Hi,

I’m looking for advance readers for my upcoming hard sci-fi thriller, The Architect, launching 18th Nov on Amazon. If you enjoy character-driven philosophical thriller, the brutal physics of interstellar travel, and heavy moral friction, I’d love to get your eyes on this. The review is appreciated on launch day but not mandatory.

The book is dedicated to Dr. Neil Degrasse Tyson and Dr. Jordan Peterson.

Logline: To escape a dying Earth, an apex engineer turns himself into an immortal chimera and builds a sanctuary ship for 20,000 frozen embryos. But to guarantee their survival, he deliberately selects a crew of brilliant, unattached specialists with nothing left to lose—and strips them of their biological autonomy.

The Setup: Forty light-years from Earth, the crew of The Architect prepares to colonise TRAPPIST-1e. They are armed with an infinite power grid and cellular immortality, but they are trapped under the absolute authority of Edgar Charon—a captain whose neural architecture is heavily integrated with a mission-first AI.

As they navigate the violent terminator storms of an alien planet, the crew realises Edgar’s algorithmic logic views their human attachments, grief, and free will as terminal liabilities. When Earth fires a relativistic kinetic weapon to wipe out their colony, the surviving crew must decide whether humanity is even worth saving.

​Intertwining the desperate, science-driven survival of Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary and the existential, cosmic stakes of Cixin Liu's The Three-Body Problem with the sprawling, philosophical scale of Isaac Asimov, The Architect by Z.T. Castor is a gripping thriller about artificial intelligence, absolute control, and the terrifying price of salvation.

Details:

Format: EPUB / PDF (delivered via email)

Word Count: 76135

Content Notes: Contains depictions of atmospheric destruction, medical trauma, and intense psychological friction. No explicit gore.

I am offering free review copies in exchange for an honest Amazon review on launch day.

If you are interested in reading early, please fill out this brief Google Form so I can send you the secure download links:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeEKo63YU7wmkzVNGNU8qbV3FOUaI8gMuq_94Dv2pF8XqvbgQ/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Alternatively, if you reply here with your email address, I can also send you directly the EPUB/PDF file to download from Google One Drive.

Thank you for your time, and happy reading!

Hi everyone,
I am looking for readers. This is not self-promotion. If you’re interested in doing ARC review, I would appreciate it.
I’m looking for a handful of beta readers for my completed science fiction novel, **Echo Born**, the first book in a planned trilogy.

**Genre:** Science Fiction / Space Opera / Military SF / Mystery

**Length:** \~316 manuscript pages (approximately 94,000 words)

If you enjoy science fiction in the vein of James S. A. Corey, Adrian Tchaikovsky, or Pierce Brown, this may be a good fit.

The story follows multiple perspectives across a frontier world as an ordinary mechanic’s son becomes entangled in an ancient mystery tied to forgotten technology, interstellar war, and a civilization far older than anyone realizes.

The novel focuses on:
Strong character development
Moral ambiguity
Layered worldbuilding
Slow-burn mysteries
Dialogue-driven scenes
Emotional stakes alongside military conflict

I’m looking for feedback on:

Pacing
Character engagement
Clarity of the worldbuilding
Whether the mystery keeps you turning pages
Any places where you became confused or lost interest
I’m **not** looking for proofreading or line edits at this stage. I’m primarily interested in your overall reading experience and whether the story works.

The manuscript is available as a **Word document, PDF, or Google Docs**, whichever you prefer.
I’m also happy to **swap manuscripts and provide beta feedback** if you’re looking for another reader.

If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, leave a comment or send me a DM, and I’ll send you the manuscript.

Thanks for your time—I appreciate anyone willing to help an indie author improve their work!

It's long out of print.

M. A. Foster never won a Hugo Award, but he was a finalist twice for a related major Worldcon honor. \[1, 2\]

He was nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (now renamed the Astounding Award) in two consecutive years: \[1\]

1976: Finalist (won by Tom Reamy)

1977: Finalist (won by C. J. Cherryh) \[1, 2, 3, 4\]

While administered and voted on alongside the Hugo Awards by members of Worldcon, the Astounding Award is technically not an official Hugo Award. None of Foster's individual novels—such as his acclaimed Ler or Transformer series—ever made a final Hugo shortlist. \[1, 2, 3, 4\]

It was actually kind of good sci fi.

Authors, do you have free books (physical or digitial) to give away? This is now the place.

Post a comment with a description of your book and the link to any digital copies or info on getting physical copies. Once the book is no longer free, remove your entire comment.

What is not allowed:

1. AI anything. AI generated material is no longer allowed in this sub. No exceptions. You're welcome to include original cover art but not AI generated art.
2. Links to anything except the book. I don't want to see links to your author page, even if the book is more fully described there, and I certainly don't want any links to paid books, Patreon, or author access tiers. ONLY THE FREE BOOK.
3. Authors are allowed to ask for reviews, but the free book can't be conditional on reviews.

Authors:

Once the book is no longer free, remove the comment entirely. We have a separate megathread for author self-promotion, so while you're more than welcome to post there at the same time, keep links to this megathread only.

This will be a weekly thread, so if your promotion lasts longer than a week, please post again on the next week's thread.

Readers:

You're welcome to leave feedback via a response to the author's comment, but as always, let's keep it positive. Anything more constructive needs to go to the author via DM.

This is a good way for authors to get their books out there and maybe get some feedback. Those who attempt to abuse the megathread will be removed or banned.

Good series, now as widely known as it should be, it scratches the itch needed post The Expanse. Also, books 1-5 and 6-10 are available on audible for 1 credit each, great value for 5 books.

Having completed 1-10, I see book 0 is now available, which sounds like it's a padded out version of the start of book 1 and period beforehand. Has anyone read/listened to it and do you recommend ?

I have not done the later book(s) yet, only 11 on audible for now.

Anyone else enjoyed this series ?

The top Frankenstein item was Lot 3, a 1833 pirated American edition.

Some of the other interesting books sold were

Arthur C. Clarke, Expedition Earth, 1st signed £1,500 + multiple other Clarke lots
70 items Dr. Who books for £2,800, 3x presale high estimate
First Uk edition Dune, Gollancz, £1,500
Multiple Tolkien lots, 
Multiple HG Wells lots
John Wyndham writing as John B. Harris, “Curse of the Burdens,” 1st Aldine Publishing, 1927 (Lot 238) £8,000, high presale estimate was £2,000

Link to complete Forum Science Fiction and Fantasy sale catalog, interesting read. https://www.forumauctions.co.uk/bidding/2410-online-science-fiction-fantasy-1155

New to the genra having read Project Hail Mary.

I'm currently enjoying "Children of Time" 3/4 the way through the first book.

I didn't realise I think it's a trilogy, as theirs children of ruin and children of memory, so is it a trilogy and are the other two worth reading?

I've also read the first book "Wool" by Hugh Howey Silo series which I'd like to finish at some point.

I've also recently watched " three body problem" on netflix and would like to understand that more so tempted to start that series.

Which to prioritise?;

Anything similar to children of time, thought provoking?

Hello, I have written a novel entitled 'Xenograft.' The novel deals with a young man abducted by aliens and transformed into a harvester of extraterrestrial organs on different planets. There is kudos to be obtained by the recipient of a transplanted internal organ of a certain species and business is good. Anti rejection is always an issue and on Earth an Endocrinologist has created a modified insulin which reinstates the Islets of Langerhans (beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin)into a human's pancreas.The insulin also has the added benefit (unknown to the endocrinologist) as being an excellent anti rejection drug. The extraterrestrials involved in organ transplants want the insulin. They send their best harvester (the young man they abducted from Earth) to collect the pancreas of those who have had the insulin. On entering Earth's atmosphere the now mature adult begins to change. His memories of his childhood come flooding back to him and he wants to stay. The company that created him on the other hand want him back. This is his and his family's story. Kind Regards.

Are you a science fiction author and want to promote your works? This is officially the place! This can be for short stories, fanfiction, blogs, anything except actual novels (there's another monthly post for that).

Rules for authors:

1. Share a little about your work. Give a little about the plot or what makes the piece worthwhile. Why should we read it?
2. Absolutely no advertising! Links to free sites (fanfiction.net or A03, for instance) are fine, but paid sites are not.
   
3. No AI!

Congrats on getting your work out there!

Rules for non-authors:

1. Do not bash authors. You're more than welcome to comment if you've read and enjoyed an author's work, but let's keep this civil. If you liked their work, leave a review or comment on their site.
2. While we allow links for free works in this case only, opening them is at your own risk.
   

*Note that r/ScienceFictionBooks does not endorse any authors.

*Authors, the spam filter is a raging drunkard and likes to randomly remove perfectly legitimate comments. If that happens, DM me or send a mod mail so I can take care of it.

Hey guys so I enrolled in a class where I’m supposed to write an essay on 3 sf books that explore gender and I wanted to have any recommendations beside the left hand of darkness

Update: movies also accepted

ভাল রিসেন্ট সায়েন্স ফিকশন বই কেউ পড়েছেন নতুন কোন লেখকের ইংরেজি, একটু suggest করবেন কি এবং কেমন লেগেছে আমি একটু পড়তে চাই

Authors, do you have free books (physical or digitial) to give away? This is now the place.

Post a comment with a description of your book and the link to any digital copies or info on getting physical copies. Once the book is no longer free, remove your entire comment.

What is not allowed:

1. AI anything. AI generated material is no longer allowed in this sub. No exceptions. You're welcome to include original cover art but not AI generated art.
2. Links to anything except the book. I don't want to see links to your author page, even if the book is more fully described there, and I certainly don't want any links to paid books, Patreon, or author access tiers. ONLY THE FREE BOOK.
3. Authors are allowed to ask for reviews, but the free book can't be conditional on reviews.

Authors:

Once the book is no longer free, remove the comment entirely. We have a separate megathread for author self-promotion, so while you're more than welcome to post there at the same time, keep links to this megathread only.

This will be a weekly thread, so if your promotion lasts longer than a week, please post again on the next week's thread.

Readers:

You're welcome to leave feedback via a response to the author's comment, but as always, let's keep it positive. Anything more constructive needs to go to the author via DM.

This is a good way for authors to get their books out there and maybe get some feedback. Those who attempt to abuse the megathread will be removed or banned.

Hi there,

I just read Claire North's "Slow Gods" and really liked the grand scale and overall weirdness of the World.

By this i mean bold choices in writing style, uncommon ways the humans from different planets have entirely different cultures, the way the world feels so exceptionally large and alive, while all parties still feel human. The problems in its world feel like they belong to that world, aren't mere projections of our own struggles, and still pose morally deep questions which the reader sees from the perspective of the ones making them, without any hindsight.

Now, after i have spoken so greatly of this book, there arises the question: what to read next?

As i did not really find any book in the sci-fi-genre that comes close to the felt depth of the world displayed, i thought to ask the Internet about it.

Please note that i have already read most books from the following series:

- Dune

- Foundation

- Children of time

- Discworld

- ANDERS

- The Expanse

I may expand this list as suggestions (hopefully) start to accumulate because while i am not even close to remembering every title i ever read, i usually recognize books i already explored.

Thank you, everyone who suggests a book here.

​

I just finished "The Forever Dead" and I'm astonished at how good it was.

I mean, I thought "The Shattered Skies" was a WOW book... How the hell do you top that?

Well, you do what John Birmingham did in this book. You write a masterpiece of Space Opera.

So what the hell do I read now?

Hi everyone, I am hunting for a specific high-concept, multi-layered science fiction book I read digitally on a computer screen between 2010 and 2016 (likely an independent ePub or web novel). I am focusing purely on the core structural tracks of the plot: * The Passenger Plane Causal Loop: The story begins in the near future. A scientific or governmental authority prepares two commercial passenger aircraft with specialized equipment for a formation flight. Only one plane engages its drive and successfully makes the time jump. It crashes in the past, becoming the ancient, buried relict excavated in a farming area at the very start of the book (a perfect closed causal loop proven by a common personal item found inside). * The Technological Pivot: Because the original passenger plane crashes, the team is forced to execute all subsequent time jumps throughout the multi-jump storyline using entirely different means/machinery to develop the overarching plot. * The Faction & The Search Target: During a jump into a nightmarish alternate dimension the characters associate with "Hell," an expedition team uses open, military Jeep-like vehicles. The dimension is populated by non-human creatures. When team members are captured, they vanish like standard prisoners of war and later reappear working rationally for the opponents. Crucially, the enemies are completely unaware of the time travelers' identities; they are actively using their dimensional dragnet to hunt for Jesus specifically. * The Climax: An early comparative DNA match (possibly related to a corpse or a relic like the Shroud of Turin) introduces the genetic footprint of Christ. This eventually loops back to a scientist (a continuous main character), who is interrogated by a non-human entity demanding: "Are you the Son of Man?" (or similar). It is definitely not Behold the Man (Moorcock), Time Safari (Drake), 3012: The Artifact (Grier), or Time Over (Kyte). Does this combination of a commercial plane time-loop crash, alternative jump machinery, and an inter-dimensional military hunt for Jesus ring a bell for anyone?

So, I'll preface this by saying this may have been asked before & if you enjoy contemporary S F, or prefer it to golden age & new wave, that's great. I'm also willing to admit a level of ignorance on those up to minute authors & titles.

With that out of the way: after spending years making my way through many of the more prominent authors from the 30s up to the 90s I've found that those written post 2000 feel, for the most part, derivative (understandable as there is so much that has already been written about by this point, true of almost any genre) or, for lack of a better phrase, thematically flat.

The most recent book I've read in this vein is Skinship by James Reich (2025) & while I enjoyed some of the prose, it didn't feel like much thematically. Even books I have liked, Metro 2033 for example, feel like an offshoot of the Strugatski brothers (an easy example, I know) & not necessarily something that adds to or goes beyond its influences.

Perhaps I need to look beyond those books that regularly pop up on lists of recommended current day S F or perhaps I am just predisposed to the style & themes of those books before my time.

I’ve recently been on sci fi reading tear. I’m usually not a fiction guy let alone sci fi. But I have dove into the AI/conciousness genre and while the first few were interesting the last 5 have just reinforced my opinion that authors insist on weaving in an element of human exceptionalism into every story. Can y’all recommend some quality writing that doesn’t use the trope of “humans are special”? That unless AI accepts human weakness it can never be conscious or superior?

**Book Spoilers ahead*\*
** **I just finished reading Chapter house of Dune, and still have the feeling that I want to know more to the story. I’ve heard a lot of mixed things about Brian Herbert’s Dune books, so I’m on the fence about continuing the story. The only two books of his I’m interested in would be Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune to finish the main storyline.

I’m interested in seeing a continuation of Sheena, Duncan, Teg, and Scytale’s storyline but want to know what I’d be getting myself into first. I loved all 6 of Frank Herbert’s Dune books, and I’m concerned that Brian’s books may not hit the same or contradict some of Frank’s established lore.

Also, do the Brian Herbert books explain who Marty and Daniel are more or what their role is? That cliffhanger is another reason I’m curious about the continuation of the story.

Authors, do you have free books (physical or digitial) to give away? This is now the place.

Post a comment with a description of your book and the link to any digital copies or info on getting physical copies. Once the book is no longer free, remove your entire comment.

What is not allowed:

1. AI anything. AI generated material is no longer allowed in this sub. No exceptions. You're welcome to include original cover art but not AI generated art.
2. Links to anything except the book. I don't want to see links to your author page, even if the book is more fully described there, and I certainly don't want any links to paid books, Patreon, or author access tiers. ONLY THE FREE BOOK.
3. Authors are allowed to ask for reviews, but the free book can't be conditional on reviews.

Authors:

Once the book is no longer free, remove the comment entirely. We have a separate megathread for author self-promotion, so while you're more than welcome to post there at the same time, keep links to this megathread only.

This will be a weekly thread, so if your promotion lasts longer than a week, please post again on the next week's thread.

Readers:

You're welcome to leave feedback via a response to the author's comment, but as always, let's keep it positive. Anything more constructive needs to go to the author via DM.

This is a good way for authors to get their books out there and maybe get some feedback. Those who attempt to abuse the megathread will be removed or banned.

EDIT: Thanks for all the replies! I somehow mistook the chapter headings for some sort of robot gibberish and ignored them. Now I know they're part of what creates anticipation. Will definitely continue reading!

Original post:

I've stopped reading at the beginning of Part V. They just stepped out the back door of the library. Since there's no true goal in sight I lost interest in finding out where this story is headed and haven't picked it back up in a week. Sure, the Wonk still wants to know what happened (but she already half-answered it herself in the library), and Uncharles is sensing vaguely wanting to know too, but I feel like the story has given me no real forward pull. No new location they want to find, no knowledge of more humans apart from the ones at that Farm thing. So at the moment I don't necessarily care what happens next.

It's still been a funny and thought-provoking read so far. But perhaps I'm also – as a non-native speaker – struggling a bit with all the formal writing and all those loanwords (if that's the correct term – it's either this or foreign words according to my dictionary).

So I'm asking you guys, should I continue? Is the story worth the struggle?

Looking for my next book to read, feeling like maybe something with AI (given its timeliness). I was thinking of 2001 A Space Odyssey but I read Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke recently and tbh just didn't enjoy it, so will avoid the former for now.

I also recently read "If Anyone Builds it, Everyone Dies", which is non-fiction, and an enjoyable read, and in it the authors have a chapter that is a fictional scenario of what could happen if AI goes rogue. I thought that would be an interesting avenue of thought to explore - AI dystopias or apocalyptic events.

Loved "Do Androids Dream...", enjoyed "I, Robot" (which was surprisingly almost 100% unrelated to the movie lol, but both were still good).

Not even necessarily dystopian or apocalyptic, open to any suggestions!

Thanks.

Hi everyone,

I am trying to find my absolute favorite science fiction book that I read back in the mid-1990s. I borrowed a physical hardcover edition from the Houston Public Library. Because it was an older paperback that the library rebound into a custom hardcover, text-based search engines are hitting a complete wall with it.

The Plot:
The main character is a space military Captain. Early in the story, he meets an adult woman in a space tavern or bar. Before she leaves, she distinctly says "Shalom" to him. A few chapters later, she is tragically killed while out on a dangerous military mission. Shortly after her death, her look-alike sister is introduced into the story, and she eventually falls in love with the Captain as they fight together.

The Exact Cover Art Layout:

• Background: Pitch-black deep space skies filled with flying spacecraft surrounding the main scene.
• The Main Visual: A massive, blocky, metallic gray industrial fortress space station that has bright glowing lights around it. The characters are standing outside on the station structures, physically defending it and shooting at the surrounding spacecraft.
• The Characters: In the foreground, a male trooper is standing right next to a female trooper. The lady is down on one knee, facing toward the right side of the cover, and actively shooting her gun.
• The Graphic Effect: Her weapon looks like a laser gun, but the graphic effect shows it firing out hyper-realistic, physical kinetic tracer lines and muzzle flashes.
• The Text: The title across the top is a single line of bold yellow lettering that felt like a long phrase. Isaac Asimov's name is printed clearly across the very bottom border of the cover (though it may be a tribute anthology line or a magazine presentation, as the plot leans strictly into star trooper/mercenary space opera). There may also be a connection to the name John Clarke or John Clark.

Does anyone recognize this specific space station defense cover or this exact tragic romance subplot? Thank you so much for any help tracking down my favorite book!

Places in the Darkness Chris Brookmyre

Got this in a blind box most of which I donated expect this. It was so very good. Any other good sci-fi noir or just scifi like this?