On this blog, we’ve previously featured mystery short stories, short stories for YA readers, and children’s short story collections. Naturally, it’s time for science fiction short stories to get the spotlight! And boy do we have a great roundup for you in this list of the 20 best science fiction short story collections. Let Broke by Books guide you to the best sci-fi tales with these 20 essential sci-fi short fiction anthologies from individual authors and compilations of multiple writers.
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Science Fiction Short Story Collections by a Single Author
Binti: The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor
Although this is technically a compilation of Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti futuristic novellas, not short stories, the extra tales included in Binti: The Complete Trilogy make this book well worth the read. Okorafor’s beloved Binti series follows its fierce titular heroine as she travels across the solar system to go to an elite institution of higher education before getting pulled into an intergalactic power struggle.
How to read it: Purchase Binti: The Complete Trilogy on Amazon
Bloodchild and Other Stories by Octavia E. Butler
If you haven’t already read master science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler, Bloodchild and Other Stories is a great way to get your feet wet. Butler is well known as an accomplished novel writer (Kindred, anyone?), but here shows off her visionary science fiction in short form. Several of the stories collected here won prestigious awards like the Hugo and Nebula, making this anthology the one you won’t want to miss.
How to read it: Purchase Bloodchild on Amazon
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
Perhaps no annual “best of” list is more competitive than the New York Times‘s 10 Best Books of the Year, which selects five nonfiction and five fiction books as the absolute best of the best. In 2019, the Times named Ted Chiang’s sci-fi short story collection Exhalation among its top five fiction, bringing more exposure to a writer already known for Stories of Your Life and Others (2016). Now with Exhalation, Chiang has officially arrived.
How to read it: Purchase Exhalation on Amazon
The Hidden Girl by Ken Liu
As a writer myself, I am in awe of the imagination of Ken Liu, an award-winning science fiction and fantasy author. I loved his previous collection, The Paper Menagerie, but The Hidden Girl seems to me even more wondrous than before. Trust me: you want to experience seeing the world through the eyes of Ken Liu.
How to read it: Purchase The Hidden Girl on Amazon
How Long ’til Black Future Month? by N. K. Jemisin
I love the title of N. K. Jemisin’s How Long ’til Black Future Month? And the bold ideas in this thought-provoking anthology of science fiction short stories match the mood. If you haven’t already read Jemisin, a decorated author of speculative fiction, jump in with the stories in this dazzling collection.
How to read it: Purchase How Long ’til Black Future Month? on Amazon
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
Haven’t read Harlan Ellison yet? Sometimes I get overwhelmed by choosing what book to read first by prolific authors like Harlan Ellison. In his case, you can do no wrong when you start with his famous science fiction short story collection I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream. The mindf**k of a title is also shared by a Hugo Award-winning short story inside this anthology of seven by Ellison.
How to read it: Purchase I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream on Amazon
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
Intimidated by prolific and hugely influential sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov? Don’t be. Start with I, Robot, which anthologizes the short stories that comprise the first book in Asimov’s Robot series. Asimov is known for his cerebral yet accessible prose in tales that humanize robots, and many of his speculative fiction about robots has been eerily prophetic as artificial intelligence continues to accelerate growth closer and closer to humankind.
How to read it: Purchase I, Robot on Amazon
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
I credit Ray Bradbury with both my love of science fiction and my love of short stories. I have a certain fondness for another Bradbury anthology, The Illustrated Man, but I think The Martian Chronicles is his most essential collection of science fiction short stories and belongs on this list. In these linked tales, you’ll meet martians, humans, and the tension between them. Bradbury pulls on your emotions as much as he bends your mind. But what I admire the most is how each story packs a real punch, demonstrating the promise of storytelling in short form.
How to read it: Purchase The Martian Chronicles on Amazon
Radicalized by Cory Doctorow
Cory Doctorow is one of the most exciting authors to watch. Known for his novels Little Brother and Homeland, Doctorow could be considered in the post-cyberpunk sub-genre. His fiction often features dystopian societies and characters who challenge the status quo. Doctorow’s writing openly criticizes political leadership that harnesses technology to disenfranchise and suppress people. Get a taste of Doctorow’s storytelling prowess with Radicalized, a collection of four science fiction short stories that are freakishly predictive and relevant to society right now.
How to read it: Purchase Radicalized on Amazon
Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick by Philip K. Dick
There is no history of science fiction without Philip K. Dick. Period. From The Man in the High Castle, which was adapted into a hit TV series, to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which formed the basis for the epically influential film Blade Runner, Philip K. Dick created worlds that pulled at the thin divide between “science” and “fiction.” The Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick is a generous collection of Dick’s short stories that showcase a master at work and is a must-have for any sci-fi fan.
How to read it: Purchase The Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick on Amazon
The Unreal and the Real by Ursula K. Le Guin
First let’s just take a moment to recognize how amazing the title of this science fiction short story collection by Ursula K. Le Guin: The Real and the Unreal. These award-winning tales are grouped into the “Real” (close to our reality) and the “Unreal” (speculative fiction). And just as awe-inspiring are the stories inside, curated from Le Guin’s long career. It’s hard to come away from reading The Real and the Unreal without a deep appreciation for Le Guin’s mastery of storytelling in short form.
How to read it: Purchase The Real and the Unreal on Amazon
Science Fiction Short Story Collections with Multiple Authors
The Big Book of Science Fiction edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer
If you only own one science fiction short story collection, make it this one. The Big Book of Science Fiction, co-edited by husband and wife team Ann and Jeff VanderMeer (of The Southern Reach fame), has a host of famous science fiction short stories by several authors already mentioned in this article. But this comprehensive sci-fi short story anthology also includes writers from the dawn of the genre into its Golden Age and all the way to present day. But The Big Book of Science Fiction is also a smart buy for value’s sake, with 105 stories included.
How to read it: Purchase The Big Book of Science Fiction on Amazon
The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year (Series) edited by Jonathan Strahan
For thirteen volumes, The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year science fiction anthology series cleanly collected the best new work by established and emerging authors. Notably, Jonathan Strahan was the steady editor throughout, lending its volumes a consistent reputation for quality. I’ve linked here to the thirteenth and final volume, which came out in 2019.
How to read it: Purchase The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year: Volume Thirteen on Amazon
The Best Science Fiction of the Year (Series) edited by Neil Clarke
An emerging name in science fiction anthology series is The Best Science Fiction of the Year, edited by award-winning author Neil Clarke. Now in its fifth volume, The Best Science Fiction of the Year is notable for giving newer writers a voice along with old standbys like Alastair Reynolds, Ann Leckie, and Ken Liu. For the complete collection, visit the anthology’s series page.
How to read it: Purchase The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Five on Amazon
Broken Stars: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation edited by Ken Liu
A Locus Award Finalist for Best Anthology, Broken Stars: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation was already destined for greatness because it’s edited by Ken Liu (whose collection, The Hidden Girl, is praised earlier in this article). Here Liu has assembled an all-star list of science fiction short stories by notable Chinese authors. If you want to get a better appreciation for the genre, read stories like these, now accessible for the first time.
How to read it: Purchase Broken Stars on Amazon
The Future is Female! 25 Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women edited by Lisa Yaszek
More than ever before, female sci-fi writers are breaking down the gender barriers that boxed out many women for years. But as you see in The Future Is Female!, female sci-fi authors have been formative in the genre from the very beginning. The Future Is Female! collects classic science fiction short fiction from women writers going all the way back to the 1920’s leading up to the late 1960’s with Ursula K. Le Guin. As this thoughtful and necessary anthology proves, women have always been crafting inventive stories of the future.
How to read it: Purchase The Future Is Female! on Amazon
Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the 20th Century edited by Orson Scott Card
With Orson Scott Card steering the ship, Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the 20th Century is an essential sci fi short story collection for any fan of the genre. Masterpieces covers the whole 20th century in a comprehensive sampling of the century’s most influential and essential science fiction short fiction from authors like Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, William Gibson, and more.
How to read it: Purchase Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the 20th Century on Amazon
A People’s Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adam
The intriguing science fiction short stories in A People’s Future of the United States imagine the future of America through their speculative lens. With a conscious nod to Howard Zinn’s classic history book, A People’s History of the United States, this anthology directly engages with contemporary American politics, technology, and society. Mega authors like Charles Yu, Charlie Jane Anders, Seanan McGuire, and more make this a diverse read.
How to read it: Purchase A People’s Future of the United States on Amazon
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One: 1929-1964 edited by Robert Silverberg
In The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One: 1929-1964, editor Robert Silverberg compiled a core sci fi short story collection by writers like Robert A. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, and Arthur C. Clarke. Originally published in 1970, this 26-story anthology showcases some of the best science fiction short stories of all time and is credited with introducing sci-fi to a whole generation of readers and writers.
How to read it: Purchase The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One: 1929-1964 on Amazon
The Time Traveler’s Almanac edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer
The second science fiction anthology edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer featured here, The Time Traveler’s Almanac should be part of any sci-fi fan’s library. Time travel has captured our fantasies from the 19th century to present day and it remains a significant sub-genre within science fiction. With The Time Traveler’s Almanac, check out the history of time travel, going from H. G. Wells to Douglas Adams and Connie Willis.
