Five new Science Fiction Books not to be missed

This year brought some excellent new releases in to the science fiction community. Below are listed the top 5 ranked new Sci-fi books that should not be missed in 2019.  All of these are available in ebook and paperback as of this article's writing.


1 - The Eagle has Landed - 50 Years of Lunar Science Fiction edited by Neil Clarke, best known as editor of Clarkeworld Magazine. An incredible collection of stories about lunar landings. You'll
not be disappointed. Stories by Stephen Baxter, Gregory Benford and Rich Larson stand out. Give it a read. I know some of the stories are dated, but they hold up well. This new collections is well-rounded, if Moon space is in your wheelhouse.





2 - Hidden Planet by Rod Little. Book 1 in the Angry Galaxy series sees an unusual crew of three out on a space exploration mission. One crew member is even a spider! When they crash on a planet that seems to move daily, they encounter a dystopian society that won't let them leave. Later, a feel of ships from another time zone joins the fray and the Starship's crew must help avoid an inter-galactic war - while still trying to escape. Hidden Planet is imaginative and full of surprises, with fast-paced and propulsive action! A peppering of sci-fi pop culture references will especially appeal to older readers. A fun, satisfying space romp! Science fiction the way we love it.




3 - Fighter by Isaac Hooke. Book 5 in the Monster Tamer series, this is more of a fantasy science-fiction hybrid, leaning into several fantasy worlds. If you're a fan of the series, this final book won't disappoint. If you prefer more space action, Hooke has others to choose from, including the Alien War series.


4 - The Three Body Problem by Liu CiXin. While not new this year, the newest translation came out recently. It's a sinister take on the "evil" alien invasion plot, with the subtexts about the downsides of China's dystopian society (in the the author's view). It won't appeal to everyone, but it should ring a few bells with fans of alien clashes. A lot of sputter has gone around the net, so you'll find equal numbers of those who didn't take to the series as those who loved it. At least pop the cover and take a look inside for yourself.


5 -  Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky - Sequel to Children of Time, which was bout evolution and terra-forming of a planet told from three perspectives, including the point of view of the spiders. Like Watership Down from an arachnid point of view. This is the next book in the series and is worth a read or at least a peek.


Extra Mention: The Thrawn series by Timothy Zahn is execellent. It's a Star Wars series of books, so you'll have to be into that ... but they are superbly well written.

Those are your hot sci-fi books this year.

We'll have more good science fiction, fantasy and horror books for you next month. Stay tuned and keep reaching for the stars.