The world of science fiction books is vast and inspiring, with tales of distant planets and alien life transporting you into a new world to get lost in. It's the perfect genre for audiobooks, whether you like listening on the sofa, on a walk or on your daily commute, these books can fill you with wonder about the possibilities of our modern scientific age.

We have tales of sentient rocks, long-term alien invasions and deep pining for our home, Earth. My favorite book on this list is Jeff Vandermeer's Annihilation because it made me realise how alien life on our own planet is and I think about it every time I go out into the wilderness. I have read it multiple times and am excited to listen to it on audiobook to gain an even deeper understanding of it.

The prices listed here are for buying the audiobook individually but Audible is currently offering Audible Standard membership for $0.99 per month for the first three months and a bonus $20 credit for Audible.com. Standard Membership allows you to select one audiobook to listen to per month but you don't get to keep it if you cancel. If you want to ensure future access to your audiobooks if you decided to cancel, you should select the Audible Premium Plus membership. Amazon Prime Day 2026 is bringing Prime members a huge three month free trial for either a standard or premium plus membership. If you are a new user, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial to Prime so you can realistically get three audiobooks for free before you have to pay a membership charge.

Have you watched the recent declassified 'UFO' videos from the Pentagon? What did you think? With many ufologists and enthusiasts worldwide craving concrete evidence from the US government about the existence of extraterrestrial life, many think the Pentagon's first release raised more questions than answers. The world is desperate for the truth on UFOs and what better way to start your own journey than by learning more on the subject from doctors, former government officials, investigative journalists and even, claimed alien 'abductees.'

Where to start on this vast phenomenon? It depends what you are looking for. If you want to explore the subject through the minds of experts directly involved in military investigations, try Dr J. Allen Hynek's foundational text "The UFO Experience" or Luis Elizondo's "Imminent," an exposé from the former director of the Pentagon's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP).

Famous psychiatrist Carl Jung breaks down the psychological and cultural forces behind UFOs in his book, "Flying Saucers: A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Skies." UFO spirituality is explored in Professor D.W. Pasulka's "American Cosmic," where she explores how UFO lore is playing a major role in the formation of new religions amongst believers, billionaires and top-tier academics.

Fancy jumping off into the deep end? Enter the world of high strangeness with "Passport to Magonia," Jacquees Vallees' seminal text exploring modern alien lore in context with medieval fairy mythology and folklore. Hear tales directly from abductees with Dr John. E Mack's "Abduction" and Whitley Strieber's "Communion."

With Spielberg's "Disclosure Day" set for release on June 12 and another impending drop from the Pentagon, now is the time to start paying attention. The whole world is watching — are you?

Lego and Star Wars is a match made in heaven and 2026 promises to be one of the wildest years for this play-based partnership and there are so many sets I wish I had, from this this new Lego Star Wars AT-AT to the Lego Star Wars Venator Republic Cruiser and beyond.

That's not all, either. Lego has introduced a whole new way to enjoy the best Lego Star Wars toys. It's unleashed several sets equipped with a 'Smart Brick' that enables interactivity between toys.

Sets equipped with Smart Bricks, such as Throne Room Duel & A-Wing will let you listen to Luke and Darth Vader's weapons clash, hear the infamous Imperial March play and more! It's the kind of idea my younger self would have dismissed as sheer fantasy, but I need these toys and I need them now.

Between Smart Brick technology and the other sets, Lego Star Wars fans are spoiled for choice. Here are the Lego Star Wars sets released in 2026 that I wish I had right now. After all, it's not like you can take your galactic credits with you.

Feeling the clammy grip of death on your shoulder? Hopefully you don't, but with so much debris floating overhead, a satellite apocalypse could come at any time. Then there are asteroid impacts, alien invasions and so on. That's why we've rounded up 15 sci-books you just have to read before you die.

From Isaac Asimov to Andy Weir, we've delved into science fiction, past and present, to select the books that deserve to be on your bucket list. These novels will transport you to a range of worlds, from a dystopian future(ish) Earth through to distant desert planets. The themes and topics they broach will leave you stunned, questioning humanity's place in the galaxy or, even if we have a future at all.

So, read on for the 15 sci-fi books that absolutely have to be on your bucket list.

Lego and Star Wars is a match made in sci-fi heaven and not only can you get your hands on the best Star Wars sets, May 4 aka Star Wars Day sees the launch of several new sets.

Which sets? There's a reasonably priced Razor Crest, for a start, soon to be seen in The Mandalorian and Grogu movie. Or, if you prefer to step back to the days of the Empire, you can pick up a bust of Darth Vader. And, if you're a Lego Insider (you can sign up for free) these new sets are available from May 1, if not earlier!

You can even snag some free Lego Gifts With Purchase sets if you buy through Lego's website. But since those will be available from May 1 and are liable to sell out, we recommend you hurry.

Love Project Hail Mary? We can't blame you. Andy Weir's sci-fi novel, which begins with an astronaut waking up aboard an apparently abandoned spaceship, is absolutely riveting. In fact, we spoke with Andy Weir to talk about the astrobiology behind the latest book-adapted motion picture.

Now the movie, starring Ryan Gosling, is on course to clean up at the box office, echoing the success of The Martian, another movie based on Weir's work. On top of that, another book, Artemis, has already been optioned as a film.

All of that might have you wondering, which other Weir works are worth investigating? And where can you go to find them?

We've rounded up all the author's books below, including a trio of Audible audiobooks. The last two are not strictly sci-fi, but if you're hooked on Weir, they're well worth investigating. And for a peek inside the author's mind, read our interview about Andy Weir's thoughts on alien life.

DALLAS, Texas — A bumper sticker from Wapakoneta, Ohio, advertising the city as the hometown of the "First Man to Step on the Moon" sold for $250.

The vintage decal was one of the least expensive items to sell from the personal effects of astronaut Neil Armstrong at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, where the more than 700 lots that were offered as part of the Armstrong Family Collection brought in an astronomical $5.2 million in bids.

"My brother Rick and I, as the owners of the Armstrong Family Collection, would like to thank Heritage Auctions for working with us to present these items to the public," said Mark Armstrong, Neil Armstrong's son, at the start of the two-day sale on Thursday (Nov. 1). "Thank you to all you enthusiasts out there, the supporters of NASA, the lovers of science and dreamers of impossible dreams." [Neil Armstrong's Photo Legacy: Rare Views of 1st Man on the Moon]

At the opposite end from the bumper sticker — topping the sale's results at nearly half a million dollars — was a label of a different type. A metal spacecraft ID plate that landed on the moon with Armstrong and was presented to him post-flight sold for $468,500.

"This was flown to the surface of the moon. This was there," said auctioneer Mike Sadler. "One of those signature lots in a signature sale. This is amazing."

The plaque-mounted plate, which was one of three flown on board the Apollo 11 lunar module "Eagle" during the world's first piloted moon landing on July 20, 1969, opened at $110,000. After three minutes of back and forth bids, each raising the total by $10,000, one of about 20 bidders who attended the sale (out of the more than 2,449 who participated by phone, internet or in-person over the course of the auction) won it for $380,000 (the $468,500 sale price includes a 25 percent buyer's premium added by Heritage).

"You have got yourself a plaque, my friend," said Sadler, congratulating the high bidder as others in the room applauded.

The same buyer picked up another one of the highlights from the auction, a piece of a historic airplane that Armstrong carried with him to the moon.

"We're going from the Wright brothers in Kitty Hawk in 1903 and the thrill of that [first] successful powered flight, to walking on the moon, arguably the pinnacle of any kind of aviation achievement," said Sadler.

In total, six pieces of the Wright Flyer flown on Apollo 11 were auctioned, including four samples of wing fabric and two fragments of the plane's wooden propeller. The 1-inch (2.5-centimeter) fabric artifacts sold for $112,500 to $175,000 each.

The propeller shards each brought in $275,000, tying them with two other lots for the second highest bids for items from the Armstrong Family Collection.

A 17.75-by-11.5-inch (45-by-29-centimeter) American flag, which Heritage said was the "largest size typically flown by Apollo missions," and a gold-colored medallion that Armstrong flew to honor the Apollo 1 astronauts who died in a 1967 fire on the launch pad each commanded $275,000 as well.

The Apollo 11-flown Apollo 1 Fliteline medallion was among the lots that Mark and Rick Armstrong had designated for charitable donations.

"It just seemed very natural for us to donate some of the proceeds from that to the Astronauts Memorial Foundation, which was formed after the Apollo 1 tragedy," said Mark in an interview with collectSPACE. "And there are many other examples like that."

Other leading lots included an Apollo 11 crew-signed envelope ("cover") that was flown to the moon for $156,250, a silver Apollo 11 medallion minted by the Robbins Company that sold for $112,500 and two smaller U.S. flags also flown on Apollo 11 that were won for $106,250 each.

Armstrong's Gemini-era flight suit, which may have been the first NASA garment that he wore as a member of the second astronaut class selected in 1962, sold for $109,375.

Julie Ahlers, who attended the sale, bid on and won the suit to place it on display at the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta. Ahlers told the Houston Chronicle that "a piece of history like that should be viewed by everyone."

Ahlers also won a copy of Newsweek magazine dated July 21, 1969, with Neil Armstrong on the cover and addressed to the astronaut's then-Texas home, for $11,875.

A letter that Armstrong wrote as a young boy to the Easter bunny, which Heritage identified as a highlight prior to the sale, sold for only $4,000. Conversely, a crayon coloring of flowers from a first grade note to his mother did surprisingly well, selling for $15,000.

The Armstrong Family Collection was included as part a larger three-day space exploration-themed auction that brought in a total of $7.4 million for Heritage. The Dallas firm will hold two more sales with items from Neil Armstrong's estate. Part Two is scheduled for May 9-10, 2019, with a third set for the following November.

"Working with the family to share objects near and dear to Neil Armstrong with his fans and space memorabilia collectors is a shining point in the history of Heritage," said Greg Rohan, president of Heritage, in a statement. "We are excited for the spring, when we have the pleasure of bringing more never-before-seen artifacts and private mementos to the world."

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