Looking for philosophical science fiction mysteries. > Likes and Comments

Lately I’ve been drawn to philosophical science fiction mysteries.
The world can be harsh at times, but I feel there’s always a quiet human warmth beneath it.
I’m looking for stories that explore emotion and humanity.

Hey J, I moved this conversation to the recommendations folder!

I can think of science fiction that explores philosophy, but I am a little stumped at the combination of philosophy with mysteries. On the science fiction and philosophy side of things, I would suggest exploring:
Robert Heinlein: Stranger in a Strange Land, Time Enough for Love, and Starship Troopers
Hao Jingfang: Vagabonds
Ursula LeGuin: The Left Hand of Darkness

Some very different takes on humanity in the universe.

J. wrote: "Lately I’ve been drawn to philosophical science fiction mysteries.
The world can be harsh at times, but I feel there’s always a quiet human warmth beneath it.
I’m looking for stories that explore emotion and humanity."

I would recommend these -
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
Foe by Iain Reid
The Lesson Cadwell Turnbull
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (light on the sci-fi, heavy on the philosophy)
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Kindred by Octavia E Butler

Anathem by Neal Stephenson?

Becky wrote: "J. wrote: "Lately I’ve been drawn to philosophical science fiction mysteries.
The world can be harsh at times, but I feel there’s always a quiet human warmth beneath it.
I’m looking for stories tha..."

Great list. I would add 2 more Lem "space mysteries" as I like to group them (or you can review Lethem's Lem categories):
His Master's Voice
The Investigation.

You might want to check out Peter Watts' Blindsight

what about the Asimov Robot Series featuring Elijah Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw?

Would Asimov's Foundation series be considered philosophical? It's personally affected my philosophy, I read it in my mid-teens.

It occurs to me that many of the old dystopian novels that, at the time they were written, were exploring a "near future" could be considered to fall into this category. If you accept that premise, two major works would be:
Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
1984 - George Orwell

Anything by Ursula K Le Guin. Start with Dispossessed if you’ve never read her.

Anahita wrote: "Would Asimov's Foundation series be considered philosophical? It's personally affected my philosophy, I read it in my mid-teens."

it's philosophical to me too, but I wouldn't consider them mysteries

I find lots of philosophical food-for-thoughts in short stories. This last year proved to be potent in this regard when reading stories from Clarkesworld, Uncanny, and Lightspeed magazines. Give them a go.

There's a new sci-fi by Mark Lawrence called 'Queen of Venus' that has a philosophical theme (secret community in the Venus atmosphere constructs a parallel Earth) https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Venus-Im...

I hesitate to recommend this because I feel like it’s such a unique book it’s hard to recommend to someone whose reading taste you don’t know.

Too Like The Lightning by Ada Palmer.

Draws directly on philosophers(phy). There is a mystery at the heart of it but it’s not a murder type mystery, and I wouldn’t really say it’s the focal point of the story.