Let’s talk about the YA sci-fi and horror genres, there’s no better time for it than October—a.k.a the spooky season! Nothing like a good horror story to raise the hairs on the back of your neck with just the right amount of chills and thrills to let you sleep through the night (or not)! Or perhaps a thrilling science fiction title with its outer space setting and imaginative plots, often interlaced with their own alien languages for our tongues to trip over. Not unlike horror, science fiction can also be chock full of monsters and dystopian worlds that will have us afraid of what might go thump in the night.
This list is compiled of completed series (completely opinion based) of books that you simply must have on your shelves if you’re a lover of either of these genres!
Sci-Fi
The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner
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This book is going to give you chills, thrills, and all sorts of excitement when you’re reading it. In this story, you meet Thomas, a young man who finds himself without memories and the only clue to who he might be is his name. Along with the other boys that find themselves in a similar situation, they find themselves trapped in a constantly changing maze. A trilogy, this story will have so many twists and turns you won’t know which way is up when you finish with it. And if you’re still curious for more of this series, check out The Maze Runner movies. As with all book to movie adaptations, it won’t be the same, but it might just bring your characters to life.
Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson
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This one is an old series, but such a great read. Plus, you’ve got quite a few books to get through…if you’re looking for a journey. Not to mention, it’s written by James Patterson (which means nothing unless you love crime fiction), and he’s got quite a few books published under his belt. Maximum Ride is a young woman not unlike the rest of us, except she has wings. Alongside her dear friends, they are on a mission to find the youngest of their “flock”, Angel, who has been taken by a few crazy people who want to experiment on her. Along the way, they’ll fight half human monsters that will try to kill them, and end up in so many perilous situations. I remember having to wait for these to come out when I was finishing school, and I’m a little jealous that they’re all out in the world now!
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
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Gah, Marissa Meyer, I love you! This amazing science fiction series is based on fairy tales, and I would say are very aptly name. Our series begins with Cinder, the story of a young female cyborg. She’s an amazing mechanic, but lives with an awful stepmother who thinks she’s the cause of her step-sister’s sickness. However, when she meets Prince Kai, she becomes part of a larger intergalactic struggle, which could have serious consequences to the future of her world. Along with some forbidden romance between our characters, this is a series for romancing robot lovers who want a bit of adventure to go with their space adventure.
Horror
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
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I won’t lie, the undead and ghosts aren’t really my jam. However, Cas Lowood has it even worse…his job is to kill the dead, a job he inherited from his father. He travels around with his mother who also happens to have some witchy qualities and their cat, who can sniff out spirits. You can say that these guys don’t have too many attachments to things like family or friends. However, when he gets asked to help with a ghost called Anna Dressed in Blood, he finds the ghost of a young woman who was killed and has killed everyone who has dared enter her home. Will Cas be able to untangle the web of darkness that has taken over this young woman. Part of a duology, this story gives us horror and a ghosty love story. Even I can’t say no to that.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
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Imagine discovering the ruins of a home for children that were more than a little different…and finding out that these kids might still be alive. That’s the reality for Jacob, our sixteen year old protagonist in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. It’s a haunting story that has a mixture of those creepy vintage photographs that people just can’t stop looking at, a mystery to solve, and quite a bit of disturbing horror to go along with it. It’s not for the faint of heart (it gave me a bit of a fright to read, that’s for sure…but I’m a weenie). It’s also got a movie adaptation, which I felt was not as frightening to watch, and had a few differences, but let’s face it, the book is always better!
The Demonata Series by Darren Shan
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Nope. Nope. Nope. I will fully admit that Darren Shan writes the things from my nightmare. He’s got tons of books out about scary things that go bump in the night, and I can happily say that I admire and fear his books. The Demonata series follows Grubbs Grady, a young man who might be a little big for his age, but does the usual teenage boy things like annoy his sister. When he decides to stay home instead on a the family trip, things take a turn for the dark and sinister. It’s shocking and full of bump-in-the-night delights, so be sure to add this one to your list if you want something to make you stay up until dawn.
