The best sci-fi novel in 2026 so far – plus 6 other great reads
Sci-fi columnist Emily H. Wilson rounds up her favourite reads of the year to date – and highlights one particular book as her top pick
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Why I started my sci-fi novel with a world-ending supernova
Claire North, whose space opera Slow Gods is the July read for the New Scientist Book Club, discusses how a population might deal with knowledge that their planet will be destroyed in 100 years
The best new popular science books of July 2026
From friendship in a world of chatbots to what it means to be alive, this month’s new popular science books are asking some big questions. Liz Else rounds up the ones she’s most looking forward to
This thoughtful book will make you look at the wonders of trees anew
Aya Koda's Tree is an account of the late writer's visits to Japan's most famous, and ancient, trees. Featured in Wim Wenders's film Perfect Days, it is original and thought-provoking, says Rowan Hooper
Stunning photos reveal the intricate beauty of fungi
The vibrant colours and delicate details of New Zealand's fungi and slime moulds are documented in these images, taken from Jay Lichter's new book The Secret Life of Fungi
Conheça Toby, o gato que nasceu com 28 dedos e entrou para o Guinness Book
A mutação genética por trás das patas incomuns não atrapalha em nada a vida do filhote, que corre, pula e apronta como qualquer outro felino.
Why Schrödinger's 1944 classic What Is Life? still feels prescient
Pioneer of quantum mechanics Erwin Schrödinger's look at living organisms is one of the most influential popular-science books of the 20th century. So how does it hold up today, asks Karmela Padavic-Callaghan
This book is essential reading before watching the new Odyssey film
Homer still matters, argues Adam Nicolson in The Mighty Dead, a great primer to Christopher Nolan's new adaptation of the Odyssey, says Kelsey Hayes
New Scientist recommends a vital look at the science of fatherhood
Dads are often overlooked when it comes to parenting science. Darby Saxbe's fascinating new book Dad Brain is out to change that, says Olivia Goldhill
‘Like a phoenix rising from its ashes’: queer Muslim life in France – in pictures
Camille Farrah Lenain’s tender photo book Made of Smokeless Fire was inspired by grief for her gay uncle Farid. ‘He left without answering the questions I had for him,’ she says Continue reading...
Game of stones: how paintings of marble reveal a world of magical medieval mysticism
From trippy swirls to blood-soaked slabs, a new book mines gothic and renaissance art for the supernatural significance of the precious rockWhen we think of marble, we think of it as a desirable commodity: of luxurious interior decoration, from deluxe kitchens to the most corpora
Pass the sick bag! Why I published a book on the art of the airline essential
One evoked a hellish trip from Delhi after passengers had drunk unsanitary water. Another conjoured up an era when planes were thick with cigarette smoke. And one man collected them all …If, a few years ago, someone told me that I would spend most of my 2026 scanning hundreds of