The best sci-fi books you’ll get lost in as they tickle your funny bone

I’ve always considered this book to be Adams at his best. Somehow he mixes Norse mythology (with a hilarious, confused Thor and an Odin who is constantly chasing a good night’s sleep), a detective story, and unique, satisfying humor you won't find anywhere else. (Like Dirk’s refrigerator, which has become so filthy he and his cleaning lady are trying to trick one another into opening it first.) The story is so clever and fun that you’re immediately lost in it. It’s like comfort food in book form. I read this when I was traveling and away from my family while struggling with some health issues, and it was just the balm I needed.

Guy strikes it rich, splurges on cryogenically freezing his head then gets killed crossing the street. This is a story I can get behind! Bob is now a sentient AI—no body or external senses. This is a problem until he comes up with an innovative solution. Not only is this a book full of sharp and wacky humor, there’s a fantastic undercurrent of sci-fi thought experimentation—and this really resonated with me. What would it be like to be a sentient AI? Imagine replicating yourself and dealing with your “other selves.” There are highs and lows for Bob, and great action sequences. The book is pure fun! I spent part of the summer walking and listening to the amazing audiobook, I looked forward to those walks every day.

I’m a sucker for survival stories because they’re deeply rooted in the human condition—and this is one of the best. I find joy in books in the “can’t put it down” category. You feel transformed, as though you are experiencing the story yourself. Astronaut Mark Watney is left behind on Mars, hurt and without enough food to survive. From then on, we agonize with Watney on problem after problem, rejoice with each ingenious solution, and sorrow with his lowest of lows. My wife calls me “method man,” so it’s no surprise I love the way Watney thinks through each problem. The climax delivers on all cylinders, leaving you exhausted, joyful—even tearful! If that’s the kind of experience you want in a book, don’t miss this one. 

There really are no new stories, so when you find something that does feel new it’s amazing. Illuminae is a space opera epistolary novel—it’s presented in a series of letters and documents, including classified reports, censored emails, interviews, texts, and even some poetry. Although the reading experience is unique it feels natural and even modern. I found it interesting that this is how we tell our own stories to each other today! The main characters become refugees after becoming caught in a political crossfire, and most of the action takes place on ships in space. It’s a rollicking good time with loads of action and intrigue. If it were just a unique storytelling vehicle, it’d be worth reading—but the story delivers, and that makes it a must-read.

I have so much love for this story and I can’t understand how it’s not a bestseller. This book helped me understand my own brand of humor could work in a novel. Michael Rubens has a unique razor wit like Douglas Adams, and what I cherish about this story is all the laugh-out-loud moments. When I read this book, I am smiling the whole time—it lifts my spirits! Cole, the main character, flees the galaxy’s most hideous and feared bounty hunter who wants to lay eggs in his brain. Things don't get any better when he smuggles a ship full of freeze-dried orphans. In the end, Cole has to make a tough choice, which always resonates with me. Do you want to be happy? Read this book!