12 Best Grounded Sci-Fi Novels That Feel Real

A spaceship is fun. A spaceship that feels like it could break down on the M25 of the solar system is better. The best grounded sci-fi novels take one recognisable part of modern life - work, climate anxiety, dating, surveillance, corporate power, grief - and nudge it just far enough for you to feel the chill.

This is sci-fi for readers who enjoy big ideas but do not require a glossary of made-up minerals before page 30. Think less laser-gun wallpaper, more: wait, could this actually happen? Some are scientifically meticulous; others are emotionally plausible rather than technically exact. All of them understand that the scariest future is usually the one that looks suspiciously like Tuesday.