Science + Fiction = anything can happen. A sci-fi book can be one that occurs in outer space, another universe, or even here in our recognizable real world. The key elements are that it’s speculative (meaning, “What if”), and that it usually deals with real or imaginary science and technology as part of its plot, setting, or subject.

If you’re part of the Bookworm Challenge, you know that August is the month for reading science fiction. If you’re new to this genre, we’re here to help with a few recommendations and some links to help you find your next read.

These are the categories for the Bookworm Challenge badge prompts in August. They’re easily adapted to a lot of genres if you want to lean away from sci-fi:

Youth Challenge Science Fiction Badge Prompts (Ages 0-17)

• Read a book with the word “stars” in the title
• Read a book about robots
• Read about space
• Read at night
• Read an ebook, a Wonderbook, or listen to an audiobook

Adult Challenge Science Fiction Badge Prompts (Ages 18+)

• Read a book that won the Hugo Award
• Read a book with the word “stars” in the title
• Read a book with a robot or computer on the cover
• Read a book with time travel in it
• Read an ebook or listen to an audiobook using Libby or Hoopla

If the book you read fits into more than one of these badge prompts, that’s great! You can check off multiple prompts for the same book.

Below, we’ve listed just a few of the many, many science fiction books available at RML. These recommendations are just a taste of sci-fi. Choose a title below or browse through the list of over 2,000 science fiction books available at RML.

Science Fiction Book Recs (a la Bookworm Challenge)

• Brobots by J. Torres, art by Sean Dove
  • View this on our catalog
• Libby Loves Science : States of Matter by Kimberly Derting, Shelli R. Derting
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    When the ice cream for the welcome party melts, Libby is curious to see how the three states of matter can save the celebration.
• Robot Zot! by Jon Scieszka
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    On a mission to conquer planet Earth, tiny but fearless Robot Zot and his mechanical sidekick leave a path of destruction as they battle kitchen appliances.

• Wires and Nerve  by Marissa Meyer; art by Doug Holgate with Stephen Gilpin
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    When rogue packs of wolf-hybrid soldiers threaten the tenuous alliance between Earth and Luna, android Iko joins up with a handsome royal guard to hunt down the rogue leader.
• The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon
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    Finding a mysterious letter from her late Grandpa, Dally is led straight to a library of secrets where each book is a portal to a precise moment in time, and she must find the courage to write her own life story as she “checks out” adventure after adventure.
• This again? by Adam Borba
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    Seventh grader Noah tries to avoid the worst day ever and help his future self win his eighth grade class election using time travel.
• The Sailor Cipher by Trudi Trueit
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    Soon after Cruz, Sailor, Emmett, and Lani return for their second year at Explorer Academy, their sense of calm is shattered when Sailor’s older sister goes missing. Amidst incredible expeditions to far-flung destinations and competitive classes, Sailor bravely steps into the lead to discover how her sister’s sudden disappearance may be linked to an illegal and deadly animal-trafficking ring.

• A Better World by Sarah Langan
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    “You’ll be safe here. That’s what the greasy tour guide tells the Farmer-Bowens when they visit Plymouth Valley, a walled-off company town with clean air, pantries that never go empty, and blue-ribbon schools.
• 2054 by Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis
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    “Military fiction that imagines a geopolitical conflict in the year 2054”
• The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton.
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    Outside the island there is nothing: the world was destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. On the island: it is idyllic. One hundred and twenty-two villagers and three scientists, living in peaceful harmony. Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death.
• The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler
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    Moscow has resurrected the mammoth. But someone must teach them how to be mammoths, or they are doomed to die out, again

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