Science is a way of understanding the world, but to what degree can it be used to understand oneself? These books all deal with the intersection of science fiction and identity.
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
How would you feel if someone you loved stole from you? What if it was your life’s work? What if it was also your face?
The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson
Cara is excellent at dying in every other dimension, which makes her an asset in Wiley City where she works collecting data from those other dimensions. But when a discovery in another world threatens her native dimension, she must decide who she wants to be and what she can and cannot protect.
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
Area X – an isolated biosphere of impossible phenomena has already had 11 expeditions into the area with mixed results for each. Our nameless protagonist, a biologist, records her experience and motivations for joining the doomed 12th expedition in this sci-fi horror.
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
As more women enter scientific careers, the definition of what a scientist looks like has changed. Lab Girl explores themes that include mental illness and interconnectedness in the context of a part memoir, part scientific treatise on the human-plant connection.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
On a whim, Olive Smith smooches Professor non-grata #1 in her PhD program to ensure her best friend’s pursuit of her own previous romantic prospect. Having had very little motivation for dating and romance, complications arise when a fake relationship appears to be the perfect solution to both her own and the Professor’s problems.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
What is someone meant to do when they have become the best in their field? This is the question Dex, a tea monk has had to ask. Twice. A cozy novella that explores what it is to change and why.
Annie Bot: a Novel by Sierra Greer
Annie is a highly advanced humanoid robot whose purpose is to please her owner, Doug in all ways. Yet, as Annie’s code evolves and becomes more human, it becomes increasingly more difficult to know what will displease Doug.
Sybil: The True Story of a Woman Possessed by 16 Separate Personalities by Flora Rheta Schreiber
In a significantly darker turn from other books on this list, this book originally published in 1973 details the diagnosis and treatment of a young woman with 16 distinct personalities. Since its publication, both psychiatrist, patient, and author have drawn controversy for the events detailed in the book.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Kept in isolation from the rest of the world, Carlota is raised to be sweet and obedient to her father, a brilliant scientist whose hybrids are destined to revolutionize medicine. In a lush estate on the Yucatan peninsula, life could not be more idyllic. Everything changes when the son of her father’s patron unexpectedly visits, and forces secrets out into the open.
The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang
Joan of Arc but make it queer. And in space. With battle mechs.