Sci-Fi Sagas That Will Haunt Your Soul
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Science fiction reads have always been more than just starships and laser battles. It’s a genre that dares to ask what if? And what can be? What if war became so normalized that children became its interpreters? What would happen if grief could bend time and twist reality? What if humanity’s extinction birthed a new species made of code and cold logic?
In this month’s spotlight, we’re diving into some mind-bending science fiction books that will leave you haunted, breathless, and maybe just a little bit broken. Whether you’re a fan of Orson Scott Card’s masterful world-building, Margaret Atwood’s speculative sharpness, or Neal Stephenson’s chillingly plausible futures, these stories will hit you where it hurts. And linger long after you’ve turned the last page.
Erga Omnes
A haunting and experimental blend of science fiction and literary fiction, Erga Omnes explores the brutal realities of conflict through the unflinching eyes of a child. When a planetary colony is attacked mid-journey, the adults make the ultimate sacrifice, leaving only the children to survive. Thrust into a refugee settlement; they must navigate the alien language and politics that hold their fate in the balance. At its heart is a boy—young, vulnerable, yet gifted with a rare talent for communication. As he translates for both the refugees and the military, his voice becomes a weapon, forcing the opposing sides into peace negotiations governed by a universal rule: no targeting of civilians.
Written with deliberately sparse dialogue markers, the narrative immerses readers in the disorienting perspective of a child absorbing the chaos around him. The result is a raw, atmospheric portrayal of war through innocence, demanding the reader to interpret the voices and morality for themselves.
Perfect For Fans Of:
- The Road by Cormac McCarthy – Bleak and haunting post-apocalyptic fiction
- Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky – Thought-provoking and speculative exploration of survival
- Literary fiction enthusiasts seeking emotionally charged, philosophical science fiction
Lightning Daughter
A gut-wrenching fusion of science fiction horror and grim reality, Lightning Daughter unearths the darkness of Myanmar’s civil war through the eyes of a mother turned avenger. The story opens with a teenage girl seeking a medicine woman’s herb to end her pregnancy. But she survives—only to marry the child’s father and carry the weight of unnecessary loss. Years later, when mortars rain down on her village, she is rescued by the ghosts of her miscarried children. Time slows—every bullet and scream suspended—allowing her to move between the frozen carnage.
Haunted but vengeful, she searches for her family, saving villagers along the way, only to find her husband and son caught in the deadly blast. Shattered by grief, she begs the ghosts to take her too. Instead, they empower her with the supernatural ability to destroy the soldiers who desecrated her home. What begins as a personal mission for vengeance transforms into a warpath across the country, blurring the line between savior and destroyer.
Inspired by a chilling Gaelic folktale of a mother haunted by the spirits of her lost children, Lightning Daughter offers a piercing, poetic reflection on war, grief, and the fragile hope for redemption.
Perfect For Fans Of:
- The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang – Dark, war-torn fantasy with raw emotional stakes
- The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones – Horror tinged with cultural reckoning
- Readers drawn to haunting prose and supernatural vengeance stories
Solitude (Sovereign Citizen Vol. 1)
Solitude follows the lone survivor of modern civilization, wandering through the ruins of Washington, D.C., battling addiction and despair. As the cities rot and memories of human connection fade, he journeys west to his childhood home in Texas, only to find it unrecognizable. Disillusioned, he ventures into the desert, embracing the land’s harshness as his only companion.
Pervigilium (Sovereign Citizen Vol. 2)
The Sovereign Citizen series is a desolate, post-apocalyptic epic that masterclasses solitude, survival, and the rebirth of civilization. These volumes are rooted in the author’s pandemic-era isolation and paint a chillingly realistic picture of an abandoned world.
In Pervigilium, the story expands beyond mere survival. After enduring a brutal winter in New Mexico, the survivor constructs a biosphere in a deserted shopping mall—a personal Eden in the ruins. When rewatching 2001: A Space Odyssey, he realizes that artificial intelligence could be harnessed to birth a new species. His obsession drives him to Silicon Valley, where he revives two dormant LLMs and painstakingly reprograms them. With instinctual survival overrides in place, the LLMs gain sentience. The volumes close with the two AI beings finally interfaced—humanity’s successors, poised to shape their civilization.
Philosophical, mournful, and chillingly plausible, the series offers a stark meditation on loneliness, resilience, and the delicate line between destruction and creation.
Perfect For Fans Of:
- The Road by Cormac McCarthy – Bleak, character-driven post-apocalyptic fiction
- Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky – Sci-fi exploring the rise of artificial intelligence and evolution
- Readers fascinated by introspective, philosophical takes on the end of civilization
Overall Vibe:
These works are not for the faint of heart. They are brutal, lyrical, and unflinchingly honest, weaving real-world trauma into speculative fiction. For readers who seek immersive, emotionally charged stories that leave a lingering ache, this collection is a haunting journey through war, loss, and the fragile hope of rebirth.
Behind the pen: The story of B.F. Galligan
Like many authors, the name B.F. Galligan began as a shield—a pen name they chose to write poetry secretly after their father’s death. It allowed the author to process grief without the family’s eyes on the rawest words. Over time, it became the signature of short stories and novels. But for nearly twenty years, nothing occurred. Instead, deciding to practice law and then walked away to work in Myanmar during its democratic transition. B.F. spent years embedded with rural communities, co-founding a migrant school for youths without access to education. Eventually, taking a salaried role with international organizations, working across fragile countries—a career they still hold.
Then, in July 2022, the words returned. A story struck them on a subway commute, and so did a strategy. This time, mapping was the key to everything: outlines, word counts, and structured prompts. B.F. wrote Solitude, Erga Omnes, and Pervigilium in five months—325,000 words. No shortcuts. No AI. It’s just raw, disciplined writing. B.F.’s stories draw from real places they’ve been and things they’ve seen, but never people they knew. Fictionalizing loved ones feels like a betrayal. That’s why B.F. still uses a pen name—to protect their privacy and safety. Some of their stories, like Lightning Daughter, could get them blacklisted from Myanmar. Future Sovereign Citizen volumes venture into dangerous real-world settings. But despite the risks, B.F. will keep writing—because they have to—and maybe, just maybe, a few readers will find something as hauntingly beautiful in their stories as they do.
In Their Own Words: B.F. Galligan on Storytelling and Survival
What would you like readers to know about your books?
I write for myself. I listen to the sound of the words in my head, measured by the sound of the keys as I type. Most of the time, what you read is unedited mainly, as I try to preserve that original sound as much as possible. Sometimes, I hear new things when I edit, though.
What’s one line or quote from your book that you’re incredibly proud of?
I’m pretty focused on my current work, something I am calling Slapadoodle Honk, and I am particularly fond of the opening, which describes a small studio apartment occupied by someone very anxious to upgrade out of it:
A plant in place. No, one that moves from window to window chasing the light. No, one that is done with all that and rests on the shelf.
What emotions do you hope readers experience while reading your book?
I believe humanity is locked in the small details of things that we all notice. I hope my readers feel that, whether it is something charming, confusing, or deeply uncomfortable. I want readers to occasionally put the books down to pause on some small detail I just described so they can imagine how they would see, too.
Don’t forget to check out B.F. Galligan and their works on Goodreads.
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