Children of Memory

The Children of the Sky

Vernor Vinge2011

Humans and a hive-mind species attempt to rebuild a civilization on a primitive planet. Political factions struggle for control of the technology.

pace0·prose0·bleak0

Radiance

Catherynne M. Valente2015

A documentary filmmaker disappears on Venus in an alternate 1980s solar system. The story is told through scripts, interviews, and letters.

meditative → dreamlike, still space opera

pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

The golden age

John C. Wright2002

In a far-future utopia, an immortal man discovers he has had his memories erased. He searches for his identity while defying a collective mind.

Same meditative register, still space opera

pace0·prose+1·bleak0

Echopraxia

Peter Watts2014

A biologist is caught on a mission toward the sun alongside a pilot and a group of transhuman monks. It explores consciousness and evolution.

meditative → bleak, still hard sci-fi

pace0·prose+1·bleak+2

Redshirts

John Scalzi2012

Low-ranking crew members on a starship realize they are disposable characters in a sci-fi television show. They attempt to escape their fate.

meditative → playful, still space opera

pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

Foundation's Edge

Isaac Asimov1982

Two factions search for a hidden planet and the origin of humanity. The plot follows political maneuvering and scientific deduction.

meditative → propulsive, still hard sci-fi

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Smokin' Seventeen

Janet Evanovich2011

A bounty hunter investigates bodies found in her boss's lot while choosing between three suitors. The story follows her daily mishaps in New Jersey.

meditative → playful

pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

Chilling Effect

Valerie Valdes2019

A spaceship captain completes dangerous missions to pay off a ransom for her kidnapped sister. The crew includes a pilot who is a sentient plant.

meditative → playful, still space opera

pace+2·prose-2·bleak-1

Project Hail Mary

Andy Weir2021

A man wakes up on a spaceship with amnesia and two dead crewmates. He must use scientific experiments to remember his mission and save the sun.

meditative → propulsive, still hard sci-fi

pace+2·prose-1·bleak-1

The Star Kings

Edmond Hamilton1949

A 20th-century man swaps bodies with a prince 200,000 years in the future. He must lead a galactic empire against a tyrant's fleet.

meditative → propulsive, still space opera

pace+2·prose-2·bleak-1

Dandelion Wine

Ray Bradbury1946

A twelve-year-old boy experiences a series of vignettes over one summer in 1928 Illinois. The chapters focus on small-town life and aging.

meditative → elegiac

pace-1·prose0·bleak-1

For Us, the Living

Robert A. Heinlein2003

A 1930s pilot wakes up in the year 2086. The book consists of long dialogues explaining the social, economic, and sexual norms of the future.

meditative → earnest

pace-1·prose-1·bleak-1

Hav

Jan Morris2006

A travel writer describes the culture and history of a fictional Mediterranean city-state before and after a massive political upheaval.

meditative → elegiac

pace-1·prose0·bleak0

Flood

Stephen Baxter2008

The sea level rises globally due to water leaking from the Earth's crust. Four former hostages watch as civilization slowly drowns over decades.

meditative → clinical, still hard sci-fi

pace+1·prose-1·bleak+2

Echopraxia

Peter Watts2014

A biologist is caught on a mission toward the sun alongside a pilot and a group of transhuman monks. It explores consciousness and evolution.

meditative → bleak, still hard sci-fi

pace0·prose+1·bleak+2

Beyond the Aquila Rift

Alastair Reynolds2001

A spaceship crew wakes from cold sleep to find they have overshot their destination by light-years. They must face the reality of their location.

meditative → bleak, still hard sci-fi

pace+1·prose0·bleak+2