Eight great sci-fi books from the last decade

1. The Fold ~ Peter Clines (2015)

This is actually a follow-up to his 2012 book ('14'), but it's a stand-alone novel, so you definitely don't have to read them in order. 'The Fold' starts off with a bunch of scientists getting ready to unveil a new invention that will revolutionize the world . . . until the main character realizes something is massively wrong. Lots of creepy "Oh shit" moments in this one.

2. Terms of Enlistment ~ Marko Kloos (2013)

In my humble opinion, this is about as good as it gets in the military sci-fi sub-genre. The protagonist is very likable; he lives in a dystopian future Earth and joins the army to escape his otherwise dreary prospects and get off-world. Kloos turned this into a series, and he's currently wrapping up the fourth book for publication.

3. Battle Cruiser ~ B.V. Larson (2015)

This one feels like a 1960s or 70s sci-fi that has been re-written by a 21st century author. The protagonist, William Sparhawk, is a space captain somewhat reminiscent of James T. Kirk - morally good, cares deeply about his crew, and generally horny for the various women in his life. This isn't award-winning fiction, but it's a fun read. The sequel is called 'Dreadnought'.

4. Thirteen ~ Richard K. Morgan (2007)

If you live in Europe, the title is 'Black Man'. 'Thirteen' is for the N. American market. Anyway, if you've read Morgan's 'Altered Carbon', you know what to expect. Morgan's sci-fi books are gritty and full of violence, sex and vulgarity . . . but they're also intelligent and well-written. Guilty fun.

5. Beacon 23 ~ Hugh Howey (2015)

This reminded me a little of the Sam Rockwell movie 'Moon'. It's about a man living by himself in what basically amounts to a lighthouse in space. It is sometimes difficult to know whether he is truly able to maintain his sanity. And then visitors show up.

6. Lock In ~ John Scalzi (2014)

Scalzi is a fantastic writer. 'Old Man's War' is a classic. In 'Lock In', he imagines a world in which a small percentage of the population suffers from a medical condition that leaves them fully awake and aware in bodies that no longer work. They have to either function in an online world or use artificial bodies. The clever thing about this story is that Scalzi uses the "locked in" concept to explore the ideas of discrimination and prejudice, which makes the book quite relevant for our own society.

7. Leviathan Wakes ~ James SA Corey (2011)

This is actually a new TV series on the Syfy channel. The TV show is pretty good, but the book is much better. The writing style is fluid and very enjoyable, and the universe they describe is both believable and intriguing. Apparently, George R.R. Martin loved it. I'm currently half-way through the third book, and I can't put it down.

8. 14 ~ Peter Clines (2012)

A lot of people have made the comparison to the TV show LOST. It has that feel to it. The story starts with some people living in a strange apartment building. They notice some odd things about the building that are hard to explain. Kind of "Huh, that's weird," sort of stuff. But as they start digging deeper, they begin to unwrap a bizarre mystery that pulls the story from simple suspense to true science fiction.