Inspired by that YA post I summed up some of my favourite sci-fi novels
The island of Dr Moreau - Dodgy scientist gets kicked out of science for being dodgy. Goes and hides on an island where he does some origami on animals and turns them into people. It works. Then it doesn’t.
Dune - Family move to a new planet and gets stitched up by previous tenants. There’s no water and everyone is really cross about it but there’s a drug that lets some people see into the future, everyone loves it. The son of the family try’s it, thinks he’s god and starts a war. Also huge graboids.
The Martian - astronauts on Mars think their friend is dead and leave him behind when they go home. He’s not. He grows some potatoes. Earth people try to save him, they fail. They try again. Win!!