Best music to listen to whilst reading sci-fi

The best music to listen to when reading sci-fi is, naturally, sci-fi music. So let’s go over all the best ones to help immerse you when reading about the beyond.

I have gathered the following tracks from my own personal exploration into the topic, and from popular discourse about the subject, allowing this list to be full of some of the best recommendations for music for sci-fi reading.

Best composers and bands for sci-fi reading

If you’ve grown tired from all the incredible sci-fi OSTs and want more original music not made for the big screen, then the following composers and bands will surely pick your fancy. There are far too many excellent sci-fi composers for this list alone, but these are some of the best.

Aphex Twin

Aphex Twin is an already very popular composer who is responsible for many different tracks. They vary considerably and are each enigmatic in their own right. Not all of them fit comfortably into the sci-fi genre, however.

If you want some stranger, more sci-fi-esque tracks to listen to from Aphex Twin, I’d suggest to listen to the Selected Ambient Tracks Volume II. This collection of ambient tracks are all rather cosmic and alien; they sound like they’re composed from another universe.

For unexplainable, distant, and strange ambient music, check out Aphex Twin.

Carbon Based Lifeforms

Carbon Based Lifeforms have dedicated their career to producing tracks that blend beautifully with the sci-fi genre. Their albums are rather cohesive in theme, allowing you to set a mood and stick with it for your reading duration.

Although Interloper seems to be their more popular album – and for good reason – Derelicts and World of Sleepers are incredible too. These collections of music take you to luscious alien worlds and aquatic planets full of mysteries. They can really compliment your sci-fi story if set on another world.

For tracks for alien planets and journeys, check out Carbon Based Lifeforms.

Solar Fields

Solar Fields produced the soundtrack to Mirror’s Edge and Mirror’s Edge Catalyst, although they’ve produced many other original tracks that compliment sci-fi reading perfectly. Typically, these tracks are a little lighter, perfect for setting a neutral tone or for light sci-fi reading.

The Mirror’s Edge OST is a strong recommend from me, making for a “clinical” feel which will suit futuristic yet subliminally dark sci-fi settings perfectly. The Formations album, for the most part, provides a – mostly – energetic calm feel, good for your typically sci-fi space setting.

For a plethora of tracks that provide a range of moods, check out Solar Fields.

Tycho

Tycho may not be fully concerned with sci-fi music, although he’s a popular recommendation and makes music that can assimilate with almost any setting.

The Epoch album is the one I’d recommend for sci-fi reading, as they’re a little more “out there” than their other works. This album works great to set an upbeat yet neutral tone, although it also provides calmer, serine vibes as well as higher energy tones.

For a more neutral yet varied experience, check out Typho.

Orbital

Orbital are a successful electronic duo that have composed a variety of tracks. Out of their large range of music, there is one album that is perfect for some sci-fi settings.

The In Sides album is incredible for abstract and strange science fiction, for it’s wonderfully weird itself yet incredibly composed. I can’t stop listening to the unnatural notes that go together so perfectly. You may find other Orbital albums to be good for sci-fi reading, but In Sides is the best.

For a wacky or alien adventure, check out Orbital.

Best OSTs for sci-fi reading

With great sci-fi movies or game come even better soundtracks. If you want more epic sci-fi music productions or set a similar vibe to these incredible productions whilst reading, then I’ve got you covered.

Interstellar OST

Let’s get Interstellar out the way, as you were likely expecting this OST to make an appearance.

Hans Zimmer, unsurprisingly, perfects the mounting crescendos that feature in many of these tracks to provide a consistent feeling of increasing awe, terror, or majesty. If your sci-fi story is set in space or on distant and indomitable planets, then this soundtrack will help you get lost in it.

For feelings of the unbelievable and the grand, check out the Interstellar OST.

Blade Runner OST

The Blade Runner OST gets recommended and brought up a lot, especially when discussing amazing sci-fi OSTs, and it’s easy to see why.

The soundtrack, by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch, perfectly encapsulates the dystopian film. This allows you to immerse yourself in a dystopian futuristic sci-fi setting, or to simply sit in the calming and melancholic tones.

For lower yet ominous sci-fi music, check out the Blade Runner OST.

Halo OST

The Halo OST has got to be one of my favorite OSTs of all time. As there are so many games to choose from, there is a huge variety of action tracks and music that sounds like it belongs on another world.

This music, composed by a variety of people, never fails to get a rise out of me. It’s innately human yet is so vast and grand, perfectly reflecting the human versus alien threat plots in the games. It’s encouraging and inspiring, yet also can be chilling or calming.

If you’re reading something with alien conflicts, epic landscapes, and incredible odds, you’ll need the Halo OST.

Star Wars OST

You know it, you love it – the Star Wars OST by John Williams is an epic film franchise with an epic OST. As the films span across many conflicts and planets, you’ll find a variety of more “classical” sci-fi tracks.

Intergalactic threats and alien landscapes can be explored through the music alone, and the exciting and fast-paced music will never take you out of the action. For sci-fi stories with a lot of conflict and high-stakes, this OST is perfect.

If you’re after a near-ceaseless onslaught of epic and grandiose interplanetary tracks, check out the Star Wars OST.

Solaris OST

Taking a step back from the action epics, the Solaris OST, composed by Cliff Martinez, provides more insidious and subliminal sci-fi tracks.

Every piece of music from Solaris is similar in theme, which means your immersion will never be broken. The simple notes that weave different melodies will enchant you as you read your sci-fi stories, no matter what genre they might be.

For a mysterious and ambiguous collection of sci-fi music, check out the Solaris OST.

Now that you have a grand selection of sci-fi music for your reading, you can pick your favorite and make your next reading session a magical one.

---