Five Recommended Indie Sci-fi Novels
The indie publishing market is full of diamonds in the rough. Unfortunately, finding them is a chore because there's very few ways to tell whether a book is fantastic prose with great plot and characters or something...less than great. However, I’ve benefited from having read a bunch of great scifi novels written by authors who have decided to go nontraditional routes.
Each of these books is one that I’ve read and enjoyed greatly as well as believe you could do so as well. I hope you’ll give them a look over once you’ve checked out my thoughts. There’s an entire new world to be found once you look beyond more “traditional” publishing.
This month's theme will be cyberpunk! Yes, dystopian sci-fi with a side order of grit!
5. Mercury's Son by Luke Hindmarsh
Mercury’s Son is a dystopian post-apocalypse story about a cyborg investigator in a Luddite theocracy that reveres Mother Earth. Aware that his position in society depends on pleasing his masters, Valko investigates the murder of an important member of their society but he’s not sure if his superiors want it solved or covered up. Mercury’s Son is a rich novel full of fascinating twists and turns as the protagonist struggles to navigate the no win scenario of trying to be a good man in an utterly corrupt society.
4. The Blind Spot by Michael Robertson
The Blind Spot is a cyberpunk political thriller, which is rare enough. In the future there’s two communities living side by side outside the Outlands: Scalia City and the Blind Spot. Scalia City is a corporate-ruled seeming utopia with everyone constantly monitoring each other via an ap that lets you check what people are saying about you. The Blind Spot is a decadent Red-Light District of cybernetically enhanced rogues living off the grid. Someone is trying to frame the Blind Spot for terrorism in hopes of getting it shut down. I really enjoyed this book and think it’s a surprisingly taut and well-written work.
3. The Immorality Clause by Brian Parker
I’m a huge fan of cyberpunk combined with noir detective series. Ever since Blade Runner, I’ve felt this was the best use of the genre. Zach Forrest is a detective in Easytown, the Red Light District of New Orleans in the 2060s, and he is very good at his job. Which is good because he’s terrible at every other element of his life. After a chance encounter with a very lifelike robot results in his suspension from the police force, Zach finds himself in a complicated conspiracy that requires him to ally with a local crime lord. Typical noir stuff and made fantastic thanks to all the scifi touches.
2. Bubbles in Space: Tropical Punch by SC Jensen
Bubbles Marlowe is another cyberpunk detective, every bit as screwed up as Zach Forrest but also terrible at doing any actual detecting. Having lost her right arm at the hands of dirty cops, she finds herself hunted down by forces she doesn’t understand. Having seemingly coincidentally won a free vacation on a space luxury liner, we have the beginnings of one of the most oddball adventures in cyberpunk history. Bubbles is a fantastic character and always entertaining as she struggles to deal with the cast of weirdos she’s surrounded with.
Read our review HERE
1. Behind Blue Eyes by Anna Mocikat
Behind Blue Eyes is something that helped reignite my love of cyberpunk after a long period of dormancy. Nephilim is one of the Guardian Angels, a group of assassins who work for the Olympias Corporation in exterminating dissidents. They’re also brainwashed out their gord but an accident frees Nephilim’s mind. The clock is ticking until they “correct” the issue and she must come to some important decisions if she wants to remain free–or not.
Read our review HERE
