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Based on recent reviews and awards, here are some excellent science fiction novels to recommend to your friend: Top Picks from 2024: "The Ministry of Time" by Kaliane Bradley - A debut novel that's a playful twist on time-travel romance with elements of workplace comedy, roommate drama, espionage, and temporal physics Goodreads. This was a readers' favorite at the 2024 Goodreads Choice Awards Goodreads. "In Ascension" by Martin MacInnes - A glorious novel Esquire that explores big questions about humanity and existence with wonder and awe. "Redwood and Wildfire" by Andrea Hairston - An absolute joy of a novel that reminds us even if the world ends, people will find each other, make art, and move forward Esquire. Features a brilliant former coder running a festival with help from AI creations trained on her ancestors' memories. Short Story Collections: "Worlds Hidden in Plain Sight" by Ann Leckie - This complete collection of Leckie's short fiction ranges from flash fiction to a creation myth from the Imperial Radch world Esquire, featuring the standout story "She Commands Me and I Obey." Other Strong Contenders: "The Fragile Threads of Power" series continuation and other works by established authors "Yours for the Taking" by Gabrielle Korn - A feminist masterwork about AI and relationships Books by Bora Chung, Malka Older, and Natasha Pulley - All received strong critical acclaim for their innovative approaches to the genre These books cover a range of SF subgenres from time travel to space opera to near-future speculation, so you can pick based on what your friend typically enjoys!