Humorous/Satirical Science Fiction Books

Satirical Science Fiction Books often have a deeper meaning, criticizing the way society is or making fun of certain beliefs. But not always! Sometimes, these books just make you laugh because they are damn funny! Here again, the books mentioned are classics that cannot disappoint any enthusiastic reader, even is science fiction is not his main interest.


1. "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams

The book consists of 5 novels with the same storyline:

a) "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"- 1979
b) "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe"- 1980
c) "Life, the Universe and Everything" - 1982
d) "So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish" - 1984
e) "Mostly Harmless" - 1992

Summary:

Eventhough these books were written at different periods, they all have the same main charachter and should be read as 1 book. The story starts with the imminent destruction of planet Earth by aliens. Arthur, the main charachter, suddenly discovers that his best friend, Ford, is actually an alien who came to Earth on a mission. Ford posseses the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", an intergalactic reference book with information on all the planets and populations of the universe. Just before Earth's destruction, Arthur and Ford are able to board on a spaceship and avoid being annihilated with the destruction of the Earth. They embark on galaxy-spanning trip where they will discover many worlds and hilarious extraterrestial species. Among those is Zaphod Beeblebox, the mad President of the Galaxy and Marvin, the depressed robot. Page after page, Adams deploys a comical universe. This is a masterpiece. Beware of not pissing on yourself of laughter while you read it!

2. “The Sirens of Titan” by Kurt Vonnegut

Year published: 1959

Summary:

The central character is Malachi Constant, the richest American in the 22nd century. Constant is not doing anything interesting from his life except being lucky and rich. Against his will, Constant is sent to Mars in a training camp, where soldiers are psychologically monitored to prepare an invasion of Earth.

As with many good science fiction books, the story is hard to resume. Vonnegut’s imagination has no limits, and space-time theories are twisted in ways that make sense out of this otherwise senseless story. The prose of the book is (as with all of Vonnegut’s work) majestic. The unimaginable situations and characters encountered in this book make it an amusing book to read. “The Sirens of Titan” is a must read for anyone interested in good books in general, and a great introduction book to one of the best American writers ever: Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

3. “The Space Merchants” by Frederik Pohl and Cyril M. Kornbluth

Year published: 1953

Summary:

This classical SF book is a satirical novel taking place in a future Earth where advertising has taken over every other ideology. The masters of the world are here advertisement companies. The protagonist, Mitch Courtenay, is a master copywriter working for one of the two giant advertisement companies. His new mission is to build an ad campaign to attract colonists to the inhospitable planet Venus. But things do not unfold as they should, and Courtenay falls into a spiral that takes him from the highest spheres of power to the lowest echelons of society. This trip makes him change his point of view upon the society in which he lives. This science fiction book is a little masterpiece of satirical, comical and intriguing writing.

Psycho-mindblowing Science Fiction Books

By psycho-mindblowing I really mean that these books must have been written while on acid or some other kind of psychedelic drugs (and they sometimes where). The king of this genre is for me Philip K. Dick. I already hear many true SF fans shouting and throwing virtual tomatoes to my face for limiting Philip K. Dick to this little genre of "prose written under influence..."
Therefore I wish to reassure you all by saying that Philip K. Dick is not only one of the best SF writers there is but also one of the best writer across any genre.

Dick's capacity of creating faulty futures and often hilarious storytelling is an art. His main charachter is generally a man in his thirties who, against his will, is embarked in an unsettling set of events. The charachter is always having relational problems with women (Dick was married 5 times) and has the loser spirit, feeling unhappy with his life in general.
The storytelling is often genially twisted and leaves the reader in a sentiment of not really understanding what is happening.

This is a list of Dick's best books in my opinion. I will not try to resume them as these books as it is quite impossible and might even be insulting to Dick's genius . Just trust me and read those:

1. The Game-Players of Titan - 1963
2. Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said - 1974
3. A Maze of Death - 1970
4. Our Friends From Frolix-8 - 1970
5. The Man in the High Castle - 1962