Environmental Science Fiction

The best science fiction scrutinizes our culture and politics, examines the limits of the human condition, and zooms across galaxies at faster-than-light speeds, moving from the very near future to the far-flung worlds of tomorrow in the space of a single sentence. Neil Clarke has selected the short science fiction (and only science fiction) best representing the previous year's writing, showcasing the talent, variety, and awesome "sensawunda" that the genre has to offer.

The science fiction genre has become increasingly influential in mainstream popular culture, evolving into one of the most engaging storytelling tools we use to think about technology and consider the shape of the future. Along the way, it has also become one of the major lenses we use to explore important philosophical questions. The origins of science fiction are most often thought to trace to Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, a story born from a night of spooky tale-telling by the fireside that explores scientific, moral, and ethical questions that were of great concern in the 19th century - and that continue to resonate today.

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The heartwarming and action-packed illustrated novel exploring what happens when nature and technology collide. When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what...

A 2026 Audie Awards finalist for Best Science Fiction! The inspiration for the Netflix series 3 Body Problem! This program is read by Jess Hong, who plays Jin Cheng in 3 Body Problem. Over 1 million copies of the Three-Body Problem series sold in North America. "[Jess] Hong, who stars in the...

This audiobook is narrated by an AI Voice. This novel is an eco-dystopia, of the possible future humanity will encounter if it does not confront the existential threats that it currently faces: climate change, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, pandemics, and artificial intelligence run amok...

The inspiration for the Netflix series 3 Body Problem! Over 1 million copies of the Three-Body Problem series sold in North America PRAISE FOR THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM SERIES: “A mind-bending epic.”—The New York Times “War of the Worlds for the 21st century.”—The Wall Street...

Book 1 in the 12-book series that has sold over 63 million copies! On a Boeing 747 headed to London, passengers instantaneously disappear from their seats, resulting in terror and chaos for those left behind—not only throughout the plane, but also worldwide as the apocalypse begins. Filled...

The apocalypse didn’t take everyone. It just took us. Ever since the rain turned green, Kyrie’s world has been bathed in glowing dust. She packs it into old mascara tubes and sells it as makeup alongside dried cacti, threadbare blankets, and long-expired canned food. There’s not much else...

When Rab was a baby, his mother made a decision which would change his life. She feared he would be sent to work in the hellish mines of Mercury, to eke out his life until he was worn out, all in the name of maintaning the defense of the Solar Sytem. But when her desperate attempt to flee with...

Bloomsbury presents Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar, read by Kathleen McInerney A funny, sinister and thought-provoking comic thriller from the multimillion-copy selling author of Holes. If you go down to the woods today ... Well, every child knows NOT to, don’t they? Tamaya is on a scholarship to...

Building from his acclaimed anthology Tales of Two Americas, beloved writer and editor John Freeman draws together a group of our greatest writers from around the world to help us see how the environmental crisis is hitting some of the most vulnerable communities where they live. In the past...