Top new sci-fi books in October 2021
Last updated:
October 31, 2021
October 2021 featuring new releases by Christina Dalcher, Susanna Kearsley, Robert Ian MacKenzie, David Wong, Jason Pargin, Brandon Sanderson, Janci Patterson, Brent Spiner, Jeanne Darst, Ruby Dixon, Jodi Taylor, Chris Hadfield, Neal Stephenson, Tade Thompson, Clifford Samuel and many more.
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Femlandia by Christina Dalcher
A chilling look into an alternate near future where a woman and her daughter seek refuge in a women-only colony, only to find that the safe haven they were hoping for is the most dangerous place they could be.Miranda Reynolds always thought she would rather die than live in Femlandia...adult · alternate-history · anthologies · audiobook · contemporary · crime · dark · dystopia · family · female-mc -
The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley, Robert Ian MacKenzie
From international bestselling author Susanna Kearsley comes a historical tale of intrigue and revolution in Scotland, where the exile of King James brought plots, machinations, suspicion and untold bravery to light. An investigation of a young widow's secrets by a man who's far from objective, leads to a multi-layered tale of adventure, endurance, romance...and the courage to hope...action-adventure · adult · audiobook · book · drama · early-modern · family · female-author · fiction · historical -
John Dies at the End by David Wong, Jason Pargin
John Dies at the End is a genre-bending, humorous account of two college drop-outs inadvertently charged with saving their small town—and the world—from a host of supernatural and paranormal invasions...adult · book · contemporary · cosmic-horror · dark-humor · fiction · horror · humor · supernatural · sci-fi -
ReDawn by Brandon Sanderson, Janci Patterson
From #1 bestselling author Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson comes the second of three Skyward series novellas, each told from the perspective of a different member of the team back on Detritus. Read Alanik’s story between Starsight and Cytonic.“Don’t trust their lies. Don’t trust their false peace...sci-fi · young-adult · fiction · audiobook · space · action-adventure · space-opera · aliens · dystopia · futuristic -
Fan Fiction by Brent Spiner, Jeanne Darst
A Mem-Noir: Inspired by True Events From Brent Spiner, who played the beloved Lieutenant Commander Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation, comes an explosive and hilarious autobiographical novel. Brent Spiner’s explosive and hilarious novel is a personal look at the slightly askew relationship between a celebrity and his fans... -
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Worse Guy by Ruby Dixon
Crulden the Ruiner is the most dangerous gladiator in the galaxy.I’m his clone - equally ugly, equally dangerous, and just as feared. I’m also being held captive, since no one trusts a creature like me to be let loose.A curvy, determined human named Bee doesn’t think I’m a creature, though. In fact, she thinks I just need a guide...adult · aliens · alpha-mc · book · fated-mates · fiction · forced-proximity · friends-to-lovers · genetic-engineering · humor -
Saving Time by Jodi Taylor
Life is good for Team Weird, now heroes and fully fledged Time Police officers. Luke can't wait to bear arms. Jane has a date. And Matthew still hasn't had his hair cut.But Time waits for no one and neither do criminal masterminds. A major threat to the Timeline is looming, one far deadlier than mere idiots who want to change history...action-adventure · adult · alternate-history · audiobook · book · comedy · coming-of-age · crime · female-author · fiction -
The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield
An exceptional debut thriller and “exciting journey” into the dark heart of the Cold War and the space race from New York Times bestselling author and astronaut Chris Hadfield (Andy Weir, author of The Martian and Project Hail Mary). 1973: a final, top-secret mission to the Moon. Three astronauts in a tiny spaceship, a quarter million miles from home. A quarter million miles from help...action-adventure · adult · alternate-history · amateur-sleuth · audiobook · book · cold-war · crime · espionage · exploration -
Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson
A visionary technothriller about climate change.Neal Stephenson’s sweeping, prescient new novel transports readers to a near-future world where the greenhouse effect has inexorably resulted in a whirling-dervish troposphere of superstorms, rising sea levels, global flooding, merciless heat waves, and virulent, deadly pandemics...21st-century · action-adventure · adult · audiobook · book · contemporary · disaster · dystopia · fiction · humor -
Far from the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson, Clifford Samuel
The colony ship Ragtime docks in the Lagos system, having traveled light-years to bring one thousand sleeping souls to a new home among the stars. But when first mate Michelle Campion rouses, she discovers some of the sleepers will never wake.Answering Campion’s distress call, investigator Rasheed Fin is tasked with finding out who is responsible for these deaths...action-adventure · adult · afrofuturism · afterlife · ai · aliens · audiobook · book · colonization · crime -
Any Sign of Life by Rae Carson
When a teenage girl thinks she may be the only person left alive in her town—maybe in the whole world—she must rely on hope, trust, and her own resilience.Paige Miller is determined to take her basketball team to the state championship, maybe even beyond. But as March Madness heats up, Paige falls deathly ill. Days later, she wakes up attached to an IV and learns that the whole world has perished...action-adventure · aliens · animals · apocalyptic · audiobook · book · contemporary · dark · dystopia · epic -
Truth of the Divine by Lindsay Ellis
USA TODAY BESTSELLERTruth of the Divine is the latest alternate-history first-contact novel in the Noumena series from the instant New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestselling author Lindsay Ellis. The human race is at a crossroads; we know that we are not alone, but details about the alien presence on Earth are still being withheld from the public...adult · aliens · alternate-history · audiobook · book · conspiracies · drama · dystopia · female-author · fiction -
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
There lived a girl named Petra Peña, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita.But Petra's world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children – among them Petra and her family – have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race...action-adventure · audiobook · book · children · children-books · coming-of-age · death · disability · dystopia · family -
Holos by Danielle Paige
From New York Times bestselling author Danielle Paige (Dorothy Must Die, The Ravens, Stealing Snow) comes a fast-paced tech-noir thriller about digital ghosts, memories, and what it means to be human. Talia, working with the eccentric Dr. V on The Holos Project, has created a way to revive the dead in the form of holograms... -
Blackcoat by Steve McHugh
When Celine Moro took a job as a Blackcoat, an elite agency tasked with investigating crimes throughout Union space, she thought she had finally put her past to rest.Now, betrayed by her allies, her world is falling apart. Running from the corrupt politicians that she had sworn to bring to justice, Celine is dusting off the skills of her old trade in order to bring truth to light... -
The Blood That Binds by Claire C. Riley, Madeline Sheehan
- Please note. The original book 3 is now being moved to later in the series. The Blood that Binds is now the NEW book 3 in the series - * Book 3 in the Thicker than Blood series *Tᴡᴏ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀs. A ᴄʜɪʟᴅʜᴏᴏᴅ sᴡᴇᴇᴛʜᴇᴀʀᴛ.Life has never been easy for this trio, and especially not after the end of civilization as they knew it...post-apocalyptic · horror · dystopia · action-adventure · zombies · enemies-to-lovers · angst · apocalyptic · multi-pov · love-triangle -
The Every by Dave Eggers
From the award-winning, bestselling author of The Circle comes an exciting new follow-up. When the world's largest search engine/social media company, the Circle, merges with the planet's dominant ecommerce site, it creates the richest and most dangerous--and, oddly enough, most beloved--monopoly ever known: the Every.Delaney Wells is an unlikely new hire at the Every...21st-century · action-adventure · adult · apocalyptic · audiobook · book · contemporary · dystopia · fiction · futuristic -
Hoot and Howler by Lindsay Buroker
Since Amar can't eat Morgen's irreverent familiar, he'll have to figure out a way to get the owl to respect him. He's a mighty werewolf...romance · fantasy · urban-fantasy · shapeshifters · female-mc · humor · sci-fi · paranormal · fiction · book -
Clone Crisis by S.H. Jucha
The Sisterhood’s dangerous militarist sect finds a foothold in a broad swath of space inhabited by the descendants of Earth’s fourth colony ship, Destiny. They’re welcomed by the mining corporations, whose leaders see unbridled opportunity in the sisters’ advanced tech.Five powerful corporations own six mining planets...action-adventure · adult · ai · aliens · book · fiction · first-contact · invasion · violent-conflict · sci-fi -
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Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline
A new story about hope and survival. Years ago, when plagues and natural disasters killed millions of people, much of the world stopped dreaming. Without dreams, people are haunted, sick, mad, unable to rebuild. The government soon finds that the Indigenous people of North America have retained their dreams, an ability rumored to be housed in the very marrow of their bones...young-adult · fiction · dystopia · sci-fi · lgbtq · audiobook · post-apocalyptic · indigenous-mc · poc-mc · survival -
Baycation by Jerry Boyd
Bob wanted to take a few days off, to chill after spending so long in the black. Letting go of his stress turns out to be harder than he thought it might be, and of course, Murphy gets to have a say. Come along, and see how Bob handles trying to stay out of trouble... -
Apex Magazine Issue 126: Indigenous Futurists by Rebecca Roanhorse, Sloane Leong, Allison Mills, Pamela Rentz
Strange. Beautiful. Shocking. Surreal.We are pleased to present a special issue focusing on Indigenous Futurists and guest-edited by Allison Mills.APEX MAGAZINE is a digital dark science fiction and fantasy genre zine that features award-winning short fiction, essays, and interviews. Established in 2009, our fiction has won several Hugo and Nebula Awards.We publish every other month... -
Delphi Diversion by Bob Blanton
Catie is on her way back to Earth after having settled the Fazulan slaves when the wormhole her ship is traveling in collapses. They are diverted to another system where big chunks are flying around. They rescue a ship and find themselves in the middle of a series of mysteries...action-adventure · aliens · audiobook · book · exploration · fiction · first-contact · military · space · space-fleet -
Burntcoat by Sarah Hall
A NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE NOMINEEAn extraordinary work that will stand as blazing witness to the age that bore it." -- Sarah PerryA masterpiece (Daisy Johnson) of mortality, passion, and human connection, set against the backdrop of a deadly global virus--from the Booker-nominated writerYou were the last one here, before I closed the door of Burntcoat. Before we all closed our doors . .21st-century · adult · anthologies · audiobook · contemporary · drama · dystopia · epic · epidemy · family -
A Twist of Fate by Kelley Armstrong
Four years ago, Rosalind Courtenay stumbled from the nineteenth century to the twenty-first, where she has been trapped ever since, leaving her husband and infant son behind. Now she’s found her way back.The problem, of course, is how to explain her absence to her husband... -
Nancy and the Naga by Honey Phillips
Can an alien prince in exile protect an escaped slave who won’t surrender?A year as a slave in an alien mine is enough to destroy any woman, but Nancy refuses to give up hope. When she sees a chance to escape, she takes it.Her freedom is worth almost any price, but she didn’t anticipate how hard she would have to struggle to survive. When a strange new alien discovers her, she fears the worst... -
Brutal Claim by Lee Savino, Tabitha Black
Aurus:The High King of Ulfaria needs no introduction. What I need is an Omega.And now, I've found one. Kim. She is small and perfect, as I knew she would be.I will demand her obedience, then I will give her the perfect nest and allow her to bear my heirs.She vows to defy me, but one way or another, she will submit.Kim:Hold. My. Beer...adult · aliens · alpha-mc · book · dark · female-mc · fiction · forced-proximity · kidnapping · magic -
She's a Killer by Kirsten McDougall
The world’s climate is in crisis and New Zealand is being divided and reshaped by the arrival of privileged immigrant wealthugees.Thirty-something Alice has a near-genius IQ and lives at home with her mother with whom she communicates by Morse code. Alice’s imaginary friend, Simp, has shown up, with a running commentary on her failings...fiction · sci-fi · mystery · dystopia · crime · horror · audiobook · pollution-climate-change · literary-fiction · dark-humor -
Battlemaster's Gambit by Nathan Pierce
Resurrected to dominate or die again?Andric was much like anyone else, further along in his life than he wanted to be. Much further along, and waiting to finally become the main character of his own story.Fate had a funny joke for him, though.He died.Unexpectedly he was given the strangest of plot developments... -
Crossbones by Kimberly Vale
Never trust a pirate.The Blood Bell tolls, marking the death of the pirate king and the start of the Trials—a heart-stopping competition where the reward is the Bone Crown. Only one contender can claim the coveted island throne; each will gamble life and limb to win. Captain. Sister. Maiden... -
Brutal by Hope Hart
He calls himself an ‘acquisitions expert.’In reality, the charming, handsome Thesian is a space pirate. And I trust the 7-foot tall alien about as far as I can throw him.But at this point, I have to trust someone. Because the Grivath are hunting a little girl. A little girl who had the bad luck to grow up as a royal on a planet that they want to control...action-adventure · adult · aliens · alpha-mc · book · female-mc · fiction · first-contact · humor · paranormal -
Her Alien Ghost by Michele Mills
Firebrook Castle is haunted. What utter nonsense! I never believe silly ghost stories… until I suddenly inherit the crumbling Firebrook estate. And now I’m a human bravely staying the night in an old ruin to prove that tales of ghostly Hyrrokin soldiers are just that…tall tales...action-adventure · adult · aliens · alpha-mc · book · contemporary · demons · fiction · ghosts · humor -
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Nightwatch on the Hinterlands by K. Eason
Set in the universe of Rory Thorne, this new standalone sci-fi mystery follows an unlikely duo who must discover the motive behind an unusual murder. THE TEMPLAR: When Lieutenant Iari hears screams in the night, she expects to interrupt a robbery or break up a fight... -
Perhaps the Stars by Ada Palmer
From the 2017 John W. Campbell Award Winner for Best Writer, Ada Palmer's Perhaps the Stars is the final book of the Hugo Award-shortlisted Terra Ignota series.World Peace turns into global civil war.In the future, the leaders of Hive nations—nations without fixed location—clandestinely committed nefarious deeds in order to maintain an outward semblance of utopian stability... -
Orphan Black: The Next Chapter by Mishell Baker, Madeline Ashby, Malka Ann Older, Heli Kennedy
After a groundbreaking event changes the world, all clones— familiar and unknown— must face the consequences.Starring Emmy award-winning actress Tatiana Maslany, Realm presents the official continuation of the hit TV series Orphan Black...sci-fi · audiobook · mystery · lgbtq · wlw · urban-fantasy · romantic-love · fiction · crime · cloning -
Holiday Fakeout: 22 Fake Holiday Dates to Heat Up the Season by Heather Graham, K.L. Brady, Kat Baxter
Need a date for the holidays? Oh joy…We've got you covered with 22 fake holidates to heat up your season!Travel from small towns to cosmopolitan cities, snow covered mountains to gorgeous mansions. You'll meet sexy billionaires, brainy tech gods, buff journalists, sinfully cocky athletes, and sizzling hot chefs... -
Project 19 by James Rosone, Matt Jackson
. What if Saddam Hussein ……hadn’t stopped with Kuwait?Project 19 might have worked.No one knows how close Iraq came to invading Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. They wanted their money, and Saddam wanted revenge. In a world where the USSR ran a lend-lease program with the Iraqis, Saddam felt emboldened...fiction · alternate-history · military · action-adventure · war · sci-fi · fantasy · historical · violent-conflict · book -
Explorer Academy: The Dragon's Blood by Trudi Trueit, Ramón de Ocampo
An explosive revelation and a familiar face heighten the mystery for Cruz and friends in the sixth book in this adventure-packed series. Still reeling from the life-changing discovery he found buried in the mysterious archive, Cruz Coronado grapples with an important secret as the gang heads to China in search of the second-to-last piece of the cipher...action-adventure · animals · book · children · children-books · family · fiction · friendship · middle-grade · outdoors -
Claimed by the Alien Chieftain by Ella Maven
She’s my match… in more ways than one.”Sherif: Although my brother disappeared many cycles ago, I’ve never given up hope that he’s alive. I get word about a human who has seen him, but she’s evading me. When I finally come face to face with her, the situation becomes a whole lot more complicated, because I can’t deny the pull toward the female with the smart mouth...adult · aliens · alpha-mc · barbarians · book · dark · enemies-to-lovers · fated-mates · female-mc · fiction