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I'll search for recent highly-reviewed science fiction novels to give you the best current recommendations.Based on the latest reviews and awards, here are some excellent recent science fiction novels to recommend: **Top Picks from 2024:** **"The Ministry of Time" by Kaliane Bradley** - This debut novel is a playful twist on time-travel romance with elements of workplace comedy, roommate drama, espionage, and temporal physics. It won the Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction and has been widely praised. **"Translation State" by Ann Leckie** - The author's short fiction collection showcases masterful storytelling ranging from flash fiction to creation myths from her Imperial Radch universe. Leckie is a Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Award winner, so anything from her is a strong recommendation. **"In Ascension" by Martin MacInnes** - This novel features philosophical depth with big action and universe-spanning stakes, exploring themes of humanity's existence and wonder. **"Redwood and Wildfire" by Andrea Hairston** - This joyful novel reminds us that even if the world ends, people will find each other and make art, featuring a festival organizer with AI creations trained on ancestral memories. **"The Water Outlaws" by S.L. Huang** - This Hugo Award winner combines a martial-arts epic with an intricate heist story and themes of resistance against tyrannical institutions, written by a Hollywood stunt performer who brings breathless combat scenes. **"Absolution" by Jeff VanderMeer** - The surprise fourth volume in the Southern Reach series plunges readers back into that universe across three new expeditions, providing long-awaited answers. These all received critical acclaim and strong reviews from 2024, so your friend should find something compelling here!