Why am I passionate about this?

As a scientist, I love hard science fiction, especially when the story makes me think about the true nature of reality or takes me on an adventure to places unknown. We’ve all read the classics from Clarke, Heinlein, Bear, or Asimov. But books written decades ago are becoming increasingly dated as society progresses into a new century. (Will people of the future really chain smoke? And why are all the characters men?) Never fear, modern hard sci-fi is alive and well. Here are five recent books that tell an intriguing, uplifting, or awe-inspiring story. Even better than the classics, it’s hard sci-fi for the 21st century!


I wrote

Book cover of Quantum Space

What is my book about?

A Soyuz capsule on reentry vanishes, and a secret particle physics laboratory holds clues for the bizarre event. To rescue…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Apothecary

Douglas Phillips Why did I love this book?

Peter Cawdron has written a whole series based on various first-contact scenarios, each an independent novel.

Apothecary is one of my favorites. Set in 16th-century England, it follows a young apprentice named Anthony, who works at a London apothecary (a pharmacy). When his blind friend Julia is accused of witchcraft and set to burn at the stake, Anthony seeks help from a member of the aristocracy who harbors a deep secret about her arrival in this medieval land.

The story is accurate, fascinating, and fun, as superstition and primitive technology clashes with advanced alien science. But like all Peter Cawdron stories, at its heart Apothecary is a story of characters struggling to do what’s right.

Book cover of Project Hannibal

Douglas Phillips Why did I love this book?

Kathryn is the best sci-fi author you haven’t read. How do I know? I was her critique buddy. We traded chapters as we wrote, each acting as advisor to the other.

I really liked Monkey Girl, a great choice for teen girls. But Project Hannibal is my favorite. Kathryn works at a zoo, so she knows a lot about animals. In Hannibal, she asks, could DNA from extinct woolly mammoths be used to impregnate a modern elephant? And if you could produce mammoth offspring, why do it?

As it turns out, mammoths might be exactly the wildlife our neglected planet needs. Join a flying doctor and her teenage assistant in a grand adventure across the wilderness of Alaska.

By Kathryn Hoff,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Project Hannibal as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of Last Man Standing

Douglas Phillips Why did I love this book?

I normally avoid dystopian, but this story doesn’t dwell in misery like so many apocalyptic stories do.

Last Man Standing is more like Andy Weir’s book, The Martian, because it’s about one man’s survival under extreme conditions. A scientist is stranded on a space station after an attack that has killed everyone else onboard. What happened, and why? He doesn’t know, but he’ll do anything to stay alive and find a way to get back to Earth despite a thousand obstacles in his path and little knowledge of spaceflight.

This story can be intense, but the character stays positive and has a lot of heart.

By Craig A. Falconer,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Last Man Standing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of The Cold Light of Stars

Douglas Phillips Why did I love this book?

Rysa Walker offers a grab bag of fiction, from time travel to murder mysteries. Her latest series is an alien artifact story set on Mars.

An eccentric and not-so-honest billionaire is terraforming the planet (sound familiar?) and multiple factions of homesteaders are in conflict with the temporary workers. Enter a principled journalist who just wants to bring the breaking alien artifact story to readers back on Earth. She quickly learns that virtually no one on Mars can be trusted. In over her head, she has no ride home.

I like this story in part because Rysa is such a good writer, but also because it feels supremely relevant to our world today.

By Rysa Walker,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Cold Light of Stars as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A chamber from an ancient civilization is uncovered deep below the surface of Mars. Science reporter Claire Echols is assigned to cover the story, but someone is determined to stop her. Is it the wealthy entrepreneur leading the ongoing terraforming effort? The mining companies desperate to protect their livelihoods? The cult leader who wants to put a stop to all scientific progress? Or is someone else so threatened by this discovery that they'll kill to keep it hidden?


Book cover of All Systems Red

Douglas Phillips Why did I love this book?

I usually point readers to authors who are less well known, but I’ll make a slight exception for Martha Wells (famous in the Fantasy genre but less so in sci-fi).

All Systems Red, her sci-fi novella about a non-conformist android is simply a whole lot of fun. Just read the first paragraph, what authors call “the hook”. In three sentences, Martha will pull you into the personal story of Sec Unit (aka murderbot).

This murderbot might be a heartless killing machine but now that her governor module has been disabled, she has a new sense of fairness. Plus, she’s discovered 397 episodes of her new favorite television show: Sanctuary Moon. Don’t miss this book!

By Martha Wells,

Why should I read it?

26 authors picked All Systems Red as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

All Systems Red by Martha Wells begins The Murderbot Diaries, a new science fiction action and adventure series that tackles questions of the ethics of sentient robotics. It appeals to fans of Westworld, Ex Machina, Ann Leckie's Imperial Raadch series, or lain M. Banks' Culture novels. The main character is a deadly security droid that has bucked its restrictive programming and is balanced between contemplative self discovery and an idle instinct to kill all humans. In a corporate dominated s pa cef a ring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by…


Explore my book 😀

Book cover of Quantum Space

What is my book about?

A Soyuz capsule on reentry vanishes, and a secret particle physics laboratory holds clues for the bizarre event. To rescue lost astronauts, a science investigator is drawn into a mind-bending journey from the ultra-small to the vast stage of the Milky Way.

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Book cover of The Mazatlan Showdown

Patrick Weill Author Of The Mazatlan Showdown

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

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What is my book about?

Jeff Walker is a champion surfer haunted by the mystery of his father’s murder and his mother’s broken heart. After finding a job as a lifeguard, a rescue mission at sea plunges him into a far-reaching criminal conspiracy.

Walker and his closest friends aid the police in their investigation, through which it is revealed that the leader of the crooks is his father’s killer! The tension builds from that point on until he finally faces his nemesis in a confrontation that will leave only one man standing. 

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The Mazatlan Showdown

By Patrick Weill,

What is this book about?

Meet Jeff Walker, a champion surfer haunted by the unsolved mystery of his father’s murder and his mother’s broken heart. When he relocates to sunny San Diego and secures a job as a beach lifeguard, a rescue mission at sea plunges him into the dark underworld of international crime.

Along with his closest friends, Walker supports the police in their investigation, and in doing so discovers that the leader of the smugglers is his father’s killer, the man he’s been looking for since he was a teenager! From that moment on, the tension builds, until Walker finally faces his nemesis…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in robots, superstitions, and dystopian?

Robots 97 books
Superstitions 21 books
Dystopian 595 books