Reading · The Reading Receipt — by Laura of What to Read Next

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I’ll admit something: sci-fi has always felt like a genre I should love more than I actually read. Too many rules to learn, too much world to keep track of, too much homework before I get to the feelings part.

Then I talked to Meredith Lanzen this week.

Meredith is a debut author whose book, Formula Zero, is basically Formula 1 racing... in zero gravity... with two childhood best friends who fell out and now have to fake being friendly for the cameras. It’s romance wearing a sci-fi costume, and it completely won me over. But what really got me was the conversation that came after — because Meredith didn’t just talk about her own book, she gave me a reading list that reframed how I think about the genre entirely.

So if you’ve ever felt like sci-fi wasn’t “for you,” this one’s for you.

I am Laura and I have interviewed over 550+ authors where I ask what to read next. Here in Substack, I am sharing these (mostly bite size) interviews were you will be able to build the ideal mood reading TBR. I also share library tips that will help you read and try more new to you authors without breaking the bank.

Paid Subcription offer: I am offering my annual subscription for the cost of a paperback ($16.25) and you will gain access to the following:

What non-resident library cards I buy as well as tips to maximize your library usage
Archive to previous books lists that answer what read next based on my mood, or what I am watching.
Access to my reading diary that includes what I DNFed.

This is the one I’m adding to my TBR the second I hit publish on this post. Meredith described it as character-driven sci-fi — an arranged-marriage-for-diplomacy setup between two men, with all the political stakes staying firmly in the background so the slow build of trust between the leads can take center stage. If “arranged marriage” is a trope that gets you, this is your sign. (cw: past abusive relationship)

This one’s technically urban fantasy rather than straight sci-fi, but it belongs on this list because of exactly what Meredith loves about it: a magic system so intricate it rewards patience, and a friendship at the center — not a romance — that’s as compelling as any love story I’ve heard described. There’s a version of magic happening just out of sight of the real world, which is my personal favorite flavor of urban fantasy. (cw: past sexual assault)

Save this one for when you’re ready to work a little. Meredith was upfront that this book doesn’t hand you the plot — you’re dropped into an intricate world of warring magical houses and a closed-door murder mystery in a haunted space station, and you have to earn your understanding of what’s happening. Her exact words: the payoff hits harder because you had to work for it. Bone magic. Skeleton armies. I’m intrigued. (cw: violence, death)

A palate cleanser if the space stuff feels like a stretch. This is a rom-com set behind the scenes of a Bachelor-style reality show, and Meredith talked about how much care the author put into portraying both leads’ mental health struggles — not as something a relationship magically fixes, but as something you can be loved through. That distinction matters, and it’s handled beautifully here. (cw: depression, anxiety)

None of these need a bookstore trip or a full-price impulse buy, by the way — every one of them is available on audio, so if you’ve got a library card and a commute, you’ve got everything you need to start.

Listen to the full episode with Meredith Lanzen — where we also talk about her Drive to Survive rabbit hole, why she wanted her racer leads to be true equals, and how a “just get it out of my head” writing sprint turned into her debut novel.

Have you read any of these? And more importantly — am I finally ready for sci-fi, or is this still a “dip a toe in” situation? Let me know in the comments.

4 Sci-Fi Reads for People Who Think They Don't Like Sci-Fi

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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