Reading SF in May 2026

[Westy]

I read Species 17 by CS Garrand after seeing all the positive comments on this forum – and it was well deserved! A quite well written and interesting first contact/space travel expansion story; thoughtfully mapped out as discovery after discovery is made. Very much on the science/plot progression side instead of detailed character building (not a bad thing, just noticeable). I liked how it was told from the AI's point of view, making it effectively like an omnisicent point of view, which worked well. Looking forward to book 2.

 

[Fryan]

I gave up on George MacDonald’s Phantastes, and started in on Ed by qntm. It’s pretty much the polar opposite of Phantastes in the sense that it instantly grabbed my attention and has a narrative style that is engaging and feels very modern.

It’s a short book and feels like it’ll be a quick read, but I’m also reading another book at the same time, so splitting my meager reading time between the two.

 

[Raf]

Finished Matt Dinniman's A Parade of Horribles, book 8 in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. I enjoyed this more than the past couple, mostly becase itseemed to be less dense with less information thrown at you, but that really isn't saying much given how much is thrown at you. I really hope he nails the landing with this series.

I've got this one downloaded to read, but my wife wants me to hold off until we can listen to it together when it is new to both of us, lol.

 

[farseer2]

Speaking of underwhelming, I started on Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga with Shards of Honor.
It's really not very well written (imo). Do these get any better as they go along?

Yes. Shards of honor is not really representative of the series, although I enjoyed it. This one is a science fiction romantic story between two characters from very different cultures. But the best is to come, without a doubt. One of the most fun series.

You have chosen to start with the first book (we won't count Falling Free which is not really part of the saga). Which is a logical starting place but doesn't feature the main character of the saga, Miles Vorkosigan, who is an extremely entertaining character. That's why some people recommend reading the first two books later and start with the first Miles book, The Warrior's Apprentice.

Anyway, yes, this series gets better, definitely. Anyway, the second book, Barrayar, still doesn't feature Miles but it's a better read and starts giving you a hint of what the series will become.

 

[fluffy bunny]

Flicking through my kindle library for something to read, I'm now a third of the way through Pierce Brown's Red Rising. It's readable but I'm getting the feeling that it's only 6 months since reading James Islington's The Will of the Many.

The 2 books share a lot of similarities plotwise so far (wronged person infiltrates a training school aimed at the elites with revenge on the line, training sequence, compromises along the way). Both books have their own set pieces but I may be reading them too close together. Will see where the rest of the book goes.

 

[Raf]

Taking a break on fantasy for a while. Just finished this one. Bobby Akart's, "Black Swan". Sort of a hard science fiction / first contact thriller.

A supposed comet has been detected on the edge of the solar system showing anomalies that are inconsistent with normal comet behavior. Scientists, satellites, telescopes and governments across the world are attempting to collect data.

As is a shadowy corporation of billionaires who control the media narrative worldwide in order to manipulate markets and trends.

The tale starts with the POV's of the Pickett family. Bud Pickett, a sheriff in the small town of Liberty Texas, his daughter Emily, a Caltech Astrophysicist and his son Daniel, as Astrobiologist who has taken a new job with a secretive corporation just outside of Houston TX. While an unknown entity is starting to make itself known to the younger Pickets in odd ways.

It is, so far, an edge of the seat First Contact thriller. The science is very well done and ties into the overall storyline very well. Good story...on to the next. There are 5 books in this series. All 5 are available on Kindle Unlimited.

 

[Fryan]

While up late at night with a sick child I managed to Finish one last SF book in May. I read Ed by qntm.

I guess you could say I’m building up to read There is No Anti Memetics Division as I’ve now read Ed and late last year I read Valuable Humans in Transit, two of his self-published works.

I wonder if his back catalog will get reworked and republished now that he has a traditional publisher?

Anyway, Ed was a lot of fun. It’s a fast paced, short book about a genius who invents wild stuff that has Universe-spanning consequences where the stakes are ratcheted up to 11 and often requires more wild inventions to undo the problems created by the previous one. Despite high stakes, this book has a very light-hearted feel, like a SF sitcom or something. qntm more or less nails it overall. Though there were a few moments peppered throughout that could have used more polish and could have felt more organic and less like twists for the sake of it, if he had planted the seeds for things earlier on in the book (which I think could be easily done).

So I wonder if he’ll go back and clean this up a bit for mainstream publication.

Overall, a lot of fun, and was the perfect book for late-night reading.

Up next I’m considering either Rogue Moon by Budrys or the first Lyonesse book by Vance. Any input steering me towards either one is welcome!

 

[Hobbit]

Up next I’m considering either Rogue Moon by Budrys or the first Lyonesse book by Vance. Any input steering me towards either one is welcome!

They are quite different, Fryan! Rogue Moon is one from the New Wave of the 1950's/60's, and it is odd - not always a comfortable read. When we used to have 'Books of the Month', there was discussion about it in 2006: https://www.sffworld.com/forum/threads/october-06-botm-rogue-moon-by-algis-budrys.14951/

A mixed response! (I wasn't a huge fan: didn't like the characters and a lot of internalised angst, if I remember right, but very different for the time it was written, and worth reading for that reason.)

Lyonesse by comparison was great fun. (Please note though that it is Fantasy and I'm writing in the SF Forum!) I reviewed it here in 2010: https://www.sffworld.com/2010/09/bookreview657/ Quite lyrical, meandering and yet quite immersive. I wrote:

"They are, in turns, detailed, funny, bawdy, scary and romantic. Vance’s use of names and vocabulary makes these books a joy to read."

but it was all three books, admittedly. The first book does have an ending and can be read as a standalone, if I remember right.

Rogue Moon sounds as if it might be more like your gntm read.

M.

 

[Fryan]

They are quite different, Fryan! Rogue Moon is one from the New Wave of the 1950's/60's, and it is odd - not always a comfortable read. When we used to have 'Books of the Month', there was discussion about it in 2006: https://www.sffworld.com/forum/threads/october-06-botm-rogue-moon-by-algis-budrys.14951/

A mixed response! (I wasn't a huge fan: didn't like the characters and a lot of internalised angst, if I remember right, but very different for the time it was written, and worth reading for that reason.)

Lyonesse by comparison was great fun. (Please note though that it is Fantasy and I'm writing in the SF Forum!) I reviewed it here in 2010: https://www.sffworld.com/2010/09/bookreview657/ Quite lyrical, meandering and yet quite immersive. I wrote:

"They are, in turns, detailed, funny, bawdy, scary and romantic. Vance’s use of names and vocabulary makes these books a joy to read."

but it was all three books, admittedly. The first book does have an ending and can be read as a standalone, if I remember right.

Rogue Moon sounds as if it might be more like your gntm read.

M.

Thanks so much for the input and links to discussions! Really appreciate it!

Funnily enough, my head was meant to write Rogue Moon or Hothouse by Aldiss, but apparently my heart wrote in Vance! Which I have also been considering, but mentally had been planning that for a bit later in the month.

My subconscious must be trying to tell me something…

 

[ArtNJ]

While up late at night with a sick child I managed to Finish one last SF book in May. I read Ed by qntm.

I guess you could say I’m building up to read There is No Anti Memetics Division as I’ve now read Ed and late last year I read Valuable Humans in Transit, two of his self-published works.

I wonder if his back catalog will get reworked and republished now that he has a traditional publisher?

Anyway, Ed was a lot of fun. It’s a fast paced, short book about a genius who invents wild stuff that has Universe-spanning consequences where the stakes are ratcheted up to 11 and often requires more wild inventions to undo the problems created by the previous one. Despite high stakes, this book has a very light-hearted feel, like a SF sitcom or something. qntm more or less nails it overall. Though there were a few moments peppered throughout that could have used more polish and could have felt more organic and less like twists for the sake of it, if he had planted the seeds for things earlier on in the book (which I think could be easily done).

So I wonder if he’ll go back and clean this up a bit for mainstream publication.

Overall, a lot of fun, and was the perfect book for late-night reading.

Up next I’m considering either Rogue Moon by Budrys or the first Lyonesse book by Vance. Any input steering me towards either one is welcome!

I read Ed and thought it was ok, but I'm reading Valuable Humans in Transit and some of the stories are truly excellent. Thanks for leading me to it.

 

[Fryan]

I read Ed and thought it was ok, but I'm reading Valuable Humans in Transit and some of the stories are truly excellent. Thanks for leading me to it.

Oh very nice! I agree, VHiT has some really strong SF short stories.

 

[Raf]

I've got this one downloaded to read, but my wife wants me to hold off until we can listen to it together when it is new to both of us, lol.

It's good thing I've got the book, cause I keep falling asleep. Not that the story isn't good...it's just the droning of the voices puts me to sleep. One of my main issues with audiobooks. I think I missed the entire 2nd race.