10 Best High Sci-Fi Universes In Fiction

"The spice must flow!"

Missing Frank Herbert's Dune saga from a list of this nature would be akin to blasphemy if you talk to the right people, as this property is one of the highest-selling sci-fi novel series' of all time and has had a firm grip on the genre for decades. If you've read the series, then you know it's deserved.

Dune is an epic story based on the harsh and dangerous Arrakis, a hostile and utterly unpleasant world. But, while Arakis is tough to live on, it's also the most valuable planet in the universe because of its rich deposits of "the spice", that being a drug that provides health benefits to humans and makes interstellar travel possible. The story follows the political and physical wars waged over this valuable resource and control of the planet.

Part of what makes the series so phenomenal is its basis in grounded themes. The narrative doesn't focus on cosmic possibilities but rather real human issues like social structure, dynasty, religion and power. Plus, the technology feels so high concept yet analogue, as "thinking machines" (such as robots or computers) are banned, and thus many sci-fi tropes are thrown out of the window.

The series has found itself adapted multiple times, but the upcoming Dune movie comes with the hope that it might bring it to the mainstream.