This is open to indie too–there’s a lot more great indie work out there than people talk about.
I think for me, I’ve really loved Gideon the Ninth. It’s such a FUN book, and I think it’s the first science fiction book I’ve encountered that’s also fantasy but also set in “our future”.
(Star Wars doesn’t count. It’s in a galaxy far, far away after all.)
The two sequels are great too. The most recent one, Nona the Ninth, kinda put to rest my fears that the author couldn’t write a gentler, kinder viewpoint or world. (The first two books are kinda grimdark in some ways. Like–everything’s shit then we all die, then our corpses get raised from the dead and used in necromancer fights. Nona shows us a more hopeful world.)
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. I got a copy for every reader I know last Christmas. It’s so wholesome and wonderful, like reading a hug - very different from most sci-fi books. And she has such a good grasp of what it means to be human, in this and her other books.
I’ve always been appreciative of books that know the worth of comfort. And you’re right, that’s unusual in SFF. I’ve added it to my Goodreads list to read. :)
I read these books without knowing anything about them and I completely agree with your assessment. Very cozy and leaves you feeling better about the world. Not the type of book I normally would pick up but I’m glad I did.
This book and the second one are also on my top list. It’s really nice to read some optimist books.
I added Becky Chambers to my to read list.