The best science fiction books in aesthetic universes

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up, I melted into the cinematic universe. And it was always the fantasies that made me feel wonderous. Star Wars, Skyrim, Fallout, Dune, The Hunger Games, you name it, they all sucked me in during the darkest times in life. That’s why I write, for the children and the young adults. I want them to experience my worlds to understand their own. I earned my BFA in Creative Writing at Full Sail University. I hope to translate my books into screenplays while my dream and goal is to watch my own story on the big screen with a bucket of popcorn in my hands.


I wrote...

Tolerance Book One

By Ethan Marek,

Book cover of Tolerance Book One

What is my book about?

In an overpopulated, climate-crisis world, the country of Haven prepares for an upcoming war with the neighboring country of Zovia. They're on the brink of nuclear battle, but an experimental idea may swing the power to the citizens who live on Haven's frozen crust.

Kids between the ages of six and eighteen are drafted to Project Tolerance, a digital warfare simulation, constructing supersoldiers by exposing them to pain, reaching for a high pain Tolerance.

This book is available for pre-order on the author's website.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Hunger Games

Ethan Marek Why did I love this book?

The Hunger Games rocketed off the dystopian genre with other series, such as, Divergent and The Maze Runner. I’ve always loved this book because of its aesthetic with the woods, and every character has their own unique, compelling trait. The book taught me that drama should always overtake action. You don’t need tons of action scenes to make an epic story, besides, it’s the drama between the characters that builds the suspense and entertains the audience. Have you ever rooted for a character in a movie because it was a favorite actor of yours?

By Suzanne Collins,

Why should I read it?

45 authors picked The Hunger Games as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. But Katniss has been close to death before - and survival, for her, is second nature. The Hunger Games is a searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present. Welcome to the deadliest reality TV show ever...


Book cover of Dune

Ethan Marek Why did I love this book?

There’s no question when it comes to the success of the story Dune, which Hollywood produced as the top-grossing film in 2021. This book is a must-recommendation because of its beautiful, clever-constructed world in a strong aesthetic of desert life. Dune helped me realize the political side of storytelling, and a story can combine many characters when done the right way without confusing the readers. Plus, this novel was published in 1965 and still trends today. 

By Frank Herbert,

Why should I read it?

53 authors picked Dune as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Before The Matrix, before Star Wars, before Ender's Game and Neuromancer, there was Dune: winner of the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards, and widely considered one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written.

Melange, or 'spice', is the most valuable - and rarest - element in the universe; a drug that does everything from increasing a person's lifespan to making interstellar travel possible. And it can only be found on a single planet: the inhospitable desert world of Arrakis.

Whoever controls Arrakis controls the spice. And whoever controls the spice controls the universe.

When the Emperor transfers stewardship of…


Book cover of The Shadow War

Ethan Marek Why did I love this book?

The Shadow War is a historical fiction story that takes place in the majestic, horrific era of World War II. The word choices and story pace interested me with this story. For the chapter heads, the author used character names to jump from one to the next, and while I believe that’s used a lot in books, I formatted mine quite uniquely from others, transforming the pages into what feels like a cinematic marvel, all thanks to studying the formats of other books.

By Lindsay Smith,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Shadow War as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

Inglourious Basterds meets Stranger Things in this dark and thrilling tale of power, shadow, and revenge set during World War II.

World War II is raging, and five teens are looking to make a mark. Daniel and Rebeka seek revenge against the Nazis who slaughtered their family; Simone is determined to fight back against the oppressors who ruined her life and corrupted her girlfriend; Phillip aims to prove that he's better than his worst mistakes; and Liam is searching for a way to control the portal to the shadow world he's uncovered, and the monsters that live within it--before the…


Book cover of The Institute

Ethan Marek Why did I love this book?

Stephen King is known for his artsy works, but The Institute felt different than the other stories. The book is divided up into sections, and in these sections were chapters. It was an interesting way to format a book, but what pulled me into the story was the fantasy magic of telekinesis, almost a runoff of his book The Shining. The psychology was captivating while the young characters were tormented for their punishments of betrayal against the mysterious school, but every kid had their own shine to them, a special talent or gift of nature inside.

By Stephen King,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked The Institute as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'It does everything you'd expect of a masterpiece - and it is one' Sunday Express

'Hums and crackles with delicious unease' Independent

'Captivating' The Sunday Times

'An absorbing thriller' Mail on Sunday

NO ONE HAS EVER ESCAPED FROM THE INSTITUTE.

Luke Ellis, a super-smart twelve-year-old with an exceptional gift, is the latest in a long line of kids abducted and taken to a secret government facility, hidden deep in the forest in Maine.

Here, kids with special talents - telekinesis and telepathy - like Luke's new friends Kalisha, Nick and Iris, are subjected to a series of experiments.

There seems…


Book cover of Slender Man

Ethan Marek Why did I love this book?

Weird, right? The author of the story is unknown. Some may say it’s just a narrative of the main character’s story, but no one really knows the truth behind the mythical monster. Slender Man was a decent book, a very quick read too for four-hundred pages. While the story was slow, it pitched in its genre of suspense, mystery, and terror. We live in the real world, but we’re also living in a world of wonders. I’d recommend this story to anyone who loves mysteries and evil entities, even gamers who run around the worlds of Fallout and Skyrim.

By Anonymous,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Slender Man as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

LAUREN BAILEY HAS DISAPPEARED.

As her friends and the police search for answers, Matt Barker begins to dream of trees and black skies and something drawing closer.

Through fragments of journals, blog posts and messages, a sinister, slender figure emerges and all divisions between fiction and delusion, between nightmare and reality, begin to fall.

The urban legend of the Slender Man has inspired short fiction, viral videos, and a feature film. Gathered from online
whispers, Matt's story reveals the true power of the internet's most terrifying creation.


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I Meant to Tell You

By Fran Hawthorne,

Book cover of I Meant to Tell You

Fran Hawthorne Author Of I Meant to Tell You

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Museum guide Foreign language student Runner Community activist Former health-care journalist

Fran's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

When Miranda’s fiancé, Russ, is being vetted for his dream job in the U.S. attorney’s office, the couple joke that Miranda’s parents’ history as antiwar activists in the Sixties might jeopardize Russ’s security clearance. In fact, the real threat emerges when Russ’s future employer discovers that Miranda was arrested for felony kidnapping seven years earlier—an arrest she’d never bothered to tell Russ about.

Miranda tries to explain that she was only helping her best friend, in the midst of a nasty custody battle, take her daughter to visit her parents in Israel. As Miranda struggles to prove that she’s not a criminal, she stumbles into other secrets that will challenge what she thought she knew about her own family, her friend, Russ—and herself.

I Meant to Tell You

By Fran Hawthorne,

What is this book about?

When Miranda’s fiancé, Russ, is being vetted for his dream job in the U.S. attorney’s office, the couple joke that Miranda’s parents’ history as antiwar activists in the Sixties might jeopardize Russ’s security clearance. In fact, the real threat emerges when Russ’s future employer discovers that Miranda was arrested for felony kidnapping seven years earlier—an arrest she’d never bothered to tell Russ about.

Miranda tries to explain that she was only helping her best friend, in the midst of a nasty custody battle, take her daughter to visit her parents in Israel. As Miranda struggles to prove that she’s not…


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