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Quick answer: If you loved Battlefield Earth, read Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game, then Isaac Asimov's Foundation, then Pierce Brown's Red Rising, and Iain M. Banks's Consider Phlebas and Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama and Childhood's End. All are epic pulp science-fiction adventures.
L. Ron Hubbard's 1982 novel Battlefield Earth is a long sci-fi adventure about humans enslaved by aliens. These picks share its big scale.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ender's Game | Orson Scott Card | Adult | sci-fi fans |
| Foundation | Isaac Asimov | Adult | readers who want a grand scale |
| Red Rising | Pierce Brown | 15+ | older teens who like sci-fi epics |
| Consider Phlebas | Iain M. Banks | Adult | Culture start |
| Rendezvous with Rama | Arthur C. Clarke | Adult | readers who like exploration |
| Childhood's End | Arthur C. Clarke | Adult | readers who like big ideas |
| The Stars My Destination | Alfred Bester | Adult | readers who want pulp energy |
| Leviathan Wakes | James S.A. Corey | Adult | space politics |
| The Three-Body Problem | Liu Cixin | Adult | readers who like hard science fiction |
| Gridlinked | Neal Asher | Adult | action space opera |
| Dauntless | Jack Campbell | Adult | space fleet strategy |
| Rogue Planet | Greg Bear | Adult | prequel fans |
| Snow Crash | Neal Stephenson | Adult | witty cyberpunk |
| Ready Player One | Ernest Cline | Adult | readers who like games and nostalgia |
| The Martian | Andy Weir | Adult | readers who like humor and science |
1. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Ender Wiggin is recruited to a battle school in space. A classic of young genius and manipulation.
Best for: sci-fi fans.
2. Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Hari Seldon predicts the fall of a galactic empire and sets up a plan to shorten the dark age. A landmark of big-idea sci-fi.
Best for: readers who want a grand scale.
3. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Darrow, a miner on Mars, infiltrates the ruling class to overthrow it. It is violent and mature, but fast and gripping.
Best for: older teens who like sci-fi epics.
4. Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
A mercenary takes part in a war between the Culture and the Idirans. Wide-ranging and witty.
Best for: Culture start.
5. Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
Humans explore a mysterious alien spacecraft. Hard science and mystery.
Best for: readers who like exploration.
6. Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
Alien Overlords arrive and end war, but at a price. Thoughtful and eerie.
Best for: readers who like big ideas.
7. The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
A man seeks revenge in a future where people can teleport. Fast and wild.
Best for: readers who want pulp energy.
8. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
A detective and a ship's officer uncover a conspiracy across the solar system. First of The Expanse.
Best for: space politics.
9. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
A secret in China's past leads to contact with an alien civilization. Big ideas and hard science.
Best for: readers who like hard science fiction.
10. Gridlinked by Neal Asher
An agent is pursued by a murderous machine. Fast and violent.
Best for: action space opera.
11. Dauntless by Jack Campbell
Captain John Geary wakes after a century in survival sleep to lead a fleet home through enemy territory. The first Lost Fleet novel is strategic and fast.
Best for: space fleet strategy.
12. Rogue Planet by Greg Bear
Obi-Wan and Anakin visit a planet of living ships. Atmospheric and strange.
Best for: prequel fans.
13. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
A pizza-delivering hacker named Hiro Protagonist fights a virus that spreads in both the virtual and the real world. Fast, funny and packed with ideas about language and power.
Best for: witty cyberpunk.
14. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Wade Watts hunts for an Easter egg in a virtual world full of 1980s pop culture. Fast and nostalgic.
Best for: readers who like games and nostalgia.
15. The Martian by Andy Weir
Mark Watney, stranded on Mars, has to survive. Sarcastic and fast.
Best for: readers who like humor and science.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Battlefield Earth: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Battlefield Earth. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For epic sci-fi, read Dune or Ender's Game. For alien contact, try The Three-Body Problem. For pulp, pick Red Rising.
Related: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Battlefield Earth?
L. Ron Hubbard, in 1982.
Is there a film?
Yes, a 2000 film starring John Travolta.
Is it long?
Yes, over 1,000 pages.
Which book here is best for readers who like humor and science?
Try The Martian by Andy Weir, which suits readers looking for readers who like humor and science.
Which book here is best for readers who like games and nostalgia?
Try Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, which suits readers looking for readers who like games and nostalgia.
Which book here is best for witty cyberpunk?
Try Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, which suits readers looking for witty cyberpunk.
Which book here is best for prequel fans?
Try Rogue Planet by Greg Bear, which suits readers looking for prequel fans.