‘Dungein Crawler Carl’ (2020) isn’t a book I expected to buy. Neither the title nor the cover apeal to me. The LitRPG tag doesn’t help as I’ve don’t enjoy role playing games. All of which is why I pased it by when it came out.

It’s on my shelves becauae everyone I follow who has read it has enjoyed it.

If isurprises me and I like it, there are eight more books in the series for me to read.

I bought ’The Stardust Grail’ (2024) on the boack of positive reviews and the publisher’s assertion that it was “a thrilling anti-colonial space heist to save an alien civilization.”

I haven’’t read Yume Kitasei before, so this is a roll of the dice but, if it works, I’ll be reading her 2025 novel ‘Saltcrop’ soon.

‘Radiant Star’ (2026) is a standalone novel set in Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radtch universe.

The other Imperial Radtch books, ‘Ancillary Justice’,, ‘Ancillary Sword’, ‘Ancillary Mercy’ and ‘Provenance’are some of my favourite Science Fiction novels, so I have high hopes of this one

Adrian Tchaikovsky’s novels are hit or miss for me. When I like them, I really like them. What calls to me about ‘Alien Clay’’ (2024) is that it seems to use aliens to reflect on how strange humans are, especially the kind of humans who run totalitarian regimes.

’Nobody’s Baby‘’ (2026) is the second novella featuring Dorothy Gentleman, ship’s detective on the luxurious interstellar passenger liner HMS Fairweather,

The first novella, ‘Murder By Memory’ (2025) was an entertaining and well-written mix of Science Fiction and Golden Age Mystery. I’m keen to read the next episode.

’Platform Decay’ (2026) is the ninth entry in the Murderbot Diaries.

I have my doubts about this one. ‘Systems Collapse’ (2023), the last novel-length entry in the series was good but a littel disappointing. I have the feeling that this is a series that is runing out of energy.

’Of Oracles and Sirens’ (2026) is another generation ship space opera. It’s both a debut novel and the first book in a planned series.

The ‘resist the alien overlords that everyone else accepts’ vibe appeals to me.

The rest depends on how well Aaron Strix-Corvus Larertew writes.

‘Thia year, I’ve already gulped down the five novels in Elizabeth Moon’s ‘Vatta’s War’. It was a splendid fast-paced, complex Space Opera adventure with a story arc that tracked through the five novels.

Nine years after the last ‘Vatta’s War’ novel, ELizabeth Moon returned to the characters in a two-novel sequel,called ‘Vatta’s Peace’. The first is ‘Cold Welcome’ (2017), the second is ‘Into The Fire’ (2018). I’m looking forward to both of them.

‘The Blighted Stars’ (2023), is the first book in ‘The Devoured Worlds’, a space opera series which now stands at three books

I was put off this intially by the romance elements of the story but, the reviews of tihs and the sequels have been very positive, so I’m going to give it a try.

‘The Unfamiliar Garden’ (2022) is the second book in ‘The Comet Cycle’ trilogy. The novels are in the same universe but are focused on different groups of characters.

I read the first book, ‘The Nineth Metal’ (2021) because it was recommended by Stephen King. It was an exicitng read, full of clever twists and turns, I’m hoping this one will be as exciting.

’Descendant Machine’ (2023) is the sequel to ‘Stars and Bones’ (2022).

I thought Gareth Powell’s ‘Embers of War’ trilogy: ‘Embers of War’ (2018), ‘Fleet of Knives’ (2019) and ‘Light of Impossible Stars’ (2020) was first-rate space opera. ‘Stars and Bones’ was equally clever but not as engaging. I’m hoping the second novel will work better for me.

‘Artifact Space’ (2021) is the first book in the Arcana Imperii Series, a three-book space opera series with an underdog heroine,

This has sat on my shelves for eighteen months mostly because it’s length (578 pages) has put me off. I’ve decided it’s time to read this or set it aside.

I’m not always keen on Time Travel stories but ‘The Third Rule of Time Travel’ (2025) opens with a white- knuckle ride in a small plane plumeting to the ground. That hooked me.

I was suprised to find Philip Fracassi writing Science Fiction. I know him as a horror writer. I enjoyed ‘The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre’ (2025).

’The Unkillable Princess’ (2025) is the second book in The Kystrom Chronicles’ that started with the ’The Immortality Thief’ (2022).

I’m expecting this to be an exciting space opera novel.