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Several acclaimed science fiction novels have been published in recent years, with critical praise and high reader reviews. Some of the best to recommend to a friend, spanning various subgenres, include: 2024 Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky: In this novel, a terraforming biologist is sent to investigate a failed colony mission on a distant planet, where she discovers new, mind-altering life forms. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley: A historical fiction novel with a sci-fi twist, this book follows a young woman tasked with assisting "chrononauts" rescued from different points in history. It earned a 2024 Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction. Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky: A robot on a far-future Earth navigates a post-apocalyptic world controlled by eccentric humans and powerful artificial intelligence. 2023 Starter Villain by John Scalzi: A lighthearted and fun story about a man who inherits his estranged uncle's supervillain empire and discovers it's run by a unionized gang of talking cats. Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh: A young woman raised to be a weapon in a war against a genocidal alien race must navigate the complex morality of her mission after a devastating revelation. Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky: The third book in the Children of Time series, this novel revisits the characters from the previous installment as they face a new existential threat. System Collapse by Martha Wells: The seventh book in the popular "Murderbot Diaries," this installment continues the story of a self-aware security unit just trying to survive and watch its favorite shows. 2022 Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir: A science teacher turned amnesiac astronaut wakes up on a spaceship with the fate of humanity on his shoulders in this highly-rated novel. The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler: This philosophical thriller follows a marine biologist who discovers a highly intelligent species of octopus and struggles with the ethics of communicating with them. Eversion by Alastair Reynolds: A pulp sci-fi and mystery adventure that plays with perspective and narrative as it follows the investigation of a strange phenomenon across multiple realities. 2021 A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine: This sequel to A Memory Called Empire continues the complex story of a cultural ambassador as she is sent to negotiate with an alien fleet. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers: A heartwarming and gentle story about a non-binary tea monk who forges an unlikely companionship with a robot that has gained sentience. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers: In the final book of the Wayfarer series, several aliens from different species are forced to confront their differences when their ships are stranded at a space station.