The best new popular science books of January 2026 05. January 2026 (16:00) A host of new science books are due to hit shelves in January, by authors including Claudia Hammond, Deborah Cohen and Daisy Fancourt(New Scientist)
2026 will shed light on whether a little-known drug helps with autism 05. January 2026 (15:00) The US government is approving the drug leucovorin to address rising rates of autism, despite limited evidence that it works. This year, results from the largest trial yet should give more insight into its potential(New Scientist)
The best new science fiction books of January 2026 05. January 2026 (11:00) Big hitter Peter F. Hamilton has a new sci-fi novel out this month – and Booker winner George Saunders ventures into speculative fiction with his latest book, Vigil(New Scientist)
Gargantuan black hole may be a remnant from the dawn of the universe 02. January 2026 (13:00) Astronomers were puzzled by a black hole around 50 million times the mass of the sun with no stars, spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope – now simulations suggest it could be a primordial black hole, something we have never seen before(New Scientist)
Our verdict on The Player of Games: Iain M. Banks is still a master 02. January 2026 (09:55) The New Scientist Book Club has just finished our December read, Iain M. Banks's sci-fi novel The Player of Games - and most of us were fans of this big-thinking Culture tale(New Scientist)
The challenges of writing from the perspective of a sex robot 02. January 2026 (09:45) The author of the award-winning science fiction novel Annie Bot, the January read for the New Scientist Book Club, on how she created her startling protagonist(New Scientist)
