Few science fiction books have the kind of riveting storytelling and complex worldbuilding as Dune, but some come remarkably close. With the first releasing in 1965, there are six core novels in the Dune series that were written by Frank Herbert. After Herbert’s death, his son, Brian Herbert, continued the story with an additional 20 books, which he co-wrote with Kevin J. Anderson.
So far, there are currently five adaptations of Herbert’s work: a 1984 movie of the same name, a 2000 miniseries, a 2003 miniseries based on the author’s sequels, and, most recently, Denis Villeneuve’s movie franchise that includes the 2024 prequel TV show, Dune: Prophecy.
While the sprawling saga that comprises Herbert’s work cannot be replicated, there are other sci-fi novels that echo Dune’s world-building, ecology, and philosophy. And they’re the perfect thing to tide you over while you wait for the release of Dune 3 on December 18.
The Forever War (1974)
Author: Joe Haldeman
Science fiction stories rarely feel personal because of their vast world-building. The Forever War, however, is the opposite of that. Written by Joe Haldeman, who drew from his experiences in the Vietnam War, The Forever War centers around William Mandella, a student who is drafted into an interstellar war against the Taurans, a powerful alien species.
On paper, The Forever War seems like a typical space battle story, but it’s way more than that. In the book, soldiers have to travel long distances at near-light speed, which results in a concept called time dilation. Because of time dilation, time passes more slowly for the soldiers than it does on Earth.
While they have been gone for mere months, centuries or decades have gone by on Earth. Every time Mandella returns home, the world is new to him, and he begins feeling increasingly isolated from the very place he is trying to protect. Like Dune, The Forever War isn’t just a fun sci-fi series; it ultimately has something to say about war and loneliness, but does so using time as its inspiration.
Empire Of Silence (2018)
Author: Christopher Ruocchio
Chistoper Ruochhio’s Empire of Silence reads like a memoir as it is narrated by the novel’s protagonist, Hadrian Marlowe. The novel chronicles Marlowe’s life as a nobleman, a soldier, and eventually the man who destroyed the sun. The main character’s journey has seen him become a hero, a villain, and a legend.
Empire of Silence is a fusion of space travel, politics, rigid social classes, and philosophy, much in the same way as Dune. These two novels have the same kind of weight when it comes to storytelling, but they do differ in the sense that Marlowe’s feels more personal because he is the one who tells his story.
Hyperion (1989)
Author: Dan Simmons
Published in 1989, Hyperion by Dan Simmons was a novel ahead of its time. Even to this day, Hyperion remains one of the most unique and layered science fiction books ever written. It centers around seven pilgrims who travel to the titular planet for different personal reasons.
Hyperion is brilliant because it doesn’t feel like just one book. Each character’s story is different, making it seem like it’s seven novels instead of one. Despite this, Hyperion comes together seamlessly, resulting in a tale of epic proportions involving interstellar politics, religion, and war.
The Dispossessed (1974)
Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Dune is beloved for its grandness, but The Dispossessed is great because it is more compact, yet just as intriguing. Centering on a physicist called Shevek, the novel is set between two contrasting worlds: Urras, a utopia with people living lavishly, and Anarre, a moon with harsh conditions and no government to lead its people.
Shevek, who becomes frustrated with the conditions of his homeland, decides to travel to Urras, something which very few have attempted before, to share a theory he believes will help his people and society as a whole. The Dispossessed may not be about war or vast worlds, but its strength lies in how it uses the concept of freedom, social hierarchy, and societal limitations as its foundation.
Foundation (1951)
Author: Isaac Asimov
Issac Asimov’s Foundation is considered one of the most groundbreaking sci-fi novels of the 20th century. Foundation is notable for using psychohistory, a method that looks into humanity’s past in order to predict the future. During his research, protagonist Hari Seldon, a mathematician, discovers that humanity will enter a dark age that will last 30,000 years.
To minimize this catastrophic event to 1,000 years, he creates an organization called the Foundation and enlists the help of other brilliant individuals. Foundation isn’t rooted in politics and religion like Dune, but it instead focuses on science, math, and physics while asking if history can truly predict what will happen in the future.
Foundation doesn’t just take place in one timeline; its story is told through multiple generations, each showcasing the events of that time and how Seldon’s plan is coming along. Because of this, we get to experience the fall of an empire and the resulting catastrophes.
The Three-Body Problem (2006)
Author: Liu Cixin, English Translator: Ken Liu
The first novel in The Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy, The Three-Body Problem delves into a popular sci-fi trope: alien invasion. During the Chinese Revolution, astrophysicist Ye Weijie loses her father after he is beaten to death during a struggle session in China’s Cultural Revolution. Unhappy with the conditions on Earth, she develops a system to transmit a message to other beings who might exist outside of her home planet.
The Three-Body Problem was first published as a serialized story in 2006 in Science Fiction World before being released as a standalone book in 2008.
Eight years later, Ye gets an answer from the Trisolarans, an alien species who learn about Earth’s location and plan to invade it in order to escape their planet, which suffers harsh conditions due to their failure to solve the three-body problem. What comes next is a story about division. The Adventist faction believes humanity is irredeemable, and the Redemptionists aim to solve Trisolaris’s problem.
At its core, The Three-Body Problem is a sprawling saga that highlights humanity’s place in the universe, scientific advances, and whether aliens are friends or foes. It’s as much a story about hope as it is about whether humanity deserves to be saved.
Red Rising (2014)
Author: Pierce Brown
Red Rising has a similar tone and message to The Hunger Games because of its dystopian premise. Set in the far future where humanity has colonized the solar system, the world now uses a color-code system to distinguish its elite citizens from those deemed lower class.
The Reds, who are the miners, are at the bottom, and the Golds, the higher class, are at the top. After protagonist Darrow’s wife dies, he is carved into a Gold in order to destroy the ruling class. Red Rising is brutal, action-packed, and has a relentless momentum. It might not have the same slow pace as Dune, but its characters, worldbuilding, and system make it a must-read for sci-fi novel fans.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (1979)
Author: Douglas Adams
Science fiction stories often have a lot of doom and gloom — The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy takes a slightly different approach. Focusing on Arthur Dent, an Englishman having a terrible day, which gets worse when aliens invade Earth in order to create a hyperspace expressway, the novel makes sci-fi fun.
Arthur is saved by his friend Ford and survives the destruction of the planet when they hitch a ride on the Vogon spaceship. However, they are eventually caught and tortured by having them listen to bad poetry.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a kind of novel that revels in the ridiculousness of its plot. It’s a funny and heartwarming book that uses galactic exploration as a vessel for a story about friendship and the existence of other species.
The Martian (2011)
Author: Andy Weir
Renowned sci-fi writer Andy Weir created a masterpiece with The Martian — which he self-published in 2011 before the book was rereleased in 2014 by Crown Publishing Group. When astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead and left on Mars, he has to figure out how to survive on the dangerous planet using his skills as a botanist and engineer. The Martian is a kind of novel that wraps itself around its readers.
It is a high-stakes story with scenes that are filled with tension and suspense. At every moment, you are left wondering if Watney’s skills are enough for him to survive. And just when it seems like he will, several other threats come at him.
The Expanse Series (2011-2021)
Author: James S. A. Corey
Referred to as the Game of Thrones of science fiction, The Expanse is a soap opera like no other. The novel chronicles a future in which the solar system is divided into three factions. Earth: a place for the wealthy, Mars, a military and technologically advanced planet, and the Belt, a colony where workers are exploited.
Tasked with finding a missing person, protagonist James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante discover a ploy involving a protomolecule, a substance which can enhance a person’s abilities. What follows is a sweeping saga of political intrigue, complex villains, and interplanetary disagreements between those who want to remain in power and those who seek to live a better life.
The Expanse does not have the chosen one trope as seen in Dune. But if you enjoyed Herbert’s novels, then The Expanse’s vast world and interstellar war will be right up your alley.
- Release Date
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September 15, 2021
- Runtime
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155 minutes