Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

I'll try to combine this challenge with my 2024 challenge of getting into the SF part of SFF, so it's gonna be set in space. Focus on survival at first, vision is a little inn on some "crossroad" lonely planet in the universe, that will hopefully attract all kinds of wayward people (alien and human and whatever hybrid comes along), so we can grow into a little settlement :)

Settlement Base:
1) Who (Player/Character): Any Sign of Life ✔ (finished)
an author-blurb says: "Paige Miller is the perfect team-up buddy in an apocalypse"
more info later, when I have the basics all together :)
2) When (Era/Time): All Systems Red ✔ (finished)
"In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company."
Sometime in the space-faring future...
3) Where (Place/Structure/Space): To Be Taught, If Fortunate (currently reading)
"As an astronaut on an extrasolar research vessel, she and her fellow crewmates sleep between worlds..."
Maybe one of the encountered planets? we'll see!
4) Portal to Dimensional Library
5) Bag or Mystery Chest (1 to 3 Items)

✔ ✔


Alien Planet by Travis Lacey

On the pool of books I'm planning to read from:

SF intimidates me, so I'm gonna take baby steps... from Earth to Space, from YA to Adult Fiction...



some additions


Goal is to be able to finally read books like A Memory Called Empire and more by authors like Octavia E. Butler, Nnedi Okorafor and Ursula K. Le Guin, because I keep putting them off...

I also really want to read Ada Hoffmann and Yoon Ha Lee!


So the plan is
1. Read books by authors I liked before (in this case it's even YA, hopefully easy reads)
2. Read books with themes I love in other genres (survival, lonesome people)
3. Read books with themes that I have loved so far in SF (humanity looking for a new planet, first contact with new alien race...)
4. Anything else that just seems fun :)


Obviously I don't know yet what to read for which category, I hope to figure it out as I go!

If anyone has SF recommendations for the themes I'm looking for (survival, new planet, first contact), I would love to collect more options for me to read!

I am however rather allergic to overly complicated political intrigues, horror-vibes, overly action-packed and romance focused stories...

Sleeping Giants #1
XOM-B has been renamed Human After All (Xom-b was a cooler title. 😋)
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing #1
Skyward #1
The Moon Dwellers #1
Red Rising #1
Ender’s Game #1
Roadkill
Conquest #1
Rot & Ruin #1
Feed #1
The Girl with All the Gifts #1
The Book of Koli #1


Some recs. 🙃

Thank you!!

Sooo... I didn't get into Sci-Fi at all in 2024, I started slumping after the first book. Off to a new start in 2025, I guess!