One popular one is 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' by Douglas Adams. It combines humor with science fiction concepts like interstellar travel and different species in the universe.
Arthur C. Clarke's '2001: A Space Odyssey' is another must - read. The story is filled with scientific ideas about space exploration, artificial intelligence, and the evolution of humanity. The movie adaptation is also well - known, but the book offers more in - depth exploration of these concepts.
One of the great science fiction works in 2018 could be 'The Calculating Stars' by Mary Robinette Kowal. It combines an alternate history with the concept of space exploration in a very engaging way.
One popular science science fiction book is 'Dune' by Frank Herbert. It has a complex and immersive universe with detailed ecological and political systems. Another is '1984' by George Orwell, which, while more of a dystopian science fiction, explores themes of totalitarian control in a future society. 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley is also great. It shows a future where society is highly engineered through genetic manipulation and conditioning.
'Gateway' is also very popular. Its exploration of human nature in the face of the unknown, along with the unique setting of the alien space station, has attracted a large number of readers. People are drawn to the mystery of the ships and the potential for discovery, as well as the well - developed characters.
'Wool' by Hugh Howey was quite popular too. It's set in a post - apocalyptic silo, and the mystery and the characters' struggles within that confined space were really engaging for readers. The story gradually unfolds, revealing more about the world outside the silo as it progresses, which kept readers hooked.
I'm not sure which ones are the most popular exactly, but 'Snow Crash' by Neal Stephenson is often highly regarded. It's set in a future where the world has been transformed by a new form of technology and virtual reality, and it has a really unique and engaging plot.
I'm not entirely sure which ones were the most popular, but 'Doomsday Book' was widely talked about. It had an interesting premise of time - traveling historians.
Another popular one could be 'The Uplift War'. It was part of a well - known series and had a lot of fans who were into the idea of the uplift concept, where lower species are 'uplifted' to sentience by higher ones. It had exciting battles and interesting alien species interactions.
Another popular one might be 'The Uplift War' by David Brin. It's part of a series and in 1989 it was attracting a lot of attention for its unique take on the evolution of intelligent species and the politics between them.