Books like The Martian

Embark on a journey to the red planet in this epic scientific saga chronicling the colonization of Mars. Award-winning author Kim Stanley Robinson intricately weaves together years of research and cutting-edge science to create a world in its entirety. With themes of rivalry, love, and friendship, Red Mars showcases the next step in evolution and a complex future full of both glory and tarnish. Get lost in the breathtaking scope and ingenuity of this stunning trilogy.

Explore the mind-boggling world of space travel and weightlessness with an entertaining twist. This book delves into the oddities of life in space and the unique challenges that come with it, from crash tests for new space capsules to space shuttle training toilets. Join the author as she takes you on a journey through the science of space and everyday life on our planet.

This hilarious sci-fi adventure follows Arthur Dent, a man saved from Earth's destruction by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Using advice from the guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have"), they traverse space with eccentric characters like Zaphod Beeblebrox and the depressed robot Marvin. Get ready for a galaxy full of laughs and absurdity.

This space opera from sci-fi master C. J. Cherryh transports readers to a future history spanning 5,000 years of human civilization. The novel explores the rebellion between Earth and its far-flung colonies, making it a must-read for fans of epic interstellar conflict.

This book tells the inspiring story of American heroism during a time when it was unfashionable to admire it. The author documents the early days of NASA's manned space program and its pioneers, including Chuck Yeager, the first to break the sound barrier, and the seven initial astronauts. Through his skillful storytelling, the author captures the daring and courage required to achieve the impossible, making this book an epic masterpiece.

This Hugo-winning sci-fi novel tells the story of Tyler, Jason, and Diane who witness the Big Blackout - a worldwide phenomenon that changes the course of their lives. The sun is now a heat source, not a celestial object, and an alien-made barrier cuts off Earth from the rest of the universe. Time moves faster outside the barrier, and the death of the sun is only decades away. Jason works to avert this apocalypse while Diane falls into hedonism and cultish religion. As Earth sends terraforming machines to Mars, they discover an identical barrier has appeared around the planet. Spin is a mind-bending and unforgettable journey of cosmic proportions.

This gripping sci-fi tale tells the story of a planetary liberation movement on Mars, where corporate interests from Earth are holding back the hardworking citizens of Mars. The revolution is seen through the eyes of Casseia Majumdar, an extraordinary woman fighting for her planet's independence. With rich details and an audacious scientific concept, Moving Mars is an epic tale of courage, love, and political struggle.

Desolation Road takes readers on a wild and imaginative journey to the town of the same name, situated in the red Martian desert. From an educational extravaganza boasting a captive angel to a mystical hobo with a way with machines, the town's inhabitants are nothing but ordinary. The episodic scope of the novel is flavored with the delightful prose of Jack Vance and the idiosyncratic stylings of Cordwainer Smith. Fans of sci-fi and fantasy will love this extraordinary and imaginative book.

Leaving Orbit is a poignant exploration of the end of human spaceflight as we know it. In the 1960s, space travel opened up a universe of possibilities, but now in a time of austerity, that dream has ended. Author Margaret Lazarus Dean bears witness to the last three space shuttle launches in Florida to explore the history of NASA and what the end of space travel means for a nation. With interviews from NASA workers, astronauts and fans, Leaving Orbit is a breathtaking tribute to a waning era.