Readers looking for thrilling new stories this month have several exciting science-fiction books to explore. Although August is usually a quiet time in book publishing, writers are releasing impressive new novels about giant space empires, scary sea monsters, and multiverse mysteries.
One major release is The Infinite State by Richard Swan. The story follows Katherine Fuller, a wealthy woman living in a strict galactic empire. After her husband dies, Katherine gets the rare chance to buy an entire world and build a democratic society, but she must face the powerful empire that controls the galaxy.
For fans of horror and survival stories, author Kim Bo-young offers A Plagued Sea, translated by Sophie Bowman. In this novel, a bodyguard named Mu-young travels to an isolated seaside village in Korea right after a massive earthquake. The quake releases an ancient plague that turns infected people into dangerous sea monsters, leaving Mu-young trapped inside the locked-down village.
Other new releases explore different sci-fi genres. The Redemption Center Is Closed on Sundays by Andrea Hairston is a multiverse murder mystery featuring a dog that can travel between dimensions to help catch a killer. Meanwhile, Nicole Brooks's No Higher Ground tells a tense story about a family trying to survive a powerful flood on the roof of their home. Whether you enjoy space adventures, thrillers, or disaster tales, August brings plenty of fresh reading options.