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I'll search for highly-reviewed recent science fiction novels to give you current recommendations.Based on the recent award winners and critical acclaim, here are some excellent science fiction novels from 2024 that I'd recommend: ## Top Picks: **Witch King by Martha Wells** - This won multiple awards and ranks among the all-time greats at position #62. Wells is the author of the beloved Murderbot Diaries series. **In Ascension by Martin MacInnes** - This won the Arthur C Clarke Award and was also nominated for the Booker Prize. It's a literary science fiction novel that meditates on the wonder and strangeness of biological life while featuring hard science and adventure. **System Collapse by Martha Wells** - The seventh in the Murderbot Diaries series won the Locus Award for Best Sci Fi Novel. If your friend hasn't read this series, start with the first novella, *All Systems Red*. **The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett** - This detective/mystery sci-fi hybrid was highly anticipated and well-received in 2024. ## Other Strong Contenders: **Redwood and Wildfire by Andrea Hairston** - Praised as "an absolute joy" featuring a future with a sprawling festival, AI trained on ancestral memories, and community leaders. **Algae Voices by Malka Older** - Opens with "There are other ways to live" and explores how we might live differently with one another. Any of these would make an excellent gift for a science fiction fan. If you know more about your friend's preferences (hard sci-fi vs. character-driven, space opera vs. near-future, etc.), I can help narrow it down further!