15 Science Fiction Books Like The Martian
Are you looking for out-of-this-world books similar to The Martian?
Did you catch my little joke above? The Martian took the world by storm as both a book and later as a movie. It’s no surprise it became such a best seller with the plot that had you sitting on the edge of your seat and an incredible space adventure.
Here are even more books like The Martian.
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Artemis by Andy Weir
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A heist story set on the moon? Yes, please.
Jasmine grew up with nothing, so when an opportunity to finally have everything she’s wanted comes to her of course she’s going to take it.
The only issue is engineering this perfect crime could land her in hot water over control of her hometown of Artemis, humanity’s first and only lunar colony. Can she create a scheme great enough to stay alive and save her city?
Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
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One night in October, Tyler watched all the stars go out in his backyard. The moon disappeared, but the tides remained. All the things in space began to lose there astronomical life. Tyler, now older, is a scientist who has dedicated his life to stopping this slow apocalypse. Can he save the world with whatever time he has left?
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
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Trust me when I tell you to listen to this book as an audiobook. It’s spectaclar in every way especially with the full cast.
The year is 2575, Kady had thought the most difficult thing today would be breaking up with Ezra…that is until her planet got invaded.
Now on an enemy warship, Kady and Ezra are forced to say everything that occurred during the attack. But, now a deadly plague is mutating and no one on the ship is discussing everything that is really going on.
Though Kady was hoping to unravel these secrets on her own…she may need to call on some help from the ex she swore she’d never talk to again.
The Fifth Season by N.K Jemisin
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“This is the way the world ends. . .for the last time.
It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world’s sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester.
This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy.”
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
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The first of the Himba people to be offered a place at Oozma University, the highest institution in the galaxy, is a gift and Binti knows that.
The new world Binti now seeks for has a long standing war with an alien race that has become nightmare like creatures. Now, in order to gain a knowledge none of her people have ever possessed will put Binti in a stellar adventure with a potentially deadly outcome. Can she survive and bring these gifts back to her people?
Even More Books Like The Martian
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
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All good space books that have a fun crew is bound to be a good book.
Rosemary Harper didn’t expect much when she joined the crew of the spaceship Wayfarer. A woman who has normally kept to herself has never met people as eccentric as this crew.
Life aboard the Wayfarer is everything she wants, that is until they’re offered an extremely dangerous job of a lifetime. Deep in the realms of space the Wayfarer crew will go on a thriller adventure that will truly test how much they depend on one another.
Arkwright by Allen Steele
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If you’re looking for books similar to The Martian, you need to read this.
Nathan Arkwright is an author of the twentieth century who has chose to live in solidarity as best as he could. Convinced that humanity can no longer survive on Earth, his Arkwright Foundation dedicated itself to created a colony on an Earth-like planet several light years way. Fueled by Nathans legacy and the task at hand, can Arkwright’s put this all together?
Armada by Ernest Cline
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Something about Ernest Cline throwing his characters into a virtual reality world makes me very happy.
Zack Lightman has never cared for reality. He’d rather spend all his time with his nose in a book, playing video games or watching sci-fi movies.
That is until he sees an earth shattering event that is bound to take him on an adventure like no other. One night, Zack sees a flying saucer. But, this isn’t any alien ship, it’s one Zack could swear is from his favorite video game.
This is just the first of many revelations Zack makes as he begins to piece the world he escapes into to that of reality.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
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If you’re looking for books similar to The Martian it’s probably a good idea to find book written by the same author like this one.
Waking up from a nap isn’t fun, especially when you wake up from a nap on space ship being the sole survivor on a last minute mission to save humanity.
That’s what happened to Ryland Grace. Without any memory of what happened, all Ryland knows is the fate of humanity falls on his shoulder.
An impossible task now in front of him as he hurtles through space on this tiny ship. It’s up to him to figure out the mystery behind the extinction of humanity. And now he’s got to figure out how to save it all alone….or does he?
Dune by Frank Herbert
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Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune tells the story of a boy, Paul, who is tasked with ruling an inhospitable world. When the house the boy comes from is betrayed, Paul is set on an incredible journey towards a destiny greater than he could have ever imagined.
Great Audiobooks Similar To The Martian
One of the things that made The Martian so good was the audiobook. So, here are some books like The Martian that you can either read or listen to!
Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandell
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A fictional novel taking place after a pandemic known as the “Georgia Flu,” has killed off a vast majority of the population. Now, a small group of individuals move between settlements in this nearly abandoned world. With each of their lives intertwining, this book tells an incredible story of friendship, love and how people overcome when things are bleak.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
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Arthur Dent wasn’t expecting to have his house completely destroyed on a regular Thursday morning. And he definitely wasn’t expecting his best friend to announce he’s an alien.
And you’d think thats the worst of it right? Nope.
With just a towel, a small yellow fish and a book, Arthur has to now navigate through a very hostile universe in the company of a gang of unreliable aliens.
But don’t worry, the book is called The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, so he should be good right?
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
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When it comes to finding books like The Martian, this one has to be one of my favorite science fiction books out there.
Seriously, I’ve listened to this audiobook every year since I can remember.
Welcome to a world where people would rather live virtually than in reality. That’s where Wade Watts spends most of his time, in the Oasis, especially now that the prize of lifetime is on the line. The founder and creator of the Oasis has passed away and has left all Oasis players clues to complete a quest for total control of Oasis.
But, Wade isn’t the only one after this prize. As Wade quickly cracks the first clue the race is on against rivals who want control of the game for the wrong reasons.
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
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Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is a brilliant child soldier created to maintain a secure defense against a hostile alien race’s next attack. Enders skill make him a leader and well respected individual at his school. Yet, growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers has caused him to suffer greatly from isolation, pressure from his teachers and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders.
Is Ender the general the world needs to save the planet from these alien invaders?
The Book of M by Peng Shepard
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One afternoon the oddest phenomonmen happens, a man’s shadow disappears. But, he is only the first of many for this strange happening.
Ory and his wife Max have escaped the Forgetting so far by hiding in an abandoned hotel deep in the woods. Their new life feels almost normal, until one day Max’s shadow disappears too. Knowing that the more she forgets the more dangerous she will become, Max runs away.
But, Ory won’t give up until he finds her before she forgets him completely. A beautiful story on a journey to find each other and oneself before everything is forgotten.
So, You Liked This Post?
Look at you coming to the end of this post. If you liked this post, did you know I have an ongoing series on my blog for recommendations on other books similar to ones you love.
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I hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know what book you’re picking up next!