Most of my reading these days can be charitably called playing catch-up. I’ve spoken a lot about how I generally prefer older science fiction to modern books, but that’s probably because I read a lot more of the former. Whatever the case, it’s always a good idea to keep abreast of newer releases, even if I’m not going top rush out and buy them. So here’s a very rough guide to science fiction releases coming in 2025.

January

16-Death of the Author, by Nnedi Okorafor – Stories about artificial intelligence in the arts are going to be significant in the coming months, and I think a socially-minded author like Okarofor is the perfect person to write them. It’ll also be an excuse to catch up with her back catalogue.

17-Severance, Season 2 (Apple TV+) -Not a book, but a show I’m very much looking forward to. The less you know, the better it’ll be. Just go watch it.

30-Warhammer 40,000: Leontus: Lord Solar, by Rob Young – This came out in limited edition already, so I’m happy to see the regular edition following not too far behind.

February

11-Of Shadows, Stars, & Sabers, edited by Jendia Gammon & Gareth L. Powell – This cross-genre anthology is the first offering from Gammon and Powell’s new publishing outfit. There’s a good spread of new and familiar names, so it’ll be interesting to see how this venture gets off the ground.

13-Warhammer 40,000: The Dark Coil: Damnation, by Peter Fehervari – Fehervari has a unique style, especially by Black Library’s standards. This omnibus includes Cult of the Spiral Dawn, which I enjoyed, and Fire Caste, which I have not read.

25-The Doomed Earth #2: Destiny’s Way, by Jack Campbell – It feels odd to see Campbell ending a series so quickly after starting it, but I’m hoping that signals a nice tight end to the story started in In Our Stars.

25-Star Wars: Reign of the Empire #1: The Mask of Fear, by Alexander Freed – While I don’t wholly approve of Disney milking the same 19 year period of Star Wars history, this new trilogy sounds exactly up my street. Put simply, it sounds like Andor in literary form. It may even connect to Andor’s second season, which is also out in 2025.

25-Future’s Edge, by Gareth L. Powell -A new standalone adventure from Powell, this one has all the hallmarks of a great space opera. Powell is one of Britain’s most reliably entertaining authors, so I’ve got good feeling about this. Even better, it’s not Powell’s only 2025 release, but more on that later.

27-Shroud, by Adrian Tchaikovsky – The first of several Tchaikovsky offerings this year, Shroud is also the one that appeals to me the most. It’s great to see him back in standalone sci-fi form, and 2024’s releases proved that he still has the gift for the genre.

March

27-Dissolution, by Nicholas Binge – Binge’s debut Ascension was a brilliant lead-up to a faltering climax, so hopefully this new book will be an improved affair. With a premise built around memory loss and degradation, it’s certainly got enough of a hook for me to pick it up.

27-When the Moon Hits Your Eye, by John Scalzi – Scalzi is at his best when he at least pretends to be serious, but this story about the moon being replaced by cheese overnight is almost too absurd to say no to.

April

29-Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Toward the Night, by James Swallow – Strange New Worlds goes from strength to strength, and this third novel sees the return of one of my favourite Trek authors.

May

June

3-Dogs of War #3: Bee Speaker, by Adrian Tchaikovsky – An unexpected third outing in the Dogs of War series, I don’t really know what to expect from this one. With any luck, it will recapture the magic of that first tale.

July

August

26-Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Ring of Fire, by David Mack – Two Strange New Worlds novels in a year? It’s strange but true. Mack is always reliable, so this one is going straight on the wishlist.

September

25-Hearthspace, by Stephen Baxter – At this point, all I need to see is Baxter’s name on the spine and I’ll give the book a go. He’s having a phenomenal run of standalones lately, so I have very high hopes for this one.

25-The Captive’s War #2, by James S. A. Corey – I haven’t started The Mercy of Gods yet, but Corey has earned my faith with ten strong books in the Expanse universe, so their new series is already a priority.

TBA-Who Will You Save? by Gareth L. Powell – Powell’s second 2025 outing is a collection of short fiction. I haven’t read any of his short works before, so it will be interesting to see if it can match the strength of his novels.

October

All That We See Or Seem, by Ken Liu -I may be the only person who dislikes Liu’s fantasy epic The Dandelion Dynasty, but I am still looking forward to his science fiction debut. He’s translated a lot of my favourite works, so hopefully he’s just as good at writing original SF.

November

14-The Hungry Gods, by Adrian Tchaikovsky – A novella this time, and Tchaikovsky has a strong history with the form. the hardback is bound to be a little pricy for the page count, so I might pick this up in audio, especially if Tchaikovsky is narrating it himself as he has done before.

December

TBA

The Outer Planets #3: Pluto, by Ben Bova and Les Johnson – This one is a big surprise. I only started the Grand Tour after learning of Bova’s death, and since the last book was published after that, I assumed Neptune would be the end. It turns out that there was a draft manuscript, and that Hard SF Les Johnson has taken up the reins to give Bova’s universe a proper send-off. Colour me intrigued.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of Fire #9: The Silent King, by Guy Haley – The (I assume) end of the Dawn of Fire series sees Haley return to the helm. I’ve fallen a bit behind, so it’s good to see a finishing line so close ahead. There’s no set date for this, but I expect to see it around February to align with Black Library Celebration.

Warhammer 40,000: Minka Lesk #4: Hell’s Last, by Justin D Hill – A new Minka Lesk novel was not in my plans for next year, but I’m glad it’s on the way. Which other series can boast two prestigious Boundy Awards? This also marks one of few Warhammer series to make it beyond trilogy status, so clearly I’m not the only one having a great time with our Cadian friends.

Warhammer 40,000: Carcharadons #3: Void Exile, by Robbie MacNiven – Returning after a hiatus to conclude the Cacharadons series, MacNiven once again takes up the chronicler’s pen. With the first two now available in audio, I’ve got some catching up to do. I’m also eager to se how this version of the Carcharadons lines up with those from Edoardo Albert’s Silent Hunters.

Sun Eater #7: Shadows Upon Time, by Christopher Ruocchio – The long-awaited climax to the Sun Eater saga promises an end to one of the most engaging series in modern SF. Even if I’ve had a few quibbles along the way, I’m looking forward to seeing of Ruocchio can stick the landing.

As always, there’s bound to be something I’ve either forgotten or overlooked. be sure to let me know in the comments what you’re looking forward to picking up in 2025.