The Best of Sci-Fi and Fantasy - YA Books so Good we Loved them as Adults

episode

Hugonauts: The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time not yet transcribed

▲ 0

Transcript

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet Upvotes decide what gets transcribed next — 0 so far. Sign in to upvote

More from Hugonauts: The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time

Flowers for Algernon - An incredible, timeless classic! 45 min · 08 Sep 2026

All episodes from Hugonauts: The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time →

Report any issue

Source

Recorded26 May 2026

Publisherfeeds.simplecast.com ↗

Handlerec:18584935

Show notes

In this episode of the Hugonauts we’re breaking down what truly defines great Young Adult fiction and answering the ultimate question: do these books actually hold up when you read them for the first time as an adult? We look at the core guidelines of YA literature—from exploring the human condition through a young protagonist's eyes to (ideally) teaching profound stuff that resonates beyond teenhood. We count down the absolute best YA sci-fi books and YA fantasy recommendations. We dive into legendary dystopian hits like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, masterclass sci-fi like Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and Red Rising by Pierce Brown, and classic fantasy staples like Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, and C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. But we don't just look at the masterpieces. We also separate the true YA novels from books that are actually meant for middle-grade kids (like The Giver, Redwall, and The Phantom Tollbooth). Finally, we tackle the controversial "duds" of the genre. Why are massive bestsellers like The Maze Runner, Divergent, and Scythe so incredibly popular, and why did they fall totally flat for us? Grab your reading list and let's find out which books are actually worth your time! No spoilers anywhere in this episode. Join the Hugonauts book club on discord Or you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer video This episode is sponsored by Memoirs of the End by Vincent Rylan All the books we recommend, plus timestamps: 00:00 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 04:16 Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card 07:02 The Chrysalids by John Wyndham 08:55 SPONSOR - Memoirs of the End by Vincent Rylan 09:30 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 12:54 Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff 15:20 Red Rising by Pierce Brown 18:47 Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden 20:15 A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket 22:39 The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien 23:56 The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman 26:40 The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis 29:10 The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett 31:38 Powers by Ursula K. Le Guin 34:14 The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King 35:14 The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman 36:55 Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling 39:10 Redwall by Brian Jacques 41:17 Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien 41:55 The Giver by Lois Lowry 42:41 The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster 43:34 Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer 44:40 Cinder by Marissa Meyer 45:56 Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix 46:54 How are these duds so popular?

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.