It’s that time of year again. As one year fades into memory, we start looking eagerly forward to the new one. Trust me, there are songs about it. 2022 may have been a year seemingly dominated by depressing news stories, but there was plenty of science fiction floating around in the background. If the forecast for next year is anything to go by, we’re in store for a whole lot more excellent science fiction over the months to come. Now, I’m not omniscient, but here’s what has caught my eye so far as I look toward the SF of 2023.

January

3rd – Star Wars: The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha, by George Mann – Star Wars has been coming out with some excellent audio dramas of late, and George Mann has a strong track record of both tie-in and opriginal fiction, so this could well be the perfect way to start the year.

February

16th – Star Trek: Picard, Season 3 – I had a lot of problems with Picard‘s second season, and a Next Generation reunion isn’t really what I want from this show. That being said, this is clearly the show everyone involved wants to be making, and I know it will be entertaining, and full of heart.

March

1st – Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Season 3 – As with Picard, The Mandalorian has a habit of going in directions I’d rather it didn’t. Nevertheless, on an episode-by-episode basis it remains one of the strongest shows on Disney+, and I’m hoping the upcoming season keeps away from the Force and delves more into Mandalorian culture.

April

11th – Descendant Machine, by Gareth L. Powell – Powell’s back catalogue is strong enough that I’ can overlook a misstep or two.’ll give just about any of his SF a chance. The blurb for this one looks really intriguing, and I’m hoping it lives up to the standards of his Embers of War series.

23rd – Star Wars: The High Republic: Prequel Era #2: Cataclysm, by Lydia Kang – Yes, yes, I’m behind on my Star Wars reading. Apparently the series has now done a backwards time jump, so maybe these newer books are the best place to start.

27th – Shards of Earth #3: Lords of Uncreation, by Adrian Tchaikovsky – One of the most versatile authors out there wraps up another series, which will hopefully provide answers and thrills in equal measure.

May

7th – Jedi: Battle Scars, by Sam Maggs – Set between the two Jedi computer games, I’m eager to see if this one lives up to the heights of the first game. Video game tie-ins are a tricky beast, but Star Wars has better pedigree in this regard than most.

16th – Fractal Noise, by Christopher Paolini – There’s a slight question mark hanging over this one on account of raging debate over it’s AI-created cover, but regardless of that, a shorter and more focused story in the Fractalverse is exactly what To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars left me craving.

June

8th – The Cruel Stars #3: The Forever Dead, by John Birmingham – This fun and raucous space opera adventure reaches an end this year. I’m hoping for some deeper exploration of the transhuman elements, and anticipating some top-teir action.

July

4th – The Lost Fleet: Outlands #3: Implacable, by Jack Campbell – Another series arriving at its conclusion, this one looks like it will really shake up the military SF formula of the universe with some more space operatic elements.

18th – Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade, by Delilah S. Dawson – I find the Inquisitors to be one of the most intriguing parts of the new Star Wars canon, so I’ll be watching this book with great interest.

25th – Halo: Outcasts, by Troy Denning – If my Halo readthrough goes according to plan, then this could well bring me up to date with the franchise. I’m liking what I’ve experienced so far, so odds are good I’ve found the latest addition to my collection.

August

22nd – Generation Ship, by Michael Mammay – I love the idea of a generation ship, so the title alone is a strong indication that I’ll enjoy this book. Plus Mammay has been a consistently great writer in his other works, so my hopes here are high.

November

3rd – Dune: Part Two – Part One was a masterpiece of science fiction cinema, and it sounds like the conclusion will continue the work of streamlining and refining one of SF’s most divisive lynchpins.

Skyward #4: Defiant, by Brandon Sanderson – Recent books have proven that I’m not the die-hard Sanderson fanboy I once was, but I’m still looking forward to the conclusion of this, one of the last YA series I’m still reading.

Black Library 2023 Schedule

(With Black Library being typically close-lipped about their release schedule, who knows what they’ll put out. But here are some books confirmed for release in 2023)

Angron: The Red Angel, by David Guymer – As I continue to dabble with Chaos, this character novel has caught my eye as one to watch. It’s been a long time since I read any of Guymer’s work, but his Warhammer Fantasy novels were among my favoruites back in the day.

Pilgrims of Fire, by Justin D Hill – It may not be the next Minka Lesk novel, but the idea of Hill tackling the Sisters of Battle fills me with glee. The combination of one of my favoruite factions and one of my favoruite authors is surely a winner in waiting.

Creed: Ashes of Cadia, Jude Reid – Bringing yet another new perspective the Cadians, this one sees a return to the ruined homeworld. Reid has impressed me with her short fiction, and I’m looking forward to reading her debut full-length Warhammer 40,000 novel.