currently reading ‘the blighted stars’ by megan e. o’keefe. it would be my recommendation as a sci-fi book, but it also has aspects of a spy-thriller and body/mind horror
The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera @vajra.me was the best book I read all year, and won the Nebula too. Amazing speculative fiction about revolution, false prophets, and real ones
You may get a collection of short-stories about the near future of humanity in coexistence with an all powerful AI. It introduces a much larger universe and is set up to lead a series.
The title is Voxis. It’s in editing now and may happen in 2025… or it may not… I’m easily distracted lately 🙄🤷♀️
Tananarive Due writes excellent horror. She's been winning awards. Personally, I don't care for horror, but she has also written other stuff that I have read, and I can vouch for her being a fine writer.
For Sci fi, Project Hail Mary is an amazing book! Not too long and has a great story with the movie coming out in 2026! I also highly recommend The Expanse series. It’s 9 books total but the main crew of characters and their growth throughout the series are incredible. It’s also “hard sci fi”.
The world building is seriously amazing. I love how they show the politics of the solar system evolving throughout the books and different events leading to new and believable problems that humanity could face at that advanced stage
I highly recommend listening to Project hail Mary on audible. Without giving much away, the book greatly benefits from being able to listen to how one of the characters talks in a way that can't really be well represented in text.
My favorites of all time are both by Gene Wolfe. Latro in the Mist and The Book of the New Sun. I tend to read these every 10 years and I discover more with each reading.
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, Stephen King’s 11/22/63, Conclave by Robert Harris, Pompeii also by Robert Harris, People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry (nonfiction but reads like a thriller), The Farm by Tom Rob Smith, 1979 by Val McDermid.
I started it in e-book and the experience was so different. Halfway through the book I restarted it with the physical and it was such a different book.
“Grey Dog” by Elliott Gish follows a spinster schoolteacher in 1901 Canada as she starts a new teaching post, told through diary entries. It’s a slow burn queer horror that details her encounters with a supernatural force in the town and her processing of past traumas. Highly recommend!
He’s quickly become an author that when I see one of his books I’ll just buy it because I trust I’ll like it. Ken Follet is another author I feel that way about. I need to get some of Greg Bears work too apparently
Dawn by Octavia Butler
Dear Vicky by @octaviatheauthor.bsky.social
the favorite girl by monica arya
fantasticland by mike bockoven
kill for me, kill for you by steven cavanaugh
Yes. Book 1 (Wool) encompasses both TV show seasons. So you will get to know Juliette’s story arc. (She returns in book 3 but with a different arc). But be aware that the show is quite different than the book; many more subplots and changed details. I definitely enjoyed reading and watching together
Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte. It is the most terminally online work of ficiton I've ever read, and a stunningly well crafted work of connected short stories a la A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD.
And my friend Kat Tang's FIVE STAR STRANGER was a touching look at a different kind of online isolation.
If you want a positive book about resistance, reclaiming the Future, and responding positively to climate change, against a backdrop of reactionary MAGAs, I recommend Lost Cause by Cory Doctorow. Like a blueprint for revolution, it's almost enough to give you hope! :o
Iain M Banks' sci-fi novels set in the post-scarcity anarchosocialist Culture civilisation are the are rhe absolute benchmark of quality SF for me. Wildly imaginative, epic, great female protagonists, and oozing with dark humour. Nobody else comes close
I tried to get into his books and couldn't for some reason. Then I briefly followed him on Twitter and was repelled by his abhorrent alt-right politics and obnoxious, bullying tweets. Sorry, but he's like the anti-Banks to me, the antithesis of Iain's warm, wise, humanist, and socialist words
I've read most of the Robichaux novels. The one that stays with me is Tin Roof Blowdown. One of the angriest novels i've come across. Confederate Dead is good and Levon Helm playing the ghost General in the movie was great.
Have you read any of David Feintuch’s “Hope” series? It’s dark af but good military sci fi. Nick Seafort is the most flawed lead character in science fiction, I think. Deep religious trauma and bad father issues.
(If it doesn't tickle the fancy, check out The Strain by Chuck Hogan)
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙪𝙨𝙠 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣 introduces us to the world of Aoān and the land of The Havens, where a young Orc named Arsu Ne’Jia finds herself stuck in a world torn apart by (1/3)
religious tradition and Human greed. Arsu, her brother Nedri, and her dear friend Deusma are pulled in every direction but the one in which they wish to travel. A desire for normalcy and safety yearns for its place, but powers beyond are ceaseless and unbound. (2/3)
Arsu must tread a difficult path on a dangerous journey to uncover her own mysterious powers while destroying every oppressive force in her way, both physical and ethereal. On this adventure, they will face many challenges, find love and friendship, and discover the beauty and wonder of Aoān. (3/3)
A friend of mine, Bryan Glosemeyer, wrote a fantastic sci-fi book series. The first book is called Before The Shattered Gates of Heaven. I highly recommend it.
Oh heaven Ms Byrne… this… “Actual Star recalls the best work of writers like Octavia E. Butler or Ursula K. Le Guin….It is a remarkable achievement, and one that should see Byrne take her rightful place with speculative fiction’s very best.” What great company you keep. ❤️
I like all of Tad Williams - particularly the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn Books (4). I’ve just re-read the Dune books because of the movies. They’re so much better second time round! I also like pretty much any Melanie Rawn book. All sci-fi/fantasy. Also like Betnard Cornwell’s historical fiction books
Series: discovery of witches. City of brass. Fourth wing. Ember in the ashes. The fifth season. Murderbot. Alice by Christina Henry. Shades of grey by fforde. Truly devious. Scorpica. The night and its moon. Gideon the ninth. Black Sun by Roanhorse. Priory of the orange tree.
One off books: this is how you win the time war. Book of doors. Circe. Song of Achilles. Ink blood sister scribe. Cloud cuckoo land. Kaikeyi. The cartographers. Klara and the sun. Ten thousand doors of January. The invisible life of Addie LaRue. The last day. Ninth house. The rook. Lock in.
Sahara ...by , Clive Cussler , is a keeper . About an adventurer and his sidekick , finding a Civl War Ironclad , loaded with Confegerate gold ......in the middle of the Sahara Desert . Good enough it wa made into a terrific flick
House of Leaves is my favorite book of all time, but it's very meta and layered. It's about Johnny, who finds a literary analysis of a documentary. So you're reading his thoughts on the essay and the essay author's thoughts on the documentary. Except the documentary doesn't exist!
Funny story: I took over a copy exiting role that had previously been held by Lydia Millet (Los Angeles, early 1990s). Found very early manuscripts of her first book,Omnivores, in the desk. Had to wait for it to come out as there was no ending chapters. Also, this was a busy job, how did she manage?
Jasper Fforde's "Shades of Grey" is fun and silly until you realize it's a dark dystopian nightmare that's being fought by a girl with just the cutest retroussée nose...
The Eyes Are the Best Part is my favorite new one; I’m also finally getting around to The Passage and it’s good. Really into post-apocalyptic and survival fiction these days for some reason.
They aren't new but if you enjoy darkly humorous suspense thrillers then 'A big boy did it and ran away' by Christopher Brookmyre I've always enjoyed going back to (it's the first in a trilogy featuring the character Angelique de Xavia who's a police woman, the other 2 are good too)
Not sure if you enjoy YA but the Illuminae Series is visually unique and really great storytelling. Gemina is my favorite of the series string female characters that i liked https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23395680
This might not fit perfectly, but I am currently enjoying the Mistborn series by Sanderson. I find it quite interesting and different to other stuff I've read.
Comments
Helldivers.
Expeditionary force
Wayward galaxy
Quantum magician (this is very weird, but very good)
The Ryan verse by Craig Robertson.
The title is Voxis. It’s in editing now and may happen in 2025… or it may not… I’m easily distracted lately 🙄🤷♀️
The Bobiverse series (the audiobooks are particularly fantastic)
Three Body Problem trilogy
The Hyperion series
The Woman in Black remains one of the scariest books I’ve read
Both are available now at https://gameoverbooks.com
Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens
🕸️🕸️🕸️🕸️
🕸️💀💻🕸️
🕸️🕸️🕸️🕸️
Didn't it originate in forums?
Did it? Thats pretty cool if it did.
I have read most of chapter 1 before my brain got understimulated and wanted to do something else. 😂😅
I have heard good things about Gideon the Nineth (which I also have).
Never Lie by Freida McFadden
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
It has been a long time since I read them... (getting that excuse in early)
Dear Vicky by @octaviatheauthor.bsky.social
the favorite girl by monica arya
fantasticland by mike bockoven
kill for me, kill for you by steven cavanaugh
happy reading!!
I guess I failed on your request.
Project Hail Mary
Wool
(first book of the Silo series but a great standalone story too)
This is How you Lose the Time War
Steelheart
(if you liked The Boys, you’ll enjoy this)
And my friend Kat Tang's FIVE STAR STRANGER was a touching look at a different kind of online isolation.
If you’ve never read them, starting at the beginning is fun.
I've been reading more funny goofy stuff recently (aside from Project Hail Mary, which is great).
Dungeon Crawler Carl - scifi
Bill the Vampire - horror?
The Sword Itself or Best Served Cold - fantasy/horror (these, not funny or goofy)
The Demon Princes - serious SoFi from Vance
One name.
F. Paul Wilson.
Supposed to be amazing.
(If it doesn't tickle the fancy, check out The Strain by Chuck Hogan)
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙪𝙨𝙠 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣 introduces us to the world of Aoān and the land of The Havens, where a young Orc named Arsu Ne’Jia finds herself stuck in a world torn apart by (1/3)
Space colonization with sentient bamboo. Just released the second sequel.
John Sanford
Robert Crais
Jack Mars
Jeff Carson
Rick Mofina
Nick Pirog
Sarah Graves
Michael Connelly
Patricia Cornwell
https://books.google.com/books/about/2312.html?id=Lll8yGgQjV8C&printsec=frontcover&source=gb_mobile_entity&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1&ovdme=1&gl=US#v=onepage&q&f=false
"The Deluge" by Stephen Markley. Cli-fi & whats to come.
"Oh Pure and Radiant Heart" by Lydia Millet. Partly historical fiction & scifi.
It’s been at least 8 months since I’ve read it but the characters and the story have stuck in my mind long past completion.
William Boyd
Ship of Fools/Unto Leviathan by Richard Paul Russo is a FANTASTIC Sci fi horror
I really enjoyed Miles Cameron's Artefact Space & sequel. Less Hornblower in space, more Master and Commander
Paradise-X was good, I'm mixed on the sequel