5 Acclaimed Sci-Fi Series You May Have Missed

These Hugo Award-winning and nominated book series deserve your attention.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Check out these classic sci-fi book series that have flown under the radar, but are considered among the best in the genre. From Robert J. Sawyer's "Neanderthal Parallax" trilogy to Arkady Martine's acclaimed "A Memory Called Empire" duology, these works have won or been nominated for the prestigious Hugo Award, the Pulitzer Prize equivalent of science fiction literature.

Why it matters

Science fiction literature has a rich history of groundbreaking works that have often gone overlooked by mainstream audiences. These five series, written by some of the most lauded authors in the genre, represent the pinnacle of modern sci-fi storytelling and world-building. Discovering these hidden gems can expand your literary horizons and introduce you to bold new ideas and perspectives.

The details

The "Neanderthal Parallax" trilogy by Robert J. Sawyer explores a parallel universe where Neanderthals, not Homo sapiens, became the dominant intelligent species. Arkady Martine's "A Memory Called Empire" duology is a gripping space opera that has been compared to the works of Isaac Asimov and George R.R. Martin. Connie Willis' "Oxford Time Travelers" saga, which has won 11 Hugo Awards, follows historians who use time travel to study the past. Greg Bear's "The Forge of God" and "The Anvil of Stars" are considered among the great unrealized sci-fi epics. And Vernor Vinge's "Zones of Thought" trilogy is a sprawling, operatic space opera that has won multiple Hugos.

  • The "Neanderthal Parallax" trilogy was published between 2002 and 2003.
  • "A Memory Called Empire" was published in 2020, and its sequel "A Desolation Called Peace" was published in 2022.
  • Connie Willis' "Oxford Time Travelers" saga began with the short story "Fire Watch" in 1982, and the most recent novel in the series, "Blackout", was published in 2010.
  • "The Forge of God" was published in 1987, and its sequel "The Anvil of Stars" was published in 1992.
  • The "Zones of Thought" trilogy was published between 1992 and 2012, with "A Fire Upon the Deep" and "A Deepness in the Sky" winning Hugo Awards.

The players

Robert J. Sawyer

A Canadian science fiction author who won the Hugo Award for his novel "Hominids", the first book in the "Neanderthal Parallax" trilogy.

Arkady Martine

An American science fiction author whose debut novel "A Memory Called Empire" won the Hugo Award, and its sequel "A Desolation Called Peace" also won the Hugo.

Connie Willis

An American science fiction author who has won 11 Hugo Awards, including for her "Oxford Time Travelers" saga.

Greg Bear

An American science fiction author whose works "The Forge of God" and "The Anvil of Stars" are considered among the great unrealized sci-fi epics.

Vernor Vinge

An American computer scientist and science fiction author whose "Zones of Thought" trilogy, including the Hugo Award-winning "A Fire Upon the Deep", is a sprawling, operatic space opera.

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What they’re saying

“Science fiction literature has its own equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize, called the Hugo Award. Most of the books listed here either won, or were nominated for, the Hugo for Best Novel in the year following their release.”

— Ambrose Tardive, Author (screenrant.com)

“A Memory Called Empire is the heir to classics like Isaac Asimov's Foundation books, as well as George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books.”

— Ambrose Tardive, Author (screenrant.com)

“Connie Willis writes with a great sense of humor, while delivering plots that are intricately plotted and propulsively engaging.”

— Ambrose Tardive, Author (screenrant.com)

What’s next

Fans are still eagerly awaiting a third book in Arkady Martine's "A Memory Called Empire" series, which many are calling the defining space opera of its generation.

The takeaway

These five acclaimed sci-fi book series, recognized with prestigious Hugo Awards and nominations, represent the pinnacle of modern speculative fiction. Discovering these hidden gems can open up new literary horizons and introduce readers to bold ideas and perspectives that have been overlooked by mainstream audiences.