With the Artemis II two crew safely landing home after their historic spin around the moon while Project Hail Mary is breaking the box office as the highest grossing non-franchise film, sci-fi is having a moment! But it feels like everyone is looking for the cosy-happy vibes where the power of friendship saves the universe. Fair. But what if you’re craving something different? Perhaps something darker, something deeper, a sci-fi book that will leave you a little battered a little bruised but thinking about it long after? I’ve got just the recs!
These three books are the dark, indie, and literary-leaning counterparts to the cozy trend, with unsettling, unforgettable vibes:
The Vines of Mars by ARK Watson
It’s a small town murder mystery set on Mars, in a multicultural colony that’s under a constant threat of being attacked by alien plants. In addition to the science, the book delves into generational trauma philosophical and theological questions.
The Dark Without by TK Topppin
In the wake of an apocalypse which renders Earth unlivable, a young girl is primed by trans-demential beings, the Aakehollats, to become the next messiah who leads humanity to salvation. But when she discovers a sinister truth about these alien saviours, she conjures a revenge plan spanning millennia.
The Weaving Spider & Moth by Dal Cecil Runo
A genetically modified boy trapped in a space station school for the paranormally gifted. A blind girl trapped in her neglectful family’s home in Peru. What do they have in common aside from the bullying and the lack of options? Only that they can travel in their lucid dreams and meet in the astral plane where they can finally be free… or CAN THEY??
Which books would you add to this lis?
Want more sci-fi recs? Check out my earlier posts!
