Dare I say it, but... We are entering into a new era of science fiction. Another Golden Age of SciFi books. With authors such as Matthew Mather, Alastair Reynolds, John Scalzi, and Nnedi Okorafor... It's easy to see why. That's why looking ahead to the 2019 Sci Fi book releases is just so exciting. There are so many great upcoming SciFi titles in 2019 that narrowing down a list is extremely difficult.
SO... without further ado, here are the best new and upcoming Science Fiction books of 2019.
If you want to check out any of these titles for free, you can do so with Audible's one month free trial.
1.
Polar Vortex
Matthew Mather
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Here at Top SciFi Books, we just can't get enough of Matthew Mather! And his latest novel (Released on Jan 21) is no exception. It's a gripping thriller of a father-daughter trip gone terribly wrong. When Mitch and Lilly Matthews' plane unexpectedly goes missing, tensions arise between the world's superpowers. On verge of apocalyptic war, a chance discovery is made. The lost Allied Airlines Flight 695 on the polar ice. So what really happened? Only Mitch's journal holds the shocking truth behind the Polar Vortex.
2.
Here and Now and Then
Mike Chen
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Kin Stewart is just your average everyday Joe. He's faced with the struggle of balancing his IT job, fanning the flames of a lackluster marriage, and attempting the impossible--connecting with his teenage daughter Miranda. But things weren't always so simple for Kin. In an earlier life, Kin was a time-traveling secret agent from 2142. After getting stranded in 1990s San Francisco, he begins to lose the memories of his former life. And that's just where his troubles begin. After 18 years, his "rescue team" from 2142 arrive intent on returning Kin home. Back to a family he's all but forgotten. This book has been released on January 29th and is available for order.
3.
Ancestral Night
Elizabeth Bear
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In this upcoming space opera by Elizabeth Bear, the story focuses on two deep space salvage operators--Halmey Dz and Connia Kurucz. These two jump point to point searching for ancient and alien relics hoping to strike it big. But one expedition leads them to find a shocking revelation about a once believed extinct alien civilization. One that may teeter the fragile peace mankind has established into full blown war. This book is now available for pre-order with a release date of March 5.
4.
The Light Brigade
Kameron Hurley
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Hugo Award winning author Kameron Hurley is back with a brand new futuristic war thriller in The Light Brigade. This time around Earth is at war with Mars and need reinforcements. That's where the Light Brigade comes in. The Light Brigade are the Infantry troops of the Corporate Corps. Their namesake is earned by the way they are delivered to the war zone. By physically breaking the soldiers down into light particles for transportation purposes. Unfortunately, this radical transformation takes it toll on the grunts. This story follows Dietz, a young recruit struggling to separate reality from madness. The question remains: Will he die a hero, or live long enough to see himself become the villain? This book is now available for pre-order with a release date of March 19.
5.
Permafrost
Alistair Reynolds
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What if we could go back in time and fix the past? Could a single action save the present and prevent a futuristic holocaust? Alastair Reynolds explores that with upcoming climate change thriller, Permafrost. Year 2080. A group of weary scientists gather at the edge of the Arctic Circle. They stand as humanity's last ditch effort for survival. Their team is complete with the exception of one. An aging schoolteacher whose late mother was the world's leading expert on Mathematical paradox. Year 2028. A young woman begins to hear a voice after her recovery from a routine brain surgery. A voice that seems to have a will and agenda of its own. This book is now available for pre-order with a release date of March 19.
6.
The Test
Sylvain Neuvel
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How far would you go to ensure your family's right to be? Set in a not so distant future, Idir is ready to take his British citizenship test. Shouldn't be too hard right? It's a simple test. Only 25 multiple choice questions sit between him and a free future. But things take a turn for the dark and quickly. Idir has not only been give 25 questions, but the power to control the life and death of others. Only given multiple choice, how is Idir to know how much value to place on a life? This book has been released on February 12th and is now available to order.
7.
Black Leopard, Red Wolf
Marlon James
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Marlon James is a Man Booker Award winning author and an absolute master of literary world creation. Neil Gaiman has been quoted in regards to James' mastery as saying, "A fantasy world as well-realized as anything Tolkien made." This book has also been touted as an "African Game of Thrones". (Find out why here.) With accolades of that magnitude, this book certainly makes our list of books to check out this year. The story follows Tracker, an unusually gifted hunter, assigned with the task of locating a boy who went missing three years prior. Although normally a lone wolf, Tracker soon finds himself working with an odd troop of companions including a shapeshifter known as Leopard. But as the team progresses along, one thing becomes apparent. There's something special about the missing boy. Drawing heavily upon African folklore, Marlon James paints a vivid picture worthy of any bookshelf. This book has been released on February 5th and is available for order.
8.
Famous Men Who Never Lived
K Chess
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This is one of our most unique entrants on this list. What if you never lived to achieve greatness in this universe? Just head to a different timeline of course. Prior to an all out nuclear holocaust, thousands of refugees fled to an alternate version of New York. While most attempt to assimilate into this strange new--but familiar--world, Hel has other plans in mind. She begins to obsess over an old flimsy science fiction novel from her timeline--The Pyronauts--and dedicates her life to preserving her vanished culture. And her efforts are greatly unwelcome to those live there. So, when The Pyronauts goes missing, Hel must decide just how far she is willing to reach to get it back or whether to accept the changes now taking place in her life. This book is now available for preorder with a release date of March 5.
9.
A Song for a New Day
Sarah Pinsker
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During the Before times, Luce Cannon was on top of the world. She had released a breakout single and saw herself climbing the charts. But that was in the Before. After a wave of terrorist attacks and virus pandemics wreaked havoc around the globe, the government has permanently banned large gatherings of people. Luce now has to forgo her concerts--her music-- effectively cutting her connection to the world. Now, a young girl named Rosemary Laws barely remembers the Before times. She spends her days in a drone delivery service down in Hoodspace all alone. But by chance, she finds herself a new job. Locating awesome musicians and having them perform for people via virtual reality. But there's a catch. She's gotta go out in public to do it. This book is now available for pre-order with a release date of September 10.
10.
This Is How You Lose the Time War
Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
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In this wonderful corroboration, two award winning authors team up to write a romantic science fiction love story. The premise of the book is written in love letters sent between two time travelling agents from each faction of warring futures. Any letter can be their last with this time travelling Romeo and Juliet. But there's still a war waging. And one side has to win right? That's just how war works. Or is it? This book is now available for pre-order with a release date of July 16.
What Criteria were used in making this list of 2019 Science Fiction Books?
With so many new releases out there... How could we narrow it down to just these ten? In all reality, we can't. But we can take an awesome sample of what's to come. These books were chosen for a number of reasons, after a few glasses of wine and thermoses of espresso!
- Originality and Creativity
- Each of these books chosen has a very unique aspect to them. Don't get me wrong. We all love a book that pays homage to a former Champion. But in order to make this list, I wanted to showcase books that had their own flair and ideas. Especially notable are Famous Men Who Never Lived by K Chess and Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen.
- World Creation
- What's a science fiction book without an absolutely gripping environment? By using world building techniques, authors can totally immerse their audience into their work--making them feel if they are one of the book's "NPC's". Standouts in this category are Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James and Polar Vortex by Matthew Mather.
- Great Representation of the Genre
- Believe it or not, SciFi isn't just all Space Marines and aliens. There are so many different variations of the genre! So, I chose a collective that represented all facets of science fiction. For instance, a new Space Opera with Ancestral Night by Elizabeth Bear and The Test by Sylvain Neuvel covering the Near-future category. (For all you aspiring SciFi writers out there, this is important info to know. Especially if self-publishing on Amazon. Check out this article on Kindle categories and find out how to choose the right category for you.)
Get These Best New and Upcoming SciFi Books for Free!
Want to try some of these new SciFi books for free? Here are two ways you can do that:
1. Signup with Audible's One Month Free Trial: By signing up for Audible's free month trial you can download any two books you choose for free. If you decide you like Audible then you can pay a small monthly fee of $14.95 and get one book a month. If you decide you do not like Audible you can cancel your trial and keep your two free books.
2. If you want to try something other than Audible you could also try Playster. Playster's One Month Free Trial works with either ebooks or audiobooks. You can pay for a membership at $14.95 per month and receive unlimited books. However Playster does not offer as many book options. If you would like to listen to all of Playsters books you will need to use the premium which is $29.95.