FantasyBooks by Terry Brooks I have heard are good. I do like Tolkien and Piers Anthony as authors as well. Suspense/science fiction - I like Lois Duncan and Christopher Pike also. My students really enjoy them as well. Anything by Robert Jordan is a treat. The fantasy library would be empty without works by Ursula K. Le Guin. The beauty of Le Guin's work is that she can be enjoyed in the fantasy as well as science fiction genres, and is also a renowned poet. Science FictionBrooks, Tolkien and much of Anthony are fantasy rather than science fiction. Fantasy is set in world/universe that we all know doesn't exist. Science Fiction could be true, if one or more science factors is changed through technology. FTL or anti gravity or the existence of aliens.

Anything by Asimov is good, but some are probably a bit esoteric for a beginning reader. Heinlein is probably the classic. Starship Troopers was supposedly required reading at the Naval Academy at one point. I would point them at some anthologies, the ones that Asimov edited where really good, providing history and background to go with the stories.

Don't forget Jack Chalker. Chalker writes on a level easily deciphered by young adults, and offers pure escapism in his novels.

If not Heinlein or Asimov, everyone should read Ray Bradbury. Bradbury is on of the foundational writers of science fiction. The world's loss of Mr. Bradbury in 2012 was a tragedy. His legacy will live forever though. His novels and short stories span every level of reading ability, and no one will ever waste time reading anything he crafted. Look for Dandelion Wine, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Illustrated Man, The October Country, The Martian Chronicles, R is for Rocket, I Sing the Body Electric, and hundreds of other titles.

Don't forget Harlan Ellison or H.P. Lovecraft, but be wary that many of their stories can be either disturbing or contain higher level content.

Arthur C. Clarke is another hugely important science fiction writer. Mr. Clarke's knowledge was critical to the development of the NASA programs and he consulted for decade on the space programs of many nations. One of Clarke's greatest legacies was the novel Childhood's End. A bit dark, it deals with issues of first contact, paranoia, utopia/dystopia, and the transformation of the entire human race.

Compulsive Reader's Suggestions:Here are some scifi writers who have written some great Young Adult books:

Madelyne L'Engle - wrote the Time series (A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters) and other tales of ordinary teenagers facing extraordinary circumstances
Robert Anson Heinlein - an old school writer who wrote a lot of Young Adult scifi, particularly "boys' stories" - best known for The Rolling Stones and Starship Troopers
Andre Norton - another old school writer, Andre was actually a woman writer in an age where "only" men wrote scifi - wrote many books about teens coming of age in strange worlds, and learning to survive in strange situations - books include Beastmaster (which is nothing like the movie) and Star Man's Son
Margaret Peterson Haddix - wrote the Shadow Series - a futuristic world where population is strictly controlled and "shadow children" who are illegal "extra" kids try to survive and grow up, along with other books
Virginia Hamilton - wrote Justice and her Brothers - the first scifi series about an African-American teen
Orson Scott Card - best known for his Ender's science fiction series (Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, etc)
Anne MacCaffrey (lately helped by son Todd) - wrote the Dragonriders of Pern series - people on another world cope with danger by bioengeneering "dragons" from native animals. Ms. McCaffrey also wrote the Crystal Singer novels with which many young women can easily associate.
Larry Niven - Probably best known for his Known Universe series and the Ringworld novels.
Scott Westerfield - wrote the Uglies series (Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras) about a futuristic society where people are expected to be beautiful

Terry Pratchett - best known for the Discworld series, he also does a great series about a teenage witch coming of age (The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith) - the Discworld series is comedy
Tamora Pierce - writes stories of teens (especially girls) coming of age in a medieval-type world
Brian Jacques - best known for the Redwall series, about anthropormorphic animals who build and defend Redwall Abbey - either younger kids or teens can enjoy these books
Jane Yolen - writes fantasy books like Owl Moon
Patricia C. Wrede - writes humorous fantasy about teens (usually girls)
JK Rowling - wrote the Harry Potter books
Diana Wynne Jones - wrote humorous fantasy like Howl's Moving Castle and Dogsbody - often involves teens learning to use their powers
CS Lewis - best known for the Narnia series, which is currently being made into popular movies - deals with children who are sent to a magical world to solve problems
Susan Cooper - best known for the Dark is Rising series - about children and teens who have to cope with mystical forces of good and evil
TA Barron - writes about Merlin and his descendants living in a mystical world
Victoria Hanley - wrote The Seer and the Swordand The Healer's Keep
Garth Nix - best known for the Abhorsen Series (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen) and the Seventh Tower series - deals with teens coming into power
Eoin Colfer - writes the Artemis Fowl series - about a young mastermind who schemes to make money by using the faerie and elven worlds
Katharine Eliska Kimbriel - her books are usually out of print, but worth finding, especially Night Calls and Kindred Rites, the stories of a young witch learning to use her powers.
Phillip Pullman - wrote the His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass) - deals with coming of age in a world where a person's soul exists outside of their body
Alan Garner - The Owl Service, Elidor, Red Shift et al.
Frank Herbet, et al. - The Dune series originated with Frank, but was carried on by his son after Frank's death. Wonderful fiction, all of it.
David Drake - Drake took military writing and placed it firmly within SciFi with Hammer's Slammers.
Joe Haldeman - One of the single best SciFi military works was written by Haldeman. Look for The Forever War.

Specific books to try in addition to the above:

Dancing With an Alien by Mary Logue
The Dark Side of Nowhere and Downsiders by Neal Shusterman
Spacer and Rat by Margaret Bechard
Tria and the Great Star Rescue by Rebecca Kraft Rector
Mr. Was by Pete Hautman
Phoenix Rising by Karen Hesse
Dawn Palace and Winds of Mars by H.M. Hoover
Goose Chase by Patrice Kindl
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
Eragon and Eldest by Christopher Paolini
The Earthsea books by Ursula Le Guin
The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyers

I would like to add Alan Dean Foster to this list. As a teen, I read many of his novels and each time was swept away into the story. Mr. Foster has a unique way of telling a story that just draws you into the worlds he creates with vivid detail. My favorites were the Star Trek Log Books, and one of the first non-Lucas Star Wars novels, Splinter of the Minds Eye. Consider reading one of his best novels, Nor Crystal Tears.

But my favorite one of all are the Flinx and Pip novels.

Novels featuring Flinx (aka Philip Lynx)

For Love of Mother-Not (1983)
The Tar-Aiym Krang (1972)
Orphan Star (1977)
The End of the Matter (1977)
Flinx in Flux (1988)
Mid-Flinx (1995)
Reunion (2001)
Flinx's Folly (2003)
Sliding Scales (2004)
Running from the Deity (2005)
Bloodhype (1973)
Trouble Magnet (2006)
Patrimony (2007)
Flinx Transcendent (2008)
Impossible Places (2009)

I've read all these several times, and they still are thrilling to read.

I highly recommend them!

The beauty of the science fiction genre, that has not been touched on here, is that every other genre can neatly fit within it. Every story can be told from a SciFi perspective, be it western, romance, mystery, thriller, or any other type of writing.

Here's a hint for finding good science fiction and fantasy:

While most of the cover art of these two genres get panned often as cheesy or baudy, some of the best novels are covered by the same artists. Look for stories you like to read, then check on the copyright page for the artist who drew the cover. Chances are you will see names like Michael Whelan, Rowena (Morrill), Donna Diamond, and H.R. Van Dongen (a classic pulp cover artist), as well as many others. Look for these artists and the story under the cover is likely to be a good one.

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