intent and, in the words ... (Wikipedia)

  2. The Past Through Tomorrow

    by Robert A. Heinlein
    A collection of short stories exploring the future of humanity, from the near future to thousands of years ahead.

    Here in one monumental volume are all 21 of the stories, novellas and novels making up Heinlein's famous Future History—the rich, imaginative architecture of Man's destiny that many consider his ... (Goodreads)

  3. The Foundation Trilogy

    by Isaac Asimov
    Intergalactic future-history saga of a Galactic Empire on the brink of collapse.

    A THOUSAND-YEAR EPIC, A GALACTIC STRUGGLE, A MONUMENTAL WORK IN THE ANNALS OF SCIENCE FICTION FOUNDATION begins a new chapter in the story of man's future. As the Old Empire crumbles into barbarism ... (Goodreads)

  4. The Caves of Steel

    by Isaac Asimov
    Detective story set in a distant future, where humans and robots coexist.

    A faction of Spacers have come to the realization that Spacer culture is effete, stagnating due to negative population growth and longevity. Their solution is to encourage further space exploration ... (Wikipedia)

  5. Lord of Light

    by Roger Zelazny
    A cosmic struggle between ancient Hindu gods and a man, who uses technology to gain freedom.

    Lord of Light is set on a planet colonized by some of the remnants of "vanished Urath", or Earth. The crew and colonists from the spaceship Star of India found themselves on a strange planet ... (Wikipedia)

  6. The Uplift War

    by David Brin
    A story of a species of aliens fighting to survive against a powerful oppressor.

    David Brin's Uplift novels are among the most thrilling and extraordinary science fiction ever written. Sundiver, Startide Rising, and The Uplift War –a New York Times bestseller--together make up ... (Goodreads)

  7. Way Station

    by Clifford D. Simak
    A man living in a remote Wisconsin town discovers a secret gateway to other worlds.

    Enoch Wallace, an American Civil War veteran, is chosen by an alien to administer a way station for interplanetary travel. His job is to monitor the machinery of the way station and make sure arrival ... (Wikipedia)

  8. Tunnel in the Sky

    by Robert A. Heinlein
    A group of students are stranded on a distant planet during a survival test, facing challenges and forming their own society.

    A classic novel from the mind of the storyteller who captures the imagination of readers from around the world, and across two generations. The final exam for Dr. Matson's Advanced Survival class was ... (Goodreads)

  9. The Time Machine

    by H.G. Wells
    A scientist travels through time, discovering the future of mankind.

    The book's protagonist is a Victorian English scientist and gentleman inventor living in Richmond , Surrey , identified by a narrator simply as the Time Traveller . Similarly, with but one exception ... (Wikipedia)

  10. Childhood's End

    by Arthur C. Clarke
    Human race is transformed by an alien presence, leading to the dawn of a new age.

    The novel is divided into three parts, following a third-person omniscient narrative with no main character. , In some editions, the short first chapter is a separate prologue rather than the ... (Wikipedia)

  11. Neuromancer

    by William Gibson
    A hacker's journey through a dystopian cyberpunk world, searching for a way to survive.

    Henry Dorsett Case is a low-level hustler in the dystopian underworld of Chiba City , Japan. Once a talented computer hacker , Case was caught stealing from his employer. As punishment for his theft, ... (Wikipedia)

  12. Neutron Star

    by Larry Niven
    An interstellar adventure of a human astronaut and an alien AI, discovering a mysterious neutron star.

    Beowulf Shaeffer , a native of the planet We Made It and unemployed for the last eight months due to a stock market crash, is contracted by a Pierson's Puppeteer, the Regional President of General ... (Wikipedia)

  13. Downbelow Station

    by C.J. Cherryh
    Space Station managers struggle to keep the station in operation while facing hostile aliens, political turmoil, and personal conflict.

    Space is explored not by short-sighted governments, but by the Earth Company, a private corporation which becomes enormously wealthy and powerful as a result. Nine star systems are found to lack ... (Wikipedia)

  14. A Wizard of Earthsea

    by Ursula K. Le Guin
    A young wizard embarks on a quest to master his own magical powers and battle a mysterious force of evil.

    Ged, the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, was called Sparrowhawk in his reckless youth. Hungry for power and knowledge, Sparrowhawk tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Demolished Man

    by Alfred Bester
    In a world where telepathy is the norm, a wealthy businessman plans a murder, but a telepathic detective is on his trail.

    Ben Reich is the paranoid, impetuous owner of Monarch Utilities & Resources, a commercial cartel that the Reich family has possessed for generations. Monarch Utilities & Resources is in danger of ... (Wikipedia)

  16. The Chrysalids

    by John Wyndham
    A post-apocalyptic tale of survival and the struggle against oppressive forces.

    The inhabitants of post-apocalypse Labrador have vague knowledge of the "Old People", a technologically advanced civilization they believe was destroyed when God sent " Tribulation " to the world to ... (Wikipedia)

  17. The Monkey's Paw

    by Diane Mowat
    A cursed monkey's paw grants three wishes to a family, but at a terrible cost.

    Without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnam Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly. Father and son were at chess, the former, who possessed ideas about ... (Goodreads)

  18. Leviathan Wakes

    by James S.A. Corey
    Space adventure of two unlikely allies in a fight to save humanity.

    The ice hauling ship Canterbury (nicknamed the Cant by Belters) is en route from Saturn's Rings to Ceres Station when it encounters a distress signal . Five members of the Cant 's crew are dispatched ... (Wikipedia)

  19. Shadows of the Empire

    by Steve Perry
    An intergalactic struggle between the forces of evil and good, as a rogue smuggler attempts to save the galaxy.

    Here is the untold story of the events that took place between the movies The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi : a novel in which Darth Vader still lives–and battles a villain as powerful ... (Goodreads)

  20. Eon

    by Greg Bear
    A mysterious asteroid appears near Earth, and a team is sent to investigate. They discover a complex alien structure and a dangerous power struggle.

    The 21st century was on the brink of nuclear confrontation when the 300 kilometer-long stone flashed out of nothingness and into Earth's orbit. NASA, NATO, and the UN sent explorers to the asteroid's ... (Goodreads)

  21. Spin

    by Robert Charles Wilson
    A mysterious force disrupts the Earth, transforming the planet and its inhabitants in unexpected ways.

    The story opens when Tyler Dupree is twelve years old. Tyler and his mother live in a guest house on the property of aerospace millionaire E.D. Lawton and his alcoholic wife, Carol. Tyler is friends ... (Wikipedia)

  22. The Stars My Destination

    by Alfred Bester
    A man's quest for revenge in an intergalactic society, using teleportation and telepathy.

    At the time when the book is set, "jaunting"—personal teleportation—has so upset the social and economic balance that the Inner Planets are at war with the Outer Satellites. Gully Foyle of the ... (Wikipedia)

  23. Old Man's War

    by John Scalzi
    Elderly citizens enlist in an interstellar war to save humanity, discovering new strength and purpose.

    Old Man's War is about a soldier named John Perry and his exploits in the Colonial Defense Forces (CDF). The first-person narrative follows Perry's military career from CDF recruit to the rank of ... (Wikipedia)

  24. The Lathe of Heaven

    by Ursula K. Le Guin
    An exploration of the power of dreams, with the potential to reshape reality.

    The book is set in Portland, Oregon , in the year 2002. Portland has three million inhabitants and continuous rain. It is deprived enough for the poorer inhabitants to have kwashiorkor , a protein ... (Wikipedia)

  25. Tau Zero

    by Poul Anderson
    A spaceship's crew hurtles through space, experiencing time dilation and facing the possibility of never returning home.

    Tau Zero follows the crew of the starship, Leonora Christine, , a colonization vessel crewed by 25 men and 25 women aiming to reach the nearby star Beta Virginis . The ship is powered by a Bussard ... (Wikipedia)

  26. Children of God

    by Mary Doria Russell
    Follows the struggles of a religious family in the face of a mysterious alien race.

    Father Emilio Sandoz is a Jesuit priest who has returned to Earth and is recovering from his experiences on the planet Rakhat (detailed in The Sparrow ). He is exposed to Father Vincenzo Giuliani's ... (Wikipedia)

  27. Stand on Zanzibar

    by John Brunner
    A dystopian novel set in a future where overpopulation and societal breakdown lead to chaos and violence.

    Norman Niblock House is a rising executive at General Technics, one of a few all-powerful corporations. His work is leading General Technics to the forefront of global domination, both in the ... (Goodreads)

  28. The Cyberiad

    by Stanisław Lem
    A series of comic science fiction stories, exploring the adventures of two robotic inventors.

    A brilliantly funny collection of stories for the next age, from the celebrated author of Solaris . Ranging from the prophetic to the surreal, these stories demonstrate Stanislaw Lem's vast talent ... (Goodreads)

  29. A Canticle for Leibowitz

    by Walter M. Miller Jr.
    A post-apocalyptic tale of a world struggling to rebuild after a devastating nuclear war.

    After 20th century civilization was destroyed by a global nuclear war , known as the "Flame Deluge", there was a violent backlash against the culture of advanced knowledge and technology that had led ... (Wikipedia)

  30. Caliban's War

    by James S.A. Corey
    War between rival colonies on a hostile planet, with humanity's survival at stake.

    On Ganymede , Mei Meng is kidnapped from her preschool by her doctor. Several hours later, Earth and Martian space marines are attacked and effortlessly killed by a super soldier , with Bobbie ... (Wikipedia)