My work is focused on depictions of science, scientists, and the scientific process in fiction, so I’m frequently asked for examples that handle it well. Examples are listed in alphabetical order by author, not recommendation order.
Note that being recommended does not necessarily mean the science is accurate! (Which is a moving target anyway.) It just means I think it handles the scientific process well, depicts scientists effectively, and/or raises good questions about science topics or process.
However, inclusion on this list always means I enjoyed reading it!
Am I missing something great? Please use my contact form to suggest it! Looking for general book recommendations that aren’t necessarily science related? See my general recommendations list on goodreads.
Neuroscience-related recommendations
- Mickey7, Edward Ashton (uploaded consciousness)
- Ana and Din mysteries, Robert Jackson Bennett (neurodivergent characters, cognitive enhancement magic, science process told through magic)
- Story of Your Life, in the collection Stories of Your Life and Others, Ted Chiang, and many other stories too, but especially this one (alien cognition, human cognition, artificial intelligence, human-computer interactions)
- Love Among the Walnuts, Jean Ferris (mental health)
- Transcendent Kingdom, Yaa Gyasi (process of neuroscience research, science culture, addiction)
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey (mid-20th century mental health care, or lack thereof)
- Imperial Radch series, Ann Leckie (alien consciousness, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence)
- Ninefox Gambit series, Yoon Ha Lee (uploaded consciousness)
- The Mountain in the Sea, Ray Nayler (sentient octopuses, sentient AI but not in a weird trendy way)
- The Tusks of Extinction, Ray Nayler (far future de-extinction, uploaded consciousness, animal cognition)
- The Housekeeper and the Professor, Yoko Ogawa (dementia)
- We Are Satellites, Sarah Pinsker (brain-computer interfaces)
- Lock In (and sequels), John Scalzi (brain-computer interfaces)
- Fuzzy Nation, John Scalzi (sentient aliens)
- Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky (sentient aliens, evolution)
- Murderbot Diaries, Martha Wells (cyborgs and AIs with anxiety, see also the tv adaptation)
Other good fictional depictions of science, scientists, the scientific process, or philosophy of science
- Proof, David Auburn (mathematicians, STEM culture, mental health)
- Emily Wilde series, Heather Fawcett (dryadology – the science of the fae)
- Emergency Skin, NK Jemisin (far future biomedical science)
- The Love Hypothesis and sequels, Ali Hazelwood (biomedical science)
- Several People are Typing, Calvin Kasulke (hard to categorize… AI, I suppose)
- A House with Good Bones, T Kingfisher (entomology)
- Lady Astronaut series, Mary Robinette Kowal (retrofuturistic aerospace)
- The Machine of Death and This is How You Die, ed. Ryan North, David Malki, and Matthew Bennardo (machine tells you how/when you die… thanatology?)
- Vinegar Girl, Anne Tyler (biomedical science, science culture)
- Galapagos, Kurt Vonnegut (evolution, human cognition)
- The Martian, Andy Weir (aerospace, potatoes)
Dr. Kaitlyn Casimo 