Yesterday was the summer solstice, and there’s barely more than a week left of July. This can only mean that we are approaching the middle of 2023. It’s been a pretty crazy year (like most others, to be fair), but one thing we can all agree on is that now is a good time to think about science fiction. That is why you’re reading this, right?

As usual, my reading has been all over the place lately. There’s been stone-cold classics of the genre, brand-new releases, original works and a whole lot of tie-in fiction. That looks set to continue into the second half of the year, but to break it down a bit more, here are some of the authors and series I plan to read in the next six months.

Stephen Baxter

Baxter is rapidly establishing himself as a must-buy author for me. I’ve got his NASA trilogy in my TBR, but I think the big read for me is his seven-volume Xeelee universe. There are some handsome omnibuses lying around, and it sound like exactly my kind of book. The even better news is that Baxter is still very active, and has a new novel, Creation Node, scheduled for release towards the end of the year.

Greg Bear

I’ve now read bits and pieces of Greg bear’s work. His Forerunner Saga was a mix of muddiness and brilliance, while his work in the Foundation universe was strong enough to get me interested in more. I’m not really sure where to start with his work. Blood Music is in the SF Masterworks range, but Eon sounds more my speed. I guess we’ll see which of his books I stumble across in the wild first.

Ben Bova

My quest to read the entire Grand Tour saga has stalled due to a lack of books being found in the wild, but Bova remains a high priority for me. In all likelihood I’ll cave in and buy them online, but we’ll see. the good news is that you don’t have to read this series in any kind of order, so I’m free to skip around based on what I’m able to find.

John Brunner

I’ve now read a couple of Brunner’s novels, but all of them have come from the earlier part of his career. From what I understand, he pivoted away from pulpy space opera before putting out his most famous works. Since he’s a big name in British SF, I’m intrigued to see how his better known books hold up compared to his earlier ones.

Orson Scott Card

I plan to read Ender’s Game this year, and probably the next book or two as well before I make any final decisions on Card. The prequel novels have entertained but not exactly impressed me, so I’m hopeful that the original series is worthy of its legendary status in SF circles.

Philip K. Dick

Unless a short story has slipped my notice, I’ve never read any Philip K. Dick before. I have seen a fair few adaptations of his work, but the books themselves have always felt a bit too ‘New Wave’ for me. Nevertheless, I’m all about testing the boundaries, and this one will likely figure into some upcoming buddy read plans I have.

Halo

While I enjoy Troy Denning’s writing, I’m looking forward to seeing what other authors can do with the Halo setting. I’ve got a fair few in my TBR stack, and how much I enjoy those will determine how high a priority I put on getting to the rest of the books in the universe.

Jack McDevitt

I really enjoyed A Talent for War when I read it at the start of the year, so the rest of the Alex Benedict series is on my wishlist. These books are pretty heavy going, so I’m probably going to space them out even if I do enjoy the next few. Definitely an author to return to later in the year.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

My spotty readthrough of the DS9 relaunch novels looks set to continue as I wrap up the Litverse. This is a series I’m going to continue picking away at bit by bit, rather than diving in all the way in one go.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

The TNG relaunch is the glaring hole in my Litverse library. Essentially, every book in the list appeals to me in some form, yet I’ve had my attention elsewhere. Next time I feel an urge to buy a thick stack of Star Trek, it’ll be books from this series.

Venture SF

I love a good line of vintage science fiction, and the Venture SF range offers exactly that. Adventure and action on a cosmic scale, from a variety of authors, some known to me and others less familiar. Next time I make a trip to Hay-on-Wye, you’d best believe these are the books I’m gunning for.