Top 16 Books Like Jurassic Park Updated 04 /2024

The Martian by Andy Weir

Astronaut Mark Watney made history six days ago when he became the first person to walk on Mars.

He's now certain he'll be the first person to perish in that location.

Once his crew evacuates in the wake of a dust storm that nearly kills him, leaving him alone with no way to alert Earth that he is still alive, Mark finds himself stranded and without food or water for an extended period of time.

He may not have enough time to starve to death, but that is unlikely. He is far more likely to die as a result of malfunctioning machinery, a hostile environment, or simply "human error."

Mark, on the other hand, isn't ready to call it quits just yet. To overcome each obstacle, he relies on ingenuity, engineering prowess, and a relentless refusal to give up. Will he be able to overcome the insurmountable odds stacked against him?

Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1) by Orson Scott Card

This isn't what Andrew Wiggin, better known as "Ender," thinks. He's engaged in something far more dangerous. It is possible Ender may be the military genius Earth needs in a war against an alien enemy that wants to wipe out all human life. The only way to find out is to either subject Ender to ever more torturous training or to completely eliminate him. When the story begins, Ender Wiggin is just six years old. He'll be a kid in no time.

However, the experiment did not yield only Ender as a result. It's been a century since the Buggers invaded, and that's almost as long as it's taken to find the perfect general to lead the army. It's no secret that Ender's two older brothers, Peter and Valentine, are both odd, but in very different ways. Valentine, on the other hand, lacks the capacity for violence in the slightest. It was determined that neither would be useful to the military. Rather, they're motivated by a deep-seated desire for power and jealousy of Ender's position in the organization. Ultimately, Peter wants to be king, to be in charge of the political process. Valentine's strengths lie in persuading the masses and the elite alike with essays that are both powerful and persuasive. They begin working together to shape Earth's future, concealing their identities and youth behind the anonymity of computer networks. Earth will be doomed if their brother Ender fails.

Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1) by Ernest Cline

The world of 2044 is a dismal place. Teenage Wade Watts only feels truly alive when transported to the OASIS, an online utopia. There are a number of puzzles hidden in the digital world that are based on a pop culture obsession and promise great wealth and power to anyone who can solve them. Wade has dedicated his life to solving these puzzles.

The first clue Wade stumbles upon leads him to a group of players who are willing to kill in order to win the ultimate prize. The race has begun, and Wade must win if he hopes to make it out alive—and face the reality he has spent his entire life trying to escape.

The Hunt for Red October (Jack Ryan, #3) by Tom Clancy

Tom Clancy's phenomenal career was launched with this runaway bestseller. In this gripping military thriller, the author is said to have been briefed by the White House on the accuracy of the details. The greatest espionage coup in history is the focus of this film. In the movie's plot, a top-secret Russian missile sub is being sought. It was described as "breathlessly exciting" by the Washington Post. One of the world's most popular authors, whose shockingly realistic scenarios continue to hold us in thrall, has produced a military fiction masterpiece with The Hunt for Red October.

A Soviet submarine commander has just made a decision that will change the course of history. On its way west, the Red October is on the prowl. The United States is interested in obtaining her services. The Russians are eager for her return. And now, the greatest chase in history is in full swing!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1) by Douglas Adams

Arthur Dent is abducted from Earth by Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy who has been posing as an unemployed actor for the last fifteen years, just seconds before the planet is destroyed to make way for a galactic freeway.

They begin their interstellar journey together, guided by passages from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. With a galaxy's worth of fellow travelers, "A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have." Mr. Beeblebrox, the galaxy's president who has lost his marbles due to his two heads and three arms; Trillian, Zaphod's ex-girlfriend (formerly Tricia McMillan); Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ball-point pens he has purchased over the years.

The Bourne Identity (Jason Bourne, #1) by Robert Ludlum

This ISBN has an alternate cover that you can view here.

Who is Jason Bourne, and what does he stand for? Do you know what kind of criminal he is? What's the deal with the $4 million stashed away in a Swiss account? Who would want to kill him? ...

To all of these questions, Jason Bourne has no answers. He is completely unaware of his identity as Jason Bourne, as he suffers from amnesia. What kind of a person is he, exactly? What do you know about him? Who has he murdered?

Dune (Dune, #1) by Frank Herbert

Atreides, Paul's father, is given the unenviable task of ruling a desolate world where the only thing of value is a drug known as the "spice" melange, which has the power to both extend life and enhance consciousness in the dystopian future world of Arrakis. Melange is coveted throughout the known universe and is worth the risk of death...

Betraying House Atreides will set Paul on a path to a destiny he never could have imagined when the boy's family is destroyed. At the same time, he will fulfill humanity's oldest and most fanciful aspiration when he becomes the mystifying Muad'Dib.

***

The original 1965 edition is still available.

---