Meta-SCPs are amongst the most interesting SCPs on the entire SCP-Wiki.
When I put together my list of the best SCPs, I came upon the occasional Meta-SCP. At first, I wasn’t sure what to think about them, and it took some time before they grew on me.
Meta-SCPs aren’t necessarily format screws, but toy with the idea of the SCP-Wiki being a fictional entity and even include its writers in their stories.
Things can get a bit confusing, and Meta-SCPs might not be for everyone.
There are, however, a few I can’t help but love for various reasons. Either for the sheer creativity of their ideas or the effort that went into them.
Here are six Meta-SCPs I truly enjoyed.
Notice: All articles cited here are licensed under CC-BY-SA.
As below, so above is hands-down my favorite Meta-SCP of all time. It’s extremely well written and ten incidents included are both well-done and creative. The best part, however, is the ending. Never have the words ‘DATA LOST’ been so scary.
Murphy Law in… Type 3043 — FOR MURDER! is one of the best format screws and Meta-SCPs on the entire SCP-Wiki. It isn’t written as a normal article, but a thriller noir told from the first person’s view of the titular character. It’s an odd idea, but one that works incredibly well and comes with some of the SCP-Wiki’s best writing.
I Am At The Center of Everything That Happens To Me is probably the most popular Meta-SCP on the entire SCP-Wiki. Yet, it’s also one of the weirdest SCPs I’ve read. It’s best described as sheer and utter madness. While I loved the article, I felt it dragged on a little too much and became overlong. The biggest problem, however, is that you get invested in the story and all its information only to realize what’s really going on. It’s a weird, ambitious piece of work that I’m sure is not for everyone.
Meta-SCPs are a somewhat tough sell, but those including pataphysics are probably some of the most divisive SCPs on the SCP-Wiki. Death of the Author is probably one of the weirdest Meta-SCPs out there. It’s related to the 001-proposal by S. Andrew Swann, but pushed the idea even further. It’s not merely about the interaction between the writers and the Foundation, but centers on what happens if those writers die and the consequences it entails. While I think this is one of the most ambitious Meta-SCPs on the SCP-Wiki, it’s again, not for everyone. If you’re a fan of Meta-SCPs, however, and especially pataphysics, check it out.
This might be one of the most ambitious SCPs I’ve read. You can tell right away that an enormous amount of work went into this Meta-SCP. The biggest problem I have with it is the same I have with certain other Meta-SCPs. It lures you in with a variety of great stories, keeps you engaged until you realize what’s really going on. This revelation, however, is really well done. Overall, it’s a fantastic idea, a great read, but it’s also quite long. I still highly recommend it to fans of Meta-SCPs.
Here we have a Meta-SCP that doubles as a 001-proposal. It’s another Meta-SCP that ties into the idea of S. Andrew Swann’s 001-proposal. Story of Your Life, however, goes even deeper and adds yet another layer to the idea and I frankly think it makes things much more interesting. What I enjoyed the most, however, was the writing, the dialogues and the characters. It was a fantastic read.
The SCP-Wiki has its roots in the internet horror or creepypasta genre. That’s the reason many early SCPs can be considered Horror SCPs.
When I created my list of the best SCPs, I came upon quite a few Horror SCPs. While I enjoyed a lot of other SCPs as well, I always had a soft spot for the true Horror SCPs.
There’s just something about horrible, dangerous or even eldritch entities who prey on humanity.
That’s the reason I put together this list of my favorite 37 Horror SCPs.
Notice: All articles cited here are licensed under CC-BY-SA.
The “Living” Room is a great example of an early Horror SCP, and a bizarre one at that. While an organic entity taking on the form of a room is scary enough, there’s even more to this Horror SCP. It’s a great and disturbing example of horror done right.
Special Personnel Requirements is one of the earliest and most popular Horror SCPs on the SCP-Wiki. Almost everyone who’s spent some time on it has heard about the infamous procedure 110-Montauk. It showcases to what lengths the Foundation will go to keep the world safe. The most interesting part, however, and what makes it work so well, is that the procedure’s details are entirely omitted. This, however, works incredibly well, for it makes the reader not only wonder, but imagine that the procedure might entail.
A Ticket to Ride might not sound like a Horror SCP, but once you read it, you will realize just how nightmarish and deadly a single mass transit ticket can be. While it’s one of the longer Horror SCPs on this list, it’s a fantastic read. What I came to enjoy the most were the outlandish details, the exploration logs and the ending.
Series I is full of Horror SCPs. This one, however, might be one of the most disturbing Horror SCPs of all time. Beautiful Babies is pure and utter nightmare fuel. All the details described in this Horror SCP are nothing short of horrifying. What really drives the point home, however, is the interview.
Body Horror has always been one of my favorites and this Horror SCP doesn’t disappoint. The idea, the descriptions and the details make it one of the most horrifying and disturbing SCPs out there. Once again, however, it’s the ending, the last line, that makes this Horror SCP one of the best.
The Flesh that Hates is one of the most popular, if not the most popular Horror SCP on the entire SCP-Wiki. It’s remained a fan-favorite to this day. It’s the stuff of nightmares and comes with fantastic imagery and great descriptions of the various flesh organisms. What I loved the most, however, were the exploration logs that slowly reveal more and more about the horrors at play in this fantastic Horror SCP.
Here we have another great Horror SCP from Series I. The Hanged King’s tragedy details a play by the same name and describes it in detail. The horror, however, is not in the play itself, but the incidents that happen when it’s performed. We’re presented with the reports of various incidents, many of which feature the ominous figure of the Ambassador of Alagadda. It’s a fantastic Horror SCP whose principal antagonist we’ll meet again in SCP-2264, another fantastic SCP.
Some SCPs tell grand stories or comprise complicated mysteries. Yet, there’s also those who are simple and describe nothing but a dangerous anomalous object. A Machine is one of the latter, but it does everything it does right. For this reason and the interview in the addendum, this Horror SCP still holds up today.
Builder Bear is amongst the most twisted Horror SCPs of Series II. While the object itself might appear safe, adorable even, there’s much more to it. For Builder Bear, creates copies of itself and we find out not only what they are but how they are created. It’s the stuff of nightmares.
I’m a huge fan of weird SCPs and Tunnel Slide is one of the weirdest Horror SCPs out there. While the idea is silly, ridiculous even, it makes up for it by its descriptions. It’s a creepy, unsettling and mysterious Horror SCP. The best part about it, however, is the pure horror of the audio logs.
Came Back Haunted is one of the best and creepiest Horror SCPs of Series II. This Horror SCP is very reminiscent of earlier creepypasta and urban legends. We don’t get any explanation for the mysterious events taking place. Instead, all we get is pure horror and pure weirdness. Leaving the mystery intact works in this Horror SCPs favored and is exactly what makes it so great.
This list should prove that I’m a big horror fan and The Crew of the HMS Wintersheimer is amongst the best Series II Horror SCPs. I loved the descriptions of the titular HMS Wintersheimer, but the greatest part was the final interview log. It details what a D-Class experienced after he became part of the Wintersheimer crew. It’s a fantastic Horror SCP, one that’s incredibly strange and bizarre.
There are many bizarre Horror SCPs out there, but LA U GH IS F UN might be the most bizarre one I’ve read. It concerns a TV show by the same name that’s much more bizarre than anyone could expect. While this Horror SCP can be a bit too random and weird and might not be for everyone, but I loved it for the sheer bizarreness of it all.
Here we have another fantastic Series III Horror SCP. At first, it introduces us to a strange man, an entity who’s supposedly been alive for centuries. Before long, however, things move toward an entirely different and much more horrifying conclusion. It’s the latter half which makes it such a fantastic Horror SCP.
This was one of the first djkaktus SCPs I read. Back then, I didn’t know The Demon La Hire and the Valley of Lust was part of djkaktus’ greater universe, yet it worked very well knowing nothing about it. This Horror SCP showcases once more how far the Foundation will go to contain entities and the atrocities it’s willing to commit. While the entity this Horror SCP is about is terrifying enough, the final implications make it even better.
The Laughing Man is another truly fantastic Horror SCP. The Great Hippo truly brings forth the stuff of nightmares. Like in many other Horror SCPs, we witness that the Foundation can be a truly terrible place. Interestingly, the doctor thought of D-Class as nothing but irredeemable monsters, but it’s only because of this that he took the actions that eventually made them exactly that. A truly brilliant Horror SCP by one of the SCP-Wiki’s best writers.
Cragglewood Park is yet another Horror SCP by The Great Hippo and one of my absolute favorites. It’s a combination of strange dreams, hidden memories and a creepy theme park, tropes that I always found fascinating. While I loved the unsettling descriptions of the park, the implications near the end make this Horror SCP truly fantastic.
Most readers might think the best Horror SCPs are Keter-class. Lucibelle Perhacs, however, is a Safe SCPs, and it’s one of the most disturbing body horror SPCs on the entire SCP-Wiki. Needles are scary enough, but this SCP takes things much, much further. The detailed descriptions will not only make you uncomfortable, they will make you cringe. It’s exactly this slow, detailed the development that makes this Horror SCP so great. While there are many scary and disturbing Horror SCPs out there, this one takes things to an entirely different level.
Anantashesha is one of the most well-written SCPs out there. While this Horror SCP starts slowly, it soon develops into a fantastic story. It not only comprises descriptions of the entity itself, but much more. It’s a tale about personal journeys, believes, and memory deterioration. Anantashesha is amongst the best Horror SCPs on the entire SCP-Wiki and any fan should read it.
This Horror SCP tells the story of Dr. Scranton, who gets transported and trapped in a paradoxical pocket dimension or non-dimension as we come to learn. What I came to enjoy the most about this Horror SCP were the logs. They paint a picture of a man lost, trapped, and alone whose body and mind are slowly eroding. It’s a Horror SCP that’s both sad and disturbing. Read Reality packs quite a punch and is one of the best Horror SCPs of all time.
I was never a big fan of SCP-2852 – Cousin Johnny. It felt a like a collection, like needless gore and body horror. Image ties into it, but it’s a vastly more complex work. It’s a much longer read with various ties into Christianity. What I loved the most about this Horror SCP, however, was the Lovecraftian entity and the extremely well-done ending.
World of Two Artists is among my absolute favorite Horror SCPs. At first, it seems to focus on nothing but a series of strange reoccurring dreams about a derelict cityscape. As things continue, however, it becomes much scarier and complex as more and more details about these dreams are revealed. What I loved the most about this Horror SCP was the artworks showcasing the true horror behind the dreams. These artworks, the descriptions of the desolate cityscape and the Lovecraftian implications all come together as an outstanding SCP.
The Infinite IKEA is one of the most popular extra-dimensional Horror SCPs out there. I always loved these types of Horror SCPs and this is amongst the best of them. The idea of being trapped in a world that’s nothing but a giant IKEA is great, but the diary entries make it truly fantastic. It’s a Horror SCP that’s as fascinating as it is creative.
This Horror SCP centers on an ominous counting station. Yet, it contains much more than merely a description of the anomaly itself. Over various interviews, audio analysis, and incident logs, the mystery of the titular counting station is slowly revealed, yet never truly explained. It’s a fantastic Horror SCP, but its ending makes it truly great.
A Monster-Shaped Hole is another Horror SCP on this list written by The Great Hippo, yet it proves to be his most original. It doesn’t center on an actual entity or monstrous creature, but on our thoughts and imagination. It’s this unique, shifted focus that makes it one of the best Horror SCPs out there.
What starts out with a series of murder cases in Vienna is soon revealed to be much, much bigger. The Aristocrats is one of the longest Horror SCPs on this list, but also one of the best. It’s well written and tells a fascinating story. I loved everything about this Horror SCP. While it takes some historical liberties, of course, it never bothered me. It’s a fantastic read from beginning to end and one of my absolute favorite Horror SCPs.
I’ve always enjoyed extra-dimensional SCPs and Tower is one of the absolute best. This Horror SCP concerns a normal fire lookout. The only strange thing appears to be a top door. When opened, it doesn’t lead to the lookout’s roof, but to yet another similar lookout with another similar top door. This creates a tower and as we learn from the many exploration logs, things get stranger the higher one climbs it. While many parts of this Horror SCP are unsettling and creepy, it’s the final exploration log that’s truly terrifying. It’s here we finally learn what’s at the top of the tower and what happens to those who reach it.
Unearth is quite the bizarre Horror SCP, but on I truly enjoyed reading. It combines surreal and nightmarish imagery with the feeling of being stuck and an almost feasible claustrophobia. What I really loved about this Horror SCP, however, were the dialogues. They are heavy with emotions and a feeling of utter futility.
While there are many bizarre Horror SCPs out there, Mind-Milk™ by Moosphere, Inc. is amongst the most bizarre ones. It tells a story full of surreal ideas and bizarre imagery. When a disgusting new milk product becomes popular, strange things happen, including people turning into udders. While I thought this Horror SCP was hard to follow, it makes up for it by the sheer outlandishness of its ideas. If you love bizarre Horror SCPs, you shouldn’t miss out on this one.
Djkaktus has written quite a few SCPs, many of which are part of his bigger universe. The Pattern Screamer, however, is a standalone Horror SCP, and one I truly love. It’s probably my favorite of the many SCPs djkaktus has written over the years. It concerns a space that isn’t there and what people see if they stare at it. As we follow along with an investigation, we witness just how outlandish the events at play are. This Horror SCP is amongst the strangest, most unsettling I’ve read and a delight for any fan of Horror SCPs.
The Bone Orchard is a Series IV Horror SCP about sarkicism. It details the exploration of a space-time anomaly found in Syria. As we learn from the many exploration logs, there’s much more going on than at first thought. I truly came to enjoy the story told, the detailed descriptions and the outlandish imagery. The only problem I have with The Bone Orchard is how heavy on references to and information from other SCPs related to sarkicism it is.
In the Eyes of the Beholder is a Horror SCP that comes as a format screw, and one of the best on the entire SCP-Wiki. It’s a long read, and so strange you will wonder just what’s going on multiple times. What made this Horror SCP so great, however, was the visual representation and the twist ending.
SWINE GOD is a Horror SCP that’s reminiscent of the SCP-Wiki’s early days of pure horror. It details a mechanical construction resembling a pig in the basement of a meatpacking factory. It comes with its share of fucked up and detailed imagery as experiments and test logs. We soon learn, however, just how much more there is to this object. I truly loved SWINE GOD because it was not only a well done SCP, but a true Horror SCP.
I absolutely love the Yule Man and it’s my favorite Horror SCP. What’s described in this SCP is pure nightmare fuel. We learn of an entity that always shows up around Christmas. It targets families, and either leaves them disgusting toys, or murders them, always kidnapping a single child. While the details of these visitations are horrible enough, it’s the final interview that elevates this Horror SCP to greatness. It’s without a doubt amongst the SCP-Wiki’s most twisted and best entries.
Nicki Knows is my favorite Horror SCP in Series VI. I loved it right from the start and enjoyed the story about Nicki Ludo’s life immensely. Things got even better in the second half because we finally learn about the entities this Horror SCP is actually about. Once more, however, it’s the ending that makes this Horror SCP truly stand out. It’s nothing short of satisfying and an absolute delight to read.
The SCP-Wiki originated as a place where creepypasta as scientific documents was shared. Over the years, the focus of the SCP-Wiki changed and broadened, including a variety of genres, yet one can still find quite a few true Horror SCPS. “Mama?” is one of the newer ones, and it’s amongst the most bizarre, disturbing and sad Horror SCPs I’ve come upon. It’s well-written and showcases some powerful emotions throughout. It’s, however, the ending that brings it all together and will make you cringe. “Mama?” is one of the best horror SCPs and amongst the most disturbing of all time.
When Day Breaks is one of the few true Horror 001-proposals and also one of the most popular. It details what happens when a sudden change to the sun brings forth an apocalypse like no other. While it’s a Horror SCP, it’s also has a much more character-driven narrative than many other, similar SCPs. It showcases how someone might handle this nightmarish apocalypse and how they come to terms with the end of the world as they know it. It’s a truly fantastic read and any fan of Horror SCPs.
When I started putting together my list of the best SCPs, I thought the SCP-Wiki was entirely based on horror.
To my surprise, I found that it contains a variety of different genres. While there are the typical creepypasta-like SCPs, there’s also science-fiction-SCPs, Meta-SCPs and many other types.
One of the most unexpected type I found were comedy SCPs. While they are rare, they can be absolutely fantastic.
For this article I put together a list of my favorite 11 Comedy SCPs.
Notice: All articles cited here are licensed under CC-BY-SA.
There are some SCPs that are funny, others that are a tad bit silly, and then there’s Solve for Bear. This is probably the most ridiculous Comedy SCP I’ve come upon and it’s absolutely ridiculous. It describes what happens if one solves a certain mathematical equation. While this Comedy SCP is dumb, even ridiculous, it’s also absolutely hilarious.
Cotton Blight is another utterly ridiculous Comedy SCP. At first, the article is entirely serious, and the events depicted are as devastating as they are interesting. Until we get to the end, which is one of the funniest on the entire SCP-Wiki. After finishing Cotton Blight, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Escort and Officer is one of the weirdest Comedy SCPs I’ve come upon. Yet, I absolutely love it. It’s one of the most ridiculous SCPs I’ve read. We learn of two alien organisms. The first’s a multi-limbed organism working as an escort. The second a metallic sphere, an officer who’s sent to bring the escort to justice. Things, however, get even stranger during the interviews with the two entities. The ending of Escort and Officer had me at a loss for words. An absolutely weird Comedy SCP, but one that’s similarly hilarious.
Bzzip.exe might be the strangest Comedy SCP I’ve come upon. It’s a weird mixture of comedy and bizarre, imaginative horror. What had me laughing out loud, however, was the simpler and simpler summaries of Hamlet. Yet, the tone entirely changes during the last test log, where things turn into nothing short of horror. Because of the earlier test logs, however, I think bzzip.exe is one of the best Comedy SCPs out there.
God is Dumb is one of the many standalone SCPs djkaktus has written that are not related to his bigger universe. It details Ashur, the Assyro-Babylonian god of air. While he’d prove an extremely dangerous entity, he’s also extremely gullible and a complete idiot. The containment procedures detail how every member of the research team is to trick him into thinking they are fellow gods. Overall, it’s an extremely funny Comedy SCP.
Anyone familiar with the SCP-Wiki and its history will remember the lolFoundation SCPs that were popular back in the day. This Comedy SCP concerning the popular character of Jack Bright takes us right back. It toys with the idea of what would happen if more than one Jack Bright would exist. Needless to say, it would cause utter chaos. The Plurality of Jack Bright is one of the best comedy SCPs I’ve read and I absolutely loved it.
Megalomania is another Comedy SCP by djkaktus. Once more, it’s very reminiscent of the lolFoundation style. It contains a lot, not all of which I liked, but other parts were extremely funny. It’s an SCP full of magicians, demons, Donald Trump, Ruth Bader Ginsburg as a witch, the 2016 election, and the Foundation’s grand plan for manipulating it. Megalomania is a fantastically mad Comedy SCP and one of the most ridiculous of the entire SCP-Wiki. While I’m sure this Comedy SCP isn’t for everyone, those who are into silly, South Park-style humor will enjoy it.
While I’m usually not too big a fan of Comedy SCPs, Goosed was absolutely fantastic. It’s one of the funniest, most ridiculous SCPs I’ve read. As short a piece as it is, it still had me laugh out loud multiple times. If you’re lucking for a short, but hilarious article, read Goosed.
Made in Heaven might be my favorite Comedy SCP on the entire site. Yet, it’s far from a typical SCP, even a typical Comedy SCP, but is instead written like a crime noir action story. Everett Mann is out for revenge against a man named Francis Fitzwilliam’s who’s no other than the Administrator of the SCP Foundation. I had an absolute blast reading it and laughed out loud multiple times throughout the entire thing. It’s an exciting, enjoyable and wild ride.
While most Comedy SCPs are silly, DINOVLOGS! is utterly ridiculous. It describes a YouTube channel which depicts the life of a juvenile tyrannosaurus rex, titled “TheLifeOfRex.” If this wasn’t ridiculous enough already, most of the SCP details a Zoom conference of a group of academics who discuss the channels’ various uploads. DINOVLOGS! is hilarious and without a doubt amongst the hilarious Comedy SCPs on the SCP-Wiki.
001-proposals are usually grand, comprising high concepts or complex origin stories, not so Captain Kirby’s proposal. Instead, it’s a rather hilarious take on the Overseer Council’s paranoia. I loved everything about this Comedy SCP, had an absolute blast reading it and think it’s amongst the best 001-proposals.
When I put together my list of the best SCPs, I read a variety of SCPs, including the occasional Keter SCP.
Keter SCPs are anomalies or anomalous objects which are exceedingly hard to contain and their containment procedures are often highly complex. This can have a variety of reasons, for example, no clear understanding of the anomaly itself or no proper technology to contain it.
A Keter SCP isn’t necessarily dangerous. Instead, it’s merely an anomaly that’s very hard to contain.
While Keter is the smallest of the three main SCP-classes, there are many I truly enjoyed reading. That’s why I put together a list of my 34 favorites.
Notice: All articles cited here are licensed under CC-BY-SA.
The Anti-Meme is my favorite Keter SCP out of Series I, but also one of the strangest on the entire SCP-Wiki. It details an object that no one’s able to describe and which anyone who saw it will forget about. That’s the reason no one knows what it actually is, looks like and the object remains a mystery to this day. Because of this, however, the Anti-Meme proved massively popular and is featured in a variety of other SCPs.
An Incomplete Chronicle is another outstanding Keter SCP. It’s one of the most unique and creative ideas in all of Series I. It details a book that continues to write itself, outlining the history of a civilization. Yet, that’s not all, and if you read it, you will learn exactly why this object is so dangerous. Incidentally, this is also the first time the Daevite Empire was mentioned.
Another classic Keter SCP, and one of the most iconic ones. The reason this SCP is so popular and well known, however, is because of procedure 110-Montauk. It’s an early example of how far the Foundation will go to keep the world safe. Interestingly, the procedure’s details are entirely omitted. While omissions can be a hit or miss, it works extremely well in Special Personnel Requirements. It’s not important what procedure 110-Montauk actually is, but what the reader imagines it to be.
Here we have another popular and iconic Keter SCP. The Flesh that Hates has proven extremely popular and has remained a fan-favorite to this day. It comes with some great imagery and fantastic descriptions of various flesh-organisms. What I truly loved, however, were the exploration logs, which slowly revealed more and more details and horrors. The Flesh that Hates is the stuff of nightmares and a fantastic Keter SCP.
This Keter SCP is another interpretation of The Factory, Admin Bright’s 001-proposal. While Bright’s proposal designates The Factory as the origin of the SCP Foundation, Industrial Dissolution is an entirely different take on it. I absolutely loved Industrial Dissolution and enjoyed it more than Bright’s original. Each single part of this SCP is fantastic, but it’s the ending that makes it truly good.
World Without Man is another one of my favorite Keter SCPs of Series I. The most interesting aspect of this SCP, however, is not the object itself, but the danger it holds. It goes much further than merely talking about those, though, but even questions human nature. An outstanding Keter SCP with a truly fantastic ending.
While Keter SCPs don’t have to be horror SCPs, this one definitely is. It’s amongst the most fucked up SCPs of Series II and contains its fair share of body horror. Interestingly enough, the object itself appears to be safe, adorable even until we learn what it truly does. The worst thing, however, are the entities the Builder Bear created and how. It’s the stuff of nightmares.
Bifurcation Man is one of the most fun Keter SCPs of Series II. At first, it appears a comedy SCP, nothing but a joke. That’s until we reach the ending and realize that it’s a truly dangerous anomaly. It’s this ending that turns this ridiculous Keter SCP into something truly great.
While Bifurcation Man only appeared to be a joke, Solve for Bear is nothing sort of ridiculous and probably the most ridiculous Keter SCP out there. It details a mathematical equation which was quite the strange effect when solved. It might be dumb, ridiculous even, but it’s also absolutely hilarious.
Here we have another extremely interesting Keter SCP from Series II. Interestingly, it’s not the old man who’s dangerous but what follows him. Wherever he turns up, calamity and death befall those around him. The best part of this Keter SCP is the interview. It’s here the old man details exactly what’s following him around.
How dangerous can an old laptop be? If you read this Keter SCP, you will realize just what dangers a single laptop can hold. It’s one of the best Keter SCPs in Series II and presents us with one of the most serious and existential threads on the entire SCP-Wiki. Once again, however, it also proves just how far the Foundation will go to keep the world safe.
Cotton Blight is a Keter SCP that I can’t help but love for how ridiculous it is. While the events depicted are interesting, it’s the ending that makes this Keter SCP so great. When I finished this article, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. It was one of the most ridiculous endings I’ve read on the entire SCP-Wiki.
I always love a good horror SCP and The Crew of the HMS Wintersheimer is amongst the best in Series II. This Keter SCP details the titular HMS Wintersheimer. I loved the descriptions of the anomalous entity itself, but the greatest part was the interview with the D-Class, who became part of its crew. While it’s a horror SCP, it’s also an exceedingly bizarre one that gives us no explanation of what’s actually going on. Yet, that’s exactly why its horror works so well.
I love weird and bizarre SCPs and LA U GH IS F UN is amongst the most bizarre Keter SCPs out there. It details a television show, but one that’s much, much stranger than anyone expects. While it can be a bit too weird, even random, to some people, I truly loved the bizarre imagery and the detailed descriptions.
A Malfunctioning Destroyer is another space SCP. Djkaktus’ writing in this Keter SCP’s fantastic. I also truly loved the entity, the destroyer, and its description and history of discovery. The best part, however, are the messages that are revealed at the end.
There are a lot of Meta-SCPs out there, but this one has to be the best one of all of them. As below, so above comes with some great writing, but it’s the incidents described which are both fantastically well-done and incredibly creative. Yet, as many other similar Keter SCPs, it’s the ending that truly makes it great. Never have the words ‘DATA LOST’ been so scary.
The End of History is the first Keter SCP out of Series IV on this list, but it’s a truly fantastic one. It presents us with some fantastic world-building and a society that’s as alien as it’s human. I truly enjoyed the detailed descriptions of how this society worked, as well as the organisms that are part of it. The greatest part, however, was the final addendum.
I absolutely adore World of Two Artists. It’s amongst my absolute favorite SCPs. At first, one might think this Keter SCP concerns nothing but a series of strange dreams about a cityscape. Soon enough, however, things become more complex and much scarier when more things about these dreams are revealed. The greatest part of this Keter SCP, however, are the artworks added to it. The true horror wasn’t merely revealed by words, but by pieces of art accompanying it. This, the description of the desolate cityscape and the Lovecraftian implications, makes this a truly outstanding SCP.
The Escapee is a paradox in and of itself and that’s what makes it such a great Keter SCP. The question it asks is: how can you contain something you know nothing about? While I loved the descriptions in the article, what I truly loved was the mystery surrounding the entity and the supposed danger it holds. It’s without a doubt one of the best Series IV SCPs and one of the best Keter SCPs.
The Church of the Broken God has always been amongst my favorite groups of interest on the SCP-Wiki. The Seed describes a liquid metal organism which cannot only alter its appearance but also create smaller entities. What’s most interesting about this Keter SCP, however, are the historical details and the many attempted containment breaches.
The Aristocrats is one of the longest Keter SCPs on this list. While it’s a lengthy read, it makes up for it with its fantastic story and writing. At first it concerns nothing but a series of murders in Vienna, but it soon grows in scope. I loved every single part of this Keter SCP, even if it took a few historical liberties. Yet, it didn’t matter since I truly enjoyed reading it.
If there’s one group of SCPs I truly love, it’s extra-dimensional ones. This Keter SCP details a seemingly normal fire lookout. The only strange thing is a top door. This top door, however, leads to yet another lookout with a similar top door, thus creating a tower. As we learn from the many exploration logs, things get stranger and stranger the higher one climbs. While things are odd enough, it’s the final exploration log that’s truly terrifying. For it is there we learn what happens to those who make it to the tower’s top.
There’s many bizarre SCPs on the SCP-Wiki, but this Keter SCP is amongst the most bizarre ones. Mind-Milk™ by Moosphere is full of surreal ideas, bizarre imagery and is a wild ride from start to finish. It outlines a story in which disgusting milk takes over the world, people turn into udders and much, much more. At times, I found this Keter SCP almost a bit too confusing, but it’s all made up for the many outlandish ideas it presents. If you’re a fan of bizarre SCPs, this one’s a must-read.
While djkaktus is most popular for his bigger universe, he’s written quite a few other great SPCs. God is Dumb is one of them. It’s a Keter SCP about Ashur, the Assyro-Babylonian god of air. Interestingly enough, Ashur is extremely gullible and a complete and utter idiot. Most of the containment procedures outline how the research team is to trick him into believing them to be gods as well and that his containment cell is indeed a Chateau. Overall, it’s one of the funniest Keter SCPs out there.
This Keter SCP centers on the horrors of sarkicism and details a space-time anomaly in Syria. As we learn from a variety of exploration logs, this anomaly is much stranger than originally thought. What I came to love about this Keter SCP were the descriptions, the imagery, but also the many entities featured in it. The only downside to this fantastic Keter SCP is that it’s heavy on references to and information from other SCPs related to sarkicism.
In the Eyes of the Beholder is one of the best format screws and Keter SCPs I’ve come upon. It’s a long, strange read and it will make you wonder multiple times just what is going on. What makes it stand out amongst many other Keter SCPs and format screws, however, is the presentation and the twist ending, which are both fantastically done.
The Yule Man is probably my favorite horror SCP of all time. To say it’s pure nightmare fuel might be an understatement. It concerns an entity which shows up around Christmas and targets family. It either leaves them disgusting toys, or murders everyone except a single child, which he kidnaps. As horrible as these visits and their details are, the true horror of the Yule Man is revealed in the final interview. This Keter SCP is without a doubt amongst the best and most twisted on the entire SCP-Wiki.
The Syncope Symphony is another Keter SCP by the great Tufto. It’s a long read, but one that’s extremely well-written. While this Keter SCP is related to the class-of-76, it works fairly well on its own. The story told is as fantastic as it is complex. While it makes for a better read if one’s familiar with the class-of-76, I still think it’s a fantastic read even without.
SCP-4840 – The Demon Lancelot and the Flying City of Audapaupadopolis by djkaktus
The Demon Lancelot and the Flying City of Audapaupadopolis is another Keter SCP that’s part of djkaktus’ greater universe and Project Paragon. While I’m not too big a fan of Project Paragon, I think this Keter SCP is a fantastic piece of world-building. While it can be a rather dense read, the imagery is stunning. One should, however, be familiar with djkaktus’ great universe before reading it to understand truly what’s going on.
Nicki Knows is another horror SCP and my favorite Keter SCP of Series VI. What I loved the most about it was not only the story, but the way it was told. While the earlier parts detailing Nicki Ludo’s life were great, it was the latter half I loved the most. It’s here we get to know the actual entities this SCP is about. The best part, however, was the ending, which was an absolute delight to read.
All Creatures Great and Small is one of the greatest Keter SCPs I’ve ever read. It centers on man’s destruction of nature. As one can assume, this Keter SCP is a rather sad, even melancholic read, but it’s also fantastically written. The anomalous object in question is a tree which contains the genetic information of all living beings on the planet. The greatest part of this Keter SCP, however, is the story of Dr. Wildcard, which presents us with an honest gut punch.
Tufto is back, and he’s proven once more that he’s one of the best writers on the entire SCP-Wiki. Cascadia’s a long read, but a beautiful one. It showcases once more that not all is well at the Foundation and it has some truly evil members who’ll do anything to contain anomalies. What I loved about this Keter SCP was the slow development and the way the story was told. The best part, however, was the ending, which I think is one of the strongest and most satisfying on the entire SCP-Wiki.
The True Empire is a Keter SCP that picks up where SCP-140 – An Incomplete Chronicle stopped. The Daevite Empire is both one of the most dangerous civilizations in history and one of the SCP-Wiki’s most popular creations. This Keter SCP details how the chronicle is eventually completed and the consequences it might have for the world. It’s amongst my favorite SCPs in Series VII.
Does the Red Moon Howl? is another weird Keter SCP. When I started reading it, I thought it might be one of the weaker Keter SCPs out there and I couldn’t help but think of it as ridiculous. All this changed, however, the moment I reached the exploration logs. They were nothing short of brilliant and are amongst my favorites on the entire SCP Wiki. The best part, however, was the ending and the philosophical musings it entailed. While Does the Red Moon Howl? can be weaker in parts, it makes up for it with the exploration logs alone.
Safe SCPs are the second most common class of SCPs on the SCP-Wiki. When I put together my list of the best SCPs, I read quite a few of them.
Safe SCPs are anomalies or anomalous objects which can easily and safely be contained. Their containment doesn’t require significant resources, or the anomaly requires a specific trigger. This, however, doesn’t mean that they can’t be dangerous.
While there’s a variety of Safe SCPs out there, their quality varies quite a lot. That’s why I put together a list of my favorite 26 Safe SCPs.
Notice: All articles cited here are licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Encyclopedia of Diseases is amongst the best Safe SCPs of Series II. It’s not the properties of the anomalous item that make it so interesting, but what happens during the various experimentation logs. Yet, it’s the ending that makes it truly great.
There are a lot of strange Safe SCPs on the SCP-Wiki, but Buried Giant is amongst the strangest. While the descriptions are weird enough, the interview makes it even weirder. After checking the author’s commentary on it, I realized there’s an entirely different level to this SCP, one that made me ponder about it.
This was one of the first true space SCPs I read and I loved it. The writing and the emotional impact in Harbinger are great. The one thing I loved the most about it, however, was the line: ‘One voice is small, but the difference between zero and one is as great as one and infinity.’ It’s truly one of the most fantastic and emotional Safe SCPs.
I don’t know why, but I’m a big fan of weird SCPs and Tunnel Slide is definitely weird. Its idea is silly, ridiculous even, but the way it’s described makes it not only creepy, and unsettling, but also mysterious. And yet, we never get an explanation. Instead, we’re left with the pure horror of the audio logs. For this reason alone, I consider it amongst the best Safe SCPs.
You might notice a trend here. Bag of Holding Potatoes is another bizarre Safe SCP. Now what’s so bad about a bag holding an infinite amount of potatoes? Well, if you read the exploration log and find out where all those potatoes come from, you will now. What I think made this one of the best Safe SCPs was the fantastically weird exploration log.
Trapped in a Game is amongst my absolute favorite Safe SCPs on the entire SCP-Wiki. At first, it seems like nothing more than a recording of the season opening game of 2010-2011. Yet, soon people notice strange things. While this description might not make it outstanding, you will notice just how great this Safe SCP is once you read its experimentation log.
RONALD REAGAN CUT UP WHILE TALKING is the second Safe SCP about a strange recording. The SCP details a speech by Ronald Reagan, but the further into the speech one gets, the more Ronald Reagan’s body gets torn apart and the topics of the speech deteriorates. Yet, there’s even more to this recording. Truly one of the weirdest and best Safe SCPs.
Anyone who loves books or libraries is sure to love this SCP. It essentially describes a weird, never-ending library containing books that were never seen before. Yet, the author wasn’t satisfied merely describing the place, but included descriptions of many of the books contained within it. Another of the most creative and best Safe SCPs.
There are many good Safe SCPs out there, but In the Court of Alagadda is definitely amongst my favorites. At first, it might appear as nothing but a simple door, but it’s soon discovered that it leads to the interdimensional city state of Alagadda. This city state is controlled by terrible, Lovecraftian entities. What makes this Safe SCP so great is the world-building, the descriptions of Alagadda and, of course, the Ambassador of Alagadda who was featured in SCP-701. In the Court of Alagadda might be one of the best Lovecraftian and Safe SCPs on the entire SCP-Wiki.
This Safe SCP is as different as it is creepy. It doesn’t concern itself so much with a secret itself, but why and how it’s hidden. Got A Secret, Can You Keep It? is an interesting spin on the trope that many small towns hide terrible secrets.
Here we have yet another one of the Safe SCPs who concern themselves with recordings. Yet this one’s different from the ones we have seen on this list before. It doesn’t concern itself with a strange recording, but the idea of being able to move inside a recording of a TV-Show or movie. This, however, is merely the beginning, as it’s revealed that one can go even deeper and enter other recordings shown in the one you’re currently in. It’s a fantastically creative idea, and the longer we read on, the strange and more unsettling things become. Truly one of the best Safe SCPs out there.
Safe SCPs might often appear less dangerous than others, but Lucibelle Perhacs is one of the most horrifying body horror SCPs on the entire SCP-Wiki. While needles are terrifying by themselves, this SCP makes things much, much worse. The descriptions serve to not only make you uncomfortable, but will make you cringe multiple times. It’s for this exact reason I love it so much. While many other Safe SCPs can be scary, this one takes things to an entirely different level.
While there are a lot of strange Safe SCPs out there, bzzip.exe might be amongst the strangest ones. It’s a great combination of comedy and bizarre, imaginative horror. The greatest thing about it, however, was the simpler and simpler summaries of Hamlet. They had me burst out laughing multiple times. Yet, in later parts, the tone changes entirely and what was once comedy turns into nothing short of horror.
THE FOUNDATION describes a board game created by Dr. Wonderteinment for the members of the SCP Foundation. While it’s more the description of a game and its rules, it’s quite a unique, interesting and enjoyable article. The most impressive part about this Safe SCP, however, is the effort that must’ve put into creating it. While it’s a bit of a different SCP, it’s still very worth reading.
SCP-3444 – She Took The Midnight Train Going Anywhere… by Tufto
At first, I wasn’t really sure what to do with this Safe SCP. It felt like it really wasn’t my cup of tea. Yet, it’s a long, ambitious, creative and most of all well-written piece like many of Tufto’s other SCPs. While it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting or looking for in an SCP, I can’t deny the effort that went into it. For those who are looking for a Safe SCP that’s different, and humorous, you’d do well to check it out.
Here we have another genuine horror SCP, but one that’s also rather bizarre. It combines the feeling of claustrophobia and being stuck with surreal and nightmarish imagery. The greatest part about it, however, were the dialogues. They were full of emotions, a feeling of futility and, of course, claustrophobia. Unearth is truly twisted and amongst the best Safe SCPs.
Do not stop reading this document is one of the most interesting Safe SCPs I came upon. At first, it showcases just how far people will go to keep themselves safe. What won me over, however, was the ending, which I thought was fantastically well-done.
[NUMBER RESERVED; AWAITING RESEARCHER] is amongst the most clever, but also longest Safe SCPs out there. While I think it was a bit long in parts, I can’t deny how much effort must’ve been put into it. Yet, once you figure out what’s really going on, you realize just how well this Safe SCP was put together. It’s definitely worth checking out.
Alexandria Eternal, as one might have guessed, is another Safe SCP concerning a library. Yet this library is special, for it holds a book about the life of every human being that ever existed. What I enjoyed the most about this SCP was that it wasn’t about a monster or a dangerous object, but just a mysterious place. Yet as we soon learn, the library has the potential to cause damage, as we can see from the many experimentation logs. Even more interesting, however, is that the library seems to be a living place, one that judges people and the deeds they commit. It’s truly amongst the greatest Safe SCPs out there.
When I first came to the SCP-Wiki, this was one of the first SCPs I read. Needless to say, I didn’t get what was going on. When I finally returned to it later, once I’d read a good chunk of other articles, I managed to put things together. Yet, as straightforward as the story appears at first, things can get a bit confusing. This doesn’t matter much, however, for the events depicted and the many references to other SCPs makes this a truly fantastic read. Why? is without a doubt one of the best Safe SCPs out there and an absolute delight for any fan of the SCP-Wiki.
Our Stolen Theory concerns itself with one of fiction’s most ambitious topics, time travel. The reason is simple: time travel is hard to do right, but Our Stolen Theory absolutely nails it. It’s one of the greatest Safe SCPs out there. The writing’s fantastic, and the story told is extremely interesting. Yet, the greatest thing about it are the characters, the science, and, of course, the emotions. Our Stolen Theory is without a doubt, one of the greatest SCPs on the entire SCP-Wiki.
I absolutely loved Made in Heaven. It’s far from your typical SCP and written more like a crime noir action story. It concerns itself with Everett Mann, who’s out to get revenge on Francis Fitzwilliams, the Administrator of the SCP Foundation. There are few Safe SCPS I enjoyed as much as this one, and I had an absolute blast reading it. It’s an exciting, enjoyable and most of all, wild ride. Don’t take it too serious, however.
There’s dumb, there’s ridiculous and DINOVLOGS! Is a prime example of the latter. It concerns itself with a YouTube channel titled “TheLifeOfRex” which depicts the life of a juvenile tyrannosaurus rex. Things don’t end here, however, for most of the SCP takes the form of a Zoom conference of a group of academics who discuss the YouTube channel’s various videos. DINOVLOGS is absolutely ridiculous, but without a doubt one of the funniest Safe SCPs on the Wiki.
This SCP details a strange document which was found on the Foundation servers. It talks about a certain room in the basement of a steel factory. In said room, a microcosm of flora and fauna exists. Soon enough, however, the factory’s higher-ups have a worker torch the entire room. Yet, after this incident, other rooms within the factory show similar properties. From this point onward, we follow this Safe SCP through various iterations detailing the continued escalation of things. Overall, Return. Return. Return. is a long, ambitious, but well put-together SCP.
This is the first of Rounderhouse’s two 001-proposals. While most of the other 001-proposals concern themselves with grand origin stories, this one tells about an ending. I found it to be quite the sad, melancholic piece, but also strangely beautiful. In MEMENTO MORI, we’re led from room to room and learn more about the people who comprised the overseer council and how the Foundation broke all of them. A truly fantastic 001-proposal and one of the best Safe SCPs.
The Scarlet King is a grand and artistic article that concerns itself with a variety of philosophical musings. It’s an incredibly well-written piece and showcases just how skilled a writer Tufto truly is. What I loved the most, however, was Tufto’s interpretation of the Scarlet King. It’s one of my absolute favorite 001-proposals and Safe SCPs.
When I scoured the SCP-Wiki to put together my list of the best SCPs of all time, I came upon a multitude of Euclid SCPs. They describe anomalies or anomalous objects which require more resources to be safely contained, but whose containment isn’t always reliable.
Euclid SCPs are the most common class on the SCP-Wiki. They describe a wide variety of anomalous objects, and newly discovered SCPs are usually presumed to fall into this group.
They also comprise objects which are autonomous, sentient or sapient because of their inherent unpredictability.
Overall, Euclid SCPs are massively popular, the biggest object class, and can vary widely in quality. That’s the reason I put together a list of my favorite 41 Euclid SCPs on the SCP-Wiki
Notice: All articles cited here are licensed under CC-BY-SA.
The “Living” Room is a great and bizarre, early Euclid SCP. However, it’s also strangely scary. An organic entity taking on the form of an actual room is scary enough, but there’s more to the object that makes it even scarier. It’s a fantastic and disturbing example of an early Euclid SCP done right.
Game Show of Death is another early Euclid SCP. It describes exactly that the title says, a bizarre and deadly game show which takes place at a certain abandoned warehouse. The games always center on a long, elaborate and most of all, dangerous obstacle course. While the idea isn’t the unique, it comes with enough odd details still make for an interesting read.
The Red Sea Object is amongst the most popular Euclid SCPs in Series I and remains a fan favorite to this day. The anomalous object isn’t too outstanding, or interesting, but the story told via the color tests is truly great. Yet, it’s quite a long, a very long read. While I thought some parts dragged on a little, it’s the end that makes this Euclid SCP truly fantastic and worth reading.
The Architect is amongst my absolute favorite Euclid SCPs of all time. While the anomalous object and its properties are interesting enough it’s the addendum that makes it truly stand out. Set in Kowloon Walled City, it describes a variety of explorations with the goal of finding The Architect. The descriptions of someone who’s traveling through ever-expanding labyrinthine and distorted rooms are nothing short of fantastic.
Before reading this Euclid SCP, one might wonder how dangerous a mass transit ticket can be. If you believe this SCP, it can bring forth a truly nightmarish and even deadly experience. While it’s another longer Euclid SCP, it’s amongst the best of Series I. I truly enjoyed the many outlandish details, the exploration logs and the ending of this Euclid SCP.
Euclid SCPs come in a variety of forms and genres. Series I is mostly known for its horror roots, so it’s not surprising it comprises a variety of terrifying and disturbing SCPs. Beautiful Babies is one of the most disturbing Euclid SCPs of all time. Everything described in it is truly horrifying, but what really drives the point home is the interview at the very end.
Body horror has always been a genre I truly enjoyed, and this Euclid SCP doesn’t disappoint. It’s amongst the most horrifying SCPs I’ve come upon. The descriptions are nothing short of terrifying, disturbing, and disgusting. Yet, it’s the ending, the single last line that makes everything in this Euclid SCP so much worse.
The Scripted nightclub is a terrific read. It’s one of the best Early Euclid SCPs. While I enjoyed the descriptions of the club itself, it’s the different scripts which are truly outstanding. The article provides us only three of them, but each one of them is fascinating and well-written. It remains one of my all-time favorite Euclid SCPs of Series I.
The Hanged King’s Tragedy is yet another fantastic early Euclid SCP. I really enjoyed the idea of the play and its details. What made it so much better, however, were the strange incidents reported during its performance. These are presented to us as incident reports. And who could forget the ominous figure of the Ambassador of Alagadda who we’ll meet again in another fantastic SCP-2264. Yet, even own its own, this Euclid SCP, serves to be a classic amongst Series I.
This Euclid SCP is another take on Admin Bright’s SCP-001 proposal, The Factory. In Bright’s proposal, The Factor is described as the origin of the SCP Foundation. This Euclid SCP, however, provides us with an entirely different take on the Factory. I enjoyed this SCP a lot more than Bright’s original. Each single part of this Euclid SCP is great, but once again, the ending makes it truly fantastic.
A Machine is as simple as classic Euclid SCPS go. There’s no grand or expansive story to be found here, no ambiguity. It’s merely the description of a dangerous and mysterious object. Where it truly shines, however, is during the interviews in the addendum. While this Euclid SCP might be simple, it does everything it does right and still holds up today.
To the Makers of Music is a fantastic Euclid SCP from Series II. It comes with a set of fantastic descriptions and quite a bit of interesting world-building. Where it stands out, however, is in its emotional ending. It truly impacted me.
UnLondon is an Euclid SCP describing a location, but a very fascinating one. I truly loved the strange city, its localities, the mystery surrounding it and the entities populating it. Yet, there are other implications about UnLondon that make this Euclid SCP so much more interesting. UnLondon is essentially an Orwellian nightmare, one I truly enjoyed for its extensive world-building and its many mysteries.
Came Back Haunted is not only one of the best Euclid SCPs of Series II but also one of the creepiest ones. It does everything that made early creepypasta such a widespread phenomenon on the internet. It’s nothing but pure horror and pure weirdness. We’re never provided an explanation about the mysterious events taking place, but there’s no need for it. It’s the mystery itself that makes it so much better and one of the best Euclid SCPs out there.
Hard science-fiction Euclid SCPs can be hit or miss, and this one’s full of scientific detail. Yet, it’s worth reading, if only for the descriptions of the Cradle of Life. There’s just something about the vivid descriptions, the talk of the scientists, and, of course, the ending. I truly enjoyed this Euclid SCP.
I’m usually not one for comedy SCPs, but if they are as weird as this one, I can’t help but love it. Escort and Officer is one of the most ridiculous Euclid SCPs I’ve come upon. It details two alien entities who came to be in Foundation custody. One’s a multi-limbed organism working as an escort, the other a metallic sphere, an officer sent to bring the escort to justice for her crime. As weird as this idea sounds, the interviews of the two entities reveal just how ridiculous an Euclid SCP can be. The ending had me at a loss for words, and I wasn’t sure if I should shake my head or laugh out loud.
The Way of All Flesh is amongst the best Euclid SCPs of Series III. It starts off by describing a strange man, or entity, who’s supposedly been alive for centuries. Soon enough, however, it moves in an entirely different direction. It’s this latter half that makes this Euclid SCP so great, especially the little twist hidden at the ending.
SCP-2132 – Most Dangerous Fighting Exhibition and Obstacle Resort by ahbonjour
Dangerous obstacle courses are always an interesting idea for an Euclid SCP, but the Most Dangerous Fighting Exhibition and Obstacle Resort takes things even further. While the test logs and different results were all quite interesting, what made this Euclid SCP so great was its ending. It showcases that the object’s origin might be of a much more sinister nature than originally thought.
The Demon La Hire and the Valley of Lust was one of the first djkaktus Euclid SCPs I read. While it’s clearly connected to his greater universe, it works well as a standalone, too. Once more, we learn just how far the Foundation will go to contain entities and the terrible things it will to do. While the entity is clearly terrifying, there are implications near the end that make this Euclid SPC even better.
The Great Hippo is back with another truly horrible Euclid SCP. The Laughing Man is truly the stuff of nightmares. Once more, we’re reminded that the SCP Foundation can be a truly horrible place. What I loved the most was the doctor viewing D-Class as nothing but irredeemable monsters. Yet because of this, he actually causes them to become that. A truly brilliant Euclid SCP.
There are some Euclid SCP who are weird, and then there’s Room Service. It’s amongst the most bizarre entries on the entire SCP-Wiki. While the room itself and the channels on TV are rather unsettling, there’s more to this Euclid SCP. Once you read the final addendum, you will learn what’s truly going on and just how bizarre this Euclid SCP is.
Cragglewood Park is another pure horror Euclid SCP, and I absolutely loved it. I’ve always been a fan of scenarios, including strange dreams, hidden memories and especially creepy amusement parks. Yet, while the park and its descriptions are great in themselves, it’s the implications near the end that make it truly fantastic.
Series III is full of bizarre Euclid SPCs and this is one of them. I don’t know why, but I always enjoyed articles that are as weird as they are mysterious and this one hits all the right buttons. It comes with some great descriptions and visuals and a truly creative idea for an anomalous object.
Here we have another one of djkaktus’ Euclid SCPs and it’s one of my absolute favorites on the SCP-Wiki. I won’t say anything more about this one, but I urge you to read it if you’re a fan of truly weird SCPs. It’s definitely amongst the best Euclid SCPs of Series III.
Read Reality tells the story of a paradoxical pocket dimension or a non-dimension as we come to learn while reading. When an experiment goes wrong, Dr. Scranton is transported and trapped in this same non-dimension. The greatest part of this Euclid SCP, however, is the logs. They tell us the story of a man lost, trapped and entirely alone and who’s slowly eroding both mentally and physically. It’s a tale that’s as sad as it’s disturbing. This Euclid SCP packs quite a punch and serves to be amongst the best of Series IV.
The Infinite Ikea remains one of the most popular Euclid SCPs of all time. I’ve always been a fan of extra-dimensional SCPs, and the Infinite IKEA is amongst the best of them. While I love the idea of being trapped in a world that’s nothing but a giant IKEA, the diary entries of someone trapped in this world make it truly great. This Euclid SCP is nothing short of creative and tells a fascinating story.
This Euclid SCP concerns an ominous counting station. While I love the idea itself, the descriptions and details added into the story make it truly great. We are presented with interviews, audio analysis, and incident logs. Each of these elements adds to the mystery surrounding the SCP and helps us to understand what it might be. It’s a fantastic Euclid SCP, but its ending elevates it to one of the greatest.
Indeterminate Source is a hard science-fiction SCP, and it presents an idea that’s as fantastic as it’s weird. This entire Euclid SCP centers on disorientation, twisted memories, and a confusing order of events. Yet, it also comes with some interesting, futuristic world-building. While this Euclid SCP might be a bit too confusing and heavy on scientific details, I believe it’s very worth reading.
While there are many horror SCPs on the SCP-Wiki, A Monster-Shaped Hole proves to be amongst the most original. It’s an Euclid SCP that centers on thoughts and imagination than an actual entity or monstrous creature. Yet, because of this reason, this shifted focus it’s one of the best Euclid SCPs out there.
There is No Canon is without a doubt one of the strangest Euclid SCPs out there. Reading it was one of the strangest experiences during my time on the SCP-Wiki and even now, I’m still wondering what’s going on in this article. While the answer to what this Euclid SCP is might not be clear, and it might remain another, unresolved mystery, it serves as a very intriguing read.
Everybody Else is a rather straightforward and simple Euclid SCP, but one I truly enjoyed. It presents us with a diversion from the usual SCP tropes, one that’s as fantastic as it’s creepy. Once again, however, it’s the interview logs that make it truly great, at least once you realize what’s truly going on.
SCP-3838 – Nomads of the 4th-Dimensional Steppe by Tufto
Nomads of the 4th Dimensional Steppe is an Euclid SCP by Tufto, who I believe to be amongst the best writers in terms of prose on the SCP-Wiki. This Euclid SCP doesn’t disappoint either and presents us with one of the most creative ideas I’ve come upon. It centers on tribes of nomads who all live in the same area, but not at the same time. Instead of dividing up the land, they’ve divided up time as living space. It’s an idea that’s as creative as it is weird, but of course, there’s more to this SCP.
Tufto presents us with yet another extremely well-written Euclid SCP. It centers on a mysterious observatory in which the body of Genghis Khan is supposedly entombed. The Observatory of Genghis Khan is so great bot for its mystery of the locality itself, but also the outstanding writing. Yet, the best part by far is its ending, which comes with one of the best final lines I’ve ever read on the SCP-Wiki.
This Euclid SCP is yet another format screw and written more like a tale than an actual SCP. If you’ve read SCP-231, you’ll remember procedure 110-montaku and know what this one’s all about. I won’t say too much, but it’s one of the most complex origin stories on the entire SCP-Wiki. While it’s, without a doubt, one of the most well-written Euclid SCPs in Series V, it can drag on a little. Yet, I still regard it as worth reading.
Such Black Light is another long, highly ambitious Euclid SCP. I love the overall idea and the many pieces of art presented throughout this article. While some parts can feel slightly overblown, this Euclid SCP makes up for it by its outstanding ending.
I’m usually not a big fan of the lolFoundation SCPs that were popular in the SCP-Wiki’s earlier days. Readings who are familiar with the SCP Foundation’s deeper law and its many characters will know just how complicated a character Jack Bright is. This Euclid SCP toys with the idea of what would happen if there’d be more than one Jack Bright and the chaos it would bring. That’s what happens in The Plurality of Jack Bright and it’s nothing short of hilarious.
This Euclid SCP is amongst the cleverest and interesting entries I’ve come upon on the entire SCP-Wiki. It concerns a planet that might or might not exist. Yet, this Euclid SCP is not the planet itself, but its observation and what it would mean. It’s an incredibly interesting concept to ponder one. Once more, however, what I think truly makes this Euclid SCP great is the ending and its last line.
This Euclid SCP is yet another one written by the great Tufto and is amongst the most well-written on the entire SCP-Wiki. It concerns a minor planet known as Lamplight, which is the most remote settlement created by any sentient creature in the entire multiverse. After its founding, this place became an enclave for writers and artists of all sorts. The greatest parts about Lamplight are the fascinating world-building, the descriptions of its localities and the heavy, melancholic atmosphere that hangs so heavy over the entire place. All these details are revealed to us via general descriptions but also by the reports of one Junior Researcher, Sofia Ramirez. There’s an overall pervading feeling of nihilism to this entire Euclid SCP, a feeling that artists and writers are often fascinated by death but also the unknown. Lamplight has always been one of my favorite SCPs on the entire SCP-Wiki and is an outstanding Euclid SCP.
Comedy SCPs are usually not my cup of tea, but this Euclid SCP is fantastic. It’s among the funniest, most ridiculous SCPs in all of Series VI. While it’s a short piece, I still laughed out loud multiple times about how ridiculous it was. It’s a fantastic, unique little Euclid SCP that everyone who’s looking for something a bit more lighthearted should read.
The SCP-Wiki had its humble beginnings as a collection of creepypasta, which was written as scientific articles. While the tone and general focus of the site has shifted and broadened over the years, one can still find quite a few true Horror SCPs. “Mama?” is one of them, and it’s amongst the most bizarre, disturbing and sad Euclid SCPs I’ve ever come upon. It’s a well-written article full of powerful emotions. The horror, however, and especially the ending, is sure to make you cringe. It’s one of the best horror SCPs I’ve come upon and one of the most disturbing Euclid SCPs of all time.
O5-13 by Captain Kirby was one 001-proposals I truly enjoyed. Many other 001-proposals comprise grand, high concepts, but Captain Kirby’s Proposal proves to be rather humorous. I loved everything about this Euclid SCP and I had an absolute blast reading.
While putting together my list of the best SCPs, I read a variety of SCPs, and also some who were neutralized SPCs.
Neutralized SCPs describe objects that have lost their unusual properties. This can happen in a variety of ways, including the destruction of the object, the object’s death or its disappearance from our plane of existence.
While an object’s destruction is often caused by accidents, there are also some which have been destroyed intentionally. This is often done by organizations opposed to the SCP Foundation or happens because of events beyond its influence.
While neutralized SCPs are amongst the rarest SCPs on the SCP-Wiki, some of them are very worth reading. That’s why I put together this short list of the best neutralized SCPs.
Notice: All articles cited here are licensed under CC-BY-SA.
The Song of Genesis is amongst the most interesting Series I and neutralized SCPs I’ve come upon. The song itself is a certain piece of music. Should you listen to it, a variety of things will happen. While it initially revitalizes you, the longer you listen, the stranger and more dangerous the song’s effects will become. The descriptions of these effects are both dangerous and disturbing. What makes this neutralized SCP great, however, is the interview that follows at the end.
The Rainbow Body is amongst the most complex articles on the entire SCP-Wiki. It comprises a variety of historical tie-ins, scientific details and even philosophical musings. While I enjoyed this article a lot and think many of its parts are outstanding, I feel it’s a tad bit too long. Yet, it’s amongst the most ambitious articles on the SCP-Wiki and a lot of effort was put into it by its author. For this reason alone, it’s worth reading and worth including in this list of the best neutralized SCPs.
The Blind Idiot is one of the few articles on the SCP-Wiki that succeeds in describing an alien entity. This neutralized SCP details what happens when said entity enters our universe. It’s an incredibly strange, but also fascinating article. The writing is perfect and both the description of the entity, but also the dialogues are nothing short of outstanding. While The Blind Idiot might be amongst the strangest neutralized SCPs, it’s also amongst the best articles on the entire SCP-Wiki.
Cousin Johnny, or SCP-2852, was never amongst my favorites. It was a collection of gore and body horror and nothing much else. Imago ties into it, but it’s also a vastly different and more complex piece with a lot of Christian tie-ins. What this neutralized SCP stands out for, however, is the Lovecraftian entity described in its latter half, and the well-written ending.
Here we have another format screw by The Great Hippo, one of the best writers on the entire SCP-Wiki. This entire neutralized SCP isn’t written as a normal article, but as a thriller noir told from the first person point of view. It’s an odd idea, but it’s just so well-written one can’t help but love it.
The True Empire is a neutralized SCP that ties into the idea of SCP-140 – An Incomplete Chronicle. The Daevite Empire is one of the most popular creations on the SCP-Wiki and is described as one of the most dangerous civilizations in history. SCP-6140 describes the events leading up to and after the eventual completion of the Chronicle. Nothing more should be said about this article other than that it’s amongst the very best neutralized SCPs.
Putting together a list of the best Jane Austen books might appear a simple task. Who doesn’t know such classics as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility or Persuasion?
Jane Austen was born in the late 18th century. She’s one of the most popular and celebrated writers of all time, and her works are cited as some of the finest examples of British literature.
Jane Austen
It’s regrettable to know that many of her works were originally published anonymously and brought her little success during her lifetime. Yet, in the decades following her death, they should influence the literary landscape like no other.
Jane Austen’s books are beautifully written, tell timeless stories and come with casts of unforgettable characters. They feature an array of themes, such as love, class difference, societal expectations, wealth and poverty, the value of family, but most of all, the role of women in society.
Her stories center on the domestic life of the landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. What made her works stand out and so influential, was that they were told from a female perspective. This was something unheard of in a, until now, male dominated world.
These female characters broke established traditions and remained beloved and celebrated to this day. While they are under strict social constraints, they showcase strength, wit, cleverness, bravery, and humor. They differ greatly from the meek and mild-mannered woman that were so common in literature at the time.
While Jane Austen is most known for her six major novels, I gave this list of the best Jane Austen books a wider focus and also include some of her lesser known works.
What better way to open this list of the best Jane Austen books than with one of her earliest works?
Love and Friendship was supposedly written when Jane Austen was still only a teenager, no older than fourteen, and to amuse her family.
It’s a satirical take on the romance novels so popular at the time.
The story’s told via a series of letters. They are exchanged between our two main characters. One is Laura, the other is her friend’s daughter, Marianne. In these letters, Laura tells Marianne about failing in love, but as a cautionary tale about the dangers of romance.
While it’s clearly an early work and not one of the best Jane Austen books, it’s still an interesting read for fans of Jane Austen. It’s always interesting to read the earlier works of popular writers and see their often humble beginnings.
Even more interesting, however, is that even this very early work already shows Jane Austen’s disdain for many romantic clichés.
It’s a novella which tells a darkly funny story, and is once again written as a series of letters between different characters.
It centers on the charming Susan Vernon, a beautiful widow in her thirties. She enjoys nothing more than to toy with men for her own entertainment. She’s known to get what she wants and uses her manipulative ways to seduce every man she meets.
After the death of her first husband, she’s in financial troubles and sets out to marry off her teenage daughter, Fredrica, and to find a better man for herself.
Eventually, Lady Susan captures the hearts of two men, the married Mr. Manwaring, and her sister-in-law’s brother, Reginald. Things get complicated, however, when Fredrica, too, falls for Reginald.
Lady Susan is rather rough when compared to Jane Austen’s later works. While it’s far from one of the best Jane Austen books, we can already see her satirical humor and her female characters who stray from the norm.
Yet, these aren’t the only elements shown here that should come to define her later works. Lady Susan shows her talent at creating humorous plots, love struck characters and male antagonists who are both hilarious and annoying.
The Beautiful Cassandra is a miniature novel comprising only twelve chapters. It was written as a dedication to her older sister, Cassandra.
It’s a parody of the melodramatic, sentimental and picaresque novels of the time.
The story centers on a young, mischievous woman named Cassandra, who sets off into the world to make her fortune.
The plot follows her as she sets out on a visit to London to have a perfect day. There she commits a series of slightly criminal but joyful acts, including stealing from shops and spying on the locals.
In the end, The Beautiful Cassandra is a short and lighthearted little tale.
Once again, this is an earlier work written during Jane Austen’s youth, but once more we can see many of her later elements at play here. It showcases the irony that should so define her work, a gift for parody, a sense for the absurd, but most of all, her growing talent as a writer.
The Beautiful Cassandra might not be an outstanding work, but I still think this miniature novel is an interesting addition to this list of the best Jane Austen books.
With Sanditon we’re moving away from Jane Austen’s juvenilia and move right to her last, but ultimately unfinished, novel. Jane Austen passed away at only forty-one-years old and finished only eleven chapters of Sanditon.
The story follows Mr. Parker. He has aspirations of developing the small fictional sea side town of Sanditon into a bustling seaside resort and a playground for those who want to be seen.
For this, he enlists the help of the wealthy widow, Lady Dunham.
While Sanditon was, unfortunately, never finished, it still features many of the elements so common in the best Jane Austen books. It features a colorful cast of characters, is full of social criticism, witty humor and pokes fun at society’s obsession with the next new thing.
Sanditon still makes for an interesting read for those who are interested in the works of Jane Austen and who are interested in reading more than her six major novels.
The Watsons is a novel Jane Austen supposedly began in 1803, but abandoned in the following year and never revised. It was only her nephew James Edward Austen-Leigh who eventually published it as part of a biography titled A Memoir of Jane Austen.
It tells the story of Emma Watson, the daughter of a widowed clergyman. She’s been well educated and raised by her wealthy aunt.
Her life’s good, but when her aunt remarries, Emma is forced to return to her home. She now has to live with her father, brother and sisters.
From now on, it’s Emma’s task to find husbands for her unrefined and reckless sisters.
While The Watsons is yet another unfinished novel, I still included it in this list of the best Jane Austen books. It features many elements that make it worth reading, especially a strong female lead, class division, the contrast between poverty and wealth. It’s definitely worth reading for fans of Jane Austen’s books.
Northanger Abby was the first of Jane Austen’s six major novels. It was, however, the last of them to be ever published.
Northanger Abby is lighter than most of her other later novels. It’s fun, lively, but also full of drama. It’s seen as a satire of the gothic genre, so popular at the time and a coming-of-age story.
The novel’s story follows the naïve, seventeen-year-old Catherine Moreland, who thinks herself a heroine in training. She loves and is addicted to romantic, gothic novels.
She’s one of ten children, but the only one of her siblings invited on a trip to Bath along the Allen family. There she meets Henry Tilney, a young clergyman, and falls in love with him.
When Henry and his sister invite her to their family estate, Northanger Abby, she’s delighted to leave her dull home behind. Once there, her imagination runs wild, and she imagines herself in the center of one of the stories she loves so much. For she suspects that the old gothic mansion hides a nefarious secret.
Catherine is essentially a young woman who depends on fairy tales and novels to make sense of the world around her. While one can tell that Jane Austen’s fond of her, she doesn’t shy away from mocking her, making fun of her and laughing at her. She even addresses the reader to give satirical contemplations about the events at play.
As mentioned before, the gothic novel was extremely popular during Jane Austen’s times. These novels were full of dewy-eyed and slightly dim heroines who relied on man. It was these clichés that always filled Jane Austen with contempt and Northanger Abby was her own way of digging into the genre and poking fun at it.
Overall, Northanger Abby might be the weakest of Jane Austen’s major novels, but it’s still a delight to read and not a bad book. Especially for its humor and satirical elements.
Sense and Sensibility was the first of Jane Austen’s six major novels to be published.
While it was initially published anonymously, it has become a beloved classic and is now considered one of the best Jane Austen books.
The novel tells the coming-of-age story of the Dashwood sisters, Marianne and Elinor, and their search for love. However, it’s also a portrayal of deep sisterly love and solidarity.
The two sisters couldn’t be more different. Elinor, the older, relies on her head and is the responsible and sensible one. Marianne, on the other hand, relies on hear heart, and is of an emotional and impulsive character.
When their father dies, they fall into poverty, have to move out of the family home and are now forced to live in a small cottage.
Before long, they both fall in love, however both relationships are doomed to fail because of their respective characters. Elinor falls for a man who’s promised to another woman while Marianne falls for an unfitting suitor who eventually leaves her behind.
These failed romantic experiences force the sisters to reexamine their perspective. Marianne has to learn not to chase fairytale love while Elinor has to lead her guard down and learn to trust into her feelings.
Sense and Sensibility is a tale that explores the problems of how to handle one’s feelings in a society that values status above everything else and is governed by strict rules. It also shows the weight on women’s shoulders so common during the time of its writing and the hardship they go through to find a good husband to support their families.
Sense and Sensibility isn’t as refined in certain aspects and lacks the focus of other, later Jane Austen novels. Yet, one can tell that it’s here Jane Austen figured out her literary skills and started on her path of mastery.
That doesn’t mean Sense and Sensibility isn’t worth reading. It’s still a fantastic novel and amongst the best Jane Austen books.
Our next entry on this list of the best Jane Austen books isn’t a novel. Instead, it’s a collection of her letters which can be seen as an intimate biography. While many biographies on Jane Austen’s life exist, this collection of letters stands out in a variety of ways.
It sheds light on Jane Austen as a person, her family and her life. The letters are organized chronologically and full of researched annotations.
In these letters, we’re shown her witty and memorable tone of voice, but also get to know her deeper thoughts and ideas.
Jane Austen’s Letters is the perfect book for those who want to learn more about her as a writer and connect on a deeper level.
It’s always an interesting experience to read biographies, but this one’s much more personal than those of other writers and akin to works such as A Writer’s Diary by Virginia Woolf.
Jane Austen’s Letters is a delight for fans of Jane Austen but also for those who enjoy reading the biographies of writers.
Mansfield Park is Jane Austen’s third published novel. It’s her most controversial book and one that differs from the other best Jane Austen books.
It’s, overall, characterized by more mature themes. Mansfield Park’s focus isn’t on love, but on greed and recklessness. Yet, it’s still considered amongst the best coming-of-age stories of all time.
Mansfield Park centers on Fanny Price. At ten years old, she’s sent to live with her wealthy uncle and aunt, the Bertram’s, at their country estate, Mansfield Park.
Because of her impoverished upbringing, she’s mistreated not only by her uncle and aunt but also by three of her four cousins. It’s only the fourth, Edmund, who treats her kindly and who she eventually falls in love with.
Before long, however, the Crawford siblings, the sophisticated Henry and the vivacious Mary, move near the estate. While Henry flirts with two of Edmund’s sisters, Edmund himself starts a relationship with Mary. These events soon cause emotional upheaval for the Bertram family.
Mansfield Park stands out most for its heroine, Fanny, who differs from her other female protagonist. While they are usually witty, bright, desirable and know what they want, Fanny’s quite different. She stays in the shadows and quietly observes life. She’s of timid character, is silent, introverted and mouthy, but adheres to her own strict moral code. However, she’s much better at reading the people around her.
While this makes her a far more complex character and woman, many critics and even Jane Austen’s mother deemed her as too insipid.
Mansfield Park is, overall, a more serious and moral book, and one could even say a much darker book than the rest of her novels. It explores and questions what truly holds value. Is it money itself, or is it what we can do with it? Is it charm or is it goodness?
Emma is Jane Austen’s fourth published novel and another timeless coming-of-age story. For it, Jane Austen set out to create a character that no one but herself would very much like.
It’s by many critics considered a comedy of manners.
The titular character is Emma Woodhouse. She’s a spoiled young woman from the high society of Highbury. Not only is she beautiful and charming, she also thinks she knows what’s best for everyone around her. She’s also rich and has the freedom not to get married and promptly declares she never will.
Emma shows no interest in the romantic attraction given her, and instead believes herself a natural matchmaker. While she wants and believes she’s of help, she’s much too insensitive and causes chaos and misunderstandings.
Blinded by her desire to continue her matchmaking, she soon becomes entangled in a net of complicated relationships. When she makes an unforgiveable error, however, she risks even her own chance of true happiness.
This eventually forces Emma to look at herself and her own emotions. Before long, she has to realize just how naïve she is and what love means. Things get even more complicated for her when she develops feelings for her neighbor, Mr. Knightly.
The reason Emma deserves such a high place on the list of the best Jane Austen books is because of its heroine. While she starts out as an infuriating and unlikeable character, she eventually turns into one of Jane Austen’s most endearing and loveable. This is all because of Jane Austen’s skills in showcasing her thoughts and inner workings.
Overall, Emma’s adventures are nothing short of entertaining and Jane Austen wastes no time to poke fun at this unlikely heroin.
Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen’s most popular novel. Almost everyone, no matter if fan or not, has heard of it. It’s by many regarded as the best of all the Jane Austen books.
It’s a heartwarming, historical romance that is still enjoyed two centuries after it was written. Its popularity never waned. The book always remained in print and serves massively popular amongst modern readers.
Following countless adaptions for the big screen, the book has also been adapted in another, more bizarre way, a work titled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
Our heroine is Elizabeth Bennet, or Lizzy, one of five daughters living in the Longbourn estate with their parents. Lizzy is headstrong, cynical, and witty and should become one of the most famous and beloved female characters of all time.
The novel’s plot revolves around the troubles of the five Bennett sisters and the pressure of the marriage market. Their future’s uncertain since their home is bequeathed to the closest male heir.
Things change when Mr. Bingly, a young, rich and eligible bachelor, arrives in the neighborhood. Jane, the oldest and most faultless of the Bennett sisters, soon begins a relationship with him.
Accompanying Mr. Bingly is the young, aloof and proud Mr. Darcy who’s immediately attracted to Lizzy. While Lizzy’s captivated by him, she’s also repulsed by his behavior.
Pride and Prejudice is essentially a story of enemies who become lovers. We follow them as they each have their pride humbled, overcome their prejudices, and finally fall in love.
Yet, the novel is also the story of the Bennett family. For not all is well, and eventually, Lydia Bennett’s behavior threatens the family’s reputation.
Pride and Prejudice comes with a biting sense of humor and features a cast of unforgettable characters. There’s, of course, our protagonist, Lizzy, but also Mr. Collins and the rest of the Bennett family. They have become one of literatures most believed family.
While many see Pride and Prejudice as a funny and witty romance novel, it has much more to offer. It showcases the social rules of the time and how to unravel them. It also explores the tensions between truths acknowledged by society and authentic human feelings.
Pride and Prejudice is without a doubt amongst the very best Jane Austen books, and by many, considered her best.
Persuasion was Jane Austen’s final novel and was only published posthumously by her brother Henry.
It features another one of Jane Austen’s most beloved heroines, Anne Elliot.
Over the course of her life, Jane Austen came to express deep concerns over how society pressures and persuades young women, and this novel is a testament of these thoughts.
While Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen’s most popular novel, Persuasion might be her most finely crafted one. Pride and Prejudice is witty, fun and entertaining. Persuasion, on the other hand, is a deeper, quieter and more realistic and mature novel. It’s a melancholic, almost lyrical story.
The novel’s plot centers on Anne Elliot, a twenty-year-old English woman. When Anne’s wealthy family falls from grace and experiences financial troubles, they are forced to rent out their home to Admiral Croft and his wife, Sophia.
As fate wants it, eight years ago, Anne was engaged to Sophia’s brother, Captain Fredrick Wentworth. Back then, Fredrick was nothing but a lowly naval officer, and Anne’s friend persuaded her to call off the engagement.
Fredrick, however, has become a wealthy man and is now famous for his war-time accomplishments. Meanwhile, Anne is a faded beauty, still unmarried and considered an old maid by the younger woman around her.
When Fredrick returns, Anne realizes she’s still in love with him and regrets ending their relationship. Yet Fredrick hasn’t quite forgiven her.
Persuasion is essentially a will-they-will-they-not type of plot. Anne suffers, and we as readers suffer with her, for Jane Austen shows no mercy and often toys with the reader’s expectations. After a series of plot twists and complications that drive them first further apart, they eventually reunite.
Persuasion is a novel that explores the strength of love and of second chances.
This is told from the perspective of one of her best heroines, Anne. She’s older and much more mature than Jane Austen’s other heroines. She’s used to disappointment, full of regret, and nostalgia, but develops tremendously over the course of the novel.
The novel also harshly criticizes society, and how easily young woman are swayed and persuaded by what’s expected of them. This makes Persuasion not only a work of fiction but also a commentary on social history.
All these elements make Persuasion the most satisfying of Jane Austen’s novels and one of the best Jane Austen books.
Urban fantasy books have become some of the most widely read books of the twenty-first century.
There’s a good reason for it. Urban fantasy is one of the most exciting, fascinating, and unique genres in modern literature.
While it usually involves fantastical plot, it’s vastly different from standard fantasy. Urban fantasy’s not set in a typical fantasy world, instead it plays out in our modern, real life world or one similar to it.
It’s a dynamic and diverse genre that often combines a variety of well-known tropes with new and unique ideas.
Urban fantasy books are filled with fantastical and mythological creatures like werewolves, vampires, witches, fairies, goblins and many others. Yet, many urban fantasy writers add their own touch to these elements. They distort them or mix them up in new and exciting ways. This makes urban fantasy books a delight to read for those who are looking for unique stories.
For this list, I selected a variety of different urban fantasy books. While some are standalone titles, others might be part of a longer series. All of them, however, are very worth reading.
Borderland is said to have started the urban fantasy trend.
Published back in 1986, it’s an anthology of short stories who all take place in Bordertown. It’s a chaotic, dystopian city which divides the human world from the mythical ‘Elflands.’
Things aren’t what they seem in Bordertown. Neither magic nor human engineering works as it should, and their unpredictable combination often proves fatal.
The town itself is inhabited by a cast of wonderful and strange characters. We get to know youthful outcasts and runaways, magical magicians and even so-called half-residents, descendants from the union of humans and elves.
All of them struggle to make sense of the world around them. Yet it’s a world that defies comprehension.
Borderland is a classic amongst urban fantasy books. While it caters primarily towards teenage readers, it comprises a variety of serious themes: disenfranchised youth culture, race relations, class conflict, generation gaps and much more.
Borderland is a great way to start off this list and any fan of urban fantasy books should read it.
War of the Oaks was first published in 1987 and it defined the modern urban fantasy genre in a similar note to the aforementioned Borderland.
It tells the story of a young musician Eddi McCandry. Her life takes a turn for the worse when her band breaks up and her boyfriend dumps her.
Things, however, are bound to get even weirder. One night, as she’s walking home through downtown Minneapolis, she’s drafted into an invisible war between two factions of the fairy folk. From this point onward, she’s about to struggle for her survival in this strange new world. All the while, she’s also trying to put together a new rock band.
War of the Oaks is a novel that’s written in lyrical fashion but also in a style that’s rather rough. It’s a book that’s as fantastic as it’s down to Earth. It tells a story of genuine love, loyalty, devotion, and, of course, real musicians.
War of the Oaks is another of the classic urban fantasy books, and any fan of the genre should check it out.
Patricia Briggs is one of the biggest names in urban fantasy and one of the most innovate writers the genre offers.
Moon Called is the first in the Mercy Thompson series comprising twelve novels.
The book includes a variety of fantastical elements and features a lot of mythological creatures such as werewolves, vampires, fairies, but also witches, shapeshifters and many others.
It tells the story of Mercy Thompson, a skilled mechanic who’s a shapeshifter, a so-called walker, who can turn into a coyote at will.
She and other mythological creatures live in their home of the so-called Tri-Cities. Everything seems to be all right and life’s harmonious. Yet, trouble’s been brewing below the surface for a long time.
Our story starts when a teenage boy arrives at her shop looking for work. Before long, it’s revealed that he not only turned into a werewolf recently but also escaped from a laboratory.
Mercy asks Adam Hauptman, the alpha of the local werewolf pack, for help. This act of kindness, however, has dire consequences, for Mercy soon learns that what happened to the boy wasn’t an isolated incident. From now on, she must set out to save those who are dear to her.
Urban fantasy’s a genre full of badass heroines, but Mercy Thompson proves to be one of the best ones. While Moon Called is an urban fantasy book that comes with a lot of familiar elements, Patricia Briggs is able to warp and change them into an entirely new and innovative story.
Moon Called is definitely one of the best urban fantasy books out there and a fantastic start to a brilliant series.
Wicked Lovely is another well-known urban fantasy novel. It’s once again the first in another, longer series of urban fantasy books.
It’s set in a world in which faeries live hidden amongst humans. They have terrible power and are of a cruel nature, especially against non-faerie folk.
Aislinn Foy is a teenager with a special power. She’s a so-called Sighted, which means she’s able to see faeries. For most of her life, however, she’d been afraid of them and chosen to ignore them.
This changes when the faerie Summer King Keenan believes she may be his new Summer Queen. Yet, at the same time, Aislinn got feelings for her best friend Seth. Before long, things get out of control and, even worse, dangerous.
What’s most interesting about the novel, however, is the intertwining of 18th century fairytales and folklore with the modern day expectations of teenagers.
While the book can be teeny and hormone fueled, it makes up for it by being a fantastic read.
Fated is the first novel in the Alex Versus series, set in Camden London, which comprises fourteen urban fantasy books.
Our protagonist Alex Verus runs a magic shop, but of course not an ordinary one. Instead of selling wands, cards and magic sets, he sells mysterious artifacts, some of which hold incredible power.
Yet, Alex himself is not an ordinary person either. He’s a mage with the power to see into the future. His life, however, is mundane, and he spends his days simply running his store.
All that changes when his apprentice Lune comes into the store with a mysterious crimson glass cube. Alex knows right away that his life’s about to change. While he doesn’t know why and how, he knows he’s in danger and there’s no way of avoiding it.
Fated is a fantastic urban fantasy book and a great introduction to one of urban fantasy’s best series.
In this urban fantasy book, we get to know Caroline Evelyn Merit. She was a normal twenty-eight-year-old graduate student.
One day, however, she’s attacked by a rogue vampire. Before he can finish the deed, he was scared away by another vampire, allowing Merit to survive the Caroline to survive the encounter. This other vampire is Ethan Sullivan, the head of Cadogan House.
From this day onward, however, she’s a vampire herself and now has to handle her new life. This includes hiding her identity from her roommate, getting together with the other vampires of Cadogan House, but also coping with her attraction to Ethan. Yet, he’s not merely her master, but he’s also got feelings for her of his own.
While Some Girls Bite might sound similar to other urban fantasy books, it’s worth reading. It features an interesting, female narrative, and outlines the many problems our protagonist faces in her new identity in our normal, modern day world.
Broken Elements is the first of three books in the Elements series. It’s a mixture of urban fantasy and murder mystery.
Aidan Brook is an elemental. This means she’s got the power to manipulate water with her mind. When her powers fail her one night, however, the consequences prove fatal.
Unable to cope with what she’s done, she tries to flee her old life and what she’s done. While she’s trying desperately to forget the past, the grisly murder of an old friend draws her back to the scene of her crimes, Lake Tahoe.
Before long, the FBI, too, is on her case and her quiet life ends. Even worse, a deadly killer soon sets his sights on her. Aidan now has to relearn her powers to survive. Yet, can she use them for good, or will she bring even more death?
With a great, tragic protagonist, lots of magical elements and a murder mystery, this book has it all for fans of urban fantasy books and innovative stories.
Sandman Slim is the first entry in the Sandman Slim series comprising over ten books.
The book centers on a trope as old as time, the battle between heaven and hell. Yet, this series of urban fantasy books twists this idea, makes it fresh and tells its story uniquely.
We get to know a man named James Stark, who’s known as Sandman Slim. He spent his teenage years as a magician, but before long, his powers were noticed by a demon. This demon took Sandman Slim to hell itself, and for eleven years, he was forced to perform a sideshow to entertain Satan’s minions.
When he’s finally able to escape, he sets out for revenge. He now hunts down the devil, who took him to hell and the mysterious group surrounding him.
Before long, however, he realizes there’s more to all this, and the truth is much more terrifying than he could’ve ever thought. For he soon finds himself dragged into a battle that’s been going on for much, much longer, that between heaven and hell.
Sandman Slim’s a fantastic series featuring a great antihero protagonist. It showcases that the path to retribution and revenge is never an easy one and there are often powers beyond our understanding which might influence and mess with us.
Simply a fantastic novel and part of a fantastic series of urban fantasy books.
Before he wrote American Gods, Neil Gaiman was already a titan of urban fantasy. It’s thanks to Neverwhere, which enthralled millions and was adapted not only into a radio play but also a TV series.
Under the streets of London lies a place that its citizens would never have dreamed of. It’s a city of monsters, saints, murderers, angels, knights in armor and pale girls in black velvet. It’s essentially a city of people who’ve fallen between the cracks.
We get to know Richard Mayhew, a young businessman who recently moved to London and who’s soon going to find out more about the other London. When he helps an injured girl named Door on the street one night, he’s catapulted into this other chaotic, magical place known as London Below.
After losing everything, he now travels London Below to make sense of it all and to find his way back to the normal world, London Above.
Neverwhere is an urban fantasy classic. It showcases Neil Gaiman’s imagination and his talent as a writer. It’s an absolutely fantastic novel with a lot of interesting ideas that doesn’t need to hide behind Gaiman’s other, more popular works.
Dead Until Dark is the first entry in the Sookie Stackhouse series of urban fantasy books. It has proven to be one of the most popular and well known urban fantasy series and served as the inspiration for the show True Blood.
It follows a young woman, Sookie, who lives a seemingly normal life. Yet, there’s more to her than meets the eye. Sookie’s got telepathic abilities. Instead of taking them for normal, however, she thinks she’s going crazy.
In the world of Dead Until Dark, the existence of vampires is common knowledge. They are of a serious and reserved character, which always proves to create fun interactions with the quirky Sookie. These are especially prevalent when she’s interacting with her boyfriend Bill, who’s, of course, a vampire.
The novel’s plot truly gets going when a series of murders happens and vampires get blamed for them. Yet, Sookie and Bill aren’t so sure that’s the truth and set out to solve them.
Dead Until Dark is an interesting and unique mixture of small-town southern America and dark, macabre vampires. It comes with a cast of fantastic characters and an intriguing premise in the form of a murder mystery. It’s a mystery which serves to be far more complicated than originally thought.
While Twilight and other series in the romance vampire subgenre might be more popular, the Sookie Stackhouse series is considered one of the finest entries.
Ilona Andrews is another popular and prolific urban fantasy writer. Magic Bites is where it all began. It’s the first in the massively popular Kate Daniels series comprising ten novels and several novellas.
Magic Bites is set in a world which fell victim to a magical apocalypse. One day, magic appeared. Rogue mages rose to power because of their spells, and monsters appeared.
This appearance of magic changed everything and made everything unpredictable. Soon technology started to fail. Guns didn’t fire, cars didn’t start and many other devices didn’t work as intended. Even worse, should either magic or technology work, the other will ultimately fail.
In this unpredictable, dystopian world, we get to know Kate Daniels. She lives in the city of Atlanta amongst vampires, were-creatures, necromancers and many other fantastical creatures. She herself is a sword-wielding mercenary who earns a living cleaning up magical problems.
When her guardian’s murdered, she sets out for answers and revenge. Soon enough, she finds herself involved in a power struggle between two opposing factions. As tensions rise, she becomes pressured by both sides and, before long, things get out of hand.
The most interesting element of Magic Bites has to be the unpredictability of not only magic, but also technology. It allows for quite a few strangely comedic moments, but also for the breaking of established rules.
Magic Bites is a fantastic debut novel of one of urban fantasy’s most popular writers. It’s a great novel with an interesting setting and most of all, a fun read.
Cassandra Clare is another massive name in the urban fantasy genre and her novel City of Bones helped bring the genre to mainstream attention.
City of Bones is the first of six books in The Mortal Instruments series. It received international acclaim in the young adult urban fantasy genre and was even adapted into a TV series.
Clary Fray is a normal, fifteen-year-old teenager. Her life changes when she witnesses a terrible murder committed by three tattooed teenagers carrying bizarre weapons. Before she can call the police, however, the victim’s body disappears without leaving behind a trace.
The perpetrators are Shadowhunters. They are powerful warriors sent to defeat evil demons that roam the earth.
After a series of increasingly bizarre events, Clary slowly finds herself pulled towards the Shadowhunters’ world. When her mother’s kidnapped, she’s got to team up with no other than the Shadowhunters to find out who’s taken her. Before long, she learns the truth about the Shadowhunters, their world and also the things her mother hid from her.
Now Clary, who used to be just a normal teenager, finds herself amid a supernatural battle between good and evil.
City of Bones is a fantastic young adult urban fantasy novel, one I highly recommend to any fan of urban fantasy books.
Midnight Riot is the first book in the Rivers of London series.
One has to wonder what makes London such a perfect setting for urban fantasy books. It’s a complex city with a rich history and a multicultural population.
Aaronovitch uses all these elements and another staple of urban fantasy, the police, to tell a fantastically, innovative story of magical mysteries. All this is spiced up with a healthy dosage of wry humor.
The novel introduces us to Peter Grant, a rookie cop. He’s assigned to the Case Progression Unit and his primary task is to fill out paperwork. Yet, Peter has a supernatural ability, he can see ghosts. When Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale recognizes these powers, Peter gets sent to magical training and is moved to a different unit.
From here on out, he works with Nightingale to solve various magical cases in London. The direst one, however, is a series of violent attacks that always end with the perpetrator’s face falling off.
Before long, Peter finds himself in over his head and has to solve an age long dispute. He’s now in a new world, an underworld populated by gods, goddesses and a dark entity with an evil plan.
Midnight Riot is a fantastic start to one of urban fantasy’s most beloved series. While the book can be a bit too packed with plot points and events, it more than makes up for it by its fantastic characters. It’s overall a witty and highly enjoyable read.
Storm Front is the first book in the massively popular urban fantasy series The Dresden Files. It’s a series that changed the face of modern urban fantasy forever.
Storm Front tells the story of Harry Dresden, a paranormal investigator and wizard. He’s the best at what he does, especially since he’s the only one at what he does. This makes him a person of high demand at the Chicago Police Department, for which he solves paranormal crimes.
Whenever cases are beyond what the police can handle, they call Harry. His newest case concerns a missing amateur magician and two dead civilians whose hearts have been ripped out. Strapped for cash, he takes the job, but soon finds himself in too deep.
While he tries to figure out what’s going on, the Chicago P.D. soon suspects no other than him. He’s now got to find the missing magician and expose his role in the grisly case.
Yet, behind it all lingers another, more dangerous and dark entity.
Storm Front is an absolutely fantastic novel and the start of a fantastic series of urban fantasy books.
Harry Dresden is a great protagonist, but what makes the book such a delight is the combination of private detective work and the unique, paranormal mysteries at play.
The Dresden Files is one of the most popular and well-beloved urban fantasy series of all time and for a good reason. I highly recommend any fan of the genre to check it out.
One can’t talk about urban fantasy without mentioning the name Neil Gaiman and his novel American Gods.
While his novel Neverwhere mentioned before on this list was popular, American Gods is what changed everything. It’s one of the most popular and well-known urban fantasy books, if not the most popular. It’s by many called one of the best novels of the twenty-first century.
First published in 2001, it became an enormous success, won multiple awards and was turned into a successful TV series.
Shadow Moon’s an ex-con who’s locked behind bars for three years. He bids his time for all he wants is to get back to his wife Lauren and start a new life.
Yet, days before his release, his wife and best friend die in a car accident. Even worse, he finds out the two of them had an affair. He’s devastated, but upon his release reluctantly accepts an offer by the mysterious Mr. Wednesday to become his bodyguard.
Mr. Wednesday, however, isn’t who he’s supposed to be. He turns out to be Odin, the Norse God of War. He’s on a mission around America to recruit the other Old Gods and form an army to battle against the New Gods.
The New Gods are the modern gods, the gods of progress that have begun to dominate modern society and filled the gap left behind after the fall of the Old Gods. They represent such things as media, technology and commercialism.
Yet, soon enough, Shadow Moon questions his new employer. Why this battle? Something strange is going on and the more mysteries he unearths, the more he finds himself in over his head. Yet, what can a single man do when he’s surrounded by divine beings?
American Gods is nothing short of masterpiece and amongst the greatest urban fantasy books ever written. It’s a novel I highly recommend not only for fans of the genre but for all readers out there.
Dystopian literature is a genre of speculative fiction that has become massively popular over the last decade and a half. It’s no surprise dystopian books are enjoyed by a massive fan base.
While dystopian books were popular in the 19th and 20th century, their popularity has grown significantly in recent years. Our very own world seems on the verge of change because of a multitude of factors. There’s war, climate change, economic chaos, the pandemic, energy shortages and much, much more.
The most fascinating aspect and what always brings readers back to dystopian books is their setting. They always draw from our own world and mirror its elements, such as, amongst others, our society, politics, religion, and technology, and distort them. They essentially present us with a world similar to our own in which one or more of these elements have gone horribly wrong.
While some dystopian books explore apocalyptic events and their aftermath others, many focus on such issues as the decile of society, social issues, dehumanization, injustice and inequality.
Many writers have written about dystopian versions of our future. There’s such classical writers like George Orwell and H. G. Wells, but also contemporary writers such as Suzanne Collins or Kazuo Ishiguro.
What makes dystopian literature such an interesting genre might be the fact that these books show us that, however bad things are, they could be much, much worse.
The best dystopian books, however, are those that serve as cautionary tales and comment on the problems of our very own society, and where they could lead us.
On this list, I included both classics and newer books, and also a few young adult books. All of them, however, are worth reading.
Noughts & Crosses is the first dystopian book in an award-winning novel series. It’s garnered widespread popularity and was adapted for TV in recent years.
The novel depicts a fictional 21th-century dystopian Britain split by race. In this world, white Noughts are treated as an inferior race while black Crosses are born into privilege and perceived as superior.
The novel’s plot follows two friends, Sephy and Callum. While Sephy’s a Cross and the daughter of a powerful politician, Callum is a Nought, poor, and merely exists to serve Crosses.
Against all odds, however, the two of them chose each other and their love.
It’s a powerful story that reverses traditional racial stereotypes. It’s a story of friendship and love, but a love that threatens the very fabric of society.
Noughts & Crosses is an interesting dystopian book and gives as an entirely new, and uncomfortable look at the very real racial problems in our society. It’s very worth reading.
Philip K. Dick – Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
Philip K. Dick’s science-fiction masterpiece that inspired the movie Blade Runner.
It presents us with a post-apocalyptic setting and the resulting dystopian society. Following a nuclear war, the ‘World War Terminus’ huge parts of the world are uninhabitable because of radiation poisoning.
Because of this, real animals have become scarce. Instead, artificial creatures have been created to resemble those made of flesh, including humanoids.
The plot revolves around Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter, who’s tasked with killing six Nexus 6 model androids who escaped from Mars.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is an action-packed novel full of vivid and imaginative world-building. We witness a devastated world, a futuristic setting, strange psychological tests to identify androids and social status determined by the number of natural animals one owns.
The major theme of the novel, however, isn’t one about society. Instead, the novel talks about the nature of AI, the future it could lead us to, and what makes us truly human.
It’s a fantastic novel, one I highly recommend to any fan of science-fiction, cyberpunk, but also dystopian books.
When Battle Royal was first published in Japan, it proved massively popular and developed a cult following. Because of its fantastic movie adaption, the novel also became a hit with Western audiences.
It’s a Japanese thriller novel set in a fascist Japan and tells the shocking story of the titular Battle Royal program.
Each year, fifty third-year junior high classes are randomly selected. The students of each class are then kidnapped and dropped off at a remote location. They are provided weapons and provision and forced to kill each other until only one of them remains.
The novel’s story centers on the students of Shiroiwa Junior High School. Shuya Nanahara, our narrator, decides not to ‘play the game,’ as he refers to it and instead to protect his friends.
Battle Royal is an action-packed novel that features one of the most disturbing scenarios ever created. It also features a fantastic cast of characters, including Shuya Nanahara, Noriko Nakagawa, Shogo Kawada and, of course, Kazuo Kiriyama.
While the novel was first seen as nothing but pure exploitation and shock-value, its status has now changed. Nowadays, it’s often regarded as the Lord of the Flies of the 21th century and one of the best dystopian books out of Japan.
This classical dystopian book was written in 1951 and is set in a post-apocalyptic world.
One day, a large part of the world’s population is blinded by a meteor shower. What’s even worse, however, is the rise of a huge, locomotive, venomous plant species known as Triffids that roam the Earth and hunt down humans. The few humans who haven’t been blinded now have to find a way to survive.
The Day of the Triffids is a classical catastrophe novel that inspired countless other, similar novels and terrified an entire generation.
Over the course of the novel, it becomes clear that the Triffids might have been genetically modified. This fear of biological weapons came from a certain rumor popular during the time of its writing. It stated that the Soviet Union was experimenting with manipulating nature to do its bidding.
The most interesting aspect about The Day of the Triffids, however, lies in its antagonists. In a post-apocalyptic world, plants and nature are usually seen as a symbol of restoration and hope. Not so in The Day of the Triffids.
The novel’s major theme is the twisted nature of biological warfare and serves as a cautionary tale about the twisted horrors it might create.
It’s a great novel for fans of dystopian books and classical science-fiction alike.
Uglies is the first installment in the Uglies series and presents us with a very interesting idea for a dystopia.
The novel’s set in a world of extreme beauty in which everyone whose normal is considered ugly.
It tells the story of a young girl named Tally who’s about to turn sixteen. She can’t wait for it because it means she’ll finally undergo an operation that will turn her from an Ugly into an extremely pretty person, a Pretty. Once she’s pretty, she’ll be able to enter a high-end paradise of endless fun and leisure.
Before long, however, Tally has doubts about this strange system and eventually joins a colony of her fellow Uglies.
Scott Westerfeld’s dystopian book is social criticism at its finest. It showcases our obsession with beauty and attractiveness and our prejudice against those who aren’t.
Oryx and Crake is the first novel in Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy.
It’s set in a world in which humanity has been destroyed by a plague. We get to know Snowman, who believes himself to be the last human on Earth. He spends his days in this post-apocalyptic world surrounded by Crakers, a humanoid species created by his friend Crake.
He eventually embarks on a journey to find answers through what was once a great city and has now returned to wilderness.
As the book continues, our protagonist reminisces in his past and his role in the apocalypse is slowly revealed.
Back in the day, he and his friend stumbled upon the dark side of the internet. This act of childish curiosity should change their lives forever.
In their adult years, the world’s population is destroyed by a plague and those who survive it are set on creating genetically better humans. It’s Snowman, then known as Jimmy, and his friend Crake, who were at the center of this development.
Oryx and Crake is a dystopian novel that’s quite different from Margaret Atwood’s other dystopian book The Handmaid’s Tale.
It’s a story about the effects of our childhood on our adult years. It also serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of genetic modification.
Oryx and Crake will leave you disturbed by how plausible a scenario it presents. While not the most popular of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian books, it’s still very much worth reading.
Ursula K. Le Guin is not only a giant of modern literature, but also dystopian literature.
The Dispossessed is part of the fictional universe of the Hainish Cycle, which comprises seven novels, but can be read as a standalone.
The novel features two worlds, Anarres and Urras. Shelk, a brilliant physicist, lives in the utopian world of Anarres. He attempts, however, to reunite Anarres with his home of Urras.
Urras, however, is a civilization full of war, poverty, and, of course, capitalism. He tries to show the people of Urras a better way to live, but soon realizes it might be for the best if Anarres remains its own state.
It’s quite interesting that The Dispossessed is by some called a utopian novel. Its major themes center on the contrast between the freedom of an anarchic society and one that’s constrained by capitalism. Yet, it’s an ambiguous story, one that hides more below its surface than one might originally think.
Nothing much needs to be said about this dystopian novel. It’s written by a master of the genre and should be read by any fan.
Borne is Jeff VanderMeer’s eighth novel and in it, he presents us with a strange, but intriguing version of the future.
The stories set in a nameless city which is left in ruins by ‘the Company,’ a biotech corporation.
Rachel’s a young girl who makes a living scavenging the ruins for products made and left behind by the Company. One day, during a mission, she and her partner discover a strange creature. It’s nothing but a green lump, tangled in grizzly fur. She takes the creature home and names it ‘Borne.’
Soon enough, however, the creature reveals mesmerizing shape-shifting abilities. This event should change her life forever.
Borne’s a novel that’s strange and bizarre. It showcases an ecologically ravaged world and serves as a cautionary tale against the dangers of biotechnology.
VanderMeer’s writing is as unconventional as the story, and might take some getting used to, but it’s worthwhile. Borne’s without a doubt amongst the best dystopian books in recent years.
While George Orwell’s known mostly for his other dystopian novel Nineteen Eight-Four, Animal Farm is also massively popular.
Who doesn’t know the line ‘All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.’
Animal Farm’s a classic fable with a lasting lesson. It centers on the animals at Manor Farm. Dissatisfied with their human owners, they stage a revolt and drive them out. At first, all seems well, and the animals enjoy their newfound autonomy. Soon enough, however, another sort of tyranny replaces that of the humans, one that might be even worse.
George Orwell’s Animal Farm shows us how revolutions can go wrong and how their outcome might not bring the change people long for so dearly. In this Animal Farm’s case, it’s a clear criticism of the Soviet Union and the totalitarian regime it became.
What’s most interesting, however, and what makes it work so well, is George Orwell’s choice to not use human protagonists, but animals. Each one of them represents a specific subset of the population.
While it’s a short book, and rather on the nose, it’s still amongst the best dystopian books with a lasting message.
The Time Machine by H. G. Wells is one of the first true science-fiction novels ever written and one of the first portrayals of time travel in literature.
While it may not be entirely a dystopian novel, it still presents us with a dystopian version of the future.
During the Victorian era, a scientist develops a time machine and travels to the year 802,701 AD. He discovers Earth has become a utopia and humans have evolved into the childlike Eloi. He spends his time with them and learning about the development of humanity.
When his time machine vanishes, he’s forced to travel down into the deep and ominous tunnels below the surface. He soon discovers there’s another race descended from humans, the cannibalistic Morlocks.
The Time Machine’s major theme is that as brilliant and dazzling as a society might appear, it always has a dark underside to it. The novel also establishes many tropes of the time travel genre, especially its unexpected side-effects that have since become a staple of the genre.
It’s a fantastic novel with a great, convoluted and twisted plot. It’s a late Victorian era masterpiece and one of the most popular science-fiction books of all time.
The Chrysalids by John Wyndham is an allegorical tale set several thousand years in the future.
It’s another novel set in a post-apocalyptic world, but one dominated by religious fundamentalism. It’s essentially a new technological dark age after the collapse of civilization. However, some humans have developed telepathy.
The story’s set at Labrabor, whose inhabitants believe that ‘normality’ is the key to preserve their world. Anything that goes against it will cause the wrath of God to come down on them. Therefore, they’ve become eugenicists and kill or banish anyone who differs from them. This, of course, includes people with telepathic powers.
The story revolves around David, the son of a devout man and authority figure and his cousin Rosalind. We soon learn that the two of them have telepathic powers. As they grow older, it becomes harder and harder for them to conceal their powers.
Eventually, they face a dilemma. Wait for discovery and risk death, or flee into the ever-changing and dangerous Badlands.
The Chrysalids is a critic of religious fundamentalism. It showcases the persecution, intolerance, social exclusion, and discrimination such a world could bring. It’s yet another book that gives us an eerie prediction of what our real-life society could be headed towards.
The Chrysalids is often considered John Wyndham’s best book. It’s faced-paced and suspenseful, but also thought-provoking. A great read for anyone looking for dystopian books.
The Drowned World is one of the earliest works of climate fiction, a subset of the dystopian literature genre.
In the year 2145, the world’s changed and wide spread parts of it have become uninhabitable because of global warming. Many of the cities of Europe and America have become submerged and many animals around the globe have mutated.
The Drowned World’s plot centers on Dr. Robert Kearns, whose part of a group of scientists that must survive in an environmentally devastated London. The city’s changed into a primordial jungle populated by giant lizards, dragonflies and other insects. Things only get worse, for Dr. Kearny is soon beset by strange dreams.
The Drowned World is an adventurous novel that takes us on an unlikely journey. Yet, the novel’s more than a mere adventure. It paints a vivid picture of the dangers of global warming and what its changes would do to the human psychology.
What’s most interesting, however, is that the novel was written back in 1962, but it’s more relevant today than ever before. Another great read.
The Hunger Games Trilogy is a vastly popular series of dystopian books and probably the most popular young adult novel series of all time.
It’s a bestseller that’s already regarded as a classic of young adult literature.
The series is set in the totalitarian nation of Panem that was once North America. It comprises a lavish capitol, which rules its surrounding twelve districts with a cruel hand.
Each year, two teenagers, a boy and a girl, are chosen as tributes amongst the population of each district to join the annual Hunger Games.
The titular games are a death battle in an arena with only one winner. This winner earns riches and resources for their district. The entire ordeal, however, is done for the entertainment of those living in the capitol and broadcast live to the entire population.
When her sister gets chosen, Katniss Everdeen of the thirteenth district volunteers to go in her place. She must now train and figure out how to survive in the arena.
This is only the plot of the first novel, however. In the subsequent entries of the series, Katniss and others eventually decide to pick up the fight against the capitol itself.
The Hunger Games Trilogy features a variety of themes. Amongst them are class division, the decadence and disregard of the ruling class, and the power of love even in the direst circumstances. It also harshly criticizes the popular genre of reality TV.
Once more, the dystopia depicted in The Hunger Games doesn’t feel too far off. Following war, new civilizations emerge. Who’s saying it couldn’t be like that of ancient Rome, which served as the inspiration for Panem.
Overall, the Hunger Games are a fantastic young adult series and a fantastic trilogy of dystopian books. This is especially owed to their protagonist Katniss, who serves as a role model for female readers of all ages.
In 1998, José Saramago won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Blindness was one of the works mentioned by the committee.
The novel’s set in the year 1990. Overnight, a large percentage of the population of an unnamed city wakes up unable to see. The cause for this is never explained.
From this point onward, the city’s inhabitants have to figure out how to handle this new condition. Order soon disintegrates, food runs scarce, and criminals exploit the situation. Before long, surveillance is heightened and quarantines for those suffering from the condition are imposed.
Blindness is a disorienting read which uses its language and writing style to mimic the lives of the city’s inhabitants.
The novel showcases the fragility of human society and serves as a cautionary tale about how quick things could fall apart. More so, it sheds light on the violence and heartlessness that’s already at play in our society. Yet, it also shows the importance of solidarity and compassion in dire situations.
Blindness is José Saramago at his best. The novel features a unique scenario brought to life by fantastic imagery. Clearly another one of the best dystopian books out there.
One of the most popular novels by Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro.
It’s a coming-of-age tale that’s both powerful and exploratory.
The novel brings with a caretaker, Kathy, who’s in her thirties and reminisces about her childhood.
In the 1980s, she attended an English boarding school called Hailsham. The students were well-cared for, but taught nothing about the outside world.
When Kathy and her two friends, Ruth and Tommy, eventually leave the school grounds, they discover what Hailsham really is.
Never Let Me Go was named by Time as the best novel of 2005. It’s a dystopian book about sacrifice, impermanence, and what it means to be human. It focuses on the question of morality in an age of rapidly developing medical technology.
Its relevant themes and its simple yet emotional writing make it a great read for fans of dystopian books.
We’s a novel that was written in the early years of the Soviet Union and was published in New York in 1923. It’s an early example of a dystopian novel and is said to have inspired both, Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World.
It’s set 1000 years in the future in a utopia. This utopia’s called OneState and comprises a glass-enclosed city of absolute straight lines.
It’s a totalitarian society and everyone’s under constant surveillance. The citizens live their lives devoid of passion, creativity and even emotions. Everyone’s given up on their individuality and instead of names, people are only known by numbers.
One day, D-503, a mathematician who dreams only in numbers, discovers he can do and think differently. It isn’t long before he becomes involved in a resistance group.
The most interesting part about the novel is to witness how our protagonist discovers feelings and relationships with others. It also sheds light on the strange conventions of the totalitarian rule, and, of course, the consequences of going against it.
We’s fantastically written, and its prose helps to establish the novel’s setting and mood. It features abrupt, dry language which helps us to not only identify with the narrator but also the situation he’s in. However, it paints a vivid picture of the bleak world he lives in.
We by Yevgeny Zamyatin is without a doubt a classic amongst the many dystopian books out there, and a must-read for any fan of the genre.
The Stand’s probably the greatest novel Stephen King’s ever written.
While the novel’s an absolute doorstopper, it’s often advertised using a few short sentences:
‘First comes the days of the plague. Then come the dreams. Dark dreams that warn of the coming of the dark man.’
At the novel’s outset, a patient infected with a hyper-contagious strain of super-flu escapes a biological testing facility. The resulting epidemic wipes out ninety-nine percent of the world’s population.
Soon enough, normal society collapses, survivors struggle, and warring factions rise. This, however, is all just the beginning.
While Mother Abigail strives to create a peaceful enclave for the survivors, Randall Flagg, the ‘Dark Man’ revels in chaos and violence. Soon enough, those similar to him flock to his side.
Stephen King uses the point of view of various characters to showcase the struggles of survival as they travel to their respective destinations.
The Stand features a variety of fantastic characters. There are Mother Abigail, Larry Underwood, Randall Flagg, and, of course, Donald Elbert, the Trashcan Man.
The Stand’s simply a masterpiece, and one of the greatest dystopian books out there.
Parable of the Sower is one of the most iconic dystopian books out there.
It’s a science-fiction classic set in a disintegrating Los Angeles in the 2020s. It’s a grim, terrifying version of the future. Climate catastrophes have led to scarce resources and global anarchy has arisen.
Lauren Olamina tries her best to survive with her family in this devastated world. Yet, she’s also got to deal with a condition known as hyper empathy. It makes her hyper aware of the pain of others. In a city full of drugs, disease, war, water shortages and despaired people, there’s no end to her suffering.
The novel presents us with a world in which a functioning society is a thing of the past. By now, there’s only sorrow left. Yet, it also shows us the hope people cling to even in the direst situations.
While the novels told from a youthful narrative voice, the novel’s story itself is deep and emotionally mature.
Originally written in 1992, the novel has become widely popular, more so after its movie adaption in the mid-2000s.
It’s a fantastic, dystopian thriller in which humanity has become infertile. No children have been born in twenty-five years and the last generation has reached adulthood.
Civilization’s slowly falling apart and despair and suicide are commonplace. This deterioration has gone so far that members of this last generation are even allowed to get away with murder.
In this world, we meet the Oxford historian Theodor Faron. He’s given up all hope. This changes when he meets Julian. He and his group of revolutionaries hold the key to the survival of humanity.
The Children of Men is a story about morality, tyranny, but also hope. It also focuses on another problem, that of depopulation.
The most interesting aspect about The Children of Men is the scenario it depicts. While most dystopias or apocalyptic novels rely on war, catastrophe, a pandemic or even aliens and monsters, it depicts an end of the world that’s far more conventional, yet frighteningly possible.
Published back in 1953, Fahrenheit 451 is another classic amongst the many dystopian books out there.
It’s interesting to note that the book was inspired by the Red Scare of the 1940s in which America was under the thump of anti-communist hysteria.
The novel, however, is set in the distant future in which books are banned and intellectual thought is illegal. For this reason, firemen are tasked with the burning of books so the totalitarian regime can control what the members of society learn.
This society mostly comprises people of short attention spans who are constantly bombarded by brainless media.
Our protagonist, Guy Montag, works as a fireman. Things change when he meets a neighbor with a different opinion on the value of books. He soon steals books from the burnings and slowly questions not only his occupation, but society itself.
Fahrenheit 451 is a shockingly interesting book. While it’s unlikely, that books will ever be banned completely, it’s a cautionary tale on where censorship might lead us. Another interesting aspect is the presentation of brainless media consumption and mundane life without critical thinking, which is a theme that seems more relevant today than ever before.
While Fahrenheit 451 was an important book at the time of its writing, it feels even more relevant today because of the rise of Big Data.
It’s definitely a classic and one well worth reading.
The Giver’s an award-winning young adult classic and a coming-of-age story.
It’s set in a society devoid of social problems. It’s a perfect world without fear, war, or pain. Yet, it’s also one without choices. It’s a mundane paradise and essentially a colorless world.
The novel’s plot revolves around the twelve-year-old Jonas who’s chosen as a Receiver by The Giver. This means he has to memorize his community’s history. While he learns about the past, he soon realizes his society isn’t the perfect utopia he was taught. It’s the Giver who only holds the memories of true pain, but also the true pleasures of life.
It’s interesting to note that the book was both widely taught, but also banned for various reasons. These include introducing youth to suicide, sexual awakening and the loss of innocence.
The dominant theme of the book, however, is knowledge. What happens when only a select few can have it? Other themes include the dilemma of growing up and the struggle between individual freedom and security.
The Giver’s widely regarded a classic amongst dystopian books and has inspired many others.
A Clockwork Orange is regarded a classic and widely popular, especially because of its fantastic movie adaption by Stanley Kubrick.
It presents us with a dystopian, violent and nightmarish version of the future. In this world, youthful dissatisfaction with society is on the rise and has caused a spike in violence.
The novel’s plot revolves around the fifteen-year-old Alex, the leader of an ultra-violent gang. He and his crew commit all sorts of violent deeds as a form to rebel against society. Those acts include not only robbery but also rape and murder.
Eventually, Alex is arrested, and put into a reeducation program. There, he’s forced to undergo therapy to quell his violent urges and to be ‘corrected.’
One of the most interesting aspects about A Clockwork Orange is ‘Nadsat,’ the youthful slang Alex and his friends use. It’s not merely a specific vocabulary, but an entirely made-up language which borrows heavily from both Russian and Shakespeare.
The novel’s biggest themes are those of freedom, free will, psychological manipulation, and, of course, the alienation of youths in a society that doesn’t care about them.
A Clockwork Orange has proven to be highly influential and gave birth to a variety of phrases such as droogs and ultraviolence.
While it can be a rather brutal and violent novel, it’s another fantastic dystopian book.
The Power is another dystopian novel full of social criticism and features an interesting reversal about patriarchal powers.
Five thousand years in the future, society is dominated by women. A male author decides to write a piece of historical fiction detailing how things changed and how women came into power.
One day, in the 21th century, teenage girls across the world discovered that they had what should become known as ‘The Power.’ It refers to an electric charge which allows them to cause horrible pain and even death. They soon learn how to awaken this power in older woman as well. This strange power changes the entire world, and soon men are no longer in charge. As a new order forms, the question remains if things will be better from now on.
As we read on, the novel interesting intertwines the stories of various women from different parts of the world. This allows us to see various scenarios about how the balance of power was shifted.
The Power is essentially a ‘what-if’ scenario. Its major themes are that of power, how it corrupts us, and how it’s abused. It also serves as a cautionary tale about going too far to right a wrong.
It’s a clever, disturbing and, at times, darkly humorous novel. Yet, it’s not a comfortable read. There’s no utopia here, no equality. Instead the book shows only one thing: it’s not men nor women, it’s humans.
The Power is another fantastic dystopian book, one that puts its focus on woman’s oppression, but also systematic inequality.
Station Eleven is a fantastic dystopian novel about the enduring power of art.
After a famous actor dies on stage, a deadly flu epidemic wipes out most of civilization and changes the world forever.
The novel centers on a young woman who’s part of a traveling theater group. They visit small communities who’ve survived and perform for them King Lear. Yet, more troubles to come.
The most interesting aspect about Station Eleven is the way it’s told. It moves back and forth in time to show us normalcy before the epidemic started and the altered world that exists twenty years later. To do this, it showcases the lives of various characters. They include the aforementioned dead actor, his wife, a paparazzi who tries to save him, his close friend and a young aspiring actress who witnessed it.
This entire story, however, is held together by the theme of theater.
Station Eleven is a novel full of imagination and world-building. We witness what people remember, what remains of the old world and what changed. This approach gives it almost the feeling of a nonfiction account.
The novel’s dominant theme is the enduring power of art, but also the power of relationships between people and how they help us get through everything, even the end of the world. It also explores what it means to be human in a world that’s lost everything.
It’s not an easy novel to read and its theme of theater might not be for everyone. What it does, however, is show us what extreme conditions can do to human beings. It’s, however, one of the best dystopian books out there.
The Road is another vastly popular dystopian novel and one of the bleakest ever written.
It’s considered a contemporary classic and won McCarthy the Pulitzer Prize.
The Road is set in a post-apocalyptic America. It’s a world devoid of life where no hope remains. The few strugglers still alive scavenge and fight for the little resources left.
In this world, a father and son travel hoping to reach the coast to make a better life for themselves. They are looking for an end to their suffering and a better life, one that lies at the end of ‘the road.’
What’s interesting to note about The Road is we never learn what caused the end of the world. Yet, as in all good fiction, we don’t need to know what happened to witness its effects.
The Road is a bleak, melancholic and dark novel, one that’s utterly depressing, but ultimately shows how good conquers evil.
When reading The Road, one has to wonder how one would act in a situation such as this. Would we be compassionate or would we give into our individuality, competitiveness and our darkest urges?
The Road is a highly memorable read, especially because of Cormac McCarthy’s beautiful prose and unconventional style. It’s a modern classic and amongst the best dystopian books ever written.
The Handmaid’s Tale is by many regarded a classic of feminist dystopian literature. While it was published in 1985, it remains relevant today and feels even more so given the current political climate.
The novel’s set in the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian, religious state which was formerly the United States. It emerged following a nuclear war, which left large parts of the population infertile.
In this world, women are subordinate to men, have no rights, no control over their bodies and are forbidden from reading. They are wives, mothers or handmaids.
Handmaids is the term for the few fertile women who remain and who are forced to breed.
One of them is Offred. She’s sent to the house of The Commander and his wife. Her sole reason for existing is now to bear the Commander’s child. Month after month, she prays to become pregnant, yet things slowly escalate.
The Handmaid’s Tale’s written in Margaret Atwood’s typical, unconventional style. It also features alternating storylines to present us with all parts of this nightmarish but complex universe.
It’s a scenario that’s disgustingly possible, especially given what’s currently happening in certain parts of the world. The world of The Handmaid’s Tale’s a hellish version of America which might nowadays not be too far off.
The Handmaid’s Tale is without a doubt one of the greatest dystopian books ever written and a fascinating look at not only a dystopian society but also gender discrimination.
George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four simply can’t be missed on a list like this.
Who doesn’t know about Big Brother or the famous, contradictory statement ‘War is Peace.’
The novel’s set in a totalitarian future. Earth is divided into three continental-sized nations who are perpetually at war with one another.
The story’s set in the totalitarian nation of Oceania in a province that was formerly known as Great Britain. Everything and everyone’s slave to this tyrannical regime led by The Party. Surveillance and censorship run rampant and free thinking is known as ‘thoughtcrime.’
Our protagonist, Winston Smith, works at the Ministry of Truth and rewrites history to fit the needs of the party. Yet, he’s not fond of the totalitarian world he lives in. It’s one of demand and absolute obedience and every aspect of his life is under the watchful eye of Big Brother, the symbolic, omnipotent head of the Party.
Before long, however, he’s contacted by his superior, an Inner Party official named O’Brian. He tells Winston he’s part of an underground resistance group known as the Brotherhood.
Nineteen Eighty-Four is a chilling portrayal of the dangers of manipulation, surveillance and censorship until the truth doesn’t matter or doesn’t even exist anymore.
It features a variety of terrifyingly interesting ideas. There’s, of course, the massive propaganda, but also concepts such as the rewriting of history, the changing of language, government-controlled media and even the indoctrination of children to survey their own parents.
Nineteen Eighty-Four shines with its meticulous and scary world-building. It can be considered one of the most terrifying, bleak and depressing novels ever written. It’s a story in which there’s no hope, no victory, only servitude and eventually, everyone will one day love Big Brother.
Brave New World is another one of the most famous dystopian books ever written and my all-time favorite.
The novel describes a scenario that’s strangely realistic and frankly said, frightening. It was inspired by the utopian novels of H. G. Wells, but has been twisted into a caricature of them.
It’s set in the year 2540 in a technologically advanced future and an idealistic utopian society.
Humans aren’t born anymore, but are genetically engineered and bred in artificial wombs. They go through childhood indoctrination before they are assigned to a specific cast. This cast is predetermined by their genetic make-up and level of intelligence.
In this society, wars and conflict are a thing of the past and everyone’s happy. Yet, intellectual pursuit has given way to complacency. There are no long-lasting relationships. Should anyone feel doubt, be unhappy or even depressed, it can all be fixed by a drug called Soma.
Our protagonist, Bernhard Marx, is a member of the Alpha cast, yet he grows more and more uncomfortable with society. The plot, however, only truly starts when he visits a savage reservation. There he meets John, a man born naturally who grew up knowing nothing about the real society.
Brave New World might be described as a utopia, but it all comes at a cost. It’s a cold, uncaring world full of numbing drugs and indoctrination. Concepts such as love, care, compassion and even families are a thing of the past.
Brave New World features a variety of themes. The most prominent, however, are the ones of genetically engineering, the abuse of pharmaceutical drugs, indoctrination, blind consumerism and the disregard of intellectual pursuit.
Another important theme is that of individual freedom and freedom of expression. We see this especially in the story of John.
Brave New World is probably one of the most disturbing dystopias, given how realistic it appears. Even nowadays, with streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify, amongst others, we can consume endlessly and give into the illusion of happiness or at least complacency.
It’s a fantastically well-written novel with interesting characters and without a doubt amongst the greatest dystopian books ever written, if not the greatest.
