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.
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Summary: Stories for Chip brings together outstanding authors inspired by a brilliant writer and critic, Science Fiction Writers of America Grandmaster Samuel R. “Chip” Delany. Award-winning SF luminaries such as Michael Swanwick, Nalo Hopkinson, and Eileen Gunn contribute original fiction and creative nonfiction. From surrealistic visions of bucolic road trips to erotic transgressions to mind-expanding analyses of Delany’s influence on the genre—as an out gay man, an African American, and possessor of a startlingly acute intellect—this book conveys the scope of the subject’s sometimes troubling, always rewarding genius. Editors Nisi Shawl and Bill Campbell have given Delany and the world at large, a gorgeous, haunting, illuminating, and deeply satisfying gift of a book. Nisi Shawl is a writer whose work has been published at Strange Horizons, in Asimov’s SF Magazine, and in anthologies including Dark Faith 2, Dark Matter, The Moment of Change, and The Other Half of the Sky. Her story collection, Filter House, was one of two winners of the 2009 James Tiptree Jr. Award. She is a cofounder of the Carl Brandon Society and serves on the Board of Directors of the Clarion West Writers Workshop. She lives in Seattle. Bill Campbell is the founder of Rosarium Publishing and the author the novels Koontown Killing Kaper, My Booty Novel, and Sunshine Patriots as well as the essay collection, Pop Culture: Politics, Puns, and “Poohbutt” from a Liberal Stay-at-Home Dad. He coedited, with Edward Austin Hall, the groundbreaking anthology Mothership: Tales from Afrofuturism and Beyond. He lives in Washington, DC.
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Summary: Time travel is a long-standing tradition among superheroes, and so when Anachronism Annie, a friend and ally of Doc Silence, asks the Indestructibles to journey with her to save an alternate future where everything has gone terribly wrong, the team agrees. In this other timeline, a few small decisions have led to a much darker and more tragic world, and the adult versions of themselves the Indestructibles meet—Solar, the Dancer, Straylight, Whispering, and Entropy Emily—are nothing like they expected. Are they heroes? Martyrs? Or perhaps even villains? And what happens when the young Indestructibles discover that the alternate future’s version of one of their own team has been turned into the very weapon that will be used to destroy the whole world? Can they team up with these darker versions of themselves to save an entire future? It's said that when you time travel, you can never come back the same. How will journeying through time change the Indestructibles? Will they ever be the same? The Entropy of Everything is the third book in the Indestructibles series.
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Summary: The war is over. Resources are scarce. The population is dwindling in the Forkstream Territories. Pinnacle Officer Wilcox has created FERTS amidst the chaos, a facility designed to protect the female population from raiding hordes. Beth 259201, a newly-demoted Epsilon Internee, suspects that there is something more that lurks beneath the carefully constructed order of the facility. She has a gift, one that could brand her a defective. A novice fighter, she must use her intellect to survive. Her own life, and the lives of many more may be at risk. Will she succumb to the plans in store for her or will she conceal her secret long enough to discover her own path? Website: https://www.gracehudson.net Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracehudsonauthor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracehudsonau Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gracehudsonau.bsky.social Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/grace-hudson Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Grace-Hudson/author/B010TJ6XVG Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@GraceHudsonAU Twitter/X: https://www.twitter.com/GraceHudsonAU Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/gracehudson
Word Count: 36600
Summary: Undercover agent Liam Connell stared at his captor. He looked like a pirate from a holovid— black trousers, a white, puffy-sleeved shirt, and a purple sash wrapped jauntily around his waist. Wavy black hair fell to his shoulders and ... Connell couldn’t believe it. He actually had gold hoops hanging from his ears. The pirate ran his forefinger lightly down Connell’s cheek and smiled. “Mmm! Mmmm! What do we have here?” Just what had Connell gotten himself into? (M/M Romantic Sci-Fi) Word Count 36,600
Word Count: 7150
Summary: In a four-gendered world where correct gender identity is law, Venk struggles with his inability to choose one sexual orientation over another. His body has matured, but he still shows the multi-colored crest of a juvenile, someone who has not yet presented proper orientation. With his family losing patience and others beginning to whisper, Venk must find a way to change his crest or be labeled an aberration. But the only choice he sees is a dishonest one.
Word Count: 102000
Summary: Dragons in space? A preposterous legend, dragons dueling with riggers. Nothing can live in the interdimensional Flux of interstellar space. But in the Flux, visions of the mind converge with reality, and visions can be perilous. When star pilot Jael defies an abusive ship's master and rigs "the mountain route to Lexis," dragons indeed appear in the night sky—and challenge her to duel to the death. Just one dragon, Highwing, offers her friendship. If she escapes, she would be wise never again to fly this route between the stars. But Jael has been caught up in an age-old struggle of good and evil, in unwitting fulfillment of an ancient prophecy of "One" from the outside who will shake the realm to its foundation. Fate has its ways, and when the currents of space once more bring her back to the dragon realm, she finds Highwing under sentence of death for the kindness he showed her. Only "the One" can intervene—and so Jael must, for the sake of one who risked his life to save hers. A genre-bending novel of the Star Rigger Universe, from the Nebula-nominated author of Eternity's End, and recipient of the Frank Herbert Lifetime Achievement Award for writing science fiction. Original print publication by Tor Books. Also available in the ebook Dragon Space: A Star Rigger Omnibus. REVIEW QUOTES: "Carver writes powerfully and clearly and has produced a book that is likely to find an audience among hard SF readers." —Booklist "An interesting and entertaining blend of genres." —Science Fiction Chronicle "Carver's prose effectively lends a spare yet evocative resonance to the draconian realm. Like a good stage performer, this story should leave its audience wanting more." —John Bunnell, Amazing Stories
Word Count: 105388
Summary: He went to the stars to start over. His troubles have just begun. Earth, 2072. Jann Argent has no memory of committing the murder that landed him in prison. So when he’s offered a chance at freedom, he accepts the price of exile to humanity’s first colony planet. But when the ship crash lands on the new world’s surface, he’s shocked to discover an indigenous population and a strange sense of familiarity. Stunned when he and several other shipmates develop mystical powers, Jann discovers previous colonists have all joined one of two rival native houses. And with a tyrant’s power play set to devastate the realm, he’s about to become the lynchpin in a magical war that could destroy him. Can Jann uncover his destiny in time to stop a terrifying plot? Gatekeeper is the first book in the genre-bending Berikatanyan Chronicles science fiction fantasy mashup. If you like gritty heroes, elemental magic, and journeys to other worlds, then you’ll love John Beresford’s towering tale. Buy Gatekeeper to fulfill an interstellar fate today!
Word Count: 120130
Summary: Determined to kill his father for his crimes again humanity, Pelinas resolves to live until the Duke of Korval is dead. Beyond a burning desire for revenge, though, he has no solid plan to accomplish what seems impossible. Duke Per leads a massive army, controls frightening technology, and even commands the dead. But the Duke of Korval has eleven other sons, many carrying their own dark secrets. When Telluris Marat reveals strange and terrible facts about Pelinas's heritage and his birth, new possibilities unfold. He might attain all he desires—but will the cost be too high for him, for his friends, and for the entire continent?
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Summary: “Human civilization has collapsed. Rainey Vidic, MD is a genius, and she has Preston Hayes--her open hand, or hammering fist... ...Only the strongest and smartest will survive in The After. A gifted surgeon, her retired warrior lover, a former Marine, and a taciturn drone pilot fight for survival in a dangerous and pitiless world, while navigating human needs for love, family and community. When one of their own faces a lethal illness, Dr. Rainey Vidic's efforts are compromised by a savage horde of highly intelligent, relentlessly evil creatures that threaten the lives of the entire team. Desperate to save their teammate, the Team encounters an imperiled town of survivors that may hold the key to saving them all. . . or send humanity into extinction. With echoes of McCarthy's "The Road" and the thrill ride of "Jurassic Park," this three volume, four part series, "Love, Death, & The After," tests the limits of romance, loyalty, and community against a violent world hell-bent on devouring it all. This book, Love, Death, & The After: Darkness is the first of three: Book 2: Love, Death, & The After: Abandoned Spaces Book 3: Love, Death, & The After: Never Again”
Word Count: 84000
Summary: When high school teacher Chris Franzia comes home on the last day of school, he finds two FBI agents waiting for him. A string of seemingly unrelated murders has left them baffled, and they can find only one commonality. All five victims shared a college class with Chris thirty years earlier... and now he may be next. Struggling with the sheer impossibility of the situation, Chris’s skepticism fades after a series of failed attempts on his life makes things deadly clear. Thus begins a harrowing cross-country race, forcing Chris to put together the pieces of his past while staying one step ahead of his mysterious assailants. Can he make the connection in time? And will the deadly picture of reconstructed memory be worth the price of knowing?
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Summary: Love defies time, crosses the infinite distance of space, and sparks formidable magics in the hearts of those it touches. And immortality? Yeah, it’s got that covered, too. In this powerful volume, Pop Seagull Publishing presents twelve science fiction and fantasy short stories on the theme of love and its role as a force of nature. Follow an ambitious 1930’s journalist and her high-society boyfriend as they defend the world from evil beings that hide in shadows. Can love prevail when science fails? Take a wild ride with Zephraim Cochrane as he searches for his long lost love through inter-dimensional travel. After all, the best inventions are always made to get dates. Embark on a whirlwind romance with a creature of the Fey in seven days, a beautiful story of friendship and finding self-love before all else. Descend into a very Torontonian sort of hell in search of lost love in Melanie in the underworld... just don’t forget to pet the corgi. You’ll find these adventures, and many more, inside.
Word Count: 73000
Summary: ::The Seignso have our own plans for the remains of Genghis Khan.:: Alien warmongers have cloned an ancient emperor to lead an unstoppable army. Gifted with superhuman powers and advanced technology, he sets his sights on his home planet, Earth, and then... the stars! However, countermeasures have already been set in place. A young Iowa farm boy, oblivious to his powers or destiny, is thrust into a battle that will decide the fate of humanity against the new and improved Genghis Khan! A thrilling, interstellar adventure from the author of The Weller and War of the Worlds: Goliath!
Word Count: 100000
Summary: Award-winning science fiction romance author Christie Meierz presents the newest of her bestselling Tales of Tolari Space. Laura Howard, Earth Fleet widow and exile from human space, found more than safety on Tolar: she captured the love of a Tolari ruler and became a powerful Tolari empath. But in the midst of ancient, bitter rivalries, a serious injury erases Laura's time in Parania--and, perhaps, loses her the love of her Paran, who yearns for the woman she once was. Armed only with the memories of her youth, and empathically bonded to a man she can no longer understand, she struggles to recover and find her place, and herself, before a hidden enemy forces the Paran to do what he had always considered unthinkable: risk his life, and with it Laura's, to fight for the leadership of the ruling caste. The Fall is the story of a world re-opened to the stars after millennia of isolation, and the hazards and opportunities that abound when one's feelings are known to everyone around you.
Word Count: 103900
Summary: Exiled and disinherited, Pelinas finds refuge with his father's enemies. But his mind holds dangerous secrets locked away, ones he fears he won't unravel before he does immeasurable harm. Starved and ill, Pelinas finds himself at the gates of Arhanna, the city of his father's enemies. He doesn't recall how he came there, though he remembers vividly his father disowning him. Luckily, the kind-hearted General Devar takes him in. Roya Intalva returns from the Academy up north to take her rightful place in the Ktar's forces only to find that her friend, Romenel, has taken on a new aide whom she does not trust and the troops are succumbing to a mysterious illness. Intrigue piles upon intrigue and when the walking dead kidnap Duke Semis, it falls to a group of green cadets, a prickly young Lieutenant and the haunted, guilt-ridden Pelinas to ride to the rescue.
Word Count: 120000
Summary: War between the stars... It was started and fought by an AI. Few humans even knew there was a war at all. But now people are dying—and the AI wants it to stop. But a war is easier to start than to stop, and the computer can't alter its course without outside help. When the Gnostic Control System searches for co-conspirators, it chooses its friends carefully. Pali: a brooding public relations director. Ramo: a flamboyant senso-dancer, who prefers a musical jamdam to serious conversation. Sage: a systems designer for whom the AI rapture-field is realer than life. And three of the alien Ell: Harybdartt, who would rather die with dignity than betray his people; Lingrhetta, who tries to unravel the meaning of human dance and music, pain and love; and Moramaharta, the binder, who must persuade his fellow decision-makers to risk everything for the sake of a fragile bridge of understanding across the stars. A thought-provoking novel from the award-winning author of Eternity’s End and The Chaos Chronicles, and recipient of the Frank Herbert Lifetime Achievement Award for science fiction writing. REVIEWS: “The story is meaty and satisfying. I enjoyed this one greatly.” —Analog Science Fiction “An absorbing, suspenseful novel of first contact and interstellar war. It’s a complex book, requiring concentration from the reader, and is well worth the effort.”—Aboriginal SF “A lively dance of ideas—first contact, interstellar war, artificial intelligence, alien culture—and it moves at a rapid pace, from Earth through cyberspace to the Horsehead Nebula, and various points between. It’s well-worth the trip ticket.” —Roger Zelazny
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Summary: The Indestructibles -- Solar, the Dancer, Straylight, Fury, and Entropy Emily -- saved the day more than a few times last year, and the world took notice. When Doc, their mentor, went missing, the five teenaged heroes did their best to make the world a better place, stumbling from adventure to adventure without an overall strategy. The general public seems to be cheering them on, but a shadowy government agency lurking in the background, wants to round them up and force them to play by their rules. And they aren't going to take no for an answer — even if it means making an example of the young heroes. Meanwhile, a bigger threat, an escaped experiment who spreads sickness wherever he goes, is working his way toward the City to meet the Indestructibles head on, blaming them for what he has become. With Doc Silence gone, Fury apparently missing, and the Dancer slipping away into her own silent brand of vigilantism, will Solar be able to hold her team together in the face of this looming threat? And who is the mysterious, neon-pink haired stranger who keeps appearing and then disappearing like an illusion on the Indestructibles' flying base? The Indestructibles have become a national sensation — but will they survive the fame? Tune into the sequel The Indestructibles: Breakout to find out for sure.
Word Count: 197690
Summary: It’s 1892, the fourth and nastiest year of the Civil War. With war prices for some things going through the roof, there are some cargoes that are too tempting, tucked down in places too risky, and a ship captain has to weigh both if he wants to make a profit and stay afloat. Last I saw my parents, they were going to do the sugar run to Jamaica. Up in the cold North sugar cane simply doesn’t grow. You have to go where it’s warm and for us in the U.S., that means the Caribbean, which is unfortunately down next to the Confederate States of America and we have to sail right past Florida with its people doing their best to be unpleasant. I won’t kid you. It’s a dangerous run. Normally, they would have been back in port a week ago, but they’re overdue. Nothing to worry about yet – much.
Word Count: 25000
Summary: Exiled to Earth for perhaps the worst failure in Irasolan history, General Teer must assimilate or die. Earth is too warm, too wet, too foreign, but he does the best he can even though human males are loud, childish louts whom he can't imitate successfully. When a grieving seaplane pilot strikes up a strange and uneasy friendship with him, he finds he may have been too quick to judge human males. They are strange to look at, but perhaps not as unbearable as he thought.
Word Count: 101000
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Summary: Alan Stewart, First Lieutenant on the space ship Qatar, and Captain Robin Lang of the Huan Police Force, have been best friends since their days in the Space Academy, despite the fact that Stewart is homosexual and Lang has a wife and son, Max. However Max is growing up and their friendship is threatened when Lang believes Stewart has designs on his son. When Max, now an adult and a recent recruit to the Qatar, is assaulted in a gay bar, Lang accuses Stewart. In an attempt to protect his son at all costs, Lang finds himself drawn into a dark conspiracy of murder and blackmail. Meanwhile, Stewart has his own battles to fight. Apart from defending himself against Lang’s accusations, he discovers the young man he is falling in love with, Michael Banner, is the one man on the ship who is out of bounds, untouchable. Lives and love hang in the balance as Lang and Stewart search for the truth.
