The Top 10 Sci-Fi Books of 2021 (So Far)!

“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.” ― Mark Twain

The good friends and the sleepy conscience, you'll have to manage on your own, but good books, we—and your fellow Discover Sci-Fi community members—well, we have you covered there! Curious to see which book published so far in 2021 Discover Sci-Fi readers loved best? Read on to find out!

Without further ado, based on the combined nominations and votes here on the Discover Sci-Fi blog and in the Facebook group, are the top 10 books of 2021 (so far!)  

10. Lost Contact by Nathan Hystad

Lost Contact is the first book in a new series by Nathan Hystad and we have to agree with readers that it is one of the best reads so far this year! Last month, we published a list of the Top 10 First Contact Books of All Time which, as you would expect, is a goldmine of great titles; if you worked your way through those and are looking for one more action-filled first contact story, this is it! 

Rex Walker always wanted to be like his father: a daring, adventurous man, traveling the world in pursuit of mysterious relics. Now Rex is the same age his father was when he disappeared without a trace.

While teaching anthropology at a Boston college, Rex attempts to bury the past, until he discovers a hidden clue he can’t ignore.

With the help of his sidekick Marcus, a former student turned protégé, he teams up with an alien-obsessed billionaire, and they search for the fabled Bridge.

As an unidentified object nears Pluto, speculation surges. The Believers, a fanatical cult, hail it as the homecoming of a distant alien race.

Will Rex solve the puzzle before it’s too late?

Pick up Nathan Hystad's Lost Contact here on Amazon

9. Asylum by Lindsay Buroker

Last September, Lindsay Buroker blew us away with Layers of Force, the stunning conclusion to her Star Kingdom series. It was hard to say goodbye, and so fans were thrilled at the release of Asylum, a standalone novel set in the Star Kingdom universe. 

A young woman with cybernetic upgrades, Mari Moonrazor has decided to flee the restrictive machine-worshipping cult she was raised in. She longs to know what it’s like to live among normal humans and experience simple biological pleasures like consuming alcohol, kissing a boy, and—most importantly—eating chocolate.

But her mother, the infamous astroshaman leader Kyla Moonrazor, is determined to get her back, even if it means sending a bounty hunter after her.

Mari’s only hope for freedom is to be granted asylum from the leaders of the powerful Star Kingdom. First, she must prove that she has knowledge and resources she can offer them. Second, she has to earn their trust.

This all would have been easier if her people hadn’t bombed their planet…

Get your copy of Lindsay Buroker's Asylum here on Amazon.

8. Starship Freedom by Daniel Arenson

Looking for a fast-paced page-turner? If you haven't already, definitely give Daniel Arenson's newest series a shot! Word to the wise: you'll want to carve out a full day to devour this as the first book, Starship Freedom, is one of those reads that is almost impossible to put down!

The starship Freedom was once a mighty warship. Today she's a tourist attraction.

The space wars ended long ago. The Freedom is now a flying museum. The tourists love it. The Changing of the Guard, the starfighter aerobatics, the starboard cannon salute . . . it's the best show in the galaxy.

James King commands the starship Freedom. He hates his job. He was a real soldier once. Back when the Freedom was a real warship. He never imagined himself running a tourist trap. Right after Christmas, he plans to retire.

Then, on Christmas day, the aliens attack.

Horrifying aliens. Creatures of claws, fangs, and endless malice. Within hours, they devastate Earth's military. Millions die.

So much for retirement.

Start reading Daniel Arenson's Starship Freedom here on Amazon.

7. Monroe Doctrine by James Rosone and Miranda Watson

James Rosone and Miranda Watson knocked it out of the park with their new technothriller series, Monroe Doctrine! The first book came out in January and the second was released in March; if you haven't yet, start now with book one and get caught up before book three comes out this fall! 

Was an attack on the U.S. imminent?

In a lab deep in the heart of China, a brilliant engineer had a breakthrough. It was the most powerful AI ever created. Ma Young believed the Jade Dragon could solve the world’s most dire challenges. There was just one problem…

The president of China had other ideas.

Was this their chance to conquer? 

Grab James Rosone and Miranda Watson's Monroe Doctrine here on Amazon.

6. Acheron Salvation by Ken Lozito

Grab Ken Lozito's Acheron Salvation here on Amazon.

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5. The Emissary by G J Ogden

We love it when we get a chance to connect with authors whose books have been nominated by our community to chat about their work and why it might resonate with fans the way it does. Landing in 5th place on our list, G J Ogden's fantastic new book, The Emissary was a big hit with readers and this week we got to speak with Ogden about why that might be! 

I think The Emissary has resonated with readers partly because it’s just a straight-up fun, action-packed story. However, beneath this there’s a darker element as readers get to know the crew of unique ‘Omega officers’, all chosen for their cold-hearted ruthlessness and willingness to ‘do whatever it takes, no matter the cost’. They are a necessary evil in the war against an unstoppably brutal enemy. Fans of the book love this depth, and the moral and ethical questions it poses, along with the fact the captain is still human and struggles with PTSD. I think it’s this layer of depth, on top of the fun and action, that makes it so compelling.

– GJ Ogden

The Sa’Nerra were close to defeat, then everything changed. Armed with a unique neural weapon, the merciless alien warriors turned Fleet crew against their own. Entire warships went rogue. Suspicion and fear ran riot. Surrender seemed like the only option.

But Captain Lucas Sterling knows that in the fight against the Sa’Nerra there is only victory or death.

Sterling is an Omega Captain. His rank and his command of the Fleet Marauder Invictus were both won in a depraved and monstrous trial of grit and determination.

Sterling will do anything to ensure the Sa’Nerra do not prevail. Even if that means killing Fleet crew that have been “turned”. Even if that means killing the people he loves.

But the neural control weapon is not the only danger Fleet faces. Deep inside the Void the aliens are building a super-weapon. Sterling and his crew must destroy it at all costs.

Back on Earth, the United Governments are desperate for peace. Then after fifty years without a single word of contact between the two races, the Sa’Nerra finally send an emissary.

But the belligerent alien race sent an emissary of war, not peace.

The fate of humanity now lies in the hands of Captain Sterling and the Omega officers of the Invictus. But victory is only possible if he is willing to do anything it takes to win.

Get your copy of G J Ogden's The Emissary  here on Amazon.

4. No Quarter by Joshua Dalzelle

Joshua Dalzelle proves the old adage that "good things come to those who wait" with release of No Quarter, the second book in The Unification War Trilogy. This incredible second entry came almost two years after the first book, but we think it was well worth the wait, and clearly Discover Sci-Fi readers agree! 

As with Ogden, we had a chance to chat with Dalzelle this month and found his thoughts both on second books in general, and this second book in particular, super interesting!

No Quarter is the dreaded second act in the final trilogy of the Black Fleet Saga. The series has been quite popular overall, but the second books in each trilogy always seem to be polarizing because they necessarily end on bleak prospects for the protagonists and this one is no different. I think this book stood out for readers because there were some twists they weren’t expecting this far into the series. As a purely military sci-fi novel I’m not looking to pull a bait and switch or to trick the readers like a thriller might, but it’s still fun to keep them guessing going into the last book of the saga.

Humanity is fractured and on the brink of war…

The United Terran Federation and the Eastern Star Alliance have been fighting in minor skirmishes along the border region for the last few years, but now it threatens to break out into a full-on war with the victor assuming control of all human space.

The Alliance has fired the opening shots with a horrific strike on a civilian target, killing millions and shocking the Federation's parliament into action. Now mighty fleets of starships are moving against each other, ready for the final battle that will settle the conflict once and for all.

The venerable Admiral Jackson Wolfe prepares himself for one last fight as his nemesis, Admiral Vadim Kohl, looks to make a name for himself by defeating the infamous Federation officer in battle. Jackson knows events are now in motion that can't be stopped and only one thing is certain: win or lose, nothing will ever be the same again.

No Quarter is the second book in the Unification War Trilogy and the eighth book in the overall Black Fleet Saga.

Pick up Joshua Dalzelle's No Quarter here on Amazon.

3. CyberWar by Matthew Mather

You're missing out if you haven't read our 3rd place pick. The long awaited, highly anticipated CyberWar is the 3rd book in Matthew Mather's World War C series, which is currently in development with Netflix.  We can't wait to watch and we know it'll be amazing, but you know the book is always better so make sure you read the series before it hits the screen! 

Chechen separatists destroyed thousands of satellites in orbit, the effects crippling the world's militaries. Power and communications failures sweep the planet, while emergency services are hobbled as fires and powerful storms rip across America.

Still recovering from his injuries, Mike Mitchell returns to his family at Senator Seymour's residence in Virginia, the place a fortress secured by dozens of Secret Service agents. The CIA has tracked down the terrorists that launched the attacks and offers a front-row seat to watch events unfold as a SEAL team closes in--but the video feed goes dead.

Outside the senator's house, thudding detonations as an attack begins.

Scrambling to stay alive, Mike realizes the onslaught isn't only against the Seymour residence in Virginia, but that a furious blitz has begun all over the country. As the full weight of America's military presses on stopping these terrorists, how are the attacks possible? Is it an invasion? Or something more sinister?

With their lives and the fate of the nation hanging in the balance, the bigger question becomes--who is the real enemy?

Get your copy of Matthew Mather's CyberWar here on Amazon.

2. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Okay, so we were a little—scratch that—more than a little surprised that Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary didn't top this list. The response to the release was off-the-charts. Readers quickly snapped up and binged the book and as they did, in came a torrent of glowing reviews and commentary as readers posted their thoughts to the Discover Sci-Fi facebook group. You'd be hard pressed to find another recent release that elicited that much enthusiasm among the group as a whole. Nevertheless, 2nd place is not too shabby, and if you haven't already, you really need to read this! 

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?

Pick up Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary here on Amazon.

1. Breakaway (Expeditionary Force Book 12) by Craig Alanson

It's hard to keep track of how many times Craig Alanson's Expeditionary Force series has landed in 1st place in these reader's choice polls! This recent win is for Breakaway, the incredible 12th book in the aforementioned series. Alanson is a damn fine storyteller with the ability to keep hungry fans happy with regular releases in this, his wildly popular series—clearly a winning combination! 

The Merry Band of Pirates offered the bad guys a ceasefire. We won’t mess with them, if they don’t mess with us. Easy, right? NO. The aliens chose to do things the hard way. So, the Pirates are racing around the galaxy to clean up the threat to Earth. The infant UN Navy has their own mission with the Alien Legion: get humanity some allies in the fight. And the Ethics & Compliance Office might have to do something...ethical. Unless they can find a way around it.

Pick up Craig Alanson's Breakaway here on Amazon

What did you think of the top 10 selections as decided by your fellow Discover Sci-Fi readers? Will any of these new reads make your summer reading list this year? Share you thoughts in the comments here on the blog, or visit us here in our Facebook group and make sure to check out our most recent poll while you're there!

*All book-related copy in this post was pulled from Amazon, Goodreads & Wikipedia, unless otherwise credited.