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sci fi h-r

Sci fi is a type of speculative fiction that looks ahead and asks “what’s next?” You can also check out these subcategories (h-r):

hard sci fi | hollow earth | hopepunk | human evolution | immortality | latinpunk | litrpg | lost worlds | military | mind uploads | multiverse | mutants | mythpunk | nanopunk | near future | nowpunk | piratepunk | pulp | robots/androids |romance

Note: these books are currently sorted by release date, with newest first.

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Word Count: 36000

Summary: INK (NOUN) Five definitions to inspire writers around the world and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell: 1) A colored fluid used for writing 2) The action of signing a deal 3) A black liquid ejected by squid 4) Publicity in the written media 5) A slang word for tattoos Ink features 300-word speculative flash fiction stories from across the rainbow spectrum, from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.

Ink Anthology
Ink
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Word Count: 61,000

Summary: James "Bodacious" Creed stopped a killer and helped bring peace to Santa Cruz, a coastal California city on the edge of the American frontier. Now, the undead lawman, resurrected with steam-based technology, takes on dangerous criminal cases as a private investigator. One night while riding by the wharf, Creed hears a gunshot. He and his coyote companion, Coconino, rush to the scene. In a forest clearing, he finds two dead men and a dying woman. Mechanical parts ring her neck and wrist, and as she whispers of her travails, the former Chinese slave dies in his arms. Someone in San Francisco is using illegal machinery to alter and control women like her. To hunt down the perpetrator, Creed travels to the City by the Bay. His journey takes him into the depths of Chinatown, reveals a secret society, and puts old and new friends in danger. How can Creed learn the truth before more women are changed, manipulated, or killed?

Bodacious Creed and The Jade Lake - Jonathan Fesmire
Bodacious Creed and the Jade Lake
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Word Count: 132,000

Summary: Rules were made to be broken. From terraformed outposts to magical realms, journey to worlds where deadly plants, rampant biodiversity, or failed colonies have created irresistible opportunities for those brave enough to seize them. New worlds, found family, mystical secrets, and deadly science weave together in this lesbian-centric anthology focusing on a very different kind of first time—a first encounter with a world, or being, entirely unlike our own. If you like diverse stories with lesbian heroines practicing science, magic, and seduction, buy Distant Gardens today!

Distant Gardens Anthology
Distant Gardens
N.L. Bates , Sara Codair , Robin C.M. Duncan , Wil...
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Word Count: Information not available

Summary: Eighteen stories that span from the near future to the far, from next door to the deeps of space. Meet aliens who struggle to determine if we are a threat or equals. Discover what really makes us happy. Join the war effort to free the outer planets. Find out how far a man is willing to change to gain a true talent. Uncover the gift and the danger of memories. Includes the Writer’s of the Future award-winning story “Written in Light.”

Written in Light - Jeff Young
Written in Light and Other Futuristic Tales
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Word Count: 88,000

Summary: Journalist Will Corwin and Doctor Amelia Warren have started to build a life together on the war-torn colony of Amara. They are even raising a child, Amelia’s ten-year-old brother, Jonah. While Will struggles to integrate his new security detail into his work, he pursues an interview he’s wanted for a long time, and makes a decision--and takes a risk--in order to get the story. When that risk backfires, and he is abducted by the hybrid alien warlord, Nod Korvus, it will be a struggle to balance his life with his integrity. Amelia wants Will back, desperately, but in order to do so, will she be willing to betray everything he stands for? And how will the arrival of the Duchess Ezri Sinclair, Will’s domineering mother--who very much does not approve of Amelia--complicate the rescue effort? This is Among the Captive Stars, the sequel to All the Promised Stars, and the second installment in Broken Stars, a series of steamy romantic sci-fi novels by Chad Grayson.

Among the Captive Stars - Chad Grayson - Broken Stars
Among the Captive Stars
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Word Count: 60,000

Summary: Queer Handmaid's Tale meets hyper-capitalist dystopia. Nonbinary, queer main character BREEDER is set in a distant but bleakly familiar future, where each person exists to repay Units to the violent Corporation. But girls and women can only be Breeders in this world, and can only repay the Corporation through reproduction. Is the price of survival worth the cost of submission? Will Meadows is a seemingly average fifteen-year-old Westie, who lives and works in Zone F, the run-down outermost ring of the Corporation. In the future state of the Corp, a person’s value comes down to productivity: the right actions win units, the wrong ones lose them. If Will is unlucky and goes into unit debt, there’s only one place to go: the Rator. But for Zone F Breeders, things are much worse—they’re born into debt and can only accrue units through reproduction. Every day in Zone F is a struggle, especially for Will who is fighting against time for access to an illegal medical drug, Crystal 8. Under the cover of night, Will travels to the Gray Zone, where life is less regulated and drugs—and people—are exchanged for gold. There, Will meets Rob, a corrupt member of the Corporation running a Breeder smuggling operation. Will also meets Alex, another teen whom he quickly recognizes as a Breeder in disguise. Suddenly, Will has an illicit job and money, access to Crystal, and a real friend. As the pair grows closer, Alex shares her secret: she is part of the Response, an uprising to overthrow the Corporation. Caught up in the new friendship, Will and Alex become careless as the two covertly travel into Zone B for a day of adventure. Nothing goes as planned and Will’s greatest fear is realized. Will his true identity be revealed?

Breeder - Honni van Rijswijk
BREEDER
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Word Count: 41000

Summary: When the Action Girls, a trio of wannabe starlets from Hollywood, land a jungle adventure show, they think it’s their dream come true. But instead, they’re trafficked to the Congo for a sinister purpose. In the heart of Africa, a cult of mad scientists harbors a mad ambition: to create a new species of human-ape hybrid, mating human women with chimpanzees. But their experiments are failures, so they need to bring a steady supply of women to their jungle compound to keep their twisted fantasy alive. Will the Action Girls escape their bizarre and terrifying ordeal? Or will they fulfill the cult’s warped vision of humanity’s future to become broodmares birthing inhuman monsters? Find out in Jungle Jitters, a story not for the faint-hearted, the easily offended, or anyone who thinks human-ape hybrids are a good idea.

Jungle Jitters - J. Manfred Weichsel
Jungle Jitters
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Word Count: 40000

Summary: Manifesto The Great rules Planet Hy Man, a Planet where meat is as toxic as nuclear waste. Faced with an uprising, Manifesto The Great turns to the only person he can trust----his mother; but she has days to live. With an army of malfunctioning Mae West robots and a committee as innovative as a sock puppet, Manifesto The Great loses control. And as his city falls under the hands of Fanny and her rebels, the grieving leader retreats to his cocktail bar. High on a cocktail of hormonal meat and hemp cocktails, Manifesto The Great returns to his committee for advice. But they have other plans, mainly to bat with the winning team, and from the looks of Manifesto The Great, he ain’t one of ‘em. Will he rise to command again or has he buried his balls along with his mother in a sea of cocktails and mad ramblings?

The Downfall of Manifesto The Great - Kerrie Noor
The Downfall Of Manifesto The Great
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Word Count: 120000

Summary: In this explosive sequel to Lilith Frost’s groundbreaking debut novel Trials on the Hard Way Home, Bryan, now James, must undertake a harrowing journey into his past amidst the treacherous landscape of an apocalyptic America. James must do whatever it takes to continue protecting a lifetime of secrets—secrets that first led him to his new life and have since made him the target of nefarious plots. In the harsh realities of home, supernatural dangers lurk around every corner, and nothing is quite what it seems in the dark. James must contend with the horrors of his youth and his decision to abandon a brighter future with the men he loved, all while struggling to survive against human treachery and creatures of the night. Reconnected with family and a lost love he never thought he would see again, the past and present collide in this thrilling and heart-wrenching mystery that breathes fresh life into the science fiction, LGBTQ+, and fantasy genres. How to See in the Dark is an exciting and poignant story in which one man must face the traumas of his youth, navigate the challenges of unconventional love, and trust in the loyalty of friends in a world where everyone has a secret to protect.

How to See in the Dark - Lilith Frost - Hard Way Home
How to See in the Dark
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Word Count: 81000

Summary: An implacable alien intelligence called the Cluster has arrived in the galaxy and dissects almost every star ship it encounters. Grandson of an infamous space pirate, Commander John Mark Ellis is disgraced and booted out of the space service when he fails to save a merchant ship from the Cluster. Even so, Ellis believes he holds the key to communicating with the invader. His mother, Suki Firebrandt Ellis, is a historian who believes the galaxy's leaders are withholding information about the Cluster. Clyde McClintlock believes the Cluster is God incarnate and provides the path to salvation. G'Liat is an alien warrior who hopes to protect his people from the Cluster. All together, they set out to stop the Cluster's reign of destruction.

Children of the Old Stars - David Lee Summers - Space Pirates' Legacy
Children of the Old Stars
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Word Count: 19582

Summary: The War Of The Worlds continues.... The terror of the coming of the Martians is all but a distant memory, a bad dream that has faded with time. All George wants is a quiet suburban life – but at breakfast one morning his newspaper reports the shocking discovery of a Martian cylinder, found intact and unopened, and carefully transported to London. Could it be from the first alien invasion and after more than seven years are there Martians still alive inside? By teatime George learns that vengeance seeking Martians and their tripod fighting machines are already on their way back. This time they are armed with a doomsday weapon, able to destroy all bacteria and completely annihilate Earth. The countless numbers of their projectiles form a huge green comet and invasion day will be just before Christmas. The first attack by aliens was enough for any lifetime, but who would expect to be involved with two? Can George and his wife escape this new Martian apocalypse and how will our planet survive a second time? The Day Of The Martians continues the iconic Mars novel by H.G. Wells, in this exciting action adventure – the first volume of The Martian Diaries science fiction series. If you're a fan of The War Of The Worlds you won't want to miss this award-winning 3 part continuation. Get the ebook today or check out the action-packed audio version featuring original music and sound effects. Winner of 5 awards in the 2020 Los Angeles Science Fiction Film Awards, Audio Drama category, together with volume 2 Lake On The Moon. WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID ABOUT THE AUDIO VERSION “...a wonderfully executed tribute to H.G. Wells.” Readers Favorite 5 stars ...sometimes in life, amongst all the boring stuff, something comes along to shake up your life and make you grateful for other people’s creations.” Breakaway Reviews “A splendid sequel.” C.A. Powell, science fiction author of The Last Days Of Thunder Child “A little diamond from Mars!” Goodreads reviewer

The Day of the Martians - HE Wilburson - The Martian Diaries
The Martian Diaries: Vol. 1 The Day Of The Martians
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Word Count: 42000

Summary: What lies hidden inside the Martian Red Weed and what is the secret of the lake on the moon? When the first Martian cylinder crash lands in England, Ogilvy the astronomer barely survives the deadly heat ray from the attack by aliens. He then accidentally stumbles upon the truth about the Red Weed and sends vital evidence to scientists in France on board HMS Thunder Child, but the ship is attacked by a Martian tripod. Years later in 1919, in the aftermath of World War 1 and Spanish influenza, a sinister plague emerges on Earth from the long forgotten Red Weed, and it threatens all life on our planet with global extinction. Ogilvy suggests a daring and risky plan to combat the devastating alien menace, involving alternate history timelines. He persuades other original War Of The Worlds characters to participate, but how on earth can they locate the secret weapon hidden by the Martians at the lake on the moon? Don't miss this compelling continuation of the H.G. Wells Mars novel in the gripping second volume of The Martian Diaries science fiction series. Get this award winning continuation of The War Of The Worlds today! Features a bonus chapter not included in the audiobook version. Bronze medal winner in the Readers Choice Awards 2020 WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID ABOUT THE AUDIO VERSION “I sat spellbound while listening to this...as I’ve always been convinced nobody could ever out-rank the original War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, but he has succeeded in giving us this astonishing follow-up.” Breakaway Reviews "The storyline is mesmerizing, and Mr Wilburson has done a magnificent job of melding his story with the original War of the Worlds." Readers Favorite Reviews “I am in awe. I finished the audiobook an emotional wreck, especially after the epilogue...and cannot wait for episode three, Gateway to Mars." Goodreads reviewer “Author Wilburson's trilogy is an enthralling companion to H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds. The Lake On The Moon is an audiobook treat, highly recommended!” Veronica Cline Barton - Mystery & Suspense author Winner of 5 awards in the 2020 Los Angeles Science Fiction Film Awards, Audio Drama category, together with volume 1 The Day Of The Martians.

Lake on the Moon - HE Wilburson - The Martian Diaries
The Martian Diaries: Vol. 2 Lake On The Moon
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Word Count: 80000

Summary: In this groundbreaking work of science fiction, one man attempts to return to Earth after years of living in an off-planet structure. Twenty-five-year-old Bryan is a student scientist living off-planet with the two men he loves. But when he senses that danger is about to befall his adopted home, Bryan wants to evacuate. Convincing one of his lovers to board a spaceship toward home, Bryan is soon confronted with the truth about his life. His journey through the void of space not only exposes his current troubled relationships but also threatens to uncover the secrets about his past. Now, Bryan must finally come to terms with who he is and how his origins might put his lovers in danger. A story of three polyamorous lovers and one man’s secrets, Trials on the Hard Way Home is an intense and dramatic journey embracing the best in science fiction and LGBTQ+ literature.

Trials on the Hard Way Home - Lilith Frost - Hard Way Home
Trials on the Hard Way Home
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Word Count: 70000

Summary: Jacqui faces her biggest mystery yet - and her greatest fear. A drive-by shooting leaves Jacqueline Spadros with little remaining support for the life she's built apart from her estranged husband Tony. As evidence grows that the Hart Family is behind the attacks, which up to now have been laid on the doorstep of the notorious Red Dog Gang, Tony brings formal charges against the Harts before the Commission. Jacqui wants to stop the Red Dog Gang and learn the truth about Charles Hart's obsession with her. But the truth is stranger than she ever imagined. And what she learns changes everything. This is chapter 7 of a 13-part future steampunk noir series. Please begin with The Jacq of Spades and read the books in order.

The Two of Hearts - Patricia Loofbourrow - The Red Dog Conspiracy
The Two of Hearts
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Word Count: Information not available

Summary: Stop a murder, save two planets! Who she is: Sibyl Blue, single mom, undercover detective, and damn good at her job. What she wants: to solve the mysterious benzale murders, prevent more teenage deaths, and maybe find her long-lost husband. How she’ll get it: seduce a millionaire, catch a ride on his spaceship, and crack the case at the edge of the known galaxy.  

Sibyl Sue Blue - George Brown
Sibyl Sue Blue
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Word Count: 184000

Summary:

An unexpected romance. A space-heist gone wrong. A galactic catastrophe in the making.

  At the furthest reaches of the known galaxy, cyber-thief Rowland Hale’s biggest score turns into a fight for his life.  Beaten but not broken, ex-navy captain Toar Grithrawrscion can save that life, but only by risking his own. With a toothy foe hell-bent on domination, can these two unlikely heroes come together and not only save the galaxy, but each other? Their destiny is in their hands, but only if they keep their hands to themselves. A high-adventure space epic with a touch of charming romance, Allure of Oartheca tells the story of two men from different worlds who must face battles both from without and from deep within – an Allure that whispers promises of rapture and destruction, that dares not be risked, and cannot be refused. If our heroes give up, they fail.  If they give in, they fail too – and the fate of the universe rests in the balance.

Allure of Oartheca - James Siewert
Allure of Oartheca
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Word Count: Information not available

Summary: Four members of The Vampire Guard—Forge, Blair, Declan, and Lucas—face a dangerous and elusive enemy. And this time, it’s personal. When massive tech outages impact everything from Wi-Fi to traffic control, Blair, Forge, Declan, and Lucas think it’s a simple matter of catching troublesome hackers. But they quickly realize far more is at stake. Millions of dollars in art are the target of a thief who’s not afraid to kill---and he’s no stranger. Not only has he escaped capture, twice, a decade ago, but he’s had a hand in life-altering tragedies throughout their lifetimes. Once it becomes clear that art theft is just a fraction of his plan for mass destruction, they realize time is running out. The clock’s ticking. Catastrophe is imminent. Can they find and disarm all the bombs in time or will countless lives be lost?

Quarry - Elizabeth Noble - Vampire Guard
Quarry
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Word Count: 111,000

Summary:

New York: two years after the Third World War. Humanity is rebuilding its cities brick by brick; the damage done to the people, however, is a lot harder to repair.
Dan Hardacre is one of those people. An aspiring stage actor and experienced draft-dodger, Dan struggles to find his place within the Utopic rebuild of New York City. When he’s not caught up with the duties of work, Dan lives a quiet life in mourning for his mother, Dyani, who went missing when he was a teenager.
One night, Dan experiences a vivid, terrifying nightmare that puts him right on the front lines of the war for which he dodged the draft; it ends with him facing Death itself in the form of a metallic, faceless humanoid creature that calls itself the Valkyrie. To investigate the reason behind his haunting experience, Dan seeks out a meeting with his estranged father, who reveals the startling truth about Dan’s dream: it wasn’t a dream.
With this newfound knowledge and the powers it brings, Dan makes it his mission to return to the scene of his nightmare. However, he soon comes to know that confronting the Valkyrie not only endangers him but the war-withstanding world he leaves behind.

Road to Juneau - Liam Quane
ROAD TO JUNEAU
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Word Count: 82500

Summary: A mysterious distress call draws the crew of courier ship Hermes to what appears to be an empty, drifting troop vessel--empty except for the blood and gore spattered corridors and a lone survivor locked in a holding cell. Drawn to the handsome, traumatized man, the crew’s comm officer, Isaac Ozawa, makes Turk his personal responsibility, offering him the kindness and warmth he needs after the horror he experienced. Isaac knows firsthand what it’s like to be different and an outcast, and this cements their bond. Once a promising pilot, Isaac was left with a damaged body when his brain didn't meld with the high-tech implant needed to fly fighter ships. Turk’s brain is no better. The result of a military experiment gone wrong, his natural abilities have been augmented to a dangerous degree. When an amoral, power-hungry admiral kidnaps Isaac and uses him to convince Turk to become the cataclysmic weapon he’s hungered for, it will take Turk’s strength, the ingenuity of the Hermes crew, the help of the enigmatic Drak’tar, and Isaac’s own stubborn will to save them.

Gravitational Attraction - Angel Martinez - Esto Universe
Gravitational Attraction
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Word Count: 55300

Summary: Luxor City, a once lawless metropolis on the brink of civil war, is now at peace, but even in lighter times there are always shadows. In the technicolor streets of the Southern Empire, Junsu Sun, the Alpha heir to one of Luxor City’s great crime families, busies himself by dealing with a blacklisted group known as the Underground. After taking down one of the Underground’s notorious leaders, Junsu assumes he’ll be given time to rest and recuperate, but his mother, Alpha Xijuan Sun, has a new mission for him, involving a luxury cruise and a new mate, Omega Kaito Yamaguchi, of the powerful Yamaguchi family. Ever the dutiful son, Junsu obeys his orders as if it were any other mission, but this sort of engagement isn’t exactly the type of thing he’s used to and Kaito Yamaguchi certainly isn’t the sort of Omega he’s used to either. Kaito is impatient, impassable, and impossible. He’s a spoiled Omega who is pissed off that his family have reorganized his life and thrust him into this arranged mating with some Luxor City Alpha he’s never met before. Kaito hasn’t even seen a picture of Junsu Sun, a fact that Junsu uses to his advantage. Faced with a week spent trapped on a luxury cruise with a rude, bratty Omega who doesn’t even know who he is, Junsu decides to play a little trick on his future mate. But just how far will he let things go and where is the line between a little trick and a painful deception? Meanwhile, other secrets floating between empires and continents are about to spill out onto the deck.

Between Empires and Continents - Sasha Hope
Between Empires and Continents
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