Welcome to the New Scientist Book Club, a place to find out about the very best science and science fiction writing out there, and to talk about them with your fellow book lovers. Sign up here.
Every six weeks, we select a new title to read and then discuss. Once we’ve got to grips with our latest choice, we interview its author and dig into why and how they wrote it.
We also bring you extracts from our chosen books and insights into our authors’ favourite reads and inspirations.
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Love reading? Come and join our friendly group of fellow book lovers. Every six weeks, we delve into an exciting new title, with members given free access to extracts from our books, articles from our authors and video interviews.
New Scientist book club
We are currently reading Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Alien Clay, the story of a dissident shipped to a faraway prison planet, who discovers the truth about the world’s mysterious ruins and its terrifying alien biology.
You can read an extract here, and Adrian has written a piece about how he extrapolated the crazy biology of Kiln (his alien planet in Alien Clay) from what we have here on Earth. Our excellent New Scientist sci-fi reviewer Emily H. Wilson loved the book when she read it last year: you can check out her review here.
If you want to catch up on some of our past Book Club reading, our picks are listed in reverse chronological order below, along with extracts, articles and videos from our authors. Happy reading!
A City on Mars by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith
Read a piece by Kelly Weinersmith and Cat Bohannon on the difficulties of having a child on Mars
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
Read an extract here
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
Read an extract here
Read N.K. Jemisin on the late Butler’s prescience in writing this story
Rosewater by Tade Thompson
Read an extract from Rosewater
Read Thompson’s essay about how he came to write it
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Read an extract from All Systems Red
Martha Wells on what a machine intelligence might want
Nuclear War: A scenario by Annie Jacobsen
Read an extract from Nuclear War: A scenario
Annie Jacobson on the “shocking truths” about a nuclear attack
In Ascension by Martin MacInnes
Read an extract from In Ascension
Martin MacInnes: ‘It is all but impossible life exists, and yet it is here’
The Future by Naomi Alderman
Read an extract from The Future
Naomi Alderman on why she explored the corrupting power of tech billionaires in The Future
Read our review of The Future
Julia by Sandra Newman
Read an extract from Julia
Sandra Newman on retelling 1984 from a female perspective
The Seventh Son by Sebastian Faulks
Read an extract from The Seventh Son
Sebastian Faulks: ‘Homo sapiens is a very odd creature’
Bridge by Lauren Beukes
Read an extract from Bridge
Lauren Beukes on why she tackled the multiverse in Bridge
Read our review of Bridge
Pod by Laline Paull
Read an extract from Pod
Laline Paull on why she wrote Pod from the perspective of a dolphin
Watch a video interview with Laline Paull
The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
Read an extract from The Ferryman
Justin Cronin on the books and films that inspired The Ferryman
Read our review of The Ferryman
