The Mostest SF of 2023

A million books, billions of people: Who can say what the best books were in 2023? Even within SF—whether that means science fiction or speculative fiction or science fantasy—the idea is too broad. So I’ve narrowed it down to five top books in niche SF categories, the mostest of 2023.

Most Optimistic

The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz

Even if they come at cosmic scale (vacation planets) or in unaccustomed shapes (sentient trains and animals), Annalee Newitz’s galaxy-wide romp, millennia in the future figures many of the same problems that we face today. That, despite everything, Newitz believes that the power of community, goodness, and the power of law can overcome is deeply refreshing.

Most Hiveminded

More Perfect by Temi Oh

There have been many stories told about the dangers of the unified mind: No one wants to join the Borg. Mixing myth and technology, Temi Oh’s near-future London dystopia shows how social media is slouching towards a Borg-esque conclusion.

Most Elegant

White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link

I usually write about novels rather than short stories and, though I sometimes write about speculative fiction, I usually steer clear of fairy stories and the adjacent fantasy genres. On the face of it Kelly Link’s collection was avoidable, but in the event, White Cat, Black Dog, is the most luminous and elegant book of speculative fiction so far this decade.

Most Alien

Translation State by Ann Leckie

Most books of science fiction that feature aliens feature aliens that resemble people next door, in the office, on the street. It’s an interesting way of dealing with contemporary issues but, with few notable exceptions, not actually an engagement with what extraterrestrials might actually be like. In contrast, Ann Leckie’s Translation State, is an entertaining story of relatable alienations that also takes the alienness of aliens seriously.

Most Meta

Circumference of the World by Lavie Tidhar

Lavie Tidhar is one of today’s most prolific SF writers, deeply embedded in the scene as writer, editor and anthologist, and who also has an encyclopedic knowledge of SF history. Circumference of the World puts all of these together in a novel that comprises a bewilderingly rich tapestry of SF allusion. The search that propels the novel is, self-reflexively, a search for a science fiction novel. Not only the plot, but the entire universe is tied up in a roman a clef history of SF.