Andy Weir is one of the most celebrated sci-fi authors around today. Although he may only have three novels published to date, each has proven to be a hit with both readers and critics. His debut novel, The Martian, catapulted Weir to the tops of bestseller lists and inspired the Oscar-nominated Matt Damon movie of the same name. A decade later, Weir wrote Project Hail Mary, which likewise inspired a successful film adaptation — the Ryan Gosling vehicle became one of the highest-grossing releases of 2026.

As such, Weir is one of those authors who has amassed a loyal fanbase of readers, thanks to his skill at combining a grounding in real science with bold, innovative concepts and accessible, compelling storytelling. Unfortunately, Weir's bibliography being so thin on the ground at present — those who liked The Martian and Project Hail Mary should also hunt down his 2017 heist novel Artemis — means his fans may need some more material from other authors to scratch their sci-fi itch. Thankfully, Weir has recommended some of his personal favorites in the genre that should keep readers occupied until his next book arrives.

With classics like Kindred and Jurassic Park out there, some elite sci-fi novels have zero bad sections.

Robert A. Heinlein arguably isn't that well-known today, despite being one of the most seminal sci-fi writers of his era, or perhaps any era. Outside of Starship Troopers , his works haven't been adapted for the screen all that often, which is possibly a reason why he's no longer a household name.

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