Non US-Centric Science Fiction (83 books)

There are a lot of good science fiction stories out there, and a lot of them are either set in the USA or are clearly influenced by the predominant US culture. We love those, but it can be a bit hard to find stories set in or inspired by other great places around the world.

I have stopped work on this list, because the librarians are hesitant to delete books that do not fit the premise - which I do understand, there are a lot of potential pitfalls, it just makes it hard to actually find what this list is looking for.

I have transferred the list to a google spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

So let's highlight those stories that are not US-centric.

This list is a place for Science Fiction books, audiobooks or short stories, that
- are either set in a country on Earth that is not the USA
- or are set in space and/or in a fictional place and are clearly influenced by a country or culture other than the USA
- or focus on a minority culture in the USA.

If there are several worlds depicted in the story, more than one third of the story should bet set in a place as described above.

Examples for non applicable books:
The Alien Universe, Stars Uncharted or the Murderbot Universe, because there is no clear cultural reference.

Please DO NOT vote Star Wars, generic science fiction or fantasy books on this list!

For a list of books that have been removed from the list, look in the comments.

You can add books without an English translation, but a comment explaining why the book fits this list would be highly appreciated.

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All Votes Add Books To This List

1	The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1) by Liu Cixin (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 488,177 ratings score: 698, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Binti (Binti, #1) by Nnedi Okorafor (Goodreads Author) 3.84 avg rating — 80,309 ratings score: 671, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (Goodreads Author) 3.75 avg rating — 78,093 ratings score: 573, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor (Goodreads Author) 3.63 avg rating — 9,194 ratings score: 475, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Battle Royale by Koushun Takami 4.26 avg rating — 85,213 ratings score: 394, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Rosewater (The Wormwood Trilogy, #1) by Tade Thompson 3.74 avg rating — 16,890 ratings score: 389, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Waste Tide by Chen Qiufan 3.32 avg rating — 2,942 ratings score: 387, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang 3.39 avg rating — 2,299 ratings score: 385, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden (Goodreads Author) 3.76 avg rating — 3,842 ratings score: 375, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Citadel of Weeping Pearls by Aliette de Bodard (Goodreads Author) 3.81 avg rating — 1,317 ratings score: 297, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Infomocracy (Centenal Cycle #1) by Malka Ann Older (Goodreads Author) 3.62 avg rating — 7,180 ratings score: 293, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Moon of the Crusted Snow (Moon, #1) by Waubgeshig Rice (Goodreads Author) 3.82 avg rating — 43,000 ratings score: 293, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Invisible Planets: An Anthology of Contemporary Chinese SF in Translation by Ken Liu (Goodreads Author) (Editor, Translator) 4.04 avg rating — 5,355 ratings score: 292, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Goodreads Author) 3.85 avg rating — 847,839 ratings score: 283, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1) by Ann Leckie (Goodreads Author) 3.99 avg rating — 118,524 ratings score: 276, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan, #1) by Arkady Martine (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 71,688 ratings score: 267, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Redemption (The Alterran Legacy, #4) by Regina M. Joseph (Goodreads Author) 4.36 avg rating — 22 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 28,232 ratings score: 197, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	On a Red Station, Drifting by Aliette de Bodard (Goodreads Author) 3.76 avg rating — 2,132 ratings score: 196, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Mirage (Mirage, #1) by Somaiya Daud (Goodreads Author) 3.72 avg rating — 14,119 ratings score: 195, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Shuri (Shuri: A Black Panther Novel, #1) by Nic Stone (Goodreads Author) 3.87 avg rating — 1,720 ratings score: 195, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Everfair (Everfair, #1) by Nisi Shawl 3.19 avg rating — 2,952 ratings score: 193, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkinson 3.94 avg rating — 3,834 ratings score: 193, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Rosewater Insurrection (The Wormwood Trilogy, #2) by Tade Thompson 3.97 avg rating — 4,546 ratings score: 191, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Rosewater Redemption (The Wormwood Trilogy, #3) by Tade Thompson 4.03 avg rating — 3,110 ratings score: 191, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, #1) by Naomi Novik (Goodreads Author) 4.07 avg rating — 111,535 ratings score: 191, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr. 3.78 avg rating — 12,101 ratings score: 191, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 21,599 ratings score: 188, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka 4.03 avg rating — 23,559 ratings score: 188, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Solaris by Stanisław Lem 3.98 avg rating — 129,832 ratings score: 187, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Shards of Honour (Vorkosigan Saga, #1) by Lois McMaster Bujold (Goodreads Author) 4.07 avg rating — 40,150 ratings score: 184, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	The Dervish House by Ian McDonald 3.86 avg rating — 4,650 ratings score: 182, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 3.97 avg rating — 2,813,844 ratings score: 181, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard (Goodreads Author) 3.84 avg rating — 6,017 ratings score: 177, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Feuerschwingen by Sabrina Železný (Goodreads Author) 3.79 avg rating — 34 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Stark by Ben Elton 3.71 avg rating — 7,971 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Plum Rains by Andromeda Romano-Lax (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 1,111 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	A Spark of White Fire (The Celestial Trilogy, #1) by Sangu Mandanna (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 1,926 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 15,078 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Space Vault: The Seed Eclipse (Sci-Fi Galaxy series Book 2) by Jeremy Clift (Goodreads Author) 4.88 avg rating — 24 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Utopia by Ahmed Khaled Towfik 3.93 avg rating — 58,462 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Space Opera (Space Opera, #1) by Catherynne M. Valente (Goodreads Author) 3.45 avg rating — 17,084 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Too Like the Lightning (Terra Ignota, #1) by Ada Palmer (Goodreads Author) 3.81 avg rating — 15,657 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Memory of Water by Emmi Itäranta (Goodreads Author) 3.65 avg rating — 10,285 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	War Girls (War Girls, #1) by Tochi Onyebuchi 3.74 avg rating — 3,160 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Star Wars: Dark Force Rising (The Thrawn Trilogy, #2) by Timothy Zahn (Goodreads Author) 4.19 avg rating — 73,181 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future by Kai-Fu Lee (Goodreads Author) 3.84 avg rating — 5,528 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	No.6, Vol. 1 by Atsuko Asano 4.35 avg rating — 1,862 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	State Tectonics (Centenal Cycle #3) by Malka Ann Older (Goodreads Author) 3.99 avg rating — 1,372 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Next Continent by Issui Ogawa 3.65 avg rating — 72 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Mike Baron (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,527 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Null States (Centenal Cycle #2) by Malka Ann Older (Goodreads Author) 3.89 avg rating — 1,840 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne 3.95 avg rating — 281,343 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton 3.61 avg rating — 16,124 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	The Future is Japanese: Science Fiction Futures and Brand New Fantasies from and about Japan by Masumi Washington (Editor) 3.80 avg rating — 1,028 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne (Goodreads Author) 3.48 avg rating — 3,373 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Prime Meridian by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Goodreads Author) 3.78 avg rating — 1,848 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Return to Ord Mantell (Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights, #12) by Kevin J. Anderson (Goodreads Author) 3.58 avg rating — 1,871 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Mara and Dann by Doris Lessing 3.85 avg rating — 1,904 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Trouble on Cloud City (Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights, #13) by Kevin J. Anderson (Goodreads Author) 3.56 avg rating — 1,751 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky 4.12 avg rating — 86,365 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	And Shall Machines Surrender (Machine Mandate, #1) by Benjanun Sriduangkaew (Goodreads Author) 3.81 avg rating — 1,676 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington, #1) by David Weber 4.14 avg rating — 48,822 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Heirs of the Force (Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights, #1) by Kevin J. Anderson (Goodreads Author) 3.65 avg rating — 4,444 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Ninefox Gambit (The Machineries of Empire, #1) by Yoon Ha Lee 3.79 avg rating — 21,457 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Central Station by Lavie Tidhar 3.51 avg rating — 3,306 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors (The Risen Kingdoms, #1) by Curtis Craddock 4.06 avg rating — 2,194 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	The Lost Ones (Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights, #3) by Kevin J. Anderson (Goodreads Author) 3.55 avg rating — 3,051 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	A Dead Djinn in Cairo (Dead Djinn Universe, #0.1) by P. Djèlí Clark (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 19,440 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell (Goodreads Author) 3.73 avg rating — 7,557 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	The Stone Wētā by Octavia Cade (Goodreads Author) 3.82 avg rating — 173 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	The Country of the Blind and Other Science-Fiction Stories by H.G. Wells 3.91 avg rating — 1,323 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	Before She Sleeps by Bina Shah (Goodreads Author) 3.38 avg rating — 1,832 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	Red Dust by Yoss 3.45 avg rating — 533 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	The Call of Earth (Homecoming, #2) by Orson Scott Card 3.61 avg rating — 12,264 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Incomplete Solutions by Wole Talabi (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 143 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez (Goodreads Author) 4.07 avg rating — 10,549 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	The Memory of Earth (Homecoming, #1) by Orson Scott Card 3.60 avg rating — 17,065 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	The Stories of Ibis by Hiroshi Yamamoto 4.25 avg rating — 1,248 ratings score: 86, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	River of Gods (India 2047, #1) by Ian McDonald 3.91 avg rating — 6,170 ratings score: 85, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Nigerians in Space (Nigerians in Space, #1) by Deji Bryce Olukotun 3.43 avg rating — 456 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	The Moon and the Other by John Kessel 3.58 avg rating — 794 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Moxyland by Lauren Beukes (Goodreads Author) 3.57 avg rating — 3,819 ratings score: 83, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

83 books · 31 voters · list created July 6th, 2020 by Ines (votes) .

Tags: africa, americas, asia, australia, central-america, europe, fiction, oceania, pacific, science-fiction, south-america, speculative-fiction

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Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (31)

Ines 2379 books
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Ebbi 106 books
19 friends

Fiona 1667 books
241 friends

Makamu 4018 books
16 friends

Beige 2168 books
125 friends

Silvana 3186 books
529 friends

Rebecca 2319 books
63 friends

Kaa 4990 books
138 friends

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Comments Showing 1-14 of 14 (14 new)

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message 1: by Beige (new)

Sep 29, 2020 08:15AM

Great idea, Ines! Thanks for the invite. I'll definitely look through my various groups soon to see if I can find anything to add 😉

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message 2: by Beige (new)

Sep 29, 2020 08:38AM

Question - are you looking to focus on SciFi set in the far future and other planets? Or are you open to the other subgenres of SciFi such as dystopia, apocalyptic, alternative history, time travel etc?

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message 3: by Ines (new)

Sep 29, 2020 08:57AM

Open to all subgenres as long as the majority of the story can be considered as science fiction!

Thank you so much Beige, I'm excited to see what you add to the list.

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message 4: by Kristenelle (new)

Jan 03, 2021 05:46AM

So no fantasy? Also, are books with British culture also out? (It seems like they could technically be included, but would still be going against the spirit of the list.)

I'm a bit leery of The Windup Girl being on the list. Technically it is set in Asia, but it isn't very respectfully done. One reviewer noted the constant reference to "Malaya" which is an incorrect name hearkening back to colonial days. And woof...the sexual violence against women.... technically it fits the parameters of the list, but if you're looking for progressive, respectful, wholesome, mind-expanding reads...this isn't one of them.

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message 5: by Ines (new)

Jan 05, 2021 08:16AM

Kristenelle wrote: "So no fantasy? Also, are books with British culture also out? (It seems like they could technically be included, but would still be going against the spirit of the list.)

I'm a bit leery of [book..."

We already included [book:Space Opera|24100285], which is predominantly british, so british or any other european culture is all right. :)

I didn't read The Windup Girl, but it does not sound like something I would like to have on the list. My intention was definitely only respectful representation.

Does anyone else have an opinion on this book? In the meantime, I am going to find out if and how I can delete books from the list. I think only the goodreads moderators can do that.

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message 6: by Beige (new)

Jan 05, 2021 08:27AM

Ines wrote: "Kristenelle wrote: "So no fantasy? Also, are books with British culture also out? (It seems like they could technically be included, but would still be going against the spirit of the list.) .."

Unfortunately, only Goodreads librarians can remove books from listopias. I think it's because they are posted in the public sphere.

However, they are pretty fast at processing requests. You just need to go to the official librarian group and make a request.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

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message 7: by Cheryl (new)

Jan 10, 2021 11:40AM

Campbell's Who Goes There is very culturally American or at least English-speaking.

And the description of the list should say "American or British" or "US or UK" should it not? There is a *lot* of British SF that is almost indistinguishable from US-American SF.

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message 8: by Ines (last edited Jun 15, 2021 10:16AM) (new)

Jun 15, 2021 06:40AM

I am going to have the following books removed from the list. Anybody have any thoughts or more information on them and why they should stay?

- The Windup Girl (see discussion above)

Is not/does not seem to be inspired by any real-earth country or culture other than the US:
- Solaris (#25)
- Shards of Honour (#29)
- Fahrenheit 451 (#30)
- Leia, Princess of Alderaan (#36)
- Dark Force Rising (#44)
- Heir to the Empire (#49)
- The Courtship of Princess Leia (#53)
- Return to Ord Mantell (#57)
- Trouble on Cloud City (#60)
- On Basilisk Station (#61)
- Heirs of the Force (#61)
- An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors (#64) (also, only 40 people filed this as "science fiction")
- The Lost Ones (#64)
- The Call of Earth (#72)
- The Memory of Earth (#75)
- The Moon and the Other (#81)

Not Science Fiction:
- The Hobbit: Graphic Novel (#28)
- The Hobbit, or There and Back Again (#30)
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (#32)
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (#32)
- The Magician's Nephew (#35)
- Shadow and Bone (#41)
- The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth (#67)
- Till We Have Faces (#79)

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message 9: by Cheryl (new)

Jun 15, 2021 06:52PM

Thank you for cleaning up this list!

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message 10: by Ines (new)

Aug 12, 2021 03:15AM

The librarians are hesitant to delete the books I've listed, which I understand, but it makes this list a lot less helpful than I intended. I will probably create a spreadsheed instead and ask that this list is deleted. Sorry to everyone, but a list with every random book that could be considered sci-fi in some interpretation of the word and does not clearly name a city in the US as its central location was never my intention and it's not something I want to invest time in.

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message 11: by Beige (last edited Aug 12, 2021 03:31AM) (new)

Aug 12, 2021 03:29AM

That's disappointing to hear. In my opinion, not having the ability to maintain a list's integrity really devalues them.

I have an alternative solution for you to consider.....Keep this list, but also create a group with a bookshelf. You don't need to make it an active discussion group, but you could link to it in the comments above and invite people to join and collaborate

You can make the group public and the bookshelf collaborative to members, and as a mod you could edit/delete. This is actually how "Women of the Future" originally started. 😁

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message 12: by Ines (new)

Aug 12, 2021 08:04AM

Good idea, Beige, I'll look into that!

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message 13: by Rachel (new)

Sep 19, 2021 10:41PM

The Windup Girl is totally a good example to have on this list. It’s a really interesting story and makes for a great book club discussion. I agree with Kristelle about disliking the graphic violence against ‘women’- I have quotes because it is a robot, not a living human. I too, was disgusted and bothered by it. But that doesn’t negate the non US-centric science fiction.

Also, I don’t believe the novel was disrespectful. One man, who only read 42 pages of the book, made a comment about taking offense at use of the word Malaya (and it is not constant) and quit reading. He’s upset bc the novel is not historically accurate. It’s Science FICTION and set in a dystopian future; all/most names have been changed. There is much discussion about it in comments on his post.

The book has won best novel for hugo, nebula, and locus awards. That speaks for itself.

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message 14: by Ines (last edited Jan 12, 2022 09:35AM) (new)

Jan 12, 2022 09:33AM

I have decided against a group and for a spreadsheet, because it's easier to maintain and I can send it to people outside of gr. :)

Since I can't post it here, please refer to the link in my profile to find it or scroll to the top of the list and find it there.

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