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I'll search for recent, highly-reviewed science fiction novels to give you the best current recommendations.Based on my research, here are some excellent recent science fiction novels that have earned strong reviews: **From 2024:** - **The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley** — A debut novel blending time-travel romance with workplace comedy, roommate drama, espionage, and temporal physics. Critics praised it as smart, gripping, thought-provoking, and a feast for the senses. - **Translation State by Ann Leckie** — This complete collection features short fiction ranging from flash pieces to novellas, including stories about power, mortality, and choice. Leckie is known for her Imperial Radch series. - **Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer** — The surprise fourth volume in the Southern Reach series brings readers back to that universe with new expeditions, long-awaited answers, and fresh mysteries. **From 2025:** - **Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor** — A metafictional novel following a Nigerian author whose science fiction debut brings unexpected fame, exploring themes from creativity to bodily autonomy. Critics consider it arguably Okorafor's best work. - **The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar** — From the co-author of "This is How You Lose the Time War," this enchanting tale of sisterhood, language, and folklore has lasting impact despite being under 150 pages. - **Luminous by Eunjee Park** — A debut from what critics call a major new voice in SF, profoundly interested in what it means to be a person and where authenticity is located. These books span subgenres from time travel to space opera to literary SF, so you should be able to find something that matches your friend's interests!