Sci-fi Recommendations

Science Fiction is one of the most popular and diverse genres present in storytelling. Many of the most highly regarded stories are sci-fi stories as are many of my favourites. So, when I decided to share some recommendations for media, sci-fi seemed like a good genre to start with.

In this post and in similar posts going forward, I’m intentionally making an effort to cover a bunch of different storytelling mediums. I want to make sure there is something for everyone.

Space Boy by Stephen McCranie (Comic)

Stephen McCranie’s Space Boy is a wonderful sci-fi story that puts its human elements front and centre. The story follows Amy, a teenage girl who has recently relocated to Earth from a space colony and Oliver (the titular character), a boy who’s own unique and tragic situation leaves him isolated and lonely. The narrative of the comic deals not only with their friendship and burgeoning relationship but also with several layers of mystery that surround a mysterious alien artefact in the depths of space, a conspiracy and a murder back on Earth.

Although it is visually appealing and well-written in all regards, what really makes Space Boy special is the characters. Despite having a huge cast, every character feels like they have depth and, often, relatability. Space Boy also manages to delve into some pretty heavy mental health topics but always from an angle that is ultimately positive and healthy, even if characters sometimes have to put in a little work to get there. Impressively, this is done in such a way that it makes it completely appropriate for both adults and younger audiences - although it’s probably aimed more at the latter.

Space Boy is the perfect story to read if you want sci-fi that puts people first. It is emotionally layered with a beautiful and complex story and it does it all without ever becoming grimdark. If anything, it’s incredibly positive despite the subject matter. Yet, it doesn’t pull its punches either.

Space Boy can be read for free on Webtoons or bought as physical copies.

The Swarm by Frank Schatzing (Novel)

It’s funny, The Swarm by Frank Schatzing is a best-selling novel but I don’t think I’ve ever met someone else who was already familiar with the book. I can only assume that is because of its European origins. The Swarm is an eco-thriller that deals with a series of ever-worsening catastrophes faced by the human race - all routed in events based around the ocean. Eventually, it becomes clear an intelligent species calling the oceans home has decided to eradicate the biggest threat to their continued survival - us. A group of scientists and other experts from around the world is assembled to attempt to figure out just what this species is, communicate with them and, hopefully, get them to stop.

The Swarm is hard sci-fi. That is to say, everything that happens in the story is heavily researched in order to make the events within scientifically plausible - or at least feel like it. But what truly sets it apart is that it is one of the few sci-fi stories I have come across that has an “alien” intelligence in it that truly feels alien. The Yrr, as they come to be known, are radically different from humans in every respect from their biology down to how they process information. Watching the scientists have to piece all that together and attempt to communicate is enthralling.

Sometimes the story does meander a little too far away from the main plot to focus on the human drama of B-plots which can make the story feel a bit slow for a lot of people, especially because it’s already a dense read. However, this does help further contrast the human characters and the Yrr so it does serve a purpose.

If you’re ready to delve deep into some science with humanity’s continued existence at stake, this is a good one.

The Swarm should be easy enough to find, but here’s an Amazon link for your convenience.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim from Vanillaware (Video Game)

This is a long game but is very much worth the play through. It is also a multi-layered mystery you can piece together in a few different orders and a love letter to a bunch of other stories - especially sci-fi stories like E.T, Terminator, Pacific Rim and The Matrix.

At a glance, 13 Sentinels is a story about a bunch of kids making use of time travelling mechs to fight back against an invasion of killer robots. In actuality, the story runs several layers deeper than that with nothing being as it seems. 

13 Sentinels is peak sci-fi in a lot of ways. It’s mind-bending, layers mystery upon mystery, it’s got the action and the human drama in spades and despite being incredibly referential there’s still nothing else quite like it. The only downside is that it’s impossible to talk about at any real length without spoiling some of the story.

Take a look at the official website.

The Martian by Andy Weir/Ridley Scott (Novel and Film)

The Martian is a great book and a great movie. It follows astronaut Mark Watney after his crew, believing him to be dead, accidentally leave him on Mars with limited supplies and resources. Watney must improvise to survive, making do with only what he has, his knowledge of science and a good sense of humour until his crew are able to make a return journey to rescue him.

The Martian feels like a biography in the best possible way. The story feels real and while not all of the science within is fully accurate, everything feels plausible and authentic and most of the science is rooted in reality - or at least existing theory. On top of that Watney isn’t just likeable and funny, he feels believable. So do the other characters in the story.

The Martian is as hard as hard sci-fi gets and it revels in bringing the story down to Earth, to a human level. It’s a story about being human and about all that we can accomplish when put into a difficult situation.

Both the book and movie are widely available. Here is a link for the book. The movie can be streamed on Disney+, Amazon Prime and elsewhere.

Paprika created by Satoshi Kon (Animated Film)

Paprika is a bizarre but enthralling animated film from the legendary Satoshi Kon. The story follows a group of experts and a detective dealing with the aftermath of a device that allows people to influence and manipulate dreams is stolen as the situation begins to spiral out of control.

As with most of Kon’s work, the movie deals with themes of blending reality and fantasy - in this case, dreams. It is also unabashedly and unflinchingly weird, leaning heavily into the strangeness of dreams and the duality of people. Paprika is also rife with symbolism, using it to explore the limitations, failings and growth of its characters in a very artistic way.

Kon’s work has inspired a lot of brilliant filmmakers the world over. Paprika, quite notably, has some strong similarities to Inception.

You can currently stream Paprika on Netflix.