美国著名文学评论家布哈伊·哈桑曾说：“科幻小说可能在哲学上是天真的，在道德上是简单的，在美学上是有些主观的或粗糙的，但是就它最好的方面而言，它似乎触及了人类集体梦想的神经中枢，解放出我们人类这具机器中深藏的某些幻想。”以下是近年来最受欢迎的六本科幻小说：

　　1. 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins

　　1.《饥饿游戏》苏珊·柯林斯

　　The Hunger Games trilogy is a series of young adult books about the nation of Panem, a country that exists in a place that used to be called America. Panem has 12 districts ruled by a totalitarian government in The Capitol district. Every year The Capitol hosts The Hunger Games, a brutal nationally televised competition where a male and female teenager from each district has to compete. 24 enter. The 1 survivor wins and The Capitol maintains control through fear until the next Games. These are books you won't want to put down that will keep you thinking even after you finish them.

　　饥饿游戏三部曲是一系列美国青少年冒险科幻小说，由小说家苏珊·柯林斯创作。故事围绕未来的北美洲虚构国家“施惠国”展开。“施惠国”共有12个辖区组成，统由国会区的集权政府统治。国会每年举办饥饿游戏大赛——一个残酷的真人秀节目——每个辖区的青年男女共计24人都要参加。但只有一人获胜得以生存，直到下一届饥饿游戏大赛开始。国会大厦正是通过这种恐怖手段来控制民众。《饥饿游戏》令人手不释卷，回味无穷。

　　2. '1984' by George Orwell

　　2.《1984》乔治·奥威尔

　　Although the year 1984 passed more than two decades ago, the novel 1984 remains as powerful as ever.1984 is one of the scariest books I have ever read (not in a blood and guts horror sort of way; in a more thoughtfully terrifying way). References to "Big Brother" and other elements from 1984 continue to be used in popular cultural, making 1984 not only a good read, but an essential book for understanding public discourse.

　　尽管距离1984年已经二十多年了，但是小说《1984》产生的影响力仍如从前那样强大。《1984》是我所读过的最可怕的一本书(不是流动在血液和内脏的那种恐惧，而是一种思想方面的畏惧)。《1984》中的“老大哥”及其他元素至今仍出现在流行文化中。因此，《1984》不仅是一本极好的读物，还有助于读者了解公共语篇。

　　3. 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley

　　3.《美丽新世界》奥尔德斯·赫胥黎

　　Where 1984 shows how fear and pain can be used as methods of control, Brave New World shows how pleasure can also be an instrument of domination. In many ways, Brave New World reads as if it was written for 21st century society. This page turner will entertain and make you think.

　　如果说，《1984》显示恐惧和痛苦可以用作统治的方法，那么《美丽新世界》则展示快乐也可以成为统治的工具。从许多方面来说，《美丽新世界》看起来好像是为21世纪社会准备的。这本书既有趣味性又有思考价值。

　　4. 'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury

　　4.《华氏451度》雷·布拉德伯里

　　Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which books burn, and the novel Fahrenheit 451 is a story about a society that is determined to destroy all books. Although Google's virtual library makes this scenario less likely on a practical level, it is still a timely message for a society where school districts and libraries regularly ban books like Harry Potter.

　　华氏451度是纸张起火的温度，而《华氏451度》描写的则是另一种恐怖新世界，这个世界的独裁者不准人民有书，一旦发现了书，一概烧掉。虽然，谷歌的虚拟图书馆使这种情况在实际层面上不大可能，但它仍传递了一则及时信息，即学校和图书馆也常禁止诸如《哈利波特》一类的书籍。

　　5. 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy

　　5.《路》科马克·麦卡锡

　　The Road is a more recent vision than the other books on the list, but I would not be surprised if in 10 years it is considered a "modern classic." A father and son are striving to survive a wilderness that used to be a country that used to be the most prosperous nation on earth. This is the setting of The Road, a journey of survival only Cormac McCarthy could envision.

　　相比而言，《路》比其他书目更贴近实际生活，十年来一直被视为“现代经典”。父亲和儿子在一场大灾难中存活下来，然而一切已被摧毁，曾经最繁荣的国家也烟消云散，化为废墟。这就是《路》的情节设定，只有科马克·麦卡锡才能想到的求生之旅。

　　6. 'One Second After' by William Forstchen

　　6.《一秒之后》威廉·福岑

　　One Second After is a riveting and chilling tale of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack on the United States. It is a thrilling page turner, but is also so much more. The danger it illustrates is so great and so real that leaders in our government are now reading this book.

　　《一秒之后》内容精彩，引人入胜，故事描写美国受到核电磁脉冲(EMP)的攻击，令人胆颤心惊。该书情节惊心动魄，但正是如此，才映衬出危险是如此的巨大和真实。目前，美国政府领导人也在阅读这本书。

（编辑：何莹莹）