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AI Overview Some of the best and most highly-reviewed science fiction novels published recently include award winners from 2024 and critically praised books from 2023 and 2025. Award-winning and notable science fiction 2025 Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera: Winner of the 2025 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction, this novel is praised as a "spiritual kaleidoscope" of genre, narrative, and time. It follows a compelling and moving story of grief, loss, and hope. Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell: This Nebula Award-winning novel is a fantasy story, but it is acclaimed for its lovable monster protagonist and unique voice. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley: A highly-praised debut novel that blends science fiction, romance, and workplace comedy. A civil servant in the near future falls in love with an Arctic explorer who was rescued from his death in 1845 by time travelers. Private Rites by Julia Armfield: This novel, set in a near-future Britain devastated by a climate catastrophe, is a variation on Shakespeare's King Lear with folk horror elements. Annie Bot by Sierra Greer: This book examines the relationship between a human and an AI companion. Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky: Another book from a prolific and award-winning author, this one centers on a rebellious robot. 2024 Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh: Winner of the 2024 Hugo Award for Best Novel, this book is a thought-provoking debut set in a distant future where humanity is at war with an alien species. In Ascension by Martin MacInnes: Awarded the 2024 Arthur C. Clarke Award and praised for its "literary" feel, this book follows a biologist who dives into an ocean trench where she discovers a deeper mystery. System Collapse by Martha Wells: The seventh installment in the beloved Murderbot Diaries series continues the story of a socially awkward, self-hacking security android. Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino: Labeled as "sci-fi through and through," this novel follows an alien observer on Earth as she sends reports back to her home planet via a mysterious fax machine. The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei: A smart, fast-paced space opera about an interstellar art thief on a mission to repatriate a stolen alien artifact. I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger: Set in a collapsing near-future America, this picaresque tale follows a man searching for his bookseller wife on Lake Superior. 2023 The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera: A fantasy novel and finalist for the 2024 Hugo Award, this book follows a young man raised to kill his father, and the complicated society he tries to escape. Translation State by Ann Leckie: Set in the same universe as the Imperial Radch series, this thoughtful standalone mystery explores themes of identity, family, and belonging. The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler: Shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, this novel features a thrilling, near-future world of geopolitical espionage involving cybernetics. The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei: A high-stakes adventure about a group of elite people on a generation ship carrying the last of Earth's population. The Ferryman by Justin Cronin: This novel explores a mysterious society on a remote island where residents are not allowed to go to the mainland. Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway: This is a fast-paced science fiction detective novel set in a world with genetically enhanced "Titans" and the luckless detective who must solve one of their murders.