The best fantasy and science fiction books for teens

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best YA science fiction books

Got a teen or tween who devours books like that weird-arse gobbledok from the ’80s Smiths Chips ads? Then this is your lucky day.

Keeping kids hooked on books – or getting them reading in the first place – gets even trickier once they hit double-digits. And especially when those digits involve a one and a five. Take it from me.

My best tip to keep your teen reading or even to get them to open a book in the first place? Give them books with stories that hook them right from the start so they can’t stop.

To help you do just that, here are the best middle-grade and YA fantasy and science fiction books of 2020. All these books are from Australian authors and were judged the best in the recent Aurealis Awards, so you know they’re worth reading.

Best graphic novel

best YA graphic novel Aurealis Awards

Presenting Black Magick, the graphic novel that’s a perfect mash-up between two YA genre faves – mystery and supernatural. Rowan Black is a detective and a witch. She works the homicide/ robbery beat while trying to unravel the biggest mystery of all – who she is and why so many people want to control her powers. This edition gathers up all the first 11 critically-acclaimed Black Magick volumes into one handy book that teens will lap up.

Black Magick by Greg Rucka & Nicola Scott, Image Comics.

Graphic novel shortlist

Here are the shortlisted graphic novels for kids and teens:

Best science fiction novel/ YA novel

Aurora Rising has already won a swag of coveted awards and short-listed spots, including for the upcoming Indie Book Awards 2020. No surprise then that Aurealis judges picked it for Best Science Fiction book and Best YA book in their own awards. Now for the plot. It’s 2380 and Aurora Academy’s graduating class are ready for their first mission, But instead of a super squad, star pupil Tyler Jones ends up with a band of misfits, including Auri, a girl who’s been trapped in cybersleep for two whole centuries. And they’re about to start a war that’ll destroy the entire galaxy. This one’s the first book, but there’s also a sequel, Aurora Burning.

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (Allen & Unwin).

YA shortlist

Check out the other shortlisted best YA novel contenders:

Best children’s fiction

Now for a little bit of middle-grade dystopia. Ella and Emery are alone in a city where food shortages caused by a mutating plant virus are slowly starving the population. To survive, they need to get away and find their mother. They set off on a perilous journey across dangerous terrain, with their five dogs leading the way. But the pair have no clue of the dangers they’re about to face in the race to find their mum. An age-appropriate look at the potential perils of climate change and food insecurity, mixed in with the right balance of adventure to keep kids interested.

The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble, Allen & Unwin.

Children’s shortlist

You’ll find dragons, shapeshifters, magic and more fantasy tropes than any kid can read in one hit here:

Check out the full Aurealis Awards 2019 winners list for more great reads, including the best fantasy and horror reads for adults. Then take another look at the 2020 Booker Prize longlist or the 2020 Miles Franklin Literary Awards longlist for more fab fiction to get lost in. For younger readers, the CBCA 2020 best books shortlist is a must-see.

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