The best science fiction stories of amazing worlds

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been fascinated by science fiction and by Biblical Scripture. That may seem dichotomous to some, but not to me. I have a passion for science and for Scripture because both bring understanding about our world from the microcosm to the macrocosm. My writings are a mixture of science and mystery with a science fiction feel and a Christian perspective. I like stories that show how truth arises even from the dark, confusing, and ambiguity of life to help one discover something about God they may not have considered before, and at the same time enjoy a fun, fast-paced, and exciting journey as they read.


I wrote...

Book cover of Myeem

What is my book about?

Nuke got his nickname from his best friend who called him nuclear because of the increased electrical conductance in his skin when they both joined the Interstellar Exploration Federation and became stationed on Neptune’s moon Triton where they are charged to assemble an interstellar gate so mankind can explore farther into the universe.

Because of a gate accident, Nuke is thrown so far into the universe he does not know where he is or how to get home. Yet, he discovers a planet made almost entirely of water where the humanoids are physically very different from him. The things he can do due to his skin’s electrical current help them to think he may be the forerunner to the return of their deity, Erabon.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Dune

Randy C. Dockens Why did I love this book?

This is a science fiction book that will totally blow you away. Herbert has created not only a unique world but a unique universe. He gets you so involved and submerged in the culture he has created that you forget there is a world in which you live. The book is filled with everything that composes great literature. You don’t want to be left out if you haven’t read it. Even if you watched the movie, read the book. Definitely read the book!

By Frank Herbert,

Why should I read it?

51 authors picked Dune as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Before The Matrix, before Star Wars, before Ender's Game and Neuromancer, there was Dune: winner of the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards, and widely considered one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written.

Melange, or 'spice', is the most valuable - and rarest - element in the universe; a drug that does everything from increasing a person's lifespan to making interstellar travel possible. And it can only be found on a single planet: the inhospitable desert world of Arrakis.

Whoever controls Arrakis controls the spice. And whoever controls the spice controls the universe.

When the Emperor transfers stewardship of…


Book cover of Edge of Oblivion

Randy C. Dockens Why did I love this book?

I was intrigued by this storyline that despite the futuristic setting, the sacredness of the old still remained. It goes to show that truth is timeless and can withstand the test and challenges of time. In addition, I like the premise that no matter how one looks on the outside, we are pretty much the same on the inside and there is an unseen force that can unite beings at an intangible level.

By Joshua A. Johnston,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Edge of Oblivion as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A Forgotten Past. A Terminal Future.
Earth has emerged from a cataclysmic dark age with little knowledge of its past. Aided by the discovery of advanced alien technology, humanity ventures into the stars, joining other sentient races in a sprawling, prosperous interstellar Confederacy.

That peace is soon shattered. Without warning, the Confederacy comes under attack by an unstoppable alien force from the unknown regions. With hopes for civilization's survival dwindling, Commander Jared Carter is sent to pursue an unlikely lead: a collection of ancient alien religious fragments which may - or may not - hold the key to their salvation…


Book cover of Stories of Your Life and Others

Randy C. Dockens Why did I love this book?

This is a collection of short stories and novellas with likely the most popular being Story of Your Life which became the movie Arrival. These stories are definitely not for the linear thinker! They often take unexpected turns that make one wonder what is going on. Yet, they are entertaining and provide a lot for one to ponder and consider.

By Ted Chiang,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked Stories of Your Life and Others as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'A science fiction genius . . . Ted Chiang is a superstar.' - Guardian

With Stories of Your Life and Others, his masterful first collection, multiple-award-winning author Ted Chiang deftly blends human emotion and scientific rationalism in eight remarkably diverse stories, all told in his trademark precise and evocative prose.

From a soaring Babylonian tower that connects a flat Earth with the firmament above, to a world where angelic visitations are a wondrous and terrifying part of everyday life; from a neural modification that eliminates the appeal of physical beauty, to an alien language that challenges our very perception of…


Book cover of The Star Wars Trilogy

Randy C. Dockens Why did I love this book?

This first came out just a few months prior to the first movie in 1977 and I still remember sitting in my dorm room reading every word with great expectation of how it would look in the coming movie. I had the same feeling reading it as I did when I first read Dune. A totally different story, but great world building.

By George Lucas, Donald Glut, James Kahn

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Star Wars Trilogy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Luke Skywalker dreamed of adventures out among the stars and alien worlds. But when he intercepted a message from a beautiful captive princess, he got more than he had bargained for—and that was how the adventure of his life began. . . .


Book cover of The Eye of Minds

Randy C. Dockens Why did I love this book?

While not science fiction in the classical sense, it is a story of a different kind of world where virtual reality and reality blur. The main character almost lives in a virtual reality gaming program, but when he is to do something in the real world, he finds he can’t really tell the two apart and that leads to grave consequences.

By James Dashner,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Eye of Minds as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

From James Dashner, the author of the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series, comes an edge-of-your seat adventure. The Eye of Minds is the first book in The Mortality Doctrine, a series set in a world of hyper advanced technology, cyberterrorists, and gaming beyond your wildest dreams ...and your worst nightmares. To catch a hacker, you need a hacker. For Michael and the other gamers, the VirtNet can make your wildest fantasies become real. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Who wants to play by the rules anyway? But some rules were made for a…


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Book cover of Dulcinea

Ana Veciana-Suarez Author Of Dulcinea

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I became fascinated with 16th-century and 17th-century Europe after reading Don Quixote many years ago. Since then, every novel or nonfiction book about that era has felt both ancient and contemporary. I’m always struck by how much our environment has changed—transportation, communication, housing, government—but also how little we as people have changed when it comes to ambition, love, grief, and greed. I doubled down my reading on that time period when I researched my novel, Dulcinea. Many people read in the eras of the Renaissance, World War II, or ancient Greece, so I’m hoping to introduce them to the Baroque Age. 

Ana's book list on bringing to life the forgotten Baroque Age

What is my book about?

Dolça Llull Prat, a wealthy Barcelona woman, is only 15 when she falls in love with an impoverished poet-solder. Theirs is a forbidden relationship, one that overcomes many obstacles until the fledgling writer renders her as the lowly Dulcinea in his bestseller.

By doing so, he unwittingly exposes his muse to gossip. But when Dolça receives his deathbed note asking to see her, she races across Spain with the intention of unburdening herself of an old secret.

On the journey, she encounters bandits, the Inquisition, illness, and the choices she's made. At its heart, Dulcinea is about how we betray the people we love, what happens when we succumb to convention, and why we squander the few chances we get to change our lives.

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