2023 ended up being a year I didn’t read a whole lot of newly released books, especially once we look beyond Black Library. One of my goals for next year is to remain a bit more current. With that in mind, there’s never been a better time to peak beyond the veil and see what science fiction is heading our way in 2024. Here’s all the new releases I’m looking forward to next year:

January

1st – Frontlines: Evolutions #1: Scorpio, by Marko Kloos – For better or for worse (I’ve seen varying reactions to the eighth book), last year saw the end of Marko Kloos’ Frontlines series. However, Kloos will be returning to that universe with a new spin-off series set on a colony world. It will be interesting to see what direction Kloos takes this new series in.

23rd – The Lost Fleet: Rendezvous with Corsair, by Jack Campbell – Appearing to be digital only for the time being, this one gathers together all of Campbell’s Lost Fleet-related short fiction to date, and also includes a prose adaptation of the Corsair comic series.

February

2nd – Halo: Epitaph, by Kelly Gay – Gay is probably my favourite Halo tie-in writer right now, so I’m happy to see more of her work. By the looks of it, this is going to be a Forerunner-centric character study, and will hopefully untangle some of the lore surrounding the Didact.

8th – HALO: Season 2 (Paramount+) – I still haven’t seen the first season yet, but I know I’ll be checking this one out when I renew my Paramount+ subscription for a few weeks in the summer.

27th – Star Trek: Picard: Firewall, by David Mack – Picard may have come to an end after three seasons, but there are still plenty of stories to be told. Mack’s return to Star Trek covers Seven of Nine’s years after the end of Voyager, explaining how she came to be involved with the Fenris Rangers.

March

5th – The Cruel Stars #3: The Forever Dead, by John Birmingham – Delayed from last year, The Forever Dead wraps up Birmingham’s military SF/space opera trilogy. There’s a whole lot I like about these books, but also some significant shortcomings, so I’m eager to see how it all shakes out in the end.

12th – Jumpnauts, by Hao Jingfang – As a huge fan of Vagabonds, I’ve been hoping for several years that more of Hao’s work would make it into the anglophone world. It took a while, but we’re finally here with a story of first contact and weird aliens. Very excited for this one.

14th – Dune: Part 2 (Film) – Originally slated for a 2023 release until it was pushed back due to Hollywood going on strike, Denis Villeneuve’s second act in the Dune saga will hopefully bring things to a more satisfying conclusion than the book managed. Allegedly, Dune Messiah is already in the works too.

28th – Alien Clay, by Adrian Tchaikovsky – From what I’ve heard so far, this one sounds like Cage of Souls in space, which just about ticks all my boxes when it comes to Tchaikovsky. happily, this looks like a return to standalone storytelling now that his major series are wrapped up. Very much looking forward to exploring his latest weird and wonderful worlds.

April

2nd – A View from the Stars, by Cixin Liu – Another author I’ve been hoping to find more translations of, Liu’s next work is a collection of short stories and essays. I’m equally interested in both halves of this collection. While his novels have generally been stronger than his short fiction, I love the fact that they’re publishing his non-fiction alongside.

2nd – Toll of Honor, by David Weber – This one is interesting for two reasons. Firstly, because it is a standalone, which frankly is what the Honorverse needs more of. Secondly, because it’s a bout someone who sees Honor as the antagonist. It will be interesting to see how this one shakes out, though I’ll likely be waiting for the mass market release.

9th – Star Wars: The Living Force, by John Jackson Miller – if there’s one thing Star Wars needs, it’s more pre-Clone War storytelling. Miller is back to deliver exactly that, with a story that gets under the skin of the Jedi Order in the years when they were still major players in the galaxy.

11th – The Sun Eater #6: Disquiet Gods, by Christopher Ruocchio – Though I think it’s fallen victim to a simplistic moral outlook, there’s no denying that Sun Eater is my favourite ongoing space opera. With only two books left in the saga, I’m hoping it can end as strongly as it began.

12th – Fallout: Season 1 (Amazon Prime) – The year’s big adaptation, I am excited for this one. The trailers look like the show will hit that same bleak and wacky mix as the games, and the visuals are just stunning.

Confirmed April Release – Star Trek: Discovery: Season 5 (Paramount+) – The final season of Discovery sees the crew chasing a mystery across the galaxy. I’m hoping that it can build on the successes of season four and focus more on individual episodes, but either way we’re in for an exciting time.

May

21st – The Doomed Earth #1: In Our Stars, by Jack Campbell – Campbell’s first non-Lost Fleet science fiction novel in eighteen years, this is one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Other than the fact it appears to involve time travel, I’m doing my best to go in blind.

Confirmed May Release – Doctor Who: Season 1 (BBC) – Look, I don’t know why they’ve decided to call it season one for the third time, all I know is that I love what we’ve seen of Ncuti Gatwa’s performance so far. Doctor Who is pretty much the only science fiction in Britain right now, and I’m glad to see it regain that family entertainment hallmark.

June

4th – Service Model, by Adrian Tchaikovsky – Tchaikovsky’s second novel of the year is a new take on robot uprisings. While I don’t think there’s a lot new to do with the topic, it’s still an interesting one. plus the recent rise in generative AI provides ample fodder for science fiction writers.

July

16th – The Palladium Wars #4: Descent, by Marko Kloos – Kloos’ other ongoing series returns after a break. The alphabetic nature of the titles leads me to fear he’ll stretch this out over twenty-six volumes, but even if series structuring isn’t his strongest point, the individual books are still fantastic. The Palladium Wars is perhaps even stronger than the original Frontlines at this point, and I look forward to returning to the universe.

August

1st – Saturation Point, by Adrian Tchaikovsky – A novella this time, which provides proof that Tchaikovsky just does not stop. The novellas have been hit and miss, but the hit ratio is still high, and so are my hopes for this one.

6th – The Captive’s War #1: The Mercy of Gods, by James S. A. Corey – The team behind The Expanse are back with a new series, this time looking even further into humanity’s future with a space opera on a grand scale. I’m told that comparisons to Duneand Hyperion are not unwarranted, which has me rather intrigued.

6th – Star Wars: The Glass Abyss, by Stephen Barnes – Another prequel-era tale, this one sees Mace Windu going to extreme ends to fulfil a dying wish by Qui-Gon Jinn. It also marks a return to Star Wars novels for Barnes after a twenty-year hiatus, which is worth celebrating on its own.

Confirmed Black Library Releases

February is traditionally the time of the Black Library Celebration, and by the looks of it, there’s plenty worth celebrating. Although Black Library have now deleted their much-maligned Coming Soon page, we do know that the following books are headed our way next year.

Date Unconfirmed – Ufthak Blackhawk #2: Da Big Dakka, by Mike Brooks – An unexpected sequel to Brutal Kunnin, I suspect this one will also include elements of Warboss. Even if it doesn’t, it will still win the award for oddest book title of the year.

Date Unconfirmed – Deathworlder, by Victoria Hayward – Hayward’s debut novel is my most anticipated Black Library release for 2024. With what may be the first ever look at a planet undergoing tyranid consumption, it’s a hotly-tipped addition to the Astra Militarum canon.

Date Unconfirmed – Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge, by Gary Kloster – Another debut, Kloster’s book is the latest character novel, which this time centres on a Dark Angel. Being a shorter work, this is the perfect way to sample a new author’s writing style.

Date Unconfirmed – Renegades #2: Lord of Excess, by Rich McCormick – After Mike brooks’ Harrowmaster proved to be fairly standalone, I’m intrigued to see that the Renegades brand is apparently a series of some kind. This is also yet another debut, and I’m hoping that this fresh crop of Black Library authors will prove just as exciting as the last.

Date Unconfirmed – Morvenna Vahl: Spear of Faith, by Jude Reid – After the success of Creed: Ashes of Cadia, I’m excited to see what Reid does next. A trip to terra was not at all what I expected, but it does look very interesting.

As always, there’s bound to be something I’ve overlooked. Let me know what you’re looking forward to in the comments below.