Roomies, Christine Wonsley, the mother of Nolan Wells, and Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, recently shared an emotional embrace that brought together two Black mothers whose lives were forever changed by the loss of their sons — and their continued search for answers.

RELATED: Christine Wonsley Shares Heartbreaking Post Ahead Of Her First Birthday Without Her Son Nolan Wells (PHOTOS)

• Christine Wonsley & Sybrina Fulton Share Emotional Moment

In a video circulating on social media, the exact location of the encounter is unclear. However, it appears the two mothers may have met at a convention or gathering. Several people can be seen surrounding them and recording the emotional moment. Wonsley appeared in a gray dress with glasses and nude heels. While Fulton wore a cream paisley-print suit paired with sneakers. The two women were seen hugging and posing for photos as those around them captured the emotional interaction.

@codydonair

The mothers of #TrayvonMartin and #NolanWells meet for the first time at the #CBC 55th Annual Legislative Conference. #ChristineWells #SybrinaFulton

♬ original sound – codydonair

Wonsley Honored Nolan Ahead Of Her Birthday

The last time we heard from Christine Wonsley, she was honoring her late son Nolan Wells as his birthday approached. In a heartfelt message shared to Threads a few weeks ago, Wonsley reflected on how she and Nolan called themselves “almost” birth date twins, noting that they both had milestone birthdays this year. With her birthday approaching and without him there to celebrate, Wonsley admitted, “My heart hurts so badly,” and asked supporters to pray for her as she continues to face the devastating reality of losing her son.

Two Mothers Continue Seeking Answers After Losing Their Sons

Trayvon Martin was 17 when he was fatally shot in Florida in 2012. Nolan Wells was 18 when he was found dead on Mississippi’s Horn Island following a July 4 boat trip in 2026. An independent autopsy commissioned by Nolan’s family listed his cause and manner of death as undetermined, and his loved ones continue to seek answers surrounding what happened to him.

The moment between Wonsley and Fulton comes as both mothers continue to navigate the pain of losing a son. They are also seeking clarity surrounding their sons’ deaths. While the circumstances surrounding Nolan and Trayvon’s deaths are different, the two mothers share the experience of grieving a child. Their emotional encounter resonated with those who witnessed the moment.

RELATED: Nolan Wells’ Case Sparks New Exchange As Officer Tatum Fires Back At Don Lemon & Christine Wonsley (VIDEO)

Whew! Roommates, Future has timelines buzzing after coming through with a cryptic message on social media. Once fans peeped his STRONG words, they wasted no time weighing in with reactions. Meanwhile, others started reading between the lines and wondering whether Future was a throwing a lil’ shade at Ciara and Russell Wilson.

RELATED: Future Hit With Another Paternity Suit As Alleged Ex Seeks Child Support For 9-Year-Old Son 

Future Has Fans Side-Eyeing His Latest Post

On Friday, September 18, Future hopped on X (formerly Twitter) with a message that immediately had folks online popping off. The rapper wrote, “It’s a flex u can brag to say u smushed one of my ex h**s #DABIGGEST #INFINITY.” And chile, it didn’t take long for social media to start connecting the dots! Future didn’t say whether he was taking shots at anyone, but that didn’t stop fans from speculating. Plenty of folks quickly wondered whether his subliminal message had something to do with Ciara.

The Internet Thinks Future’s Message Was Aimed At Ciara

Once The Shade Room shared Future’s post, the reactions kept rolling in over in the comment section. Some Roomies said they want to see him do better, while others admitted that they think Ciara and Russell Wilson’s pregnancy announcement might’ve ruffled his feathers. Oop! 

Instagram user @bigwave____ wrote, “Oh this Cinco pregnancy got him bothered 😂😂😂” 

Instagram user @only1kayd wrote, “Ciara saved her own life.” 

While Instagram user @nikkistclair wrote, “Ciara’s answered prayer IS THE FLEX 🤗🙏🏾❤️🌹🙏🏾🤍🌹❤️‍🩹” 

Then Instagram user @_lriv03 wrote, “Smushed like a bug?” 

Another Instagram user @yomidae_ wrote, “Future living in the past.” 

Instagram user @germain718 wrote, “He Gonna Be 60 & Alone Im Glad Ciara Left 😂😂” 

While another Instagram user @dlg1913 wrote, “Slick salty cause Ciara actually met and married a REAL man… 🙄🥴so low vibrational.” 

Then another Instagram user @__muvaaa_ wrote, “Every time she announces a pregnancy he does this 🙄 bro just have a concert already ☠️” 

Lastly, Instagram user @tonyagrant55 wrote, “It’s a flex when a real man raises your son Ciara was blessed to find her a good husband 😍😍” 

Meanwhile, Cici & Russell Wilson Are Gearing Up To Welcome Baby Cinco

Speaking of Ciara, she’s busy baking her newest BUN-dle of joy! Cici recently shook up the internet when she revealed that she and her hubby, Russell Wilson, are gearing up to welcome another little one. The couple made the sweet announcement in a video on Instagram, where Ciara gave fans a peek at her growing baby bump. Roomies already know Russel has been pleading his case for baby number five a for a minute. He and Ciara, share Sienna, Win and Amora Princess Wilson, while Ciara also has a son Future Zahir Wilburn with Future. Russell has proudly stepped into the stepdad role for Future Zahir, so once their newest bundle of joy arrives, Cici and Russell will officially have five kiddos and become a family of seven.

RELATED: Aww! Watch Ciara & Russell Wilson Tell Their Kids She’s Pregnant With Baby Cinco (VIDEO) 

Esube “Izzy” Wondwossen’s family is desperately looking for answers after the Howard University senior suddenly disappeared earlier this week. As days continue to pass without word from the 22-year-old, her loved ones are asking the public to remain vigilant. And, they’re hoping anyone with information will come forward and help bring her home safely.

RELATED: Prayers Up! Bodies Of Missing Florida Couple And Their Grandchildren Found Following Plane Crash In Bahamas

Howard Student Last Seen During Morning Commute

According to the Black and Missing Foundation, Wondwossen was last seen on the morning of September 15 after leaving the Pentagon Metro station in Arlington, Virginia, shortly before 8 a.m. Her sister, Helina Wondwossen, told News4 that the family did not learn until three days later that Izzy had reached the Pentagon area.

Her family says Wondwossen’s father dropped her off at the Branch Avenue Metro Station around 7 a.m., believing she was heading to school for her usual commute. He reportedly said she appeared happy and in good spirits, and nothing about the morning seemed unusual.

Izzy’s Family Shares Details About Her Last Sighting

However, investigators and her family later learned that Wondwossen was reportedly seen getting off a Metro bus around 8:25 a.m. near Reading Avenue and Beauregard Street in Alexandria. Her loved ones say they do not know why she would have gone to Alexandria. Her mother also noticed that the location tracking on Wondwossen’s phone appeared to have been turned off when she began searching for her.

Wondwossen is described as a 22-year-old Black woman with a medium complexion, long brown hair, and brown eyes. She stands approximately 5-foot-1 and weighs around 110 pounds. At the time she was last seen, she was reportedly wearing a black zip-up hoodie, leggings, a headband, and Crocs. She was also carrying a tan Michael Kors bag.

Izzy’s Loved Ones Say Her Disappearance Is Unusual

Her family says Wondwossen is a senior at Howard University and was excited about graduating. As the search continues, her loved ones are emphasizing how unusual it is for her to disappear without communicating with them. Her mother, Aida Endrias, shared her fears while hoping her daughter is still alive and safe. “You don’t wish for your daughter to run away, but that’s what I’m wishing right now—that she’s alive,” she said. “She’s not dead somewhere.”

Helina also echoed that concern, saying her sister would not typically spend a night away without telling the family. “I just want to know she’s safe,” she said. “I just want more information…more eyes out there. She wouldn’t do this.” Police are aware of Wondwossen’s disappearance and are investigating. Anyone who may have information about her whereabouts is urged to contact Prince George’s County Police.

RELATED: Influencer Kamar Williams Breaks Silence Following Missing Person Report As His Twin Brother Kiyel Shares Update (VIDEO)

Last weekend at the box office saw the unthinkable finally happen, as the all-conquering Spider-Man: Brand New Day lost its spot at the top of the domestic ranks. After almost two months of defeating any and all competitors, Tom Holland‘s Friendly Neighborhood Spidey was bewitched by the long-awaited return of Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in Practical Magic 2, which dispelled poor reviews to top the box office charts. However, a weekend haul of $8.4 million was enough to edge Brand New Day to its most important box office milestone yet.

The stage was set last weekend for Brand New Day to overtake Star Wars: The Force Awakens to become the highest-grossing film of all time domestically, a feat it achieved earlier this week. After initially earning the biggest opening weekend in domestic history, the biggest first-week haul of all time, and becoming the second-fastest film to reach the $1 billion mark worldwide, the records kept falling for Brand New Day in a theatrical run that has taken even the biggest MCU fans by surprise. In total, Brand New Day has made more than $2.4 billion worldwide and is the third-highest-grossing film of all time.

The so-called “best Spidey adventure in 20 years” had its influence felt in widespread areas, including on Netflix, as the most important Spidey movie was added to the catalog this summer in anticipation of Brand New Day‘s success. Directed by Jon Watts and featuring an extended cameo appearance from Robert Downey Jr., Spider-Man: Homecoming marked Holland’s first full appearance as Spidey and set the wheels in motion on one of the MCU’s most consistent money-makers, even during a difficult post-COVID era. However, as Brand New Day finally slips from the box office throne, Homecoming is set to follow in kind. As of October 1, Spider-Man: Homecoming is being removed from the Netflix catalog.

What Is Next for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man?

After also starring in the other major 2026 hit so far, Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey, you won’t be surprised to learn that Holland and his real-life wife Zendaya are due for a break from the MCU. According to Marvel Studios Producer and President Kevin Feige, any potential return for Holland and Zendaya to Spider-Man won’t be for some time. He said, “Right now, he’s [Holland] going to rest after that global tour. He and Zendaya are going to take a good and restful victory lap, which they very much deserve.”

As of October 1, Spider-Man: Homecoming is being removed from the Netflix catalog. Stay tuned to Collider for more.

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Release Date

July 7, 2017

Runtime

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133 minutes

Producers

Avi Arad, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Matt Tolmach, Patricia Whitcher, Stan Lee, Victoria Alonso, Amy Pascal

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Though the overall market presence of romantic movies in theaters has somewhat declined over the course of the last couple of decades, one thing is undeniable: This remains one of the most historically important, beloved, and influential genres in the history of cinema, one which has given us several of the greatest motion pictures the big screen has ever seen. For every great romance film, however, there’s at least one other one out there that’s… not quite as good.

At best, a mediocre romantic movie can be completely inoffensive. At worst, though, the bottom of the barrel of what the genre has had to offer throughout history has delivered disasterpieces that are often counted among the worst feature films the world has ever seen. From so-bad-they’re-good classics like The Room to movies that are just plain awful, film history has seen the release of many an embarrassing attempt at a “romantic” movie.

10

‘The Room’ (2003)

People who think that there’s no such thing as an objectively bad movie have most likely never experienced Tommy Wiseau‘s The Room. This is the sort of film that feels like it was made by an alien on his first visit to Earth, a cinematic catastrophe that’s incompetently put-together in each and every single department of filmmaking imaginable. Strictly speaking, it may very well be the worst film ever made, but there’s one thing that makes it one of the most beloved cult classics of the 2000s: It’s oh so much fun.

Indeed, The Room is so hilarious, so quotable, and so iconic that it’s perhaps the best so-bad-it’s-good movie classic of all time. It is, at its core, a “story” (if you can even call it that) about a messy love triangle. Wiseau has such a fundamental misunderstanding of how storytelling itself works, however, that The Room ends up doing all manner of other silly things that make it delectably bizarre.

9

‘Date Movie’ (2006)

Image via 20th Century Studios

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Parody and spoof filmmaking has always been a very valid form of comedy cinema, one which has delivered many a great classic throughout movie history. However, after the tremendous success of Scary Movie in the year 2000, a craze of cheap parody movies blew up and led to one of the most catastrophic things ever to have happened to comedy cinema: the movies of Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg.

These shameful attempts at “comedy” (if you can even call it that) assaulted audiences who didn’t know any better throughout the 2000s and well into the early 2010s, and it all began with Date Movie. One of the most universally disliked movies of all time, it’s packed with low-effort gross-out humor, lazy pop-culture references, and cringe-worthy moments that make the entire experience of watching the film something akin to Medieval torture.

8

‘Gigli’ (2003)

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

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Speaking of the most universally disliked movies of all time is a conversation never complete without at least mentioning Martin Brest‘s Gigli, led by Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez delivering the most shameful work of their entire careers. It’s far and away one of the worst R-rated comedies of the 2000s, a sad attempt at a “rom-com” (if you can even call it that) crime flick whose every effort to be charming falls flat.

The tonal shifts between Gigli‘s dark mob thriller tropes and ridiculous attempts at lightweight comedy and romance are beyond jarring, which is but one of the many reasons why the film was such a colossal financial failure at the time of its release. Add to that some truly bizarre and cringe-worthy dialogue, zero on-screen chemistry between Affleck and Lopez (despite the fact that they were the biggest celebrity power couple in the world at the time), and several offensive character tropes, and you get one of the least surprising disasterpieces in film history.

7

‘Ben & Arthur’ (2002)

Image via Ariztical Entertainment

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Comedy is such a tough genre to get right that it’s rather unsurprising that several of the worst romantic movies in history are failed attempts at romantic comedies, but that is by no means to say that the romantic drama genre has no atrocious outings. Case in point: Sam Mraovich‘s Ben & Arthur, which he also wrote, produced, and starred in. As far as gay romance “dramas” (if you can even call it that) go, it doesn’t get much more awful than this.

The most common way for a romantic drama to be awful is for it to be unbearably boring. Thankfully, much like The Room, Ben & Arthur is a failed passion project that at least has the decency to be entertainingly awful. Amateurishly made in every technical sense imaginable, full of scenes that are supposed to be dark and serious but are so poorly executed that they’re instead hilarious, and imbued with a sense of unintentional camp that’s hard to resist, it’s a must-see for anyone who loves fun yet atrocious romance movies.

6

‘From Justin to Kelly’ (2003)

Image via 20th Century Studios

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American Idol creator Simon Fuller came up with an “idea” (if you can even call it that): Make a musical film to function as a corporate tie-in to capitalize on the massive success of the show’s first season, and then continue making musicals starring each subsequent season’s winner and runner-up. The first of those films, From Justin to Kelly, was such an embarrassing disaster that the mere prospect of continuing with the series was laughed out of existence.

Where can one even begin listing the myriad of reasons why From Justin to Kelly is terrible? For one, Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini (who were contractually obligated to star in the film) are awful and virtually devoid of any chemistry. Then, there’s the laughably paper-thin plot, the abysmal lip-syncing and choreography, and the cheap look of the whole thing. Intensely corporate cinema never works out, and From Justin to Kelly is undeniable proof of that.

5

‘The Hottie & the Nottie’ (2008)

Image via Paris Hilton Entertainment

From the moment it hit theater screens, The Hottie & the Nottie was almost universally panned as one of the worst films ever made. Almost 20 years after its release, that consensus hasn’t changed. Devised as a commercial star vehicle for Paris Hilton, the movie instead ended up delivering some of the most painfully unappealing gross-out comedy that the world has ever seen.

It’s one thing for a movie to be intentionally gross, but it’s a whole other thing for it to be as crass, juvenile, and disgustingly misogynistic as The Hottie & the Nottie, far and away one of the worst movies of the last 40 years. Mean-spirited, superficial, and ruined by Hilton delivering one of the worst “performances” (if you can even call it that) that the movies saw at any point during the 2000s, it’s a film that should be avoided by the plague by all those who prefer movies that don’t suck.

4

‘365 Days’ (2020)

Image via Netflix

Over the course of the years during which they’ve been making original films, Netflix have delivered some truly exceptional masterpieces that have gone down in history as some of the best movies of the 21st century. However, they have also made some atrocious disasters, including some of the worst movies of the last six years; and among those films, Barbara Białowąs and Tomasz Mandes‘ 365 Days trilogy reigns supreme as the bottom of the barrel.

The original 365 Days may be the least awful of the three, but that’s like saying that getting kicked in the shin is preferable to getting kicked in the face. It may be true, but it’s still not an experience that anyone in their right minds would like to have. This Polish absurdity is a horrible attempt at an “erotic drama” (if you can even call it that) that’s just about as erotic or romantic as watching paint dry.

3

‘The Next 365 Days’ (2022)

Image via Netflix

The third and final installment in the 365 Days trilogy achieved a tremendous feat: completing a film series where each installment has the approval of exactly 0% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s hardly surprising. This whole trilogy is nothing but a poorly-made glamorization of kidnapping and Stockholm syndrome, and The Next 365 Days does nothing but add more fluff to that mountain of misogyny that makes up one of the worst film trilogies in history.

Very far from just being thematically problematic, though, The Next 365 Days has a “plot” (if you can even call it that) that you could summarize in its entirety on half a napkin, the most boring love triangle in film history, and attempts at dreamlike surrealism so pathetic that they’re difficult to even laugh at. And the worst part? It’s impossible to imagine someone who would watching this entire trilogy of their own accord, but if they were to do so, they’d run into a cliffhanger ending whose non-finality is as laughable as it is infuriating.

2

‘Titanic II’ (2010)

Image via The Asylum

The world of straight-to-video cinema is one so filled to the brim with awful movies that one could never even attempt to watch all of them; but if someone were to watch only one straight-to-video romance film worthy of being counted among the genre’s worst, it would have to be Shane Van Dyke‘s Titanic II. It’s a disaster drama that’s not actually a sequel to James Cameron‘s Oscar-winning epic, but rather about a replica Titanic that tries to replicate the ship’s maiden voyage in reverse but (oh surprise!) also begins to sink.

“Disaster movie” is a label that applies to Titanic II not only because it’s the genre it tries to belong to. Shot on a shoestring budget in an attempt to capitalize on the success of disaster B-movies like Sharknado, Titanic II is a tastelessly absurd film that, instead of leaning into the camp of its mere premise, tries to play it ridiculously straight. The result is a modern cult “classic” (if you cane even call it that) that doesn’t even have the decency to be funny enough to be a must-see so-bad-it’s-good movie.

1

‘365 Days: This Day’ (2022)

Image via Netflix

After 365 Days came 365 Days: This Day, and like all sequels should, it completely one-upped its predecessor in virtually every way. The only problem? In this case, that only means that the “film” (if you can even call it that) is even worse. It’s hard to imagine why anyone would watch the first movie in the trilogy and then willingly choose to go into its sequel, but should they do that, they’d be treated to one of the worst dramas the streaming era has thus far seen, and the single worst romance drama in film history.

This is one of those movie trilogies that are awful from start to finish, but the middle installment in the series is on a tier of badness all of its own. It’s an offensively misogynistic, completely pointless cinematic mutation composed of lazy music videos, anti-erotic softcore sex scenes, and virtually no compelling plot points to speak of. From the writing to the direction to pretty much anything and everything else, it’s an affront to film history that should be avoided at all costs.

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365 Days: This Day

Release Date

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April 26, 2022

Runtime

111 minutes

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Director

Barbara Białowąs

Writers

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Mojca Tirs

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  Michele Morrone

  Massimo Torricelli / Adriano Torricelli

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  Anna-Maria Sieklucka

  Laura Torricelli

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  Simone Susinna

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  Marcelo ‘Nacho’ Matos

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You can always count on Prime Video to have a good film available to stream.

In September, there are at least three new movies with great Rotten Tomatoes scores that you should stream ASAP.

At the top of Watch With Us’ list is Collateral, a Tom Cruise action-thriller that’s only gotten better with age.

We also recommend diving into the mystery of Videodrome, a groundbreaking ‘80s film starring James Woods and Debbie Harry.

Finally, it wouldn’t be spooky season without M. Night Shyamalan and The Visit is one of his best recent horror pictures, with a twist you won’t see coming.

‘Collateral’ (2004)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 86 percent

As a Los Angeles taxi driver, Max (Jamie Foxx) has seen some crazy s**t, so when he’s hired by the elegantly dressed Vincent (Cruise) to drive him around town for the night, he thinks he can relax for a bit. He’s never been more wrong, as Vincent soon reveals himself to be a hitman who’s been hired to eliminate several witnesses in an upcoming drug trial. Max isn’t a saint, but he’s no killer, either, and he can’t let Vincent shoot strangers and get away with it. But how can he stop someone who’s been trained to kill and doesn’t have a conscience?

Related: Tom Cruise’s 10 Greatest Action Movies, Ranked

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To anyone who says there are no movie stars left, Tom Cruise is living proof that’s not true. For the better part of four decades, Cruise has been a box-office draw like few others. Cruise has also starred in some truly terrific action movies over the years, and he’s got a new one out now. […]

Collateral works on three levels. First and foremost, it’s a great action film with a thrilling narrative that really does keep you on the edge of your seat. In addition, it’s a superb portrait of L.A. nightlife and really shows off the city’s beauty and diversity. Most importantly, though, Collateral showcases one of Cruise’s most unusual performances. Playing a rare bad guy role, the Top Gun actor revels in playing a character with no moral compass and a killer sense of style.

‘The Visit’ (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 68 percent

Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) have never met their maternal grandparents, and their mother, Loretta (Kathryn Hahn), decides to change that. She’s going on a cruise with her new boyfriend anyway, so it’s convenient for her to send them to their grandparents’ isolated farmhouse for a week-long visit. But Becca and Tyler quickly clock that something is off with Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie) — they act irrationally and chase away local townspeople. When a friendly neighbor disappears after visiting their house, the kids blame the grandparents, but with their mother thousands of miles away, no one is around to help or save them from their possibly sinister relatives.

The Visit is directed by M. Night Shyamalan, and yes, there’s a twist that turns the entire plot on its head. This twist makes sense, though, and actually raises the stakes rather than making you groan. The film is shot in the found-footage style (Becca is an aspiring filmmaker), which makes all the horrors the two kids experience all the more visceral.

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‘Videodrome’ (1983)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 83 percent

Max Renn (James Woods) is looking for his next big hit. As the CEO of a Toronto TV station, he has to, or else he’s out of a job. When he becomes aware of a controversial new program called Videodrome, which shows people being tortured and killed on air, he thinks it’s just the show to put him on the map. But as he digs deeper into who is making Videodrome, and whether it actually depicts real-life murders, he begins to lose his grip on reality. Is his paranoia about the show all in his head? Or is Videodrome just a front for a vast conspiracy that could kill millions of people?

Even though it didn’t make much money when it was first released, Videodrome catapulted Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg into the international limelight — and jump-started a career that’s produced such classics as Dead Ringers and Crash (the good one). The film’s signature image, of a man merging his head into a functioning TV set, captures the film’s spooky tech vibe — it’s a horror film that’s unlike any other, and it will rattle your bones. Blondie’s Debbie Harry has her best role ever as Nikki Brand, a kinky radio host who is aroused by Videodrome and is willing to risk her life to become a part of it.

Science fiction is alive and well in the modern day. After all, over the last 15 years, the world has been treated to several books that are bound to go down in history as some of the best sci-fi books of the 21st century. Whether it’s an epic space opera, a science fantasy dystopia, or any other kind of science fiction story, these exceptional books prove that the genre is just as healthy today as it has always been.

From massively successful standalone titles like The Martian to big series installments like Leviathan Wakes, the best sci-fi books that bookworms have been treated to from 2011 until the present should all be considered essential reading for fans of the genre. They’re intelligent, imaginative, irresistibly entertaining, and everything that a science fiction lover could possibly want out of a novel.

10

‘The Deluge’ (2023)

Image via Simon & Schuster

For people who love science fiction about societal collapse and the end of the world, Stephen Markley is a must-read author. A very solid starting point to dive into his work is his latest novel, the hugely acclaimed 900-page climate-fiction gem The Deluge. Cli-fi has become one of sci-fi’s most prolific subgenres as the climate crisis keeps growing more and more pressing, and The Deluge is one of the best books that cli-fi has ever had to offer.

The book is an epic with precisely the kind of sprawling scope and scale that you’d expect from a book that’s nearly a thousand pages long. Thematically, it’s not just about the climate, with it also dealing with themes of political extremism and general social decay. Add to that a richly complex character-driven narrative and Markley’s viscerally realistic and experimental prose, and you get one of the best sci-fi books of the 2020s so far.

9

‘The Martian’ (2011)

Image via Ballantine Books

Whereas soft science fiction is more focused on characters, emotions, and soft sciences like politics and sociology, hard science fiction is all about scientific rigor and sticking to the laws of physics. As far as contemporary hard sci-fi goes, few authors are doing better work than Andy Weir, whose The Martian is far and away one of the best techno-thriller books of all time.

Originally published chapter by chapter on Weir’s personal blog, The Martian stands out as one of the most accessible hard sci-fi books of the last 15 years. It’s technical and scientifically accurate enough to satisfy even the most demanding hard sci-fi lover, but it also tells its story with such charm, wit, and humor that more general readers should also find it fascinating. It’s as much of a love letter to human ingenuity as it is to the science fiction genre itself.

8

‘All Systems Red’ (2017)

Image via Tor.com

Martha Wells‘ The Murderbot Diaries is one of the best sci-fi book series of the last decade, and its first installment, All Systems Red, may still be the peak of the series so far. At just a little over 150 pages long, this winner of the Nebula and Hugo Awards for Best Novella should be a deliciously breezy read in a single weekend. Indeed, it’s such an addictive page-turner that it feels like there isn’t really any other way to read it.

Aside from introducing the world to Murderbot, one of the most charming protagonists and narrators that science fiction literature has seen in years, All Systems Red brilliantly blends its high-stakes adventure with an exquisitely humorous tone of voice that doesn’t get tiring at any point. All in all, it’s one of the best sci-fi books of the past 20 years, perfectly paced and with a faultless balance between sardonic satire and clever sci-fi elements.

7

‘Station Eleven’ (2014)

Image via HarperCollins

Canadian literature has plenty to offer in the speculative fiction department, and dystopian science fiction is no exception, as perfectly demonstrated by Emily St. John Mandel‘s Station Eleven. Before it inspired one of HBO’s best miniseries of the 21st century, it was one of the best books published since 2010, a post-apocalyptic masterpiece that proves that the dystopian genre can be gentle and still deliver an unforgettable experience.

Indeed, Station Eleven twists the sci-fi dystopia subgenre on its head by rejecting the usual grim tone that dominates these kinds of stories. Instead, it delivers a poignant reflection on how art and human connections become essential for survival in the face of a terrible crisis. Mandel’s writing is powerfully subtle throughout, allowing the multi-POV structure of its narrative to shine all the brighter.

6

‘A Desolation Called Peace’ (2021)

Image via Tor

Arkady Martine (the pen name of AnnaLinden Weller) made history when both books in her debut duology, the Teixcalaan Series, won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. A Memory Called Empire is nothing short of a masterpiece, but its sequel, A Desolation Called Peace, goes so far as to be one of the most perfectly written sci-fi book masterpieces of the last 15 years. The whole duology helped redefine the space opera genre for 2020s readers, but the second installment of the series in particular packs a hell of a punch.Desolation Called Peace, which also won the Locus Award, deconstructs the space opera genre by moving its flashier, most heroically epic conventions to the background. Instead, the book invites the reader to examine the most profound linguistic, political, and philosophical implications of a first contact event. But far from being subversive just for the sake of being subversive, it’s a wonderfully nuanced and entertaining novel with some of the most elaborate prose the genre has seen in years.

5

‘Children of Time’ (2015)

Image via Hachette Book Group

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Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of the most consistently engrossing voices in modern-day speculative fiction, celebrated for his profound thematic work and his intricately detailed world-building. Case in point: Children of Time, which won the Arthur C. Clarke Award and was even compared to the “universal scale and sense of wonder” of Clarke himself by the director of the award program. It’s no small compliment for a novel that deserves all the praise it gets.

Children of Time is one of the best sci-fi books of the last 25 years, the first in the series that carries its title. People who love the surprisingly prolific “giant alien bug invasion” subgenre of space sci-fi are bound to love Children of Time, since it’s a twist on those kinds of stories that benefits greatly from Tchaikovsky’s background in both zoology and psychology. With layered complexity, he crafts an absolutely fascinating alien culture that completely reframes how the alien invasion genre typically works. “Humans are the actual monsters” is a common trope in science fiction, but Tchaikovsky dissects it with noteworthy nuance.

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‘Leviathan Wakes’ (2011)

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Leviathan Wakes is the first book in The Expanse Series, written by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck under the pen name James S. A. Corey. Inspired by a hugely detailed tabletop RPG Franck had developed, the book’s very core and DNA—from its structure to its plot to its character development—feel every bit as addictive as the most entertaining RPG imaginable. From start to finish, Leviathan Wakes is such a hard book to put down that reading its sequels becomes immediately tempting.

But as phenomenal as the sequels are, there’s a strong argument to be made that Leviathan Wakes is the one most worthy of being counted among the best sci-fi books of the last 15 years. It’s one of those sci-fi books that are perfect from the first page to the last, a space opera whose relative scientific realism, fascinating worldbuilding, and seamless blend of genres made it entirely deserving of the Hugo and Locus Awards it was nominated for.

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‘Project Hail Mary’ (2021)

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As if any more proof were needed that hard science fiction fans should be thankful for Andy Weir’s mere existence, there’s Project Hail Mary, which by this point seems like one of the most essential sci-fi books for beginners. If The Martian was great for those uninitiated in the world of hard science fiction, then Project Hail Mary saw Weir perfect that formula, crafting a book that should be equally satisfying and compelling for die-hard fans of the genre and those who are only slightly familiar with it.

It’s a masterfully paced survival thriller that makes science and the scientific method seem like the most exciting things in the universe, all thanks to Weir’s unique eye for detail, wonderfully accessible prose, and endless optimism. And with a first contact story that’s surprisingly emotional as the cherry on top, it’s no wonder why Project Hail Mary quickly became a pop-cultural sensation well before the release of this year’s movie adaptation.

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‘Golden Son’ (2015)

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Pierce Brown‘s dystopian sci-fi book series Red Rising is one of the most masterful the genre has seen throughout the 21st century, one of those sci-fi book series that are a masterclass in worldbuilding. But as close to perfection as the original Red Rising and all of its sequels are, there’s one particular book in the series that stands out above most other sci-fi books from the 21st century: Golden Son, the second installment in the series.

Sophomore slump? Brown has apparently never heard of such a thing. Golden Son is a masterpiece so full of shocking curveballs and fascinating creative decisions that it’s hard to believe what one is reading throughout those 464 pages. Brown transforms the series from Red Rising‘s more localized dystopia into a staggeringly sprawling space opera unlike any other that literature has seen in over a decade. Golden Son is a clear choice as the single greatest space opera book of the last 15 years.

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‘The Fifth Season’ (2015)

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Some people love science fiction; other people love fantasy. Mix the two, and you get science fantasy, a genre that, if done right, can be among the most deliciously satisfying that speculative fiction has to offer. There are plenty of books worthy of being counted among the best science fantasy books of all time, and as far as the genre’s output throughout the last 15 years goes, there’s a clear winner: N. K. Jemisin‘s The Fifth Season.

It’s the inaugural volume of Jemisin’s Broken Earth Series, which became the first trilogy in history whose every book won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in consecutive years. It was a well-deserved honor, too, particularly regarding The Fifth Season. Structurally fascinating, delectably experimental, and full of incredibly immersive worldbuilding, it’s the peak of what sci-fi has had to offer since 2011.