Hard Science Fiction

Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both. It is characterized by rigorous attention to accurate detail in the natural sciences, especially physics, astrophysics, and chemistry, or on accurately depicting worlds that more advanced technology may make possible. Hard science fiction is driven more by ideas than characterization. Plausible science and technology are central to the plot.

Machine Vendetta (Prefect Dreyfus Emergency, #3)
Earthside (Quantum Earth, #2)
Homefront (Expeditionary Force, #7.5)
Brushfire (Expeditionary Force, #11)
Generation Ship
Critical Mass (Delta-v, #2)
Valuable Humans in Transit and Other Stories
Observer
Bone Silence
Light Chaser
The Expert System’s Champion (Expert System, #2)
Rubicon
3zekiel
Weaponized
The  Quantum War (The Quantum Evolution, #3)
The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1)
The Martian
Blindsight (Firefall, #1)
Seveneves
Project Hail Mary
Red Mars (Mars Trilogy, #1)
The Dark Forest (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #2)
Revelation Space (Revelation Space, #1)
Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, #1)
Death's End (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #3)
Rendezvous with Rama (Rama, #1)
The Martian by Andy WeirThe Forever War by Joe HaldemanLeviathan Wakes by James S.A. CoreyAltered Carbon by Richard K. MorganThe Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
Hard SF reading group
80 books — 49 voters

The Lightning Thief by Rick RiordanThe Song of Achilles by Madeline MillerHarry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. RowlingReaper Man by Terry PratchettThe Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
SFF: Best Characters
81 books — 8 voters

The Martian by Andy WeirRendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. ClarkeThe Three-Body Problem by Liu CixinFoundation by Isaac AsimovDune by Frank Herbert
Ultimate Hard Science Fiction
107 books — 156 voters
Inception by Aer-ki JyrStar Force by Aer-ki JyrStar Force by Aer-ki JyrStar Force by Aer-ki JyrStar Force by Aer-ki Jyr
Star Force
17 books — 2 voters


Related Genres

Arthur C. Clarke
Here was the same sense of awe and mystery, and the sadness of the irrevocably vanished past. Yet the scale here was so much greater, both in time and in space, that the mind was unable to do it justice; after a while, it ceased to respond. Norton wondered if, sooner of later, he would take even Rama for granted.
Arthur C Clarke

Sarah Mazza
Live your life. Don’t subscribe to other people’s ideals because this is what happens. One way or another, it will crush you.
Sarah Mazza, I Dream in Color

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Tags

Tags contributing to this page include: hard-science-fiction, hard-sci-fi, hard-scifi, hard-sf, hardsciencefiction, science-fiction-hard, and sf-hard