100 books like Nexus Talks to Aliens

I heard so many people rave about the Murderbot Diaries (this is book 1) that I launched my own one-person boycott—until someone gave me a copy. Then, I wondered why I had resisted for so long. It’s fantastic! I love Murderbot’s dry delivery—very similar to my own style of humor. The story is fabulous—full of action, technology, and danger—and Murderbot slowly reveals its backstory and personality as it carries you through the story.

I loved that the built-to-work-tirelessly Murderbot is instinctively lazy, prefers to watch soap operas over doing its job, and cleverly hides those “failings” from the people it is supposed to be serving. The satisfying ending made me pick up book 2 almost immediately. 

Oh, what’s not to love? Space travel, poetry writing aliens, a criminal galactic president, the end of the world, a depressed robot … this book has it all, and I reread it (and the other 4 volumes in the trilogy, yes, trilogy) every year or so.

This is a fun escape, I discovered this volume as a kid, fell in love with it, and it’s my favorite book still to this day all these centuries later.

Hart’s Galaxy Cruise feels like Douglas Adams wrote an episode of The Love Boat. But even though the comedy is wacky, the action is non-stop, and the technology is more of a suggestion than actual science, the characters are all lovable, annoying, entertaining, three-dimensional people I’d like to hang out with. Even Leo MacGavin (yes, that’s his name!) a blundering, downtrodden, sad-sack, has redeeming qualities. I laughed out loud many times while reading this book and couldn’t wait for the sequel. 

Although the science is more hand-wavium than usual in science fiction, the consistency drew me in and kept my disbelief suspended. Most of the time. The rest of the time, it just made me laugh, which was the whole point. 

Some might claim this book is more urban fantasy than science fiction, but the characters are aliens who fly spaceships and travel through portals, and to me, that means science fiction. And although they are vampires and werewolves, they’re still aliens. 

Dina Demille runs a bed and breakfast that serves a very special clientele—aliens visiting the protected planet Earth. Dina is an amazing protagonist. She’s smart enough to pull off daring schemes but human enough to make me love her. I also love the supporting characters who constantly distract her from her goals in often hilarious ways. And, of course, my favorite part is the happy ending. 

Doesn’t every kid want a pet? Most kids think of a dog, a cat, a hamster, or a hermit crab, but this story is about trying a new kind of pet: A skunk.

Bixby Alexander Tam, a.k.a. Bat, has his work cut out for him. His mom is a veterinarian. That’s how the skunk got into the house. (At our house, it was Stretchy the Leech. We have a zoologist in the family.) Watching Bat convince his mom that a skunk could be his pet, instead of a ticking time-bomb, was lots of fun. (I love the author’s note about the skunk scientist. Science magic.)

Parents’ and professionals’ judgments of neurodivergent children, which are often based on perceived deficits, can limit those children’s choices and opportunities. Dictating the course of neurodivergent children’s care without involving them as active participants can also have dire, long-lasting consequences.

This book by Martha Leary and Anne Donnellan illustrates the importance of understanding the sensory and movement experiences of autistic people, which is only possible if you take the time to actively listen to those experiences and use them to shape an approach to care. The book helped to inform the care model we use at Cortica and reinforced my commitment to providing a personalized level of support that integrates children’s engagement in the process and honors each child’s unique journey, needs, and strengths.

To my knowledge, no one has written a main character like Don Tilman before. A tall, handsome genetics professor who’s never had a second date, he approaches his need for a wife with typical precision and the use of a complex spreadsheet. Don navigates the unfamiliar world of feelings and unplanned activities with his customary efficiency, but what is this strange new emotion he’s feeling?

I simply adore this book and often read it twice a year. It’s an absolute delight, funny, poignant, and so incredibly life-affirming. You’ll be cheering Don and Rosie on and hoping that everything works out for them. I do every time, and I know what happens!

Steph has a way with words, that will make you laugh and cry at the same time.

Her survival guide to therapy takes us on a journey that I entirely identify with – trying to find therapy for all of our ‘problems’ from therapists who don’t really get it. I learned so much (and know now what to do) and enjoyed myself along the way.

Kaz Windness, the author-illustrator wrote Bitsy for herself and anyone who is neurodivergent and experiencing something for the first time.

Bitsy is nervous about starting school and her family makes space for her to practice and prepare for her first night at school. She begins school and tries to go about the day in ways that feel natural to her but is quickly judged by others, being expected to do things the way her classmates do things.

While Bitsy had a rough first day, she is reminded that she is a star by being herself. She steps into her power and heads into her second day of school to help others do the same. My biological niece from my maternal-side was just recently diagnosed with autism. I was happy to be able to add this book to her bookshelf as she is navigating the world. 

I read this book before my daughter was diagnosed with autism, but I recognized things in the main character, Christopher, that reminded me of my daughter, Nina. His honesty and intelligence, plus his ability to infuriate his parents, certainly rang bells.

Christopher is very lovable, and I find the scenes heartbreaking when the public misunderstands his overtures of friendship–or just his honest curiosity. This rings true, though, because the public can be very judgmental of autistic people if they are viewed as being too ‘different.’ Thankfully, the book has a positive ending; in fact, the final phrase is ‘…I can do anything.’