Science Fiction

With its thoughtfully crafted characters, top-notch pacing and ever-present sense of dread, Ghost Station is another sci-fi horror hit from S.A. Barnes.

With its thoughtfully crafted characters, top-notch pacing and ever-present sense of dread, Ghost Station is another sci-fi horror hit from S.A. Barnes.

Melancholic and nostalgic, Floating Hotel is an ode to the circumstantial bonds that form among the staff of a luxury space cruiser.

Melancholic and nostalgic, Floating Hotel is an ode to the circumstantial bonds that form among the staff of a luxury space cruiser.

Cascade Failure is a tear-jerking story of a shambly spaceship crew who process their painful histories on the way to saving the galaxy.

Cascade Failure is a tear-jerking story of a shambly spaceship crew who process their painful histories on the way to saving the galaxy.

The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles is a delightful cozy mystery—set in the rings of Jupiter.

The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles is a delightful cozy mystery—set in the rings of Jupiter.

One of the books that kick-started the hopepunk ethos in sci-fi, Catherynne M. Valente’s Space Opera was a glittering, glam-rock tale of humanity fighting for its survival among the stars—via a Eurovision-esque galactic song competition. Earth must defend its title in the long-awaited sequel, Space Oddity, which promises more of Valente’s warm-hearted optimism and irrepressible sense of humor.

One of the books that kick-started the hopepunk ethos in sci-fi, Catherynne M. Valente’s Space Opera was a glittering, glam-rock tale of humanity fighting for its survival among the stars—via a Eurovision-esque galactic song competition. Earth must defend its title in the long-awaited sequel, Space Oddity, which promises more of Valente’s warm-hearted optimism and irrepressible […]

Gender-based dystopias have proved to be, ahem, very controversial in recent years, not to mention downright disappointing. But then there is Gretchen Felker-Martin’s Manhunt, shining like a blood-covered beacon. The odyssey of two trans women trying to survive in a world where a plague has turned anyone with high levels of testosterone into heinous monsters, Manhunt zeroed in on the people and problems lesser dystopias ignore. Her sophomore novel, Cuckoo, will demand a similarly tricky balance of genre thrills and sensitive character work. Set at a conversion camp, Cuckoo follows a group of former campers who reunite to face down the evil entity that they survived as teenagers.

Gender-based dystopias have proved to be, ahem, very controversial in recent years, not to mention downright disappointing. But then there is Gretchen Felker-Martin’s Manhunt, shining like a blood-covered beacon. The odyssey of two trans women trying to survive in a world where a plague has turned anyone with high levels of testosterone into heinous monsters, […]

One of the finest purveyors of hard sci-fi writing today, Adrian Tchaikovsky writes on enormous, galaxy-spanning canvases, but with a sense of detail that extends down to the tiniest cog. With his uncanny ability to make heady concepts feel achingly human, there is perhaps no one better suited to write about a robot uprising and make readers root against their own species.

One of the finest purveyors of hard sci-fi writing today, Adrian Tchaikovsky writes on enormous, galaxy-spanning canvases, but with a sense of detail that extends down to the tiniest cog. With his uncanny ability to make heady concepts feel achingly human, there is perhaps no one better suited to write about a robot uprising and […]

After her first sci-fi horror novel, Dead Silence, scared the absolute bejesus out of readers, S.A. Barnes is back for another round of terror where no one can hear you scream. Ghost Station follows psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray, who is an expert in ERS, a condition that drives interstellar explorers insane. As you would expect, after Ophelia is assigned to a small crew tasked with exploring an ancient, mysterious planet, it very much seems like she is about to get some real-world experience with her area of study.

After her first sci-fi horror novel, Dead Silence, scared the absolute bejesus out of readers, S.A. Barnes is back for another round of terror where no one can hear you scream. Ghost Station follows psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray, who is an expert in ERS, a condition that drives interstellar explorers insane. As you would expect, […]

The author of the acclaimed Masquerade fantasy series, which follows a woman who infiltrates a powerful empire in order to destroy it from the inside, Seth Dickinson is so devoted to intricate world building that some have labeled his work “hard fantasy” (a la hard science fiction, a subgenre replete with details of futuristic technology). So it’s hardly surprising that Dickinson will be making the leap to sci-fi this year with Exordia, an absolutely wild tale of first contact. 

The author of the acclaimed Masquerade fantasy series, which follows a woman who infiltrates a powerful empire in order to destroy it from the inside, Seth Dickinson is so devoted to intricate world building that some have labeled his work “hard fantasy” (a la hard science fiction, a subgenre replete with details of futuristic technology). […]

A well-written sci-fi adventure story with surprising depths, Like Thunder will please longtime fans of Nnedi Okorafor and beguile newcomers.

A well-written sci-fi adventure story with surprising depths, Like Thunder will please longtime fans of Nnedi Okorafor and beguile newcomers.

Bethany Jacobs’ These Burning Stars is a confident and surprising start to a sci-fi trilogy that boasts memorable characters and excellent plotting.

Bethany Jacobs’ These Burning Stars is a confident and surprising start to a sci-fi trilogy that boasts memorable characters and excellent plotting.

Entertaining and full of thorny questions about the fate of humanity, Annalee Newitz’s The Terraformers explores a distant, corporation-controlled future.

Entertaining and full of thorny questions about the fate of humanity, Annalee Newitz’s The Terraformers explores a distant, corporation-controlled future.

Rife with rich settings and refreshingly distinct alien species, Some Desperate Glory will resonate with readers looking for messy morality and antihero redemption arcs.

Rife with rich settings and refreshingly distinct alien species, Some Desperate Glory will resonate with readers looking for messy morality and antihero redemption arcs.

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