Well, that – I guess – is that. The plan was to shift my reading focus from the crime genre to science fiction in 2026. I asked my followers on X to let me know which upcoming 2026 sci-fi books they were most looking forward to reading and, of course, the majority of the responses I received were deeply unhelpful. I mean, I should have known better. Whenever I ask a straightforward question, the answers I get often have little if anything to do with the question asked. There’s a lot of….
“Since you asked for recommendations of Star Trek, Star Wars, DC or Marvels shows, might I suggest the 1927 black and white classic Metropolis or putting cucumber slices on your sandwich?”
No one bothers reading the assignment anymore or maybe they do and just don’t care. Most of the recommendations were not 2026 releases. And the ones that were 2026 releases were often the next book in an ongoing series. And so I decided to seek out a listing of new and upcoming science fiction books on my own and, let me tell you dear reader, you’ll be hard pressed to find science fiction that doesn’t stray into fantasy, romance, or strives to deliver some message of great import in heavy-handed can’t-miss fashion. Thus – I am OUT.
Instead, I decided to do something I’ve been meaning to do for ages – get back to reading comics. I came across a list of the Top 10 Best Comics of 2025, chose one at random, started reading and, partway through, realized it was akin to reading an adaptation of an afterschool PSA. More clunky proselytizing. And, once again, I am OUT.
I had considered getting subscriptions to some of the established science fiction magazines (Analog, Asimov, Clarkesworld) but now am genuinely concerned for the type of stories I am going to receive. Does clever, nuanced sci-fi literature still exist?
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