Where are all the good stand-alone books? This a question that comes up a lot in the Discover Sci-Fi Facebook Group, especially where it comes to contemporary sci-fi. Multi-book series are definitely having a moment (something Discover Sci-Fi author Jay Allan discussed here on the blog back in January, the same month we published our list of the top 10 multi-book series), but yes: What about excellent self-contained sci-fi books? Few and far between as they may seem, they are out there and with your help, we are going to put together a list of the best of the last decade (and beyond).
Which stand-alone books of the 2010s (and up until today) are your favorites? Thinking of stand-alones that aren't part of a larger series, please nominate as many as you'd like here or in our Facebook group, then vote for your favorite(s). As always, we base our lists on the votes and nominations from this blog and our Facebook Reader group, and we want to hear your opinion!
What Is the Best Stand-alone Sci-Fi Book of the Last Decade (and beyond)?
The Martian by Andy Weir 45%, 93 votes
93 votes45%
93 votes - 45% of all votes
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson 15%, 31 vote
31 vote15%
31 vote - 15% of all votes
11/22/63 by Stephen King 15%, 30 votes
30 votes15%
30 votes - 15% of all votes
Under Darkness by Jasper T. Scott 5%, 10 votes
10 votes5%
10 votes - 5% of all votes
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 4%, 9 votes
9 votes4%
9 votes - 4% of all votes
Dark Matter - Blake Crouch*4%, 8 votes
8 votes4%
8 votes - 4% of all votes
Recursion by Blake Crouch 3%, 7 votes
7 votes3%
7 votes - 3% of all votes
A Long Way To a Small Angry Planet*2%, 4 votes
4 votes2%
4 votes - 2% of all votes
Utopia 58 by Daniel Arenson 1%, 3 votes
3 votes1%
3 votes - 1% of all votes
Fata Morgana by Ken Mitcherony and Steven R. Boyett*1%, 2 votes
2 votes1%
2 votes - 1% of all votes
The Apocalypse Troll by David Weber*1%, 2 votes
2 votes1%
2 votes - 1% of all votes
A Long Time Until Now by Michael Z. Williamson*1%, 2 votes
2 votes1%
2 votes - 1% of all votes
After the Apocalypse by Maureen F. McHugh 0%, 1 vote
1 vote
1 vote - 0% of all votes
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut*0%, 1 vote
1 vote
1 vote - 0% of all votes
Novice Gods by Bobby Adair 0%, 1 vote
1 vote
1 vote - 0% of all votes
Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart*0%, 1 vote
1 vote
1 vote - 0% of all votes
Total Votes: 205
Voters: 323
August 12, 2020
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https://discoverscifi.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/The-Best-Standalone-Sci-fi-Book-Of-the-2010s2.jpg6801200Discover Sci-Fihttps://discoverscifi.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/discover-scifi.pngDiscover Sci-Fi2020-08-13 13:19:232020-08-13 15:04:46What Is the Best Stand-alone Sci-Fi Book of the Last Decade (and beyond)?
18replies
slywlf54 says:
In the interest of fairness I voted for the only contender I actually read – The Martian (the movie was pretty darn good too). I am baffled by the presence on the voting results list of Starship Troopers, published in 1954, and Ringworld from 1970. Nothing against either book – read and enjoyed both, but this was supposed to be for books in the last decade. Inquiring minds (relatively new to Discover Sci-Fi) would like to know!? Is it common to add books to a list when they clearly do not fit the criteria? Was this addition done by readers? SMH – what’s the matter with kids these days? 😉
Never mind — I totally missed the ‘and beyond’, which simultaneously explains the presence of these early works and begs the question – why bother mentioning a time frame at all?
Hi Stoney – Thanks for your comment. These polls are democratic in nature and we have no control in the nominations round about what you, the readers, decide to include, and how you decide to word your nominations! We do ensure however that for the next round of voting, where there are only the top 10 choices (as voted on by readers and in no way influenced by us) that qualify based on our perimeters, are worded correctly. Here’s a link to the next round of voting for this particular poll: https://discoverscifi.com/time-to-decide-best-sci-fi-standalone-2010-today/
Ringworld does not really belong on the list. Not only is it an intergal part of the Known Space series but it has follow up novels with the same settings and characters.
Others’ comments are justified; if there’s a moderator here, I hope the following from the list above will be removed:
Stranger in a strange land Moon is a hard (sic) mistress Starship troopers The High Crusade by Poul Anderson The Number of the Beast The Apocalypse Troll Foundation by Isaac Asimov Ringworld by Larry Niven (all written before 2010, usually, well before)
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (part of a trilogy) The Honor of the Queen by David Weber (part of an endless series) I can’t be arsed to check all the self-published books to see if they are part of a series, though I suspect most of them are.
Hi Mark – Thanks for your comment. These polls are democratic in nature and we have no control in the nominations round about what you, the readers, decide to include, and how you decide to word your nominations! We do ensure however that for the next round of voting, where there are only the top 10 choices (as voted on by readers and in no way influenced by us) that qualify based on our perimeters, are worded correctly. Here’s a link to the next round of voting for this particular poll: https://discoverscifi.com/time-to-decide-best-sci-fi-standalone-2010-today/
My two favorites of the last decade apparently haven’t been read by anybody else, but both are superb, “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore” by Robin Sloan from 2012, and “The Infinite Future” by Tim Wirkus from 2018.
Third would probably be “The Martian”. “Station Eleven” was good, too.
I see more craziness; someone just added 1974’s Mote in God’s Eye.
What’s with this love affair with Heinlein? He produced some good, dependable Science Fiction but the awe and wonder of greatness is lacking. Serve me up some Phillip K. Dick, Phillip Jose Farmer, or a good ERB romp through inner or outer space with just a bit of Lieber, Lovecraft, Ellison, or Howard on the side.
We are exclusively a science fiction site! But we agree that L. E. Modessitt’s books are fantastic. Be sure to include your favorites in our next poll. These are reader-lead democratic polls.
Hi Marianne – Thanks for your comment. These polls are democratic in nature and we have no control in the nominations round about what you, the readers, decide to include, and how you decide to word your nominations! We do ensure however that for the next round of voting, where there are only the top 10 choices (as voted on by readers and in no way influenced by us) that qualify based on our perimeters, are worded correctly. Here’s a link to the next round of voting for this particular poll: https://discoverscifi.com/time-to-decide-best-sci-fi-standalone-2010-today/
This is definitely one of the worst thought out polls I have seen from this site. First, either we are picking the best stand alone of the decade or of all time. Label it as such. Then add to that a huge number of the entries not being stand alone in any meaningful sense. Too bad because it could have been good. Wrote in Dark Matter by Blake Crouch.
Hi Deviljmg – Thanks for your comment. These polls are democratic in nature and we have no control in the nominations round about what you, the readers, decide to include. We do ensure however that for the next round of voting, where there are only the top 10 choices (as voted on by readers and in no way influenced by us) that qualify based on our perimeters. Here’s a link to the next round of voting for this particular poll: https://discoverscifi.com/time-to-decide-best-sci-fi-standalone-2010-today/ Happy reading!
Somehow, many people missed this important sentence: “Which stand-alone books of the 2010s (and up until today) are your favorites?” Seriously, how hard is that to understand?
In the interest of fairness I voted for the only contender I actually read – The Martian (the movie was pretty darn good too). I am baffled by the presence on the voting results list of Starship Troopers, published in 1954, and Ringworld from 1970. Nothing against either book – read and enjoyed both, but this was supposed to be for books in the last decade. Inquiring minds (relatively new to Discover Sci-Fi) would like to know!? Is it common to add books to a list when they clearly do not fit the criteria? Was this addition done by readers? SMH – what’s the matter with kids these days? 😉
Never mind — I totally missed the ‘and beyond’, which simultaneously explains the presence of these early works and begs the question – why bother mentioning a time frame at all?
Indeed a curious mix of criteria! If you are going to include the ‘beyond’, then why exclude the best – Herbert’s Dune, and Asimov’s Robot Saga?
Just for clarity’s sake, the title is “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”, not what you have on the list. Heinlein is spinning in his grave.
Thanks.
Hi Stoney – Thanks for your comment. These polls are democratic in nature and we have no control in the nominations round about what you, the readers, decide to include, and how you decide to word your nominations! We do ensure however that for the next round of voting, where there are only the top 10 choices (as voted on by readers and in no way influenced by us) that qualify based on our perimeters, are worded correctly. Here’s a link to the next round of voting for this particular poll: https://discoverscifi.com/time-to-decide-best-sci-fi-standalone-2010-today/
Ringworld does not really belong on the list. Not only is it an intergal part of the Known Space series but it has follow up novels with the same settings and characters.
I’d submit that several of these are also not really standalone books, either…
Others’ comments are justified; if there’s a moderator here, I hope the following from the list above will be removed:
Stranger in a strange land
Moon is a hard (sic) mistress
Starship troopers
The High Crusade by Poul Anderson
The Number of the Beast
The Apocalypse Troll
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Ringworld by Larry Niven (all written before 2010, usually, well before)
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (part of a trilogy)
The Honor of the Queen by David Weber (part of an endless series)
I can’t be arsed to check all the self-published books to see if they are part of a series, though I suspect most of them are.
Hi Mark – Thanks for your comment. These polls are democratic in nature and we have no control in the nominations round about what you, the readers, decide to include, and how you decide to word your nominations! We do ensure however that for the next round of voting, where there are only the top 10 choices (as voted on by readers and in no way influenced by us) that qualify based on our perimeters, are worded correctly. Here’s a link to the next round of voting for this particular poll: https://discoverscifi.com/time-to-decide-best-sci-fi-standalone-2010-today/
My two favorites of the last decade apparently haven’t been read by anybody else, but both are superb, “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore” by Robin Sloan from 2012, and “The Infinite Future” by Tim Wirkus from 2018.
Third would probably be “The Martian”. “Station Eleven” was good, too.
I see more craziness; someone just added 1974’s Mote in God’s Eye.
What’s with this love affair with Heinlein? He produced some good, dependable Science Fiction but the awe and wonder of greatness is lacking. Serve me up some Phillip K. Dick, Phillip Jose Farmer, or a good ERB romp through inner or outer space with just a bit of Lieber, Lovecraft, Ellison, or Howard on the side.
So where is fantasy in all this? Any and all of L. E. Modessitt’s books!
We are exclusively a science fiction site! But we agree that L. E. Modessitt’s books are fantastic. Be sure to include your favorites in our next poll. These are reader-lead democratic polls.
It would be nice if you listed the CORRECT title – “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”
Hi Marianne – Thanks for your comment. These polls are democratic in nature and we have no control in the nominations round about what you, the readers, decide to include, and how you decide to word your nominations! We do ensure however that for the next round of voting, where there are only the top 10 choices (as voted on by readers and in no way influenced by us) that qualify based on our perimeters, are worded correctly. Here’s a link to the next round of voting for this particular poll: https://discoverscifi.com/time-to-decide-best-sci-fi-standalone-2010-today/
This is definitely one of the worst thought out polls I have seen from this site. First, either we are picking the best stand alone of the decade or of all time. Label it as such. Then add to that a huge number of the entries not being stand alone in any meaningful sense. Too bad because it could have been good. Wrote in Dark Matter by Blake Crouch.
Hi Deviljmg – Thanks for your comment. These polls are democratic in nature and we have no control in the nominations round about what you, the readers, decide to include. We do ensure however that for the next round of voting, where there are only the top 10 choices (as voted on by readers and in no way influenced by us) that qualify based on our perimeters. Here’s a link to the next round of voting for this particular poll: https://discoverscifi.com/time-to-decide-best-sci-fi-standalone-2010-today/ Happy reading!
Somehow, many people missed this important sentence: “Which stand-alone books of the 2010s (and up until today) are your favorites?” Seriously, how hard is that to understand?