The best sci-fi books with strange settings

Dune is a classic and probably the most popular book listed, but that doesn’t change the fact its setting is unique to this day.

The story takes place in the far future. Because of a war against thinking machines, computers, and AI are outlawed and everything is done through biotechnology, from people with computer-like abilities, to a mysterious guild that allows space travel.

Most of the plot happens on Arakis, a desert planet where giant worms produce the spice melange: a drug that enables the biotechnology humanity relies on. Besides this unique, well-developed setting, Dune touches on many compelling subjects, like the danger of a charismatic leader. Some love it, some hate it, but either way, doubt Dune is a book that makes readers think.

The moment I read about Semiosis on the internet, I had to read it.

The story is about a group of humans who left Earth to start a pacifist society on a new planet they call Pax. Life on Pax is hard at first, but eventually, they build a good life for themselves. What makes Semiosis unique is that intelligent plants inhabit Pax.

Now, I don’t mean intelligent walking plant creatures. I’ve seen those before. Rather, imagine sentient trees and crops. Even better, the author tries hard to put herself in the, uh, shoes of these plants and gives us their perspective. A large part of the plot involves the pacifists learning to communicate and coexist with these plants, and it’s quite a journey.

I rarely read young adult books, but Pure’s cover intrigued me. That’s good because it was a fun read.

Well-developed characters and a clever setting play a large part in the book’s charm. Pure takes place after a nuclear war. There are plenty of survivors, but the radiation left behind has a secret side effect never disclosed to the public: It causes flesh to merge with objects.

For instance, the main character has a doll for a hand. Her grampa has a fan stuck in his throat. Some people are fused with the ground. A group of mothers merged with their children. Adding to this, a giant dome hosts the last “pure” humans. While Pure relies on common young adult tropes, the result feels fresh and unique.

At first glance, the setting is a common one: space. What makes it interesting is that space travel is advanced enough that humans have colonized the solar system, but no further. This makes it different from most space-faring sci-fi I’ve seen.

The plot resolves around the conflicts between Earth, Mars, and the belters, colonists living in and mining an asteroid belt. However, the story involves a lot more than that, including a missing person mystery, a potential war with Mars, and a conspiracy involving a mysterious proto-molecule.

This book is part of a long series, so if you enjoy it, there’s plenty more to read.

When I was young, I quickly developed a taste for sci-fi. Thanks to my father, I also learned to love murder mysteries. I still remember us watching Columbo together.

My love for those genres makes it feel like The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was written for me. At first glance, the setting is normal, a country house in the 1920s. The twist is that there’s a time loop, and the only way to break it is for the protagonist to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle.

Even better, for every loop, the protagonist has his consciousness awakening in a different body, allowing him to experience the events through multiple points. This setting allows for a complex, dazzling narrative filled with twists and turns. I can’t recommend it enough.