Hey! Who put their leftist politics in my fiction?
Need a gift for your extremist family member, but they already have a red baseball cap AND a Don't Tread on Me shirt? Were you told "Don't bring up politics at family dinner" and need some safe books to discuss instead? Well we have a full menu for you to choose from! Each just for fun book comes with our guarantee: No real world political messages under the 100% fictional plot! ๐ (Taking Recommendations!)






Non-Humans & Empathy (Fiction, Realistic)
One of several Non-Humans & Empathy -themed lists by @Myth.Ink (See also: Non-Fiction, GNs/Manga+, Youth Titles, Creature Feature, & the Official @Myth.Ink Curation) | This list is the FICTION edition, including fictional interactions and considerations of interactions between plausibly realistic non-human beings of all types (trees, robots, animals, ai, aliens, objects, science-experiment beings, etc) and humans, empathy and lack thereof. | Suggestions more than welcome!






our minds and others
โWe have no clear definition of consciousnessโeven though it must be the most important element of our own experience on the planet.
Why do we fear so much in the other this thing we so little understand in ourselves?โ
books that explore and grapple with the nature of human and non-human consciousness (animal, machine, or otherwise alien).
mostly science non-fiction, speculative fiction and literary fiction.
recs very much welcome :)






Fantastical Memory
Books where memories are lost, gained, preserved, encountered, or otherwise altered through means that are not of this world. Work in progress, suggestions always welcome!






Ologies Podcast Suggestions
Ologies is a weekly science podcast hosted by Alie Ward. Each episode, Ward interviews an expert from a distinct scientific field.
This unofficial list contains book suggestions made by the host or by her guests. I avoided extremely technical books or papers. Currently from episode 1 to 525 More details on these books and their associated episodes in my ever evolving spreadsheet.
In the spreadsheet there are also books not found on Goodreads and general book recommendations (like the entire bibliography of a specific author or group of people)






we're not alone ๐ฝ
a list of sci-fi books containing aliens






Wait.... This Hike is How Long?!
Books where the main characters have to travel a seemingly long distance to achieve their goals/quests. Travel is not exclusive to walking, this list also includes long distance travel by car, boat, train, and even spaceship!
As always, open to suggestions! ๐๐ค






generation ships
"we left the ground behind. we left the oceans. we left the air. we watched these things grow small. we watched them shrink into a point of light... we are the children who continue on."






I Like Big BUGS and I Cannot Lie
A list of (thankfully) fictional books featuring giant arthropods - from uplifted arachnids and ancient hive minds to the oversized insects of our nightmares! Always taking recommendations (for my nightmare fuel)! (p.s. for actual education content, please see @The_BookishBug)






Books Set in Space ๐ฝ ๐๐






R/Fantasy top Fantasy (and sci-fi) Novels (2025)
The top 100 fantasy novels according to the r/fantasy list as voted on by the community - this includes series (represented by the first book in the series) and standalones.
The list is in order with Middle Earth ( represented by Lord of the rings) being number 1 going down to the 100th.
(Note: Mistborn is position 8 while Cosmere is position 35 - as Mistborn is within the Cosmere I lumped it in with the 35th position so it is lower down than on the original list)






modern classic sci-fi (1950-2020)
trying to keep modern classic science fiction alive! giants and significant works from late 20th century to present across the world. all sub-genres included to the best I can.
hard, soft, steampunk, silkpunk, spicepunk, aliens, robots, time travel, space opera, dystopian, clifi, apocalyptic, afrofuturism, slipstream, cyberpunk, and more
recommendations welcome!






from the ground, from our ships, by the stars
science fiction about people living and working on space ships or space stations, in the near or far future.
โfrom the ground, we stand. from our ships, we live. by the stars, we hope.โ
แฏโ






SFF books in series that pretend to be standalone
Self-contained SFF books that belong to a series, offering a complete story without a multi-book commitment. A perfect way to sample immersive worlds while limiting potential disappointment โ yet still leaving more to explore if you liked it.






Fungi, Mushrooms, Plants, and Scary Biology






we live in a simulation
sci-fi books about simulations!!






From an animal perspective
Stories narrated by animals. Primary focus on ya/adult books with a select few classics for all ages.






Earning Sci-Fi Chops
This is for the classics, the old and new, the lesser known books, the short stories and the translated speculative fiction. Sci-fi could be argued to be one of the best and most expansive genres out there - itโs just a matter of finding the right book for you.
If there is a series, I will only be putting the first book unless they are unrelated.






Fill the hole left by Project Hail Mary
Sci fi and fantasy that's clever, funny, high-stakes, and fast-paced.






First Contact Sci-Fi
First Contact with Aliens Sci-Fi Books





