The main common thread among all of these novels is the sharp, witty narration. All of the books have strong characters that help push you toward solving some kind of puzzle or mystery. Celebrate the nerds! Rejoice! Nerds keep the world running and have a lot of fun while doing it. These books are for people who are interested in getting started with science-fiction, or loved the movie ‘The Martian.’
I’ve broken it down into three ‘categories’ or sub-genres of science fiction. Space-adjacent, meaning that we are dealing with cosmos, aliens, spaceships. Modern day, meaning we are mostly set in today’s world, but with a few major science-y differences. Thriller/fast paced, where there is more danger and intrigue and the plot moves along at a fast clip. I’ve also included ‘more hard-core picks’ meaning books that skew more heavily into the science fiction category and can take more of an appreciation for the genre to love these books.
Space-adjacent
The Martian by Andy Weir
You may know this from the Matt Damon movie, but, as always, the book is better than the movie. Mark Watney’s humor lightens a race-against-the-clock story. The writing is sharp and funny, and if you skip the scientific calculations you won’t miss much.
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
You’ll fall in love with the crew of this spaceship and learn what a day in the life means for them. An exciting journey through space-and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe-in this light-hearted debut space opera from a rising sci-fi star.
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
This book can fit into a lot of genres: YA, science fiction, space opera, mystery. It tackles some basic science-y ideas like space travel and artificial intelligence but doesn’t get too far into the weed. The characters have unique voices and the plot moves quickly.
More hard-core picks:
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1) by James S. A. Corey
Modern Day
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
The story of ‘what if a giant robot is here to teach the human race something’ meets ‘how does today’s world work with online social interactions and instant celebrity.’ The puzzle of Carl the Robot keeps the plot moving, and April is a flawed human, just like all of us.
Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloane
A bookstore where no one buys anything is a curious setup for a novel about ancient societies trying to protect secrets in a modern age. There is a good amount of code breaking combined with a little bit of historical fantasy-fiction that will puzzle your brain.
More hard-core picks:
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Nuevel
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
Thriller / Fast Paced
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Nostalgic for the 1980’s, this book has an action-adventure feel where Wade has to battle his way through The Oasis while still surviving in real life. There are hidden easter eggs, and a bit of romance that make this more well-rounded than your standard science fiction.
Recursion by Blake Crouch
A total trip about reality and ‘what if you could re-do the things in your life that you got wrong’ but with a heavy dose of the butterfly effect. You follow a NYC cop into the dark underbelly of the medical industry, supposedly aiming to ‘cure’ Alzheimer’s.
More hard-core picks:
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
SJP Books 
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