Answer Details

I'll search for the best recently published science fiction novels that have received strong reviews.Let me get more specific information about award winners and highly-reviewed recent releases.Based on my research, here are some excellent recently published science fiction novels with strong reviews that I'd recommend to your friend: ## Award Winners (2024-2025) **The Tainted Cup** by Robert Jackson Bennett — Winner of the 2025 Hugo Award for Best Novel. This is a fantasy-mystery featuring an eccentric detective and her magically altered assistant investigating supernatural murders with vivid worldbuilding and masterful plotting. **Someone You Can Build a Nest In** by John Wiswell — Winner of the 2024 Nebula Award for Best Novel. An unconventional romance told from the perspective of a monster being hunted, blending dark fantasy with heartfelt emotion. **The Saint of Bright Doors** by Vajra Chandrasekera — Winner of the 2023 Nebula Award for Best Novel. A thought-provoking fantasy that challenges readers with its unique premise and philosophical depth. ## Other Highly-Reviewed 2024 Releases **Asunder** by Kerstin Hall — Praised as a dark fantasy horror adventure that ran away with readers' hearts, featuring a Deathspeaker who accidentally binds a dying stranger into her shadow. Nominated for the 2024 Nebula Award. **The Book of Love** by Kelly Link — Kelly Link's debut novel, nominated for the 2024 Nebula Award. In a New England town, teenagers are resurrected by their music teacher and must perform magical tasks to earn their second chance. **The Daughters' War** by Christopher Buehlman — Features a compelling main character with an arresting writing style, combining a character-driven story with an epic war narrative featuring massive war ravens and terrifying goblins. These books span different subgenres and styles, so there should be something appealing regardless of your friend's specific tastes within science fiction!