Books Like The Caves of Steel

From Sherlock Holmes to Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, readers just can't get enough of fictional detectives and their thrilling exploits. However, some readers prefer detectives who are a little more willing to get their hands dirty and bend the rules for the sake of justice. This led to grittier detective stories spearheaded by characters such as Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon and Philip Marlowe in The Big Sleep. While the genre is commonly associated with the 1930s-1950s, there have also been numerous authors who use a science fiction setting for their private investigators. For example, in The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov, a detective finds himself partnered with a humanoid robot to investigate a murder. For more science fiction-themed detective fiction, check out the following books like The Caves of Steel.

The Real-Town Murders

By Adam Roberts

The Real-Town Murders by Adam Roberts stars Alma, a private detective in a near-future England. The country is in the grip of Shine, the immersive successor to the internet. The country has decayed since people are content to live their lives plugged into Shine. However, Alma's biggest problem is her partner, who is ill and has to be treated every four hours to avoid death. Since Alma is the only one who can perform this task, it puts a lot of strain on her. To make matters worse, when she is called to an automated factor to investigate a death that should theoretically be impossible, she finds herself caught up in a bigger mess that might leave her unable to get home on time. 

The Last Detective

By Brian Cohn

The Last Detective by Brian Cohn is set in a future where aliens called "the slicks" arrive on Earth and herd humanity together like cattle. Some humans are rounded up and sent to labor camps for unknown fates, while others are left to their own devices under constant watch in the few remaining cities. Adrian Grace is a former homicide detective who finds himself tasked with investigating the murder of one of the slicks. After reluctantly agreeing, Adrian uncovers many things, but the worst is a conspiracy that jeopardizes the fate of an entire city.  

The Devil Whispered

By Shawn Starkweather

The Devil Whispered is a cyberpunk detective noir story by Shawn Starkweather. The protagonist, Jacobi Slate, is an ex-special-forces commander investigating a brutal murder committed by an old friend of his. However, during his investigation, he realizes that someone else might be involved in pulling strings from the shadows. Slate is also drawn into a downward spiral of fear and doubt when some connections to his own past crop up, leading him to believe that he might not be ready to face the truth.

Neon Nights

By Anna Mocikat

Neon Nights is the first novel in Anna Mocikat's "There's no Murder in Paradise" series of cyberpunk detective thrillers. The setting is the "city of dreams," an allegedly perfect society where more and more people are ending up dead. Detective Siro Ferreira-Nunes finds himself partnered with the sharp-witted Kate Spader to investigate the murders. They discover that the victims have all their neural implants and augmentations stripped, leading them to believe it is the work of a crime syndicate. The investigation takes them from the seedy underworld of the megacity's most notorious district to the opulent penthouses of the elite living in skyscrapers towering above everyone else. 

Dial D for Deadman

By Barry J. Hutchison

Dial D for Deadman by Barry J. Hutchison is part of the Dan Deadman Space Detective series of sci-fi comedy novels. This humorous take on the genre is set in an alien city where Dan Deadman is a private detective specializing in unusual and bizarre cases. Dan has his hands full after saving Ollie, a mysterious young woman, from a demonic entity. In between getting caught up in a missing child case and a string of gruesome murders, Dan also has to deal with the entity that will stop at nothing to get at Ollie, including destroying the whole planet. 

The Predator and the Prey

By K.C. Sivils

The Predator and the Prey is a sci-fi crime noir thriller by K. C. Sivils set in the year 2454 on the frozen planet of Beta Prime. Inspector Thomas Sullivan is a burned-out, cynical cop who is sent to Capital City to investigate a serial killer who loves the hunt as much as the kill. However, Thomas has his work cut out for him in a world where the strong make the rules and corrupt politicians are in bed with a crooked Chief of Detectives. He only knows that at the center of it all is a beautiful young woman with a troubled past. 

A Factory of Dust

By Sam Arco

A Factory of Dust by Sam Arco stars detective Miles Valentine, who wakes up in a hospital bed only to find that his body has been augmented against his will. All he has are vague memories of the week before and the fleeting image of a body in the snow. After being placed on leave for his injuries, Miles decides to use his old-school detective skills and street sources to investigate the truth. However, what he finds is a system of true crime, corporate greed, government corruption and black market trafficking. 

Eyes of Ice

By JC Andrijeski

Eyes of Ice by JC Andrijeski mixes science fiction with fantasy. It stars a vampire homicide detective named Nick Midnight, who is transferred to New York City, where his job will be to help humans hunt down murderers. Unfortunately, his first big case involves an illegal species that could get him killed. Complicating matters further is the seer-human hybrid, Wynter James, who shows up and treats Nick like they've known each other for years. Nick finds himself falling for her, but the fact that dating her would break the law and could get them both killed is just one of the reasons why it's a bad idea.