32 books like New Sun

This entire series was amazing. Okay, a few of the books were a bit slow, but overall, it was great. The new worlds, the political intrigue, everything about this story was great. There were histories that drove the characters that were only hinted at or mentioned in passing, but they brought life to them. Just like we are all shaped by our past, our countries, and our places in society, so are all the characters in this book.

My favorite character wasn’t Paul, though; it was Duncan Idaho. I was so sad when he was killed, but I was fascinated when they brought him back from the dead in the second book and others because Herbert made it so interesting. The bodyguard programmed, created even, to kill the one he once died to protect. Now, that’s some drama right there. 😊 

The twists, turns, and world-building were amazing. I learned… show more.

Set among the post-apocalyptic remnants of a far-future earth, this book combines the “forgotten technology” trope common to science fiction with archetypal fantasy characters. 

Civilisations relying on technology so advanced it’s incomprehensible to them, is one of my favourite concepts in science fiction. Harrison uses this to create a world I thought was magical, melancholic, and nostalgic–effecting a tone more common to epic fantasy.

However, it is the imagery that sets this book apart, with Harrison depicting battlefields and blasted landscapes with a colourful yet eerily retro and forlorn beauty. It was like reading T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land in a 70s disco, complete with knights fighting among rusted metal swamps, with lightsaber-like baans, against brain-eating bioengineered creatures from humanity’s former technological apex.  

I was hooked by the setting and drawn along by knights, queens, and old warriors interacting with androids and futuristic weapons as they attempted to save their… show more.

I discovered Alastair Reynolds, who is now my favorite science fiction writer, by reading this book, which was a mind-opening experience. I especially enjoy his combining a kind of “film noir” sensibility with realistic science ideas (the latter is not surprising since he has a Ph.D. in astronomy.) 

This first novel in his series is an excellent way to delve into his marvelously imagined Universe, where humanity exists in a number of genetically modified variants, and intelligences have to contend with ancient and powerful machines that deem organic life too war-like to be permitted to live.

I thought this book (another by the king of quirk, Backman) was hysterical. The relationship between the precocious seven-year-old main character, Elsa, and her nutty grandmother is laugh-out-loud funny yet poignant.

I also liked that the story included a bit of magical realism, so I was never quite sure what would happen next.

This one is pure fun. It’s hard to believe no one thought to make a female chemist the star of a cooking show before! The story is witty and original, artfully combining the hard truths of being a scientist and a TV personality in male-dominated fields, with femininity and motherhood.

Sexism is rampant (obviously, it’s the 1950s), and the challenges the protagonist faces often seem insurmountable. Garmus takes these difficult themes seriously, while delivering them with humor and a lightheartedness that makes for a refreshing read.

A man is chosen. A hero emerges. Deep, dark future action and adventure at its story-telling best. As a beast created to kill other beasts, what keeps Ragnar in check? What controls his path? Great questions, but who cares? These are adventures of the purest, most entertaining form. King offers the perfect balance of action and coming-of-age in a dystopian future. As the main character, Ragnar Blackmane can best be described as a noble savage, ascending within the pantheon of heroes that leave their mark on the galaxy. It’s this combination that makes it all work, and I wish King would have written more. 

A different kind of hero. Cerebral and self-contained. Eisenhorn is an Inquisitor who maneuvers within the system and operates within his own complex reality, fighting a never-ending war against all aspects of Chaos. He finds allies in impossible places and uses them to his advantage. Part mystery, part adventure, and expertly crafted to portray the darkest of futures, it is the quintessential dystopian science fantasy. While some may question the rigid morality of the future day, Eisenhorn chooses results over dogma, choosing the lesser of two evils. I learned that characters must choose their own reality, adapting to the dystopia in which they reside. It’s a compelling human trait that transcends any universe.  

Ah, the first sentences, “Ove is fifty-nine. He drives a Saab.”

Ove’s story is written without excessive embellishment (and I’ll admit that I often enjoy books with rich and poetic language), but it is so impactful. Backman’s economy of language supports the adage of ‘actions speak louder than words.’

Ove is on a path of self-discovery. He begrudgingly becomes immersed in his community; the grumpy old man becomes an unlikely hero. I saw my grandfather in this stoic character, both stern and unwittingly funny. Supporting characters are so well developed, that I saw in them, too, people I know—my immigrant neighbor, my mother suffering from Alzheimer’s... 

A Man Called Ove, feels real. It is a believable portrayal of kindness in this world, when we need it the most. 

This book inspired my love of sci-fi romance. I adore the characters and the deceptively simple premise. Cordelia Naismith is a badass survey captain stranded on a wild planet with only her enemy, Aral Vorkosigan, known as The Butcher of Komarr, for company.

As they trek through the wilderness, Cordelia gets to know Aral and realizes her assumptions about him are all wrong. Originally published in 1986, this book launches the Vorkosigan Saga—my favorite sci-fi series. What I love about this book is how Bujold takes the time to let Cordelia and Aral get to know each other as people and bond on a deep emotional and intellectual level. They may be on opposite sides of a war, but they recognize the humanity in each other.

The Moon Hunters is a masterpiece of dystopian literature. Told through flashbacks, journal entries, and a nautical rescue, we follow Leilani through post-apocalyptic, post-plague island life in a society with inhumane laws and toxic religious conditioning. There’s forbidden romance, ruthless royalty, thrilling action, and jaw-dropping prose. Leilani is strong and willful, and society punishes her for her strength. With universal themes of love, loss, revolution, and retribution, Pavelle hooked me from the start and possessed me till the end. I adored the characters, the world enchanted me, and the prose bewitched me. It’s truly a dystopian jewel.