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I'll search for highly-reviewed recent science fiction novels to give you current recommendations.Let me get more specific information about some of the top-rated titles.Based on my search, here are some highly-reviewed recent science fiction novels you should recommend to your friend: ## Top Recent SF Recommendations **"In Ascension" by Martin MacInnes** (2024) This literary science fiction novel won the Arthur C Clarke Award and was nominated for the Booker Prize. It explores deep-sea dives and space exploration, balancing hard science with meditations on wonder, biological life, and family relationships. **"System Collapse" by Martha Wells** (2024) The seventh Murderbot Diaries book won the Locus Award for Best Sci Fi Novel. The series has garnered numerous awards, with the first novella winning the Hugo and Nebula, and the fifth full-length novel winning the Hugo, Nebula and Locus for best novel. If your friend hasn't started this series yet, they should begin with "All Systems Red." **"The Translation State" and other recent releases** This year's books feature themes of surveillance, capitalism, protest, and inequity, while exploring "other ways to live" and questioning how we might thrive differently. **Short Fiction Collections Worth Reading:** - Ann Leckie's complete short fiction collection contains both science fiction and fantasy, with standout stories including "The Justified" about power and mortality, and "She Commands Me and I Obey" depicting political turmoil through a monk watching a sports game - Bora Chung's collection "Yours for the Taking" explores whether utopias can be shared, featuring melancholic stories of lonely beings trying to connect or survive Martha Wells' "Witch King" ranks at #62 on all-time great SFF lists, which is notably low compared to recent years' winners, suggesting 2024 was a transitional year for the genre. That said, these books all offer thoughtful explorations of humanity, technology, and our possible futures!