"Out of This World" Science Fiction Books

Take a scientific fact or theory, add a futuristic or other-worldly setting, stir in an imaginative plot and fascinating characters, and a science fiction novel emerges from the cosmic mix. The best authors of science fiction turn a "what if?" into a "why not?" If, after reading one of the following selections, your present world starts to look a bit different to you, then the author has succeeded. Be careful. You may become "hooked" on the endless possibilities of science fiction.

The Worst Band in the Universe
All AgesBy Graeme Base
Harry N. Abrams, Inc. ISBN: 0-8109-3998-3, $19.95

Alien fantasies come and go, but this one has focus. Base has created a universe where music, or the lack thereof, separates the planets and gives them their distinct personalities. It's all about freedom of musical expression, as Sprocc, a young Splingtwanger-player enters the annual competition for Worst Band in the Universe, a true award of honor.

The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet
Ages 7-10 yrs.By Eleanor Cameron
Little Brown & Co (Juv Pap); Reprint edition (October 1988)
ISBN: 0316125407, $7.95

An early classic in children's science fiction, the story concerns two young boys who take off to a "nearby" planet in their homemade spaceship. The tiny planet is in dire trouble, and the boys are recruited to save it from certain galactic extinction. Mr. Bass and the Mushroom People are unforgettable, and the appeal of the adventures is timeless.

Harriet’s Hare
Ages 7-11 yrs.By Dick King-Smith
Random House (Merchandising); Reprint edition (February 1997) ISBN: 067988551X, $4.99

Living on a farm in the English countryside, Harriet one day discovers a perfectly flattened circle in the wheat field. She is abruptly introduced to an alien from the planet Pars, who has taken on the form of a hare. Harriet and the “hare” form an amiable bond, and the dreary summer becomes a magical adventure.

Earthborn
Ages 8-12 yrs.By Sylvia Waugh
Delacorte Press; (September 10, 2002) ISBN: 0385900600, $17.99

Nesta, a 12 year old living in northern England, believes that her parents are originally from Boston. Suddenly, she learns that they are in fact from the planet Ormingat. She is an alien, and she must return to her home planet! Nesta attempts to run away from this fate. Can she remain earthbound, as she wishes?

Alien Secrets
Ages 9-12 yrs.By Annette Curtis Klause
Yearling Books; Reprint edition (January 1995) ISBN: 0440410614, $4.99

A young girl, traveling aboard a spaceship, befriends an alien Shoowa named Hush. The two, though alien to each other, become friends. Soon, both become embroiled in a murder mystery that takes place on the ship. Elements of alien ghosts and hidden treasure add to the suspense.

The White Mountains
Ages 9-12 yrs.By John Christopher (Tripods trilogy)
Pocket Books; 2nd edition (October 30, 1988) ISBN: 0020427115, $4.99

Three-legged machines, i.e., Tripods, have long-ago invaded earth. Humans become their slaves, but there is a window of time before their enslavement when three young boys try to escape their horrible fate. Several mysteries and non-stop suspense carry the reader through the trilogy and the later offering of a prequel.