Frozen Soldiers, Dead Ships, and One Very Unlucky Frog

by Steven L. Hawk

Sergeant First Class Grant Justice dies in an ambush on a tank column, then wakes up 600 years later after scientists thaw him out of an arctic lake. The premise is great. Readers are split, though. At 3.69 with more than 1,600 ratings, one reviewer said they barely finished it and complained about a not-credible almost-superhero lead. If you can shrug off some cheese for a fish-out-of-time military story, it's free, so give it a hundred pages.

“This one was so bad, I can't believe I read the whole thing. (Confirms my use of the "hundred page rule.") Where to start? A not-credible almost-superhero fights to free 60 billion earthlings from a hundred super-sized, but incredibly stupid alien warriors. And barely gets out of breath. Hawk...”

by Thea von Harbou

This is the novel by Thea von Harbou, who wrote the screenplay for Fritz Lang's film and was married to him. It's a divided city where the wealthy lounge in a decadent playground while everyone else keeps the machines running. It sits at 3.5 with over 2,250 ratings, which is about right for a book that's more historically fascinating than smooth. Read it if you love the film or want to see where a lot of dystopia tropes started.

by Dave Dobson

Jess is a damaged former marine trying to put herself back together, and her new job is guarding an archaeological dig on a quiet planet that used to belong to an aliens. The oddity is that the dig supposedly doesn't need protection, yet it hired a lot of it. That detail made me lean in. It's at 4.11 with over 430 ratings, which is solid for a free military-flavored mystery. Good pick if you like your sci-fi with boots on the ground.

by Susan Kaye Quinn

It's 2050, climate plagues keep sweeping through, and power engineer Lucía Ramirez works on the Power Islands. There's also a legal vow of care that families can take, and she lost her family before she could take it. I like the concept, but one reviewer called it lukewarm and said the futuristic jargon gets thick. Another, who only picked it up for a Q-author reading challenge, ended up pleasantly surprised. The rating is 3.77 across about 665 readers, so expect a mixed but interesting climate-fiction start.

“When You Had Power is, put nicely, lukewarm. The plot itself isn't terrible, and while Susan Kaye Quinn does throw a lot of futuristic sci-fi jargon at you, by the time you're done with the book, it all kinda makes a semblance of sense. The characters are... fine? I was at least invested enough to...”

by Cat Larson

Okay, this is more cozy fantasy than hard sci-fi, but it's the highest rated book on the list at 4.32. Samm Hain is a reluctant witch who flies around town hunting for a counterspell because her fiancé has been turned into a frog. It's three books in one download, and the blurb promises magic, mayhem and murder. Not for everyone, but if you want something silly after the heavier picks, this is it.

by Rene Astle

The crew of the cargo ship Lyra picks up two new members and a salvage job on a third-rate space station, then finds a dead ship waiting at the coordinates. One reviewer compared the crew dynamic to Firefly, and another called it part drama, part mystery with enough thrills to keep things moving. It holds a 4.04 with about 350 ratings. If you want a fun space adventure and book one of a series, start here.

“A Dead Ship in the Deep Black is an entertaining science fiction novel that is part drama, part mystery, and has just enough thrills to keep the story moving at a great pace. The cargo ship Lyra picks up two new crewmen before they do the next grey market, possibly illegal job for which they have...”