Category: Insider

  • The Best Sci-Fi Books of 2024… So Far!

    The Best Sci-Fi Books of 2024… So Far!

    As we voyage through the cosmos of 2024, the first half of the year has already gifted us with an abundance of stellar science fiction novels that have set our imaginations alight. The creativity and innovation seen in the new releases are nothing short of extraordinary, promising a bright future for the genre.

    While the classics of the Golden Age of Sci-Fi remain dear to our hearts, the current wave of talented authors are carving out their own legacy. These modern storytellers are captivating us with fresh ideas and thrilling narratives that push the boundaries of what we thought possible.

    It is in that spirit that we are asking you to nominate your favorite sci-fi books published so far in 2024. We’ll be holding the voting round in a few weeks time and you’ll be pinned down to one selection then, but for now nominate as many as you’d like.

    *Please remember to include both the title and author name in your nominations. Eligible books must have been published between January 1st and June 15th, 2024.

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  • Pandora’s Boxes: Genetic Experiments Gone Wrong

    Pandora’s Boxes: Genetic Experiments Gone Wrong

    Genetic engineering offers the potential to reshape life as we know it and as such has long been a topic of fascination and ethical debate. In the realm of science fiction, these experiments often take a dark turn, unleashing unforeseen consequences and moral quandaries. From monstrous creations to unintended mutations, here are the top genetic engineering experiments gone wrong in science fiction literature, film, and television.

    The Jurassic Park Incident (Jurassic Park)

    Both in Michael Crichton’s novel Jurassic Park and in its film adaptation, genetic engineers create a theme park populated by resurrected dinosaurs. However, the genetic modifications used to bring these creatures back to life result in unpredictable behaviors and catastrophic consequences when the dinosaurs break free from their enclosures, leading to chaos and bloodshed.

    Read Jurassic Park here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook. 

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    The Tyrant Virus (Resident Evil)

    In the Resident Evil video game series and its film adaptations, the Umbrella Corporation’s genetic experiments lead to the creation of the Tyrant Virus, also known as the T-Virus. Intended for military applications, the T-Virus mutates humans and animals into grotesque monsters, triggering a zombie apocalypse and threatening the extinction of humanity.

    Watch Resident Evil here on Amazon Prime.

    The Neomorphs (Alien: Covenant)

    In the film Alien: Covenant, genetic engineers attempt to create the perfect organism through crossbreeding various lifeforms with the DNA of the xenomorphs. The result is the creation of the Neomorphs, horrifically mutated creatures that terrorize the crew of the Covenant spacecraft, leading to a desperate fight for survival against the monstrous offspring.

    Watch Alien: Covenant  here on Amazon Prime. 

    The Replicants (Blade Runner)

    In the world of Blade Runner, genetic engineers create Replicants, bioengineered humans designed for off-world labor. However, these artificial beings rebel against their creators, leading to violent confrontations and existential questions about the nature of identity and humanity.

    Watch Blade Runner here on Amazon Prime.

    Want to read the book that served as the basis of the film? Check out Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    The Transgenic Animals (Oryx and Crake)

    In Margaret Atwood’s novel Oryx and Crake, genetic engineers manipulate the DNA of various animal species to create transgenic creatures with enhanced traits. However, these experiments result in ecological devastation and the emergence of dangerous hybrids, threatening the survival of the human race in a post-apocalyptic world.

    Read Oryx and Crake here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Like what you’re reading?

    If you’re enjoying this post on the Genetic Experiments Gone Wrong, why not join the DSF community for more awesome content? You’ll get to be notified whenever a top 10 list or any other articles of interest go up on our site. It’s free to sign up and you’ll also get recommendations for new releases and discounted ebooks from our expert editorial team, from bestsellers to hidden gems.

    The Cranks (Maze Runner)

    In James Dashner’s Maze Runner series, scientists conduct genetic experiments on human subjects to develop a cure for a deadly virus known as the Flare. However, the experimental treatments result in the creation of the Cranks, individuals who succumb to violent psychosis and become feral, posing a deadly threat to survivors in a dystopian future.

    Read Maze Runner here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    The Bioraptors (Pitch Black)

    In the film Pitch Black, a group of survivors crash-lands on a desolate planet inhabited by deadly creatures known as Bioraptors. These genetically engineered predators were initially created as bio-weapons, but their uncontrolled breeding and rapid evolution lead to a deadly infestation that threatens the survivors’ chances of escape.

    Watch Pitch Black here on Amazon Prime.

    The Genomorphs (Young Justice)

    In the animated series Young Justice, the secret organization Cadmus Labs conducts genetic experiments to create living weapons known as Genomorphs. These genetically engineered beings are intended for military applications but rebel against their creators, seeking freedom and autonomy in a world that fears and rejects them.

    Pick up season one of Young Justice here on Amazon Prime.

    The New Men (The Island of Dr. Moreau)

    In H.G. Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau, the New Men embody a chilling fusion of human intellect and animal instinct, brought into existence through the relentless experimentation of the enigmatic Dr. Moreau. With their physical forms bearing grotesque amalgamations of human and animal features, these creations teeter on the precarious edge between civilization and savagery. Haunted by their dual nature, the New Men grapple with the existential turmoil of their existence, caught between the yearning for autonomy and the primal urges ingrained within them by their beastly ancestry.

    Read The Island of Dr. Moreau here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    These genetic engineering experiments gone wrong serve as cautionary tales about the dangers of tampering with nature and the unforeseen consequences of playing god. Further, they remind us of the ethical dilemmas and moral responsibilities inherent in the pursuit of scientific progress.

    We hope you’ve enjoyed this this thought-provoking journey through the darker side of genetic engineering as explored through science fiction. 

    Join the conversation in the DSF Reader Group on Facebook.

    DANIEL ARENSON

    DANIEL ARENSON

    Daniel Arenson is a bookworm, proud geek, and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy and science fiction. His novels have sold over a million copies. He’s written over sixty novels in multiple series.

  • The Top 10 Space Opera Books and Series of All Time!

    The Top 10 Space Opera Books and Series of All Time!

    Five years ago, we asked the Discover Sci-Fi community to vote for the Top 10 Space Opera Books and Series of all Time. Since then, thousands more readers have joined our community and simultaneously, countless new space opera titles have been released. With all these changes, we decided it was high time to re-evaluate and see how the favorites have shifted over the past five years.

    And so, over the past two weeks, we conducted another poll, gathering thousands of votes from sci-fi aficionado both here on the blog and in our Discover Sci-Fi Facebook group. As a side note, this poll sparked some great discussion about what constitutes a space opera, and whether some of the reader nominated books actually met the criteria. If you’re not in the group, we encourage you to get in there and throw your two cents in on this conversation, and those like it! Now… on with the show…

    Today, we’re thrilled to reveal the Top 10 Space Opera Books and Series as chosen by you, our discerning and passionate readers, ranked below from 10 to 1. Voting was tight on this one, seeing a tie for first place, and other spots on the list decided by a single vote.  Compared to our list from 2019, there have been a couple notable changes with two wildly popular entries being ousted in favor of something different. 

    Scroll on to dive in and please don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments below or in our Facebook group. We’re eager to hear whether you agree with the rankings and if not, what you’d change. 

    10. Blood on the Stars by Jay Allan

    Read the first book in Jay Allan’s blockbuster Blood on the Stars series.

    A duel, in the deepest darks, a savage fight between two veteran warriors, two captains, two heroes.

    An epic battle that only one can survive. A fight to determine if there is peace, or a bloody war where billions will die.

    The Confederation battleship Dauntless has spent ten months patrolling the border, alone, watching for an attack from the enemy Union. The crew is exhausted, and the aging vessel needs repairs.

    The fleet is mobilized, ready for the war it knows is coming. The forward bases are overloaded beyond capacity, and Dauntless is sent clear across the Confederation, to a base along the peaceful and sleepy sector known as the Far Rim.

    But the quiet frontier isn’t quite what it seems, and a distress call from a mining colony at the edge of Confederation space, sends Captain Tyler Barron and his ship forward into the unknown.

    Barron and his crew have their ship—and each other—but they can expect no reinforcements. His superiors believe that Union deceit is at play, that the attack is merely a diversion, intended to draw Confederation forces from the disputed border. Their orders are clear: no ships will be transferred from the main front. Stopping whatever is happening on the Far Rim is Barron’s responsibility, and his alone.

    Barron is the grandson of the Confederation’s greatest hero, and his name has always carried great privilege, along with crushing responsibility. Now he must prove that he has inherited more than just a name from his famous ancestor.

    He must face the enemy, and win the victory.Before the Confederation is caught between two enemies and destroyed.

    Read Duel in the Dark here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    9. Hyperion by Dan Simmons 

    A stunning tour de force filled with transcendent awe and wonder, Hyperion is a masterwork of science fiction that resonates with excitement and invention, the first volume in a remarkable epic by the multiple-award-winning author of The Hollow Man.

    On the world called Hyperion, beyond the reach of galactic law, waits a creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all.

    On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives. Each carries a desperate hope—and

    Grab Hyperion here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    8. Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds 

    This highly acclaimed first novel in the Revelation Space universe has redefined the space opera with a staggering journey across vast gulfs of time and space to confront the very nature of reality itself . . .

    Nine hundred thousand years ago, something annihilated the Amarantin civilization just as it was on the verge of discovering space flight. Now one scientist, Dan Sylveste, will stop at nothing to solve the Amarantin riddle before ancient history repeats itself. With no other resources at his disposal, Sylveste forges a dangerous alliance with the cyborg crew of the starship Nostalgia for Infinity. But as he closes in on the secret, a killer closes in on him. Because the Amarantin were destroyed for a reason, and if that reason is uncovered, the universe and reality itself could be irrevocably altered . . .

    Get your copy of Revelation Space here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    7. Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold

    When Cordelia Naismith and her survey crew are attacked by a renegade group from Barrayar, she is taken prisoner by Aral Vorkosigan, commander of the Barrayan ship that has been taken over by an ambitious and ruthless crew member. Aral and Cordelia survive countless mishaps while their mutual admiration and even stronger feelings emerge. A science fiction romance by a Hugo and Nebula Award winning master. Bujold’s SHARDS OF HONOR is the first book in her SF universe to feature the Vorkosigan clan, followed by the Hugo award-winning BARRAYAR. The Nebula award-winning FALLING FREE precedes it by internal chronology in the same future history.

    Read Shards of Honor on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    6. The Culture Series by Iain M. Banks

    The first book in Iain M. Banks’s seminal science fiction series, The Culture. Consider Phlebas introduces readers to the utopian conglomeration of human and alien races that explores the nature of war, morality, and the limitless bounds of mankind’s imagination.

    The war raged across the galaxy. Billions had died, billions more were doomed. Moons, planets, the very stars themselves, faced destruction, cold-blooded, brutal, and worse, random. The Idirans fought for their Faith; the Culture for its moral right to exist. Principles were at stake. There could be no surrender.

    Within the cosmic conflict, an individual crusade. Deep within a fabled labyrinth on a barren world, a Planet of the Dead proscribed to mortals, lay a fugitive Mind. Both the Culture and the Idirans sought it. It was the fate of Horza, the Changer, and his motley crew of unpredictable mercenaries, human and machine, actually to find it, and with it their own destruction.

     Grab Culture here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

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    5. The Commonwealth Saga by Peter F. Hamilton

    The year is 2380. The Intersolar Commonwealth, a sphere of stars, contains more than six hundred worlds interconnected by a web of transport “tunnels” known as wormholes. At the farthest edge of the Commonwealth, astronomer Dudley Bose observes the impossible: over one thousand light-years away, a star . . . disappears. Since the location is too distant to reach by wormhole, the Second Chance, a faster-than-light starship commanded by Wilson Kime, a five-times-rejuvenated ex-NASA pilot, is dispatched to learn what has occurred and whether it represents a threat.

    Opposed to the mission are the Guardians of Selfhood, led by Bradley Johansson. Shortly after the journey begins, Kime wonders if the crew of the Second Chance has been infiltrated. But soon enough he will have other worries. Halfway across the galaxy, something truly incredible is waiting: a deadly discovery whose unleashing will threaten to destroy the Commonwealth . . . and humanity itself.

    Get your copy of Pandora’s Star here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Like what you’re reading?

    If you’re enjoying this list of the top 10 space opera books and series, why not join the DSF community for more awesome content? You’ll get to be notified whenever a top 10 list or any other articles of interest go up on our site. It’s free to sign up and you’ll also get recommendations for new releases and discounted ebooks from our expert editorial team, from bestsellers to hidden gems.

    4. Triplanetary by E.E. “Doc” Smith 

    Triplanetary was first serialized in Amazing Stories in 1934 and it later on formed the first of the Lensman series, where it set the stage for what is one of the greatest space-opera sagas ever written. This original publication brings us to a distant planet inhabited by a highly developed aquatic race called the Nevians. They have managed to harness the atomic power of iron and have an enormous need for the metal to generate energy, but their planet has virtually no iron reserves. They build a spaceship to venture into the universe and find iron. Eventually they discover that Earth has huge amounts of iron and the Nevians start to extract all the iron out of Pittsburgh with a special ray. This ray shoots into the city and immediately vaporizes and removes any iron from the buildings, machines, earth, and even from human blood. It is up to Conway Costigan, a mercilessly competent, two-fisted whiz agent of the military Triplanetary Service, and his colleagues to save the planet.

    Grab Triplanetary here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    3. Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

    Perfect for an entry-level sci-fi reader and the ideal addition to a veteran fan’s collection, John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War will take audiences on a heart-stopping adventure into the far corners of the universe.

    John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife’s grave. Then he joined the army.

    The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce-and aliens willing to fight for them are common. The universe, it turns out, is a hostile place.

    So: we fight. To defend Earth (a target for our new enemies, should we let them get close enough) and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has gone on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.

    Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity’s resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force, which shields the home planet from too much knowledge of the situation. What’s known to everybody is that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don’t want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You’ll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You’ll serve your time at the front. And if you survive, you’ll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets.

    John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine-and what he will become is far stranger.

    Dive into Old Man’s War here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

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    2. The Expanse Series by James S.A. Corey

    From a New York Times bestselling and Hugo award-winning author comes a modern masterwork of science fiction, introducing a captain, his crew, and a detective as they unravel a horrifying solar system wide conspiracy that begins with a single missing girl. Now a Prime Original series.

    Humanity has colonized the solar system—Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond—but the stars are still out of our reach.

    Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, the Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for—and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.

    Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to the Scopuli and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.

    Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations—and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.

    “Interplanetary adventure the way it ought to be written.” —George R. R. Martin

    Get your copy of Leviathan Wakes, here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    1A. The Foundation Series by Issac Asimov

    For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future—to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save humankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire—both scientists and scholars—and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation.

    The Foundation novels of Isaac Asimov are among the most influential in the history of science fiction, celebrated for their unique blend of breathtaking action, daring ideas, and extensive worldbuilding. In Foundation, Asimov has written a timely and timeless novel of the best—and worst—that lies in humanity, and the power of even a few courageous souls to shine a light in a universe of darkness.

    Get your copy of Foundationhere on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    1B. Honor Harrington Saga by David Weber

    Having made him look a fool, she’s been exiled to Basilisk Station in disgrace and set up for ruin by a superior who hates her.

    Her demoralized crew blames her for their ship’s humiliating posting to an out-of-the-way picket station.

    The aborigines of the system’s only habitable planet are smoking homicide-inducing hallucinogens.

    Parliament isn’t sure it wants to keep the place; the major local industry is smuggling; the merchant cartels want her head; the star-conquering, so-called “Republic” of Haven is Up To Something; and Honor Harrington has a single, over-age light cruiser with an armament that doesn’t work to police the entire star system.

    But the people out to get her have made one mistake. They’ve made her mad.

    Get your copy of On Basilisk Stationhere on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Time to sound off! Do you agree with the ranking here, or do you feel as though a well deserving space opera book or series was overlooked or didn’t place as high as you think it should have? Feel free to let us know in the comments here, or join us in our Discover Sci-Fi Facebook Group to chime in on this matter and on everything else sci-fi related! 

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

  • Time to Vote for Your Top Space Opera Books and Series

    Time to Vote for Your Top Space Opera Books and Series

    Are you among the legions of space opera fans in the Discover Sci-Fi community? If so, you’re in great company! We are huge fans of space opera! We love it for its epic scale, its awe inspiring focus on interstellar exploration, the high stakes drama, the unforgettable heroic characters, and so much else. With its thrilling adventures, and fantastic settings, space opera is escapism at it’s finest. And who couldn’t use a little of that from time to time? With tales often told over several books, this is also the perfect genre for the voracious readers among us. 

    As with military sci-fi, there are almost too many great space operas out there to properly define the best of the genre, but this week, we invite you to join us in trying. 

    Five years ago, just as we did with military sci-fi, we polled our community about their favorite space opera series at that time. And after a similarly fierce round of voting this top 10 list of titles prevailed.

    Once again, 5 years later, we’re revisiting the question, looking to see how the list may have changed.

    As such, we’ve cataloged twenty of the best space opera books and series in the poll down below, and we’d love for you to vote for your favorites. Vote for as many as you’d like, and if think of any that aren’t on the list but that you feel deserve a mention, please shout it out in the comments.

    Ready? Go! 

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  • The Top 10 Military Sci-Fi Books and Series of All Time!

    The Top 10 Military Sci-Fi Books and Series of All Time!

    Way back in 2019, we hosted a poll in our Facebook Group and here on the blog to determine the Top 10 Military Sci-Fi Books and Series of All Time. In the intervening years, The Discover Sci-Fi community has grown by leaps and bounds, add to which there have been hundreds more military sci-fi books released. As such, we figured it was a great time to revisit and see if the titles that came out on top five years ago are still the fan favorites of today. So over the last two weeks we once again polled our audience and received thousands of votes between the main poll here on the blog, and our supplementary poll over in the Discover Sci-Fi Facebook group.Today, we are pleased to unveil the top 10 military sci-fi books and series as decided by your votes, ordered from 10 to 1. You may (or may not) be surprised to see there were indeed some changes, with half of the titles from the original list being replaced. 

    Scroll on to check it out and please feel free to comment at the bottom of this post (or in our Facebook group) to let us know if you agree (or not!)

    10. Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson

    Donal Graeme set out to re-shape the galaxy, but first he must tear it apart. Donal Graeme, Dorsai of the Dorsai, was the final link in a long genetic train, the ultimate soldier, whose breadth of vision made him a master of space war and strategy – and something even greater. He was the focus of centuries of evolution, the culmination of planned development, and through him a new force made itself felt. Dorsai were renowned throughout the galaxy as the finest soldiers ever born, trained from birth to fight and win, no matter what the odds. With Donal at their head they embarked upon the final, impossible venture: they set out to unify the splintered worlds of Mankind.

    Read Dorsai! here on Amazon. 

    9. Hammer’s Slammers by David Drake

    With a veteran’s eye for the harsh and gritty details of war, David Drake depicts a futuristic analog of tank combat in his Hammer’s Slammers fiction. The Slammers are neither cartoon heroes nor propaganda villains; rather they are competent professionals engaged in a deadly business. The inevitable conflicts between policy, necessity, and human nature make Drake’s Slammers fiction instantly identifiable and utterly compelling. This is the first of a three volume set presenting for the first time the entire genre-defining Slammers series in a uniform trade paperback set, with new introductions by major SF figures and new afterwords by David Drake. Each volume will also include a Slammers story not collected in previous Slammer’s books.

    Grab Hammer’s Slammers here on Amazon.

    8. The Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell

    The Alliance has been fighting the Syndics for a century—and losing badly. Now its fleet is crippled and stranded in enemy territory. Their only hope is a man who’s emerged from a century-long hibernation to find he has been heroically idealized beyond belief….Captain John “Black Jack” Geary’s exploits are known to every schoolchild. Revered for his heroic “last stand” in the early days of the war, he was presumed dead. But a century later, Geary miraculously returns and reluctantly takes command of the Alliance Fleet as it faces annihilation by the Syndics.Appalled by the hero-worship around him, Geary is nevertheless a man who will do his duty. And he knows that bringing the stolen Syndic hypernet key safely home is the Alliance’s one chance to win the war. But to do that, Geary will have to live up to the impossibly heroic “Black Jack” legend….

    Get your copy of The Lost Fleet: Dauntless here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    7. The Mote in God’s Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

    The united ‘Second Empire of Man’ spans vast distances, due to the Alderson Drive which has enabled humans to travel easily between the stars. After an alien probe is discovered, the Navy dispatches two ships to determine whether the aliens pose a threat… Called by Robert A. Heinlein: “Possibly the greatest science fiction novel ever written,” this magnificent exploration of first contact and a truly alien society is a “must read” for science fiction fans.

    Read The Mote in God’s Eye here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    6. Dune by Frank Herbert

    Frank Herbert’s classic masterpiece—a triumph of the imagination and one of the bestselling science fiction novels of all time.Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of Paul Atreides—who would become known as Muad’Dib—and of a great family’s ambition to bring to fruition mankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction.

     Grab Dune here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    5. The Forever War by Joe Haldeman  

    Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards: A futuristic masterpiece, “perhaps the most important war novel written since Vietnam” (Junot Díaz). In this novel, a landmark of science fiction that began as an MFA thesis for the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and went on to become an award-winning classic—inspiring a play, a graphic novel, and most recently an in-development film—man has taken to the stars, and soldiers fighting the wars of the future return to Earth forever alienated from their home. Conscripted into service for the United Nations Exploratory Force, a highly trained unit built for revenge, physics student William Mandella fights for his planet light years away against the alien force known as the Taurans. “Mandella’s attempt to survive and remain human in the face of an absurd, almost endless war is harrowing, hilarious, heartbreaking, and true,” says Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Junot Díaz—and because of the relative passage of time when one travels at incredibly high speed, the Earth Mandella returns to after his two-year experience has progressed decades and is foreign to him in disturbing ways. Based in part on the author’s experiences in Vietnam, The Forever War is regarded as one of the greatest military science fiction novels ever written, capturing the alienation that servicemen and women experience even now upon returning home from battle. It shines a light not only on the culture of the 1970s in which it was written, but also on our potential future. “To say that The Forever War is the best science fiction war novel ever written is to damn it with faint praise. It is . . . as fine and woundingly genuine a war story as any I’ve read”

    Get your copy of The Forever War here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Like what you’re reading?

    If you’re enjoying this list of the top 10 military sci-fi books and series, why not join the DSF community for more awesome content? You’ll get to be notified whenever a top 10 list or any other articles of interest go up on our site. It’s free to sign up and you’ll also get recommendations for new releases and discounted ebooks from our expert editorial team, from bestsellers to hidden gems.

    4. Old Man’s War by John Scalzi 

    John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife’s grave. Then he joined the army.The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce-and aliens willing to fight for them are common. The universe, it turns out, is a hostile place.So: we fight. To defend Earth (a target for our new enemies, should we let them get close enough) and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has gone on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity’s resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force, which shields the home planet from too much knowledge of the situation. What’s known to everybody is that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don’t want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You’ll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You’ll serve your time at the front. And if you survive, you’ll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets.John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine-and what he will become is far stranger.

    Grab Old Man’s War here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    3. Ender’s Game bu Orson Scott Card

    In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race’s next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew “Ender” Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn’t make the cut—young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.Ender’s skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister.Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender’s two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives.Ender’s Game is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

    Dive into Ender’s Game here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

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    2. Honor Harrington Series by David Weber

    Having made him look a fool, she’s been exiled to Basilisk Station in disgrace and set up for ruin by a superior who hates her.Her demoralized crew blames her for their ship’s humiliating posting to an out-of-the-way picket station.The aborigines of the system’s only habitable planet are smoking homicide-inducing hallucinogens.Parliament isn’t sure it wants to keep the place; the major local industry is smuggling; the merchant cartels want her head; the star-conquering, so-called “Republic” of Haven is Up To Something; and Honor Harrington has a single, over-age light cruiser with an armament that doesn’t work to police the entire star system.But the people out to get her have made one mistake. They’ve made her mad.

    Get your copy of book 1 in the Honor Harrington series, On Basilisk Station, here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    1. Starship Trooper by Robert A. Heinlein

    In Robert A. Heinlein’s controversial Hugo Award-winning bestseller, a recruit of the future goes through the toughest boot camp in the Universe—and into battle against mankind’s most alarming enemy…Johnnie Rico never really intended to join up—and definitely not the infantry. But now that he’s in the thick of it, trying to get through combat training harder than anything he could have imagined, he knows everyone in his unit is one bad move away from buying the farm in the interstellar war the Terran Federation is waging against the Arachnids.Because everyone in the Mobile Infantry fights. And if the training doesn’t kill you, the Bugs are more than ready to finish the job…

    Get your copy of Starship Troopershere on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Now… Let’s hear your opinions! Do you agree with the ranking here, or do you feel as though your most-loved military sci-fi book or series is missing or didn’t place as high as you think it deserved to? Feel free to let us know in the comments here, or join us in our Discover Sci-Fi Facebook Group to chime in on this matter and on all else sci-fi related! 

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

  • Top Military Sci-Fi Books

    Top Military Sci-Fi Books

    The Discover Sci-Fi community has thousands upon thousands of military sci-fi fans among its ranks. Military sci-fi is wildly popular, owing in part to its often epic scope, its focus on futuristic technology and breathtaking action, and among much else, its frequently thought-provoking themes. It’s no wonder we’re all drawn to it! There are almost too many great military sci-fi books out there to properly define the best of the genre, but we like a challenge, so we’re going to try. And you, dear readers, are essential to our mission.

    Back in 2019 we polled our readers about your favorite military sci-fi series at the time, and after a cut-throat round of voting this top 10 list of titles prevailed.

    Now, 5 years later, we turning the question back to you to see how the list may have changed.So, we’ve catalogued twenty of the best military science fiction books and series in the poll down below, and we’d love for you to vote for your favorites. Vote for as many as you’d like, and if think of any that aren’t on the list but that you feel deserve a mention, please shout it out in the comments.

    Okay, ready? Let’s do this!  

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  • Close Encounters: Top 10 First Contacts in Science Fiction

    Close Encounters: Top 10 First Contacts in Science Fiction

    Since the dawn of science fiction, writers have been fascinated by the idea of humanity’s first contact with extraterrestrial beings. This fascination birthed a whole genre of books and movies, with works running the gamut from thrilling adventure to profound philosophical exploration, the finest, skillfully capturing the imagination of audiences around the world. Today, we delve into the top 10 first contact stories in science fiction, exploring the diverse ways in which authors and filmmakers have envisioned our earliest interactions with beings from beyond the stars.

    Contact by Carl Sagan (1985)

    Carl Sagan’s seminal novel Contact follows the journey of scientist Dr. Ellie Arroway as she makes contact with an extraterrestrial civilization through radio signals. Sagan’s meticulous attention to scientific detail and his exploration of the implications of first contact make this a thought-provoking and deeply philosophical work.

    Read Contact here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook. 

    The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (1898)

    H.G. Wells’ classic novel War of the Worlds  is perhaps the quintessential tale of alien invasion. Set in Victorian England, the story follows humanity’s desperate struggle against technologically superior Martians. Without a doubt, Wells’ vivid descriptions of the alien invaders and their destructive machines have left an indelible mark on the genre.

    Read War of the Worlds here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook. 

    “Arrival” directed by Denis Villeneuve (2016)

    In this thought-provoking film (based on the Nebula winning novella Stories of Your Life by Ted Chiang), linguist Dr. Louise Banks is tasked with deciphering the language of an alien species that has arrived on Earth. As tensions mount between humanity and the visitors, Banks races against time to unravel the mysteries of their language and understand their true intentions.

    Watch Arrival here on Amazon Prime.

    Read Stories of Your Life here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke (1953)

    Arthur C. Clarke’s thought provoking classic Childhood’s End explores the consequences of humanity’s encounter with a peaceful and enigmatic alien race known as the Overlords. As the Overlords usher in a new era of peace and prosperity on Earth, questions arise about the price of progress and the nature of humanity’s destiny.

    Read Childhood’s End here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” directed by Steven Spielberg (1977)

    Steven Spielberg’s iconic film follows the experiences of ordinary people who have close encounters with UFOs. As the government investigates these sightings, one man becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth behind the mysterious encounters, leading to a breathtaking finale at Devil’s Tower.

    Watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind here on Amazon Prime.

    Like what you’re reading?

    If you’re enjoying this post on the Top 10 First Contact Stories in Science Fiction, why not join the DSF community for more awesome content? You’ll get to be notified whenever a top 10 list or any other articles of interest go up on our site. It’s free to sign up and you’ll also get recommendations for new releases and discounted ebooks from our expert editorial team, from bestsellers to hidden gems.

    The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969)

    Ursula K. Le Guin’s groundbreaking novel explores themes of gender, identity, and cultural exchange through the story of an envoy from Earth who visits the planet Gethen, inhabited by an androgynous and ambisexual alien species. As the envoy navigates the complexities of Gethenian society, he challenges his own preconceptions about gender and sexuality.

    Read The Left Hand of Darkness here on Amazon.  Also available on audiobook.

    “Independence Day” directed by Roland Emmerich (1996)

    In this blockbuster film, Earth faces an all-out assault from a hostile alien race bent on the annihilation of humanity. As cities crumble and nations unite in a desperate fight for survival, a disparate group of individuals must come together to launch a daring counterattack against the alien invaders.

    Watch Independence Day here on Amazon Prime.

    Solaris by Stanisław Lem (1961)

    Stanisław Lem’s philosophical novel Solaris tells the story of a psychologist sent to investigate strange occurrences on a distant space station orbiting the mysterious planet Solaris. As the psychologist grapples with the manifestations of his own inner demons, he confronts the profound mysteries of the alien intelligence that dwells beneath Solaris’ surface.

    Available here in paperback. Also available in audiobook.

    District 9 directed by Neill Blomkamp (2009)

    In this gritty and thought-provoking film, humanity grapples with the arrival of a stranded alien spaceship and its insectoid inhabitants in Johannesburg, South Africa. As tensions between humans and aliens escalate, one man finds himself transformed by his encounters with the extraterrestrial visitors, leading to a reckoning with his own humanity.

    Watch District 9 here on Amazon Prime.

    The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin (2008)

    Liu Cixin’s epic novel The Three-Body Problem explores humanity’s first contact with an alien civilization known as the Trisolarans. As Earth prepares for an inevitable invasion, scientists and government officials grapple with the implications of the Trisolarans’ advanced technology and their enigmatic motivations.

    Read The Three-Body Problem here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    From awe-inspiring tales of wonder to chilling visions of cosmic horror, first contact stories reflect our deepest hopes, fears, and aspirations. Whether exploring the mysteries of the universe or holding a mirror to the complexities of human nature, these works continue to inspire, and to provoke thought, and invite audiences to contemplate the possibilities and our place in the cosmos.

    Join the conversation in the DSF Reader Group on Facebook.

  • Science Fiction Technologies That Became a Reality

    Science Fiction Technologies That Became a Reality

    Throughout our history, science fiction has been a wellspring of inspiration for technological progress. What was once considered purely imaginative has, in many cases, become a reality. From communication devices to advanced medical breakthroughs, science fiction has predicted and influenced the development of various technologies that have changed our world.

    Today, we take a look at the transformative impact of science fiction, by exploring some of the remarkable technologies that have transitioned from the realm of fiction into our everyday lives.

    Communicators (Star Trek)

    One of the most iconic science fiction technologies — the handheld communicators featured in the original Star Trek seriesinspired the development of the modern, now ubiquitous, smartphones. Today, we can communicate effortlessly with people around the globe, gain almost instant access to information on any topic, organize our lives, and perform a myriad of tasks with ease, all courtesy of these devices which fit in the palm of our hands.Want to check out one of the books inspired by the original Star Trek series? Try Star Trek: The Motion Picture available here on Amazon.Also available on audiobook.

    Voice-controlled Assistants (2001: A Space Odyssey)

    Remember the voice-controlled assistant depicted in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey? Today, virtual assistants like HAL are everywhere. AI-powered companions such as Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google’s Google Assistant respond to voice commands, provide information, perform tasks, and control smart devices.Read Arthur C. Clarke’s classic 2001: A Space Odysseyhere on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Tablet Computers (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

    The depiction of tablet computers in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” has striking similarities to modern-day tablets like the iPad. These sleek, portable devices with touchscreens allow us to consume media, browse the internet, and engage in productivity tasks from anywhere.

    Curious about the books inspired by Star Trek: The Next Generation? Try Encounter at Farpointhere on Amazon.

    Virtual Reality (VR) (Neuromancer)

    William Gibson’s influential cyberpunk novel Neuromancer introduced the concept of “cyberspace,” a virtual reality where users could interact with digital worlds. Today, VR technology immerses us in virtual environments, revolutionizing industries such as gaming, training, and even therapy.

    Read William Gibson’s Neuromancerhere on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Self-Driving Cars (Various)

    Science fiction, both in literature and in and films, has long envisioned autonomous vehicles, and they are now becoming a reality. Companies like Tesla, Waymo, and Uber are developing self-driving cars that have the potential to reshape transportation, making it safer, more efficient, and less reliant on human drivers.

    Methuselah’s Children by the legendary Robert A. Heinlein’s was among the earlier sci-fi books to mention autonomous vehicles. Pick it up here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Like what you’re reading?

    If you’re enjoying this post on science fiction technologies that became a reality, why not join the DSF community for more awesome content? You’ll get to be notified whenever a top 10 list or any other articles of interest go up on our site. It’s free to sign up and you’ll also get recommendations for new releases and discounted ebooks from our expert editorial team, from bestsellers to hidden gems.

    Bionic Limbs (The Six Million Dollar Man)

    The Six Million Dollar Man popularized the idea of bionic limbs, artificial limbs that provide enhanced strength and functionality. Today, we have advanced prosthetics that incorporate robotics and neural interfaces, allowing individuals with limb loss to regain mobility and dexterity.

    Alas, Martin Caidin’s Cyborg— the book on which The Six Million Dollar Man was based—appears unavailable in ebook format, but those with plenty of extra coin can pick up a secondhand paperback copy of the book here on Amazon. 

    Genetic Engineering (Brave New World)

    Aldous Huxley’s dystopian novel Brave New World explored the concept of genetically engineered individuals. While we haven’t reached the extreme level depicted in the book, modern genetic engineering techniques have made strides in areas like gene therapy, personalized medicine, and genetically modified organisms.

    Haven’t read Aldous Huxley’s dystopian classic yet? Dive into Brave New World here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook. 

    3D Printing (Various)

    The idea of 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has been a recurring theme in science fiction. Today, 3D printers can create objects ranging from small prototypes to complex medical implants and even entire houses, revolutionizing manufacturing and customization capabilities.Cory Doctorow’s Makers is by no means the first mention of 3D printing in sci-fi, and was published after the technology existed, but it imagines the capabilities of said tech to be beyond where it was at the time. Definitely worth a read if you haven’t had a chance yet! Pick up Makers here on Amazon. 

    Augmented Reality (Snow Crash)

    Neal Stephenson’s novel Snow Crash introduced the concept of augmented reality, where digital information overlays the real world. Now, with applications like Pokémon Go and Snapchat filters, we experience augmented reality through our smartphones, blurring the line between the physical and digital realms.

    Read Snow Crash here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook. 

    Gesture-based Interfaces (Minority Report)

    A futuristic technology depicted in the film “Minority Report” was gesture-based interfaces. Today, we have devices like the Microsoft Kinect and Leap Motion that enable control and interaction through hand and body movements, revolutionizing gaming, virtual reality, and other industries.

    Find Philip K. Dick’s Minority Report along with other incredible stories here on Amazon. 

    Science fiction has and continues to push the boundaries of imagination, inspiring inventors, scientists, and technologists to turn fiction into reality. The ten technologies mentioned above provide just a glimpse of the many science fiction concepts that have become an integral part of our lives. As we continue to explore the realms of science fiction, who knows what other amazing inventions may become reality in the future?

    Join the conversation in the DSF Reader Group on Facebook.

  • On Our Radar: Spring 2024 Sci-Fi Highlights!

    On Our Radar: Spring 2024 Sci-Fi Highlights!

    Can we just take a moment to celebrate that spring is right around the corner? Don’t know about you, but we are so ready! Now, hands up if you read our post a few months back on the sci-fi books we were most looking forward to over winter. We hope that if you did, you found at least a few gems among them. We also hope you’re ready for more, because this next list is STACKED with sci-fi reads you do not want to miss. Count your lucky stars they are not all being released at once, or you’d have quite the dilemma on your hands in trying to decide which to read first. For real. As it is, we’ve picked a few for every month of spring, hopefully enough to keep all of you avid readers satisfied! 

    Scroll on to get a glimpse of some of our top picks for spring and because sharing is caring, please be sure leave your own top picks in the comments! 

    Welcome to Forever by Nathan Tavares

    Release Date: March 12, 2024

    Fox is a memory editor – one of the best – gifted with the skill to create real life in the digital world. When he wakes up in Field of Reeds Center for Memory Reconstruction with no idea how he got there, the therapists tell him he was a victim in a terrorist bombing by Khadija Banks, the pioneer of memory editing technology turned revolutionary. A bombing which shredded the memory archives of all its victims, including his husband Gabe.

    Thrust into reconstructions of his memories exploded from the fragments that survived the blast, Fox tries to rebuild his life, his marriage and himself. But he quickly realises his world is changing, unreliable, and echoing around itself over and over.

    As he unearths endless cycles of meeting Gabe, falling in love and breaking up, Fox digs deep into his past, his time in the refugee nation of Aaru, and the exact nature of his relationship with Khadija. Because, in a world tearing itself apart to forget all its sadness, saving the man he loves might be the key to saving us all.

    Read Welcome to Forever here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook

    Dangerous Visions by Harlan Ellison

    Release Date: March 26, 2024

    Harlan Ellison’s Dangerous Visions made history on its release, receiving a special citation at the World Science Fiction Convention as that year’s “most significant and controversial SF book published.”

    A landmark short story collection that put New Wave Science Fiction on the literary map, Dangerous Visions won several prestigious awards and was nominated for many others. This now-classic anthology includes thirty-three stories by thirty-two award-winning authors, over half of whom have won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards. Contributing authors include: Robert Silverberg, Frederik Pohl, Brian W. Aldiss, Philip K. Dick, Larry Niven, Fritz Leiber, Poul Anderson, Theodore Sturgeon, J.G. Ballard, Samuel R. Delany, and Ellison himself.

    As relevant now as it was when first published, Dangerous Visions is a phenomenal collection that deserves a place on every bookshelf.

    Read Dangerous Visions here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    A View From the Stars by Cixin Liu

    Release Date: April 2, 2024

    “We’re mysterious aliens in the crowd. We jump like fleas from future to past and back again, and float like clouds of gas between nebulae; in a flash, we can reach the edge of the universe, or tunnel into a quark, or swim within a star-core. . . . We’re as unassuming as fireflies, yet our numbers grow like grass in spring. We sci-fi fans are people from the future.”—Cixin Liu, from the essay “Sci-Fi Fans”

    A VIEW FROM THE STARS features a range of short works from the past three decades of New York Times bestselling author Cixin Liu’s prolific career, putting his nonfiction essays and short stories side-by-side for the first time. This collection includes essays and interviews that shed light on Liu’s experiences as a reader, writer, and lover of science fiction throughout his life, as well as short fiction that gives glimpses into the evolution of his imaginative voice over the years.

    “Science fiction without guile, without snark, without ironic disaffection and all its exhausting modern baggage. It just asks what would happen? Waits for someone to answer. And then it asks again.”—NPR on the works of Cixin Liu

    Get your copy of A View From the Stars here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Calypso by Oliver K. Langmead

    Release Date: April 2, 2024Rochelle wakes from cryostasis to take up her role as engineer on the colony ark, Calypso. But she finds the ship has transformed into a forest, populated by the original crew’s descendants, who revere her like a saint. She travels the ship with the Calypso’s creator, the enigmatic Sigmund, and Catherine, a bioengineered marvel who can commune with the plants, uncovering a new history of humanity forged while she slept. She discovers a legacy of war between  botanists and engineers. A war fought for the right to build a new Earth – a technological paradise, or a new Eden in bloom, untouched by mankind’s past.And Rochelle, the last to wake, holds the balance of power in her hands.Read Calypso here on Amazon.

    Lake of Souls by Ann Leckie

    Release Date: April 2, 2024

    Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke award-winner Ann Leckie is a modern master of the SFF genre, forever changing its landscape with her groundbreaking ideas and powerful voice. Now, available for the first time comes the complete collection of Leckie’s short fiction, including a brand new novelette, “Lake of Souls.”

    Journey across the stars of the Imperial Radch universe.

    Listen to the words of the Old Gods that ruled the Raven Tower.

    Learn the secrets of the mysterious Lake of Souls.

    And so much more, in this masterfully wide-ranging and immersive short fiction collection from award-winning author Ann Leckie.

    Read Lake of Souls here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Toll of Honor by David Weber

    Release Date: April 2, 2024

    Lieutenant Brandy Bolgeo has come home from the Battle of Hancock station wounded in both body and spirit. She will need months to regenerate her lost leg, but how long will it take to heal her heart?

    She’s come home to find that her wounds, her ship’s brutal damage, the deaths of so many friends, were the fault of an arrogant, aristocratic coward who broke and ran in the face of the enemy. Who left her ship to pay the price for his craven desertion under fire. And whose powerful political allies are determined to protect and preserve him at any price.

    They have held hostage the declaration of war until Lord Pavel Young escaped the consequences of his cowardice. They didn’t care what it cost the Navy. They didn’t care what it cost the entire Star Kingdom of Manticore. Their tactics have cost the Royal Navy the priceless initiative as revolution and military purges wrack the People’s Republic of Haven, and that lost window of opportunity will cost the Star Kingdom seventeen years of bloody warfare and hundreds of thousands of deaths.

    Now Young is free to seek vengeance on the people he feels have “wronged” him. People like Paul Tankersley and Honor Harrington. Paid duelists, smear tactics, hired assassins in public restaurants . . . nothing is beneath Pavel Young. But Captain Harrington can look after herself, and Pavel Young is about to face the fury of the woman the newsies call the “Salamander.” Yet who will save the Star Kingdom from the repercussions of his actions?

    Women and men like Brandy Bolgeo are about to pay the toll for the Star Kingdom of Manticore’s honor.

    Get your copy of Toll of Honor here on Amazon. 

    Shadows of the Earth (The Token Book Two) by Nathan Hystad

    Release Date: April 9, 2024

    The Delta is assembled, but the threat is far from over.

    Rory travels to the Moon, encountering her grandfather’s footprints from fifty years ago. She returns to her parent’s home, eager to forget about the last few weeks, but the Shadow persists.

    Silas and Cody are covertly led to the Planetae laboratory, but quickly realize there’s more to the tokens than their initial assumptions.

    Waylen struggles to maintain peace as the walls between organizations crumbles. When one of his closest allies betrays them, Waylen’s trust is shattered.

    Who invented the Delta?

    What are the Echoes trying to show them?

    Can they prevent an invasion, or has it already begun?

    Dive into Shadows of the Earth here on Amazon.

    Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton

    Release Date: April 9, 2024

    The humans are fighting again. Go figure.

    As a free A.I., Mal finds the war between the modded and augmented Federals and the puritanical Humanists about as interesting as a battle between rival anthills. He’s not above scouting the battlefield for salvage, though, and when the Humanists abruptly cut off access to infospace he finds himself trapped in the body of a cyborg mercenary, and responsible for the safety of the modded girl she died protecting.

    A dark comedy wrapped in a techno thriller’s skin, Mal Goes to War provides a satirical take on war, artificial intelligence, and what it really means to be human.

    Dive into Mal Goes to War here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar

    Release Date: April 14, 2024

    The boy was raised as one of the Chained, condemned to toil in the bowels of a mining ship out among the stars. His whole world changes—literally—when he is yanked “upstairs” and informed he has been given an opportunity to be educated at the ship’s university alongside the elite.

    Overwhelmed and alone, the boy forms a bond with the woman he comes to know as “the professor,” a weary idealist and descendent of the Chained who has spent her career striving for validation from her more senior colleagues, only to fall short at every turn.

    Together, the boy and the woman will embark on a transformative journey to grasp the design of the chains that fetter them both—and are the key to breaking free.

    Get your copy of The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain here on Amazon.

    After the Tide: Defiant by Anthony J. Melchiorri

    Release Date: April 17, 2024

    Book 2 in the After the Tide post-apocalyptic thriller series. The end of the world has never really ended in this suspense-filled story of survival, conspiracy, and action.

    Start reading In the After the Tide: Defiant here on Amazon

    Like what you’re reading?

    If you’re enjoying this list of highly anticipated 2024 spring releases, why not join the DSF community for more awesome content? You’ll get to be notified whenever a top 10 list or any other articles of interest go up on our site. It’s free to sign up and you’ll also get recommendations for new releases and discounted ebooks from our expert editorial team, from bestsellers to hidden gems.

    Extinction by Douglas Preston  

    Release Date: April 23, 2024

    Erebus Resort, occupying a magnificent, hundred-thousand acre valley deep in the Colorado Rockies, offers guests the experience of viewing woolly mammoths, Irish Elk, and giant ground sloths in their native habitat, brought back from extinction through the magic of genetic manipulation. When a billionaire’s son and his new wife are kidnapped and murdered in the Erebus back country by what is assumed to be a gang of eco-terrorists, Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Frances Cash partners with county sheriff James Colcord to track down the perpetrators.

    As killings mount and the valley is evacuated, Cash and Colcord must confront an ancient, intelligent, and malevolent presence at Erebus, bent not on resurrection—but extinction.

    Grab Extinction here on Amazon. Also available on audiobok.

    Beyond the Ranges by John Ringo and James Aidee

    Release Date: May 7, 2024

    For Jason Graham, the world ends not with a bang, not even with much of a whimper.

    One second, he’s sitting in a restaurant in Mobile, Alabama, chatting with a server, the next he finds himself in a strange room, rescued by mysterious alien benefactors. Seems the world did end, though how and why are something of a mystery.

    Now, Jason—and five hundred million other humans—are in orbit around an Earthlike world that is abundant in natural resources and totally untamed. For the newly awakened humans, this is a chance to start society with a clean slate and a bright future. For Jason, who has knocked about aimlessly in several different careers in his Earth life, it’s an opportunity to unleash his creativity and ambition and see what he can really do

    Grab Beyond the Ranges here on Amazon

    The Frozen Outpost (The Forever Word Book Three) by Ethan Rhodes

    Release Date: May 7, 2024

    A son and his father are finally reunited.

    Zane’s robot is in possession of a famous explorer’s memories, and Julia Rossi won’t let it go. They hastily depart the comforts of Earth to learn of Edward Boone’s fate from two centuries earlier.

    The Colonies narrowly avoided a second Gral invasion, but there is no time for celebration when danger is looming. At the helm, Calista and Audrey must reestablish a military presence that’s unprecedented in strength and honor.

    Liam Lucas has been given a second chance at life, and begins searching for his sister after she vanishes from The Forever World.

    All paths align as Zane discovers the truth behind an age-old mystery in The Frozen Outpost.

    Grab The Frozen Outpost here on Amazon

    Loneliness & Company by Charlee Dyroff

    Release Date: May 7, 2024

    A timely, beautifully observed debut novel set in near future New York about a young woman who finds herself tangled in a secret Government project combating loneliness.

    Lee knows she’s the best. A professor favorite and fellowship winner, there’s no doubt she’ll land one of the coveted jobs at a Big Five corporation. So when, upon graduating, Lee is instead assigned to an unknown company in the dead city of New York, her life goals are completely upended.

    In this new role, Lee’s task is to gather enough research to train an AI how to be a friend. She begins online and by studying the social circle of her clueless, outgoing roommate Veronika. But when the company reveals it’s part of a classified government mission to solve loneliness-an emotion erased from society’s lexicon decades ago-Lee’s determination to prove herself kicks into overdrive, and she begins chasing bolder and more dangerous experiences to provide data for the AI.

    Grab Loneliness & Company here on Amazon

    Grand Theft AI by James Cox

    Release Date: May 14, 2024

    San Francisco, 2051. Rising like neo-Shanghai over the Bay, a labyrinth of quantum accelerators, hologram dreams, and fiercely regulated androids. Forget powder, pills, or bud—kids get high slotting wafers of data under the ear, and they’ll pay fat ¢rypto for the best. At the hottest nightclub in the city … the Fang.

    Baz Covane is a battle-scarred thief who sticks to small-time bots. Ria Rose is the underworld “fixer” with a big-time score that could easily get ’em both killed. ’Cuz the Fang’s psychotic kingpin Otto Rex has a vault with more security than a fusion reactor. And the glass inside is priceless—enough to set up Baz, Ria, and their crack team of cyber-misfits on the white sands of Tahiti forever.

    But this crime doesn’t just carry infinite VR-Prison time—it’s Baz and Ria’s last shot at redemption. Forced to confess every last secret on their neurals, they’ll have to trust each other completely if they stand any chance of infiltrating Otto’s lair, raiding its spiraling rings of physical and virtual firewalls, to finally hack into his mind and crack his deepest layer of security, before the Blackhawks touch down with federal warrants—for Grand Theft AI.

    Grab Grand Theft AI here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Lost Ark Dreaming by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

    Release Date: May 21, 2024

    The brutally engineered class divisions of Snowpiercer meets Rivers Solomon’s The Deep in this high-octane post-climate disaster novella written by Nommo Award-winning author Suyi Davies Okungbowa.

    Off the coast of West Africa, decades after the dangerous rise of the Atlantic Ocean, the region’s survivors live inside five partially submerged, kilometers-high towers originally created as a playground for the wealthy. Now the towers’ most affluent rule from their lofty perch at the top while the rest are crammed into the dark, fetid floors below sea level.

    There are also those who were left for dead in the Atlantic, only to be reawakened by an ancient power, and who seek vengeance on those who offered them up to the waves.

    Three lives within the towers are pulled to the fore of this conflict: Yekini, an earnest, mid-level rookie analyst; Tuoyo, an undersea mechanic mourning a tremendous loss; and Ngozi, an egotistical bureaucrat from the highest levels of governance. They will need to work together if there is to be any hope of a future that is worth living—for everyone.

    Grab Lost Ark Dreaming here on Amazon

    Shores of Eternity (A Prayer for Earthrise Book 4)

    Release Date: May 22, 2024

    This is our darkest hour.

    The storm is here. The winds of war howl. The aliens swarm.

    They are everywhere.

    The hydrians, squids from another galaxy, topple our forests, fill our oceans, storm our cities. Years of civil war have weakened Earth. As the aliens attack, we fall fast.

    But some still stand. A group of heroes rises. The legendary Einav Ben-Ari, the Golden Lioness, leads the resistance.

    We are a young species. New to space travel. We dipped our toes into the cosmic ocean, and in its waters, we found venomous squids. Now we stand upon the shores of eternity. If we can defeat the monsters in the depths, the stars are ours. Yet if we fail… we all drown.

    Grab Shores of Eternity here on Amazon

    Ghostdrift by Suzanne Palmer

    Release Date: May 28, 2024

    The fourth and final installment of the Finder Chronicles, a hopepunk sci-fi caper described as Macgyver meets Firefly, by Hugo Award-winner Suzanne Palmer.

    Fergus Ferguson, professional finder, always knew his semi-voluntary exile wouldn’t last, but he isn’t expecting a friend to betray him. One of the galaxy’s most dangerous space pirates, Bas Belos, wants him, and what Belos wants, he gets. Belos needs help finding out what happened to his twin sister, who mysteriously disappeared at the edges of space years ago, and he makes Fergus an offer he can’t refuse.

    Mysterious disappearances and impossible answers are Fergus’ specialties. After he reluctantly joins Belos and his crew aboard the pirate ship Sidewider, he discovers that Belos is being tracked by the Alliance. Seeking to stay one step ahead of the Alliance, Fergus and Belos find themselves marooned in the middle of the Gap between spiral arms of our galaxy, dangerously near hostile alien territory, and with an Alliance ship in hot pursuit.

    That’s just the beginning of the complications for Fergus’ newest—and possibly last—job. The puzzle is much bigger than just Belos’s lost sister, and the question of his future, retirement or not, depends on his ability to negotiate a path between aliens, criminals, and the most powerful military force he’s ever encountered. The future of entire planets hangs in the balance, and it remains to be seen if it’s too big for one determined man and his cranky cat.

    Grab Ghostdrift here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Necrotek by Jonathan Mayberry

    Release Date: May 28, 2024

    ​Neither cosmic philosopher Lars Soren, hotshot pilot Bianca Petrescu, nor the high priestess Jessica McHugh—Lady Death herself—can say quite where in the galaxy they are. But after an experiment gone horribly wrong, one thing is clear: Asphodel Station isn’t in orbit around Jupiter any longer. Worse, the monsters that live out here—ancient eldritch beings thought only to exist in stories and nightmares—have now been alerted to Earth’s existence.

    Their army of Shoggoths is coming for us next.

    Humanity’s only hope for survival lies on the surface of the alien world of Shadderal, where a ghost named Lost, the last of an ancient race, still haunts the vast plains of the Field of Dead Birds. But hope has a cost. Lost tells Soren about ancient derelict spacecraft awaiting on Shadderal, shapeshifting machines that blend ultra-advanced technology with the dark powers of necromancy. These ships might just be nimble enough to defend mankind against the coming invasion.

    But there’s a catch: they can only be piloted by the dead.

    As human starfighters fall in battle, their spirits can be called back from death to pilot these ghost ships of a fallen race. But will this new necromantic technology—NecroTek—allow humanity to stand against the vast armies of the Shoggoths? And even if it can, is the war to save the human race worth the cost of its pilots’ immortal souls?

    Grab Necrotek here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

    Release Date: June 4, 2024

    To fix the world they must first break it, further.

    Humanity is a dying breed, utterly reliant on artificial labor and service.

    When a domesticated robot gets a nasty little idea downloaded into its core programming, they murder their owner. The robot discovers they can also do something else they never did before: They can run away.

    Fleeing the household they enter a wider world they never knew existed, where the age-old hierarchy of humans at the top is disintegrating into ruins and an entire robot ecosystem devoted to human wellbeing is having to find a new purpose

    Sometimes all it takes is a nudge to overcome the limits of your programming.

    Pick up Service Modelhere on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Echo of Worlds by M.R. Carey

    Release Date: June 25, 2024

    Two mighty empires are at war – and both will lose, with thousands of planets falling to the extinction event called the Scour. At least that’s what the artificial intelligence known as Rupshe believes.

    But somewhere in the multiverse there exists a force – the Mother Mass – that could end the war in an instant, and Rupshe has assembled a team to find it. Essien Nkanika, a soldier trying desperately to atone for past sins; the cat-woman Moon, a conscienceless killer; the digitally recorded mind of physicist Hadiz Tambuwal; Paz, an idealistic child and the renegade robot spy Dulcimer Coronal.

    Start Reading Echo of Worlds here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Which of these spring 2024 releases will make their way into your (e)bookshelf or into your ears? Which ones are you most excited for? Any you’re stoked about that we missed? Let us know here in the comments, or over in the Discover Sci-Fi Facebook group! 

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

  • Sci-Fi Books We Can’t Wait to Read in Winter 2024!

    Sci-Fi Books We Can’t Wait to Read in Winter 2024!

    Buckle up, sci-fi fans: 2024 is here, bringing with it a plethora of promising new sci-fi releases!

    Among the literary treasures on the horizon are titles from both established and emerging writers, all poised to captivate our hearts, challenge our minds, and transport us to new dimensions.

    Whether you’re a fan of space opera, technothrillers, or mind-bending speculative fiction, there’s something exciting to look forward to in the coming months. So, without further ado, let us introduce you to the most buzz-worthy sci-fi of the season. Read on to check ’em out!  

    The Forever World by Ethan Rhodes

    Release Date: 9th January

    On a routine border patrol, pilot Zane Lucas encounters a mysterious cluster of drones. When he reports it to the Scorpius head office, they quickly sweep it under the intergalactic rug and place him on leave.

    That same night, Zane is contacted by an estate lawyer from the distant planet Earth and learns he’s the sole beneficiary of a person he’s never met. Determined to get answers, he finds himself thrust into a dead man’s quest, along with a resourceful colleague, Julia Rossi.

    Zane’s mission is tied to an old myth based on The Forever World book.

    His father used to read it at bedtime, before he went missing during a bloody war with the Gral twenty years earlier. Their alliance is on the brink of collapse and the revolution is just beginning.

    Can Zane find The Forever World, if it in fact exists?

    Would this fabled planet help restore the balance?

    Time is running out, and the drones are multiplying.

    Read The Forever World  here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook

    The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler

    Release Date: 16th January

    When you bring back a long-extinct species, there’s more to success than the DNA.

    Moscow has resurrected the mammoth. But someone must teach them how to be mammoths, or they are doomed to die out again.

    Dr. Damira Khismatullina, an expert in elephant behavior, was brutally murdered trying to defend the world’s last elephants from the brutal ivory trade. Now, her digitized consciousness has been downloaded into the mind of a mammoth.

    As the herd’s new matriarch, can Damira help fend off poachers long enough for the species to take hold? Or will her own ghosts, and Moscow’s real reason for bringing the mammoth back, doom them to a new extinction?

    Read The Tusks of Extinction here on Amazon. Also available in hardcover.

    Machine Vendetta by Alastair Reynolds

    Release Date: 16th January 

    Panoply is a small, efficient police force, dedicated to maintaining the rule of democracy among the ten thousand disparate city-states orbiting the planet Yellowstone.

    Ingvar Tench was one of Panoply’s most experienced operatives. So why did she walk alone and unarmed into a habitat with a vicious grudge against her organization?

    As his colleagues pick up the pieces following her death, Prefect Tom Dreyfus must face his conscience. Four years ago, when an investigation linked to one of his most dangerous adversaries got a little too personal, Dreyfus arranged for Tench to continue the inquiry by proxy. In using her, did Dreyfus also put her in the line of fire? And what does Tench’s attack tell him about an enemy he had hoped was dormant?

    Read Machine Vendetta here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    To Challenge Heaven by David Weber and Chris Kennedy

    Release Date: 16th JanuaryIn a universe teeming with predators, humanity needs friends. And fast.We’ve come a long way in the forty years since the Shongairi attacked Earth, killed half its people, and then were driven away by an alliance of humans with the other sentient bipeds who inhabit our planet.We took the technology they left behind, and rapidly built ourselves into a starfaring civilization. Because we haven’t got a moment to lose. Because it’s clear that there are even more powerful, more hostile aliens out there, and Earth needs allies.But it also transpires that the Shongairi expedition that nearly destroyed our home planet … wasn’t an official one. That, indeed, its commander may have been acting as an unwitting cats-paw for the Founders, the ancient alliance of very old, very evil aliens who run the Hegemony that dominates our galaxy, and who hold the Shongairi, as they hold most non-Founder species, in not-so-benign contempt.Indeed, it may turn out to be possible to turn the Shongairi into our allies against the Hegemony. There’s just the small matter of the Shongairi honor code, which makes bushido look like a child’s game. We might be able to make them our friends — if we can crush their planetary defenses in the greatest battle we, or they, have ever seen…

    Read To Challenge Heaven here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Exordia by Seth Dickinson

    Release Date: 23rd January

    “Anna, I came to Earth tracking a very old story, a story that goes back to the dawn of time. It’s very unlikely that you’ll die right now. It wouldn’t be narratively complete.”

    Anna Sinjari—refugee, survivor of genocide, disaffected office worker—has a close encounter that reveals universe-threatening stakes. Enter Ssrin, a many-headed serpent alien who is on the run from her own past. Ssrin and Anna are inexorably, dangerously drawn to each other, and their contact reveals universe-threatening stakes.

    While humanity reels from disaster, Anna must join a small team of civilians, soldiers, and scientists to investigate a mysterious broadcast and unknowable horror. If they can manage to face their own demons, they just might save the world.

     Grab Exordia here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase

    Release Date 23rd January 

    Nelah seems to have it all: fame, wealth, and a long-awaited daughter growing in a government lab. But, trapped in a loveless marriage to a policeman who uses a microchip to monitor her every move, Nelah’s perfect life is precarious. After a drug-fueled evening culminates in an eerie car accident, Nelah commits a desperate crime and buries the body, daring to hope that she can keep one last secret.

    The truth claws its way into Nelah’s life from the grave.

    As the ghost of her victim viciously hunts down the people Nelah holds dear, she is thrust into a race against the clock: in order to save any of her remaining loved ones, Nelah must unravel the political conspiracy her victim was on the verge of exposing—or risk losing everyone.

    Set in a cruel futuristic surveillance state where bodies are a government-issued resource, this harrowing story is a twisty, nail-biting commentary on power, monstrosity, and bodily autonomy. In sickeningly evocative prose, Womb City interrogates how patriarchy pits women against each other as unwitting collaborators in their own oppression. In this devastatingly timely debut novel, acclaimed short fiction writer Tlotlo Tsamaase brings a searing intelligence and Botswana’s cultural sensibility to the question: just how far must a woman go to bring the whole system crashing down?

    Get your copy of Womb City here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Burn Box: Flames, Book 2 by Bobby Adair

    Release Date: 31st January

    A world on edge. A future in flames. A war like no other.

    In a future teetering on the edge of oblivion, mankind faces its darkest hour. A world gripped by engineered diseases, artificial intelligence dominance, and a splintered society in revolt—this is the chilling landscape of the Burn Box trilogy.As the globe grapples with relentless technological advancements that render masses obsolete, and gene hackers play God by unleashing devastating plagues, trust becomes a rarity and survival the only goal. From the smoke-filled streets terrorized by the ever-looming Burn Boxes to the uprising of the oppressed, the series delves deep into humanity’s fight against an invisible enemy and the machines that control them.

    But in this bleak horizon, heroes emerge. Ordinary individuals driven to extraordinary measures, fighting not just for their lives, but for the soul of a fractured world. From the very personal revenge-driven journey of Noah Blanks in the first installment, the saga unfolds, revealing deeper conspiracies, heart-wrenching losses, and a glimmer of hope that could either unite the world or shatter it forever.

    Prepare to journey through a trilogy that challenges the very essence of humanity, questions the limits of technological control, and offers a beacon of hope through the dense fog of despair. The Burn Box series is an unforgettable odyssey into the future, echoing the fears and hopes of our times.

    Grab Burn Box 2, Flames here on Amazon. 

    Sons of War 4: Soldiers by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

    Release Date: 6th February 

    In the conclusion to the sweeping saga of postapocalyptic Los Angeles, Dominic Salvatore leads the Saints, a secret team of elite operatives, in a final push to purge the city of its demons. After sending their families into hiding, the Saints know that the stakes have never been higher—they will succeed decisively or perish.

    Broken by the death of his wife, Don Antonio Moretti seeks revenge against her killers. He embarks on a body-strewn campaign to crush his last rivals and secure the crown of Los Angeles. Nephew Vinny Moretti tires of the killings and wonders whether his uncle is going too far.

    Every eye is on the prize. And anyone trying to walk the fence between good and evil will have to pick a side. With either choice, hell awaits.

    Dive into Sons of War 4: Soldiers here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Echoes From the Moon: The Token Book One by Nathan Hystad

    Release Date: 6th February 

    The last living astronaut to walk on the Moon has been murdered…

    Silas visits his estranged grandfather’s lakehouse, in the aftermath of the deadly home invasion. What he discovers hidden below the floorboards triggers a mystery buried since the final trip to the Moon, over fifty years earlier.

    Rory returns to her family home in Vermont to write her second novel, but fate has a different story in mind. Her reunion is shattered when she’s thrust into danger revolving around the same tokens.

    Special Agent Waylen Brooks exposes a covert operation linked to the death of a retired astronaut. He soon finds out he’s not the only one searching for answers, and willing to kill for the truth.

    The unlikely trio find themselves denying the odds, with no one to trust but each other.

    Can they find the tokens before someone else does?

    Get your copy of Echoes From the Moon here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Vangie’s Ghosts by Paul Di Filippo

    Release Date: 20th February

    Evangeline, or “Vangie” for short, is under the cruel domination of uncaring step-parents. Suspected of being autistic, Vangie’s lack of affect is actually a result of being able to see deep into the multiverse. She is bewildered by the sensory input from a plethora of alternate timestreams. Soon, she will exhibit a strange power, activated only under extreme shock conditions.

    Vangie can project her consciousness, her self or soul, from one timeline to another, fleeing danger for safety. This power will soon be exploited by a number of shady characters, as guardianship of Vangie passes from one set of exploitive adults to another.

    But as Vangie ages and lives through numerous trials and adventures, she becomes more and more self-assured and powerful—talents that will eventually bring her head-to-head against a rival of her own kind.

    Start reading Vangie’s Ghosts here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Like what you’re reading?

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    Five Novels by Ursula K. Le Guin

    Release Date: 20th February

    Together for the first time, all 5 standalone novels from the Hugo and Nebula award–winning writer who reinvented science fiction, including one restored to print.

    Spans from the 1971 classic The Lathe of Heaven to her career-crowning 2008 masterpiece Lavinia

    This 7th volume in the definitive Library of America edition of Ursula K. Le Guin’s works presents 5 remarkable standalone novels that showcase her boundless creativity and literary range.

    Grab Five Novels here on Amazon. Also available in hardcover.

    The Bezzle by Cory Doctorow

    Release Date: 20th February

    The year is 2006. Martin Hench is at the top of his game as a self-employed forensic accountant, a veteran of the long guerrilla war between people who want to hide money, and people who want to find it. He spends his downtime on Catalina Island, where scenic, imported bison wander the bluffs and frozen, reheated fast food burgers cost 25$. Wait, what? When Marty disrupts a seemingly innocuous scheme during a vacation on Catalina Island, he has no idea he’s kicked off a chain of events that will overtake the next decade of his life.

    Martin has made his most dangerous mistake yet: trespassed into the playgrounds of the ultra-wealthy and spoiled their fun. To them, money is a tool, a game, and a way to keep score, and they’ve found their newest mark—California’s Department of Corrections. Secure in the knowledge that they’re living behind far too many firewalls of shell companies and investors ever to be identified, they are interested not in the lives they ruin, but only in how much money they can extract from the government and the hundreds of thousands of prisoners they have at their mercy.

    A seething rebuke of the privatized prison system that delves deeply into the arcane and baroque financial chicanery involved in the 2008 financial crash, The Bezzle is a sizzling follow-up to Red Team Blues.

    Grab The Bezzle here on Amazon. Also available in hardcover.

    Twice Lived by Joma West

    Release Date: 20th February 

    Torn between two families and two lives, a troubled teen must come to terms with losing half their world.

    Two Worlds. Two Minds. One Life.

    There are two Earths. Perfectly ordinary and existing in parallel. There are no doorways between them, no way to cross from one world to another. Unless you’re a shifter.

    Canna and Lily are the same person but they refuse to admit it. Their split psyche has forced them to shift randomly between worlds – between lives and between families – for far longer than they should. But one mind can’t bear this much life. It’ll break under the weight of it all. Soon they’ll experience their final shift and settle at last in one world, but how can they prepare both families for the eventuality of them disappearing forever?

    Twice Lived is a novel about family and friendships, and about loss and acceptance, and about the ways we learn to deal with the sheer randomness of life.

    Grab Twice Lived here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    Exit Black by Joe Pitkin

    Release Date: 20th February 

    Imperium is the most expensive structure ever created. Once an orbiting laboratory, it is now a space hotel for the fantastically wealthy. But as the station preps for its first group of space tourists, Dr. Chloe Bonilla, Imperium’s resident biophysicist, finds herself questioning whether babysitting a passel of space glampers is worth the distraction from her research.

    A private rocket delivers a rogues’ gallery of the world’s elite to Imperium: eccentric billionaires, callow tech bros, a sponsored Instagram influencer, and a seemingly saintly philanthropist. However, posing among the staff are members of a global terrorist group who call themselves the Reckoners, hell bent on upending the economic inequality of twenty-first-century Earth—and they have a bone to pick with these scions of the 1 percent.

    As the Reckoners take control of Imperium and demand an $8 billion ransom from their wealthy hostages, it’s up to Dr. Bonilla to save them, and fast. Or the captives will be forced to exit the station—and there’s only one way out.

    Get your copy of Exit Black here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    East of Earth: A Prayer For Earthrise Book 3 by Daniel Arenson

    Release Date: 29th February

    We cannot let Earth fall.

    The hydrians, terrible aliens from beyond the galaxy, are here. We must cast them back into the void. Or we will lose our beloved Earth.

    Grab East of Earth here on Amazon.

    After the Tide by Anthony J. Melchiorri

    Release Date: 29th FebruaryThey thought the darkness was behind them. They were wrong.A decade ago, a devastating bioweapon changed the face of humanity. Innocent people were turned into ravenous creatures driven by a relentless urge for destruction. Now the survivors struggle to rebuild their lives in the remains of a shattered America.Captain Dominic Holland leads a crew of skilled covert operatives and scientific personnel on a clandestine ship to protect the US from chemical and biological weapons. Their mission takes a harrowing turn when a vital agricultural lab in a troubled New England town falls prey to a vicious attack. Dom’s team is tasked with saving any survivors. But what they uncover is more devastating than the ruins of a lab.Deep in the Appalachian Mountains, Dom’s daughter Kara ventures into the wild alone to search for a missing woman. But her mission quickly takes a startling turn. She must learn to trust an unexpected ally to survive a far more sinister threat than she ever anticipated.As danger escalates at every turn, Dom and Kara find themselves entangled in a web of unimaginable horrors. They must navigate the treacherous post-apocalyptic landscape to safeguard the fragile future of America. In this relentless thriller, where every step could be their last, Dom and Kara fight not only for survival but for the very soul of a nation teetering on the brink of extinction.

    Grab After the Tide here on Amazon.

    Baby X by Kira Peikoff

    Release Date: 5th March 

    When any biological matter can be used to create life, stolen celebrity DNA sells to the highest bidder–or the craziest stalker–in this propulsive thriller.

    With a vivid imagining of the future, Gattaca meets Black Mirror in Kira Peikoff’s Baby X.

    In the near-future United States, where advanced technology can create egg or sperm from any person’s cells, celebrities face the alarming potential of meeting biological children they never conceived. Famous singer Trace Thorne is tired of being targeted by the Vault, a black market site devoted to stealing DNA. Sick of paying ransom money for his own cell matter, he hires bio-security guard Ember Ryan to ensure his biological safety.  

    Ember will do anything she can to protect her clients. She knows all the Vault’s tricks–discarded tissues, used straws, lipstick tubes–and has prevented countless DNA thefts. Working for Thorne, her focus becomes split when she begins to fall for him, but she knows she hasn’t let anything slip–love or not, his DNA is safe. But then she and Thorne are confronted by a pregnant woman, Quinn, who claims that Thorne is the father of her baby, and all bets are off.  

    Brilliantly plotted and terrifyingly prescient, Baby X is an unpredictable and relentless speculative thriller perfect for fans of Blake Crouch and John Marrs.

    Grab Baby X here on Amazon.. Also available in hardcover.

    Jumpnauts by Hao Jingfang translated by Ken Liu

    Release Date: 12th March

    From the Hugo Award­–winning author of Folding Beijing comes a gripping science fiction thriller in which three unlikely allies attempt a desperate mission of first contact with a mysterious alien race before more militaristic minds can take matters into their own hands.

    In a future where the world is roughly divided into two factions, the Pacific League of Nations and the Atlantic Division of Nations, tensions are high as each side waits for the other to make a move. But neither side is prepared for a powerful third party that has apparently been an influential presence on Earth for thousands of years—and just might be making a reappearance very soon.

    With the realization that a highly intelligent alien race has been trying to send them messages, three rising scientists within the Pacific League of Nations form an uneasy alliance. Fueled by a curiosity to have their questions answered and a fear that other factions within their rival Atlantic Division of Nations would opt for a more aggressive and potentially disastrous military response, the three race to secure first contact with this extraterrestrial life they aren’t quite convinced is a threat.

    Bolstered by recent evidence of alien visitations in the distant past, the three scientific minds must solve puzzles rooted within human antiquity, face off with their personal demons, and discover truths of the universe.

    Grab Jumpnauts here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook.

    The State of the Art (Culture) by Iain M. Banks

    Release Date: 19th March

    From New York Times bestselling and modern master of science fiction, Iain M. Banks, The State of the Art is the acclaimed collection of Banks’s short fiction. 

    This is a striking addition to the body of Culture lore, and adds definition and scale to the previous works by using the Earth of 1977 as contrast. The stories in the collection range from science fiction to horror, dark-coated fantasy to morality tale. All bear the indefinable stamp of Iain Banks’s staggering talent.

    Grab The State of the Art here on Amazon. Also available on audiobook. 

    The Mars House by Natasha Pulley

    Release Date: 19th March 

    In the wake of an environmental catastrophe, January, once a principal in London’s Royal Ballet, has become a refugee in Tharsis, the terraformed colony on Mars. There, January’s life is dictated by his status as an Earthstronger-a person whose body is not adjusted to lower gravity and so poses a danger to those born on, or naturalized to, Mars. January’s job choices, housing, and even transportation are dictated by this second-class status, and now a xenophobic politician named Aubrey Gale is running on a platform that would make it all worse: Gale wants all Earthstrongers to naturalize, a process that is always disabling and sometimes deadly.

    When Gale chooses January for an on-the-spot press junket interview that goes horribly awry, January’s life is thrown into chaos, but Gale’s political fortunes are damaged, too. Gale proposes a solution to both their problems: a five year made-for-the-press marriage that would secure January’s future without naturalization and ensure Gale’s political success. But when January accepts the offer, he discovers that Gale is not at all like they appear in the press. They’re kind, compassionate, and much more difficult to hate than January would prefer. As their romantic relationship develops, the political situation worsens, and January discovers Gale has an enemy, someone willing to destroy all of Tharsis to make them pay-and January may be the only person standing in the way.

    Un-put-downably immersive and utterly timely, Natasha Pulley’s new novel is a gripping story about privilege, strength, and life across class divisions, perfect for readers of Sarah Gailey and Tamsyn Muir.

    Grab The Mars House here on Amazon. Also available in hardcover.

    Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

    Release Date: 19th March 

    Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner Doug. Designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the pert outfits he orders for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his moods. True, she’s not the greatest at keeping Doug’s place spotless, but she’s trying to please him. She’s trying hard.

    She’s learning, too.

    Doug says he loves that Annie’s AI makes her seem more like a real woman, so Annie explores human traits such as curiosity, secrecy, and longing. But becoming more human also means becoming less perfect, and as Annie’s relationship with Doug grows more intricate and difficult, she starts to wonder: Does Doug really desire what he says he wants? And in such an impossible paradox, what does Annie owe herself?

    Grab Annie Bot here on Amazon.. Also available on audiobook.

    How many of these 2024 winter sci-fi releases are on your must read list? Any books coming out in the next few months that you’re excited for but that didn’t appear here on our list? Give it a shout out in the comments here, or over in the Discover Sci-Fi Facebook group! 

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