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Some of the best and most highly-reviewed science fiction novels published recently include winners of major awards, buzzy debuts, and new books from established authors. These recommendations include options for fans of space opera, dystopian thrillers, and near-future hard science fiction. Recently published and acclaimed The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville (2024): A mind-bending, reality-hopping epic inspired by the world of the BRZRKR comic books. The novel was widely praised upon its release for its innovative plot and ambitious world-building. Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky (2024): A far-future adventure from an Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author. A xeno-ecologist is imprisoned on a distant planet and discovers that humanity was not the first intelligent life there. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (2024): A Booker Prize-winning sci-fi novel about a civil servant recruited by a secret government department that has learned to time travel. It was a New York Times bestseller and Book Club pick. In Ascension by Martin MacInnes (2024): This book is an epic, literary sci-fi novel that was longlisted for the Booker Prize. It follows a deep-sea biologist on an existential journey into the ocean's depths and eventually to the far reaches of the solar system. Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler (2025): A high-tech thriller about scientists and spies on a mission to stop a tyrannical autocrat. It is from the author of the award-winning novel The Mountain in the Sea. The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar (2024): In this space opera novella, a boy from a lower caste on a generational starship is given a chance to study with the elite, but discovers the dark secrets of his society. The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey (2024): The first book in The Captive's War series from the authors of The Expanse. It is an epic space opera about the war between humanity and an alien species that has trapped them in their solar system. Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (2024): This dystopian thriller imagines a near-future American prison system where convicts fight to the death on a televised "chain-gang". Ongoing series with recent releases The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells: This series is consistently praised for its endearing protagonist and mix of action and humor. A recent novel in the series, System Collapse, was released in 2023. The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir: The final book in this highly-acclaimed and wildly popular science-fantasy series, Alecto the Ninth, is scheduled for release in 2025. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu: While not a recent release, this multi-million-copy bestseller was adapted into a Netflix series in 2024, sparking renewed interest in the entire Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy.