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You probably read about the great collisions that took place on the cosmos or the planet Earth. Or maybe you’ve heard of some of the other major space and planetary events, like the birth of a planet, the beginning of a new era, or even a war that involved humans and other planets in our solar system. These are just few examples of the many great space and planetary events that have taken place in this century. But what about all those other events which have not even been named yet? In fact, there has been so much happening that it’s almost too many to count. And what’s more is that most of these events happened at a rapid pace and gave rise to new terms like ‘hyper-space’, ‘alt-space’, and ‘antishap’ as they were called back then. Let’s take a look into the world’s most fascinating books of the 21st Century.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

This books is one of the few alternate history books written in the 21st century. Set in the period after World War II, it follows the story of the German Jewish community who, together with the other European Jews, who were interned at the Jewish Resettlement Center in New York City, were eventually removed in 1948. The central character of the novel is Dr. H., a physician who was among the surviving Jews who were later granted permission to immigrate to the US. Although the book is set in 1948, the details of H’s life are largely set during the early stages of World War II. For example, the novel follows his journey across Europe and the displacement of the Jewish community, through which H is also subjected to intense anti-Semitism in Germany.

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

This novel follows the story of the African-American couple Gilead and Alma Botwin and their three children, beginning with Alma’s 10th birthday and ending with Gilead’s death in his 70s. The central characters in Gilead are their children, including the now 16-year-old Charity, their adopted daughter Ava, and their adopted son Suzy. Many of the details and characters in this novel are based on the Botwin family, which includes both black and white members. While the book focuses on the Botwin family and their relationship, the novel also traces the development of black America itself, beginning with Malcolm X and ending with Martin Luther King Jr.

Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets

This novel traces the history of the Cold War in the former Soviet Union, from the rise of the Soviet Union in the 1930s to the fall of the Communist Party in 1991. The novel follows the story of Yuri Andropov, who is the second secretary general of the Communist Party, from his birth in 1932 to his retirement in 1991. The novel also focuses on Mikhail Gorbachev, who is rumoured to have saved the Soviet Union from dictatorship in the early 1980s. Writing about the contemporary state of the Soviet Union, Secondhand Time tells the story of Gorbachev and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, following the fall of the Russian Soviet Federative Army in 1989.

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

This novel follows the story of a young Englishwoman named Polly Hammond, who in her 30s falls in love with the Prince of Wales, heir to the throne, and is eventually betrothed to his close friend and advisor, Lord Avon. The novel charts the courtship and courtship of Polly’s younger half-sister, Margot, who is betrothed to the Duke of York. Margot is a part of a royal family that includes the Prince of Wales, the Earl of Spencer, and the Earl of Angus. The novel ends with Margot and the Duke of York riding through a landscape of Northern England with their new fiancee in the vehicle.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

This book chronicles the friendship and love between Ta-Nehisi Coates and his adopted younger brother, Jamal, in the early 2000s. The novel follows their relationship as it develops during the early stages of their marriage. Although the two boys are 19 and 20 years old, the novel is set in their childhood, when they were only a year younger. The novel is also set in the fictional town of Bainbridge, in the American state of Minnesota. The novel follows the story of Jamal and his family, as well as their friends, during the early stages of their marriage.

Autumn by Ali Smith

This novel follows the story of Ali and her family during the cold and flu season of 1964-65. The novel follows the story of her parents, her aunts and uncles, and her friends as they cope with the common cold and its symptoms. The novel also traces the development of the modern-day human body, beginning with the quadruple boiler, and ending with the human hair, which is still a common accessory in the winter months.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

This novel follows the story of a group of New York City financial advisers and their dispute over who gets to take a walk in the park in New York City. The novel follows the story of the Messerschmitt G.I.s and their dispute with the U.S. government over the ownership and control of the parkland. The book also follows the story of a group of young people from all walks of life, as they navigate life through the novel’s various stages.

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This novel follows the story of a black man, his child, and the child’s family during the second half of the 20th century. The novel follows the household of Albert and Rosa Ngozi Adichie, and their 8-year-old black baby boy, as they cope with their African-American heritage and the challenges it entails. The novel also follows the family’s annual migration from their hometown of Upington to their new home of South Africa.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

This novel follows the life of Haru, a young Japanese man who migrates between two countries after the Second World War, and whose family consists of his parents, his younger half-siblings, and aunts. The novel might have been named ‘The Return of the Prostitute’, if it had not been for the fact that Haru returns to Japan to his parents’ house, after his parents have died. The novel traces the daily lives of the Japanese people, as they cope with the rising tide of nationalism and their own internal divisions.

Austerlitz by W. G. Sebald

This novel follows the life of an Englishman and a Swiss mountain miner, W. G. Sebald (1915-2001), as he reaches the age of 90 and quits his job as a mining engineer to take up a career as a writer. The novel follows Sebald through his 90s, during which he describes the changing times and challenges that face the modern miner.