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For a friend who enjoys highly-reviewed, recently published science fiction, consider these popular and acclaimed novels from 2023, 2024, and 2025. [1, 2, 3, 4] Top recommendations from 2025 • The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley: This debut novel is a time-travel romance that follows a civil servant tasked with chaperoning a 19th-century explorer to modern-day London. It has received strong reviews, with one critic calling it "wildly original". • Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky: In a post-human world, a robot butler goes on a quest for meaning after accidentally killing his master. It has been described as a "thoughtful and compelling" post-apocalyptic tale. • Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab: This highly-anticipated release from the fantasy powerhouse is a dark, character-driven story about two sisters returning to the home where one of them died. • The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville: This collaboration between the actor and the celebrated author follows a "Matrix"-like tale of an ancient warrior who must come to terms with his loneliness. [5, 6, 7, 8, 9] Award-winning and celebrated books from 2024 • The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey: From the prolific co-author of The Expanse series comes this highly-rated space opera about a human abducted by a powerful alien empire. • Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky: Nominated for the 2024 Arthur C. Clarke Award, this novel is a tense thriller about a planetary terraforming project gone horribly wrong. • Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune: This heartfelt science-fantasy novel takes place at an isolated home for magical youth on a remote island, touching on themes of belonging and acceptance. • Lost Ark Dreaming by Suyi Davies Okungbowa: A near-future, character-driven story about climate change in Nigeria that explores class and disparity from multiple perspectives. [6, 10, 11, 12, 13] Standout novels from 2023 • Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh: This winner of a Hugo Award and a nominee for the Arthur C. Clarke Award is a space opera about the last survivors of humanity raised to fight a terrible alien enemy. • The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera: This standalone fantasy, also nominated for the Hugo and Arthur C. Clarke awards, is a captivating story of a magic-user who returns home to a city with many hidden doors. • System Collapse by Martha Wells: The latest installment in the popular Murderbot Diaries series, which follows a snarky, security android struggling with its mental health and trying to protect its human charges. [1, 2, 3, 11, 14] AI responses may include mistakes. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/printSF/comments/1ia44py/your_top_rated_sf_novels_for_the_decade_2020s/ [2] https://www.reddit.com/r/printSF/comments/1i7ancb/favorite_science_fiction_novels_of_the_2020s/ [3] https://fivebooks.com/best-books/the-best-speculative-novels-of-2024-the-hugo-award-shortlist-sylvia-bishop/ [4] https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/readers-favorite-science-fiction-books-2024 [5] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/books/science-fiction-books.html [6] https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/Best-Science-Fiction-and-Fantasy-2024 [7] https://fivebooks.com/best-books/best-science-fiction-books-of-2025-andrew-m-butler/ [8] https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/best-science-fiction-fantasy-books-of-2025/ [9] https://booksrun.com/blog/science-fiction-novels-for-every-sci-fi-fan/ [10] https://tertulia.com/editorial-list/best-new-science-fiction-books-2024 [11] https://fivebooks.com/best-books/the-best-science-fiction-the-2024-arthur-c-clarke-award-shortlist-andrew-m-butler/ [12] https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/195299.Scifi_published_in_2024 [13] https://www.newscientist.com/article/2442243-the-best-new-science-fiction-books-of-august-2024/ [14] https://www.reddit.com/r/printSF/comments/1egqftd/readers_what_was_the_latest_book_you_loved_that/