One of the best new science fiction books of August 2025, that includes Stephen King and Adrian Tchaikovsky

One among my most anticipated books of the 12 months is out this month: a set of brief tales set within the post-apocalyptic devastation of Stephen King’s The Stand. I really like end-times story, and King did it so nicely on this doorstopper of a e book, first printed in 1978. How will the writers he has invited to develop his “world” fare? Suitably depressed by these visions of the long run, I’m then planning to choose myself up with New Scientist columnist Annalee Newitz’s cosier take, Automated Noodle, which comes full with jolly robots and cooking. From thrillers (Synthetic Knowledge) to extra literary takes (Helm), Star Wars to the newest from the prolific Adrian Tchaikovsky, let’s get studying!

As a Stephen King superfan (simply name me Annie Wilkes) I can not overstate my pleasure about this anthology by which writers, together with the brilliantly terrifying Tananarive Due, together with a bunch of different nice names, have been given permission to play on the planet of King’s The Stand. It takes place within the wake of a super-flu, which has killed off most of Earth’s inhabitants, and options nice powers of fine and evil. The Stand is a seminal post-apocalyptic novel and I can’t wait to see how these writers think about what occurs subsequent. What a deal with.

We love Adrian Tchaikovsky at New Scientist (his novel Alien Clay was a giant hit with our e book membership) and I’m wanting ahead to this newest in his Horrible World collection, which imagines how runaway know-how activates its masters. Right here, Amri is struggling to outlive within the “blasted panorama of a shattered, poisoned world” when a “god” named Man Vesten falls from the sky.

This thriller is about in 2050, because the world faces a local weather disaster and wishes a world chief to tackle the “coming apocalypse”. The 2 candidates are former US president Lockwood and Solomon, the world’s first political synthetic intelligence. Journalist Marcus Tully investigates when Solomon’s creator is murdered, and rumours emerge of a world conspiracy. That is an intriguing concept, and I’m actually wanting ahead to this one.

This cosy novella is by our columnist Annalee Newitz, and it seems like simply the factor to cheer us all up. It’s set within the close to future, and follows the adventures of a ragtag bunch of robots who arrange a restaurant in San Francisco, because the people of that metropolis get well from a horrible struggle. Annalee wrote about it in a column right here, to provide you a flavour, and it’s excessive on my checklist this busy August.

Lucid by Oraine Johnson

In a near-future model of Birmingham, teenager Joseph Jacobs’ goals pull him right into a world the place the traces between actuality and phantasm are blurring. The writer is evaluating this to Inception and Prepared Participant One.

This surreal novel is about within the Capmeadow Enterprise Park, the place worker Tom Crowley loses his daughter on a “convey your daughter to work day”. Because it transpires that she was by no means there, Tom searches for her within the “maze of corridors and inconceivable multi-dimensional areas” that’s Capmeadow.

Helm by Sarah Corridor

Sarah Corridor is a literary author and this e book does sound prefer it has parts of the fantastical about it, however I feel there’s additionally sufficient of the sci-fi idea novel right here to make it one for sci-fi followers. It’s the story of a ferocious wind, Helm, which has blasted the Eden Valley for the reason that daybreak of time, and the chronicles of those that have battled it – from a Neolithic tribe who tried to placate it to a Victorian engineer who tried to seize it. Now, scientist Dr Selima Sutar, who’s measuring it from her statement hut, believes the tip is nigh.

The most recent Star Wars novel is a brand new story in regards to the Dangerous Batch gang, by which they’re on a mission to rebuild a secure haven on an island devastated by a sea wave on Pabu, a small planet removed from the clutches of the Empire.

This graphic novel is described as a “nuclear fusion” of science fiction and fantasy. It sees a knight fleeing throughout the radioactive ruins of a land, pursued by a demon, his solely weapon the identical energy that destroyed the world. Is it magic – or is it tech? The writer says it is a mixture of Tintin, Blade Runner and The Darkish Tower – that’s a strong mix, if you happen to ask me!

Roadkill by Amil, translated by Archana Madhavan

This assortment of tales by the South Korean writer strikes between science fiction and fantasy, together with a imaginative and prescient of a close to future the place ladies are an endangered minority and two mates attempt to escape from a facility for many who can nonetheless give delivery. I additionally just like the sound of the story set in South Korea’s Alps Grand Park, the place residents of the unique facility reside amongst large air air purifier towers – whereas these much less lucky reside of their shade.

What an fascinating concept: the editors of this anthology requested 10 Iranian authors what Iran would possibly appear like in 2053, a century after the coup that overthrew the federal government of Mohammad Mosaddegh. The imagined futures are various, from Tehran sinking right into a “nice, tourist-attracting ‘Pit’” to 1 by which inter-dimensional voids reveal parallel universes.

That is the sequel to house opera Ocean’s Godori, and whereas it sounds thrilling – an area pilot, falsely accused of murdering his household, crash lands on the moon – I counsel studying the primary e book earlier than venturing onto the second.

That is the conclusion to Johnstone’s Enceladons trilogy, and is about 18 months after peaceable aliens, the Enceladons, have escaped the clutches of the US army.