Sci-fi is one of the most popular genres around. It lets your imagination roam free with endless possibilities, from magical lands that awe and inspire, to mythical creatures that could only exist in your mind. If you are into reading, you must check percy jackson books as well.
Sci-fi is actually a great source of inspiration for developers. Innovative web design and coding requires a lot of thinking and creativity – and what better way to capture and source that artistry than with a good dose of science fiction. So, not only can you learn, but you can also have fun.
So with this in mind, here are the top 5 sci-fi books every developer should read.
1. 1984; George Orwell
1984 is a must-read, no matter if you’re a developer, a sci-fi fan or anyone else for that matter. In fact, it’s one of the best sci-fi books of all time according to this roundup.
The book follows Winston Smith, a member of “The Party” whos’ frustrated with the regime and “Big Brother” who oversees everything in their lives. By everything, it literally means everything.
Big Brother created “Newspeak”, a language invented to remove any possibility of rebellion, and “Thoughtcrimes” to prevent anyone from even thinking of anything that could be considered as rebellious.
In other words, The Party controls everything from what you can say to what you can think. Anyone that disobeys these rules is sent to Room 101.
George Orwell explores what it would be like to live under such controlling measures. He describes how history can be controlled and manipulated in order to satisfy the regime. It’s actually scary to see it play out the way it does.
The most frightening, yet effective takeaway is that think kind of totalitarian ruling is entirely possible. All it takes is a couple of dictators and the world can become a place of complete scrutiny where no one can stop it.
2. Altered Carbon; Richard K. Morgan
The Altered Carbon dystopia shows how humans achieve virtual immortality. People can store their consciousness and download them into new bodies (“sleeves”) if their original body dies.
Now, while most people can resleeve, they cannot update their bodies. This means they must go through the normal ageing process every time. So, while people have the option to live forever, they choose not to for the most part.
Only the wealthiest people can afford to acquire replacement bodies. They can also store and update their minds so they can be resleeved even if their stacks are destroyed.
It’s a really interesting take on the idea of immortality. With advancements being made in AI right now, it provides a glimpse at the potential of human intelligence and evolution. Developers are sure to get a kick from this book.
3. The Children Of Men; P.D. James
This sci-fi book follows a Theo Faron and what life is like in England under the directorship of the Warden of England and State Security Police.
Theo himself happens to be the cousin of the Warden of England. His life changes when a young woman approaches him and requests that he meets her group, the Five Fishes. Their aim is to restore democracy and human rights.
Theo has certainly had a twisted past. He is a man of divorce and has previously killed (albeit accidentally) a little girl, making him the least likely of the Five Fishes’ recruits.
As such, the book becomes even more dramatic, in the sense that such a man would take on a mission like this. The irony is not lost on him that he is to become a protector of the human race’s future.
James describes the lack of morals in a world where there is no point in living. Instead, it’s a place where people only strive for short-term fixes. It’s an excellent read and these parts, in particular, are gripping.
4. Ammonite; Nicola Griffith
Want something that will have you intrigued from start to finish? This is the book for you.
Ammonite is set on Jeep, an alien world that is home to an isolated group of women. Jeep is plagued by a deadly virus that kills every man on the planet, but also causes the death of many of the women too
The book then introduces Marghe Taishan to test a vaccine. However, she lets her thirst fir knowledge get the better of her as she wanders away from the safety of the Durallium Company’s outpost. Taishan only has enough vaccine to last six months and there is no way to know what the Company does should the vaccine fail.
But the more time she spends on Jeep, and after having encountered a certain individual, Taishan’s initial purpose shifts from simply using this strange land as a test subject to creating a potential home.
5. The Best of All Possible Worlds; Karen Lord
The final sci-fi book every developer should read is “The Best of All Possible Worlds”. It’s a really easy read but subversives from the norm.
The book is set sometime in the future on the planet Cygnus Beta which is inhabited by several species of humans, of which all have some relation to old Terran humans. This means that it’s possible for the genetics of the Sadiri – a highly developed being – still exist.
A group of Sadiri settlers are in search of a new home after most of their people were wiped out – and they have set their eyes on Cygnus Beta.
The book is all about survival. The Sadiri settlers hope to continue their species and overall way of life by finding and mating with the Sadiri-related people on Cygnus Beta.
Dilenankh, the group’s leader, and the other males are desperate to start a new family, only guided by their basic instinct to reproduce. What they fail to realize is that the people on their new planet live their lives in a completely different way.
The planet’s government and some Sadiri officials agree to take part in an initiative for the settlers to travel and understand their people better. What follows is a unique story that will have you turning the pages faster than you ever imagined.
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