Science Fiction
Read Science Fiction Classics in English
250 science fiction books at CEFR A2 to C2 — learn English by reading the stories worth reading. Select any word for an instant translation, listen to the narration read the page aloud, and save the vocabulary you meet. Pick your level and start with a free sample.
What are the best science fiction classics to read in English as a learner?
The best science fiction classics for English learners are the well-known titles you can read in the original — start with Threlkeld's Daughter, This One Problem and Thirty Degrees Cattywonkus. Each one is labelled with a CEFR level, any word you do not know is one selection away from a translation, and the narration reads the page aloud while it highlights the words.
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Level B2Science FictionJoe Carson's WeaponMars invaders seek to steal the weapon of Joe Carson's brilliant mind to conquer Earth, while Joe, a passionate sci-fi fan, battles his own wild imagination and the chaos it unleas…
Level B2Science FictionJingle in the JungleIn a world where prize-fighting is outlawed and corruption runs deep, Charlie Jingle stands alone, fighting a rigged system with nothing but his skill and grit.
Level B2Science FictionJewels of GwahlurA fierce warrior scales deadly cliffs to reach the hidden, legendary palace of Alkmeenon, where a fabled treasure—The Teeth of Gwahlur—beckons amidst dangerous political intrigues…
Level B2Science FictionJekyll-Hyde PlanetA family escapes Earth's overcrowded, war-torn future to colonize Centifor, a pristine, untouched paradise planet.
Level B2Science FictionJack of No TradesIn a distant asteroid belt, a resourceful man transforms a battered tug’s powerful drive unit into a mobile asteroid, sparking curiosity and intrigue as others watch his unconventi…
Level B2Science FictionJabberwock, Beware!Earth’s survival hinges on a high-stakes intellectual duel with giant Jovian aliens who have already destroyed the moon; Joe Waters, a brilliant yet reluctant champion, must face t…
Level B2Science FictionInvader From InfinityWhen a mysterious alien sphere invades the Solar System, Commander Jon McPartland must lead humanity’s fastest, deadliest space fighter in a desperate battle to protect Earth from…
Level B2Science FictionIn the Sargasso Sea: A NovelA young mechanical engineer secures a risky, cheap passage aboard the brig Golden Hind, bound for Africa’s West Coast, where adventure and danger lurk on the mysterious Sargasso Se…
Level B2Science FictionIf at First You Don't...In a future where satellites are relics of a bygone era, a historic orbital satellite faces destruction, sparking fierce political debates about preservation versus progress.
Level B2Science FictionHoles, IncorporatedTwo inventors unveil a mysterious device that creates holes into the fourth dimension, defying all logic and revolutionizing construction.
Level B2Science FictionHigh ManCaught in a whirlwind of suspicion and silence, a man becomes entangled with a renegade professor whose anti-gravity belt promises to defy the limits of Earth—and launch them into…
Level B2Science FictionHeavenly GiftsIn a quiet lab, a humble janitor’s midnight prayers are answered in extraordinary ways when mysterious gifts begin appearing—transforming faith into a cosmic connection that blurs…
Level B2Science FictionHandymanTrapped alone on a post-apocalyptic Earth, James Ypsilanti battles cold and confinement by chopping up his prison doors for firewood—while a relentless, emotionless carpenter robot…
Level B2Science FictionGrove of the UnbornStranded alone on a mysterious alien planet, a starship engineer uncovers unsettling secrets beneath a seemingly peaceful civilization—where strange creatures are sacred and a fana…
Level B2Science FictionGreen Grew the LassesWhen a mysterious green plant overtakes a town, women and girls begin turning green overnight, sparking panic and isolation in Mimosa Beach.
Level B2Science FictionGoslingsIn early 20th-century London, George Gosling, a respectable family man and head clerk, navigates the delicate balance between social respectability and hidden desires, revealing th…
Level B2Science FictionGoodbye, Dead Man!In a tense mountain reactor installation under Outsider control, two friends face the deadly menace of Orley Mattup, a guard whose lethal power and sinister card games threaten the…
Level B2Science FictionGoma's FolliclesStranded on the remote mining colony of Procyon IV, a weary traveler faces unexpected dangers just trying to get a haircut aboard a starship.
Level B2MysteryGold of the GodsWhen a priceless ancient Peruvian dagger is stolen from a university museum, a determined explorer and a keen investigator uncover hidden clues, including mysterious shoeprints and…
Level B2Science FictionGet Out of My Body!An alien fugitive hides by possessing a young girl in Knoxville, sparking a tense hunt as a human tour-chief races against a looming alien intervention to capture him before disast…
Level B2Science FictionGenerals Help ThemselvesIn a tense future where a devastating defeat on Venus has shattered hope, an admiral entrusts a disgraced commander with the critical defense of Base Q, the Federation’s vital ener…
Level B2Science FictionFrom Zone to Zone: Or, The Wonderful Trip of Frank Reade, Jr., with His Latest Air-ShipA visionary inventor unveils his revolutionary airship, promising to conquer the uncharted polar regions deemed unreachable by traditional means.
Level B2Science FictionFrank Reade, Jr., with his new steam man in Mexico: or, hot work among the greasersWhen a letter arrives from Mexico revealing the disappearance of Frank Reade Jr.
Level B2MysteryFrank Reade, Jr., with his new steam horse in the great American desert: or, The sandy trail of deathIn the wild West, a brilliant inventor sets out on a daring journey aboard his revolutionary Steam Horse, a mechanical marvel built to brave the harsh desert.
Level B2Science FictionFrank Reade, Jr., and his new steam man; or, the young inventor's trip to the far westA young inventor challenges his father’s legendary Steam Man by creating an even more remarkable machine, embarking on a secret project that promises thrilling adventures across th…
Level B2Science FictionFrank Reade, Jr., and His Electric Ice Ship; or, Driven Adrift in the Frozen Sky.When seventeen-year-old Walter Grey is drugged and kidnapped under mysterious orders, a daring rescue attempt plunges him into a perilous adventure aboard a whaling ship bound for…
Level B2Science FictionFrank Reade, Jr., With His New Steam Man in Central AmericaAn ingenious inventor faces a daring rescue mission in the perilous jungles of Central America, armed with his incredible Steam Man to save a lost friend and uncover a legendary tr…
Level B2Science FictionFrank Reade, Jr., Fighting the Terror of the CoastA man races against time to find a young inventor who has just launched his revolutionary flying machine, hoping to enlist his help to save a child from a deadly threat known as th…
Level B2Science FictionFrank Reade, Jr.'s Search for the Silver Whale: Or, Under the Ocean in the Electric "Dolphin"An ingenious young inventor builds the "Dolphin," a submarine modeled after a fish, promising to unlock the mysteries of the deep ocean.
Level B2Science FictionFrank Reade and His Steam HorseA teenage inventor unveils his latest marvel: a steam-powered mechanical horse capable of remarkable speed and endurance.
Level B2Science FictionFrank Reade Jr.'s Submarine Boat; or, to the North Pole Under the Ice.A young inventor unveils a revolutionary steel submarine designed to reach the North Pole beneath the ice, embarking on a daring underwater expedition with his loyal companions.
Level B2Science FictionFrank Reade Jr.'s Air Wonder, The "Kite"; Or, A Six Weeks' Flight Over the AndesStranded in the perilous Andes with a treasure beyond imagining, two rivals clash in a deadly struggle fueled by greed and love.
Level B2Science FictionFrank Reade Jr. and His Engine of the Clouds: Or, Chased Around the World in the SkyIn a cold Chicago night, young Joe Crosby escapes captivity to confront his treacherous stepfather, whose greed for Joe’s inheritance threatens his life.
Level B2Science FictionFormula for ConquestWhen a brilliant formula promises to speed Venusian evolution and tip the balance in an interplanetary war, a soldier of fortune and a determined professor must navigate treacherou…
Level B2Science FictionFlight Into the UnknownA rookie astronaut faces the terrifying realities of space travel as mysterious creatures and deadly dangers close in on his crew during their mission beyond Saturn.
Level B2Science FictionFive Thousand Miles Underground; Or, the Mystery of the Centre of the EarthA brilliant professor and two adventurous youths prepare to test a revolutionary airship and submarine on daring quests beneath the ocean and beyond the poles.
Level B2Science FictionFirst Stage: MoonA crew returns from the first manned Moon mission, carrying the hopes of a divided Earth eager for unity and glory.
Level B2Science FictionFifteen Hundred Miles an HourJourney beyond Earth begins with a mysterious meteorite crash in the Sahara, leading to a daring expedition aboard the spaceship Sirius as explorers venture through space toward Ma…
Level B2Science FictionField TripIn a future where time travel is tightly controlled by strict laws, two travelers become stranded in the 20th century, confronting forbidden emotions and the dangers of breaking th…
Level B2Science FictionFairyland planetOn a distant planet where a fatherly figure cares for 137 children, the joy of a perfect world is challenged when a young visitor doubts the existence of Santa Claus, sparking ques…
Level B2Science FictionEvil Out of OnzarIn a galaxy torn between the Allied Worlds and the Darzent Empire, the orphan system of Onzar seethes under a paranoid leader determined to seize control of vital warp-lines.
Level B2Science FictionEscape From PlutoExiled to Pluto’s frozen wasteland for his tyrannical ambitions, Marcius Kemble plots a fiery comeback while mysterious native beings monitor his every move—setting the stage for a…
Level B2Science FictionEquation of DoomStranded on the harsh planet Irwadi after its government seizes control of interstellar transfers, pilot Jason Ramsey must navigate alien hostility and uncertain futures amid polit…
Level B2Science FictionEgocentric OrbitAlone in orbit, a lone astronaut experiences the awe of weightlessness and the vast panorama of Earth and stars, while grappling with the mysterious fate of his predecessors who re…
Level B2Science FictionEarth's Maginot LineA daring crew breaks through Earth's deadly ionosphere barrier, venturing into space aboard the New Hope.
Level B2MysteryEarth Is Missing!In a frozen 87th Century Earth, Detective Johnny Steel faces a deadly gang led by a monstrous foe known as The Bear.
Level B2Science FictionDroozleAn artist’s unusual pet—a twelve-inch ballpoint snake named Droozle—becomes a bestselling novelist, but his insistence on writing sprawling literary classics threatens the couple’s…
Level B2Science FictionDouble TakeWhen alien historians unearth a 20th-century time capsule, they discover not just a documentary on American life but the hidden, raw emotions behind its creation—revealing a far mo…