“The universe is a pretty big place. If it’s just us, seems like an awful waste of space.”
Science fiction can be a pretty passionate genre. Whilst some stories are happy running away with a bit of suspension of disbelief, other science fiction novels take pride in infusing their pages with as much scientific accuracy as possible. These types of books are known as hard science fiction or hard sci-fi, and this subgenre in the fiction world has developed a solid following over the past five decades or so. Join us today at What We Reading as we run you through everything you need to know about hard science fiction, including a full definition of what hard sci-fi is and some of our favourite examples of hard science fiction books that you need to add to your TBR list!
What Is Hard Science Fiction?
Hard science fiction is a subgenre within sci-fi writing that puts a firm emphasis on scientific accuracy, technological realism and a keen attention to detail in its world-building. Many hard sci-fi novels draw on real scientific topics such as space travel, natural science, artificial intelligence and other leaps forward made by technology.
Hard science fiction will almost always be shortened to names such as ‘hard sci-fi’ or ‘hard SF’ by the reading community.
Some of the most notable awards in the literary space for hard science fiction novels include the Hugo Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Jupiter Award and the Nebula Award.
The opposite of hard science fiction is soft science fiction. Soft sci-fi novels deal more with topics and themes that do not translate as well to the real world; an example of this would include the ability to recreate dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. Whilst the possibility of bringing a T-Rex to life isn’t possible, the explanation of DNA technology used in the book is fairly accurate. Other examples of topics in soft sci-fi books include things such as time travel and spaceships that are capable of travelling between solar systems.
7 Examples Of Hard Sci-Fi Books
Sci-fi remains one of the most popular genres of novels in the fiction space. Here are some of our favourite hard science fiction books that make use of realistic concepts and tight detailing in their world-building.
The Martian – Andy Weir
The Martian won acclaim for its near-meticulous attention to scientific detail. This is especially prevalent in how the book makes use of space travel, botany and engineering. The book’s protagonist, Mark Watney, uses real science to survive on Mars after being stranded on the planet.
Check Out The Best Books Like The Martian
Rendezvous With Rama – Arthur C. Clarke
Clarke’s bestselling novel, Rendezvous with Rama, is grounded in a realistic depiction of space exploration and the sorts of physics involved with interacting with gigantic alien spacecraft. The story puts an emphasis on accurate space travel mechanics and potential discoveries from alien artefacts.
Ringworld – Larry Niven
Larry Niven taps into the potential of a massive artificial ring orbiting a star in Ringworld, delving into the engineering, physics, and biology required to make such a structure viable. The scientific rigour applied to the construction of the Ringworld and its ecosystem is a solid example of hard science fiction.
Blindsight – Peter Watts
Blindsight deals with themes of consciousness, neuroscience and alien contact, taking inspiration from theories and debates that are present in contemporary science. Peter Watts provides a thoroughly researched and plausible depiction of human evolution and further space exploration.
Permutation City – Greg Egan
Greg Egan’s Permutation City explores complex ideas about computer science, artificial intelligence and consciousness. This hard sci-fi novel delves into the concept of simulated realities and the types of philosophical consequences of digital immortality, all of which come from very conceivable theories.
The Three-Body Problem – Liu Cixin
The first entry in the Remembrance of the Earth’s Past trilogy of books, Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem makes use of advanced concepts in physics such as quantum and celestial mechanics. Liu includes detailed scientific explanations to help the novel stand as one of the best hard science fiction books.
Contact – Carl Sagan
Written by a real-life astrophysicist, Carl Sagan’s Contact delves into the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and features detailed scientific concepts that relate to radio astronomy, signal processing and the potential implications of discovering alien life.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
