Hugonauts: The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time

We are breaking down the entire short-list and ranking, review, and digging into the 2026 Nebula Novel nominees from worst to best. We dive deep into the writing styles, the structure, the highs, the frustratingly bad endings, and reveal exactly who took home the final trophy. Are these books actually masterclasses in modern sci-fi and fantasy, or did the hype train leave the tracks? 

Here is our definitive 2026 Nebula breakdown: 

7. Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor 

You should read it if: You love deep-dives into African culture, Ibo and Yoruba roots, and tech concepts like futuristic exoskeleton legs.

You shouldn’t read it if: You require a persistent central conflict, cohesive subplots, or a "story-within-a-story" that actually goes somewhere.

6. Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell

You should read it if: You want a cozy Hercules retelling where Hera calls Zeus a "dipshit" and Heracles tries to befriend mythological monsters instead of fighting them.

You shouldn’t read it if: You get annoyed by overly preachy or cloying endings, repetitive quest structures, or confusing second-person POV shifts.

5. Katabasis by R. F. Kuang 

You should read it if: You are obsessed with dark academia themes, the dangers of academic flow states, and complex, highly allusional world-building.

You shouldn’t read it if: You need to deeply connect with your protagonists or get easily annoyed by writing that feels a little too self involved.

4. When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory

You should read it if: You love quick, humorous POV switches, AGI, simulation theory, and brain emulation concepts.

You shouldn’t read it if: You are looking for a groundbreaking, deeply unique masterpiece—this one is cute, but a bit unspecial.

3. Sour Cherry by Natalia Theodoridou

You should read it if: You like heavy foreshadowing, experimental voice-switching (shifting to 2nd person), and intense meta-narratives.

You shouldn’t read it if: You hate a massive buildup that doesn't actually come together or stick the landing at the end.

1. (TIED) The Incandescent by Emily Tesh

You should read it if: You want adult-oriented cozy fantasy in a magic boarding school featuring a workaholic, middle-aged bisexual teacher and casual, biscuit-eating printer demons.

You shouldn’t read it if: A rushed, abrupt ending with a thin villain motivation is going to completely sour your overall enjoyment of a great setup.

1. (TIED & WINNER) The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

You should read it if: You want a beautifully written, highly literary Native American Blackfoot vampire revenge story set in the brutal landscape of the American West.

You shouldn’t read it if: You get bored by a monotonous middle section where the central premise loses steam and repeats itself.

No spoilers anywhere in this episode.

Join the Hugonauts book club on discord

Or you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer video

All the books, plus timestamps:

00:00 Intro 

00:46 Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor 

02:26 Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell 

05:29 Katabasis by R. F. Kuang 

09:30 When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory 

12:57 Sour Cherry by Natalia Theodoridou 

16:30 The Incandescent by Emily Tesh 

20:08 The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

In this episode of the Hugonauts we’re breaking down what truly defines great Young Adult fiction and answering the ultimate question: do these books actually hold up when you read them for the first time as an adult? We look at the core guidelines of YA literature—from exploring the human condition through a young protagonist's eyes to (ideally) teaching profound stuff that resonates beyond teenhood. 

We count down the absolute best YA sci-fi books and YA fantasy recommendations. We dive into legendary dystopian hits like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, masterclass sci-fi like Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and Red Rising by Pierce Brown, and classic fantasy staples like Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, and C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. But we don't just look at the masterpieces. 

We also separate the true YA novels from books that are actually meant for middle-grade kids (like The Giver, Redwall, and The Phantom Tollbooth). Finally, we tackle the controversial "duds" of the genre. Why are massive bestsellers like The Maze Runner, Divergent, and Scythe so incredibly popular, and why did they fall totally flat for us? Grab your reading list and let's find out which books are actually worth your time! 

No spoilers anywhere in this episode.

Join the Hugonauts book club on discord

Or you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer video

This episode is sponsored by Memoirs of the End by Vincent Rylan

All the books we recommend, plus timestamps:

00:00 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 

04:16 Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card 

07:02 The Chrysalids by John Wyndham 

08:55 SPONSOR - Memoirs of the End by Vincent Rylan 

09:30 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 

12:54 Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff 

15:20 Red Rising by Pierce Brown 

18:47 Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden 

20:15 A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket 

22:39 The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien 

23:56 The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman 

26:40 The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis 

29:10 The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett 

31:38 Powers by Ursula K. Le Guin 

34:14 The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King 

35:14 The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman 

36:55 Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling 

39:10 Redwall by Brian Jacques 41:17 

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien 

41:55 The Giver by Lois Lowry 

42:41 The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster 

43:34 Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer 

44:40 Cinder by Marissa Meyer 

45:56 Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix 

46:54 How are these duds so popular?

In this episode we dive into The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. It’s a departure from the grim world of The First Law, leaning into a "monsters vs. monsters" heist set in a supernatural, alternate-history Europe. If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like if the Vatican recruited a werewolf, a vampire, and a deathless soldier to save the world - well, you're in luck. We discuss the shift in tone, the hilarious "refrains" Joe uses for his characters, and whether this new direction lives up to his legendary fantasy status. 

We break down the entire motley crew—from Jakob’s "righteous" path to the mystery of Baptiste—and comparing the action to Abercrombie’s previous work. Is Viga the new Bloody Nine? Does the humor land as well as the sword-swings? We also feature some of the best takes from our Discord book club, including debating character rethreads, the themes of the book, and who is likely to love the book. Stick around to hear our final scores and why this might be the most "fun" Abercrombie has ever been. And make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss our next episode, where we’ll be pivoting to discuss the best of Young Adult (YA) scifi and fantasy! 

As always, no spoilers until the end when we give a heads up before getting into the full plot discussion. 

Join the Hugonauts book club on discord

Or you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer video

Similar books we recommend: 

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore

The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie

Night Watch by Terry Pratchett 

This episode is sponsored by Pilgrims by M.R. Leonard.

If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode:

00:00 Intro 

01:17 Our review (4/5) 

04:15 Sponsor - Pilgrims by M.R. Leonard 

04:48 Incredibly entertaining fight scenes 

07:53 Genuinely funny writing 

12:34 Religion, power, and worldbuilding 

14:32 The League of Extraordinary Gentleman 

15:10 The First Law Trilogy 

16:03 Night Watch 

17:10 POST SPOILERS book summary 

18:49 POST SPOILERS the characters 

24:21 POST SPOILERS redemption?

This is exactly the kind of philosophical sci-fi we love - something new, something fresh, and something that will make you think. We wish the second half had been as good as the premise, but there's still no doubt this is one we'll be thinking about for years to come (and weirdly it already feels like we've been thinking about it for years). 

If you’ve ever fallen down an SCP Foundation wiki rabbit hole, you know the vibe, but qntm takes it to a whole new level of existential dread. This isn't your typical alien invasion story; it’s a masterclass in cosmic horror where the monster isn't just invisible—it’s un-rememberable. We break down the terrifying logic of antimemes and how qntm manages to build a high-stakes thriller around a conflict that nobody even knows is happening. 

For fans of weird fiction and high-concept science fiction, this book is essential reading. It sits in that sweet spot between the psychological puzzles of Blindsight, the bureaucratic nightmare of Control, and the drug-fueled confusion of A Scanner Darkly. Whether you’re a long-time follower of SCP Foundation lore or a newcomer looking for the next mind-bending book recommendation, we explore why There Is No Antimemetics Division is a landmark in modern internet-born literature and why its themes of memory loss and the power of ideas resonate so deeply today. 

If you want to learn more about the real world organization trying to stop memes from destroying the world, check out Cause Amp, Brent's new project to combat disinformation online: 

https://causeamp.org/ to learn more and get the browser extension

Send Brent an email to learn more or volunteer: info@causeamp.org

As always, no spoilers until the end when we give a heads up before getting into the full plot discussion.

Join the Hugonauts book club on discord

Or you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer video

Similar books we recommend:

Control (the video game)

A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick

The King in Yellow by Robert Chambers

If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode:

00:00 Intro

00:30 Our review (4.25/5)

01:30 No spoilers plot setup

02:20 A genuinely exciting new big idea

03:41 SCP Foundation

5:46 Memes vs Antimemes

8:02 Cause Amp - the real world Antimemetics Division

11:38 Control (the game)

12:44 A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick

13:33 The King in Yellow by Robert W Chambers

15:26 POST SPOILERS discussion

If you thought The Martian was intense, let's just go ahead and raise the stakes. 

We break down the movie version of Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary, comparing the film with the fun technical problem solving of the original novel. We take a close look at how the movie brings the "astrophage" threat and and action to life, more importantly, whether it is possible to have your hair tousled 100% of the time. 

We dig into which complex scientific explanations were streamlined for Hollywood pacing and which "science-ing the heck out of it" moments remained intact. We also evaluate Ryan Gosling’s performance as the amnesiac-turned-savior, Ryland Grace, comparing his onscreen energy to the internal monologue that made the book a bestseller. Whether you’re a die-hard Rocky fan or a casual viewer who just loves a good space movie, this episode highlights the hits and misses of the transition from page to screen. 

We wrap up by answering the ultimate questions: is the movie worth watching? Is the book worth reading? Settle on in, enjoy, and fist our bump. 

Join the Hugonauts book club on discord

Or you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer video

As always, no spoilers until the end when we give a heads up before getting into the full plot discussion.

Similar books and movies we recommend: 

The Martian (book and movie) 

Story of Your Life (novela) and Arrival (movie) 

2001 (book and movie) 

Solaris (book and movie) 

Roadside Picnic (book) and Stalker (the movie) 

Children of Men (book and movie) 

Edge of Tomorrow (movie) and All you Need is Kill (book) 

War of the Worlds (book and movie) 

Dune (we love eyebrows) 

This episode is sponsored by STARLØK by J.T. Michaelstar: https://www.starløk.com/ 

If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode:

00:00 Intro and review 

02:26 Sponsor – STARLØK by J.T. Michaelstar 

03:04 Differences in the movie 

8:13 Jokes vs cheesiness 

10:15 How long can you look at Ryan Gosling? 

12:16 Ever-tousled hair 

16:27 Read or watch first? 

17:53 The Martian 

18:33 Story of Your Life & Arrival 

19:46 2001 20:56 Solaris 

22:03 Roadside Picnic & Stalker 

23:54 Children of Men

25:30 All You Need is Kill & Edge of Tomorrow 

26:38 War of the Worlds 

28:16 Annihilation 

28:56 Dune (we love eyebrows) 

30:11 POST SPOILERS discussion