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Some of the most highly-reviewed and recently published science fiction novels include award winners and popular hits from the past few years. Here are some of the best titles to consider recommending to a friend. 2024–2025 releases The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. This novel follows a civil servant who is tasked with assisting "chronologically displaced" figures from history, including a Victorian explorer, as they attempt to acclimate to 21st-century London. Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky. A charming household robot suddenly finds himself without a master. He ventures into a post-human world where he has to find a new purpose for his robotic species. Rose/House by Arkady Martine. An artificial intelligence is built into the framework of a house, which has been locked by its now-deceased architect. A dead body inside forces a protégé to confront the secrets held within the structure. The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville. This collaboration between the actor and the sci-fi novelist tells the story of an 80,000-year-old warrior in a comic book format. 2023 releases Starter Villain by John Scalzi. This lighthearted tale follows a man who unexpectedly inherits his estranged uncle's supervillain business, complete with a secret volcano lair and intelligent talking cats. In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune. A queer, sci-fi retelling of the Pinocchio story in which a human finds and repairs an android, revealing a dark past and endangering his family. Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. In this dystopian novel, incarcerated people fight in death matches for a chance at freedom. The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler. A scientist is sent to Vietnam to study a newly discovered species of highly intelligent octopus, leading to a thought-provoking story about intelligence and communication. Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky. The third book in the Children of Time series explores a human colony struggling on a terraformed alien world that is soon approached by aliens with a hidden agenda. Earlier standout titles Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (2021). A lone astronaut awakens with amnesia on a mission to save Earth and must piece together his memories to complete his task. This hard sci-fi novel was a massive commercial and critical success. The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi (2022). Set during the early COVID-19 pandemic, this story follows a food delivery driver who gets a job at an animal rights organization protecting massive, Godzilla-like creatures in an alternate dimension. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (2022). This book spans centuries and continents, weaving together interconnected stories across different timelines, from 1912 British Columbia to a moon colony in the 25th century. The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz (2023). A terraforming team encounters complications when they discover indigenous life on the planet they are shaping.