Every time I visit Legendarium Books (my local book dealer of choice), I leave with at least three more novels for my poor TBR. This winter, I hope to make a dent in that list, and to put a spotlight on these seven underrated SF/F books that deserve attention before looking ahead to 2027.
For the purpose of my recommendations, I’ve defined “underrated” as fewer than 10,000 Goodreads ratings. This doesn’t mean these books are unloved by any stretch. Just that they deserve even more attention than they’re getting!
Underrated 2026 SF/F Books
The Girl with a Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean
After waking up with no memory, Mercy Chan makes a name for herself as a ghost talker in Hong Kong. Though she’s let go of whoever she used to be, it returns to her in the form of a murderous spirit who claims to know her true identity. As she attempts to end its killing spree, she uncovers dangerous secrets from her past that threaten her new life.
The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass by Leslye Penelope
After witnessing her twin sister Annica’s kidnapping, Zahara Douglass is horrified to learn that nobody else remembers Annica at all. Five years later, with Y2K weeks away, Zahara hires a private investigator to find her sister at any cost. But what she unearths leads her to a shocking discovery: that cost may be reality itself.
Swords and Spaceships
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Hole in the Sky by Daniel H. Wilson
This sci-fi thriller takes inspiration from Wilson’s career as an Air Force threat forecaster and his identity as a Cherokee Nation citizen. It follows three narrators—a single father, a NASA scientist, and a military official—who prepare for the possibility of first contact as an unidentified object hurtles toward Earth.
Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Described as “Phillip Marlowe meets Redwall,” this sci-fi noir stars a genetically enhanced raccoon P.I. named Skotch whose case begins with a missing mouse. What seems like a simple disappearance soon reveals far-reaching, dangerous implications for the inhabitants of their underground city.
Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim
Imagine that, when you immigrate to another country, you are split into two people. One half, called an instance, stays behind, with the possibility of reintegration should the other half return. Estranged for many years, Soyoung Rose Kang visits Korea in adulthood and reunites with her instance, who is hiding her own ambitions.
Strange Is the Light by Sarah Maria Griffin
Twenty years estranged, four friends receive an invitation home to play a game from their childhood. Last time they played, they accidentally opened a portal to another dimension. If they don’t finish what they started and defeat the malicious entity pulling the strings, this round will be their last.
The Found Object Society by Michelle Maryk
The sole survivor of an accident that killed her parents, Greta Davenport uses thrill-seeking as an escape from overwhelming grief. After surviving another near-death experience, she receives an invitation to the Found Object Society.
All she has to do is touch any item within its vast archive, and she is transported to its owner’s final moments. But soon, Greta becomes dependent on the adrenaline rush, and she begins to question the society’s true motives.
Looking for a deeper dive? Get your TBR list ready and make sure you don’t miss out on the Best Fantasy Books of the Century (So Far).
