Set the dials for conspiracy and space opera: the Cold War has spread to space, where the UN and Russians continue to face off and spy on one another. When a scavenger recovers an AI from a destroyed Russian battleship, it becomes clear humanity isn’t the only player in the game – but can old enmities be set aside in the face of a new adversary?

Aliya Whiteley spins weird, lyrical, gorgeous tales of what if and never was that gaze into the human soul. Skyward Inn is a place where people gather to tell tales of the time before the war, hunkering down against a changing world. A strange disease and the arrival of a stranger force reflection on the nature of love, loss, and community. Can we really turn our backs on the world?

A stand-alone* prequel set in the Quantum universe, The House Of Styx focuses on the roots of the quantum evolution and the efforts to tame Venus. Here humanity clings on in fragile floating trawlers, harvesting what they can from the planet’s toxic clouds. But Venus has more to offer – for a house with the courage and commitment to claim it.

* I understand there may be sequels coming, but it can be read as a stand alone / point of entry to the universe.

I read this awesome anthology at the start of the year – it’s a brilliant introduction to Chinese science fiction, exploring new and unfamiliar themes from a different cultural context. Some stories focus on ideas, others are driven by characters, one features a starship that is a library. Expect ruminations on history and cross-cultural academia, time travel and the complexities of being a zombie in love.