Sci fi is a type of speculative fiction that looks ahead and asks “what’s next?” You can also check out these subcategories (a-g):
alien invasion | alien races | alternate/parallel reality / alternative history | atompunk | biopunk | candlepunk | christian | cli-fi | clockpunk | colonization | comedy | cyberpunk | cyberspace | decopunk | detective | dieselpunk | dying earth | dystopian & post-apocalyptic | first contact | frontier | furry | galactic empire | gothpunk | greenpunk
Note: these books are currently sorted by release date, with newest first.
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Summary: What happens when an AI assistant is always whispering in your ear? Does hacking into the structure of reality help you get a prom date? When your world is dying, how far are you willing to go to save its people? What is the nature of identity, and who are you, anyway? Flashes in Time explores these questions and more in sixteen imaginative short stories set atop a fourfold table of science fiction and fantasy, contemporary and far off. A diverse cast of characters explores the limits of what it means to be human, and what our choices make of us. From darkness to light and lingering in between, the scenarios and thought experiments take the reader on a journey with surprising yet inevitable twists.
Word Count: 78164
Summary: Ismat’s dating life is terrible, and a lot of it has to do with honesty. Not that he doesn’t want to be honest, he just can’t – or it will ruin his life. He can’t tell anyone he works for the Dominion Security Bureau counter-terrorism division; he can’t tell his date who his father is, even if he knows them, and he most definitely can’t tell them how he actually feels about the gender he has to wear. A possible security breach in the Bureau means that he and his immediate boss are the only people who can be trusted with a case. Things rapidly become more complicated as the Bureau’s Director pulls two foreign agents into the mix. More complicated than others because Ismat finds one of them very attractive, something which he would rather the agent not know. Unfortunately – she’s telepathic. When the investigation leads them to a women-only charity event, Ismat finds some use for the dresses kept in the back of the closet and finds out that having a partner who knows what you think is not such a bad thing. A stand-alone book set in the Worlds of the PACT universe.
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Summary: A short, sweet, sapphic adventure with western vibes... Sheriff Sarah Chen just wanted to keep the peace and live quietly in her little corner of the universe, but then something ancient and malevolent had the nerve to start stirring beneath the crust of New Montana.Now the good Sheriff is on the case, but she'll need more than a plasma nine-gun and a can-do attitude to whip this varmint's butt...
Word Count: 117,412
Summary: A sense of unrest is growing among the descendants of those who survived the asteroid impact. It's been 230 years since it hit earth. Some feel it’s time to leave the retrofitted mine. The mayor enforces the old rules. Only when he feels it's safe will anyone go topside. That’s despite the breakdowns and crop failures. So, the rebellion begins. The rebels have spent years preparing and gathering supplies. They are hoping to escape soon. Will they find a way out? Will they be able to survive topside? No one is sure, but they plan on trying.
Word Count: 110000
Summary: When a corpse with webbed feet and other aquatic adaptations washes ashore during a hurricane, the county medical examiner calls in marine biologist Will Myers for assistance. The deceased’s mysterious sister, Andreia, claims the body and asks Will to help figure out how her brother died. Will and Andreia bond over shared tragedies and a yearning to heal a dying ocean as they seek to learn how her brother spent his final days. Andreia brings Will to her undersea home, part of a hidden civilization inhabited by smugglers, hackers, treasure hunters, and traders—all members of a different species, driven to the edge of extinction by human diseases and climate change. As feelings between the two grow, the investigation into her brother’s death leads to a sinister plot by a fanatical cabal. Together, Will and Andreia must find a way to save both humanity and the ocean without imperiling the existence of her species.
Word Count: 180000
Summary: In November 2039, marine scientist Wend Taylor heaves themself aboard a zero-emissions boat skippered by elusive nature photographer Viola Yang. Guided by instinct, ocean dreams, and a shared birthday in 1972, they barter stories for passage across the Pacific. Aljon, Viola’s younger cousin, keeps a watchful eye and an innovative galley. Story by story, the trio rethink secrets, flying dreams, and how they experience their own minds. When they reach Hawaiʻi and prepare to part ways, opportunity and mystery pull them closer together. Both scientific and personal discoveries take shape as they join with ex-lovers, lost friends, and found family. Wend must navigate an ever-shifting future, complicated by bioengineered microbes and a plot to silence scientists, entangled with inexplicable dreams and a calling to Be the Sea.
Word Count: 14500
Summary: With the Milky Way Galaxy teetering on the edge of a widespread conflict, one man’s choices will ripple across the stars. Lars Svensson has left behind his military past for a much quieter life as a captain of the Lundgren, an old, rundown mining barge. His routine is upended when a catastrophic explosion at a deep spaceport forces him to take on hundreds of desperate survivors. Tensions run high as the Lundgren rushes toward the nearest inhabited system--but the disagreements among the crew soon prove to be the least of Lars’ worries. Sudden sabotage cripples the ship, leaving them all stranded in the cold void between the stars, light-years from any chance of rescue.
Word Count: 233,912
Summary: Special Agent Kerri Elias joined the Boundary Guards to escape the haunting memories of her past, dedicating her life to battling the enigmatic Black-eyed Children—creatures that masquerade as innocent kids to snatch unsuspecting victims. But when her partner vanishes before her eyes, Kerri’s world shatters, thrusting her into a dark labyrinth of betrayal and deception, where not all of humanity’s enemies bear the Children’s deep obsidian gaze. As she navigates this perilous new reality, Kerri finds herself thrown together with a shaky crew: her boss, Hank Stillwell; the fierce deputy, Danielle Tauriac; the handsome yet secretive newcomer to the Guards, Aaron Vincent; and the scrappy Louisiana native Dr. Will Daigle, who suspects he may be in way over his head. With the threat of the Black-eyed Children looming ever closer, Kerri is unnerved by a chilling note left for her in the New Mexico desert. Is she the key to humanity's survival—or the next target? As alliances shift and secrets unravel, Kerri must confront the darkness within herself and the sinister forces that threaten to consume everything she holds dear.
Word Count: 68538
Summary: The Great Forest and Other Love Stories is a collection of short stories, with various settings, including an alien planet, an imaginary country, and places in Virginia, and the end of the world. These gay love stories explore the growth of relationships, and the negotiations of various complications and challenges.
Word Count: 76000
Summary: Perhaps casual nudity wasn’t Kim’ s best idea. Dr. Kimberly Storm-Gale has to make it back to Tau Ceti University— and fast— after his peaceful research sabbatical is turned upside down by corporate predators. As he struggles to find a way to remain a free man, he doesn’t expect his research subjects to kidnap him. Grandchild of the Jorann or not, Halla is a burden to the outcastes of Sanctuary Aanesh, where she has struggled for years to survive the loss of her life-partner — a battle she is slowly losing. Kim and Halla begin to dream about one another even before circumstances throw them together on Tolar, but now they have more to deal with than just their growing attraction: Kim may be the unwitting agent of a human government with designs on Halla’s world. Outcaste is the engrossing sixth book in the Tales of Tolari Space science fiction series, but can also be read as a standalone. If you like planetary adventure and heart-warming romance, you’ll love Christie Meierz’ tales of the reclusive Tolari.
Word Count: 78000
Summary: Can the Mistress of the Forge best the Mistress of the Night? Strength is forged in the moment when you dare to be vulnerable. Despite this inherent knowledge, Jacqueline Duval struggles with feelings of weakness and failure when a private celebration for her twin sister's marriage turns fraught with peril. Beset by vampires and insurrectionists and rogue monarchs, how is Jacqueline to keep her invited-and uninvited-guests safe, and the King of the French on the right side of the grave? "Steampunk meets royal history meets the fantastical as Angélique and her new husband arrive, admiring Jacqueline's incredible robotic creations and sharing in her concern about what seems to be a spate of vampire bites on young women in the area. Angélique is perhaps the best person to assist Jacqueline in her fight against the undead, as she left home because she became a werewolf. The novel is punchy and full of intriguing characters. Deal peppers the story with real figures, like the king and the authors Charles Baudelaire and Alexandre Dumas, who serve as a vivid historical presence in the Bellesfées universe. Jacqueline is a captivating hero whom readers will be struck by. , , The world presented is so unique and well-crafted by the author that it would be great to luxuriate in it a little longer. A compelling steampunk confection for readers who love the supernatural." ~ Kirkus Reviews
Word Count: 80000
Summary: September 11th, 2001. What if you could see disaster before it struck - but no one believed you? === Forecast is a pulse-pounding speculative thriller that catapults you into the mind of Roland Bishop, a weatherman living in Jersey City in 2001, whose life becomes shattered by a freak lightning strike. Suddenly cursed—or gifted—with visions of impending violence, Roland Bishop is thrust into a race against time as he glimpses a catastrophic plot unfolding in the shadows of New York City and the United States. Haunted by guilt, hunted by forces he can barely comprehend, and armed with powers he never asked for, Roland must decide: will he risk everything to change the future, or let fate run its course? With the clock ticking toward September 11th 2001, Roland’s journey becomes a mind-bending battle through fractured realities, shifting timelines, and impossible choices. Guided by his fiercely loyal psychiatrist and a skeptical detective, he faces a terrifying question: can one man rewrite history, or is destiny unbreakable? Step into the storm with Forecast, where visions of terror and the power of lightning force Roland Bishop to risk everything. This gripping blend of supernatural suspense and alternate history will keep you questioning: can one man truly change the course of the future? === If you like realistic and interesting fiction books fiction books about September 11th, you'll love the 9/11 historical fiction novel, "Forecast," a thriller about preventing 9/11. From the bestselling author of the post-apocalyptic alien invasion series "Dissonance," Aaron Ryan weaves a complex tale of butterfly effect and chaos theory in a novel with time loops and alternate realities. It's Unbreakable meets 11/22/63 meets The Dead Zone meets Firestarter meets Minority Report in this unforgettable speculative fiction thriller complete with time loops, FBI, precognition, lightning strikes, al-Qaeda plots, shifting reality, timeline manipulation, and supernatural suspense!
Word Count: 100000
Summary: An unprecedented heat and humidity has fallen upon the city of Bridges. People are dying. Crops are failing. And the Inventors can't find the cause. With all she's learned in our previous chapter, Jacqui has what she needs to unravel the conspiracy against the Four Families. The plans that her old nemesis Jack Diamond has set into motion are all that stands in her way. She's ready to stop him. Warning: Bad language, alcoholism, mental illness, animal abuse/death, smoking, gun violence, rioting, infidelity, sexual situations. This series centers a crime family and is intended for adults. This is the eleventh chapter of a 13-part serial novel: * The Jacq of Spades * The Queen of Diamonds * The Ace of Clubs * The King of Hearts * The Ten of Spades * The Five of Diamonds * The Two of Hearts * The Three of Spades * The Knave of Hearts * The Four of Clubs * The Jack of Diamonds <-- you are here * Book 12 coming March 2026 * Book 13 scheduled for March 2028
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Summary: The chase is on for the soul of San Francisco! Norton, Iria, and Madge's grand plan has fallen through at every turn. Now they find themselves scrambling to improvise in a battle across time against a new and unexpected foe! Jaunt across the centuries by these scrappy heroes' sides as they dive headlong into eras both familiar and strange to each. With allies old and new, they must weave a magic spell on the fly to save their beloved city from the clutches of Mammon--and from something even worse!
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Summary: REAL ESTATE IS HELL - SOMETIMES LITERALLY Wedged between real estate speculators, startup bros, and gentrified neighborhoods, it’s gotten hard to get by in San Francisco and it’s getting harder all the time. Now two witches have decided the time has come to do something about it. Using all their arcane skills, Iria – tall, dark, and genderqueer – and their partner and mentor, Madge – the granddaughter of Chinese immigrants and a powerful magician – have summoned back to the world of the living one of San Francisco’s greatest eccentric heroes: Joshua Norton, self-declared Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico. Binding him to themselves and to the city, Iria and Madge need Norton’s charisma and tireless dedication to the city to help them save San Francisco from a demon of greed. With an exciting combination of spell-slinging and derring-do, Norton and his modern-day patrons embark on a series of adventures across San Francisco’s past and present to save the city’s soul! THIS EDITION COLLECTS ALL FOUR VOLUMES IN ONE BOOK!
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Summary: In this epic conclusion to the groundbreaking Venerable Series, the new order is evolving, but powerful forces still exist that want to prevent further change and destroy what has already been gained. The cost of freedom proves great as Rachel, Abraham and their followers struggle to blend the past with the present with hopes of creating a bright future.
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Summary: See all formats and editions For thirty years, Rebeka’s people have fought the Earthmen who invaded their planet. Now Rebeka’s father has devised a plan to bring about a peace: Offer the Earthmen a cease-fire and cement it by giving his daughter to their leader as his bride. At first skeptical, Governor Philip Hamilcar is swept away by lust when he meets Rebeka but soon finds he has a rival for his wife’s affections in Darius Marx, Rebeka’s android bodyguard who possesses the abiilty to experience human emotion. Rebeka doesn’t want an alien husband but she’s given no choice, for she has been included in her father's plans for their people's freedon. Once married to Philip, she is to kill him and break the Earthmen’s rule forever. When she and Philip fall in love, Rebeka had to make a choice: her husband or her people.
Word Count: 130,000
Summary: There are monsters outside the city walls. Harvard is small, anxious, and plagued by a constant tremor, which is not an ideal combination for a desert scavenger. He and his crew are under constant threat of desertwalker attacks, and Harvard is nearly useless against them. When the biggest mistake of Harvard’s life separates him from his crew, he must learn the secrets of the desert beasts in order to survive the dangers of the dusts. Returning to Bastion with a surprising ally, Harvard is forced to choose between saving his crew or allying with the “monsters” who rescued him. Harvard never saw himself as a hero, but when the beasts of the dusts implore him to aid their rescue mission, he holds the lives of crabs and humans alike in his trembling hands. For awesome post-apocalyptic action, where Earth is ruled by gargantuan crab beasts, get your copy of Empress of Dust today!
Word Count: 81000
Summary: Tormented by memories of past lives and a general distaste for structure, Sloane dropped out of a prestigious magic college to find themself. During their travels, they came across a curious little creature: a chatty spider that fit snugly in their hands. Unbeknownst to Sloane, this wasn’t a harmless garden or cellar spider. The spider had a thirst that mere flies couldn’t quench. It demanded blood and flesh, and when mice failed to suffice, moved on to bigger and dangerous prey. Sloane appeased it as best they could, but as the spider rapidly shot up in size, turned their focus from butcher shops to farms. Together, they concocted a plan to “solve” a manifested loss of cattle. The spider got a steady supply of food, and Sloane got street cred as a “monster slayer”. “What could possibly go wrong?” – Famous last words of any irresponsible pet owner. So now Sloane has a very real infestation to contend with, along with suspicious rangers and wannabe hunters edging in on their turf. “…I’m gonna need a bigger boot.”
Word Count: 89000
Summary: A remote resource planet. A mysterious illness. And a rescue team frighteningly out of their depth. It was supposed to have been an easy job: go in, kidnap or kill his mark, get out. Shine's done plenty of jobs like this before, no problem. But when it all goes suddenly wrong, he has only one option left to save his skin. He finds himself an unwilling volunteer on a medical mission to a remote resource planet. It sent in a distress call a week earlier, and then promptly went silent. No one knows why, and no one can contact them to find out. And, Shine is increasingly beginning to realize, every person on this mission is politically unimportant--a perfect crew of disposables. Their mission is to go in and figure out what happened, and save whoever they can. But he's smart enough to realize that anything that could cause an entire mining colony to go silent is probably not something accustomed to leaving its victims alive. And after meeting the rest of the crew, he's not sure that they're any safer than what's waiting for him out on the planet ... Set in the world of The Devil and the Dark, Inhuman is the first book in R.M. Olson's gripping new space-horror series, The Dark Between Stars.
