Well, 'The Girl on the Train' was extremely popular. It was on the best - seller lists for a long time. People were drawn to its unique narrative style and the comical - yet - tense situations the characters found themselves in.
The books in this list may also show the anxieties of the era. With the Cold War going on, there could be themes related to the fear of nuclear war or the power struggles between different superpowers. At the same time, they might be exploring new ideas in biology and medicine as science was advancing in those fields at that time. For instance, some books could be speculating about genetic engineering or new ways of treating diseases in a science - fiction context.
Some well - known books from 2015 science fiction lists might include 'The Martian' by Andy Weir. It's a great story about an astronaut stranded on Mars and his struggle to survive. Another could be 'Ancillary Justice' by Ann Leckie, which features a complex universe and unique characters.
Some great science fiction books are 'Dune' by Frank Herbert. It's set in a far - future universe with complex politics and a desert planet. Another is '1984' by George Orwell. Although it's more of a dystopian novel, it has strong sci - fi elements. And 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley also challenges the way we think about society in a science - fictional context.
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.
In my opinion, 'Stranger in a Strange Land' was very influential. Its ideas about different cultures and social norms challenged the readers' thinking at that time and had a long - lasting impact on the science - fiction genre.
One of the best is 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' by Douglas Adams. It's full of absurd humor and wild science - fiction concepts like the improbability drive. Another great one is 'Redshirts' by John Scalzi, which cleverly plays with the idea of the disposable characters in Star Trek - like shows. And 'Good Omens' by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman combines fantasy and science - fiction elements with a lot of comical situations and witty banter between an angel and a demon.
One popular science fiction comedy book is 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' by Douglas Adams. It's full of hilarious and absurd situations in a vast, science - fictional universe.
The 'Red Dwarf' series of books is also a wonderful choice. It combines science fiction elements such as space travel and alien encounters with really comical situations and hilarious characters. The banter between the characters is extremely funny.
One of the most popular was 'Hyperion'. It has a very unique narrative structure, which attracted a lot of readers. The world - building is also extremely detailed.