Must-read sci-fi classics

As the world gets weirder and weirder, science fiction seems increasingly plausible. That’s because, however outlandish their inventions, stories of science fiction are about people, who never change, and about the times they were written in. The best science fiction – including dystopian fiction – can fire our imagination with new worlds at the same time as making us look inward. Here are some of Penguin’s must-read science fiction classics, from 17th century fantasias to a world of hair-carpet weavers.