My work is focused on depictions of science, scientists, and the scientific process in fiction, so I’m frequently asked for recommendations. Entries listed in alphabetical order by author.
The science in these recommendations is not necessarily accurate! (Accuracy is a moving target anyway.) It just means I think it handles the scientific process well, depicts scientists effectively, and/or raises good philosophical/ethical questions. But if it’s listed here, it always means I liked 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)
- Stories of Your Life and Others and Exhalation, Ted Chiang (alien cognition, human cognition, artificial intelligence, human-computer interactions, and many other themes)
- 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 (living with dementia)
- We Are Satellites, Sarah Pinsker (brain-computer interfaces)
- Lock In (and sequels), John Scalzi (brain-computer interfaces, process of science)
- 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
- 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 (AI-ish)
- 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 that tells you how/when you die)
- Vinegar Girl, Anne Tyler (biomedical science, science culture)
- Galapagos, Kurt Vonnegut (evolution, human cognition)
- The Martian, Andy Weir (aerospace, potatoes)
- Bellwether, Connie Willis (sociology, chaos theory, life at a mad science research institute)
Theater
This section under construction.
- Proof, David Auburn (mathematicians, STEM culture, mental health)
- Eureka Day, Jonathan Spector (vaccination and public health)
And some nonfiction as long as you’re here…
- The Poison Squad, Deborah Blum (toxicology)
- Invisible Women, Caroline Criado Perez
- The Feather Thief, Kirk Wallace Johnson
- So You Want to Be a Neuroscientist, Ashley Juavinett
- Anything by David Quammen, especially Spillover
- Anything by Mary Roach, especially Stiff and Packing for Mars
- Inferior, Angela Saini
Dr. Kaitlyn Casimo 