If you are an avid reader then you are probably very much like myself; have a stack of books on your nightstand and bookshelf yet, somehow, always are on the lookout for more book recommendations. Your current books-to-read list is probably 10 years deep and more is being added daily.
However, one of the sub-genres I always find difficult to get more book recommendations for is the science fiction & horror mix. It’s not an easy subgenre to write and develop characters and settings for. It requires a lot of thought, research, planning, and pacing of the story.
There are some amazing books and authors that master the sub-genre very well such as Caitlin Starling, Dan Simmons, and David Wellington. I had the chance to briefly speak to David Wellington himself, the author of such books as The Last Astronaut, Paradise-1, and the upcoming Revenant-X, and get his top 5 sci-fi horror book recommendations.
The following books are David Wellington’s top 5 sci-fi horror book recommendations (in no particular order).
1. Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer is the first book of his Southern Reach trilogy, published in 2014. It’s a great sci-fi horror blend of horror, psychological thriller, and ecological fiction.
The story is set in a mysterious coastal area known as “Area X”, which has been cut off from the rest of the world for decades. Area X is being explored by the 12th expedition into the zone and is narrated by one of the expedition members, an unnamed biologist. The story is revealed and narrated through the field journal entries of the biologist. This type of storytelling is one of my favorite ones; the unreliable narrator.
The story is narrated by the biologist from who, over the course of the book, we learn that the previous expeditions have ended in a disaster, the team uncovers a new area called “The Tower” where they become infected, and the infection enhances their sense but also changes them, the expedition takes a turn for the worse as the members begin to distrust each other, and the relationship of the biologist to the previous missions into the zone.
Annihilation received the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 2015 and has since been adapted into a movie of the same name released in 2018. With such awards and a big-budget movie adaptation with big movie star names behind the project, this book has everything you would want from a sci-fi horror novel.
Why I like this recommendation: Annihilation is simply amazing with its unsettling atmosphere, unreliable narrator, and the way it leaves some questions unanswered but also opens the story to more afterthought. It also has a sense of cosmic horror reminiscent of H.P. Lovecraft, which is simply a perfect addition to this already great novel.
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2. SCP Foundation
Now this one is a bit of a cheat and David Wellington did mention that being as such. However, it is definitely worth the inclusion.
SCP Foundation is a fictional, collaborative, and web-based project in the style of a wiki. Contributors can create and write entries about various anomalous objects, entities, locations, phenomena, and more. The project is presented as a secret organization dedicated to containing and studying anomalous events and entities that defy common natural laws.
Each entry is about an entity or event and is given a number (for example SCP-105). Each of the entries reads like scientific documentation, often we redacted information, adding to the concept of secrecy. Each entry describes the item and procedure for its containment.
SCP Foundation has become very popular over the years and sprung written books, graphic novels, games, and other media over the years.
You can find out more about the SCP Foundation on their official site.
Why I like this recommendation: Although I am not familiar with this collaborative project, it certainly got my attention while I was researching it. The fact that it’s a collaborative project, easy to follow, very interesting, and reviewed by its members, makes this very interesting. The whole idea and concept are very intriguing as well. Since there have been multiple media productions of this project over the years, just makes me think that this is something that will definitely be interesting to explore for all fans of sci-fi horror.
3. Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Hyperion by Dan Simmons is one of those books that I would say is becoming a classic of sci-fi horror. Released in 1989, it’s the first book in the Hyperion Cantos series and is often regarded as a masterpiece of the genre.
Humanity is currently in the 28th century and has spread across a multitude of worlds with the help of “farcasters” or instant transportation devices, call them teleportation devices if you will. The worlds are united under the rule of Hegemony, and the plot of the book revolves around seven pilgrims who are traveling to the planet of Hyperion. They are seeking the Shrike, a mysterious and deadly creature somehow related to the Time Tombs, structures that are moving backward through time…
The novel, inspired by Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales in terms of its structure, tells the story of each of the pilgrims and why they are undertaking this dangerous journey. Each of the stories provides a different perspective into the complex universe that Simmons has created. Themes such as religion, AI, time travel, and the nature of humanity are present throughout the stories.
Why I like this recommendation: Hyperion is a series of books, which I love. It gives the chance to dive much deeper into the worlds and characters. Additionally, not only did it win the Hugo and Locus awards for Best Novel, it also explores exciting elements and themes, as well as deep world-building and complex narrative structure. If you are looking to invest some time into a series of sci-fi horror books, this is one of them to definitely take on!
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4. Blood Music by Greg Bear
Blood Music was first published in 1983 as a novella, but expanded into a full novel in 1985. The novel is considered one of the pioneering works in the biopunk subgenre!
Blood Music‘s story revolves around Vergil Ulam, a brilliant but reckless biotechnologist for a large conglomerate. He creates intelligent microorganisms called “noocytes” by adding computer elements into human lymphocytes. When his work is to be destroyed by the company, Vergil instead injects the “noocytes” into his own bloodstream and gains incredible intelligence and the ability to manipulate matter at a cellular level.
The matters are exacerbated when the “noocytes” begin spreading to other humans and transforming them into collective intelligence. The novel explores the concept of a global crisis as the rest of the world tries to contain this plague.
Why I like this recommendation: Blood Music is told from several perspectives, offering a unique and well-rounded insight into the world and the story. It blends hard science with extrapolative concepts of nature reality and consciousness. It has also won the Nebula Award and the Hugo Award for Best Novelette. Back in its days, and even up to a certain point now, it pushes the boundaries of what is possible with biotechnology and the philosophical implications of such modifications in humans.
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5. Dawn by Octavia E. Butler
Dawn is the first book of Octavia E. Butler’s Xenogenesis trilogy published in 1987. Dawn explores themes of sexuality, gender, race, and what it means to be human.
The story in Dawn starts after a nuclear war has decimated Earth. We follow the main character, Lilith who awakens on an alien ship. The aliens, called Oankali, have rescued the remaining humans and kept them in cryosleep for centuries while Earth recovers.
The Oankali survive as a species by merging their DNA with other species and evolving in the process. They have chosen Lilith as the first human to be awakened and to be the mediator between them and the interbreeding that is supposed to happen before humans can return to Earth. We follow Lilith as she struggles between being the human mediator and the plans of the Oankali. The novel explores the reaction of other humans to the new reality and the ethical implications for Lilith and the human race.
Why I like this recommendation: Dawn is a very interesting sci-fi horror novel in the sense that it challenges the reader to consider difficult questions about identity, survival, and the change we all face. It does not give away answers to those questions and challenges as well. The Oankali are also original in how Butler has crafted the characters; they are very much alien in their biology and thought process, which gives the novel a whole different perspective to consider.
There you have it! Top 5 sci-fi horror book recommendations by the master of the genre and Arthur C. Clarke Award nominee, David Wellington. If you are not familiar with some of these works, they definitely should go on your reading list as they are some of the best sci-fi horror books you need to read in your lifetime.
