Now that 2024 has nearly reached its end, it is time for readers to tally up their favorite books of the year, and their lists may include thesesci-finovels, which have been labeled as the absolute best of 2024. Sci-fi is a particularly popular genre among readers, and has been for decades now. By exploring unknown realms such as space or the future,sci-fi allows audiences to be part of entirely new worlds that are as dazzling as they are horrifying. Fortunately, a number ofsci-fi stories in 2024deeply affected readers.
Although countless sci-fibooks were released in 2024, only fifteen have stood out as the true winners of the year. These books offer up unique premises, relevant ideas, and astounding visuals that will stick with readers long after the year ends. While some of these novels were written by sci-fi greats, others are debuts that still managed to impress. Regardless of who wrote them,the best science fiction books of 2024 are those that went outside the boxand showcased evocative stories that readers will hold with them for a long time afterward.
15Pink Slime: Fernanda Trías
A Woman Shelters In Place During An Apocalypse
The first book to make it onto this list is an underrated gem calledPink Slime.In this novel,a woman is living in a city that is on the verge of apocalypse: algae is poisoning the air, leading to a horrific plague and the only food anyone can afford is a mysterious pink slime. With her mother, her ex-husband, and the boy she nannies beside her, the woman decides to stay in the city she calls home, despite impending disaster.
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Pink Slimeis a perfect book for those who love a slow-paced and intense read. Unlike other sci-fi novels,Pink Slimeis not concerned with action or epic sequences. Instead, this book takes readers on a steady tour through a horrifying world, focusing in on its complex characters and relationships. Though it doesn’t have the strongest plot,Pink Slimeis a notable sci-fi release from 2024 that deserves more attention.
14Calypso: Oliver K. Langmead
A Woman Must Choose Her Colony’s Fate
A sci-fi installment that takes readers straight into space is Oliver K Langmead’sCalypso.This book follows Rochelle, who wakes up from cryostasis on a colony ark called Calypso. However, rather than finding her crewmates,Rochelle finds a colony that has been a site of war between engineers and botanists, leaving her to not only pick up the pieces, but decide where her colony’s future will lie.
Calypsostands out among othersci-fi releases this year because it is a genre-bendingpiece. Not only does the book delve into the sci-fi genre, but it also uses verse to showcase its story. While this may seem intimidating for some readers, it only enhances the reading experience. If anything,Calypsois a novel that sci-fi fans should read when they are looking for something freshand exciting out of the genre.
13In Universes: Emet North
A Scientist Crosses Parallel Universes To Understand Themself
For thosewho love parallel universes,In Universesis the perfect book to pick up. Written by Emet North, the novel centers on Raffi, a scientist working in an observational cosmology lab who struggles to understand their life and purpose. Yet, after developing a crush on a local sculptor named Britt,Raffi begins to wonder if there are worlds where they can be with Brittas more than just friends.
In this way,In Universesis perfect for sci-fi fans, and those may be new to the genre.
In Universesis another book that blends various different ideas, from alternate realities to gender identity.Raffi may be a scientist, but their story is much more about humanityand relationships than about science. In this way,In Universesis perfect for sci-fi fans, and those may be new to the genre. All in all, this is a hopeful and meaningful novel that asks readers to reconsider their own pasts, presents, and futures.
12Annie Bot: Sierra Greer
A Female Love Robot Learns To Be Human
One sci-fi novel that readers might have seen on shelves throughout 2024 isAnnie Botby Sierra Greer. In this book,Greer takes on the classic conundrum of a female robot who is designed to be the perfect maid and loverto a man, but soon begins to discover her own power through her humanity. The more mistakes Annie makes, the more she wonders what her master really wants, and more importantly, what she wants.
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Annie Botis a novel that will definitely hit home for many readers. The struggles Annie faces are not necessarily unique, despite the fact that she is a robot. This book works hard to explore feminism, bodily autonomy, and abuse through an interesting sci-fi lens. In this way,Annie Botis not just an entertaining read, but is an important allegorythat will leave its readers thinking hard once they’ve closed the book.
11Service Model: Adrian Tchaikovsky
A Robot Learns How To Rebel
Yet another robot-centric book that received praise this year isService Model.Set in a futuristic world where humans are reliant on artificial intelligence and technology,the book revolves around a robot who has an evil program downloaded into them and murders their owner.From there, they run away and find a world that they never knew existed, and is changing so that robots may finally get more power.
Adrian Tchaikovsky is best known for his novels,Children of Time, Children of Ruin,andChildren of Memory.
Tchaikovsky is a notable name in sci-fi, and for good reason.Service Modelis yet another project of his that left audiences feeling an impressive range of emotions. Though the book’s premise seems simple, and even cliché, Tchaikovsky manages to give this traditional robot story a fresh perspective. It is humorous, mysterious, and meaningful to the world at large. When it comes to high-quality sci-fi books,Service Modelcertainly makes the list.
10Rakesfall: Vajra Chandrasekera
Two People Connect Throughout Time & Space
A sci-fi epic that travels through time and space isRakesfall.In this book, two people meet after a war but before peace has been established. From their first meeting, the pair are inextricably linked, regardless of time or location.Their relationship cascades over generations,and is affected by dictators, witches, and how thestory bends reality.
Rakesfallmay not be for everyone, but it definitely deserves a lot more eyes on it. This book is vast and lyrical, taking readers on a journey that may not always be obvious or straightforward. In general, this is a unique project that readers won’t find in many other places, though it often resembles 2019’sThis Is How You Lose the Time War.Overall,Rakesfallis a wonderfully fresh story with outstanding writing and a moving tale at its core.
9In Ascension: Martin MacInnes
A Marine Biologist Goes On An Earth-Shattering Quest
Science fiction often goes into unexplored places, but this novel shows the mystery hidden within our own world.In Ascensionfollows Leigh, a marine biologist who has long used the ocean as an escape from her difficult life. Yet, whenLeigh joins a project to explore a trench at the bottom of the Atlantic, she must willingly leave her family behind to do the research she has always yearned to do - and didn’t even know existed.
In Ascensionis the ideal literary sci-fi book to read in 2024. It is artistic and imbued with meaning that goes beyond just the usual sci-fi tropes.In Ascensionis a reminder to readers that humans are part of a much vaster systemthan we even realize. In fact, MacInnes doesn’t even need to go that far to show just how incredible Earth is on its own. Although this may not be the easiest read of the year, its deeper themes are definitely worth digging into.
8The Practice, The Horizon, & The Chain: Sofia Samatar
A Boy & A Woman Work Together In A Space Dystopia
For a true sci-fi society, readers should pick upThe Practice, The Horizon, and The Chain.This book follows a boy who is part of the Chained, a population of people who work at the bottom of a mining ship that floats among the stars.The boy’s future changes when he is brought “upstairs” by a mysterious woman, who invites him to study at the ship’s university among their wealthiest students. Together, the boy and the woman try to change their fates using each other.
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Despite being a rather small novella,The Practice, The Horizon, and The Chainpacks a serious punch. Through an intriguing sci-fi world,Samatar tackles difficult topics including oppression, hierarchy, and class. Once again, readers may not be able to relate to the world Samatar builds, but they will definitely see the themes she writes embedded in their own lives. In this way, this is a particularly meaningful novella that does not tiptoe around its points.
7Exordia: Seth Dickinson
A Woman Fights Against Impending Doom
Another sci-fi with a relatively vague premise isExordia.Led by protagonist Anna,Exordiais set in a world where disaster has struck, and Anna must band together with a group of strangers to try and fix it. Following the lead of a mysterious broadcast, Anna and her peers discover something horrifying and beyond their control.
Exordia’srather ambiguous logline hides a sprawling novel that is not an easy read, but a worthwhile one.
Exordia’srather ambiguous logline hides a sprawling novel that is not an easy read, but a worthwhile one. Through his characters, Dickinson forces readers to accept hard truths about life and human nature. On top of that, he crafts this book like a puzzle, keeping the tensions high and the questions hard to decipher.Those who enjoy being turned upside down in their novels will most definitely appreciateExordia.
6Those Beyond The Wall: Micaiah Johnson
A Sci-Fi Murder Mystery
A 2024sci-fi novel with thriller elementsis Michaiah Johnson’sThose Beyond the Wall.This novel centers on Scales, a skilled enforcer who keeps the peace in a desert town called Ash. Yet,when a woman is killed before Scales' eyes, it becomes clear that something sketchy is going on, and Scales is the one who is going to figure it out, no matter the cost or danger. With a pair of helpers, Scales sets out to solve this mystery.
Those Beyond the Wallis another book that defies expectations. Rather than following basic sci-fi tropes, this book blends science fiction with thriller and crime with fantasy.It is like a classic cowboy story that takes place in spaceand is led by a powerful female character. These elements makeThose Beyond the Wallquite different from the other novels on this list, but that’s a good thing. For fast-paced and exciting fun, this is definitely the book to pick up.
