[P.O.E.]

Actual books are expensive. You can buy the “printed on demand” versions and the like.

I have a pretty decent-sized collection of sci-fi paperbacks & hardcovers from the 70s and 80s. Turns out some of them are worth way more than I would have thought. (Same with vinyl).

The cover art is why, IMHO.

[chief lee runamok]

I read this one back in the day.

Raiders from the Rings by Alan E. Nourse; 3.87

A young adult novel in which the human race is divided into the Spacers and
those who still remain on earth. There is a constant low-level war between
the two groups, with the Spacers raiding earth for supplies and for women.
The war turns hot in the book and three teenagers, one Spacer and two
from Earth, must find a way to bring peace.

Another good read by John Scalzi.

[whitney69]

Frankenstein – Mary W Shelley
The Time Machine – HG Wells
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea – Jules Verne

wy69

[FlyingEagle]

Neuromancer

Snow Crash

Brave New World
oh - sorry. Not fiction

1984
whoops - also documentary

Fahrenheit 451 - oh also not fiction

OK, Dune then

[Boiler Plate]

Prey - Michael Chrichton

Actually all of Chrichton’s books.

[South Dakota]

Burroughs
A princess of Mars

[SAMWolf]

The Forever War, A Rebel in Time and Harry Turtledoves’ “Worldwar” series
(In the Balance, Tilting the Balance, Upsetting the Balance and Striking the Balance)

[Gort_Klaatu]

I will stick to three as the question asked.

When Worlds Collide By Edward Balmer and Philip Wylie
Gladiator By Philip Wylie
The Day of the Triffids By John Wyndham

I like the old ones before the space race technology of the late 50s aided writers with their thinking.

[T.B. Yoits]

‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley

[nagant]

Earth In The Balance

[Nullygrub]

Neuromancer by William Gibson
Vacuum Flowers by Michael Swanwick

[Mackie_Messer]

To your scattered bodies go Philip Jose Farmer
UBIK Philip K. Dick
The sheep look up John Brunner

[Manic_Episode]

Inferno - Nivens/Pournelle

Battlefield Earth (or How Johnny Goodboy Taylor Defeated The Evil Bankers From Outer Space) - Hubbard,

[robowombat]

War of the Worlds- H G Wells
At the Mountains of Madness -H P Lovecraft
Last and First Men-Olof Stapledon/Halo Series-Eric Nylund

[Paal Gulli]

"What are the three best science fiction books ever written?"

An utterly pointless question if you don't define "best."

[Crusher138]

Lucifer’s Hammer - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

Ringworld - Larry Niven

Rendezvous With Rama - Arthur C. Clarke

[Noumenon]

Can't really give you books, as I have too many favorites. But I can give you authors:

David Brin
John Brunner
Daniel Abraham / Ty Franck
Jon C. Williams
Iain M Banks
Gene Wolfe

[ought-six]

“20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” by Jules Verne.

[Reily]

Felipe Jose Farmer’s works are good!

The TV adaptations were so bad as to make them unrecognizable to the novels.

[PIF]

Best Written Science Fiction is Gene Wolfe’s “Book of the New Sun”, “Book of the Long Sun”, Book of the Short Sun” and the sequel “Urth of the New Sun” - 12 volumes;

Best Hard Science Fiction is Stephen Baxter’s “Xeelee”;

Most Creative Science Fiction is Iain M Banks’ Culture series - 10 books;

Best Mystery Science Fiction is Iain M Banks’ “The Algebraist”.

Best Chinese Science Fiction is Cixin Li’s “The Three Body Problem” trilogy and sequel fan book “The Redemption of Time”.