It is sometimes difficult to recommend, or find, truly engaging and original science fiction novels that could appeal to a wide adult audience. Fantasy is more accessible and perhaps a more popular genre, often dominating the ‘otherworldly’ section of book shops. As wonderful as fantasy is, and as much as I love these books that can range from beautifully surreal and magical (The Night Circus) to dark and twisted (Let the Right One In), there is something particularly poignant and sharp about the plausibility of science fiction tales.
Science fiction is sometimes stereotyped as geeky, as stories about spaceships, aliens and impossible technology. However, this is not how I see science fiction: unlike fantasy, which brings to life mythical creatures, superhuman beings and magic, science fiction novels tell the stories of worlds which could, plausibly, come about and develop from life as we know it. Discussed here are two very different science fiction novels that you don’t need to be a sci-fi lover to love.
This novel is one of my absolute favourites. Written as the records and diary of John Farrell, this novel spans about a century, starting with the discovery of a cure for aging. While this is not a new idea, the realness, complexity and imagination that this book brings to the idea of immortality is hugely refreshing. The story begins with the Cure, and the various arguments for and against its legalisation, and then unfurls with the consequences of having an immortal population in a world of limited resources and space. As can be imagined, the consequences are not pleasant. Unlike so many books that are largely focused on the main characters, I loved this novel for its clever and thoughtful exploration of the different political, social and economic results of the Cure around the world. Magary has clearly put a lot of thought into this novel and creating an immortal world that feels sadly very realistic; this book looks into how immortality would affect marriage and divorce, government policy, internal conflict, families, prostitution, freedom, crime and justice. Absolutely, this novel is dystopian – if you want a light, fun read, this is not for you. But if you are after a story that is thought-provoking, intelligent, dark, critical of people, science and politics – I have not yet found anything better. 
