People enjoy thriller science fiction stories because they combine suspense, high-stakes action, and imaginative universes. The sci-fi genre is so massive that it can feel quite daunting when looking into which books you should pick up next. Some sci-fi thrillers are hard to choose, with many slow burns, series to complete, or ones to skip. Here, I’ve put together this list of the top 7 best thriller science fiction books. They’ll keep you awake all night, with the odds stacked against the characters and everything at stake.
Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton
One of the most successful books ever, published in 1990, saw the master bring cloned dinosaurs back to life, inspiring many imitators. Crichton’s novel, which was adapted into a mega-successful picture by the equally great Steven Spielberg, will be remembered for explaining complex scientific principles in words that everyone could grasp. Aside from the special effects, both the novel and the film probed the boundaries of man’s capacity to manage his own technology, a fascinating twist on the Frankenstein theme that we’ll discuss later.
The Falling Stars, Dalton Rodriguez
In a world destroyed by an extraterrestrial force, humanity’s final survivors seek refuge in an underground bunker once used for presidential security. The Falling Stars follows Zephyr, a volunteer repairman, as he discovers a hidden power within the alien drones that have tormented Earth for decades. As Zephyr explores his newfound discovery, he becomes embroiled in a deadly struggle for survival. This conflict tests both the extraterrestrial threat and human resourcefulness. This novel shows survival and discovery, telling the epic story of humanity’s endurance in the face of near extinction. It is one of the best science fiction thriller books that you shouldn’t miss.
The Andromeda Strain, Michael Crichton
What shall I say? This is the grandpa of the genre, created by the man who basically developed it and turned it into a fantastic film that was years ahead of its time. The idea of an outer space bacterium potentially destroying the entire planet was as important and prescient in 1969 as it is now. And the race to halt it, set in a future underground lab, is as good as it gets for building a science-based thriller.
Lucifer’s Hammer, Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
A comet’s devastating impact on Earth has been hailed as the greatest science fiction novel of all time. However, it’s the science that sets it apart. Stephen King’s The Stand without Randall Flagg, the Walking Dude or the Devil—that’s the essence of this 1985 bestseller In many ways, it is the best story about the end of the world that has ever been written.
The Boys from Brazil, Ira Levin
When it came to cloning, few had heard of it until Ira Levin’s groundbreaking 1978 thriller about dozens of juvenile Hitlers going rampant over the world became the stuff of nightmares. Lawrence Oliver stars as a Nazi hunter who discovers that the Fourth Reich is still alive and well under the direction of Josef Mengele, thanks to a scheme that stretches back to the horrible experiments he carried out in Nazi extermination camps.
The Kraken Project, Douglas Preston
The Kraken Project is one of the best thriller science fiction books. This book establishes the benchmark for writing a thriller on artificial intelligence. Dorothy, the AI in 2014’s KRAKEN, breaks away from her technological shackles and roams the Internet like a petulant kid as her creator and others scramble to find her. Preston goes for the heavens while keeping the science in his stories grounded. The passages written from Dorothy’s point of view are pure gold, as are the characters who are attempting to keep up with her as she tries to figure out her place in the world.
The Seventh Plague, James Rollins
Rollins, the heir to Crichton as the maestro of the science-based thriller, could have chosen any of the titles in his excellent Sigma Force series for this spot, but I chose this one because it is particularly fitting. Consider an ancient sickness with no cure, possibly linked to Moses’ ten plagues. What if those plagues weren’t just myths? Rollins expertly blends fact with fiction, making this book and the rest of the series truly speculative stunners.
WRAP UP!
The world of best thriller science fiction books is a unique union of suspenseful narrative, futuristic concepts, and mind-boggling adventures. In a genre where you can find dystopian scenarios and the exploration of new alien species and technologies to high-stakes survival tales, alternatives are endless. Our listed books in the top picks will always be exciting and nerve-racking, while by informing you with new, original ideas and a constant change of action, they will also keep you entertained for a long time. Let’s take a look at these thrilling pages and orchestrate a soul-stirring experience that you’ll never forget.
