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Quick answer: If you loved The Illuminae Files, read These Broken Stars, Aurora Rising, Ender's Game and Skyward. All are fast, funny young adult science fiction about teens fighting for survival among the stars.
Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff's trilogy, Illuminae, Gemina and Obsidio, is told through documents such as chat logs, reports, maps and transcripts, as teens fight a corporate attack and a rogue AI. It is fast, funny and unusual in design. The books below offer similar space adventures, bold heroines and inventive storytelling.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Rising | Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff | Teen | squad adventure |
| These Broken Stars | Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner | Teen | stranded romance |
| Ender's Game | Orson Scott Card | Teen | young strategist |
| Skyward | Brandon Sanderson | Teen | pilot and war |
| Cinder | Marissa Meyer | Teen | fairy-tale science fiction |
| Scythe | Neal Shusterman | Teen | moral dilemmas |
| Red Rising | Pierce Brown | Adult | brutal dystopia |
| Warcross | Marie Lu | Teen | virtual reality game |
| Across the Universe | Beth Revis | Teen | spaceship mystery |
| Defy the Stars | Claudia Gray | Teen | human and machine |
| Sleeping Giants | Sylvain Neuvel | Adult | interview format |
| World War Z | Max Brooks | Adult | oral-history apocalypse |
| S. | J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst | Adult | book within a book |
| Uglies | Scott Westerfeld | Teen | rebellious teens |
| The Maze Runner | James Dashner | Teen | trapped teens |
1. Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
A misfit squad of cadets finds a mysterious girl from a lost ship. Funny and fast.
Best for: squad adventure.
2. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Two teens survive a spaceship crash and trek across a mysterious planet. Romantic and atmospheric.
Best for: stranded romance.
3. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Ender Wiggin is trained to fight an alien enemy. Classic and tense.
Best for: young strategist.
4. Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
A girl dreams of being a pilot to defend her planet. Fast and funny.
Best for: pilot and war.
5. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
A cyborg mechanic is drawn into a royal plot. Fast and romantic.
Best for: fairy-tale science fiction.
6. Scythe by Neal Shusterman
In a world without death, teens are trained to kill. Smart and dark.
Best for: moral dilemmas.
7. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
A miner on Mars infiltrates the elite. Fast and violent.
Best for: brutal dystopia.
8. Warcross by Marie Lu
A bounty hunter investigates a global VR game. Fast and romantic.
Best for: virtual reality game.
9. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
A girl wakes from cryosleep on a generation ship and finds a murder. Gripping and eerie.
Best for: spaceship mystery.
10. Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray
A soldier and a robot team up to save their planet. Emotional and action-packed.
Best for: human and machine.
11. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
A giant robotic hand is discovered, and its story unfolds through interviews. Fast and clever.
Best for: interview format.
12. World War Z by Max Brooks
A journalist gathers accounts from survivors of a zombie war. Fresh and realistic.
Best for: oral-history apocalypse.
13. S. by J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst
A novel with handwritten notes, postcards and inserts. A puzzle for dedicated readers.
Best for: book within a book.
14. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
A girl who is about to be made pretty discovers the truth about her society. Smart and quick.
Best for: rebellious teens.
15. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Boys with no memory live in a deadly maze. Tense and fast.
Best for: trapped teens.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Illuminae Files: 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.
How to Choose
For more Kaufman and Kristoff read Aurora Rising or These Broken Stars. For space adventure choose Skyward, Ender's Game or Defy the Stars. For unusual formats pick Sleeping Giants, World War Z or S. For fast dystopias read Scythe, Uglies or The Maze Runner. The Illuminae Files rewards print readers with its design, so check the physical edition if you can. The audiobooks of the trilogy use full casts and sound effects, which many fans say is the best way to hear the story. Both formats are worth trying. Fans of the trilogy often enjoy Kaufman and Kristoff's other books too. Aurora Rising begins a new series, and Kristoff's Nevernight is a dark fantasy for older readers. If you liked the format, S. and World War Z are great experiments. Check the audiobooks for full-cast versions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Illuminae Files?
A trilogy told through documents: Illuminae, Gemina and Obsidio.
Who wrote them?
Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.
When was the first book published?
2015.
Do I need to read in order?
Yes, since the story builds, though each book follows new characters.
What age are they for?
Teens, usually 13 and up.
Are they violent?
Yes, with a rogue AI and a deadly plague.
Is there a film?
A film adaptation has been announced for years. Check current listings.
What should I read next?
Try Aurora Rising or These Broken Stars.
Is Illuminae hard to read because of the format?
No, the design is clear, though it is quite visual.
Do the characters carry through all three books?
Each book follows different main characters, and they meet later.