Reading list: Science fiction writer Gautam Bhatia recommends 15 books to sample the genre

When, in informal gatherings, the subject of reading comes up, and I mention science fiction (as I invariably do), I often meet two kinds of responses. The first – common – response is that science fiction (or “SF”) conjures up intimidating images of spaceships, complicated physics or engineering, and a dry writing style. The second response is that SF is the preserve of mid-20th century (mostly) white (mostly) male writers, such as Isaac Asimov and Arthur C Clarke. These two assumptions about the genre – which are often entrenched by a quick skim through the often tiny SF collections in bookshops – lead many people to believe that SF is “not for them.”

Nothing could be further from the truth. While SF has its fair share of what is commonly called “hard science fiction,” the imaginative possibilities offered by the genre has long made it a home for writers interested in questions about society and politics, human relations and identity, and alternatives to how we live. Nor is it the preserve of dead (or even alive) white men, even though they continue to dominate bookshelves. SF has always been – and continues to be – a genre characterised by its diversity and...

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