Curated by mantis · 6 books
Reading path
High-stakes sci-fi adventures led by young men — from dystopian trials to virtual worlds and interstellar war. A starter path for the genre.
James Dashner
Trapped in the Glade with no memory, Thomas has to run. The most propulsive page-turner to start with.
Ernest Cline
Wade Watts hunts an Easter egg inside a virtual universe — pure 80s-fueled fun.
Orson Scott Card
A child prodigy trained for interstellar war. The classic that defined the subgenre.
Scott Westerfeld
Alternate WWI with steampunk beasts and a runaway prince. Gorgeously illustrated adventure.
M. T. Anderson
A brain-implanted internet satire — the smartest, sharpest book on this list.
Pierce Brown
Darrow infiltrates a brutal ruling class on Mars. The graduation to darker, bigger stakes.
