Regardless of who wrote them, the best science fiction books of 2024 are those that went outside the box and showcased evocative stories that readers will hold with them for a long time afterward.

The best modern sci-fi books include massive hits like Project Hail Mary and comedic works like We Are Legion.

We asked New Scientist writers to pick their favourite sci-fi short story. From H.G. Wells’s The Time Machine to Octavia E.