Sci fi is a type of speculative fiction that looks ahead and asks “what’s next?” You can also check out these subcategories (a-g):
alien invasion | alien races | alternate/parallel reality / alternative history | atompunk | biopunk | candlepunk | christian | cli-fi | clockpunk | colonization | comedy | cyberpunk | cyberspace | decopunk | detective | dieselpunk | dying earth | dystopian & post-apocalyptic | first contact | frontier | furry | galactic empire | gothpunk | greenpunk
Note: these books are currently sorted by release date, with newest first.
Word Count: 8768
Summary: It isn’t easy to survive in a weird hollow world, riddled with magic and stuffed with hostiles. Drome should know. In the days since he was kidnapped, he’s come close to death a little too often for comfort. Luckily, the common sense and skills of Nev, his fleshless fellow fugitive, have got him out of difficulty every time up til now. But there’s something bothering him about his feelings for Nev… And he can’t admit that to anyone, least of all himself. When he stalks off alone in a huff and walks wide-eyed into yet another sticky situation, he only has his own wits to rely on. Shackled to a wall and about to be put to death in the most horrible way imaginable, he’s beginning to wish he hadn’t alienated his only friend. Then there’s the warning he’s supposed to give to his fellow villagers. With him dead, they’ll be sitting ducks for the deathly force heading their way. Dammit! He needs a plan. And maybe a bit of help. But definitely not from a certain living skeleton with an attitude problem. If you like Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, and Joe Abercrombie, you won't be able to put down the addictive Hollow series.
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Summary: Captain Quinn has always been the savior, rescuing his little human mate Del from every unlikely predicament. Even with Quinn’s protective nature and Del’s tendency to find trouble, they balance each other. The mated pair are ecstatic, anxiously awaiting the birth of their twins, when disaster strikes. A mysterious illness waylays the Captain, leaving Del in charge. Being the Captain leaves Del in a bind--pregnant, a magnet for trouble, Del struggles to find his feet and keep everyone safe. All their lives are deeply impacted by Del’s command decision to seek assistance from an old enemy. Brync and Kai fear Kai’s parents won’t accept their blossoming relationship. When Kai is ordered to return home Brync must make the decision of his life. Rathian Raider Hastor, annoyed that he’s been mated to a Xolian, plans to ignore the spoiled, whiny, green-eyed alien until he dies from exposure to the desert climate. But Braxx may be more interesting and resilient than Hastor first expected. Now if those babies would just arrive on time and follow their fathers well laid out plan, life could get back to normal.
Word Count: 75000
Summary: She just wanted an easy case ... Private eye Jacqueline Spadros, recovering from her harrowing experiences the week prior, wants nothing more than a simple, straightforward case - preferably one the Spadros Family won't find out about. Aristocratic jewel merchant Dame Anastasia Louis, aka "The Queen of Diamonds," seems to be offering the perfect arrangement. But Jacqui can't leave the madman "Black Jack" Diamond's crimes unpunished. And the more she learns, the more she begins to believe that this particular job wasn't such a good idea after all ...
Word Count: 31144
Summary: Vikash Soren, the perfect police officer except for his odd paranormal ability, never seems to lose his temper. Always serene and competent, he’s taken on the role of mediator in a squad room full of misfits. But on the inside, he’s a mess. Unable to tell his police partner that he loves him, Vikash struggles silently, terrified of losing Kyle as a lover, partner and friend. But life in the 77th Precinct doesn’t leave much room for internal reflection. A confrontation with a stick-throwing tumbleweed in Fairmount Park leads to bizarre consequences involving pill bugs, statues and…time travel? If Vikash manages to survive the week and stay in one point in time, he might be able to address normal things like relationship problems. He just needs Kyle to have a little more patience. Maybe a few centuries’ worth.
Word Count: 110000
Summary: In Sleep State Interrupt, a giant media corporation has taken over the Internet, created an addictive virtual reality called BetterWorld, and controls nearly all information. Politicians do their bidding and a brainwashed humanity serves a privileged few. Waylee Freid, an unemployed Baltimore journalist with ever-worsening bipolar disorder, is the only hope for a brighter future. She and her countercultural friends bust a notorious teenage hacker out of jail and sneak into a closed presidential fundraiser at the Smithsonian castle, where they hope to record incriminating admissions that will wake up the world. Hunted by Homeland Security, Waylee and her friends must reach a sufficient audience by broadcasting their video during the Super Bowl. But to do so, they'll have to break into one of the most secure facilities ever built.
Word Count: 102651
Summary: It isn’t easy when you find yourself lost and alone in a strange place. It’s even trickier when that place is a different world, and you have no idea how you got there. Drome’s top priority isn’t to figure that out. It’s to avoid getting himself killed. But his talent for making enemies as he flees the villainous courtiers who took him hostage, really isn’t helping. He’s in an unfamiliar city, in a bizarre hollow world, and he only has one friend. Well, that’s if he can call a snarky living skeleton with a penchant for stealing royal jewels a friend. What with every palace guard and a crazed assassin after the pair, the odds are stacked against them. Running out of time, luck, and options, it’s touch-and-go whether they’ll make it to Drome’s village and warn them of the horror coming their way. And then there’s the wizard. If only Drome hadn’t angered him too… So, is Drome in trouble? Yup. He’s screwed.
Word Count: 75000
Summary: Targeted by a mad scientist's deadly serum, these outcasts band together to uncover the truth and to fight back. Spire City is home to mighty machines of steam power and clockwork, and giant beetles pull picturesque carriages over cobbled streets, but there is a darker secret behind these wonders. A deadly infection, created by a mad scientist, is spreading through the city, targeting the poor and powerless, turning them slowly into animals. A group of those infected by the serum join together to survive, to trick the wealthy out of their money, and to fight back. After the destruction of the Weave, the former members scatter, thinking only of survival. From the deep catacombs beneath the city to an empty dovecote above one of the city's finest manors, and throughout the streets and storerooms in between, they hide, seek to find what protection they can. As their infections progress, though, they all find that mere protection is not enough. Even in solitude they can work against Orgood, discover what he's doing, and try all they can to stop him, once and for all. This lyrical fantasy will transport you to a steampunk world of weird and strange wonder, bringing the story of Chels and the rest to its dramatic conclusion. Come explore!
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Summary: A young bodyguard finds her special abilities are no match for a flirtatious delegate willing to gamble everything on the galaxy trade talks. Assigned to guard a diplomat at the galaxy trade talks, Security Officer Anais wants to shine during her first solo mission for the Chezeray Palace Conglomerate. An Elusive with the ability to make herself invisible, Anais knows her modified genes designate her servant class, but she yearns to be more than simply a protector to the beautiful delegate. Savea Blackmun arrives alone to the trade talks with the weight of her planet’s future resting on her slim shoulders. Flirting with her pretty bodyguard reveals Anais’ knowledge of the colony markets and Savea realizes there’s much more to her protector than meets the eye. As their attraction grows, will the diplomat and the bodyguard reject society’s rules to give in to desire instead?
Word Count: 139579
Summary: When things begin to go wrong, they have a habit of going spectacularly wrong, Lord Telluris Marat discovers. Robbed of his visions and his ability to prophesy, he still has his will to fight and his ability to command an army. But the enemy he faces now commands weapons that rival his worst nightmares. Emily struggles with her own visions, and finds herself caught between worlds. Jake Montagna, the president of the interplanetary mining company, has gone off the deep end and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. If only they were in broadcast range of the authorities, Emily could do something. But Arhanna is far out of normal shipping lanes. To stop Jake, she’ll have to do it herself.
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Summary: Un appel de détresse mystérieux amène l’équipage de l’Hermès jusqu’à un vaisseau militaire en perdition… et désert. À l’intérieur, du sang et des viscères jonchent les couloirs, et un seul survivant, prisonnier d’une cellule de détention. Attiré par le bel homme traumatisé, l’agent de com’ de l’équipage, Isaac Ozawa, prend Turk sous sa responsabilité, lui offrant la gentillesse et la chaleur dont il a besoin après les horreurs qu’il a vécues. Isaac sait d’expérience ce que c’est qu’être différent, d’être un paria, et cela renforce leur lien. Jadis pilote prometteur, il a vu son cerveau être endommagé lorsque l’implant devant servir à piloter les puissants chasseurs de la flotte n’a pas fusionné correctement. Le cerveau de Turk n’en mène pas plus large. Le résultat d’une expérience militaire ratée, ses compétences naturelles ont été augmentées à un niveau dangereux. Lorsqu’un amiral sans morale et avide de puissance kidnappe Isaac et se sert de lui pour convaincre Turk de devenir l’arme cataclysmique dont il rêve par-dessus tout, les deux hommes et leurs compagnons se lancent dans une bataille éperdue pour leur liberté…
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Summary: Just when he thought he was safe… Trouble seemed to find Del no matter what he did. He got caged as a pet to a fly, caught in a trap as food, chased by a crazy, saw-wielding doctor and found himself mated to an alien Captain. One year after the consummation of their relationship Del thought that trouble was far behind him. Little did he know that life was going to get far more challenging and dangerous than ever before. Quinn too was ready to get some rest and relaxation. But something strange followed them aboard the Narada Marant, something with tentacles and a unique appetite for Xolians. If that wasn’t bad enough, a cunning, evil warlord had his sights on kidnapping and selling Del. Looked like another rescue mission was going to be needed. Getting pregnant would be the least of Del’s worries.
Word Count: 82516
Summary: An inhabited planet is not what an interplanetary mining company hopes to find while in search of rare mineral deposits, but the low-tech natives should be won over by a few ‘miracles’, right? Emily Nandi, the mining company’s legally mandated xenologist, isn’t so sure. The planet’s social structures are complex, fascinating and frustrating – she advocates research and caution rather than the seat-of-the-pants first contact the company president wants. Investigator Shadow is convinced ghosts are watching him until a fellow investigator disappears, plucked from his harduk’s back without a trace. When he reappears at the city gates, naked, half-frozen and ill, he brings back a harrowing tale of strangers on a ship high above the planet. From this shaky beginning, suspicion and misunderstanding fuel one culture-clash driven disaster after another, punctuated by apocalyptic prophesies from the oracle, Telluris. This is no way to get to know one’s long-lost cousins from Earth.
Word Count: 35656
Summary: When Shax stumbles across rumors of an experimental house that responds to the occupant’s brain functions, creating scenarios to please and delight, naturally he wants to steal it. While stealing an entire house sounds impossible, the demon prince has a cunning plan. But a night at the ballet heralds the return of a troubled and hunted Julian Parallax. He brings ominous news to whisper in Shax's ear and forces Ness to battle a new emotion – raging jealousy. With nefarious plots in the background and an overabundance of Poe references, even Shax’s scheming may not be enough to get the Brimstone crew out alive this time.
Word Count: 75000
Summary: Targeted by a mad scientist's deadly serum, these outcasts band together to uncover the truth and to fight back. Spire City is home to mighty machines of steam power and clockwork, and giant beetles pull picturesque carriages over cobbled streets, but there is a darker secret behind these wonders. A deadly infection, created by a mad scientist, is spreading through the city, targeting the poor and powerless, turning them slowly into animals. A group of those infected by the serum join together to survive, to trick the wealthy out of their money, and to fight back. Months have passed since the confrontation with the sleepless Mint. Now Orgood is becoming more aggressive again in infecting the people on the streets and pursuing those who have already been infected. Can those in the Weave answer in kind? Or will he wipe them all out? Find out in Season Two: Pursued. This lyrical fantasy will transport you to a steampunk world of weird and strange wonder.
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Summary: Someone killed Grandfather Jefferson. Victor is sure of it. But he’s the only one. Diagnosed with mirror resonance syndrome and shunned by Semiautonomous California society, Victor suffers from “blank outs,” hallucinations, and vivid nightmares. He violently overreacts to even minor confrontations. Victor’s grandfather devoted his life to researching and curing mentally ill Broken Mirrors like Victor, but now that he’s gone, Victor must walk a narrow path between sanity and reclassification—a fate that all but guarantees he’ll lose his freedom. Victor is determined to uncover the truth about his grandfather’s death and grows increasingly suspicious of the medicine he must take to help manage his “symptoms.” As he tries to sort his allies from his enemies, a conspiracy with global implications emerges. Can he trust his Aunt Circe, the only person in his family who’s even somewhat sympathetic to his plight? His former classmate-turned-brainhacker Ozie, who wields information as damaging as any weapon and who seems intent on luring Victor away from his home? What about his old friend Elena, who reappears in his life abruptly, claiming to have miraculously overcome a devastating addiction? With its self-driving cars, global firearms ban, and a cure for cancer, the world of Broken Mirror may sound utopic, but history has taken a few wrong turns. The American Union is a weak and fractious alliance of nations in decline. Europe, a superpower, manipulates its citizens through technology. And Asia is reeling from decades of war. Amid shifting geopolitical sands, Broken Mirrors like Victor find themselves at a crossroads: evolve or go extinct. Broken Mirror is the first novel in a sci-fi cyberpunk detective saga tailor-made for fans of William Gibson, Haruki Murakami, and Neal Stephenson.
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Summary: Unemployment is stressful enough—but throw in the threat of being tossed out the space station’s airlock as a vagrant, and human Del is in desperate need of employment. No job, no place to stay, Del wants nothing more than to be back out amongst the stars, preferably as a bridge crewmember. Trouble is, his dreams are bigger than his starship experience and years, and Del finally heads to a bar to drown his frustrations. Getting drunk might not have been the smartest thing to do—as he wakes in a strange, handsome alien’s bed, with no memory of the night before. When that strange alien calls him mate, Del thinks that maybe all his problems are over. He finally has a job. Or does he? Quinn wants love and a family, but his duty as captain to a Xolian space cruiser leaves little time for forging relationships. When drunk and adorable human Del propositions him in a space bar, begging to be his first mate, Quinn hopes that maybe he can have both duty and love. Until the next morning, when the alcohol wears off and cultural barriers and misunderstandings set off a chain reaction of mayhem, mischief, and trouble that follows Del wherever he goes. A relationship that began as a mistake may become something more—bound by love and desire, and all they must do now is survive the journey. **Gay sci-fi romance featuring a sassy human, an irascible alien captain, and adventure beyond both their dreams.**
Word Count: 100400
Summary: What if your future lies in your past? When Darren Ault meets his friend Lee McCaskill for dinner, he doesn’t expect the second course to be a gunshot to the head. Even more unexpected is the fact that the bullet doesn’t kill him—instead, it causes the rest of humanity to vanish. Darren’s attempted murder has caused a temporal paradox extending back over a thousand years, and now it’s up to him to repair the damage. Embarking on a mind-bending journey through time, Darren encounters Vikings, a depressed Norwegian silversmith, a cult that believes in salvation through pain, a beautiful Hebridean lass, and Archibald Fischer—the foul-mouthed, Kurt Cobain-worshiping Head Librarian of the Library of Timelines, where all of the possibilities that could ever happen are catalogued, tracked, and managed.
Word Count: 75000
Summary: In a far future city divided between violent crime families, mafia wife Jacqueline Spadros has kept her private detective business a secret so far. But then the little brother of her murdered best friend vanishes from his back porch. Can she risk the Family's anger to save him? When the scoundrels begin stalking her, can she afford not to?
Word Count: 89000
Summary: Exiled Tolari ruler turned hired assassin, Farryn never stops plotting revenge on his home planet while building a criminal empire on the human colony world of Far India. But when his former wife dares to follow him into human space and attracts the attention of Earth Central Security, Farryn is forced to choose between hatred and love, ambition and heart’s desire. Described by Kirkus Reviews as "a solid entry for readers craving new, original space operas," Farryn's War promises to thrill fans of science fiction and romance alike in this first book of a new series by award-winning author Christie Meierz.
Word Count: 25745
Summary: When a steel trap of celestial and infernal politics threatens to close around them, Shax and Verin flee Earth’s system in a stolen ship, leaving everything behind. It’s an elegantly simple plan, with a new ship and a new life as carefree brigands among the stars. But the ship seems to hate them, and in order to have any sort of life they need funds. A frightened man offering them a contract to deliver three mysterious crates comes just in time, and Shax is sure their troubles are over. Out of his environment and in over his head, Shax scrambles to understand the players and the consequences of his new life. With cargo that’s not what it seems, shadowy motives around every turn, and a gorgeous rogue named Julian for a dash of added confusion, Shax’s grand schemes of a new start may be his demise before he can even begin.
