Thank you to everyone who nominated and voted for their favorite NEW sci-fi series of 2020. We are constantly on a quest to identify the best of the best in the world of sci-fi and we couldn't do it without you! Last week, ten of the titles nominated for our first round of voting advanced to the second round; today, we find out which one of those ten the Discover sci-fi community thought was the very best. Curious to see which new series came out on top? Read on to find out!
Without further ado, based on the combined nominations and votes here on the Discover Sci-Fi blog and the Facebook group, here are your top choices for the best new sci-fi series of 2020!
10. Occupation (Rise Book 1) by Nathan Hystad and Devon C. Ford
The new Rise series by Nathan Hystad and Devon C. Ford is the perfect escapist sci-fi for those who love post-apocalyptic alien invasion stories. Though new this year, all three books plotted for the series were released this Spring/Summer so this is the ideal read for those who like something a little longer than a standalone, but aren't wanting to commit to a lengthy series. Rise begins with Occupation, so if you are new to the series, be sure to start there!
Alec works in the Detroit Overseer-factories, building a mysterious alien device. When three strangers appear, he's provided an opportunity to escape after years of servitude.
Cole, a Freeborn loner, encounters Lina after her village is destroyed by the alien Occupation. Together, they make the arduous journey to a fabled safe-zone, trying to stay one step ahead of the enemy drones on their trail.
Dex is a Hunter, working for the Occupation to track down escaped factory slaves, or Roamers, at all costs. But his latest hunt uncovers a massive secret and threatens his loyalty to the Overseers.
All their fates are bound. For the first time in decades, a secret enclave of alien resistance fighters known as the Reclaimers prepare to make their move.
Pick up Occupation, Rise Book 1 here on Amazon
9. Acheron Inheritance (Federation Chronicles Book 1) by Ken Lozito
I was wondering how many people really wanted to read about a guy trapped in a robot body. It's a fun story. —Ken Lozito
The question really should be who wouldn't want to read about about a guy trapped in a robot body. Just last week we were chatting about how so many great sci-fi stories start with a "what if." This is one "what if" scenario that truly does make for a fun story and if you haven't read Ken Lozito's Acheron Inheritance yet, you really are missing out!
Science Fiction readers are often drawn to the genre for a glimpse at a possible future. The Federation Chronicles is set far into the future, which provides a rich backdrop to some of the struggles faced by future generations. At its core, Federation Chronicles is about people who’ve spread across the galaxy, and are trying to live their lives after a long and terrible war. The story doesn’t get caught up in any one planet’s survival. It’s about people who come together to survive and make their way in a post-war galactic society.
Acheron Inheritance - Federation Chronicles book 1 explores this galaxy through the eyes of a character who existed before the federation wars. It’s this kind of escapism that likely led readers to nominate the series as one of the best released this year.
On a dying world along the galactic fringe, Quinton Aldren awakens in the body of an archaic android that’s barely operational. He has only vague memories of who he was and no idea what has happened. Everyone is gone and autonomous mechs are hunting for him.
The galaxy has changed, forcing people to adapt, while dangerous machines of the Federation Wars patrol galactic sectors hunting for people like Quinton. He might have missed the war, but his link to the past could be the key to save humanity’s future. Will he survive long enough to discover it in time?
From the author of the international bestselling First Colony series comes another science fiction series in a sprawling galactic setting. Acheron Inheritance is the first book in the Federation Chronicles set far into the future after humanity has colonized the stars.
Start reading Acheron Inheritance here on Amazon.
8. The Bounty Hunter (Cade Korbin Chronicles Book 1) by Jasper T. Scott
While it’s not out for another month yet, Jasper T. Scott’s new series, Cade Korbin Chronicles, is causing quite the buzz among his fans! Being fans ourselves, we get it! Scott’s fast-paced books feature complex characters and plenty of twists to keep you on your toes and once you read one, you’ll join the rest of us who wait in eager anticipation for whatever is coming next!
The Bounty Hunter won’t be out soon enough to put on your Christmas wish list, but you can get it in time to ring in the new year!
Cade Korbin became a bounty hunter because he knew what it was like to be hunted. What he didn’t know was who he’d end up hunting.
When it suited the Coalition, Cade was a Paladin, a member of their elite special forces. He did their dirty work and cleaned up their messes. Until his dark ops went public, and Cade was drummed out of the service with a dishonorable discharge. As if he’d ever been doing anything but following orders.
Forced to the fringes of society by his service record, Cade broke the law just to survive. Then the Enforcers caught him, and he served his time. Sick of the hypocrisy in the supposedly utopian Coalition, he crossed over to the other side and made a life among his former enemies in the Free Systems Alliance. Now he hunts the galaxy’s worst lowlifes, for a fee, and the only orders he takes are his own.
But when his past catches up with him, Cade is forced to fight for more than just credits…
This time, he’s in it for revenge.
Get your copy of The Bounty Hunter here on Amazon.
7. The City We Became: A Novel (The Great Cities Trilogy Book 1) by N. K. Jemisin
“It is a love letter, a celebration and an expression of hope and belief that a city and its people can and will stand up to darkness, will stand up to fear, and will, when called to, stand up for each other.” —Steve Mullis, NPR
We were pretty stoked to see N.K. Jemisin’s book, The City We Became garner enough votes to make our final list. Rather shockingly, this might be the first time one of her books has been nominated to one of our polls. Notably, Jemisin is the first Black writer to win a Hugo for best novel.
That first win was for The Fifth Season, the first book in her Broken Earth Trilogy. Each subsequent entry into that series also won a Hugo, and we can’t help but wonder if she might repeat that success with her newest series, The Great Cities Trilogy. Critical reviews and those from readers both lead us to believe this is a strong possibility!
In Manhattan, a young grad student gets off the train and realizes he doesn't remember who he is, where he's from, or even his own name. But he can sense the beating heart of the city, see its history, and feel its power.
In the Bronx, a Lenape gallery director discovers strange graffiti scattered throughout the city, so beautiful and powerful it's as if the paint is literally calling to her.
In Brooklyn, a politician and mother finds she can hear the songs of her city, pulsing to the beat of her Louboutin heels.
And they're not the only ones.
Every great city has a soul. Some are ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York? She's got six.
Start reading The City We Became here on Amazon.
6. Sons of War (The Sons of War Series Book 1) by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Much like Mario Puzo’s classic, THE GODFATHER, Nicholas Sansbury Smith has created an elaborate and timely lens for us to examine family bonds. SONS OF WAR brings us into an entirely plausible, near-future dystopia to shine a light on sons thrust into circumstances of their father’s making. —Gavin Reese
We don't always expect fiction to mirror reality, but Sons of War by Nicholas Sansbury Smith seems to do just that. In some cases, it might feel uncomfortably like current events. Set in 2020, the series is about a Civil War that unfolds in the United States after a global economic collapse. During the chaos, organized crime factions rise to power to take advantage of the civil unrest and violence.
If you're a fan of post-apocalyptic dystopian fiction and crime fiction, Sons of War has all of those ingredients, plus more to thrill readers of any genre.
It's available in hardcover and on Kindle, and if you're an audio fan, you're in for a real treat as the audiobook is narrated by reader favorite, Ray Porter.
Grab Sons of War, Book 1 in the Sons of War Series here on Amazon.
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5. Final Days by Jasper T. Scott and Nathan Hystad
“Jasper and I wanted to do something that would resonate with a wide range of readers, and once we decided the type of story we were going to tell, the rest quickly fell into place. We both love thrillers and science fiction, and thought what better backdrop to write one in than during the culmination of catastrophic events around the globe.” —Nathan Hystad
As mentioned above, Hystad and Scott wanted to write something that would resonate with a wide range of readers, and with their new series, the sci-fi thriller Final Days, we’d say they succeeded!
Final Days, the first book in the series, was released in June with Colony (the second) published in July, and the third and final book, Escape, released in August. All to say that while the series just came out this year, if you haven’t read them yet, you can binge the entire series start to finish right now!
The countdown to the end of the world has begun.
A mysterious convergence of natural disasters threatens to destroy life as we know it, and people across the United States are going missing. With no one left to investigate, Special Agent Kendra Baker takes the case, trying to solve the disappearances before she’s out of time.
Among those abducted is Valeria Miller, the daughter of ex-Marine Corporal Andrew Miller, and he’ll stop at nothing to find her.
With the help of an unstable conspiracy theorist, they find themselves on the trail of a reclusive billionaire who just might have all the answers.
As the natural catastrophes escalate and the evacuations commence, it becomes a race against the clock to find the abductees before it’s too late.
Get your copy of Final Days, book one in the series here on Amazon.
4. Dying World: Magitech Legacy Book 1 by Chris Fox
Launched just this January, Dying World by Chris Fox is the first in his new Magitech Legacy Series. It follows on the heels of his super popular Magitech Chronicles Series. While Chronicles provides some background on some of the characters and storylines you’ll find in Legacy, the consensus among those who have read both is that you don’t have to read the first to enjoy the second. Because we were intrigued by the RPG aspect of the Magitech Chronicles series and its connection to the new Legacy series, we reached out to Chris and asked if he could share a few words about the series with our readers:
Hey! My name is Chris Fox and I wrote Dying World, book 1 of Magitech Legacy, the second series set in the Magitech Chronicles. Dying World is the first book written after having completed the Magitech Chronicles roleplaying game, and it really benefited from having concrete rules and lore to draw from. The main character is a relic hunter, and is exploring the Great Ships that form the ancient Vagrant Fleet. Each ship was built by a god, who invested a portion of their divinity into the ships.
Jerek has to use one of these ships to save as many people as he can from his planet before it implodes, and has to find out why that’s even happening in the first place. To be honest I didn’t expect the series to be as well received as it was, but I think the reason is the crew. The Magitech Chronicles is larger than life heroes blowing up planets and killing gods. Jerek is just a kid trying to make it, and his best friend is an overweight-underachieving dragon. People love Briff. It’s’ a lot of fun writing the underdogs after covering the incredible heroes.
Space pirates, dragons, undead and worse lurk in the darkened corridors of the derelict Great Ships, the remains of the once mighty Vagrant Fleet. These ancient hulks are powered by a combination of magic and technology, created by gods we no longer remember or understand.
Every new ship offers a million ways to die, but those ships have ancient magic our sector hasn’t seen in millennia. The kind of magic that will keep my ship flying, and maybe help me find answers. Where did our people come from, and how did we end up marooned in this system?
Those answers haven’t been important until now. Our world is tumbling into the sun, and the clock is ticking. Either we get at least one Great Ship active, or everyone dies. No pressure right?
Dive into Dying World: Magitech Legacy Book 1 here on Amazon.
3. The Enigma Cube (Alien Artifact Book 1) by Douglas E. Richards
We love a good near-future sci-fi thriller and with the 2020 release of his new Alien Artifact Series, Douglas E. Richards has given us just that. The first book, The Enigma Cube was released early in the year, and we were treated to a sequel—A Pivot in Time—this summer. While there is no set release date yet, expect Richards to follow up with subsequent instalments in the near future. If you are a hard science lover who enjoys near-future stories as much as we do, this may well be the perfect one for you!
Dr. Kelly Connolly is part of a top-secret team studying the most important find in human history, the Enigma Cube, an alien artifact of incomprehensible power. A cube whose technology can catapult civilization to dizzying heights--or destroy it entirely.
After years of failed attempts to unlock the cube's secrets, all hell suddenly breaks loose. Kelly and a black-ops commando, Justin Boyd, are soon fighting against all odds to stay alive, and to keep the cube out of enemy hands.
As the situation quickly goes from bad to worse, Kelly discovers that the cube is far more dangerous than even she had imagined. And that her actions could lead to nightmarish changes to the nature of reality itself.
Get your copy of The Enigma Cube, Alien Artifact Book 1 here on Amazon.
2. Iron Prince by Bryce O'Connor and Luke Chmilenko
“Y’all should definitely read Iron Prince. If you had read it there would not be a single vote for any other series. It’s that good.” —Jason, DSF Reader
How many of us are now adding Iron Prince to our “to be read” lists? This reader-submitted nomination was clearly a favorite among the Discover Sci-Fi community, landing in an impressive second spot on our list!
For those not already in the know, Iron Prince is the first instalment in Warformed: Stormweaver Series, an exciting new series by Bryce O'Connor and Luke Chmilenko. The beefy 1100 page book marks the beginning of the second series O’Connor and Chmilenko have teamed up to write, and reading fan reviews, this one looks like it might be even better than the first! For fans now waiting on second instalments in both series, we need to know: which one are you most excited for?
Reidon Ward will become a god.
He doesn't know it yet, of course. Reidon was born weak, sickly and small. Afflicted with a painful disease and abandoned by his parents because of it, he has had to fight tooth and nail for every minor advantage life has allowed him.
His perseverance has not gone unnoticed, however, and when the most powerful artificial intelligence in human history takes an interest in him, things began to change quickly. Granted a CAD—a Combat Assistance Device—with awful specs but an infinite potential for growth, Reidon finds himself at the bottom of his class at the Galens Institute, one of the top military academies in the Collective. Along with his best friend, Viviana Arada, Reidon will have to start his long climb through the school rankings, and on to the combat tournament circuits that have become humanity's greatest source of excitement and entertainment.
So begins the rise of a god. So begins the ascent of the Stormweaver.
Start Iron Prince, the first book in the Warformed: Stormweaver Series here on Amazon.
1. Contact Front (Drop Trooper Book 1) by Rick Partlow
Our first place pick took the spot handily, winning almost twice the number of your votes as the next runner-up! Rick Partlow is a great writer and knows how to craft a story with a great hook. He does this consistently and at an enviable pace. Contact Front, the first book in his new Drop Trooper series, dropped April and since then, he has put out an incredible four additional books in the series. Book six is expected early next year, so eager fans won't be waiting too long for the next instalment.
Drafted into the Marine Drop-Troopers, Cam discovers there’s one thing he’s even better at than running street-con games, and that’s killing the enemy. Wrapped in an armored battlesuit, Cam finds purpose amidst the horror and destruction of the war, and the opportunity for a new sort of friends and family…if he can break the habits of a life spent alone, trusting no one.
And, if he can survive…
Grab Contact Front, book one in the Drop Trooper Series here on Amazon.
We know that some of you prefer standalone books to series, but we really believe there is something for everyone on this top 10 list. Not sure you want to commit to a long series? Give one of the trilogies on the list a try. You won't regret it. For those of you who love series above all else, if you haven't already, we hope you'll give all of these great new series a read. Finally, for all of you, we'd love to hear which ones will make your TBR list and most of all, we'd love to hear which one you are going to read next!
Weigh in on 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.
