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Hard Sci-Fi & Speculative Fiction

A collection of notes and reviews on authors who explore the boundaries of physics, consciousness, and the future.

Axiomatic, by Greg Egan (2021)

A short story collection from one of my favourite hard-sci-fi writers. Excellent as always.

❤️Leech, by Hiron Ennes (2025)

This was recommended by the excellent Peter Watts. It has been a while since I've read a science fiction book this good! A parasitic hive-mind that inhabits a bunch of people meets a competitor in an atmospheric post-apocalyptic world. Finished this in a single long sitting.

Other Speculative Fiction

Lord of Light, by Roger Zelazny (2026)

An enjoyable speculative sci-fi tale of a far future where an advanced group has solved re-incarnation and elevated themselves to godhood, styling themselves after the Hindu Gods. They govern humanity by controlling thir karmic cycle and offering godhood as a faraway boon. Their reign is challenged by one of their own, who has a promethean desire to accelerate it to the masses.

A collection of near-future science fiction short stories.

The Calcutta Chromosome, by Amitav Ghosh (2025)

An excellent writer's foray into Science Fiction. As with his other books, the historical parts come to life really well.

The Quantum Thief, by Hannu Rajaniemi (2024)

The kind of fun, fast-paced, imaginative sci fi I love to read! Interesting characters and wildly imaginative futuristic worlds.

In Ascension, by Martin MacInnes (2024)

A slower, thoughtful sci-fi novel about a scientist's journey from an abusive childhood to marine biologist to astronaut.

Spin, by Robert Charles Wilson (2024)

Something enshrouds the Earth and cuts it off from the rest of the Solar System. Then it gets stranger. An excellent sci-fi novel, truly makes you feel small.

Surface Detail, by Iain M Banks (2024)

I've read several of his books but missed this one. This one is quite a bit darker than the others: a virtual Hell created by a civilization becomes a point of contention for various factions, including the Culture.

Tau Zero, by Poul Anderson (2024)

A sci-fi novel that starts small and reaches some pretty interesting heights at the end.

Exhalation, by Ted Chiang (2020)

A short story collection from one of my favourite science fiction authors. The Truth of Fact, The Truth of Feeling is my favourite, as it ties into discussions around memory and writing.

Shards of Earth, by Adrian Tchaikovsky (2021)

I wanted a bit of epic science fiction and this delivered.

Winter World, by A.G. Riddle (2023)

A decent sci fi novel about an alien visit that triggers an ice age on Earth. The protagonist is annoyingly flawless.

Dune & Dune Messiah, by Frank Herbert (2023)

One of the classics so is an easy recommend. The parallels with imperialist wars in the middle east are a bit obvious (melange == oil).

Dogs of War, by Adrian Tchaikovsky (2023)

A short and entertaining read on bio-engineered animals used in wars. The protagonist is a fearsome dog that is fighting its programming.

Annihilation, by Jeff VanDermeer (2019)

I read this because I'd seen and loved the movie. It maintains the movie's atmosphere but goes in its own direction.