Summer Books 2021: Science Fiction

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Foreign times
by CK McDonnell, Bantam press â‚¬ 14.99

Yes X files was a weekly tabloid, it would be The Stranger Times. The Manchester-based periodical gains a new associate editor, Hannah, who quickly learns that the paranormal is real and can be fatal. McDonnell exploits this premise for a laugh, and the pithy banter between the characters is a delight.

The last one at the party
by Bethany Clift, Hodder and Stoughton â‚¬ 12.99

The only survivor of a deadly flu-like pandemic, Clift’s anti-heroine disgusts herself in every way, before the need to deal with her predicament arises. the why of surviving is the how.

The best of the SF world
edited by Lavie Tidhar, Head of Zeus Â£ 25

Tidhar has assembled a large and impressive collection of 26 stories from authors around the world, several of them appearing for the first time in English. The variety and diversity of the material on offer is refreshing, the quality does not falter and the translations are top notch.

Tell us what you think

What are your favorites from this list – and which books have we missed? Tell us in the comments below

The last house on Needless Street
by Catriona Ward, Viper Â£ 12.99 / Tor Nightfire $ 27.99

A woman moves in next to the man she says killed her sister years earlier. Still, he doesn’t seem like such a bad guy. Who is crazy? Who is lying? Ward’s superlative novel – part psychological thriller, part Gothic horror – plays countless tricks on the reader and rewards special attention.

Sky Inn
by Aliya Whiteley, Solaris â‚¬ 14.99

Terran Jem and an alien, Isley, together run a rural pub in the near future of the West Country that has cut itself off from the rest of Britain. Problems arise when another alien shows up at their doorstep. Skyward Inn skillfully and sympathetically explores issues of separation, identity and belonging.