November 14, 2025

The Incomparable Mothership 792: Deep Books in a Trenchcoat

1 hour 47 minutes

If you’ve been thinking of reading Science Fiction and Fantasy but had no idea where to start, we’re here to help. Our panel of longtime SF/F readers has some suggestions just for you!

New to SF/F reading list

Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, David J. Loehr, Erika Ensign, Heather Berberet and Sandra Wong

Show Notes & Links

David - The Human Division by John Scalzi

Aleen - Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

Erika - A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

Heather - Jack the Bodiless by Julian May

Sandra - The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed

Jason - The Rook by Daniel O’Malley

David - The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

Aleen - Monk & Robot (Psalm for the Wild-Built/Prayer for the Crown-Shy) by Becky Chambers

Erika - The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk

Heather - The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Sandra - Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

Jason - The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

David - To Say Nothing Of The Dog by Connie Willis

Aleen - The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

Erika - Summer in Orcus by T. Kingfisher

Heather - Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

Sandra - The Archive Undying by Emma Mieko Candon

Jason - 11/22/63 by Stephen King

Additional choices (may not be approved by Jason)

David - Calculating Stars by Kowal, Exhalation by Ted Chiang, Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen, All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle, A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr., Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Engines of God and Polaris by Jack McDevitt

Aleen - Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold, The Expanse by James S.A. Corey, Zombie Fallout by Mark Tufo, Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, Daevebad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett, Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher, Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz, Streets of London by Ben Aaronovich, All Souls Lost by Dan Moren, Baking Bad by Kim M. Watt, The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo, The Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin, The Seven-Year Slip by Ashley Poston, Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee

Erika - Galactic Cold War by Dan Moren, And Then There Was n-1 by Sarah Pinsker, Shadow Police by Paul Cornell, A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher, Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher, Witches of Lychford by Paul Cornell, Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, The Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin, A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine, Imperial Radch by Ann Leckie, Machineries of Empire by Yoon Ha Lee

Heather - Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice, Silo by Hugh Howey, Scholomance by Naomi Novik, Hunger Games by Susan Collins, Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

Sandra - Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse, A Heart of Blood of Ashes by Milla Vane, October Daye by Seanan Mcguire, Saints of Steel by T. Kingfisher, The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin

Jason - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, The Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Michael Chabon, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky, The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey, The Steerswoman by Rosemary Kirstein, Pattern Recognition by William Gibson, Borderline by Mishell Baker, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi, Shards of Honor/Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

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