Fans pick 88 books like Eon

By Greg Bear,

Here are 88 books that Eon fans have personally recommended if you like Eon. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Book cover of Doomsday Book

Mike Waller Author Of Falcon's Call

From my list on scifi humanity’s future in space and time.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a child, I lived in a small valley sheltered from the night city lights. I could see the stars, and from that time, that is where my imagination dwelled. As a teenager, I read several of the books I have listed here, and from that point, I was inspired to read more and also to write myself. I sincerely believe that despite our current problems, humanity will outlive its troubled childhood and reach for the stars. We are destined for the stars, and only in the works of science fiction writers is that future explored. The books below helped me to become a successful author in my own right.

Mike's book list on scifi humanity’s future in space and time

Mike Waller Why did Mike love this book?

My all-time favorite time travel book, this story tells of a young student’s journey into the past for a university project. Things go awry, and she arrives at the wrong time, squarely in the path of the Black Death.  

As a history buff, I loved the historical perspective of the story imposed against modern university life, as the story tells of the gradual demise of a small English village and the university's attempts to get the student back.

I found the story most realistic, and the sheer urgency of the main character’s dire situation kept me fully engrossed to the last pages, where she is finally rescued. I recommend it to lovers of time travel stories and history buffs.

By Connie Willis,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Doomsday Book as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"A tour de force" - New York Times Book Review

"Ambitious, finely detailed and compulsively readable" - Locus

"It is a book that feels fundamentally true; it is a book to live in" - Washington Post

For Kivrin Engle, preparing an on-site study of one of the deadliest eras in humanity's history was as simple as receiving inoculations against the diseases of the fourteenth century and inventing a bullet-proof backstory. For her instructors in the twenty-first century, it meant painstaking calculations and careful monitoring of the rendezvous location where Kivrin would be received.

But a crisis strangely linking past and…


Book cover of Foundation

Graham McMurtry Author Of Earth Directive

From my list on possibilities for man that are not always sunshine.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up, books weren’t just something I read—they were portals to futures filled with wonder, adventure, and possibility. There was something captivating about science fiction in particular: it was more than just space battles and shiny gadgets. It was about what the future could be—our potential, our challenges, and how we might navigate the unknown. Looking back, a few books and authors had a lasting impact on me, not just as a reader but as a writer. I’ll walk you through five that really stood out and shaped the way I see the world and, ultimately, likely inspired my series. 

Graham's book list on possibilities for man that are not always sunshine

Graham McMurtry Why did Graham love this book?

I won’t lie; this series hurt my brain. It did not hold back with the twists or the depth of dialogue and intrigue either. I love it for the way it showed me the sheer complexity a series could offer. Asimov built a world that felt so real—complete with deep political intrigue, technological advancements, and power struggles that echoed across generations.

What captivated me most was how the storylines tied together over time, often referring back to events from the first book in ways that made everything feel interconnected. You don’t just read the Foundation series; you invest in it, piecing together the layers of Asimov’s universe as you go.

The story is full of big ideas—focusing not just on individuals but on the grand sweep of civilizations rising and falling. I felt that this series taught me the importance of understanding the long game: that things unfolding today may…

By Isaac Asimov,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The first novel in Isaac Asimov’s classic science-fiction masterpiece, the Foundation series

THE EPIC SAGA THAT INSPIRED THE APPLE TV+ SERIES FOUNDATION, NOW STREAMING • Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read
 
For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future—to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save humankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire—both scientists and scholars—and brings…


Book cover of Mars

Mike Waller Author Of Falcon's Call

From my list on scifi humanity’s future in space and time.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a child, I lived in a small valley sheltered from the night city lights. I could see the stars, and from that time, that is where my imagination dwelled. As a teenager, I read several of the books I have listed here, and from that point, I was inspired to read more and also to write myself. I sincerely believe that despite our current problems, humanity will outlive its troubled childhood and reach for the stars. We are destined for the stars, and only in the works of science fiction writers is that future explored. The books below helped me to become a successful author in my own right.

Mike's book list on scifi humanity’s future in space and time

Mike Waller Why did Mike love this book?

I love this book because I could easily imagine myself in its setting. It is set in the near future and is about ordinary people in extraordinary situations, successes and failures. 

I felt this story to be most significant because it may well happen in my lifetime or yours. As the characters undertake their first exploration of Mars, I find myself traveling with them in my imagination. Being a Mars fanatic, I know enough about the planet to know how accurate the descriptive writing is, and I really felt I was there. Superbly written, this is a story of our time.

By Ben Bova,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

To the harsh landscape of Sol's fourth planet travel thirteen astronauts, the best scientists from eleven nations, on a history-making voyage into the unknown. The international crew of the Mars mission have spent nine months in space, crossing 100 million kilometres, to reach the last great frontier. Their voyage is fraught with disputes, both personal and political, and their time on Mars limited to 'footprints and flags'; yet while there they will come face-to-face with the most incredible and shocking discovery of all.


Book cover of The Time Ships

Mike Waller Author Of Falcon's Call

From my list on scifi humanity’s future in space and time.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a child, I lived in a small valley sheltered from the night city lights. I could see the stars, and from that time, that is where my imagination dwelled. As a teenager, I read several of the books I have listed here, and from that point, I was inspired to read more and also to write myself. I sincerely believe that despite our current problems, humanity will outlive its troubled childhood and reach for the stars. We are destined for the stars, and only in the works of science fiction writers is that future explored. The books below helped me to become a successful author in my own right.

Mike's book list on scifi humanity’s future in space and time

Mike Waller Why did Mike love this book?

The thing I like most about this book is that it is one of the most outstanding works of imaginative fiction I have ever read. Written as a sequel to The Time Machine, it celebrates the centenary of that book’s first publication. 

This journey is more varied than the original. The hero journeys to different times and places and even gets marooned in one. I love the way the author uses the basic concept to explore various aspects of humanity’s future, such as the entire race living on the inner surface of a Dyson sphere around Sol.

I enjoyed journeying to different times and worlds, each vividly and realistically portrayed. I strongly recommend this work for lovers of time travel stories.

By Stephen Baxter,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Time Ships as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The highly-acclaimed sequel to H G Wells's THE TIME MACHINE.

Written to celebrate the centenary of the publication of H G Wells's classic story The Time Machine, Stephen Baxter's stunning sequel is an outstanding work of imaginative fiction.

The Time Traveller has abandoned his charming and helpless Eloi friend Weena to the cannibal appetites of the Morlocks, the devolved race of future humans from whom he was forced to flee. He promptly embarks on a second journey to the year AD 802,701, pledged to rescue Weena. He never arrives! The future was changed by his presence... and will be changed…


Book cover of Beneath Burning Sands

Lauren Patzer Author Of Dissonance Junction: A Year of Stories

From my list on sci-fi to face the end of the world with.

Why am I passionate about this?

Reading has been a passion of mine since I first learned how. Consuming books like a ravenous wolf, I explored worlds beyond my own imagining with a simple purchase of a bound novel (or lending from a library.) It gave me the one thing I couldn’t do in real life – escape from reality. In many ways, I’m only sane because I was able to remove myself from the horrific events of my upbringing. It put my feet in two camps – that of science fiction and of horror. I like to think of what could be and bring my readers to that alternate reality to delight or terrify depending on the genre.

Lauren's book list on sci-fi to face the end of the world with

Lauren Patzer Why did Lauren love this book?

P.R. Adams paints a horrifying picture of earth after the complete and total collapse of humanity. The future is brutal, violent, and demands everything of the survivors to make it out alive. This tale pits a group of scientific survivors of a suspended animation experiment against the most brutal tribe forged from the fires of humanity’s destruction. It’s a graphic and nail-biting adventure from beginning to end.

By P.R. Adams,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Beneath Burning Sands as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Earth is dying, and humanity's only hope of survival will be somewhere among the stars. When Reggie Lee agrees to test Frontierza’s advanced hibernation technology in a month-long cryogenic sleep, he believes it will be a huge benefit to his career.

He couldn’t be more wrong.

The world he wakes to is nothing like he expects. It's a world where life is cheap, where the definition of human has changed, and only the strong survive. Does he have what it takes to make it in this new world, or will he become just another skeleton lost in the wastes? Pick…


Book cover of The Wilk Are Among Us

Lauren Patzer Author Of Dissonance Junction: A Year of Stories

From my list on sci-fi to face the end of the world with.

Why am I passionate about this?

Reading has been a passion of mine since I first learned how. Consuming books like a ravenous wolf, I explored worlds beyond my own imagining with a simple purchase of a bound novel (or lending from a library.) It gave me the one thing I couldn’t do in real life – escape from reality. In many ways, I’m only sane because I was able to remove myself from the horrific events of my upbringing. It put my feet in two camps – that of science fiction and of horror. I like to think of what could be and bring my readers to that alternate reality to delight or terrify depending on the genre.

Lauren's book list on sci-fi to face the end of the world with

Lauren Patzer Why did Lauren love this book?

This is one of the first science fiction books I read growing up. I distinctly remember being amazed by the world-building that took place. There was also the strange biological construct of the different alien species and how they interacted with humanity that I found mind-blowing. It was a foundational text for both my science fiction and horror writing. I haven’t read it since, but surely a book that made such an impression on a 10-year-old mind has to be included.

By Isidore Haiblum,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Wilk Are Among Us as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

210 pages, science fiction novel of an explosion on another planet that results in interplanetary travel of Leonard and a brace of wilk, a nill, a hunter and a Being who appears out of nowhere


Book cover of Crisis on Centaurus

Lauren Patzer Author Of Dissonance Junction: A Year of Stories

From my list on sci-fi to face the end of the world with.

Why am I passionate about this?

Reading has been a passion of mine since I first learned how. Consuming books like a ravenous wolf, I explored worlds beyond my own imagining with a simple purchase of a bound novel (or lending from a library.) It gave me the one thing I couldn’t do in real life – escape from reality. In many ways, I’m only sane because I was able to remove myself from the horrific events of my upbringing. It put my feet in two camps – that of science fiction and of horror. I like to think of what could be and bring my readers to that alternate reality to delight or terrify depending on the genre.

Lauren's book list on sci-fi to face the end of the world with

Lauren Patzer Why did Lauren love this book?

I read all of the initial series of Star Trek books, and this one stood out to me due to the violent terrorist occurrence and the devastating outcome of the evil use of emerging technology. The event in the book left a profound effect on me as a human being. That one person would commit carnage of such an unimaginable level to accomplish their terrorist agenda shocked me. I never looked at the “innocence” of technological advancements the same way; nor did I ever believe again that humanity had only good intentions for itself and others.

By Brad Ferguson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Crisis on Centaurus as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Massive computer malfunctions are plaguing the Enterprise(t) when Kirk suddenly receives a shocking message from Star Fleet Command: Centaurus has been bombed and annihilated; thousands are dead. Give whatever help you can. Centaurus is a beautiful, peaceful planet, home to many humans -- including McCoy's daughter Joanna. The crew risks beaming down to investigate. But Kirk is thrown into a deadly struggle between violent enemy terrorists and vengeful Centaurians. Now Lt. Uhura, left alone in command, must jeopardize the cripple Enterprise(t) to save Centaurus, Kirk -- and Joanna McCoy!


Book cover of Heart of the Sun Warrior

Ella d’Avoine Author Of The Crimson Warrior

From my list on fantasy strong female protagonists.

Why am I passionate about this?

One might read for many reasons, but one of the main reasons for me is to connect and relate to the character. Female voices are very underheard, and I feel incredibly passionate about changing that and creating and reading stories where the female protagonists have strong voices and are not afraid to be heard. I think it’s important that we continue to create female characters that are raw and real and that portray subjects and feelings that need to be heard more.

Ella's book list on fantasy strong female protagonists

Ella d’Avoine Why did Ella love this book?

I loved this book for so many reasons. The world-building is beautiful, the plot line is intriguing, and the main female character has a lot of depth to her. She’s beautiful and courageous, kind but strong, and she does anything for those she loves.

I saw much of myself in her character, which helped immerse me in the book as I read it. I’m a sucker for any book with a female protagonist that has a lot of depth; I feel it makes them more real, as we all have different sides to our personalities. 

By Sue Lynn Tan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Heart of the Sun Warrior as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Epic, romantic, and enthralling from start to finish' Stephanie Garber

The stunning conclusion to the Celestial Kingdom Duology

After winning her mother's freedom from the Celestial Emperor, Xingyin thrives in the enchanting tranquility of her home. But her fragile peace is threatened by the discovery of a strange magic on the moon, and the unsettling changes in the Celestial Kingdom as the emperor tightens his grip on power.

While Xingyin is determined to keep clear of the rising danger, the discovery of a shocking truth spurs her into a perilous confrontation.
Forced to flee her…


Book cover of Words of Radiance

Tyler Krings Author Of War and the Wind

From my list on humor, romance, and a dash of fantasy.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an American-born writer and I have been writing fantasy and science fiction since I was just out of elementary school. I have been obsessed with Star Wars (and later Trek) since I was able to watch television, and I believe I was twelve when Peter Jackson’s Fellowship of the Ring hit theaters…needless to say, I have not stopped reading and writing fantasy since. The books on my list are some (but not all) of my very favorites and many of them have gone on to heavily inspire my own style when writing my own works.

Tyler's book list on humor, romance, and a dash of fantasy

Tyler Krings Why did Tyler love this book?

Every entry of Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive is epic, hands down.

Filled with fantasy lore, action, weird magic, and displeased gods, yes, there is something good to say about every book in the series so far. But book 2, Words of Radiance, is filled with moment after moment where I found myself standing up and pumping my fist in the air after the story’s main protagonist does something terrifically badass, especially in the latter half of the novel.

It’s got all the other good stuff, too. Like its predecessor, The Way of Kings, it has plenty of light humor, moments of shared brotherhood in the face of oppression, complicated characters, sweeping battles…but those moments of tension building followed by resounding victory are excellently written and gets my heart pumping to this day.

By Brandon Sanderson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Words of Radiance as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, Words of Radiance, Book Two of the Stormlight Archive, continues the immersive fantasy epic that The Way of Kings began.

Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status "darkeyes." Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl.

The Assassin,…


Book cover of Natural Enemy, Natural Ally: Toward An Environmental History of War

Simo Laakkonen Author Of The Long Shadows: A Global Environmental History of the Second World War

From my list on the environmental history of war.

Why am I passionate about this?

Simo Laakkonen is director of Degree Program in Digital Culture, Landscape and Cultural Heritage, University of Turku, Finland. He is an environmental historian who has specialized among other things on the global environmental history of warfare during Industrial Age. He has coedited on this theme two special issues and three books, the latest one is The Resilient City in World War II: Urban Environmental Histories. He has selected five books that cover some main phases of the long environmental history of wars and mass violence.

Simo's book list on the environmental history of war

Simo Laakkonen Why did Simo love this book?

How has war changed and damaged the environment?

How has nature influenced war and how have these changes presented? These kinds of basic questions make everyone interested in environmental history of war think.

This comprehensive book is easy to read but it provides valuable insights to the interaction between societies and nature from pre-colonial India to post-war Japan and serves as an excellent introduction to the field.

By Richard Tucker,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Natural Enemy, Natural Ally as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Contributors to this volume explore the dynamic between war and the physical environment from a variety of provocative viewpoints. The subjects of their essays range from conflicts in colonial India and South Africa to the U.S. Civil War and twentieth-century wars in Japan, Finland, and the Pacific Islands. Among the topics explored are: - the ways in which landscape can influence military strategies - why the decisive battle of the American Civil War was fought - the impact of war and peace on timber resources - the spread of pests and disease in wartime.


Book cover of Doomsday Book
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Book cover of Mars

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