One great book from such a list could be 'Neuromancer' by William Gibson. It's a classic in the cyberpunk sub - genre of hard sci - fi. It delves into concepts like artificial intelligence and virtual reality in a really immersive way.
Another great book on the list might be 'The Three - Body Problem' by Liu Cixin. It presents a unique and complex view of extraterrestrial life and the challenges that come with it. The scientific concepts in this book, like the three - body problem in physics, are fascinating and well - integrated into the story.
Hard science fiction books from 2015 often had a strong focus on scientific accuracy. For example, they might accurately depict space travel, like in 'The Martian' where the details of living on Mars and the challenges of getting back to Earth were based on real science.
The books in the list of 2016 hard science fiction books probably had complex world - building. Take 'Luna: New Moon' for instance. To create a believable lunar colony, the author had to consider everything from the gravitational differences to the resources available on the moon. This level of world - building is characteristic of hard science fiction as it requires a deep understanding of scientific principles to construct a plausible and engaging fictional world.
Hard science fiction books in this list often have a strong basis in scientific principles. For example, they might deal with concepts like astrophysics, as seen in books exploring space travel and alien planets. They also tend to have detailed world - building based on these scientific concepts.
A good starting point could also be 'Contact' by Carl Sagan. It combines scientific concepts like radio astronomy and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence with a human story of a scientist's journey. It's written in an accessible way that makes it easy for new readers to get into hard science fiction.
Some of the best hard science fiction books include '2001: A Space Odyssey' by Arthur C. Clarke. It's a classic that delves deep into space exploration, artificial intelligence, and the mystery of the universe. The detailed descriptions of space travel and the HAL 9000 computer are mind - blowing.
I would also recommend 'Foundation' by Isaac Asimov. This series focuses on psychohistory, a fictional science that predicts the future of large populations. Asimov's ideas about society, technology, and the long - term development of civilization are truly remarkable in this work.
The 'Foundation' series by Isaac Asimov is among the best. It's about a mathematician who predicts the fall of a galactic empire and tries to shorten the dark age that will follow. 'Ender's Game' by Orson Scott Card is also excellent. It follows a young boy, Ender, who is trained to fight in a future inter - species war. And 'Snow Crash' by Neal Stephenson is a great cyberpunk novel that combines elements of virtual reality, linguistics, and corporate power.
One great 2018 hard science fiction book is 'The Calculating Stars' by Mary Robinette Kowal. It combines elements of space exploration and the challenges of a post - apocalyptic world. Another is 'Artemis' by Andy Weir, which takes readers on an adventure to a lunar colony with a lot of scientific details about living on the moon.