The best science fiction books with a young protagonist

Hugo and Nebula award-winning Dune is one of my all-time favorite science fiction novels.

Frank Herbert’s epic work creates a fascinating universe centered on one of its most inhospitable planets, Arrakis, better known as Dune. Young Paul Atreides (Paul Muad’Dib), must survive assassination attempts, the death of his father, exile and inhospitable conditions to overcome the intricate plots of the Emperor and the evil Barron Vladimir Harkonnen.

Herbert’s world-building is unparalleled as he explores power, religion, and the human condition. With its rich and exotic settings, memorable characters, and complex plot, Dune is a true classic and one of the greatest science fiction novels of the twentieth century. No wonder Hollywood has made several movies based on the novel.

For those of you that loved (and love) Greek Mythology, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, is an action-packed tour de force.

Young Percy, a dyslexic teenager, discovers that he is a demigod and the son of Poseidon. Falsely accused of stealing Zeus’ thunderbolt, Percy must clear his name and avoid a war between the Olympian Gods that could decimate the mortal world.

Riordan leans on his extensive knowledge of Greek Mythology to create a fast-paced, engaging adventure laced with humor. He masterfully blends Greek Mythology with the modern world, creating an epic adventure that readers of all ages will enjoy. Read the book. Much better than the movie.

I picked up The Hunger Games and couldn’t put it down.

Suzanne Collins created a unique dystopian future filled with rich characters that inhabit a post-apocalyptic world ruled by a totalitarian government. The winners of the war that preceded the events in The Hunger Games created a brutal fight to the death between “tributes” (children ages 12-18) from the vanquished districts to remind those in the districts that they lost the war.

Great characters like the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, draw you into the horror that is the Hunger Games. From an innocent teenager on the verge of love, Katniss becomes a jaded symbol of resistance against everything the Hunger Games stands for. She is an underdog that overcomes obstacle after obstacle. You can’t help but empathize with Katniss.

I read Ender’s Game years ago and then listened to it on Audible recently. Excellent book filled with intricate strategies and battles, complex characters, and ethical dilemmas.

After almost being destroyed by the bug-like Formics, Earth must devise a strategy for the next battle. The strategy involves molding extremely gifted children, like Ender Wiggins, to become trained military commanders that can defeat the Formic hoards at all costs.

The book is a fast-paced journey through a minefield of moral and ethical dilemmas. Captivating characters keep you engaged throughout the book. A page-turner and a must read for science fiction aficionados.

Set in a dystopian future where poverty is rampant and the populous flocks to a gaming metaverse to escape the doldrums of everyday life, young Wade Watts must solve a quest to not only save himself, but to save the world.

Ernest Cline’s knowledge of 80s and 90s pop culture is astounding, but he weaves the tale in such a way that you don’t have to have lived through the period to enjoy the book.

Cline’s world building is excellent and Wade Watt (Parzival is the name of his avatar in the metaverse) goes through an excellent character arc evolving from a gamer on a quest to win at all costs to a caring individual willing to sacrifice himself for his friends. Great book and enjoyable movie.