Award-winning, internationally-acclaimed Scottish science fiction author Ken MacLeod selects thought-provoking stories spanning eons. You’ll step into visions of our future, and versions of our past, that could be warnings or grounds for hope. . . you decide.
Explore politics, religion, alternative histories, the near future of the climate emergency and the nature of sentient life itself through the lens of excellent stories. Chosen by one of the most astute thinking minds at work in the science fiction genre today, this monthly book box is perfect for avid science fiction fans or readers searching for a wide-ranging introduction to the genre.
Please note that we recommend this book subscription for adults, aged 18 and over, as the books selected contain adult themes and content.
What's in the book subscription?
Subscribe now, and each month for the length of your subscription, you will receive a book box containing:
One beautifully wrapped mystery book chosen by our curator
An exclusive postcard with their reason for choosing the book
What to read next: recommendations from our expert team
A reflective reading postcard to support you to access the wellbeing benefits of reading for pleasure
More about the curator
Ken MacLeod was born on the Isle of Lewis and now lives in Gourock, Scotland.
He is the author of twenty novels, from The Star Fraction (1995) to Beyond the Light Horizon (2024), and many articles and short stories. He has won three BSFA awards and three Prometheus Awards, and been short-listed for the Clarke and Hugo Awards.
Sneak Peek (spoilers ahead!)
If you'd like to know a little about the books you will receive in your subscription please click the drop downs below.
If you think you've read a book, but you still want to subscribe, please get in touch with us at sales@scottishbooktrust.com
3 month subscription hints
How do you catch a spy who's already dead? A spy thriller set in an alternative 20th century where the afterlife is a physical destination - and a resource to be exploited.
A mid-century classic about first contact and whether to observe or intervene, following an agent from a future Earth on a planet where society is in the Middle Ages.
A novella that punches above its page count. A smart, compassionate and unexpected perspective of a future where AI must reckon with the contrary whims of a species that acts against its own interests: humans.
6 month subscription hints
2050s, Nigeria. An agent must investigate a mysterious dome and the deaths linked to it.
Linked stories set in an alternative history where Queen Elizabeth I was assassinated in 1588.
Climate fiction novel set in the near future. What happens if the lives of future citizens who will live with climate change are considered as important as our own? Is it really too late to avert the most devastating impacts of climate change?
An alien ambassador meets humans with extraordinary powers in this first contact novel that blends science fiction, fantasy and folklore.
A space opera, a page-turning story and a lead character like no other. A single survivor of a starship disappearance must navigate the universe in an altered form to find answers and exact her revenge.
What did writers of science fiction think the 20th century had in store for us? Read this 'future history' by a titan of the genre to find out - and see if you can spot which predictions came true.
Buying a gift?
To give this book subscription as a gift, please enter the gift recipient's details into the delivery address fields at checkout. Do you want them to choose their own book subscription? Then please purchase a gift subscription.
When will I get my first book?
We send out book boxes once a month, during the first week of the month. To ensure your order is included in the next dispatch, please order before the final day of the month.
