# Goodreads' Best Science Fiction of 2015 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 3, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodreads-best-science-fiction-of-2015/747777 "2016-03-03T00:23:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodreads-best-science-fiction-of-2015/747777/1 "2016-03-03T00:23:44Z")
> **[Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Science Fiction!](https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-science-fiction-books-2015)** > > Congratulations to our winners in 20 categories! The Goodreads Choice Awards are the only major book awards decided by readers. I’ve read three of the twenty (The Fold, Seveneves and Aurora) on this list and enjoyed them. So I’m thinking the next SF I read might be on this list. Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2016, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodreads-best-science-fiction-of-2015/747777/2 "2016-03-03T01:45:17Z")
_Nemesis Games_ was excellent, probably the best so far in the above-average The Expanse series (book 5 though, so not something you’d want to just pick up from this sort of list). _The Water Knife_ was enjoyable, but short of “great”. I’ve been waiting on the first book in Leckie’s _Ancillary_ series to be available at the library for about a year now, but no luck thus far; does that say something about the quality, or just the hype? _Beacon 23_ was a bit different but ultimately more Howey; everyone on the internet has read _Wool_ by now, right? He’s continued to grow as a writer but it’s iterative, not revelatory. Haven’t heard of most of the rest; I mean, I’ve heard of several of the authors, but no idea on the specific titles. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2016, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodreads-best-science-fiction-of-2015/747777/3 "2016-03-03T20:55:35Z")
> [@Kiros](#): > > _Nemesis Games_ was excellent, probably the best so far in the above-average The Expanse series (book 5 though, so not something you’d want to just pick up from this sort of list). _The Water Knife_ was enjoyable, but short of “great”. I’ve been waiting on the first book in Leckie’s _Ancillary_ series to be available at the library for about a year now, but no luck thus far; does that say something about the quality, or just the hype? _Beacon 23_ was a bit different but ultimately more Howey; everyone on the internet has read _Wool_ by now, right? He’s continued to grow as a writer but it’s iterative, not revelatory. > > Haven’t heard of most of the rest; I mean, I’ve heard of several of the authors, but no idea on the specific titles. Thanks. I’ve never gotten around to reading the Expanse series (and now it’s a television series) so I should probably start there and get caught up. ---
**Author:** ![HookerChemical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@HookerChemical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HookerChemical)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2016, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodreads-best-science-fiction-of-2015/747777/4 "2016-03-03T21:41:30Z")
I’ve read four: Seveneves Ancillary Mercy The Dark Forest The End of All Things Ancillary Mercy was the best of these. I thought the second book in the series (Ancillary Sword) was okay, but a huge letdown after the great first (Ancillary Justice). Ancillary Mercy was good enough that it retroactively made Ancillary Sword better (because I now view it as the first half of Ancillary Mercy rather than a stand-alone novel). Dark Forest was good, but not as good as Three Body Problem. My wife didn’t like the translation as much, and she’s more in tune with language than I am. Seveneves was good. The first two acts were better than the last act. The End of All Things was okay. I think I’ve liked each novel (or collection of novellas) a little less than the previous one. (Except Zoe’s Take, which I didn’t like at all.) I gave up on a fifth: Aurora. Kim Stanley Robinson is clearly not my cup of tea. I’ve recently started the Expanse series, so it might be a while before I get to Nemesis Games. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodreads-best-science-fiction-of-2015/747777/5 "2016-03-03T21:42:44Z")
My thoughts, for what they’re worth: Golden Son: Excellent conclusion to an excellent trilogy. Space opera in a class-dominated future society, with a strong Ender’s Game battle school vibe. Definitely worth reading Seveneves: Slightly worse than average for Stephenson, but still certainly readable. Definitely suffers from a lack of plausibility. Armada: VERY disappointing follow-up to Ready Player One. Way too much of a rehash, and none of the twists were interesting or surprising Ancillary Mercy: Didn’t read this, but I did read the first in the series, and was underwhelmed. I just felt that it was trying too hard to be _important_, and just ended up forgettable. But I’m aware I’m in the minority here The End of All Things: Good, fit into the general Old Man’s War universe, so read it if you already enjoy that. Nothing exceptional The Fold: Fun, light read, some neat ideas, but way too many plot holes and people acting like idiots just to advance the plot to highly recommend. I think his style is better suited to the fun “Ex” series, with superheroes vs zombies Nemesis Games: I read it, I enjoyed it well enough, and it left no impact on me at all. But the series as a whole is quite good (as its the TV adaptation) Others: did not read