Science, lots of science
Even so-called “hard-science” fiction can sometimes not have enough science in it. Don’t worry, the books below have science coming out of their ears.
The Martian by Andy Weir (2014)
This is probably my favorite science, “lots of science” book. What happens when you dump an engineer on Mars by himself? The science and just survival described in this book is almost all based on real fact and there is a lot of it. How to grow potatoes on Mars and how to contact Earth without a working radio are all discussed in depth.
While this might not be a book for everyone, it is one of my favorites. If you liked the movie, you will like the book.
Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson (2018)
What is it like to live on a generation ship? What are all the things that can go wrong? How pedantic do you need to be about your resources? What do you do when you get to your destination. Kim Stanley Robinson digs into all these questions and more. To quote from the book summary: “Our voyage from Earth began generations ago. Now, we approach our new home.”
Losing Mars by Peter Cawdron (2018)
I really enjoyed this one. You really get into the main character’s head as he decides to give up on his life-long dream of living on Mars to go and perform a rescue. This coupled with the details of the technology and how he achieves what he needs to make this story fascinating, and it ends up going somewhere completely unexpected.
Quantum Space by Douglas Phillips (2017)
A Soyuz capsule disappears on re-entry, only to appear in the middle of America. The details and the investigations that the characters do to understand what is going on are all based on believable science. Lots of science and a rip-roaring adventure to boot.
This is the first of a 3 book series, the same theme follows through. The author takes current science and pushes it beyond our current knowledge in a very believable and realistic way.