The Village at the Edge of Noon by Darya Bobyleva, translated by Ilona Yazhbin Chavasse I love the sound of this translated novel, in which residents of a Russian village wake up one day to find the road to the motorway has vanished. If they try to leave, all paths lead back to the village. If they go into the woods, they either vanish, or return as a different version of themselves. The internet and modern technology have disappeared, and the forest is growing closer… In The Village at the Edge of Noon, if you go into the woods, you vanish… Zeferli/iStockphoto/Getty Images Stranger Things: One way or another by Caitlin Schneiderhan I’m not usually one for a TV tie-in novel, but with the new series of Stranger Things just out, I’m all about another journey to Hawkins, Indiana, especially if it’s by one of the writers on the show. This tale takes place two months after the end of season four, and sees Nancy and Robin investigating a new mystery while also on the trail of Vecna. But does their latest adventure have anything to do with the Upside Down? Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson This new collection of short fiction from the bestselling Sanderson spans sci-fi and fantasy, and features stories from his Cosmere universe as well as the new novella Moment Zero. It also includes notes from Sanderson about his writing. Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler in Stranger Things: Season 5 Netflix 2025 Spasm by Robin Cook This isn’t quite sci-fi, more a sciency sort of thriller, following an attempt to stop a deadly bioweapon set to destroy the world. Our heroes Laurie and Jack are put on its trail after they learn about a strange death and an upswing in Alzheimer’s cases in the rural idyll of Essex Falls. Mimik by Sebastian Fitzek Another psychological thriller here, but this one sounds wildly weird (not necessarily a bad thing). We are in the hands of “Germany’s most experienced facial expression resonance expert” Hannah Herbst, who is experiencing memory loss while also trying to track down a woman who has escaped from jail after confessing to murdering her family. Hannah only has the woman’s confession video to track her down – but the woman on the video is… Hannah herself. Told you it was wild! Topics: Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2506408-the-best-new-science-fiction-books-of-december-2025/