Last week I brought you 14 Adult Science Fiction Books to Read in 2021, and this week it’s time for YA! YA sci-fi is tough, guys. There are a ton of YA contemporary, mystery and fantasy out there, but not a whole lot of SF. I’ve scoured lists and Goodreads and come up with twelve upcoming YA SF that look really good. Some of these I would call “science fiction adjacent” and may not be marketed as science fiction, but I feel they are books that SF fans would enjoy. Also, this list only includes books that already have covers revealed, so of course this is an incomplete list. But this should get you started! Books are listed in order of release date (but keep in mind dates are subject to change), and you can click on the titles to read the full Goodreads description and add them to your TBR. Here we go:
1.
Yesterday is History by Kosoko Jackson. Release date: February 2. This is one of the “science fiction adjacent” titles I was talking about. A boy gets a liver transplant and wakes up with the ability to time travel! I think that sounds so cool. There is also LGBTQ+ rep in this story.
2.
The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold. Release date: February 9. There is so much awesome about this book: a post apocalyptic world, a dog companion and more. I’m getting A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World vibes, for some reason, and I see a couple of reviewers are comparing it to Station Eleven.
3.
Dragonfly Girl by Marti Leimbach. Release date: February 23. This is another “adjacent” book that I think sounds fabulous. Granted, this falls more in the realm of “thriller,” but it involves a talented teen scientist who discovers how to bring the dead back to life.
4.
Fragile Remedy by Maria Ingrande Mora. Release date: March 9. A genetically modified teen needs a special medication in order to survive in this debut sci-fi thriller. This sounds really good! LGTBQ+ rep.
5.
Girls With Rebel Souls (Girls With Sharp Sticks #3) by Suzanne Young. Release date: March 23. I wanted to include this even though it’s book #3 in the series, because I’ve heard really good things about the first two books. (Strangely, there’s no story description on Goodreads.)
6.
The Infinity Courts (The Infinity Courts #1) by Akemi Dawn Bowman. Release date: April 6. A murdered teen wakes up in an afterlife called Infinity and discovers an evil AI named Ophelia is plotting to end humanity. This sounds fabulous!
7.
The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris. Release date: April 6. A boy named Alex is able to see into the future whenever he touches a person or an object that belongs to them. This isn’t being marketed as SF but I’m adding it here because “seeing into the future” counts as science fiction in my book. Morris is the author of Slay, which I’ve heard such good things about.
8.
Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders. Release date: April 13. I’m a big fan of Anders and I’m definitely adding this to my TBR. This looks like a space opera with an intergalactic war and clones, and the publisher’s calling it Star Wars meets Doctor Who. Can’t wait! LGTBQ+ rep.
9.
Chaos on CatNet (CatNet #2) by Naomi Kritzer. Release date: April 27. Catfishing on CatNet was released last year, and I’m still sad that I never got to read it. That’s one reason I’m including the sequel, as a reminder to myself! This is a near future thriller about a girl and her AI friend CheshireCat.
10.
The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He. Release date: May 4. I’m just going to copy the publisher’s blurb for you: “One of the most twisty, surprising, engaging page-turner YAs you’ll read this year—We Were Liars with sci-fi scope, Lost with a satisfying resolution.” Combined with that gorgeous cover, I’m in!
11.
The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer. Release date: June 1. Two boys, alone in space! This looks like an exciting space opera/mystery with LGBTQ+ rep. And I really like this cover!
12.
Rainbow in the Dark by Sean McGinty. Release date: August 10. This is marketed as contemporary YA, but I’m taking the Ready Player One comparison and declaring this sci-fi adjacent! Three teens find themselves trapped in a virtual game-like world and must complete quests in order to get out. Sounds so good!
Great finds! I’m super excited for Chaos on Catnet. I’m tempted by The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris, also because I’ve heard great things about Slay.
I’m tempted by all of them, lol!
I really like the sound of the first book Yesterday is History because TIME TRAVEL!
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I agree, I love time travel stories:-)
Interesting that sci-fi seems underrepresented in YA.
Yeah, I’m not sure why. It’s hard to find though!
Thanks for introducing me to some of these. I can’t wait for Chaos on Carney – I lucked out and got a ARC on NetGalley!
Oh cool, I need to read the first book still:-)
I just got Victories Greater Than Death and can’t wait to read it!
I’m about to break down and request it too:-)
Oh, I love the cover for THE ELECTRIC KINGDOM. And haven’t heard of most of these so will have to check them out.
Definitely check them out! They all sound unique in one way or another:-)
I will never tire of seeing the cover for The Electric Kingdom. I think I’ve already featured it on a Can’t Wait Wednesday although it seems like some time ago. Seems like I also may need to check out Dragonfly Girl and the CatNet series. Thanks for adding to my toppling TBR.
I featured it already too, but I had to add it again. The cover is so cool! And bonus points for the dog:-)
Yeah, the Girls with Sharp Sticks series is really good! I can’t wait for the next book. You have also added a few to my TBR with this list. Thanks for sharing all of these! And so many beautiful covers!
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I wish I had started that series!
While I always tread carefully whenever YA is concerned, since I’ve been burned a few times, I’m very intrigued by The Electric Kingdom: the “Boy and his Dog” vibe is something I’m unable to resist… 😉
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I usually do too. I think all of these sound good, though. And I did read an excerpt of The Electric Kingdom and really enjoyed it!
Great list! Like you, I’ve been meaning to read Catfishing on Catnet, so now that there’s a sequel, hopefully I’ll get to both! I’ll want to read the Charlie Jane Anders book — I’m always a fan of her writing. If the Electric Kingdom really lives up to the books it’s compared to, then I’ll have to read that one too!
I read an excerpt of Electric Kingdom and I was hooked!
I have an ARC of Victories Greater Than Death and I’m soooo excited to read it!! 😀
The Ones We’re Meant to Find also sounds amazing!
Oh cool! I’m going to request both of those if I can:-)
YA sci-fi really isn’t something I see in abundance, so this list is awesome. I just saw something about The Electric Kingdom, but had no idea it was a YA sci-fi, I’m so here for a dog companion. The Ones We’re Meant to Find really stands out to me the most, but I think I’ll be keeping my eye out for most of these. 🙂
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I just read an excerpt for The Electric Kingdom and it was awesome! I’m hoping to read the whole thing:-)
Yesterday is History sounds really good. I love stories that feature time travel!
Me too, and this one sounds really unique!
I’m excited for The Darkness Outside Us because we so rarely get YA set in space!
I’m also looking forward to Devil in the Device, sequel to Goddess in the Machine!
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I didn’t know about that one, thanks for sharing:-)
I only have a couple of these on my watch list, I’m trying to be more careful with adding any more YA to my TBR unless it’s an author I know or it’s getting good reviews (and yet somehow, the reading list still grows, lol!) Hopefully you can vet some of these for me. I do have Girls with Rebel Souls as a must-read though since I’ve been following the series. The full description is on Amazon, if you wanted to check it out! I also used it to update the hardcover edition just now.
I’m also pretty cautious these days with YA. Hopefully some of these will be good ones.
I really want to check out that Joan He book! I haven’t read a ton of YA SciFi so I’ll be interested to see how it is.
Me too, I just love the cover and it makes me want to read it!
I’m also more cautious these days with YA but I haven’t completely given up and I like the look of a couple of these. Thanks for the lovely list