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AI Overview +7 For your friend, a fan of highly-reviewed, recently published science fiction, consider these award-winners and widely praised books from 2024 and 2025. The list includes both standalone novels and series installments, spanning from hard sci-fi to character-driven stories. Award winners from 2024 The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera: Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, this urban fantasy follows a man who returns to his hometown of Lkandmin to find that the magical doors of his childhood are gone. He then becomes embroiled in a rebellion against a repressive deity. Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh: This space opera, which won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 2024, centers on a young woman raised on a space station, training to avenge humanity's destruction. The story involves alien contact and the nature of AI. In Ascension by Martin MacInnes: A literary sci-fi novel that won the Arthur C. Clarke Award and was longlisted for the Booker Prize. It follows a marine biologist who journeys deep into the ocean and then into space in a compelling exploration of humanity and the environment. System Collapse by Martha Wells: The seventh installment of the beloved Murderbot Diaries series won the Locus Award for Best Sci-Fi Novel. It's a character-focused story about a non-human security unit trying to navigate hostile environments, dangerous missions, and complicated human relationships. The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler: Shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, this speculative novel explores what happens when a new form of intelligent life is discovered: a species of octopus in Vietnam. This book poses questions about consciousness, communication, and environmental concerns. Standalone novels from 2025 The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley: An instant bestseller and book club favorite about a government agency that recruits "expats" from throughout history. It follows a civil servant tasked with supervising a Victorian-era explorer to understand his time. Annie Bot by Sierra Greer: This book is described as an emotional read exploring the relationship between a male companion and his "wife," the android Annie Bot. It was named a book of the month by The Times and The Guardian. The Memory Collectors by Dete Meserve: This novel explores time travel and grief in a story about an invention that allows people to revisit a single hour of their past. A dark twist reveals that the main characters are connected by a traumatic event. When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi: A satirical and absurd premise about what would happen if the Moon were suddenly and inexplicably replaced by a giant wheel of cheese. Private Rites by Julia Armfield: Set in a climate-catastrophe-ravaged near-future, this story follows two sisters coping with their father's terminal illness. It is noted for its folk horror and emotional depth. Books for series lovers Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (2025): A fantasy-romance featuring dragon riders, the third in The Empyrean series. It's highly popular on Goodreads and continues the story of Violet Sorrengail as she fights to save her kingdom. Katabasis by R.F. Kuang (2025): A dark academia novel inspired by Dante's Inferno, this book is highly anticipated by fans of the bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface. Alecto the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (2025): The fourth installment in The Locked Tomb series promises to continue the author's uniquely inventive and popular science fiction narrative. The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey (2024): The beginning of The Captive's War series, by the authors of The Expanse, this book is a political space opera. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab (2025): This is a new release from a prominent author of fantasy and speculative fiction, listed as a Goodreads "Can't Wait" book.