Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish, and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

So this week’s prompt is “backlist books I want to read”, and after a somewhat prolonged bout of “how the hell do I choose only ten?!” I decided to fold this into my Sci-Fi Month output and stick with science fiction.

… After another prolonged bout of indecision, here are the top 10 science fiction books currently jostling hardest for my attention!

 

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Bloodline, by Claudia Gray

Another Star Wars novel that’s been on my list for a while. This one tells the story of Leia Organa between the end of the original film trilogy and the events of The Force Awakens.  I’ll admit I’m interested in any story that focuses on the woman who would become a General, so I should really get cracking on with reading this one!

 

Before Mars, by Emma Newman

The third book in the Planetfall series came out back in April, and I am horribly ashamed that it’s taken so long to get around to it – but get to it I will! This one’s been on my planned reading list for Sci-Fi Month for a while now.

 

A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeleine L’Engle

Bit of a classic, because in my view there should always be at least one on the shelf at all times! I’m admittedly a bigger fan of more modern SF, but sometimes a really good classic can grab me. I wonder if this will be one of those…

 

The Melancholy of Mechagirl, by Catherynne M. Valente

This collection of stories about Japan features both science fiction and fantasy, but it’s been patiently waiting for my attention for so long I can’t take it anymore, and so it gets a place here. I’m only a little familiar with Valente’s short fiction, but this collection features a couple of her award-nominated stories (“Thirteen Ways of Looking at Space/Time” and “Silently and Very Fast”), and I’m definitely interested in exploring more of it.

 

The Calculating Stars, by Mary Robinette Kowal

I am most definitely a fan of this lady’s work, and very excited to read this one! Lady astronauts, guys. What’s not to love?

 

Robots Vs. Fairies, by Dominik Parisien & Navah Wolfe (Editors)

Technically another SF/fantasy mashup, but this anthology’s premise is simple: Which is better? I don’t know if there’s a definitive answer but the very idea pushes my geeky buttons. Better yet, this includes stories by the aforementioned Mary Robinette Kowal, Seanan McGuire (hello, personal favourite!), Sarah Gailey and John Scalzi, to name just a few. I bought this one damn near immediately on release, and its time will come. Probably before this month is over, if I get my way.

 

Musketeer Space, by Tansy Rayner Roberts

The title says it all. It’s The Three Musketeers. In space. Also intriguingly gender-flipped. This is one of those stories that’s been lurking among a mess of too-damn-easy-to-purchase Kindle books for a while, but I’m determined to dust it off and get reading it. Because MUSKETEERS IN SPACE.

 

Arabella of Mars, by David D. Levine

Good steampunk is its own reward, in my opinion. I’m hoping this shelf-haunting little number will turn out to be just that. *Pats book* Soon.

 

So You Want To Be a Robot and Other Stories, by A. Merc Rustad

Another short fiction collection, another SF/F mixture, and another author I’m always happy to recommend to people.

 

All Systems Red, by Martha Wells

MURDERBOT.

I’m terribly behind on my fandom crazes sometimes, and this is one of those times, but I swear to all that’s holy I will read this one. MURDERBOT!