29 Books Like Those Beyond the Wall

A fantasy novel by Zen Cho, set in Regency England, where a sorcerer and an unconventional young woman must navigate magical politics and prejudice.

A reference to the importance of spice in Frank Herbert’s "Dune" series, emphasizing its role in interstellar politics, power, and survival.

A sci-fi series by Dan Simmons, featuring a pilgrimage to meet the mysterious Shrike, blending multiple genres and exploring themes of religion, time, and technology.

A post-apocalyptic fantasy novel by Nnedi Okorafor, following a young woman with magical abilities as she confronts a powerful sorcerer and seeks to change her destiny.

A sci-fi novel by Stanisław Lem, exploring a mysterious, sentient ocean on a distant planet, where scientists struggle with the unknown and their own psychological fears.

A sci-fi novel by Robert A. Heinlein, about a human raised by Martians who returns to Earth, challenging societal norms and exploring themes of freedom and identity.

A sci-fi novel by Adrian Tchaikovsky, where humanity's last survivors attempt to colonize a terraformed planet, only to discover it's inhabited by evolved, intelligent spiders.

A dystopian novel by Omar El Akkad, set in a future where America is ravaged by a second civil war and climate change, exploring the personal and political costs of conflict.

A sci-fi novel by Karen Lord, following the survivors of a destroyed planet as they seek to rebuild their culture and find new homes.

A sci-fi novel by Bruce Sterling, set on a dry planet where a vast ocean of dust is home to dangerous creatures and mysterious secrets.

A sci-fi novel by Sheri S. Tepper, set on a mysterious planet where strange rituals and alien lifeforms may hold the key to humanity's survival.

A cyberpunk novel by William Gibson, exploring a dystopian future where a washed-up hacker is hired for a final job in a world dominated by AI and cybernetics.

The Illustrated Edition: A humorous sci-fi adventure by Douglas Adams, following Arthur Dent's journey through space with quirky companions and absurd scenarios.

A sci-fi/fantasy novel by Kate Elliott, combining interstellar politics with a story of a nomadic people on a low-tech planet, focusing on culture, honor, and rebellion.

A sci-fi novel by Samuel R. Delany, set in a far-future galaxy, following a crew on a quest for a rare element that could change the balance of power.

A space opera set in a future where humanity has colonized the solar system, featuring political intrigue, interstellar conflict, and a mysterious alien threat.

A dystopian sci-fi novel where a young man infiltrates the elite ruling class of a brutal society to spark a revolution against oppression.

A space opera about a former starship AI seeking revenge against the empire that betrayed it, raising questions about identity, consciousness, and justice.

A space opera exploring a universe with different zones of thought, featuring an ancient superintelligence, galactic war, and a race to save the galaxy.

A series of loosely connected sci-fi novels by Ursula K. Le Guin, exploring themes of culture, society, and communication across different worlds.

A fantasy novel set in a world plagued by apocalyptic seismic activity, following a woman with earth-shattering powers as she seeks her missing daughter.

A philosophical sci-fi novel about a physicist who travels between two contrasting societies—one anarchist, one capitalist—exploring freedom, utopia, and social structures.

A sci-fi novel exploring humanity's first contact with an alien civilization, blending physics, philosophy, and politics in a tense, thought-provoking narrative.

A dense, literary sci-fi/fantasy epic set in a distant future Earth, following an exiled torturer on a surreal, transformative journey.

A post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel exploring the cyclical nature of history through a Catholic monastery preserving knowledge after a nuclear war.

A sci-fi novel structured like "The Canterbury Tales," featuring pilgrims journeying to meet a mysterious creature called the Shrike in a richly imagined future.

A historical novel about a community's resilience and survival during a siege, exploring themes of war, loyalty, and the human spirit.

A sci-fi classic about a group of scientists trying to preserve knowledge and civilization as the Galactic Empire declines, introducing the concept of psychohistory.

A sci-fi epic by Frank Herbert, set on the desert planet Arrakis, focusing on politics, religion, and power struggles over the valuable resource "spice."