Best Sci-Fi Books I Read in September 2025 | Science Fiction Reading Wrap-Up | Book of the Month

Chasm City as a location I thought was great and I enjoyed the descriptions that we get of the city and its denizens. I really enjoyed being back in this world and I feel renewed motivation now to reread the other books in that same Revelation Space universe. I give Chasm City 8 out of 10.

So, overall, it was a good read. I thought [it] uncomfortably current in some respects. As I said, I blew through it inside a couple of days. Quite the contrast to the Ophiuchi Hotline, which in comparison was a massive slog. I give the Execution Channel 8 out of 10.

In summary, there's a lot of variety in this collection. I think that's the thing that I enjoyed about it the most. I enjoyed it and the main outcome is that I want to give Natural History another go. Anyway, I give Heliotrope 9 out of 10.

This is a short story collection from the author of Natural History, which I read and enjoyed earlier this year, I think.

I really enjoyed the flourishes and the curlicues of his prose as he describes the strange world on both Australia and Earth. Actually, the setting and the world building, I think, is excellent in my humble opinion. I really enjoyed my time with Australia and I'll certainly be going back to read more of its short stories. I give Norstrilia nine out of 10.

I think this is a great example of a time travel tale with well thought out paradoxes. And it considers too what happens if an even more future also reaches back and tries to interfere. I enjoyed it. I give Perafrost 8 out of 10.

And I'm afraid to say this was a bit of a bore. At one point, I even declared that I was dnfing it. I got fed up with the disjointed structure of the story. Overall for me it was a big fat [nothing]. So I'm afraid I give the Ophiuchi Hotline five out of 10.

My overarching reaction to this book is, you know, it was fine. It was nothing special. It didn't blow my socks off, but equally, I don't really have anything particularly negative to say about it either.

I felt that the story progressed at a good clip. The pacing was good and there's some redemption and resolution at the end of the story that I really enjoyed. It was a compelling vision. I enjoyed it. I give The Water Knife 8 out of 10.

He's the author of The Windup Girl which I really enjoyed last year mainly for the lush world building that exists in that book.

I enjoyed the mad science and the crazy time dilation effects and the truly alien aliens. So, if you want your head to hurt just a little bit, to be challenged by the science, but engaged in the story, then I think Timelike Infinity is a classic of its kind, and I thoroughly recommend it. I give Timelike Infinity 9 out of 10.

And I thought that Ian McDonald did a great job building the sense of dread and fear. Lisa, I thought, was a great character, but two or three of the kids are also really well drawn with hidden strengths and mental resources that become key to their survival. Whilst it's not science fiction, I enjoyed the Wilding well enough, and I think I'm going to give it 7 out of 10.