Best Easy-To-Read Sci-Fi Books Perfect For Beginners

Perfect for fans of fairytale retellings with interconnecting stories.

Cinder is perfect for fans of fairytale retellings with interconnecting stories. This is one of my favorite sci-fi series, which offers the perfect blend of fairy tales and science fiction.

In this world, Cinderella (Cinder) is a skilled mechanic who happens to be a cyborg living in New Beijing. After a series of strange events, her path crosses with Red Riding Hood (Scarlet), who must work with a wolf to find her grandmother, Rapunzel (Cress), who has been trapped in a satellite since she was a small girl, and Snow White (Winter), who lives on the Moon.

Complemented with a vibrant cast of additional characters, this story weaves these fairy tale tropes together in a masterful way, creating a complex and fascinating world to explore.

Aurora Rising is perfect for fans of scrappy underdogs who keep fighting against all odds.

Aurora Jie-Lin O'Malley is a girl out of time, and she's about to have a rude awakening. After an unexpected 200-year stint in cryo-sleep, she's rescued by Aurora Academy golden boy and Captain of Squad 312, Tyler Jones.

Unfortunately for Jones, this rescue makes him late for selection, and he's stuck with the dregs of the academy on his squad. This ragtag crew will have to learn how to work together or die trying, as they find themselves the last hope for saving the galaxy.

Space opera is a great subgenre of sci-fi that often includes melodramatic adventure, galaxy-level stakes, and some romance. With the Aurora Cycle, you get a smooth introduction to this magnificent genre as the squad brings Aurora up to speed on life works in the year 2380.

Into the Churn is perfect for fans of high-stakes competitions with a grumpy/sunshine team.

Think of the most intense endurance race you've ever heard of, add insane amounts of running and crazy weather, and you've almost got a Race Royal. The planet of Belethea isn't good for much, but its crazy weather makes it the perfect host for the Race Royal.

When the local team hosts open tryouts, no one expected the jaded ex-prodigy royaler Foster Sterling to pair up with the scrappy newcomer, Ezren Hart. He's got experience, she's got drive, and together they might make a winning team.

Unfortunately, the more they succeed, the more "accidents" befall the team, and racing is deadlier than ever.

The Dividing Sky is perfect if you're looking for a hopeful slow-burn romance about what defines you.

In this cyberpunk tale of opposites attract, Liv Newman just wants a better life. She earns her livelihood as a Proxy, meaning she records memories and sells them to wealthy clients who are too busy to experience things for themselves.

When she starts to take some illegal jobs on the side, she attracts the attention of the local law enforcement, specifically one Adrian Rao. Convinced he's keeping society safe, Adrian chases Liv to no-man's-land, where he starts to question what is right and what should really be considered a crime.

Fable for the End of the World is perfect for fans of end-of-the-world survival stories.

In a world drowning in debt, Inesa and her brother Luka have done everything possible to survive without taking loans and avoid the dreaded Debtors Gauntlet.

When their mother puts Inesa forward to pay off her own debts, Inesa is forced to do whatever she can to survive despite the terrible odds.

Told from the POV of both the sacrificial lamb (Inesa) and the hunter (deadly assassin Melinoë), this YA dystopian romance asks the questions: "What does it mean to be human?" and "What will you do to survive?" 

The Martian is perfect for those who love autofiction, memoirs, and snarky internal dialogue. 

While not actually an autofiction or memoir, The Martian follows the story of a single astronaut abandoned on Mars and his journey to survive. If you've seen the movie, then you know the kind of humor to expect from this hilarious survival thriller.

When Mark Watney is accidentally left behind after a dust storm disrupts his team's mission, his ingenuity and survival skills are put to the test. While he could always starve to death, it's more likely the elements or lack of other supplies will get him first.

The story is told through Mark's log entries, the perspectives of NASA personnel, and flashbacks that lead up to the life-altering dust storm.

Starter Villain is perfect if you want a sci-fi book that's sure to make you laugh.

When Charlie finds himself close to rock bottom, his long-lost uncle dies, leaving him his business and house. His supervillain business, to be precise, includes a lair on an island volcano and some hyper-intelligent cats. Charlie finds himself having to readjust his reality and decide just what kind of villain he will be.

Starter Villain is a perfect dose of lighthearted humor and escapism, set in today's world with some minor adjustments. I really love the secrets upon secrets that are woven into the story, as well as the intelligent animals that Charlie works with to overcome this new challenge.

This is a standalone story, but if you want more humorous yet almost plausible reads, be sure to check out more of John Scalzi's books, like The Kaiju Preservation Society (2022) or When the Moon Hits Your Eye (2025).

The Mimicking of Known Successes is the perfect read if you're looking for a  cozy murder mystery with a dash of slow-burn romance. 

When a man goes missing from a remote colony on Jupiter, investigator Mossa follows the clues to the university on Valdegeld and her ex, Pleiti. Ever the scholar, Pleti has dedicated her career towards restoring the Earth's ability to sustain life with the hope that humanity might one day be able to return to their beloved homeworld.

Pleiti's knowledge may prove instrumental to the case, and soon they find themselves needing to work together to solve the mystery, which turns out to be much bigger than one man's disappearance.

If you like stories with murder mysteries, academic drama, and slow-burning romance, be sure to add this to your TBR list. Each story is novella-length, resulting in a quick and satisfying read full of fun dialogue and plenty of mystery.

Full Speed to a Crash Landing is  perfect if you're in the mood for a flirty heist in space. 

A well-trained scavenger, Ada made it to the wreckage first and is doing her best to claim looter's rights. That is, until she starts to run out of air and is forced to send out a distress call.

Enter Rian White, government agent, who is suspicious of everything Ada is doing, even as he seems to be falling for her. Is she planning a heist or just trying to get under Rian's skin? Is Ada really the bad guy, or is Rian being paranoid?

Full Speed to a Crash Landing is the first in a trilogy of entertaining novellas. Featuring plenty of romantic tension, fun characters, and witty dialogue, this is a super enjoyable series with heists, galas, and plenty of valuables at risk. If you're looking for a funny, lighthearted, quick read, this is a great pick.

Of Monsters and Mainframes is perfect if you're craving  gothic nostalgia and a chaotic good time.

When transport ship Demeter finds all of her onboard humans dead, she correctly identifies the cause as human error. More specifically, they failed to take proper precautions to keep out Dracula, and now everyone, especially the onboard AI Med Bot, thinks Demeter has a few screws loose. 

Featuring a cast of classic horror and sci-fi characters, the two AIs will have to learn to work together if they're going to keep their ship from being decommissioned.

This story is a chaotically good time told mainly from the perspective of two AIs who see the world in very different ways. If you're looking to check out a story told primarily from a robot/AI perspective, this is a super fun one to start with.