There’s stranded, and then there’s stranded in space. At least on Earth, even in the most desolate of environments, you can breathe the air, possibly find water, and understand the elements you’re up against. But in space, there are no limits to the ways you can die. And that’s what makes it so much fun to read about.
From the moment we began striving to reach the stars, sci-fi authors were imagining all the ways space might kill us. While aliens are always at the top of the list, space itself is an obvious enemy. Simply take breathing. There is no oxygen in the vacuum of space, which means anyone travelling beyond our atmosphere is beholden to the integrity of their ship. And in an expanse that stretches endlessly, there is no way of knowing all the strange and deadly things we might encounter.
It's an idea that adds instant terror to a situation. It doesn’t matter if the ship dies, malfunctions, or crashes on an alien planet. All of that means survival is uncertain and rescue might never happen. Suddenly, a flat tire on an empty stretch of highway feels manageable. Maybe that’s why we can’t stop reading books about being stranded in space. It gives perspective while fueling our imagination. From a ship's artificial intelligence going insane to tourist excursions going very, very wrong, here are seven books about getting stranded in space.
Achilles
After a tragic accident kills dozens of teenage colonists on the colonized planet Thetis in the Silver Foot Galaxy, Earth sends the Mayflower 2 filled with new homesteaders. For one of the teens onboard, Jonah Lincoln, Thetis promises the chance for him to reinvent himself. When the ship crash lands on Achilles, Thetis’s unpopulated moon, Jonah’s plans crash with it. And after the adults mysteriously vanish, leaving the teenage passengers to fend for themselves, survival feels like a distant dream—especially when they realize that Achilles may not be as empty as they first believed.
Adrift
On a remote mining planet, a group of tourists board a small vessel for a tour around Sigma Station. It should be a simple trip to take in the stunning views of the Horseshow Nebula. But when a mysterious ship attacks the Station, it’s only thanks to the pilot’s quick maneuvers, that the tourists escape with their lives. That’s the only good news. They’re left drifting through space with no contact to outside civilizations or supplies to help them survive. And with another attack likely, they have to figure out a plan or risk dying in the endless expanse of space.
Destination: Void
Travelling to new worlds should be easy enough for the starship Earthling. The colonists are all in cybersleep, hibernating as the three disembodied human brains, otherwise known as the Organic Mental Cores, operate the ship. But when those three cores go insane, the emergency skeleton crew has to act fast to save the lives of everyone on board. Their only hope is to create an artificial consciousness in the ship’s primary computer.
The only problem? That consciousness could just as easily steer them to their destination as it could destroy the human race.
Enemies of the System
In a million years, humanity has evolved. Now known as homo uniformis due to their shared centralized nervous system, they know nothing about war, disease, violence, or even the emotions that their ancient human ancestors struggled with. But when a group of travelers find themselves stranded on the wild planet Lysenka, they quickly realize they’re not alone.
At some point, millennia ago, human colonists came to the planet. But what they became is vastly different from who they once were and who humans now are. Far removed from the protection of their uniform existence, the group only has one choice: adapt or die.
The Icerigger Trilogy
Tran-ky-ky is not a planet most would choose to land on. Icy, desolate, and plagued with hurricane force winds, it’s a desolate world filled with danger. After a botched kidnapping, Ethan Frome Fortune and a handful of survivors find themselves crashing into Tran-ky-ky. Stranded with no way to communicate with civilization, the group has to confront vicious predators, attempt peace with the native alien species, and adapt to their vicious winters if they want to survive. And just when Fortune accepts that life on Tran-ky-ky might be their only choice, revelations about the future of the planet offer new hope.
The Martian
Astronaut Mark Watney was one of the first people to walk on Mars. After a freak accident injures Watney and forces his crew to evacuate the planet, they leave him on Mars believing he’s dead. He wakes up, stranded and alone with no way to communicate to his crew or to Earth that he’s still alive. But even if he did, he doesn’t have enough supplies to survive. Only, Watney isn’t ready to give up. Can he use his engineering skills, creative ingenuity, and tapping into his relentless refusal to quit to overcome impossible odds? Or will he be the first person to die on Mars?
Binti
Oomza University is considered the finest institution of higher learning in the Galaxy. Binti is one of the Himba people to be offered a place there. But if she accepts, she’ll have to leave her family and travel with strangers who don’t share her beliefs or customs. It’s a cost that Binti is willing to pay, even knowing that her journey won’t be easy. For Binti, knowledge is worth it. Except, Oozma University has been at war with the Meduse for years. And their journey puts them directly in their reach. To survive the war, Binti needs the knowledge from the University combined with the gifts of her people. And to do that, she needs to make it to the University alive.
