Cozy sci-fi: 10 hopeful, award-recognized books
Not every future has to be grim. These award-recognized books are warm, kind and hopeful, full of found families and people trying to do right by each other.
If you read just one: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers, because it is short, gentle and leaves you feeling better about the world.
Becky Chambers, and where to start
1. A Psalm for the Wild-Built
Won the Hugo Award; finalist for the Locus and Nebula Awards (2022) ·
A tea monk and a curious robot travel together, asking what people need.
2. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
Finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award (2016) ·
A found family of humans and aliens on a long journey across the galaxy.
3. A Closed and Common Orbit
Finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke and Hugo Awards (2017) ·
An AI in a new body and the engineer helping her find her place.
Good to know: A companion to The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, but stands alone.
4. Record of a Spaceborn Few
Finalist for the Hugo and Locus Awards (2019) ·
Life aboard the fleet that carried humanity away from Earth, told through the ordinary people who live there.
5. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within
Finalist for the Hugo and Locus Awards (2022) ·
Three strangers are stranded together at a rest stop on a quiet planet.
6. To Be Taught, If Fortunate
Finalist for the Hugo and Locus Awards (2020) ·
Four astronauts quietly explore living worlds, changing their bodies to fit each one.
More warm and hopeful reads
7. The Calculating Stars
Won the Hugo, Locus and Nebula Awards (2019) ·
Competent, determined people racing to space after a disaster.
8. The Kaiju Preservation Society
Won the Locus Award; finalist for the Hugo Award (2023) ·
A laid-off delivery driver joins a team caring for giant monsters on a parallel Earth. Pure fun.
9. Light From Uncommon Stars
Finalist for the Hugo Award (2022) ·
A violin teacher, a runaway trans girl and an alien donut shop owner find family.
Good to know: Blends science fiction and fantasy, and deals with hard themes before its hopeful ending.
10. Station Eleven
Won the Arthur C. Clarke Award (2015) ·
After the world ends, a troupe of performers insists that survival is not enough.
How we chose
Every book in this guide won or was a finalist for at least one of the Hugo, Nebula, Locus or Arthur C. Clarke awards. Each book page lists its full award history with sources. Page counts come from English print editions and vary by edition. 10 books in all.