I spent most of my career teaching English but always struggled to get into sci-fi. One year, I taught The Hunger Games, only to find most students had seen the movie and weren’t too keen on reading the book—because, well, they “already knew what happened.” But its futuristic and dystopic world sparked my curiosity, leading me to explore more sci-fi reads.
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy started as a BBC radio sci-fi comedy before expanding into books, TV, and a movie. It took me a while to get into it, but the audiobook helped me stay focused. Arthur Dent, the clueless protagonist, stumbles through the galaxy just as confused as I sometimes felt reading it! Fun “42” fact—Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs biography has exactly 42 chapters. Coincidence? Maybe.
Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451 is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi reads. Its take on censorship and technology feels eerily relevant today—think flat screens, interactive TVs, and earbuds that disconnect people from reality, just like in the book. Bradbury’s warning about book burning isn’t just about fire; it’s about a future where fewer readers mean fewer informed citizens.
1984
George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four is a dystopian classic that feels more relevant than ever. Many of the novel’s technologies exist today—used for both good and bad. Winston Smith dares to rebel but is crushed by Big Brother, a term (along with “doublethink” and “Thought Police”) that has become part of our everyday language.
Diving into sci-fi has been an unexpected but fascinating journey. What started with teaching The Hunger Games led me to explore worlds full of satire, warnings, and eerie predictions that feel closer to reality every day. Whether it’s the absurdity of Hitchhiker’s Guide, the cautionary fire of Fahrenheit 451, or the chilling control of 1984, these stories have left me thinking long after I turned the last page.
