I am writing this without (so far) having read any of the books I mention, but I believe that 2025 is shaping up to be a good year for science fiction. From what I can see, there is a lot of “literary” sci-fi coming our way, but perhaps less of the physics and spaceship heavy stuff, which won’t suit everyone. But that may well change as new titles are announced. Here is my pick of upcoming offerings.
In January, we have (St Martin’s Press) by Eiren Caffall, a novel set partly on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History in New York in a flooded future. It is said to be inspired by curators in Iraq and Leningrad who worked to protect collections there from war. We will also have (Atria Books) by bestselling author Erica Swyler. Early information describes it as “a novel about a bio-prosthetic surgeon and her personal AI as they are drawn into a revolution”.
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February is set to be a packed month for new releases in the book stores. First off, there is (Gollancz) by Nnedi Okorafor. The award-winning writer brings us a story about a Nigerian American with disabilities “who writes a science fiction novel that becomes a global phenomenon… but at a price”. I am intrigued. The same month, the ever-inventive Adrian Tchaikovsky returns with (Pan Macmillan), the story of two scientists crashing on a hostile alien moon. I am always happy to read a new Tchaikovsky.
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There will also be two novels set in Antarctica. (Angry Robot) is by Michael Nayak, whose work as a researcher on the frigid continent may bring a sizeable dose of authenticity to his tale of a biological threat at the South Pole. And in (HarperCollins), by R.S. Burnett, a woman is left stranded on the ice by nuclear war.
March sees two comic offerings. (Pan Macmillan) by John Scalzi is about the titular object turning to cheese. Meanwhile, ! (Angry Robot) by A. G. Rodriguez involves a custodian on a space station. Less humorous will be the fifth entry in Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games canon, a second prequel entitled (Scholastic).
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In April, I like the look of (Pan Macmillan) by Olivie Blake, the plot of which sounds like Succession, except that here the children are telepathic. Then there is (Tor Publishing) by Isaac Fellman. It is billed as “a heartbreaking story of trans self-discovery with a science fiction twist”. Finally in this packed month, I’m looking forward to (Angry Robot) by Khan Wong, marketed as “an intense and thoughtful time-travelling dystopian fantasy where three individuals, psychically linked through time, fight enslavement, exploitation, and environmental collapse”.
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Skipping on to June, we have another Adrian Tchaikovsky release. (Bloomsbury) is the third in a series set in a future where “bioforms” have inherited Earth. I will be belatedly catching up on the rest of the series (Dogs of War and Bear Head) in preparation.
In the first half of the year, I am also looking forward to by Pulitzer Prize finalist Laila Lalami. It is set in a near future in which even our dreams are under surveillance. I also like the sound of (Brown Books) by the Hugo award winner Elizabeth Bear, about an interstellar journey across the Milky Way to connect with an artificial intelligence.
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Later on we have (Tor Publishing), out in August. It is by the acclaimed sci-fi writer (and my 91av colleague) Annalee Newitz and is billed as a “cosy, near-future novella” concerning a crew of abandoned food service bots opening their own restaurant.
Moving on to October, which sees the publication of Ken Liu’s Dreamshore Guardian (Head of Zeus). Liu is a huge name in sci-fi and his new novel is marketed as the first in a new trilogy of dark, cyberpunk thrillers, which is quite exciting.
Last of all, in November, comes (Bloomsbury Publishing) by Jacek Dukaj. It is the first time this epic story of an extraordinary voyage has been translated (by Ursula Phillips) from Polish, and the press release claims it “could be the most monumental work of literary science fiction published in the 21st century”, so I feel I must definitely give it a go.
Here’s to another happy year of sci-fi reading!
Emily H. Wilson is the author of Inanna and Gilgamesh, set in ancient Mesopotamia. The third in the series, Ninshubar, is due out next year
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