7 books set in space that are out of this world
Humans have been fascinated with space for centuries, staring up at the stars and creating stories about what might be out there. Imagining life on other planets gives readers a chance to escape, like to the outer rim of the solar system in 2001: A Space Odyssey or to the desert planet Arrakis in Dune.
Only relatively recently has our technology advanced enough that we can explore it for ourselves, giving an even more accurate picture of our tiny place in the vast universe. We now have answers to questions like what it’s like to live in space without gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, or privacy, like in Mary Roach’s Packing for Mars, or what it was like to be one of the first women to launch Americans into space in Rise of the Rocket Girls.
And this month, humans are headed back into outer space in NASA's historic moon mission, Artemis II. This time, four astronauts are aiming for a ten-day trip around the moon with lift-off scheduled for early April 2026. Three men and one woman will venture on the first lunar journey in half of a century.
Whether you’re an astrophile, sci-fi reader, or are curious about the Artemis II headlines, explore the cosmos with these books that take place in space, available on the Libby app.
Platform Decay
by Martha Wells
This is the eighth installment in Martha Wells' bestselling and award-winning Murderbot Diaries series, releasing on May 5, 2026. After volunteering to run a rescue mission, Murderbot realizes that it will have to spend significant time with a bunch of humans it doesn't know. Including human children. Ugh.
If this series is new to you, start with Book 1, All Systems Red, and prepare to become addicted.
Packing for Mars
by Mary Roach
What happens to you if you can’t walk for a year? Or if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Find out in this irresistibly strange universe of space travel and life without gravity. From the Space Shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA's new space capsule, Mary Roach takes us on the surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.
Binti
by Nnedi Okorafor
Winner of the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award for Best Novella, this first in the groundbreaking trilogy introduces us to the story of one extraordinary girl's journey from her home to distant Oomza University.
Feed
by M. T. Anderson
This YA sci-fi has arguably one of the best opening lines. Identity crises, consumerism, and star-crossed teenage love in a futuristic society where people connect to the Internet via feeds implanted in their brains. Winner of the LA Times Book Prize.
Project Hail Mary
by Andy Weir
You can’t have a list of space books without mentioning Andy Weir. And if you haven't heard everyone raving about Ryan Gosling's performance in the newly released film adaptation, where have you been? In this story, a lone astronaut must save the earth from disaster in a cinematic thriller full of suspense, humor, and fascinating science.
And to prep for the Artemis II launch, it's also worth checking out Andy Weir's Artemis about a heist set on the moon.
Reclaim the Stars
by Zoraida Córdova
From stories that take you to the stars, to stories that span into other times and realms, to stories set in the magical now, this book of short stories takes the Latin American diaspora to places fantastical and out of this world.
The Six
by Loren Grush
This is the remarkable true story of America’s first women astronauts each making history going to orbit aboard NASA’s Space Shuttle. Acclaimed journalist Loren Grush shows these six brilliant and courageous women enduring claustrophobic—and sometimes deeply sexist—media attention, undergoing rigorous survival training and preparing for years to take multi-million-dollar payloads into orbit.
*Title availability may vary.
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Published Mar 27, 2024
Last Updated Mar 26, 2026
Annie Suhy
Annie Suhy is the editor of Libby Life. When she’s not working, practicing yoga, or petting cats, she’s doing paint-by-numbers and buying more plants. An avid poetry fan, her favorite collection is The Splinter Factory by Jeffrey McDaniel. She is an Aries.