Top 3 best sci-fi / speculative fiction reads for 2023 (October to October)

One of my favourite book sites is Shepherd. It’s book recommendations by authors, in some fabulous lists.

I was invited to share my top three for the year, especially in sci-fi and speculative fiction.

Here is my list and full recommendations.

I LOVED these books!

Each is so different to the other. All are well-written. Light Bringer and (R) Evolution are action-packed while Long Way to A Small Angry Planet has great world-building and uplifting themes.

If sci-fi is not your thing, check out the other lists in other genres here, at Shepherd’s Best Books of 2023 (compiled list). From over 900 authors.

BOOKISH: 5 Awesome Books About the Future and Leadership

I LOVE great books about the future. I especially love it when we can link to what it means for LEADERSHIP.

The full and extensive book review is on Shepherd's incredible book review and curation website here.

These are five awesome books I have read. All but Tim Urban have been interviewed for the Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast. (Tim Urban - I'm coming for you!)

Dr. Rick Chromey does an outstanding job at showcasing that different generations are shaped by the tech that dominated our coming of age years. Forget alphabet generations - GenTech is a more insightful way to understand different worldviews. Get the book on Amazon here.

Rohit Bhargava and Henry Coutinho-Mason showcase 30 incredible trends that are affecting all sectors, offer a handy playlist for each sector AND include great leadership questions to help us make sense and meaning from these trends. Get the book on Amazon here.

Tim Urban delivers a profound and important book that we ALL need to read. It's about how we have become polarised, and how we can build bridges again. Breakthrough ideas for me are about the dangers of swinging too far to the progressive side (where there are blindspots, just like on the conservative side.) Get the book on Amazon here.

Brett King and Dr Richard Petty offer a wide-ranging, comprehensive analysis of what the heck is going on, with four possible futures that require significant and compelling shifts we need to make in our values (hint: it's called Technosocialism). We can create a better world - our future depends on it. Get the book on Amazon here.

Justin Bean paints a very powerful future and includes the guardrails we need to reshape the future of education, government, and industry if we are to capitalise on the amazing trends that can leave to an abundant and equitable world. Get the book on Amazon here.

You will be a lot wiser and more astute leader with the help of these books.

P.S. Brett and Rohit's interviews will be out on the Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast in the next few weeks.

P.P.S. Want more great book insights? Sign up for our occasional e-journal, Bookish.